#*Alexa play Blurred Lines*

[homoqueerjewhobbit]

Americans will go on food stamps and have their car repossessed and still consider themselves Middle Class. Americans will drive their Porsche to their house in the Hamptons and still consider themselves Middle Class.

[sweet-villain]

Cutting Too Deep~3~Final

Part 2

Angst

Words : 5.5k

@babyloutattoo89 @palomam18 @becca-alexa @sadbitchfangirl @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @djkeruigbbygirl @haileighboi @bookshelf-dust @moonchildquinn @strangerfreak

“ Please, Steve” you begged him following him around Family Video trying to get him to agree to be your fake boyfriend.

He shook his head while taking things out of the box that came in not long ago. 

“ It’s not going to hurt anyone, Stevie” you jutted out your bottom lip with your eyes pleading like puppy dog eyes.

Steve didn’t even need to look at you to know what you were doing. “ Y/N, I said no.” 

“ Why not?” Steve sighed, shaking his head. 

“ Because you can’t just use people!” He shouted turning around, anger in his eyes.

He put a hand on his chest. “ I’m a person with feelings too. You’re not going to use me just piss Munson off.” 

“ But Steve I-“ he pointed a finger at you, spatting the next words, “ When did you turn out to be such an asshole?” 

You gasped at the words, eyes widen hearing the words from him.

“ Excuse me?” His lips threw in a thin line as he turned back to the box. He didn’t really mean to be so angry with you but he knew you were playing a dangerous game with someone else’s feelings.

As much as he didn’t like Eddie, but he tolerated him because of you. 

“ Fine, I won’t use the precious Steve Harrington. I thought we were friends. I guess not” Steve’s hands landed on the opened box, he sighed hearing you walk out of the back room and heading to the front where Robin hid behind a shelf listening in the conversation. 

You didn’t even bother to say bye to her and heading to your car where you angrily drove away. 

It wasn’t until two days later where you walked through the doors with Andy by your side with his jacket around your shoulders.

Chrissy and Jason on the other side of yours as your hand was in Andy’s hand. Heads turned with wide eyes as they saw you with them. Since when did that happen? 

Gareth, Dustin, Mike, the freak and Jeff all turned to see you. Mouth dropped. 

“ Since when is she dating one of them?!” Dustin shouted. 

“ How have we missed the memo?” 

“ What’s up my little sheeps?” Eddie walks over to them not really paying attention to what they were looking at until his eyes landed on you. His mouth felt dry, and his heart felt like someone threw it in the trash and put it through a thrasher.

Everything in him felt cold and unwanted. He felt like he was in someone else’s body.

He couldn’t believe it. You felt like a bunch of bricks hit him of betrayal. How could you? 

His nose scrunched up in disgust. You happen to walk by making sure to pull Andy down to kiss him on the cheek.

Right in front of Eddie who angrily watching this unfold. His throat build up and he can’t swallow the lump in his throat. 

His hands are shaking and his eyes fill with tears.

It was like his chest was clenching together finding it harder and harder to breathe. He collapsed against the lockers as he felt his chest burning and tears rolling down his cheeks. 

“ Eddie?” Jeff calls out to him. “ Are you okay, man?”

Eddie doesn’t answer him as his vision blurs with tears and he can’t take this emotion. He feels like everything inside of him has erupted and he’s not the person he is. He feels everything running through him. 

He stands up to push past anyone in his way as he needs to get some air. He feels like he’s about to throw up and he hasn’t ate anything today yet.

He pushes the door opened, stumbling through people, tears rolling down his cheeks as his hands come up his knees as he chokes out whatever is bothering him in his mouth. 

A hand rubs his back while he’s having this panic attack that he thinks he’s having.

He feels everything just trying to get out and he hates it. He hates you for making him feel like that. 

“ I’m sorry, Eddie” the sound of Dustin’s voice fills his ears. Eddie doesn’t look back and shakes his head. Dustin continues to rubs Eddie’s back. 

“ Maybe you should go home” he suggest. Eddie sobs more and coughs even more as his hands are shaking. People are looking at him with disgust as they walk past him.

“ Move along! Nothing to see here!” Dustin says. He sends a sympathetic look towards Eddie’s way and Eddie seems to calm down a bit as he stands back up, wiping with the back of his hand the salvia, snot and whatever else with the back of his sleeve. 

Dustin fishes out a napkin from his backpack that his mom usually adds in, just in case. 

“ Here” he hands Eddie a napkin which Eddie takes and wipes his eyes away. Dustin has never seen Eddie act like this and looks at the school back in concern. 

“ I’ll call Wayne to come pick you up” Dustin says. “ Let me call him” he says. Eddie puts his hands on Dustin’s shoulder and shakes his head. 

“ Thanks, Henderson but he’s at work and there is no need to bother him” Dustin shoots him a disapproving look.

“But you’re not feeling well” Dustin mutters. 

“ I’ll be fine, I need a smoke. Thanks, Henderson. You can go back to class” Dustin shakes his head as he looks back at the school again. “ I could always tell my mom I had to look after you for skipping class, she would understand. She loves you.” 

“ Henderson, go to class” Eddie pleads. “ I’ll be fine” he took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket off his jacket and lights one up. 

Dustin sighs and says, “ If you need anything, you know where to find me. I can go get Gareth or Jeff.” He points back at the school. 

“ Henderson, get your butt to class before I kick it” he says. The cigarette hanging in the corner of his mouth. 

Dustin nods as he squeezes Eddie’s shoulder and heads towards the school. Eddie looks towards the school and sighs to himself. 

He was getting a big headache from all of this. 

Andy kept putting his arm around you all through the day. You hadn’t seen Eddie for the rest of the day and getting looks from the rest of the Hellfire table, mostly glares.

Dustin didn’t say a word to you when he passed you in the hall. You were a bit hurt by this but you felt like you were digging a hole with this game you were playing at. 

At lunch, you walked past the Hellfire table hearing them stop talking as they turned to glare your way.

Dustin had taken a piece of sandwich with a mouthful he glared at you while you stopped at the table.

“ You look a little lost there Y/N” you heard the sound of Stephanie’s voice. “ Were you hoping to catch Munson?” She asked as she stands in front of you now with her hands on her hips. 

“ Awe look at you with little hope in her eyes that her little friends don’t like her anymore, tough. No one likes you anymore,  you’re such a sad little nobody” she took the milk from your lunch and opened it. 

“ Look at what your wearing even, god do you even know how to dress?” You look down at your outfit as everyone turned to glance at you. 

“ Did you really think dating Andy would do you any good? He feels sorry for you, little girl. No one would date such a nerd like you. You’re a living joke” she laughs, her little group laughs with her as she pours over your head. 

You gasped feeling some get into your eyes, the cafeteria laughed at what happened. You felt eyes on you as tears filled your eyes. 

“ Leave her alone!” Someone shouted. Everyone turns their heads to see Robin standing at the door with her hands on her hips. You thought she wasn’t your friend anymore.

“ What are you going to do about it?” Stephanie asked. Robin stomped her way over getting her own tray with food spilling it into the garbage and taking the tray, slamming it over her head. Everyone gasped even the Hellfire table as they watched. You hadn’t thought Robin would do this. 

She grabbed your hand and the two of you ran out of the cafeteria all the way to the bathroom.

She closed the door with her back, leaning against it as she laughed while you joined her. It was only a few moments until the both of you stopped, to catch your breathe. 

“ Are you okay?” She asked making her way over to you and gets a paper towel as she try to reach out to help you.

You turned to look at the mirror at yourself seeing the milk drenched your hair, your shirt drenched in ilk and you looked like a horror show happened to you. 

“ I will be” you mumbled turning on the faucet to wash your hair. She stands behind you looking into the mirror.

“ I’m sorry this happened to you” you shrugged, sniffling.

“ It’s like I deserved it” you mumbled. You turn off the faucet and turn your hair to the side putting it in a side pony tail. “ I think I’ll head home. I don’t feel like going to the rest of my classes.”

“ Do you want me to come with you?” 

You shook your head. 

“ Thank you, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s just milk” she shook her head.

“ I meant, what happen earlier with Stephanie?” 

“ You handle it, Robs. I didn’t know you had in you and with a swing like that” she shrugged, a small hint of red on her cheeks. “ I’ve learned from the best” she says, a slight smirk on her face. 

You chuckled, and a shrug. 

“ I’ll see you later” she squeezed your shoulder as she headed out first, looking out in the hallway in case Stephanie would be standing out there.

When the coast was clear, she signaled for you to come out. You followed her and looked around yourself and headed towards your locker to get your back pack. 

When you were heading out to your, there in the parking lot was Eddie’s van wide open in the back.

You paused in your step debating weather to check on him or making your way to your car where it was close to his van where he would see you leaving. 

You sighed to yourself heading to your car thinking he didn’t want to have anything to do with you after all the harm you caused but you were only doing it because of what he did with Stephanie. For revenge. 

But you felt like you were losing your friends from all of this. 

You fished your keys out of your pocket, the jingle has altered Eddie on it as he sat up in the van as his eyes landed on you.

His eyes roamed your hair seeing it dried up and looks different. He saw your shirt soaked and put two and two that something has happened. 

He watches you fight to open your car with a mutter of curse words underneath your breath. He always found it so cute how you would mutter such words in a cute way and your nose scrunched up in annoyance too.

You managed to open the car, and slip inside, starting it. You let it run as you leaned your head back against your seat not even noticing that Eddie has been watching you from the back of his van. 

You leaned back to put the car in reverse when you notice he was watching you and you made eye contact with him.

There was a slight wanting to wave at him, to show him some greeting but you sat still looking at him as he looked at you. 

He looked so sad and lonely. 

The two of you remained eye contact until it started to pour which made Eddie break his eye  contact as he stared up at the grey sky filled with sadness.

He scooted closer as the scent of rain fills him, closing his eyes as it soothes him. You watch him as he looks up at the sky looking like he was the most beautiful person you have ever seen in that moment. 

You were in awe of him even if he caused you pain. You can’t forgive him for the damage he has done.

He opened his eyes and noticed your car still stood there as he glanced back down to see you have been watching him.

He put out the cigarette and dropped it on the ground to stomp on it before he shut the back of the doors of the van and hurried into the van.

The roaring of the van brought you out of your thoughts as you started yours, driving away and passing Eddie who watched you drive away.

He wondered why you were staring at him like that. 

You sat in your room later that night, reading a book in your bed when there was a knock at the door. 

“ I’m not hungry, mom” you shouted to her. The door opened to reveal that it wasn’t your mom standing there but none other than Steve Harrington. You put the book down in your lap curious why he was there. 

“ Why are you here?” You asked, “ thought you hated me.” He sighed as he shook his head making his way over to you to sit on the edge of the bed. 

“ Robin told me what happened today, didn’t know she got an arm on her” you chuckled. 

“ She has her surprises” he chuckled along with you. But he hasn’t turned to look at you as his eyes stared into his hands that were in his lap. 

“ You know he never deserved you in the first place” he says. Your eyebrow shoots up in surprise. “ What do you mean?” 

“ Eddie Munson isn’t good for you, no matter how much you want to believe he is” Steve says. You shifted that you sat next to him with your hand on his arm. 

“ I loved him, you know?” You mumbled, Steve turns his head to sadly look at you and nods his head. “ You believe that even after he hurts you, that there is a chance that someday he’s going to be with you again?” 

“ I know it’s stupid” you sighed turning to look down at your lap. Two fingers lift up your chin to make you look at him. 

“ Nothing you do is stupid” he says. “ He’s the stupid one for hurting you. I mean, Stephanie Peters? She’s such a mess of a bush.” 

It caused you to chuckle.

“ Thanks” you nodded. 

“ You know I could never hate you, how could someone as sweet as you, hate you?” 

“ There are people” you shrugged. 

“ Are you doing okay?” He asked placing his hand on your knee. The heat from his hand radiates bringing you comfort in a way. 

“ I am, thank you for coming in and checking in on me.” 

“ It’s part of my job, being your best friend” he knocks his shoulder into yours. You knocked into his. 

“ We’re all good?” You asked.

“ I promise” Steve says holding out his pinky for you. You chuckled seeing the goofy look on his face lifting your own pinky up hooking around his. 

“ A mess of a bush? What even is that? Did you come up with that on your own?” Steve rolled his eyes as he grumbled underneath his breathe how he hates you.

He doesn’t really hate you, it just came to his head when he was thinking about it. 

“ Oh shut it, it flew in my head and came out. You know what? Forget even about it” 

You laughed knocking into his shoulder this time sending him almost flying off the bed. He caught himself shooting you a dirty look while you stuck out your tongue.

You were glad to have someone like Steve in your life. 

It’s been a couple of more weeks since all you and Eddie have been doing is looking at one another like your life depended on it.

Your friends were growing tired of it, even though Eddie was an asshole on hurting you, yet you still hoped. There was hope in your eyes from Robin over looking at you reading you like a book. 

“ You know, staring isn’t going to do anything? If you honestly wanted to talk to him then go” she says, an annoying look on her face. “ Pick up your balls and go talk to the man for crying out loud.” 

“ It’s not that easy” 

She hums, rolling her eyes. Of course, it wasn’t easy. You don’t even remember the last time you had a real conversation with Eddie and yet be alone in the room with him.

Eddie rubbed his face as he yawned leaning forward on the lunch table as he looked around until his very eyes caught yours. But it was too soon to hope that you’d continue to look at him. 

You looked away as soon as he looked over. 

“ God, you two are annoying” Jeff says.

This brought Eddie’s attention as he turns his head, with one of his eyebrows hiding underneath his bangs as he waits for him to continue. 

“ It’s everyday the same thing, every time. You two need to talk to each other or not look at each other waiting for a miracle to happen” Jeff continues.

“ If you want to be with her, then talk to her.” 

“ It’s not that easy” Eddie mutters. “ Besides she doesn’t want anything to do with me.” 

“ Right, and why does she keep staring at you like a lot puppy waiting to be cuddled?” Mike asked. Eddie glared at him flicking a pretzel his way. 

“ You don’t know what your talking about Wheeler.” 

The Hellfire club sighed to themselves as this was another day and another stared down between the two of you. 

Later that night, you walked downstairs to dinner seeing your mom setting up the table. 

“ Hey mom” she puts down a fork and turned her head seeing you standing there twisting the end of your shirt and nervously looking at her. 

“ What is it, hunny? Did something happen? Are you okay?” She asks. You dropped your shirt that you were twisting and walk over her to throw your arms around her waist.

She is surprise by your actions since the two of you don’t do hugging much. She wraps her own arms around you after drying her hands with the front of her shirt and looks down. 

“ Did someone hurt you?” She frowns feeling her shirt become wet from your tears as she cups your face with one hand.

Your lips are doing a duck face while fresh tears are strolling down your cheeks. You had no idea what to do with yourself with the whole Eddie situation. 

You begin to tell her what happened and what Eddie has done to hurt you, your mom was someone you loved talking to when it came to advice and coming to with struggles.

She always lends you an ear and listens. When you were done, your mother’s heart was in two from her baby feeling so hurt and so lost. 

“ You know what I used to do when my feelings were hurt?” You shook your head.

She moved away from you and headed to the living room where you followed her, confused on why she knelt down in front of cabinet that held some of her memories that you knew about. Not all of them since she didn’t want you snooping there. She knows the curious mind you have. 

“ What are you looking for?” You sit down besides her as she pulls out some notebooks that are bent and full of dust. She blows on top of them and brushes away the remaining of the dust from the notebooks and flips the pages. 

Pages upon pages were filled with writings. 

“ What is all of this?” She gently smiles as she remembers what they are to herself and continues to flip the pages. Your eyes run over the words seeing them as they were poetry. 

“ I used to love to write poetry and come up with little songs in my head. Never really shared it with anyone besides your father who adored my little notes and letters I wrote to him.” 

“ Can I look?” You motioned to the unopened notebook near her legs and she nods her head letting you go through her things. You slide the notebook over your lap and flipped through the pages.

Your fingers brush over the hand writing as the pages were no longer white or any color that you thought was passable for a notebook. She watches you in wonder. 

“ Why don’t you write your feelings down and see what you come up with?” She suggest with her eyebrow raised. “ Who knows? You might come up with something extraordinary.” 

You had heard what she has said but you were too busy reading your mother’s words and her feelings. She wrote about her feelings for a boy she liked before your father you thought.

But then you continue to read and they were about your father from the first day she met him to the day she married him. 

You flipped to the last page of the notebook where it had a short like poetry but it wasn’t about your father.

It was about you.

Your mother describes you as her joy, as her angel and as her miracle. She says you were the most wonderful thing to happen to her and that she was always going to be there for you, till you needed her. 

Tears well up in your eyes as you stared up at your mother who look at you with concern on her face. 

“ What is it?” 

“ I love you” you threw your arms around her waist and laid your head in her lap where she smiled down at you and ran her fingers through your hair while humming to you. The humming seemed to fit on what you had read. 

“ My little girl” she says, “ My sweet little miracle baby girl. Mama is always going to here for you.” 

You don’t remember anything else as you fall asleep in her lap as she continues to hum. 

You had taken our mother’s advice going to the store tomorrow on the weekend to get yourself your own notebook where you were going to write down your feelings.

The hurt. The pain. Everything. No it wasn’t a journal. 

The other part of it was that your mom surprised you with your own guitar where she thought music might help you with your feelings and the words you wanted to share into your own notebook. 

“ You’re doing what?” Steve asks as he turns around to face you after hearing that you had picked up music as something you never thought you’d be into doing. Writing songs. 

“ What are you writing about? The songs…” Robin asks as sh walks around one of the shelf. You came to visit them in Family Video thinking they needed to see a familiar face before they got bored and decided to restock every shelf in here.

Keith hasn’t stopped by so you were good. He secretly thinks your cute and you found out from Max who told you with disgust on her face. 

“ My feelings” you shrugged. 

“ Are you writing about, Munson?” Steve asks while Robin shoot him a look like why did you ask that dingus.

Your lips grew in a thin line and there was a lump in your throat you were trying hard to swallow. 

“ What?” Steve asks as he threw his hands up. “ She’s not into him! They haven’t talked! It’s nothing bad if I ask her, right?” He turns to look at you as his eyes plead thinking it’s okay that he asked.

He was a bit worried he made you upset. 

“ It’s alright, I’m working on something and let just say they will be clear as day to him if he ever finds out about it.” 

Suddenly Robin’s eyes grew wide as she reached for your hands, holding them both and the look that she was giving you was a bit scary. You didn’t know what to say about it. 

“ You’re scaring her Robin, what are you doing?” Steve asks. 

“ I have an idea!” Robin shouts. 

“ Why don’t you perform the song at the Hide Out?” She suggest. “ You can show us your new talent and how cool you are.” 

You shook your head, removing your hands away from her giving her she was crazy for even suggesting it. Her eyebrows frowned together seeing you weren’t really liking the idea. She sees the fear in your eyes. 

“ It’s only going to be Steve, and I and possibly five drunks and the bartender” she says like it was going make you feel better.

Because it doesn’t, you know that Eddie comes into the Hide Out to sit in the back, sometimes play pool with Gareth and Jeff.

It was their spot to perform too. You didn’t want to run into him.

“ I can’t” Steve frowns as he leans on his elbows on the counter. 

“ He won’t be there if that’s what your worried about. I’ll tell Henderson to keep him busy” Steve suggests.

You look between Robin and Steve seeing the pleading look on their faces. They were really proud of how you were handling this with Eddie and letting your feelings known through something like music. 

“ Fine, you win but only if I can get movies free for the whole year” you point toward Steve. “ Don’t you dare tell Keith.” 

“ He won’t even know, I promise you” Robin offers you a smile as she places her hand on your shoulder. “ I’m happy you took this outlet and your turning a new leaf.” 

You supposed it was a new leaf and things were looking up for you. You were doing something you never imagined to do. You always thought that Eddie was the talented one and here you were, finding out you had your own talent to share. 

Maybe performing at the Hide Out would’t be as bad as you thought. If only you knew how stubborn Eddie was and he wasn’t about to miss playing pool at the Hide Out.

Dustin kept trying to push Eddie away from coming to the Hide Out. 

“ What are you hiding, Henderson?” Eddie crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at Dustin. “ It’s a surprise for me? It’s not my birthday, you know?” Dustin had his hands on either side of the Hide Out door preventing from him from coming in.

Eddie did miss Steve’s car in the parking lot as he was too busy smoking a cigarette and fixing his jacket to notice it was there. 

He heard music coming from inside and his head tilted as his eyes scanned the building and listened to the voice.

He can’t put a face to it or the voice on where he heard it. Does he know this person? 

“ ….Dustin, who’s playing in there?” He asked.

“ Uh.. no one!” Dustin shook his head, “ Not a single soul. Just a bum.” Dustin shrugged. He knew who it was and was told clearly by both Robin and Steve to not let Eddie into the Hide Out.

He had one job.

Yet the doors flew opened with Eddie tackling Dustin to the ground, the commotion has brought silence as the music has stopped. You were on stage with a guitar in your hands while standing with the microphone too, singing when Eddie came crashing in.

His head shot up to the stage and his eyes grew wide seeing that it was you who was singing. He stood up from Dustin who groaned in pan on the ground.

“…. And your not going to help me, right..” Dustin sat up. 

“ Henderson, you had one job!” Steve shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. 

“ I’m sorry! He tackled me, I didn’t really think he would do that. He’s heavy too. I’m one person. Should of had Hopper be the look out then!” Dustin shouted. 

While the two went back and forth at each other, Eddie looks up at you with wonder. 

“ You sing?” He asked. “ Since when do you play guitar?” He asked. “ Who taught you?” He sounded hurt that someone else taught you how to play and you didn’t come to him out of everyone. 

“ Boy, sit down!” One of the drunks shouted at him. Eddie threw him his middle finger not even looking at him as his eyes were locked on you. 

“ Are you going to finish?” Eddie asks. “ The song? What’s it about?” He asks. 

“ You” was the only thing you told him into the microphone. He puts his hands on his chest feeling his heart race that you wrote something about him. He thought it was sweet. 

“ Oh sweetheart..” 

Robin snorted all of sudden catching Eddie’s attention. 

“ Something funny to you, Buckley?” 

“ It’s not what you think, Munson” Eddie’s eyebrows pinched together in confusion when Robin shouts to you to finish the song that you were signing. Eddie turns his head once he hears the sound of your voice.

“ Twinkle twinkle, little boy, do you know I'm not a toy?” His eyebrows shot up in surprise hearing the lyrics. “ I don't wanna be a part of your broken heart” his jaw clenched tight at the words. 

“Twinkle twinkle, little boy, don't you know I'm not a toy?” His nose twitched as he understood what kind of song this was.“ Are you scared of what you are? Lonely in the bar.” 

As the song continued, the more he grew angered at it, at you, at the lyrics but his felt his eyes brim with tears feeling eyes watching and listening. He wasn’t alone listening to this.

He had hurt you and he understand. For days the both of you were looking at each other with hope and now you came to a decision. 

Which he didn’t like. 

He stomped his way over to the stage where you were still singing into it and ripped the microphone away from you.

The bar became silent as gasps were heard. You threw him a surprise looked and stepped away thinking he was going to throw the microphone.

“ Enough” he stated. “ You don’t know mean this” he barks. 

You shrugged turning around to walk off this stage where he chases you into the backstage area where he takes your wrist and turns you around to face him. 

“ What was that?” Eddie asks, hurt in his tone. 

“ My feelings, and my talent” you responded. 

“ I know I’ve heard you and I’m sorry, I’ve apologized to you and I don’t know what else you want me to do. Please..” He begs as he takes your face with both his hands but you feel like your a whole different person when he touches you.

You don’t want to be near him anymore. You don’t want this and don’t need this. You were going to move on even though you weren’t healed from the wound he has placed but you deserved better.

Eddie wasn’t it. 

“ You’ve heard me loud and clear, Munson. I don’t know what else do you want me to stay. I don’t want you to beg. I don’t want you to cry. I don’t even want to hear the sound of you voice. You did the damage and now you get to live with the fact that you mean nothing to me” you spatted in his face, pushing his chest. 

“ No…” he shook his head. “ You love me..” He adds. 

“ I don’t know, you’re just a lonely boy in the bar” you patted his chest and turns around to walk to you friends leaving him to have a fit as he kicks and stomps.

He’s doing his little tantrum while you fall into the seat sitting by Robin and Steve as they both offer you a drink, Dustin throws you an apologetic look from earlier. 

“ You’re forgiven, Henderson” he lets out a breathe of relief as he sips on his own drink which was a coke.

He turns to look over to spot where Eddie has gone to see him sitting on the side stage with his shoulder shaking with his head down. He decides to make his way over to him to keep him company feeling a little bad for his friend. 

“ I loved her, Henderson” Eddie mutters through his tears. He falls into Dustin’s lap as he continues to cry.

Dustin puts his hand on his back and rubs it not really saying anything. He doesn’t want to say the wrong thing and lets Eddie cry into his lap.

You turn to look where Dustin has went off to see him comforting Eddie. 

“ Don’t even bother, you’re moving onto greater things” Robin say picking up her glass. “ To better things.” She says. You pick up your own and Steve joins. 

“ To better things” the three of you clink glasses, cheering as you laugh seeing Steve spill his own drink as it falls onto his hand and on the table. 

“ Nice one, dingus” 

[alexsharing]

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Omnichannel Integration In connective eCommerce, every channel is interconnected. Consumers no longer see distinctions between shopping online, through social media, or in-store. The lines have blurred, and businesses are required to ensure that every touchpoint—whether it’s a website, an app, a social platform, or a physical store—delivers a consistent and cohesive experience. This goes beyond mere availability; it means that customers can start their journey on one platform and seamlessly complete it on another.

AI-Powered Personalization AI is playing a pivotal role in how businesses understand their customers. In 2024, connective eCommerce relies on real-time data processing to deliver hyper-relevant product recommendations, personalized content, and dynamic pricing strategies. AI helps predict what consumers will want next, improving both the shopping experience and customer loyalty.

Social Commerce and Influencer Ecosystems Social platforms have become key players in the connective eCommerce space. With features like in-app shopping and shoppable live streams, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are not only channels for discovery but also for direct transactions. Influencers play a critical role in this ecosystem, driving trends and helping brands build authentic connections with consumers.

Voice and Visual Search Voice search and visual search are emerging as popular tools within the connective eCommerce framework. Voice-enabled devices, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, are allowing consumers to shop using voice commands, while visual search tools help users find products by snapping a photo or uploading an image. This shift marks the move toward more intuitive and accessible forms of interaction between consumers and digital storefronts.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Try-Ons AR technology is revolutionizing how consumers shop for products online. Virtual try-ons—be it for clothing, makeup, or even home décor—are becoming mainstream, allowing users to see how products will look or fit in their real lives before making a purchase. This helps reduce return rates and increases consumer confidence in buying products online.

Blockchain and Decentralized Commerce Blockchain technology is influencing eCommerce by introducing decentralized platforms where transactions can occur without intermediaries. Smart contracts are enhancing security and transparency, especially in global trade and high-value transactions, which adds a layer of trust between buyers and sellers.

Benefits of Connective eCommerce

Enhanced Customer Experience: With every channel working together, consumers experience a seamless, convenient, and highly personalized journey, increasing satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Real-Time Data and Insights: Businesses can track customer behavior across multiple platforms, gaining real-time insights that inform better marketing strategies, inventory management, and product development.

Increased Conversion Rates: Personalization powered by AI and ML improves engagement and boosts conversion rates as consumers are presented with products and content tailored specifically to them.

Greater Scalability for Businesses: Connective eCommerce allows companies to expand their reach effortlessly across platforms, opening doors to new markets and customer bases globally.

Challenges to Overcome

While connective eCommerce offers significant advantages, it also presents unique challenges:

Data Privacy and Security: With an increasing number of platforms and touchpoints, ensuring consumer data privacy and securing transactions remains a major concern.

Integration Complexity: Successfully integrating various platforms, tools, and technologies can be complicated, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses that may not have the resources to implement such solutions seamlessly.

Customer Expectation Management: As experiences become more personalized, consumer expectations will continue to rise. Companies need to ensure they deliver on promises while avoiding over-reliance on algorithms that may not always get it right.

The Future of Connective eCommerce

As we move further into 2024, the connective eCommerce landscape is set to expand, with more companies adopting this model and consumers expecting seamless, interconnected shopping experiences. Innovations like AI-powered personalization, AR, and decentralized commerce will likely grow even more sophisticated, driving a new era of digital commerce that feels both intimate and infinite.

For businesses, the key to thriving in this space lies in leveraging the power of data, embracing new technologies, and crafting strategies that put the consumer at the center of a connected web of experiences. In doing so, they will not only meet the demands of today's digital-savvy shoppers but also set the stage for the future of commerce.

In 2024, connective eCommerce is not just an emerging trend—it’s the future of how we buy and sell, bringing the world of online retail into a new era of hyper-connectivity and intelligent, adaptive shopping experiences.

Contact us

By embracing these innovations, businesses can stay ahead in this highly competitive digital age, creating richer, more meaningful interactions with their customers in ways that were once unimaginable. The connective eCommerce revolution has just begun, and its potential is limitless.

[happieclients1]

Top Digital Marketing Trends to Watch in 2024

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, staying ahead of the latest trends is crucial for businesses looking to maintain a competitive edge. In 2024, several emerging trends are set to shape the future of digital marketing. Here are the top digital marketing trends to watch this year:

trends to watch this year:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning

AI and machine learning are transforming how marketers analyze data, predict customer behavior, and personalize content. From chatbots to predictive analytics, AI is enabling more efficient and targeted marketing strategies. In 2024, expect AI-driven tools to become even more sophisticated, offering deeper insights and automation capabilities.

2. Voice Search Optimization

With the growing popularity of voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, voice search is becoming an integral part of how consumers find information online. Optimizing content for voice search—focusing on natural language and long-tail keywords—will be essential for businesses aiming to capture voice-driven traffic.

3. Short-Form Video Content

The rise of platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts has solidified the importance of short-form video content. In 2024, marketers will need to create engaging, bite-sized videos that capture attention quickly and resonate with audiences across various social media platforms.

4. Personalization and Hyper-Targeting

Consumers increasingly expect personalized experiences tailored to their preferences and behaviors. Using advanced data analytics and segmentation, marketers can deliver highly targeted content, offers, and advertisements that speak directly to individual users. This level of personalization will become a standard expectation in 2024.

5. Sustainability and Social Responsibility

As consumers become more conscious of environmental and social issues, brands that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility will stand out. Marketing strategies that highlight eco-friendly practices and ethical business values will resonate strongly with today’s conscious consumers.

6. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

AR and VR technologies are becoming more accessible, offering immersive experiences that can enhance customer engagement. Whether it’s virtual try-ons for fashion brands or interactive product demonstrations, these technologies will play a larger role in digital marketing strategies in 2024.

7. Data Privacy and Ethical Marketing

With increasing concerns over data privacy, businesses must prioritize transparent and ethical data practices. Compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA, along with a commitment to respecting user privacy, will be critical for building trust and maintaining customer loyalty.

8. Content Marketing Evolution

Content remains king, but the way it’s delivered is evolving. In 2024, interactive content such as quizzes, polls, and interactive videos will drive engagement. Additionally, user-generated content will continue to grow in importance, helping brands build authentic connections with their audiences.

9. Social Commerce

The integration of e-commerce with social media platforms, known as social commerce, is set to boom. Shoppable posts, in-app purchases, and seamless checkout processes on platforms like Instagram and Facebook will make it easier for consumers to buy directly through social media, blurring the lines between social interaction and shopping.

10. The Rise of Influencer Collaborations

Influencer marketing continues to evolve, with brands increasingly partnering with micro and nano influencers to tap into niche audiences. These influencers offer more authentic engagement, and in 2024, long-term collaborations will become more common, helping brands build deeper connections with their audiences.

Stay Ahead with Happie Clients

The digital marketing landscape is constantly changing, and staying updated on these trends is key to maintaining a competitive edge. At Happie Clients, we specialize in crafting innovative marketing strategies that leverage the latest trends to drive results for your business.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business thrive in 2024 and beyond.https://happieclients.com/

[learnindigitalernakulam]

How will Digital Marketing change in the future?

The future of digital marketing is likely to be shaped by several key trends:

Personalization: As technology advances, marketers will have access to more data about their target audience, allowing for highly personalized marketing campaigns tailored to individual preferences and behaviors.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: AI will play a significant role in automating routine tasks, optimizing campaigns, and delivering personalized experiences at scale. Machine learning algorithms will become increasingly sophisticated in predicting consumer behavior and optimizing marketing strategies.

Voice Search and Visual Search: With the rise of voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, optimizing content for voice search will become crucial. Visual search, enabled by technologies like augmented reality (AR) and image recognition, will also transform the way consumers discover products and services.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): AR and VR technologies offer immersive experiences that can be leveraged for marketing purposes, allowing consumers to interact with products in virtual environments before making a purchase decision.

Data Privacy and Regulation: With growing concerns about data privacy, regulations like GDPR and CCPA will continue to impact how marketers collect, store, and use consumer data. Marketers will need to prioritize transparency and consent in their data practices.

Content Marketing Evolution: Content will remain king, but the format and distribution channels will continue to evolve. Video content, live streaming, interactive content, and user-generated content will become increasingly important in engaging audiences.

Influencer Marketing Maturation: Influencer marketing will continue to evolve, with a focus on authenticity, relevance, and long-term partnerships rather than one-off sponsorships. Micro-influencers and nano-influencers will gain prominence for their niche audiences and high engagement rates.

Ephemeral Content: Platforms like Snapchat, Instagram Stories, and Facebook Stories have popularized ephemeral content that disappears after a certain period. Marketers will increasingly leverage this format for real-time engagement and storytelling.

Integration of Marketing Channels: The lines between different marketing channels (e.g., social media, email, search) will continue to blur as marketers adopt omnichannel strategies to deliver consistent messaging and seamless experiences across platforms.

Sustainability and Social Responsibility: Consumers are becoming more conscious of environmental and social issues, and they expect brands to demonstrate corporate responsibility. Sustainability initiatives and ethical practices will be increasingly important for brand reputation and consumer loyalty.

Overall, the future of digital marketing will be characterized by innovation, data-driven strategies, and a focus on delivering personalized, authentic experiences that resonate with consumers in an increasingly digital world.

[skillsetdigitalmarketing]

How will Digital Marketing change one's future?

Digital marketing is poised to continue evolving and shaping the future in several significant ways:

Data-Driven Strategies: Digital marketing relies heavily on data analytics, and this will only intensify. With the proliferation of big data and AI-driven analytics, marketers will have even more granular insights into consumer behavior, enabling highly targeted and personalized campaigns.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation: AI is already revolutionizing digital marketing by automating routine tasks, optimizing ad placements, and delivering personalized content. In the future, AI will become even more sophisticated, enabling marketers to predict consumer behavior more accurately and deliver highly tailored experiences across various channels.

Voice Search and AI Assistants: As voice search continues to grow in popularity, marketers will need to optimize their content for voice-based queries. Additionally, AI-powered virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant will play a more significant role in guiding consumer decisions, presenting new opportunities and challenges for digital marketers.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): AR and VR technologies offer immersive experiences that can revolutionize digital marketing. From virtual product trials to interactive advertising campaigns, marketers will leverage these technologies to engage consumers in new and exciting ways.

Blockchain Technology: Blockchain has the potential to transform digital marketing by increasing transparency, reducing ad fraud, and enhancing security and privacy. Smart contracts can streamline transactions between advertisers and publishers, while decentralized platforms can empower users to control their data and monetize their attention.

Social Commerce and Influencer Marketing: Social media platforms are increasingly becoming shopping destinations, blurring the lines between social networking and e-commerce. Influencer marketing will continue to play a significant role in driving consumer purchasing decisions, with influencers becoming more specialized and niche-focused.

Personalization and Customer Experience: Consumers expect personalized experiences across all digital touchpoints, and marketers will need to prioritize customer-centric strategies to stay competitive. This includes delivering relevant content, providing seamless omnichannel experiences, and fostering genuine connections with customers.

Privacy Regulations and Ethical Marketing: With growing concerns about data privacy and online tracking, marketers will face stricter regulations and greater scrutiny regarding how they collect, use, and protect consumer data. Ethical and transparent marketing practices will become increasingly important for building trust and maintaining brand reputation.

Overall, digital marketing will continue to evolve in response to technological advancements, shifting consumer behaviors, and regulatory changes. Marketers who embrace innovation, prioritize customer experience, and stay agile in adapting to new trends will thrive in this ever-changing landscape.

[digi-peddler]

Navigating the Horizon The Future of Digital Marketing

In the ever-evolving geography of technology and consumerism, the future of digital marketing is a realm of bottomless possibilities and nonstop invention. As we blink into the horizon, it becomes apparent that several crucial trends will shape the line of digital marketing in the times to come.

One of the most prominent trends shaping the future of digital marketing is the rise of artificial intelligence( AI) and machine literacy. AI- powered algorithms are revolutionizing how marketers dissect data, epitomize content, and automate tasks. From prophetic analytics that read consumer geste to chatbots that deliver substantiated client service, AI is becoming a necessary tool for driving effectiveness and effectiveness in digital marketing juggernauts. In the future, we can anticipate AI to play an indeed lesser part in optimizing marketing strategies, enabling marketers to deliver hyperactive- individualized gests at scale.

Another significant trend reshaping the digital marketing geography is the adding significance of voice hunt and smart sidekicks. With the proliferation of voice- actuated bias similar to smart speakers and virtual sidekicks like Siri and Alexa, consumers are espousing new ways of interacting with technology and searching for information. Marketers must acclimatize their strategies to optimize content for voice hunt queries and subsidize on the openings presented by this arising trend. Voice hunt optimization, natural language processing, and conversational marketing will come integral factors of successful digital marketing strategies in the future.

Likewise, the future of digital marketing will be shaped by the growing emphasis on sequestration and data protection. In the wake of high- profile data breaches and enterprises over online sequestration, consumers are getting more conservative about sharing their particular information with companies. As a result, marketers will need to prioritize translucency, concurrence, and compliance with data sequestration regulations similar as the General Data Protection Regulation( GDPR) and the California Consumer sequestration Act( CCPA). Building trust and maintaining the security of client data will be consummate for brands seeking to establish long- term connections with their followership in an decreasingly sequestration-conscious terrain.

Also, the future of digital marketing will be characterized by the continued confluence of online and offline channels. As the distinction between the digital and physical worlds blurs, marketers will need to borrow an omnichannel approach that seamlessly integrates online and offline touchpoints to deliver cohesive and individualized gests across the client trip. Whether through stoked reality( AR) gests in slipup- and- mortar stores or position- grounded mobile marketing juggernauts, the future of digital marketing lies in using technology to ground the gap between the virtual and the real.

In addition, the rise of social commerce is poised to transfigure the way consumers discover and buy products online. Social media platforms are evolving into full- fledged e-commerce ecosystems, allowing druggies to shop directly from their favorite brands without ever leaving the app. From shoppable posts and live shopping events to influencer marketing and stoner- generated content, social commerce presents instigative openings for brands to engage with guests in authentic and meaningful ways. As social commerce continues to gain instigation, smart marketers will need to embrace these platforms as crucial channels for driving deals and erecting brand fidelity.

Likewise, the future of digital marketing will be shaped by the adding significance of sustainability and commercial social responsibility( CSR). As consumers come more conscious of the environmental and social impact of their purchasing opinions, brands will need to align their marketing sweats with values similar to sustainability, diversity, and inclusivity. From eco-friendly product packaging to beget- related marketing juggernauts, companies that demonstrate a genuine commitment to CSR will reverberate further explosively with moment's socially conscious consumers.

In conclusion, the future of digital marketing holds immense promise for those willing to embrace change and invention. From AI- powered personalization to state hunt optimization, from omnichannel integration to social commerce, the possibilities are measureless for marketers who are willing to acclimatize and evolve with the stirring runs of technology and consumer geste . By staying ahead of the wind and embracing rising trends, brands can place themselves for success in the dynamic and ever- changing world of digital marketing.

Visit us at - https://digipeddler.in/

[mollies-mad-motherhood]

Unraveling the Wonders of Conversational AI: A Deep Dive into the Future of Human-Computer Interaction

Introduction

In recent years, the realm of artificial intelligence has witnessed a remarkable evolution, and one of the most intriguing facets of this progress is Conversational AI. This cutting-edge technology is reshaping the way we interact with machines, blurring the lines between human communication and artificial intelligence. In this article, we'll explore the intricacies of Conversational AI, its applications, challenges, and the transformative impact it is having on various industries.

The Essence of Conversational AI

Defining Conversational AI

Conversational AI refers to the development of computer programs and systems that can engage in natural language conversations with users. It involves the integration of advanced machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and other AI techniques to enable computers to understand, interpret, and respond to human language in a way that simulates genuine conversation.

Components of Conversational AI

Speech Recognition: The first step in conversational AI is understanding spoken words. Speech recognition technology converts spoken language into text, laying the foundation for further analysis.

Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP enables machines to comprehend and interpret the meaning behind human language. This involves syntactic and semantic analysis, allowing the AI system to derive context from the user's input.

Machine Learning Models: Conversational AI heavily relies on machine learning models to learn from vast datasets and improve its language understanding and response generation over time.

Dialog Management: Effective conversation involves context retention and coherent flow. Dialog management ensures that the AI system can maintain context and provide relevant responses during the course of a conversation.

Applications of Conversational AI

1. Virtual Assistants

Conversational AI is the driving force behind virtual assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa. These assistants not only respond to commands but also engage in context-aware conversations, making them invaluable companions in our daily lives.

2. Customer Service

Businesses are increasingly adopting Conversational AI to enhance customer service. Chatbots powered by this technology can efficiently handle customer queries, provide product information, and even assist in troubleshooting issues, improving overall customer satisfaction.

3. Healthcare

In the healthcare sector, Conversational AI is playing a pivotal role in patient engagement and support. Virtual health assistants can offer information, schedule appointments, and even provide medication reminders, contributing to more accessible and personalized healthcare services.

4. Education

Conversational AI is revolutionizing education by creating interactive learning environments. AI-powered tutors can adapt to individual learning styles, provide instant feedback, and offer personalized learning experiences for students.

5. Finance

The financial industry is leveraging Conversational AI for tasks such as account inquiries, transaction history retrieval, and even financial advice. Chatbots equipped with AI capabilities are streamlining processes and improving user experience in the world of finance.

Challenges in Conversational AI

While Conversational AI holds immense promise, it is not without its challenges. Some of the notable hurdles include:

1. Understanding Context

Developing AI systems that truly understand and retain context throughout a conversation remains a complex challenge. Context-aware responses are crucial for meaningful interactions, and achieving this level of comprehension poses ongoing difficulties.

2. Handling Ambiguity

Human language is inherently ambiguous, and deciphering ambiguous statements or requests is a daunting task for AI. Striking the right balance between asking clarifying questions and making informed assumptions is an ongoing challenge in Conversational AI development.

3. Ethical Considerations

As Conversational AI becomes more pervasive, ethical concerns arise. Issues related to privacy, data security, and the responsible use of AI technology demand careful consideration and robust safeguards.

4. Emotional Intelligence

Infusing emotional intelligence into AI systems is a complex task. While progress has been made in recognizing and responding to emotions, creating AI that can truly understand and empathize with human emotions is an ongoing frontier.

The Future Landscape of Conversational AI

As technology continues to advance, Conversational AI is poised to become an integral part of our daily lives. Here are some trends shaping the future of Conversational AI:

1. Multimodal Conversations

The integration of voice, text, images, and even gestures will enable more natural and versatile interactions with AI systems, creating a richer conversational experience.

2. Industry-Specific Solutions

As businesses recognize the value of Conversational AI, industry-specific solutions tailored to the unique needs of sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail will become more prevalent.

3. Continuous Learning

AI systems will evolve to become more adept at continuous learning, adapting to changing user preferences, language nuances, and emerging trends in real-time.

4. Human-AI Collaboration

Rather than replacing human interactions, Conversational AI will increasingly focus on collaborating with humans to enhance productivity, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities.

Conclusion

Conversational AI represents a paradigm shift in human-computer interaction, bringing us closer to a future where machines understand and respond to our needs in a manner that mirrors natural conversation. As technology continues to advance and researchers address the existing challenges, the possibilities for Conversational AI are boundless. Embracing this transformative technology opens new avenues for innovation, efficiency, and a more connected and intelligent world.

Source Link - https://www.leewayhertz.com/conversational-ai/

[arunima123]

Bright Ideas: Exploring the Latest Trends in Wall Lights for Interior Decor

When it comes to interior decor, lighting plays a pivotal role in setting the mood and creating the right ambiance. Wall lights have become increasingly popular for their ability to combine functionality and aesthetics, enhancing the overall look of a room. Whether you are designing a new space or looking to update your existing interior decor, staying current with the latest trends in wall lights is essential. In this article, we will shed light on the evolving world of wall lights, with a focus on how spot lights, street lights, and outdoor lights are making waves in interior design.

Spot Lights: Focused Illumination with a Decorative Flair

Spot Lights have long been a favorite among interior designers and homeowners for their ability to direct focused illumination on specific areas or objects. These versatile fixtures are now undergoing a stylish transformation. The latest trend in spotlights emphasizes their decorative aspects while maintaining their functionality.

 Sculptural Spot Lights: Incorporating sculptural spot lights into your interior decor is a growing trend. These fixtures not only provide focused illumination but also serve as works of art themselves. Whether it's a sleek, contemporary design or a vintage-inspired piece, sculptural spot lights can add a touch of elegance and personality to any room. Consider placing them above a favorite piece of art or to highlight architectural features like columns or moldings.

 Adjustable and Articulating Fixtures: The ability to adjust the direction of your spot lights is becoming increasingly popular. Modern spotlights now come with adjustable arms and articulating heads, allowing you to direct light exactly where it's needed. This feature is particularly valuable in spaces where you want to create a dynamic ambiance or highlight different areas at different times.

 Integrated Smart Technology: Smart lighting is on the rise, and spot lights are no exception. Integrating smart technology into your spot lights allows you to control them with your smartphone or voice commands, making it easier to set the mood or adjust lighting levels to match your activities. Dimmable options, color-changing capabilities, and compatibility with virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant are all desirable features.

Street Lights: Urban Elegance for Your Interior Space

The street light design trend brings a touch of urban elegance to your interior decor. These lights, inspired by classic street lamps, add a nostalgic and charming vibe to any room. Here's how you can incorporate street lights into your decor:

 Vintage Street Lights Fixtures: Vintage-inspired street light fixtures are making a comeback. Their timeless charm and ornate details make them an ideal choice for a vintage or rustic interior. Place them strategically around your living room or dining area to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.

 Modern Street Lights: If you prefer a more contemporary look, modern street light fixtures are available in sleek, minimalist designs. These fixtures can complement a variety of interior styles, from industrial to Scandinavian. Their clean lines and simple shapes make them an excellent choice for spaces that favor a modern aesthetic.

 Mixed Styles: Don't be afraid to mix and match different street light styles in your interior decor. This eclectic approach can create a unique and visually engaging atmosphere. For example, you can combine a vintage street light in a corner with a modern, adjustable floor lamp to create a well-balanced lighting scheme.

Outdoor Lights: Bringing the Outdoors In

Incorporating outdoor lights into your interior decor is a trend that blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living spaces. Here are some exciting ways to bring the outdoors in:

 Natural Materials: The use of natural materials like bamboo, rattan, or woven wicker in outdoor light fixtures adds a touch of nature to your interior. These fixtures can evoke a tropical or beachy vibe, making your space feel like a year-round vacation retreat.

 Biophilic Design: Biophilic design is all about connecting with nature, and outdoor lights can be a key element in achieving this. Consider pendant lights that resemble hanging vines or fixtures that incorporate planters for real greenery. These design choices help bring the soothing and revitalizing benefits of nature into your home.

 Indoor-Outdoor Transitions: For homes with spacious patios or outdoor living areas, the use of matching or coordinating outdoor and indoor light fixtures can help create a seamless transition between the two spaces. This cohesive approach blurs the boundaries and makes the interior feel like an extension of the outdoor environment. In conclusion, wall lights have evolved from purely functional fixtures to integral elements of interior decor. Spot lights, street lights, and outdoor lights are at the forefront of these changes, offering innovative designs and features that cater to various interior styles and preferences. Whether you prefer the focused illumination of spot lights, the urban elegance of street lights, or the biophilic connection offered by outdoor lights, the latest trends in wall lights provide ample opportunities to illuminate your living spaces in style. Explore these trends and consider how they can brighten up your home and enhance your interior decor.

[vinceviralfreak]

Title: The Tech Chronicles: Unveiling the Fascinating World of Gadgets

Introduction:

Welcome to The Tech Chronicles, where we dive into the captivating realm of technology and gadgets. In this blog post, we'll explore the latest innovations, trends, and mind-boggling advancements that are shaping our digital lives. So, grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and let's embark on this exciting journey together!

Section 1: The Rise of AI and Its Impact on Everyday Life

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of our lives, revolutionizing the way we interact with technology. From voice assistants like Siri and Alexa to self-driving cars, AI is transforming the world around us. However, it's not just limited to practical applications; AI is also making its way into the realm of entertainment, with AI-generated music, movies, and even AI sex dolls (yes, you read that right!). While controversial, these advancements highlight the incredible potential of AI and its ability to blur the lines between reality and technology.

Section 2: The Marvels of Wearable Tech

Gone are the days when watches were just for telling time. Today, wearable tech has taken the world by storm, offering a plethora of features that go beyond mere timekeeping. From fitness trackers that monitor your heart rate and sleep patterns to smartwatches that allow you to make calls and send messages, these gadgets have become an essential part of our daily lives. With advancements in materials and design, wearable tech is becoming more comfortable and stylish, seamlessly integrating into our fashion choices.

Section 3: The Future of Gaming: Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Step into a world where reality and imagination collide – virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are transforming the gaming industry. VR headsets transport you to immersive virtual worlds, while AR overlays digital elements onto the real world, enhancing our perception of reality. With the introduction of motion controllers and haptic feedback, gaming experiences have become more interactive and lifelike than ever before. Get ready to explore new dimensions and embark on thrilling adventures without leaving the comfort of your home.

Section 4: Smart Homes: The Future is Here

Imagine a home that anticipates your needs, adjusts the temperature, and even brews your morning coffee before you step out of bed. Smart home technology is making this a reality. From voice-controlled assistants that can control your lights and appliances to smart thermostats that learn your preferences, these gadgets are transforming our living spaces into futuristic havens. With the ability to connect and control various devices through a single hub, smart homes offer convenience, energy efficiency, and enhanced security.

Section 5: The Power of Portable: The Evolution of Laptops and Tablets

Gone are the days of bulky desktop computers – laptops and tablets have become the go-to devices for work and play. With sleek designs, powerful processors, and long battery life, these portable gadgets offer the perfect balance between performance and mobility. Whether you're a student, a professional, or a casual user, laptops and tablets provide the flexibility to work, study, or entertain yourself on the go. From touchscreens to detachable keyboards, these devices are constantly evolving to meet our ever-changing needs.

Section 6: The Internet of Things: Connecting Our World

The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing the way we interact with our surroundings. From smart appliances that can be controlled remotely to wearable devices that track our health, IoT is seamlessly integrating technology into our daily lives. With the ability to connect and communicate with each other, these devices create a network of interconnectedness, making our homes and cities smarter and more efficient. However, as we embrace this interconnected future, it's crucial to address concerns regarding privacy and security.

Section 7: Cutting-Edge Cameras: Capturing Moments in High Definition

Gone are the days of grainy photos and shaky videos – today's cameras offer stunning image quality and advanced features. From DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, photography enthusiasts have a wide range of options to choose from. With high-resolution sensors, fast autofocus systems, and impressive low-light performance, these cameras capture every detail with precision. Whether you're a professional photographer or an amateur looking to document your adventures, these gadgets empower you to unleash your creativity and immortalize moments in breathtaking clarity.

Section 8: The Future of Transportation: Electric Vehicles and Autonomous Cars

The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation, with electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous cars leading the way. EVs offer a greener and more sustainable alternative to traditional combustion engines, reducing our carbon footprint and dependence on fossil fuels. On the other hand, autonomous cars promise to revolutionize transportation by eliminating the need for human drivers. With advanced sensors, AI algorithms, and connectivity, these vehicles are paving the way for a safer and more efficient future on the roads.

Section 9: The Endless Possibilities: Tech Innovations on the Horizon

As technology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, the possibilities seem endless. From advancements in quantum computing and biotechnology to the exploration of space and beyond, the future holds exciting prospects. As we embrace these innovations, it's essential to strike a balance between progress and ethical considerations, ensuring that technology serves humanity's best interests.

Meta Description: Explore the fascinating world of technology and gadgets in The Tech Chronicles. From AI sex dolls to wearable tech, virtual reality, smart homes, and more, discover the latest innovations shaping our digital lives. Join us on this captivating journey through the realms of technology and uncover the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

[usm1566]

Role of Machine Learning in Natural Language Processing

Natural language processing refers to the technical branch of computing, or artificial intelligence services, that is concerned with giving computer systems the ability to understand digital text and spoken feedback, in the same way that humans can.

Natural language processing combines computational linguistics, rule-based modeling of human languages, statistical modeling, machine-based learning, and deep learning benchmarks. Together, these advanced technologies allow computer systems to process human languages through voice or text data. The desired outcome or purpose is to 'understand' the full meaning of the respondent's message, along with the speaker's or writer's goal and belief.

Natural language processing operates within computer programs to translate digital text from one language to another, respond appropriately and sensibly to spoken commands, and summarize large volumes of information. All within the limits of real-time processing.

Role of Machine Learning in Natural Language Processing Applications

As with the natural language processing task, Applications of machine learning and deep learning algorithms have played a huge role in almost all natural language processing applications. In recent times there has been renewed research interest in these fields due to the ease with which machine learning and deep learning algorithms can be implemented, and this is especially true for deep learning techniques.

1. Sentiment Analysis

Sentiment Analysis strives to analyze users' opinions or feelings about a certain product. Sentiment analysis has become a very important part of customer relationship management. Even a single negative opinion can be disastrous for the product. Recent times have seen increased use of deep learning techniques for sentiment analysis. 

An interesting fact to note here is that new deep learning techniques have been developed especially for sentiment analysis, which is the level of research that is being done for sentiment analysis using deep learning.

Recommended To Read: Cost to develop a voice assistant app for iOS

2. Chatbot Systems

Chatbot systems are conversational agents or dialogue systems that attempt to engage the user in a conversation. This conversation can be through voice or text. Personal assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant have popularized chatbot systems and have also shown the level of ease through which user interaction can take place.

As easy as it may seem, developing a true AI chatbot system that can replace a human agent is an extremely difficult task. Which requires natural language understanding and also natural language generation.

Recent frameworks like Google's DialogFlow, IBM's Watson AI, and Amazon's Alexa AI provide an easy way to build a chatbot system. And all of these frameworks employ complex and proprietary deep-learning architectures.

3. Question Response Systems

As the name suggests, a question-and-answer system is a system that tries to answer questions from users. In recent times, the fine line between a dialog system and a Q&A system becomes blurred and most of the time, a chatbot system performs the Q&A task and the opposite is true as well. Therefore, research papers that undertake to develop a chatbot system will, in all probability, also develop a question-and-answer system within it.

Recommended To Read: How much does it cost to develop an LMS?

4. Information Retrieval Systems

Information retrieval is another important application of natural language processing that attempts to retrieve relevant information. Information retrieval systems act as the backbone for systems like chatbot systems and question-answering systems.

The most basic way to retrieve any data is to use the frequency method where the frequency of the keywords determines whether or not a particular piece of data is retrieved. But, smart systems process the required query as well as the big data present to retrieve only the relevant information. This process is carried out using deep learning techniques.

5. Machine Translation

A machine translation system strives to translate a text from one language to another with little or no human intervention. Apps like Google Translate are one of the best examples of the machine translation system.

Having a translation system that translates word for word is not enough as sentence construction can vary from language to language. For example, English follows the Subject-Verb-Object format while Hindi follows the Subject-Object-Verb format for sentence construction. Other than this, there are many different rules that need to be followed. All these things make the task of machine translation difficult.

Recommended To Read: Computer vision applications Benefits

Advantages of Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning

Like other technical forms of artificial intelligence, natural language processing and machine learning present advantages and challenges.

The advantages of NLP include the following:

Once successfully implemented, the use of natural language processing/machine learning systems becomes less costly over time and more efficient than employing skilled/manual labor.

Natural language processing helps companies offer more immediate customer service with better response times. Regardless of the time of day, both customers and potential leads will receive direct answers to their queries.

Pre-trained machine learning systems are widely available for expert developers to optimize different natural language processing techniques, making them easy to implement.

While advances in natural language processing are certainly promising, there are specific challenges that need to be considered.

Conclusion

Natural language processing is the practice of teaching machines to understand and interpret conversational input from humans. Machine Learning-based NLP can be used to establish communication channels between humans and machines. Although it is continually evolving, NLP has already proven itself useful in multiple fields. Different types of natural language processing implementations can help businesses and individuals save time, improve efficiency, and increase customer satisfaction.

Combined with machine learning algorithms, NLP creates systems that learn to perform tasks on their own and improve through experience. NLP-based tools can help you rank social media posts by sentiment or extract named entities from business emails, among many other things.

[eveningclouds]

Eggsactly like none of us actually know anything so why even start with the speculation

right ! like idc if they actually dated or not i am just here 2 satiate my need 4 air sign #drama

[palomalander]

{ ALEXA DEMIE, 20, CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER } Is that PALOMA LANDER? A JUNIOR originally from BELL, CALIFORNIA they decided to come to Ogden College to study ARCHITECTURE. They’re THE RIVAL on campus, but even they could get blamed for Greer’s disappearance.

CHARACTER STATS:

BIRTHDAY: January 19, 2002

ZODIAC: ☼ Capricorn ☾ Libra ↑ Leo

THREE POSITIVE TRAITS: Disciplined, Practical, Persistent

THREE NEGATIVE TRAITS: Stubborn, Critical, Distant

THREE SKILLS: Skilled at chess, master debater, very fast reader.

CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS: Shiv Roy (Succession), Sarah Churchill (The Favourite), Deborah Vance (Hacks), Wilhelmina Slater (Ugly Betty), Beth Harmon (The Queen’s Gambit)

MBTI: ENTJ

EIGHT TV TROPES: Smart People Play Chess, Sore Loser, Tranquil Fury, Big Ego Hidden Depths, Hollywood Atheist, Inferiority Superiority Complex, Straw Nihilist, Stepford Snarker

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FIVE FAVORITE SONGS: Lost in the World - Kanye West, Humble - Kendrick Lamar, Industry Baby - Lil Nas X, Love on the Brain - Rihanna, Heartbeat - Childish Gambino

FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES: Moonlight, Jennifer’s Body, Ginger Snaps, Get Out, Drop Dead Gorgeous

FIVE FAVORITE BOOKS: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Beloved, The Secret History, Infinite Jest, Play It as It Lays 

FIVE FAVORITE TV SHOWS: Succession, Atlanta, Big Little Lies, Devious Maids, Pose

EXTRACURRICULARS: Figure Skating Club and Chess Club Member. Former Debate Team President.

DETAILED ZODIAC: Mercury Aquarius, Venus Aquarius, Mars Virgo, Jupiter Cancer, Saturn Gemini

RELATIONSHIP TO GREER

When you look at Paloma and Greer’s dynamic, it was easy to assume they were two wildly different people who enjoyed challenging each other in every way that they could. They disagree on everything — mostly because they were looking at the world from very different points of views — but there was a part of Paloma that treated their rivalry as some sort of game. At some point, the lines between genuine disapproval and disputing someone for the sake of it blurred, Paloma found herself feeling like she had to dislike something just because Greer liked it. As if being the rival of the Golden Girl gave her a sense of identity, some kind of role that she enjoyed playing.

HOW THEY EMBODY THEIR SKELETON TROPE. 

Paloma was born and raised in a tiny, boring suburb of Los Angeles called Bell with two supportive parents and one younger brother. Nothing interesting ever happened to Paloma while she was growing up, she was stuck in her terribly stagnant life until she got into Ogden College. After meeting different (as well as interesting) people, she developed a habit that turned her into this very competitive person who seeks rivalries (and occasionally arguments). While she is quite pleasant person to be around, there is a big part of Paloma that always wants to stand out.

ADDITIONAL IC QUESTIONS

“Does it ever bother you, how small of a school Ogden is? And how everyone is everyone else’s business?”

—  “Well, I am not going to lie, it gets annoying sometimes. Especially, when you hate sharing personal information with every single random person you have met in a class. Privacy is a right, and I think more people should be aware of that fact. But you get used to it after a while, and you start developing ways to cope. Like every other smart person would do. It’s not practical to whine about something you can’t change, so you find ways to deal with it.

“Where do you think Greer is? You don’t believe the rumors, right?”

—  “I told you already. I have no idea where the hell she is. And trust me, If I had known, I would’ve brought her here just to clear my name. I am tired of being asked this same exact question. Why don’t you ask her best friends? They would probably have a lot more information than I do.”

MINI BIO / TRIVIA

Paloma was born and raised in a tiny, boring suburb of Los Angeles called Bell with two supportive parents and one younger brother.

She loves architecture, she has a habit of staring at buildings and observing them in the middle of a conversation sometimes. Especially if she is visiting a new town. 

Paloma is not very active on social media. She only uses Pinterest and Instagram. Her Instagram is private. She despises TikTok. Please don’t send her any links, she certainly wouldn’t click them.

She is fluent in English and Spanish. She’s learning Italian because she wants to do masters in Italy. Speficially Politecnico di Torino, just because Ettore Sottsass studied there.

It goes without saying Paloma is an art enthusiast, she wants to be so rich one day that she can afford a Basquiat or Kahlo painting.

As much as she loves figure skating, she is not the best member of the club nor the best skater in the room either. She certainly is the weakest link in the team. 

She looooves fashion. Her favorite designers are Prada, Burberry (Tisci’s era of course) and Celine. Unfortunately, she is not rich enough to wear exclusively designer clothes.

Her favorite color is plum and her favorite dish is paella.

Pinterest Board

I’ll be updating this as I figure her out.

[ottos-funny-bunny]

Infect me with your loving.

Chapter 3.

Warnings: Violence, mentions of depression, eventual smut.

Summary: Ongoing fic between an OC/ Doc Ock

Fandom: Spider-Man/Marvel

Authors Note: Hello!!! Thank you all again for the love and support I’ve been receiving. I appreciate every single one of you. And I’m so excited to keep filling you in on Dylesia’s and Otto’s life together 💗

He looked at me like I was crazy. Most of my lovers do, and that’s partly why they love me, and partly why they leave. — Jeanette Winterson

It had been four weeks. Four silent, lonely weeks. Days that turned to weeks. Weeks that had came and went in a blur of color and sound. Days that meant nothing, as a hopeful heart searched for a sign, a grind of gears, the harsh scrape of metal, a flash of red. But nothing. The sound of silence was abnormal for this kind of city, a city full of chaos and villains. And yet, her villain was nowhere to be seen.

The morning after his leaving Dylesia sat in her bed, the plush of the duvet surrounding her, thin fingers tracing the line on her face that he had touched. Was she seriously so touch starved that she needed the attention of a crazed mad scientist? But he wasn’t a mad scientist. He was brilliant, handsome, charming. But so was the snake in Eden, Dylesia reminded herself harshly. The days had droned on, studio, home, and back. She could almost see her rut beginning to form in the cracks and gum on the sidewalk. Her villain. Good god, get over yourself. You’re the most pathetic person I know. Her brain repeated those words over and over. She almost felt like him. Voices in her head reminding her of her failures her shortcomings, how disappointing she looked how disappointing she was.

“Dys?” Came the soft voice of the woman she so loved and cherished. “Mm?” She responded back, a thin brush dipping into watered down paint, her wrist laying on the dry part of the canvas while two fingers clenched the brush creating soft hairs along the ears of the hare she had been painstakingly painting for the past two days. It was one of those paintings that she did, then put back, then worked, then put back. “I’m heading home for the evening, don’t stay too late okay?” Nelly walked up behind her, gently laying her hand on her shoulder, watching her paint thin lines going along the base of the large ears. “I won’t Nel. I’ll be fine. See you tomorrow.” She mumbled as her reading glasses slid down the bridge of her nose. Nelly sighed lightly, casting her a sidelong glance before moving out of the studio and making the decent down the stairs into the city that never sleeps.

Dylesia pulled back from her painting, tossing her paint brush in the glass mason jar with a clink, watching the white paint bloom in the clear water, clouding it like the thoughts of Otto clouded her brain. Her hands rubbed down her legs, where the mustard yellow apron hung off of her, shielding her clothes from the mess she would be creating. Once the final click of the door could be heard, Dys spoke out into the open. “Alexa, play Apple Music.” The robotic voice of her Alexa responded back, before the small speaker erupted in music, filling the void left behind from Nelly leaving. The haunting music hummed against the walls, as Dys stood, raising her easel with it. If she was going to be miserable, she wasn’t going to take it laying down. The dulcet strumming of an acoustic guitar lulled Dylesia into an almost robotic focus, humming along with the familiar lyrics.

Time passed like sand as it had in days before, coffee fueled and alone, Dys finished a good bit of work in those few hours of solitude. Emails sent, paintings almost done, other project thumbnails scatted on her desk next to her laptop.

A dull thud, emanated throughout the studio, Dylesia looked up, placing her cleaned brush in her messy updo, keeping it secure in place so she wouldn’t loose it. Thud thud thud. There it came once more, almost like someone was above her. But Nelly and her inhabited the top studio. Maybe it was the Asian restaurant below, knocking on her floor as a warning. Thin fingers pushed the glasses up her nose as a nearby car alarm blared it’s warning song. Bare feet padded across the paint splattered floor to the large expansive windows to where the man of the hour stood, expectantly. Dys scoffed at the sight of him. Cat and mouse was NOT a game she was very interested in playing. Her palms pressed flush to the pained glass pushing it open, her head popping out to glance down at him. “I don’t remember ordering anything.” The sarcastic remark came too easy for her to the man below. He’d dressed up. Wearing the comfortable black sweater, he donned matching black trousers and nice dress shoes. God was he handsome. Still wearing sunglasses though.. who the hell wears sunglasses at night. “So I am in the right place, little bird.” Came the cool purr from the man, his amusement obvious along his features. “Are you planning on doing this for awhile? I mean just so I can be a little bit more prepared.” She shot back, choosing for the time being to ignore the nickname he had graced her with. “That’s entirely up to you, my dear. If you want me to leave, say the word and I’ll go.” How could be so unbothered? A gnawing in her belly reminded her of her intrusive thoughts. His complete blase attitude towards anything and everything, probably similarly to how he felt about her. He wanted something. That’s why he came.

The pale woman chewed on her lip momentarily before leaning back into her building, yelling down to him. “The doors unlocked. Come in.” Dys parked herself back in front of her easel after closing the glass, focusing on last few phrases of the song about to end in the background instead of the man coming up the stairs. “…As I think of you, less and less…” As large as Otto was in stature, he was incredibly graceful coming into her studio. Turning and closing the old wooden door behind him, taking in the majesty of her work place. Scientists were a far cry from artists, but he felt a twinge of familiarity in the crumpled papers and old coffee mugs surrounding the thin, and rather tired looking woman sitting across from him. Her artistic nature reminded him of Rosie, a sad expression crossed his face at the thought of his dearly departed wife, his actuators whirring uncomfortably in the silence. “What do you want.” She didn’t even bother to look at him, engulfing herself in her anguish. She wanted nothing to do with him. He would be just like the rest, there in a minute and gone with a flash.

Otto glanced at her curiously, before walking towards her, examining her painting and work that surrounded her. For a girl who acted so meek, she certainly had a talent and should broadcast it more. Be proud of who she is and what she accomplished. “Well…” Otto began after mulling over his words carefully. “I did tell you I’d be wanting to see your work.” Dys rolled her eyes, glancing at the hare in front of her, throughly unimpressed with the situation and her artwork. The paint brush pulled from Dys’ hair and was sat unceremoniously in a pile of brushes next to her, her blonde locks falling around her and brushing her shoulders. “Well, here it is. Satisfied?” Dylesia was suddenly made aware of the closeness between them, a blush warming her otherwise cool expression. “Very..” Otto spoke softly, reaching out a hand to touch her, to feel her warm skin under his, run his fingers through her beautiful hair, but drew back, made fully aware of her distaste in him. “You do very well, little bird, tell me about this one?” He straightened up, an actuator pulling a stool up to her side. Dys watched him from the corners of her eyes, and had to stifle a laugh as the very large man was trying to wrestle himself on a very small stool. “Otto… There’s other chairs.”

“Ah, yes.” Came the frustrated grunt of the scientist. “But none of them are next to you.” Dys scoffed, and turned at him with a malicious glance, straightening herself in her seat. “This is a hare. It’s on a wooden round someone was just going to throw away… A more sophisticated found object piece. We have a show coming up soon and I need to…” the weight of what he had just told her sunk in. “Why do you do that?” She snapped, almost surprising herself with her own forthcoming-ness. “You come here, after weeks, and say something sweet. You give me hope then rip it right from me. I’m not interested in your games.” Otto eyed her up carefully, his hand gently reaching out towards hers completely engulfing her smaller one in his. The warmth of his his hand warmed her from the outside in, but still she sat, not willing to let down her own resolve just yet. “Dylesia, I’m a dangerous man.”Otto began carefully, his eyes meeting her piercing green ones. “As I’ve gathered,” she shot back, her thumb tracing small circular patterns on his calloused hands. “I can’t pull you into my world. I enjoy you, but my life is not meant for you. You’re a sweet woman, you’re intelligent and kind. But I can’t watch you get hurt like everyone else that comes into my life.” His actuators flicked around him, irritated at how open their father was being with the woman. Careful. Could hurt. Stay away. “Shut up.” Otto grumbled under his breath, shoving them away from her. “Leave her alone.” His free hand gently reached up and turned her face towards him. “I’m not who I once was by no means. But I still have a past, and my future isn’t very promising, Dylesia.” Dys leaned into his touch, sighing at the small embrace. “Then why do you keep coming back? Am I supposed to be happy when all I’ve ever wanted comes with a price? We’re just lost in our game Otto, chasing each other. I don’t… I don’t care that you’re dangerous. If you want to be around me, then stay. But I can’t keep opening the door for a guest who shows up when it’s convenient for him.” Dylesia pulled back from him and stood from her spot, looking down on him for the only time that she was really ever able to.

“Dylesia… You’re like a ghost of the past. You’re so familiar and yet so foreign.” Otto watched her thin frame stand to its full height, stifling a chuckle at how adorable she looked when she was trying to be serious. “That’s why I keep coming back. I want to learn about you, I want to bury myself into your darkest depths.” Otto stood now himself, pushing the stool out from under him with a free actuator, his hands rested on either sides of her arms, starring at her intently waiting to see what the woman in front of him would have to say.

“Then stay. If not forever, at least for now. If you want to know me fine. Let me tell you about my life, my loves, my hates. My deepest depths, as you so eloquently put.” Dys paused, her gaze softening to look up at the scientist in front of her. “But you need to let me in too. Then, we can talk about dangers and judgements.” Otto stood and stared at her with that look, that look like she had walked openly into a death sentence. Like she was absolutely off of her mind crazy. “I don’t understand why you’re starring at me like that when you were actively talking to yourself, just minutes before.” Otto chuckled the crows feet on the corner of his eyes crinkling with his laugh. She could get used to that view.

“I’ll stay.”

[atrwriting]

Strategy // Draco x oc -- Ch. 36

Story Summary... Alexandra Graham may have grown up homeschooled in the Wizarding World, but that did not stop her from learning about "The Boy Who Lived" and doing whatever she could to help put an end to the tyrannical reign of Lord Voldemort. Fighting and winning the Battle of Hogwarts was her first battle, but what happens when she has to navigate good and evil, love and hate, and redemption and punishment, when their lines begin to blur?

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Click here for the series’ masterlist. 

xxxvi. renervate

renervate (RENN-a-vate): awakens an unconscious victim

* * *

ALMOST TEN MINUTES AFTER the usual time that Wizarding households received the morning periodicals, Draco Malfoy received an Owl from a familiar witch who scribbled when she was nervous. Alexa had said she would apparate over within the hour.

Draco Malfoy had spent the morning reading and rereading his interview with Rita Skeeter in The Daily Prophet. He knew Skeeter's favorite tactic: getting her interviewees angry so she had something of substance to inflate her readers with, but he did his best not to feed into the palm of her hand. He had two goals: strategy and survival.

He knew absolutely no one would believe that he didn't believe in blood purity any longer, but they would definitely believe that no one would be receiving any part of his inheritance if they were a blood racist when people filed their taxes for the upcoming year. He didn't have any ideas for what that money should be put to use for, but then again he didn't have any idea about much of anything anymore.

Draco Malfoy honestly hadn't spent much time pondering over what he did the day of the Battle of Hogwarts... but after the interview it was all he could think about. Draco couldn't believe he was the bloke that thought tossing his wand to Potter was a grand idea, right infront of the nose-less freak like an impulsive Gryffindor, just for Potter to be able to deliver the final blow... but Draco didn't think anyone else believed that he helped Potter that day. However, Draco did know it was out of character for him; he was never impulsive. Frankly, he was never allowed to be. Sure, an outburst or curt comment usually littered his character, but he never thought he would just throw his wand, his only small defense if Voldemort had suddenly turned on him or his family, to someone he had fought against for so long. Draco didn't want to think about what would happen if he had thrown it too hard or not far enough because of how it curdled his breakfast in his stomach, but he also couldn't stand the fact that he had trashed Gryffindors for their impulsivity for so long and there he was playing bloody catch in front of a dark wizard and the four-eyed kid he had tried to kill twice at that point.

Now that it was in The Daily Prophet for the entire WIzarding World to see and not just a rumor rolling off of someone's tongue... he didn't know how many howlers to expect in the coming weeks, possibly years.

Draco also had no idea how it defined him. His ego had always led him to believe that what him and his family had fought for might not have necessarily been considered good, and somehow had always been sabotaged by some Potter groupie, but he had always believed it was right. Blood purity was right and should be fought for, his family members used to tell him. He could stand on his own two feet at that, even send a sneer at anyone who disagreed. And, now, months after he had done something actually right... where in Merlin's name was he supposed to go from there?

Draco didn't have much time to ponder that thought, as he heard Panny greeting his attorney at the door.

* * *

Draco didn't greet her before Panny led Alexandra to a dining room with stacks and stacks of books, files, and papers. They were all in neat piles, organized by subject matter whether it were wills, deeds, accounts, trusts, birth certificates, you name it. The entirety of the Malfoy family history was in front of her and she was in charge of it all.

"Where would I be able to find Draco, Panny?" Alexandra asked, rifling through her bag for her spectacles before getting started. "I'd like to speak with him."

"Panny was instructed to let Miss Alexa know that he will find her when he had finished his own tasks," Panny said with nervous eyes. "Panny must also tell Miss Alexa that if she does not accept payment for her time here, then she is to leave and... apologize for wasting Master Draco's time."

Alexandra's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Draco said that?"

Panny looked from side to side, warily, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Master Draco did say that, yes, Miss."

Alexandra sighed. "Well... alright. Thank you, Panny."

The elf apparated away.

"That fucking prat," Alexandra spat before shoving a hand in through her curls and biting her lip.

There wasn't much else for her to do except to begin her work, was there?

So she sat down.

Alexandra sat down at the antique table with expensive chairs, trying to get comfortable, and began examining all the documents that laid out before her. The documents went back centuries, and all deeds seemed to be in order from laying out the possession of title to each owner as another head of the Malfoy family throughout the years had taken over the estate. Merlin knows there were no open mortgages to be found seeing as though only blood had ever lived in these halls. All wills seemed to be in order and accounted for as well, following the same trail of succession. Next, she moved onto financial documents.

Despite the fact that the Malfoy's were explicit in their distaste for Muggles, they had made a large sum of their fortune dabbling in their currency before and after the Statute of Secrecy. Abraxas, Lucius' father, and Lucius seemed to mainly keep their wallets opened for politics that occurred in the Wizarding World, so the sickle trail was easier to trace there. Alexandra had stumbled upon a large number of organizations and fundraisers that were lead by notorious blood purists, and Alexandra made a note of all the ones she found as they would probably be of some interest to Draco per his interview. She also made another note about possible fundraisers and political heads of groups that had made a point to denounce Voldemort following the Second Wizarding War for Draco's further usage.

While she was scribbling, spectacles balancing on the tip of her nose, Draco had drifted into the room after sometime. He did not greet her or pay her any mind, just either added or subtracted to her pile of papers. She flicked her eyes up, hoping to find his, but he paid no mind to her. Unfortunately, a sneer seemed to be forming in his pursed lips and nose that was about to scrunch up any second.

"Do you have any politicians you'd like to back in the upcoming year?" Alexandra asked. "I made a note of all of the politicians you'll have to withdraw funding from unless they renounce their old ways."

"I have not made that decision yet," he simply muttered, rifling through the pile of Gringotts vault statements. "Since I hired you, I assume it is your job to tell me."

"I don't recall you listening to me much in the past," she muttered, rereading a line of her notes. "Let alone filling me in on the plans you make."

The sound of flipping pages stopped, and Alexandra looked up to find Draco glaring at her. Her breathing became shallow.

"And I don't recall ever allowing you the privilege to be aware of my plans, let alone be a part of them," he spat. "You've always worked for me."

Alexandra raised her eyebrows in a manner of disbelief, but not fear. It was a look she usually gave people before she challenged them to a screaming match, but Alexandra was tired. She was so tired. Her spectacles were slightly vibrating on the tip of her nose with the frustration that buzzed on every nerve ending, but Draco Malfoy just stared at her with the intense anger that would manipulate any poor soul into believe they had done wrong. Draco constantly threw her for emotional loops, but she always ended up being put down by him even after he had shown her a small glimmer of good nature.

"Not anymore," she muttered, standing up from her chair and packing her things.

He stomped over to where she was hunched over the chair then, picking up her bag, and grabbed her by the shoulder. She was forced to look up at him, then, and suddenly her disbelief was growing into fear.

"Unhand me, Draco," she stated, trying to keep her voice level.

"Why?" he spat. "You've gotten a great look at my financials and assets, ready to tell Skeeter who I haven't withdrawn their funding from because I didn't tell you about the interview?"

"No, you swot!" she seethed through gritted teeth, trying to shrug his arm off. "It has nothing to do with the damn interview!"

"Then why does the Princess have an attitude?" he sneered. "Can't handle working alone when my success got you out of the courtroom twice? I'm sure you wouldn't have been able to handle the pressure from how bad you shake when someone talks above a whisper."

Her lips fell open in surprise as hurt coated her dark eyes. She pushed Draco off then, but he wasn't putting up much of a fight after what he said. There was no remorse on his face, just annoyance and inconvenience in the frown lines around his mouth and eyes.

"I shake because boys like you think they can touch me whenever they bloody well please!" she spat, eyes on fire and brimming with tears as she glared up at him. "Everyone in this goddamn world talks about how 'Malfoy men' absolutely worship their bloody women but all I've seen is you try to intimidate me and how badly your mother shakes from that fucking cult your father forced her into!"

She went to leave then as she knew Draco was ready to explode, but he quickly grabbed her by the upper arm once again and slammed her back into the bookcase behind them. The wood, while solid and sturdy, shook with the force that Draco had used against her. Her breath caught in her chest, but she refused to show it on her face as the pain welled within her shoulder blades and the back of her head. Draco's blazing eyes, usually threatening in their stare, were more wild then she had ever seen them before. She had pushed him too far.

"If you ever..." he barked with gritted teeth, and the continued, "...talk about me, or my father again in that way, I will show you exactly what it is like to shake, Alexandra."

"Oh, I'm sure you would," she laughed in disbelief, fighting back tears. "But I wouldn't have to. I'd be able to say you're just like my father, who you loathe so much, despite the fact that you just hurt me the same way he did that night."

"Oh you, fucking-"

"Don't!" She screeched, pushing him off of her. "If you don't want to be them, then fucking don't be them! It's not bloody hard to not hurt the witch who you pulled into your goddamn lap, Malfoy!"

"Don't act like you weren't fucking desperate for me to kiss you, Alexa," he seethed, eyes blazing. He paid her no mind to the ever so helpful advice she had given him on character, and he did not hesitate as he continued to prove her point. "You all but rode me on your kitchen counter because a man had finally shown you some small amount of kindness! Really, it was pathetic how you didn't even question the fact that you were kissing your client."

"And it's pretty pathetic how you slammed me against this bookcase like you heard my father do to me," she spat through gritted teeth, tears beginning to collect in her lower lash line. "But that's not unlike anyone who has used and discarded us before."

She didn't have to name the man she was talking about. Draco knew she was talking about her father. However, what really drove him mad, was the fact that it could be any name. Any fucking name. Including his own father's. Or his. Himself. Draco. Draco, too. He wasn't like that, no... no... he didn't want to be, no... surely... since he had thrown... no... she didn't care that he had thrown the wand. Alexa didn't care. Didn't care... Didn't care...

With his free hand, Draco smacked an open palm against the spines of the books close to the side of her head. His lips and nose were turned upwards into a sneer as ragged breaths left his nostrils. His exhales, quick and sharp, were hot on the skin of her face. Alexandra's breath caught in her throat, forcing her breathing to become low and shallow as she face the man who was beginning to seem more of a threat than her client.

Alexandra tried to mask how she really felt with a scoff, but she and Draco saw right through her attempt. She choked on a sob, bringing the back of her hand to rest against her lips, before a few tears began to fall from her eyes and roll down her cheeks. He was right; she was pathetic.

Full sobs threatened to leave her throat, but she forced them back and all that came out were shaky breaths. The anger hadn't left his face and shoulders, emotion still threatening to bust at the seams that were his self control, but Alexandra was still so afraid of what hurtful thing he would say next.

She sucked in a sharp breath, trying to calm herself, before stating, "I'd like to leave, Malfoy. If you would please-"

"You can't leave," he stated gravelly. "I will not allow it."

Alexandra deadpanned, tears frozen in shock at Draco's incessant need to always, always test her limits. She cried, "And why not, Malfoy?"

"Because I will not allow you to leave this home making claims that I am anything like your father," he replied, taking a shallow breath with a warning in his glare. "Nor mine."

"Yeah?" She baited, quirking an eyebrow. "Prove it, then. From where I'm standing, you-"

Draco did not allow her to finish her sentence.

Draco Malfoy had taken both of his hands from the spaces where they trapped her in place and cupped the sides of her face in his cool palms. She sucked in a surprised, sharp breath before Draco had pressed his lips to hers.

[foegs]

drivers as 2010s hit songs

(at least on north american radio stations)

Lewis: Daft Punk - Get Lucky keeps bopping for longer than you'd expect. unironically very good whether you'll admit it or not. you get bored when you're not paying attention, but it's worth it to listen up.

Valtteri: Avicii - Levels nordic. makes me cry. just keeps going, and the good feeling is dubious. they talk about it so many times you wonder when you’re getting that good feeling. foundational to a genre, a stepping stone for many more great things.

Sebastian: Coldplay - Every Teardrop is a Waterfall old. very important. vocal haters but overall very palatable. it makes you wistful more often than you'd like to admit.

Charles: Lil Nas X - Old Town Road horses. little kids love this one. absolute simple mastery in its field but damn there’s a lot of discourse. horses again.

Max: DJ Snake, Lil Jon - Turn Down for What irritating, goes too hard just when you don’t want it too, but don’t tell me you’ve never gotten hyped. it’s not that deep and that’s kind of the allure. 

Alex: Lorde - Team the prospects are grim but the essence is hope. you like this one, something about it is very fundamental. it’s thoughtful vibes all the way down and everyone else you love likes it too.

Carlos: Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines  did it sort of slap, for a pop song? ʸᵉˢ did it actually need loads of side-eye? yeah, that too

Lando: Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe  overplayed, but you'll play it again because it's unironically good. rated by people who know their shit, like KOAN Sound and Jenson Button. too cute to be true.

Daniel: Post Malone - Congratulations makes for terrible instagram captions, but people do it anyway. 

Esteban: Luis Fonsi - Despacito  earworm! never goes away when you want it to. shows up whenever something bad happens, to the point where it’s funny. this... is so sad. alexa,

Daniil: AWOLNATION - Sail is it just me, or was this one always intimidating? you laugh a little nervously when it comes on the radio, and it’s either an acquired taste or you’ve always slept on it. maybe a bit too raw for its own good.

Pierre: Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better oooh you’re so special for liking this one. did you know he’s actually just one person? everyone knows this one, deserves all the airtime it gets, would deserve any more it got. even the haters have a spot of affection.

Checo: Ylvis - The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) had a pretty fuckin terrible time in 2013. not taken as seriously as it perhaps should have been. 

Lance: twenty one pilots - Stressed Out incredibly divisive! people who hate it think they’re so cool, but they’re missing out on a fair bit of fun. everything’s cute and nothing’s too serious

Kimi: Pharrell Williams - Happy is this stopping soon? lots of old fucks like this one. dubious congratulations for your fortitude!

Antonio: Capital Cities - Safe and Sound cheesy but cheery, the sound of the summer. no one hates it. terribly endearing if you pay a bit of attention, but at the end of the decade it’s still a one-hit-wonder :(

Romain: PSY - Gangnam Style you probably don't understand but you get hyped anyway. you don’t need to understand. more important than anyone realises. good times all around and very unnecessarily hated.

Kevin: Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks hoes mad! edgy shit has arrived. keeps getting in trouble for it. if it hadn’t taken off, mark foster and kmag would be in much humbler circumstances right now. 

George: Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars) you like it. it probably likes you too. unrealistically charming, didn’t have to do a lot to convince you of that. cooler than you will ever be, but you don’t mind. 

Nicholas: Drake - God’s Plan money money money 🙏🙏🙏 this is pretty self explanatory. the vibes are good and so are you