#CX best practices

[cxnet12]

CX Best Practices

Investing in customer experience builds loyalty, drives growth, and creates brand advocates—making it the smartest move for Indian businesses today for the best cx practices. Connect with us today!

[statwide]

6 Proven Strategies for Improving Customer Experience in 2025

In today’s digital-first world, the brands that win are the ones that deliver more than just great products—they create meaningful, seamless, and memorable customer experiences. Improving customer experience (CX) has become a top priority for businesses across all industries. Why? Because customers have more choices and higher expectations than ever before.

In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of customer experience and share six proven strategies to improve it—helping you increase satisfaction, retention, and long-term growth.

Why Customer Experience Matters

Customer experience encompasses every interaction a customer has with your brand—from browsing your website and speaking with support to using your product and receiving follow-up emails. A great experience builds trust, loyalty, and advocacy.

According to research, 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience, and 73% say CX is a key factor in their purchasing decisions. So, if you’re not actively improving your customer experience, you're already falling behind.

1. Map the Customer Journey

Start by understanding your customer’s full journey. Identify each touchpoint—website visits, emails, support chats, checkout process, and beyond. Use tools like heatmaps and journey analytics to spot where customers struggle or drop off. This insight allows you to fix friction points and guide users more smoothly toward success.

2. Deliver Personalization at Scale

Today’s customers expect tailored experiences. Use data to personalize communications, product recommendations, and content. Tools like CRMs, behavior tracking, and AI-powered email platforms make it easy to deliver relevant, one-on-one experiences—even at scale.

Examples include:

Personalized welcome emails

Product suggestions based on browsing behavior

Custom onboarding sequences

3. Offer Omnichannel Support

Whether a customer contacts you via email, live chat, social media, or phone, they expect a seamless experience. Implementing an omnichannel support strategy ensures customers get consistent, timely help across all platforms—boosting both satisfaction and trust.

4. Collect Feedback—and Act on It

Gathering feedback is only valuable if you take action. Use tools like NPS surveys, CSAT ratings, and customer interviews to understand how users feel about your brand. Then, use this feedback to make data-informed improvements to your product, processes, and communication.

5. Empower and Train Your Team

Your employees are the face of your brand. A well-trained, empathetic support and success team can make or break your CX. Regular training, clear documentation, and the right tools enable your team to respond faster and more effectively.

6. Leverage Automation to Enhance (Not Replace) the Human Touch

Use automation to improve efficiency—like chatbots for FAQs or automated follow-ups for onboarding. But don’t let tech replace genuine human connection. The goal is to enhance the customer experience, not make it feel robotic.

Final Thoughts

Improving customer experience is not a trend—it’s a long-term strategy that pays dividends. By personalizing interactions, optimizing support, and consistently acting on feedback, you build relationships that go beyond transactions.

In 2025 and beyond, customer experience will be the difference between brands that thrive and those that disappear. Make it your competitive advantage starting today.

[garymdm]

Don't Let Your Bot Be a Flop: Common Chatbot Deployment Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Chatbots are revolutionizing communication, but even the most advanced AI can stumble. To ensure your chatbot thrives, not dives, it’s crucial to avoid these common pitfalls: Lack of Clear Objectives Ignoring User Experience Single Channel Focus Overcomplicating Conversations Insufficient Data Training Forgetting the Human Touch Ignoring Security Risks Insufficient Testing Neglecting…

[screampied]

tips on writing smut or writing in general? asking for a friend? i love your writing btw 😘💋

hi nonnieeeee 🩶 thank youuuu !!!!

main tip i can say about writing, is to just have fun with it! it’s always important to remember that it’s all fiction. with smut—doesn’t matter if you have little to no experience, go for it. i’ve been writing for years but i recently gave smut a try about a year ago n it’s pretty cool. some things that used to help me was that i frequently read a lot of novels, i love reading 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️. whenever im reading, i like to study the phrases / word choices certain authors use. i’d also rec using a thesaurus as well to strengthen your vocabulary. growing up, i took a few creative writing classes and majored in journalism which i can say definitely helped with strengthened my english !!! don’t be scared to research if you’re ever confused about something. whenever im planning a fic, i research a lottt, especially if im writing something new. writing smut ofc is more intimate n explicit than other genres, and you wanna try to make a note of describing every littlest detail.

when i write smut, i try to always remember to at least depict these things: dialogue, eye contact, positions (describe said positions), breathing patterns, building up an orgasm, pacing, etc. use lots of details, and whether you’re writing smut or just writing anything in general, make sure you’re trying your best to be paint the scene you’re describing. i always listen to music when i write, helps the flow better 🙆‍♂️. but yeah, just have fun n practice lots !!! GOOD LUCKKKK CX

[hirocimacruiser]

Honda Civic brochure pages.

CIVIC

The Super Civic was a new trend car with economy and dynamic performance suited to the 1980s.

1300 S

1500 SC

It perfectly combines the best fuel economy in the 1500cc class with powerful driving performance.

Resource and energy conservation are common themes around the world. The new CIVIC is available with a new engine system that takes advantage of the excellent combustion efficiency of the lean burn method, which is the greatest advantage of the CVCC engine. It offers not only excellent fuel economy, but also low maintenance costs and a low price.

10 mode driving, Ministry of Transport inspection value

1500CE model E-SR 18 km/l

60km/h constant speed test value

28km/l 1500CE, GF (5 door) Model E/SR, Model E-ST

And yet, it still has the powerful driving feel of a sports car. It's truly a Super Civic.

For example, the new cliff-cut panel in front of the passenger seat provides enough space that there is no need to push the seat back.

An aerodynamic body that provides a smooth ride.

The styling minimizes air resistance and is focused on practical aerodynamics. It is agile in urban areas and stable and smooth on the highway. The new suspension grips the road firmly.

The springs of the front and rear suspensions have been offset to provide a more comfortable ride. The rear also uses a new Honda-style strut system, a world first, to ensure sufficient compliance. The suspension is much tighter.

1300・5-door LX

A new instrument panel.

The functions necessary for driving are concentrated around the driver. The centralized target meter () that places the speedometer and tachometer in one view, as well as the newly designed rotary channel radio, are also standard equipment. The design is easy to see and use.

A large, international-sized interior designed for the world.

Compared to conventional 5-door vehicles, the interior length is 25 mm longer and the interior width is 35 mm wider. Furthermore, the clever use of each space has resulted in an amazingly efficient interior.

All models are fully open hatchbacks.

It is a big opening that opens to the full width of the body from a low position, that is, just above the bumper. Moreover, the interior floor is low and flat. Large and wide objects can be easily loaded. The three-stage variable rear seat is extremely practical. It is a design that prioritizes ease of use.

1500 3door CX

Wild ride. CX

1500 3door CE

CIVIC

1500 5door CF

1300・3-door SE Model E-SL Engine model EJ ●CVCC・1,335cm2・Water-cooled inline 4-cylinder horizontally mounted OHC-68 horsepower ●Fuel economy 22km/ℓ(60km/h・flat road test value)●Front-wheel drive●Overall length 3,760mmOverall width 1,580mm ●Strut-type four-wheel independent suspension●Front-wheel disc brakes ●4-speed

1500, 3-door CE, Model E-SR, Engine model EM CVCC-1.488cm2, water-cooled in-line 4-cylinder, horizontally mounted, OHC-80 horsepower, Fuel economy 28km/ℓ (60km/h, constant speed test value), 18km/ℓ (10 mode running, Ministry of Transport review value), Front-wheel drive, Overall length 3,760mm, Overall width 1,580mm, Strut-type four-wheel independent suspension, Front wheels, Disc brakes with servo, 5-row

*1500-3 door SE is made to order.

If you're looking for a Civic, visit your local Honda dealer.

CIVIC VAN

Gentle on luggage and gentle on people. The capable Civic Van is born.

The luggage compartment is 1,520mm long (with two occupants), 1,270mm wide at its widest point, and 805mm high, making it spacious and easy to handle. Highly refined quality. Powerful and robust dynamic performance. Extremely quiet and safe, this is the birth of a reliable business car that pursues a high level of harmony between passengers and business.

1300-5 door SV, LV model J-VC Engine model EN 1,335cm * Water-cooled inline 4-cylinder horizontal OHC, 70 horsepower ● Fuel economy 18.5km/(60km/h, constant speed test value) ● Front wheel drive ● Overall length 3,995mm, overall width 1,580m, overall height 1,385mm ● Front wheel servo disc brakes ● 4-speed

[veifei]

Can I get thoughts on shiguang + ql during their uni days? Or just pre-canon in general?

omg yes of course !!! this is probably going to be a rambling mess cos i am Uncertain about some things but i hope it's fun nevertheless!!! i may add more in subsequent reblogs if i think of anything else :)

first off i have to think about majors/degrees for a bit. i believe the director said we'd find out more about their uni days including what the trio studied during the upcoming yingdu chapter. if I had to guess, I'd say QL did something like a business degree. I like the idea of CXS doing photography and I've seen that hc floating around, and for LG im sorry i have no fucking clue.

OK OK im not completely at a loss with LG. assuming this is like the third or fourth timeline, maybe he just chose whatever course CXS was on to stay close to him (im not crying you're crying). i think it would be fun if he studied literature though (saying this as a lit student, lol)

Alternatively, maybe they All did a business degree?? i say this for two reasons—one, it makes sense for both QL and CXS. for QL it's cos she's just business savy, and for CXS it's a fairly practical choice since he has the studio to think about. two, it makes for maximum fun as the trio suffer through their studies together :)

moving on—in the same way that LG buys CXS and QL boba, i bet he did similar when they'd all have early lectures, maybe with coffee, (or maybe he's had their drink orders memorised from their uni days)

CXS consistently leaves his studying/exam prep/turning in assignments until the night before which causes LG Immense stress lmao. CXS's like "lu guangggg help me studyyyy i promise i won't do it againnnn ive learnt my lesson I swear :(" and every time, LG calls him a fool and says good fucking luck. and every time QL brings over caffeine and snacks and LG stays up with CXS to help him/scold him

QL is definitely the most organised with her studies. she has the most detailed lecture notes and she's always the first one to hand in projects/assignments. LG has to drag CXS to lectures otherwise he won't go, notes are a mess/non existent, and he is usually playing a game on his phone (he is however, the sort to scrape by with fairly, or perhaps unfairly good grades). LG is the true neutral student who does Exactly what is required of him and Nothing more lmao.

QL is ALWAYS trying to get the other two to be more sociable and go to mixers and things. she probably has to bribe CXS with food, and then in turn CXS will pester LG until he relents and agrees to go with them

out of the three, QL has the best alcohol tolerance and when she drinks she's even more bubbly and social. will Occasionally drink too much after deadlines or exams have passed cos celebrations yippee, and in those instances she always insists she's FINE she ABSOLUTELY can do another round (is not fine. LG has to step up as the mum friend if CXS is also drinking)

next is CXS who has a pretty okay tolerance if he didn't continually push his luck and end up drinking a little too much. he gets all rambly and is (even more) of a drama queen when drunk. he has, on more than one occasion, had to be escorted out by a very angry looking LG. oh and of course he's also very clingy when drunk (with LG in particular; that poor man cannot escape from under CXS's arm).

I don't imagine at these sorts of big social gatherings LG is the type to drink Much, if at all. CXS has only ever seen LG drunk, truly drunk, like so drunk it could be described as stupid drunk, one time. and if he ever mentions it to anyone LG is murdering him. so. CXS doesn't discuss it, he values his life after all.

[askwenjing]

Clone X OC Week 2025 ( @clonexocweek ) - Late entry

Conflict

Author's note: This idea is for a chapter in "Wisdom Throughout Seasons". The story mainly follows the Bad Batch series but with some rewrites and many additional scenes. This chapter took place in the first act of "Juggernaut". Chun-Jin wanted to join the mission but Crosshair stopped her. They had an argument, which led to Crosshair revealing the truth. (Echo was on Pabu because he suffered from a burnout after working too hard for the Clone Rebellion, and he was ordered to get some well-deserved rest on Pabu. Also CX-2 is Tech in this story)

Rating: SFW

Word count: 1040

Warnings: Talks of illegal experiments and torture done on clones, mentions of planned physical assault and/or murder, trauma, imprisonment, brainwashing.

As Chun-Jin was approaching Phee’s ship, the Providence, Crosshair stepped in and blocked her path.

“Crosshair, what are you doing?” she asked.

“You stay here and wait for our return,” he commanded her.

“And why? Is it because I used too much of my Force power and got knocked unconscious by Tech?” she questioned him, feeling slightly hurt that he did not believe in her abilities. “I know I have severed my connection with the Force for like a year, but I have resumed my training for like a month or two now. I can use the Force better now, and I can still fight with my lightsabers well, so I should go. Besides, I need to make sure that Tech can snap out of the conditioning. When I was using the Force on him, I sensed that something was changing in his mind. Like he was trying to break free. I believe that the Force has given us a second chance with him, and this is our chance to make things right.”

Crosshair remained unconvinced by her explanation.

Chun-Jin sighed but she was not giving up. “I’m part of the Bad Batch. I have the responsibility to rescue Omega and Tech, and that means I also have the responsibility to look after you, Crosshair. Since you don’t want to go back to Tantiss due to your trauma, it will be best that you stay on Pabu instead, and let me go with them!”

“I’m also part of the Bad Batch, and it is my responsibility to rescue them because they are my brother and sister. I also have to look after you, and that means you must stay on Pabu,” Crosshair countered as he narrowed his eyes, trying to hold back his anger.

“Why are you doing this, Crosshair? Why are you pushing me away?! I can help you! I really can!!!”

“Because I can’t lose you!!!”

Chun-Jin’s eyes widened as she was startled by Crosshair’s outburst. Crosshair laid his head down as he couldn’t bear to look into her eyes. His right hand began to shake violently as painful memories began flooding his mind. His left hand gripped his right wrist as he tried to soothe the tremors.

“Hemlock knows that you are with the Bad Batch… and the Clone Rebellion…” Crosshair began his explanation. “So he has created more… specialized troopers…”

“What do you mean?” Chun-Jin was confused. She noticed his right hand shaking, and she used both her hands to hold onto his. She breathed in, putting herself in a calming state of mind. As she breathed out, Crosshair could feel a calming wave of emotion flowing into his right hand and then throughout his body. Gradually, the violent tremors became milder. “Are you saying that there are more brainwashed troopers like what Hemlock did to Tech?”

“…Yes. And… two of them were your troops. And another two were your Master’s troops.”

“…Do you remember their names?”

“…Poise… Frenzy… Brawl… and Dealos,” Crosshair stated their names one by one. Chun-Jin knew the clone troopers. Frenzy and Brawl were part of her clone battalion, while Poise and Dealos were part of her Master’s clone battalion. All four of them were trained to use special weapons for battle. Moreover, she used to practice her lightsaber skills by sparring with them.

“I was in the program… I used all of my might to resist the brainwashing… but… I saw them… gradually losing their memories… they don’t remember any good memories with you and your Master… and they eventually forget who they are… they don’t remember their own names, their brothers… it haunts me ever since…” he stammered repeatedly as he recalled the traumatic memories on Tantiss.

Chun-Jin clung onto his right hand tighter to remind him of her presence, so he would feel safe. “It must be tough… to see all of those things…” she comforted him. “…So you suspect that Hemlock has chosen them because of their connection with me?” Chun-Jin speculated.

“Yes…” Crosshair admitted. “I think Hemlock wants to hurt you… or worse… he wants to kill you. He probably knows that you can’t use the Force anymore…”

He tilted his head slightly higher so his eyes could lock onto hers. “When I was imprisoned there, I kept worrying about you… I kept hoping that you would stay safe and avoid capture. When I managed to escape there with Omega and Batcher, I didn’t want to tell you the truth. I don’t want you to risk your life to save them… Who knows what Hemlock has prepared to capture you or kill you? He would have set up a trap for you, knowing that a Jedi’s compassion is their weakness.”

Crosshair placed his left hand on top of Chun-Jin’s hands that were holding his slightly shaking right hand. “Your Master ordered me to protect you. I have to continue following his order even though he's gone now. I don’t want to fail him. And I don’t want to fail you.”

Chun-Jin stood there in silence. She tilted her head downwards as she was in deep thought, and Crosshair nervously waited for her response.

“Crosshair, I am not mad at you for hiding the truth from me,” she reassured him when she looked back up at him. “I do appreciate your efforts of trying to protect me. But I am not going to be alone facing Hemlock’s brainwashed troops. I always have the clones fighting beside me.”

Chun-Jin shifted her hands, and now they were holding both of Crosshair’s palms. “We will work together to rescue Tech, Omega and the other clone prisoners, including the brainwashed ones. Together,” she declared as she locked her eyes on his.

Seconds passed. Crosshair finally gave her a small nod, a gesture that approved her involvement in this dangerous mission.

“Wait, did you say about rescuing Tech? Is he alive?!”

Chun-Jin and Crosshair turned to the direction of the voice, which belonged to Phee. She was standing at the loading dock of her ship, with a shocked expression plastered on her face. Hunter, Wrecker and Echo were peeking from the corner of the opening.

“Looks like we owe her a really long explanation over the ride,” Chun-Jin sighed.

“Heh,” Crosshair chuckled sheepishly.

[dangermousie]

One of the things I find so interesting is how Jing is so very much not what a FL’s endgame love interest, especially in an epic xianxia, looks like (I mean in terms of character and narrative, not physical looks. Deng Wei is a ridiculously handsome man, like the rest of XY’s choices.)

I wonder if that is where at least some of puzzlement over XY’s choice/dislike of Jing as endgame that I’ve seen come from.

Jing is NOT the male lead - that is Cang Xuan, XY’s cousin who she never has even a glimmer of romantic feeling or attraction to. But Jing is also not the biggest badass or most magically powerful or most ambitious or with most status or most grand gestures or most epic story or even most outsize interaction with FL (vampy took her on dates to freaking underwater with his magic while Jing got her a practical gadget to use to go underwater herself; Vampy gave up one of his nine lives to heal her; Jing was only able to preserve her body so it would not be beyond saving and also try to die himself. Vampy’s power is battle while Jing is a tracker. Jing’s love is all-consuming and devoted but it’s also quiet.)

Jing does not come out first in anything except possibly torture (tho honestly that’s a bit of an open season on that one) and abnegation for FL’s sake. I mean the three guys are (future) emperor, a legendary rebel general with nine lives and an insane amount of magic and a…wealthy merchant.

And in a lot of ways it goes against the accepted usual narrative. Of course the top alpha dog would get the FL - the biggest bestest dude!!!! There are not many dramas where FL ends up not with ML and the ones I can think of still have a guy with outsize power/not that quiet/unhinged charisma - think of Ji Chang Wook in Empress Ki for example. The closest I can think of is in The King Loves also based on a novel where FL did not end up with the royal ML but the SML, the quiet royal bodyguard (but even there Rin was the best fighter in the drama.)

And of course the other thing that reinforces this whole departure from the usual narrative and can drive frustration is if you look at the three arcs/obstacles to FL for the three men. Cang Xuan is freaking fighting and scheming to win an empire! And accepting the whole drama maxim “love is never fated for an emperor.” Vampy is literally a sworn enemy of XY’s brother and fights to restore the long-defunct kingdom. So we have a would be emperor and a rebel leader. And then Jing’s problem is getting out of his engagement to an awful woman to be free to marry XY and/or leaving his monster family and abandoning his name to follow XY. I can see someone going “that’s nothing!”

BUT!

I love the narrative for getting that to a person living it, it’s all-consuming but also sticking to its guns that who XY will end up with is not about the usual tropes but what makes sense for her as a character. And so there is a reason Cang Xuan is the ML but Jing is the endgame and she does not end up with Vampy either. Cang Xuan’s wishes and plans drive the plot but that is precisely both why Jing is secondary in the plot but the one XY picks - she wants someone who will not drive the plot because what she wants is someone she wants cottagecore life with and there is no plot in cottagecore. The very fact that all Jing yearns for and all he fights for is domestic bliss (a traditionally FL obsession) - even all his scheming to help CX ascend is because he wants to assist FL’s desires - is why she ends up with him.

As she pretty much point blank stated in 33, everyone in her life put her second to a great cause and she’s done with that. The girl does not want a man who will change the world, she wants someone who is content to live in it with her.

ETA: I keep saying it but what the audience would pick in her place remains irrelevant. I mean I would not pick any of the three myself - I don’t feel like eternally sharing my man with 100 women as anyone with Cang Xuan would have to, Vampy’s greatest desire is to perish in the fight and the lack of appeal of that as a dating quality is obvious, and with his fam, marrying Jing would be like marrying into the Manson Family. But I am not XY so here we are.

[saelterlude]

Gushing About Zhu Hanbin and Jing Yanqiao in The City of Musicals S2

The City of Musicals (S2, at least) is kinda like The Voice. 24 musical actors, 3 troupes, covering musical numbers, elimination every episode. Season 2 focuses on young/fresh talents.

I was on a Zhu Hanbin(LG musical actor) binge and got really into this show once I found out his frequent CXS counterpart, Jing Yanqiao, is there as well. Now seems like the right time to make this post since JYQ's birthday is soon (April 13th!) and everyone barely knows him so, to begin here's a cute interaction they had on weibo after what I can only assume is a Link Click rehearsal.

You can access the full episodes here. But I'm going to discuss and link each performances under the cut.

Oh yeah, before I start. I have notes of the context of some performances (not including them bcs I only researched some and not all), so if you like any of them and would like to dive deeper or just wants the context in general just ask and I'll share what I have. (That said, the 10th is Ied so I might be busy and took a while to answer)

Scouting stage (Ep.1-2)

They are sorted into groups of three and perform together as the same character.

For Forever from Dear Evan Hansen

Performed by Sun Tiecheng, Zhu Hanbin, and Wang Haoran. I love ZHB's expression in this performance, it's very innocent and hopeful but also with a hint of hurt? It fits the vibe of the song. It's a really nice, soft and hopeful performance. ZHB's expression really paid off since he got scouted into 2 troupes. Funfact, ZHB and Wang Haoran are classmates lol, they didn't know the other auditioned on this show before they got sorted together. Their third teammate felt very awkward lol.

Dans Le Noir Je Vois Rouge from Le Rouge et Le Noir

Roughly translated to "In the dark, I see red" performed by Alladin, Jing Yangqiao and Tian Ye. It's very good, dark and angry vibes. It's from a French rock musical so yea I really like it. I know I wanted to highlight JYQ but the original rap that Tian Ye (right) arranged is definitely the best part of this performance. The three of them worked really well together. Also, Jing Yanqiao was asked if he felt pressured performing with his seniors (he's still in school) and he answered yes, but most importantly he was intimidated by their heights. so cute lmao. Don't worry JYQ, you're still taller than ZHB. This is also 1 of the only 2 groups where all three performers get scouted.

Sidenote: I found the original song and I've been translating it to practice my French lol. In fact, I found a recording of the whole original musical.

Round 1 (Ep.3-4)

Each troupe prepares 2 Duo performance and 1 solo performance.

No Longer Human from No Longer Human

Performed by Sun Sankai and Zhu Hanbin. Yes, as in the Osamu Dazai novel. ZHB played Yezang (Oba Yozo) the protagonist of the novel and Sun Sankai played Osamu Dazai the author. So this is an existential conversation between author and his character. That's probably why this set design is creepy, but in a good way! An amazing duet, very powerful vocals from both of them, a very nice listen. But damn those hands are wobbly and every time I watch them climb up it, I worry if its gonna fall. Also, camerawork feels like something out of a 2nd Gen K-pop music show lol. And ZHB is barefoot for some reason... If I caught it properly it's bcs he's scared of falling off the hand? I need to double check but understandable.

Therapy from Tick, Tick..., Boom!

Performed by Jing Yangqiao and Feng Difei I couldn't find the cut version of this performance so you would have to do with the timestamped link of the full episode. This is such an adorable and fun performance. I love the cutee original phoneline choreography they have and how their voices work together. Also, JYQ and Feng Difei playing couples and going on a date bcs the coach tells them it would help their chemistry. Why are they lowkey kinda cute though. The post-performance interview of this reads like a blind date interview istg. The interview keep asking questions like what JYQ got her for her BDay and if they have made each other mad like the characters in the musical, etc.

Round 2 (Ep.5-6)

There are 2 troupe duo performances, and 2 cross-troupe trio performances.

The Other Side from The Greatest Showman

Performed by Sun Sankai and Zhu Hanbin. This one is so good, soooo good. I already liked the song before but their voices fit this song really well. Then you get to see, ZHB can dance y'all. I like how energetic this performance is, they really ran around the stage and walk across the table. Special mention to Sun Sankai who practiced that hat kicking trick to perfection, he got to a streak of 100 successes during practice. And to the bartender too, I love his expressions.

In A Crowd of Thousands from Anastasia

Performed by Jing Yangqiao and Feng Difei Yes, it's these two again, playing a couple again lol. Yes, they also went on a date again to prepare for this performance. (In fact, they're paired in a new musical "Love Myth" airing next month) Truly giving off a romantic, magical, and almost fairy tale-like feels. I love how sweet it is. The mini-them also did a good job with their performance. Fun fact about this one, JYQ played in Anastasia musical before this show and is still currently playing in Anastasia, both as Dmitri, just like he did in this performance.

It's Not Me It's You from uhh pretty sure it's an original rap based on disney villains. So it's from Disney, I guess.

Performed by Jing Yanqiao, Zhao Qianlong, and Zhou Mohan. I can't take this performance seriously, not with those outfits LMAO. JYQ as Gaston looking like Winnie the Pooh instead, I can't. That said, the rap is really good, I like the flow, I like the beat, it's great. I jusst, those outfits lmao. Even JYQ posted on his weibo how the outfit simply wasn't it. I can add the photo he took in the rb but pls just watch the performance.

Round 3 (Ep.7-8)

Each troupe prepares 2 duo performances again.

Disappear from Dear Evan Hansen

Performed by Jing Yanqiao and Zhu Hanbin. Yes, they both performed together in this one! I couldn't find the cut version again, sorry. IDK why, maybe it's copyright? For now, timestamped link. I can't explain why, I really like this performance and I really like their dynamic. Their voices also goes nice together but I know that already from watching them together in the LC musical. So yea, this is good. Though, ZHB being projected as JYQ/Evan's hallucination of Connor is kinda goofy looking. Also, so far ZHB has been kind of type-casted as the innocent boy or bright-eyed young man in need of guidance type so to see him playing a more aggressive/leading character (though not by much) is nice.

(JYQ doesn't have that problem, literally he was scouted by the troupe bcs they feel 'he's young and thus can be molded into anything'. ZHB did have to help him perfect the anxious boy act for this performance.)

Quarterfinals (Ep.9)

A trio performance from each troupe, along with a single cross-troupe performance.

Believe in Miracles from Ultraman (yes, the superhero show)

Performed by Sun Sankai, Zhu Hanbin, and Jing Yangqiao. Original skit. Both JYQ and ZHB act as students to Sun Sankai's teacher. The song sounds vaguely familiar to me, maybe that's why I like it so much. It's very fun, rock vibes. JYQ intentional voice crack in the beginning cracks me up. It's a very energetic song too, makes me want to pick up a guitar and jam along. (No, IDK how to play the guitar beyond the basics lol). It honestly looks like they were an idol group or something. (LC Idol AU anyone?)

Goodbye Cassini from Cassini

Performed by Zhao Qianlong, Zhu Hanbin, and Tian. I'll be honest, not a big fan of the skit, it is better enjoyed as just a goodbye song to a beloved space probe, but I am a huge fan of the song (Original ver. here with subbed lyrics, it a got more opera? vibe to it. both ver. are very good though.). I've been randomly humming 'Goodbye, my Cassini~' for days. I am so tempted to make a fic based on this song. Tian (the girl) really carried this performance with her angelic vocals, it's so great and heartbreaking. Her heartbreak at having to leave her friends behind and knowing full well they're never going to meet again. If you're watching this one, I highly recommend you wear your headphones. Trust me, it will cleanse your ears. And if you want to skip straight to the song? 5 minute mark.

Semifinals and Finals (Ep.10)

The semifinals are duo performances of an original musical number. The finals are a solo performance from the top 2. They are available on spotify and youtube music.

The Greatest Show from The Greatest Showman

Performed by the top 4 contestants: Zhu Hanbin, Miao Mengqing, Jing Yanqiao, and Zhou Mohan. I don't have a lot to say about this one. Really nice performance, a bonus to a great episode. Yeaay, both of our LC boys got into the top 4!

Assassin

Performed by Jing Yanqiao and Miao Mengqing To be honest, not the biggest fan but maybe that's just me not being a fan of historical drama in any form. JYQ used a fake facial hair, so that's something too I guess. That said, it's pretty nice to listen to and the dance/sword fight choreography is really cool. (Though as someone who used to do choreographed fights, I feel kinda dissapointed it's more sworddance rather than swordfight.) Miao Mengqing's voice is really powerful, just listen to her. Unfortunately JYQ was eliminated here, but he reached the top 4! I'm proud of him. He also learned the choreo and to play the uhhh (it's 1am, lookup instrument nme later) in only a week. So that's cool.

Don't Believe him

Performed by Zhu Hanbin and Zhou Mohan. This one I highly recommend. This song is an emotional banger and I've been listening to this on loop for days. The choreo and staging is good too, although there's one part that I think is a bit goofy (thankfully it's not too distracting). The fight/struggle choreo they did here have more power than Assassin so I really like it. Really cool, makes you wanna punch a bully, I love it. ZHB played a bullied kid and Zhou Mohan plays ZHB's 'perfect' dream self who wants to keep him in this dream world and away from the hurtful reality. This song (as well as Assassin) is available on spotify and yt music, but the live version is 10x better because it captures the emotion better. You can hear ZHB's desperation and sadness as well as Zhou Mohan's anger and frustration, it's great.

Lonely Mountaintop from The Devotion of Suspect X

Performed by Zhu Hanbin. It's good, I enjoy it. Though as a final song I do kinda wish he picked a song with more power? IDK. It's still good though, it's emotional, I love the build up, the set design is pretty, and the song fit his voice really well. ZHB won 2nd place with this song. Congrats on your hard work!

Miao Mengqing won first place and honestly? She deserved it, she's so good. But this post is focusing on our LC actors ZHB and JYQ so uhh. Please watch her final performance singing "I Have Nothing" here, it's so great, she's great, I love her voice so much.

Fun fact, JYQ did not vote for ZHB in the finals lol, he did it right in front of ZHB too and I'm pretty sure at that point they were already announced as cast in the LC musical. (Sorry ZHB, but I too would vote for Miao Mengqing there)

Last bonus (which I'm not gonna link) before we end this post. In the 3rd episode, around 20minutes in Zhu Hanbin and Jing Yanqiao did an advertisement for their water sponsor together and they're very awkward, it's funny to me.

[lagingersnapz]

Some Rain Must Fall - (Fallout Fic) Chapter 3: Hazards and Homesteads

Chapter: 3/?

In the past, Lucy decides to stand up to the noseless man raining terror down on the marketplace. Definitely not only because the judgmental bobblehead stared her down, either.

In the present, Lucy and Cooper do their best to talk a gun out of Lucy's face.

Characters: Lucy MacLean/Cooper Howard(The Ghoul), Dogmeat(CX-404), Original Characters

Word Count: 3876

Warnings: Violence, Swearing

Author's Note: Okay, listen. I have no idea if "Vault-Dwellers" should be capitalized or not, so sometimes it will be and sometimes it won't be. There will be no logic to it. I'm only a little sorry, honestly. Continuing my daily posting here. Not sure what else to say about it right now. ^^; This was posted weeks ago on Ao3 and honestly it's kinda crazy to me how much the story has developed and how I found my voice and the characters between now and then.

Previous Next

Ao3

~~~

There it was, in black ink on the yellowed pages of the logbook: L. Moldaver. Lucy felt the first bit of relief since she had stepped foot on the surface. It was the first real sign she had found of how to get her dad back. There had to be more, though. Something in the book had to say where Moldaver was going, or what she was planning to do with Lucy’s dad. Trying to still her shaking hands, Lucy started flipping through pages. Outside, the sounds of a fight continued.

“No! No, please!” Wilzig sounded desperate, but Lucy didn’t have time to stop and help him. Her dad needed her more… Right? She glanced back at the doorway of the shop but couldn’t get a clear look at what was happening outside. When she turned back, something caught her eye; a Vault Boy bobblehead on a shelf. And it was staring straight at her, arms crossed. A bobblehead had never felt so judgmental before.

Lucy heaved a sigh, staring back at it, mentally trying to reason with it, to explain that she couldn’t stop now. If she joined that gunfight, she risked being killed, and then nobody would be able to save her dad from the kidnappers, so clearly she couldn’t get involved.

The Vault Boy was not moved by her mental explanations and continued to stare at her, arms crossed, waiting for her to take action. Lucy shook her head, trying to steady her breathing. She looked down at the book and then to her tranq gun, slowly settling her hand on it. Everyone outside was using guns of the more lethal variety. If she went out there with just the tranq gun, how much could she actually be expected to do?

The walls of the shop were lined with all kinds of weaponry. Any of those might serve her better. One in particular was massive, with a sign next to it declaring it to be a ‘Junk Jet’ for 285 caps. Something like that could certainly give her an edge in the fight… If she had the caps to pay for it, which she didn’t. The judgmental Vault Boy bobblehead might be urging her to join the fight, but stealing was still wrong. She couldn’t abandon all of her morals up here.

With one more steadying breath, Lucy pulled out her tranq gun and moved back to the front door of the shop. The right thing to do was to step in. If she abandoned all her father had taught her about accountability and kindness on her way to find him, it could only disappoint him. Outside, the scene was much as she had left it, minus all the other combatants. The noseless man stood alone above everyone.

Ma June was tying a tourniquet on her leg, and it wasn’t a stretch to think she must have taken a bullet. Wilzig himself was practically laying down now, still moaning in pain, trying to scoot himself backwards on his elbows to escape the noseless man, but making very little progress.

Lucy strode between the two, trying to look as confident as she could. The noseless man was facing away, but he must have heard her walk out, because his shoulders slumped with an annoyed sigh, and he drew the gun he had probably only just re-holstered as he turned to face her… And then stopped in his tracks.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave him alone,” Lucy said. To her amazement, the man didn’t immediately shoot her, and it gave her just enough confidence to continue. Maybe, just maybe, she could talk him down. “Now, I acknowledge that I’m unfamiliar with your circumstances. But, at first glance, your treatment of this man appears unfair, and I’m obliged to intervene.”

While she spoke, the noseless man tilted his head, looking at her as though she was some sort of strange creature the likes of which he had never seen, yet at the same time he wore a small grin that was not at all nice.

“Huh,” he grunted, and suddenly Lucy felt like a child that was simply being humored, but she had started, so she might as well press on.

“Now, if your instinct is to harm me,” she raised her free hand, palm tilted placatingly, “as a person simply trying to de-escalate a conflict, then I’ll have to assume of the two of you, you are likely the primary aggressor.”

The noseless man tilted his head the other way, his grin still plastered on his face, clearly amused more than anything at her attempts. The action was almost patronizing enough for Lucy to stop her attempts at calming things down. Almost.

“In which case, I think everyone in this town would agree that force is justified.” She looked off to the side at the town in question, but the streets were clear now of everyone but the dead and the four of them. The noseless man looked around too, his brow raised in amusement as he likely noticed the same thing.

“Unless you willingly stand down now.” Lucy raised her gun and aimed it at him, the same as she would have in the training range. The same as she had the raiders that had threatened everything she had ever held dear on what ended up being the worst day of her life to date. The day everything had changed for her and the world got a whole lot meaner.

“Fucking vault-dwellers. Jeez,” Ma June groaned from her place on the walkway. Lucy continued to stand her ground, trying to still the slight shaking in her hand as she stared down the noseless man. He was searching her face, scrutinizing her.

“Huh,” he grunted again. In the end, he must have found her wanting, because he chuckled mockingly and started walking towards Wilzig, ready to simply ignore the young woman with the tranq gun.

The gun hissed sharply as Lucy pulled the trigger. The dart hit the noseless man in the chest, and his smile faltered along with his steps as he looked down at it. But he stayed on his feet, and Lucy watched in confusion as he simply plucked the dart out of himself, inspecting it between gloved fingers for a moment before his smile returned and he looked up at her.

“Well, now, that is a very small drop in a very, very large bucket o’ drugs.” He flipped the dart away from him with a turn of his wrist, and Lucy watched, wide eyed. Why hadn’t it worked? It had worked on everyone else she had ever fired it at, and those raiders were almost certainly on drugs as well. She started to lower her weapon at the same time the noseless man raised his, aiming straight for her.

“She said stand down, Ghoul .”

Behind them, the sound of small jets heralded the appearance of a man in power armor as he landed on the roof of one of the buildings behind the noseless man that he had called ‘Ghoul.’ Wobbling slightly, the armored man flew down, so he was standing at ground level with them, sending leaves and garbage flying around the marketplace. Lucy smiled in surprise at the entrance. If anyone could help the situation, this man seemed to be the one. Lucy had read about power armor before.

“Knight Titus of The Brotherhood of Steel. Stand down, or be cut down.”

The Ghoul was looking at the knight now, his smile having fallen at the interruption, though his arm stayed up and the gun pointed at Lucy. Then the smile came back, mockingly.

“You gotta be fucking kiddin’ me,” he said. Then, with a chuckle, he turned back to Lucy. She realized she had seen children have this same reaction before in the students at school in the vault. Many of them opted for the exact opposite of what they were told to do, just like he was about to.

Eyes widening, Lucy stared as the Ghoul pulled back the hammer of his gun. From the side, she heard the pounding of heavy feet as the knight charged in and tackled her. The bullet pinged as it deflected off of the power armor, and then the two of them were crashing through the wall, back into Ma June’s Sundries.

***

“Please,” Lucy said.

“You’re gonna wanna remove that gun, friend,” the Ghoul said at the same time in a much more threatening tone. Lucy wanted to give him a dirty look, but she was afraid to take her eyes off of the gun barrel. Not that staring down it was going to save her if the man pulled the trigger.

The man with the gun grunted. “As far as reasons go, that’s a pretty shit set if I ever heard one.”

Lucy was starting to feel a little wobbly. She hadn’t thought the wound had been that bad at first, but given that it had been the Ghoul that shot her, albeit accidentally, the bullet was likely not of the regular sort.

“We were just passing through,” Lucy said with as much strength as she could muster. “We didn’t mean any harm.”

The man didn’t look convinced, but he hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. The child tugged on his sleeve and spoke quietly, though Lucy was close enough to hear.

“She took a bullet for me, Dad.”

“A bullet shot by her friend there,” the man reminded the child, but the child simply kept staring up at him meaningfully. Lucy watched their little debate, and shook her head to try and clear it.

“Hey, I’m not feeling so great here, you know, because of the bullet, so I’m just gonna sit down if that’s okay,” she said, and half collapsed onto her butt. She hadn’t even felt this bad with a knife sticking out of her side. Behind her she heard movement as the Ghoul came over to her side, pressing his hand down over hers to increase the pressure on the wound, muttering another curse under his breath. She was pretty sure she heard something about the first rule. The dog snuffled around at her side, whining quietly, giving Lucy’s face a lick.

“Come out to get some food and run into this nonsense,” the man grumbled. “Take this,” he said to the child, handing them the gun. “Keep it trained on the ghoul there, ya hear?” The kid nodded, and the man looked down at Lucy and the Ghoul. “Gotta get her back home if we’re gonna do anythin’ ‘bout that bullet. You draw on me or mine and a hole in yer hat is gonna be the least of your worries.”

Lucy started to nod, but the world swam around her and she felt nauseous. What the hell kind of bullet had that been? He claimed he was just gonna shoot the gun out of the kid’s hand, so surely it wasn’t some kind of poisoned ammo. Before she could ask about it, the sounds around her started to fade out, and Lucy closed her eyes.

***

It has been a long time since Cooper Howard has traveled with company, and the reasons why were being driven home spectacularly at that point. They were not nearly far enough away from the observatory, and now the little Miss Hazard MacLean was going and passing out on him. Literally.

Cooper gritted his teeth in frustration as he felt her go limp against him and put an arm around her to keep her from sliding down into the mud and rocks. So much for only one pace, he thought bitterly to himself.

“I think you better follow me, or she might not make it back to our place,” the man standing over them said. Cooper looked up to find the man had pulled a second firearm, though he wasn’t pointing it at them yet. It would be easy to take him out. The kid would probably lead Cooper back to their home if he threatened enough. But if he drew on them there was a perfectly good chance they could get off a lucky shot on him. Not to mention that they were right. If they didn’t get help soon, specifically in the way of a stimpak, Lucy was going to bleed out here.

“Fine,” he gritted out, and moved to stand, scooping up the limp young woman in his arms without so much as a grunt. Dogmeat stood nervously at his side, sniffing at Lucy’s dangling hand.

The man nodded. “Name’s Rob,” he said, turning to walk away now that Cooper’s hands were more occupied and less likely to be reaching for a weapon.

Cooper didn’t respond. He wouldn’t tell Lucy his name, and he sure as shit wasn’t gonna tell this random stranger. The man led him off of the remains of the road they had been following and out into the marshy, overgrown land around them. Cooper couldn’t see the path they were following, but there must have been one, because the man never faltered.

The kid walked behind the rest of them, and Cooper noticed as Dogmeat started to lag behind as well. Soon enough, he heard the hushed whispers of the kid behind him, and he glanced back in time to see them pull something out of a pocket and slip it to Dogmeat, who quickly gobbled it down. The kid smiled, and Cooper felt something angry twist in his gut at the sight. It was too good, too clean for this world to see a child smile like that.

Just as Cooper was about to lose his patience and demand to know how much further they had to go, he smelled campfire smoke and heard a low buzz of conversation, and the trees started to thin around them.

As they emerged into the open area, Cooper was surprised by what he saw. Three homes, ramshakled together like everything else in the world was, but with plants lining the dwellings in a homely way that one almost never saw anymore. Gardens were ploughed into the much sturdier ground here, and although he couldn’t see it, he heard the mooing of a brahmin. How the hell had this place lasted out here like this?

“Ellie?” the man called. “Eloise! We got some comp’ny needs patching. Got a stimpak to spare?”

Cooper hoisted Lucy up a little more securely in his arms as he looked around. There were at least a dozen people milling about in the crops, and he suspected there were more in the homes, but it didn’t look like most of them were the fighting type. He saw more than one other kid, and even an elderly person or two. Downright unnatural these days. The only way people made it to that age was if other people were taking care of them, which of course nobody did anymore.

From the middle building, a middle aged woman came trotting towards them, something clenched in one hand. Cooper wanted to draw his gun, wanted the safety of its weight against his gloved fingers, but instead all he had was the uncomfortable weight of one unconscious vault dweller.

“We dabbling in cannibalism, now?” the woman said, though it was clear she didn’t mean it. “When you said you were taking Kelly out to look for some game, I didn’t think you’d come back with…” She paused as she reached them, her eyes running appraisingly over the Ghoul and the woman in his arms. “This…”

“I’d watch yer jokes with this one, Ellie. He’s a sour one. I can tell.”

Ellie looked at Rob and then back at the Ghoul and Lucy, motioning for them to follow her. “Come on. Got a place we can set her down and take a look at her wound. Stimpak won’t do much if we don’t make sure she don’t just get re-injured.”

Cooper looked for Dogmeat and found her following closely at the heels of the kid from before, Kelly, apparently, and he scoffed mentally about how easily the dog’s trust was won. Then he followed Ellie as she made her way back to the house she had come from. The whole thing had him on edge. The inside of the house was dim, lit only by the lights coming through the windows, which he noted had no glass. There were lamps and candles around, but they must not have used them during the day to save on oil and wax.

Ellie led them through the halls into a room with a rusted bed frame and a thin, weathered mattress covered in threadbare quilting. He didn’t bother waiting for permission before laying Lucy down on the bed. Glancing down at himself, he was annoyed to see that she had been bleeding on him. His already stained clothes were gonna be even worse after this.

Putting thoughts of his already ruined clothes into the back of his mind, Cooper leaned down and started unzipping the vault suit to get at the wound better, and Lucy moaned quietly. It was the first sound she had made for most of their walk, and Cooper was surprised he was relieved to hear it. Must have been because it would have been a shame if he had killed her on accident like that. If he was gonna kill someone, he'd want to do it on purpose.

Cooper slipped the vault suit off of Lucy’s arms and down to her hips. It was also blood soaked, and the t-shirt she had on under it was more red now than white. The bullet had caught her in the back, barely missing her kidney. Whatever it had torn up inside would probably be fixed by the stimpak, but not if they didn’t get the damn bullet out first.

Taking the finger of one of his gloves between his teeth, he pulled it off, then the other one. “You got some alcohol around here?” he asked. Ellie was already handing him something, and he noted that she had also lit a few lamps and brought them into the room. It wasn’t exactly a surgical suite, but it would have to do. She also held a set of small knives and tweezers. The tweezers looked maybe a little rusty, but the knives looked clean enough, probably.

It was not his best work, as Cooper cut into Lucy’s side after dumping some of the alcohol over his hands and then the wound. The shock of the sting had woken her, and she was whimpering and twisting as Ellie tried to soothe her and hold her down in equal measures. The bullet in question had been coated in a poison that thinned the blood, which was why the vault dweller was losing so damn much of the stuff.

After a few minutes of struggling, Lucy went limp under his hands again, passed back out, he hoped, rather than dead. Otherwise he was doing all this work for nothing. As soon as the bullet was out, Ellie had the stimpak ready, and she injected it at the site of the bullet wound. The injury began to stitch itself up quickly, and Cooper sat back on the floor with a sigh and a grunt. And then a cough. And he kept coughing.

Damn it. He had left his saddlebags back at the road. There hadn’t been time to grab them before Rob had set off and Cooper had been made to follow. While he wheezed on the floor, Ellie set to cleaning Lucy up, wiping away the blood smeared over her torso.

“This a common occurrence for you two?” she asked, and Cooper looked over to ask her what the hell she was talking about, but saw the line of a recent scar on her other side.

“I didn’t do that one,” he said, voice hoarse from his coughing fit. “Only just started traveling with little Miss Hazard here.” He watched the woman wrap a bandage around Lucy, covering the site of her most recent wound. Something in his chest eased slightly at the sight.

There was a knock on the open door behind them, and Cooper turned, reaching for his gun out of habit, but only saw the kid from before standing there with Dogmeat at their side.

“Dad went back to get the rest o' yer stuff,” they said, resting one hand on Dogmeat’s head and giving her ear a scratch. Dogmeat closed her eyes and gave a pleased sigh at the attention. Usually she had to fight to get Cooper to pet her, so right now she must have just about been in heaven.

“Dogmeat seems to have taken a shine to ya,” Cooper said, letting his accent come out thicker than normal. The kid smiled, looking completely different than they had out in the marsh. More at ease. More like a child.

“This is Kelly, mine and Rob’s daughter,” Ellie said from behind him.

Cooper nodded and dipped his head, taking off his hat to inspect the hole in the brim. “Tell me, Kelly, was it you or your daddy that put this here hole in my hat?”

Kelly looked sheepish, curling her now bare feet against the filthy floor and glancing away. “I did.”

Cooper continued to look at the kid for awhile. He wanted to be mad. Well, he was mad, but he didn’t know if he could be mad at this kid. She looked all of 9 years old and like a strong wind might blow her over. If he was that size, he might shoot before asking questions too. Hell, he did that now at his current size and considerable age. “Well, you’ve got mighty fine aim, Kelly. Closest anyone’s got to taking me down in a long time.” He tried to keep his eyes light, so the kid would know he wasn’t taking it personally. “Guess I’ll have to keep an eye on you.” He reached out and gave Dogmeat a little pet. “Maybe I’ll have to have Dogmeat stick with you ‘til we leave, huh? Keep you out o’ trouble.”

Kelly smiled again, and Cooper got the same stab of anger and resentment as he had when he had seen it on their walk before, but he pushed it down again.

“Come on, Kelly, let’s let them rest a spell.” Ellie stood up and moved around Cooper to leave the room. “I’ll bring you something to drink and eat a little later. Holler if you need something before then or if the girl needs anything.” Putting her hand on Kelly’s shoulder, she moved the girl out of the room. Dogmeat looked at Cooper, but he nodded his head towards the departing child, and the dog happily trotted out after them.

“One pace,” Cooper muttered to himself, turning to rest his back against the shabby bed frame. “Ain’t your babysitter,” he added, just as bitterly, requoting the rules he had set down not very long ago for Lucy. Yet, here he was… Babysitting.

A day , Cooper decided. He would give Lucy one day, and if she wasn’t ready to move by then, well, he was sure these folks would be willing to take her in. He could spare a day.

[weasleywizardpranks]

Bad batch finale rant

This is probably just me bitching and not being able to let go of things so my apologies.

I’ll just say that overall I’m not super happy with the final season. To me it felt rushed, so much happened off screen and it feels like we wasted characters. And what the hell was the point of Echo giving Omega the crossbow?

And I’m here to complain about how the Bad Batch were practically useless on Tantis. Echo and Omega carried that rescue mission, the bad batch just made it way more complicated. Also really missing Hunter’s insane senses. It’s like they were forgotten about.

Crosshair has joined the hot men of Star Wars who lost a hand squad.

I’m happy and sad all at the same time that we finally got a good mention of Tech after all this time. “Clone Force 99 died with Tech” will actually haunt my dreams. Hauntingly beautiful.

But I do wish we got to actually see a bit more of them dealing with their grief, especially Crosshair. I kind of get why, but it also just kind of pushed Techs existence to the side.

Speaking of Tech, I’m actually happy that he stayed dead. I much prefer that than him being winter soldiered. And I love that you get to see him through his brothers but especially Omega. His memory lives on through them. I do get the complaints about CX-2 though. The way he was handled led you to believe he was at least someone. Just for all of them to be no one.

I’m not shocked by the deaths, I think we all expected those. Hemlock got what he deserved.

I was a little shocked they actually stayed on Pabu just because that’s where the empire found them last time, but I guess they didn’t bother to look for her. Obviously the project continues in some way though. I’m happy all of them lived, and Emerie came along. It’s obviously setting up another show, or at least it better be because that’s a whole storyline we should see.

The epilogue. I will say I tend to dislike large time jumps anyway because I’m the kind of person that likes seeing everything. What was their life like? Did they ever travel anywhere? Etc.

1. I am very happy that Omega is a pilot and is going to fight for the rebellion. It makes sense that she would want to help. Tech would be proud.

2. Dilf Hunter the man that you are. It was nice to see him accept that Omega is leaving.

Here’s where I say that I suck at letting go. This goodbye seems so permanent. Stories that could have been told with them gone. Characters with minimal development. The fact that you don’t even see Crosshair or Wrecker in the epilogue really bothers me. I was expecting them to come out of the shadows or something but nope. Nothing. It felt like Wrecker barely appeared in the episode. Even if we got a time lapse or something leading into the epilogue so we could see them grow old with omega would have been nice.

I will say at least with Crosshair, his story I think has been done the best out of all of 99. A complicated character with a satisfying arc and a happy ending.

I really do think we should have had another season (or more). We barely got to see the Bad Batch together, we got five or six episodes I think?

It almost feels like wasted potential. We could have gotten so much more and it seems like we won’t be getting really anything. Maybe a couple of appearances in spin off shows.

Just overall the finale felt lacklustre to me. Not saying it was horrible, because it wasn’t. But I just have very mixed feelings about it. The fact that we don’t really get a goodbye from Wrecker or Crosshair bothers me immensely. But also nothing from Phee? Or any of the other side characters?

But that’s it for the Clone Wars era. Probably my favourite era and it gave me so many of my favourite characters. Ones I could relate to, ones that made me smile any time they were on screen. I’m very sad to see it go, but I’m really hoping for more clone stories because I’m not ready to let go of them. I’ll get over it eventually.

Mission accomplished

[karen-branding]

Experimentation side effects: Swiss cheese CX

In Thomke and Manzi's article "The Discipline of Business Experimentation," they discuss how many businesses don't have a practice of rigorous experimentation before rolling out new initiatives. Often this can be attributed to the fact that for many consumer businesses, they interface with complex distribution systems or limited sample sizes. On the other hand, online retailers like Amazon can quickly run A/B tests with thousands of consumers. They are able to satisfy many of the authors' recommendations--randomization, adequate sample sizes for statistical power, wealth of big data. However, even then, more experimentation isn't necessarily best. The authors mention that "experiments should be a part of a learning agenda that supports a firm's organizational priorities," with the implication that certain experiments that don't meet these objectives should be rejected. During my internship at Amazon, some product leaders were hesitant to run an A/B test on every policy change, because that would result is a "Swiss cheese" customer experience.

With hundreds or thousands of different tests running at the same time, certain customers were bound to be in the control group of some experiments and the treatment group in others. This incoherent CX leads to more customer complaints and disrupts one of Amazon's most important organizational priorities--"customer obsession." Therefore, each before running an experiment, they would also consider whether they could learn similar information by tracking metrics before/after a policy change, while adjusting for known confounders. It was also critical to weigh the knowledge gained from rigorous experimentation against the risk of losing customer trust.

[mellifloraa]

8, 9, 15, 16, & 21 for the asks!!! 🖤

hiya pumpkin!!! thank you so much for sending one back to me you're the sweetest UwU

8. want any tattoos? i am in the unfortunate category where i have tons of tattoo ideas that i would absolutely love to get but i'm too much of a baby about needles to get anything done cx but yes i have one tiny one and i want more eventually maybe!!!

9. got any piercings? on the other hand i do not have any piercings and idk if they're for me, i haven't found anything that i think would look super good with my face shape ;w; but maybe in the future if i get bold idk!!!

15. favorite movie? ohhh man i keep a running list but my biggest top faves are probably titanic or jurassic park!!! they're both big special interest movies and so i only watch them with a select few UwU

16. i'll love you if... you listen!!!! so much of healthy effective relationship practices have to do with open and honest communication that if you're willing to do that right off the bat with me i immediately feel so safe and secure with you and catchin feelings is basically a given lmfao

21. what i love most about myself? hmm... oh man what's not to love >:3c um idk!! i think i'm very proud of my resiliency, i have been through so much life-altering shit especially over the past eight or nine years that the fact that i'm still here kinda boggles my mind sometimes, but i'm very proud of the fact that i'm stickin around and doin my best even if things are tough, i think i can love that about myself UwU

thank you so much for asking pumpkin these were fun~

[peterleo1]

How CRM Data Enrichment Supercharges Lead Scoring and Sales Conversions

CRM data enrichment is revolutionizing how businesses identify, prioritize, and convert leads. This blog explores how enriching customer data transforms static databases into actionable sales intelligence. 

A Quick Overview of CRM Data Enrichment 

Data enrichment adds third-party data to your CRM records—enhancing the quality, depth, and accuracy of lead profiles. The goal? More relevant outreach, better segmentation, and higher conversion rates. 

Key Data Attributes That Can Be Enriched 

Firmographics: Company size, industry, revenue 

Demographics: Job title, seniority, location 

Technographics: Tools and technologies used by prospects 

Behavioral Data: Web activity, email engagement, buying intent 

Why Lead Scoring Fails Without Enrichment 

Without enriched data, lead scoring is flawed. It often suffers from: 

Inaccurate or incomplete profiles 

Poor segmentation and missed sales opportunities 

Weak alignment with actual buyer behavior 

Limited predictive capabilities 

Benefits of Enriched CRM for Sales Teams 

Precise Lead Prioritization based on real-time attributes 

Targeted Campaigns tailored to buyer intent 

Improved CX through personalization 

Reduced Churn and better segmentation 

Faster Closures by SDRs and AEs using intelligent insights 

Best CRM Enrichment Tools 

Top tools covered include ZoomInfo, Clearbit, Lusha, Apollo.io, Cognism, and others—each offering robust integrations and dynamic data feeds. 

Best Practices for CRM Data Enrichment 

Define clear enrichment goals 

Integrate enrichment workflows into daily operations 

Combine with data cleansing 

Leverage automation and AI 

Ensure compliance and progressive profiling 

Conclusion:

Enriching your CRM isn’t optional—it’s essential for better lead scoring and higher conversions. Read the full blog to learn how to activate smarter selling. 

Read More: https://www.damcogroup.com/blogs/how-crm-data-enrichment-supercharges-sales-conversions 

[yfthg]

Top Most Reliable Predictive CX Platforms for Hospitality Industry

NUMR CXM: Predictive CX Excellence for Hospitality Brands

NUMR CXM is a leading Customer Experience Management platform empowering hospitality brands to anticipate guest needs, personalize engagement, and drive loyalty through predictive analytics.

Why Hospitality Brands Trust NUMR CXM:

AI-powered guest intent prediction based on booking, browsing, and interaction data

Real-time journey analytics from pre-booking to post-checkout

Smart alerting for dissatisfied guests before negative reviews occur

Integration with CRS, PMS, OTA platforms, and loyalty programs

Omnichannel NPS and emotion tracking at every touchpoint

From boutique hotels to global chains, NUMR helps hospitality companies turn insight into personalized service at scale.

Why Predictive CX Matters in Hospitality

Hospitality is an experience-first industry. Predictive CX platforms enable brands to:

Anticipate guest dissatisfaction before it happens

Identify upsell opportunities based on behavior

Reduce cancellations and no-shows with early signals

Personalize offers and services in real time

Improve staff allocation, amenities planning, and operational decisions

Predictive insights turn guest data into proactive delight, securing repeat business and positive reviews.

Top Predictive CX Platforms for Hospitality in 2025

Here are the most reliable platforms helping hotels and resorts predict, personalize, and perform better:

Platform

Key Features for Hospitality

NUMR CXM

Predictive guest satisfaction, churn alerts, journey mapping

Medallia

Voice of customer with real-time sentiment analytics

Qualtrics XM

Guest feedback analysis, predictive modeling

Salesforce Experience Cloud

Unified guest view, AI-driven personalization

Revinate

Guest profile enrichment, email marketing automation

Zoho CRM Plus

Predictive AI, omnichannel feedback management

Sprinklr

Social listening with CX prediction at scale

Best Practices for Using Predictive CX in Hospitality

1. Capture and Integrate Guest Data Across All Touchpoints

From website visits, call centers, and app usage to in-stay feedback and post-checkout reviews, data silos must be unified for accurate predictions.

2. Apply AI to Identify At-Risk Guests Early

Platforms like NUMR CXM apply AI to detect:

Repeated booking issues

Negative sentiment in open-text feedback

Unusual cancellation patterns

These insights allow teams to intervene before dissatisfaction escalates.

3. Tailor Services Based on Intent Prediction

If a guest frequently browses spa services but never books — send a tailored offer. Predictive CX enables micro-personalization that drives conversion.

4. Automate Loyalty and Retention Campaigns

Trigger smart campaigns when guests show signs of churn:

“We miss you” emails with customized incentives

Loyalty upgrades before stay anniversaries

Upsell offers aligned with past behavior

5. Feed Predictive Insights into Staff Training and Ops

CX analytics isn't just for marketing. It can inform how staff interact, which services to promote, and where to allocate attention during peak hours.

FAQs – Predictive CX Platforms in Hospitality

What is predictive CX in hospitality?

Predictive CX refers to using guest data and AI to forecast behavior and optimize experiences — from stay preferences to likelihood of complaints or churn.

Which is the best predictive CX platform for hotels?

NUMR CXM is a top choice for hospitality due to its real-time analytics, guest sentiment prediction, and easy integration with PMS and OTA systems.

Can predictive CX reduce negative online reviews?

Yes. By detecting dissatisfaction early and triggering recovery workflows, hotels can resolve issues before they turn into public complaints.

Do these platforms help increase repeat bookings?

Definitely. Predictive platforms use insights to drive timely re-engagement, loyalty perks, and personalized offers, boosting repeat business.

Final Thoughts

In an experience-driven sector like hospitality, proactive guest engagement is non-negotiable. Platforms like NUMR CXM help brands move from reactive to predictive CX, ensuring that every guest touchpoint is informed, intentional, and impactful.