#Customer segmentation tools

[maverickinfosolutions]

At Maverick Digital, we have a team of experienced SEO consultants, AdWords & PPC experts, and skilled web designers who can easily bring your offline business online and grow your revenue after that with a progressive ROI. Our team of Social Media Marketing experts can also run sponsored ads on Facebook and Instagram so that your business has a decent presence on social media & also generates revenue from it. Best Digital Marketing Agency In Kanpur.

[infoanalysishub]

What is Analysis Hub? – Features, Benefits & Use Cases Explained

Discover what Analysis Hub is, how it works, and why it’s a powerful tool for data analysis. Learn features, benefits, use cases, and FAQs in this in-depth guide. What is Analysis Hub? – Features, Benefits & Use Cases Explained 1. Introduction In today’s data-driven world, organizations generate massive volumes of data every second. The ability to turn this raw data into actionable insights is…

[jcmarchi]

AI-driven admin analytics: Tackling complexity, compliance, and customization

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/ai-driven-admin-analytics-tackling-complexity-compliance-and-customization/

AI-driven admin analytics: Tackling complexity, compliance, and customization

As productivity software evolves, the role of enterprise IT admins has become increasingly challenging. 

Not only are they responsible for enabling employees to use these tools effectively, but they are also tasked with justifying costs, ensuring data security, and maintaining operational efficiency. 

In my previous role as a Reporting and Analytics Product Manager, I collaborated with enterprise IT admins to understand their struggles and design solutions. This article explores the traditional pain points of admin reporting and highlights how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing this domain.

Key pain points in admin reporting

Through my research and engagement with enterprise IT admins, several recurring challenges surfaced:

Manual, time-intensive processes: Admins often spent significant time collecting, aggregating, and validating data from fragmented sources. These manual tasks not only left little room for strategic planning but also led to frequent errors.

Data complexity and compliance: The explosion of data, coupled with stringent regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA), made ensuring data integrity and security a daunting task for many admins.

Unpredictable user requests: Last-minute requests or emergent issues from end-users often disrupted admin workflows, adding stress and complexity to their already demanding roles.

Limited insights for decision-making: Traditional reporting frameworks offered static, retrospective metrics with minimal foresight or actionable insights for proactive decision-making.

Optimizing LLM performance and output quality

The session focuses on enhancing outcomes for customers and businesses by optimizing the performance and output quality of generative AI.

Building a workflow to solve reporting challenges

To address these pain points, I developed a workflow that automates data collection and improves overall reporting efficiency. Below is a comparison of traditional reporting workflows and an improved, AI-driven approach:

Traditional workflow:

Data collection: Manually gathering data from different sources (e.g., logs, servers, cloud platforms).

Data aggregation: Combining data into a report manually, often using Excel or custom scripts.

Validation: Ensuring the accuracy and consistency of aggregated data.

Report generation: Compiling and formatting the final report for stakeholders.

Improved workflow (AI-driven):

Automation: Introducing AI tools to automate data collection, aggregation, and validation, which significantly reduces manual efforts and errors.

Real-Time Insights: Integrating real-time data sources to provide up-to-date, actionable insights.

Customization: Providing interactive dashboards for on-demand reporting, enabling admins to track key metrics and make data-driven decisions efficiently.

Evolution with AI capabilities: Market research insights

Several leading companies have successfully implemented AI to transform their admin reporting processes. Below are examples that highlight the future of admin reporting:

Microsoft 365 Copilot

Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot integrates with its suite of apps to provide real-time data insights, trend forecasting, and interactive visualizations. 

This proactive approach helps IT admins make data-driven decisions while automating manual processes. By forecasting trends and generating real-time reports, Copilot allows admins to manage resources and workloads more effectively.

Salesforce Einstein Analytics

Salesforce Einstein leverages advanced AI for predictive modeling, customer segmentation, and enhanced analytics. 

Admins can forecast future trends based on historical data and create personalized reports that directly impact strategic decision-making. This enables actionable insights that were previously difficult to uncover manually.

Box AI agents

Box’s AI agents autonomously collect, analyze, and report data. These agents detect anomalies and generate detailed reports, freeing admins to focus on higher-priority tasks. By automating complex reporting processes, Box’s AI agents enhance both speed and accuracy in decision-making.

How generative AI is revolutionizing drug discovery and development

Discover how generative AI is transforming drug discovery, medical imaging, and patient outcomes to accelerate advancements with AstraZeneca

Future capabilities and opportunities

Looking ahead, several emerging capabilities can further unlock the potential of admin reporting:

Seamless data integration: AI-powered tools enable organizations to unify data from disparate systems (e.g., cloud storage, internal databases, third-party applications), providing a holistic view of critical metrics and eliminating the need for manual consolidation.

AI-powered decision support: Context-aware AI can offer personalized recommendations or automate complex workflows based on historical patterns and operational context, reducing manual intervention while enhancing accuracy.

Automated compliance checks: AI tools can continuously monitor compliance with evolving regulations, automatically generating compliance reports to keep organizations secure and up-to-date.

Security and performance monitoring: AI can detect unusual patterns in data, such as unexpected traffic spikes or system anomalies, allowing admins to proactively address potential security threats or failures before they escalate.

Interactive dashboards and NLP: By incorporating natural language processing (NLP), AI tools enable admins to query data using plain language and receive intuitive, visual reports, streamlining analysis and enhancing user experience and usability.

Conclusion

The transformation of admin reporting from manual workflows to AI-driven insights has revolutionized IT operations. By automating routine tasks, delivering real-time insights, and enhancing predictive capabilities, AI empowers IT admins to focus on strategic initiatives while ensuring data accuracy and compliance.

As organizations continue to adopt advanced AI capabilities, the future of admin reporting holds exciting possibilities, from seamless data integration to adaptive, context-aware decision-making tools. 

These innovations will not only enhance efficiency but also enable organizations to thrive in an increasingly complex, data-driven world.

[technologyequality]

AI-Powered Business Analytics: Make Smarter Decisions, Faster

AI-Powered Business Analytics Make Smarter Decisions, Faster 💡 AI-powered analytics give you instant insights into what’s working and what’s not. Learn how to use AI to optimize business decisions. The Problem: Are You Guessing or Growing? Let’s be real—making business decisions based on gut feelings is like throwing darts blindfolded. Sure, you might hit the target occasionally, but most of…

[theseoblogspace]

Improving Website Personalisation for Small Businesses

Did you know 91% of consumers like shopping with brands that offer personalized tips1? But, only 13% of marketers feel their personalization is good enough1. For small businesses in Australia, making your website more personal can really help. It can lead to a 6% increase in sales for those who offer unique experiences1. In today’s world, people see between 4,000 and 10,000 ads every day2. So,…

[amazonmarketingagency]

Lab 916: Your Partner in Crafting Winning Amazon Strategies

Introduction: Lab 916's Expertise in Amazon Strategy

In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, Lab 916 stands as a beacon of expertise, providing businesses with tailored Amazon strategies to succeed in the competitive marketplace. With a deep understanding of Amazon's algorithms, trends, and best practices, Lab 916 helps businesses navigate the complexities of selling on the platform and achieve their goals.

Strategic Planning with Lab 916

Lab 916 takes a strategic approach to Amazon strategy development, focusing on optimizing product listings, implementing competitive pricing strategies, leveraging advertising tactics, and fostering customer engagement. By customizing strategies to align with each client's unique objectives and market dynamics, Lab 916 ensures that businesses can maximize their potential on Amazon.

Optimizing Product Listings for Maximum Visibility

A crucial aspect of Lab 916's Amazon strategy is optimizing product listings to enhance visibility and drive conversions. Through meticulous keyword research, compelling product descriptions, and high-quality imagery, Lab 916 ensures that each product listing is optimized to rank higher in Amazon search results. By improving the visibility and appeal of product listings, businesses can attract more customers and increase sales.

Implementing Competitive Pricing Strategies

Lab 916 assists businesses in developing competitive yet profitable pricing strategies tailored to their market segment. By analyzing competitor pricing data, market trends, and consumer behavior, Lab 916 helps businesses set prices that maximize sales while maintaining healthy profit margins. Additionally, Lab 916 provides guidance on leveraging dynamic pricing tools and promotional strategies to stay competitive on Amazon.

Leveraging Advertising Tactics for Enhanced Visibility

Advertising is a key component of Lab 916's Amazon strategy, aimed at increasing product visibility and driving targeted traffic to product listings. Lab 916 utilizes Amazon's advertising platform to create and optimize sponsored product ads, sponsored brand ads, and sponsored display ads. By strategically targeting keywords and audience segments, Lab 916 helps businesses maximize their advertising ROI and generate sales on Amazon.

Fostering Customer Engagement and Loyalty

Lab 916 emphasizes the importance of fostering strong customer relationships to drive long-term success on Amazon. Through proactive customer service, timely responses to inquiries and feedback, and strategies to encourage positive reviews, Lab 916 helps businesses build trust and loyalty with their customers. By delivering exceptional shopping experiences and maintaining positive seller ratings, businesses can enhance their reputation and drive repeat purchases on the platform.

Conclusion: Achieving Success with Lab 916's Guidance

In conclusion, Lab 916 serves as a valuable partner for businesses seeking to excel on Amazon. With Lab 916's expertise and strategic guidance, businesses can optimize their Amazon strategies and achieve success in the competitive e-commerce landscape. By leveraging Lab 916's insights and best practices, businesses can unlock their full potential on one of the world's largest online platforms.

Introduction: Lab 916's Expertise in Amazon Strategy

In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, Lab 916 stands as a beacon of expertise, providing businesses with tailored Amazon strategies to succeed in the competitive marketplace. With a deep understanding of Amazon's algorithms, trends, and best practices, Lab 916 helps businesses navigate the complexities of selling on the platform and achieve their goals.

Strategic Planning with Lab 916

Lab 916 takes a strategic approach to Amazon strategy development, focusing on optimizing product listings, implementing competitive pricing strategies, leveraging advertising tactics, and fostering customer engagement. By customizing strategies to align with each client's unique objectives and market dynamics, Lab 916 ensures that businesses can maximize their potential on Amazon.

Optimizing Product Listings for Maximum Visibility

A crucial aspect of Lab 916's Amazon strategy is optimizing product listings to enhance visibility and drive conversions. Through meticulous keyword research, compelling product descriptions, and high-quality imagery, Lab 916 ensures that each product listing is optimized to rank higher in Amazon search results. By improving the visibility and appeal of product listings, businesses can attract more customers and increase sales.

Implementing Competitive Pricing Strategies

Lab 916 assists businesses in developing competitive yet profitable pricing strategies tailored to their market segment. By analyzing competitor pricing data, market trends, and consumer behavior, Lab 916 helps businesses set prices that maximize sales while maintaining healthy profit margins. Additionally, Lab 916 provides guidance on leveraging dynamic pricing tools and promotional strategies to stay competitive on Amazon.

Leveraging Advertising Tactics for Enhanced Visibility

Advertising is a key component of Lab 916's Amazon strategy, aimed at increasing product visibility and driving targeted traffic to product listings. Lab 916 utilizes Amazon's advertising platform to create and optimize sponsored product ads, sponsored brand ads, and sponsored display ads. By strategically targeting keywords and audience segments, Lab 916 helps businesses maximize their advertising ROI and generate sales on Amazon.

Fostering Customer Engagement and Loyalty

Lab 916 emphasizes the importance of fostering strong customer relationships to drive long-term success on Amazon. Through proactive customer service, timely responses to inquiries and feedback, and strategies to encourage positive reviews, Lab 916 helps businesses build trust and loyalty with their customers. By delivering exceptional shopping experiences and maintaining positive seller ratings, businesses can enhance their reputation and drive repeat purchases on the platform.

Conclusion: Achieving Success with Lab 916's Guidance

In conclusion, Lab 916 serves as a valuable partner for businesses seeking to excel on Amazon. With Lab 916's expertise and strategic guidance, businesses can optimize their Amazon strategies and achieve success in the competitive e-commerce landscape. By leveraging Lab 916's insights and best practices, businesses can unlock their full potential on one of the world's largest online platforms.

[cohoai]

Micro-Moments Unfolded: How Brands Ride the Spontaneity Wave - Coho AI

Micro-moments emerge when consumers reflexively turn to a device, predominantly a smartphone, as a response to an instantaneous need or curiosity. They aren’t just confined to purchasing decisions. They encapsulate a spectrum of actions: “I want to know,” where a user might be looking up a fact or information; “I want to buy,” which can lead them down a purchasing rabbit hole; “I want to go,” guiding them to seek out locations or experiences; or even “I want to do,” pushing them to explore a new activity or hobby. These moments are fleeting but potent, representing pivotal junctures in the decision-making process. https://www.coho.ai/blog/micro-moments/

[marketxcel]

How to Build a Strong B2B Market Research Plan

Learn how to create a robust B2B market research plan from scratch. Explore strategies, tools, and best practices to drive informed decisions and business growth.

[essglobe]

How To Target Your Most Profitable Customers With Retail Business Intelligence

The retail industry is highly competitive, with businesses constantly vying for customer attention and loyalty. To stay ahead of the competition, retailers need to make informed and data-driven decisions. This is where Retail Business Intelligence (BI) comes into play. By harnessing the power of data analysis and advanced analytics, Retail BI enables retailers to identify and target their most profitable customers, optimize marketing strategies, and drive business growth.

[loop-hole-319]

Post war cybertronian game where you play as a delivery mech.

You have a human companion who hangs out on your shoulder and in their little human carrier backpack. Throughout the game you can collect collectibles to decorate and customize your human's outfit, their carrier and little nesting spot in your apartment. Very cute slice of Life.

The deliveries start out cute and wholesome. Delivering ingredients Energon goodies shop, some Crystal flowers and courting gift or two.

There is even a side quest where you deliver a prank gift to some bot.

Then you start delivering to increasingly more shady looking areas and even your human companion takes notice of the suspicious locations.

Until one cycle there is only one delivery on your entire schedule, something completely out of the ordinary. When you begin approach the drop-off zone your human companion gets onto your shoulder and clings on to your avatar's audio fin, a part of your frame they have never been on. They start rapidly venting through their nose and scanning the doorway. Just before you enter the door you are put into a small cutscene where your human companion says their first full length of dialogue.

"Wait! Somethings wrong"

*sniff sniff*

"It smells like there's a lot of spilled Energon (blood) behind that door"

It then gives you the option to enter the room, drop off or turn around and leave the hallway.

If you choose to leave, you get jumped on the way out and knocked out.

If you choose to enter you are greeted to a mafia meeting where several mechs have been put down due to mafia related businesses. You are then knocked out.

You wake up locked in a cell with your human companion completely trapped. You are able to tear off a vent cover in your cell and lift your human to the entrance.

This is when you switch control to your human companion. You must now as a human traverse the mafia's secret lair via the vents, air ducts and through the wall. All while collecting keys, data points and sabotaging as much as possible while you find a way to free your bot companion.

Several of the customizable decorative pieces actually double as tools for your human companion during this segment of the gameplay. Those little shoes that you unlocked at the beginning of the game and then kept finding different textures for are actually insulation boots that humans use to work on high voltage machinery. Having found them will allow your human companion to pull certain electrified switches safely. One or two of these story items like the boots would only be customizable, while the rest of the tools and equipment you would have found throughout the delivery portion of the game. If equipped, some of these can be used to make the game play of this section easier. But some of them have negative consequences. Like If you choose to equip lights on their suit it makes them more detectable while sneaking. Or if you add the squeakers to the boots it completely turns off your sneaking ability forcing your character to take the long routes.

Eventually you escape and you are forced to relinquish control of the human companion. The next cycle you go back to your normal schedule of delivering packages, except you have an additional package addressed to the Intelligence and Law Enforcement Agency building.

The game ends with you arriving at your apartment to discover that the information that you had delivered to the agency helped find and arrest the mafia. They give you a huge Shanix prize for your combined efforts. You get to retire with your human companion to a selection of places. End game

[oftenwantedafton]

personal space | steve raglan x f!reader

chapter four

Explicit content, 8k words, revised 4/9/25

ao3 link

Steve Raglan is falling behind on his work.

Not that mundane career counselor job; no, he means the other. The research. No new suitable candidates have crossed paths with him lately, and even if they had, he could hardly set up that job placement in your presence.

There is still other, more routine work to be done at the restaurant, too.

That’s where he is now, late Thursday evening, hands buried inside the chest cavity of one of the animatronic suits. The springlocks had felt a little loose the last time he’d worn the costume. He doesn’t want another equipment failure; he’s borne the consequences of the previous one for nearly two decades, as evidenced by the scars covering most of his body.

He knows the rabbit suit like the back of his hand; he could find the most minute components blindfolded. It doesn’t matter that the workroom is poorly lit or the specially customized tools that had belonged to his former business partner are showing signs of aging; he knows what needs to be done by feel, his calloused fingertips stroking over metal, counting each segment until he locates the ones that had seemed faulty. Yes, there. He keeps one hand in place as a marker and reaches around on the table until he locates a set of pliers, then plunges back into the torso. Maybe he should have had his daughter on hand to assist. He could have directed orders like a surgeon, but instead of asking for a scalpel or suctioning tool, he’d be requesting wrenches and bolts. It’s really not so different, operating on this animatronic, finessing metal instead of flesh. The latter would not even disturb him. He’s used to the sight of blood, cleaning up the worst of it during those times when Vanny is finally overwhelmed, begging for a reprieve, bursting through the nearest exit for fresh air and wretching while he picks up where she left off scrubbing at the stubborn bits of gore clinging to furniture or floors or walls. She’s too soft to be a police officer, in some ways, but the career has been invaluable for his own gruesome pursuits, so he’s more forgiving than he might otherwise have been.

His mind wanders, and now it settles upon thoughts of you.

The way the late afternoon sunlight had cradled your face as you’d accompanied him out of the building earlier; that pretty blush of color across your cheek when you’d caught him staring. Your fingers brushing against his, walking so close by his side. Lingering in the parking lot, delaying farewells. Almost the weekend. The wedding. How had you talked him into going? Oh, yes. That smile. That smile that undoes him every time. Weakens his resolve and fuels his desire, makes him imagine what it would be like to sink inside of you for the first time, as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter, mouth latched on your throat, fingers knotted in your hair, his hips pressing forward again and again…

“Fuck!”

He’s lost his place inside Spring Bonnie. His grip on the pliers slips and the segment of steel ricochets back, slicing across four of his knuckles. Jerking his hand back, drops of blood patter along the inside of the mascot. He grabs an oil stained rag from the workstation’s surface and swiftly wraps it around his injured hand. Stupid. Absolutely moronic to let himself be distracted while working on dangerous components like these. Cautiously lifting the impromptu bandage, he assesses how deep the cuts are. Shallow. So no sutures needed, then. But they hurt like a bitch. He needs to get cleaned up, make sure they don’t get infected. This is about as far from a sterile environment as one can get.

The bearded man nearly trips on a wet floor sign as he exits the workroom, cursing again and kicking the offensive yellow object out of the way. The place is more disorganized than usual. That last guard had put up more of a fight than he’d anticipated, and while Vanessa had done a thorough job of disposing of evidence, the pizzeria could do with a good tidying. Something to put in the job description of his next hire, perhaps. He really needs to get on that, as soon as he’s done orienting you.

A leaden feeling in his gut at that last notion. He’s gotten so used to your presence so quickly. Cheerful and youthful and vibrant. A breath of fresh air. Sweet smile. Such soft skin, nothing like his own. Do you think about him the way he thinks about you? You must. You reach for him so often. He wants to let you get closer. But it���s dangerous. So, so dangerous. Better to keep some distance between you, for both your sakes’. He’s more unnerved than he’d let on about that CCTV footage capturing him. Now he’s sustaining injuries because he can’t keep his mind focused. He shakes his head in silent reprimand. Enough. He needs to get this tended to so he can get back to work.

Steve takes a quick detour to the security office to retrieve the first aid kit—this thankfully stocked properly, clearly Vanessa’s doing—and then ducks into the employee restroom and cranks the faucet on high, wincing when the blast of water hits his wounds and again when he lathers them with soap. At least, he supposes, it’s fortunate that his left, non-dominant hand was the one affected. Small comfort, but still. Another pair of hands would be helpful for this task, too, he muses as he binds his cuts.

Your touch would do wonders right now.

Stop that. Focus.

He scowls, finishing his bandaging and then returning to the workroom. The time displayed on his wristwatch is later than he’d like. This task is going to have to wait for another time to be completed. Maybe tomorrow night he can get Vanny to assist him. For now, he just wants to go home and crash. And if you enter his mind again, well. Far safer when he’s at home in bed.

“Tomorrow night, old friend,” he murmurs aloud to the yellow rabbit mascot, switching off the nearby desk lamp and exiting the workroom.

***

“I have a favor to ask,” you say the next afternoon during the workday lunch break. You’ve been debating about how best to approach this all morning, but any rehearsals in your mind all end with the career counselor denying your request. So the direct approach has won in the end, with you hoping for a very different real world result.

Steve glances at you, watching you wind more leftover spaghetti around your fork while he finishes chewing a bite from his sandwich. You’re eating together in his office today.

“What is it?” His voice sounds wary, eerily accurate to what you’d previously envisioned in your mind. No. Be confident. That’s what he likes.

“Relax, it’s nothing bad.” Your eyes are drawn to his bandaged fingers once again. An accident repairing something at home, he’d said. He wouldn’t elaborate any further. “I need help picking out the wedding gift.”

The older man’s lips part in disbelief. “You still haven’t gotten one yet? The wedding is tomorrow!”

“I know”, you reply hastily. “I just couldn’t find anything reasonable left on the registry. All the cheaper stuff has already been bought.” You rummage through the mail stacked to one side and set the stapled pages in front of your mentor.

“Well, naturally.” He wipes his fingers on a napkin, treating his left hand a little gingerly as he flips through the list quickly, then makes a disgusted sound and pushes the packet away. “Greedy. They’re asking for too much.”

“They just got a house,” you reply, sighing. “It’s tough when you’re first starting out. Everything is so expensive.”

“They’ll manage. Everyone does.” He takes a sip from a can of soda, frowning. “Just get a gift card.”

“That’s so boring, though. Thoughtless.”

“Not really. Then they can put it towards the purchase of whatever they still need.”

“No, I can’t do it. I’d feel so guilty. I hate it when I just get gift cards.”

Steve leans back in his chair. “Well, that’s your only option. You’re not going to spend hundreds of dollars on a couple you barely know. Get a gift card.”

“Come shopping with me,” you implore, clutching his sleeve. “After work.”

He shakes his head, balling the plastic wrap that had housed his sandwich into his fist. “I can’t. I have things to do. You shouldn’t have procrastinated.” He leans down to toss his trash in the wastebin underneath the desk and your fingers slip from his forearm.

“Oh, come on. I just found out about the wedding a few days ago! It’s not my fault. Please help me choose something. You must have some ideas. What did you need after your wedding?”

Another scowl. “I don’t recall.”

You don’t believe that for a second. But, he’s always touchy about the topic of his family, so you decide on another tactic. “I’ll treat you to dinner after. Whatever you want. You know all the best places.”

The bearded man sighs, and it does sound a bit regretful, which makes you feel marginally better. “I can’t. I have to finish the work I started last night.”

“You can do that on Sunday, can’t you?”

“I’d prefer to get it done sooner.”

“What if I helped you with it, and then we went out?”

“No,” he says sharply, causing you to flinch. Then his voice gentles. “It’s…not safe.”

“Then you shouldn’t be doing it either. I still don’t understand how you got hurt. What were you doing?”

“Maintenance on some equipment, like I told you.” His gaze evades yours. He’s definitely not telling you the truth.

“That’s so vague,” you complain.

“Look, just get the gift card.”

“Steve, come on. Please?”

“I don’t even like these people. I can count the number of conversations I’ve had with them on one hand.”

“What happened to socializing and networking and all that? Besides, you don’t really like anyone, from what I can see,” you counter. “Except maybe, I hope, me.”

He grunts, running his fingers over the condensation beading on the side of his soda can. “You’re tolerable.”

“Tolerable? Seriously?” You shove his arm playfully. “When I’m nice enough to bring you dessert every day?”

A flicker of interest sparks in his eyes. “What did you bring today?”

“I’m not showing you until you agree to go shopping with me.”

“Blackmail. How devious of you.” His lips twitch in amusement.

“Come with me. I promise it’ll be fun.”

“You’re not going to let this drop, are you?”

“Nope.”

“What’s for dessert?” He leans over to reach inside your lunch tote but you quickly grab the bag and rise, backing away slowly from the desk.

“Promise me we’re going out after work.”

Steve stands, advancing towards you. “I’m not promising anything. Hand it over.”

“No deal.” You tuck your hands behind your back. You’ve reached the opposite wall with its display of the district map. There’s nowhere left to go.

He stops just inches from you, hesitating before he curls an arm around your waist, pulling you swiftly against one hip.

“Hey!” Your protest fades and you relax, dropping the tote and resting a hand against his chest. His face tilts to regard you, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose.

“Stubborn girl,” he says, smirking. “You’ve no idea how much trouble you cause. Fine. I’ll go.”

You smile and he bends lower. Your stomach flutters. Is he going to kiss you?

A knock on the door startles you both. Raglan quickly moves to open it while you bend to retrieve your lunch bag.

One of the secretaries hands the older career counselor something, looking curiously at your crouching figure before departing.

“Door stays open from now on,” he warns under his breath, walking back to his desk. Worried about others thinking something is going on behind it when it’s closed, perhaps. Maybe gossip and rumors spreading. Well, you’re not ashamed of anything. Your coworker might feel differently, though.

You shrug and nod, setting the tote on the desk to unzip it and extracting a sealed plastic container. “Cherry cheesecake.”

Steve groans, lifting the lid and glancing appreciatively at your offering. “There goes my waistline. I’m going to have to use a different notch in my belt pretty soon.”

“I don’t mind a dad bod,” you murmur, resisting the urge to poke his tummy. In truth, he looks exactly the same as he had when you’d first started working here two weeks ago, but you suppose underneath clothes things might be a little different.

“You might not, but I do.”

You pass him a plastic fork, then lean over to press your lips against his deltoid before digging into your own portion. It’s the only type of kiss he’s allowed from you thus far, and you still offer them sparingly, cautious about provoking another lecture or having him force you away from him. “Thank you for agreeing to come out with me.”

“You’re welcome.” He hesitates, rolling the utensil between his fingers before he finally cleaves a piece off of the cheesecake and brings it to his mouth.

“What do you think?” You lick some of the stray cherry syrup from your fork, waiting for his reaction.

“Heavenly,” he finally moans around the mouthful.

“I’ll bring it more often, then.”

“You really shouldn’t.”

“How often do you have a woman cook for you?”

“As of late, never.”

“What about your daughter?”

“Our schedules don’t really align,” he mutters, stabbing a cherry.

Some obvious tension there, you think, but you don’t dare pry further just yet. “See? Now I’m obligated to.”

“I know how to cook,” he replies around another forkful. “I just can’t be bothered.”

“Because you’re too busy.”

“Exactly.”

“Doing what? I’m intrigued now. What’s got you keeping such late hours?”

“It wouldn’t interest you.”

“It might.”

“Finish your food. Break is almost over.” He points to the clock with his fork.

You briefly debate about pressing him further but ultimately decide against it. He’s agreed to go out with you (okay, you’d left the word shopping out just then and maybe that’s intentional, but still) that’s more than you could have hoped for.

Besides, you really do need to get a gift.

***

Just after 6pm on Friday evening finds you at one of the anchor stores at the local shopping mall.

“Alright, which aisle do you want to start with?” Steve drags a shopping cart free from its brethren, waiting for your guidance.

You tilt your head to one side, considering. “I’m not sure.”

He pushes the cart forward and immediately glowers over what seems to be a rogue front wheel. “I swear I get the broken cart every time,” he mutters, abandoning it and exchanging it for another. “I actually have a suggestion.”

“Really?”

He looks at you solemnly. “Get a gift card.”

You shove his arm and he chuckles. “Not helpful.”

“Okay, in all seriousness. This is going to be some work, but��what about putting together a gift basket with his and hers items? Matching robes, mugs, things like that?”

“Ooh, I like that idea.” You nod enthusiastically. “And everyone needs picture frames, we can throw in a couple of those, too. Alright, lead the way. I’ve never even been in here.”

“I suppose you haven’t had a chance to do much shopping yet,” he muses, setting a reasonable pace past a jewelry counter and a selection of handbags.

“Not really. The guy that’s training me at work is a real hardass.”

“You are spoiled and you know it.” He nudges your arm and you rest a hand near his on the handle of the shopping cart.

“What are you wearing tomorrow?”

“Sports jacket, dress shirt, tie. Not much different from what I wear to the office. It’s already laid out. What about you?” He pauses, his eyes narrowing. “You haven’t delayed choosing an outfit yet, have you?”

You stand a little straighter. “You’ll be proud to know I’ve actually gotten my dress ready. It’s on a hanger in the walk in closet waiting for me. Shoes and jewelry and everything all picked out, too.”

“Congratulations. Behaving like a responsible adult. What’s that like for you?” He inquires drily.

You smirk. “I don’t know. What’s it like behaving like a total—”

Steve glanced around hurriedly, then lays a finger across your lips and leans close to your ear. “Don’t finish that thought if you want to go to dinner after this.”

You grab his wrist, jerking his hand down. “You already agreed. You can’t back out now.”

He hums in amusement, his face moving back to study yours at a distance that tempts you to just close the remaining inches and steal a kiss (but he’d never allow that, would he?) before he straightens and resumes pushing the cart until he locates the display of picture frames. You select a 5x7 and 8x10 with solid black frames, classic choices neutral enough to match any room, your fellow social worker advises. Then it’s off to housewares for a set of white coffee mugs (again, practical choices that could accommodate any color scheme their new kitchen has), a breakfast tray with a cute tiny strawberry pattern on it (this had been your selection, and since nothing else seemed to appeal to your mentor’s tastes, he’d allowed you this victory), a stainless steel electric kettle which you don’t recall seeing on the list but think is a great idea, and then finally the women’s clothing department to choose the first of a pair of bathrobes.

“I don’t know what size she wears,” you realize as you browse the selection. There are a few satin ones that definitely lean towards lingerie more than the simpler terrycloth counterpart that your companion seems set on.

“That’s alright. We’ll get a large. They’re meant to be oversized anyway.”

You add a pink robe to the growing pile of objects in the shopping cart, eyeing a few bras and panties and cute pajamas that might be good additions to your own wardrobe, but Steve’s already moved on, choosing a royal blue garment similar to the one you’d placed in the cart. “Okay, so what are we putting all this stuff in?”

“I have an idea about that, too. Something that doubles as a practical item.” Now you’re led to some woven totes perfect for laundry or other storage. “Then a roll of cellophane to wrap it all up and a card and we’re done. You’re picking the card out,” he adds.

You spend a few minutes browsing the greeting cards while he retrieves a roll of clear, iridescent tinted cellophane wrap. The sentiments are all about the same inside, so you randomly select one with the introduction “From the Both of Us” and declare your shopping finished.

There’s a bit of a line to checkout since it’s a Friday night but you don’t mind, sneaking glances at your mentor while you’re waiting and glancing over the magazine covers and impulse items stocked nearby. When it’s finally your turn, Steve helps you unload the carriage and insists on paying, a gesture that you try to refuse but ultimately accept. Midway through digging into his wallet for a credit card a voice interrupts him.

“Dad?”

He freezes, his head turning to regard a young blonde woman in a police officer’s uniform standing behind him, just finishing the process of retrieving a soda bottle from the refrigerated case beside the checkout lane.

“Vanessa,” he greets shortly, tugging free the credit card he was looking for and handing it to the cashier.

“Wait, this is your daughter? The Hello Kitty fan?” You peer curiously at the woman, trying to discern any resemblance between them, but you don’t see anything immediately obvious.

Steve is still managing to avoid eye contact with either of you. “Yes,” he replies with a sigh, his fingers nervously tapping the edge of the conveyor belt.

“Hi! I work with your dad. We’re getting stuff for a wedding for two of our coworkers tomorrow,” you supply.

“Never expected to see you out shopping at the mall. Or going to a wedding,” she aims in her father’s direction. “I’m Vanessa,” she says, reaching past him to shake your hand. You notice the last name Shelly on the name tag pinned to her uniform shirt. So she’s married, then.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

The cashier indicates that Steve needs to sign the touch screen and he quickly scribbles something with the stylus that does not even remotely match what you’ve seen at work. Sloppy. In a rush to leave, clearly. What is it with him and his daughter, anyway? The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Maybe he doesn’t approve of his son or daughter in law. That must be it.

“We should get going. I’ll talk to you later,” he tosses over his shoulder.

“Um, yeah. Enjoy your break. It was nice meeting you,” you offer, feeling bad at the abrupt departure you’re being pressed into.

Unlike the leisurely pace he’d previously set, Steve practically races to the parking lot, the items in the cart jostling together as he finds various cracks and holes in the pavement. You hurry to keep up, watching as he unlocks the trunk of his car and begins unloading the shopping bags.

“Steve, hey. Slow down. Everything okay?”

“Fine.” He sets another bag down and something that might be the coffee mugs or the glass panel picture frames clink together alarmingly.

You quickly peek inside to make sure nothing is broken. “Take it easy, will you?”

Ignoring your request, he finishes emptying the cart and then slams the trunk shut while you return it to the storage area. He’s already inside the car with the engine started by the time you return. You settle into the passenger seat and stare hard at the driver who seems intent on studying the car parked in front of his own.

“Steve.”

“What?”

“Look at me.” Stormy blue gray eyes meet yours. “What’s going on? I know it’s kind of a tradition for parents to hate their in-laws, but don’t you think you’re taking it a bit far? Especially when the person isn’t even here to defend themselves.”

He frowns. “What are you talking about?”

“Vanessa’s spouse. That’s why you’re upset, right? Come on, they can’t be that terrible.”

“Vanny’s not married,” he says, still looking puzzled for a moment, then his expression clears. “The badge. She…changed her last name.”

“Why?”

“Because she doesn’t want to be associated with me.” He flicks the rabbit’s foot on his keyring and it begins swinging back and forth.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“What are you sorry for? Of course you didn’t know.” He rests his injured hand on the steering wheel. “Guess this kind of killed the mood, didn’t it?”

“I’d still like to take you to dinner,” you say softly. “We don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.”

A quick glance in the rearview mirror, then he looks over at you. “It’s too crowded here. I want to go someplace quiet.”

“Okay. Anywhere you want.”

”Alright. I have a place in mind. Let’s go.”

***

Steve’s not used to being seen in public with his daughter.

He can’t even recall the last occassion that had necessitated it. To say that it had been somewhat of a shock to bump into Vanessa at the mall is putting it mildly. Perhaps if you hadn’t been there it wouldn’t have been so jarring.

He doesn’t want to explain things; doesn’t want to justify his relationship with you to her or explain why theirs is so poor with you. Keeping things businesslike with Vanny has made things so much simpler. Feelings always complicate everything.

You complicate everything.

He settles across from you in the basement level of a Mexican restaurant, a dingy joint downtown that has cheap food and strong drinks. He’s not here for the cuisine, though; he’s here for you.

A bad idea, this. Because every venture in public is always a risk. At work things are controlled. Screening names of applicants. Meeting people one on one. No familiar faces. Not one individual has ever recognized him. He’s disguised himself well. But there’s always the chance that someone will remember him as the pizzeria owner. The place where so much death had happened. Accidental. Intentional. The lines between them had blurred at some point. Indistinguishable. Irrelevant.

He orders a lite beer and it vanishes quickly. You take your time with a strawberry Margarita, stirring and sipping, glancing around at the decor outside the booth. The seats have high walls partitioning each section, keeping things more private. One of the reasons he’d chosen this place.

“So I’ll pick you up at five tomorrow.”

“Okay.” He watches you run a fingernail across the grouting between two tiles of the table’s surface.

“Is your drink good?”

“Yeah, it’s yummy.” You sample more of the pink tinted beverage.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” You resume tracing the patterns of the tiles. “I just wish you trusted me more. You know I would never repeat anything to anyone.”

Steve drains the last of his beer. “It’s got nothing to do with trust. You don’t want to get involved in all this mess, believe me. It’s too complicated. Too much water under the bridge.”

“We could have invited her out with us. I wouldn’t have minded.”

“She’s on the clock, remember?”

“Well, okay, yeah. Then another time.”

“I don’t think so.” He signals to the waitress for another drink, briefly holding up the empty bottle before setting it down again, then reaches for your hand. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

You frown, chewing your bottom lip before nodding.

The arrival of a platter of loaded nachos provides a momentary distraction, easing the burden of conversation temporarily. He wants to tell you how pretty you look, with your hair falling out of place and your cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol. He wishes he could admit how much he longs to unfasten just one more button of your blouse and slip his hand inside that opening, resting his palm against your skin, then lean over and steal the kiss he’s been desperate for while your heartbeat bounds against his fingertips.

But it would never stop there. He knows this. One kiss would lead to so many more. One button on the blouse become all of them undone. He wouldn’t stop until your body was naked against his. Then an avalanche of tasting and touching. Fucking you. Marking you. Claiming you.

And you still wouldn’t know who you’d been intimate with, who you’d so readily given yourself to after all of that. Lusting for someone who doesn’t actually exist. The camouflage that is Steve Raglan. Just a grouchy middle aged social worker with a strained relationship with his daughter that you think you can fix.

If only you knew the man actually hiding beneath.

“Steve?”

“Hmmm?” He realizes he’s been staring at the dessert menu tucked into the napkin holder. His gaze shifts to your face. “What did you say?”

“I asked who’s wrapping the gift for tomorrow?”

“Oh. I can do that. It’ll be easier than bringing it to your place and then having you bring it back down again. I’ll do a nice job packing it up.”

“Okay.” You select a cheese drenched tortilla chip from the center of the pile, dipping it in salsa and sour cream. “How long do you think we’ll be there for?”

He shrugs. “It depends. A few hours, probably. Long enough to be courteous.”

“At least it won’t be too hot. I checked the forecast again. Perfect weather for being outdoors.” You wait for him to choose something from the platter before scooping up another morsel.

“It’s a nice venue,” he agrees. “The country club has a decent restaurant, too. We should go sometime.”

You smile, and he feels some of the tension easing from his shoulders. He hasn’t completely ruined things. Not yet.

“I’d like that.” The smile fades. “Thank you for coming out with me. I know you had stuff to do. And…well, I know we had that little speed bump earlier…”

A speed bump named Vanessa, he thinks, but remains silent.

“…But overall, I’d say it’s been a pretty good evening.”

“If this was a blind date you’d probably never ask for another.”

“Yeah, I would.”

“Then you’re a glutton for punishment.”

“It’s okay not to be miserable, you know.”

“I’m not miserable. I’m…” He hesitates, faltering over a more suitable adjective choice.

“Yeah.” You nudge his shin under the table. “Like I said.”

“I’m not sure why you find me so irresistible, to be honest.”

“Irresistible?” You laugh. “Okay, and add arrogant to that as well.”

“Just proving my point for me.”

You set your glass down and reach for his fingers resting near his beer. “Okay. Being totally serious now. You’ve been great. I’ve learned a lot. I mean, maybe in the beginning you were a lot stricter and abrasive, but you’ve definitely mellowed out more, especially this past week. Letting me see another side of you.”

“I don’t know about that,” he mutters, letting his calloused fingertips stroke over your hand. Here you were, trying to comfort him and smooth things over when he was the one who should be stepping up and doing these things. He just can’t quite bring himself to do it. It would be too easy to let that slide into something else. That thing he can’t let happen.

“I’m glad you’re my friend.”

Steve exhales, his eyes meeting yours. A friend. When was the last time he’d counted anyone as such? His former best one had become his worst enemy. Why should you be any different?

“I enjoy spending time with you.”

“I think maybe we should consider this your last drink,” he teases.

“I’ve only had two,” you say dismissively. “I think if I needed you, you’d come to my rescue. That first time I called you, you sounded so concerned. And sleepy,” you chide, nudging his leg again. “You’re spending too many late nights doing whatever it is you’re doing.”

“Wait until you’re my age. You’ll understand fatigue better.”

“Would you have come to rescue me?”

“I guess so,” he replies evasively. “We’ve pretty much demolished these nachos. Are you still okay with skipping to dessert, or did you want to get an entree?”

It’s a clumsy attempt to shift the conversation, and he has no doubts that you’re well aware of it. But you graciously allow it, answering his query. “Dessert.”

“Okay. I recommend the fried ice cream, but have a look.” He lifts the menu and sets it in front of you, but your eyes remain locked on his face.

“I’ll get that, then.”

“You don’t want to see what else they have?”

“No, I trust your judgment.”

”Alright.”

Once the table has been cleared and two dessert plates set down, Steve waits for you to take the first bite, digging into coated vanilla ice cream and a cinnamon dusted tortilla shell drizzled with chocolate sauce and covered with whipped cream. The rapturous look on your face says it all and he grins, diving into his own portion.

“Okay, this is pretty much the best thing ever. Holy cow. How have I never tried this before?”

“I told you it was delicious.”

“Well now I feel like anything I know how to make is vastly inferior.”

“I strongly disagree. All of your creations have been fantastic so far.”

“Really? You’re just being nice.”

He raises an eyebrow. “When am I ever nice?”

“You’re right.”

He reaches underneath the table to squeeze your knee, letting his hand linger when the playful mood passes. You’re wearing a skirt today. It hits you right below the knee. Easy enough to gather the material and let his fingers dart underneath, massaging the joint.

You let the spoon sink into the melting ice cream, the treat suddenly forgotten as you stare at him, your pupils dilating. There’s a stray bit of chocolate clinging to the corner of your bottom lip that’s driving him mad, the desire to lick that spot clean, to lick your mouth open running in a river rush of heat down his spine.

“Steve,” you say quietly.

He shifts his hand back to his own lap, hating himself for being able to refuse to pursue this any further. He’s nearly jealous of your feelings for this persona he’s adopted, and how absurd is that? “Finish up. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow,” he says gruffly.

Back outside your apartment a half hour later, he pulls up to the main entrance. Your seatbelt is stuck again, but he doesn’t trust himself to help you remove it. Another touch or two might just crumble his resolve just then.

“Thanks again. I had a great time,” you murmur once you’ve finally managed to release the buckle.

“See you tomorrow.”

You look at him, your eyes so full of want that he knows is mirrored in his own. But he can’t.

He can’t let you get any closer than you already have.

***

You think that maybe, just maybe, the outfit you’re wearing is a slam dunk.

You appraise your appearance a final time in the dresser mirror on Saturday afternoon. The violet sleeveless lace affair with its modest neckline clings flatteringly to your figure and the hem hits you perfectly. You’re having one of those rare good hair days where your cow licks are subdued and the whispier flyaway strands are cooperative, the tresses actually sleek and tidy looking. Natural, clean makeup applied. A cute, tiny clutch that even Raglan can’t condemn. And lastly, the shoes. They’re not terribly comfortable, but they are attractive. High heeled. Thin straps with tiny crystal studded flowers. You take a few practice steps back and forth in the kitchen. You think you can manage them. It’s not like you’ll be standing the whole time, anyway. At least, you don’t think you will. You’ve no idea what to expect, really, since it’s your first wedding.

You get your first confirmation that you’ve chosen wisely regarding your attire when you see the expression on Steve’s face as you settle inside the car. He has to clear his throat before he can properly greet you. “Hi. You uh…you look very nice.”

You grin, smoothing your hands over the lower half of the dress even though it doesn’t need it. “Thank you. Not immature, right? Not going to be embarrassed to be seen with me?” you tease.

“No,” he manages to choke out.

“No, not immature, or no, not embarrassed to be seen with me?”

“Neither.”

”Good. You look very dapper as well.”

”Dapper?”

”This stupid thing won’t…there, I’ve got it.” The seatbelt fastens with a click. “Handsome. Is that better?”

”If you say so.” His tone is stern, but you think he looks a little pleased by the praise all the same. ”Here. Before I forget, sign the card.” He leans to retrieve an envelope from the dashboard and hands it to you, then grabs a ballpoint pen from the cupholder and offers it as well. You extract the greeting card, glancing over the embossed lillies adorning the outside before opening it to find Steve has added no further sentiments beyond what was already printed inside, merely signing his name at the bottom. This version, at least, looked more familiar than that awkward scrawl at the department store last night.

You add your name beside his along with a note of congratulations and then seal the envelope, tossing the pen back into the cupholder. “Got everything all wrapped?”

”Yes. Take a look in the backseat.”

You turn to see the tote with its contents encased in the shiny cellophane and nod approvingly. “It looks good.” You tuck the card inside and then face forward. “Okay, I’m ready.”

”Got the invitation?”

Your mouth falls open. “No! I completely forgot. Let me go run and get it.”

”I had a feeling you might. Lucky for you I still have my copy.” He reaches inside his jacket, flashing the corner of the ivory card before securing it once more.

”You kept yours? I would have thought you’d have tossed it out.”

”That does sound like something I’d do. But I found it when I was cleaning up my desk the other day and thought I’d hang onto it just in case.” He glances over at you and smiles gently. “Don’t look so nervous. They would have let us in anyway.”

”You never know. People crash weddings.” You fuss with your clutch. “I am nervous,” you admit.

”There’s nothing to worry about, save sheer boredom and cringe speeches and lousy catering. You’ll see.”

***

Steve Raglan occupies a seat in the last row aligned in front of the gazebo where the engaged couple is to be wed, one spot in from the center aisle while you settle into the folding chair beside his, the gift you’d collaborated on placed on the table with the other offerings after a few pleasantries had been exchanged with fellow coworkers.

He can feel the anticipation wafting from you, noticing your fidgeting and hissing a reprimand when reassurances don’t seem to be working. It’s like holding the collar of a golden retriever puppy, all full of nervous energy, unintentionally misbehaving.

He doesn’t know the couple getting married that well. They’d met at work, and that was about the extent of what he was aware of, deeming any further knowledge irrelevant. He does know that you look stunning and he’s caught multiple attendees looking you over, igniting more than one flare of jealousy. The music cues up and the audience quiets down as the bride begins walking down the aisle beside her father. Steve is very pointedly avoiding thinking about his own personal experience with getting married. It was a lifetime ago now, when he’d been someone else.

An exchange of custom vows crafted by the couple follows. His lips press in a thin line of distaste until he observes how charmed you seemed by this gesture, raptly watching the ceremony. As predicted, the catering proves to be disappointing. Small portions. Bland food. Slice of cake so thin you could practically see through it. His face actually hurts from plastering a smile on it so often. He murmurs the same noncommittal greetings to everyone he encounters, eventually issuing the obligatory congratulations to the newlyweds when his turn arrives. People finally start to break off into smaller groups to socialize. Casual music plays after the wedded couple has their first dance and the makeshift dance floor that’s been created becomes filled with guests and family members.

“Do you dance?”

Your voice interrupts his reverie. “Not to this contemporary selection, no.” His arms are folded across his chest again, a display of closed body language indicating he wants to be left alone; by the other wedding guests, anyway. You’re the rare exception. The rest of the table he’s seated at is mercifully devoid of anyone else at the moment. No small talk has to be made.

“But you can dance,” you persist.

He supposes that yes, he can. Or at least, he has in the past. Certainly no time in recent memory has warranted it. “I’m sure you’re more familiar with these songs than I am. You should go over there. Have fun.”

You shake your head. “Come walk with me instead.”

He glances over at you. “And go where?”

You shrug. “I don’t know. It’s a country club. Plenty of places to go. I need to stretch my legs. Come on, Steve. Please?”

He considers the well lit area they’re currently seated in and weighs that against the idea of being alone with you somewhere else cloaked in shadows. It’s hardly a difficult decision to make. “Alright. For a few minutes,” he concedes, shrugging out of his jacket and leaving it draped over the back of his chair.

The older man is surprised when you choose to go off the beaten path, abandoning the paved and gravel lined routes in favor of exploring the golf course itself. You’re clearly struggling to walk in your shoes, the spiked tips sinking into the cropped grass once the wedding party area has been left behind. He recognizes your troubles almost immediately. “You want to head back?”

”No. Can you just help me take them off? It’s hard for me to bend in this,” you murmur apologetically. Steve nods, squatting down to unfasten the buckles, sliding each shoe off and handing them to you. You carry them hooked over your fingers as you continue your trek further onto the golf course. There’s water near this tee, faintly visible as it reflects the moonlight above. The sounds of the gathering have completely faded now.

”So what did you think of your first wedding?”

”It was nice. They seem so happy.” The older man grunts noncommittally. “Do you think you’d ever remarry?”

Raglan barks a laugh. “Me? Never. I learned my lesson the first time.” A pause. “What about you?”

”I don’t know. Maybe someday, I guess.” You halt and he stops, turning back in your direction. You let your shoes drop. “Okay. Now dance with me.”

Steve frowns. “What? That wasn’t part of the deal. You just said you wanted to take a walk.”

“No one can see us over here.”

“There isn’t even any music.”

“I’ll hum for you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

You step closer to stand in front of him, reaching to gently clasp the bandaged hand while your other fingers curl over his shoulder. He reluctantly places his free hand stiffly on your waist. He doesn’t want to do this. Why does he keep giving in to you?

Whatever melody you’re attempting to recreate is unrecognizable. He feels foolish as he turns you in a circle, trying to execute actual dance steps on the grassy surface. An abrupt dip down, your spine cradled against his hand, has you shriek and giggle like mad. Now he’s actually smiling, too. Enjoying this random, frivolous moment. Enjoying you.

You suddenly stumble a bit, wincing, your improvised tune abruptly ending. “Time out. Sorry, my feet are killing me. I feel like I’m getting a blister.”

“I think there’s a bench over by the water. Yes, there is. Here, sit down. I’ll grab your shoes.” You obey, settling onto one end of the wooden structure. He joins you, setting your shoes on the ground near his feet. “Alright, let’s check your—oh.” You’ve shifted, now sitting sideways, your stockinged feet occupying his lap. His hands gently begin probing once he’s recovered from his initial surprise, assessing each sole. “No blisters yet that I can feel, but you should probably keep the shoes off as much as possible. You’re not used to wearing heels, are you?” He hasn’t paid much attention up until now, but he thinks you’ve always worn flats to the office.

“No. And they’re brand new. I just got them because they matched the dress. I thought they were pretty.” He hums, partially in agreement, partially in disapproval. “That feels nice.” He still hasn’t stopped caressing you, continuing to massage your sore extremities without even realizing what he’s doing, moving from your feet to your ankles to your shins and calves.

Then he halts, his hands abruptly abandoning you. Too much temptation. He has to stop touching you. “Anyway, you’ll be fine,” he says dismissively, knowing it sounds harsh. You sigh, moving until your legs are properly aligned beneath you, your bare shoulder now brushing against his shirtsleeve.

“Can I ask you something personal?”

“I can’t promise I’ll answer, but go ahead.”

“Why do you always wear long sleeves?”

“Overstepping again,” he cautions curtly.

“You told me I needed to be more aggressive with the applicants. Firm. Decisive. Direct. Focused. Get right to the point.”

“True, but I’m not a client. At least you’re retaining something,” he adds. Not mocking. Maybe a little proud.

“It doesn’t bother me if…”

“If what?” He prompts.

“If you have some, I don’t know, some condition you’re ashamed of.”

“It’s not a condition, exactly.” He hesitates. He could just consider the discussion over, but something about being in this near darkness makes revealing the truth seem a little safer. He fumbles with the button of his shirt cuff, shoving it up to his elbow and then reaches for your hand, guiding your fingertips to his forearm.

“Scars,” you realize aloud. “What happened? Are they burns?”

“No. A…mechanical accident at a previous job. And no, I’m not giving you any more information than that.” Your fingers continue to trace the furrowed skin. At first the movements seem curious. Then the touches evolve into more of a caress. They feel good. He doesn’t want them to, but God, they do. Stroking a secret part of him that’s been concealed for so long feels so deliciously sinful. He swallows loudly when you lift his arm, allowing you to manipulate the limb until your lips graze the inside of his wrist. Fuck. Immediate heat to his groin. He needs to stop this, right now. “You shouldn’t…I’m not who you think I am.” He tugs his arm free of your grasp.

“What do you mean? Steve?”

It’s exactly what he needs, hearing that false name just then, bringing him back to reality. The person that you want doesn’t exist. Not really. It’s the facade you like. Not the man underneath. You don’t know who he really is. Can never know, because discovering that would drive you away from him for good, and he can’t accept that.

He bends to retrieve your heels and stands. “We should probably leave.” He hates pushing out every word. Absolutely despises himself for not grabbing you and pressing you down beneath him and kissing you under the stars. But at least you’re safe. That was more important.

He knows you’re hurt and confused. That happy little bubble you’d recreated around the two of them popped yet again. Stiff goodbyes are issued to the bride and groom before leaving. The ride back to your apartment is silent.

“Thanks for going with me,” you murmur as he pulls in front of the main entrance.

“I’m glad I did. Genuinely.” It is surprisingly the truth. He’d enjoyed himself, in spite of everything. Because of you. He likes being with you.

“I don’t understand you.” You reach for his hand, and he allows it. Because really, at this point, what does it matter if it happens once or twice or a dozen times? He’s already crossed a line with you he never should have. “Why do you fight yourself so much?” Your voice is quiet.

Because that hand you’re holding so gently has done terrible things. Because there is so little keeping me from doing what I want, from tearing right through this fragile barrier between us.

Those are the real answers, but of course he can’t tell you that. So he simply says “Because.” Which is no answer at all. He stares at your still joined fingers. “It’s not a rejection based on your merit as a person. You deserve to know that.”

“Is it because we work together?”

“Well, that’s a definite drawback. Workplace relationships are never a good idea.”

“The age gap?”

“Are you calling me old again?”

“Maybe.” A small smile appears, but fades quickly.

“That’s another concern. But that’s not the main reason.”

You shift in your seat, turning your body more to his. “What is the main reason?”

“I can’t tell you that. Not any differently than I already have.”

“But you do like me.”

“Yes, I like you,” he admits, his voice tight. His gaze shifts to the windshield. It’s too difficult to look at you. To see that hope, that desire he’s certain is mirrored on his own features.

”Like me as more than a friend, I mean. Find me attractive,” you continue, seeking obvious clarification.

”Yes, I find you extremely attractive.” His eyes flick to yours. “And yes, I like you as more than a friend. I shouldn’t, but I do.”

You reach for his glasses, slipping them free before he can stop you. You carefully fold them and tuck your arm behind your back. You know what you’re doing. He knows it, too. Playing along. Leaning. Grasping. Tugging the gold framed lenses free. Your face tips up. That ripe mouth he wants to defile is just within reach. So close. Just the slightest movement would bring his lips to yours. Touching you. Tasting you. The barest little shift is all that’s required.

He suddenly leans back, jerking away from you, his gaze quickly diverting so he doesn’t have to see the lust and hurt mingling in yours. “You should go inside and soak your feet and get some rest. I’ll see you Monday.” It’s a cold dismissal, contrasting so starkly from the warmth you’ve stoked inside of him. He heaves a shuddering sigh when you finally exit his car, watching your retreating figure. He wants to chase after you. Drag you against him. Witness your surrender.

And you would, too. He knows you’d succumb to him. Do whatever he wanted.

If only he’d ask.

[adventures-in-a-world-of-fiction]

Gen-AI and two nickels

There is a fairly common expression, with variations for different currencies, that goes, "If I had a nickel for every time [thing happens], I'd have enough money to [do something expensive related to original thing]." E.g. "If I had a nickel for every time a customer insulted me, I wouldn't have to work customer service." "If I had a nickel for every time someone told me about the housing crisis, I'd be able to buy a mansion." Etc.

Generative AI is a tool that works on patterns and probabilities. It doesn't "understand" anything, but it can spot words and phrases that correlate, things that are related, things that are often put after something else in a sentence, to come up with things that read as natural language. It's very good at making segments of text that read like a human being wrote it. Because it's copying from millions of (stolen) texts where people wrote similar things.

I'm pretty confident that you could get gen AI to come up with a new example of this sort of phrase because it's a pattern it would be able to identify and it would be able to fill in the blanks with words that would make sense.

But that's not the only version of that phrase.

In Phineas and Ferb, the character Doofenshmirtz has the line, "If I had a nickel for every time I was doomed by a puppet, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right?"

This is a subversion of the original phrase. It sets you up with the first part of the pattern and then flips it around and turns it into something new. Something unexpected. This is the sort of thing that gen AI is incapable of coming up with. It could probably come up with it now, because the two nickels version has become a meme in its own right and been copied over the internet, so it's probably been included in some training sets since then, but only because someone else thought of it first.

A creative human being came up with a joke that played with a piece of common phrasing and turned it into something new. Gen AI can regurgitate based on averages and give you something mediocre and dull. It can fill in an autocomplete with the most common next words to fill in the gaps based on repeating what other people have said before. It's fundamentally incapable of coming up with something clever and new.

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

oh yeah that one take about recruitment in 3h just wanted to add on a gameplay note (this isnt discourse pls dont snipe my mum) recruitment is simultaneously discouraged, not accounted for properly in game balancing, and not punished outside of one instance. the game is surprisingly stingy on deployment slots relative to map size and enemy density, especially in the war phase. you're supposed to be encouraged to bring your default students, and any extra you picked up along the way, but the low slot count means you either pick one or two extras, or replace your in-house students with new ones (or faculty). this discourages you from picking too many of your favourites and building a custom team of mix-match units, due to your limitations in slots, and, when paired with the effort expended during the monastery segments to recruit them via training a weapon/mov rank or building support, which is a time-resource affair you're balancing, and finally, with how utterly terrible Hunting By Daybreak is (especially on Hard/Maddening) if you neglect too many default students and the versions of them you get aint up to snuff despite the auto level due to wank ranks and shit weapons (and your recruits dont show up on this map even tho they have dialogue for it) leading to the player not being encouraged to engage with the mechanic paradoxically, outside of Hunting By Daybreak (common Crimson Flower W: not having this map) both everything before and after, the game does nothing to punish you ditching your homeboys to hang with the cool kids, so if you just plan for this one map (or not play it by protecting Discourse Girl) you can just go on unpunished provided you either optimise your team decision OR abuse NG+ to bypass all the nonsense. the game makes it a hassle to do all the recruiting if you want to do a lot of it, but also puts up only one fat fisting of resistance before giving up. finally, the game doesn't account for you recruiting anyone out of house, leading to funny things like silver snow permanently kneecapping you by two deployment slots for story reasons and not just, letting you replace them with recruitments slots. its very noticeable when compared to other routes. (common Silver Snow L). the devs also didn't account for you doing this, but then, due to 3H's amorphous map and enemy design, it ends up not mattering as much, since your units could be anything and it'd work, but you do end up having access, most of the time, to some of the most cracked units in the game, and devs didn't really design their routes with that in mind. not really paying attention to the tools you would or wouldn't have.

and yet, quadruple paradoxically, as if to prove me wrong and smack my nipples, they encourage it anyway, by having paralogues in the war phase require out of house pair ups, like caspar and mercedes, or linhardt and leonie. but these are only for random side maps, and are the most specific as shit big brain combos, so you'd assume they had this in mind all along, but then it begs the question of why they made it so irritating to recruit people to begin with, but then also why they didn't plan out any other campaign missions, slots, or other unit design factors when it came to recruitments, or even bother hinting at these combos so you wouldn't get locked out of content instead of shooting in the dark or looking it up and arghghghghgh 3H's gameplay choices are a mess

basically, recruiting is a series of weird as fuck paradoxical design choices that just sort of todd howard their way into Just Working but damn if the experience isn't baffling to think about in its' execution and impact on the game's core mechanical design

.

[mcmonstructuk]

Top 5 Godpoke headcanons, GO! *Sits back with popcorn*

SCREAMS WITH JOY

Okay I’m gonna try to choose some shorter ones otherwise this post is gonna be like 50million years long UEHEH - There will be Great God Grove spoilers ahead

1.) Okay anyone who knows me and has heard my insane ramblings knows that my godpoke is birdfolk!! Specifically crossed between a crow and a black vulture. Since both birds are heavily associated with death, I decided to have death be a huge part of their culture. They respect it greatly, and have a few traditions surrounding it;

One of these traditions is that if yew come across a corpse in the desert (which is where Godpoke’s hometown is located), yew must take time to care for and bury it correctly, and not doing so is considered disrespectful and is frowned upon. Whether it’s a human’s, an animal’s, hunter, prey, doesn’t matter. For this very reason I imagine godpoke to carry around a small knife/dagger, as part of the burial tradition includes cutting a feather from yer hair, and placing it with the body. They do this with the belief that the dead will carry the feathers on into the afterlife. It shows that someone cared for and loved them, even if it was a stranger

2.) Since godpoke grew up in the desert, they have a huge (now irrational) fear of being trapped. Not trapped in a locked room or trapped by a person, but being trapped or caught in something, and not being able to free themselves. Their hometown was very isolated. There were not many people around. This means that the wilderness around them was large, and getting stuck out in said wilderness often meant death. Whether that was from lack of food, lack of water or being picked off by wildlife, yew won’t survive if yew don’t have someone there to help yew. (I actually wrote a short fic exploring this and how it effects them in the grove if anyone is interested in seeing that.. blinks)

3.) More on the irrational fears from the desert segment; they’re also afraid of being alone, especially when vulnerable. This is a huge problem for them as since the events of the game, they’ve taken it upon themselves to help out King and Bug with delivering mail on top of being the new godpoke, which tires them out QUICK. By the time they’re done with work, they’re exhausted and usually need to sleep, but can’t go back home to do so because they would be alone. Asleep. During the day. When the animals are all awake. Of course this fear is now completely irrational since they live in the Grove, I highly doubt there’s any deadly creatures to worry about; but it still gets to them. And so they often choose to return to King’s domain to rest. Knowing she’s always nearby puts them at ease, and allows them to get any rest that they may need. King doesn’t mind at all! She loves them, and wants them to feel safe. They sometimes may choose Missy or Thespius as alternatives too, depending on if King is able to have them there or not (ofc they’d also love to be with Patty, but by the time they’re done with work, she isn’t,, on the odd occasion that she’s free tho, they’ll choose to be with her instead)

4.) Now onto some simpler things; Godpoke used to be a carpenter! They used to build and repair wagons the most, but they also whittle as a hobby! One of their favourite things to gift people are small carvings, tools or figures that they’ve created. Actually discussed once with my friend Mint/King about godpoke finding sticks (haha dumb bird) that they think King might like, and if they’re big enough, they’d make carvings into it and gift them to her. I imagine they have also made many a custom paintbrush for Razzma too, and ofc some wooden flowers and maybe even bowls and plates with floral engravings on for Patty

5.) Thespius is teaching Godpoke how to use sign language to communicate! While they’ve always known sign, it was never the “right” sign. Once again due to their isolated origins, the sign language they were taught wasn’t universal at all, and was made up for them by the people of their town when they became mute. Thus, no one could understand them whenever they’d try to sign something. Thespius decided to take it upon himself to ask if Godpoke would like to learn a more universal sign language, so they could communicate better without having to play charades, or collage speech together with megapon. I chose Thespius for this since apparently in his original concept, the extra hands he has used to spell things out in sign, so it’s nice to think that he’s fluent in it,, I imagine godpoke would also in turn then teach Thespius how to use their sign language, so they could both talk to each other in whichever they wish :]

GUHH it was so hard to pick just five, I have SOOO MANYYY. I need to think of more silly stuff tho a lot of mine are based around like. Angst. UEHEH but yeah I can also go into detail about Godpoke’s background too if anyone craves,, I was thinking of dumping that all here but ohh my lord that would be a lot to read UEHEH so I decided to stick to smaller thangs for now.. but yeas I do have more to share rubs my hands together evilly

[videomilemarkers]

Hey Everyone

As I mentioned on @missedmilemarkers I had stepped away for a bit. I really spent some time working on the Video projects for the youtube channel and for the Tumblr community.

I had spent a bunch of time filming at night in snow storms. There has been a little bit of that shared here but really not in the manner. This turned out to be great for "@videomilemarkers" but really kinda sucked for @missedmilemarkers

What I have done is i have created some custom tools that help me manage my videos. Its rather simplistic in its approach. All it does is it takes my 4K footage and formats it to a horizontal aspect ratio. I had received a fair amount of input specific to this and the people in the horizontal camp really won this battle based on their input vigor.

This little tool that i developed i did it for the community here to make my life easier, and not losing that "rough touch" that tumblr loves.

So what does this mean???

Well very simply put. I will do a daily single post here of a segment of the video. I will be posting these videos in reverse so from the end to the start. Those who follow the blog on a daily manner will see the walk in reverse. Those who visit my blog page will see the walks in order. There will be no editing of the videos and they will be presented here in a raw format

So the final final final question is this.

How long does everyone want the videos to be

Also thank you everyone for the warm welcome back. It really did mean the world to me!

I personally like 23 seconds ;)

[digitaldetoxworld]

Proven Marketing Tactics for Small Business Success

 Marketing is the lifeblood of any enterprise, especially small groups seeking to grow and compete in a crowded market. Without powerful advertising strategies, even the satisfactory products or services can pass overlooked. Unlike huge companies, small companies often operate with restrained budgets and resources. Therefore, they need clever, price-effective, and measurable strategies to advantage visibility and develop step by step.

Best marketing strategies for small business

This article explores numerous marketing techniques that are especially effective for small agencies, combining traditional strategies with modern digital tools.

1. Understand Your Target Audience

The basis of all advertising begins with know-how your clients. Define your target marketplace based totally on:

Demographics: Age, gender, profits stage, education

Geographics: Where they stay or paintings

Psychographics: Lifestyle, pursuits, and values

Behavioral trends: Buying conduct, logo loyalty, product utilization

Creating a purchaser persona enables you tailor your messaging, offers, and channels greater correctly. For instance, in case you're concentrated on university college students, Instagram and TikTok is probably better platforms than electronic mail advertising or print media.

2. Build a Strong Brand Identity

A recognizable and straightforward emblem builds lengthy-time period customer loyalty. Your brand includes:

Logo and design: Consistent shades, fonts, and imagery

Tone of voice: Formal, informal, funny, and so on.

Even a one-man or woman enterprise blessings from sturdy branding. For example, a nearby baker who uses eco-friendly packaging can emblem themselves as “inexperienced” and attract environmentally-conscious customers.

Three. Create a Professional Website

A internet site is your 24/7 digital storefront. It should be:

Mobile-friendly and fast

Easy to navigate

Linked for your social media pages

Equipped with touch paperwork or chat help

Use platforms like WordPress, Wix, or Shopify to create low priced, attractive websites without requiring technical expertise.

Four. Utilize Local search engine marketing

If you’re a nearby commercial enterprise, optimizing your on-line presence for local searches is critical. Start by using:

Claiming and verifying your Google Business Profile

Encouraging satisfied clients to depart reviews

Using local key phrases (e.G., “nice salon in Patna”)

Getting indexed in neighborhood directories and maps

5. Leverage Social Media Marketing

Social media structures offer unfastened and paid tools to interact your target audience and construct a community.

Facebook & Instagram: Great for promotions, memories, and visible content

LinkedIn: Best for B2B organizations

YouTube: Ideal for tutorials, product demos, and at the back of-the-scenes content

X (previously Twitter): Good for quick updates, client interplay

Use content material calendars to time table posts always and engage with followers through polls, contests, and comments.

6. Content Marketing: Educate and Add Value

Rather than simply promoting, content material advertising goals to teach and construct accept as true with. Examples encompass:

Blog posts: Informative articles in your internet site

E-books & Guides: Offer beneficial records in alternate for electronic mail addresses

Videos: Product demonstrations, testimonials, or storytelling

Infographics: Shareable visuals explaining complicated topics

Content advertising improves search engine marketing, establishes authority, and builds long-term trust.

7. Email Marketing

Email remains one of the most price-powerful channels for small corporations. Use it to:

Send newsletters

Announce promotions or new merchandise

Re-engage inactive customers

Request remarks

Tools like Mailchimp, Sendinblue, and ConvertKit allow smooth automation and list segmentation. Ensure your emails offer fee, no longer just commercials.

Eight. Referral and Loyalty Programs

Your glad clients can be your excellent marketers. Encourage them to refer friends or family with the aid of offering:

Discounts

Free products

Loyalty points