#I want to have an easier time comparing visual directions and tones

[illegiblewords]

Female Warriors of Light: Design Comparison 1

[skip0s]

Skip0s Reference Study #1

So I've been searching onto references and Stuff, wanting to get some insights into color and lineart, so this mostly to register and share what I've noticed.

For this one parricularly, Iv'e choosen a panel from Tsuioku a H-Visual Novel for PC98.

PC-98 graphics games mostly used the EGC mode with 640x400 res and 16 colors chosen from 12-bit (4 bits per channel) RGB.

Fisrt of all, I love the colors here and how vibrant they are.

The panel itself has only 480×280 res, and how my target is studing the panel tp try to replicate the techniques and stuff to create somethinkg like it, we will forget the UI for this study.

Now let's focus and tackle this by parts:

Sky

So beautiful!

Limitations probabbly make stuff more creative. I'm a programmer, not a designer, so I don't have a degree to really tell you about the importance of a pallete. Nowadays, most part of the apps we use have almost no limit of colors that can be used.

But here, in this sky, we only got 3 colors, and that's all. White, light blue and a darker shade of blue, that's all that were used to make a sky that, in not just CRT, but in LCD screens, looks like 9 different shades of blue. Oh, and white was used just for the clouds.

So here we have 9 steps of dithering, or in other words, "pixel gradients" in a pattern that can be translated to:

Keep in mind that this isn't the only way to make dithering.

Now for the clouds, the artist applied a dithering with light blue only if they were into the darker portion of he sky. In the big picture this results in a image with more depth!

Jesus Christ the compression is killing me

Le Lineart 🥐

For some reason, here the lineart is not fully black. Personally, when making it is really hard to choose when to use black or a darker shade for lineart.

So here, I tried to find patterns that would answer the question "when should I really use black as outline?" and noted them down.

Marked some in red & blue so they get easier to see.

After comparing the places where we have black outlines, I've found 4 reasons:

Used when there's no direct darker shade for the color (blue is normally painted as a darker shade for white)

Used to make clear the separation of a whole from it's parts (leg feom arm, arm from clothes, hair from face, face from neck etc)

Used to show the darker side of something (less ligh = darker tones = black outline)

Used in background objects (stuff that isn't necessarily the center of the piece but yet there they

Palette

As said, PC-98 mostly use 16 colors, I've identified the ones that appear.

From 1 to 16, I checked if they were the same color

This helped me to see (again) how the same color can be used many times, and how they SHOULD be used if possible. I'm thinking right now if would be better to use a pre-made 16 colors palettes, or start the process normally and gradually reciclyng colors until you have 16.

Something to keep in mind.

End

Well, this is all I've got to share for now. What I need now is to get some practice and see the results for myself. Then do another study and repeat!

Thank you for your time and hope It helped you too!

[felicityhicklingviscomlvl5]

Term Reflection

I am proud of myself for what I’ve achieved in this unit, I feel I have improved my editorial skills massively which is what I wanted to do. This term has been heavily focused on what I wanted to do which I really enjoyed, but I think also gave me limitations in getting started on the project.

EP//M was a great experience and I think I connected with this a lot more than I thought I would, as I tend to not do enough UI/UX designs and concepts to realise how much I enjoy them. Since our final presentation, as a group, we chose to refine ‘Fakeaway’ using the feedback we received because it was coming from a professional agency which we thought was a good idea to get into the habit of responding to. We ended up sharing our refinements with them and actually landed ourselves an opportunity to present again down at EP//M and we also were asked to be in an article they were writing, where we answered a few questions they gave us. So, overall this experience was very eye-opening and really fun which was good to have at the start of term.

The CVL project this term was quite taunting compared to others as we had a lot of freedom to do what we wanted (in preparation for our FMP). I struggled with the shorter time we had to do this project, as it felt like I was behind at times because struggled with getting started since there was so much we could do, so the process of generating ideas for me was difficult. Once I found a general direction from some help it became a lot more of an easier process, and so I took the opportunity to focus on what I wanted from the end of the unit. Which was to improve my editorial skills and lean into something I'm interested in and value.

At first, during this project, I was less refined with my idea for a while which impacted going deeper into contextual research and problem-solving. I later figured out my direction when I went back through the general research I’d already done, where I found the term “form follows function”. This allowed me to learn theories within the term and how they became to be combined into Mid-Century Modern architecture and influence many architects to come.

One problem I was having throughout my project was my target audience which is where I felt I lacked when problem-solving. I originally wanted millennials as my primary audience but later changed it to gen z. My problem was I couldn’t pinpoint why and what I wanted the audience to take away from my outcome. I think I started to define my audience more as I was experimenting with imagery, leading me to lean into the duo-tone trend which when collecting visual research, I saw a lot of it, signifying that it was trending and appealing to gen z. To delve further into why gen z, I went back to the problem with architecture books, which is that they’re almost too simple. The text is small and in one large block, which gen z looks at and thinks “I’m not reading all that” since gen z prefers straight-to-the-point information and unique information. So I wanted to create an architecture book that would be editorial allowing me to apply information that encourages learning and value for them.

Deciding to create a physical book was challenging especially since I wanted to try something new by doing a clothbound book, but without the end result being physical it would’ve had the same effect if I just added my spreads to a mockup. Since I also looked into coffee table books when refining my audience, the whole idea of them is that it holds what you value, physically, and you can display it and show people who you are. Also, the way I laid out my spreads is all equally displayable, allowing for the other point of the coffee table book, which is “they look pretty and cool”. Before my final crit, my book was still quite simple from what it ended up being, as I needed to explore more things I could do with it that could add an interactive element. To support this I looked into how gen z feels about physical books and they actually prefer them, so the interactive elements became an advantage since it would create more of an exciting experience when going through the book. I added fold-out pages which would fold out to an image of the Farnsworth House and also create a clear navigation of a new section of the book. My final addition was a cover sleeve, which you see a lot on hardback books. The sleeve doubles as a poster which I felt gen z would appreciate and could add to their maximalist walls.

Overall, this term was a challenge for me but I finished with an outcome I’m extremely proud of which makes up for a lot of the struggles I dealt with this term, but I’m glad this mini FMP was a chance to have an idea of what our actual FMP will be like.

[elysiadjarin]

Sword and Shield 3

Summary: Bad Batch x reader (you), fem!coded, poly!relationship, multi-part series, nonhuman!reader, Echo later on

Chapter 2: https://elysiadjarin.tumblr.com/post/653202473626025984/sword-and-shield

Warning: Mentions of previous abuse/trauma, and an injury.

3: Integrate

Nervously, you bit your lip and tugged at your hair. You’d secured it so it would stay out of your face for the mission, and you’d already gone over the notes you’d taken the previous day as you’d gotten ready for the day. Dressed in your gear, you double-checked that you had everything.

The whole crew had gathered in the cockpit while approaching the mission site to receive orders from Hunter.

“Tech, tell them the layout and strategy.”

Tech adjusted his goggles and pulled up a holoscreen. “Our mission is to obtain some information that’s been stored in a vault underneath this Separatist bunker,” he said, pointing at the map. It zoomed in on the bunker’s location, revealing the armored doors.

“It’s only going to be there for one day before it’s supposed to be moved, so we have to move in on this intel as soon as possible,” Tech continued, laying out the stakes. “This might be our only chance to get our hands on his information, especially since this base is out in the middle of nowhere. It’s held in the base, but there’s not much of a guard around the bunker itself.”

“So how are we getting in?” Wrecker asked, clearly eager to get to the plan.

“The biggest problem is going to be getting in. Once we’re in, it’ll be a quick and easy trip to the vault. There’s a holopad right by the doorway. I need a running distraction to let me get close enough to hack it and get us in.” Tech adjusted his glasses.

“Cross will find a point to pick off whoever comes in and out of those doors,” Hunter spoke up, focused on piloting while he listened. “Wrecker, we’re going to need you to try to run as big of a distraction as possible and keep them occupied. Tech will get close to the door, and I’ll follow behind him as close as possible to watch his back while he’s hacking the keypad.”

Tech turned to you, observing you. “We don’t know much about your skills yet. Do you see a place that would best suit you?”

You thought for a moment, eyebrows furrowing as you ran though the plan in your mind. “I’ve studied the footage and information you gave me yesterday,” you said, slow but even. “Considering the way we’re approaching this, I think I should be most useful if the Sergeant uses me as a weapon. Since I’m versatile and can be changed depending on what the situation requires, the close combat might be best for me. Plus, once we’re in, I might be able to help clear a path.”

“Sounds like a solid plan,” Hunter said crisply. “Hold on, we’re entering the atmosphere.”

Everyone grabbed onto something or strapped in as the descent began, and you grabbed onto a hanging strap, bracing your feet. You caught sight of Wrecker turning to you, and you glanced up at him instinctively.

“Oh, hey, thanks for the food yesterday!” he called over the rattling, grinning so wide that you swore you could count his teeth. “It was really good!”

The comment took you off guard, and you had to grab onto another strap to keep yourself from sliding against the floor. “Y-you’re welcome,” you called back, feeling some heat creep up your neck and cheeks. You supposed that answered your question about whether they’d at least found the portions.

Hunter evened the ship out as you broke through the atmosphere, leveling out and beginning to more smoothly descent. Everyone relaxed again, checking gear and preparing for the landing itself.

You took in a deep breath, closing your eyes for a moment in order to mentally prepare yourself. You’d have to create a Transference Bond with the Sergeant, so it would take a moment. You only opened your eyes once you felt the landing gear hit the ground and the ship settle in landing.

Hunter stood once the process was complete, turning. “Let’s go.” Once at the ramp, he turned to the group. “Gear and Plan?” He checked. Running his eyes over everyone and getting their confirmation, he turned to you. “Commander Rex explained a little of the process of Transference Bonding to me to give me a basis of understanding. I suppose it wouldn’t be the best idea to do it all at once.”

You shook your head. “I could, but it’s easier to do it one by one to give me a distinction between each Bond,” you answered, knowing the importance of explaining how you worked.

He nodded. Taking a breath, he held out his hand to you. “I suppose it’s time. Everyone watch and listen closely for when you have to do it yourself,” he ordered.

You nodded back, straightening. “You have to offer your hand and say ‘Permission to Transfer.’ It begins the process for me to able to start Transference.”

Hunter stared at you, focused. “Permission to Transfer,” he repeated in a firm, even tone.

You let the sensation of the sucking whirlpool in your gut start to grow stronger, stirred by the initiating words. Deliberately, you reached out and grasped his hand. “Once I finish the initiating words, you’re going to feel a strange sensation like you’re absorbing something into your body. Don’t fight it, just let it happen so I can stabilize the connection,” you warned. “If you feel anything like a weird snap or push in the back of your head, that’s just the Bond solidifying.” You took in a deep breath. “The more open you let yourself be towards me, the stronger the connection.”

Hunter nodded in understanding.

You closed your eyes. “Transfer Granted,” you said, finishing the circuit. Again, you worked through the suctioning sensation, allowing your body to Shift into a basic form you knew very well. Opening your eyes once the sensations settled, you checked the Bond and stability of your connection.

Hunter had been surprisingly receptive compared to most first-time Handlers, and you found the Bond to be pretty sturdy all things considered. As soon as you feel comfortable, getting used to the new Handler, you let yourself materialize over his shoulder.

“I usually start out with a standard blaster,” you said, your voice a little wispier than normal as you pointed at the blaster in his hand.

He stared down at the weapon, turning it over in his hands. “I can hear you both out loud and like... like an echo in my head,” he remarked, voice a little terse.

You nodded. “It’s part of the Bonding. You can communicate with me out loud, but in cases when silence is required or for quick-time response, there’s a limited mental connection created. You can either speak in words or visualize, whichever comes more easily to you. That’s also how you can customize me as a weapon, by visualizing or describing to me the specific modifications that you want,” you explained, used to the process by now. “I don’t read your mind, you have to sort of... push them towards me, in a sense. It’s a limited connection,” you added, knowing the trepidation of the idea of someone possibly being able to read your mind.

He relaxed a little at that, and a blurred image started to bloom in the back of your mind. You tilted your head, and slowly the image started to crystallize as Hunter got used to the Bond and the communication. You picked up on the request, and between one breath and the next, you had Shifted into a modified blaster specifically balanced to his preference.

You took in a breath. “Please be patient with me,” you requested. “It takes me a little while to become completely accustomed to your particular fighting styles in order to best accommodate to your strengths. It may take me some time in the beginning.”

Wrecker bent forward, squinting at you. “Hey Shiv — I can call you that, right? — why do you look so... blurry?”

Tech adjusted his goggles. “It’s more like she’s a shadow, Wrecker,” he remarked clinically, observing you closely. “I think it’s the only way she can manifest herself since she’s technically the weapon itself.”

You nodded at him. “Tech is right. It’s kind of my astral form,” you confirmed.

“Cool!” Wrecker grinned at the general vicinity of your face.

“Alright, let’s go,” Hunter said, starting down the ramp and off towards the direction of the base.

You mentally picked apart the details of the modified weapon he’d shown you, making sure your copy of it was exact down to the weight and size. You tried your best to recall all the footage you’d analyzed the day before, specifically the patterns you’d noticed and highlighted about the Sergeant. You’d have to try to accommodate yourself to his movements and attempt to predict his preferences in weaponry and how he chose to utilize it. That way, you could start to make your performance seamless and save precious nanoseconds of response time that could mean the difference between life and death.

He glanced down at you, feeling the slight shift in the weight as you adjusted. A distant voice sounded in the back of your mind. If I wanted to change weapons, how would I ask?

You strained to hear. Project a little more towards the area you feel like the Bond is. You coached. You’re a bit faint.

He repeated the question, and it sounded much clearer and louder.

Thank you. I can hear better. The best way is to either mentally request it, or to visualize it again like you did to modify this blaster. Whichever is easier for you. You responded to his question.

I tend to visualize things when thinking. Hunter said. I think that’s how it’ll probably come across.

I understand, you acknowledged. After all, different people worked differently. Luckily, you’d worked with both visualizers as well as stream-of-consciousness, full word or sentence thinkers. I’m only limited by the amount of information you give me. I can Shift in nanoseconds, but if you don’t make sure to specify everything, it might be incomplete or a little different than what you wanted. You warned.

He nodded wordlessly, just as you came up to the clearing where the base was. The planet itself was rather forested, and the base had been set in the middle of a small clearing, half-hidden from above by the tree canopy. You briefly wondered how much intel had been needed in order to even find this place, much less know when and how long the intel would be shipped through this base anyway.

Two guards stood by the door, holding electro-spears with blasters at their sides. You didn’t doubt that there were probably more stationed within the base as well that would probably stream out like a disturbed ants nest once a confrontation began.

“Alright,” Hunter hissed lowly, gathering everyone’s attention. Cross, find a spot. You’ve got three minutes. Wrecker, get ready to run distraction. Yes, you can blow the ground sky-high for all I care, just make it big enough and keep their attention for as long as you can. Tech, get ready to slip around once Wrecker has them occupied.”

A sudden idea occurred to you. Cloaking shield. You whispered to Hunter, sending across a visualization of your possible contribution.

He instantly pounced on the idea. “Shiv is going to create a cloaking shield, get over here,” he hissed to Tech, who stepped closer to Hunter’s side. “We’ll use this to get as close as possible. If our cover’s blown, I’ll back you up.”

Tech nodded, pushing the visor of his helmet down in preparation. A minute later, Hunter nodded. “Let’s go.” He motioned to Wrecker.

With a booming laugh that you swore rattled through your currently nonexistent bones, Wrecker took a running leap into the clearing and slammed his fists into the ground. Chunks of earth went flying, and just as expected, the two armored guards started to run towards him. As soon as Hunter decided they were distracted enough, he motioned decisively.

You Shifted, creating the cloaking shield large enough for both him and Tech to fit under. Hunter started to move around the edge of the clearing, trying to stay a bit away from the flying rubble as Wrecker pulled out his grenades. You tried your best to keep monitoring, materializing over Hunter’s shoulder in order to keep eyes out for the flying rubble that might cause you to lose concentration if it hit the shield too hard or unexpectedly.

“How long can you hold it?” Hunter hissed, trying to stay quiet but let Tech in on the conversation.

“As long as nothing directly damages or hits me, as long as you need,” you whispered back. “But I expend more energy the larger of a weapon or shield that I am required to be.”

He nodded, helmet focused forward. You’d almost reached the doors, and the doors had cracked open to briefly allow backup to wriggle through.

“There’s going to be a risk,” you warned them as you reached the keypad. “I can’t hide the fact that the keypad is going to disappear from view or be tampered with. If anyone notices, the cover is blown.”

Hunter nodded. “Tech, you know how fast you can work. Concentrate, we’ll give you cover.”

Tech nodded, instantly pulling out some gear and hooking himself up to the keypad.

Hunter started filtering information to you about various weapons and their modifications he preferred to use, and you started instantly absorbing the information. To your surprise, you found that his visuals were extremely detailed, to the point that you almost started feeling them yourself. Everything in his head felt so much... crisper. So much more. You realized that it did make sense, considering his heightened senses. Everything would feel that much more to him, so it would naturally be transferred to you, especially considering your Bond.

Send me your Instincts, you whispered to him mentally.

What?

You let your astral form float a little in front of him, then pointed to his hands. Push across every instinct that you can towards the Bond. Channel them straight to me. Let your thoughts and instincts flow straight through the Bond, like a stream rushing by.

Hunter glanced at you, keeping an eye out for the distraction Wrecker was running. Crosshair had begun to snipe them down one by one, you vaguely noted. What does that do?

You started to feel him direct towards you, trying your best to accommodate and map out the way his instincts were honed. I am a living weapon, Sergeant, you reminded him. If a weapon could understand your instincts and become a part of your body, an extension of yourself, able to work with your thoughts in real time, what would you do with that? How would you shape that weapon and use it? I am a tool. I am a weapon, under your control. Please use me. This is my job.

Sometimes, the words felt like betrayal, coming from your own mind and mouth. Even though you knew you had worth, were more than just an object, you also knew that your part in this war and what you fundamentally were as a being was... a weapon. A weapon to be utilized to devastating effect. To kill, or to protect... to shield, or to destroy.

I am a weapon. You are a Handler. I will be used however you decide.

Hunter’s eyes hardened as he glanced at your form, and you felt his fingers tighten around the handle of the cloaking shield. But he said nothing and continued to funnel everything like a rushing stream into the Bond.

Tech hissed. “I’ve got it.”

The doors slid open, revealing an empty hallway.

Hunter stepped forward. “Get in, now, before anyone notices,” he barked.

Tech and Hunter quickly stepped in, heading down the corridor.

Blaster, Hunter requested.

You Shifted, allowing the cloaking shield to disappear. The three of you crept down the hallway, Tech leading the way as he glanced down at the map of the base he’d managed to strip. He fiddled with his controls as he led down the twisting hallways, opening doors as necessary.

“The intel holding should be just past this door,” Tech whispered tersely, holding his device up to the blast doors. The infrared picked up several life forms, and when he switched to x-ray, a couple of droids showed up on the screen.

“Those are assassin droids,” you whispered urgently, recognizing the shape and build.

Hunter nodded grimly. “Tech, once the doors are open, go for the others. We’ll handle the droids.”

You leaned toward Hunter’s ear. “Weaken the head plates and use a vibro-shiv to get to the cores,” you whispered, knowing how those droids worked. You’d lost Handlers before thanks to the stupid droids and their required close-combat.

Hunter nodded, and the doors started to open. As soon as they’d opened wide enough, Tech followed Hunter’s nod and slid around the corner. They both started to shoot at the same time. A few of the organic soldiers dropped thanks to getting caught in crossfire from the assassin droids, and Hunter started to target the head plates of the droids.

You quickly picked up on his flow of movement, correcting for precision aiming and knocking plates loose from the droids. Three of them started converging on you, and Hunter shouted at Tech.

“Get to cover!”

In a heartbeat, you’d Shifted into the vibro-shiv and he’d slashed at the wiring under one of the droid’s loose plates. It started to stagger, some of the support lost. Kicking out at the other, Hunter quickly managed to incapacitate the other two enough to slash at their wires as well. It didn’t take long for them to stagger about, losing some of their motor functions.

Tech found an opening and managed to nail one droid right in the exposed core, downing it in a shower of sparks. Hunter sank the shiv into another core, but you’d already caught sight of the last droid starting to point its blastered hand.

Hardly thinking, you bulked the weight of the vibro-shiv and made Hunter drop at the unexpected weight, barely missing the blast that went over his head. You returned it to normal a second later, and Hunter whirled on his heels close to the ground and threw.

You pointed the shiv with deadly accuracy, making it sink directly into the center of the exposed core. The droid froze, shuddering. For a moment the whole room seemed to freeze as Hunter and the droid faced off. Then the droid crumpled with a screech of metal, collapsing on the floor. The shiv shuddered.

Hold out your hand, you whispered to Hunter.

He held out his hand, and the shiv whipped back into his hand as you returned yourself to him. His hand closed over the hilt, and it shifted back into a blaster.

Tech had already scurried over the vault and was quickly working on it, fingers flying over his cracking device. Hunter turned toward the door, pointing the blaster and keeping an eye out.

“Thanks,” Hunter said gruffly. “Back there, with the third.”

The thanks caught you off guard. Why would he thank you? I... It’s my job, was all you could really think to say, thoroughly confused. You were a weapon. Why would he thank you for doing what you were literally born to do?

A flash of anger traveled through your Bond, and you instinctively shrank away though it passed just as quickly as it had appeared. Why would he be angry? Had you done something wrong? Had he not wanted you to correct it? Would it have been better if you’d done it differently?

You tried to refocus, knowing better than to get distracted now. The mission was still underway.

You heard the vault click behind you, then a quick rustle. Tech’s footsteps faltered, then squeaked against the floor.

“We need to go!” he shouted, beginning to sprint. “The vault was rigged! This place is going to blow in T-minus two minutes!”

Hunter had automatically followed Tech, but his pace quickened. “Tech, we’re not going to make it,” Hunter called grimly.

And he was right. It would take you longer to get out than that. There were so many twists and turns. You thinned your lips, materializing over his shoulder.

“Grab Tech,” you said, already Shifting. Hunter lunged forward towards Tech, grabbing him as he threw you down and jumped. You guided yourself to catch both him and Tech as a hoverdisc. A joystick grew from the base, and Tech unquestioningly grabbed it, beginning to guide you down paths so quickly that you barely had time to register any surroundings.

You rounded a corner, and Hunter shouted something. The doors had begun to close. But Tech just hunched over, and flicked a button you provided on the joystick.

“Hold on!” Tech yelled.

You Shifted, closing your eyes in order to concentrate, get it right, there wasn’t room for hesitation or error, you knew this, you could do this-

Heat seared your senses just as you managed to throw up both a shield and the proper mechanics that you’d studied so diligently and meticulously.

You screamed.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you knew that you were flying through the air, the Transference forcefully Dissolved. But all you could really pay attention to was the pain that burned through all of your nerves and senses. The moment you felt yourself hit the ground and roll, all breath was knocked out of your lungs.

Tears streamed down your cheeks as you wordlessly clutched at your arm, unable to make a single sound. You knew this had been a risk, the moment you’d done it. You’d only managed to put up the shield just in time to save Hunter and Tech from the blast approaching behind you, but it had been incomplete in your hurry to both throw it up and blow the doors open.

You’d been distracted. And now you were paying for your own mistake.

A half-strangled sob burst from your lips as you peeled your hand away from your arm, digging your hand into the soil underneath you and jacking yourself up. You’d taken damage from the blast, and just as you’d known would happen, it had Transferred to your physical body as well. After all... you were a weapon. And every weapon gets dents and scorch marks in battle. But you knew you were meant to take it. You’d always known you were meant to be the shield for your Handler.

Someone skidded to your side as you hunched over, trying to breathe through the pain. If you could just-

“Maker,” a voice snarled.

Vaguely, you half-registered the voice as Hunter’s. You scrabbled back, throwing out your good hand. “Don’t touch me!” you sobbed out, begging, praying that he wouldn’t touch you.

“Shiv, you need medical attention-“

“Please, don’t touch me, you don’t understand-“ you managed to sob out, shaking and hunching over.

“What happened?” Crosshair’s voice growled from nearby.

“Shiv-“ Hunter’s voice barked.

But you staggered to your feet, trying to just focus, you needed to focus- your ears rang. Gritting your teeth, you forced yourself to push. You were a weapon. You did not fail your Handler. You got back up. You took the consequences, you will take the pain, you will do your kriffing job-

A shuddering gasp tore from your throat as you felt yourself begin to work. You could feel the numbing ice of cold gunmetal creep up your mangled arm, could fairly smell your hissing flesh as you covered your arm slowly but ruthlessly.

Numbness. You barely felt anything, now, except for a vague pressure on your arm. Letting out a half-broken sob, shuddering, you reached up and smeared tears away from your face. Looking up, you caught sight of all four of the Bad Batch gazing at you with varying expressions of horror or concern.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, feeling dizziness start to descend. Everything started to spin. “I’m sorry, I’ll- I’ll fix it-“

As everything tilted, the last thing you saw was someone’s hand reaching for you.

Part 4: https://elysiadjarin.tumblr.com/post/654625612928008192/sword-and-shield-4

[wesimpforxiao]

Say My Name and I’ll Be There:  5.1

Author’s Note:  How’s everyone liking the story so far?  Kinda getting into my head about how stiff the writing is.  Maybe it just feels stiff to me, idk.  Anyways, here’s an early chapter!

"So, why are your eyes different colors?"  Childe caught you alone while you gathered firewood a few yards away from the camp.  The sun had long set, leaving you to rely on a lantern and the dim light of the distant fire.  He was limping from your sparring session earlier.

You had beat him.

And man, did it feel good.

"We crossed paths with a merchant that was traveling from Fontaine.  He said they're 'contacts.'  Basically little objects a person can put across their pupils and change their color," you repeated the rehearsed words a little too perfectly for Childe to believe.

"Oh?  I've never heard of that invention before," he tested.

"I guess it's new?  Like the kamera devices they recently developed? Aether has one of those."  You watched as he kept his hands idle at his sides.

"Interesting.  And Aether was the one who told you to say this to me?"  He blocked your path to the fire by placing a hand against the tree that stood behind you.  What a terrible liar you make, ojou-chan.  His friendly smile never left his lips, but it never reached his eyes.  They were cold and demeaning as they examined yours.

"I-I," you stumbled over your words.  "Why are you acting so weird, Childe?" You tried to laugh him off and attempted to duck under his arm.  What to say, what to say! Oh, maybe this'll work?  "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're acting like a schoolboy crushing on one of his friends."

It might have been a wrong move.

He pinned your shoulders to the tree and made sure no one had their eyes on the two of you.  "On the contrary, you began acting strangely the minute I found you today."  Something in his gaze faltered as he replayed your words in his head. Perhaps I am acting like a schoolboy. But I can't help it if I'm infatuated with my target.  His eyes fell to the shimmering necklace resting against your collarbone, and he gently touched it.  "This is new."

"Don't touch that," you slapped his hand away.

"I don't recall you wearing such a genuine cor lapis charm before.  Where'd you get this from?"

"It was my Granny's."

Childe scrunched his nose at the answer, a brief look of internal conflict passing over his face like a cloud.  'Was?' The woman passed? I made sure she wouldn't get hurt by my men.  So then how did she--  He wanted to ask until the realization struck him.  They went to Quince Village after my leaving.  She saw the Fatui there--

You were too enraged to notice him visually fight himself and approached the campsite with an armful of branches.  You made a point to sit next to Xiao and glared at the Harbinger as he returned.

He maintained eye contact with you, even after sitting across the fire from you and the yaksha.  Your pupils seemed to glow from his perspective.  The fire licked the air in between you until all he could make out was the anger in your eyes.  She knows.  He mentally kicked himself, but only partially because of the possible complications this could pose for Signora and her grand plan.  If you were this angry, there was a chance you had told the yaksha.  And if the yaksha saw the Fatui, or at least heard of what you thought happened, then there's a chance he told Mr. Zhongli.  While he could not break the contract with the Tsaritsa, he'd find a way around the stated rules.  He made a fool of Childe once; he could do it again.

Childe didn't care in the slightest about fighting the entire group--though he was a bit afraid of facing the yaksha despite his urge to fight every living thing on Teyvat.  The only thing that mattered to him was you.  And if you were angry enough to fight, vision or not, he'd have to take you by force.  You may hold a special place in his heart, but his feelings for you meant nothing compared to his loyalty for the Tsaritsa.

One chance, the harbinger strengthened his resolve. I'll give her one chance to prove herself.  If she fails, I won't hesitate to take that which will secure Snezhnaya's future.

...................................................................

Several days passed by without incident--

--Is what I'd like to say, but unfortunately, that didn't hold true for you.

Childe and his unrelenting pleas for battles continued to reach your ears day in and day out.  He was the one that was attached to your hip, not Xiao.  You had only realized today that Childe was around you more often than the yaksha ever since he greeted you with a jumpscare at Luhua Pool.  To make matters worse, Xiao neglected to make a move towards him.

She can handle herself, he thought after witnessing the stunts you pulled on Childe.  Xiao recognized that the movements you were using as his own; perhaps there was an upside to you unconsciously peeking in on his memories.  He put himself on standby when he came to the realization.  But make no mistake, he would and will protect you if things got out of hand with the harbinger.  He just figured he'd take a step back and quietly observe his weak points, just like the old days.  The days in which Childe did not pose a serious threat to the group; when all that was between you and the harbinger was harmless bickering.

It would seem like those old days were still fresh to an outsider, but as the days passed by, you were growing increasingly frustrated with Childe's behavior.  After all, how could he continue to play the part of an oblivious comrade, when it was clear as day that the tensions within the group were growing?  How could he even call you a comrade with a straight face? How was it that he felt no remorse for his actions toward Granny when he looked you in the eye?

How was it that he could be so carefree?

Maybe part of you envied him for it.  Your inner grumblings did you no favor in the present moment though; the team had stepped into the western side of Dragonspine.  Your four coats made almost no difference against the sheer cold, and your body shivered uncontrollably even though warmer weather was only a hundred yards behind you.

Everyone except Xiao and Aether wore warm clothes, and it looked like the poor outlander regretted his decision to forego the garments.  Xiao appeared to be unbothered and more energetic than usual.  Childe looked like he was right at home with the weather, his shirt still sloppily unbuttoned to reveal his toned body underneath.  Bennet walked alongside you and was replacing Zhongli for the time being.

Snowflakes lazily floated their way down to earth, but they did nothing to grab your attention when the wind continued to howl against the team's direction.  You caught Xiao letting snow collect in his hand with an almost childlike wonder, but he glared at you when he found you staring.

"I want to find some dragon teeth for a sword and since you haven't been here before I thought it'd be a good idea to show you around," Aether called out to you over his shoulder, his arms crossing over his bare stomach for an ounce of warmth.

"You're insane!"

Aether's laugh mixed with the clattering of his teeth.  "You only live once, right?"  You removed two of your coats and threw them over his head.  "T-t-thanks."

You rolled your eyes despite the fact that you were smiling at him, only for your gaze to lock with Xiao's look of disapproval.  'Mortals are fragile,' you interpreted his frown and giggled.  

"Here we go!" Bennet lit the firepit with his flaming sword and knelt down in front of it.  Everyone joined him;  Aether was especially close to the flames.

"It's kind of annoying to find fire every five minutes," you shivered violently.  "And you practically go up here for fun?"  

"It gets easier the more we do it," Paimon giggled with a nervous smile.  "Besides, we get to mine starsilver and find cool dragon stuff that we can sell--"

"Don't lump me in with you," Aether piped up without moving away from the fire.

The distant sound of a conversation was carried over by a bone-chilling breeze.  "Huh?  Should we go check it out?"  Paimon stared in the direction the vague voices were coming from.

"U-uh-huh," nodded Aether.

The group stumbled over a hill only to find the body cavity of Durin.  While it threw you off, the sight around the remains was what chilled you to the bone.  Of course there's Fatui here, you scoffed.

"I see a tooth over there too,"  Aether whined.

"What's everyone looking at me for?"  Childe let out a nervous chuckle and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.  "These aren't my guys."

"We know," Paimon cooed.

"That's why we want you to go talk to them and let us pass," Aether held the smuggest expression you've ever seen him pull off.

"Uh...I'm not under any jurisdiction to--"

"Do it," you ordered with cold eyes.  When he locked eyes with you, you stood on your tip-toes and spoke in his ear.  "Prove your loyalty to the group."

"My loyalty, ojou-chan," his eyes narrowed significantly, "lies with Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa."

"Uh-oh," Paimon poofed out of existence.

"Uh, guys?  Those Fatui agents are approaching us reeeaal fast," Bennett warned.  

The two of you broke eye contact to find that he was right.  One electro and two geo skirmishers were walking towards the group.  Poofing would be a more accurate description.  Childe gave you a final look before he hopped over a log to greet them.

"Greetings!"  He didn't smile, and the skirmishers stopped in their tracks.

"Master Childe?  We didn't realize you'd be joining us on the mountain."  The three of them knelt out of respect.

"It's a surprise visit, really.  I came to check on your progress--"  The group made their way around the Fatui and Aether yanked the large tooth out of the ground while Childe chattered away with his subordinates.

[pagingdoctorbedlam]

My final potion for @quirkyseastone ‘s “Brew a Love Potion” event is complete! Hope you’re ready for the fluffiest darn thing I’ve written for this fandom (and possibly ever).

Characters: Franky x Reader

Genre: Sci-Fi AU, Fluff

TW/CW: Mentions of loss/death

Inspiration: Kudos to “A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers for inspiring this fic~

Word Count: 2.7k words

"Alright, we've successfully docked. Good job, crew." You sit up from the captain's chair and gaze out at the starport outside your window. It's been some time since you'd landed on one of the Sabaody Moons, but you've always found the view breathtaking. The moons are more tree than earth, and bubbles slowly float from the roots up toward the stars. While some of the moons are still hives of scum and villainy, others seem almost paradisiacal as beings from far-flung galaxies intermingled in the Sabaody ports.

Before you can get too far from the bridge, the intercom of the Thousand Sunny buzzes to life. It's Franky, the A.I. that runs your ship. "Hey Captain, can I nab a word with ya' before you go on shore leave?"

"Sure thing. Need me here, or down in the core room?"

"Core Room, if ya' don't mind. I've got a super new design to run by you." Though Franky works admirably as a ship A.I., he'd originally been coded to design ships, including the one he now ran, the 1000 Suns (colloquially the Thousand Sunny to you and your crew). Even though his focus is now centered on ship diagnostics and flight procedures, the A.I. still delights in crafting new machine schematics, and you have a rule that he needs your approval before he modifies the ship.

You wave off the rest of the bridge crew, and they're all too eager to touch solid ground again after months in space. You are too, but if Franky's waited this long to check on you, it's likely something for your ears only while the rest of the crew is offboard. You stride through the winding metal hallways that make up the ship's guts, flashing your clearance badge here and there until you are down in the deep bowels of the ship, close enough to the engines that you can hear the machinery thrumming as the ship went through cooldown procedures. It's familiar. You come down here more often than others would expect, enough that you've got a futon and blanket stashed nearby for nights you don't spend in your own cabin.

"Franky? Said you wanted to see me?" You call out as you entered the Core Room. The entire room is covered in segments of a giant computer, with retractable screens and limbs for interacting with others; all of this is Franky. In a way, you're standing in his brain, which is something you try not to think about too much. What catches your attention is that all the screens are down, a rarity when Franky has company.

"Sure do!" His voice echoes, but not from the speakers. "Got a surprise for you. Close your eyes a sec, alright Captain?"

"Franky..." You're sure no other ship A.I.s play games with their commanding officers, but then again, you've yet to meet an A.I. with half the personality Franky has. You close your eyes and cover them with your hands. "Alright, ready when you are."

You expect to hear wheels, a cart with some sort of prototype wheeling into the room. Instead there are footsteps, heavy and so in-sync that it borders on unnatural. Then a hand on your shoulder, warm and soft. Too curious to resist temptation, you open your eyes and peek through your fingers.

"Franky, is this...?"

"An android body? It sure is!" He spins you around and takes a step back so you can take in his full visage. He looks human for the most part, even if the muscles in his forearms are overemphasized and patches of metal poke out from his skin. Still, he has skin, the medical-grade sort often used for replacing lost flesh in humans, and hair that's sculpted into a bright blue pompadour. He must have borrowed clothes from someone in medical too, though he's only wearing a floral patterned shirt, sunglasses, and a speedo. You suppose he was too excited for the big reveal to finish getting dressed.

"You made this, Franky?"

"Yeah, alongside Dr. Chopper and the rest of the medical team, plus Usopp over in Engineering. Surprised none of 'em spilled the beans." He flexes to show off the musculature of his arms. "We'd talked about what happened to your last ship, and figured we should make me a back-up body in case I ever needed to leave the ship with you all. Not that I plan for anything to happen to the Sunny..."

"But better safe than sorry." You still miss Merry, your sweet A.I. lost with your previous ship. She and Franky would've gotten along well, you think. "It's a good plan, I approve."

"Excellent! Now I just need to take it for a spin, test it outside the ship. Seeing as we've docked for the time being..."

Ah. Now you see what he's getting it. Pretty sly, for an A.I. "As your Captain, I'll accompany you on your first excursion out on the spaceport, to make sure everything's in working order." You offer an arm. He raises an eyebrow. "Loop it with mine. Like this...there we go. Now let's get going, shall we?"

 Even among the strangest aliens, Franky stands out in his own way at the space docks. This is only partially due to his lack of pants: he claims this is because he designed his legs to vent most of the heat his body builds up, and you wouldn't want him to overheat and faint on his first outing, would you? No, he stands out because even though he's clearly an android, there's an excitement to him that would rival even the most starry-eyed space explorers.

"Would ya' take a look at this, Captain?" You'd expect to find Franky gawking at any number of the docked spaceships, and indeed he's gushed about many of them already. Instead, he directs your attention to one of the tree roots. A trail of iridescent beetles scurry up the bark, and overhead, a couple smaller Southbirds (rare here, likely escaped cargo from the planet Skypiea) call to each other as they watch the busy port below.

"Thought you'd studied all these, Franky." After all, he's a powerful computer who can research multiple ideas at once, and innately curious as any inventor tends to be. And he's asked you and the crew many, many questions about the world beyond his metal hull.

"Yeah, but no matter how advanced the notes and visuals might be, it doesn't compare with the real thing. I mean, look at 'em!" He points at one particular beetle as its shell reflects the lights of the spaceport back with an opalescent sheen. "Even if you could theoretically simulate all this on a computer, most wouldn't think to do so on their own. Out here, stuff just...happens."

You have never seen an A.I. quite so excited about life outside, but then again, you've never met an A.I. quite like Franky. "Yeah, I guess that is pretty exciting when you put it that way. Part of the wonders of space travel; you never quite know what's going to happen out here."

Then a realization hits your brain with the full-bodied force of a supernova. "Franky, you've spent so much time traveling through the stars, but have you ever actually seen them the way we do?"

Franky looks up at the sky overhead. "Hard to see 'em from up here, even if I zoom out my eyes to max. Watch this!" His eyes...actually telescope out of his head. That's a bit disturbing with how human he looks. "Figure that's due to light pollution, though. Pretty bright out here."

"Sure is." You offer your arm to him again. "Come with me; I'll show you how folks groundside go out to look at the stars."

 Years ago, you'd come out of the harshest space battle of your life. Your crew narrowly avoided becoming space dust, and after giving her all to save you, you lost Merry. The ship that had been with you since the beginning, the A.I. with the biggest heart you'd ever met. As her files corrupted and her hull fell apart, you'd honored her final wish and set her ablaze once you reached planetside, cremating her as one would a human. You still carry a vial of her ashes on a necklace, so you never forget what you've lost to get this far.

You'd wandered through the streets of the moon of Water 7 in a daze. Hadn't even paid attention where you went as the rest of the crew licked their wounds. Before you knew it, a robotic voice called out to you from the depths of a starship demolition yard.

"What's got you down, Captain? Can't be you're sad to be out among the stars!"

You'd blinked, not recognizing the source of the voice. But you called back, "I just lost someone important to my crew. My ship." You didn't care if most folks didn't see A.I.s as people. Merry had been more than a crewmate to you. She'd been a friend.

Even though the voice emanating from the demo-yard was auto-tuned monotone, it took on a warmer tone somehow. "I'm sorry to hear that. But you say you're looking for a ship? I might be able to help with that." A crackle of static. "And if you'd like, you can tell me about your lost pal. I can't bring 'em back for you...but I've heard that talking about these kinda' things helps."

"You don't even know who I am."

"No one does when they first meet, do they? Speaking of which, call me Franky."

Somehow, pouring your heart out to a stranger was easier than talking to your crewmates. You'd wandered into the heart of the scrapheaps and talked to the mysterious Franky, his voice surrounding you from so many static-filled speakers. You'd watched as overhead, he controlled cranes to start putting pieces of a mighty vessel together. He'd asked about your specifications, what you'd loved about Merry both as a ship and a friend. You'd cried. He did too. And when you'd asked how much the ship would cost, he said the only charge would be that he could come along.

You agreed willingly, overjoyed to have such a skilled shipwright onboard. It was only when you talked to the demo-yard owner that you learned that the person you'd poured your heart out to was an A.I.

That didn't stop you from doing so again once the Thousand Sunny was complete, and Franky took to his new home in his core room. You'd wander down into the depths of the Thousand Sunny whenever you needed a second opinion on the ship or a mission, and soon after that just to talk. You'd spent hours surrounded by the computer that served as Franky's brain for so long, talking and laughing just as you used to with Merry. Except, it was more than that with him. He wasn't just a friend, you'd realized over time. But you'd shoved those thoughts away. It was ludicrous, falling in love with an A.I. whose brain you could walk through, whose body was a starship you controlled with the push of a few buttons.

But now he has a body. You can squeeze his giant hand, and he squeezes back so softly as he gets used to his own strength. He smiles the way you always imagined he would, grinning with pearly white teeth and eyes that (literally) glow with joy.

He follows you with infinite curiosity as you weave through the Sabaody streets and gather supplies for your excursion. You ask about his body's capabilities and discover his fuel source is...astonishingly close to soda, so you pick up a few colas along with some food for you. Franky gets to carry a blanket hand-woven by the locals, and you catch him marveling at the texture when he thinks you aren't looking. Finally, you rent a small paddleboat to traverse the moon with, and a map that lays out the canals and waterways of this particular moon.

"You know, it'd be a lot faster if I rowed," Franky says, mouth quirked into a lopsided grin as your comparatively tiny arms pull the oars back and forth. It's amazingly, how perfectly imperfect he looks, more human than any other android you've seen even with all the metal bits.

"There's an old human adage about the journey being more important than the destination, Franky. Take in the experience."

You watch as his attention zeroes in along the waterways, eyes zooming in on every detail until they're pulled away to something new. You expect him to be interested in the flora and fauna, as opalescent leaves bigger than your boat stretch over the water to shade you from the encroaching moonlight and soft purple creatures vaguely reminiscent of otters circle your boat before chasing each other down the river. But the entire world is new to him, and you find him fascinated by even the dirt or the buzzing insects swarming your head.

"Aww, look. I think it likes me!" Franky lifts one giant finger, where a mosquito (why did those have to be a universal constant?) tries and fails at piercing his skin.

"It probably thinks you're human and is trying to suck your blood," you point out, as the bugs try to use you as a personal juicebox. This only gets Franky to smile. Must feel validating, having even nature recognize him for what he is in his heart.

It takes a bit more rowing, but you finally arrive at your destination. A small island, mostly shore, with a small field and a lone tree with leaves that glow silver in the moonlight. You dock the boat on the shore, then set up the blanket and food for a small picnic. You motion for Franky to sit with you, and can't help but laugh a little at the faces he makes when touching sand for the first time. Then you lay back on the blanket. Franky joins you, and his eyes go wide.

A ribbon of starlight glimmers overhead. Hundreds of constellations twinkle overhead. You'd ask if he knows any, but you keep quiet so you don't break his wonder-filled gaze.

His giant hand encases yours. "Space seems even bigger from here than it does when you're in the middle of it. I mean, look at all those stars! I read that you could see 'em from so far away, but seeing it in person..."

"This is what inspired me to go into space," you say. Your finger drifts up to the brightest star in the sky. "I'd look at that one and say, I'm going to go there someday! Didn't care how far away it was, or even what might be around it. Just wanted to head to the brightest star I could."

Franky narrows his gaze up at that star. "That's over eight light years away. Might take a bit, even with a warp drive like mine. But if that's where you wanna' go? I'll take you anywhere, Captain. Long as we're together, I'll explore every corner of the universe with you."

For a moment, both of you are quiet. The air fills with the gentle rhythm of the flowing water, the buzz of insects, bushes rustling as creatures move in the night. In the distance, the hum of a starship engine taking off from the port; you soon see its lights trail across the sky as it ascends back into that void above, the space that's so comforting because it holds planets and stars and spaceships and you and Franky all together in its embrace.

"I think this is the part where one of us says 'I love you'," Franky says softly.

You smile and squeeze his hand back. "You're such a romantic. But yeah, you're right. And I do. I love you."

"Love you too, Captain. And thanks. For, y'know, helping me be human."

"Franky, you've got more heart than most anyone I know. You're plenty human already. I'm just here to steer you steady. And I always will."

You pass the rest of the night watching the stars overhead. And for the captain and A.I. of a starship, you wouldn't have it any other way.

[libermachinae]

Fault Lines Under the Living Room

Part IV: Touch - Chapter 13: Twisting and Snarling

Also available on AO3 Chapter Summary: A hunt is on and the jig is up. Word Count: 3272

---

Gigatron had known, upon entering the throne room, that it was his destiny to have found this place. Why else would the the throne, a grand centerpiece from which he could observe every move of his soldiers, be so perfectly fitted to his frame? From here, he’d known, he would lay the foundations for the campaign that would bring the universe, at last, to its knees before the Decepticons. A place like this was reserved for champions and kings, and his claim over it proved that he had the makings of both.

So the reports concerning the Autobot infiltrators concerned him little. In the hours since their arrival, Startle and Sweeper had alternated rushing inside with alerts to the effect of, “The grounder was spotted in the midst of sector Z4, driving inbound,” or, “The slagged shuttle intercepted and we lost visual.” They treated each announcement as if it were news. Gigatron was well aware Deadlock was headed in fast with an Autobot hanging off his spoiler. He knew his current regiment would struggle and ultimately fail to catch him. Everything was progressing as he had always expected it would, so he stayed in his throne and waited them out.

He knew, as he answered the latest hail to his comm, that while victory would inevitably be his, this would not be it.

“Report.”

“Sir,” Vanquish said, “Deadlock got away.”

“Explain.” Vanquish was among his best, the captain of his security forces and first choice for rare away missions. Hellbat had handpicked him, and Gigatron trusted no one’s judgment more. Clearly, a few years separated from his roots had done nothing to blunt Deadlock’s edge.

“We thought we had him cornered,” Vanquish said. “There were three blasters aimed at his head and a sniper up above. Pothole moved in and he took an unlikely evasive maneuver over the wall at his back.” He grumbled, his pride hurt. “He’s fast, sir.”

“Any sign of his companions?” Gigatron asked.

“No, sir.”

“Is he injured?”

“No, not that I could see, sir.”

“You had him cornered and didn’t shoot him.” This was why he so eagerly awaited Deadlock’s arrival; idleness had proven unkind to his own mechs. Deadlock, whether he ended up serving as idol or an example, would bring them back to the caliber Gigatron expected of those under his command. First, though, he had to get here, and Gigatron was growing tired of being patient. It seemed that afford this encounter the gravity it deserved, Deadlock had decided to turn it into a game. Fine. Gigatron could humor him, if only briefly.

“I’m taking my team,” he decided. “Return to base and await further orders. I don’t need you all broadcasting my location to him.”

“Yes, sir.”

Gigatron cut the comm and made to gesture to Hellbat, only to remember he had left on his own errand. He waved instead to the next nearest mech, Sweeper, who straightened to attention.

“Get my squad ready,” Gigatron commanded. “We’re joining the hunt.”

~*~

Seated in the Decepticon shuttle, hovering at the far edge of Decepticon territory, Ratchet barely moved. There had been a cough sitting in his engine so long it felt like the fumes were corroding his pipes, but he batted down commands to clear it even as his internals stung and his filters felt heavy. He could distract himself by tapping against his knee, but the feeling was starting to overwhelm his rudimentary distraction technique. 

It didn’t help that his other main distraction was judging him, harshly. Rodimus hadn’t said so much in words, but he found it amusing that Ratchet was holding himself to such stringent demands when there were easier solutions. Each time he felt the wave of derision, Ratchet shot back with the simple point that Rodimus wasn’t speaking for a reason. Both of them were silent as Drift slipped into the base, desperate not to distract him but unwilling to cut the comm for even a moment, the crackling feedback of his malfunctioning comm suite their only sign he was still operational.

There had been so many close calls getting him in this far, and he still wasn’t all the way to the target yet. Somehow, he planned to sneak a pair of potentially unwilling Decepticons back out of their fortified base, and then once outside somehow maneuver around the patrols, which were growing more aggressive with each near miss. They’d all known going in this would be a dangerous, difficult operation, but Ratchet kept wondering if they could have done more to prepare. If they’d gone in not just watching one another’s backs, but being—

Rodimus intercepted the thought before it could go any further. Regardless of the fact they kept looping back to it, now wasn’t the time.

“I’m in,” Drift whispered, offering an ideal distraction.

“What are their defenses like?” The words tumbled out of Ratchet, followed by a hacking filter cough that he immediately muted himself for. His fans were still spinning when he jumped back into the channel.

“—very spare,” Drift was saying. “Could’ve walked in through the front door.”

“That’s not normal, right?” Rodimus asked, assuming the answer but trying to avoid saying something stupid in front of the expert.

“It’s not like there’s standard practice out here, but no,” Drift said. “A group with that sophisticated a defense system normally wouldn’t leave their headquarters unattended.”

“Is it possible it’s a decoy?” Ratchet asked.

“Sure,” Drift said nonchalantly.

“As in a trap?”

“Uh-huh.”

Ratchet didn’t bother adding anything else. Rodimus’ thoughts were bland and resigned; a mental shrug, perhaps a pat on the shoulder. Ratchet accepted it as the best he was going to get.

“Any signs of Grit?” Rodimus asked to fill the empty space.

“Not yet. Have an idea where he might be, though.”

“Thought you said they don’t keep standard practice in these places.”

“They don’t.”

Ratchet was going to push him further on it when he heard the subtle click of disconnection.

“Drift?”

No response.

“Drift?” he tried again, pointlessly.

“What—did he—”

He did. He did, Ratchet was certain, because the last tone of a comm being broken was completely different from one shut off manually. That knowledge, combined with Rodimus’ unending confidence in Drift, allowed them to stave off the cascade of panic they felt at being shut out so suddenly.

“Why would he cut us off?” Rodimus demanded.

Ratchet briefly wondered if they were coming to rely too much on their mind link, losing touch with how to understand other Cybertronians without it. The passing thought was swept along in the tide, though, inconsequential compared to their much more pressing concerns.

“He found something.” And now he was facing it all alone.

“Not alone,” Rodimus reminded him. “He’s got us.”

He wasn’t wrong. Ratchet reached out and held onto Rodimus’ certainty, feeling Rodimus do the same as he started to input the commands for takeoff.

~*~

Gigatron slammed one taloned foot to the ground and roared, echoing through the barren canyons. Another dead end and no sign of Deadlock. The little shuttle had made one appearance but fled the moment Gigatron gave chase, leaving him once more to wait for reports full of almosts and nearlys.

The tracks Drop Down had found led to a cliff with no apparent follow through. Same with the trail Sweeper had slithered over. Now, Rageor was chiming in, claiming he had found something. Gigatron flapped his wings twice and took to the air, homing in on the provided coordinates. Rageor stood before a tall cliff face, two members of his squad on either side of him, facing something hidden between the three of them. Gigatron let himself drop, brittle dust stone buckling beneath his feet as he landed and sending a cloud up into the air. He coiled his necks up to their full height before he stepped forward, flames licking his teeth.

“Show me,” he demanded.

Rageor nodded and stepped aside, revealing a mech cowering against the wall. Blocky and tan with green accents, his utterly plain appearance would have made it possible to mistake him for a neutral, were it not for the purple insignia splashed on the back of his shoulder. Gigatron turned to the captain of his vanguard, who raised his hands and took a step back.

“That’s not Deadlock,” Gigatron growled.

“He claims to have information,” Rageor said, turning his face away when the flames came close. Gigatron turned one of his heads to the unknown Decepticon, who cowered from the direct attention and squirmed as though trying to press himself into the rock itself.

“Well?” The thrill of the hunt was waning, glory still at bay, and Gigatron’s patience was wearing thin.

“Dr—Deadlock, he brought me here,” the Decepticon said, “on his shuttle. Rickety little thing, meant we were in auditory range the whole time.” He gulped as Gigatron pawed at the ground, talons driving furrows into the soft stone. “He and his Autobots, they were trying to be vague, but they had something on their ship. Some kinda weapon.”

“And?” Gigatron asked, unimpressed. He hardly needed to ruffle his platelets to reveal his own flying arsenal. If this Decepticon intended to use this weapon as a bargaining chip for his life, Gigatron wasn’t sure which side he was undervaluing more.

“And they specifically didn’t want you getting at it”

Hm. Hadn’t he heard a refrain like that before?

The Decepticon froze as Gigatron straightened, each of his hands rising high to scan the distant horizon. Deadlock might have been the key to this planet’s greatest asset, but Gigatron hadn’t gotten where he was by limiting his prospects.

“All patrols, update priorities,” he announced. “It seems there is a second prize in our midst.”

~*~

“That is what we are, that is why we’re here. Machines of war, of—”

Hellbat broke off mid-rant, which was fine, because with two guns aimed at his head and the tip of a sword digging into his back, Drift was only half paying attention. The rest of his limited focus was on Grit, kneeled at Hellbat’s side with his hands bound behind his back and plating locked tight as a blast container. The stone army he had tucked to the side for now, concerning but not an immediate threat while they remained in their dormant state.

“What? Gigatron, sir,” Hellbat snapped, glaring at the ceiling as though he could see his commander through the stone. “You can’t—we need the Autobots alive.”

Drift did his best not to react, though the blade digging harder between his shoulder panels suggested he didn’t do well enough.

“What’s—I don’t know—what do you care about some cheap Autobot weapon? We have the army, remember? That’s—”

Drift’s control slipped. He flinched from the edge of the sword cutting into his subplating, but it didn’t stop him from switching his comms back on. Security be damned, they were already compromised.

“Gigatron knows about the Enigma,” he rushed to say. “Get off the planet, go, they—”

“Hey, enough.”

He thought he heard the blip of a response before the gun pointed at his temple twisted around and came down hard against his helm. His vision went to static as he went down, not from the blow itself but the audible POP as his busted comms suite finally gave out. A hand grabbed his drooping shoulder and hauled him upright again, while another forced his helm up to meet Hellbat’s optics.

“If you tell me where the Autobots are, I’ll promise to put them into stasis before I begin the harvesting process,” he said. “It’s a much better end than they’ll find in Gigatron’s maw, I assure you.”

Helm swimming with pain and spark frantic with worry—please, let them somehow find a degree more sense than they had displayed throughout the extent of this ordeal—Drift somehow managed to find Hellbat’s optics and lock onto them.

“You know, you almost remind me of them,” he said. “You’re all terrible at compromise.” His voice sounded hollow, and when the next strike came he sagged down to his knees, waiting for the pain to fade and the static to clear. He tried pinging his comm suite but got nothing, not even the echo of a signal failing to reach its destination. He was fully cut off.

“Go,” he heard Hellbat bark. “Gather your team. You know what to do.”

“But sir—”

“Once I’ve gathered everything I need from him, you can do whatever you please with what remains,” Hellbat promised Vanquish. “Now go.”

The blade drew away from his back, followed by retreating footsteps. He peered up at his remaining guards, guns still aimed, and Hellbat, who had drawn out a pair of stasis cuffs. Drift glanced at Grit. The returned look was weary, but not yet beaten. The silent dialogue that passed between them might not have been precise as a comm, but it was much faster: Drift only had to leap back as Grit threw himself at Hellbat.

Both guns went off, their near misses giving Drift an opening to draw his swords and rush them. Movements simple, cuts clean: one guard down faster than the time it had taken him to get up. The other fired again, forcing Drift to dodge to the side and back. The remaining guard circled Drift, finger wrapped around the trigger and clearly waiting for him to make the first move. Drift let him, maneuvering himself until his back was to the hallway, the guard standing between him and the stone army.

Down on the floor, Grit didn’t have a way to pin Hellbat, but he was keeping him occupied, both of them twisting and snarling around each other as they fought for the advantage. Hellbat managed to curl one leg between them and shove Grit off. He rolled into Drift’s path, who hauled him up without taking his optics off the guard. Hellbat rose to his pedes with an almost insulting level of patience, dusting off his armor and brushing his hand over the minor dents Grit had left in his plating. Drift shoved Grit behind himself, swords immediately coming back up when he saw the guard twitch.

“Go,” he said without looking back. “I suspect your teammate needs help right now.”

“Which one?” Grit growled. “They’re both—uck, never mind. You want these two for yourself? Have at ‘em.” He took off, awkward gait echoing through the empty stone halls. Drift didn’t know how he would get out of the base with his arms bound, but with so much else riding on him he couldn’t worry about it.

Hellbat’s guard twitched, tempted by the easy target into opening a window. Drift spun his blade forward, going for the gun, but Hellbat shoved him to the side. The scuffle was enough to break the gun’s aim, but now it was pointed at Drift as he rolled to the side and threw off Hellbat. He swept out a leg, knocking over the guard, and used his momentum as he stood to kick the gun to the other side of the platform.

He made to chase after it, but a flash of movement to his other side caught his attention: Hellbat had taken off. Drift gave a second kick to make sure the guard stayed down, then rushed to the edge of the platform, Hellbat touching down at the control panels in the middle of the room.

“Enough of this.”

“Hellbat, don’t!” Drift launched himself over the barrier, knowing he was already too late.

“Maybe a few of you will be left well enough intact for me to finish me work, maybe not,” Hellbat said. “It doesn’t matter; destiny will have its way.” He pressed something on the panel and the whole room began to hum.

~*~

Comms were still online and broadcasting, but they hadn’t used them since Ratchet finally gave up trying to hail Drift. Since then, communication had taken place entirely within their heads, ideas and plans and anxieties cascading and mingling until once more it became a challenge to remember where one started and the other began. Unlike before, though, the overlap in their minds did not overwhelm. Instead, their shared fears were pushed down under the joint weight of their assurance and commitment, elevating a single priority above all the noise of their eddying thoughts: find Drift.

Rodimus was hovering in a canyon near the base as Ratchet moved in. To speed his approach, Ratchet was keeping the base between himself and the orbital cannon, a risky move when they didn’t know how desperate the Cons were. This was the best their combined processors could come up with, though, and addressing all of their doubts would have wasted time better spent searching for Drift.

Rodimus watched their surroundings, looking for any sign of the Con hunting parties that had hounded him and Drift on their way in. The world below was as still as the stone that made it, though, no glints of passing armor or bored blaster rounds to pinpoint the enemy. He knew they had to be out there (unless they were already back in the base, a possibility they weren’t ready to think about yet), but the deep valleys and harsh shadows were working in their favor. There was a real possibility he was being sought just as intently by mechs who would see him long before he found them, but he didn’t dare to leave his post in case Drift came running out of the base, in need of urgent pickup.

It was thanks to his vantage point he was able to witness two arrivals at nearly the same time. The first was the Decepticon shuttle sailing into view, dodging between the tallest rock formations with a dexterity that shouldn’t have been possible for the unwieldy shuttle. The second, and the more startling, was a beastformer of immense size twisting out of the shadows, many eyes locked on the approaching ship while its body rippled and coiled, preparing to spring.

Rodimus shouted something, more sound than word and utterly inconsequential. Ratchet swallowed his panic and the shuttle swerved into a tighter turn than it was designed for, swinging out of the way of the incoming pounce but directly into a stone peak. Even at a distance, Rodimus swore he could hear the terrible sound of rending metal, rattling Ratchet’s thoughts and shaking his control. Rodimus dropped the speeder into a dive, aiming for the shuttle, but Drift’s ship was already spitting out its own complaints, shaking like it was on the verge of falling apart. He could see Ratchet’s ideas forming in real time, and no, stop, that was a stupid idea, don’t—

Got each other.

The Decepticon shuttle’s thrusters heaved up to full burn. There wasn’t the space to gain much speed, but the momentum was enough, slamming into the beastformer who belched flames and raked claws across the cockpit. He was aiming to tear his way inside, but before he could he was smashed into, then through a stone wall, the entire nose of the shuttle lost into a band of an explosion and an outpouring of thick, black smoke.

“Ratchet!” Rodimus yelled, unable to tell whether all the panicked, fearful thoughts were shared between them or just his own processor knocked into hyperspeed.

The shuttle’s engines ground it forward until something gave and they flared out with a series of pops and bursts. The entire craft was forced upward once more before the thrusters finally burned out and it slumped, the angle of the hole it had made forcing it to turn like a final wave goodbye.

[elmidol]

Error: Program Not Found - Seventeen (NSFW)

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

Read on AO3

Chapter Warnings: handjob; blowjob (depends on the route)

Side Notes: Contains all three routes, divided by breaks

Error: Program Not Found

 “Choose your love, love your choice.” - Thomas S. Monson

 Seventeen: Choice

 [Kylo Route]

 It was partially a strategic move that encouraged you to have TeeArr accompany you to the presentation. The ability to demonstrate how some of his basic functions could assist the droid lines you were proposing when coupled with medical droid programming meant that visuals eliminated the need for verbal explanation that would have otherwise eaten into your time. His physical design likewise acted as a visual aid for what materials would be required and why the droids would hold enough merit in the long run to justify the expenses. To fully train another officer or even stormtrooper, it would require more resources. Plus the droids were reusable, cheaper to fix than what basic training for an officer required. Each droid could theoretically care for three officers and/or stormtroopers at a time depending on the severity of the injuries and the physical therapy required. As for the anti-procrastination droids, those could very well handle simple tasks simultaneous to encouraging multiple officers as well.

 While the room was reacting mostly favorably to your proposal, there were questions that revealed what portions they had tuned out--at times this was due to natural sentient behavior of hyperfocusing too much on one’s own inquiries that they missed the answer that was given when it came up. You inwardly grumbled, however outwardly you maintained your composure and repeated what you had said. For questions that had not previously been answered, you appreciated that not one of your superiors spoke with animosity, slight or fully displayed. There was a guardedness, however, that hinted at an agenda you would soon learn.

 “Should this be officially approved, I must inform you that it would be a secondary project,” the highest ranking officer in the room stated. You held your breath for a beat, nodded, and exhaled without bringing notice to the fact that you had struggled to maintain your composure. This was not catching you off-guard; you were simply concerned that its lower priority level would encourage a future change of hands--as in, you being removed from the project aside from your name being attached. You had prepared for this, had been rehearsing both in your head and with Aelin as a sounding board, what to say in such circumstances. It was that you helped design droids along with programming them that had brought the First Order’s attention on you to begin with. Designing droids as freely as you wished to was expensive. You did not want to bite the hand that fed, namely not if the situation did not call for it.

 You, for the time being, held your tongue and listened. While various models of assassination droids existed in the galaxy, the one that you had outlined while speaking with the senator had not been in production by any entities yet known. Presently the First Order had to work in the shadows, which meant that the usefulness of such an assassination droid was increased. The senator being aware of it, along with this advisors who were clearly seeking methods of using the information to their advantage, not acting on the design would be to the detriment of the First Order.

 For security reasons the First Order wanted to keep the team assigned to this project small. They were allowing your other project, therefore, to contain more members; it was not off the table to create two teams for the project that you were proposing since they could be viewed as two separate droid projects entirely despite the similarities. It was flattering, yet it was also prematurely showing their cards--that there was, in fact, a willingness to pull you off the projects at a moment’s notice. Or without one, you mused. Should you object to these stipulations, you risked having your project denied completely.

 Thank you, Aelin, you thought, holding back a grin. “I would maintain final say and have access to these projects, correct?” You noticed one of the members opening their mouths to speak, and quickly continued so that you would not technically be cutting them off as they talked. “I do not want only my name on the project. Beyond the programming, this is my design. Future generations, I am willing to budge on, and I will not be unreasonable and thus risk the success of the TR8-0R series.” You had to take charge while stepping on as few toes as possible.

 TeeArr turned his head to consider you. “The TR8-0R series could best learn to function undercover by blending in with the anti-procrastination and physical therapy droids.” You blinked. “You stated as much before.��� You had, which is why it caught you off-guard that you had not thought to use that point to help argue your case. Stars, you adored TeeArr. This addition would assist in you having easier access to your proposed project even while prioritizing the TR8-0R series.

 You gestured to TeeArr. “As well as mimic TeeArr’s functions. Allowing me to properly view how versatile I can make them so that the First Order is best able to wield them while they are undercover. Potentially gaining more information from the target prior to elimination.”

 “Indeed,” a female officer said, her head bobbing twice as her eyes locked with another superior officer’s. “The risk of team members learning about the functions of the TR8-0R series is increased.”

 “True,” you concurred. “Yet the blending would not occur until later in the project, at which point we can reduce the team size entirely, merging together those with the proper clearance level--and those you approve of, of course.” You paused for breath and to check the expressions of those gathered. They were receptive to your words. “Since the physical bodies would be the same or near-identical aside from any modifications for weaponry--I still need to fine tune those details, and having a team specifically for this project will greatly assist in this--I would be able to oversee everything easily. The designs for the bodies are mostly finished, therefore my attention will be predominately on the TR8-0R project with minimal distractions.”

 One of the officers began composing a message on his datapad. A few seconds afterwards all the other datapads in the room with the exception of yours chimed. It was frustrating to be treated this way, to be aware that you were being discussed without knowing fully what was stated or the tone that was being used. You could not defend yourself. There was a high chance that there was nothing that required you to defend yourself. That could instead be a necessity in the future after they agreed to these terms by stating to one another they were merely temporary. It would not be a lie, and it would get the ball rolling. That was all you could ask for.

 After another few minutes of messages being exchanged, the officer that had sent the initial one looked directly at you. “This is agreeable, although to ensure that the First Order’s goals are met and remain a priority, there will be periodic meetings, and from you we require weekly reports.” That was not anything you were opposed to. You readily agreed. Aelin would not be opposed to running through hypothetical scenarios for future meetings with you just as he had with this one. With that, you would continue to have what could pass as an upper hand on matters.

 Once you were dismissed and had exited the room, you sent a quick message to Aelin and then one to Eddard to inform them that the project had been greenlit. You wanted to cheer, to display your excitement with a burst of energy, however you kept yourself in check with an awareness that your actions were under scrutiny now more than before. The assassination droids opened you up to dangers that you had thus far managed to avoid. Being a potential security risk had come with the job description; this project had too many windows for that.

 TeeArr followed behind you without uttering a single word. The droid acted like this often subsequent to meetings and presentations that did not involve Armitage Hux or other superior officers that you interacted with on a more regular basis.

 Your mind wandered next to Kylo, and you felt a tug at your chest. Taking a heavy breath, you allowed your feet to carry you in the direction you suspected him to be. It was strange to you how that seemed to happen, how natural it was. As though the pair of you were connected--and you were aware that the Force existed, however you were also aware that you were not Force sensitive. Curiosity sparked, not for the first time, and you longed to speak to him about it. To learn about that part of his life, the power he wielded. It had helped to shape him into the person you were growing to care for.

 This time you entered a different training area than the one in which you had previously found him. Anyone could enter a moment’s notice. To emphasize this point, fate had it that an officer was exiting the facility as you arrived. You followed the individual with your eyes, glanced at your droid companion, and then at last crossed the room until you could stand a few feet away from Kylo Ren. In all this time, your message pad dinged thrice. These messages you would check later. He was your priority.

 TeeArr was, thankfully, not keen on vocalizing whatever thoughts ran through his processor as he and you observed Kylo Ren meditate. You enjoyed the droid’s company while allowing yourself to indulge in drinking in Kylo’s features. His mask was off to the side though he still work his robes. His hair was not matted with sweat, however it was not as puffy as it sometimes was. There were lingering signs that he had physically exerted himself, and it had you swallowing down the saliva that had gathered in your mouth. You willed away the memory of his body moving against yours. Another time, you promised yourself. The promise of that future was one of the reasons that you were there. Before you could get into the thick of the conversation, you would need to send TeeArr away. Not just yet, though. You liked having an extra presence with you while Kylo finished his meditations.

 By the time that you had left the planet, you had known that you were choosing Kylo. Which meant that you had to formally reject Armitage; that was not anything you were looking forward to, however you were not cruel enough to hold off. There was a chance that he already sensed this. Regardless, it was up to you to make it official. Before doing so, you wanted to feel things out with Kylo. To try to best understand what his view on this potential relationship with you was. He shied from sentiment, and that was something you could respect. That did not mean you wanted to wind up feeling like a fool or some random tool.

 A grunt from Kylo Ren preceded the moment that he opened his eyes, half-glaring at you. Air rushed out of your lungs. The frustration painted on his features revealed how loud thoughts could be. You did not understand projections through the Force; this remained another element that you wanted to question him about. You switched your attention briefly from Kylo to TeeArr, issued the command for the droid to leave, and endured the droid equivalent of a sigh prior to TeeArr obeying. His metal footfalls echoed throughout the training area with each step that he took, slowed, deliberate, until he had exited and the door once more closed.

 “Can you always hear my thoughts?” you asked, voice low and level. You lowered down into a comfortable sitting position before Kylo, whose glare had lessened. His more relaxed features calmed you, quieted the pounding of your heart, which had begun the moment you had sat. A subtle shake of his head was all the answer that you received. “Huh.” There were so many questions, you realized, and you did not want to annoy him by spewing them all at once.

 At times silence could be frustrating, yet it never felt that way with him. You did not feel rushed to fill the quietude with more words nor as though Kylo had you on a timer that, once ended, would make it to where he refused to listen to your thoughts. Instead the silence subsequent to your previous question and response came as a comfort. It allowed you to gather your thoughts, to sort through them as you decided the best way to phrase what you had to say.

 I want to know so much more about you, you thought, tracing his face with your eyes, memorizing every mole, every bit of surface smooth or otherwise. “I do not want to damage my working relationship with him, and before I say anything to him, I want to…” You sucked your bottom lip into your mouth, chewed on it, and then pushed it back into place with your tongue. “Sentiment cannot interfere with our work--I do not know if I understand what limitations that places on any connection that might exist or develop between us.”

 He had believed that the pair of you were in a relationship before, true, however it was different once you allowed yourself to feel things. Kylo Ren opened his mouth a fraction, those lips parting without forming around any words or syllables. It occurred to you that he was stunned, the fact that you admitted that you were choosing him over Armitage Hux. Or maybe it was that you were choosing him at all. Even if there had not been another, perhaps he would have expected rejection. That was rather a melancholy train of thinking, as it led you to wonder what other rejections he had faced in the past.

 The question who hurt you might be a cliche, yet there it was playing out in your mind on repeat.

 You allowed for the silence to persist, selecting another portion of his body to trace with your gaze despite the clothing that he wore. By the time he spoke, you had mapped out his chest and his arms and had started on his torso. “You would be second to my goals.” That might have made another feel insecure or been a blow to their pride. For you, it was a strange relief. At least for the time being, it placed a reduced amount of pressure on you. Second wasn’t bad. It was not first, true, however it allowed you to place your own career and goals as a priority. This leveled the field. You could be an individual while pursuing a relationship.

 “I can explore that with you.” Its success was not a definite, and you were not going to treat it as such. Still, the wry grin that was threatening to form on Kylo Ren’s face had your heart stuttering in your chest, and it nurtured a similar urge inside of you. You suppressed the smile for another handful of seconds before allowing it to see the light of day. “I have so many projects, I do not know how much time I will have for personal matters.” He nodded in understanding. “Ah, kriff, I have to speak with General Hux.” That was what made your stomach churn.

 “You may come to my quarters when you are finished.” A rather personal invitation. Something that could be solicitous or tender. It may well be both, you reasoned. Whichever form did work, as both offered you a different kind of comfort. The very fact that you were welcome there, that this was not the first time he had extended such an invitation, made you feel wanted.

 “I just might,” you responded while rising up to your feet. Kylo tilted his head a little to follow you with his gaze as you stood and headed towards the exit. You cast a final glance over your shoulder at him, gave a small wave, and exited the room to speak with the redhead regarding the decision that you had made.

 There were many openings going through your mind; various ways to deliver the news. None of them felt right to you. You respected General Hux too much to offer some cliche line or to be impersonal in the delivery. More than that, you would have to work with him. He was your superior, and any ill will or awkward feelings could very well wreck your working relationship. This was another pro of pursuing the relationship with Kylo Ren--if things did go south, he was not officially a member of the First Order, not strictly speaking. The matter would be handled differently than what may happen with such an event if it had been Armitage.

 The upside to conducting this unfortunate meeting at the present was that you were aware of General Hux’s location. On top of that, you did not have to worry about TeeArr, who remained away on the errand you had sent him. The one thing that might put a hitch to your plans would be if Armitage had been called away on duty. This did not seem to be the case. Inhaling deeply, you offered a nod to the stormtrooper outside the office, and then waited while your presence was announced. Within moments, you were inside.

 You lowered yourself down into the nearest chair. General Hux did not immediately look up from the datapad that was in his hands. You were unsure if he was in the process of reading a report or some other message. Armitage scrolled through the same--or so you assumed--file that he had been working with since before you had entered the office.

 “I have a guess at what you wish to speak about.” His voice was smooth, relaxing, however his words were anything but. The stone that had been rolling around in your stomach ricocheted off its walls, moved in reverse. General Hux set down the datapad, crossed his arms behind his back, and trained his eyes on yours. “You are afraid to admit it aloud.”

 You nodded without meaning to do so. “I…” Taking a deep breath, you waved a hand in the air and started over. “I respect you. I always have.” This was not to butter him up. You wanted to speak only the truth, to stick with facts though your emotions were tangled up in this situation. “A part of me does care for you, however I do not believe it is as strong as it might have been.”

 “Yet it is different where Ren is concerned.” He phrased it as a statement, though there was an inflection in his voice that made it also sound like a question. Was this him showing you the hope he clung to? Were you going to crush him by answering? To lie or to allow silence to linger would be more painful. You nodded while uttering a yes. “I see.” Disappointment caused his eyebrows to knit towards one another. “I could sense it based on our interactions while on the planet, namely towards the end of our trip.” His shoulders rose then fell as he released a sigh.

 General Hux moved to where he stood beside the seat across from you. Your eyes darted from it to him then settled once more on his face as he sat down. That he was doing so comforted you. This was not a sign of defeat--resignation, perhaps, but not defeat--and yet he was showing that he found no need to hover over you. This growing silence was, unlike the others, uncomfortable. You resisted the urge to squirm. Armitage Hux had to be just as uncomfortable as you were, if not more so. You doubted that he was intentionally making this harder on you. If anything, his admission had seemed to you to be meant to alleviate some of the guilt that you had harbored.

 “I cannot claim that things will not be a bit...awkward as we proceed from here.” You appreciated his honesty. “It will not have an impact on your job. This is something that we can move past.” This was a truth, one that you had faced when you had first learned that he believed the two of you were in a relationship. In that sense, you had already rejected him. The two of you had moved forward from that. Sort of. Now that you paused, you realized the key difference was the finality of this rejection. “We will discuss boundaries to assist with future communications and projects. This cannot interfere with the assassination droids that you are to program.”

 It was difficult to not smile at that. How you could relate to his words, his attitude. You did feel for him. If you hadn’t had any feelings at all, this might have been easier to handle. As it was, taking one step then another was the only way to go.

 ��----------------

 [Hux Route]

 It was partially a strategic move that encouraged you to have TeeArr accompany you to the presentation. The ability to demonstrate how some of his basic functions could assist the droid lines you were proposing when coupled with medical droid programming meant that visuals eliminated the need for verbal explanation that would have otherwise eaten into your time. His physical design likewise acted as a visual aid for what materials would be required and why the droids would hold enough merit in the long run to justify the expenses. To fully train another officer or even stormtrooper, it would require more resources. Plus the droids were reusable, cheaper to fix than what basic training for an officer required. Each droid could theoretically care for three officers and/or stormtroopers at a time depending on the severity of the injuries and the physical therapy required. As for the anti-procrastination droids, those could very well handle simple tasks simultaneous to encouraging multiple officers as well.

 While the room was reacting mostly favorably to your proposal, there were questions that revealed what portions they had tuned out--at times this was due to natural sentient behavior of hyperfocusing too much on one’s own inquiries that they missed the answer that was given when it came up. You inwardly grumbled, however outwardly you maintained your composure and repeated what you had said. For questions that had not previously been answered, you appreciated that not one of your superiors spoke with animosity, slight or fully displayed. There was a guardedness, however, that hinted at an agenda you would soon learn.

 “Should this be officially approved, I must inform you that it would be a secondary project,” the highest ranking officer in the room stated. You held your breath for a beat, nodded, and exhaled without bringing notice to the fact that you had struggled to maintain your composure. This was not catching you off-guard; you were simply concerned that its lower priority level would encourage a future change of hands--as in, you being removed from the project aside from your name being attached. You had prepared for this, had been rehearsing both in your head and with Aelin as a sounding board, what to say in such circumstances. It was that you helped design droids along with programming them that had brought the First Order’s attention on you to begin with. Designing droids as freely as you wished to was expensive. You did not want to bite the hand that fed, namely not if the situation did not call for it.

 You, for the time being, held your tongue and listened. While various models of assassination droids existed in the galaxy, the one that you had outlined while speaking with the senator had not been in production by any entities yet known. Presently the First Order had to work in the shadows, which meant that the usefulness of such an assassination droid was increased. The senator being aware of it, along with this advisors who were clearly seeking methods of using the information to their advantage, not acting on the design would be to the detriment of the First Order.

 For security reasons the First Order wanted to keep the team assigned to this project small. They were allowing your other project, therefore, to contain more members; it was not off the table to create two teams for the project that you were proposing since they could be viewed as two separate droid projects entirely despite the similarities. It was flattering, yet it was also prematurely showing their cards--that there was, in fact, a willingness to pull you off the projects at a moment’s notice. Or without one, you mused. Should you object to these stipulations, you risked having your project denied completely.

 Thank you, Aelin, you thought, holding back a grin. “I would maintain final say and have access to these projects, correct?” You noticed one of the members opening their mouths to speak, and quickly continued so that you would not technically be cutting them off as they talked. “I do not want only my name on the project. Beyond the programming, this is my design. Future generations, I am willing to budge on, and I will not be unreasonable and thus risk the success of the TR8-0R series.” You had to take charge while stepping on as few toes as possible.

 TeeArr turned his head to consider you. “The TR8-0R series could best learn to function undercover by blending in with the anti-procrastination and physical therapy droids.” You blinked. “You stated as much before.” You had, which is why it caught you off-guard that you had not thought to use that point to help argue your case. Stars, you adored TeeArr. This addition would assist in you having easier access to your proposed project even while prioritizing the TR8-0R series.

 You gestured to TeeArr. “As well as mimic TeeArr’s functions. Allowing me to properly view how versatile I can make them so that the First Order is best able to wield them while they are undercover. Potentially gaining more information from the target prior to elimination.”

 “Indeed,” a female officer said, her head bobbing twice as her eyes locked with another superior officer’s. “The risk of team members learning about the functions of the TR8-0R series is increased.”

 “True,” you concurred. “Yet the blending would not occur until later in the project, at which point we can reduce the team size entirely, merging together those with the proper clearance level--and those you approve of, of course.” You paused for breath and to check the expressions of those gathered. They were receptive to your words. “Since the physical bodies would be the same or near-identical aside from any modifications for weaponry--I still need to fine tune those details, and having a team specifically for this project will greatly assist in this--I would be able to oversee everything easily. The designs for the bodies are mostly finished, therefore my attention will be predominately on the TR8-0R project with minimal distractions.”

 One of the officers began composing a message on his datapad. A few seconds afterwards all the other datapads in the room with the exception of yours chimed. It was frustrating to be treated this way, to be aware that you were being discussed without knowing fully what was stated or the tone that was being used. You could not defend yourself. There was a high chance that there was nothing that required you to defend yourself. That could instead be a necessity in the future after they agreed to these terms by stating to one another they were merely temporary. It would not be a lie, and it would get the ball rolling. That was all you could ask for.

 After another few minutes of messages being exchanged, the officer that had sent the initial one looked directly at you. “This is agreeable, although to ensure that the First Order’s goals are met and remain a priority, there will be periodic meetings, and from you we require weekly reports.” That was not anything you were opposed to. You readily agreed. Aelin would not be opposed to running through hypothetical scenarios for future meetings with you just as he had with this one. With that, you would continue to have what could pass as an upper hand on matters.

 Once you were dismissed and had exited the room, you sent a quick message to Aelin and then one to Eddard to inform them that the project had been greenlit. You wanted to cheer, to display your excitement with a burst of energy, however you kept yourself in check with an awareness that your actions were under scrutiny now more than before. The assassination droids opened you up to dangers that you had thus far managed to avoid. Being a potential security risk had come with the job description; this project had too many windows for that.

 TeeArr followed behind you without uttering a single word. The droid acted like this often subsequent to meetings and presentations that did not involve Armitage Hux or other superior officers that you interacted with on a more regular basis.

 With that train of thought, you could not help but feel a sudden desire to see Armitage. You already knew what you felt, what decision you had made. It was time to speak it aloud. To see if Armitage felt the same as he had while on the planet, or if returning to the First Order had changed things for him. Until you were certain, you did not want to say anything to Kylo Ren. What you had to tell him would sting--and it was due to this that you hoped to have Armitage’s input on how to approach Kylo. You wanted to work together with him, as a team, which the two of you would be if you truly did enter into an honest relationship.

 TeeArr did not comment as you changed course towards the office in which the superior First Order officer would be busy with work. His silence was welcome, although you also noted that you being left alone to your thoughts in this case was a threat to your nerves. Despite the fact that General Hux had assumed you were already in a relationship with him, you suddenly worried that it was all a string of boredom that had since been cured. What if he did not like you anymore, or what if the upcoming assassination droid project dissuaded him from pursuing a relationship with you?

 These thoughts are precisely why I have avoided entering a relationship. They can be distracting, and it is not as though I need the stress. I already have projects to juggle. What am I thinking?

 Whatever you were thinking, you had arrived at the office. The stormtrooper guarding the door accepted your greeting then proceeded to announce your presence to General Hux, who granted permission for you to enter. TeeArr went in first then you followed behind, taking that extra moment to breathe deeply and recenter yourself. Once inside, after the door closed, you moved until you were level with your droid.

 You lowered yourself down into the nearest chair meanwhile TeeArr remained standing beside you. General Hux did not immediately look up from the datapad that was in his hands. You were unsure if he was in the process of reading a report or some other message. TeeArr was professional in that he did not speak. You were enjoying the opportunity to run your eyes along Armitage’s body, which you very much wanted to touch. You gripped the edges of the armrests and flicked your gaze to your droid. It might be wise, you mused, to send TeeArr away on an errand before the conversation fully got underway. There was no need to dismiss him immediately though. You looked back at Armitage, who scrolled through the same--at least that was your assumption--file that he had been working with since you had entered the office.

 By the time that you had left the planet, you had known that you were choosing Armitage. Which meant that you had to formally reject Kylo; that was not anything you were looking forward to, however you were not cruel enough to hold off. There was a chance that he already sensed this. Regardless, it was up to you to make it official. Before doing so, you wanted to feel things out with Armitage. To try to best understand what his view on this potential relationship with you was. He valued hard work and dedication, was clearly interested in keeping the success of the First Order as a top priority. Which you were comfortable with--though not if it meant the relationship would lapse into something one-sided.

 “TeeArr,” General Hux began, the words rolling easily off his tongue. The droid stood at attention. “You are dismissed.” There was hesitation on TeeArr’s part, and you were momentarily caught off-guard as well. You recovered more quickly, turning to the droid and giving a nod so that TeeArr listened to the dismissal. TeeArr headed for the door, leaving, and you were alone with Armitage. He set the datapad on the desk before taking a seat across from you. “I hope that you are comfortable being alone with me still.”

 This made your heart stutter; he was experiencing the same fears that you were, if his words were anything to go off of. “Yes.” You struggled to find the right words. “I want that more often.” Grimacing, you chastised yourself for the phrasing. Then relaxed, calming as you saw his expression soften in understanding. “I keep thinking about you, if I am being honest. Even when I came into this office. I thought about what it would be like to touch you.”

 “Oh?” His pupils dilated, his cheeks reddening a little as he flushed in what you knew to be arousal rather than embarrassment. You chewed on your bottom lip, squirmed in your seat. You wanted to rise and go to him. To do that. Armitage’s lips parted as he caught onto this, the man reading your body language and nodding in consent. You were only too happy to rise from the seat that you had taken. You walked around the desk as he swiveled, turning his chair and moving his legs apart.

You drew closer to Armitage so that you were between his spread knees, your breath almost catching in your throat as you rested your forehead on his shoulder. You cupped him through the front of his pants then opened them. Using your forearm to keep aside the material, you pulled off the glove that you had been wearing for the day as part of your uniform. You wanted more than anything to have full contact, no barriers. You could not stop thinking about that, wanting it. One glove then the next fell to the ground, and you ignored them in favor of palming him.

“Mm.” The noise was small yet it echoed in your ears and was all you could focus on as you skimmed your thumb along the spongy head of his erection, smearing precum. Armitage whispered your name under his breath, almost too soft for you to hear it. Almost, but not quite. You smiled, feeling emboldened by the sound. You leaned down, released a small collection of spit onto his cock, and used it as lubrication as you moved down to the base then back up again in the first stroke.

You ghosted your other hand along his sac, toying just behind it, teasing the sensitive flesh of his perineum. His cock bobbed, twitching against your other hand. You licked your lips, alternating between watching his face and what you were doing. You palmed his balls, rolling them as you gripped his shaft again and leaned forward, curving your spine and bending forward to take the very tip into your mouth. You hollowed out your cheeks, sealed your lips around the first inch before taking more. Armitage’s hand went to the back of your head, urging you on without being too forceful. Not that you would have minded if he had been—you wanted this, perhaps just as much as he did.

With a moan, you finally closed your eyes and relished in the feel of his cock resting on your tongue. You bobbed your head, drawing back a moment later and swiping your tongue along the sensitive flesh directly under the head of his erection.  Keeping your strokes slow, you blew out a steady stream of air on his wet flesh. The hand on your head gave a spasm, Armitage gulping audibly around a swear.

He began to shift, and you shuffled backwards far enough so that he could stand. This gave you a moment to breathe, to relish in the thought of what was about to happen. Though you had enjoyed being in control, you were just as excited to have him take lead. Armitage moved the hand that was already on your head to one side so that its twin could be placed on the other. You opened your mouth, let him push his cock inside, towards the back of your throat. You held onto his thighs, the muscles of which tensed then relaxed then tensed again with each and every thrust. His hands, meanwhile, worked your head, controlling your movements.

You felt your jaw stretch, wide, a little uncomfortably, and pushed aside the sensation to focus instead on the pleasurable aspects of the position you were in. You undulated your tongue under him, teasing, earning a groan of approval as Armitage thrust once more. He moved forward, fully sheathing himself in your mouth and holding you in place. Paused. Pulled back then rolled his hips. You moaned as he held you in place a second time. Whimpering, your throat constricted as you started swallowing when he came. Armitage fucked your mouth through his orgasm, swearing and saying your name in a purr. He withdrew only when he was done, his softening cock slipping out of your mouth.

Armitage tucked himself away, smoothing out his uniform as you readjusted yourself as well. You stood, sighing into the kiss that he placed on your lips. You kissed him again when he started to draw back. “I am happy being with you like this.” The lingering but had nothing to do with him; he understood, humming in acknowledgment of the fact that you did have to speak with Kylo Ren before the cycle ended. You leaned against him. Armitage trailed his hands up and down your arms, soothing you. This affection was nothing that you would have expected when first you had started to work under him. After the lotion and the time you had spent together on the planet, however, your opinion had changed.

 “You can stay for a little while longer before you leave to take care of that matter.” The fact that he did not press to know what you planned to say to Kylo Ren eased some of the worry that had been building. If he had felt there was a threat to your safety, you imagined that he would have offered to go with you or else given you advice on what to say. Instead, Armitage cupped your face and kissed you, trailed his hands down to your breasts, kneading them. You moaned into the kiss. Slid your tongue along his and wound your arms around his neck to thread your fingers through his hair.

The two of you enjoyed one another’s company for near fifteen minutes though during that time his commlink chimed to indicate new messages. This was a pleasant surprise for you. The way he did prioritize work while also ensuring that you were his main focus when the two of you were together. You were thrumming with joy over your decision when you left the office; the awareness that you had to deliver unpleasant news to Kylo Ren did damper your mood after you turned down the final corridor that would take you to him.

This time the training area in which you met Kylo Ren was different than the previous. It was one in which anyone could enter at a moment’s notice, a point that was emphasized as an officer exited the facility on your way in. You stood to the side for them to leave then entered and allowed the door to slide closed. Kylo Ren was seated off to one side of the area--thankfully the officer that had left seemed to have been the only other occupant--and in a state of meditation. He remained dressed in his usual robes, however his mask was off and set on the ground beside him. There were lingering signs that he had recently physically exerted himself, although he was not too sweaty or ragged.

 A grunt from Kylo Ren preceded the moment that he opened his eyes, half-glaring at you. You felt air rush out of your lungs. The frustration painted on his features caused you to wonder if he could read your thoughts, if he already knew. This reception was different than how he had been on the planet. Now Kylo Ren was more, you thought, aware of the pain of rejection. “You made your decision.” It was as you had suspected, except now that it was said aloud you found yourself wincing. You drew back yet recovered a moment later when you caught his lip tremble.

 There was a level of awkwardness in the silence that followed, one that you wished you could erase. You had never disliked Kylo, not even when he had made your job more difficult. You had been frustrated with him upon learning that he was testing your work ethics. That was not the same as not wanting to be around him due to who he was. The lack of romantic feelings towards him did not eliminate the fondness, which had grown as you had learned more about him. You respected him, hoped to hear his thoughts. It would never be the same as before or as what might have been. That need not signify a death of the relationship that you had. To feed him a line such as we can be friends or I view you as a friend would be an insult, and you would not deliver that blow.

 “Would you prefer that I leave?” you asked, sucking your lips into your mouth for a moment to wet them. Kylo’s eyelids descended in a slow blink. He said nothing, perhaps considering what it was that he did want. He mouthed the word no, and you sank down into a sitting position, shifting a second later so that you mirrored his stance. “I do want to continue developing more training droids for you.” He nodded, where before he might have offered a snarky retort. This change did sting. It was preferable to the silence, to being sent away. You would adjust to this just as he would.

  ----------

  [Poly Route]

 It was partially a strategic move that encouraged you to have TeeArr accompany you to the presentation. The ability to demonstrate how some of his basic functions could assist the droid lines you were proposing when coupled with medical droid programming meant that visuals eliminated the need for verbal explanation that would have otherwise eaten into your time. His physical design likewise acted as a visual aid for what materials would be required and why the droids would hold enough merit in the long run to justify the expenses. To fully train another officer or even stormtrooper, it would require more resources. Plus the droids were reusable, cheaper to fix than what basic training for an officer required. Each droid could theoretically care for three officers and/or stormtroopers at a time depending on the severity of the injuries and the physical therapy required. As for the anti-procrastination droids, those could very well handle simple tasks simultaneous to encouraging multiple officers as well.

 While the room was reacting mostly favorably to your proposal, there were questions that revealed what portions they had tuned out--at times this was due to natural sentient behavior of hyperfocusing too much on one’s own inquiries that they missed the answer that was given when it came up. You inwardly grumbled, however outwardly you maintained your composure and repeated what you had said. For questions that had not previously been answered, you appreciated that not one of your superiors spoke with animosity, slight or fully displayed. There was a guardedness, however, that hinted at an agenda you would soon learn.

 “Should this be officially approved, I must inform you that it would be a secondary project,” the highest ranking officer in the room stated. You held your breath for a beat, nodded, and exhaled without bringing notice to the fact that you had struggled to maintain your composure. This was not catching you off-guard; you were simply concerned that its lower priority level would encourage a future change of hands--as in, you being removed from the project aside from your name being attached. You had prepared for this, had been rehearsing both in your head and with Aelin as a sounding board, what to say in such circumstances. It was that you helped design droids along with programming them that had brought the First Order’s attention on you to begin with. Designing droids as freely as you wished to was expensive. You did not want to bite the hand that fed, namely not if the situation did not call for it.

 You, for the time being, held your tongue and listened. While various models of assassination droids existed in the galaxy, the one that you had outlined while speaking with the senator had not been in production by any entities yet known. Presently the First Order had to work in the shadows, which meant that the usefulness of such an assassination droid was increased. The senator being aware of it, along with this advisors who were clearly seeking methods of using the information to their advantage, not acting on the design would be to the detriment of the First Order.

 For security reasons the First Order wanted to keep the team assigned to this project small. They were allowing your other project, therefore, to contain more members; it was not off the table to create two teams for the project that you were proposing since they could be viewed as two separate droid projects entirely despite the similarities. It was flattering, yet it was also prematurely showing their cards--that there was, in fact, a willingness to pull you off the projects at a moment’s notice. Or without one, you mused. Should you object to these stipulations, you risked having your project denied completely.

 Thank you, Aelin, you thought, holding back a grin. “I would maintain final say and have access to these projects, correct?” You noticed one of the members opening their mouths to speak, and quickly continued so that you would not technically be cutting them off as they talked. “I do not want only my name on the project. Beyond the programming, this is my design. Future generations, I am willing to budge on, and I will not be unreasonable and thus risk the success of the TR8-0R series.” You had to take charge while stepping on as few toes as possible.

 TeeArr turned his head to consider you. “The TR8-0R series could best learn to function undercover by blending in with the anti-procrastination and physical therapy droids.” You blinked. “You stated as much before.” You had, which is why it caught you off-guard that you had not thought to use that point to help argue your case. Stars, you adored TeeArr. This addition would assist in you having easier access to your proposed project even while prioritizing the TR8-0R series.

 You gestured to TeeArr. “As well as mimic TeeArr’s functions. Allowing me to properly view how versatile I can make them so that the First Order is best able to wield them while they are undercover. Potentially gaining more information from the target prior to elimination.”

 “Indeed,” a female officer said, her head bobbing twice as her eyes locked with another superior officer’s. “The risk of team members learning about the functions of the TR8-0R series is increased.”

 “True,” you concurred. “Yet the blending would not occur until later in the project, at which point we can reduce the team size entirely, merging together those with the proper clearance level--and those you approve of, of course.” You paused for breath and to check the expressions of those gathered. They were receptive to your words. “Since the physical bodies would be the same or near-identical aside from any modifications for weaponry--I still need to fine tune those details, and having a team specifically for this project will greatly assist in this--I would be able to oversee everything easily. The designs for the bodies are mostly finished, therefore my attention will be predominately on the TR8-0R project with minimal distractions.”

 One of the officers began composing a message on his datapad. A few seconds afterwards all the other datapads in the room with the exception of yours chimed. It was frustrating to be treated this way, to be aware that you were being discussed without knowing fully what was stated or the tone that was being used. You could not defend yourself. There was a high chance that there was nothing that required you to defend yourself. That could instead be a necessity in the future after they agreed to these terms by stating to one another they were merely temporary. It would not be a lie, and it would get the ball rolling. That was all you could ask for.

 After another few minutes of messages being exchanged, the officer that had sent the initial one looked directly at you. “This is agreeable, although to ensure that the First Order’s goals are met and remain a priority, there will be periodic meetings, and from you we require weekly reports.” That was not anything you were opposed to. You readily agreed. Aelin would not be opposed to running through hypothetical scenarios for future meetings with you just as he had with this one. With that, you would continue to have what could pass as an upper hand on matters.

 Once you were dismissed and had exited the room, you sent a quick message to Aelin and then one to Eddard to inform them that the project had been greenlit. You wanted to cheer, to display your excitement with a burst of energy, however you kept yourself in check with an awareness that your actions were under scrutiny now more than before. The assassination droids opened you up to dangers that you had thus far managed to avoid. Being a potential security risk had come with the job description; this project had too many windows for that.

 TeeArr followed behind you without uttering a single word. The droid acted like this often subsequent to meetings and presentations that did not involve Armitage Hux or other superior officers that you interacted with on a more regular basis.

 One thing that you hoped to do before the cycle ended was speak with both Armitage and Kylo. There had been no further pressure from either of them as far as choosing went. What was more, the chimes indicating messages revealed that they both wanted to see you, and they were each aware that you would be visiting the other. You stared at the set times for those vistations, wondering what they meant. Armitage had proposed that you meet him in his quarters, meanwhile Kylo stated that he would seek you out when it was closer to time and so you could proceed with your normal routine after you were with the General, as he put it. You smiled at that, feeling your shoulders relaxing. He could be more difficult to read than Armitage due to the mask that he wore.

 Lingering nervousness over the situation, over the tumultuous feelings you had for both men, dissuaded you from eating a large meal. You did grab a ration bar to tide yourself over until dinner, at which point you hoped there would be improvement in your appetite. It was difficult to not rehearse what you might say to each man in various scenarios, many of which became far from realistic. You began to distract yourself through other means, the first of which was to check your messages to see if Eddard had responded. A smile lit up your face when you saw that he had. His excitement over the project matched your own in a way.

 Stretching your arms above your head after tucking away your datapad, you entwined your fingers and worked to release some of the tension that had built in your muscles. The meeting had gone better than you had feared, although there were areas that you wished could have been better. There was another hour before you were set to meet with Armitage, and you did not know yet how you wanted to spend it. The ration bar had done its job of filling you up. You exited the cafeteria after deciding that you would find somewhere quiet to clear your mind.

 Three quarters of an hour later, you observed TeeArr’s retreating form as the droid headed off to indulge in the oil bath that you had scheduled for him as a reward for his assistance earlier. It was also a move to allow you some privacy when speaking with Armitage, whose quarters you were about to head towards. You were looking forward to seeing the functioning TIE cat bed in person, what with how Eddard had spoken of it and the holofeed that you had been allowed to observe. More than that, you could not help but think of how it was to be with him. To potentially touch him--Maker, you wanted to truly mess up his hair. Rake your fingers through it. Kiss him. Let him kiss you without worrying that some senator was going to request a meeting...which, now that you paused for a moment, remained a possibility. The difference was that the senator would not be in close proximity.

 The stormtrooper guarding Armitage’s quarters moved to the side, already aware that you were meant to be there. You felt your entire body heat up at that knowledge, pleasure rippling through you. This was not some special treatment. It was a step towards a relationship, if you decided to go that route.

 Once inside Armitage’s quarters, you gave him a soft greeting and sought out the TIE cat bed. You spotted it quickly in the corner. Millicent was curled up in it. Her purrs echoed, bringing a smile to your face. Normally she would have either skittered away or become playful when you arrived. You took this to mean that she had tired herself out with the toys on the bed.

 “I will have to come during the day. She is usually more active around lunch.”

 “Yes. Also during the night cycle.” Your grin grew at the tone of his voice, a cross between affection and exasperation. Armitage extended a hand towards you, and you stepped nearer. Your breath almost caught in your throat as contact was made. His touch was gentle though firm. “I acquired a list of other works by a newer poet that I believe will catch your interest.” You hummed in response, wondering what he believed you would enjoy. Poetry was not why he had brought you there.

 You took another step closer to him, your hands meeting his waist. Your heart hammered in your chest, your pulse quickening when he pressed against you. Desire flooded through you; you wanted more than anything to have full contact, no barriers. “I have no idea what to do,” you admitted. Armitage’s expression softened. His hand shifted upwards from your waist to the side of your face. He leaned down and captured your mouth with his. “I want to touch you.” You could not stop thinking about that, wanting it. The leather clad hand on your face only fueled your desire.

 “You may.” You swallowed thickly, pinching the edge of a glove. You tugged off one then the second, allowing them both to fall to the ground. You palmed him through his pants. His cock twitched against your hand, making you clench in response. “Mm.”

 The noise was small yet it echoed in your ears, was all you could focus on. You worked the front of his pants open and slid your hand within. Skimmed your thumb along the spongy head of his erection, smearing precum. Armitage whispered your name under his breath. You smiled again, feeling emboldened by the sound. You wrapped your hand around his shaft, using your other hand to push his pants down his hips a fraction more, revealing his thighs and his cock. You rested your forehead on his chest, looking down, watching your hand around him as you stroked him a second time.

 You ghosted your hand downwards, along his sac, and toyed the sensitive flesh of his perineum. His cock bobbed, heavy between his legs. Licking your lips, you peeked up to see his flushed face, so red. Deliciously stained pink with his arousal. You palmed his sac, rolling your wrist, and then moved to grip his cock again. You arched your spine, your breasts pressed to his chest. Armitage claimed your mouth more hungrily, his tongue toying with yours. He placed his hand on the back of your head, locking you in place in that kiss. You trembled with delight, jerking his cock.

 Moaning into the kiss, you closed your eyes and melted into the feel of him in your hand. You imagined how he would be inside of you, stretching you. Not yet, you told yourself, and a small part of you wondered why you were denying yourself such pleasure. Even though you knew.

 You trailed your fingers back up to the head of his cock, toying with the flesh directly underneath. The noise that Armitage released practically had you purring. This man, normally so in control of himself, coming undone because of you. The hand on your head gave a spasm. Armitage gulped, drawing back from the kiss to suck in air.

 “Today has been very nice.” He grunted in response to your words, mindlessly nodding. Armitage thrust into your hand in time with your strokes. You could tell when he was growing close, and you worked him faster, using his precum and, spitting on your hand, your saliva to keep him lubricate so that it remained pleasurable for him. Armitage swore as he came, streaks of cum spilling onto the floor and your hand. Your eyebrows rose at the sight, your mouth going dry. You may not have messed up his hair as you had intended, but this sight was perhaps more in line of what you had needed.

 Only when he had fully softened did he pull away and tuck his cock back into his pants, which he readjusted and closed. He reached for you, however you placed a hand on his wrist and shook your head. Then moved in for another kiss, which he was more than happy to return. His arms encircled you, fingers toying with the small of your back. You moaned into the kiss while working to suppress the shudder of delight that spiderwebbed through your body. It was electrifying, a threat to your better sense--in good time, perhaps, you would let him touch you as you had touched him. You needed your wits about you for the time being, for this discussion.

 You pulled back when the need for air became too great. “Armitage?” He grunted in response as a means of allowing you to know that he was listening. “What are we doing?”

 “I am prepared to enter an open relationship with you, at least for the time being.” You sucked your lips into your mouth to hide whatever expression might have formed on your features. The truth was, you did not know how to react. Armitage was undeterred by this, as though he had expected nothing less. “It offers us time to see how and if a relationship would work given the circumstances of our work and current dynamics. I understand the complication that is Kylo Ren.”

 “So we are making this official.” He nodded. “And Kylo feels the same?”

 “In all honesty, I am unaware of his plans other than that he wishes to speak with you. If his intentions are identical to my own, my stance remains unchanged.”

 A fluttering in your stomach preceded the smile that at last spread across your face. Armitage slipped a finger under your chin, drawing lazy circles along the area as he stared into your eyes. The two of you kissed once more then he led you to one of your preferred locations in his quarters where you could both sit comfortably. Armitage grabbed a datapad once there, powering on the device and flicking through files until he located the one that he sought. You rested your head on his shoulder as you watched him. 

 He pulled up a new poem. It was structured differently than the other that he had shared with you, and you could tell by the word choice as well that it had been penned by a different poet. This individual also compared metal and nature, although their preference was more difficult to discern. They merged the two, entwining them and speaking of their coexistence in romantic analogies that caused your breath to hitch. It was ideal to you, the picture that the poet created in your mind with their words.

 “I thought you might like that.” You could only nod in reply to Armitage’s words, your hand placed on his arm.

 [Hours Later]

 The heavy footsteps were announcement enough that Kylo Ren was drawing nearer to your quarters. You considered the MSE droid, felt your lips quirk, and pressed the icon on your datapad that opened the door as he arrived. His visor met your eyes briefly before following a path that allowed him to see the droid. It would have been wonderful to see his expression. You imagined that he had drawn his eyebrows towards one another in mild confusion. “You kept it.”

 “I did,” you said, a grin spreading across your features. “It is quite a trip hazard, however I am enjoying the challenge.” It was, at least, no longer slamming into people. Instead the MSE droid had been stopping suddenly, which had caused you to trip over it even as you had reentered your quarters. “I can be stubborn.”

 “Mm.” The grunt vibrated through you with how the mask deepened it. You bit down on the insides of your cheeks if only to keep from seizing your lip. Anything to hold in the moan. Yet he seemed to know regardless what his noises did to you. Kylo Ren stepped into your quarters enough so that the door closed behind him. “You wish to know more of the Force.”

 A statement that prompted a nod, which he mirrored rather than immediately speaking again. You were, if you were honest, impressed with how much he had already said since entering your quarters. Kylo moved within the room, his visor pointed at the MSE droid. It had rolled forward then moved back in retreat. Stuttered forward. Your lips quirked towards one side and you wrinkled your nose. You truly did enjoy the challenge, but that did not mean you were not a little frustrated with the multiple issues you had encountered since first bringing it into your quarters.

 Kylo lowered himself when he was in front of you. How he was seated did not differ from when you had joined him in meditation on previous occasions. It was nice to know that he was comfortable with you like this.

 “I spoke with Armitage earlier,” you blurted out. It was not news to Kylo Ren, yet he still tilted his head as though curious. “I do not want to be dishonest with you. He and I will be in an open relationship.”

 “On a trial basis?” It was difficult to say, and so you took a moment to consider then shrugged while shaking your head. You would have to ask Armitage that at a later time. “That is acceptable.” You held your breath, waiting. A sort of strangled noise left him before he obliged your unvoiced need for clarity. He used two fingers to gesture to you then himself. “Yes.” He held out a hand, palm up, and your datapad lifted out of your hands to hover in the air between the two of you.

 He made it look so simple, so natural. As though everyone in the galaxy should be capable of this feat. The datapad curved, twisting around in a circle before descending to return to your grasp. You cupped it with both of your hands. His hand had not moved, his fingers had not twitched. You wondered if he had needed to use his hand at all, or if that had been for your benefit.

 “The Force is more than parlor tricks.” The laugh that erupted from you caused your face to heat up. You lifted the datapad to momentarily hide from him, your shoulders shaking. Warmth spread throughout your body. He had been intentionally funny, and it was so intimate to you, so special. His snark, such ironic statements, was more often deprecating. This had not been that. This was kind. In his way, it was sweet. “You may ask two questions regarding the Force, and I will answer.” This he stated after you had regained your composure and lowered the datapad. You paused and thought about what you might ask him.

[imagineofallkindsxxx]

Eternal Flame- Kol Mikaelson 4/?

Chapter 2- And Here I Thought We Were Getting Along.

Summary: 'You never know whats in a persons heart until you truly know them' - Belle French, Once Upon a Time

Singing. Thats all what Alexandra Gilbert has cared about since she was young and all she would care about until she met him.

With Alexandra fighting vampires, werewolves and all between she may do a thing she vowed never to do, fall in love.

And to think it all started with a walk in the woods...

WC: 2909

I came here for a good time not to get abused by a psychotic hybrid and watch one of my good friends get their necks snapped. Wasn't on my todays to do list, let me explain what happened next.

"Ah Dana, why don’t you relax? You and Chad sit tight." How gracious of you, you psycho I thought no way in hell am I being sarcastic to the scary hybrid maniac again, I quite like my head attached to my body. "I assume you’re the reason Elena's still walking around alive?" The psycho question Bonnie

"That’s right. If you want someone to blame, blame me" Bon I love you but let’s not commit suicide by placing blame on yourself. 

"Oh, there's no need for blame, love. just you and your witchy interference seems to have caused some undesirable side effects." He told her making me thank whatever god that he won't kill a friend of mine well so I thought. "And since you caused the problem, I’m going to have you find the fix." Wonderful, fan-fucking-tastic.

Before anyone was able to come back with a comment a blonde girl dressed in a pretty outfit came through the doors the opposite side of the hall with her dragging Tyler. Oh, this is getting better and better.

"Get off of me!" Ty yelled at the blonde but I have an inkling that just yelling that isn’t going to work.  

"Hush now" the blonde said to Tyler hearing her speak with the same accent as the psycho essentially holding the rest of us captive, wonderful.

"I'd like you all to meet my sister. word of warning... she can be quite mean." He said teasing his sister clearly annoying the girl.

"Don't be an ass" before throwing Ty in to the hybrids arm. I like her all things considered.  

"Leave him alone!" Elena yelled futile. I mean did she really think that was going to work.

"I'm going to make this very simple... every time I attempt to turn a werewolf into a vampire they die during transition. It’s quite horrible actually." The psycho hybrid informs us before biting into his wrist and making ty drink his blood which I can say from experience isn’t a great experience. "I need you to find a way to save my hybrids bonnie and for Tyler’s sake... you better hurry" before snapping his neck killing him.

"Jesus!" I yelled instinctively as Klaus smiles at us creepily. What is happening to this town, now not only is the sheriffs’ kid essentially dead but the mayors as well. Wonderful

Matt dropped down to the floor looking at Tyler almost in tears staring at his best friend before saying "He killed him".

"He's not dead, Klaus blood will turn him into a vampire" I informed Matt with a hand on his shoulder attempting to comfort the quarter back.

"And if Bonnie is successful, he will live through transition. Go on then. Go and fetch your grimoires and enchantments and what-not. I'll hold onto Elena and Her" he said pointing at me "for safe keeping" fantastic I’m leverage now. I should have taken up Sam’s offer to give me a ride back home. Bonnie looks apprehensive to leave so I shout

"Bon just go we'll be fine? I assume so anyway." But she seemed more focused on Elena what a shocker and when got the okay from her left. Once it was just the six of us Rebekah came up to my sister looking her up and down.

"So, this is the latest doppelganger. The original one was much prettier" I’m not going to lie that moment seemed to be the only good thing that had been said since I left the boys.

"Enough Rebekah. Take the wolf boy and her somewhere, would you?" Her brother told her like she was the dog not him.

"And here was me thinking we were getting on" I said to the hybrid in an innocent tone. I saw the blonde give a small smirk in the corner of my eye before grabbing Tyler by the t-shirt he was wearing and me roughly by the arm.

"God what is it with this family and being rough. Keep it inside the bedroom will you."

Rebekah dragged me and a now dead Tyler away from the gym hall and to the chemistry class. Mr Jones.

"NO" I shouted the top of my lungs where the vampire stopped and looked at me funnily. "You walk through that door and you'll be washing confetti out your hair until next year. trust me I rigged it myself." She gave me a confused look "Senior prank night" where she gave a nod in realization before moving into the class next door which was prank free luckily.

I saw Caroline knocked out, Rebekah throwing Tyler down beside her. I didn't have to question what happened to Caroline the angle of her neck was enough besides its bad enough having an original watching you like a hawk but an angry one... don't even want to think what the blonde would be like when angry. She sat down on one side of the class me at the other with Caroline lying next to me, my phone starts made a noise to indicate a text my main bet it is Sam to see if I’m home safe.

"what is that?" the blonde asked confused by the contraption in my hands.

"It’s an iPhone?" I questioned back where has she been the past decade "Have you never seen one before?"

"Obviously I haven't, I wouldn’t have asked if I had" she snapped back

"Okay, relax. I'm just going to text my friend that I’m fine, okay?" Trying to calm her down a bit not wanting to cause an angry original. I contemplated sending an SOS then thought I would just be putting him in danger as well, dealing with this bull shit is enough I don’t want Sam dragged into it.

"What’s a text?" Jesus she really doesn't know anything about technology. Where has Klaus been keeping her? 

"It’s like a letter only you can send it on this device. look I'll show you." I told her crawling over next to her "I'm texting my friend that I’m safe. so, I type it in to the bar here from the keyboard here" I was explaining it as best as possible for her whilst also replying to the text. Once I taught her that she must have heard vibrating because she heard Caroline’s phone. She picked it up and started to go through her phone, I'm still trying to teach her the basics of a phone. such as I just taught her how to take a selfie and it seems to keep her amused.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I never caught your name?" Rebekah asked kindly which is quite unusual for a borderline kidnapper.

"Uh, its Alexandra but call me Alex, Alexandra sounds so formal even from a millennial old vampire" giving a little laugh that she mirrored. "So, Klaus is your brother, must be ... eventful?"

She gave out a laugh "That's one word for it. Me and my brother have a complicated relationship." She told me smiling at me "I overheard your sisters with the doppelganger?" She questioned about Elena causing me to roll my eyes "Not a fan I take it."

"You could say that. Just like you and Klaus our relationship is complicated."

"If only families were easy"

I went to reply in agreement until I heard groaning coming from the direction Caroline was lying in making me snap my head quick enough to give me whiplash.

"Care" I rushed to her side "Are you okay? How's the neck?" I asked quickly making sure my friend was okay and in the right mind set for what she is about to see. From behind me I could hear the British voice I have grown used to in the past hour.

"We didn't have mobile telephones in my day. Would have made life a lot easier I suppose." Ending with taking a selfie which I smirked at. Caroline didn't have time to engage in conversation about her phone or wellbeing being more concerned about her boyfriend.

"Where's Tyler?" In a panic Rebekah answered her question calmly.

"He's dead. ish" Moving a bit to let Caroline have visual of her dead not so dead boyfriend.

"What did you do to him?" Caroline was starting to get a bit angry and I'm not sure if I want to see a fight between these two from such close proximity.

"Think of it as he's having a nap. When he wakes up, hell he a hybrid." Rebekah informed her

"Klaus turned him, Caroline. His hybrids are failing and we need Bonnie to find a spell to make sure Ty is a success and well lives." I told her giving her the run down of what is happening.

Nevertheless she races up and put her head to his chest to try and find a heart beat. While watching Caroline trying to wake Tyler hopelessly Rebekah was swiping through the photos she had taken with the help of yours truly before coming across a cute picture of Elena and Stefan

"Ugh. Vomit." She said disgusted by the picture before seeing something familiar in the picture and not just Stefan. She zoomed in to the neckless Elena wore since a few days in their relationships before getting up and turning to me shouting "Why is that doppelganger bitch wearing my necklace?!" making me jump a bit.

"Your necklace? That’s the necklace Stefan gave Elena at the beginning of their relationship. How is it your necklace?" I retorted confused on how Elena managed to get a necklace from a vampire whose been in a box for ninety years.

she stormed out of the class with me following slowly compared to her you know seeing as she’s a vampire and all. She marched into the gym hall towards my sister

"Where is it?!? Where is my necklace?" Shouting at Elena to give her necklace to the proper owner.

"What are you talking about?" Asked Rebekah’s big brother confused looking between me and his sister. Giving him the phone, she showed him the picture of the couple with Rebekah’s necklace.

"She has my necklace. Look."

"Well, well, more lies" he replies looking at Elena and Stefan.

"Where... is it?" Rebekah asks slowly and honestly her being somewhat calm is even more terrifying than her furious.

"I don't have it anymore" Elena tells the original which she finds unsatisfactory.

"Your lying!" she bellows before biting Elena’s neck which then Klaus pulls her off and takes her over to the side.

"Knock it off!" Klaus warns his little sister but she isn't backing down that easily, it was her necklace for nine centuries to be fair.

"Make her tell me where it is Nik!" she whines to her brother convincing the hybrid to talk to the doppelganger.

"Where's the necklace, sweet heart? Be honest" trying to convince her to tell them where the necklace is

"I'm telling the truth. Katherine stole it." Elena defends herself, first time for everything I suppose.

"Of course it would be that bitch." I muttered the same time as Klaus yells out dramatically,

"If we had the necklace, it would make things a whole lot easier for your witch, but since we're doing this the hard way, let's put a clock on it, shall we?" Declaring that he was putting a time on this, setting the dreadful noise of the gym clock buzzes and it’s set to twenty minutes stop clock. After this he begins to compel Stefan "Twenty minutes. If Bonnie hasn't found a solution by then, I want you to feed again. Only this time, I want you to feed on Elena. You know you want to." Oh, fantastic my sister is going to be a drained blood bag if Bon doesn’t find the right spell out of thousand within 20 minutes. Wonderful. 

"No, Klaus! don't do this to him!" My sister yells. When is she going to get it through her thick head that these are the Salvatore’s or Katherine these are thee vampires, they don’t take orders from a human even if they are a Petrova doppelganger.

"No one leaves. If she tries to run, fracture her spine".

"Oh how delightful" I muttered.

Rebekah grabs my arm albeit gentler this time taking me away with her and Klaus.

"No! Alex! Let her go please!" I hear Elena beg for my life, which although we are sisters is a nice feeling that she remembered about me.

"Oh love, don't worry your precious Alex will be quite alright with my dear sister." Klaus retorts before walking through the doors to go out to the corridor. "I'm sorry your brought into all this sweet heart." Klaus apologise not even sounding a tad sincere.

"Yeah, let’s just say next time I’m offered a ride I’ll be taking it. rather not get brought into my sisters mess again" this makes Rebekah smirk as we depart ways from her brother to head towards the class we left Caroline and Tyler in.

After a long seventeen awkward minutes with the two blondes sitting opposite sides of the rooms me in the middle being a barrier of sorts but as soon as it hit the three minute left mark Tyler woke up making me race towards the werewolf turned hybrid

"Where am I? What happened?" Tyler questioned the two of us, seeing Rebekah and looking extremely confused

"Tyler" Caroline began but Rebekah interrupted before she could say anymore

"Don't be shy about it."

"What’s going on?" Tyler still and rightly so confused I would be as well if I woke up in a class from a broken neck with three females two vampires.

"Klaus is turning you into a vampire. A hybrid. You’re in transition" Caroline starts off being kind and leaving the hard bits out.

"Don’t leave the hard bits out sweets. you-" but I cut her off

"You'll only live if Bonnie is successful but if she doesn't find a solution then... you'll die" I told him trying to block out any emotion that would rub off on to him and Caroline but not succeeding seeming stressed and upset.

"You’re going to be okay. Okay? It's going to be okay." Caroline says not only trying to convince Tyler but herself also.

"I wonder how she's doing." Showing us the time left on her clock only being two minutes "Tick Tok goes the gym clock."

I look upset and stressed I step outside in the hallway leaving the couple to have a moment but Rebekah follows "I'm sorry, Alex. I don't know what I'd do if someone tried to hurt my brothers the way you are. I'm so sorry" her apology seeming to be more sincere compared to her brothers earlier. I nodded in thanks not wanting to seem remotely weak. Tyler will live. He has to.

I breathe in and out steadying my heart rate before going back into the class where Caroline and Tyler are situated obviously upset, nervous and worried from the look on their face. But after a few minutes and most likely the death of my sister which brings tears to my eyes an unlikely hero comes to save the day and that person is Klaus Mikaelson.

"Well verdicts in. The original witch says the doppelganger should be dead." Making me deflate tears finally running down my cheeks at the thought of my sister dying. I may not have seen eye to eye with her but she was still my sister.

"Does that mean we get to kill her?" Seeming happy until she seems me and then tries to hide her excitement failing in doing so.

"No, I’m fairly certain it means the opposite." He tell his sister

"Wait Elena is alive?" I question the hybrid in which he ignores but putting two and two together I breathe in a sigh of relief that my twin sister is alive.

"What?!?" Rebekah exclaims also being partly ignored by her brother. She pulls Caroline and myself back so we don’t interrupt any process of what will happen such as Klaus feeding my friend my sisters’ blood out of a small test tube.

"Elena’s blood drink it"

"Tyler no!" Caroline yells in warning

"Caroline! He’s dead either way!" Giving her a pleading look if she can be quiet and let this psycho feed him Elena’s blood.

"At least we can agree on something sweet heart" He says talking to me making me glare at him.

After a struggle Tyler finally drinks the blood in the test tube.

"There we go good boy"

"He isn't a dog" I snarked towards the original which he returned with a glare with the same amount of malice I sent him.

"And here was me thinking we were getting along" mirrorring my words earlier.

Once Tyler had finished drinking her blood he coughs and falls to the floor from rolling about on the desk that he was lying on. He was screaming and groaning before he holds his head and screams so loud it hurts my normal human ears. his face finally changes: His eyes are golden and he has fangs along with veins under his eyes just like a vampire. I glanced at Caroline worriedly when Klaus said.

 

"Well, that's a good sign"

**************************************

 

A/N: long chapter for me anyway.

Again hope there's not too mistakes e.g. grammar, spelling, Americanisms.

if you have anything to say please don't hestitate to comment. I appreciate all positive and negative feedback

 Next chapter is really a tad of her relationship with the boys and part of the next episode.

Thanks for reading Lovelies xxx

[askmerriauthor]

@techmomma upon request for critique and advice.  This is basically just me going into troubleshooter info-dump mode, so please pardon any abruptness in tone or phrasing.

So when drawing for animation, simplification of design and silhouette is key because you’re not only going to be doing the same overall drawing SO MANY TIMES in a row, but also need to ensure that the visual remains instantly recognizable to the viewer’s passing glance.  Consistency in silhouette is a big thing to work into the overall design of any character.

I’ve put up some solid examples above from Bruce Timm’s Batman, Disney’s  Kim Possible, and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch.  The highlights accent how a character’s overall outline - or even just key elements that are most prominently used in gesture and expression - and form remains basically the same no matter what angle they’re viewed from.  Notice how the shape and position of the various angles remain in basically the same spot regardless of the angle.  Notice how even when features are different in anatomy - such as an ear versus a cheekbone - they still tend to occupy the same general shape and position in the turnaround.  There’s also cases like Ron Stoppable where his hair is essentially always in the same shape, angle, and direction relative to which way he is facing no matter what angle he’s viewed from.  If he’s looking left, his hair shape is always left.

Another concept to always hold in mind with design is subtraction.  One of my teachers - Art Leonardi - gave the advice that “a lazy animator is a good animator”.  This isn’t to say that you should be sloppy, but that you should be efficient.  Every line you put down once is a line you’ll have to put down a million more times, so figure out exactly what needs to be on the page to convey shape, expression, and meaning, and REMOVE EVERYTHING ELSE.  If a character’s clothing or hair shape can be fudged so that a portion of its shape that would logically be visible in the real world isn’t there on the drawn version, and doing so doesn’t disrupt the presentation of the character?  Then don’t draw it.  Look at Harley Quinn’s design where her headpiece, collar, and ankles are in play.  We should logically always see both her “horns” even when she’s in profile, her collar should logically have more volume and thus appear lifted away from her body with a visible ridge, and we’d logically see the pointed flares at the back of her ankles more often.  But those are more details for the animators to draw, so they’re shuffled out.  Whichever “horn” is furthest from the viewer remains exactly the same position and angle in a 3/4th’s view as it is in head-on or from behind, while in profile it’s removed entirely.  Her collar is flush with her shoulder line in all positions and extra detail only appears when she’s in a total profile, which is actually rare in the cartoon itself since characters are infrequently shown fully from the side like that when a 3/4th’s angle would better serve the scene.  If we don’t need to see her ankle flares, we don’t see them.  If we do, they’re identical in profile as from behind, same as her “horns”.

Moving onto TB’s specific design here, this all leads into some fundamentals that can be applied to make the figure easier to animate.  TB’s age gives him plenty of wrinkles and lines, but too many causes clutter for the viewer and tons of extra work on the animator.  Compare Alfred to TB - both are wizened (albeit to different degrees, admittedly), but Alfred’s deforming facial details (lines above and below his eyes, and his mustache) are limited to a total of six lines that remain fairly parallel with each other.  TB, on the other hand, has twice as many in order to convey his age, expression, and depth of his facial structure.  Those can be reduced a lot in order to simplify the design.  TB’s signature elements would be his cheekbones, smile lines, and heavy-lidded eyes.  Things like the extra brow wrinkles and the wither lines on his neck aren’t necessarily as important to convey.

I marked a handful of points that I felt needed attention or removal.  The arrows indicate parallax errors; places where exterior lines meet in a way that makes their shape confusing.  You want to generally avoid that on the silhouette - it can be okay on interior elements, but you want to keep your overall outline as clean and easily readable as possible.  In the basic outline - and especially with the parallax errors in play - we don’t really get a sense of how skinny TB’s neck is because the outline of his high collar and fluffy hair all come together, appearing much bulkier than he actually is.  Some easy ways around this would either be to tighten the collar flush along the neck (like Harley’s, as per my previous example) or to lower it away from the jaw and hair line to make the thin neck visible while keeping the sharp angles of the collar itself.

In the profile image, I marked a spot at the neck with an arrow.  That’s because you changed the shape of TB’s neckline where it meets the underside of his jaw.  In all other angles his neck goes straight up, but in the profile it now has a subtle slope.  That’s one extra line and one change in silhouette you don’t need.  Similarly, we don’t need to see the fluff of TB’s hair that’s furthest from the viewer in that same profile, as it obscures the shape of his nose and face.  It can be removed, thus freeing him up for more expression in profile while speaking or emoting.

The X marks I placed are elements that simply don’t need to be there.  Things like shoulder creases or the fluff of his hair from behind are nice in illustrations, but superfluous in animation.  Same goes for being able to see TB’s chin at a 3/4th’s rear view, which clashes with the fluffy curve of his hair.  Again, more lines and more work.  That sort of volume can very easily be done via shading or with far more simpler incidental lines.  You don’t need to draw three or four dips to show the volume of his hair when two would suffice.

The final image I placed is a general breakdown of TB’s anatomical structure and outline.  In this case I mirrored the general silhouette of his hair, collar, and shoulders, while also mirroring the interior detail of his jawline and neck.  Your knack for making good illustrations can work against you when drawing for animation, as every element that differs from its opposite side (such as TB’s hair having slightly different heights and slopes on its right or left sides) makes it that much harder to maintain their relative volume in movement.  It’s better to simplify the shapes, mirror them, and match their placement relative to one another.  You’ve got a solid hold on anatomy already, so it’s clear TB’s general physical features line up properly as drawn, but when animation is in play you want to anchor features to one another.  I picked the base of his collar line as a radial point and drew outward - his physical elements should follow those general lines in order to make for a design that’s easier to replicate consistently.  So the same line that starts at the primary dimple in TB’s hair should always go straight down through his eye, along the edge of his nose, along the edge of his mouth, down the shape of his jaw, to that collar base.  The center-line of his shirt should go straight up through the center of his jaw, the center of his nose, and the center of the space between his eyes.  You should be able to draw a line straight from the point of his lower-most hair curls directly down the outline of his collar, as that makes it easier to maintain their volume and position as well as keeps his overall shape easy to read at a glance.

[robert1999-blog2]

Benefits of Social Media – The 5 Most Overlooked Business Points

Benefits of Social Media – The 5 Most Overlooked Business Points

The never ending list of social media’s business benefits has become repetitive and worn out.

“Social media connects you with your customers.”

“Grow your business using social media!”

“Get unfiltered and direct feedback from your customers on social networks.”

Hooks like these have resulted in social media being oversold and under delivering. The underlying problem is that these benefits most commonly lack context and examples. So what if social media can get you traffic and brand exposure — what does that even mean? How do you go about making that happen? You can’t just build it and then they’ll come.

I’m revisiting the topic of social media’s business benefits to overcome these opinions. The overused and overlooked “benefits” truly are still relevant and, more importantly, achievable. If you’re already sold on the benefits and curious to know how to steer your business in the right direction, I’ve also put together an introductory how-to guide to help you set your goals, objectives, strategies and tactics.

Here are the 5 most oversold (and now overlooked) business benefits of social and how to make them work for you:

1) Increased Traffic and Exposure

The missing context here is that by having a social presence for your business, you’ll eventually be able to lead your followers to complete an action. Whether that’s to click on a link and get back to your website or to remember your name when the time comes to do business again, you want them to see you and know you’re still active.

A lot of people start out on social media just for the sake of being there. However, without setting up your goals for what you want to get out of social for your business, it’s easy to forget what your motivation should be.

How to Make It Work for You

Set up your social media sharing to fit an 80/20 split. 80 percent of your posts should be helpful, entertaining and informative blogs, links and photos. People want to enjoy what they find on social networks. The other 20 percent of the the time, feel free to drive traffic and engagement toward something that directly helps your business. Maybe this is a link to a blog you wrote or a referral contest you’re running. This balance will help keep your audience interested but also work toward achieving your business goals.

2) Multiple Touches Across a Longer Sales Cycle

Social media is not the exclusive method you should use to run your business. It’s simply one part of a greater marketing strategy. The benefit of social media is that it is easily folded into your greater customer outreach strategy for long-term engagement.

When you work in an industry like real estate or insurance, the likelihood of doing business with a particular person in a given calendar year is pretty slim. But you have to maintain that connection and relationship because they are an excellent source of referral business and future repeat business.

The context missing here is that not every post, tweet and link shared on your social media accounts is going to be touched by every one of your followers. But the ones they do see and interact with should be counted as touch points towards their overall engagement with you. Just like a phone call to them, an opened email or a personal note in the mail, all of these touches work together to keep you top of mind.

How to Make It Work for You

You want to make sure that you are always sharing interesting content with your social networks. It’s hard to let people interact with you on social media if you’re not giving them anything to read. Trust me, they’re not going to look you up out of the blue. The best way to approach to this is to make yourself a calendar of things to share and do on social media throughout your week and stick to it. I’ve laid out a few example calendars in this introductory guide.

3) Top-of-Mind Awareness and Recall

Staying top of mind with past clients and customers is so important for industries with long sales cycles. Did you know that in real estate, 9 out of 10 people would use their realtor again, if only they could find their phone number or remember their name? The reason why this benefit gets overlooked at times is that social is not a short-term game. The results come when you set yourself up for a long-term customer engagement strategy. However, if you don’t see immediate results, I understand it’s hard to believe that social media helps with top-of-mind awareness.

But remember that the goal here is to be in the business of helping, not selling. People don’t want to be friends with or follow businesses that have only their own interests in mind. They want to follow brands that give them some form of enjoyment, education or inspiration.

How to Make It Work for You

Take a good look at everything you’re sharing on your social networks and compare it to a business you follow on your personal page that you enjoy. For me, it’s a local car wash I’ve liked on Facebook. Their social media updates aren’t blatant attempts to get my business again, yet, I find myself clicking on every post they send out. Things like a funny photo of a dog on a scooter or a Buzzfeed video that tells me I’ve been pronouncing Japanese car names wrong. This type of content is entertaining, clickable and better at catching my attention.

4) Branding Yourself as a Trusted Resource

With a social media plan in place and an established approach to the content you share on social networks, one of the greatest overlooked benefits you’ll receive is branding. When you set out to establish your brand presence on social media, if you’re doing it right, the brand you create will be reflected in both your online presence and through the quality content you share.

For that reason, you have to be smart about the social media posts you create. They need to be different enough to not be repetitive but similar enough so that people can see a consistent pattern and tone to your approach.

How to Make It Work for You

You have to find out what makes you special and what you want to be known for. Sure, you might be a loan officer, but is that everything you want people to know about you? Take some time to figure out what sort of things people come to you for advice about that aren’t loan specific. For example, maybe you do a lot of home loans. Your approach to content then wouldn’t be just home loans, but rather things new home owners should know. Tips about home ownership, advice on energy-efficient apps or even guides to picking the right insurance coverage. Use your content to make you an invaluable resource for your audience.

5) Increased Referrals

Having a longer sales cycle makes it challenging to stay in touch with past clients. However, you know that they’re your best source of leads. Social media can (and does) help with this. The whole point of setting yourself up to achieve the aforementioned benefits is to drive a tangible business result. In this case, referrals from past clients is the result, and if you’re planning out your approach to social media ahead of time, this is a very achievable goal.

The missing context here is that referrals don’t happen just because you have a Facebook page. You have to take a vested interested in building your social networks in a way that leads your followers to send business your way.

How to Make It Work for You

Above, I mentioned the 80/20 split. If you’re truly following this approach, then use that 20 percent of your earned self-promotional posting time to ask your followers and friends for referral business. But don’t just throw the question out there; give them some incentive [referrals] to do so. Make a contest, have a drawing, something!

How to Achieve These Benefits?

As I mentioned throughout the discussion of these five benefits, you have to set yourself up in the right direction in order to make them a reality. You need to create your social media goals, objectives that stem from those goals, strategies to carry out those objectives and tactics to employ when executing your strategy. It’s a lot easier to visualize what you need to do when you have a template to follow too. Check out this guide to help you accomplish this!

Whether you’ve become numb to the repetitive praises of social media benefits for businesses or you’re a believer looking to get things in motion, it’s crucial that you have a plan in place. Without setting up your destination beforehand, it’s easy to lose sight of the end goals and begin to overlook the incremental benefits you’ll achieve using social media for your business.

[intersex-ionality]

So you like Star Wars? Do you have any favourite Star Wars media? I do not know if I lean more towards Star Wars or Star Trek, I like them both very much. Have you seen any of the Mandolorian? I haven’t seen the polarizing Last Jedi, Solo or the new Rise of Skywalker you mentioned. What do you think of the latest trilogy? I read lots of spoilers for the movies I didn’t see. I can see why some of movies appealed to some and not others depending on the movie. Different sides. Might see them

The animated TV series are my preferred star wars media, with Clone Wars being my #1 and Rebels being my #2. I’ve never played any of the video games that attach themselves to the themes and canons presented by the TV shows, but I do know they exist. I just don’t… do a lot of video games. I need things that have very simple interfaces, forgiving combat, few or no quick-time events, and very simple or no puzzles. Star Wars games firmly do not fit that bill, even though many of them are single-player, story-driven games which is also something I love.

I haven’t seen Mandalorian yet, which I recognize is a travesty because I love both Star Wars and westerns, and it’s a Star Wars western, but also… TV shows are a lot for me, and live-action TV shows are especially a lot because it’s many many hours of media to wade through, most of it requiring me to gauge people’s body language without the exaggerated trappings of animation. It’s hard! I’ll get there, but maybe not for another few months yet.

As far as the films, my order of preference is:

The Last Jedi

Clone Wars - Animated

Rogue One

Clone Wars - Live Action

A New Hope

The Force Awakens

Return of the Jedi

Empire Strikes Back

Revenge of the Sith

Phantom Menace

Rise of Skywalker

I’m a firm believer in calling one-star wars film a lost cause. When I was very young, I called Empire Strikes Back the lost cause, because I haaaated it. It was so SAD and it ended on so many CLIFFHANGERS and I just hated that. In my young adulthood, I called Phantom Menace the lost cause, because I don’t like the canons it introduces, the implications it raises then forgets, the editing or the directing (though, as a kid, I actually really liked it: it was flashy, it had lots of really easy to understand visual gags and one liners, a child my age was the star, etc and so forth).

But congratulations to TPM, because as of a week ago, it’s back in the running. Rise of Skywalker is my new write-off.

I know it’s a bit of an “unpopular opinion” in major star wars circles–though a very popular opinion in transformative star wars fandom–to say that Last Jedi is my number one choice, but man oh man.

Spoilers for TROS and TLJ from this point forward.

Where some films I could mention, JJ, make a big point of spitting on everything that came before them and focusing only on large action sequences that were done better with worse tech and worse budgets decades ago, Last Jedi is a very Fandom Approach to SW canon. It reconciles the trauma and toxicity of the Jedi Order that the prequels went to such lengths to establish, with the bright-eyed bombast of the original trilogy and its worship of a past that had rusted and decayed but was still considered magical to the people it surrounded.

If you are the kind of person who enjoys reading Star Wars fanfiction, you’ll probably really like Last Jedi. If you are the kind of person who enjoys reading Star wars lore books, you probably won’t. If you’re a more casual fan, you’ll probably enjoy the way it captures that “anyone can be anything” adventure spirit of the original trilogy, but the deep forays into examining the preceding media might be a bit uh… much.

Of course, Last Jedi is like… a Star Wars film. It’s a fantasy adventure series set in space, and it knows and accepts the fundamental nonsensicality of its own premise. If you are looking for something truly grounded and realistic, star wars is simply never going to be the place to go (though, the animated Clone Wars series might be a good start…).

So, I do recommend Last Jedi if you like Star Wars! Just, go into it knowing that it’s quite a tonal departure.

I once described it (though I’m not sure I still would) as “Star Wars for fans of Star Trek.”

In the end, I could never choose between star wars and star trek because, the aesthetic similarities aside, they’re two very different properties in two very different genre, with two very different intentions. Star Trek wants to examine the philosophical implications of a lot of human beliefs, behaviours, and cultures, and uses speculative fiction to do so from a safe distance. Star Wars wants to show the emotional highs and lows of a chosen one and their friends,  and uses speculative fiction to make the stakes for those perspective characters about a million times higher than they could be in a real-life scenario. One is about philosophy, and one is about feelings. And while you can philosophize on feelings, or have feelings about philosophy, the two series are just… fundamentally different!! Different stakes, different settings, different tones, different goals.

It’s a lot easier to compare media with more similar genres. Such as comparing Babylon 5 to Star Trek, or comparing Avatar the Last Air Bender to Star Wars.

Rise of Skywalker is… more of a pastiche of other Star Wars films than it is a Star Wars film in and of itself. It spends a lot of time re-creating iconic moments from other films, without putting much effort into making them match the current plot, emotions, etc. It also loses a lot of the emotional power that makes Star Wars so compelling. However, it does have some good points.

For example, I like the part where BB-8 watches Rey heal a snake, and then she decides to try healing another droid herself. So she puts her power cord on the other droid (because the healing was explained to her as “giving up some energy to the other person”), and it works (because the other droid had a dead battery). That was such top tier shit. BB-8 is blessed.

I just… dislike a LOT more than I like, with Rise of Skywalker. Still, if you enjoy Star Wars, it is probably worth catching on streaming or rental. I can’t in good conscience say it’s worth the cost of a theater ticket, that’s a decision you’ll have to make for yourself.

[pokesception]

Whelp, started playing pokemon sword.  Have complained quite a bit here about dexit & related issues, and honestly I would have skipped at least the initial versions of these games entirely, or at least held off on purchasing them until we could see just how egregious pokemon home will be.  But my brother got shield, and my problems with sword and shield are not so severe that I’m going to refuse to play a game with family.

Thoughts so far?  Setting dexit entirely aside it’s... another pokemon game, for better and worse.  Largely for the better.  The new monsters, at least those I’ve encountered so far, are fun and good.  Music is nice.  Tone is bright and cheerful.  I love my team, and my protagonist.  It’s been nice.

As expected going to a more powerful console, it looks better, but it’s not a huge jump from the 3ds games, not least because lot of the visuals of this game are ported over directly from those games, and the stuff that is new has been made so as to not clash aesthetically with the older stuff.  If you’ve seen mods of usum that display the games at higher res and without the black outlines, it’s very much like that.  Closer to that even than to the let’s go games in ways that I find difficult to articulate.  In and of itself that’s not a complaint, really, the game looks plenty good enough for a pokemon tame.  It’s just not a major leap forward in presentation like the leap from gen 5 to gen 6 was.

Gameplay is mostly what you might expect.  Tall grass battles are an interesting mix of pokemon you can see on the field and engage or avoid as you wish and random battles that appear in the grass.  The random fights appear as a rustling in the grass that again can be pursued or avoided, you just can’t tell what they’ll be before you bump into them.  Finding rarer pokemon in a route is often a matter of sneaking or dashing between the new pokemon to get to the random fight, then crossing your fingers and hoping for the pokemon you want.  I’m not sure if there’s deeper levels to it, like chaining or whatever.  At the surface level it’s engaging enough.

The new pokemon are great so far.  There’s a bunch early on that you won’t have seen if you avoided leaks, and that was really excited.  I went into gen 7 knowing every new pokemon and with a particular desired team all worked out in advance.  This time around I’ve avoided spoilers, and gamefreaks official previews have kept a lot more hidden, so it’s been really fun to meet a lot of cool new faces early on.

The game does let you skip some early tutorials, but still frustrates to no end by stopping you every three seconds for another unnecessary explanation or detour, so it’s still pokemon in that unfortunate regard.  Routes are, if anything, more linear than ever before, at least early on, with the exception of an early expedition through the wild area which... I’ll talk about later.

Experience share is always on and cannot be turned off.  It scales shared xp based on the level of the pokemon, with lower level pokemon getting a higher portion, but not by enough so it’s still a pain to keep everything in the same level range, and you’ll still probably be wildly over leveled from very early on with nary a challenge to be seen even if you try to avoid grinding.

You can access the box from anywhere, which can be used to help overcome both the maintaining-a-level-range and over leveling problems of the experience share, but it’s a hassle to do, and wouldn’t be necessary if you could just toggle off shared exp in the options menu.  And on another level it makes the game even easier, since attrition is much less of a problem when you can swap in fresh pokemon whenever you feel like.

The online functionality is... kind of bad.  Maybe it’s just my internet, but being online in the wild area causes all sorts of slowdown.  Worse, there’s no equivalent to the pss functionality from gen 6.  No way to just see which of your switch friends are online and directly offer to trade or battle with them.  No instead you have to contact them *outside of the game* to share a 4 digit password, and then hope that nobody else happens to be using the same password as you when you try to connect with each other.  Raid battles are neat, but infuriatingly use the same password hassle.  You can’t just have easy friend-only raids from within the game itself.

It’s marginally better then gen 7′s festival plaza, but it remains miles and miles behind gen 6′s pss system that was simple and intuitive, and just centuries ahead of anything that came before or after.

Apart from raid battles, the wild area is... interesting?  Not all that different from having just a really big route with subareas of various level ranges.  Not bad, but not as big a departure as I had made it out to be in my head.  An idea with some potential that future games might expand into something great but that, knowing this series, will just be dropped after a single generation instead.  I’m still pretty early in the game, so my opinion on it might change after returning to it later.

The biggest frustration of the wild area, and something that brings it down tremendously, is that while you can encounter, and with some effort defeat, pokemon there, you cannot catch them at all if they’re above an arbitrary level range set by your number of gym badges.  This runs so completely counter to everything almost good about the wild area that I basically swore the whole thing off until I get to the end of the game, and frankly they might as well have just made it a post game area at that rate.

It’s extra frustrating because the problem of a player getting access to a pokemon too strong for the game too early on is one that the pokemon games already solved infinitely more elegantly all the way back in gen 1!  Just make pokemon that you acquire at too high a level uncontrollable, exactly like traded pokemon, so you can catch that over leveled onyx or whatever, but can’t use it until you’ve progressed far enough in the game for it not to be over leveled anymore.  How hard is that?  And who cares if a player gets an over powered pokemon early and steam rolls the game?  If that’s how the player wants to play, why is it a problem?  It’s not like the main game is challenging to begin with, thanks to always on exp share its almost impossible not to have over leveled pokemon anyway, what does it matter if it’s because you caught them that way or because they just outleveled the game curve?  A better exp scaling system would fix all those problems anyway.

Pokemon games not only failing to progress and solve problems that return game after game, but also repeatedly forgetting solutions that the series has already implemented is the longest running and most frustrating and most justified complaint to level at the entire series.  Of course, in the past pokemon as a series always had one core feature that none of the other - often more innovative - monster hunting games that sprang up in its shadow could replicate.  Backwards compatibility, the ability to maintain your collection in full going forward from generation to generation in a chain unbroken since gen 3 on game boy advance.  And that’s where dexit puts a sour note on the whole business.

The last several pokemon generations have failed to significantly improve on the core gameplay of a nearly two decade old franchise, but for many that has been largely forgiven because each new generation could easily be viewed not as stand alone games but rather as major expansions to the same existing game.  Dexit breaks from that, and forces the new games to be viewed as stand alone games and... well they aren’t pad at all.  They’re still cute.  I’m having fun so far.  Sword and Shield is no Anthem, no Fallout 76, no singular disaster to turn an otherwise largely positive track record on its head, and the extreme negativity directed against the game has been way overstated, even probably by myself.  In particular any vitriol directed at the devs is almost certainly unwarranted, the problems that have been growing in the pokemon series generation after generation almost certainly come down to corporate decisionmaking way above the heads of anyone who actually *worked* on the game.

Still, now that gamefreak’s pattern of cutting progressively more and more corners has reached the point of cutting actual pokemon, it’s shouldn’t be surprising that a lot of people who had been giving all those issues a pass suddenly aren’t anymore.

And while pokemon sword and shield isn’t a bad game, it’s hard to compare it to something like oras or usum and say it’s worth 50% more up front cost AND an added monthly subscription to access features like GTS that used to be just part of the game to begin with.

The dex cuts would have been more forgivable if the games had been a major leap forward, whether in graphics or gameplay.  Monster Hunter World, for instance, had /dramatically/ less content in terms of sheer quantity than the games that came right before it, but it also completely overhauled the visuals, heavily revised and updated the core gameplay, and completely changed how the area maps worked.

Alternatively, I think all the people currently complaining about models and trees and balance would have been fine with ‘just another pokemon game’ if it had maintained the backwards compatibility, just as they’ve been alright with ‘just another pokemon game’ for game after game after game until now.  Imagine if gamefreak had announced sword and shield as the last main line games to maintain all previous pokemon instead of the first games not to.  Then at least everybody’s personal faves would have had the chance to see play on a home system, and sword and shield could advertise themselves as the biggest pokemon games ever and actually mean it, and players would have time to adjust to what was coming.

I’m reminded of a scene from the Gravity Falls Halloween episode in season one.  Mabel & Dipper had always trick or treated together, but this year dipper decided to ditch mabel to try and go to a teen party, arguing that they were getting too old for trick or treating.  To which Mabel says something along the lines of “I knew some Halloween would be our last, but I didn’t realize it had already happened.”

And that’s the feeling I have with pokemon right now, the wet blanket draped over all the bright colors and fun new characters and monsters in sword and shield.  I knew eventually pokemon games wouldn’t be able to keep supporting all the pokemon, I knew eventually my collection would be left behind.  But I didn’t think it had already happened.  And to find out that gen 7 of all games was the last ‘complete’ pokemon?  That’s just kind of sad to realize.  And while I am on balance enjoying sword and shield, it’s a realization that keeps coming back uninvited to sour the experience.

[mel-bct]

UX/UI design and trends to consider

As a digital designer and a person who enjoys visual communication and design, I am already aware of some existing conventions used in UX/UI (User Experience/Interface) design, however, I want to grow  my knowledge by investigating trending UX/UI design material and techniques from other sources to have a better understanding of the field I am designing in, and introduce these techniques into my practice and the QlovaSeed design guidelines. 

Using white space Every year mobile UX/UI design develops and changes, and one aspect that is slowly becoming consumed is screen space. The placement and layout of the design is important, where things are placed and where things arent are critical as it restricts where the user interacts with the app. Including more white space is a simple and fresh technique that is being more embraced compared to over-crowded and cluttered design. It allows the user to only see what is important, and other conventions can be used in place of the lack of icons and containers such as with gestures. 

(Image sourced from Pradita, G. (June, 2015).)

Gestures Gestures allow users to navigate through the app/device, perform actions and transform objects. “Hidden” gestures are a great way to simplify the UI and keep it minimal, and allows the users to interact with the space when they’re ready. For example, instead of having a persistent arrow icon in the top left hand corner of an interface to allow the user to go back a page, the user can use a swipe gesture instead to move in the direction they please. The removal of the button allows more room for white space and a less cluttered interface.

Navigation gestures show how to move through the product, such as: swiping, tapping, dragging, pinching and scrolling.

Action gestures indicate how to perform actions such as: Tapping an icon, long pressing/long hold, and swiping.

Transformation gestures allow the user to manipulate elements and control their size, position, and rotation. This is done with a double tap, pinching, compound gestures and pickup/move.

However it is important to understand that users may not have prior knowledge of all or any gestures. The users will only try to use gestures if they have used the techniques before. A good tip is to use animated hints which give an example of the gestures available and show what is possible, or by using intuitive design techniques.

(Image sourced from Babich, N. (March, 2016).)

Dark mode/theme Every software, platform and company at the moment has jumped on the dark mode bandwagon, which allows the UI to be low-lit and inverted to arguably be easier on the users eyes. It is said that long periods of screen time encourages eye fatigue, and that it is easier on the eyes to look at lighter text on a dark background, which is why applications are offering the option of dark mode for their users. Personally I use dark mode on my mobile, and on websites/apps that offer it such as YouTube and Twitter. I have discovered that after long periods of screen time I get headaches and bloodshot/tired eyes, which is why I have also invested in a blue light tint for my prescription glasses for when I’m working at home.

However, not everyone can enjoy dark mode. For some users with visual eye impairments (such as astigmatisms -  a common condition that most people are born with) dark mode can make things worse (Cole, S. June, 2019.). So it is important to be aware that forcing people into a dark mode/theme may not always be best, and having options available for the user is far more accommodating and enables positive UX. 

(Image sourced from adddictedtomacintosh,(June, 2018).)

Colour From darkness there is light; from the dark inverted trend there is also a dominant usage of colour. Colour can be used in meaningful ways to indicate information to users. It helps to create a distinction between elements (such as containers and iconography), and visualises where relationships and hierarchy are within the UI such as in the use of tabs. It can also be used to identify the layout of the UI, and indicate where the top and bottom of the page start and end.

When creating a colour story or palette for any UI you need to consider a balance between neutral and bright colours. Having primary and complementary/secondary colours that work well together all of the time, not just in specific situations. A common trend is using variations of one tone to distinguish UI elements rather then introducing secondary colours from a different hue. 

References:

Apple. (n.d). Human Interface Design Guidelines. Dark Mode.  Retrieved August, 2019, from https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/macos/visual-design/dark-mode/

Babich, N. (March, 2016).  In-app Gestures and Mobile App Usability. UX Planet. Retrieved  August, 2019, from https://uxplanet.org/in-app-gestures-and-mobile-app-usability-d2e737bd5250

Cole. S. (June, 2019). Dark Mode Isn’t ‘Easier on the Eyes’ for Everybody. Tech by Vice. Retrieved August, 2019, from https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ywyqxw/apple-dark-mode-eye-strain-battery-life

Dagar, S. (December, 2018). Mobile App Design In 2019. UX Collective. Retrieved August, 2019, from https://uxdesign.cc/ux-trends-2019-3ddadf853ca

Fireart. (May, 2019). How to Design Gesture-Driven UI. Retrieved August, 2019, from https://fireart.studio/how-to-design-gesture-driven-ui/ 

Google Material Design. (n.d). Material Foundation. Interaction Gestures. Retrieved August, 2019, from https://material.io/design/interaction/gestures.html#types-of-gestures

Google Material Design. (n.d). Material Foundation. Dark theme. Retrieved August, 2019, from https://material.io/design/color/dark-theme.html#

Pradita, G. (June, 2015). Mondo Inbox and Conversation Interface.  Retrieved August, 2019, from https://dribbble.com/shots/2340112-Mondo-Inbox-and-Conversation-Interface

Tubik Studio. (January, 2019).  Big Review of UI Design Trends We Start 2019 With. UX Planet. Retrieved August, 2019, from https://uxplanet.org/review-of-ui-design-trends-we-start-2019-with-68f128151215

Wiesemborski, M. (May, 2019).  State of mobile app design 2019. UX Collective. Retrieved August, 2019, from https://uxdesign.cc/state-of-mobile-app-design-2019-48bb843890f7

[ascreamingstrawberry]

Prompt : 18. “He’s so pretty it makes me cry.” “That’s a bit dramatic but I support you.”  from this list 

Pairing : Prinxiety (and highkey Logicality, I didn’t mean to make it about them too, but ya know) 

Word Count : 2,250

Requested by : @prinxiety-and-chocolate

Roman appreciated his roommate very much. Logan sent him Chemistry lecture notes when he decided to skip and go get coffee with Remy. Logan was the one who remember to take out the trash late at night when Roman was doing homework he should’ve done earlier. He also, on more than one occasion, would physically pick Roman up out of his chair and throw him on his bed while tiredly mumbling about the benefits of a good sleep schedule. His roommate was great. But probably his most valuable trait was the fact that he would sit idly while Roman showed him pictures of the incredibly attractive edgelord he’d met in his Psychology lecture.

“I mean, come on, Logan, have you seen him?” Roman shut the door behind him quietly, as Logan would not appreciate the slam that he wanted to emphasize his statement. He put his phone on the charger and flopped dramatically onto his bed.

Their beds were closer than most roommates had them, and they were only separated by their respective nightstands stacked on top of each other in the middle. But their desks were on the opposing wall, faced away from their beds, so Logan had his back to him.

“If we’re talking about Virgil, again,” Logan was probably rolling his eyes, based on his tone. “I have seen him. Multiple times. You’ve shown me every picture he has ever taken.”

“Probably not every picture.” Roman thought out loud, more for the way Logan turned out and pointed aggressively at him, than his own amusement.

“If you finish that thought, I will come over there and stick my fist down your throat.” Despite threatening him, Logan had the smallest of smiles on his face. Surprising too, considering he was doing his Calculus homework. It had to be whoever ‘Blue Heart’ emoji was that he had been texting.

Logan didn’t use contact names, he used emojis. Made it easier to him to remember. And since the boy never used Siri there was never any downside to it. Logan and Siri, didn’t get along. Roman had seen them fight once. Logan had almost broke his phone.

“Kinky.” Roman rolled over to check his phone, despite his own knowledge that it had probably only charged like a percent or two. snapchat from dark and handsome

“Logan, give me your phone!” Roman hopped off the bed and ran over to steal Logan’s phone right off the charger plugged into his laptop, despite Logan making grabby hands at him. “Shush I’m not going to look at anything, I’m just taking a picture of his snapchat.”

“You really need to stop doing that, he’s going to think you’re a pervert or something.” Logan groaned. Roman had a system, since Snapchat let the other person know when you took a screenshot of their picture, he used Logan’s phone to take pictures of the cute selfies Virgil would send him. He’d admire it for a minute, and then make Logan delete it. He wasn’t weird. He just needed more than ten seconds to admire Virgil Sanders’ beauty.

“For that comment, I might just look at your texts to Mr. Blue Heart.” Roman wasn’t going to, he wouldn’t invade his friend’s privacy, but the actual fucking whine that came out of Logan’s mouth made him toss the phone back in Logan’s direction. “You can delete that now.”

“Weirdo.” Logan mumbled, and Roman barely had a chance to see 2 snapchats from dark and handsome when Logan continued. “Hey Roman, did you see what this message said?”

“Actually, no. Isn’t it weird to say I was kind of just focused on his face?”  Roman said, typing in his code leisurely. He opened Instagram first, checked the dm from Patton, the guy down the hall, as well as his groupchat from back home.

“Yes it is.” Logan replied, turning around in his chair to face Roman now.

“What did he say?” When he opened Snapchat, Roman went to open the next picture but it was just a message. What? Virgil never messaged him.

“He’s asking you out.” Logan deadpanned.

“What?” Roman panicked. Well more, he panicked because Virgil was probably panicking. When the man informed him of his anxiety, Roman had been a little shocked. Not personality wise, Virgil had been wary when Roman had first reached out via a friend request on the university website, let alone snapchat. It just seemed unfair that someone as naturally attractive (and wonderful) as Virgil had a mental illness that prevented him from just going up and talking to anyone he wanted. ‘

dark and handsome : sorry i probably shouldn’t of done that over snapchat

dark and handsome : it’s okay if you don’t want to

me : no no, i’d very much like to.

me : if you want

dark and handsome : roman i asked you

me : i’m just making sure!

dark and handsome : okay ,well see you tomorrow i guess

me : yeah!

dark and handsome : gn roman

me : goodnight virgil!

To say that Roman annoyed Logan very much that evening would be an understatement. First he had to check the time and place on the photo, then he spent most of the night worrying about what to wear, what to say how to act. Dress like you normally do, say what you normally do, act like you normally do. Wait.

“But what if he doesn’t like what I normally do, Logan?”

“As insufferable as you are Roman, the right person will. I have no doubt Virgil will like you as you are just fine.”

“Aw, you do love me.”

“Do you know what insufferable means?”

And by the time it came for the actual date, Logan had to walk Roman to the Starbucks on the edge of campus himself, or else he was pretty sure his poor love stricken friend might faint. When Roman sat down nervously across from the dark haired, all-black teeager, Logan had fully intended to just grab a coffee and hide himself among the other caffeine dependent students. However, fate had a different plan for him it seems.

“LOGAN!” Patton attacked him from behind. Normally Logan would’ve had better reflexes, but something about the smell of chocolate chip cookies and caramel kept him frozen in his spot. When Logan didn’t return his hug, Patton pulled away, a sad smile across his face. Somewhere in Logan’s brain told him that just wouldn’t do.

“Patton, you’re looking lovely as ever, how are you today?” Logan tried to his deer in the headlights look as that those words slipped out, but found he didn’t have to because Patton’s gaze fell to his shoes, trying to hide a blush. Well, that’s a visual representation of the word cute, if Logan’s ever seen one.

Across the tiny Starbucks with baristas that were always way to chipper, Virgil was laughing. It wasn’t intentional Roman was sure, his own joke hadn’t even been that funny, but he was blessed for being able to bear witness to the sight. Virgil’s hand was kind of hovering in the air like any moment he would cover over the beautiful smile that made his eyes light up under the dark eyeliner. He was beautiful.

“Fuck, I’m gay.” Roman mumbled, covering his own mouth as soon as the words slipped out.

“Well that’s good news.”  Virgil’s shoulders kind of closed in on himself. He took a minute to scan the cafe, looking for someone maybe, but when he didn’t find what he was looking for or either didn’t like what he did found, he looked down to the floor.

“Do you want to head back to my dorm?” Roman asked, noticing his discomfort.

“Hm?” Virgil looked up, and while he reached down to take another sip of his drink, the blush on his face betrayed the nervous and almost fearful eyes he had.

“You know just cause there seems to be a lot of people here. We could always just hang in my common room or something if my roommate’s there.” Roman shrugged, hoping it came off as nonchalant.

“Sure.” Virgil was up before Roman had even realized he’d answered. And Roman grabbed the coffee that Virgil had forgotten on the little table that had been in between them that was really too short for anyone to use properly, and followed out the door. And it was like as soon as they were outside, Virgil had taken a big deep breath. Figuratively, well, guessing by Virgil’s state, maybe literally too.

Virgil stretched his arms out, shook at the hands as if he was dispelling some kind of energy from with him and his mouth was half opened, and his shoulders tucked up into his ears. And then he let go. Of all the tension in his body, at least, he hadn’t really been holding onto anything since Roman had his drink in his hand.

“Better?” Roman perked up and Virgil turned around to blush again at the fact that Roman had been watching him. He handed over the other boy’s drink and the two fell into a comfortable walking pace, making   to Roman’s dorm in under five minutes. Roman didn’t mind the time that much though, he really just like listening to the way Virgil’s hands moved subtly at his sides as the other boy talked. He was entrancing that way.

“Race you up the stairs.” Virgil called, just as soon as Roman had slipped his ID card back into the holder he kept on his keychain.

“I’m only on the second floor.” Roman called, trying to keep up as Virgil’s long legs made it so he could do three stairs at once compared to the normal one (or two in Roman’s case). Virgil barely stopped to open the door on the stairwell, whipping it in front of Roman’s face as Roman’s called directions from behind him. By the time Virgil skidded to a stop in front of the door that read ‘Logan and Roman’, the man from the second half of that label had been out of breath.

“Been a while?” Virgil laughed, barely sounding winded.

“Yeah.” Roman leaned one of his hands on one of the walls of the hallway, bending over a little bit to catch his breath while taking his time to stare at Virgil’s ass. He may not have been subtle but by the way Virgil walked over, took Roman’s chin in his hand, and pulled him up into a quick kiss, the other boy hadn’t seemed to mind.

“You’re kinda cute, I guess.” Virgil laughed when he pulled away, running a hand through Roman’s hair. Roman stood up straight, tried to ignore his blush as he moved past Virgil with his key in his hand, and unlocked the door.

“Just wait til I get you in-” Roman’s statement was interrupted by a giggle as he opened the door to his room, and reached over to turn the light on, managing to turn it off. When he flicked the light back on, his roommate was cuddling with Patton, from down the hall, on his bed, while two two drinks stood on the nightstand. “I didn’t realize this room was occupied.”

“Uh, Roman, hello. I didn’t think you would be back this early.” Logan said, moving to stand up but Patton kept his arm wrapped around Logan’s waist where they laid.

“Hey Pat.” Virgil said from behind Roman, moving around the boy stuck at the door with his hand gripping the handle. When Roman stayed still for even longer, Virgil reached down to pry his hand off the doorknob, taking it in his own, and pulling him over to the desk. Roman blushed as Virgil sat down, plopping Roman on his lap.

“Somebody got awful confident.” Patton’s voice was teasing, Roman knew, but something still made him squeeze Virgil’s hand.

“It’s his fault.” Virgil mumbled, laying his head on Roman’s shoulder while still trying to look up at him. Roman twisted a little. Sure, they’d been on half a dare, but they’d talked for weeks maybe more, and something about the glimmer in the other boy’s dark brown eyes made him lean down and kiss him lightly on the noise.

The four boys made their way downstairs playing pool by the front door, swapping jokes and staring at their respective crushes, until they grabbed food together from the vending machines and went back up to Logan and Roman’s room to watch some shitty Adam Sandler movie on Logan’s laptop.

It was six o’clock by the time Virgil headed back to his dorm and Patton left for his room down the hall. Closing the door behind them, Roman locked it shut and walked over to his bed to dramatically flop his upper body against the bedding. He kept his feet on the floor, and he crooked his head to look over at Logan who was sat at his desk again, but he was just leaning backwards in his chair kind of staring up at the ceiling.

Roman let out a deep sigh, and Logan made a noncommittal noise in response. Something about that made Roman laugh, and Logan made eye contact with him, watching as his roommate’s neck was crooked back and that made him laugh. Roman sighed again, “He’s so pretty it makes me cry.”

“That’s a bit dramatic but I support you.” Logan replied, the amusement never leaving his face.

“Shuddup.” Roman replied, tossing a pillow backwards as he climbed up fully on his bed, face first, knowing very well that Logan was probably blushing over his own crush as well.

[clacolu95]

Don’t Want to Let You Go Chapter 9: Mixed Signals

Previous Chapter: Chapter 8: Chad Wellington

Next Chapter: Chapter 10: Newfound Resolution

“Why is your stuff packed in boxes?” The blond had asked her as he made his way to the kitchen after having curiously explored the girl’s house for some minutes. She tensed at the question, but still managed to look at him while she turned off the stove, the hurried pasta she had improvised already ready to be eaten.

“Oh…” She started speaking, not sure if she wanted to tell him about her plans of moving away from Alola just yet “...I’m moving to Ula’ula” She lied, biting her lip a little, not entirely sure why she had felt the sudden need to lie to the blond.

She never planned to end up cooking dinner at her house, but the press had been so crazy after the release of the magazine featuring their kiss as the cover that having a conversation with him at a regular restaurant was not really an option. They couldn’t eat at the mansion, as he had made clear he was avoiding Lusamine, so her house had ended up being the only possible place they could go to.

“Oh, I wouldn’t recommend you living where you work” He joked as he flashed one of his characteristic side grins “But that’s up to you…”

The girl laughed nervously as she served pasta in two plates and walked with them towards the table in the living room.

The pair sat down at the table, playing a little with the food before starting to eat it quietly, none of them brave enough to be the one to start the conversation.

“So why did you sabotage my date?” The kantonian girl asked vaguely after a few minutes, breaking the silence and trying to mask her intrigue with a perceivable careless tone. She bit her lip a little, her heart beating slightly faster than usual as she expectantly waited for an answer.

The blond looked at her directly, his body tensing as he forced himself to keep visual contact with her and his brain fiercely tried to find the right words to start a conversation.

“Are you telling me you actually wanted to go on that date?” He asked with a snarky tone as a side grin formed in his face, failing to answer seriously at the girl and instead choosing to evade the subject by teasing her, an easier way to go compared to answering her question and taking the topic as a serious matter.

The blond gave himself an internal punch as he saw the girl in front of him blush and get seemingly embarrassed. He was aware that after everything that had happened a real conversation between the two was needed, still, the only thing he could manage to do when he saw her was avoid any kind of real and uncomfortable question with evasive comments or redirecting the questions towards her. It wasn't something he was particularly proud of, but finding ways to avoid speaking about his personal business and feelings was a requirement for a figure as important as the president of the Aether Foundation.

Her question had been direct. Simple. And, because of his inaccurate answer, now followed by a very awkward silence that was hard to endure for both of them.

“Why don’t you ever answer a question?” She muttered with a barely audible tone after a few minutes of dead air. Her insistence in the subject made the boy freeze in his place, the hand that had been playing nervously with his pasta minutes ago now unable to move as he listened to her wary comment.

What was wrong with him?

He had asked her to spend some time with him in order to talk about their unresolved relationship, the same subject the champion had tried to avoid so many times, and now that she had finally given him the opportunity he was the one dodging her questions.

He turned his left hand that was well hidden below the table into a fist as he connected ideas, trying to come up with a real way to keep up with the conversation.

Maybe if he brought up the magazine?

… Or her confession?

… Or the party?

“I’m tired of your mixed signals…” He heard her say in a more confident tone as all of his ideas disappeared from his mind. He directed his gaze at her, not believing the determination in her eyes as his indecision transformed into irritation.

“Are you seriously implying that I am the one sending mixed signals?” He suddenly snapped at what he thought was a very ironic situation. He grinned again, challenging her to keep speaking with his piercing green eyes “I’m listening…” He spoke and crossed his arms on top of his chest as he waited for the girl to continue her, as he thought, unjustified claims.

“Well, I…” The Champion muttered nervously as she straightened up her body “You asked me to see you at the most romantic place at the Aether foundation and then rejected me” She grumbled as her face flushed gradually into a bright red. Gladion's eyebrow twitched a little at the memory, his heart sinking deep into his chest but his gaze still firm on her as he listened to what he knew she was inevitably going to say. He had prepared himself for this moment a long time ago, he had prepared himself to confront her, and he just wasn’t going to turn back now.

“You also ignored me for years” She added with her voice trembling and her hands slightly shaking “And then you suddenly and very unexpectedly spoke to me just days ago...” She looked down at the table, not able to stare at his penetrating gaze any longer, the pasta in both of their plates now completely forgotten about by the pair. “...How are those not contradictions? Mixed signals?”

He stared at her for a minute, waiting for her to speak again, to finish voicing her ideas, but no words came out from her anymore, her gaze was now firmly focused on the table, completely evading him as he recognized in her face what looked like worry.

He got up from his chair, managing to catch her attention again, though not her sight, or at least not yet. He walked a little towards her, evading the table and placing himself in front of her, but still leaving a considerable distance between them.

“You ignored me that day at the ferry but then you initiated a conversation with me at Lillie’s party…” He commented in a calm voice, even though inside he was actually freaking out. He looked at her, trying to catch her gaze again “You keep saying I’m contradicting myself, but what about your mixed signals?”

The champion snapped from her thoughts, her gaze slightly lifting from the table but still not able to lock with his “You’re the one that kissed me at that party…” She muttered in a low whisper, biting her lip a little in the process.

“What…?”

“I said you were the one who kissed me!” She screamed at him dramatically, her fists tightening as she continued “How is that not inconsistent?!”

The blond looked at her wide-eyed, grabbing the courage to take a step towards her, closing their distance a little more but still giving her the space he could tell she needed

“You kissed me back!” He replied loudly, already feeling exasperated at the realization that the girl was trying to blame everything on him. He felt like he was going to die at any moment, his heartbeat had grown exponentially since the start of the conversation and his thoughts were so messy it was troublesome to keep speaking.

He saw Moon take a step closer at him, her stare went from angry to surprised at his remark, though just for a second. She frowned at him again, now looking directly at his eyes, no sight of the embarrassment or the intimidation she had felt at the start anymore.

“Okay forget about that” She spoke with a slight pause that he could only interpret as hesitation. “Nothing that happened at the party counts. We were both drunk” She concluded, earning a frown from the now angry president.

“You can’t dismiss it like it didn’t happen!” He screamed

“I can!” She retorted.

He took a step towards her again, the distance between them now barely surpassing two feet. He took a long breath, trying to order his messy thoughts and dismissing her stubbornness.

“Let’s suppose for a moment the party never happened” He spoke a little bit calmer “Just for the sake of the argument”

The champion looked at him nervously, but still not wanting to move an inch from her position.

She was a competitive woman, never showing any weakness at his adversaries, but he was a man of science, of facts, and there was nothing that could stand against his arguments. Not even her obstinacy.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you went to my office the next day and confessed to me” He added with a grin, already knowing she wouldn’t be able to turn the situation back against him. “You keep running away and evading me, but that doesn't change the facts”.

One step. Two steps closer, he closed the distance until it was barely existing between the two.

“Y-you kissed me and sabotaged my date…” She stammered at him, clearly affected by the lack of personal space as the only thing she could see were his intense emerald eyes and his left eyebrow slightly twitching.

“And how are those mixed signals!?” He screamed, unable to control his messy feelings anymore. He needed her to get it, even if his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. “I spoke to you first, I've chased you all these days, and I kissed you!... Twice!” He felt uneasy, exposed, but still strangely satisfied. The feelings he had been keeping for so long finally finding a way out of his troubled mind and aching chest. “I've been nothing but consistent ever since that day at the ferry!”

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