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productiveandfree · 18 hours ago

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How to Leverage LinkedIn Content for Better Sales Conversations

Initially, I saw LinkedIn as just another social platform. It felt like a place for job updates, work anniversaries, and the occasional industry article. I never imagined it could help me start sales conversations.

However, my whole approach changed when I understood how powerful LinkedIn content could be for starting and deepening sales conversations.

In this post, I’ll walk you through how I use LinkedIn content for sales conversations and provide tips to help you get started.

7 Ways to Use LinkedIn Content for Sales Conversations

You’ve probably heard the phrase “content is king.” Well, on LinkedIn, content is your conversation starter, credibility builder, and silent sales rep. Here’s how to use LinkedIn content for sales conversations:

1. Use Content to Show, Not Tell

People love to learn, especially from someone with in-depth knowledge of a topic. Instead of pitching your business in every post, here’s how to use your LinkedIn content for sales conversations:

● Share a client success story

● Break down a real challenge you solved and how

● Reflect on a lesson you learned the hard way

The example below shows how you can turn a client success story into a meaningful LinkedIn post:

This kind of content builds trust and naturally sparks curiosity. It gives people a reason to say, “That really resonates with me. Can we talk?” You don’t need to be a professional writer or business coach to create content that connects.

Just share what has worked for you.

2. Create a Content Ecosystem (Not Just Random Posts)

I made a mistake when I started posting regularly—I posted whatever came to mind. Although the engagement showed some promise, it failed to deliver meaningful results due to the lack of a well-defined strategy.

Now, I ensure that every post has a purpose, and every piece connects to my sales process. I use storytelling to create empathy and show my audience I understand their challenges.

Then, I shift to a problem-solving angle to demonstrate how my product or service can help solve those exact issues. While refining my strategy, according to Attrock guide it is helpful for understanding how to create a sales funnel.

When leveraging LinkedIn content for sales conversations, I balance my content to educate, spark dialogue, and encourage two-way conversations.

I use a mix of content types: text, quotes, graphics, and short videos. You can add a lead magnet like a link to a template, industry report, or ebook. Also, include a soft CTA like “Curious how this might work in your organization?”

3. Engage Before and After You Post

Creating LinkedIn content for sales conversations doesn’t stop when you hit “post.” In fact, the real magic happens in the comments when you continue the conversation and stay consistent with your brand voice.

Here’s my daily habit for creating LinkedIn content that drives sales conversations.

Before I even post, I make it a point to engage. I comment on at least five relevant posts from the audience. This boosts visibility and shows I’m here to connect, not just broadcast.

Secondly, I always respond to comments. Each comment is a mini-conversation in the making, and thoughtful replies often lead to deeper conversations in the DMs.

Next, I reach out with context. When someone engages with my content, I might send a DM saying, “ I saw your comment. Are you open to learning more?” These small touchpoints build momentum and gradually turn passive viewers into warm leads.

4. Use Content to Overcome Sales Objections Before They Happen

One of the things I find most effective is creating content that addresses objections before the sales call even happens. Here’s how you can use LinkedIn content for sales conversations.

Start by identifying common objections. These might be “It’s too expensive” or “We’re happy with our current solution.” Then, create a LinkedIn post that addresses those concerns.

For instance, if you’re offering AI sales tools, demonstrate how the solutions can yield measurable ROI. Then, follow up with case studies or testimonials that address and disprove common objections.

When prospects engage with you, they’ve already mentally overcome their hesitations, making your sales conversations more seamless and productive.

5. Recycle and Repurpose for Maximum Impact

Creating LinkedIn content for sales conversations takes effort. It can also be time-consuming when you have to do it from scratch every time. However, you can repurpose one LinkedIn post into multiple sales assets, such as:

● Turn the post into a short video or graphics for higher engagement

● Expand it into a newsletter to nurture leads

● Use snippets from a newsletter you’ve published (e.g., “I recently wrote about [topic]. You may find this helpful.”)

You can also repurpose previous posts that performed well with a fresh hook or updated stats. LinkedIn’s algorithm doesn’t penalize repetition. Instead, it rewards content that stays relevant and continues to engage your audience.

6. Track What Works

Some content performs better than others. So, tracking your content performance is important when using LinkedIn content for sales conversations.

On your LinkedIn profile, you’ll see Analytics. Click on Post Impressions to get a chart like this:

I keep a spreadsheet tracking which posts lead to profile views, comments, DMs, and booked calls. It helps me identify patterns, such as whether people respond more to personal stories or client case studies.

Then, I create more formats and topics that consistently generate results. Doing this makes your content strategy more efficient over time, moving prospects from interest to inquiry.

7. Stay Consistent

You’ll get the best results by showing up daily. I’m not asking you to post content every day. After all, we’re gunning for quality, not quantity.

To leverage LinkedIn content for sales conversations, creating a routine is important. You can create one or two original posts weekly and repost at least two relevant content with your thoughts.

Drop meaningful comments on posts where your ideal customers are engaged, and DM two to three engaged prospects weekly. You’ll notice more meaningful conversations and shorter sales cycles within a few months.

Final Words

My best sales conversations on LinkedIn didn’t start with a sales pitch. They began with a post, a comment, or a story.

Stop treating the platform as a billboard to advertise your company. I’ve shown you how to use LinkedIn content for sales conversations. Now, it’s your turn.

Post with purpose and engage genuinely. You’ll have better conversations with more qualified leads.

Reena Aggarwal

Reena is Director of Operations and Sales at Attrock, a result-driven digital marketing company. With 10+ years of sales and operations experience in the field of e-commerce and digital marketing, she is quite an industry expert. She is a people person and considers the human resources as the most valuable asset of a company. In her free time, you would find her spending quality time with her brilliant, almost teenage daughter and watching her grow in this digital, fast-paced era.

LinkedIn, Twitter

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#LinkedIn #LinkedIn Content #Sales Conversations #business coach #lead magnet #brand voice #Multiple Sales Assets #Content Performance

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whisperwritingstuff · 16 days ago

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in which more hfs e/l mysteriously appears from @varanere00 and myself's co-wiriting. where normal things like food and perhaps even a couple of words occur.

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It's not until part way through the movie, The Phantom Menace this time, right before the pod racing is about to begin, that Scar recalls what had started the kitchen argument. Or rather, is reminded of it, by his stomach loudly and rudely interrupting C3PO's march onto the track with Anakin's flag. After glowering at his own tummy in disappointment for an appropriate amount of time, Scar nuzzles into Vex, who has been cuddled up next to him.

"Vexyyy, let's order food! I'm hungry!" Hotguy's voice pulls Cub from his cozy-soft movie and cuddles induced daze. Still only half present, he pulls out his phone and unlocks it, before handing it over to Hotguy.

Scar takes the phone, before his brain catches up to him and he nearly fumbles it from the sheer force of realizing that Vex just handed over his unlocked phone. The rush of power goes to Scar's head for a moment, leaving Scar blinking spots out of his vision.

Thankfully, Vex looks to have left the order from earlier partway finished, Vex's own food selected and the food app still up, cutting off any temptation to fumble around and accidentally open anything Scar shouldn't. At least, page with lots of delicious pictures has to be a food app, right?

Scar carefully studies the pictures of what Vex got, and then looks through the other options for something different. Ooooh, pancakes! With a bunch of fruit! That looks really good. Scar adds it to the cart. But. The french toast also looks good. Add. The fluffy golden scrambled eggs, and a dozen sides of bacon, add. A whole rainbow of drinks, colorful bottles promising unknown flavors with mysterious non-food names like 'cosmic blast' and 'paradise punch'. Add. And a couple of brownies to round it out!

Perfect, an ideal breakfast! Or at least as close to ideal as possible when Scar isn't the one making it. Good enough! Scar clicks order, and the whole page loads over into some kind of map-and-bar thingie. Not even any confirmation Vex had to do? Wild.

Scar pockets the phone the instant it stops holding his attention, out of habit. Harder to set his own down who knows where and lose it that way. "Thank you, Sugar Vexy~" Scar giggles, cuddling in close again.

Scar busies himself playing with Vex until breakfast’s arrival. Sure, he's played with Vex before, mostly his hands and his hair during movies, but never before has Vex been this pliant for him. This malleable. He's letting Scar chew on him, quite literally. Though Scar is very careful to not break skin again, chewing on Vex is a very satisfying experience. 10/10, would chew on again. Very delicious. Very good mouthy feel, that. Scar can almost forget he's hungry, gnawing on Vex's hand like this.

Everything is good. Good movie, good Vex, good chewing, good cuddles. Scar couldn't be happier.

Okay he could be slightly happier, but only barely.

Eventually, Vex's fingers twitch against Scar's mouth, leading Scar to look over at Vex. A struggling expression plays out across Vex's features.

"Hey, hey, what is it boy?" Scar tips his head, cupping Vex's cheek in a hand. "Shh, Shh, sugarplum. Tell me what's wrong."

Long moments tick by. "Food." Vex finally manages, voice wavery.

"Oh, already? The food is here? Nice, time me." Scar doesn't wait for an answer, flipping himself eagerly over the back of the couch and sprinting full tilt for the door. A faint thump from his catching himself on his hands on the wall beside it, and then he's darting out the door to grab the bags and slam the door shut again. Outside world? No thank you.

It's in the seconds sprinting back for the couch again that Scar realizes his foot is beginning to throb in time with his heart. Unfortunate.

But! Scar's got a speed record to beat and a Vex to return to with two comically oversized bags! So he'll just have to deal with it!

Cub's stomach drops when he hears Hotguy crash against a wall. What- Why- Is he okay? Cub’s heart races at the acrobatics Hotguy is pulling here, against... Wait. Isn't Hotguy still on medical rest? Thoughts begin to surface in the cloud-sea haze that is Cub's mind.

The bitten-off pained noise Hotguy makes in the back of his throat when he lands on the couch dispels the rest of the fog.

"Was that really necessary? Do I need to remind you you are supposed to rest?" Cub turns to a panting Hotguy. "Did you get any new hurts during that stunt you just pulled?"

Hotguy grins a lopsided slash of a smile at Cub, still breathing hard. "Yes, it was!" He answers Cub, possibly aiming for prim, but far too eager-bright.

And. Okay. Cub really wishes he weren't so worried about Hotguy's health, because he'd love to be able to focus on what that searing smile and those bright eyes are doing to his insides, but he can't.

"Did you get any new hurts during that stunt you just pulled?" Cub repeats himself when no answer is forthcoming.

"N-" Hotguy pauses, squirms a little in place. Cub waits. "Left hand's a little sore." Hotguy says, relaxing only slightly, still a bit fidgety. After a few more moments, "...foot's throbbing." Hotguy sags after he finishes speaking, looking relieved.

"Of course it is." Cub mutters, trying to ignore the way Hotguy in eyeing him through his lashes.

"Well, at least you managed not to accrue more damage." Cub sighs. "Thank you for telling me."

Hotguy perks up immediately, sad droop completely forgotten. "No problem!" Hotguy flashes a silly cheerful little hand sign with his words, just a perky little quirk. The papers have dozens of pictures of Hotguy making little poses like that.

And then Hotguy is pressing close to Cub's side, Hotguy's body heat easily seeping into Cub. Hotguy spreads one oversized bag over both their laps, and places a second on the table.

"What. Is this." Cub deadpans, blinking.

"Our meal!" Hotguy beams blindingly at Cub.

"Are we feeding an army?" Not like it's a problem for Cub's bank account, but it is a bit excessive, even by his own standards-

"An army of two! A perfect breakfast. Brunchfast? Brunch slow, no need to rush." Hotguy chatters without stop, fishing around in the bag.

It's still a lot of food, even of not obscenely so, if they eat it over the course of two meals instead of one. Hoping Hotguy ordered foods he also enjoys, Cub accepts his bag of crumpets, setting them on the table and getting up to go collect cutlery.

"You need a plate or a fork or something?"

"I'm good!" Scar opens up one of the containers, his pancakes, and just pops a blueberry in his mouth with his fingers.

He could use the little disposable cutlery provided, but that wouldn't let him lick cream off his fingers while making direct eye contact with Vex, now would it?

Vex returns from the kitchen, setting down not only his own plate, but also one for Scar.

Scar makes a show of reaching for the drinks in the other bag, rummaging around and casually bumping the second plate off of the table to the ground with his elbow, before holding aloft a random colorful can. "Aha! My drink." Scar declares, as if that were the point.

There's a low simmer of resentment fizzing in Scar's gut for Vex asking what he wanted, and then simply deciding that Vex knew better and deliberately giving him something other than what he asked for. His hard, cheery stare practically dares Vex to comment.

"You don't have to use it man. Just figured it might make sharing easier." Vex holds up his free hand as if in surrender.

"I said I didn't want one." Scar lays on his smile extra thick, words dripping-sweet in a sickly way. "Anyway!" Scar claps his hands together. "You got boring food." Not that that's stopped Scar before, but Scar hasn't decided yet if he's going to forgive Vex enough to pilfer some of his food.

"Alright. If my food's so boring then at least you won't be stealing it." Vex seems to have also fetched the butter, because he sets it down and begins buttering his little bread thingies. Crunckles. Crabbets? Whatever.

Scar stares at the butter like doing so will let him develop Force powers and levitate it over. Like Anakin did to Padmé's pear in the-

Gnawing at at his lip, both displeased that he hasn't suddenly developed Force powers as well as displeased by Vex's reaction to not having his food stolen, Scar stews. Doesn't Vex care? Does he want Scar to have boring sad butterless pancakes?

Scar begins heaping the fruit and whipped cream onto his pancakes, smearing and spreading and arranging things with his fingers. He keeps at it until he has something that looks, to him, like a fanciful chest of treasure heaped high with the gold of mango slices and the jeweltones of berries. A perfect spread.

"Who would want to steal your food anyway, mine's better." Scar grumbles. He grabs a slice of bacon and stabs it into the cream as well.

"As long as you like it. I know that I like mine. I like mine." Vex unpauses the movie, kicking off the podrace. Despite having seen it before, Scar gets lost in the fast paced action cheering Anakin on and booing when a fellow racer sabotages him.

What ensues is that Scar forgets his own food entirely, setting it aside to throw his arms up to cheer and simply never picking it back up again. When Scar stops leaning forward, no longer drawn into the action, he sinks back into the couch cushions, not leaning on Vex this time, Scar’s whole attention on the movie and not on closing that gap between them as he'd usually prioritize first.

Scar kicks his feet, hollering as loud as he pleases with glee at the overcome sabotage and the thrilling win. Does he maybe usually at least try to tone his volume down very slightly for Vex? Certainly not today he doesn't!

Hotguy sure is enjoying the movie. Cub lost the plot about three minutes in, when they went from space to under water. The pressure differences between those two would wreak havoc on the human body in such a short time frame. And why does the orange guy have flippers for ears?

His crumpets are good at least, the rosehip jam was a great choice. He'll have to get a jar or two of that, in the future. Cub makes a note, only to realize that there's two corrupted entries in his notes app. Must have been from when Doc added his newest entries to the backup. Cub curls up on the couch, the TV vaguely in his field of view, and chews on both his crumpets and the internal reconstruction of the memo entries.

Scar doesn't turn his head, but he does sneak brief glances at Vex. Absorbed by his stupid tasty looking crinkles. And then by nothing at all.

Sure, sure, Vex is kind of looking toward the movie, but Scar would lay dollars to dimes that if he asked a single question about what happened from there forward, Vex wouldn't be able to answer it.

Scar tries to think of even one time that Vex has cuddled up to him fully of his own volition, without Scar making the first move or demanding it of Vex. Medical emergencies don't count. Something in him aches when he can't recall a single one.

He's just been pushing himself on Vex, and there's nothing there, is there? Vex is fully content to curl up by himself despite Scar being right here to curl into. Scar pulls his legs up onto the couch and tucks his chin into the peaks of his knees, even though both his thighs and the bottom of his foot protest the position. It just feels like the right one. He's fine by himself. The movie is good. It's fine. Just focus on the movie.

"I got it. If you want to stay off that foot." The movie is ending and Vex is already up to change the movie. "What do you want to watch next, the second one?"

Scar blinks in surprise, figuring that the room would have gone to silence after the credits rolled, if he didn't change the movie himself. He hadn't realized Vex noticed the movie was over. Scar rolls his head to press his cheek to one of his knees.

Scar has his mouth open to be contrary, to demand a different movie for no reason other than not doing what Vex suggests. No. That's stupid. And like, Scar knows stupid, he does stupid all the time, willfully and gleefully. But usually that's fun stupid. This would just be having less Star Wars time stupid and like. No.

"Yeah." He agrees, voice quiet, honestly wondering if Vex will know what the 'second one' is in this context. He knows Vex doesn't care about the movies like he does, even if Vex seems to target their related stuff a lot with his heists.

Vex does indeed put on Attack of the Clones, before coming to sit right next to Scar.

"You look like you need a hug. Do you want a hug? You don-"

Scar turns to blink at Vex, stunned and momentarily baffled by the question. Had he been- While Scar wishes Vex were offering a hug because Vex wanted to give him a hug, Scar isn't strong enough right now to refuse a hug, even if Vex is offering it out of some sort of obligation.

Scar nods his head, just slightly, watching Vex.

Vex, who wraps his arms around Scar and pulls Scar close, into his cool body. Scar can feel Vex's breath on his hair, where Vex has his face in it. It's an awkward hug, Vex obviously not having much experience with hugging. His knee is wedged between them, and the angle is off. None of that stops Scar from melting into the hug, fighting to keep his breathing calm as hot tears burst out of him, streaking silently down his face.

Scar's fingers tangle in Vex's shirt, clinging to Vex despite the part of him that says not to.

How could he listen to that part with Vex's arms around him? He pushes his face more into Vex, seeking to dry his tears on familiarly soft fabric.

Just let him have this moment of feeling wanted. This moment where Vex's promised always almost feels like it could actually mean something.

Scar's not letting go of Vex any time soon, no matter how his knee cramps, and his lungs fight him.

Later, when Scar's tears have left Vex's shirt soaked, when those tears have finally mostly dried up. The hug is still one of the most awkward and uncomfortable ones Scar has ever experienced, yet somehow also one of the most reassuring. Vex has yet to let him go. Scar never wants him to let go.

Scar shuffles around, trying to pull his stiff, cramped up leg out from between them, where it's tangled with Vex's. All the good Doc's massage had done is probably gone now. Vex loosens his grip, but doesn't let go entirely.

"Anything I can do for you? A bite to eat? One of your drinks? A juice, not an energy one. You might want to save those for patrol nights, not rest days."

Scar scrubs his closed eyes against his own forearm, trying to knock off the dried cruff a good cry always leaves behind. "What? Don't be silly, I can't be napping on patrols. I'm not gonna make it that easy for you." Scar shakes his head. "Mm, I dunno, my meal was pretty filling." Scar caries on, despite having eaten merely a single blueberry off of it. Scar’s eyes flick over to the brownies on the table, which look delicious and chewy and chocolately.

"Didn't you eat like one bite of it?" Vex raises an eyebrow. He gestures at the spread of food. "Take your pick. I can even go warm it up for you. Though that might require a plate, so no fingers get burned."

"No go!" Scar shakes his head vehemently at the thought of Vex getting up and leaving. In fact, he pulls Vex closer, trying to hook a leg around him somehow. "Don't wanna pick. You pick." Scar pouts. Deciding stuff is annoying at the moment.

Vex does, leaning forward and away from Scar to pick up the plate from the plush rug so Vex can begin loading it up with food. Some pancake squares, cut neatly, topped with mounds of cream and fruit. A large spoonful of eggs, with several strips of the bacon. A small pyramid of brownies. From somewhere in the bag, Vex has produced a thing of caramel sauce, which he drizzles over the brownies.

Scar tries to lean with Vex, staying as close as he can. No leaving, not allowed.

He relaxes very slightly when Vex just seems to be avoiding picking by taking some of most of the food together. Scar's stomach rumbles, causing him to free one (1) hand to pat it and murmur to it to shush down.

As a distraction to his uncooperatively hungry tummy, Scar licks at Vex's neck as soon as it's back in range.

"Unfortunately, my neck is not on the menu. Here. Why don't you try this instead." Vex offers Scar forkful of pancake.

"Your neck is always on the menu. My personal private menu." Scar informs Vex, giving one singular sharp bite, before pulling back. "Mm. Omp." Scar declares, before wrapping his mouth around the forkful of pancakes, smearing cream on his lips and looking at Vex through his lashes.

"You are such a messy eater." Vex's reaction is very disappointing. Barely even any hesitation before he turns back to the takeout bags to pull out a napkin, holding it out to Scar. Who makes no move to take it. If Vex wants his mouth clean, Vex is gonna have to do it himself. Or Scar can just wipe the cream into Vex's neck and lick it off-

Fully taken by his new idea, Scar does just that, reveling in both the indignant “Hey!” he gets from using Vex as his own personal napkin, and the slightly sharper inhale from laving his tongue over an area he just pinched with this teeth.

"You don't know the half of it~" Scar giggles. He'd love to show Vex what a messy eater he can be, with cream splashed over his face and hair. Someday, hopefully. " 'Nyway, if you get to claim my neck, I get to claim yours." Scar sucks to make sure another mark is added to the collection lining Vex's neck.

"I didn't claim your neck. I claimed all of y-" Vex stops mid sentence. "It's not like you're staying."

"You say you claimed all of me, but you won't let me give you me. Won't let me take what you want." Scar runs a finger along under the edge of Vex's jaw. It'd be so easy to tip his head for a kiss like this. He fully ignores Vex's self-correction.

"How can I even know this is actually you? Don't get mad, just listen for a moment, please. The collars, they mess with your brain, your personality. I think I limited it to non aggression, but I cannot be sure, since everybody's brains are different and I don't know what you’re like without the collars on. I don't want you to regret or be hurt by what we do." Vex has his eyes fixed on the TV, on the movie Scar forgot is still running.

"What I am, as I am, is me. In the moment. What else would I be?" Scar shakes his head a little, trying to string together words. "Why would I be hurt by freedom?" He implores. Scar wants Vex to look at him, to see him, but Scar's unwilling to risk the fragile balance of the moment, of Vex at least trying to say stuff, even if most of it is a lot strange. So he lets Vex look away.

"What do you mean, freedom? That's what the collars take away from you. You can't fight and you can't leave and you can't take them off. Well. With the others. This one is just a dud. No idea why you had such a reaction to it. That does worry me, honestly." Vex painstakingly piles five large blueberries onto a forkful of pancake, before offering it to Scar without looking at him, eyes on the movie again.

"I mean, freedom. I don't have to fight, I don't have to go back out there. I don't have to be picture perfect and focused." Scar sighs. "Don't have to feel guilty-" He cuts himself off, by taking the pile of blueberries into his mouth, carefully using his tongue to transfer them from the fork to his waiting maw. The pops and squishes of chewing them is nice, bursts of flavor washing the bitter taste of unacknowledged fear out of his mouth.

"You feel guilty about this? Without the collar?" Yeah, okay, that is a gut punch Cub was not expecting. He'd always known that that was a possibility, that the collars have some sort of unforeseen side effect on Hotguy, but not letting him feel guilty when he should is a bad one. Why did he ever think this was a good idea, he never should have made-

"Of course." Scar steals Vex's free hand, cradling the cool skin of it between both of his own. Warming it, indulging for a minute, before bringing it up, and pressing Vex's hand to the edge of Hotguy's mask. "Hotguy can't just choose to vanish, abandon the city, for a week of vacation for no reason. Selfish. Of course I'd feel guilty."

Vex stares at him for a long while at that, with an unreadable expression, his fingers tracing the same edge of the mask over and over. Unreadable even for Scar, who prides himself on being able to read just about anyone at any time. Especially his archnemesis.

"I'm sorry." Vex eventually mumbles. "I never meant to make you feel bad about this. I just wanted..."

Scar's heart flutters and thumps, the only sign of the low thrill of terror that Vex's fingers on his mask brings him. No matter that Scar himself is the one who put those fingers there, the trained instinct runs too deep to fully ignore, though Scar still pushes down as much of it as he can, leaning very slightly into the touch.

"You don't make me feel bad, you take away that guilt." Scar assures. "What did you want?" Scar prompts, as gently as he can, when Vex clearly isn't going to finish.

"Never mind that." Vex moves to pull his hand away from Scar's mask.

The moment hangs suspended when Scar catches Vex's wrist, curling his fingers around it with only just barely enough force to hold Vex, and stares Vex right in the eyes.

"Question. What did you want?" Scar speaks with deliberate clarity, though no harshness.

Vex squirms. He's silent, silent for long enough Scar fears he might reject the question. Forcing himself to sit still and not wheedle is getting harder by the second.

"You." Vex confesses, what feels like ages later, looking down. "I wanted to spend time with you. Outside of fighting. As a sort of birthday gift to myself. The first try, the first collar was awful. There was nothing of you left with it on. I kept having to push aside the thought of what if it stuck? It didn't in testing, but you are different from m- everyone is a little different, and what if it stuck, what if you never went back to how you were before when the collar came off, and I had killed you in all but body? I've tested all the collars extensively before I put them on you, and having scans of your brain helps too, but I still have that thought every time." Vex looks up at him now, pale eyes boring directly into Scar’s. "I can't lose you." A whisper, almost too quiet to hear, if they weren't all tangled up in each other.

Scar laughs. He can't help himself, the sound spilling loud from startled lips when Vex says birthday. A gift for Vex's birthday? Surely, that's too much coincidence- That it always, always covered Scar's birthday. Annoying, at first, but something he's come to appreciate with time.

"It is a good birthday gift." Scar's lips move while his mind is still processing everything else Vex said, a habit to buy himself time when he's taking too long to sort through someone else's words. "I mean, like it is now. I don't really remember the first one. Which I guess is kind of like a different sort of gift, maybe. But I like this. The way it is now. I don't want to lose this, and I don't want to lose you either." All words that Scar would choke back down into his throat unspoken if he were Hotguy right now, but he's not. He's not Hotguy, and he gets to want this, to want Vex, to want Vex's claim. "I'm still here. I'm still me." Scar fully believes that. He is who he is right in this very moment, and that's the most important bit, who he was and who he will be will take care of themselves.

"We'll see about that. I'm gonna need a little more than your word on that." Vex laughs, awkward and wet. "Until then, until I have the scans I need to believe it, will you- I know this is a dud collar, but still, will you promise me that you won't do, or let me do, anything that you will regret when you go home?" Scar has never seen Vex this... this open. Earnest.

And it still stings, to Scar, that Vex trusts his machines more than he trusts Scar's word. That he refuses to believe that Scar knows himself.

"I promise, I won't let you do anything I'd regret when I'm back at my place." When Scar's in his own apartment, he can take off his mask. He can be Scar with only a little bit of Hotguy looming over him. There's quite a lot that Hotguy might regret doing, that Scar, without the mask, would not regret in the slightest.

Scar's leg jerks and bounces, unable to bring his attention back to the movie. He shakes and rolls his shoulders. "Okay! Let's go get those silly scans then." Then Vex can be done being dumb about this.

"Now? I guess, yeah we can do that." Vex pauses the movie. "Just a heads up. You’ll have to take off all metal bits. That includes the collar. Otherwise the machine will rip them off, and that can both hurt you and damage the machine. Neither of which is good. Neither is good."

Scar reshuffles himself to be sitting on Vex's lap when Vex agrees. You know, for ease of lifting.

"Is sedating me an option?" Scar asks, at least half-kidding. Probably. Maybe.

"Not fully, not for all of it at least. I'd like to measure brain activity in response to different things, and you need to be awake for that. Though I can knock you out for the structural scan after. Why?" Vex carefully gets up, carrying Scar in the princess carry he was hoping for.

Scar happily throws his arms around Vex's neck, snuggling into Vex's hold. Ideal.

"Mm, y'know. It'd just be easier 'n restraints." Scar shrugs. He doesn't want to deal with being Hotguy in Vex's lair, he'd have to do all kinds of stuff. Like not getting the stupid scans. Which would kind of defeat the point.

"Why would you need to be restrained?" Vex almost stumbles over his own feet at Scar's response. Maybe he's thinking about trussing Scar up all pretty in rope, if metal and cuffs aren't an option. That would make Scar stumble too. Hmmm, now that he's thinking about it, Vex would look good tied up too.

"So I don't do anything stupid." Scar answers brightly, simple as that. He doesn't get why that's not obvious to Vex. Maybe it's all that silly talk about the collar being a dud making Vex all confused. That's alright, even a big ol' brain like Vex can't know everything. Scar does hope he has some nice restraints in the lab. Would it be better in soft leather, or in something that'll rough Scar up a bit? Decisions, decisions.

"All you have to do is lay there and answer questions. Do you plan to attack me over that or something?" The door to the medical room swishes open. They do that sometimes. Scar still isn't sure where the difference between a no swish open and a swish open is.

"Dunno. I might. Or I might get up or somethin'." Scar nods. Much better to just not have the option to leave or pick a fight. "M'sure you've got something here that'd work." Don't all villains have fancy restraint thingies for their machines? That's been Scar's experience of being captured and prodded at by them before! Well, when he wasn't Vex's archrival yet. There's been a kind of steep falloff on other kidnappings since then, which is a little odd now that he thinks of it, but Scar's not gonna look a gift not-problem in the mouth.

"Not really. The machines in here are all meant for me. Kinda don't need to tie myself up for that." Vex sets Scar down on a rolly chair. "Is the restraints thing a- just- how necessary do you think it is? On a scale of one to ten. One, you think you can manage without, ten, you will for certain attack me without."

"I dunno, like, a fi- A four, maybe?" Scar barely remembers to adjust his number scale estimate down. Higher numbers don't really get taken seriously anyway, he's learned. "Like, I don't know that I'd, just. Attack you. But I'd probably cause problems for scanny stuff. Shouldn't let a villain do that, you know?" Scar shrugs. He immediately begins spinning himself around and around in the rolly chair as soon as he's able, while continuing the conversation.

"A five then. Hm." Vex is going to ignore the four Scar very clearly said. Might be better. "Would you want to be tied up, though?"

"Tied up works!" Scar chirps with a smile. Spinning is beginning to make him dizzy, but he doesn't wanna stop. "I'm good with that."

"Alright. Two more questions, then I'll let you undress as much as you're comfortable while I get some rope." Vex leans onto the desk, observing Scar. His face whizzes by with every turn. "Do you have any metal in your body, any implants, any pins or screws from any surgeries? And does your mask have metal in it?"

"Hmm, nope, no pins n stuff. Just good old fashioned meat." Scar thinks back to double check, but he's pretty sure that's right. He's had some serious injuries, but between Lizzie and Joel and clinics and the occasional healer, he hasn't needed any metal replacement bits. "My mask?" He startles, a hand coming up to touch it. "Of course it does. But like, how's that important? It's just. Y'know. Stuff."

"What is in your mask isn't important per se. Remember what I said why the collar needs off? Big strong magnets? Yeah, those would rip your mask apart if it stays on. No good that, no good. Do you want a towel again or do you want one of my old prototype masks?"

Scar goes from pouting about stupid villain magnets as he passes Vex on one spin to completely perked up the next. "Your mask? I can have one of your masks?" Scar asks, eager. Of course he wants to get his hands on one of Vex's masks! That'd be like, the ultimate merch, he'd be fully winning at collecting Vex thingies.

"Sure. I'll fetch one, together with the rope. Do you just want your hands bound, or full body?" Vex pushes off from the table.

"Oh, my whole body, just to be safe." Scar pauses his spinning to dizzily sway and watch Vex prepare. Scar giggles. Really, Scar thinks to himself, he probably doesn't even need the rope at all now, he didn't realize he'd have to take his mask off too.

But with Vex already having agreed to it when Scar thought he did need it? Scar is absolutely not going to correct him now. Not when Scar can already practically feel the burn of rope against skin.

"Alright. Will you be okay here alone while I go get the stuff?" Vex asks.

"Mm." Scar thinks about it. And thinks about it. And considers it some more. Just to drag out the wait for his answer, to try to make Vex sweat a little. "Oh, probably. But you better be quick, just in case." Scar swings his legs, looking around at what'd be good firestarting material. He could work with bandages and rubbing alcohol.

Scar looks back to Vex and winks.

"You're getting the towel instead of the mask if you don't behave." Vex threatens. Very mean of him. Now Scar may actually have to behave. He Wants that mask. "Do feel free to strip down as much as you're comfortable with now, so you don't have to do it in front of me when I get back." With those parting words, Vex is out the door. Leaving Scar with a dilemma. Strip now and greet Vex naked, or strip later, when Vex is there to watch?

Scar spins himself around in the chair again, more slowly, to think about his options. He does like the idea of stripping in front of Vex, putting on a good show... But he doesn't have any good music for it on him, and there's the chance Vex will stop him before he even finishes, like a terrible killjoy!

Scar's eyes fall on a rack of glass tubey things, and a new plan slots into place in Scar's mind.

#hero for sale cinematic universe #nowhere else to go #look at these guys #convex #actually managing to have something like a conversation for a change #only took them 9 chapters to get there #how are we feelin' about this one folks?

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