#and instead that's just xer general opinion of you | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

austarus · 3 years

Text

Harrison Wells (Eobard Thawne) x Reader Ballistic Confrontations (3/3)

*A/N: The picture/edit/gif belongs to me!

**If you understand what I’m referencing to in the end, well the Kudos to you. You win 85 Stardollars.

***Trigger Warning: Scars from mentioned self-harm

****Please don’t forget to comment, like, and reblog. It means a lot to content creators of all kinds!

Word Count: 6397

Part 1 Part 2

Eobard said nothing. Instead, he disregarded your look as his gaze locked back onto Kara, as the Kryptonian woman threw him a hateful look. The futuristic genius did not care. His baby blue hues jumped back to where you stood before stepping away to the side tables. Now we proceed, the speedster mused to himself, picking up a scalpel and arranging his surgical tools. The stage needed to be set tonight. All the actors were in place, and he needed to complete his role. A delicate procedure, if you will. But he needed to be bought some time. Surely, Barry and the others would be back by now from Earth-X. He was, in essence, reluctant to cut up the Earth-38 Kryptonian for he held no malice towards her. She was just an unnecessary casualty in all this. And after all, if Barry Allen were to die it would be at his hands. Not on some tainted Earth at the firing range. You’re centuries late, Mr. Allen. As always.

You glared at your genius scientist for not cluing you in on whatever it is he had planned now. What was his plan? Play along until ‘Uh oh, it’s too late to turn back’ and ‘Oh, look. We’re doomed’? A grunt caught your attention, Kara was trying to break out of her restraints again. “Kara,” you whispered, now standing beside her. “Save your energy, please.” She eyed the restraints on you before taking a slow breath in. Kara wanted to throw her guts up, but she pushed back the bile caught in her throat.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

“Honey, you are looking anything other than fine.”

Kara pursed her lips, feeling fatigue wash over her once more. “Where… where are the others… that were here- at the labs? Are they…?” There it was, always concerned for others when she should be concerned about herself.

“No, no they’re fine. They’re in the pipeline. Iris and Felicity-” You stopped yourself, noticing Eobard’s head snap towards you. A pang of guilt echoed in your body. “They’re being held there too,” you lied, giving her hand two small squeezes for her to indicate the lie. If he held things back from you to entertain the Earth-Xer’s with legitimate reactions, then so would you. Supergirl nodded her head subtly in understanding. You were too focused with Kara; you didn’t notice Eobard move. “You’re going to be fine; the others should be back. They wouldn’t go out just like that.” Iris, Felicity, where’s that help? Just where are you guys? You couldn’t leave if you wanted to. Not with the others lurking around. Not when there was a chance you could tip them off about Iris and Felicity, then there was Eobard. Overgirl would instantly go after him for betrayal.

“I… I really hope not. Alex-” Kara trailed off; her eyes drooping shut as her shoulders sagged. Her hand went limp in your cuffed ones.

“Kara?” You looked up to see a tube in Eobard’s hand with a syringe in it. Empty as its contents have already worked its way into Kara’s system. “What are you doing?!”

“I’ve given her a mild anesthetic,” you pursed your lips as his statement. Eobard sighed, “Not to worry, that should have her out for 30 minutes. Strong enough for a Kryptonian, but not strong enough for too long even with the red sunlight on her.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I needed to talk to you without anyone listening.” You followed how Eobard’s eyes glanced at the door. Outside stood two more Nazi guards.

“You could have just pulled me to the other room,” you whisper-yelled at him.

“No, I couldn’t have.” He crossed his arms at you, replying in his own gravely hushed tones. “I needed to keep up the image of the bad guy in front of Kara.”

“Why? Why, when she could understand that you’re not really with them? Why let her also think of you as one of those heinous monsters?”

“Because her opinion of me doesn’t matter. Not hers, not the Earth-Xers, not anyone else.” Eobard punctuated his words before taking your hands in his, placing a gentle kiss on the back of one. The intensity in his eyes never broke as he spoke once more, “Only your opinion of me matters. You matter.”

You pursed your lips, your eyes unable to leave his heated gaze. Oh, if only we weren’t in this mess. If only we had more time… Kara crossed your mind once more, the ominous thrumming noise that came from the machine that generated the red sunlight. A frown found its way onto your face. “Wait, you said 30 minutes? Shouldn’t she need time to recover from the anesthesia to be given another one?”

Eobard sighed, letting go of your hands. He crossed his arms. You weren’t going to like his answer. “No, not in this case.” Dread welled up in the pit of your stomach.

“What…”

“The General herself requested, more like ordered, me to have our Kara awake during the… transplant.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” You responded slowly. Your eye slightly twitched as anger started to consume your thoughts. You wanted nothing more than to rip your friend’s doppelganger apart.

Eobard very well sensed your feelings, he always hated putting a frown on your face or seeing you upset to this extent. “Look, I don’t want to do it either,” the speedster retorted hastily as he unfurled his arms, his hands gently grabbed your shoulders, “but I can’t defy their word especially with you around.”

“Why? Am I suddenly a liability?”

“Never, but they’ll figure something is up with you here with me. Conspiring against them. You already saw how easily Oliver-X caved to his Kara regarding who you are to me.”

Technically, that’s my own damn fault, but a calculated risk to get to Eobard. I can live with the repercussions. “But that’s technically what we’re doing on the downlow, Eo.” You echoed one of the lessons he taught you years ago. “One weakness is better than none, it can be essential to creating the downfall of another.” He had mainly told you that regarding Eilling, who hadn’t ceased to stick his nose into Eobard’s lab experiments and projects. The general had eyed you as a means to get to him, but in reality you were a strength to Eobard. Not a weakness. And the speedster very well knows you can handle your own; after all, the both of you trained constantly. Pushing each other’s limits. Though where you hesitated to kill, he compensated on that, especially in the right moment. “We can have the Dark Archer on the ropes. If anything, he’s made it evident that his wife is a liability to his rational thinking.”

A proud grin ran along his handsome face. “Exactly, my little bird. But they will hurt you, even if you can hold out against them you can’t take them both on.” Even I cannot, not with where I’m at with my speed. Not with the slight dampener they have on my suit. The potential self-destruction if removed from the emblem by my own hands, is a heavy weight on my chest. If I can get rid of them, I can defuse the detonator.

“I’m not worried about me; I’m worried about you! I can’t- I can’t be the one to lose you again.” Eobard shifted his gaze away from you. “Look it’s not going to come to that.” He knew what you were suggesting. “Ok? Worst comes to worst I cause a distraction.”

“No, over my rotting corpse.”

That sounds eerily familiar.

“We don’t have a choice, if it buys us time then I’ll be damned not to try!”

“That’s why we adapt to the situation and find alternate routes to keep off their radar. I know what I’m doing.”

“Precisely. Adapting. So let me do what I can if it comes down to it.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No!” You bit back a retort at the way he raised his voice. “Just trust me.” He wasn’t asking you to.

“Kinda hard with your track record,” You deadpanned, and Eobard just rubbed his face.

“Have I ever lied to you?”

“Is that a question you seriously want me to answer?” A small cheeky smile made its way to your face. You couldn’t help but tease him right now, of all times.

Eobard huffed out a chuckle, pulling out some white surgical clothes from a drawer. Have those always been there? “Just follow my lead, ok? Whatever happens stay on their side, whatever happens to me stay with Barry and the others.” Eobard gloved his hands while the guards re-entered the medical room along with Oliver-X and Kara-X. Speak of the devil. You pursed your lips and held a stoic expression even as Kara-X sauntered to her respective gurney, smirking widely before a violent coughing fit erupts from her. You didn’t miss how Oliver-X moved towards her, yet you averted your eyes to the protruding machines the other soldiers were bringing in for the ‘necessary’ operation. Two guards held you by the arms where you stood. You swallowed thickly as everything was being sterilized and prepped.

***

Harry caught the ball once more after it ricocheted back to him. He’d been letting his frustration out on it towards the cell wall. Something didn’t feel right. He cursed himself, knowing he should have been carrying some weapon or breaching device to have gotten away from the Dark Archer. Or any intruder for the matter of this invasion. Yes, he pushed the emergency labs alarm, but he still got whacked and dragged to the pipeline. He could have done more damage to these damned Nazi’s, but he was helpless. I should have carried my gun or my pulse rifle, what was I thinking? His hand gripped tightly at the ball as regret never left his side. I should have seen this as a possible attack. It’s a simple strategy. Divide and conquer. Yet they were all too fooled, too hasty to attack to even logically see this move by the Earth-Xers.

“Wait, Thawne’s here?” Cisco’s outburst broke the Earth-2 genius out of his thoughts. Harry cracked his neck and directed his attention back to Cisco’s squabbling from the cell near him. The Wells doppelganger was getting pretty tired about hearing of Thawne. A feeling of dread picked at his insides, his thoughts going to you and what Barry had discussed vehemently earlier.

“Yeah,” Caitlin responded. “I haven’t seen or heard from her. We only briefly got a visit from Iris and Felicity not too long ago. But they didn’t know where she was either.”

“Do you think maybe she… you know?” Cisco made an implication. “I mean, does she know?”

“I don’t know,” Caitlin trailed off. “But Iris had said that she left them in the Time Vault to buy them time. Whatever that could mean.”

“Well, on the one hand, they either got to her and are holding her hostage somewhere or, on the other, she rendezvoused with Thawne and now they're going all Mengele on Kara.”

Harry rubbed his face irritably at Cisco’s words, by now you would have known. There’s a high possibility. Whether it’s from seeing Thawne face-to-face or by overhearing someone. By now, Harry’s sure, you would have made a choice. Where did you go, though?

The lights flickered in the pipeline before shutting off as Caitlin finished. A dull blue tint lit up in each individual cell as the pipeline was divulged into a dim darkness. The emergency lights were the only things on. Every person was on high alert at this point.

“Ohohoho, my girl Felicity definitely pulled that one!” Cisco chirped, making a loud clap.

Dinah tried her canary call again, but to no avail. The cell would not budge. Harry narrowed his eyes; he knew she’d try again. But Cisco had crafted these cells with Thawne cautiously for metas. Practically indestructible unless you’re a Time Wraith.

“I wouldn’t try it again if I were you.” Harry finally spoke. Dinah paused, the silence daring to be her question. “These cells are reinforced to withstand any form of meta-attacks generated within. A backup generator still supplies the power dampeners with energy to preserve the cell.” Harry looked out his cell and towards the darkness. “All we can do is wait.”

***

You took a breath, smoke and blood and electricity filled the air. Your eyes didn’t miss the rush of electricity in the distance. Red and gold, the Speedforce of the only two speedsters here. Swallowing thickly, your attention was diverted to the Waverider being chased by another. Well damn, I think someone’s having a bit too much fun. Raising an eyebrow, you watched both airborne vehicles zig-zag through the air. You hooked up your earpiece and headed for the nearest skirmish to help out. A grin plastered itself on your face when you heard Cisco on the comms arguing with Harry. I guess they’re the ones taking the Waverider for a joy ride.

You pressed the button on your communication device, “Any chance I can hop on?” You sucker punched a Nazi. “Oh, I’ve been wanting to do that all day.” Cisco laughed, weaving through the air as if he’s directing a Strike Fighter.

He’s totally Luke Skywalkering his way through this.

“Girl, where you been?”

“Let’s just say,” you huffed, generating electricity in your palm and slamming it into the chest of another soldier. “I caught some unwanted attention, and they were reluctant to release me.” In actuality, Eobard had sped you away from the Labs once Ray made a dramatic entrance to save Kara. He’d sped you to where the battle would be, at least to where the Earth-X forces would arrive from. Telling you to run and appear at an opportune moment. Meaning, go hide while the battle thickens so your disappearance doesn't bring up too many questions from your friends. “Is Iris with you?”

“Yeah, she’s in the back with Felicity, we’re still trying to maneuver in the best position possible to take down their shields.”

You breathed a sigh of relief, thinking back to her stunt with Felicity to sabotage the surgery. “So, how about that help?”

“Hmm,” Harry spoke up, pushing his glasses up. “Unless you have the capability of overloading and shutting down the entire Earth-X Waverider system without passing out, be our guest.”

“… I mean I could try.”

“No.”

You pouted, punching another soldier, this time in the nose. Someone’s particularly grumpy right now. “It’s honestly not that hard, I would just be out for a couple of days and probably on life support.” The line was quiet meaning that Harry chose to ignore your comment. Rude.

You took in a breath and reduced your being to an electrical form, traveling up some buildings to gauge the situation. Kara and Kara-X were facing off at the moment. Eobard was naturally keeping Barry busy while Oliver and Oliver-X were in an intense hand-to-hand-to-bow combat. Yeah, their fight wasn’t as impressive as the other two. You took in a breath heading back down to the fight, this time getting closer to Mick and Leo Snart, who you found to be the Earth-X resistance fighter and doppelganger to your dead ex-boyfriend.

What goes around comes around.

***

“Where were you?”

Turning back from where you sat, you sent a questioning look to Barry and pointed to yourself when no one had responded. He had specifically prompted you with the question. The look in his hazel-green eyes were distant as he leaned against the front of the Cortex desks. You recognized that look from a few years ago. The silence in the Cortex was sliced amongst the team. DeVoe was still out there, scheming. Some stopped what they were doing to gauge what would happen, others (mainly Harry) kept working away but inclined an ear in case either of you were to do something rash.

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, (Y/N). You’re not that dumb.”

“Excuse me.” You narrowed your eyes at the scarlet speedster.

“Barry,” Iris whispered to him, but he shook her off as he folded his arms.

“Where were you after you left Iris and Felicity?”

Ah, of course he wouldn’t miss that. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.

“I went to go buy them some time.”

“Buy them some time or buy yourself some time? To see Eobard.”

Your heart hammered tightly in your chest, but you made no move to indicate what you had done. In a sense, you did both. You protected Iris and Felicity while keeping Eobard company.

“Why would I want to see someone who’s allied themselves to a Nazi regime on a different Earth, Barr?”

“Why wouldn’t you do anything to see the one you once loved?”

“Are you talking about me,” you tilted your head to the side, taunting him now, “or yourself?” You referenced the events that happened last year. Barry was more than aware of what you were indicating. Flashpoint. Savitar. Iris’ predicted death, HR’s sacrifice, his time remnant’s downfall. But you’ve been wanting to add kerosene to the flames. “Are you referring to your mom,” you turned your head to Iris, “or to Iris?” If looks could kill, you would have been reduced to ashes under Barry’s gaze. Cisco put down his tools and Caitlin glanced at her friends from where she sat beside Iris. Harry capped his marker but turned his eyes towards you. “Like I said, I caught some unwanted attention, and they were reluctant to release me. How is that any different from the others getting stuck in the pipeline?”

“You left Iris to defend herself.”

“Oh my god! Barry!” You rolled your eyes at his statement, deflecting your own questions. “Iris this, Iris that. Iris is a big girl with nearly perfect marksmanship as Harry. She’s more than capable of taking care of herself. I know that. She knows that. The same goes for Felicity as well. But do you know that?” Divide them, fester the idea of unreliability between those two. After all, it’s because of Barry’s decisions for Iris that everyone gets screwed over. It’s one of the reasons for the resentment and bitterness that grows within you. Only they can be happy, no one else can.

“You left Iris and Felicity while this place was crawling with Earth-Xers just to see Thawne!”

“Fucking prove it, you dickbag,” you screamed back at him, “if you’re so certain. Prove it, because contrary to your belief, I was fighting beside you and everyone else that day in the city once I managed to escape. Ask Cisco and Harry. Ask Sara. Hell, even ask Mick and Leo.”

Barry shook his head with a cruel smile, “Do you wanna know how I know?” The speedster took out his phone and started it up, showing the screen of your location. “Careful what you wish for.” Dread gripped your heart as Barry chuckled to himself. “That’s right. I chipped you, that night I pushed you against the doorframe before leaving for the warehouse fight. I chipped you. I already had Thawne chipped earlier that night. On his suit, when I landed a few hits on him. He doesn’t know or… not until recently.” Barry did a search for any pings, but there were none except for yours. “You asked me for proof, here it is.” He slid his fingers on the screen showing a timestamp and your location pinged with Eobard’s at the labs.

“This means nothing.”

“It means everything!” Barry stepped closer to you, anger in his wake. “You left us for him.”

“Yet I still fought with you guys because it was the right thing to do regardless of how I feel for him. You don’t understand nor will you want to understand. You’d rather label us as 100% on the wrong side without acknowledging that we can dwell in a gray area. The world isn’t just black and white, Barry. Or have you forgotten about your own morally gray decisions?”

Sparks crackled in the air, whether it was from you or Barry, no one could tell. Harry took a subtle step towards you from where he stood at the glass board a few feet beside you. He was the only one that can calm you down from this, maybe Iris too, but most definitely he himself. But Harry wasn’t quick enough because the Cortex monitors went haywire while the room darkened. You and Barry were nowhere in the room.

“Barry!” Iris screamed a second after he had sped you away.

***

Eobard raked a hand through his dark locks, analyzing the future article again. He fiddled with his rightful Reverse Flash emblem in his hands, his fingers tracing over the single lightning bolt. It took the genius a full day to extract the SS emblem from his suit, but with your help he was able to detonate it a safe distance away in some open fields. While the people of Central City slept and you had assured Eobard that the Labs were vacant, the speedster had rushed into his old office and compiled all the documents he needed to keep out of Barry’s hands. He’s honestly surprised Team Flash hadn’t rifled thus far into the records he kept. The only things missing were speed theories and the equation escalation to the Speed Formula. Although, he had solved that issue for Barry two years ago when he had traveled back in time for an answer on getting faster.

Still such a naïve child, not at all like the Flash from my future. Arranging some papers together on his new office desk, without meaning to Eobard had knocked over a picture frame. The breaking of glass caught his attention, craning his neck to see the fallen frame. The frame held a picture of you and him from before the Particle Accelerator exploded around Christmas. Before you had known his secret. But now the frame was adorned with a fierce crack through you. Eobard’s mouth went dry, knowing that superstitions were just superstitions, but he couldn’t exactly place the rush of fear welling in his body.

“Gideon, pull up (Y/N)’s location.” Eobard pulled his glasses off smoothly as the AI did as told. She was at the labs. “Access the live feed cameras.” Gideon pulled up holo-images 8x8 of what seemed to be a further escalating scene between you and Barry through STAR Labs. Gritting his teeth, Eobard summoned his suit and launched himself forward into it. The Negative Speedforce fueled by his anger and hate pumped dangerously in his veins.

Barry Allen will regret the day he dared to lay a hand on you.

***

“You’re a traitor!”

“Speak for yourself.” You grunted against the wall, your electric blade dissipating in your hand. It was getting harder to breathe, to keep up with his movements. With speedsters, you preferred long-range combat, but you had to make due at times. “You’re the one who betrayed everyone first for your own selfish desires. Flashpoint, the cause of so much pain and misery. In the end, there was so much collateral damage, and you were the cause of so many lives lost.”

“Flashpoint should have wiped you away. You should have been thankful. We helped you,” Barry fumed, pressing his forearm harder against your throat. “We stood by you.”

“They stood by me.” You tried channeling your electricity, even to siphon off a lick of his in order to produce a dagger, but to no avail. Only sparks flickered from the tips of your fingers, “You couldn’t stand the sight of me when you brought me in.” You had no grievances towards anyone else other than Barry. Not Iris, not Caitlin, not Joe, not Cisco. Certainly not Ralph simply because he’s new. And not towards Harry and Jesse. Iris and Caitlin were the two people who kept you the most grounded to the world for they understood the loss of a loved one and the process of moving on.

“You’re damn right I couldn’t. I was wrong to have let you stay around after Iris and Caitlin rehabilitated you.”

“That wasn’t your decision to make, now, was it?”

“You’re a monster just like Thawne. You’re not a hero.”

You simply spit blood in Barry’s face. “I’m neither thief nor hero.” You were kind of enjoying pushing his buttons, releasing all those pent-up emotions and frustration over the years. Wiping his face clean with his sleeve, the speedster sped you out of the room, throwing punches and kicks at you. He had run you through the entirety of STAR Labs. You siphoned off passing energy from computers and lightbulbs to throw at him Palpatine-style when there was distance between you two, but there was only so much you could do in your current condition. You were getting tired; you couldn’t keep up. Every burst of electricity that burned him had drained you. Blood continued to trickle from the side of your face and sweat glistened on your skin. You healed fast, but he healed much faster.

“Barry, stop! You’re going to kill her.” Iris shouted with a gun in her hand, the others piling into the room. Cisco threw a wave blast at Barry and Frost aimed a couple of icicles his way, but the speedster had dodged them. The scarlet speedster tossed you to the ground like a bag of peanuts before turning to the others. You skidded to the side, breathing in deeply then coughed up some blood into your fist. Blood continued to trickle from the side of your face and sweat glistened on your skin. You could feel your cheek swell as well as an ache form in your chest, maybe a few cracked ribs. Could potentially puncture your lungs if this didn’t end soon.

“And why shouldn’t I? For all we know, she could be spying on us for Thawne.”

“Barry killing her won’t solve anything,” Harry shot at him with his pulse rifle to create some distance between you two before training it on you. “It’ll just make things worse.” You met his eyes, and you could see the disappointment in them. A tinge of guilt hit you, but you pushed past it as you stood on unsteady feet. Your body felt like it was made of lead, but you continued on. If this is how things are to be, then so be it.. You leaned against the wall, cradling your damaged ribcage, as Harry continued. “Regardless of her actions, she did keep Iris and Felicity safe in her own way, she still stood by us.” You were finding it extremely hard to breathe, to stay conscious. Your breathing slowed, the noise in the room between Team Flash was reduced to murmuring to your ears. Did I burst an eardrum too?

“Are you kidding me, Wells? How can you say that when-”

You blinked before collapsing onto the ground, a streak of red had filled your vision. Eobard pinned Barry to the wall, his hand squeezing at his throat while red hot anger filled his vision. “Good to see you again so soon, Flash,” the yellow speedster drawled with a rough grin in his distorted voice. “It seems like you overstepped your boundaries.” Eobard kicked Barry in the ribs and landed a few speed punches, the scarlet speedster already exhausted from his fight with you. “Isn’t this position nostalgic?” Barry was clawing at Eobard’s firm grip, suspending the young hero in the air against the wall as he had done years ago.

“I- had a feeling... you’d show up, Thawne,”

Licking your bloodied lips, you groaned as you leaned up with hoarseness in your voice, “Eo, don’t.” The man in yellow stopped, slowly turning his quaking gaze towards you. You held his gaze for as long as you could get the message through to him. “Enough.” Eobard retracted a fist that was to make contact on Barry’s face, but not before squeezing the scarlet speedsters throat tightly and throwing him towards the upper part of the speed lab. Eobard took off his cowl and generated his speed to be by your side, eyeing every cut and bruise on your broken skin. Your eyes drooped shut when he brushed the back of his gloved hand against your unwounded cheek. His eyes softened, but his insides clenched. Iris and Caitlin had run to where Barry laid while Harry and Cisco monitored Eobard with caution as he gently scooped you in his strong arms.

Standing up with your limp form, the speedster disregarded Cisco, yet glared coldly at his supposed doppelganger. The future genius then turned to them and spoke, “My love for her is what stopped me this time. Next time,” his eyes landed on Barry, “you won’t be so lucky. Lay a hand on her again and I won’t hesitate to end your miserable life, Flash.” His eyes flashed red as they met Barry’s for the last time before taking his leave in a wake of red electricity.

***

Eobard stopped his vibrational intimidation once he made it to your temporary home, Gideon had already prepared the necessary diagnostic tests that would need to be conducted to assess your health. Laying you on the gurney gently, he kissed your forehead before proceeding. The speedster had cleaned you up, replacing your burnt clothes and scrubbing the dried remnants of blood on your skin. His heart shattered. His blood turned to ice. Eobard’s baby blues scanned every part of your marred skin. Lines that tallied up right after another, scars that were too stubborn to heal correctly as if trying to serve as a reminder. Eobard’s mouth had dried as his thumb made featherlight touches before injecting the needle into the correct vein. The speedster opened his mouth and closed it, but he could not register any other emotion other than anger and guilt. His thoughts funneled fluidly, emphasizing that one certain cause that led to this escalation. His death had been the cost of your mental and physical state.

Never again. The speedster peppered kisses along your arms as all the implied images ran through his mind. A tear slipped out. It fell from his face onto the scarred tissue. My love. He needed to get back to work. With classical music dancing in the background, Eobard conducted a blood transfusion in order to replace the blood you had lost as well as administering IV fluids. He had to steal the materials from a hospital nearby in Keystone. They won’t be missing it.

“According to my current readings, copious amounts of stress have been exuded onto her heart allowing her to retain a constant distressed state.” Gideon rattled on as Eobard sat next to you with a sleeve rolled up. He glanced over at you as the AI continued. “The X-ray scans have also been completed. She’s suffering trauma in her ribcage, a few cracked ribs, however none are broken. CT results also conclude a mild concussion.”

She’s lucky her lungs hadn’t been punctured. His hate for Barry Allen grew with every second that you laid unconscious.

“How long until a full recovery?”

“Physically it could take up to 3-6 weeks regarding her ribs. The mild concussion will take approximately almost a week and a half. Her heart might take longer. Therefore, she must avoid extraneous activity.”

“Such as using her powers and so on.”

“Yes. Shall I assist you with anything else today, Professor Thawne?”

Eobard ran his fingers over his lips before taking his glasses off and throwing them onto the side of a nearby table. “Keep tabs on Barry Allen’s movements, I want to be alerted if he comes near Keystone or has any intention of it.” The AI nodded before shuttering away into the plinth. Yes, the speedster had been smart to chip him, something Eobard had easily gotten rid of. But to chip you as well, Thawne cursed himself for not seeing it coming. Too preoccupied with the timeline and it’s malleability. “Hopefully DeVoe will keep him away long enough.”

***

Your eyelids felt like they had been cemented shut, the stinging smell of antiseptic slapped you right in the face. Am I dead or in a hospital? A groan left your lips, your throat dry as a desert and craving any drips of water. I hope I’m not in a hospital, I hate those places. The nice thing was that a light wasn’t blinding you, at the very least not piercing through the darkness supplied by your shut eyelids. It was oddly soothing. Your mind finally processed the dull ache residing in your bones, the softness beneath you and the slight chill in the air. Maybe I am dead. Taking one slow breath in, your blood vessels throbbed louder with each fluid pumped through and the humming of machines finally registered to your ears. You didn’t want to open your eyes; you were content with just laying here.

“…” You frowned, the sound of mumbling coming to you. Who was that? “Gi… ru-… I-.” Death, perhaps? You twitched your fingers, a numb sensation set in both your arms. If I’m dead, how can I still feel? It took a moment for your brain to catch you up on how you’d been reduced to such a state. Barry… killed me? No, that’s- Eo was… You shakily formed a fist only to feel something cool against your skin. Felt like another hand. Not bony. Maybe Death gave the appearance of a human for us to pass.

“Mm,” you tried clearing your throat, but it hurt each time, inducing a coughing fit. Blinking wearily, you looked around, your vision blurry until it settled on the being the hand had belonged to. “Mm, I…”

“Shh,” the deep voice cooed. You could hear much more clearly now but couldn’t make out the image of the being. “I have some water for you,” you felt a straw tap your lips. “Drink up.”

Why is Death being so kind to me? I thought Death was swift. You drank a sip at a time before pulling back and shutting your eyes once more. The somatosensory neurons on your arms brushed against some coarse material. A blanket? That same cool touch caressed your cheek. You blinked your eyes open a few times, dizziness ensnaring your mind, but your eyes met icy blue ones. “Eo?”

“I’m here,” he whispered in a gentle tone, standing up from where he sat next to you.

“I’m not dead.”

“No, you’re very much alive”

“Barry, he…”

“I’ve dealt with him. He won’t ever hurt you again.” You watched as he kissed your bandaged hands, each finger receiving a kiss. Cracking your neck, your realized he had changed you into fresh clothes. The scent of faint lavender hung onto the fabric.

“How long was I out?”

“Two weeks.”

It hurt your head when your eyes bugged out. You patted your temples lightly. “Two weeks? What- I-I need to get back. They were going to confront DeVoe. Harry and-”

“No,” Eobard pressed his palm against your shoulder when you tried to sit up abruptly, “You need to rest. Screw Team Flash. For once, just let them be so you can recover.” The speedster did not ask for what had happened to you, knowing the implications in his mind were too strong to be false. Rather, he’d make sure it would not occur a second time

“It’s not that simple, Eo.”

“It really is,” the yellow speedster sighed to himself, rubbing his face. You gestured to the water, and he handed the cup to you. “You’re in no condition to go back there, not after what happened. Your powers and your fight did a number on you. I-…. Your heart stopped a couple of times.” You almost choked on your sip. “I had to jumpstart your heart and keep it going.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For worrying you.” For being a liability that Barry can use.

“Don’t. This,” he gestured with his hands between you and him, “is not something to apologize for. Ever. If anything, it was smart of him to use you for bait as I had used Iris and Eddie.” You pressed your lips into a thin line as your mind started to wander.

“So, we wait?”

Eobard nodded as you ran a hand through you knotted hair. Need to brush that out asap. “We wait until it’s time to strike.”

“Until it’s time for you to strike. I’m remaining neutral in whatever it is between you and Barry in the future. Even if he might not see it that way.” Tipping the scales, balancing good and evil natures in the forces of the world. That’s what He told me my role in the multiverse is along with...

“I know, my love.” I don’t know how to break this to her. “But until then, rest.” If I ask her to come with me, would what I orchestrate then work?

“Eobard.”

“Hm?” Eobard knew he needed to go back to sort a few things out. Chances of getting caught were roughly 30-70, but not zero.

You shifted over to make room for him, patted the spot next to you. “Stay.”

Or would she become collateral damage?

“Always.” The speedster leaned down to kiss your lips before moving in beside you. You laid your head on his chest, minding the slight tremors of pain. Eobard kissed the top of your head and you shut your eyes. You’d go to the ends of the multiverse for him, but you’d also protect your friends. Being at odds with Barry wouldn’t stop you. He just needed to learn to live with your choices as everyone else has had to live with his.

Eobard’s mind ran through every scenario, deciding it’s best to tell you what he intends to do. He’d rather you decide for yourself what to do. The negative speedster respected the position you held onto. Neutrality wasn’t always an easy feat, but he admired your devotion towards him and the ones you love. Eobard was just selfish enough to only want and care for you. He didn’t need anyone else. He certainly didn’t need camaraderie. Tomorrow, he’d tell you. Tomorrow, he’d make sure to take the first step towards ensuring the future.

Betrayal is a fickle thing, Barry Allen. A lesson you will learn again.

109 notes · View notes

iampikachuhearmeroar · 3 years

Text

so this morning, while scrolling through my fb feed, i came across an nyt opinion/advice piece from a 27yo (ie basically me lmao) who is obviously lucky, in a sense, to finally land their “dream job using my (their) skills” etc. like obvs i can’t read it bc of the stupid “you get one free article a month if you either don’t have an account or subscription” (my one free article was used up reading an article about adult adhd like last week)….. thing that nyt does.

but anyway. back on topic lol. the crux of the article in both the headline and the quote snippet was that the advice asker was really dissatisfied with the 40 hour work week that came with her “dream job”. with how having this 40hr workweek gave her no time to do her busy chores like house cleaning or laundry or didn’t even give her time to let her have her hobbies/creative pursuits (whatever they were/are).

however, in the comments on the article (and apparently from those who read the article on the comments, the advice/opinion column writer) a good bunch of like gen Xer’s and baby boomers (im assuming) were ganging up on the asker like “suck it up princess, it’s what life is!!! i work 70+ hours a week and LOVE IT and have just resigned myself to the fact that i have NO time left over to do my “chores”! learn to O U T S O U R C E these life admin tasks to someone else!!! everyone MUST LEARN this in america!!! it makes life so much easier ☺️” and such.

of course, there were plenty of the same bs comments that you see on anything about careers or home ownership towards millennials/gen Z’ers about “learn to go WITHOUT and save save save and squander your time so that you NEVER live and HAVE FUN or TIME FOR HOBBIES! my bet is that your parents did that and they survived just fine while also raising your ungrateful spiteful ass (not including any type of health issues they might have picked up from such long hours/shitty working conditions) so why can’t you just L E A R N to do the same you precious spoilt brat!!! because the reality of Real Life™️ is that you can’t have it both ways!!! then you’ll have early retirement guaranteed, hopefully!!! and know that hobbies really are time wasters most of the time ☺️ or at least they were for me!!! and your precious so-called “creative pursuits” most definitely are time wasters. no one needs THOSE.” and so on so forth.

they also had jibes for her bc the asker wanted to start a family at some point apparently… and apparently it’s “much worse” once you have kids. like. thanks geraldine and henry. you’ve just told us how much you’ve resented having your kids/family in one fell swoop. your opinion which you’ve framed as unhelpful, condescending advice is now voided.

like. i don’t know how rhonda or paul or deandra or philip could miss the point so fucking entirely. why the fuck should anyone- nay everyone (bc that’s what they make it sound like)- learn to outsource their busy chores like laundry/house cleaning/grocery shopping or god knows what else- to someone else???? why is that apparently a standard expected to be learnt in the US???

like why the fuck are you so desperate for people not to have free time to do these things (unless of course they live in some of those shitty nyc or other big city apartment blocks that don’t come with individual private laundries in the self-contained flats or a communal laundry on like the bottom floor or w/e for example) frank????

deidre why the hell are you so bitterly hankering about “be grateful that you have it easier than most and learn that hobbies mean jackshit and just sell your soul and time to your boss!!! when will the generation stopping being “me me me!!!” and “work life balance!” and think about the company’s bottom line!! learn that “work life balance” is never important! work like a slave for 50 years and see if your valuable experience is needed then! that’s when you’ll learn that those hours where you were never being lazy, instead of just expecting life to be handed to you, will have paid off!” or whatever other ridiculously toxic capitalist bullshit they were spitting out.

obviously there were FAR MORE people actually supporting the question asker and echoing the idea that the 40hr workweek is now redundant. they were also putting down the opinion/advice piece writer’s advice to the asker….. that was apparently similar to the all the bitter people on the comments saying that the 27yo was just “asking for too much” and had to “learn to suck it up instead of being a petulant and overly selfish dick!!” etc etc etc. we all know the spiel as thoroughly as the macarena now.

because whats so fucking wrong with wanting time to yourself and wanting time to do your busy chores??? why the fuck should i be outsourcing these to other people (unless of course you’re still living at home and your parents are still like “hey what clothes do you need washed i’m doing a load rn” or you have a partner that works from home or has some type of parental leave etc)???? i want to do my own laundry. i want to do my own gardening (ok lawn mowing or tree lopping (if needed) i’d actually outsource bc i can’t lift or push lawn mowers bc they’re heavy af for me or and i obvs can’t use a chainsaw)… but i want to do my own grocery shopping. i want to do my own cooking (although i would consider the meal kit services once i had job that allowed me to afford like $50 a month for one of those meal kits sub services) i want to do my own cleaning.

why, if i lived in the US and not australia, am i just expected to learn to outsource all of these tasks even if i don’t have the money for it??? like why the actual fuck are so many of you so fucking weirdly proud of being absolutely worked into the fucking ground for your “great country” (although this is actually bleeding through to australia too and i hate it); working like literally close to 100 hours a week???

because i wasn’t aware you had to be whatever the fuck his name is from 127 hours and cut your fucking limbs off just to fucking survive a job in either corporate america or just let alone any goddamned job in america….. all so they can supposedly “learn to like working for free and devaluing your worth even more to your employer through overworking yourself and always being available!!! mental health is for those who aren’t built for the Real Adult World™️!!! this person is a prime example of the younger generations being weak and dissatisfied with life so often because of their “oh poor little me!!! care for me!!” act. NO ONE CARES FOR YOU today. stop being so over-expectant/demanding and juvenile!!! only YOU care yourself and you should NEVER expect someone else to pick you up from YOUR bootstraps!!! you’re fucking whiny and conceited babies. the lot of you!!!”

because i honestly don’t know who the fuck would enjoy working 70+ hours week with no time to themselves to do what they enjoy doing…. or enjoy having zilch time to catch up on errands and life admin duties or just general house chores; especially if you’ve moved cities or an entire fucking state/s away from your family and support network. let alone doing the same thing on 40 hours a week.

and on top of everything, let’s not even get started on the time spent commuting to and from work or even commuting for life errands/tasks etc etc- especially if you’re like me and you’re nowhere near the capital city’s centre (ie sydney australia for me) for there to be reliable enough public transport and longer commute times to certain places in those cities (that i’ve bitched about plenty before on other posts on here about work/jobs).

get your head out of your asses warren and viola et al and realise that work life balance is literally NOT ASKING FOR MUCH and is asking employers to just have basic respect for their employees time if they work fulltime. it’s literally detrimental to ones health if they have to sacrifice what feels like (or what is literally like) their entire fucking existence to their employer just for meagre pay and just to fucking survive.

because i read a heart-breaking article last night from huffpost (posted by buzzfeed on fb) about a woman in the US who literally hid her having a second baby from her employer for an entire fucking year (literally the entire pregnancy and birth of the baby and the first 6 months post pushing the baby out) during the pandemic all because she was scared she would get demoted or lose her leading of a project and lose her bs “temp” job which had really turned into full time work although the employer never said anything about it being actually full time hours or whatever…. and plus the lady herself was apparently to scared to ask to be put on the books fulltime too for some weird reason.

like honestly. fuck capitalism. fuck thinking that “work life balance is just too hard for employers to add and regulate. it’s an excuse and ploy for workers to be unprofessional, unproductive and lazy!” or whatever the fuck. everyone deserves time to themselves to pursue their interests/hobbies and busy chores/life admin. no one deserves to waste their entire life working 70+ work weeks for those employers who literally have no respect for their employees personal lives and time.

and particularly during the time that is the pandemic as we’ve seen so many companies having to learn to wholeheartedly embrace working from home and more flexible schedules for their workers. worklife balance is absolutely fucking beneficial for everyone involved.

america fix your bullshit work ethic right now lmao.

#life #about me #shut up ilona #ilona’s job hunting thoughts and woes lmao

14 notes · View notes

casualarsonist · 3 years

Text

Postal 2 review

Postal 2 was released right in the middle of what should have been my prime teenage-edgelord years, but while it’s had a resurgence in popularity due to nostalgia, returning to it, the game strikes me now exactly as it did then - a forgettable and borderline broken, amateurish piece of software that was crowded out of all but the most fringe playerbases by other, better, more interesting games.

Postal 2 is Hatred, if Hatred mistakenly thought it was funny - it was a try-hard attempt at outrunning South Park in a race no-one was watching. The irony is that in hindsight South Park turned out to be tedious fence-sitting ‘all sides are equally stupid’ takes from a pair of moron Gen Xers who thought that not having a strong opinion about anything was cool and were also responsible for mass-marketing anti-semitism to an entire generation. It was seen as edgy and provocative in the 2000s, and now it’s laughed at for its rigid, pointed adherence to committing nothing of value to any issue. And in trying to out-do Parker and Stone the developers of Postal 2 shackled themselves to the exact same sinking ship.

The game is…not great. It’s ugly, and poorly put-together. There are constant issues with controls and soundtrack - you can hear the audio clicking repeatedly in the opening minutes of the game because whoever did the sound design stitched together a bunch of stock sound effects and didn’t crossfade the adjoining tracks. The same 3 second soundbite of a bird repeats endlessly - noticeable because it is the only sound playing as you tour through the town. And while there is something to be said for the effort put into programming all the systems that go towards simulating the mundanity of everyday life (and towards your disruption of that mundanity with a can of gasoline and a box of matches), this was an indie game with a certain amount of ambition developed before crowdfunding could turn these games into something worth playing. It’s tedious, but not in the way the developers intended - it’s tedious mechanically, like playing in a small, ugly, sadistic sandbox. The most interesting thing you discover about it is that doing everyday tasks like shopping for milk, and burning everyone in the town alive, are actions that get boring at exactly the same rate as one another.

That said, I think there’s a certain amount of accidental Tom Green-esque avant-garde nihilism in the absurdity of this game. It’s kind of funny to watch the 'Parents For Decency’ whip out pistols and try to murder every member of the Running With Scissors development team because they don’t like their violent games. That’s genuine satire - it actually says something real, and, because the 'think of the children’ groups are usual comprised of wealthy conservatives trying to avoid caring about actual tangible suffering in the world, the commentary kicks upwards at a group that will otherwise avoid any punishment for their hypocrisy. The icing on the cake is that you can then choose to kill them in self-defence, proving that you’re exactly the thing they were protesting. Postal 2 has something to say occasionally. Very occasionally. But then give it a few hours and you’re murdering dozens of shrieking racist stereotypes of Afghanis that all look like Osama Bin Laden.

If you kill 30 people from every type of skin colour you get an achievement called 'Sheriff Arpaio would be proud’. I had to google his name because I thought he he was a mass murderer with some kind of pointedly indiscriminate political agenda. Nope - he was a white Sheriff in Arizona who specifically profile non-white people in one of the most widespread examples of open racism in American law enforcement since segregation was made ‘illegal’. And given recent history, that’s saying something. He alone cost the taxpayers of his one county $140 million dollars via lawsuits brought against him. The fucking U.S. Justice Department sued him. If I hadn’t researched that I wouldn’t have realised he was actually a massive racist asshole who specifically targeted Hispanics and black people, because Running With Scissors made a false equivalence in their throwaway gag that just happens to mislead the player about the racist crimes of the person they’re referencing. 'Sheriff Arpaio would be proud’…because it was a numbers game? Yes, that’s what he liked. Persecuting *everyone* - as many people as possible, and not one very specific demographic of people.

I’m not saying that this stupid joke intentionally whitewashes the racism of its namesake, and I’m not saying that this, coupled with the developers’ portrayal of Middle Eastern people as homogenous terrorists screaming gibberish through the singular face of a mass murderer is in any way an explicit demonstration of their edgelord racist worldview. I’m not saying that, in the same that I’m not saying that a crack-smoking, dog-kicking, wife-abusing, spree-killer living in a trailer in any way reflects their perspective towards the poor, and that this entire game is one big middle-finger to everything the developers personally dislike. I’m saying that there’s a marked difference between forcing players to kill brown people because they’re all terrorists and forcing players to kill white people because they’re vegetarians. Or have red hair. Jesus that was such a 2003 joke wasn’t it?

At the very least, the panel of people who mindmapped the ideas that came together to form the foundational commentary of Postal 2 are dumb as dogshit, and the end result of that is 'whoopsie we’re slaughtering dozens of Muslims ho ho ho the Indian food store has Afghani suicide bombers in it all these people are the same skin colour Sheriff Arpaio did a bad thing to *lots of different people!*’

Isn’t it interesting that a game touted as a free-for-all and remembered for it’s 'all sides are bad’ South Park-esque 'sick of the system’ worldview actually depicts its town exactly from the perspective of one very specific demographic of people - the single most represented demographic in the American population: middle-class straight white male Gen Xers who feel disenfranchised but are also ardently pro-America, hate the poor despite not being wealthy themselves, hate the rich for being richer than them, hate 'rednecks’ for being too uncivilised, hate 'conservatives’ for being too stuck-up, and hate liberals for not fitting into a stuck-up conservative worldview. When you think of yourself as the lone, correct singularity trapped in the centre of a world filled with people who are wrong because they care too much about things you don’t like to think about, literally every other person on the planet becomes a potential threat. Your life is given meaning by the feeling of persecution this constant target on your back brings. And it’s a lot easier to take your anger out on a toothless social group than to comprehend your own lack of identity - to make fun of 'gingers’ and vegetarians like you were born yesterday rather than do anything legitimately rebellious or anti-establishment. Particularly if your specific demographic is the one nearly all media is catered towards. Movies are telling you that you’re the hero, but your miserable job tells you that you’re just a rube. Who’s to blame? Don’t bother thinking about it, because you might end up on a crusade, and you don’t want to be like those losers who keep going on about their problems. Make a game in which you kill all those people instead. That’ll teach em.

Postal 2 is the kind of stand-up comic that gets heckled for telling an offensive joke and then threatens to shoot-up the audience if they won’t stop booing him. It was made - poorly even for the time - by a bunch of clowns playing to the easiest possible audience: white edgelords. It’s a power fantasy for people who don’t have anything meaningful to fight for, so they fight gingers. Y'know, because South Park did it. Nazis are funny, gingers are bad. Everyone is wrong, stick to the middle. The middle of a spectrum. The middle of the road. The middle of a river as it sweeps you out to sea. It’s all the same.

2/10

#postal 2 #rws #running with scissors #fps #pc #video game #review #edgelord garbage

2 notes · View notes

studiopeachz · 3 years

Text

Task Brainstorm & Research

What am I passionate about?

Food

Cultures

Traveling

Music

tattoos/illustrations/designs

art/painting/drawing

Mental health

Self discovering/acceptance/explorations/expressions

What do you wish more people understood?

I wish people understood more about the different forms of self expression through different ways such as art, design, fashion, literature, etc.

I wish people understood more about human rights, or general personal choices without judgement

What do you feel strongly about?

I feel strongly about self love and acceptance because the factors of accepting ourselves can be hard but can make us flourish, and gives us opportunities to express how we feel

What makes you feel good?

Art in different forms makes me feel good has it drives my curiosity to learn and dig deeper for meaningful things

Beauty and self acceptance, embracing our imperfections

Wise words/sayings that inspire and impact me and others in a positive way

What makes me unhappy?

As an empathetic person, I feel unhappy for the one who also feels unhappy or any certain unstable emotions.

Making mistakes also make me upset as it is hard to admit our own wrong doings

Stereotypes, because it gives us an invalid label to individuals which do not define us as a whole

I don’t like when people judge you right away without knowing you

If you could fix something, what would it be?

I would want to fix the past mistakes i have done, wishing i could of done better

I would of want to fix the moments that I wish i could of done or fulfilled which leads to present regrets

What would you like to see in the future?

I would like to see everyone in the world to be kinder, and more understanding towards each other as it gives opportunities to get to know individuals truly, without having to judge them right away.

I would also like to see people normalizing natural and imperfect things and different creations of forms of self expression without any judgement, but curiosity instead.

What would you like to shine a light on?

I would like to raise awareness about the beauty of differences and self expression, even in peculiar artistic ways

What do you see that others don’t see?

As an optimistic person, I like to see the good in everything, therefore I have this willingness to listen and to understand situations, stories, and journeys of others.

I find the most imperfect things to be beautiful.

Things about Gen Z

https://www.livingfacts.org/en/articles/2020/meet-gen-z

https://danschawbel.com/blog/39-of-the-most-interesting-facts-about-generation-z/

Demographics

Gen Zers are also the most diverse generation. Research by the Center determined that nearly half (48%) of 6- to 21-year-old Gen Zers are racial or ethnic minorities, compared with 39% of Millennials in that age bracket in 2002 and more than double the percentage of early Baby Boomers in 1968.

Attitudes

In many instances, the youngest generation’s views follow Millennials’ social attitudes, and are in stark contrast to the oldest group, the Silent Generation, with Baby Boomers and Gen Xers falling in the middle.

For example, 70% of Gen Zers say government should do more to solve societal problems, rather than leaving it to businesses and individuals. By comparison, 64% of Millennials and only 39% of Silents say government should do more. Similarly, roughly 6 in 10 Gen Zers and Millennials say increasing racial and ethnic diversity is good for society, compared with about 4 in 10 Silents.

Gen Z’s as consumers

55% of Gen Z would rather buy clothes online and 53% would rather buy books and electronics online. [JWT]

Their favorite items to spend money on are food and drink (36%), going out with friends (32%) and clothes (18%). [Visa]

66% want to own both houses and cars in their lifetimes. [Deep Focus]

Gen Z’s most used tech devices are the smartphone (15.4 hours/week), TV (13.2 hours/week) and a laptop (10.6 hours/week). [Vision Critical]

50% would look on their phone to look for a better price while shopping at a retail store. [Gen HQ]

63% are concerned when it comes to protecting their identity when paying with a debit or credit card online or in a retail store. [Gen HQ]

Gen Z values

76% are concerned about man’s impact on the planet. [JWT]

79% of display symptoms of emotional distress when kept away from their personal electronic devices. [University of Maryland]

90% would be upset if they had to give up their Internet connection while only 51% would give up eating out and 56% would give up downloading music. [JWT]

84% multitask with an Internet-connected device while watching TV. [Forrester Research]

They have more than 10 apps on their smartphone with 10% having more than 40. [Visa]

60% of Gen Zs say “a lot of money” is a sign of success. [Deep Focus]

What are some general Gen Z issues/behaviours/values:

Social anxiety (mental health)

Racial equality

Gender identity

Self esteem

Political and social issues

Technology/ social media content

Personal beliefs and values in comparison to older generations

Speaking up/inner voice

Stress response

Optimistic attitude “it is what it is”

Three Campaign Ideas relatable to Gen Z demographic In Aotearoa:

(self expression)

gender identity / fashion & style / art & design / illustration / ink / skin art - tattoos

(self acceptance & confidence)

Body Image & Positivity / cultural roots / growth / well-being /

(cultural diversity)

Culture / tradition / ethnicity / foundation /

Research Gen z with self expression, self acceptance, and cultural diversity

WHAT DOES SELF-EXPRESSION REALLY MEAN TO GEN Z?https://www.havaspeople.com/project/what-does-self-expression-really-mean-to-gen-z/

We always knew that Gen Z would be distinctive. They are the first true digital natives, and grew up during times of uncertainty (the wake of the last financial crisis and Brexit in the UK). But over the last year the identity of this generation has been further shaped in a profound way as some of their most formative years are taking place against the backdrop of a global pandemic, with the significant interruptions that has wrought to school, university, and early working lives, as well as social connections. Gen Z were on the precipice of progress when COVID hit “pause” on life. And yet many Gen Zers are emerging as resilient, energized, and eager to express themselves and have their voices heard.

Rinsta (real) and Finsta (fake) social media accounts, often to keep certain aspects of their life hidden from family, potential employers, and others outside of their close social circles). Yet – on the whole – they trust the technology brands and platforms themselves.

69% of Gen Z believe that brands should make their stance on social and political issues known publicly. I believe this is what Gen Z mean by brand authenticity.

showing us that authenticity does not just mean having a clear point of view, but also using your clout as a brand to share and amplify the causes that matter to you.

showing your own alignment with the purpose and intent of a brand. Gen Z see the brands who they follow, ‘like’, and buy as a personal reflection of them as individuals, which is why they are prepared to pay more for brands that they believe support sustainability. If that’s how profoundly Gen Zers believe the impact of their consumer choices can affect the way they express themselves, it stands to reason that this will cut even deeper with regard to career choices, which is one of the reasons

This seems an important aspect of self-expression. Gen Z share a willingness to discuss issues in an open reflective way, and to seek out different opinions, which is one reason social channels are increasingly viewed as credible sources of news. To give another example, Gen Z are more comfortable talking about mental health issues than previous generations. While this can be attributed in part to the overall rise in awareness and acceptance of mental health issues over the last fifteen years, it is a noticeable shift from previous generations.

https://extremereach.com/blog/for-gen-z-consumption-is-about-self-expression/ “Consumption for this generation is an expression of individual identity.”

“Some people are angry and resentful because they feel like their voice isn’t heard, so clothing is a space where they can be self-governed.”

They’re experiencing brands in every corner of their online life and so these same “brands need to beware this generation’s discernment because they have a bloodhound-like nose for inauthenticity.”

We’ve been more empowered than ever, so why are Gen-Z the least confident generation yet? https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/gen-z-least-confident-generation

Indeed, statistics show that, instead of a defining feeling of hope among Gen Z, there is a groaning sense of pessimism - of hopelessness. Long running research from University College London, revealed earlier this year that depression levels are two-thirds higher than millennials. The study found 14.8 per cent of 14-year-olds in 2015 said they were depressed, compared to 9 per cent in 2005. While 14.4 per cent of young people said they had self-harmed, compared to 11.8 per cent a decade ago.

“I feel like Gen Z and millennials occupy a really interesting place in politics,” says Nogia, 20 “- we’ve only known austerity, we’ve only know casual work, we’ve only know life long sentences of debt for getting an education and we’re living in an age of populism and hatred in politics.”

So, is this having a detrimental effect on a generation’s mental health and personal confidence? Pretty much.

Youth Engagement Officer at YoungMinds, “Young people today have to navigate a huge range of pressures, from school or university stress, to worries over their career and housing prospects, to the rise of social media, which can make problems like bullying or body image issues more intense than they were in the past.”

Social media is - predictably - a major cause of generational anxiety. Not only is it connecting us to the world’s most depressing news stories, it is also connecting us to a plethora of airbrushed, Facetuned accounts making us feel terrible about ourselves. No wonder confidence is low.

Gen Z demands more diversity and inclusion from brands https://www.campaignlive.com/article/gen-z-demands-diversity-inclusion-brands/1705491

Gen Zers made clear throughout the study that they want brands to step up their efforts around representation. For example, 76% of Gen Zers said they feel diversity and inclusion is an important topic for brands to address, compared to 72% of millennials, 63% of Gen Xers and 46% of Baby Boomers who felt the same.

“Consumers don't want to see brands making an effort to be inclusive just for means of publicity,” said Jenna Stearns, researcher at quantilope and lead on the report. “They want to see something that's authentic and consistent.”

But brands that resonate most with Gen Z consumers are consistent in their support of social justice. Target, for example, has been vocal around LGBTQIA awareness and Pride month for years, said Steph Rand, senior research consultant at quantilope.

“These brands are rising to the top because they are sustaining and consistently making [these issues] a priority, either in their communications or around the content they produce,” Rand said.

Responses regarding representation also varied by race, gender and sexual orientation. Individuals responded they feel their gender is more represented in mainstream media (70% male; 66% female) and brand advertising (71% male; 68% female) than their sexual orientation or ethnicity.

In 2021, consumers hope to see more individuals with disabilities represented in advertising and media, as well as more authentic PR backed up by action.

Integrated Awareness Campaign Examples:

Self Expression Campaign example: https://www.lsnglobal.com/youth/article/24865/a-kombucha-campaign-that-celebrates-self-expression

Los Angeles – Health-Ade Kombucha’s latest campaign targets a new generation of health-conscious drinkers.

The campaign, You Brew You, introduces the brand’s new flavour and packaging concepts, as well celebrating the popularisation of kombucha. Diverging from traditional drinks advertising, it features a series of young models in bright clothing with colourful, neon-lit backdrops.

While kombucha brands tend to communicate in a way that focuses on health, wellness and fitness activities such as yoga, Health-Ade Kombucha is on a mission to change the image of the beverage and target a new generation of digitally-native consumers.

As the younger generation look to the future and consider how drinking impacts their health, they are turning towards soft drinks with additional health benefits. For more, explore the insight section of our macrotrend Anxiety Rebellion.

Self love/acceptance Campaign Example: https://fredandfar.com/blogs/ff-blog/banksy-made-me-do-it-transforming-everyday-ads-into-self-love-campaigns

This stunt can have multiple meanings, as Banksy often uses his art to comment on such structures as capitalism, power imbalances, and corruption.

Wrapped up in the Banksy frenzy ourselves, we started questioning art and its subjective worth. What makes art valuable? What qualifies as art? In what way can art be used or manipulated to impact our everyday lives? We live in a world saturated by advertisements, media and marketing targeting and manipulating us to be passive consumers. Thinking about what we are subjected to daily by multimillion dollar companies is eye opening, as is Banksy’s take on copyright laws and advertising.

Banksy urges, “any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It's yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.”

So let’s take back the power. We got the ball rolling by taking some campaigns and slogans you might recognize, and turning them into campaigns for self love and acceptance.

Join us by creating your own better slogan and use the hashtag #banksymademedoit. What we need is more self love in the world. Let’s saturate the world with our mission.

Cultural Diversity Campaign Example: https://www.refuelagency.com/blog/examples-of-brands-who-got-multicultural-marketing-right/

Rihanna’s brand, Fenty, is all but synonymous with authentic inclusive marketing, created on the foundation that everyone woman is beautiful and should feel included. In 2017, Fenty Beauty launched 40 shades of foundation, and that has since grown to 50. Chaédria LaBouvier wrote in Allure that Fenty Beauty’s sheer number of foundation colors is “a statement that women of color deserve complex options”.

Rihanna shared that, “It’s important to me that every woman feel included in this brand.” Once this campaign launched, it had a ripple effect called “The Fenty Effect”, a movement calling for brands to challenge the status quo in advertising.

2 notes · View notes

niconiconwo · 4 years

Note

Once upon a time, /c/ was a really great anime community. People were a lot more chill and nice. Now it seems there are far too many edgy douchebags who just want to go off on people who don't post what they like, instead of making their own thread.

4chan in general was excellent at being a thriving anime community, but like a lot of other Old Web sites and BBSs fell against the rise of social media and influx of completely self-righteous douchebag normies into the Western anime subculture.

The people in the subculture really are the common factor in awful anime communities. I lurked 4chan and BBSs growing up, you learned how things went and how to be active as part of a community then. Now with Twitter and FB and pretentious newfags infesting the remnants like MAL for ~authenticity~, it’s like no one ever learned how to play with other kids and everything sucks.

A lot of the core community was also directly based in the various IRC and BBSs attached to fansub groups. Losing so many of our circles has been disastrous. Discord and extreme censorship has killed a lot of the community, and Discord itself severely harmed IRC circles.

Another commonality is the commercialisation of Western anime fans, and the necessary cleansing of the subculture to make it more commerce-friendly. Look at MAL for example again; they’re selling themselves out to corpos that don’t give a shit and the site will effectively become a communityless worse copy of AniDB inside the next five years. 4chan had such awful finance issues the current owner split it in two to salvage some of it. All the BBSs (that typically had DDLs) got sued to hell by US licensors to pave the way for Funirollism and that is what really killed them, in order to make more money.

Everything that pro-mainstreamers pushed for made the subculture and community fucking awful. I can’t fault Zoomers for being awful when no one was left to initiate them, and all they know is consoom media in a carefully tended corporate garden of a subculture; but I totally can fault the asshats that caused this sad state most of them Gen Xers or older Millennials that ruined it for everyone else because they wanted to consoom more but too lazy to import or go on JList.

I’m gonna stop now because I could probably bitch for hours and I’m already long-posting enough. I am very angry and opinionated when it comes to what I see as a shell of the subculture and community I joined all the way back in 2005.

#anon #asks #sorry for how long it is I got a little worked up

1 note · View note

thewayoftheshadow · 6 years

Text

Space Orcs: Backpacking/camping

I’m a pretty outdoorsy guy, I grew up camping almost every month whether it be through boy/cub scouts or just with family. In my opinion backpacking is more primitive than camping is. My reasoning for this is that instead of being in an RV/tent at a designated camp ground you’re out on the side of a trail carrying just the bare essentials to keep yourself going for a few days. Why is it that we do something so primitive such as living in the woods for a few days with few luxuries,if any at all? Is it because it may feel natural from thousands of years ago? or is it just a chance for us as humans to get away from the monotonous life that we live surrounded by commodities? Or maybe its just because its fun.

Now take an alien, or a group of aliens, how would they react to a human telling them of their backpacking/camping stories? How would they react to humans enjoying the act of temporarily becoming more primitive for a few days or weeks?

Here’s my take on it:

Year: 2689 Region: Outer Kalklax Time: 0746 Earth-UTC

Joseph and Katie are talking about life back on earth in the mess hall. Joseph brings up his favorite recreational activities when one of the alien engineers, Yroxkler, walks in.

Katie: I’ve never tried hiking there before, you might have to take me when we return to earth. So have you ever been-

Yroxkler: Hello Human-Katie and Human-Joseph, what are you conversing about?

Katie: Oh, morning Yroxkler, Joseph was just telling me about how he likes to hike and I was going to ask if he liked backpacking cause their so similar.

Yroxkler sits down next to Joseph on the other side of the table. Xer’s color changed to what could only be confusion.

Yroxkler: What is backpacking? if you do not care of me asking Human-Katie.

Katie: Well, to put simply, backpacking is a mix of camping and hiking, but not always in the same amount.

Yroxkler: I know of this hiking, Human-John has told me the information on that before; but I do not know what this camping is.

Katie: Camping is where you go out into the woods, usually somewhere that other have camped before, and you set up tents and live in the woods for a couple of days. Sometimes people will catch their own food like fish, but mostly people just bring food with them. Its a way to get away from all of the technology and buildings.

Yroxkler’s colors of confusion deepen as if xer didn’t understand what Katie had meant.

Yroxkler: So you decide to leave the safety of your cities and houses to live in the wild for a period of time? Do you not like having food and comfort? Do you wish to be more primitive and stay in the woods instead?

*both Katie and Joseph laughing*

Katie: No no, its not like that, its just a chance to relax away from everything else. No technology, no luxuries, just the dirt and the stars. Camping is simple compared to life in cities.

A color of understanding passes over Yroxkler but is quickly replaced with confusion again.

Yroxkler: I understand your camping now, but you said this backpacking is both hiking and camping, is this correct?

Katie: Yeah it is, in backpacking you bring all of the items you may need to survive in the wild. Most people bring a little clothing, cooking items, food, sleeping items, and some tools like knives or shovels. You put all of these items, and sometimes more, into a pack and hike through the woods with them.

Yroxkler: Do you stop to camp where others have?

Katie: Not usually no, most people, like me, will just set up their tents a little ways off of the trail and stay the night randomly somewhere.

Yroxkler suddenly turn orange and yellow all over and becomes a bit fidgety.

Yroxkler: Is this not dangerous? What if you encounter one of your fauna called a bear? Surely many people die doing something like this.

Katie: Some do yeah, but not as many as you may think. Also bears are not really a problem, where I grew up there were mostly black bears, as long as you don’t come across a momma with her cubs or spook the bear they will generally leave you alone.

Yroxkler: You Humans are crazy to do this, must everything with your people be extreme?

Hey, so this is my second post with these tags. Just like my first post I apologize if this comes across as very simple or run on, I’m not the greatest writer. I just thought of this topic because im going backpacking with my father in a couple of weeks and figured it might make for an interesting post if it hadn’t been done before. If there is anything I could do to fix/improve this or future post just let me know and I’ll fix it if I can.

Also, feel free to add to this if you want, I’d love to see somebody else’s take on this topic.

#humans are space orcs #humans are space australians #humans are space oddities #humans are weird #human #space orcs #space australia #space #camping #backpacking #writing idea

686 notes · View notes

galacticnewsnetwork · 6 years

Text

What Happens When Fandom Doesn't Grow Up?

Adults are insisting childhood brands from 'Star Wars' to Marvel continue to cater to them, but does preserving the past limit the future?

There’s a proverb that says, “you can’t take it with you,” popularized by playwrights George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart in their 1936 Pulitzer Prize-winning production of the same name. The expression was in reference to our inability to take our material possessions with us to the afterlife, though opinion differs on whether this advice is a suggestion to spend freely, or to not worry about collecting pricey material possessions at all — the conclusion being that our possessions only have worth in the present, or that they may not have as much value in the grand scheme of life as we think.

Though the idiom is seen through the perspective of mortality, it works just as well when viewed through the lens of life’s transitional periods, particularly childhood to adulthood. The notion that we can’t take it with us is arguably a sibling to 1 Corinthians 13:11, which states: When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.” Perhaps these expressions once carried weight, but in our current age of pop culture, a living and breathing monument to nostalgia, it has become harder and harder for adults to leave the things they loved as children behind.

From superheroes, Star Wars, fairy tales, and cartoons, the things many of us loved as children remain something we love today – protectively, passionately, and even problematically. This fierce nostalgia is arguably even more common with Millennials whose instantaneous embrace of the internet has allowed very few childhood staples to slip through the cracks in memory. Even if we’re not buying lightsabers, Hulk hands, or Barbie Dream Houses anymore, these characters and concepts are possessions that reside with many of us and sometimes define a key aspect of our identities. Previous generations, less driven by early age consumerist culture, don’t quite have the same involvement as late game Gen Xers and Millennials. In other words, no one is asking for a Lincoln Logs movie. Our inability, or maybe our unwillingness, to put childish things behind us and accept their temporary value isn’t an inherently negative facet of generational culture. But it is interesting how this modern nostalgia presents itself.

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion PicturesAvengers: Infinity War Still

If you take a brief perusal of the Twitter reactions to the teaser for the live-action Kim Possible TV movie that Disney Channel released last Aug. 10, you’ll find plenty of opinions from people upset with the casting, claims it could never live up to the cartoon, or fans hyped with the addendum that "this is for us, not the kids." These passionate, often volatile responses about a once popular kids cartoon are overwhelming from adults. Similar sentiments came after Nickelodeon announced a CGI animated version of the Rugrats and released an image of the updated Chucky. More alarming were male commenters on Twitter photos for the new She-Ra cartoon, noise that basically resulted in a claim that the cartoon character should be “hotter,” and closer to the depiction of the character in the 1985 Filmation cartoon.

There’s an intense desire that these new iterations and reboots not be for the kids of today, but for those in their 20s and 30s. A quick search online will deliver any cartoon character from the '90s you could think of as adult contemporary versions. Some artists, like Brandon Avant, whose work went viral last year, have brought a real craft to these reimaginings of the characters from Doug, Goof Troop, and Arthur, as adults in their 20s, tattooed and stylish. There’s certainly fun to be had in alternative depictions of fictional characters, but there’s also a sense that many fans of these '90s shows would prefer these versions brought back to life on TV and movie screens, as opposed to anything geared towards children.

This feeling of ownership stems from an idea that kids today don’t care about certain characters anymore, at least not in the same way that those of us who grew up in the late '80s and '90s did, or do. Perhaps there is something to that. How many of the properties popularized in the '80s or '90s would still be popular without the adult fandom that keeps it alive through memes and Buzzfeed posts? Of course there are properties like Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney animated movies that are eternal. But there are also properties like Gargoyles, Animaniacs, and So Weird that would draw a blank for many kids today. Even once popular shows and platforms like Looney Tunes and The Muppets have fallen out of favor among children in terms of the position they used to hold with previous generations. While the rumored Space Jam 2 starring Lebron James may bring some children back on board with Warner Bros’ classic library of toons, there’s also the fact that that project currently seems to be more anticipated by those who grew up with the original 1996 film. Perhaps the only way to keep some of these characters and concepts alive is to cater to the now adult audiences. But what happens when these characters grow up?

Properties like Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney’s reimaginings of animated classics have managed to bridge the generational gap, appealing to children, adults, and elderly audiences. While Disney collectively has managed to find a way to appeal to almost everyone, there are a few recent examples that call into question the desire to really see our childhood heroes grow up. Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi created controversy last December, a controversy that has unfortunately bled into 2018 in regards to its depiction of Luke Skywalker, who has become bitter and disconnected from the force. Luke Skywalker grew up, got old, got tired, and got fandom in their feelings over the fact that the Jedi wasn’t leading the charge across space, green lightsaber in hand. While The Last Jedi is a commentary on the failure of the previous generation, setting the stage for new characters Rey, Finn, Rose, and Poe to start their own revolution on their own terms and “let the past die,” many Star Wars viewers weren’t interested in seeing the next generation take charge and instead clung to defunct canon. While many want these characters to grow up with them, they want them to grow up on their own terms, and if not to remake the plot points of their childhoods, then at least to recreate the feeling they got from those original films.

Laurie Sparham/DisneyChristopher Robin

A similar situation of childhood properties expected to grow up under strict terms followed the release of Marc Forster’s Christopher Robin. While Winnie the Pooh remains a beloved children’s property, kept alive by various television shows and animated movies, Christopher Robin tells a story where the titular boy has become a man and left his childhood friends, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore behind in the Hundred Acre Wood. Christopher Robinisn’t only the first iteration of the property to be rated PG, it’s also deeply melancholy, and grounded in the working class struggle of post-World War II London. Favoring dark grays and weather-worn cinematography, along with allusions to the directorial touches of Terrence Malick, Christopher Robin often feels explicitly geared towards adults. Yes, there are moments of warmth, brightness, and the humor that made A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard’s stories so beloved in the first place, but unless you have a kid who’s eagerly sitting down to watch Days of Heaven, there’s a lot in Forster’s presentation geared towards adults. The reaction to this take has been somewhat mixed, with a number of critics lamenting the film’s more serious insights and a lack of fun. But what’s interesting is that Christopher Robin speaks directly to the phenomenon we’ve been discussing. Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) realizes that being an adult doesn’t necessarily mean leaving childhood things behind, but incorporating them into adulthood. While this revelation doesn’t take Christopher Robin into Ted (2012) territory, there are interesting parallels to these stories of men who are incomplete without the literal representations of their childhood in tow.

The Happytime Murders

Perhaps this is all a rather roundabout way to approach the issue of Muppets offering unsolicited sex and hard drugs in Happytime Murders, but nonetheless, the sentiment remains true. We don’t really want to put away childish things, we want them to grow up with us. Brian Henson’s R-rated crime-comedy film starring Melissa McCarthy, earned its share of pre-release controversy, with the Sesame Workshop suing production company STX for the use of the tagline “No Sesame. All Street.” Sesame Street remains popular among young audiences, but the Disney owned Muppets have largely fallen out of favor with the last movie The Muppets Most Wantedmaking a poor box office showing ($80.4 million on a $50 million budget), and sitcom The Muppets being canceled in 2016 after one season. With Disney seemingly having no plans for the characters anytime soon, perhaps Brian Henson’s best bet to keep his father’s art-form alive, if not the characters themselves, was to appeal to a desire to see Muppet-esque characters in adult situations, something that worked well for the popular Broadway musical Avenue Q.

Not every modern resurrection of once sensational properties has opted to appeal to adults. R.L. Stine’s book series Goosebumps, which led to a popular television series in the '90s, was adapted as a film in 2015. A sequel, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is set for release on Oct. 12 this year. The first film is kids’ movies through and through, and trailer for the sequel indicates that this new installment will go even further in that direction, given its younger cast. This doesn’t mean the films don’t register with adults, but rather they aren’t appealing to our nostalgia, going as far to drastically redesign some of the characters popularized by Fox Kids/YTV show and refrain from utilizing the classic theme song. The Goosebumps films haven’t grown up with us, but rather see kids of Gen Z as their primary audience.

Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time (2018) is another film that struck a chord with younger audiences more so than adults who read the book series growing up, or those who remember the 2003 ABC television film. It’s a film that aims to be an intelligent kids’ movie, a big-budget PG experience that we rarely see in live-action theatrical releases anymore. Films like Goosebumps and A Wrinkle in Time ask us to meet kids on their level, rather than asking them to rise to an adolescent or adult level to enjoy the things we refuse to loosen our grips on. With films based on Are You Afraid of the Dark and Barbie set to receive new interpretations, and a Sandlot(1993) prequel in development, it will be interesting to see which audience demographic they appeal to and how much nostalgia they’ll give into. We’re living in the height of pop culture adaptations, and if we’ve proven anything, it’s that we’ll take these childish ways with us as far as we can.

Source: Hollywood Reporter by Richard Newby

#star wars #marvel #toxic #toxic fandom #fandom #fans #truefan #movies #audience #hollywood reporter #article #news

19 notes · View notes

gen-is-gone · 7 years

Text

You know, i know it doesn't really matter much, but I'm just gonna throw out there: teenagers (ie people who are right now between the ages of 13 and 19) are millennials. The cut off feels fuzzy bc it happens in the middle of a decade instead of at the end of one/beginning of another, but the age bracket for the generation "millennial" is "born between 1985 and 2004". If you're right now somewhere between the age of 13 and 33, you're a millennial. Teens, you're still one of us, so please, don't look at 23 year olds like your enemies when we're not. Grownup millennials, I recall a few years ago all kinds of promises to be more understanding/open minded to teens and young people than the adults in our lives were/are to us. All of us should do better at not erasing Gen Xers' existence/experiences, bc anyone coming of age during and post the 2016 election cycles in the US/UK is probably going to end up with a lot of experiential solidarity w the ppl who were teenagers when Thatcher and Reagan were in power. All of us should look at the arguments and actions of Baby Boomers and educate ourselves as to what particular generational traumas and experiences can be attributed to their collective behaviors, and then at least try to exercise empathy and compassion for *their* issues and actions, bc w/out that empathy and education, we won't be able to do better than them going forward. Let us please try to remember, when wading into the generation wars, that each of us is human, and ended up with the experiences/opinions/political stances that we did due to unique selection pressures on a micro as well as macro level. If the (overall, extremely long-term) goal of leftist activism as a whole is a reduction in human (and animal) suffering, a more sustainable relationship w our planet, and a greater equality for all humans, then regardless of the praxis of our individual activism, we should cultivate empathy for everyone and teach it to the next generation. We should all want the ppl younger than us to have better opportunities and fewer traumas than we have. We should all want things to get better, and i honestly believe that starts with developing a capacity for nuance and compassion even for ppl whose worldview you're trying to actively dismantle This is where i thank you for coming to my TedTalk i believe

#generational conflict #millennial #gen z #megan whines into the empty abyss of cyberspace

16 notes · View notes

theblueoceanstrategistblog · 4 years

Text

The decline in religious giving is not limited to millennials any longer. Three steps to higher levels of giving.

There were problems in the "church" in the area of millennial giving and donations prior to the Covid-19 global downtown. In this piece, mostly written and published by the author in June of 2019, the case was made that there are significant systemic reasons millennials do not give to religious institutions as their parents and grandparents did. Those observations, well documented below, hold true today. This post seeks to update some of those details and deliver some relevance to today's audience. One of the earliest studies on the effect of the pandemic on church giving was conducted by CDF Capital. The following material is from their post in late March. CDF surveyed 269 US-based churches to learn how Sunday services went on March 15. Afterward, they surveyed 93 churches about their Sunday services and offerings for the week of March 22. Here is what they have learned from their responses. Church Attendance Statistics During COVID-19 Most churches have canceled in-person services 86% of churches did NOT hold in-person, on-campus Sunday services on March 22, 2020. This is a massive, yet predictable jump from 54% of churches declining to meet on March 15. Most churches are responding to the pandemic by either skipping Sunday services entirely, or instead engaging in some form of digital service.

Half of churches have begun tracking online attendance

Of churches surveyed, 52% are tracking online attendance. This will continue to be important as churches learn to estimate how many individuals are reached for every unique view online. Online attendance averages slightly higher than regular in-person attendance Most churches tracking online attendance reported higher-than-average views. Overall, online attendance was 8% higher than in-person attendance before COVID-19.

Church Giving Statistics During COVID-19 When someone experiences a crisis, the way they handle their finances tends to change. The COVID-19 outbreak has left many Americans wondering how long they will still have jobs and be able to pay their bills. So how does such a widespread crisis impact overall church giving? Churches continue to report abnormally low tithes and offerings 43% of churches reported a decrease in giving on March 22, 2020. Half of churches surveyed did nor provide giving information, and the remaining 7% reported an increase.

Churches of all sizes experienced this decline Churches report that giving has decreased by 29% since COVID-19. This is a sharper drop off than last week, when churches reported an average decrease of 13% in tithes and offerings.

Given 2015 research by the NAE Financial Health initiative, many churches will face wrenching choices. The median annual church budget in the United States is $125,000. The giving problem post covid-19 is not just a millennial giving problem. In sharing some opinions shared in a late April piece on FaithandLeadership.com, we see a range of pandemic responses. "Tim Wishon oversees the business side of a megachurch with the resources to survive the pandemic. Carmel Baptist has 5,000 members, an average of 2,500 worshippers at Sunday’s three services and a $10 million annual budget -- $23.6 million if you include its K-12 private school and preschool. But the church has a challenge in common with smaller churches: convincing members that giving online can be as meaningful a part of their faith life as dropping a check or envelope in the offering plate. The church has robust, cutting-edge technology, from online giving to the livestreaming by which Carmel has been reaching its congregation during the pandemic. Carmel’s constituency is largely suburban, middle-aged and professional. Members are comfortable living their lives online. And yet, Wishon reports, 50% of the church’s giving pre-quarantine was put in the plate on Sunday mornings. Another 35% was mailed in, and 15% came in online. Passing the plate endures as a powerful, sacrificial act, he said, from farmers offering fruits and vegetables generations ago to children tithing part of their weekly allowance today. Still, the pandemic may at least have introduced people to the ease of giving online. Post-quarantine, 45% of Carmel’s giving has been online, Wishon said. But 55% still comes the old-fashioned way -- through a check in the mail." "It is crucial, David P. King of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, said, for churches to lift up online giving not just as a convenience but as a theologically sound way to give. The 2019 study (reflecting 2017 data) found that 46% of churches offered online giving -- a number that likely has risen with the recent shutdown -- but that 78% of revenue still came through worship." Bill Wilson of The Center for Healthy Churches, predicts that up to one-third of U.S. churches could be out of business by 2025. He points to LifeWay Research that says 5% of U.S. churches will close within the year because of the pandemic. That’s five times the average closure rate for churches, according to The Christian Century magazine. Wilson, who directs The Center for Healthy Churches, acknowledges that this is all conjecture, given the unprecedented nature and unknown length of the pandemic shutdown. His best guess is that churches will suffer a 33% decline in giving in 2020, in part because there was no live Easter offering. It’s possible that the traditional surge in giving in December will help make up for lost ground, he said, but there’s no way to know. Drawing on his experience with his organization, which has worked with several hundred churches during the past decade, Wilson estimates that one-quarter to one-third of churches operate on thin or no reserves. It is this consultant's opinion that the previously shared research numbers below will be even more extreme in the case of millennial giving in the post cover-19 global environment. According to research by fundraising firm Blackbaud, Millennials born between 1981 and 1995 compose 25.9% of the population but account for just 11% of total U.S. charitable giving. The $481 they give on average is less than the $732 given by Generation X (1969-1979) and the $1,212 given by Baby Boomers (1946-1964). Source: https://www.thestreet.com/story/14445741/1/why-millennials-are-more-charitable.html According to research firm Massolution, Millennials make up 33% of donations on crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe or YouCaring. Also, as the Better Business Bureau's Give.org discovered, Millennials were the most likely (60%) of any generation to have donated to hurricane relief after Harvey, Irma and Maria last year, but also more likely (79%) to have researched hurricane charities than Generation X (59%) or Baby Boomers (56%). Source: https://www.thestreet.com/story/14445741/1/why-millennials-are-more-charitable.html Historically, Religious groups have received the largest share of charitable donations. This remained true in 2016. With the 2.9% increase in donations this year, 31% of all donations, or $127.37 billion, went to Religious organizations. Much of these contributions can be attributed to people giving to their local place of worship. Source: https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=42 60% OF MILLENNIALS DONATE AN AVERAGE OF $481 TO NONPROFITS EVERY YEAR (Qgiv, 2015) Churches need to recognize that it’s not that Millennials aren’t givers, they just don’t share the default opinion of prior generations that giving charitable donations to the church is the best way for donations to be distributed. They want to know where it’s going and how it’s being used. 44% OF MILLENNIALS PREFER TO USE THEIR MOBILE PHONES TO MAKE SMALL PURCHASES (Snowball Fundraising, 2016) Churches who want to engage Millennial donors are faced with the challenge of demonstrating the good that they’re doing in their communities and around the world. Source: https://pushpay.com/blog/church-giving-statistics/ "With census data showing that Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the largest generation, it's more important than ever that we understand their giving habits," said Rick Dunham, CEO of Dunham+Company, which consults with nonprofits on their fundraising and marketing needs. "A growing body of research shows that Millennials are more engaged in philanthropy than we thought. Our new study seems to indicate that Millennials will give more to charity as they mature. Anecdotally, we know that factors like job status and student debt can limit how much they give at this stage of their lives." Of those surveyed in the US: Millennials gave $580 to charity in the past year, compared to $799 for Gen Xers, $1,365 for Baby Boomers and $1,093 for Matures; Millennials averaged 40 volunteer hours over the past year, compared to 34 for Gen Xers, 41 for Baby Boomers and 70 for Matures; and Twenty-five percent of Millennials attend church once a week or more, compared to 27 percent of Gen Xers, 28 percent of Baby Boomers and 36 percent of Matures. Millennials surveyed gave an average of $416 to places of worship and $96 to faith-based nonprofits in the past year – compared to only $84 to education, their next biggest type of contribution. In addition, 22 percent of Millennials said they planned to give more to places of worship in the coming year. Millennials agreed with the idea that charities are more effective than government in providing important services, with a mean score of 3.4 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 expressing the highest confidence in charities. Not surprisingly, Millennials were more likely than other generations to use technology and be influenced by it. Fifty-one percent have given a gift through a charity's website, 37 percent said they have used a smartphone to give through a charity's website, and 36 have been motivated to give by something they have seen on a charity's website. Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/survey-of-millennial-donors-indicates-they-will-likely-give-more-as-they-mature-300462347.html http://www.themillennialimpact.com/sites/default/files/images/2018/MIR-10-Years-Looking-Back.pdf

“To engage millennials, causes have to be much more emotional, much more authentic.” Not only do millennials want to engage together; they want to think together. They value peers’ opinions and turn to them first for information. As interviewee Simon Moss, co-founder and managing director of campaigns at Global Citizen, alluded to, today’s 24-hour news cycle and the easy, immediate access to information has put millennials on a far different path for gathering data than previous generations. “To engage millennials, causes have to be much more emotional, much more authentic,” Moss said. “What we’re seeing is that they don’t much care about straight-up news reporting. They want the opinion mixed in; as active consumers of media, they will decide what they think. And a lot of their reaction is just as much, ‘What do I think about the messenger and the issue?‘ as it is, ‘What do I think about the message?’” Source: http://www.themillennialimpact.com/ So how might your church or religious institution begin to attract millennial donors? When you begin to assess the quality of your "ask" to the audience, consider what the audience's desires are as they relate to key strategic factors. In the strategy canvas below, I've shared two disparate areas where donations are made. One is the traditional religious institution and the other is a relative newcomer to the donation world, a micro-donation platform.

In the strategy canvas above, you see the horizontal line features 6 strategic factors known to be key in decision making for millennials around giving. The vertical axis provides measurement from low functionality to high functionality or utility. Church giving has become more mobile and online friendly over the last 6 years with nearly 75% of churches providing some form of mobile or online giving. Millennials did 40% of their smaller purchases on mobile in 2017. They are a mobile-first generation. Most will not even visit your website unless it is on mobile. Ease of use should not be interpreted as putting a few dollars in the plate as it passes during the worship service. Most online and mobile giving takes place the other 6 days of the weeks. Churches that provide and promote online giving now see more coming in via the other days of the week than during the worship service. Millennials see little transparency and connection to the recipient in institutional church giving. Online micro-lending and micro giving platforms afford the millennial to know exactly who is receiving their money and exactly how it is to be used. Little about church giving matches the transparency of these competing platforms. These two strategic factors lead directly to the next two. Cause authenticity and efficiency of the donation. Millennials make up a significant percentage of the donations associated with GoFundMe and IndieGoGo. Women, by the way, make up a majority percentage of donors and recipients in micro-lending platforms. In a recent conversation with a faith-based children's home Public Relations Director, I asked, what is the home's single biggest hurdle? His response? "I’d have to say that our biggest challenge is developing a younger donor base. Many of our donors have been faithful supporters of the Home for many years. We are doing our best to encourage their children and grandchildren to continue to support the work here, but our greatest challenge is developing the younger donors." Conclusions and recommendations. If you'd like to attract more donors, remote members of the community of faith, millennials and Gen Z's to your cause do the following things. 1) Use platforms for giving that allow complete transparency on the cause and the recipients. 2) Allow for "relationships and emotional adoption" in the giving. The millennial giver and now all donors want to give to humans that they feel they could literally go help if they wanted to do so. This doesn't mean citizens of a country or a community-based effort. They will, however, give actively when it's disaster based. 3) For ongoing campaigns, take the campaign down to a specific person and prove the donation helped that one individual. The recovery for churches that had previously adopted online giving will be shorter and less painful for those that didn't have these mechanisms in place prior to the pandemic. Will your community of faith have digital giving at its center in the future? If not, you're selling the mission of the church short. It's said over and over that the history of the church is in members bringing their best to the house of worship, or the sacredness of the passing of the plate is imperative to the worship experience. I would argue that had technology been available 3000 years ago, there would have been histories written extolling the sanctity of online digital giving. It's time for church leaders to bring online giving into the mainstream and meet the culture where it lives. If you have desires as a leader of religious institutions of any type and want to discuss how Blue Ocean Strategy may help grow your mission, don't hesitate to schedule a free chat. Schedule that call here.

Sherman G. Mohr is an Insead Blue Ocean Strategy Institute Certified Blue Ocean Strategist residing in Nashville TN. He's a Co-founder of marketing, tech, and healthcare firms and has worked in consulting religious organizations in online community technologies and giving platforms. Read the full article

#religiousgivingtithingchurchgivingpostpandemicblueoceanstrategychurchleadership

0 notes

theechosas · 5 years

Text

Oat Milk? Oat Yes: An Ode to Oatly

As a well-known lactose intolerant coffee addict, I’ve received plenty of questioning stares from my classmates whenever I’ve got an old cup of joe in my hand. But my lattes aren’t made with milk from cows.

“You put oatmeal in your coffee?” people ask incredulously.

Nope. Oat milk. And yes, it’s delicious.

For all those curious, this is the process that creates Oatly’s oat milk. First, oats are mixed with water and ground in the miller. The mixture is then moved to tanks where enzymes are added to “break the oat starch down”. This creates maltose, which naturally sweetens the product. Next, the hard outer-casings of the oat is removed from the mixture. Canola oil and essential vitamins are added so that the milk can reach the desired “nutritional fat content and texture” [1]. To extend shelf life, the liquid is heat-treated. Then, after spending time in a sterile tank, it is packaged and shipped out [2].

Now, let’s get down to business.

Why Oats?

The nutritional value of Oatly: Barista Edition compared to Trickling Springs’s Organic Whole Milk [3].

If you’re concerned about losing the vitamins found in cow milk, fear no more: oat milk is infused with vitamins D, B, and calcium during production [4]. Additionally, Shape magazine reported that oat milk has 2 grams more fibre than any other milk (including cow milk) and less fat than other plant-based milks available on the market [5].

Unfortunately, while Oatly is vegan, gluten-free, and made with non-GMO ingredients, to place their oatmilk in a fairly reasonable price range, the drinks are not organic [1]. Still, this is a pretty solid product, in my opinion. For all of its benefits and quality, I think whether or not it’s organic matters very little to me.

For me, Oatly is my choice of milk because of two reasons (aside from the glaringly obvious fact that I’m lactose intolerant): its company’s values and their products’ taste.

The Company

Oatly was the first company in the world to ever commercialise oat milk. Founded in Sweden in 1994, their ascent to the top of the dairy alternative market has been slow. In 2016, their popularity skyrocketed. With charming pastel packaging, catchy slogans (see: “Wow! No cow!”) and personality in their presentation, Oatly’s products are designed to attract a younger audience. More specifically, the generation that is most concerned with global warming. In a Pew study it was discovered that “81% of millennials and 75% of Gen Xers say the Earth’s temperature is getting warmer compared with 69% of Baby Boomers and 63% of Silents” [6]. Given that one of the largest contributors of greenhouse emissions is the meat and dairy industry [7], it’s no surprise that people are making changes to their diets.

The eye-catching, quirky packaging of just one of many Oatly products. All of their products have a similar design with subtle variations [8].

Aside from being environmentally friendly in terms of greenhouse emissions, Oatly is also more environmentally sustainable. The Water Footprint Network reported that oats require one-sixth the amount of water almonds do to grow [9] and less herbicide than other crops due to how well it competes with weeds [10], making oat milk a greener alternative than its plant-based competitors. But here’s the even better part: all Oatly products are packaged in 100% recyclable resources, including “100% FSC-certified TetraPak paperboard” that can be “traceable to the forest where it was grown” [1]. Not bad, Oatly. Not bad at all.

The Product

Let’s be honest, you’re not here to learn about sustainability. You want a review on this milk’s taste. I’ll give you the verdict right now: Oatly is the gOAT.

Oat milk is made with more fat, which gives it a creamy texture similar to regular cow milk. This is why, when compared to almond milk, for example, oat milk feels thicker. Almond milk is simply too watery. This is also why so many coffee shops and baristas prefer to work with Oatly instead of other alternative milks. Pro tip: always get the Barista Edition Oatly if you’re planning on making your own oat milk coffee. If you’re drinking oat milk as a substitute for cow milk, you’re going to want the thicker texture that comes with the Barista Edition–– regular is just slightly thinner.

Remember the maltose you read about earlier? That’s the natural sugar found in oats, brought out by the enzymes. Aside from its thicker texture, Oatly is more enjoyable to drink because of its subtle sweetness. You may be worried about tasting oat in your milk. I’m personally a fan of oats (or at least, I have nothing against them), so I was surprised at how minimal the oat-taste was. Trust me, the taste of oat is unnoticeable unless you’re actively looking for it. Whereas other plant-based milks…

The Good, the Bad, and the Oatly

Like most things we encounter in life, Oatly does have its shortcomings.

Alternative milks do require more processing and can, in some cases, be just as harmful to the environment as the dairy industry is [11]. Fortunately, oat milk is not harmful to the environment [12]–– but it is processed. This is so that all consumers, vegan and non-vegan, can get their necessary vitamins and nutrients. If the purity of what you consume matters a lot to you but you’d still like an alternative to milk, you can make oat milk at home as well. Here’s an article on how to do so.

Oatly is also pricier than most milk on the market. A quick trip to a nearby grocery store revealed that 光明’s Ubest Whole Milk only cost 24.8 RMB for a litre compared to Oatly’s products. The price range varies from 5 USD at Target to 16 USD on Amazon for the Barista Edition–– mostly due to high demand and insufficient supply in different locations. Here in China, I get my supply on Taobao. Still, with a price of 96 RMB for two one-litre cartons, you’re paying almost twice the price of regular milk for half the quantity. And in my experience, Shanghai coffee shops can charge you anywhere from 3 to 10 RMB extra for coffee made with Oatly. Ugh.

The Verdict

Anyone who’s spent a day with me (or at least a morning, since that’s when I get my morning coffee) knows that I’m a huge Oatly fan. Their product is amazing in coffee and even alone. A bonus to their already great product is the company’s mission on transforming the milk industry into something more sustainable. Despite this, I also understand that some people just can’t get used to the taste of oat milk, or don’t have the means to drink it often. That’s completely understandable. For those who haven’t tried it or are interested though, I highly recommend you to.

It’s tOATally OATsome.

Learn more about Oatly at https://us.oatly.com/.

Sources

https://us.oatly.com/pages/faqs

https://www.oatly.com/int/our-process

left: https://tricklingspringscreamery.com/nutritional-information/ right: https://www.amazon.com/Oatly-Gluten-Free-Dairy-Free-Sugar-Free-Enriched/dp/B07D9QQFT4

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oat-milk#nutrition

https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/oat-milk-nutrition-dairy-free-milk

https://www.people-press.org/2018/03/01/4-race-immigration-same-sex-marriage-abortion-global-warming-gun-policy-marijuana-legalization/

https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5976-emissions-impossible-how-big-meat-and-dairy-are-heating-up-the-planet

https://thedieline.com/blog/2014/9/23/oatly

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/style/oat-milk-coffee-oatly.html

https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/hay-production/oats-weeds-and-integrated-weed-management

https://www.thecultureist.com/2016/10/05/why-dairy-alternatives-arent-always-good-for-you-or-the-planet/

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/is-oat-milk-good-for-the-planet-we-dive-into-the-dairy-alternative

Annie Xie

#@annie xie #opinion #lifestyle

0 notes

superspunarticle · 7 years

Text

How the Right Tech Will Help You Attract and Retain Young Talent

New post freshly published by Kapost. In my opinion one of the most effective suppliers of tutorials on the Internet.

I have a confession to make: I’m a Millennial; one of those fragile-yet-entitled sorts you’ve been warned about. We’re steadily streaming into the workplace with all sorts of unreasonable demands and decidedly questionable work ethics. (Or so I’ve heard.)

However valid the criticisms of our shortcomings may be, we young folk represent a deep bench of talent willing to work hard to prove ourselves. Our resumes are short, but the best of us are still difficult to get. With low unemployment, the competition for the best and brightest is hot.

And it’s not just getting 20-somethings in the door that counts—it’s keeping us once we’ve arrived.

How? The key to enticing—and holding on to—the stars of the next generation lies at least in part in the thoughtful integration of great technology tools that enable employees to do their best work.

Why Does Hiring and Retaining Millennials Matter?

1. You Can’t Avoid Us

Like us or not, hiring Millennials simply isn’t optional anymore. We’re now the largest living generation, comprising everyone born between 1981 and 1997 according to Pew Research, and we probably make up the majority of your lower- and mid-level employees. In other words, we’re the ones who are essential for the day-to-day operations of your business.

2. We Job Hop

A 2016 Gallup poll found that 21% of Millennials had changed jobs within the previous year—a rate that may not sound steep until you consider that it’s three times higher than that of any other generation. The same poll found that only half of Millennials strongly agree that they’ll be working at the same company in a year and that 60% consider themselves open to new opportunities.

3. Turnover Is Expensive

Even if our individual value doesn’t feel compelling, the danger of losing people should.

Maia Josebachvili, former VP of Strategy & People at Greenhouse Software, argues that the cost of turnover may be even larger than we think. She published a case study that concludes the monetary difference between keeping a salesperson (who, in this example, makes $5,000/mo and brings in revenue of $50,000/mo) on board for three years instead of two is a jaw-dropping $1,300,000 in net revenue.

That number isn’t for losing the VP of Sales. Not for losing a regional director. Just for bidding farewell to a normal salesperson. (And probably, a Millennial.)

Gallup agrees, estimating that Millennial turnover costs the US economy $30.5 billion every year.

Can’t I Just Pay Them More?

Sure, everyone wants to make good money, but salary consistently ranks low among Millennials’ top job search priorities.

There’s no doubt that you’ll get bonus points for a beer fridge and a ping-pong table, but more than anything, Millennials are searching for one thing: career advancement opportunities.

Isn’t everybody?

Yes, but according to a LinkedIn study about why and how people change jobs, 50% of Millennials cited “concerned about lack of opportunities for advancement” as the top reason they sought other employment, compared with 42% of Gen Xers and a mere 28% of Baby Boomers.

Similarly, the American Psychological Association (APA) reports that a major motivator for turnover is feeling undervalued. An APA survey found that 50% of respondents who didn’t feel valued in their jobs intended to look for a new position within the next year. What’s more, two of the most commonly cited sources of workplace stress were lack of growth opportunities (41%) and an overly heavy workload (41%).

The Role of Tech in Hiring and Retention

Deloitte’s 2017 Millennial Survey provides a slew of interesting insights into the attitudes of today’s young people, particularly regarding their perceptions of technology. For example, though the majority of Millennials surveyed expressed a pessimistic outlook regarding economic progress, they tended toward optimistic attitudes when asked to reflect on automation in the workplace.

More than half (62%) believe automation will improve productivity (compared to only 9% who said it would have a negative effect), and 53% think it will lead to economic growth. Perhaps most significantly, 44% said that automation would give them more influence within their organization, and 46% answered that it would give employees opportunities to learn new skills. Note that these numbers are much higher for “super-connected” Millennials—those who make above-average use of social media—a category into which many marketers likely fall.

You know what these optimistic attitudes about automation sound like to me? Perceived opportunities to advance.

That optimism isn’t misplaced.

Much of the value provided by marketing technology is felt directly every day by those doing the heavy lifting in your content operation. Tools that streamline workflows, automate once-manual processes, and provide performance insights free up untold amounts of time for those who are ultimately responsible for ensuring content is created, distributed, and measured.

When the busywork is handled by a great tech stack, creators like me can do their jobs more efficiently and gain greater insight into the effects of our efforts. This enables us to make better strategic suggestions and take on bigger projects with our newly acquired time.

What’s more, it empowers you, as a boss, to give your content team more autonomy, turning time once wasted by micromanagement into time spent pursuing your own projects and goals.

We achieve more. You do too.

And I’m not just speculating. I, myself, am a prime example of a young person whose experience has been shaped by tech in the workplace.

After graduating college, I worked for a non-profit organization that, to put it mildly, did not embrace technology with any particular gusto. As owner of our social media and email campaigns, I felt this lack of tech every day as I slogged through metrics, manually uploaded data, and got lost in long email chains as I hunted down colleagues for content submissions, edits, and approval signoffs.

Within my first year on the job, I had trimmed my processes down to be as efficient possible. Still, I had barely any time left over to think about the big picture, pursue meatier projects, and feel like a valuable and growing contributor to the team. Eventually, I came to accept that the only way I could grow my career would be to hire a new person to do my busywork and free up my time.

Or leave.

It turns out that most of my most frustrating, time-consuming work could have been offset by the right technology. But it wasn’t, and I left within two years.

Conclusion

Let me make one thing clear: I’m not advocating that you chase after every shiny piece of technology that floats by. Too many tools can be just as damaging as not enough, especially if they make production more confusing, silo teams, and result in a million mysterious dashboards, each populated with its own content, data, and workflows.

What I am suggesting is that organizations take the time to talk to and understand their teams, right down to the lowliest associate. Many MarTech tools benefit the lower rungs of your organization most of all, freeing up time spent on unnecessary tasks that could be spent making real and valuable contributions to your business. Millennials are, after all, the next generation of leaders. Not only do we expect great technology and feel comfortable using it—these tools help us to do our jobs better and make real differences in our organizations.

The possibilities opened by the right tools help your youngest employees envision a future within your company and make greater contributions to it, leaving you with a longer-tenured, more valuable team. Everybody wins.

[Read More ...]

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

Hope you found that useful info that they shared.

Leave me your reaction below, share a short comment.

Let me know what subjects you want covered in up coming articles.

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

0 notes

kingdomshoes · 5 years

Text

8 Best Restaurant Hanoi

While sitting here at another airport, my mind is singularly focused on the first bowl of pho that I will consume when I arrive in one of my favorite cities in the world, Hanoi. If I close my eyes and ignore the man who is snoring loudly next to me and the child who is loosening his lungs in the farthest corner of this barren airport, I can almost feel the streets, hear the hoot and feel the frenetic energy of the city.

An image that I remember easily: me, sitting on a plastic stool, my face dipped in a smoking bowl of pho while I took my first ceremonial inspiration. The bouquet of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, green onion and story puffs up my tired travel soul with joy, comfort and a bit like a big hug from an old friend. After the passage of an additional flight, this image will be a reality.

I really like Hanoi: I like its cuisine, I love its vibrant animated streets, its hidden cafes, its cyclo drivers who imitate me to take a turn at every corner. I like plastic stools and French coffees. I like the smoke that escapes from the coffee shop. The remains of some animals are spread on a large cutting board so that customers know that it is fresh and therefore unmistakably delicious. I love women who wear high heels and tight cut suits, clinging to each other on a bowl of chicken paws, along with 333 plastic beers at the end of their long day's work; I love children who fight for candies in the shape of cubes covered with sesame, but have a taste of tofu; and I love old men with their stained red teeth who are content to chew tea nuts all day and all night, in silent contemplation as the city storms around them.

I even like things that I can not bring myself to try (which is not a lot).

So where do I eat in Hanoi? Good question.

I should start by saying that I am a nostalgic person with a loyalty problem, so some of these restaurants have been addicted to my favoritism. Of course, I continue to explore and prepare my list, I check with my sources as soon as my feet touch the ground (the influx of trendy and trendy places to explore is a constant, because the pace of this city - and the country actually, continues to change), but I always take the time (and a little space in my lap) to frequent my old haunts. I always find some comfort, probably understandable, to see an old friend behind the spine of a familiar menu.

Here are some places that, in my opinion, are essential if you want to explore the city. Be fearless brave travelers! Pick up your chopsticks, get rid of your fears and let your taste buds be the judge!

THE OLD SCHOOL INSTITUTION

Cha Ca La Vong

Located in a narrow street of the old quarter, this restaurant takes its name from its marvel: Cha Ca La Vong! With a sea-green interior and a ladder disguised as a staircase leading to the main floor, this is a place where English is rarely heard and where you will not have to worry about what you want; instead, you receive what they have, which has remained the same for decades.

A frying pan of fresh river fish will arrive at your table with a personal charcoal cooker. It is accompanied by a bowl of fresh rice noodles, peanuts and fresh herbs. When the fish starts to heat up and the scents of turmeric and dill begin to bloom around you, add the herbs to the pan (I personally like to add the peanuts at that time, because I like them hot) . Once you are convinced that the herbs are cooked to your taste, take the fresh rice noodles and place them in your bowl, pour a little fish, herbs and flavored oil on top, add a little fish sauce and hot peppers to scent a little more fresh herbs if that's your style and enjoy!

THE SOCIAL CLUB

After a satiated lunch at Cha Ca, I head to the old quarter for a cup of tea with lemongrass and ginger. I always walk to be able to digest a little and let the street scene get out of my head and immerse myself in the chaos that reigns every day in Hanoi. Located at 6 Ngõ Hội Vũ, Hàng Bông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, the social club of Hanoi is an institution for expatriates and the famous Xer of Vietnam.

Spread over three floors, the third of which is an outdoor terrace, the Hanoi Social Club has a wonderfully rustic atmosphere, with old aged wooden furniture and rooms slightly decorated with Vietnamese artwork. It's a coffee that makes you feel a little lighter on entering, because it tends to inspire the feeling - at least at home - that in this space, you could very well compose a poem a little decent or, at all the least, read a book. decent poems and maybe even understand a few!

The menu is filled with fresh organic salads and Western-inspired light dishes, with just enough choice to satisfy your most difficult friend or family member. When I spend an afternoon here, I leave with a feeling a little more melancholy, a little more cultivated and a little closer to the best version of myself.

THE CONTEMPORARY & FAMILY FRIENDLY

No matter where I travel, there is always a day in a week when I need good pizzas. And I'm not talking about throwing melted cheese on dough and throwing it unconsciously into a fire! No, I'm talking about Pizza: a traditional Italian pizza that is usually found only in Italy. Fortunately, in my opinion, more and more people around the world are no longer content to present the poorer cousin to pizza, the international imitator, as I call it. Pizza 4p's in Hanoi would make Naples proud of an old man with white hair and curly mustache.

Located at 24 Lý Quốc Sư, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội., Pizza 4p makes its own cheese from dairy cows grazing in the highlands around Dalat. Focusing on the freshest local ingredients, each pizza tastes like it has been prepared with love and with the most care and attention to ratios. My favorite (if you're looking for suggestions) is the Mayo Shrimp pizza at half and the four cheeses at the other. Then I take the spicy oil and pour it on my pizza (be careful, it's quite spicy). I am with a sip of Chianti and this, my friends, I promise you, is a satisfying evening!

LAKE VIEW

Located on the sixth floor and overlooking the Hoan Kiem Lake water oasis, you will be rewarded with breathtaking views of Hanoi to Cau Go. Located in the old quarter, its interior exudes an eclectic and colonial French atmosphere without trying too hard . Lunch and dinner offer flavors and varied dishes from all parts of the country, including Hanoi, Saigon and central Vietnam, with a contemporary twist. Drinks, snacks and main courses are served daily from 10:00. If you can, ask for an outdoor table with a lovely view of the turtle tower patio and sparkling Hanoi Lake.

ROMANTIC

When I'm in the mood for a bit of fusion and romance, I head for the green tangerine. This restaurant offers a French-inspired menu and one of the most beautiful hidden courtyards in the old town. I'm having a glass of red outside in the early evening when the daylight is just starting to fade. This ritual is followed by a fusion meal of pasta with soba noodle seafood and a mesclun salad, followed by a French-made crème brûlée treat. I leave feeling so "full French".

AUTHENTIC

Pho Thin

When I want pho, I also want what comes with pho. I want the shared tables and the loud crowd, the chopsticks on the tables and the bowls of hot peppers and limes and the fish sauce that came from an old family recipe handed down from generation to generation. I want to hear slurping, laughing and children, and I want my shoulders to be next to a local as we bend over and savor our bowls at once. I want to conspiratorially make eye contact with the old woman on the other side of the table while I carry the bowl to my mouth at the end of the noodles and drink the remaining broth. Located at 13 Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam. Come here for the Pho and leave a person changed ... or at least satiated!

THE COLONIAL

Sometimes, the colonial atmosphere of the city is so strong that I am shot without choice towards the epicenter of it all - the Bamboo Bar Sofitel Metropole. For me, this bar summarizes the colonial elegance and gives me the impression that I am someone more important than me, a little more attractive, a little more worldly.

At the poolside, I usually order light tapas in the bar menu, which includes popcorn shrimp served with a spicy red pepper dip, crudités and a plate of French cheese enough to force me to follow my martini with a drink. I like this bar. I really like this bar.

THE WILD CARD - STYLE DE RUE

Quan An Ngon

My last insider tip will be a bit of a joker. Quan An Ngon is for me the best way to taste street food without being in the street. If you want to be in a place where you can try all kinds of delicious and wonderfully varied local dishes, then this is your place. Whenever I choose to go, I'm never disappointed.

I enter the great court-like atmosphere full of locals and curious little travelers and I slowly become aware of the scene to realize that now, after all these years of entering and leaving Vietnam, in a foreign country with a language that always seduces me and generates ingredients that, in my childhood, would look like a book by Dr. Seuss and at a pace that can seem both frenetic and elegant: it's like being at home. To get closer or to all my feelings, head to Phan Boi Chau Street 18, Hoan Kiem District.

THE TRADITIONAL

Grandma’s

This elegant restaurant offers a variety of delicious and authentic Vietnamese dishes, as well as an excellent selection of wines. Whether you opt for the delicious roast duck, a noodle dish, fish or seafood, Grandma's interpretations of Vietnamese classics are a memorable culinary experience in the capital.

Vietnamese concerts on Dan bau and Dan Nhi accompany your meal. Whether you are a large group or looking for an intimate dinner, enjoy the warmth of Vietnamese hospitality in this welcoming atmosphere.

http://operagarden.vn

http://www.grandmarestaurant.com/

http://operagarden.vn/Tripadvisor-Opera-Garden-Restaurant-best-restaurant-in-Hanoi

http://operagarden.vn/Best-western-restaurants-nearby

http://operagarden.vn/dich-vu-dat-tiec-sinh-nhat-tron-goi-tai-nha-hang

http://operagarden.vn/dich-vu-to-chuc-gala-dinner-chuyen-nghiep-tai-nha-hang-sang-trong-ha-noi

http://operagarden.vn/nha-hang-cao-cap-tot-nhat-ha-noi

http://operagarden.vn/nha-hang-au-sang-trong-tai-ha-noi

#restaurant #operagarden #restaurants #nhà hàng #nha hang #vietnamesefood #foodblogger

0 notes