#anyways it's also super cool that you were studying to be a strategist

[maranello]

(Anon with the very long ask here)

Again, I understand the emotion. I mean, I was there crying for/with Ferrari in 1999 when they finally got a WCC. It just sucks for me, and maybe annoying or frustrating— I really don’t know which, when Ferrari get criticized for every little mistake. I hope I don’t sound like a purist because that’s not my intention, but I feel like some tifosi need to be reminded of where Ferrari used to be. Schumi won, FINALLY, after 21 years. They were nowhere before that. Now that the documentary is out, people should know how hard his start with Ferrari was. Even recently, with Lewis, people have said that more than the seven championships, it was they fact that he kept it up for so long that was the greater achievement. And I agree. It’s so hard to keep being on top. Ferrari will falter eventually. It’s a universal law. And this is them climbing their way back up.

I just feel like the tifosi need to think of the *team* as well and the work they put into it, along with the drivers. I mean yeah, Charles deserved a higher placing than 15th. The start alone should mean he deserved points at least. 19th to 12 was mind boggling. But it rained and the timing was terrible and whatever else. But this bad luck shouldn’t be a reflection on the team. Ferrari did what they could. They came out brilliantly, in my opinion. The engine change could’ve meant a top5 finish. But Mother Nature had other ideas.

It’s just a bit frustrating and disheartening to see people say Ferrari need to do more… and after this race, it’s just like… what more? I just feel for the engineers, mechanics and strategists (which was the role I wanted. The next Ross Brawn to the next MSC) who worked their butts off and I imagine them to be so proud to be part of the Scuderia and seeing their red car finish third, and then yknow… hear that the tifosi aren’t happy with them 😢

I just feel like as a Ferrari fan, we need to let those working behind the scenes know that they are appreciated, and that they are doing a good job. Because in the end, they are one half of what constitutes a win for Ferrari.

- sad engineer/physicist

ahh hugs for you friend!

It's hard to manage those expectations because tifosi are so far and wide and well. so diverse, and frankly speaking, Ferrari isn't the best with their social media/PR either from my perspective as a communications student. And I think there are ways to build that connection for the rest of the team (and not just the drivers) with the tifosi, but without being on their social media team, I'm not sure how to help with that 😅 Personally speaking, I would love to know more of the team behind the scenes like the strategists, the mechanics, the engineers, and those working at Maranello. With the way Drive to Survive frames things or how most of the teams market themselves, it's so driver dependent that those are just who fans end up emotionally connecting to. But I hope you don't misunderstand that I, speaking for myself at least and a handful of tifosi I know, do appreciate the team and the work they do. (Otherwise I think it'd be hard to stay a Ferrari fan atm if they only cared about the driver or only when Ferrari is winning...) Coming from me at least, it feels like almost a parental vibe where you want the team to do well and when they don't, it's less that you're disappointed in them and want them to do more, but more because you know they've worked so hard and want to get those good results but you can't really help so you just try to understand like why can't we do better? where can we do better? where can we do more? it feels almost protective in a sense like you want to protect the team from slander and sadness so you want to figure out how can we do more to prevent this. it's always that belief and love for the team to believe that it can do better, and perhaps that's a bit lost in the impatience? to want to fix things as quickly as possible. because I can't stand seeing Ferrari not on top and not being appreciated the way they deserve to be :')

So much love to the whole team from us! I think it's just a bit harder with how our social media is set up to get the message across to the team in actuality, but that's. a whole different thing I'd personally like to solve but am not sure how to get involved myself

[zoopzopp]

A post for some BAMF Izuku fics <3 (more of these will be added and the list will be updated as i read them)

Fics i've read:

The Secret Ingredient is Crime- Izuku only had a whole month to further prove himself worthy of Yuuei's golden acceptance, and he was going to do whatever it took to make it in. Yuuei would never truly know what hit them until it was too late. (The secret crime AU in it entirety is fucking amazing and what wouldn't i give to read more stuff with it)

Deku the Villain Hunter: Support Hero - We all know the story: After being told he couldn't be a Hero by All Might, Midoriya Izuku still wandered over to a supervillain attack where he could save Bakugou Katsuki. But what if he had made the other turn? The answer is a butterfly effect that would lead him on a path to paving his own future. A path of revenge, finding his own moral compass, and doing the impossible. (OKAY MANY THOUGHTS. Very cool story and aspects. I binged it overnight and lost a bit of sleep the next night as well.)

The Story of How Midoriya Izuku Asserted His Dominance (And Traumatized Japan) - The Sports Festival was supposed to be a break from stress. Shouta should have known there is no such thing as a break with his class.

making it right (for real this time) - - Izuku is a support course student at UA, and Katsuki's neighbor, best friend, and former bullying victim. After Izuku's performance at the sports festival, Katsuki realizes something. He has to make things right. -

Hero Fall (UA Civil War Exercise) - It's now the end of the first year of UA for our students. Nedzu had decided to bring back the annual Heroes vs Villain fight. The fight shall last 5 days and the villain leader is Izuku Midoriya, with the commanding officer of the hero team being Katsuki Bakugo. But, what happens when Izuku is left alone?

Hero Class Civil Warfare - Heroes lead by Bakugo. Villains lead by Midoriya. Seven days prep time. Three days for Izuku Midoriya to show why they should be glad he's not a real villain.

"I Didn't Know You Had It In You." - Midoriya goes feral rage mode in his fight against Overhaul. The beat down still happens, but with Eri no longer at his back, he gets more violent. One For All reacts in an interesting way and Midoriya commits a terrible and unheroic act - the cold blooded murder and maiming of Chisaki Kai. Shigaraki is there to watch it all unfold.

Plan C meets Plan A - Even if All Might is right and Izuku can't be a hero, Izuku refuses to be useless. So Izuku uses his analysis skills to develop Plan C: Consulting in order to help the heroes. Eraserhead is impressed by this mysterious new consultant but alarm bells in Deku's behaviour quickly have Aizawa recruiting help for Plan A: Adoption.

Q. A. B. - One month after @hawks_unofficial's initial viral post, the blog titled "Quirk Analysis Blog for the Future", otherwise known as "Q. A. B.", has gone from an average of 10 views per post to an average of 20,000 views per post. Midoriya Izuku does not know how to view the impressions analysis for his suddenly popular blog, and only notices that sometimes, people actually comment on his posts now. He does not google himself or his moniker and thus does not see the rise in online articles and speculation. He is unaware that the "kyuu-ei-bee" he begins to hear about in passing refers to his own blog. He does not have a Twitter account. At the time, Midoriya Izuku is 15 years old.

How to murder your father - It's dangerous to be a bad father when you have a life insurance. Just saying.

Negation - Passive Quirks are a bitch. Izuku is reasonably done with the situation.

Thanks For Your Support - Izuku has the talent and the intellect to be the first Quirkless pro hero, and everyone at UA knows it. Unfortunately, his desire to become a hero has long since been buried thanks to the words of his childhood friend and childhood hero.

Policed To Meet You - Izuku takes All Might's advice and becomes a cop.

Vigilante Work And Other After School Activities - Izuku is a vigilante, Aizawa likes cats and therefore kids who help cats, and sometimes breaks must be forced upon overachieving teenagers.

When the Commission Lost Total Control - The hero polls have a small part where one can suggest their own hero. This is done just because of the amount of heroes is to great to name them all. This creates a little problem for the commission because a vigilante is assumed to be a brand new hero by the public- and ranks pretty high. Because of that, this vigilante now is too popular to hide and they can't come out with their mistake either! Think of the chaos that would bring.

Izuku being Badass but like in not that grand of a way but still tearing-people-down-in-some-way kind of way

He Was Quirkless - Midoriya get's sick of discrimination against the quirkless and decides to do something about it. It leads to some interesting situations. A trilogy.

bloody, but unbowed- It's Advocacy Week for Yuuei's hero students and it gives Midoriya Izuku a lot to think about about what kind of hero he wants Deku to be.

Called Out - When Izuku is hit by a quirk that will cause him to call out the first person to be rude to him on the way to school with every mistake they've made in the affected persons presence or have otherwise effected said affected person, Aizawa is in for a rough ride. In other words, with some help from a quirk, Izuku rakes Aizawa over the hot coals until he gives out. (a great fic but i've got mixed feelings on this one because on one hand, izuku is badass but on the other its Aizawa bashing and really like him skhdskdb so yea! Read it as per your tastes!!)

The time when everyone learned that izuku respects Bakugo more than all might. - I didn't like how Bakugo was tied up during the sports festival and so izuku didn't. Badass izuku roasted all might and midnight.

Villainous Sunshine - After an innocent question, Class 1-A learns just how terrifying Izuku's analysis is. Nedzu's along for the ride.

Never understand ( and you can't ) - Midoriya is sick and tried of his classmates bias and prejudice against the quirkless community and finally breaks

Mastermind: Strategist For Hire - Izuku Midoriya never got the chance to save Bakugo from the sludge villain and impress All Might. With his dream crushed, Izuku becomes bitter and angry. It also doesn't help that he faces discrimination at every turn. All he ever wanted was to be appreciated, so when the villains are the ones to recognize his talents rather than the heroes, well, Izuku just can't resist. He might as well help those who actually want him around. Mistakes were made, and now society must face a villain of their own making: Mastermind.

Malignance - Deku is far scarier than anyone gives him credit for.

Fics in my to read list which has/probably has BAMF izuku

Young Midoriya - Izuku Midoriya couldn't help himself when he saw someone in trouble. Even at 12 years old, his instincts drive him to help those in need. So when he sees Kacchan and his goons about to ambush another student, he has to step in, right? It's not like this hasn't happened before. What is different this time though, is that he's never had an audience that consisted of the Number One Hero.

Heroics and Other Things That Don't Require Superpowers - Izuku doesn't have a quirk. That's the long and short of it. After being told his whole life he can't be a hero, General Education at UA is the best he can hope for, right? Wrong. Dead Wrong. So super wrong that his best friend from Gen Ed, all of Class 1A and a whole mess of Pro Heroes are going to prove to him how wrong he is. Izuku has the makings of a hero, and his lack of a quirk only throws those qualities into starker relief. After all, who wants to be as strong as All Might when you can be the cleverest hero in the business?

Cases of More Than - Izuku is known as Deku online. He's an analyst of quirks, sometimes even working with the local detective, Tsukauchi, on a case. He meets new friends, builds a few relationships, and slowly crushes on his best friend. But then he's thrown into the General Studies Course at U.A. It doesn't help that All for One is showing an interest in him at all.

No Regret - In this world there is no hard set villain or hero. No victim and aggressor. Everyone is at fault for something and Izuku, with his own villain group, will make everyone pay. Even the bystanders who did nothing. This is what society gets for abandoning it's people. Deku will manipulate everyone and be the greatest villain, all so the world can be a better a place. With the stakes so high there is no time for regret.

We Are a Different Kind - Mirio doesn’t think he can be a hero anymore now that he’s quirkless, Izuku calls bullshit.

Live a Hero - "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Or, you're raised a villain, rebel when you're nine, and fight against the odds to become a hero anyway. That's how it is in Izuku's case.

Prodigal - After being convinced to give One for All to Mirio, Midoriya Izuku must rebuild his shattered dreams with bloody hands.

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Vigilante - Izuku is orphaned at the age of four and is sent into the Japanese Foster Care System. After multiple failed attempts at finding a forever home and some unfortunate circumstance, he ends up on the streets. Eventually, the vigilante, Deku appears. Eraserhead must gain his trust to bring Deku back to the right side of the law. If he he does, however, the untrustful but pure-hearted boy may just be a bit more than Aizawa Shota can handle.

From Muddy Waters - - but the sleeve of his tracksuit was bulging, tearing and ripping and a mass of twisted flesh, nearly as big as the boy himself and nauseatingly familiar (the arm of the man that had torn a hole in his side with a grin and left him a frail shadow of himself) swung forward and slammed into the flat face of the giant robot. Izuku wants to be a hero more than anything.

Pieces are easily sacrificed when they're nameless - Nobody ever thought quirkless, weak, weird Midoriya Izuku was dangerous. This perception carried over to his first year high school class, because really despite the super strength Midoriya didn't have it in him to be dangerous. That was their first mistake. And the one that would see them fall.

Not exactly BAMF izuku but i just wanted to rec these fics <3

In the shade of a sunflower - Being biologically quirkless came more with an extra pinkie joint in the toes and a stunning lack of vestiges mutations. It came with smaller things, like extra teeth that did virtually nothing, exploding organs, and weird exposed nerves that weren't designed to feel pain.

Throat Punch - In which Aizawa attempts to teach Izuku how to use various battle tactics and it goes just about as well as you'd expect. At least Shinsou is there with his fantastic commentary. (just a fun lil thing where izuku is really stronk and trains with shinsou and aizawa)

So Be It - He could still do good. Midoriya could show them all what a hero without powers looked like. If he had to break a few rules to do it, so be it. So be it… (as stated not exactly BAMF but its a vigilante izuku so ye-)

Never Enter a Drinking Game with Bakugo or Izuku - Izuku walks in on Kirishima and Kaminari having a drinking competition (no alcohol involved). And it reminds him of an old story.

5 Times Midoriya Taught Class 1A about Memes and 1 Time they Found a Villain that Understood Them - After being diagnosed as quirkless, Midoriya gets into pre-guirk media and finds memes. He shares them with Class 1A. Aizawa doesn't get paid enough for this. (THIS FIC???? FUCKING AWESOME. LITERALLY WHAT I WANTED TO SEE)

Midoriya: JD Version - Nedzu has decided that a play should be put on so that the students can learn how to "go undercover", an idea which Aizawa thinks is utter bullshit. They're putting on Heathers and when Nedzu chooses to cast Midoriya for JD, everyone objects. Midoriya is a much better actor than they thought.

that is a lot!! I hope you have fun reading it!!!

[fangirlwriting-stories]

Reflecting Light

Summary: As far as Remus knows, the situation with Shane is totally normal.  Sure, it sucks, and he would love to not have to deal with getting beaten and scrutinized as often as he does, but that's just the way things are.  There's no other way around it.  Which admittedly might create some problems when he gets fed up enough to run away.  (Trigger warning for abuse.)

Chapter One:

Even at seven years old Remus was well aware that people like his brother more than him.

Part of it was the looks.  Roman had never chipped his teeth or gotten cuts on his face or grinned in a way that was just a little bit creepy (even though that was the fun part).  Part of it was also probably personality.  Roman was friendly and agreeable in ways that Remus wasn’t.  Roman never got looks that amounted to “when are you going to leave?”  Roman also never had to see Shane.

Shane had told him many times that people liked Roman more than he did, but he seemed to have different reasons than the ones Remus had come up with.  According to him, Roman would make a far better soldier because he knew how to shut up and do what he was told in a way that Remus had never been able to comprehend.  And this was just what happened to kids who didn’t do what they were told.  That was Shane’s job, after all.  He got a high rank for it too.  According to him The Light have really cared about crushing dissension.  But that didn’t change the fact that Remus probably would have been more willing to listen to his reasoning about Roman if the bruise on his face wasn’t screaming it’s protest.

But he was right about the fact that far more people liked Roman than him.  Remus was mostly okay with that, because there were three people he was pretty sure liked him well enough.  One was Roman himself, and the other two were their new and closest friends, Patton and Logan.  Patton and he didn’t always get along perfectly, since he didn’t love the way Remus always roped him into plans to steal food from the kitchen; but he never got the impression that Patton liked Roman more than him.  And Logan was fun to talk to about weird stuff.  Remus could tell him about the rotting carcass he found outside, and while Patton and Roman would both be grossed out, Logan would ask him all sorts of questions as to what he thought the animal was, what it looked like, how decomposed it was at that point.

And then of course, Roman.  Even if Roman had loved himself more than Remus (which frankly wouldn’t surprise him, given the size of his ego), Remus would have loved him anyway, because he was Roman.  And Remus had to protect him.  There was nothing saying Shane wasn’t just as likely to hurt Roman if he fucked up.  Remus couldn’t let that happen.

Which is why he was pretty sure this was a bad idea.

Remus followed Logan and Patton out the door and onto the roof, pulling Roman behind him and not letting go of his hand.  Stealing food from the kitchen was one thing, but sneaking out at night?  Remus took a deep breath.  He wasn’t going to look like a coward and voice concerns about getting caught.  That was Patton’s job.  Besides, he could always say it was his idea.  That had convinced Shane to leave his brother alone in the past.

And Logan was right.  Shooting stars looked really cool.

“Look, look!” Logan cried, far more excitement in his voice than usual.  “That’s Aries!”

“I thought we were out here to look at shooting stars,” Patton said, sitting down next to where Logan had plopped himself down on the roof.

“We are, but I just learned how to find that constellation!” Logan called happily.  Logan had found a contraband book on astronomy recently and had not stopped studying since.  He’d begun to teach the rest of them too.  Remus was finding it interesting enough that he kept listening.

“Alright.”  Logan pulled that contraband book out of his jacket and set it open on the ground in front of them.  “So shooting stars aren’t actually stars at all.”

“What?” Roman asked around a yawn.  “Why’re they called shootin’ stars then?”

“Because that’s what they look like!  But actually, they’re chunks of rocks burning up in the atmosphere!”

Remus’ eyes widened and he leaned over Logan’s shoulder.  “They’re on fire?”

“They are!” Logan called, beaming at him.  “They almost always burn up before they even hit the ground, but the burning is what lets us see them!”

“That’s awesome,” Remus said, looking up at the chunks of burning rock falling through the sky.  “What happens if they don’t burn up?”

“Uh… I don’t know.  I haven’t gotten to that part in the book yet,” Logan said, looking down at the textbook in his lap.  “I think it makes some kind of crater.”

“Tell me when you get there!” Remus said, leaning against Logan’s side and looking down at the book too.

“Will do,” Logan said, smiling over at him.  Remus grinned back and they both looked up at the stars above the four of them.  Patton was watching, but he still looked exhausted, and Roman lasted another second before he leaned against Remus’ shoulder and fell asleep.  But Remus and Logan would be up for many hours yet.

…

Remus, after the discovery that astronomy included things like burning rocks flying through the sky and explosions out in space, joined Logan far more often for stargazing and sessions to read his book.  That was good for a long while, long enough that Remus could now name all the constellations and was able to use the stars to navigate if he had to.  Roman and Patton joined them on quite a few stargazing sessions as well, but they often fell asleep in the way that Logan and Remus never did.

By the time Remus turned 11 it had been several years since the two had needed the book, but that didn’t mean that Remus didn’t remember what it looked like, and he recognized it instantly when Shane dropped it on the table in front of him.

Remus had weekly meetings with Shane, bi-weekly if he happened to seriously fuck up that week in some way.  He hadn’t thought the book would be coming up in tonight’s meeting.  He looked at it for a second and decided that it was safest to not say anything just yet.

“This was found in Logan’s room,” Shane said.  “Do you recognize it?”

Remus wasn’t sure why he was being asked this question instead of Logan, but he wasn’t going to complain.  If there was a way to get Logan out of this safely, he would take it.  He nodded.

“So you’ve been studying contraband books,” Shane said, his voice dropped to a dangerous low.  Remus squeezed his hands together under the table.  He wished Shane would sit down.  It wasn’t usually a good sign when Remus was sitting and he was standing.

“It was my idea,” Remus said.

Shane raised his hand, and Remus had a second to brace himself before he was smacked across the cheek.  He held back a wince.  Those never put Shane in a better mood.

“Do you think I care whose idea it was?” Shane asked.  “Logan would at least have an excuse.  He’s going to be a strategist.  He needs to know how to plot locations, and stars are a helpful tool for that.  You are a soldier.  Strong.  Silent.  Replaceable.  You don’t need to think.  Understand?”

Remus looked down at the table and nodded.  Oh, he’d forgotten about the way he’d folded in so many of those pages.  It had driven Logan crazy.  He’d complained that Remus was going to ruin the only book they had.  But the book looked almost fine today, so Logan was obviously wrong about that one.

“I don’t want to hear about anything like this again,” Shane said, picking up the book and setting it down in his bag.  “Get out of here before I decide you deserve worse.”

Remus climbed up from the chair and walked over to the door, thoughts buzzing through his head.  He shut the door after him.  He wasn’t sure why Shane talked to him if the book was found in Logan’s room.  Wouldn’t that kind of automatically make it Logan's fault?

Remus shook himself slightly.  He shouldn’t be complaining about getting a chance to take the fall for Logan.  He would much rather it be his fault than Logan’s.  But didn’t mean the fact that he was the only one yelled at didn’t still rub him the wrong way.  Remus would blame that for his next decision of heading straight for Logan’s room and shaking him awake.

“Who’s there?” Logan asked, reaching for his glasses on his bedside table.

“It’s me,” Remus said, picking them up and handing them over to Logan.  “You wanna go stargazing?”

…

Patton and Remus didn’t have a ton in common, but Remus found some fascinating things to learn in the fact that Patton was training to be a doctor, so he got to look at super gross injuries all the time.  Remus would tag along sometimes to see how to treat a broken bone, or a nasty stab wound, or a concussion.

Sometimes Patton treated him when Shane was a little too rough.  He felt like a safer person to go to than any of the actual doctors.  Remus was pretty sure Patton just thought he was clumsy.  He wasn’t expecting that to change, like it ended up doing one night when they were both fourteen.

It had been a bad night.  Remus wasn’t sure he could make it until morning without some kind of medical care or he’d be up all night in pain and unable to sleep.  He made his way to Patton’s room and knocked on the door before walking in.

Patton was rubbing his eyes and sitting up in bed as Remus made his way over to sit down.

“Hey, it’s me,” Remus said, as Patton grabbed his glasses and put them on.  “Can you—”

“Oh my goodness, Remus!  You look terrible, what happened?”

“I fell down the stairs,” Remus lied.  “I think my nose is broken.”

“Oh no,” Patton said, throwing the covers back and taking Remus gently by the arm, pulling them both out of his room and towards the medbay.  Remus winced and decided not to tell Patton he was holding the area where he was pretty sure a bruise was already forming.

They had this kind of thing down to a science at this point.  Patton grabbed the bruise cream and bandages, wrapping the cuts that Remus had and putting the cream on the areas Remus pointed him to.

“There’s not much I can do for your nose,” Patton said.  “It’s not broken in any way I need to adjust, so you’re just going to have to not touch it and wait for it to heal.”

“Yeah, okay,” Remus said, knowing very well that Shane would not be holding up that idea.

“Remus.”

Remus glanced up.

“This is far too many injuries for you to have gotten from falling down the stairs.”

Remus bit his lip.  “It was the big stairs.  The ones on the third floor.”

“Remus,” Patton whispered.  “Did someone do this to you?”

Remus didn’t say anything.

“Who?” Patton said, and Remus had to do a double take at the sudden amount of anger in his voice.  “Remus, who did this?”

“I’m sorry,” Remus said on instinct.

“It’s not— Remus, it’s not your fault,” Patton whispered, sounding two steps away from horrified.

“But I was the one who messed up in training,” Remus protested, looking down at his bandaged hands.  “And James got hurt.  So now— now I know what he felt like.”

Patton was silent for a few seconds too long, and Remus was about to look up again when Patton took his face in his hands and raised it for him.

“Remus, who did this to you?” he said, and the anger on his face took Remus’ breath away.  He whispered Shane’s name and realized a second after that he definitely shouldn’t have done that.

“Please don’t tell anyone,” he said suddenly, pulling Patton’s hands down from his face and clutching them desperately.  “Patton, please.”

“Remus, you— I can’t let this keep happening,” Patton said.  “I can’t see you like this and do nothing.”

“Sure you can!  I do nothing about this all the time!  It’s easy!”

“Remus, no,” Patton said, shaking his head.  “I can’t.”

“But—”

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright,” Patton said, reaching out and pulling Remus into a hug.  “I promise, okay?”

Remus shook his head, bumping it into Patton’s.  “But—”

“It’s okay.  It’s gonna be alright, okay?”

Remus didn’t say anything else.  He clearly wasn’t going to change Patton’s mind on this.  Patton ended up checking him over one last time and then they both went back to bed, Remus with a very uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.  He should have just gone to bed and sucked it up until the next morning.  It would have been fine.  Dammit, he was such a wimp.

…

Remus didn’t have any idea how much he’d fucked up until Shane found him the next morning.  He grabbed Remus by the arm with no warning, and dragged him back away from the direction he’d been heading in while Remus tried not to whimper from the pain.  Shane had to have known that was a bad spot to grab.

When Shane finally stopped they were outside the meeting room.  He yanked the door open and threw Remus inside.  Remus thankfully landed before his head reached the table leg, but that didn’t mean his still-sore body wasn’t screaming what the fuck are you doing at him.

“Remus!” called a familiar voice, and that is when Remus realized exactly why he was here.

He pulled his head off the floor half a second before Shane grabbed him by the hair and yanked him up the rest of the way.

Remus yelped and reached up on instinct.  Shane slammed his head down on the table and Remus barely managed to stop the cry that escaped.

“Stop!  Stop it!” Patton exclaimed, and Remus heard his footsteps running over towards the table.  He managed to move his head to look over when Shane shifted to look in the same direction.

Shane snapped his fingers, and a guard grabbed Patton and held him back.

“Now, Remus,” Shane said, getting much closer to Remus’ face.  “Would you like to explain to me why Patton told a supervisor that I am hurting you?”

“You—” Patton started.

Shane lifted up and slammed Remus’ head down again, glaring towards Patton the whole time, and Patton whimpered and stopped talking.

“Well, Remus?” Shane asked.

“I— I needed help,” Remus wheezed.  “After last night, so I asked him to help me and he guessed that—”

Shane reached forward and pressed hard on Remus’ nose.  Remus screamed and tried to get out from under Shane’s hand, but he couldn’t get anywhere, and Shane just waited until he stopped moving again to remove his hand from his nose.

Yeah, Patton was definitely crying in the background now.

“You have known for years that you’re not allowed to tell anyone,” Shane said.  “And you told him that I was hurting you, as if everything I’ve done has not been to help you improve.”

“I— I didn’t—” Remus said weakly, and cut himself off when he realized he was being an idiot.  A second too late, though, because Shane now moved forward slightly and slammed his free elbow into Remus’ nose.

Remus shrieked, and though Shane finally let go of his head, he couldn’t find it in him to do much other than curl his hands around his head and wait for the pain to stop.

“This is what is going to happen if you tell anyone again,” Shane said.  “Do you understand?”

Remus nodded, whimpering out an apology, although he wasn’t sure if Shane was talking to him or Patton.

“Good.  Somehow it seems you can do that right,” Shane said, stepping back from Remus.  Remus waited until he heard two sets of footsteps retreating and a door closing to move.

He’d barely managed to lift his head when Patton was in front of him, still crying, and gently started looking over Remus’ head while whispering apologies over and over.

“Patton, I’m fine,” Remus said.  “It’s okay, you don’t need to—”

“Yes I do,” Patton said weakly, looking at the spot where Remus’ head had been slammed against the table multiple times.  He sniffed and wiped at the tears coming from his eyes with his free hand.

“You’re— you’re gonna have a bump there,” Patton whispered.  “But I don’t think you have a concussion.  I— I have to realign your nose.”

Remus nodded, trying to show he wasn’t mad.  “Okay.”

Patton started to reach for his nose, then stopped halfway and buried his head in his hands.

“It’s okay,” Remus said instantly.

“I’m so sorry,” Patton sobbed, moving to wrap his arms around Remus.  “I was— I was trying to help I thought— I thought—”

“It’s okay,” Remus said again.  “Patton, it’s okay.  I’m used to it.”

That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because Patton just started crying even harder.  It was another minute or so before Patton finally pulled back, still crying but looking back at Remus’ nose again.  “This is going to hurt,” he whispered.

Remus nodded.

Patton snapped something back into place and Remus screamed through his teeth but managed not to move in case Patton wasn’t done.

“Don’t— don’t touch it okay?” Patton whispered.  “And try not to let Shane touch it.  Just until it heals.”

Remus mumbled some kind of affirmation, and Patton dropped his hands to his sides, then lifted one up to wipe his tears again.

Remus wasn’t sure quite what to say.  After a moment he just turned back to Patton.  “Let’s go eat breakfast.”

Patton nodded, wiped his eyes one more time, and they both headed out of the room and towards the cafeteria.  Patton managed to stop crying on the way there, and he stopped in a bathroom on the way to the cafeteria to wipe his face better.  Remus waited outside and they headed in together.

Roman and Logan were already in the middle of one of their many debates by the time the two of them walked up to the table.

Roman noticed them first, being opposite Logan who had their back to them, and glanced up with a smile.  “Oh hey, what’s going— oh holy shit Remus what happened to you?!”

Remus wasn’t sure what to say anymore, as there were too many things Roman could be talking about.  “I, uh…”  He sat down next to Logan as he tried to come up with an answer.

“He’s fine,” Patton said, moving over to sit next to Roman.  “I just helped patch him up a little bit ago.  He fell down the stairs.”

…

Patton became Remus’ go-to person for help if he needed it after his meetings with Shane.  Shane never seemed to say anything about it, though he’d threatened Patton a couple times about what would happen if he told anyone.

Patton had promised he wouldn’t, though, and Shane seemed to believe him when Roman or Logan went on knowing nothing about what was happening.  Overtime, the lying seemed to get easier for Patton, in exactly the way it started to get harder for Remus.

He’d never felt like he was lying when no one else knew.  It was easy to give his excuses when he had to convince three people, in a way that it suddenly wasn’t when he felt like he was conspiring with Patton.

The other side of it was that Patton genuinely made things easier.  He helped Remus when he was hurt badly enough, and after a while Shane seemed to approve of the way Patton wasn’t telling anyone anything.

But the way Patton improved things almost made Remus feel guilty.  Patton didn’t deserve to be dragged into his mess.  If Remus had been dealing with this for more than a decade at this point and still couldn’t get anything right, maybe Shane had the right idea and he needed some kind of rougher punishment.  He wasn’t going to tell Patton that, of course.  Patton would just start crying again or get that look that meant he wanted to murder whoever made Remus feel that way.  And Remus wasn’t exactly sure he wasn’t supposed to feel that way.

Besides, his least favorite change just proved how much he couldn’t handle all of this, because somehow his brain had decided the worst part of the whole thing was the way Shane was now having him explain everything he’d done wrong himself.  He said that at this point Remus should have been old enough to understand what he did wrong.  And he was probably right, but for some reason Remus left every session where that was all they did feeling worse than if Shane had broken his nose ten times.  At least when he was beaten to pulp he had a reason for feeling like a worthless piece of shit.  Why did he feel worse when all they did was talk?  There wasn’t even anything for Patton to help with.  He should be fine.

He tried to take solace in the fact that at least Logan and Roman didn’t know, because sometimes the way Patton looked at him like he was a kicked puppy hurt too.  He still got to stargaze with Logan, and he’d sat in on a few strategizing sessions before.  He made suggestions to Logan afterwards that he said he could use as long as he never said they came from Remus.  Logan seemed baffled by this request.  He always called Remus’ contributions brilliant, and Remus wasn’t sure why he kept lying.  Was he just trying to make him feel better?  That didn’t seem very much like Logan.

Roman… he didn’t want Shane to affect his relationship with his brother, but he couldn’t say the way Roman seemed completely at ease around Shane didn’t bug the hell out of him sometimes.  There were times he’d considering finding a way to tell Roman for half a second before the voice in his head starting screaming at him what a terrible idea that was.

Remus was twenty-three when he realized Roman just didn’t care.

It had been a really awful night.  Patton was still in the process of wrapping a cut on his arm from where Shane had been doing target practice with those new knives that had been made.  It hadn’t even done anything more than nick him, but Remus hadn’t been able to stop shaking since.  He felt like a weakling.

Patton had been murmuring quiet reassurances the whole time, and it at least created a peaceful enough feeling that Remus was starting to calm down.

That feeling broke completely in half when the door banged open and Roman ran in.

“Oh good, you’re both here!” Roman called.

“Yeah and what the fuck are you doing here?” Remus snapped, whirling around as his heart leapt into his throat.  “Can’t you see we’re busy?  Get out!”

Roman jumped in surprise and jerked backwards.  “Jeez, what the hell Re?  What’s your deal, I haven’t even told you why I’m here yet.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Patton said, pulling Remus back down.  “Careful, you’re going to tear the bandages.”

“Bandages?” Roman asked.  “Shit, what happened?”  He walked forward in concern as Remus turned back around, still trying to calm his shaking hands as Patton started to wrap the bandages again.

“Knife practice,” Remus muttered.  “Just got nicked.”

There was a second of silence, and suddenly Roman laughed.

Remus turned to look at him in surprise.  “Seriously, that’s it?” Roman asked with a smile.  “Dude, you fell down the stairs and broke your nose as a kid and were still in training that afternoon.”

“Roman,” Patton said, sounding surprised and a little angry.

“Okay, okay, sorry,” Roman said, waving his hands dismissively.  “But honestly, Remus, you would think with everything you go through you’d be used to it by now.”

Remus’ hands stopped shaking.  He turned and looked at his shoes as Patton finished wrapping his cut.  “Did you need something?” he muttered.

“Oh, yeah!  Logan said he could spot the start of the spring constellations last night!  He told me to come get you two and then we’re gonna raid the kitchens to celebrate!  Stephanie had a birthday last week, there’s gonna be cake!”  He sung the last word in a lighthearted tone that meant that was the part he was really looking forward to.

“We’ll be right there,” Patton said, half paying attention as he gave the bandages one last look over and then moved to put the medical supplies away.

“Awesome!  See you there!” Roman called, and turned and jogged out the door.

“You alright?” Patton said quietly, even as he headed for the door too, clearly assuming Remus was going to follow.

“I’m fine,” Remus said finally.  He stood up and started to follow Patton.  It was just a tiny knife nick.  Stop thinking about it.  “I… I need a minute.”

Patton turned again.  “You want me to tell them you’re taking a rain check?”

Feeling even more like a wimp, Remus nodded.

“Okay.”  Patton gave him a small smile.  “See you at breakfast, Remus.”  He walked out, leaving Remus alone.

“You would think with everything you go through you’d be used to it by now.”

Remus squeezed his eyes shut.  What the hell did that mean?  What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Remus stopped walking as a thought struck him.  Did… did Roman know?  That sentence certainly suggested it.  Remus thought about all the times he walked back into their shared room late at night bruised, bleeding, or miserable.  Roman would look up at him, ask him if he was good, and go back to what he’d been doing like that decided that, and that was if he was still awake.

Oh, fuck.  Of course he knew.  Remus was such an idiot.  How could he not have known?

…Why didn’t he care?

Remus could think of countless times throughout the years that he had taken the fall for something Roman had screwed up.  Roman would get a firm talking to and a warning while Remus would take the brunt of the punishment, just so he wouldn’t have to.  And Roman didn’t even care that he’d done that?  He just expected him to be used to it?

Remus made it over to the door and looked out to the right, the direction Patton and Roman had gone in.  Patton had caught up to Roman and they were both rounding the corner, Roman laughing and Patton starting to smile.

Remus looked down and took a deep breath.  Then he left the room and ran in the other direction.

He wasn’t entirely sure where he was going, but his feet seemed to have some kind of plan that his brain didn’t, because he kept sprinting through the halls and didn’t slow down.  It was a goddamn miracle that he didn’t meet up with any guards.  He had caught the tail end of the morning shift and the beginning of breakfast, which was probably the main part of it.

He made it to the exit, and finally stopped.  There were guards there now.  Someone was climbing into one of those mechanical vehicles they were testing, the kind that looked like the horse-drawn carriage of Remus’ childhood without the horse.  That meant there was a place to crouch on the back of it.

The guards walked off after making sure everything was secure.  Remus waited until they went around the corner across from his not-really-a-hiding-place, then ran for the carriage and jumped on the back before he could really think about what he was doing.  He looked behind the carriage as it exited the doors, and stood up as they approached the guards by the gate.

“Bodyguard,” Remus said, nodding at them as they passed and thanking his lucky stars this carriage was closed.  They nodded back, and the vehicle started into town.

They’d made it to the edge and Remus hopped off, taking a breath.  And then he realized what he’d just done.

Holy shit.  Remus looked around, trying desperately to come up with a plan.  He needed to get away from this village, and fast.  And he needed to make sure The Light couldn’t track him.  That meant he needed clothes.

Clothes, clothes… ah ha.  House.  He could try out a little thievery along with his escape attempt.  That shirt and cloak looked like they would work well.  And then if he could find the docks everyone talked about being nearby, he could add stowaway to the whole thing too.

Yeah, this could work.  This was working.

Time to become a clothing thief and not think about the way that your brother doesn’t care if you get hurt or not.  No big deal.

…

It took Remus barely a couple minutes to realize what a crime it was that he had not been on a pirate ship before today.

Okay, granted, it may not be fair to call these people he had never met pirates.  He had no real way of knowing if they were.  Technically he had never seen any of them, as the second he’d managed to sneak past the crew he’d hidden beneath the deck in what appeared to be a cargo hold, and pushed a number of boxes against the door so that no one could open it.  He had then proceeded to look out a window in hopes of watching them cast off, only to then discover that apparently this particular potentially-pirate ship could fucking fly.  Well, he’d figured the propellers he’d seen on the back had to be used for something, but holy shit.

“I should have left The Light years ago,” Remus breathed to no one, craning to look out the window as much as he could.  This would no doubt be a much more awe-inspiring experience if he could have been on the deck to watch the ship launch into the air holy shit, but it was still incredible to watch the water and the village that he’d left behind grow smaller beneath him.  He had originally planned on staying on this ship just long enough to make it to another village or other land of some sort, but Remus felt it was safe to say that plan was now under thorough revision.

The ship leveled out in the air after a couple minutes of soaring upwards and Remus staring out the window grinning like he was seven years old again and Logan had just found the contraband astronomy book.

He wasn’t sure how long the journey was going to take if they were airborne, but now that he was actually gone and reasonably safe so long as no one discovered him, Remus could move on to the next problem on his list— food.

He was pretty sure he’d passed a kitchen on the panicked rush down here, but getting there when no one else was would be the issue.  Obviously he’d have to wait until after everyone was asleep, but that unfortunately left him who knows how many hours of staying down here and craning his head out the window.

Remus sat on a crate and leaned back against the wall of the ship.  Or he could always sleep.  He definitely needed some way to regain energy, and if he didn’t have any access to food, sleep could do.

Remus looked warily at the door he’d blocked.  He was fairly confident in it holding, but that didn’t mean he should take a stupid risk.

He tucked his legs underneath him.  He supposed whether or not taking a nap was a smart idea depended on whether or not the people on this ship would instantly kill him if they discovered him.

 …And he supposed that probably depended on whether or not these people were pirates.

Roman would probably be able to charm any of them and barely have to try.  He probably wouldn’t even have had to steal civilian clothes like Remus had.  He wasn’t a terrible actor if he tried, but he rarely had the attention span to actually do so, and most of his efforts there were already taken up by hiding so many things from Roman and Logan.

Maybe he should have brought Roman along.

No, he decided barely a second later.  Roman apparently would have snitched or called him out for the coward he was being, running from Shane like it was something he wasn’t supposed to be able to handle.

Remus stifled a yawn and gave one last glance at the door before deciding it was worth it and he needed to sleep.  He shifted so he could lean against the wall in a more comfortable position, and fell asleep as his eyes barely slipped shut.

It felt like a couple seconds later when someone called “What the fuck is this?” and Remus jerked awake.  The door on the other side of the room was open partially.

“Dammit, who moved the boxes in front of the door again?  If it was fucking Steven—”

Remus climbed down off the box as quickly and quietly as he could and ducked behind the one next to it.  He took a couple second to take deep breaths to try and shake off being woken abruptly.

He had mostly calmed down by the time the person at the door managed to shove the boxes away from it and enter.  He had at least calmed down to the point that he could breathe quietly.  The person across the room was grumbling about killing someone named Steven later, and sounded so angry that Remus took a moment to offer his condolences to this Steven person that he had never met.

He heard the person fumble with some boxes on the other side of the room, and felt a slight bit of relief for as long as it took for the person to then cross the room and open the box right about his head.

Shit.

Remus held his breath and waited for a good ten seconds as the person rummaged in the box above him.  Eventually the noise stopped.

Please be putting the lid back and leaving, please be putting the lid back and leaving, please be—

“Excuse me?”

Dammit.

Remus looked up and met gazes with a person who looked a mixture of surprised and angry at what was happening right now.

“Might I ask who you are?”

“…I was hired by the captain to check the cargo hold for spiders,” Remus said.

“Oh, I see.  What’s the captain’s name?”

“…Peter Pumpkineater.”

The person above him did not look amused.  They turned halfway behind them and called out.  “Jackson!  We have a stowaway!”

Remus leapt up and launched himself off the wall and over the person’s head.  He could thank training for that.  Before the person could react he was sprinting towards the door and the person who had shown up in it, who Remus imagined must have been Jackson.  He slid down onto the ground and between his legs, then leapt up again and ran for the stairs he’d seen earlier.  He sprinted back who must have been the crew, but caught enough of them by surprise and managed to elbow the others into the wall or leap over their heads.  He made it to the stairs and got up them in a couple large strides… where he was now stuck on the deck of a ship in mid air.

How exactly had he expected this plan to go again?

Remus was going to make a last desperate dash for the crow’s nest (that’s what it was called, right?) when he was finally snatched up by the hood of his cloak that he’d stolen because it made him look like a peasant.  He was severely regretting that decision now.

“So,” said the person, who had shifted so he now had him by the arm.  He spun Remus around so they were both facing the rest of the crew that was emerging from below deck and walking around from the other side of it.  “Would any of the crew of this ship, who are supposed to check for stowaways before we launch, like to explain what exactly this person is doing here?”

Remus heard another firm set of footfalls behind the person who was holding on to him.  He turned to see who couldn’t have been anyone but the captain.  He was wearing one of those hats that Remus always thought was stupid, and a long cloak.  The way he stood also made clear that he had authority over everything happening right now.  The snake tattoos on the side of his face were a little unorthodox, Remus thought, although he supposed he had no real way to know.

“No?  No one wants to speak up?” the person holding Remus asked, and Remus looked back over at him.  “Well, I suppose I’ll have to ask the stowaway himself.  Care to explain?”

The person turned to face him.  He had the same look that Shane did whenever he was clearly viewing Remus as stupid for not speaking up yet.

…He was not doing this again.

Remus reeled back slightly and spit in the person’s face.

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then the captain burst into laughter behind them.  Remus and the other person both turned in shock to face him.

“Janus!” the other person snapped, wiping Remus’ spit off his face.

“Oh, that was brilliant,” Janus said.  “You,” he pointed at Remus.  “You have the audacity to— oh, I like you.”

Remus wasn’t quite sure what was happening right now.  Clearly the other person did, as he was now looking remarkably irritated.  “Janus!”

Janus continued to laugh for another couple seconds while the other person continued to glare.  “This is why Dad doesn’t fucking respect you!” he yelled.

Janus gasped in a way that was clearly not offended in the slightest.  “I am wounded.”  He glanced over at Remus.  “You’re coming to my quarters.  We’re having a chat.”  He then glanced at the crew behind them.  “And everyone else, get back to work!  I’m not paying you to stand around and stare at stowaways who spit in Virgil’s face.”

Everyone else on the deck clearly wasn’t nearly as intimidated by Janus as he thought they were, because they reacted as if that wasn’t worrying of any kind, and took their sweet time ambling either back below deck or back to whatever job they’d been doing before.

Janus turned back to Remus, and Virgil finally let go of his arm.  “Well then?”

“I’m not going to go into a closed space with you,” Remus said instantly.  “You could stab me and drag my guts out through my stomach.”

Janus raised an eyebrow.  “Heard some nasty stories about pirates, have you?”

“So you are pirates.  Nice to know.  Still not going into any enclosed spaces.”

Janus shrugged.  “Fair enough.  Come on, we can talk up here.”  He turned and started towards the back of the ship, where two sets of stairs on opposite sides led to the wheel.  Virgil took a step closer to Remus and raised an eyebrow.  Remus stuck out his tongue and followed Janus back to and up the stairs.  They stopped in front of the wheel, which Janus adjusted slightly before turning to face Remus again, as Virgil leaned against the barrier to the rest of the ship that was behind the wheel.

“So,” Janus said, raising an eyebrow.  “How did you manage to not be found?”

“I hid in the cargo hold,” Remus said, because there was no real reason to hide such a thing.  “Shoved a bunch of boxes in front of the door.  It’s not my fault your crew sucks at figuring out when someone’s sneaking past them.”

Janus raised an eyebrow, looking more amused than anything else.  “You should watch yourself.  Insulting a captain’s crew while standing three feet from him is generally not a smart move.”

“Neither is spitting in the first mate’s face, and you didn’t seem to have any issues with that,” Virgil grumbled.

“Well don’t look at me like I’m an idiot then,” Remus snapped before Janus could reply.  “I managed to avoid getting captured by all of you long enough to take a fucking nap in the cargo hold.”

Remus expected Virgil to scowl or snap back, but all that happened was that he gave him a curious look.  “What gave the impression that I thought you were an idiot?  It can’t be easy to sneak past an entire crew, even if they are preoccupied with a launch.”

Remus wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.  Virgil had done the look.  The look always meant he’d done something stupid.

Somehow, Virgil seemed to understand what Remus was thinking about.  “That’s the tone and look I use when the crew is being stupid,” he said.  “You were just caught in the crossfire.  It had nothing to do with you.  I barely even know you, how could I have an opinion of you?”

That… was a fair point.

“Well, you know, other than the fact that you snuck onto my ship when we weren’t expecting you and stowaways aren’t generally something you want,” Virgil continued with a casual wave, like his last sentence hadn’t even mattered.

“It’s my ship,” Janus said, shooting Virgil a not-at-all-irritated look.  “And I decide how we feel about stowaways.  Besides, I like this one.  He spit in your face.”

“Wow, love you too, Jan,” Virgil grumbled.

Janus turned back to face Remus again, raising an eyebrow.  “Where are you from?”

The answer came to Remus’ mind and a million memories ran through his head in half a second.  Raiding the kitchens as a group of four, even as Patton whispered every time how this was the last time he was doing this.  Tackling Roman in training, or away from the good breakfast food, or just because he wanted to.  Stargazing with Logan pointing at stars and naming them.  Wednesday night meetings with Shane, filled with berating and bruising, coming back to his room with injuries to hide from his brother.  Going to Patton the miracle nurse when his injuries were too bad to ignore.  And then the very recent and still painful memory of Roman brushing off Shane like he wasn’t a big deal when he apparently knew everything Shane did to him.

Remus considered for a second saying this.  He could probably cover everything with something along the lines of “Well, I grew up in The Light and I had this supervisor who would hurt me all the time which is of course very normal because my brother and my friend knows about it and never seemed to think it was a big deal, but I apparently can’t deal with it anymore without being a pussy, so I ran away and now I’m here.  Wait, you guys don’t hate soldiers from The Light, do you?  Because if you do I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”

Yeah.  Yeah, bad idea.  He might have been famous for those, but he didn’t really want to walk the plank today.  Wait, was that actually something pirates did?

“I,” Remus said instead.  “Grew up in the rural town of Buttfuck Nowhere.”

Janus raised an eyebrow.  “Does this town of yours have an actual name?”

“You probably haven’t heard of it, it’s called Potsfield,” Remus said.

It seemed to convince Janus if his small nod was anything to go by.  “Potsfield?”

“Yeah, town that’s truly going nowhere.  I’ve had a very tragic life.  You know, house burned down when I was a baby, grew up in an orphanage with no family or siblings of any kind, decided I didn’t want to die in obscurity, started traveling from town to town looking for some way to make a name for myself, ran out of money and needed a ride, and here I am.”

Janus nodded again.  “Uh-huh.”  He glanced back at Virgil for a minute.  Remus couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Virgil shrugged.  “Hey, you’re the one who said this is your ship.”

“Okay,” Janus said.  “Well, that was clearly the most bullshit story I have ever heard.”

“What?  No, I—”

“Relax.  I’m not going to make you share your past if you don’t want to.  But if you’re going to stay here—”

“That’s an option?” Remus interrupted in surprise.

“If you want to.  Virgil can show you the ropes.”

“You’re sticking me with training duty?” Virgil asked, sounding more than a little irritated.

“Oh, you’ll get along swimmingly.  Look at how great your first impression was.”  Janus looked back at Remus.  “Would you want to stay here?”

“You have a flying pirate ship.  Who wouldn’t?”

Janus laughed.  “Fair enough.  But my point is, if you’re staying here, we need to know you won’t bring anything else with you.  You don’t have to share your past if you don’t want to, but is it going to bring any kind of danger?”

“No,” Remus said instantly.  He hadn’t been anything other than a base level soldier, who knew no important information of any kind.  “No one from my life is going to care that I’m gone.”

Janus nodded.  “Alright.  Then I don’t see any issues with you staying here.  Virgil can help show you how to do some jobs on the ship, and lunch is in a couple hours.  We can talk more then, because there’s a couple other things we’ll have to—”

“Janus!” a voice called from down below.  “The stowaway moved all of the cargo around!”

Remus winced and looked back over at Janus, who thankfully looked more amused than irritated.  “Alright, Virgil will be there in just a second to help!” he called.

“I hate you,” Virgil said, glaring at Janus, even as he headed down to help the person who had called up to him.

Remus glanced back at Janus, who was moving back towards the steering wheel.  He wasn’t quite sure what to do next since Janus had just sent the person who was supposed to train him down to the cargo hold to fix the mess he’d caused.  Which was weird.  Remus was supposed to clean up his own messes and get beaten up when he inevitably did something wrong.

Remus blinked as a thought struck him.  If he had snuck onto these people’s ship and hidden in their cargo hold, and they’d welcomed him onto their ship and were apparently going to let him stay without raising a single hand against him, maybe… maybe they wouldn’t?

The next second Remus wanted to laugh.  That was ridiculous.  Just because they hadn’t done so yet didn’t mean they wouldn’t reach that point eventually.  It was fine.  Remus was used to it anyway, he could take it.  The more important part of this morning was the fact that he… wasn’t in The Light anymore.

Holy shit.  That was going to take some getting used to.  He was going to have to spend some time thinking about that.  He wasn’t even sure where to start.

Remus looked across the ship and into the sky beyond.  Below them was water, around them were actual clouds.  He took in the wind blowing his hair back from his face, the sunlight shining off the water below, the birds flying next to them, how clean the air felt.  He took a deep breath and decided that he very much understood people’s love of sea air.  He could get high off this shit.

He was pretty sure Janus was watching him with amusement from nearby, but he couldn’t really find it in himself to care.  He was away from Shane, away from The Light, away from the place that had made him spend his life in darkness and pain.

Remus took a deep breath of cold sea air.

So this is what freedom felt like.

Chapter Two

[meetmeatthecoda]

⭐ for Elysium 🏛️🏺

Ahhh, my dear Robot!! 🤖😍 Thank you so much for this, I'm so honored you want to know more about any fic of mine, let alone my fave Elysium!! 🏛️🏺(Love those emojis btw!! 😍) I shall make a bullet point list under the cut for your convenience 💙🤍

I remember I focused a lot on the beginning section, setting the scene with lots of description when it came to Liz's dress & the room itself. Even though the fic was set in a scene from an actual ep (7.09) so we all knew what the room looked like, I just really wanted to establish the feel of the space, that was super important to the tone of the fic I was imagining - brown & warm & indulgent.

Omg, flirtatious Red is at an 11 in this lmfao I liked the detail of him watching Liz swallow her drink just cause lol plus his completely nonchalant attitude when it comes to the actual objective of the undercover op & the fact that he's just 100% dedicated to being on a date with Lizzie.

Omg, the dance was so. much. fun. to. write 😏😏😏 I very much had the whole Liz-thinking-Red-is-leaning-in-to-kiss-her-but-he-moves-in-to-smell-her-and-brush-his-nose-along-her-neck-instead moment in mind prior to writing, that was a veryyyyy specific image I had for this fic & I lovedddd including it LOL

Liz's dress inspired the Grecian theme of this fic, which was only meant to be a dance for @theythinkimabitch, but once I thought of a Greek theme, I realized it was perfect since we both love Greek mythology, so I gave Red the pleasure of starting the analogy by commenting on Liz's dress cause, you know... he would & then Liz picks up the parallels from there & 🎶 I went overboard 🎶

I loved the idea of Liz saying it was hard to breathe up on that pedestal where Red has a habit of putting her, both bc it was a good reminder for him that she's human - not a goddess - but also bc I thought it was very "Red" of him to panic & think she was actually having trouble breathing LOL

And Red has to twirl her in their dance & of course he absolutely has to hold her there & give her a once-over at the same time, I mean come on

Liz is Persephone ofc.

I have many books on Greek gods & goddesses & I referred to them to make sure I was getting all the mythology right, just to be sure LOL

I loved the parenthetical that Liz wasn't "abducted from a field of wildflowers, so much as escorted to a black site in a helicopter." I thought that was cool.

And the fact that she doesn't want Red putting her on a pedestal, but also doesn't want to be the weak maiden in need of saving seemed very "Liz" & of course Red would never dream of it, bc he knows just how capable & bad-ass (canon) she is & he loves her for it 👌

When I was originally planning out the mythology for this, I obviously went with Red as Hades - Persephone's husband, perf - but then I had the thought of him also being Cerberus... but only for Liz. I think I was in the shower (I do spend time out of the shower btw, I promise, I just get good fics ideas in there lmfao) & just went HEYOOOOOOOOOO cause I loved that so much 😂

I'm very much in love with the idea of Red & Liz communicating non-verbally in undercover situations, so the idea of the lights going out as they did in the actual ep was SUPER INTRIGUING & of course I had to add a little thigh grabbing, I mean come on 😏

I also adored the parenthetical of Liz realizing she's the only one that can calm or sway Red - as Persephone does Hades - BUT it's not the control she relishes (*cough* like canon!Liz might *cough*) & she instead considers it a privilege. The distinction was important to me.

Red throwing his signature hissy fit - as he did in the ep, but this time x10 - over the safety of the owl bc honestly, he's not a monster while Liz sits there all heart eyes mf was something I desperately wanted to include cause... couple goals, honestly.

Also, the owl itself was a happy coincidence, as something that was already in the ep, bc I realized I could easily tie it into the Greek theme since owls are the sacred animal of Athena & Red clearly has the mind of a strategist, & when I figured out how to work that in I just went yessssssssssss

The fact that Liz knows to get up when Red turns the lights back off & finds his hand in the dark made my shipper heart happyyyyyyy

I wanted to give Liz a little extra shout-out as a capable agent - cause she is, especially after Red stole the spotlight with his whole owl tirade - so I was happy to include that she studied the blueprints of the building & knew where they were when Red didn't & of course Red was all 😍😍😍

And Red being weirded out by the owl was in the end of the actual ep as well, long after they escaped their undercover op, but it was such a cute little moment (James was so fucking cute about it omg I can't even & Megan/Liz had her heart eyes going again & Dembe was sketching the owl, like??? amazing) anyway, it was so cute in the ep that I knew I wanted that to be the thing that made Liz throw herself in Red's arms & finally make out with him lololol

And I threw in the Aphrodite reference cause it fit & at that point, it was just like... "ok, how many gods & goddesses can I actually fit in this fic??? 🤷🤷🤷 Let's see!!" 🥳😂

Also Red reminding Liz of Cerberus with his lil whine as she's kissing him made me tingly & warm so I had to include it 😏

And thennnnnn Liz pulling Red out of the labryinth (Ariadne & Theseus in the maze anyone???) was beautifully symbolic to me.

And lastly, the ending lines: "They’re no Greek tragedy. They’re going to be a legend." came as a surprise but I loved it. I vacillated between "triumph" & "legend" for the last word. I almost went with "triumph" just for the alliteration, but eventually stayed with "legend" cause it went better with the Greek theme.

Anddddd that's it!! 😁 Thank you so much for asking about my fave fic, Robot, I really hope you enjoyed this little BTS look!! 🥰 Much love to you always, my dear friend!! ❤️

Fanfic Writers: Director's Cut

[1000-directions]

Hello! You both give good advice and write Winterhawk, so I was wondering if you'd mind giving a few tips since I might want to start writing Winterhawk? Like, is one of them a raging disaster and the other mostly has themselves together? How do you see them? Which of them would break a (dumb) law and who would keep their dumb friend from getting arrested? I haven't read fics either so if you know of any that really nail their characters, I would also love that. Thank you!!

oh boy do i have a lot to say on this subject!!!

the thing about winterhawk is that they are both dumb beautiful oblivious idiots, but they are also both highly skilled and competent strategists and agents. there are certainly differences between the two characters, but i think what makes them so compelling is their similarities. they’ve both been brainwashed and forced to do horrible things that they would never do otherwise. clint was kept under loki’s thrall for three or so days and was indirectly responsible for hundreds of deaths (and directly responsible for maybe a few dozen). bucky was kept captive by hydra for seventy years and was involved in dozens of extremely sophisticated assassinations, including jfk. they’re both going to spend the rest of their lives trying to make up for things they did that they could not control that they still take responsibility for. they both have ptsd and nightmares. they are both still good, soft, loving people in spite of the terrible things that have been done to them. although they’re probably both down for a revenge spree to make sure the bad guys never get to hurt anyone else.

(they’re also both snipers. clint uses a bow and arrow, and bucky uses a gun. who is the better shot? it’s impossible to guess, they should definitely have a shooting contest to find out!! they should definitely bet on the results!! the loser should definitely have to take the winner out on a date!!)

they are also both canonically disabled. bucky lost his left arm and uses a prosthetic. clint is hard of hearing and wears cool purple behind-the-ear hearing aids (i realize that using the term ‘disabled’ for hearing loss can be fraught, but to my knowledge clint does not identify with the capital-D Deaf community, and his hearing loss is acquired after trauma and not congenital).

they also have their unique traits. clint has depression, and his life outside of work is always kind of falling apart because of it. clint is our good disaster boy who is trying his best, and his heart is always in the right place, and he is loyal and good and protective, but his life is a dumpster fire.

clint is 6′3 (tall!!!) and bucky is 5′9 (small!!!!!) and this is Very Important. clint has broad shoulders and really muscular arms and back because of archery, and bucky has real good thicc thighs Because We Say So.

clint has a one-eyed dog named lucky who he rescued after some assholes pushed him into oncoming traffic. bucky (sometimes) has a white cat named alpine, although he only started appearing in comics like eight months ago so not everyone is on board with this headcanon yet. 

uhhh also bucky is like over a hundred years old, and clint is like, i don’t know? in his thirties? i usually imagine him being in his thirties. but definitely not a hundred.

(in his defense, bucky looks extremely good for his age, but being cryogenically frozen by terrorists for long stretches of time will do that to you.)

“wait,” you may be saying. “i watched some avengers movies, and this does not sound like clint at all?” and, you know, fair point. the problem is that the first avengers movie came out in april of 2012. then, in august of 2012 matt fraction started writing the hawkeye comic book series which is extremely beloved and really deft and emotional and powerful and really changed how a lot of people saw the character, but it was really Too Late for any of that to carry over into the MCU. when people ship winterhawk, they sometimes mean movie bucky and sometimes mean comics bucky, but they almost always mean comics clint.

i realize this is confusing.

this is why you have to Read The Fic and Learn From The Masters.

here at Winterhawk 101, our reading list is pretty simple, and it is: the complete and unabridged works of @captn-sara-holmes, which can be found here. it is impossible to overstate how much sara is directly or indirectly responsible for pretty much every single one of us being here. like, we all go here, but she built here. i would posit that every single winterhawk writer joined fandom either because they read one of sara’s stories and fell in love, or because a friend of theirs read one of sara’s stories and they got yanked along for the ride (see below: winterhawk is a pyramid scheme).

i always suggest starting with clint barton’s super secret snipers’ club, which i think is a very accessible way into this fandom and basically a masterclass in what makes this pairing fascinating and compelling and tender and perfect. where you go after that is up to you. there’s time travel, kidapping, kidfic, this one amazing fic based on the martian that’s so good i don’t even know how to describe it, and plenty more.

study sara’s work. learn her ways. realistically, i think like 80% of us are just writing our stories based on her stories anyway.

but also! there are so many other people in this fandom creating amazing fics and fanarts, and it’s a fun and thriving and creative community full of people who are excited about making stuff and excited about people joining the community. there are always fandom events going on.

here is a link to the mcu bad decision buddies discord (18+ only, please), which is not officially a winterhawk server but…it is a winterhawk server. it moves fast sometimes, and some people can be a little feral, but it’s a great place to do writing sprints and to promo your work and to meet new people and ask questions.

the winterhawk reverse big bang wrapped up pretty recently, and there are lots of new stories and artworks available for you to put into your eyes!

@winterhawkbingo is going strong!

@mandatoryfunday is an amazing account that posts a new prompt every monday, and people spend the week creating arts and fics based on the prompt, to be posted on friday (or like…on saturday or sunday if you are me lol)

the winterhawk tumblr tag is always popping, and lots of fans track it or check it regularly. if you post a story there or if you ask a question about fandom, someone will find it, even if you have no winterhawk followers.

in conclusion

winterhawk is a pyramid scheme

it is, though. because the people who love this pairing love it so, so much, and it’s something you want to share with your friends. you get sucked into it, even if maybe you didn’t want to and you’d been actively resisting it because you were so sure you weren’t going to like it (am i talking about me? who can say?). and once you’re into it and your mind is blown, you start thinking of people you know who would also enjoy the unique kind of hurt/comfort, angst, recovery, catharsis, etc. that this pairing excels at providing. you’re gonna bring a friend along. you’re probably gonna bring a few friends along. and you’re all going to create cool stuff, and the fandom will keep growing and changing, and so there is new fan content being created constantly. it’s a very rewarding fandom experience. it really, really is.

anyway, both those idiots would break the law if it was dumb enough. clint’s the one who ends up in jail, but by the time bucky shows up to bail him out, clint’s already slipped his cuffs and charmed the secretary and escaped out the window in the bathroom. but he probably took three steps of freedom before tripping over his shoelaces and faceplanting on the pavement, and that’s where bucky finds him, passed out in the alley.

[meggannn]

ive been cranky lately because of work and real life bullshit (i don’t know why i thought the housemate moving out would be any less dramatic than living with her for 6mo), so here’s some ideas i’m kicking around about what my shepard does after the war

what my shep does IMMEDIATELY after the war i am leaving up to covering in my fic and i won’t get into details bc there are some spoilers and shit i haven’t posted yet

so many years in the future, maybe in a decade or two: i dont know if i see shep 'retiring' so much as just choosing to decommission as an active officer. maybe her leg gets too irritating to handle or her migraines get worse or she just gets fucking tired or she realizes that one of garrus’s biggest fears is of him receiving a death notification and her dogtags in the mail, or a combination of all four.

but the alliance prob still keeps her as an advisor or senior member for possibly a few things, the preference of which i have not entire hashed out. she is para-centric in terms of morality and ideals, which doesn’t change as she gets older, but -gade in terms of drive and occasional ruthlessness within her job, which always has the potential to harm both herself and others. i think her attitude gets a little more manageable once she works out a new schedule and healthier job for herself. i’m thinking something like a liason for interspecies cooperation, or overseeing general of certain territories, or senior intel strategist, etc etc., something that keeps her away from active combat but still engaged in it, with her fingers in a lot of pies. so i think she'd be doing is “”deskwork”” but work that mostly requires cooperation and strategical planning at a very high level that she could do from the citadel or wherever.

then also, because she doesn't know how to take a fucking break, i see lyd admitting this with much embarrassment and discomfort but with TOTAL support from garrus: she kinda comes up and says “uhhh, also btw you should know i've been discussing with the university of thessia/oxford/sur'keh/etc about master's/phd programs" and g looks up from his briefings from the primarch like "what? you want to go back to school?” and shep is like, still mortified abt this as an adult but determined to act like it’s nbd, but now that she has Free Time she wants to check something off her list, which is: attend a formal school and gain a diploma. and not the damn remedial studies courses she took back in the alliance just so she could be taken off probation. and g is like “huh, well you know i support you, what are you gonna study?" and she's like "probably law, criminal justice, political theory, turian history and maybe interspecies language theory -- ” and she rattles off a bunch of things that nobody can ever possibly do all together, and garrus is kinda trying to wrap his head around the fact that it now sounds like his gf wants to become a lawyer or dump him to go become a xenoanthropologist with liara. and then she says “well look war cleanup is going to last the rest of our lives, we both know i can’t stay out of it. and because nobody takes me fucking seriously when i give advice on this stuff based on what i’ve observed with my own two eyes of this inefficient government system, i need a degree, or like, ten" and g is like “so ur going into politics" and she's like “FUCK no i would never" but she gets to work anyway.

working a full time job and doing classes w private tutors and profs g is like “ok i give up, you’re not going into politics or law? shit you’re not going to c-sec are u?” and she's like “no.......... but i will be making all of this as publicly accessible as possible” and this is basically just part of her movement to start making galactic govts more accountable for their actions and help inform the ppl of what's going on, in both legal and literal terms as they rebuild, and shep is adamant that the same problems that let saren run around loose and unevaluated, the hand-waving that allowed colonists to go missing for years, prejudice that led to one species threatening to not participate in a galactic total war just because a commander didn’t give into their command to allow an ongoing genocide to continue, yeah, that shit can’t keep going on. not just bc she feels like the govt failed them in the war, but bc of all the ways it failed the marginalized species and forgotten civilians, the blind spots, the corruption, etc, which she damn well knows abt bc she was a victim to this exact system as a kid. so she wants it, she wants it so bad, and it’ll never get done in her life time, but that’s ok, if she’s known for anything let it be for this too

meanwhile when garrus is too old to serve as commander of citadel defense he probably becomes like a military or political correspondent for citadel news network while also training young hierarchy engineers in ballistics and programming, and he’s known for being That eccentric instructor who you’re pretty sure pulls at least half of his “war stories” out of his ass, and he gives a different story to explain why half his face looked like it was eaten by varren every time he’s asked (”a maw got in a good hit of acid before i filled it full of cannon fire” “i overloaded a geth prime so hard its head is still embedded in the station ceiling, and then it dropped the rocket launcher it was holding which fired right into my face”) and for all that he loves to brag about cool shit he did, he still won’t answer if he and general shepard secretly eloped years ago because he still calls her his “girlfriend” but always winks when he does????

other ideas: with all the rebuilding, assuming for this post this is on the citadel but could be wherever, architects come to shep like “hey we have this empty space that used to be a department store, after it was ruined by the blast, now it's totally gutted and we want to put like a museum of your life there” or sth equally obnoxious and shep is like “........why. why on earth would u do that. make it a library you assholes” so they name the library after her instead. which she’s like good, that’s practical and will actually help people, here’s my seal of approval, and she doesn’t admit she's super touched they really did that bc when she was a kid she used to hide out in libraries and read all day till closing. and the librarians were nice and she'd feel normal, like she was learning even tho she dropped out of school at age 13. so i think that would be non-negotiable for her, like “i cant prevent you from making a dumbass statue but if you're asking my opinion on how to use five thousand square ft, you're going to make educational and free-access, or you're not putting my name on it"

more later maybe

[academla]

I have this AU but like it's not even a Newtina AU and I'm being so obnoxious about it but I'm excited bc I've never come up with any sort of original fiction beyond the scope of fanfic. I mean it's probably an Ender's Game Newtina AU?? Idk you can judge I mean it's Newtina bc they're the main characters and I threw in some stuff but it's not the focus and it's quite cliche and trope-y but it's good writing practice even if I never post it Anyway it's loosely based on Ender's Game/Tomorrowland and essentially Newt, who's a foster kid, gets mysteriously chosen at a science fair by Seraphina (who's the Commander) and her bro Ewan (an OC from TWMLLO). Newt is basically like um ok (they tell his foster/group home that he's gotten chosen for a study abroad program and they're like k see ya) and they whisk him off into space and he's like what the fuck is happening (I'm so good at paraphrasing) So he's on this massive vessel and has no idea what's up and oh hey there's Tina! (They're 17) she's been here since fetus bc her parents were on the original team led by Seraphina, and Gellert is a dick to her bc she calls the Commander by her first name etc and she's super badass and like most of the kids don't really care it's just Gellert being peanut butter and jelly So she fills Newt in on the situation at hand - oh also turns out everyone recruited is parent-less in one capacity or another - which is basically that this group of superhumans, the Mavorsians (mavors = war-like spirit in Latin) launched an attack on Earth 20 years ago and failed but they also killed the people who thwarted them, including Seraphina's dad, which is why she started the program. It's called NSN - nostra spes novissimis, our last hope - and it's ongoing mission is to 1. Figure out what the Mavorsians are up to bc they think they've inhabited a planet 2. Stop them, bc they're p sure they've been behind a lot of shit on earth like natural disasters and terrorist attacks (9/11 especially) and 3. Defeat them That's where all these recruits come in and their youth army comprises of the Delinitors (victor, triumphant, stuff like that), who are training hardcore in combat and strategy etc. and a lot of students fail out bc Seraphina expects them to be on par with the superhumans from Mavors and like bruh that's a tall fucking order. Newt isn't necessarily brawny but she could tell he was smart and strategic, hence why she chose him. Oh yeah also she's getting desperate af which is possibly more important So the unique thing about the NSN versus Mavors is that the NSN is run by a computer hi tech system versus humans. It's an intelligent computer system (ICS) so its close to AI, not quite, but really malleable and complex. The Luxor program is for the elite geniuses who work on programming and expanding the system and basically try to improve the ship and its abilities etc. So Newt starts but gets kicked out of the Delinitors bc oops he's not built to karate kick people and wrestle them to the ground and also doesn't have an especially aggressive spirit. He stays on the vessel while they figure out what to do with him, thinking to put him with the Dicax, who are intelligent and quick thinking strategists but don't do a whole lot. Tina meanwhile 1. Trains Newt privately 2. Argues with Seraphina to keep training Newt and 3. Starts sneaking Newt to the simulator command center bc she is 10000% convinced of his potential and brain power (yay Tina) So they regularly sneak out as he familiarizes himself with the ICS and its language and ofc he's amazing with it, and the actual room is super cool and domed and everything is holographic/projected and aww Tina kisses him when he gives her the headset and is like "can you hear it too" and she's like damn that's cool (but they stay friends bc no they gotta focus on saving the world and stuff) Anyway then Tina with all her insider info comes to Newt crying bc the ICS is starting to fail and jam (ya know, the real one) and they've been scrambling to fix it all but she's scared that they won't fix it in time to fight and they're all talking about aborting the mission or cutting down the program and trying to start from square one but oh shit the attack is drawing nearer so Newt is like ITS OK BAE and works even harder with the simulator, trying to mimic what's happening to the ICS and work with it to fix it But then there's a huge attack and the Mavorsians hack the ICS 100% and the ship literally starts to self destruct and everyone's gonna die except Newt manages to sneak into the command center and save them all hooray for Newt the computer genius But wait there's more bc they still have an attack to prevent *gasp* aaaand that's where I'm gonna stop (but for people who like action-y Newtina and sexually charged moments of possibly almost dying the battle scenes would be cool) Wow this is long I hope you scrolled past lmao this is mostly for my ref and bc I was otherwise gonna spam people with my plotline. I'm 99% probably never gonna post it - it wouldn't get reads on AO3, bc it's not focused on Newtina, and I'm too lazy to explore other options atm - but I'm just excited as a writer to have a new project to embark on Ok I'm done edye out

[malapertmarquess]

Now you've read all the plays I'm curious to know which Shakespeare movie adaptations you've seen. And what you think of them.

WELL THEN YOU ASKED FOR THIS HERE WE GO (sorry about the super long post guys)

Hamlet

Olivier, 1948 - Half the plot was cut to shorten the running time, which surprised me but does make sense. I thought that the focus on Hamlet’s family troubles was done quite well, and it works well. Did not like that Hamlet was one-dimensionally moody. Also the first production to put the infamous closet scene in Gertrude’s bedroom because Olivier quite liked Freud (he even cast a woman 14 years younger than him to play his mother, so super Oedipal). Do NOT agree.

Zeffirelli, 1990 - I know I’ve seen it, but it was pre-2008 sometime and I remember very little about it. I think it was also quite Oedipal? And I don’t think they kept the original text (I wish they had; Mel Gibson trying to speak in Early Modern English would be fucking hilarious). I don’t remember being terribly impressed. Like Braveheart but Danish?

Branagh, 1996 - Olivier’s antithesis! This film was everything Olivier’s was not: the scale was huuuuge, Branagh kept every line of the original text (and added a lot of flourishes), it was very anti-Oedipal (GOOD). The cast was very star-studded, which was cool but seemed to detract from the storytelling a lot because you’re too focussed on the fact that Robin Williams is in it for no known reason to pay attention to the text. Branagh’s characterisation was way more manic than the melancholy Olivier, but still came off as being a bit flat because his only emotion was ~INTENSE~.

Doran, 2009 - My fave.

Much Ado About Nothing

Branagh, 1993 - Kind of quintessential? I watched it in high school when we studied the play in record time because the teacher had us on the wrong one for two weeks. Emma Thompson was in it, and I eternally adore Emma Thompson. Also featured were the guy who plays Wilson on House and Keanu Reeves as the evil Don John, doing a wonderfully mopey Don John (guy’s such a wet blanket). There was a ridiculous scene when Bea and Ben “discover” their “love” for each other and decide to love the other back, which for some reason involved Emma Thompson on a swing and Kenneth Branagh splashing in a fountain. WHY.

ShakespeaRe-told, Nicholls, 2005 - A modern adaption set in a television studio. Very cleverly done, and given more of a sense of realism in a modern world than the original text has. I liked that at the end *spoilers* Hero wasn’t keen to get back together with Claudio, which is how most modern women would react in that situation. *end spoilers* Good actors, good adaption.

Rourke, 2011 - Another filmed stage show starring David Tennant (shut up). He’s opposite Catherine Tate, and OH MY GOD I love the energy those two have together. There’s a reason Donna’s my favourite Who companion. Both fit their roles very well and carry a believable relationship built on teasing each other mercilessly. The staging was brilliant, with a revolving circle making up most of the stage with some pillars to create separate spaces and for the actors to interact with. Also: Benedick enters majestically in a golf cart. And gets covered in paint. And Beatrice gets hoisted into the air by her belt. Basically this show is a JOY to watch.

The Taming of the Shrew

Zeffirelli, 1967 - I’m pretty sure I watched this one pre-2008 too, so I don’t remember much. I think I liked it well enough? There was a hayloft? Elizabeth Taylor was pretty great I think.

10 Things I Hate About You, 1999 - Pretty fab. Great casting, and I liked the changes they made to the story to make it more in keeping with the setting. Generally pretty good.

Twelfth Night

She’s the Man, 2006 - Another pre-2008 movie. I liked it a lot! I don’t remember terribly much, but I remember that. Makes my li’l cross-dresser’s heart happy.

Coriolanus

Van Someren, 2014 - This is the one with Tom Hiddleston. I like Tom Hiddleston. Almost as much as I like David Tennant. Hey, they should work together on something... Anyway, I watched this before I read the play, so I was unprepared for just how GAY it is. Like, Coriolanus and Aufidius are clearly either boning each other or having a lot of uncomfortable dreams about boning each other. Also Hiddles strips off his shirt early on, and even a flaming asexual can appreciate the beauty that is Tom Hiddleston’s chest. His muscles are very impressive. Another filmed stage show - this one had a fairly minimal set, which I like! It had a really gritty, warlike feel, almost industrial, which worked really well with the grimness of the play. I probably would have gotten more out of it if I’d read the play previously.

King Lear

Nunn, 2008 - Ian McKellan is a brilliant Lear! You can really see how delicate he is, despite all the posturing. The madness scenes were very heartstrings-pulling, with his flowers and all. It’s another stage show, but you’d hardly know it with the amount of dirt and tussock they managed to get hold of. Like how is that workable?? I’m a bit amazed. The costumes are GORGEOUS. So great. I’m retrospectively a bit disappointed that Regan wasn’t cleverer in this version. They did manage to answer the question of the Fool’s disappearance quite well, though.

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo + Juliet, Luhrmann, 1996 - It’s very iconic, and Luhrmann uses imagery really well, but I’m just not that into it, despite Tumblr’s obsession with the film.

Titus Andronicus

Titus, Taymor, 1999 - This film is fucking WEIRD. I watched the first 10 minutes of it in a uni class, and they made zero sense. I later watched the whole film, and it made slightly more sense. The film is completely anachronistic, with ancient Rome superimposed onto the twentieth century, or maybe the other way around. There is symbolism in SPADES, and it’s really artsy symbolism that isn’t always clear. Anthony Hopkins plays the titular role, and I think he’s well suited to the role. It also has Alan Cumming in it, and I don’t know how that happened.

The histories

The Hollow Crown, Eyre, 2012-2016 - Lumping this all together because it’s easy. I really liked this series for several reasons:

It presented most of the history plays together in a way that emphasised their interconnectivity, because out of the 10 history plays, 8 of them are consecutive, and the same characters pop up in several plays. It also provided a lot more context for the later plays and about the Wars of the Roses in general.

Margaret of Anjou is a BAMF. Like, so cool. She murders people like it’s the most fun she’s had all day, and she’s fierce and fearless and spitting curses, but she’s also a mother and a powerful leader and strategist.

Bolingbroke/Henry IV is so damn serious - such a stick-in-the-mud - and he tries SO HARD, but then he gets stuck with Harry and is So. Disappointed.

Harry and his gang are pretty great, especially Poins. I may have started lowkey shipping Poins and Harry.

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Richard III, and while I’m not as enamoured of him as I was, I still have mad respect for his acting ability, and he does the part really well.

So yeah. A+ work.

Richard III

Loncraine, 1995 - Sir Ian returns as one of our favourite villains. Always a pleasure to watch him, almost as much as watching Maggie Smith as his mother. That woman is a gem, and I can still remember the thrill of hearing her spill all the venom she feels for her son. The setting is a 1930s fascist dictatorship, so obviously a lot of telling imagery there. It was interesting, but I wasn’t as thrilled by the direction as I was by Dame Maggie.

So that’s all of them, And I think I might have seen Branagh’s version of Love’s Labour’s Lost? It’s a musical. And there was colour symbolism. I remember nothing else, so I’m not counting it.

[ralphlayton]

B2B Marketing Mythbusters: Dispelling 10 Common Myths with Extraordinary Marketing

B2B marketing is boring, doesn’t feature influencers, and uses only monotonous white papers and lifeless case studies — we’ve all heard these stereotypes, but what is the reality of B2B marketing in 2020? The traditional image of dull B2B marketing has been turned on its head in recent years, and we wanted to explore 10 top myths and show how the state of B2B marketing has gone from bland to unforgettable. Let’s dig in and break down the biggest B2B marketing myths, and look at how your brand can benefit from the new era of business marketing.

1 — B2B Marketing Goes From Boring-2-Boringest

The Myth:

The grand-daddy of all B2B marketing myths — dating back nearly to when the term business-to-business was coined — is the notion that it stands for boring-to-boring, with marketing about as exciting as forty shades of dreary gray.

The Myth-Buster:

As we’ll explore throughout this post, the B2B marketing of 2020 has left boring in the dust, replaced with exciting and truly memorable content experiences. As the B2B marketing landscape continues progressing from its dusty Boring-To-Boring roots, business customers are expecting content and experiences that are increasingly similar to what B2C efforts have long provided. Today’s B2B customers expect to find all of the relevant information they seek brought to life through an online interface that’s not only easy to search and navigate, but one that’s also chock full of interactive and story-rich user experience features that make interacting an entertaining experience, such as our “Laser Bear.” Click Here to see the Break Free from Boring B2B Guide in Full Screen Mode [bctt tweet="“Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating. You know you can’t bore people into buying your product, you can only interest them into buying it.” — David Ogilvy" username="toprank"]

2 — B2B Marketing Doesn’t Use the Cool Social Media Platforms

The Myth:

You won’t find B2B brands actively sharing content and interacting on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest, Twitch, or other fun and fresh social media platforms.

The Myth-Buster:

Fortune 500 firms regularly now have social media presences on fashionable social channels such as Giphy, Snapchat, and even Facebook Horizons — the social media giant’s foray into the virtual reality (VR) world — all gaining new B2B brands at a faster pace than you might imagine. Our senior content marketing manager Joshua Nite recently took a look at “6 Unconventional Social Channels for B2B Marketing,” showing how B2B brands can gain a competitive edge by adopting unconventional social channels. Out client Dell Technologies offers a fine example of how B2B brands are embracing nontraditional social channels, with its Dell Technologies Giphy page.

via GIPHY Despite using social media more than any other demographic, Gen Z is most at home not on traditional mainstream social platforms but increasingly on gaming platforms, according to recent Kantar study data, which showed that 90 percent of the demographic use gaming platforms to serve roles similar to those social media does for some 59 percent of the general population. To learn more, we’ve also looked at how B2B brands are successfully using various social media platforms:

5 Top B2B Brands Mastering Facebook Engagement

5 Top B2B Brands Delivering Exemplary Twitter Engagement

5 Top B2B Brands Maximizing LinkedIn Engagement

How 5 B2B Brands Are Using Snapchat and Instagram Stories

[bctt tweet="“B2B marketers should be exploring any channel where their audience is. While it’s easy to feel like the more younger-skewing platforms are optional, we ignore them at our peril.” — Joshua Nite @NiteWrites" username="toprank"]

3 — B2B Marketing Doesn’t Relate to Real People & Their Stories

The Myth:

B2B marketing isn’t about me or my real challenges, and never even attempts to appeal to people like me — instead it just continues to put forth insincere messages targeting people who don’t exist in the real world.

The Myth-Buster:

Telling real stories about actual people has catapulted B2B influencer marketing to the forefront of business marketing success, while B2B marketing in general has also continued to embrace the importance of storytelling. We’ve set out to tell the intriguing stories of many top B2B marketers in our Break Free B2B video interview series, to date featuring 23 industry professionals such as Amisha Gandhi of client SAP Ariba and Kelvin Gee of client Oracle,  sharing their insights and passions. Some, such as Eaton’s director of corporate marketing Zari Venhaus have explored the importance of storytelling.

Another benefit of telling the stories of real people in B2B industries is that it lends itself well to the creation of episodic content, as our senior content strategist Nick Nelson explored in “Hungry for More: What B2B Marketers Need to Know About Episodic Content.” Additional takes on how storytelling benefits B2B marketers are available in our following related articles:

Once Upon a Time: Storytelling in Today’s B2B Content Marketing Landscape

Be Like Honest Abe: How Content Marketers Can Build Trust Through Storytelling

You Have 8 Seconds – GO! Brand Messaging Secrets With Debra Jasper at #Pubcon

[bctt tweet="“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” — Steve Jobs" username="toprank"]

4 — B2B Marketing Never Gets Heard, or If it Does It’s Quickly Ignored and Forgotten

The Myth:

B2B marketing is just wasted effort, since nobody ever really reads it or pays any attention to its boring business-suit-and-briefcase imagery. Who would ever remember a B2B advertising message, anyway?

The Myth-Buster:

Study after study continues to show that real emotion makes us remember digital content and messaging, and smart B2B marketing has grown significantly in its use of the kind of authentic storytelling that people will remember. The most-shared ads during the last Olympics were all loaded with hard-hitting emotion from brands like Panasonic and Apple, and the Super Bowl perennially features similarly emotion-packed spots from brands like Google and Microsoft. [bctt tweet="“Stories are just data with a soul.” @BreneBrown" username="toprank"]

5 — B2B Marketing is For Stodgy Old People

The Myth:

B2B marketing is for stodgy old fuddy-duddies, and has no relevance for anyone under 40 or 50.

The Myth-Buster:

B2B marketers freshly out of college are having tremendous impact in today’s professional brand messaging, and are bringing with them their younger takes on B2B marketing, which will increasingly drive the industry. Thanks in large part to the successful inroads B2B influencer marketing have made for brands looking to reach younger audiences, when an influencer recommends a product, 51 percent of Millennials say they are more likely to try it, according to research data from Valassis and Kantar. Gen Z and Millennial B2B marketers who have grown up with newer social media platforms are occupying ever-more positions of power all the way up to corporate marketing management — a move that has helped today's B2B marketing look decidedly different from that of even five years ago. Snapchat recently published a study exploring brand expectations among Gen Z, finding that 82 percent of the demographic want brands to act on customer feedback, while a similar report from Campaign Monitor also found Gen Z's social media platform preferences to differ from those of older generations. [bctt tweet="“the B2B marketing of 2020 has left boring in the dust, replaced with exciting and truly memorable content experiences.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

6 — B2B Marketing Should Never Include Interactive or Experiential Content

The Myth:

B2B audiences don’t expect or even want interactive or experiential content when it comes to brand messaging — they want only dense black-and-white case studies of at least 200 pages, or white papers filled with serious professional business information.

The Myth-Buster:

B2B audiences have been starved for interactive and experiential content for far too long, and in recent years have come to expect much more B2C-like digital experiences which incorporate truly entertaining, memorable, and interactive elements. With 98 percent of consumers more likely to make a purchase after an experience (Limelight), and 77 percent having chosen, recommended, or paid more for a brand that delivers a personalized service or experience (Forrester), more B2B marketers have begun to use experiential content. In 2020 experiential content comes in many forms, with just a few examples being:

Virtual Reality (VR)

Augmented Reality (AR)

Cloud-Based Digital Assets from Ceros and Other Platforms

Quizzes and Polls

Interactive Flipbooks and eBooks

Experiential content is also intertwined with both storytelling and customer experience (CX), together becoming an extremely powerful triptych of B2B marketing strategy. You can take a closer look at the growing field of B2B experiential marketing here:

What B2B Marketers Need to Know About Experiential Content

The B2B Marketer’s Journey To Experiential Content at #B2BMX

Break Free B2B Marketing: Sruthi Kumar on Creating Memorable Experiences

31 DIY Marketing Tools To Create Remarkable Experiences

Top 10 B2B Digital Marketing Trends in 2020

[bctt tweet="“Experiential content makes us a central part of a story, and not just a passive subject receiving a one-way brand message.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

7 — B2B Marketing Doesn’t Have Influencers

The Myth:

Influencers don’t exist in B2B marketing, because they are only for hawking cosmetics and pushing designer clothing lines on Instagram — what relevance could influencers really have in the professional B2B world?

The Myth-Buster:

Influencer marketing in the business world has never been more vibrant and thriving, especially the kind of always-on B2B influencer marketing our CEO Lee Odden has explored in articles including “Always On Influence: Definition and Why B2B Brands Need it to Succeed.” Influencer marketing will see global brand spending up to $15 billion by 2022 (Business Insider Intelligence), and with more people using social media and spending greater amounts of time doing so, B2B influencers have a bigger audience than ever. This may explain why influencers are seeing rising engagements with a variety of firms, as even the World Health Organization recently worked with influencers for its latest “Safe Hands Challenge” hand-washing campaign. B2C and B2B influencer marketing are undoubtedly very different – and ever-evolving – undertakings, as we recently explored in “B2C vs. B2B Influencer Marketing – What’s the Difference?” [bctt tweet="“The output of B2B influencer collaboration can be in any form that the brand is currently publishing content: text, video, visual, audio, interactive and even VR.” @LeeOdden" username="toprank"] Learn more about B2B influencer marketing with these insightful looks at how brands are using it to achieve success, and dig in to recent influencer marketing statistics here:

Four Ways to Optimize the Marketing Performance of a B2B Influencer Program

24 Essential B2B Influencer Marketing Statistics

How B2B Influencer Marketing Offers Brands an Ideal Alternative to In-Person Events

Jumpstarting a Pilot B2B Influencer Marketing Program in 5 Steps

5 Key Traits of the Best B2B Influencers

8 — B2B Marketing is Pointless & Impossible For Brands Than Aren’t Billion-Dollar Firms

The Myth:

B2B marketing is only for billion-dollar mega-corporations looking to attract other massive Fortune 500 firms — and it doesn’t have any relevance for a company with less than 10,000 employees.

The Myth-Buster:

It doesn’t take billion-dollar firms to create priceless B2B marketing efforts. Indeed, some of the most successful and memorable B2B marketing campaigns are coming from small-to-midsize firms, especially those that are using B2B influencer marketing. Our content strategist Anne Leuman recently took a look at “5 Examples of Effective B2B Content Marketing in Times of Crisis,” featuring several smaller firms including HealthcareSource and our client monday.com, showing how they are putting out timely and helpful marketing messages during the pandemic. Social media and influencer marketing have helped level the playing field not only among large B2C and B2B firms, but smaller B2B businesses as well. Being savvy and nimble can propel a business a long way in the B2B marketing world — perhaps even over land and water, as Shakespeare once noted. [bctt tweet="“Nimble thought can jump both sea and land.” — William Shakespeare" username="toprank"]

9 — B2B Marketing Isn’t Even Well-Suited for Social Media

The Myth:

B2B marketers shouldn’t even use social media, since business audiences don’t use social platforms, or if they do, they’re not there to find serious B2B information.

The Myth-Buster:

Nearly everyone uses social media in 2020, with global active social media users topping the 3.8 billion mark recently, and that includes almost all the business professionals in every B2B industry. Social media and B2B marketing go hand-in-hand these days, and smart marketers recognize the importance of this intertwined system, and work hard to inform and delight on every social channel where their brand's customers are actively engaging. [bctt tweet="“It doesn’t take billion-dollar firms to create priceless B2B marketing efforts.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

10 — B2B Marketing’s Only Real Channel is LinkedIn

The Myth:

LinkedIn is the only social media platform B2B marketers ever need to use, because it’s the only one those in B2B industries ever really utilize.

The Myth-Buster:

While it’s true that LinkedIn is the top social media platform for B2B marketers and professionals in general, and still represents the go-to source for business information when it comes to social — and we’re not just saying that because they are a TopRank Marketing client — if you’re limiting your efforts solely to LinkedIn you’re missing out on key industry players who happen to spend the majority of their social media time on other platforms. As we've shown above, there are a wide array of social media channels B2B marketers are finding vital to their brand efforts. With every Fortune 500 firm now represented on LinkedIn, however, it's a platform that should be included in every B2B marketer's mix.

Soar Beyond B2B Myths With Powerful Marketing Tactics

Now that we've made an effort to dispel these 10 common B2B marketing myths, we hope that you'll be better able to power your next marketing campaign using the tactics we've looked at, and create B2B content that inspires and enchants while also providing best-answer solutions.

The post B2B Marketing Mythbusters: Dispelling 10 Common Myths with Extraordinary Marketing appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

B2B Marketing Mythbusters: Dispelling 10 Common Myths with Extraordinary Marketing published first on yhttps://improfitninja.blogspot.com/

[samuelpboswell]

B2B Marketing Mythbusters: Dispelling 10 Common Myths with Extraordinary Marketing

B2B marketing is boring, doesn’t feature influencers, and uses only monotonous white papers and lifeless case studies — we’ve all heard these stereotypes, but what is the reality of B2B marketing in 2020? The traditional image of dull B2B marketing has been turned on its head in recent years, and we wanted to explore 10 top myths and show how the state of B2B marketing has gone from bland to unforgettable. Let’s dig in and break down the biggest B2B marketing myths, and look at how your brand can benefit from the new era of business marketing.

1 — B2B Marketing Goes From Boring-2-Boringest

The Myth:

The grand-daddy of all B2B marketing myths — dating back nearly to when the term business-to-business was coined — is the notion that it stands for boring-to-boring, with marketing about as exciting as forty shades of dreary gray.

The Myth-Buster:

As we’ll explore throughout this post, the B2B marketing of 2020 has left boring in the dust, replaced with exciting and truly memorable content experiences. As the B2B marketing landscape continues progressing from its dusty Boring-To-Boring roots, business customers are expecting content and experiences that are increasingly similar to what B2C efforts have long provided. Today’s B2B customers expect to find all of the relevant information they seek brought to life through an online interface that’s not only easy to search and navigate, but one that’s also chock full of interactive and story-rich user experience features that make interacting an entertaining experience, such as our “Laser Bear.” Click Here to see the Break Free from Boring B2B Guide in Full Screen Mode [bctt tweet="“Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating. You know you can’t bore people into buying your product, you can only interest them into buying it.” — David Ogilvy" username="toprank"]

2 — B2B Marketing Doesn’t Use the Cool Social Media Platforms

The Myth:

You won’t find B2B brands actively sharing content and interacting on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest, Twitch, or other fun and fresh social media platforms.

The Myth-Buster:

Fortune 500 firms regularly now have social media presences on fashionable social channels such as Giphy, Snapchat, and even Facebook Horizons — the social media giant’s foray into the virtual reality (VR) world — all gaining new B2B brands at a faster pace than you might imagine. Our senior content marketing manager Joshua Nite recently took a look at “6 Unconventional Social Channels for B2B Marketing,” showing how B2B brands can gain a competitive edge by adopting unconventional social channels. Out client Dell Technologies offers a fine example of how B2B brands are embracing nontraditional social channels, with its Dell Technologies Giphy page.

via GIPHY Despite using social media more than any other demographic, Gen Z is most at home not on traditional mainstream social platforms but increasingly on gaming platforms, according to recent Kantar study data, which showed that 90 percent of the demographic use gaming platforms to serve roles similar to those social media does for some 59 percent of the general population. To learn more, we’ve also looked at how B2B brands are successfully using various social media platforms:

5 Top B2B Brands Mastering Facebook Engagement

5 Top B2B Brands Delivering Exemplary Twitter Engagement

5 Top B2B Brands Maximizing LinkedIn Engagement

How 5 B2B Brands Are Using Snapchat and Instagram Stories

[bctt tweet="“B2B marketers should be exploring any channel where their audience is. While it’s easy to feel like the more younger-skewing platforms are optional, we ignore them at our peril.” — Joshua Nite @NiteWrites" username="toprank"]

3 — B2B Marketing Doesn’t Relate to Real People & Their Stories

The Myth:

B2B marketing isn’t about me or my real challenges, and never even attempts to appeal to people like me — instead it just continues to put forth insincere messages targeting people who don’t exist in the real world.

The Myth-Buster:

Telling real stories about actual people has catapulted B2B influencer marketing to the forefront of business marketing success, while B2B marketing in general has also continued to embrace the importance of storytelling. We’ve set out to tell the intriguing stories of many top B2B marketers in our Break Free B2B video interview series, to date featuring 23 industry professionals such as Amisha Gandhi of client SAP Ariba and Kelvin Gee of client Oracle,  sharing their insights and passions. Some, such as Eaton’s director of corporate marketing Zari Venhaus have explored the importance of storytelling.

Another benefit of telling the stories of real people in B2B industries is that it lends itself well to the creation of episodic content, as our senior content strategist Nick Nelson explored in “Hungry for More: What B2B Marketers Need to Know About Episodic Content.” Additional takes on how storytelling benefits B2B marketers are available in our following related articles:

Once Upon a Time: Storytelling in Today’s B2B Content Marketing Landscape

Be Like Honest Abe: How Content Marketers Can Build Trust Through Storytelling

You Have 8 Seconds – GO! Brand Messaging Secrets With Debra Jasper at #Pubcon

[bctt tweet="“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” — Steve Jobs" username="toprank"]

4 — B2B Marketing Never Gets Heard, or If it Does It’s Quickly Ignored and Forgotten

The Myth:

B2B marketing is just wasted effort, since nobody ever really reads it or pays any attention to its boring business-suit-and-briefcase imagery. Who would ever remember a B2B advertising message, anyway?

The Myth-Buster:

Study after study continues to show that real emotion makes us remember digital content and messaging, and smart B2B marketing has grown significantly in its use of the kind of authentic storytelling that people will remember. The most-shared ads during the last Olympics were all loaded with hard-hitting emotion from brands like Panasonic and Apple, and the Super Bowl perennially features similarly emotion-packed spots from brands like Google and Microsoft. [bctt tweet="“Stories are just data with a soul.” @BreneBrown" username="toprank"]

5 — B2B Marketing is For Stodgy Old People

The Myth:

B2B marketing is for stodgy old fuddy-duddies, and has no relevance for anyone under 40 or 50.

The Myth-Buster:

B2B marketers freshly out of college are having tremendous impact in today’s professional brand messaging, and are bringing with them their younger takes on B2B marketing, which will increasingly drive the industry. Thanks in large part to the successful inroads B2B influencer marketing have made for brands looking to reach younger audiences, when an influencer recommends a product, 51 percent of Millennials say they are more likely to try it, according to research data from Valassis and Kantar. Gen Z and Millennial B2B marketers who have grown up with newer social media platforms are occupying ever-more positions of power all the way up to corporate marketing management — a move that has helped today's B2B marketing look decidedly different from that of even five years ago. Snapchat recently published a study exploring brand expectations among Gen Z, finding that 82 percent of the demographic want brands to act on customer feedback, while a similar report from Campaign Monitor also found Gen Z's social media platform preferences to differ from those of older generations. [bctt tweet="“the B2B marketing of 2020 has left boring in the dust, replaced with exciting and truly memorable content experiences.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

6 — B2B Marketing Should Never Include Interactive or Experiential Content

The Myth:

B2B audiences don’t expect or even want interactive or experiential content when it comes to brand messaging — they want only dense black-and-white case studies of at least 200 pages, or white papers filled with serious professional business information.

The Myth-Buster:

B2B audiences have been starved for interactive and experiential content for far too long, and in recent years have come to expect much more B2C-like digital experiences which incorporate truly entertaining, memorable, and interactive elements. With 98 percent of consumers more likely to make a purchase after an experience (Limelight), and 77 percent having chosen, recommended, or paid more for a brand that delivers a personalized service or experience (Forrester), more B2B marketers have begun to use experiential content. In 2020 experiential content comes in many forms, with just a few examples being:

Virtual Reality (VR)

Augmented Reality (AR)

Cloud-Based Digital Assets from Ceros and Other Platforms

Quizzes and Polls

Interactive Flipbooks and eBooks

Experiential content is also intertwined with both storytelling and customer experience (CX), together becoming an extremely powerful triptych of B2B marketing strategy. You can take a closer look at the growing field of B2B experiential marketing here:

What B2B Marketers Need to Know About Experiential Content

The B2B Marketer’s Journey To Experiential Content at #B2BMX

Break Free B2B Marketing: Sruthi Kumar on Creating Memorable Experiences

31 DIY Marketing Tools To Create Remarkable Experiences

Top 10 B2B Digital Marketing Trends in 2020

[bctt tweet="“Experiential content makes us a central part of a story, and not just a passive subject receiving a one-way brand message.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

7 — B2B Marketing Doesn’t Have Influencers

The Myth:

Influencers don’t exist in B2B marketing, because they are only for hawking cosmetics and pushing designer clothing lines on Instagram — what relevance could influencers really have in the professional B2B world?

The Myth-Buster:

Influencer marketing in the business world has never been more vibrant and thriving, especially the kind of always-on B2B influencer marketing our CEO Lee Odden has explored in articles including “Always On Influence: Definition and Why B2B Brands Need it to Succeed.” Influencer marketing will see global brand spending up to $15 billion by 2022 (Business Insider Intelligence), and with more people using social media and spending greater amounts of time doing so, B2B influencers have a bigger audience than ever. This may explain why influencers are seeing rising engagements with a variety of firms, as even the World Health Organization recently worked with influencers for its latest “Safe Hands Challenge” hand-washing campaign. B2C and B2B influencer marketing are undoubtedly very different – and ever-evolving – undertakings, as we recently explored in “B2C vs. B2B Influencer Marketing – What’s the Difference?” [bctt tweet="“The output of B2B influencer collaboration can be in any form that the brand is currently publishing content: text, video, visual, audio, interactive and even VR.” @LeeOdden" username="toprank"] Learn more about B2B influencer marketing with these insightful looks at how brands are using it to achieve success, and dig in to recent influencer marketing statistics here:

Four Ways to Optimize the Marketing Performance of a B2B Influencer Program

24 Essential B2B Influencer Marketing Statistics

How B2B Influencer Marketing Offers Brands an Ideal Alternative to In-Person Events

Jumpstarting a Pilot B2B Influencer Marketing Program in 5 Steps

5 Key Traits of the Best B2B Influencers

8 — B2B Marketing is Pointless & Impossible For Brands Than Aren’t Billion-Dollar Firms

The Myth:

B2B marketing is only for billion-dollar mega-corporations looking to attract other massive Fortune 500 firms — and it doesn’t have any relevance for a company with less than 10,000 employees.

The Myth-Buster:

It doesn’t take billion-dollar firms to create priceless B2B marketing efforts. Indeed, some of the most successful and memorable B2B marketing campaigns are coming from small-to-midsize firms, especially those that are using B2B influencer marketing. Our content strategist Anne Leuman recently took a look at “5 Examples of Effective B2B Content Marketing in Times of Crisis,” featuring several smaller firms including HealthcareSource and our client monday.com, showing how they are putting out timely and helpful marketing messages during the pandemic. Social media and influencer marketing have helped level the playing field not only among large B2C and B2B firms, but smaller B2B businesses as well. Being savvy and nimble can propel a business a long way in the B2B marketing world — perhaps even over land and water, as Shakespeare once noted. [bctt tweet="“Nimble thought can jump both sea and land.” — William Shakespeare" username="toprank"]

9 — B2B Marketing Isn’t Even Well-Suited for Social Media

The Myth:

B2B marketers shouldn’t even use social media, since business audiences don’t use social platforms, or if they do, they’re not there to find serious B2B information.

The Myth-Buster:

Nearly everyone uses social media in 2020, with global active social media users topping the 3.8 billion mark recently, and that includes almost all the business professionals in every B2B industry. Social media and B2B marketing go hand-in-hand these days, and smart marketers recognize the importance of this intertwined system, and work hard to inform and delight on every social channel where their brand's customers are actively engaging. [bctt tweet="“It doesn’t take billion-dollar firms to create priceless B2B marketing efforts.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

10 — B2B Marketing’s Only Real Channel is LinkedIn

The Myth:

LinkedIn is the only social media platform B2B marketers ever need to use, because it’s the only one those in B2B industries ever really utilize.

The Myth-Buster:

While it’s true that LinkedIn is the top social media platform for B2B marketers and professionals in general, and still represents the go-to source for business information when it comes to social — and we’re not just saying that because they are a TopRank Marketing client — if you’re limiting your efforts solely to LinkedIn you’re missing out on key industry players who happen to spend the majority of their social media time on other platforms. As we've shown above, there are a wide array of social media channels B2B marketers are finding vital to their brand efforts. With every Fortune 500 firm now represented on LinkedIn, however, it's a platform that should be included in every B2B marketer's mix.

Soar Beyond B2B Myths With Powerful Marketing Tactics

Now that we've made an effort to dispel these 10 common B2B marketing myths, we hope that you'll be better able to power your next marketing campaign using the tactics we've looked at, and create B2B content that inspires and enchants while also providing best-answer solutions.

The post B2B Marketing Mythbusters: Dispelling 10 Common Myths with Extraordinary Marketing appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

from The SEO Advantages https://www.toprankblog.com/2020/05/b2b-marketing-mythbusters/

[theexperiment-hq-blog]

Sample App - Lex Luthor, played by Admin Lex

OOC Info

Name: Lex

Age: 21

Pronouns: she/her

Triggers: (redacted)

Second Choice Character: N/A

Discord: (redacted)

IC Info

Muse Name and Alias: Lex Luthor

What is your primary canon(s) for this character? Smallville through s3, though I don’t care much for the particulars, just the friendship between Lex and Clark is mostly what I’m after, and of course Lionel. After this it becomes simplified pre-nu52 comics canon. Lex’s views on Superman and his ideals/beliefs are taken from the Lex Luthor: Man of Steel comic.

Approximate Age: 50

OTPs, BroTPs, NoTPs:

OTP: Lex/Clark, big time, although I am more than happy to play it onesided, which is just as fun. Other ships I have are Lex/Bruce, Lex/Dick, Lex/Oliver--basically, I’ll just pair him up with any of the male heroes.

BroTP: Lex/Diana, Lex/Mercy, Lex/Kara, and I love having Lex play father to Kon. Lex becoming part of the superfam in general is something I’m weak for.

NoTP: Nothing in specific, though I do play Lex as gay so ships involving ladies are out.

Give us a bulletpoint outline for what your character’s history might look like:

Lex was born into the extremely wealthy (but new money) Luthor family, son of business mogul Lionel Luthor and his wife Lillian.

When he was 9, in Smallville on a business trip with his father, Lex was caught in the same meteor shower that brought Kal-El down to Earth.  Lex, a sick and asthmatic child, was all at once cured after the meteor shower, though he lost all his hair from exposure to the Kryptonite radiation. It wouldn’t be until much later, doing his own research on his condition in his 20s, that Lex realized the exposure to the radiation had also caused him to become a metahuman. Lex’s abilities are quiet and easy to hide: A superhuman immune system and increased healing factors. As of being abducted, only one person (Jason Todd) is aware that Lex is a metahuman.

No longer the perfect Luthor heir, Lex was regarded with disinterest by Lionel (who hadn’t established a particularly fatherly relationship with Lex before, either) and somewhat discarded once Lionel found out Lillian was pregnant again.

Shortly after Lillian gave birth to Lex’s brother Julian, she realized Lionel’s true intentions--to eventually pit the two brothers against each other for who would get to be the true Luthor heir. Terminally ill herself, and afraid that once she was gone there would be no one to protect Lex, she smothered Julian in his crib, reasoning it was better to have one dead son than two sons damaged and tormented by their father. Lex, once he realized what happened, told Lionel he killed Julian by accident, in order to protect his mother.

After Lillian and Julian were gone, Lionel had no choice but to raise Lex as his heir.

Excelling in his schoolwork, Lex graduated high school at 16 and went off to Princeton to study chemical and biological engineering (Lionel was, predictably, not impressed with his son’s desire to be a scientist instead of a businessman).

Admittedly, Lex did much more partying than attending class, quickly spinning out of control. He never failed a class, but... also had to spend two months in rehab after an overdose.

Lionel decided, five years later, that enough was enough and forced 21 year old Lex to come back to Kansas. Not to Metropolis, like Lex had assumed, but to be exiled to boring, middle of nowhere Smallville to run a LuthorCorp fertilizer plant as a punishment, Lionel having hopes that Lex might… shape up a little.

Upon arriving in Smallville, however, Lex wasted no time in accidentally crashing his Porsche into the river—only to be pulled out and resuscitated by a teenage boy, whose name happened to be Clark Kent.

Lex and Clark became fast friends, despite disapproval from both of their fathers, and despite Lex’s nagging feeling that Clark had been keeping secrets, lying to him all along. He set out, naturally, in search of the truth—was Clark one of the superhuman mutants that plagued the town due to the mysterious meteor shower? Was he something else entirely? Lex became obsessed. With Clark, with  the meteor rocks, with the super powers, obsessed with finding out the truth, and it was this obsession coupled with Clark’s need to protect his own secret at any costs that tore their friendship apart, as close as they had become.

Lex returned to Metropolis three years later, and took up a vice presidency at LuthorCorp while finishing his studies at Metropolis University. For the next few years he focused his energy on quietly expanding his own sphere of interest in LuthorCorp with the intention of dethroning Lionel, whose business practices had become a little too unsavory for Lex’s liking, and who also had no intention of handing the business over to his son.

One boardroom coup later, a livid Lionel Luthor was removed from his position as CEO and forced into an early retirement. Lex rebranded the company as LexCorp and cleaned up business practices considerably. It was around this time that the costumed entity the newspapers dubbed ‘Superman’ surfaced in Metropolis.

Where the citizens of Metropolis saw a savior, Lex saw the destruction of human potential. As Lex understood, it was the drive to be mythic that inspired greatness. It was inherently dangerous when something real became mythic, that we then lose the part of ourselves that yearns to be great. Because when faced with a myth? We can’t win.

The Justice League formed not too long after, and Lex found himself threatened by not only the Alien, but an entire organized council of superhuman beings that thought they had the right to govern humanity’s decisions, stifling the potential of mankind to rise up and handle any obstacle thrown at them. The League, Lex was certain, would mean the accidental destruction of the common man. A council of superhumans and aliens could not be trusted with this sort of power. Mankind, Lex maintained, should be responsible for itself. This was the main reason for his descent into supervillainy, and all his schemes to date have been directly targeted at the heroes, with as little civilian involvement as possible. There are risks Lex cannot afford to take.

Lex has also kept his name impeccably clean in the public eye. Lex being a supervillain is not common knowledge.

His most recent project is complicated to describe, and Lex won’t define it himself if asked. The Justice League, of course, assumes Lex was attempting to create a superweapon, cloning Superman like that. Lex disagrees with the word cloning, seeing as his DNA was also in the mix, but... how do you explain that this was one fucked up, last ditch effort to have a family? Anyway, a father-son supervillain team sounds stupid when you say it out loud. Lex lets them think what they want.

Interview

What would it take for you to switch sides? (hero to villain; villain to hero; neutral to either)

Lex laughs, actually laughs, and it’s silvery rather than malicious. There’s a knowing edge to his easy smile. He leans back, relaxed, amused rather than hostile--as he’s sure some of his villainous peers would be.

“You know, I don’t think the allegiance lines are as clear cut as they would have you think.” It’s just a touch dismissive. They, like a curse, it falls from his lips scornfully. “Their side has stooped to heinous acts too, haven’t they? Is it so hard to think those of us who oppose them are capable of good, too?”

If you ask Lex, nearly everything he does is good. Still, he plays along.

“If the world were in danger, I suppose. I couldn’t see myself not stepping in to protect my fellow man. It’s a shame, isn’t it, how often mankind gets caught in the crossfire of their cosmic disputes?”

And as playful as his tone is, there’s something hard and sharp underneath too.

How would you describe yourself? How would your friends describe you? How would the public describe you?

This is an easy one. He’s answered the same question dozens of times, magazine interview upon magazine interview, how does one define the famous Lex Luthor?

“Ruthless,” he throws out carelessly, that smile still playing at his mouth. Lex rarely looks out of place, never uncomfortable, never phased, never anything but put together and prepared for anything.

He’s a good actor. He has his dad to thank for that. Don’t get caught, don’t cause a scandal was the unofficial motto in the Luthor house, and Lex still finds himself repeating the words decades and decades later.

“I’m sure that’s one you’d hear from any side. Charismatic. Powerful. Intelligent. A gifted strategist. Sexy, if you read the magazine spreads,” and there’s another laugh here. “Of course, if you ask the Alien, I’m sure the description would run the gambit of morally corrupt, megalomaniac, power hungry. And several things it wouldn’t be polite to repeat. I won’t pretend not to be any of those things, but I’d also agree with the public assessment.”

If you could gain any superpower/swap your superpower for another, what would it be and why?

Swap your power for another? Well, if it were up to Lex, he’d have no power at all, as dependent as he’s become on his superhuman healing. He toys with the question in his head, debates on just flatly saying he wouldn’t take a superpower, but...

“I’ve always wondered what it’s like to fly,” Lex settles on finally, an odd tone to his voice, a shadow over his words. “When I was younger, I thought it would be the best thing. You read the comic books too, right? There was that superhero they milked the hell out of, Warrior Angel, and what kid doesn’t look up to some fictional hero and want cool superpowers like theirs? It’s funny, looking back on it. Kill your darlings, or so the phrase goes. Now, I’m more curious what it is he sees, looking down on this world like God above men.”

What is a secret you have never told someone?

This question gives him pause. Lex doesn’t particularly like giving away his secrets, but then, who does? Fine, he’ll throw them a bone. There’s a lot he could say without saying too much, omitting names and dates and identifying details.

“You know how they say you never forget your first love?” And any lingering genuine humor is gone from Lex’s voice now, just an amused sort of ruefulness lingering. “Would you believe I’m still hung up on mine, thirty years later? Maybe it’s the idea of him.” Actually, Lex is pretty sure that’s exactly it. When Lex thinks of him, it’s as that fifteen year old boy, certainly not the Alien.

Lungs full of water; a smile like the scorching sun glinting off the river; golden corn fields as far as the eye can see.

“I was in my twenties, he was a teenager. Our fathers hated each other. We were from completely different walks of life. All excellent reasons not to say anything about it, and I never did, but at the time I used to think I would have followed him anywhere, I would have done anything to keep him, even if it was just as a friend. Made it hurt like hell when he turned his back on me.”

If there was one choice in your past you could change, what would it be?

Lex’s eyes narrow slightly, a frown settling into the curve of his lips. He looks older, without the slight smile. He’s had a long life, a lot has happened to him. But if it’s only one thing he could change, one mistake...

“I would have been at Cadmus Labs they day they took my son,” and it’s about as cold as he ever gets in public these days, icy rather than a slight coolness. He’s made a point of doing that, referring to Kon that way, as his son--and Kon-El is an abhorrent name. Lex thinks of the would-be birth certificate, locked away in his desk with all the other forged papers that would have allowed the boy to legally exist. He was a Luthor by birthright, Lex is the one who wanted him, the one who created him with his own two hands, hours on end spent in the lab. “Perhaps I could have, ah, prevented their acquisition of Superboy.”

If you had one day where you could do anything you want, free of consequences, what would you do?

No doubt they’re expecting some grand scheme, the death of Superman perhaps, or a plot to dissolve the Justice League once and for all. The truth is far less exciting.

“I’d track down my father, wherever it is he’s retired to.” Lionel could be dead, for all Lex knows. He hasn’t gone searching for him, and anyway Lex is sure if he tried, Lionel would be trying to block him at any corner. He hasn’t spoken to his dad since the takeover. He’s not sure what he’d say, there’s always been too much unsaid between them, but it’s... it’s easier, looking back on this as an adult, to reconcile Lionel’s actions with the fact that despite everything, Lex did love his father.

Extras

Lex is half Mexican through his mother. He speaks Spanish (and several other languages) fluently, but his accent is slightly southern.

A few years ago, with some information stores stolen from Brainiac, Lex was able to crack the Kryptonian language and work out the rules of grammar and a vocabulary of a few thousand words. It hasn’t been especially useful yet, but half the fun was learning it in the first place.

Prior to being abducted for the Experiment, Lex had been drawing up plans to run for President in 2020, which is, incredibly, unrelated to his status as a supervillain.

He has a scar bisecting his upper lip from the single time Lionel hit his son--he had forgotten to take his wedding ring off. This is the only still visible scar on Lex’s body, as the rest of his injuries happened after gaining his healing mutation.

[wjwilliams29]

12 Inspiring Workspaces from Awesome Digital Marketers

As many of you know, cognitiveSEO likes tackling in-depth, extensive digital marketing topics. We like going all analytical with our blog posts and case studies. There are two reasons behind it. One – to find as many solutions as possible to questions we marketers have. Two – we enjoy to dive deep into research and learn new marketing tips. 

  We’ve decided to write something out of our comfort zone: an article dedicated to awesome workspaces belonging to great digital marketers.  This article has proved to be more than just a novelty for us: it has been a genuine highway to fun. 

    But one way or another, creating a set of cool digital marketer workspaces seemed a hip idea, therefore we gave it a go. Plus, it is a great way of proving Cynthia Rowley’s theory which goes like this:

  I’ve got a theory: if you love your workspace, you’ll love your work a little more. Cynthia rowley Fashion Designer at Cynthia Rowley

Each desk has a personality similar to its owner. So we went hunting for the best workstations in the marketing field. We wanted to find out what type of personality they have based on their workstation.

Stay with us on this journey and you’ll discover: 

how we paved our path to delivering the “coolest workspaces in the digital marketing world”;

which marketers accepted the challenge, and disclosed their office spaces/coworking spaces;

who they are;

their pics and must-have gadgets, and eventually;

what to learn from this experience.

  These are the professionals who spiced up our “Cool Marketing Workstations” list:

  A Down-to-Earth Guy’s Workspace by Jack Meredith

The Minimalist’s Office by Eduardo Yi

The Bold One’s Work Desk by Wilson Hung

The Winner-of-’Em-All’s Workspace by Sean Bestor

The Restless Traveler’s Office by Tomas Laurinavicius

The Practical Guy’s Office Desk by Benjamin Beck

The Rebel’s Office by Sol Orwell

The Artist and Marketer’s Workspace by Ty Magnin

The Marketing Guru’s Office Desk by Derric Haynie

The Champion’s Workspace by Sujan Patel

The Magician’s Office by Benji Hyam

Superman’s Office Desk by Aaron Orendorff

  The Roll-out

  From the very beginning, the article generated a fun-mode-on atmosphere at cognitiveSEO. Although we were the ones writing the blog post, guess we ourselves were the most eager ones to hear from the digital marketers we outreached to.

  There are not tens, nor hundreds, but thousands of people who delight in creating inspiration boards on Pinterest regarding their home, office space, garden and so on. Probably, you are one of them too. Compiling this set of inspiring workspaces from digital marketers around the world was like a Pinterest activity. Which is kinda awesome!

  But the cherry-on-top was the sneak peak we were about to be introduced to.

  Fellow marketers across the globe, people we admire and look up to, either from wide-known organizations or fresh start-ups, have disclosed the aces up their sleeves when it comes to devices, gadgets and things they couldn’t live without on a daily basis.

  It all started from a Slack post:

    A few days later, we already had answers from notable marketers such as Sean Bestor, Benjamin Beck, and Sol Orwell. Great! Just a few more to enlist in our challenge and we could call this article a success.

  Browsing them you’ll see how different professionals are from one another. Needless to say, their digital workspaces too. Apart from details such as shape, size, or location, you’re soon to notice how diverse these marketers are from one another. Hipsters, neat freaks, minimalists, clutter fans, you name it, they’re all there.

    All digital marketers who accepted the challenge had to answer to a couple of questions:

  Take a photo of your cool desk setup, upload it to your favorite file sharing service and share it with us.

What’s on your desk? Make a list of items and share your reasons why you can’t live without them.

  Without further ado, let’s see the coolest digital marketers workstations in our industry.

    1. A Down-to-Earth Guy’s Workspace by Jack Meredith

  Roost stand: Getting a Roost stand changes your life. Never be hunched over again. Jack Meredith Senior Growth Marketer at Kettle & Fire / @jvmeredith

  Jack Meredith is a Senior Growth Marketer at Kettle & Fire, and co-founder at Open Eye Signal, a web design, and marketing consulting company for SMB’s and start-ups. He is a growth marketing junkie and full stack marketer, with a taste for early stage companies.

  These are the items you’d normally see on his desk at work:

  Asus VS239H-P 23-Inch Full HD 1920×1080 IPS HDMI DVI VGA Back-lit LED Monitor. Not the greatest monitor but it gets the job done for a marketer;

Roost stand: Getting a Roost stand changes your life. Never be hunched over again;

Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard: Reliable, found via wire cutters;

Logitech Wireless Marathon Mouse M705: Reliable, found via wire cutters;

AKG K 240 Semi-Open Studio Headphones: Cost-effective headphones that give Bose and Beats headphones a run for their money.

    2. The Minimalist’s Office by Eduardo Yi

  My desk setup is very minimal—and that’s intentional. eduardo yi Lead Content Marketer at Teachable / @eduardoyi

  Eduardo Yi is the Lead Content Marketer at Teachable, a job he loves having, as he states in his LinkedIn bio. As a digital marketer, I’m just happy to have found a career path in which work means nerding out, he says. That’s creative thinking, for sure!

  In a similar tranquil vibe and with youthful transparency, he told us what he uses at work on a daily basis:

  My desk setup is very minimal—and that’s intentional. I have very little stuff lying around to avoid distractions.

A second screen, keyboard, and mouse are all I really have in there.

The standing desk also helps me stop procrastinating, just because I get tired of standing and feel like I should just get stuff done so I can go sit.

I also have a plant, which is not mine…but I water it sometimes anyway.

    We already like the guy. There’s much to learn from him. In wisdom, we can all learn how true and topical the saying “less is more” is.

  Our mind can make associations in an instant and thus lose its focus, yet if we try to keep ourselves concentrated, we should take the example of Eduardo and try to get rid of every distractor that is standing in our way of having the job done.

  3. The Bold One’s Work Desk by Wilson Hung

  Airpods: Totally worth it. I can walk around the office or stretch while I’m on calls. wilson Hung Growth Marketing at Kettle & Fire / @wilsonghung

  Wilson Hung is in charge with Growth Marketing at Kettle & Fire, and previously with Growth at SumoMe. In addition, he created wilsonhung.com, a growth support company.

  Wilson wrote detailed essays on growth featured in Forbes, ConversionXL, SumoMe, and shared by Andrew Chen, Guy Kawasaki, and 500Startups. Were he to talk about his life experience, he would start telling you how he quit his job as a chemical engineer to apply a data-driven and scientific approach to acquiring customers. His life roadmap is quite inspiring; if curious, check here.

  When asked about what’s usually on his desk, here’s what he said:

  Dual Monitor Setup: this is critical as it allows for increased productivity. Left monitor will normally be Slack, or a data set (spreadsheet), where as the Main monitor will be the “productivity/working” monitor;

Far Right Task Management with Sticky Notes: Segmented based on “Completed This Week, High Priority, Medium/Low”. I can never keep my Trello board updated, but something about seeing it all the time on my desk helps prioritize my workload. Every Monday starts with prioritizing my week/sticky notes;

Bluetooth Mouse + Keyboard: Again, spend extra money on tools you use every day. Don’t settle for using your laptop’s trackpad. Instead, improve your ergonomics and also productivity (mouse set up super high sensitivity will allow you to click/move around that much faster);

Airpods: Totally worth it. I can walk around the office or stretch while I’m on calls;

Notepad + Notebook: I use notepad for one-off things like sketching funnels, pricing, random thoughts. I use the notebook for meetings + keeping organized so I can refer back to meeting notes + action items;

Aeropress + Coffee: Coffee at my office sucks, so I make my own =) Plus it’s a good routine in the morning + after lunch and helps me take breaks;

1L Water Bottle: Gotta stay hydrated, and the bigger the bottle, means less times you have to get up and refill.

    4. The Winner-of-’Em-All’s Workspace by Sean Bestor

  Air Traffic Control Headphones: No joke, I use these all the time. I write best in absolute silence. $20. Sean bestor Former Content Marketer at Sumo / @sbestor15

  Sean Bestor from Sumo was among the first ones to send a picture of his digital workspace and must-have gadgets.

  Sean has an extensive experience as a creative digital strategist and marketer. Plus, he has a track history of being a multiple award-winning copywriter.

  By the time we collected answers from fellow marketers, he was still working at Sumo, writing the coolest stuff on the web, quoting him from LinkedIn. At the present, he is a Digital Strategist at Whole Foods Market, a company that has been on Fortune’s Best Places to Work List every year for 20 years straight. You should also check his website, it’s pretty cool and info-packed.

  And because humor never hurt anybody, he chose to embrace it and make us giggle. See for yourself in the lines below:

  My computer – A definite upgrade from the “Speak and Spell” I had in 1st grade;

Notebooks – I sketch landing pages, product pages, funnels and ad ideas in here all the time. Can’t have enough of these;

Tiny Alcoholic Drinks: As a warm-up to my bigger alcoholic drinks;

Beats Headphones: For when it’s time to get creative with maximum base;

Air Traffic Control Headphones: No joke, I use these all the time. I write best in absolute silence. $20;

Camelbak Eddy: A gift because apparently walking to the faucet and putting your face under the spout 20 times a day is frowned upon;

Signed Champagne Bottle: From my initiation at Sumo, everyone signed it;

Cubs Hat: I don’t actually like the Cubs. But on a retreat, we got to watch them play (the year they won the World Series). That was pretty fun;

Autonomous Stand Up Desk: Just a game-changer. Though honestly, I sit on the couch most of the day.

    5. The Restless Traveler’s Office by Tomas Laurinavicius

  To organize my daily to-do list I use Todoist and physical notebook from Collins. Tomas Laurinavicius Lifestyle Entrepreneur at tomaslau.com / @tomaslau

  Tomas Laurinavicius is a digital marketing, media contributor, and writer, but could easily be taken as a wanderer. He is 25 but has checked more things than others could do at this age. He describes himself as having an ENTJ personality, hence his thrive, charisma, and confidence.

  Tomas is a lifestyle entrepreneur and blogger from Lithuania, writing about habits, lifestyle design, and entrepreneurship on his blog and weekly lifestyle newsletter – tomaslau.com. Simultaneously, he is a contributor to many renowned media, business, and marketing outlets in the world, such as Forbes, Observer, Huffington Post, Influencive, Creative Cloud and The Next Web. He enjoys sharing his knowledge and coming with effective solutions that inspire others.

  His latest ambition and desire is to travel the world and empower 1 million people to change their way of living life from that day on.

  But getting back to cool digital marketers workspaces, let’s see his:

  MacBook Pro 13″ is the most important machine I use daily to run my business, write, learn and plan my travels.

To improve my posture I recently invested in STANDapart, a featherweight laptop stand, Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse to keep things clean and wireless.

To organize my daily to-do list I use Todoist and physical notebook from Collins.

Most of the other time I use iPhone 6s Plus, for reading Kindle, Scribd and iBooks. Alternatively, I use my iPhone to take quick digital notes, get directions for coffee shops I want to try next and take photos.

For the last 2 years, I kept my workspace extremely minimal and portable while traveling to over 30 countries.

    Lessons to learn, you ask? Needless to say we need more courage to do what we dream of. There’s not much you need to know about Tomas to see his thrive towards making his dream a reality. He put effort in achieving this, but more important, he put ambition. And we guess this works as a marketing tip too.

  6. The Practical Guy’s Office Desk by Benjamin Beck

  Mouse – With my laptop being so high I need a mouse and I like to game so I like a wired mouse more than a bluetooth. Benjamin Beck Founder of Link Building Class / @ben_beck

  Benjamin Beck is one professional that likes things to be clear and straightforward, but never leaves quality and client satisfaction out of topic. He is the creator of the free email course Link Building Class. The platform sends you comprehensive lessons on link building techniques deployed by top professionals to rank higher in some of the harshest industries. All for that nerve racking way of increasing organic rankings and traffic.

  Beck is set on helping businesses succeed online, thus he came up with benjaminbeck.com. As an online marketing specialist, Benjamin comes with an enviable set of skills meant to solve start-ups, charities, and small businesses’ problems in connecting with customers and growth.

  Guessing you’re anxious to find out what’s on his desk, we shall proceed further with the list:

  Roost Stand – Portable laptop stand that saves my neck!

Bluetooth Keyboard – Portable so I can still type fast;

Mouse – With my laptop being so high I need a mouse and I like to game so I like a wired mouse more than a bluetooth;

Headphones – I just got some Bose noise cancelling headphones which are nice;

Messenger Bag – I use a Timbuk2 bag to carry all my gear wherever I go. Have had it for 4 years now.

    Beck usually works remotely, which undoubtedly has its perks. Nice background! Should one ever want to take a break and do some fun exercise, the climb walls are right at hand.

    7. The Rebel’s Office by Sol Orwell

  I like pictures. On the left is a pic at my sister’s wedding, in front of me is a pic of my woman and I at NYE, and on the right is me as a baby with my grandparents (my grandpa was a badass – literally born on the streets, rose to become a Supreme Court Judge). Sol Orwell Co-Founder of Examine / @sol_orwell

  Apparently, traveling has become a real phenomenon. Interesting enough is that traveling is not just a medium to escape the ordinary work life or procrastinate duties, but it’s more of a boost to your inspiration and fuel to your work binge.

  Sol Orwell, 30, is just the right match to this trend. One thing Orwell couldn’t live without is traveling. For him, having independence is paramount, and he doesn’t let anybody control his time and freedom of movement.

  Sol Orwell is a well-known digital marketer, mostly known for co-founding Examine.com, a site selling reports on nutritional supplements, and for speaking about entrepreneurship. Over 15 years of entrepreneurship, 6 companies, over 8 figures generated – all these surely must point to an inspiring professional.

  He likes to say that he is semi-retired, and we can see both the sense and the irony, as we know his free lifestyle. He says he’s living the immigrant dream, as he likes creating companies in different niches and then hand them over to someone else, people who are able and entitled to make the most out of them. If curious for more, you should check this.

  Here’s what he wrote us about his work essentials:

  It’s my work space, so I like to keep it simple and clean.

I like pictures. On the left is a pic at my sister’s wedding, in front of me is a pic of my woman and I at NYE, and on the right is me as a baby with my grandparents (my grandpa was a badass – literally born on the streets, rose to become a Supreme Court Judge).

I have my Field Notes (every time I meet people I take it with me – I never use my phone for any notes), and my Productivity Planner (which keeps me on track).

Otherwise, I Just have trinkets I have picked up from travels and others have given me. Eg the little toy “dog” on the left was given to me by my buddy Andy Morgan, who flew all the way from Tokyo to Toronto because we invited him to a potluck we were hosting. It reminds me of all of the crazy connections I’ve made through the Internet.

  Not only he is a valuable, inspiring marketer, but also a great story-teller. He made us dive deep into visualizing the people, places, and objects mentioned by him.

    8. The Artist and Marketer’s Workspace by Ty Magnin

  MacBook Pro with 16gb ram. I spend so much time on my computer. Having a fast one with a big screen is worth the investment. Ty magnin Director of Marketing at Appcues / @tymagnin

  Ty Magnin is Director of Marketing at Appcues, and previously first marketer at Work Market, with extensive experience as a digital and content marketer. Having roots in poetry and film production, he is one authentic fellow marketer.

  Simultaneously, Magnin built tymagnin.com, where professionals can learn how to boost upvotes on ProductHunt, build blog audiences, and scale self-services. He is talking big numbers, in support of his tips and tricks, all experienced by himself at first hand with his marketing strategies.

  His philosophy is “fewer but better”, which has greatly impacted the way he approaches blogging, email marketing, customer stories, and life in general. His experience as a video producer and writer helped him shape both his lifestyle and skills. One thing he learned is this: “Most of marketing is writing. I think if you have a love of writing, you get focused on the particulars. That attention to detail plays out when you’re writing marketing copy and orchestrating campaigns”. More on his career roadmap as a successful digital marketer here.

  Because we particularly enjoyed reading his list and the little stories attached to each thing on his desk, we’d like to share it with you:

  Macbook pro with 16gb ram. I spend so much time on my computer. Having a fast one with a big screen is worth the investment;

Sticky notes with frameworks/themes. I need constant visual reminders to make an idea a habit. These sticky notes help remind myself of the important frameworks I’ve set for the marketing team to keep us aligned;

Matcha tea. I can’t drink coffee. It makes me tense. Matcha green tea has let me switch off of it, and it’s great for you;

Headphones. I often listen to the same song on repeat all day when grinding it out. Music helps me focus sometimes;

Second monitor. I like using this because it helps my posture. I’ve had this background image for years now—it’s the New York Public Library and always inspires me to work and study hard;

Off to the left you can see my standing desk. Sometimes it’s great to extend my legs;

Hat from Bali. No real reason this is here other than I like wearing it.

    9. The Marketing Guru’s Office Desk by Derric Haynie

  Business cards, 23 inch monitors, speakers. Derric haynie CEO at Vulpine Interactive / @SixPeppers

  At present CEO at Vulpine Interactive and Co-Chapter Director at Startup Socials, Haynie manages to rock that work experience as a marketer. With several high positions as CEO, Head of Growth, Co-Founder, or President, Derric Haynie is the entrepreneur to go to when in need of counseling and effective solutions. In addition, he enjoys working with his wife, Shana Haynie, in running events on marketing, entrepreneurship, and startup growth.

  Vulpine Interactive is about social media marketing, in terms of content, branding, engagement, and analytics. It helps professionals across the globe to manage and grow their teams, innovate their social media strategies, and build powerful brands and passionate fans.

  As for Startup Socials, this one is a global events company meant to connect and empower people in the startup ecosystem.

  Eager to find out what Haynie’s workspace looks like? Brace yourself, as you’ll be surprised:

  Business cards.

23 inch monitors, speakers.

I have this button that says “Fuck” on it, and when you hit it, it says something ridiculous. It’s for stress relief.

Mic stand and camera are very important as well.

    Don’t know about you, but we love the sense of humor marketers display nowadays. After all, that’s all life is about – knowing how to deal with things and situations. Interesting, though, how much you can grasp from a concise snippet as such.

  Talking of humor, we have a challenge for you: Spot the button in the picture!

  10. The Champion’s Workspace by Sujan Patel

  Batman Clock. I’m a big batman fan and even have a batman tattoo on my arm. The clock reminds me to have a life and help people as the clock was a gift from someone I helped through a tough time. sujan patel Co-Founder of WebProfits / @sujanpatel

  With a vast experience in digital marketing in general and SEO, content marketing, PPC, social media in particular, Sujan Patel outruns many marketers with his knowledge. He is a data-driven marketer, entrepreneur, and avid writer for publications as Forbes, WSJ, Inc., and Entrepreneur Magazine.

  His hobbies are growing companies and helping others solve problems. Sujan is the Co-Founder of WebProfits, a growth marketing agency. He says he enjoys sharing everything he knows and usually creates more content than most consume.

  Our advice is to check his website, and join his weekly newsletter or get in touch with him, as you’ll benefit from a lot of rich, useful information.

  Although he usually works 80 hours/week, Sujan Patel loves hitting the gym in the early hours of the day when most of us are snoring out loud. If he’s not there, you’d most probably find him at the race track racing cars and motorcycles, or conquering the skies while skydiving. Interesting though how sometimes hobbies emerge from fears – at least that’s what happened to him and his fear of heights.

  Getting back to workspaces and must-have tools that change the world, here’s Sujan’s workstation:

  Batman Clock;

Macbook Pro 13inch;

iPad Pro 12inch used mostly as a 2nd monitor;

Unicorn Pen;

Notebook;

I’m a big batman fan and even have a batman tattoo on my arm. The clock reminds me to have a life and help people as the clock was a gift from someone I helped through a tough time;

Macbook Pro & iPad Pro are perfect for travel and working anywhere;

I use a pen & notebook to write down things that I need to remember, brainstorm and doodle. I also use evernote but I haven’t been able to replace goold of fashion pen and paper;

I hate clutter and things. I try to keep my life simple as all I really need is a computer, phone and internet connection to live 90% of my life.

    11. The Magician’s Office by Benji Hyam

  Nothing. Benji hyam Co-Founder of Wordable / @benjihyam 

  Benji Hyam is the Co-Founder of Wordable and Grow and Convert, with massive experience as a digital marketer, having also previously run marketing for two VC backed startups. His experience in the marketing industry has lead him to successfully outrun fellow marketers, and leave a mark in each company he worked with.

Wordable, previously Postable.io, is a SaaS web app where professionals can import posts from Google Docs to WordPress in one click. Content managers, blog editors, and solo bloggers love it and call it a revelation. Nevertheless, their motto stirs your curiosity: Try it. It feels like magic.

  Grow and Convert is here to offer articles, training, and services for you to become a top 1% content marketer. Featured in publications as Entrepreneur, The Huffington Post, Growth Hackers, and ProBlogger, Grow and Convert is a content marketing agency and consultancy for growing businesses. Benji makes the magic happen on the content strategy and promotion side of the company.

  And because magic is simpler than most of us think, Hyam told us about his secret tools for making wonders happen:

  Nothing. I’ve been traveling for the last year and half doing the nomad thing and it helps me write when I have a computer, a nice view and no distractions.

  Undoubtedly, you’re dead curious to see for yourself what nothing really looks like.

      12. Superman’s Office Desk by Aaron Orendorff

  Books, books, and books — most notably, behavioral economics texts like ‘Misbehaving’ by Thaler and ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ by Kahneman, along with ‘The Customer Challenge’ because that book continues to blow my mind when it comes to content marketing. Aaron orendorff Founder and CEO of iconiContent / @iconicontent

  Aaron Orendorff is an inspiring digital marketer, the Founder and CEO of iconiContent, Content Marketer at Shopify Plus, and Communication & Philosophy Faculty full-time member.

  Orendorff was featured in Forbes 25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017. With extensive knowledge and experience in content marketing and communication, he contributed on many occasions for business, tech, and marketing publications such as Mashable, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Lifehacker, Inc., Fast Company, Business Insider, Success Magazine, The Next Web, Content Marketing Institute, Copyblogger, MarketingProfs, ConversionXL, Unbounce, and more.

  His motto is “Saving the world from bad content”, and aims at helping professionals improve their content strategies, content marketing, and copywriting techniques.

  One way or another, his career path is amazing. Curious enough to see what his digital workspace looks like? The photo will just make you regret your desk isn’t sending a similar smart vibe as Aaron’s:

  Two MacBook Pros to separate my work for Shopify Plus from personal projects;

A horizontal monitor for writing — always on Google Docs — and a vertical one for taking screen shots and doing research;

Microsoft’s Natural Ergonomic Keyboard and Mouse to save my wrists from all the hard, hard work of being a full-time writer;

Flexible cell phone tripod and camera remote for taking non-selfie selfies and posting them to social media — the engagement on those is crazy;

Books, books, and books — most notably, behavioral economics texts like Misbehaving by Thaler and Thinking, Fast and Slow by Kahneman along with The Customer Challenge because that book continues to blow my mind when it comes to content marketing;

Beats Headphones for high-quality remote meetings and calls;

Picture of me and my girls to remind me what matters;

A figurine of the Three Little Pigs a former college student gave me because I use that story over and over to teach my one great, educational love: outlining.

    Conclusion

  After such a rich array of photos and smart gadgets to empower you in your quest of changing the digital marketing ecosystem, we ask: What’s to learn from these millennials?

  Apart from triggering a fun mode-on atmosphere and giving food to our restless curiosity regarding fellow professionals in the industry, we believe situations like this create bonds.

  Nevertheless, it is inspiring and challenging to see how others perform at work, what they do, where and how. Witnessing digital marketing influencers at work can empower us, fellow marketers, to strive for more.

    In another train of thoughts, it’s interesting how most digital marketers have attached stories to the enlisted tools and gadgets. Objects often trigger memories and once you share them you let others be inspired. There’s a lot to learn from these stories and life snippets, and we’re glad we’ve come to learn them.

  Charlie Chaplin said once that a day without laughter is a day wasted. We can all agree on that. Digital marketers sure know the perks humor has. This is one of the many and main reasons we enjoyed reading their list and researching about them.

  We created a set of snippets both from websites bootstrapped by the above-mentioned marketers, and from their Twitter accounts. They prove the rule that a fine sense of humor can sometimes indeed make the difference. Enjoy!

  Sean Bestor

    and

  Sol Orwell

    Derric Haynie

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