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vsuvia · 5 years ago

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happy valentine’s day @eerietheapprentice !!!

i was your arcana secret cupid this year~ i wrote a little fic of your apprentice eerie and julian having a cute valentines date! i really hope you enjoy, eerie is such an interesting character and it was a blast to write her and julian together!! 😋💞 lowkey i have such a soft spot for her now ahhhh

also i’m so sorry this was late, i was away all weekend and didn’t have access to my computer (to properly format and post this) until today!

MEET ME HALFWAY -- julian/apprentice (eerie) -- 1,033 words, g

The only sound in the room is the soft clinking of silverware on plates and the muted noise of the city from outside — an unusual change for a chamber containing Julian Devorak. For Valentine’s Day this year, instead of going to the Raven and getting rip-roaring drunk to protest his relationship status or the rise of consumerism or whatever excuse he could find, he was on a date. Well, calling it a date felt a little contrite, much too juvenile for what it truly was. When you defeat the devil with someone, can you call them just your girlfriend?

Things can change in the blink of an eye, but the slow sort of change that sneaks up on you is far more common. A night like this once would have felt stolen out of time, a luxury Julian had to pay for dearly in some form or another. Surprisingly, though, the lack of novelty had failed to make the evening any less special. He still got a thrill in his stomach at seeing his love waiting for him; he still felt lucky to have the hours they spent together, even though they had all the time in the world now.

The woman in question sits across from him, staring somewhere over his shoulder, her long red hair catching the candleflame in every wave. They’d fallen into silence, not out of a lack of things to say but out of a sense of comfort with each other’s presence that came after everything they’d been through. There was certainly a time when Julian would have felt compelled to fill the empty space with words, rushing and stumbling over each other, but that instinct was quiet now and he was grateful for it. It made drinking in the moment sweeter.

As it happens, Eerie is the one to break the silence, tilting her head to the side. “Penny for your thoughts.”

“They’re yours anyway, darling,” Julian responds, smiles softly at her. Though she rolls her eyes, she lets him take her hand anyway. “I truly was thinking about you.”

Her smile is slow, private, the one meant only for him. “Good things, or wicked ones?”

“The best things,” he assures.

Eerie laughs, not harsh but light and teasing. “Boring.”

“Sometimes, you make me want to be that boring,” Julian admits, turns her hand over in his, traces lifeline and love line and marriage line with no idea of their meanings or ways to figure them out. “The man who gets excited by the smallest thing from his lover... the man who lives with that lover in a house they bought themselves... the man who actually dreams of growing old and not just running out the clock.”

She’s fighting a smile off of her sharp features, and it makes her cheeks round, her nose crinkle. “Waking up and kissing the same someone’s morning-breath mouth forever?”

“I can think of no other mouth I’d rather kiss.” Julian presses his lips to the back of Eerie’s hand and earns himself another eye-roll, but the smile wins on her face and that’s enough. When he lets her hand out of his grasp, she rests it on the table; a year ago she’d have kept it underneath, a hand on the handle of a knife or ready to call her magic to arms.

Her thoughts seem to be occupied in a very similar manner, as she worries the inside of her cheek with her teeth. “I never thought I’d be able to do this.” Vaguely, she gestures between the two of them. “Find someone who I could trust, who didn’t care about my past or anything that came before.” There’s no trace of embarrassment or shame on her face; she’s not as flowery as Julian, but he can sense the weight of her feelings behind each word.

“You’re not the only one with a past, and as it is...” Julian toys with his fork, stabs a vegetable idly. “I think we both prefer to live in the present.”

In the silence that follows, he knows they’re both thinking of moments from the previous iterations of their lives that they’d prefer to stay hidden, the times neither of them remembered beyond the haze of altered memory —

hours of side-by-side work in the palace, up to their elbows in corpses. Finding Eerie, shaken and dirty and seeming so small. The smell of the smoke on the Lazaret, spiraling endlessly up into a forever-dusky sky. Pale hands scarred and bleeding from the talons of so many beasts, kept at the behest of a count who barely bothered to feed them. Blood spattered on the flagstone floor, broken by bootprints beating the same trail between cot and examination table every night.

As if she can read his mind, Eerie meets Julian’s eyes and presses her palm, smaller and warmer, to his own, with magic tingling below the surface. At the contact of their skin, he’s thrown backwards into a series of much more pleasant memories, this time ringing truer, with bolder colors and smoother motions.

A meeting in dark and winding alleys, flickering light in large dark eyes. Glowing blue petals starkly bright against ripples of wild red hair. Moonlight in the water by the docks, ever-closer touches, the tangled mangroves of the Hanged Man’s realm and voices hoarse from screaming for each other, the frozen gaze of a stone statue, all the images speeding and blurring until finally, they dissolve into a blue sky and a blue sea, calm for miles and miles.

Julian’s chest loosens; he breathes, once, twice, then steadily.

Eerie takes her hand away, drawing them both back from the memories, and puts it to his face. “Thank you.” She’s not just talking about dinner and dancing.

“And you,” Julian replies in turn. How they’ve ended up can’t be attributed only to either one of them; they both fought and clawed their way here, to peace and understanding and the chance to have moments like this. They gave so much of themselves, but what they got in return was better than what they had before. He can’t take that for granted. He’d never want to in the first place.

#the formatting on this is absolutely fucked lmao i am so sorry #also i hope this is okay!!!!!! i always get so nervous writing other people's mcs #but i absolutely ADORE eerie now asdjhfkhj and i hope i did her justice #also i hope you like Big Emotional Thoughts bc that's really what this turned into huh #ANYWAY yeah! thanks for giving such good inspiration with your mc!#my writing #.txt

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akozuheiwa · 5 years ago

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Professors Tarron and Johnson

A post-canon not-yet-AU-technically by myself, @lizzylucky, and @brising. See the long post beneath the cut.

After grad school and everything, Seamus goes on to become a professor at the same college he and Krel and everyone went to. Krel drops into class on such a regular basis that the students pretty much regard them as co-professors. At some point, the deans or whatever realise this and sort of offer Krel a position because students seem to like him. Seamus thinks it’s a great idea and that’s how Krel gets coerced into being Professor Tarron.

Krel is the cool professor who doesn’t ever want to be called professor (because Aja made fun of him for it) and tries for a solid three semesters to get his students to exclusively call him DJ Kleb. Seamus is fine being called by first name, but he’ll introduce himself and Krel as “Professors Johnson and Tarron” at the beginning of the semester. Almost always, the two co-teach lecture and then split up lab, except the one not in charge of lab always shows up anyway.

Their students love them, even if tests can occasionally be murder. Class and lab are full of super awesome experiments. Krel shows up some days with something random he invented the night before with the help of either alcohol or caffeine. He’ll take over the class and throw the syllabus to the wind to get his students to help him figure out what, exactly, he invented and how, exactly, he invented it. Some love it. Some hate it because they did the reading which is now out the window. Usually Seamus is very frustrated at first because he “had a plan for today’s lesson, we only have six weeks left in the semester”, but then he just gets super into it too and makes sure it becomes a teaching moment and nothing blows up. Students learn quickly that if you like explosions, you take lab with Krel, and if you’d rather play it safe, you take lab with Seamus.

Sometimes students also bring in things like this, although they usually try not to mention exactly what substance they were on when they created it, except for one student who walks in and shamelessly declares that that weekend she was “super fuckin’ high” and she thinks she mad something awesome but has no idea what it is, and the class spends the entire period reverse-engineering whatever it is only to find out it’s actually just a really, really weird hair-dryer. She gets extra credit just because Krel and Seamus are nostalgic and have, obviously, done the same thing multiple times in school. Unfortunately, this triggers a wave of students trying to replicate it by sleep deprivation or drugs or alcohol, which turns out some really cool class projects, but is banned after one kid passes out in the middle of class. Krel and Seamus either take back all the extra credit or just give everyone equal extra credit.

Students always find out about the Akiridion sci-fi site where all the theories about Krel and Seamus ended up, and they use it both as a forum to keep up with each other and also to speculate about their professors. Graduated seniors and anyone in the know help to make sure there’s no way to prove their favourite professors are (both?) aliens, and Krel and Seamus go through to check as well.

They give all their graduating seniors gifts, whether they were in one of their classes this year or freshman year or never but got stuck with one of them as a major advisor. If the kids were good, trustworthy kids, which most of them are, they get sworn to secrecy and get to find out that, yes, Krel’s actually from space. It’s impossible to convince them Seamus isn’t, but it amuses the two professors enough that they let it go.

They do teach a special senior seminar course that focuses on Akiridion technology, but it’s permission only and you pretty much can only get in if you’re a dedicated student of the Tarron-Johnson duo. Not to mention that the course description is misleading enough that only those students want to take it. The first day of this class is largely introducing the students to the fact that extra-terrestrials are real and that their tech is way better than Earth’s. They usually take a vote to see which of them the students think is the Akiridion, and usually the winning vote is both of them. Krel doesn’t reveal himself until the end of class so they can get through the syllabus and everything, because otherwise the class would never calm down.

The Akiridion Tech class takes two annual fields trips. One is to Akiridion-5, of course, where they get a special tour and the chance to work in what was Krel’s lab when he lived there. Aja begins looking forward to these trips because, ironically, it's one of her easiest days as Akiridion-5 Ruler. The students are always excited to meet her and the citizens are respectful and peaceful on those days. The other trip is to a planet of their choosing, which is disguised as an assignment where the class as a whole is given a bunch of data and has to determine which planets are habitable and pick one to visit. They almost always go, even if it’s not particularly habitable, just because Krel and Seamus can usually rig up safety suits. They also have a day where they study transduction technology. It’s Krel’s least favourite lesson because the students get to experiment with it on the only Akiridion available, AKA him, and so he ends up looking all sorts of crazy. Yes. Pictures get taken.

One year, after the field trip, one kid doesn’t listen and ends up accidentally bringing a skelteg back to Earth, which of course goes nuts in class. Professor Tarron goes around blasting music until they all explode. When the students find out he made the music, they go nuts. Someone finds all of his demos and shares them in the class group chat. There’s a petition for Professor Tarron’s music to be broadcasted in the dining hall. Krel signed the petition, of course. A few students form a DJ/music club and ask him to be the faculty contact for it, and of course he's thrilled and gets super into it. Really, he and Seamus go to as many of their students’ events as possible.

Some of the more internet savvy students compare them to vines on YouTube and through brief discussion decide that these trips are very Magic School Bus esque. Someone makes the mistake of bringing this up in class and introducing Krel to Magic School Bus, which is something Seamus was very specifically avoiding. All of the classes start having a lot more fun field trips after that, much to Seamus’s frustration and secret amusement. The trips very much cater to and play on the Magic School Bus jokes. One student gets them a pet lizard. It becomes the class pet. Krel takes to it immediately. Seamus gives up.

Krel won’t always focus in lecture, and he has a habit of stopping mid-sentence and leaving the room, at which Seamus just sighs and picks up where Krel left off until the Akiridion comes back with some bizarre piece of tech. He’ll wait for Seamus to finish before explaining the jump in his thought process and how it relates to his tech. Seamus has done it once or twice himself, but he usually finishes talking before adding. They’ll also completely baffle the students by stopping mid-lesson to discuss how, “Wait, didn’t we disprove this once?” or “According to Akiridion science, isn’t this wrong?” or “Well, if we did this instead I bet we could prove this wrong.” No one ever understands what they’re talking about in those instances.

Professor Johnson is the only one to have office hours (and grade stuff, usually), but if you can’t make it, you can probably find Krel somewhere on campus and ask questions. He can always answer, even if it’s about a comment Seamus made on an essay Krel didn’t grade. Half the students are convinced they have some sort of telepathy device because they can pick up each other’s thoughts mid-sentence, sometimes even when they weren’t in the room. Sometimes one of them just moves to go sit down and starts researching something on the computer while the other takes up the rest of the lesson, knowing full well that they'd had the same idea at the same time.

They tell new students the first day to “forget everything you’ve learned in any physics class not taught by one of us.” They, in fact, have a class (PHYS 351 with Lab) called “Physics is a Social Construct”. All their classes always start with a syllabus, but by the second week, Krel (and it’s always Krel) is like, “Alright, so due to unexpected circumstances, and by that I mean Seamus and I disproved three of these theories last night, we’re throwing away the syllabus!” There are days when the students are so stuffed up with questions and confusion as to what their Professors are doing that an entire class will be spent just answering their questions. Some of the students already understand some things thanks to Akiridion Science Fiction and just laugh at the younger students' questions, but then find themselves asking questions too. Questions range from “Why did Professor Tarron vanish for a week?” to “What the hell is that thing on the desk?” to “What about the syllabus?” and finally, the most common one, “But that’s not possible!” PHYS 351’s final project is to break one of the laws of physics. The Tarron-Johnson duo’s motto is that everything is possible.

Krel, surprisingly, is really bad at lab safety, in that he doesn’t do it at all. He’ll get sucked in and forget things. Seamus has to remind them all the time, things like, “Krel, please put your hair up, you’re going to catch it on fire again” or “Krel, please wear goggles, we don’t want a repeat of the junior year fiasco.” If Seamus shows up alone and starts class with, “Let’s go over lab safety”, then you know Krel did something stupid. Some days Krel will have to tell Seamus, “Do not tell them why I’m not there”, and Seamus tells them because it’s usually something really stupid, including the time he fell off a ladder.

Sometimes they bring guest speakers to class. Akiridion Tech gets the best guests, scientists from across the galaxy and usually the Queen of Akiridion-5 at least once, but even other classes get cool Earth scientists and occasionally extra-terrestrials in disguise. Apparently, Professor Tarron is good friends with a high-up military general that runs the mysterious Area 49b, so he usually visits too, and sometimes Akiridion Tech even gets a tour of the military base. Students who don’t get a tour beg for one, and Krel, certified disaster even as an adult, tells them that “it’s not that hard to break into there anyways” and that he knows someone who did it at least twice. Professor Johnson is not pleased to hear about this when he discovers students plotting to break in. General Costas is even less happy, and every semester he drags anywhere from two students to the entire class to Krel and Seamus’s house in the middle of the night after they tried to break into Area 49b. Yes, this fuels the debate about whether they’re married. No, no one is sure. Krel secretly gives them extra credit by claiming it tests their capacity to plan and also, it helps test the security of the base. Neither Costas nor Seamus like this answer.

Seamus pretty much stays in the physics and engineering departments, but Krel actually ends up branching out. He stays involved in theatre, of course, and ends up teaching a class about sci-fi theatre in which he only teaches one play from Earth, if that many, and at least two are from Akiridion-5. The others come from random planets with plays Krel likes.

Krel is also in the habit of just… walking into other classes whenever he feels like it to see what’s happening or if it’s interesting. Students not aware of Professors Tarron and Johnson assume he’s maybe an older student or a grad student or something. He almost always goes to classes that talk about space and sci-fi. The special creative writing class about writing sci-fi is something he has to see, and the professor actually thinks he’s a student who isn’t on the list because of add/drop/swap and Krel, while finding it hilarious, has to explain that, no, he’s from the physics department, he specialises in astroengineering and cool stuff like that.

They also get super into things like holidays and spirit week, and will always go all out for any costumes. They’ll set up holiday-themed projects for extra credit. Students are challenged to relate their Halloween costumes to class (so they get a lot of superheroes) and they usually reserve the unit on holograms for February to allow the students to make hologram Valentine’s cards. They try to be as inclusive as possible, and research different holidays and make sure they know what their students celebrate, especially come winter time when so many holidays come up.

TL;DR: Seamus and Krel are the best professors for so many reasons and nobody knows if they’re married or not. That’s up to you and what you ship.

#3below #toawizards #tales of arcadia #krel tarron #seamus johnson #professor kreamus #kreamus #platonic or romantic your choice #i personally like romantic but can't speak for everyone #listen #they're a mess #and we love them anyway #and this #like wizards fic #has taken over my life #i have doodles #post-canon

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infinityhqs · 4 years ago

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𝑾𝑬𝑳𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑬 𝑻𝑶 𝑨𝑼𝑹𝑶𝑹𝑨 , maeve , autumn , g ! don’t forget to read over our pages & follow everybody here . you have twenty-four hours to send in your account or you’ll lose your chance at paradise ! we hope [ disgust , perseus jackson , poe dameron , hades aidoneus , oksana astankova ] will enjoy their say at aurora island . SMASH THAT FOLLOW BUTTON ! a reminder that you have twenty-four hours to post an intro or post in character , but feel free to send us a message if more time is needed, we don’t bite !

「 tati gabrielle , twenty four , demi woman + she/her & they/them 」 ˚╰ ❃ ╮ did you know DAHLIA HARDING’S real name is DISGUST ?! around the island they seem to be quite charismatic , but also judgmental , but it makes sense given they are a PERSONAL STYLIST and come from INSIDE OUT . you can hear RICH GIRL by HALL & OATES blasting from their house , but be careful ! they can be agitated as nightmares bring back memories of NOTHING . even so , it’s impossible to see a closet full of designer clothes, most of them never worn more than once; expensive manicures and perfectly styled hair; an unwavering aura of confidence and not think about them . penned by : maeve

「 lucas wong / yukhei wong , twenty , cis male + he/him 」 ˚╰ ❃ ╮ did you know PERCY’S real name is PERSEUS JACKSON ?! around the island they seem to be quite valiant , but also negative audacious , but it makes sense given they are a STUDENT / LIFEGUARD and come from PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS / THE HEROES OF OLYMPUS . you can hear IMMORTALS by FALL OUT BOY blasting from their house , but be careful ! they can be agitated as nightmares bring back memories of DEFEATING GAEA. even so , it’s impossible to see an affinity for all things blue, vintage led zeppelin t-shirts, a worn out orange t-shirt that he just can’t get rid of, walking barefoot along the beach and not think about them . penned by : maeve

「 oscar isaac , thirty six , cis male + he / him 」 ˚╰ ❃ ╮ did you know BLACK LEADER real name is POE DAMERON ?! around the island they seem to be quite loyal , but also opinionated , but it makes sense given they are a EMS PILOT and come from STAR WARS . you can hear THE RESISTANCE by SKILLET blasting from their house , but be careful ! they can be agitated as nightmares bring back memories of GOING BACK TO AJAN KLOSS AFTER WINNING AGAINST THE FIRST ORDER . even so , it’s impossible to see the gentle feeling of slipping the surly bonds of the sky amidst sun - split clouds : up the long , delirious burning blue to the sanctity of space , a sunlit sparkle of hope within one’s spirit : chasing the shouting wind towards righteousness , the sunward silent feeling of belonging to the stars above rather than the ground bellow and not think about them . penned by : autumn

「 charlie hunnam , forty , agender + he/him 」 ˚╰ ❃ ╮ did you know THE KING OF THE UNDERWORLD real name is HADES AIDONEUS ?! around the island they seem to be quite resilient , but also lonely , but it makes sense given they are a CEMETERY & FUNERAL HOME OWNER and come from LORE OLYMPUS . you can hear HELLFIRE by BARNS COURTNEY blasting from their house , but be careful ! they can be agitated as nightmares bring back memories of WALKING OUT ON MINTHE . even so , it’s impossible to see a silhouette of monochrome blue , being in the middle of a crowded party and the distinct feeling of not belonging , a sudden love for flowers &. to have power thrust upon you and not think about them . penned by : g .

「 victoria justice , twenty five , demi-female + she/her 」 ˚╰ ❃ ╮ did you know VILLANELLE'S real name is OKSANA ASTANKOVA ?! around the island they seem to be quite bright , but also volatile , but it makes sense given they are a CONTRACT ASSASSIN and come from KILLING EVE . you can hear DANGEROUS by BIG DATA blasting from their house , but be careful ! they can be agitated as nightmares bring back memories of LEAVING EVE . even so , it’s impossible to see moving undetected in the middle of the day at a public venue , unnecessarily creative kills for targets, outlandishly fashionable outfits for the most mundane social outings &. splurging on expensive alcohol and not think about them . penned by : g .

#inf.accepted #star wars rp #pjo rp #lore olympus rp #disney rp #multifandom rp #appless rp #**cHEFS KISS**#also ignore me accepting my own app #admin — 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐌𝐍 *

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lordgeebsdom · 5 years ago

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2019, a year in review: Superlative Edition

-Gareth Bill

Athlete of the year: Lamar Jackson - QB Baltimore Ravens. HM: Kawhi Leonard - SF Toronto/LA

Lamar Jackson came out of nowhere to light the league on fire in 2019 breaking Michael Vick’s all-time record for rushing yards by a Quarterback and redefining the position in the process. From his five touchdown performance in Miami to being the assumed MVP, there wasn’t a week where Lamar Jackson didn’t dominate headlines and he continues to show superiority as Baltimore has secured the Number 1 seed in the AFC. Honorable mention goes to Kawhi Leonard for producing the first ever buzzer beater in a game 7 in NBA history and for also bringing Canada their first NBA title. Even against a Kevin Durant-less Golden State Warriors team, Leonard stepped up and delivered when it counted most.

Song of the year: Lost Lately- San Holo. HM: Daemon Veil - EPROM & G Jones

Sander van Dijck, better known by his stage name “San Holo” surprised us with “Lost Lately” in June of this year. A melancholic and melodic ballad of discovery and feeling “lost in aftermath of a breakup” spoke to feelings of insecurity and extends a friendly hand to those in need. From an endearing marketing campaign featuring “lost” posters where fans could call a “helpline” to hear an exclusive sample of the song, to a music video taken straight from EDC: Bitbird executed an almost perfect build and drop for “Lost Lately.” Great followup work to last years “Album1” and I definitely am excited about his future projects for 2020. Honorable mention goes to the IDM monster “Daemon Veil” by EPROM and G Jones. Plain and simple, I loved this ear worm. There’s so much going on from the initial baseline drop to the stuttering minefield of drops and turns that follows before a calming conclusion. Every time I hear this track, I see it too: the flying snares, the zips, zooms and wubs, the story it tells me….its captivating and satisfying. While it isn’t as friendly for casual listening like my 2018 song of the year “Time” (also by G Jones), Daemon Veil is an IDM banger that I’ll continue to blast well into 2020 and beyond.

Album of the year: Good Faith- Madeon. HM: Hollywood’s Bleeding - Post Malone

This was a tough call for me, there was a lot of great albums that came to us in 2019 but Madeon’s “Good Faith” stands tall above the rest. From the initial singles of “All My Friends,” and “Dream, Dream, Dream,” to the unexpected bangers of “Miracle,” and “No Fear, No More,”: “Good Faith” makes a solid argument not just for album of the year but possibly even for the decade and I simply cannot recommend it enough. Honorable Mention goes to “Hollywood’s Bleeding” by Post Malone. Like many, I have thoroughly enjoyed the evolution of Post Malone from SoundCloud sensation to certified super-star, and “Hollywood’s Bleeding” continues to show us that this artist is just getting started. I loved “Goodbyes,” “Circles,” “Sunflower,” and many other tracks on that album, and I’m confident many others did as well. Rapper, Rockstar, Soul-singer and bro: best of luck in 2020 and beyond Post, we’re all eagerly watching.

Movie of the year: Its a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. HM: Avengers: Endgame

Easily the most contested category of the year and the hardest decision made in these superlatives. 2019 produced some awesome films but Tom Hanks’s take on Fred Rogers gave me chills that I hadn’t felt since seeing Christopher Reeve’s Superman as a child. Like Superman, his presence among adults and children alike would universally cause awe and calm, almost god-like tranquility through security. In a year that was defined by division, unrest, cruelty, and anger: Fred Rogers reminds us that there’s still a great deal of hope for humanity, and it all starts with being a good neighbor. Young, old and everyone in between can learn something from this deeply affecting story about humanity and connection. Honorable mention goes to Avengers: Endgame for managing to be the only major franchise ending this year (Game of Thrones, Avengers, Star Wars) that managed to do it with a consensus BANG! It was a 3 hour film that somehow felt like an hour and half, and when Captain America held Mjornir with every Avenger ever at his back and said “Avengers, Assemble!”, I couldn’t help but fist pump with a grin from ear to ear. Tony Stark’s dying words of “I am Iron-Man,” gave me goosebumps and Black Widow’s death made me feel genuine loss: The Marvel Cinematic Universe managed to execute a singular plan and vision over 23 films and that is truly exceptional.

Actor/Actress of the year: Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur/Joker. HM: Florence Pugh - Midsommar

Joaquin Phoenix’s long anticipated and controversial performance as Joker was the best singular work I saw this year. Authentic, gut-wrenching, thought-provoking, and anything but boring: Joker gave us the next step in comic book cinema and a new cultural icon in the process. Arthur Fleck is a poster child for mental illness, something that currently is at the forefront of our society and gave the general public a poster child for such conditions. Phoenix’s Joker will one day be recognized in the same light as we currently see Che: an underdog figure of resistance and revolution standing against a seemingly unstoppable status quo and inspiring the unseen masses in the process. Honorable mention has to go to one of my new favorites in Florence Pugh and her performance as Dani in “Midsommar”. Her pain, confusion, and ultimate triumph that unravels throughout a trip to a small village in Europe during their mid-summer festival is the stuff of “slow-burn horror” wet-dreams. There’s a scene early on where her character has to convey immense grief after suffering a personal tragedy and I can still hear that crying in the most haunting way. Pugh’s performance stuck with me in a year full of great ones, and I’m very excited to see her future work including “Black Widow” in May.

Television show of the year: Watchmen- HBO. HM: Good Omens - Amazon Prime

Watchmen blew my mind, and I the less I say about it, the better. A continuation of the story told in my favorite book of all-time, “Watchmen” managed to tie together many loose plot threads from that story while also moving the universe forward in new and exciting ways that matched the tone of the graphic novel. Regina King’s “Sister Night” was a complex, likable, and tragic protagonist uniquely qualified to walk us through this new chapter, and without spoiling things anymore than I already may have: YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS. Honorable Mention goes to Good Omens on Amazon Prime. To any familiar with the story or Neil Gaiman’s work in general, you know what to expect: deep stories, complex and likable characters, and witty dialogue that will make you pause and think or laugh feverishly in equal measure. Its only 5 episodes, so there’s really no excuse to not dive into this one and see how the world ends…..or rather was supposed to…

Game of the year: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - PS4/XboxOne/PC. HM: Apex Legends - PS4/PC/XboxOne

From Softwares’ “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” stands tall in a year that finally saw long awaited projects like Obsidian’s “Outer Worlds” and Kojima’s “Death Stranding” get long-awaited releases. An exciting and more stealthy evolution of the Dark Souls combat system made me feel like a real Ninja for the first time since Ninja Gaiden Black on my original Xbox. The demanding, but fair gameplay combined with a variation of environments including haunted Japanese forests, Sengoku Temples, Palaces and gory battlefields came together to give the most complete package I played in 2019. Just don’t be too surprised if the final boss gives you problems because that f***er can almost made me break a controller. Honorable mention goes to the game that managed to dethrone “Fortnite” as the most popular game for like a whole two months. Respawn entertainment developed the awesome Titanfall series that I personally enjoyed and rumors had been circulating for quite awhile that they were looking to expand Titanfall into the booming genre of BR or Battle Royale. Apex Legends is the answer to those prayers and still continues to push out new skins, content and weapons at a regular rate. Did I mention it is also completely free to play?

Story of the year: President Trump becomes the third President to ever be impeached 12/19

HM: Henry Nobrega wins the fucking BVN Football Fantasy Football title. 11/19

To be perfectly honest, this is the first category that really could have gone either way for me. President Trump becoming the third President in US history to be impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of congress was massive; regardless of how you feel about President Orangutan. His tenure as President has produced a number of newsworthy moments but this story stood out among the others for sheer importance and international embarrassment. Speaking of embarrassment, that’s essentially what my good friend Henry’s fantasy football team has managed to be every year that I’ve played with him. A perennial basement dweller that typically auto drafts due to some BS excuse, and a resident near the bottom of our power rankings but this year he flipped that script on its head. He managed to draft my Athlete of the year, Lamar Jackson, and the last great white running back in Christian McCaffrey. Not only did Henry surpass his preseason ranking of bottom, he managed to win both regular season and postseason titles and beat a solid team by Graham Heck in the process. I got love for you bro, but I’m still perplexed on how your season managed to be as dominant as it was. Sorry Greta Thunberg, but these stories had my jaw on the floor, maybe next year lil’ Queen.

Meme of the year: Baby Yoda of the Disney+ show “The Mandolorian”

Was there every really a doubt here? Baby Yoda or “The Child” as he’s known on the show is the biggest pop culture icon born on the internet in 2019. The gap between Baby Yoda and what I considered to be an honorable mention was so wide that he will officially stand alone in this category. Baby Yoda’s cuteness managed to melt even my stone cold heart this year and that is absolutely an achievement. What made this creature so endearing was the universal applicability though music, sports, culture, and food: Baby Yoda was everywhere and the internet found common ground and shared meaning through sharing little graphics everywhere prominently featuring him as the centerpiece. Well played Jon Favreau, we love this little guy and everyone thanks you for creating him.

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kitashiwrites · 8 years ago

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Friendly Fire - A Lucien Fic

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Characters: Lucien, Cassian POV: Lucien Rating: G Word Count: 2242 Ao3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/10649523/

Summary: When Cassian finds Lucien blowing off some steam in the Night Court, the two unwittingly find themselves as sparring partners for the afternoon. But what starts as friendly fire quickly turns to an unexpected confidence that allows them both to break down some of the demons that have been chasing them and find a friend they never knew they needed.

Comments: Hello everyone! Look, another Lucien POV! Not the one I originally planned, but another one anyway! This one comes from a request posted on the @acotarkinkmeme, but is one of the few safe for work requests.

Prompt: “Lucien and Cassian Brotp; again, when Lucien comes to the night court, Cassian uses sparring lessons to show Lucien that the Illyrians aren’t monsters, he shows him what an actual friend looks like. Parallel to the scene between him and Feyre in ACOMAF where she breaks down. I just want Lucien to have a friend okay??”

The biggest thanks to @illyriantremors, who despite having not read this beforehand has heard me talk about it enough that she was able to put together a summary & title because I failed after hours of trying, as well as helped by giving me help with ideas for conversations between these two. I would be lost without her lol So here you go! Hopefully it meets your expectations requester! Enjoy! :)

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The Night Court was far more beautiful than I had ever imagined.

Well, specifically Velaris. But it was hard to merge together the stories of the most wicked of the seven courts with this… peaceful, cultural haven. I had wandered through the streets looking at brightly colored shops and vendors at different points since I had arrived here, smelling the spices and food, admiring the beautiful architecture that I could probably stare at for hours on end. The sound of music wafting from the theaters that I wanted to visit, calling to my soul in a way I hadn't felt since I had been young in the Autumn Court—before everything went to hell.

I wondered if I could ever enjoy it as I once did.

But now I hit the training dummy on the rooftop of what Feyre called the House of Wind with my sword every which way and felt like a complete idiot, and it only made me hit it harder. I had lost track of how long I’d been out here, but I wasn't ready to quit yet. It was cathartic.

“Your technique is awful,” a voice called from behind me. I turned to see the smirking Illyrian commander—Cassian, I had to remind myself—leaning lazily against the nearby wall with his arms crossed.

“How long have you been standing there?” I asked, displeased that I had an audience.

The smirk grew wider, into an outright grin. “Long enough to know you wouldn't last in a real sword fight.”

“What do you know about swordsmanship?” I snapped, sheathing my sword and scowling at him. I had held a blade in my hand since before I could remember—trained with it almost as long. He pushed himself off the railing and reached behind his back, unsheathing a sword that I hadn't even seen. It was a beautiful blade—from the similar look to Tamlin's knives, it was Illyrian made—and with a few steps and one swipe of the blade, the head of the training dummy was on the floor, rolling away.

“Plenty.”

My hand gripped the pommel of my sword. “Effective, but that is hardly what I would call finesse,” I scoffed, trying not to give away the slight fear I felt. Cassian shrugged.

“Fights usually aren't pretty. Sometimes it's kill or be killed out there—doesn't matter how, just that the result is in your favor.”

“Spoken like a true Illyrian,” I snapped. Their ruthlessness on the battlefield was legendary, and I was starting to see how it could be true.

“I should hope so.” He gave me a sly look. “How about a friendly match? Your style versus mine. First to three strikes wins.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And how do I know you aren't going to cheat? Illyrians aren't exactly known for their honor,” I said flatly.

“You’re right; you don't, and they aren't. Especially Illyrian bastards.” He grinned wolfishly. “But I don't know if you will be honorable either, being from Spring and all.” He rolled his neck and gave me a grin that made me unsure this spar was going to be as friendly as he claimed. “So what's it gonna be?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You're serious?”

“You want to mouth off, then back it up.” Cassian positioned himself in a fighting stance and held the sword in his hand with a different style than I had ever seen. I nodded and fell into my familiar stance—one that was as familiar as breathing.

I shifted my foot. Before I could blink, the flat of his blade was against my arm.

“One-zero,” he said with a cocky grin. “Pay attention.” I scowled as he stepped back and got into position again. This time when he lunged, I managed to dodge and circle him, but it was almost impossible with the wings that protruded from his back. I launched myself at his back, for the scabbard I saw was placed along his spine, between where his wings protruded from his back. The flat of my blade landed on his chest as he whirled around.

“One-one,” I said.

“One-one,” he agreed, “but a word of warning—try to hit the wings again, and I promise it will not be the flat of my blade that you find buried in your heart.” His tone was light, but I could tell there was a very real threat behind it.

I positioned myself defensively again, keeping an eye on him as we waited for the other to make their move. “Protective much?” I called out. Faster than I could blink, his sword tapped my stomach.

“Two-one.” I scowled at him, but didn't reply. “We’re trained from birth to protect our wings at all costs,” he offered in explanation. “I already almost lost them once. That was enough.” The image of Hybern flashed through my head—the agonized scream that had ripped through the air as that powerful blast had been shot at the poisoned Shadowsinger and how he had shielded him. In the light, I could see the scars and raised tissue that mottled the wings of the man in front of me. He winced almost imperceptibly as he shifted one of them.

“It gets easier,” I said suddenly.

“What does?” I got a lucky hit in against his other arm. Two-two.

I gestured to his wings. He laughed bitterly.

“What would you know about that?” I raised an eyebrow and tapped my metal eye. He winced at the action.

“Oh. Right.” We continue circling each other, waiting for our opening.

“When I came to, after it happened, I felt like my entire head was being torn in two,” I said. I wasn't even sure why I was telling him, but I felt like I should say something. “I was surprised it was only one eye, and I hated it. I’d have rather lost both eyes and been blind to the world if it meant I didn’t have to see what a disfigured mess I’d become.”

“So what got you over it?” Cassian asked, curiosity coloring his voice. He had stopped moving, though his sword remained out.

I snorted and lowered my sword, though I remained aware of where he was. In case he was trying to lower my guard. “I got stuck with that abysmal fox mask for fifty years and suddenly, one eye didn’t seem like such problem.” Cassian laughed bitterly.

“Yeah, well there's no cure all for these. You can't bring back what once was lost.” He shook his wings slightly and winced.

“Have you tried working with them?” I asked.

“No good,” he said almost dismissively. “They hurt too much if I try to get airborne. They've told me if I strain them—”

“Have they told you that you can never fly again?” I interrupted.

His brow furrowed. “They—”

“Have they told you that you can't fly.”

He shook his head. “No.”

“So then why are you here harassing me? You should be working with them. Prove to them that you are a stubborn bastard.”

He chuckled. “You don't know how literal your statement actually is. That’s why I was here. Because Mor got tired of watching me mope and sicked my High Lord and High Lady on me. Imagine my surprise that my quiet training place was already occupied. Speaking of which,” he crossed his arms again, “how did you get up here? There is literally a thousand stairs and the House is protected against winnowing.”

“Feyre offered to take me when I asked if there was a place I could practice without interruption. Obviously she was mistaken.” Cassian chuckled.

“Or she did it on purpose. She knows I like to come here.” He tilted his head. “So why were you out here?” he asked. There was no mocking in his tone.

“I don't belong here,” I confessed. “When I came to the Night Court with Feyre and requested an audience with the High Lord, I didn't expect to feel like I was going Under the Mountain again. But walking into that throne room of his—theirs—watching her turn into a completely different person before my eyes and take a seat on his lap as a crown appeared on her head... until they dismissed everyone, I thought I had just walked into my death.” I took a seat on the ground, not feeling like sparring anymore. “I didn't agree with what Tamlin did, I didn't like that he went to Hybern to force Feyre to come ho—back to Spring. But I didn't do anything about it. I let him put Prythian in danger, even though I saw the warning signs. And when things got too bad, I ran.” It was the first time I had said all of this out loud, even to myself.

“The first step to healing is accepting you were wrong.” I scowled at him, but he didn't laugh. If anything, he looked thoughtful.

“I see a lot of the issues Feyre came to Velaris with in you, too,” he continued. “I wonder if it is just a Spring Court thing?”

I frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Feyre had a similar reaction,” he said softly, taking a seat on the ground next to me, “when she first came here. She blamed herself for the deaths of the two faeries she had to kill Under the Mountain. She punched holes in my protective gloves right on this same rooftop, with fire.” He paused. “Say, doesn't that belong to your court, fox-boy?”

“That hasn't been my court in a long time,”I gritted out. “And it's Lucien, not fox-boy.”

There was that mocking grin again. “Would you prefer I call you something else? I’m sure Foxy—”

“On second thought, fox-boy is fine,” I amended hastily. He chuckled.

“Fine, Lucien. Anyway, she blamed herself so much that she admitted that she just wanted enough time after freeing you all from the curse to turn the knife on herself.” I couldn't hide the shock I felt, though if he noticed, Cassian didn't acknowledge it.

“She was a mess when she came out of that court,” he continued. “And after we got back from Hybern and Az and I found out that our brother's mate, our friend and practically our sister, had been taken back to Spring—that she had sacrificed herself for us to escape… that was bad enough. But when Rhys revealed he had made her his High Lady… Prythian was lucky that Rhys was so adamant that she could handle herself and ordered us to let her do what she wanted without interference unless she asked. We would have razed the Spring Court, damn the consequences, to get her back. Even if it cost us our lives.”

“You are very devoted to him,” I said plainly. “And to Feyre.”

Cassian nodded. “The Court of Dreams is based on three things: to defend, to honor, and to cherish.” He shrugged. “The rules we follow are flexible, but as long as what we do doesn't break one of those three creeds or put our Court in danger, Rhys doesn't care. But there is still a level of earned trust. That you came to the Court of Nightmares to bring her home, to ask them to allow you to help, and neither Feyre or Rhys turned you away tells me that they trust you. The fact that you are still here and neither Azriel or Amren has killed you in your sleep tells me that you're a decent enough man.”

I mulled over his words for a moment. “You are not what I expected,” I said finally. And I meant it.

He snickered. “What, did you think the whole Night Court was like the Court of Nightmares?”

I had indeed. That's all I had ever seen. It's all Prythian had ever seen.

He seemed to take my silence for the agreement it was, and sobered a bit looking up at the darkening sky. “To be honest though, in that mountain city, we all wear masks. They may not be like the one you were cursed with—not as visible—but just as real. We play the monsters, Feyre included, to keep the people here safe. To keep each other safe. We feel trapped there, but at least we know we will get out. The camps, for all their brutality, we can keep in line. Because they still have more honor than some of the highest ranking denizens of that cesspit in the Hewn City.”

Before I could ask what he meant, Cassian suddenly stood up, surprisingly gracefully for the wings, and held out a hand to help me up.

“We’re all going to Rita's soon. Mor’s idea as usual. Why don't you join us?”

I shook my head. “I don't—”

“You are coming, and that's final.” He smiled. “If Feyre is going to include you with the Inner Circle, there are some duties you must fulfill as one of our friends.”

Friends. “Such as?”

He smirked. “Helping Az and I take Rhys for all he’s worth in cards until Mor manages to convince Az to join her out on the dance floor. Besides, we’re tied two for two, but there are other ways we can compete to see who gets that final point.”

It sounded ridiculous. But it also sounded fun.

I gave him the most genuine smile I had given anyone since I had come here. “Count me in.”

#Friendly Fire #acotarkinkmeme #Lucien #Cassian #Lucien and Cassian Brotp #kitashiwrites #my fic #acomaf fanfiction

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violaswimmer · 8 years ago

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Well, Shit. (A Voltron Fanficiton)

You remember when I said I can’t write fanficiton for shit? Well here we go! My best attempt! If you like it please let me know! I’m working on Chapter 2! Takes place after season 2, after finding Shiro (because Shiro will come back I will not accept anything else omg).

CHAPTER 2 IS NOW HERE: http://violaswimmer.tumblr.com/post/156953215941/well-shit-a-voltron-fanficiton-chapter-2

AND SO IS CHAPTER 3:

http://violaswimmer.tumblr.com/post/157047198811/well-shit-a-voltron-fanfiction-chapter-3

ALSO CHAPTER 4:

http://violaswimmer.tumblr.com/post/157157013206/well-shit-a-voltron-fanfiction-chapter-4

AND CHAPTER 5:

http://violaswimmer.tumblr.com/post/157254073496/well-shit-a-voltron-fanfiction-chapter-5

AND CHAPTER 6:

http://violaswimmer.tumblr.com/post/157296304031/well-shit-a-voltron-fanfiction-chapter-6

AND CHAPTER 7!

http://violaswimmer.tumblr.com/post/157378879001/well-shit-a-voltron-fanfiction-chapter-7

CHAPTER 8:

http://violaswimmer.tumblr.com/post/157547824756/well-shit-a-voltron-fanfiction-chapter-8

CHAPTER 9:

http://violaswimmer.tumblr.com/post/157710839871/well-shit-a-voltron-fanfiction-chapter-9

CHAPTER 10:

http://violaswimmer.tumblr.com/post/157841715481/well-shit-a-voltron-fanficition-chapter-10

ALSO YOU CAN READ THE WHOLE SERIES ON ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN: http://archiveofourown.org/works/10025633

Lance and the Voltron Team go on a mission that goes horribly wrong. Lance is left behind to be interrogated by the mysterious Galra Prince Lotor. The team must rush to get him back at all costs.

Chapter 1: Well, Great.

Lance awoke to the same face he had been seeing for a while now. That’s the thing about space, it’s hard to tell the time. But this Prince Lotor guy was making it even harder since he didn’t let Lance sleep more than an hour at a time, well he hoped it was an hour.

Team Voltron had been floating across the galaxy and found a distress beacon from a nearby planet. When they landed Allura asked the people what was wrong since they seemed pretty peachy for apparently being under distress. They lead the Voltron team to these large trees, like huge, way bigger than Earth’s trees. They entered a kind of makeshift elevator and when they reached the top they saw the problem.

A huge Galra ship hanging in the sky above them. No movement, nothing firing, just sitting there in the atmosphere above the planet. Obviously the people had panicked, sounded the distress beacon but the ship hadn’t done anything for a full week. The ship was making the people nervous so they left the beacon on hoping someone would come help them.

It was weird. Really weird. So of course they had to check it out. Team Voltron. Wooh. Anyway so eventually they went back to the castle. Allura and Coran did every scan they thought of and well they found no signs of life. Also weird. But they couldn’t destroy the ship, not from the castle. The shields were still up and they had to be disabled. So someone, namely Pidge had to get on the ship, disable the shield and get out so the castle could blast it out of the sky. Simple.

First of all Lance was the only one to think that maybe this wasn’t a great idea. Everyone else was convinced the scans worked, that no one was on the ship. Of course they went in still on alert but you know, things never go well for the paladin in blue. So Pidge was escorted by Lance and Keith while Hunk and Shiro waited with the castle just in case.

They entered the ship no problem. Not a big deal. Even got to the control panel without a hitch. But as soon as Pidge so much as touched the console things went to shit, real quick. When Pidge touched the console it set off some sort of alarm, out of nowhere Lance heard guards gathering outside the control room door. He and Keith readied their bayards then the comms went nuts. Shiro, Hunk and the castle had been surrounded by a Galra fleet. There was no escape. It had been a trap.

So Lance made a decision and a dangerous one. Without thinking he grabbed Keith and Pidge by the back of their uniforms and threw them over the edge of the control board, down a long drop where a vent lead to the outside of the ship. Pidge made a surprise squeak with Keith yelling Lance’s name. Lance turned and began to fire on the Galra soldiers. He knew what he had to do.

“I’m gonna blow the ship. Get as far away as you can, wormhole out if you have to!” He shouted over the comms.

There was muffled sounds of protest from Shiro and Hunk before the comms went dead completely. Great now they couldn’t communicate. The guards were piling through the door like mice escaping a hole. He had to hope that by now Pidge and Keith had made it far enough away, he couldn’t hold them any longer. So he turned his back, taking what cover he could from the tons of fire. He aimed at the crystal in front of him. He needed to break it. So he looked where he could fire. Where the crystal attached, he’s sure he can hit it. He aims, a shot from one of the guards hits him in the shoulder. Doesn’t matter. He breathes and fires. The shot hit sure and true and the crystal began to crack, sparks coming from it. Lance jumped into the cavern, going down the shaft to the vent. The crystal explodes.

Lance can’t hear anything, the explosion must have blown an ear drum. His back feels hot, spinning out of control into open air, jet pack not functioning. Great. Blue isn’t near enough to get to him. He had no idea how the castle was if everyone was okay. But the g-forces were causing his head to spin and he began to lose consciousness. His last thought was, I hope everyone gets out okay. Lance’s vision goes black as he continues to tumble towards the planet’s surface.

Everyone sees it, they hear it too. Keith and Pidge managed to get back to the castle in one piece right before the whole ship goes up. The explosion would have been spectacular if it wasn’t so frightening. Hunk and Shiro stopped fight just of a moment in sheer horror as the whole ship explodes. Lance was on that ship.

But the explosion works. The fleet takes damage, the explosion bigger than usual since they were fighting in the atmosphere rather than space. It takes out several ships. They have a chance to escape.

But everyone is frozen. Until they see it. A tiny figure tail spinning out of control in a blue and white suit.

“Lance!” Shiro shouts, trying to get to him before he hits the surface. But enemies were replacing the destroyed ones and he couldn’t get there in time.

Suddenly the ship that had hung back for the entire battle did something none of them expected. It sent out a beam of purple light and shined it on Lance’s out of control form. Lance’s body went limp, still and then slowly began to drag him toward the Galra ship.

Keith yelled, “They’re taking him!”

“We have to get him!” Pidge insisted. She hated the way he was limp, was he unconscious or worse?

They rushed to go get their lions. But Allura’s voice stopped them.

“YOU CANNOT!” She shouted.

Everyone paused even Shiro and Hunk who were still fighting outside the castle but they heard it over the comms. They had never heard Allura scream like that.

“We must wormhole out, we cannot win this fight.” She said this time barely a whisper.

There was a stunned silence before Keith of all people shouted.

“That’s LANCE out there! He just risked his life to give us a chance! We can’t abandon him!” Keith said, outraged.

Allura took in a breath.

“That is exactly why we need to go. Now. Lance bought us time. We can’t waste it.” She turned to them, tears in her eyes. Keith’s rage quickly melted.

“We will come back for him. We will find him and bring him home. However we need to be alive to do that. I’m certain we would not survive an assault on that ship. We must leave. Now.” Allura said tears streaking down her cheeks.

She wiped them the best she could and went to the comms telling Hunk and Shiro to come back. They were going to wormhole out. Reluctantly they came back, looking pale and worried. The ship made the wormhole, leaving the Galra and Lance behind.

Lance’s head felt heavy. His back felt worse, dry and stinging. He was being suspended against a wall. Arms, legs and torso bound by heavy thick clamps on the walls. Everything hurt. He slowly raised his head, moving it seemed to make it worse but he needed to see where he was. He knew he wasn’t in the castle but where exactly was he?

He blinked his eyes. Realizing quickly that one was having trouble seeing, which is a great thing to add to his ever growing list of problems. The room was dark with metal floors, walls and ceiling. Purple lights lined the walls in a linear pattern. He recognized that purple anywhere. He was on a Galra ship. Great.

He spent time looking over his injuries. He took a shot to the shoulder, he remembered that. But the rest must have been from the explosion or the free fall. His back was burnt, realizing the sensation. His left eye couldn’t see very well, vision was dark and tinted red. He could feel a cut over his eyebrow pulsing and swollen. His jaw felt fat and burned. The clamps were holding him to the wall a bit too tight and it seemed hard to draw a good breath. What a mess.

Soon the door flew open, showering the room in purple light. A tall man stepped in, long white hair and purple skin. Yellow almost glowing eyes looked at Lance with an interest that made his skin crawl. He was wearing armor, fancy armor. This guy was definitely in charge. Lance smirked, confidence couldn’t fail him now.

“Who are you? Zarkon’s replacement?” Lance asked, smug

The man took a moment and smiled.

“Yes, something like that.” He confirmed.

Lance was a little stunned, he honestly hadn’t expected him to answer.

“What, really?!” Lance asked, shocked.

The man smiled.

“My name is Prince Lotor, I am Zarkon’s son.” He took a step forward, examining Lance a little closer.

Once satisfied with being a creep he backed off.

”I must inform you that your fellow paladins have abandoned you.” Lotor said.

Lance breathed a small breath of relief. So they did get out. Good. That’s good, Lance thought although he couldn’t help the lump forming in his throat.

“Oh don’t worry, they’ll be back.” Lance said confidently.

Well he hoped anyway. Lotor paused and smile kept on his face.

“If that’s the case, how about we get started?”

Lance swallowed the lump was getting bigger. Two guards from the hallway came through the door.

“Bring it big ears.” Lance smirked.

Lotor’s face didn’t change, not even a twitch of anger. Now that Lance could see him up close, for a Galra he was pretty handsome. Nice hair. Although he seemed not all Galra. Lance wasn’t sure how he knew that but something about him read a little more of something else.

Lotor took a step closer, the guards following him closely as a flood of more people came into the room. Druids, that’s what their called. Cloaked with masks but the creepy witch lady wasn’t there which was a relief. But they shuffled in with metal floating boxes and began to take out what Lance had to guess was torture devices which wasn’t so great.

Lotor began to talk.

“You are the blue paladin of Voltron, riding the blue lion which also is a leg of Voltron. You were injured due to the explosion on the false ship over the planet of Neva. You escaped through a vent but the explosion was rather close to you. You were sent into the atmosphere were the gravity forced you unconscious. Our ship rescued you before you hit the planet. Once on board we treated some of your wounds so you did not die. But we left the majority that were not life threatening. Once you were brought aboard our ship the rest of the paladins used the explosion to escape us via wormhole.” Lotor smiled.

“This is the information we know. You see Zarkon was not one to share information with others. He unfortunately did not leave me any information about Voltron or its paladins. So I must gather the information myself.” He paused as a druid handed him something small and metallic.

The lump in Lance’s throat was growing bigger. He wanted to go home. He was scared. Terrified. But somewhere in the back of his mind which was flooded with terror rose something else. He remembered he protected the team. They were fine and were going to live for another day. Something in Lance clicked in place like a gear in his body was replaced with something stronger.

It didn’t matter. What happened to him didn’t matter. He must do everything he can to keep everyone safe. His emotions became steel and the breath that had been coming too quickly slowed. The fear was still there but that was natural the rest was made of unmoving steel.

Lance looked at Lotor his eyes narrowing and smirk plastered all over his face. He was not afraid.

“Why don’t you just get started then? Quit the chatter.” Lance snarled.

Lotor paused and blinked momentarily surprised. But then his smile grew across his face.

“Oh. I will have fun breaking you.”

So quick. Lance didn’t even register as Lotor took the small metal object and shoved it through Lance’s hand. Lance screamed.

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obiwantwothree · 8 years ago

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Alphabet tag game!

I was tagged by @nightsofreylo YOYOYOYOYOYOYO

rules: answer the questions in a new post and tag 20 blogs

a - age: 27

b - birthplace: Oklahoma City, OK, USA

c - current time: 6:51p

d - drink you had last: iced tea

e - easiest person to talk to: My bae (or rather, my best friend whom I started to call “bae” ironically and now it sticks and we aren’t ever allowed to call anyone bae ever again)

f - favorite song: I always hate this question because in all of human history, and out of all the pieces ever written, I’m expected to pick just ONE? For this specific moment in time, though, I will say that I was introduced to the Live from Capital Studios version of “Glory” by Bastille today and UGHHH MY SOUL

g - grossest memory: It’s really TMI, but I’ll share through ask if someone really wants to know.

h - horror yes or no: OH YES PLEASE YES YES YES

i - in love? I guess. Our relationship is a lot of work.

j - jealous of people? in a superficial sense, sure. Like for instance I was ‘jealous’ of my friends who got to go to SWCO, but not actually envious. Definitely, I was way more happier for them than I was jealous for myself. Life always evens out if you give it enough time to catch up to you.

k - killed someone? Like, do video games and creative writing projects count?

l - love at first sight or should i walk past again? aaay, that’s cute. No, I don’t believe in love at first sight. Any of the people I’ve ever loved, I would have never guessed at first I would feel that deeply for them when they first came into my peripheral.

m - middle name: DANGER.

n - number of siblings: 0. I am an only child.

o - one wish: get to my goal weight so I can spend all my time costuming comfortably.

p - person i called last: Boyfriend to tell him I was coming home sick from work.

q - question you’re always asked: “did you do that yourself?”

r - reason to smile: “I saw this and thought of you,” adding something new to a collection, friends and coworkers who care about you, beating Boyfriend in video games, Pokemon safaris with friends while good or goofy music blasts away in the car, planning another trip to Disney, TAKING ANOTHER TRIP TO DISNEY, loading up the car and going on an adventure to someplace new with favorites....

s - song you last sang: I sang along with that Live from Capitol Studios verison of “Glory” by Bastille.

t - time you woke up: I woke up at 10:50a to go to work, and then after I was sent home sick I napped and woke up at 4p-ish.

u - underwear color: teal with white polka dots

v - vacation: my default vacation spot is Disney. Generally I go to Walt Disney World once a year, but every now and then I’ll go visit my friend in California and we’ll go to Disneyland. We’re going there in July after D23 this year, and closer to Christmas, Boyfriend and I are going to WDW because he hasn’t been since he was in elementary school. But I’m dying to go on another road trip to Colorado, because lemme tell ya, that was nothing short of MAGICAL.

w - worst habit: Either messiness or eating my feelings

x - xrays: I’ve had a few.

y - your favorite food: I abide by the 5 P’s and all of my friends know it. You can win my heart by making offerings to me of Pizza, Popcorn, Potatoes, Pepperoni, or Pasta.

z - zodiac sign: cancer

I’m going to tag: UUUUUUUUUHHHHhhhhhh....idk man. Probs @youimagineanocean to return the favor of the last tag :) everyone else, if you see it you’re tagged. I’m way more scared of you than you are of me.

#about me #meme #tag game #non-sw

2 notes · View notes

cassandrapascual-blog · 8 years ago

Text

OFFICIAL POST #2: INTERNET-LED REVOLUTION

There is no doubt that the internet has made an enormous impact on our lives. It has changed numerous aspects of news journalism, political communication and its citizens and audiences (Young 2010, p.203). Only since a few years ago, politicians from around the world have turned to social media to be able to connect with their potential voters and supporters. “[…] the Pew Research Centre found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of American internet users went online during the 2008 presidential election to take part in, or get news and information about, the campaign” (Young 2010, p.204) – why am I not surprised? The Internet [social media] has evolved to become an instant place to find out about the latest news. During the 2016 US election, I found myself on Twitter ‘highlights’ or Facebook live to keep updated!

I can’t continue without talking about the obvious social media influencer, current President-elect Donald Trump. He has made everyone including myself talk about what he has said on his Twitter account. With controversial tweets such as;

During his campaign, social media has become Trump’s ‘most powerful weapon’. In an interview with 60 Minutes in 2016, he says “I think [social media] helped me win all of these races where they’re [Clinton] spending much more money than I spent” (McCormick 2016). Trump continually used #MakeAmericaGreatAgain or #MAGA [which is also his campaign slogan] – this hashtag allows ‘visibility’. #MakeAmericaGreatAgain has allowed for people such as Trump to get his message across to mostly his supporters; and create a political discussion.

Enough about Trump. Let’s talk about this major positive influence.

Former US President-elect Barack Obama. He has inspired me and many others via social media. Not only did he use these platforms effectively during his campaign but also during his time as President. He used platforms such as Twitter to make “real connections with real people” rather than blasting criticism about their opponents (Jericho 2012, p.307). “Real engagement is a spontaneous, continuing process, not an announced one-off event” (Jericho 2012, p.313) - replying to followers can be one of the best that a leader can do on social media. As a leader, Obama made his followers and supporters feel important by responding on subjects such as the economy and employment.

Social media being used as a political campaign strategy is smart. Politicians are able to spread the word faster; using #hashtags to create connectivity and discussions; and reach out to a much wider [even young] audience.

Just a friendly reminder - let’s not forget what Obama once said [about social media];

“I want everybody here to be careful about what you post on Facebook, because in the YouTube age whatever you do, it will be pulled up again later somewhere in your life. That’s number one.” – Barack Obama (Jericho 2012, p.296)

Reference list:

Jericho, G 2012, 'How many votes are there on Twitter?', in The Rise of the Fifth Estate: Social Media and Blogging in Australian Politics, Scribe Publications Pty Ltd, Carlton North, pp.296-323.

McCormick, R 2016, Donald Trump says Facebook and Twitter ‘helped him win’, The Verge, viewed 28 March 2017, <http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/13/13619148/trump-facebook-twitter-helped-win>

Young, S 2010, 'News, Political Reporting and the Internet', in How Australia Decides: Election Reporting and the Media, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 203-228.

References [images]:

Inside the Obamas’ ‘Complete Break’ with British Billionaire Richard Branson After Leaving the White House [image], in People Politics 2017, Barack Obama, People Politics, viewed 29 March 2017, < http://people.com/politics/barack-obama-kitesurfing-billionaire-business-mogul-caribbean-vacation/>

#mda20009 #trump #election #obama #media #digital #communities

0 notes

krisiunicornio · 6 years ago

Link

Hot yoga fans swear by the benefits of heat, but frosty temps may actually take your practice to the next level. We shivered our way through a “cool yoga” class to give you the scoop.

Cryotherapy helps reduce inflammation and remove toxins from the body.

It’s a Monday afternoon and I’m freezing my rear off—willingly—in a metal tube that looks straight out of a science fiction movie. To make matters even chillier in this bone-chilling chamber, I’m in my birthday suit, with the exception of socks, clogs, and mittens.

Why am I torturing myself like this? I’ve spent the past several weeks testing cryotherapy, a.k.a. cold therapy, at New York City’s NKD NYC and Cryofuel, along with yoga and fitness classes at brrrn, the world’s first cold temperature fitness concept studio, which opened earlier this year.

What Is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy, which exposes the body to extremely cold temperatures, is having a moment in the fitness world. Proponents tout its post-workout recovery benefits. A typical whole-body cryotherapy session involves spending 3 minutes (any longer risks hypothermia) within a sub-zero chamber set anywhere from -150 to -300°F. Similar to an ice bath, cryogenic temperatures cause blood vessels in surface skin and muscle tissue to constrict, forcing blood away from peripheral tissues and toward the core, where the body’s natural filtration system works to remove toxins. In turn, this reduces inflammation, eases pain, accelerates muscle recovery, boosts metabolism, increases circulation, and improves sleep, says Erin Hamilton, General Manager of NKD NYC, a luxury wellness center that specializes in cryotherapy.

See also 7 Yoga Poses That’ll Help You Fall Asleep Faster

Hollywood is also catching on to the trend. Actor/producer Mark Wahlberg recently went viral after posting his (slightly insane) fitness routine on Instagram, in which he detailed his post-workout recovery in a cryogenic chamber—after waking up at 2:30 a.m. to start the day and exercise.

After both of my cryotherapy sessions—one at NKD NYC and one at CryoFuel, another luxury wellness center that specializes in cryotherapy—I hoped to find relief from an intense few days working out and teaching back-to-back yoga classes, as well as the occasional ache in my right ankle after tearing several ligaments years ago. While I didn’t notice a difference in my ankle, I felt slightly less sore, and I did sleep exceptionally well on both nights. It didn’t hurt that both of my sessions took place on humid summer days, making the sub-zero temps (almost) refreshing. I left feeling revitalized, calm, and simultaneously energetic.

Crystal Fenton doing cool yoga at brrrn in New York City.

Cryotherapy and Yoga: Is ‘Cool Yoga’ the Next Hot Yoga?

Cool temperatures (not sub-zero, but cooler than room temperature) may also provide an optimal environment for more effective, efficient workouts, according to proponents. “In ambient or hot environments, your perceived rate of exertion is higher,” says brrrn co-founder Johnny Adamic. “This means your body thinks it’s working harder than it actually is, while in cooler temperatures—anywhere from 40-64°F—your perceived rate of exertion is lower, which means you can work out harder and sustain your maximal best performance for longer,” adds brrrn co-founder Jimmy Martin. “If you’re looking to burn fat, more calories, and optimize athletic performance, it makes a whole lot of sense to turn the thermostat down instead of up for exercise.”

But is the same true when it comes to yoga? According to Adamic, the answer is yes. “The biggest benefit of yoga in 60°F is that it’s cool enough to trigger what’s called ‘mild cold stress,’ where the body burns fat and more calories,” he explains. “It also takes longer for the body to fatigue, allowing you to challenge yourself by holding poses, creating increased flexibility and more space within the body. Most importantly, you are creating your own heat, rather than relying on the technology of centralized heat to keep you warm.”

See also 7 Yoga Poses to Open Your Heart and Shoulders

Plus, the studio is more brisk than cold. “We say it’s cool, not cold yoga,” says Adamic. “Think crisp fall morning, instead of dark wintery night.”

One added bonus of cool yoga may win over germaphobes: “Hot yoga creates a giant petri-like dish of bacteria,” says Adamic. The brrn co-founders also don’t see a benefit in dehydrating the body and losing electrolytes from sweating so much.“Excessive sweating has become the measure for a great workout, when in reality, that benchmark should be the body’s cooling to prevent us from cooking our internal organs.”

Hot yoga devotees aren’t convinced. “I certainly do not agree with the claim that a heat-building practice contributes to cooking our internal organs,” says Leah Cullis, a Baptiste Yoga master teacher and author of Power Yoga: Strength, Sweat, and Spirit, adding that it may take longer to access the physical benefits of yoga when practicing in a cold room. “Heat is strengthening, cleansing, and purifying, as it softens the muscles and tissues of the body and makes the body more receptive. When you practice in a heated room, heat becomes a tool to get into the body faster,” she explains. “You can shape your body in ways that might not seem possible when you first start your yoga practice. Heat melts away layers of resistance and old holding patterns, physically and energetically.” Sweat also naturally heals the body by releasing toxins, she adds.

Despite the colder temperature, you can still sweat during cool yoga.

Feeling the Brrrn: YJ Tries Cool Yoga

Despite the initial chill, I broke a sweat at brrrn, which offers a trifecta of 50-minute classes: FLOW (Yoga-Inspired Mobility and Strength Series at 60°F), SLIDE (Core & Cardio Slide Board Series at 55°F), and HIT (High Intensity Training Battle Rope Infused Series at 45°F).

FLOW, the warmest of brrrn’s classes, utilizes yoga-inspired movements to lengthen, strengthen, align, as well as connect the mind, body, and breath. Each class takes you through a sequence of traditional vinyasa poses, including Downward-Facing Dog, Upward-Facing Dog, Plank, Warrior, Twists, Lunges, Squats, and Side Plank, and more complex shapes, such as Fallen Triangle.

See also How Yogis Do Squat: Malasana

See also Yoga for Inner Peace: 12 Poses to Release Sadness

About the Author Crystal Fenton is a yoga teacher and writer based in New York City.

0 notes

tradeshowguy · 6 years ago

Text

7 Tips for Boosting Your Tradeshow Booth Traffic

This is a guest post by Lee Becknell.

While the reasons for attending a tradeshow are different from company to company, everyone has essentially the same tradeshow goals – we all want to spread awareness about our brand, make sales, and forge connections with new partners and customers.

Regardless of how top-notch your product or service or how flashy your booth, you won’t achieve any of these goals if you don’t have a steady stream of traffic. Get creative in your tradeshow approach so that no one can resist stopping by your exhibit.

Make your booth unmissable—Step No. 1 of effective tradeshow marketing: design a show-stopping, crowd-pleasing, sales-grabbing booth. Of course, how big and bold you can go varies greatly on your budget, but be sure to look around at some of the top tradeshow booth ideas to get some inspiration and learn how you can do more with less. You don’t necessarily have to have a huge and flashy environment to draw in more visitors. Simple but creative designs—turning your booth into an indoor garden, recreating the feel of an art gallery, or including interactive components—are the most successful in today’s tradeshow landscape. Anything that serves as a conversation piece will get people talking, generating some big-time buzz.

Dress your reps to impress—After your booth, the first thing attendees see is your reps. You should make sure that anyone representing your brand adheres to a strict dress code, and one that jives with your brand image. In other words, if your brand has a laid-back, youthful vibe—and those are characteristics of your target audience—then it’s okay to have your reps dress in jeans and company T-shirts. If you’re catering to a crowd of attendees in suits and dresses, it’s best to stick to the suits and dresses yourself. When visitors think they’ll be in like-minded company, they’re more likely to cozy up at your booth and connect with your team. Be sure that all representatives wear badges displaying their name and company to keep things professional.

Showcase your giveaways—A not-so-well-kept secret in the tradeshow world is that swag is everything. The fact of the matter is that registered attendees are much more likely to pass on your booth if they don’t believe they’ll get something out of it, whether it’s a new partnership or a free gift. Make your promotional giveaways part of the display so that passersby can see them from the aisle. It’s also a good idea to go name-brand with your freebies and to use them as incentives. Save your cool items, like custom Nike swag bags and YETI tumblers, for those who sign up or commit to a deal.

Promote your presence—Make sure that your existing customer base and networking circle knows that you’re exhibiting so they stop by and bring their friends. Be sure to schedule marketing emails and blast your social feeds with your exhibit location and encourage all of your followers to visit. Not only do you need to promote your own presence on social media, but you need to leverage the broader event pages and hashtags to get attendees who may not yet be engaged with your brand to look at your posts.

Host a giveaway—As we’ve already discussed, tradeshow attendees love free stuff. With that in mind, one of the best things you can do to entice visitors to your booth is to host a giveaway. Choose a desirable item—perhaps a gadget, a gift card, or a getaway—and make it a prominent feature of your display. Ask everyone who passes your booth to drop in a business card as their entry and designate a time and place for the official drawing at the end of the show. This is beneficial to you for many reasons. It draws attention to your booth, encourages visitors to stop by twice (once to enter and once to see who won), and earns you lots of new contacts and leads.

Get on the VR bandwagon—There are a few important technologies that you should be leveraging to get ahead in today’s tradeshow environment. The first is virtual reality. If it’s in your budget, do what you can to draw in customers with VR, primarily if what you’re selling is a place or an environment that can’t be recreated at the show. For example, the German airline Lufthansa drew major props when it invited tradeshow attendees to watch the world’s first 360-degree movie filmed on a Boeing 747 at a recent tradeshow—in virtual reality, of course. VR can help users visualize, learn, experience, and get hands-on training with your product without the need to get them in the door for a real-life demo.

Make your booth a getaway—What do tired, busy show-goers want more than anything? A place to chill. If you can make your show environment simultaneously high-energy—you want attendees to take action, after all—and relaxing, you can bet that visitors will come back again and again with friends. Whether it’s adding a TV, massage chairs, or a couple of phone chargers, anything you can do to make your booth feel homey and welcoming is a win. Just be careful about loafers! It’s important to keep the energy flowing rather than stagnant in a tradeshow environment.

Selling with a smile

One of the most important things you can do to draw more visitors to your tradeshow booth is to exhibit with a smile. Put your friendliest, most charismatic employees on the frontlines and train them to act as hosts and hostesses of your environment. If they’re able to make warm connections with people passing by, whether it be making eye contact and smiling or asking them a question, they’ll be able to help convert visitors to loyal customers. Be sure that your exhibit has an open and inviting feel no matter what.

Lee Becknell serves as the Senior Digital Marketing Manager for Pinnacle Promotions. Lee oversees digital marketing from the Atlanta, GA headquarters. Lee has been with Pinnacle for over six years. Lee enjoys spending time with her husband, son and golden retriever, running and taking naps.

The post 7 Tips for Boosting Your Tradeshow Booth Traffic appeared first on TradeshowGuy Blog.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2zj6mCr via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

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jessette20 · 6 years ago

Text

The Complete Guide to Social Media and the Beauty Industry

Social media and the beauty industry go hand in hand.

After all, beauty brands represent many of the most-followed, active accounts on Instagram in particular.

And as it should come as no surprise, those same brands are making a killing having mastered the art of social selling.

View this post on Instagram

Sunday plans: getting our skin together 🤗 . . . You’re staring at @DrunkElephant 👀 💖 #OddlySatisfying

A post shared by Sephora (@sephora) on Oct 7, 2018 at 5:06pm PDT

Rabid, engaged followers that are more than happy to spend. What more could a brand want?

Of course, the opportunities for beauty brands also signal just how competitive and cutthroat the space can be.

And while there’s plenty of attention to go around on social media for beauty brands, creating that sort of devoted, cult-like following requires careful attention to detail.

That’s why we’ve broken down the in’s and out’s of social media and the beauty industry for brands looking to stake their claim. From content ideas to techniques to streamline your social presence, we’ve got you covered.

Content ideas for social media and the beauty industry

Marketing for beauty brands affords a ton of creative freedom. Not only are brands encouraged showcase eye-popping visuals, but also speak to their followers in a unique brand voice that feels anything but “suit and tie.”

As a result, the beauty brands thriving on social media aren’t the ones blindly blasting deals and bland product photos.

Below are some compelling ideas that are staples of social media and the beauty industry. Any combination of these posts is perfect for a beauty brand’s content calendar.

How-to’s and tutorials

Most beauty content on social media is undoubtedly product-centric, but what keeps this from being excessive or off-putting is the way these brands also add value for their audience.

Instead, brands educate followers via how-to’s and tutorials. Such how-tos provide an engaging medium to show off products in action.

But rather than rely on in-depth tutorials, social media and the beauty industry is all about entertaining, bite-sized how-tos.

This tutorial from MAC Cosmetics on Pinterest is a concise example of the sort of share-worthy content beauty brands put together for their customers.

Mini beauty lessons are all the rage on Instagram as well. Whether through short videos or Instagram Stories, brands have a prime opportunity to allow their customers to serve as their creative canvas in a matter of seconds.

Some brands even publish promotional content akin to traditional commercials, much like this Instagram video from Overtone.

View this post on Instagram

ready for a teal breaker?

A post shared by oVertone (@overtonecolor) on Aug 17, 2018 at 3:16pm PDT

The creative possibilities for how-to’s and tutorials are seemingly endless on social as brands are constantly cooking up new ideas.

User-generated content

Beauty brands know all too well that their followers are oftentimes their best billboards.

As a result, user-generated content is the bread and butter of social media and the beauty industry. Encouraging followers to tag themselves in photos not only serves as social proof but creates a steady stream of organic ads to seal the deal with skeptical customers.

View this post on Instagram

My “bats” look like spiders lol but they’re bats so just imagine 😂🦇 INSPO: @makeupbyalearista ____________________________ BROWS: @anastasiabeverlyhills @norvina dipbrow in ebony EYES & FACE: @colourpopcosmetics Yes Please! Palette & Dream st. Dc: vmariexoxo5 LINER: @thebalm Schwing liner _____________________________ #colourpopme #anastasiabeverlyhills #hudabeauty #thebalmcosmetics #norvina

A post shared by SAVANNAH PEÑA (@vmariexoxo_) on Oct 5, 2018 at 1:01pm PDT

It’s no coincidence that many brands’ social are composed almost entirely of user-generated content. Through hashtags, such companies can create a powerful army of brand advocates to shout them out time and time again.

Brands like Colourpop promote their unique hashtag heavily, including in their Instagram bio…

…and on their homepage, where selected images have a chance to get featured via their on-site lookbook.

In short, hashtags and UGC are crucial to creating a much-needed sense of advocacy and community.

Giveaways and contests

Beauty brands are proof that social media contests aren’t going anywhere.

A way to both encourage new followers and reward their current ones, there’s a reason why giveaway posts are often the most liked and commented-on for many brands.

View this post on Instagram

⚡️G I V E A W A Y⚡️ Win $500 worth of @theouai products PLUS $500 worth of Milk Makeup goodies. Here's how you can win: – ⚡️Must be following @milkmakeup & @theouai (we're checking 😉) ⚡️Like this post ⚡️Tag 3 friends below ⚡️Head to @milkmakeup & repeat for another chance to win – Giveaway ‪ends Sunday 9/30 at Midnight‬ EST. CONGRATS to our two winners @gabriellapatacsil @anaypope💨 Full rules: milkmakeup.com/terms

A post shared by OUAI Haircare (@theouai) on Sep 28, 2018 at 8:17am PDT

Giveaways are more about just creating buzz and hype, though.

Tag-a-friend contests and giveaways that encourage UGC are low-hanging strategies for brands to instantly introduce themselves to entirely new audiences. Frequent giveaways provide followers a reason to stay engaged and keep their ear to the ground about what you’re going to post next. These one-off interactions can sow the seeds of long-term loyalty.

Personable posts

In addition to pushing products, thriving beauty brands also understand the importance of community.

That is, speaking your followers’ language and connecting to them on a personal level.

That’s exactly why text overlay posts, memes and inspirational quotes are peppered throughout so many beauty feeds.

View this post on Instagram

👼

A post shared by Glossier (@glossier) on Sep 11, 2018 at 9:28am PDT

These provide an opportunity to show off your brand voice while giving followers a break from being sold to. Whether humorous or otherwise, they’re a great place to show the human side of your brand.

View this post on Instagram

Be sure to TAG us in your favorite memes, gorgeous! 😂💕 #benefit

A post shared by Benefit Cosmetics US (@benefitcosmetics) on Sep 30, 2018 at 7:50am PDT

Beauty industry social media marketing trends and must-do’s

With so many brands fighting tooth and nail for new followers, the trends surrounding social media and the beauty industry are constantly changing.

And although the content highlighted above is a solid starting point, what specific strategies define the best-of-the-best in the beauty industry?

Investing in video marketing

Video marketing is oftentimes a sort of boogeyman for brands who see it as too much of a financial investment.

The reality, though? Although Instagram is rightfully considered the go-to network for beauty brands, YouTube is simply too big to ignore.

With tutorials from professionals and amateurs alike racking up millions of views, the platform’s community represents a massive window of opportunity.

youtube

As evidenced by Instagram tutorials and the popularity of beauty vloggers, video content doesn’t necessarily need to be a massive production. Some vloggers manage to create compelling content with little more than a smartphone at their disposal.

Considering that video content is the most engaging across all social networks, brands can’t afford to shy away from it anymore. The rise of Facebook Live and Instagram’s own emerging Live platform highlight once again the need for brands to play the role of director.

Running influencer campaigns

Influencers are synonymous with social media and the beauty industry.

Working with influencers is oftentimes a win-win situation. Brands are able to introduce themselves to highly engaged audiences, while the influencer gains clout from working with an established brand.

Influencer content typically performs well for the same reason that user-generated content does. That is, their posts feel organic and show off your products in a compelling way.

View this post on Instagram

@hayleyelizabethmua looking like a whole snack wearing #blurstick and #kushmascara 🔥 – Blur Stick is here to give the people what they want: Mattifying ✔️ Blurring ✔️ Silicone-free ✔️ Oil-free ✔️ – She's the whole package. Grab yours at sephora.com @sephora – PSST… something new is coming to makeup routines around you. Get ready for 8/1 🚨

A post shared by Milk Makeup (@milkmakeup) on Jul 30, 2018 at 3:00pm PDT

The key is to find influencers that align with your brand, goals and budget.

On that note, influencer marketing does not have to represent a massive investment to pay dividends.

Smaller influencers with a few thousand followers may not necessarily look like much on paper, but often beat out bigger names in terms of engagement. Either way, brands interested in influencers should test the waters first before splashing a ton of cash.

Highlight a distinct brand voice

As noted earlier, a distinct brand voice is a must-have for any beauty brand.

According to Sprout’s own data, followers appreciate when brands get real with them.

Keep this in mind when crafting captions and creating content that speaks to your followers on a personal level. Rather than just “play it safe,” don’t be afraid to get bold with your audience.

View this post on Instagram

Damn straight 💜 #UrbanDecay #Makeup #Beauty

A post shared by Urban Decay Cosmetics (@urbandecaycosmetics) on Sep 30, 2018 at 7:30am PDT

Ask yourself: what are you saying that’s going to help you stand out from your competitors?

Tactical tagging

Branded hashtags are a critical aspect of social media and the beauty industry.

However, even the biggest beauty brands understand the power of tapping into tags beyond their own.

For example, niche hashtags such as #unicornhairdontcare and #selfcaresunday represent potential goldmines for companies looking to get their products in front of new people.

View this post on Instagram

Consider this fancy bath your weekly dose of vitamin C. #selfcaresunday | Regram: @olehenriksen

A post shared by birchbox (@birchbox) on Sep 23, 2018 at 6:47pm PDT

With the help of social analytics from Sprout, you can hone in on hashtags that make sense for your brand and monitor your growth. This allows you to fine-tune your tagging over time and experiment with new ones at the same time.

Promoting social beyond social

Social media has become a staple for just about any beauty brand out there.

However, even massive names like Sephora didn’t grow their follow count by accident.

If you want to give your follower count a much-needed boost, you need to be aggressive about promoting your social channels outside of social media itself. This is key to converting one-off customers into long-term followers.

For example, this welcome email from Glossier puts their Instagram presence front and center. Scoring those followers is valuable for brands who want a constant line of communication. Whereas customers might get tired of emails day-after-day, seeing a social post or two on a regular basis isn’t going to bug them.

On-site mentions of your social presence beyond sharing buttons are also fair game. Below is another example from Glossier’s site.

Again, lookbooks continue to gain steam as brands strive to sync their social content with their online stores. This ultimately results in more organic advertising and an increase in conversions. In short, another win-win.

Assembling an asset library

Beauty brands juggle a ton of content. Between product photos, user-generated content and promotional announcements, a strong sense of organization is a huge plus in managing your campaigns.

In addition social scheduling and keeping a content calendar, beauty brands can majorly benefit from putting together an asset library.

Doing so ensures a sense of consistency when publishing across platforms or dealing with customer concerns. Having templates and creatives stored in one place results in saved time and less stress involved with growing your social presence.

And with that, we wrap things up!

What’s next for social media and the beauty industry?

There are few spaces more reliant on social media than the beauty industry.

With so much competition and so many creative options, a concrete social strategy is a matter of “when,” not “if” for brands in the space.

Hopefully this guide was a much-needed dose of motivation and inspiration for what a successful social strategy in the beauty space looks like.

We want to hear from you, though! What do you see as “the next big thing” on the horizon from beauty brands? Live video? More creative social selling? Let us know in the comments below!

This post The complete guide to social media and the beauty industry originally appeared on Sprout Social.

from http://bit.ly/2ykLvyK

#Social Media Marketing

0 notes

minnievirizarry · 6 years ago

Text

The complete guide to social media and the beauty industry

Social media and the beauty industry go hand in hand.

After all, beauty brands represent many of the most-followed, active accounts on Instagram in particular.

And as it should come as no surprise, those same brands are making a killing having mastered the art of social selling.

View this post on Instagram

Sunday plans: getting our skin together 🤗 . . . You’re staring at @DrunkElephant 👀 💖 #OddlySatisfying

A post shared by Sephora (@sephora) on Oct 7, 2018 at 5:06pm PDT

Rabid, engaged followers that are more than happy to spend. What more could a brand want?

Of course, the opportunities for beauty brands also signal just how competitive and cutthroat the space can be.

And while there’s plenty of attention to go around on social media for beauty brands, creating that sort of devoted, cult-like following requires careful attention to detail.

Content ideas for social media and the beauty industry

As a result, the beauty brands thriving on social media aren’t the ones blindly blasting deals and bland product photos.

Below are some compelling ideas that are staples of social media and the beauty industry. Any combination of these posts is perfect for a beauty brand’s content calendar.

How-to’s and tutorials

Most beauty content on social media is undoubtedly product-centric, but what keeps this from being excessive or off-putting is the way these brands also add value for their audience.

Instead, brands educate followers via how-to’s and tutorials. Such how-tos provide an engaging medium to show off products in action.

But rather than rely on in-depth tutorials, social media and the beauty industry is all about entertaining, bite-sized how-tos.

This tutorial from MAC Cosmetics on Pinterest is a concise example of the sort of share-worthy content beauty brands put together for their customers.

Some brands even publish promotional content akin to traditional commercials, much like this Instagram video from Overtone.

View this post on Instagram

ready for a teal breaker?

A post shared by oVertone (@overtonecolor) on Aug 17, 2018 at 3:16pm PDT

The creative possibilities for how-to’s and tutorials are seemingly endless on social as brands are constantly cooking up new ideas.

User-generated content

Beauty brands know all too well that their followers are oftentimes their best billboards.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SAVANNAH PEÑA (@vmariexoxo_) on Oct 5, 2018 at 1:01pm PDT

Brands like Colourpop promote their unique hashtag heavily, including in their Instagram bio…

…and on their homepage, where selected images have a chance to get featured via their on-site lookbook.

In short, hashtags and UGC are crucial to creating a much-needed sense of advocacy and community.

Giveaways and contests

Beauty brands are proof that social media contests aren’t going anywhere.

A way to both encourage new followers and reward their current ones, there’s a reason why giveaway posts are often the most liked and commented-on for many brands.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by OUAI Haircare (@theouai) on Sep 28, 2018 at 8:17am PDT

Giveaways are more about just creating buzz and hype, though.

Personable posts

In addition to pushing products, thriving beauty brands also understand the importance of community.

That is, speaking your followers’ language and connecting to them on a personal level.

That’s exactly why text overlay posts, memes and inspirational quotes are peppered throughout so many beauty feeds.

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👼

A post shared by Glossier (@glossier) on Sep 11, 2018 at 9:28am PDT

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Be sure to TAG us in your favorite memes, gorgeous! 😂💕 #benefit

A post shared by Benefit Cosmetics US (@benefitcosmetics) on Sep 30, 2018 at 7:50am PDT

Beauty industry social media marketing trends and must-do’s

With so many brands fighting tooth and nail for new followers, the trends surrounding social media and the beauty industry are constantly changing.

And although the content highlighted above is a solid starting point, what specific strategies define the best-of-the-best in the beauty industry?

Investing in video marketing

Video marketing is oftentimes a sort of boogeyman for brands who see it as too much of a financial investment.

The reality, though? Although Instagram is rightfully considered the go-to network for beauty brands, YouTube is simply too big to ignore.

With tutorials from professionals and amateurs alike racking up millions of views, the platform’s community represents a massive window of opportunity.

youtube

Running influencer campaigns

Influencers are synonymous with social media and the beauty industry.

Influencer content typically performs well for the same reason that user-generated content does. That is, their posts feel organic and show off your products in a compelling way.

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A post shared by Milk Makeup (@milkmakeup) on Jul 30, 2018 at 3:00pm PDT

The key is to find influencers that align with your brand, goals and budget.

On that note, influencer marketing does not have to represent a massive investment to pay dividends.

Highlight a distinct brand voice

As noted earlier, a distinct brand voice is a must-have for any beauty brand.

According to Sprout’s own data, followers appreciate when brands get real with them.

Keep this in mind when crafting captions and creating content that speaks to your followers on a personal level. Rather than just “play it safe,” don’t be afraid to get bold with your audience.

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Damn straight 💜 #UrbanDecay #Makeup #Beauty

A post shared by Urban Decay Cosmetics (@urbandecaycosmetics) on Sep 30, 2018 at 7:30am PDT

Ask yourself: what are you saying that’s going to help you stand out from your competitors?

Tactical tagging

Branded hashtags are a critical aspect of social media and the beauty industry.

However, even the biggest beauty brands understand the power of tapping into tags beyond their own.

For example, niche hashtags such as #unicornhairdontcare and #selfcaresunday represent potential goldmines for companies looking to get their products in front of new people.

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Consider this fancy bath your weekly dose of vitamin C. #selfcaresunday | Regram: @olehenriksen

A post shared by birchbox (@birchbox) on Sep 23, 2018 at 6:47pm PDT

Promoting social beyond social

Social media has become a staple for just about any beauty brand out there.

However, even massive names like Sephora didn’t grow their follow count by accident.

On-site mentions of your social presence beyond sharing buttons are also fair game. Below is another example from Glossier’s site.

Assembling an asset library

Beauty brands juggle a ton of content. Between product photos, user-generated content and promotional announcements, a strong sense of organization is a huge plus in managing your campaigns.

In addition social scheduling and keeping a content calendar, beauty brands can majorly benefit from putting together an asset library.

And with that, we wrap things up!

What’s next for social media and the beauty industry?

There are few spaces more reliant on social media than the beauty industry.

With so much competition and so many creative options, a concrete social strategy is a matter of “when,” not “if” for brands in the space.

Hopefully this guide was a much-needed dose of motivation and inspiration for what a successful social strategy in the beauty space looks like.

We want to hear from you, though! What do you see as “the next big thing” on the horizon from beauty brands? Live video? More creative social selling? Let us know in the comments below!

This post The complete guide to social media and the beauty industry originally appeared on Sprout Social.

from SM Tips By Minnie https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-and-beauty-industry/

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netunleashed-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Google: An A to Z of search results

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=22585 Google: An A to Z of search results - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=22585 Image copyright Getty Images Google now handles more than three billion searches a day. The vast majority are for complete words or phrases. But premature pushes of the enter key mean many end up being for single letters too.Most of us simply go back and try again.But some of those unique-character searches throw up intriguing results and serve as a snapshot of popular culture.So, we went for a run round the alphabet to see who or what the search giant associates with each letter.The results were sourced from queries made via an anonymous Google UK Search, ignoring ads, recent news stories and dictionary/wiki-based results.They were carried out via a browser cleaned of cookies and other tracking data. Your own personalised results may differ, and the ever-evolving nature of the web means some may have changed in the period between writing and publication.Ali-A - YouTube channel Image copyright YouTube More than 14 million people follow the British video-maker's YouTube channel, in which he shows off his gaming skills.The popularity of his Call of Duty videos led to him being awarded several Guinness World Records in 2015, but these days you're more likely to find him blasting and dancing his way through Fortnite.B - a smart digital banking service Image copyright Clydesdale Bank Clydesdale Bank's app makes the most of its compact name, beating BBC iPlayer into second place in the UK.But the same search in much of the rest of the world yields the B Corporation's impact assessment test. The non-profit organisation measures how socially and environmentally responsible other organisations are, and awards them a certificate if they get a high enough score.C - the programming language Image copyright Geeksforgeeks This guide to the four decade-old coding language comes courtesy of the GeeksforGeeks website. It's the place to go if you want to learn the difference between function prototypes and _Noreturn function specifiers.D - another programming language Wired magazine described D as the "next big programming language you've never heard of" four years ago.It's probably safe to say most of you remain untroubled by its existence.But a recent survey indicated that it's currently the 23rd most commonly-used type of code. And some big-name firms are listed among its users including Facebook, Netflix and eBay.E! News Image copyright E! News NBCUniversal's celebrity-obsessed news service trumps eBay for the top spot in the UK and most of the world.But Google's Estonian search results are an exception. There the country's native e-Estonia portal takes precedence, inviting locals and foreigners alike to sign up for a government-issued e-residency ID.Facebook Image copyright Reuters Inevitably, the people-connecting and sometimes data-leaking social network tops the list.Bearing in mind that the only countries the platform is currently banned in - China, Iran and North Korea - are also ones without a local Google Search, its dominance of the letter F is complete.Google Image copyright Getty Images It's no shock that Google claims the G title.But perhaps what is surprising is that G-Technology - one of hard disk-maker Western Digital's brands - comes second.That puts it ahead of Google's own G Suite of apps, including Gmail.@halsey Image copyright Getty Images The US pop star's one-letter Twitter account helped place her in this list.The 23-year-old rose to fame via self-recorded songs and videos posted to social media ahead of the breakthrough track Closer.Curiously, her ex-boyfriend is the rapper G-Eazy - seen on the left in the image above - whose Instagram account ranks highly for "g" in Google's US-based results.I - music video Image copyright YouTube The YouTube promo for Kendrick Lamar's Grammy-winning song takes the vowel's top placing.The stylish video - which features a cameo by funk pioneer George Clinton - has been viewed more than 67 million times since its 2014 debut.J Cole - YouTube channel Image copyright Reuters The American hip hop star's contraction of his first name - Jermaine - has worked in his favour in the UK.But elsewhere in the world, Samsung's Galaxy J phones, Japan's J1 football league and the Colombian reggaeton singer J Balvin lead the way.K - YouTube music video Image copyright Getty Images The band behind this song - Cigarettes After Sex - is known for a sub-genre of music known as "dream pop" or "shoegazing". And K's slow beat and ethereal vocals certainly deliver on that promise."Listening to this song while it's raining, looking out of the window towards the cold dark damp forest," reads one comment below the YouTube clip, which seems like the perfect environment to be swallowed up by its mood.L-com cables Image copyright L-Com This North Andover, Massachusetts-based firm is one of the list's more obscure entries. But if you're in the market for data cable components it offers quite the choice.More curious is an entry close behind: the Twitter account @L. Its profile image of Pooh Bear is accompanied by the description: "Go Away. Please. I want to be alone."M Restaurants Image copyright M Restaurants While the Gaucho chain of steak restaurants sinks into administration after over-expanding, one of its former managing directors is taking things slower with this new brand, which is currently limited to three locations.Switching over to Google's Russian service, a search for the same letter yields Mail.ru - one of the country's biggest tech firms. Its bare bones home page resembles that of Yahoo from yesteryear, but the firm is a powerhouse that also owns the nation's two biggest social networks: VKontakte and Classmates.Netflix Image copyright Netflix Netflix is arguably the biggest tech success story of the past decade. But it could all have been very different.Its former marketing chief Barry Enderwick revealed a while back that when it originally planned to move into video-streaming, the intention was to do so via its own set-top box. "In 2007, we were so far down the path with the Netflix-branded streaming device that we were shooting promotional videos for it," he revealed."Then the handbrake was pulled - and hard."Instead Netflix opted to stream its service to others' hardware, and recently temporarily overtook Disney to be the world's most valuable entertainment company.O - Cirque du Soleil's aquatic show Image copyright Cirque du Soleil/Tomasz Rossa The Canadian circus water-themed spectacular turns 20 later this year and remains one of Las Vegas's most popular attractions.Cnet took a deep dive into the tech underpinning the show last year, revealing that its 75 performers are outnumbered by 122 technicians behind the scenes, most of whom are certified scuba divers.Android P - developers page Image copyright Google Will it be Popsicle, Pistachio, Pancake or - and admittedly this is a long-shot - Pontefract cakes?Google likes to keep the sweet-themed names of its new Android operating systems under wraps until their release dates. But many of the features have already been confirmed, including device-usage feedback and improved battery life.Q Magazine Image copyright Bauer Media The music magazine pre-dates its movie-themed stablemate Empire by several years, but these days Q's print edition lags a long way behind in terms of circulation.Even so, the fact it has survived more than 31 years, well into the digital age, is an achievement in itself. Melody Maker, Smash Hits, Select and NME's physical edition all folded on its watch.Its high Google placing, however, is the result of a twist of fate. The original intention was to call the magazine Cue - as in "cue the music" - but its founders reportedly feared it would be mistaken for a snooker publication and opted for the letter instead.The R Project for Statistical Computing Image copyright R Foundation Somewhat confusingly, the R Project's programming environment is based on the earlier S computing language and can run much of its code unaltered.In any case, it is targeted at statisticians and others involved with data analysis, who prefer to do their work by writing functions and scripts rather than clicking their way through Excel spreadsheets.Astrid S - BBC Music Image copyright Getty Images Singer-songwriter Astrid S got her break on a Norwegian TV music competition - Idol: Jakten på en superstjerne - in which she came fifth in 2013.More recently, the 21-year-old topped her home country's singles charts with Think Before I Talk, though she's better known abroad for providing vocals to Blonde's Just For One Night.While she can claim S for her own in the UK, in Norway she's placed much further down Google's results behind Tesla's Model S car and a video of Sia singing about the letter S on Sesame Street.Twitter Image copyright Getty Images The tweet-filled social network takes top spot for the 20th letter of the alphabet. And for double points, the owner of its @T account is Tantek Celik - a Turkish-American computer engineer who helped develop the Macintosh version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer.U - 'The Unbank' Image copyright Ffrees Family Finance "U is not a bank," its website declares, just in case there's any doubt about what being an "unbank" involves."You get all the benefits you'd expect from a bank," the Yorkshire-based firm then adds, before clarifying in its small print that it doesn't offer overdrafts.Over on Google Japan, a search for the same letter brings up U-Next, which claims to be Japan's biggest on-demand video service with themed sub-sections including "flashy police action" and "women who love bad guys".V - 1980s TV series' IMDb page Image copyright x The top-ranking entry for V - courtesy of Amazon's Internet Movie Database (IMDb) - is for the original 1983 sci-fi mini-series rather than the 2009 reboot.The story centred on lizard-like aliens attempting to take control of Earth and had been inspired by the anti-fascist novel It Can't Happen Here.The same book has also inspired some liberal commentators to criticise the presidencies of George W Bush and Donald Trump.W - Luxury hotels Image copyright Marriott There are now more than 50 locations in Marriott International's premium hotel brand, which targets the wealthy young.The chain now has Africa in its sights with openings planned in Egypt and Morocco. But it also abandoning its original Lexington Avenue spot in New York, with critics suggesting the hotel is "no longer unique or trendy" and would probably cost too much to upgrade.Apple iPhone X Image copyright Apple Apple's top-end smartphone is now outsold by the second-rung iPhone 8, if market analyst reports ring true.But the handset proved a sizeable chunk of the public were willing to spend £1,000 on a phone, and made the "notch" a thing.Now, there's just the matter of what to call the successor... the X2, XI or Y? Presumably XS might be too close to the bone.YouTube Image copyright Getty Images YouTube's chief recently revealed 1.9 billion people log in to view at least one video a month on the platform. Many of them, of course, watch a lot more.Despite this, many of its clips have never been watched at all. You can help address that via this site, which serves up YouTube's previously unclicked content.Z Hotels Image copyright Z Hotels This chain is much lower down the luxury scale than W Hotels, but it's also a lot more affordable. Just don't expect a lot of space around your bed.In much of the rest of the world, Jay-Z's video for his song Legacy takes the top spot. Which seems like a decent pay-off with which to leave you. Source link

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