#maybe lina should have their own tag actually..

[linawritesocs]

*rolls down the hill* anyway so me being a system is pretty much official now which. probably gives me a permission to say that this is linalilias

[linabirb]

[alter introduction]

hello ✋ apologies if this is a bit sudden, lina said they're okay with us posting things and i'm fronting right now, so.. i thought that maybe i should introduce myself?

my name is winter and i've made myself known to the host not so long ago and they actually didn't know that i, you know, was there. i'm not sure about my age and gender, but i'm fine with any pronouns. i'm one of the fictive alters in our system, which means that i'm based (is that the right word?..) on a fictional character and that's different from something like kinning, since i'm a completely different person with a different name, my personality is slightly different from my source version and i don't really feel connected to my source either. i just.. exist, i guess. (some of us do have their kinlists though, not just lina) i'm completely fine with talking about my source version, but lina needs some time to get used to having alters like that, so i won't talk too much about it (but i think it should be pretty obvious). when it comes to the role i play in the system, i'm a dissociation holder and also i'm the one who often fronts to remember or learn information during class (i think i've seen some people call it an academic alter?..) and i've recently seen a post about a type of alter who experiences the feeling of emotional numbness to protect the host or other headmates and i think it fits me a lot.

i think lina would rather have us make our own tags for organization purposes (we'd rather not have our own blogs and just use this one) so um, i think i can just go with "[❄️ winter speaks]" and [🌨️ winter answers] ". i don't really know how to make it more aesthetic, lina and our other headmate are more into things like that.

i don't really know much about my interests, to be honest, since i mostly front to study or to help the host when they're struggling with derealization and all of that, but i think reading and making music is nice?.. maybe i'll learn more about my hobbies in the future.

so, um, that's it for the introduction. one of our headmates also has an intro saved in the drafts, but it's been a week or two since she last fronted.

so uh. i hope we can get along :)

[phoebe3663]

[ lina ]

Content warning: Graphic violence. I was never introduced to her. I just - - - - noticed - - - - her one day. I asked her if she was new here. She was wearing the uniform, so I thought she was a new hire.

She didn’t answer, just made a faint smile, and since she looked busy, I chose to let the conversation die prematurely.

Her name tag simply said [ lina ] and I thought it was weird that the name was not capitalized.

Other than that she appeared normal at first. She’s a blonde, a bit taller than me, but definitely not above average, with eyes of non-color, which you could have called gray or brown if you really wanted to.

Plain features, no tattoos, nothing . . . Intriguing. I was a little disappointed because I was bored of the people here.

. . .

The next day I saw her, I found out she had a fang. Like, on her wrist. Slightly curved like cobra’s, bone-white.

I don’t fucking know if it should even be called [ fang ] but I don’t suppose we have a name for something like that, do we?

For a second, I thought it best to ignore it politely. 

[ lina ] glared at me, she knew that I saw it. Her expression was almost blank. I don’t know if I imagined her making a slight grin or not.

What do I say what do I say what do I say what do I say-

She put a finger to her lips, silencing me.

And so I said nothing. It was the [ unimportant detail ] ¹ at [ unimportant detail ] ² where I worked so I just left and escaped this situation.

I should have never returned.

. . . 

I tried to not be weirded out by her.

I googled [ wrist fangs ] [ wrist protrusions ] [ wrist spines ] [ bone mutation wrists ] [ . . . ] but it got no useful results.

And it wasn’t all that was different about her, I learned quickly.

. . .

[ lina ] could detach her [ unimportant detail ] ³ arm.

I witnessed it on the [ unimportant detail ] ⁴ after work. She was smoking with one arm and her other arm was on the table in front of her. It didn’t look like a prosthetic to me, but then I have never met people with those.

I didn’t ask. She didn’t explain.

Actually, I don’t think I ever heard her speak

. . .

She didn’t have a [ unimportant detail ] ⁵ ear.

She just didn’t. Instead, there was a patch of bare skin.

Her other ear, well . . . Often she was bleeding black liquid from it.

Once I even got her tissues to clean it up.

. . . 

Later I realized no one else was - - - - noticing - - - - her differences.

- LOOK SHE IS BLEEDING SOMETHING BLACK FROM HER EAR -

- SHE SHOULD STOP [ unimportant detail ] ⁶ -

- WHAT THE FUCK -

It’s what I wanted to yell but my coworkers didn’t show even a hint of being bothered by [ lina ] so I stayed silent.

. . .

Okay, [ my name ], - I thought to myself one of these days, - There is a very simple explanation, girl . . . You just got a bit sick. It’s called schizophrenia when you see strange things no one else does, right? It’s okay, it’s okay, people learn to live with it and have okay lives . . .

After a [ unimportant detail ] ⁷ of this, I went to my superior to try asking about her.

- Yeah, [ lina ]? What about her? Did something happen?

- Weird how? Wouldn’t say I - - - - noticed - - - - anything.

- I mean, maybe one strange thing is that [ hysterical coworker ] seems to be getting along with her, heh.

I also considered just being direct with her and asking what’s up, but I was too scared at that point.

I gave up.

I decided to just do my best ignoring her for a while. What I considered delusions didn’t get in the way of my work too much. And I was not ready to admit I was delusional and seek help.

So I just existed with a nightmare in my waking life that was [ lina ]

. . .

I should have run.

I should have run.

I should have run.

I should have run.

I should have run.

I should have run.

I should have run.

I should have run.

I should have run.

I should have-

. . .

It really is my own fault that I am being dissected by her right now.

. . .

I ended work as always. Left the workplace. Made a turn at the street towards home, through the park. It was a sunny, perfect summer evening, beautiful light was pouring through trees...

And there was [ lina ] standing right in the middle of the path, waiting. Waiting for me, I realized moments later.

Awesome, [ my name ], - I thought, - We’re starting to see her outside work. Tomorrow first thing I’m registering for psychiatrist appointm-

[ blur ]

She crossed [ unimportant detail ] ⁸ distance between us in an instant and crashed into me.

Her ‘fangs’ - turns out she had them on [ both ] arms - dug into my flesh.

I collapsed.

I wanted to cry for help, to push her away, to fight back, but I couldn’t.

[ lina ] ripped clothes off my stomach and tore it up.

. . .

And so here I am in the present, bleeding on the pebble path, with my entrails on the outside.

With [ lina ] running her fingers through them, as if she was searching for something.

[ omitted detail ] [ omitted detail ] [ omitted detail ]

There was sort of gentleness to her moves. It’s like she was not more violent than it was necessary.

It didn’t hurt very much. It just felt-

WRONG

WRONG

WRONG

WRONG

WRONG

WRONG

WRONG

WRONG

WRONG

WR-

She opened me in a few other places, but that didn’t seem to satisfy her.

She shuffled and disappeared from my field of sight.

[ unimportant detail ] ⁹ [ unimportant detail ] ¹⁰

I heard a clicking noise. When she returned to my sight, she had one of her arms replaced with an insect-looking limb with a sharp edge like of a mantis.

And now she had a thin white spike on her forehead. Kind of like her ‘wrist fangs’, I guess, but much longer.

She was smiling, faintly as always, just maybe more - - - - honestly - - - - than before. 

She’s a fucking unicorn. Alien? Insect? Robot? . . . A fucking SCP . . . WHY WHY WHY WH-

I tried to wriggle but it was no use.

What followed was [ lina ] cutting my skull.

My vision was turning blurry and I could only see her vague shape shifting around as she [ worked ] on my head with her ‘mantis limb’.

I’m tearing up, I realized. Even though I was beginning to feel detached from what was happening.

An unpleasant-yet-pleasant chill suddenly enveloped my head. Is that how it is when your living brain is exposed?

Then-

[ kl;'c,zd4x4df4f4dgvdg.dzp`dsr/ė0ęė ]

I think she touched my brain.

. . .

I think I heard her sigh in relief. 

I think she lowered her head towards mine.

I think a drop of her black liquid fell on my face.

I think her 'unicorn horn' stabbed into my brain.

. . .

Into some specific organ that I wasn’t educated to know about, but it probably had an intriguing-sounding name like all of them.

And then I was no longer [ unimportant detail ] ¹¹ - - - -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

¹  End of the night shift ²  Packing plant ³  Left ⁴  Independence Day ⁵  Right ⁶  Handling unpacked food ⁷  Month ⁸  About a hundred meter ⁹  There was no one but me and her as far as I could see ¹⁰ The park never had many visitors so it’s not surprising ¹¹ Alive

[drawing-way-outside-the-lines]

➖ Mature content, 18+ ➖ check the trigger tags each time ➖      

Chapter 27 - Chase the man.

Episode 2. *They arrived about 15 minutes later at Sam and Linas house, Andy quickly letting himself in with his spare key* Andy: So this is obviously the kitchen, dining and living room we stepped into *he chuckled hoarsely* Sophie: It seems so *she chuckled soft and looked around* Wauw.. it's all so beautiful... a lot of nature I see... just as I expected *She looked around with a fascinated smile* It's very Sam, although I had imagined there would be more warm earthy tones... Andy: Oh there is... *he slowly opened the door to Sam's room* this is his bedroom... Sophie: *She chuckled soft and stepped inside* Yes! This is... this is literally like walking into Sam! Andy: Yeah... the rest of the house is set in both his and Lina's style, since they both live here, so it's a bit brighter, more romantic and elegant... Sophie: *She nodded soft* Makes sense... wauw... I really love this room though *she smiled warmly* totally Sam! Andy: *He smiled soft* Do you need more time, or should I show you to the bathroom and Lina's room? Sophie: *She couldn't help but chuckle* No get me out of here before I end up stealing this room instead! Andy: *He chuckled hoarse* Right... the bathroom is this way... Sophie: *She quickly followed*

Andy: It's not the biggest, but it has the facilities you need..

Sophie: Looks perfectly fine to me *she smiled soft*

Andy: There's towels under the sink as far as I remember... or maybe the closet next to? *He shook his head lightly* I'm sure you'll figure it out *he quickly stepped back out the room* In here *he gently pounded his fist against another door* Is Lina's room, where you will be staying... she mentioned the bed needs clean sheets, but I would have no idea where to find those, so, I guess you will have to wait for Sam for that *he slowly opened the door and stepped in* here we are!

Sophie: Ohhh *she looked around* It's so pretty and cozy...

Andy: Yeah... she has a pretty good taste

Sophie: And she was the daughter of?

Andy: Aced... *he smirked*

Sophie: So... Andy *she nodded at him* .... Congo... Evan... and... Daniel?

Andy: *He nodded soft* I'm impressed... you learn fast!

Sophie: *She snorted soft* if I find things interesting enough, yes.... which I must say... I do find this room very interesting, so I'm sure I would find her interesting as well

Andy: *He chuckled hoarse* Are you crushing on my daughter before even meeting her?

Sophie: *She couldn't help but laugh* a bit perhaps?

Andy: *He laughed warmly* Yeah, I crush a lot too, so I know the drill! Anyway, feel free to make yourself at home. And they do really mean that when they say it. Feet up on the couch and everything *he chuckled hoarsely* There's food all over the kitchen, feel free to roam. *He paused a short moment* Oh yeah! And there's a big garden too that wraps all the way around the house, Sam even has his own herb/veggie garden...there's actually a pretty good view of it from this window *he quickly stepped towards one of the two windows in the room, immediately getting surprised by the full view of Sam and Adrian having sex among the veggies, Adrian at the moment pounding Sam, while also fucking him with a carrot* Uhhhh

Sophie: *She quickly stepped towards the window*

Andy: Uhhh.. no no! *he quickly tried to shield the window, but too late!*

Sophie: Holy shit! *she quickly took a few steps to the side, turning her back against the window* was that a carrot?!?

Andy: *He couldn't help but laugh*

Sophie: Oh my god! *She chuckled soft*

Andy: And you just told me on the way that you think Sam and Evan are most alike... well... turns out Sam has a bit of my personality as well... or at the very least some of my kinks *he burst into another laughter* I didn't expect that at all!!

Sophie: *She joined his laughter* me neither! Omg I can hear them! Can we leave please?

Andy: *He was weezing from laughing at this point, so all he could do to answer was eagerly nodding while grabbing her hand and quickly dragging her out of the house, the two of them laughing all the way to his car*

*After a 10 minutes drive, they arrived at the center of the town, Andy quickly parking his car*

Andy: Ehr... where did you live before you ended up here?

Sophie: A small horse town called Masonville.. .

Andy: Okay, so you're used to it *he chuckled hoarse* there's not much going on in this town, and people talk... so, we tend to not talk too much about supernatural stuff when we are out in public... you know... the rules we talked about last night

Sophie: *She nodded soft* Yes, I do remember most of it *she chuckled soft*

Andy: *He smiled friendly* Right... not a lot to look at around here, not many stores, but we got lots of pretty nature at least. *He shrugged lightly* Let's hit the mall... it's not the biggest, but it has the most basic stores, I'm sure we will be able to find you something usable. And please.. don't hold back okay? I mean it when I say it's my treat.

Sophie: *She smiled soft and nodded*

*They walked around the mall a bit, visited some different stores, but as the afternoon got later, they both started getting hungry*

Andy: *He looked at the time on his phone* Dude... we should go hit the food courts *he smirked secretive* I mean, I know we aren't done yet, you still need underwear, but how about a quick bite first?

Sophie: *She nodded agreeing* I'm starving! So I really wont disagree with that!

Andy: *He quickly led her to a specific food court, knowing all too well that HE would probably hang out there around this time. And there he was!*

Daniel: EEEEY MAN!!! *He spotted Andy right away and quickly walked up to them*

Sophie: *Jaw drop*

Andy: *He chuckled hoarse as he looked at her, then gave Daniel a quick hug* Sup?

Daniel: Oh you know... just hanging out... cruising chicks *he chuckled hoarse, in fact he was there to help out a friends little brother over the summer*

Andy: *He snorted soft* Speaking of chicks, meet Sophie *he gestured at Sophie* she's one of Sam's friends, she will stay at his and Lina's place for a while, while we find her a place to live

Daniel: *He looked at Sophie with a big smile* Awesome! Nice to meet you Sophie!

Sophie: *She chuckled nervously and nodded agreeing* Nice to meet you too.. Daniel *she squinted her eyes at Andy*

Andy: *He chuckled hoarsely* Did you eat man? *he looked at Daniel*

Daniel: Not yet...

Andy: Why don't we invite him to sit with us then, Sophie? *he grinned at the poor girl*

Sophie: ..........

Daniel: .............

Sophie: *she cleared her throat lightly* Yeah, sure...

Daniel: Cool there's a table free over there! *he pointed across the room* dude, they got some pretty amazing burgers here *he gently padded Sophie's upper arm*

Sophie: *Bright red face instantly*

Daniel: *He looked at Sophie, looked at Andy, looked at Sophie, looked at Andy* Is she okay?

Sophie: *Growing even redder*

Andy: *He chuckled hoarse* Yeah, she just used to have a crush on you when she were in her teens...

Daniel: Oh really? *he looked at Sophie with an excited smile*

Andy: ... but now she's a Lesbian

Daniel: ... oh *he shrugged lightly* so am I!

Sophie: *She couldn't help but snort, and appreciated his joke*

Daniel: No actually I'm bi... but who cares? It's all fluid anyway *he shrugged lightly and gestured at the table* Can we go eat now when the embarrassment is over or what?

Sophie: *She chuckled soft* Yeah, please...

Daniel: *He nodded at Andy* Don't mind him, if he teases you, it means he likes you, he's a kid, basically...

Andy: *He chuckled hoarsely* Right, like you are such an adult!

Daniel: Never claimed to be one *he grinned, then left in the direction of the table he had spotted*

Sophie: You knew he was going to be here, right? *She squinted at Andy*

Andy: *Cheeky chuckle* Yeah.... was it too much?

Sophie: Oh no, I can handle it... but game on! *He squinted again then chuckled and headed in the direction of Daniel*

Andy: *He chuckled hoarsely as he stood there for a moment, observing the two others, then suddenly noticed a familiar presence* You gonna eat with us or just stalk? *he smiled*

Raven: Am I invited? *he whispered soft in Andy's ear*

Andy: Mmh... but hurry up then, and don't make me fucking horny right now *he chuckled cheekily* I'll go join the others... just... get over there you teaser! *he smirked softly as he walked towards the others and sat down* Is it okay if Raven joins us?

Sophie: *She looked around a bit surprised*

Andy: Oh, he's not visible at the moment...

Sophie: Oh? *She smiled a bit nervous* do demons even eat burgers?

Andy: *He chuckled soft, but nodded* Perhaps for now, just see him as a human? I think that's the best way to move past the demon thing?

Sophie: *She nodded soft* that makes sense... and yes, of course he can join.... can't say no to the man who bought me a brand new wardrobe, can I?

Andy: *He shrugged lightly* You can... it's not business... I gave you that wardrobe for free. If you rather he not eat with us, then, he wont... he asked... not me.... well I guess technically I did too *he chuckled hoarsely*

Sophie: .... *she smiled soft* he can join, Andy... it's okay. If I have to be a part of Sam's life, I should get used to these things right? So the way I see it is, sooner than later would be best for everyone...

Andy: Well... Adrian never got used to him. But he has his reasons on the other hand... but that's not a food related topic, so let's skip it for now.

Sophie: *She nodded agreeing*

Andy: Besides... it's not a full wardrobe yet, you still need lingerie... and we talked about some heels in case...

Daniel: Lingerie *he wiggled his eyebrows at Sophie* You know... I'm an expert on that topic!

Andy: *He couldn't help but laugh out loud*

Daniel: What? It's true! *he looked at Andy with a cheeky smirk*

Andy: Oh yeah! You're a regular Victoria's Secret!

Daniel: Victoria don't have a secret anymore...*he looked at Sophie flirtatiously* she gave it to me

Sophie: Oh my god! *she chuckled soft, but couldn't help but blush a bit*

Andy: Oh there he is! *He nodded towards Raven slowly heading towards their table from across the room, and quickly picked up a menu handing it to Sophie* I know what I want, and I'm sure Daniel does as well?

Daniel: Oh yeah! *he nodded eagerly* I'm ready!

Raven: Hey *he smiled soft as he stopped by the table*

Sophie: Hi *she smiled soft then opened the menu, studying it closely, trying her best not to get too awkward*

Raven: May I sit?

Andy: Yeah *he smiled happily and pulled the chair out next to him, looking at Sophie from across his own seat* It should be alright...

Daniel: What's up man?

Raven: *He chuckled soft as he walked around the table, thinking of the lawyer he had had fun with, till his patience ran out and he had fucked him to death...then fucked him some more* Oh, you know, the usual... not much, just hanging around... lurking...

Daniel: *He chuckled soft* Right... have you met Sophie?

Raven: Yes, we are familiar *he smiled friendly towards Sophie, but as she didn't look up from the menu, he quickly looked at Andy* Are you sure this is okay?

Andy: *He nodded soft and took Raven's hand, caressing it gently* Why don't you grab a menu and decide what you want, then you and I can go order?

Raven: *He nodded lightly and picked up the second menu on the table, loosely reading it*

[where-theres-smoak-2]

This Needs To Stop.

Trigger warning: Sensitive topics, p*dopilia, grooming, mental health and r*cism. 

Ok so this is a bit of a rant so apologies for that, I usually try to stay away from sensitive or controversial topics but this is something that I am passionate about and that I think is important. Also I just want to say that I am in no way directing this to the entirety of the M*lina fandom, I know most are just enjoying their ship, but there are those few who are deliberately seeking out darklina posts or are cross tagging and coming into darklina’s asks and just generally harassing the fandom which sadly I am seeing happen more and more often. Also I do feel like this can apply to all fandoms not just exclusively shadow and bone/ grishaverse, its just this is the one I am experiencing it in right now.   

I’ve seen antis call darkling/darklina fans many problematic things, delusional, mentally ill, ab*se apologists. They also like throwing around words like grooming and p*dophile. The thing that makes me angry about this is that they are taking sensitive topics, topics that many users have been effected by and they are using them to attack shippers merely for liking a character or ship that they don’t. What is even more frustrating is they seem to be throwing these words around without evening fully understanding what they even mean. For example the claim that the Darkling is a p*dophile because Alina is only 17 in the books. Well p*dophilia is a psychiatric disorder where adults are attracted to children and in order for it to be classed as p*dophilia the child involved has to be 13 or younger. A 16 year old can be diagnosed as a p*dophile if they become attracted to a child that is five years or more younger than them. So the relationship between the Darkling and Alina does not meet the criteria to be categorised this way as Alina is over the age of 13. As for it being a case of Alina is underaged, well, for one that depends on where in the world you are. This is based on imperial russia, in russia the age of consent is 16. This means that a 16 year old can have a sexual relationship with a 30 year old, a 70 year old or a 500 year old immortal and in a court of law it is still legal, whatever your own moral issues around age gaps might be. Even then it can be argued that it is irrelevant because, as with most historical literature where young girls marry older men, you cannot put modern day concepts onto them. Like I said this story is based on Imperial Russia, the life expectancy of a person in that time was around 30 years old. That means a 15 year old girl is already half way through her life, she is literally middle aged. It is at this point usually that girls started to prepare to get married and have children and yes sometimes it was to an older man because men were expected to provide for their wife and family which means having a house and job and means to support a family which an older man was more likely to have. My point is a 15-17 year old in say Imperial Russia is not the same as a 15-17 year old in modern day therefore you can’t take modern day laws and morals and place them onto that situation, it doesn’t work, they lived completely different lives. In Alina’s world, she is at the age where girls might get married and her being courted by a man of the general’s status would have been a normal occurrence, for her to have caught the attention of someone with his standing would have been considered very advantageous for her. I mean she literally gets two marriage proposals in book 2, where I believe she is still 17, and Nikolai is talking about how if she marries him it’ll be in name only and they can make Mal her guard so she can do the horizontal tango with him whenever she feels like it, so clearly the characters themselves feel like Alina is at an age where she can, one get married, and two be engaging in a sexual relationship. 

So why does all of this matter? Well it matters because people reading these posts, asks and comments left on posts, may be victims of p*dophilia and grooming. A lot of these comments don’t have trigger warnings and when you are talking about sensitive and triggering topics like this you need to be careful and when you are talking about them without even really understanding them, and where they can’t apply to the characters you are talking about anyway, then you are potentially triggering someone needlessly because you didn’t need to be talking about it in the first place, I hope I am making sense there. I am not saying don’t talk about these subjects if you do think they are relevant, I am saying make sure you do the research, that you understand the subject you are addressing and when you do talk about it do it in a respectful manner, don’t throw it out there in an angry spew accompanied by alot of other derogatory words because that won’t help anyone.     

Another subject I want to talk about is I am also seeing a lot of posts about how darklinas must be delusional or mentally unwell. This, again, is hurtful and harmful. Mental illness for a very long time has had a stigma around it, one that makes the person suffering from it feel weak and ashamed. There was always the attitude of if you are mentally ill then there is something wrong with you, or the attitude of oh just get over it, cheer up, think a different way. But mental illness isn’t just a state of emotion its often caused by hormonal imbalances and chemicals. Genetics can also play a part. There is nothing wrong with someone who is mentally ill their brain is just wired a different way. I also find it problematic when people throw around the word delusional. Maybe its nothing to you, just a word, but alot of mental illnesses have actual delusions as one of their symptoms. These can be scary and upsetting and are outside the control of the person experiencing them. Making the suggestion that liking a particular ships means you are delusional is potentially very triggering to those who do battle delusions and have fought to overcome them. The stigma around mental illness has prevented alot of people suffering from mental illness from seeking help out of shame or embarrassment or even out of fear of being judged and although I do feel like as a society we’ve become alot more open about mental health and alot more accepting there is still a long way to go. When antis start saying things like ‘I can’t believe people ship this, they must be mentally ill,’ or ‘they must be sick in the head’, or ‘if you like this ship than you must be delusional’ not only are they being incredibly prejudice against people who have mental illnesses but it is also so harmful because if there is someone reading that post who is struggling with their mental health and are considering seeking help then you’ve just made them feel more ashamed, more like there is something wrong with them which will make them even less likely to seek out help and as I said before there isn’t anything wrong with a person who has a mental health condition they are just different from you. That doesn’t give you the right to make them feel like they are less capable of deciding what they do or do not like or even what they should or should not like to be classified as a ‘normal’ person. 

The most latest problematic statements I’ve seen have been those accusing Darklina’s of being r*cist. This one I found a bit funny in a it’s not funny kind of way. I just don’t think there is much logic behind this view point. I’m not sure I understand the antis reasoning here. Mostly because I’m pretty sure the majority of the Darklina fandom comes from the books where Mal is described as being a white, brown haired, blue eyed guy. Funnily enough the Darkling is described as being able to pass for Shu, though to be clear it isn’t confirmed that he is a POC, but out of the two in the books the Darkling is more likely to be a POC than Mal. On top of that whilst many darklina fans have made it clear they are not a fan of Mal in the books many have said they like the show version of Mal who, as we all know, the actor Archie is a POC. So by anti logic darklinas are all r*cist because they don’t like book Mal who is depicted as white but we do like show Mal who is a POC. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I do understand that there were some ‘fans’ who made inappropriate and r*cist comments to some cast members including Archie and I would never ever condone that no matter who I ship. But you also can’t condemn an entire fandom just because of the actions of a select few. I don’t judge all M*linas for that one fan who accused Ben of being a pr*dator and p*dophile because of his friendship with Jessie. Once again my point is r*cism is a serious topic and not something someone should use as a retort or comeback to someone not shipping your ship. When we use these words casually it makes it less likely that they’ll be taking seriously when they really do need to be taken seriously, when they really are relevant to what is happening. If we keep using them so casually then when we really do need to talk about them, when it really matters, people will just shrug and go ‘its just antis being antis.’ 

I think it is possible for people to like different things, to debate and analyse different relationships and characters and talk about what flaws they may have in a respectful manner. I wouldn’t say I am anti m*lina but at the same time there are things about them that I find problematic but when I talk about those things I hope I do so in a way that doesn’t demean those who do like the ship. I understand that people will have a different interpretation than me and whilst I might not understand where their thinking comes from or why they have a particular opinion I would never make the assumption that they are mentally unwell or make judgements on their character or morals. I try to think about the words I am writing. I know how easy it can be to just throw a word out there without thinking about it. I used to use the word delusional to describe fans of certain ships, but when I recognised how damaging and problematic that was I stopped and I changed my behaviour because it was never my intention to hurt others. I guess the main message I am trying to convey here is we need to be careful with our words they’re not as insignificant as we might think.                

[henryobsessed]

The Borrower and Her Bean Part 11

Summary: Henry rescues Melina, and is now desperately hoping she will wake up. 

Word Count: 1670

Warning: mention of nudity and stalking

A/N sorry for the delay had a block on this story, but i think its running again :)

Part 10 - Part 12

Melina's little body was limp and cold. Henry raced to his bedroom removed his shirt and then carefully removed her outer garments. Once she was only in her underwear he placed her on his stomach. Pulling a thick blanket over her. Slowly he rubbed her body with his thumb through the blanket pleading for her to wake up.

Kal noticing his masters panic. He jumped on the bed and smelling his friend placed his nose right near Melina. "Good job Kal, keep breathing your warm air on lina." Henry's heart thumbed as he continued to rub her little body. Wondering what else he could do he looked out at the night sky it's inky blackness only enhanced the brightness of the stars. Remembering her lullaby wondered if it would help her as it had helped him. His deep cadence hesitantly filled the room as he began to sing.

The silvery eyes silently watched as the bean tried to revive the borrower. They heard his song, a call to their kind, echo around the room. They watch as the little body began to breathe and then moan a sign of life. The Beans shoulders shook as relief was replaced with sorrow. His deep voice softly reached their ears. "My Lina, calls out to you her dreams to become like me, I don't know if you are really there or if you have the power. So let me add my request to hers, if I can become a borrower please let it be."  Both eyes set on each other, they twinkled in delight and mischief.

Melina was trapped in the cold darkness, unable to move, unable to wake. A tiny glow lit ahead of her, growing larger as she felt pulled towards it. Suddenly she heard a deep melodic voice calling her name, then the sweet melody of her lullaby. Warmth engulfed her as she felt drawn to the voice. Her body tingled all over as her nerve ending burned to life causing a moan to escape her lips. Above her, she heard her beans sigh then the whisper of prayer before she fell into a deep sleep.

Henry smelt a warm current of hot putrid air pushing at his body. Groaning he opened his eyes and then shut them tightly against the image before him. Willing himself to wake up he tried again but the image didn't change. Beside him lay the sleeping Melina her arms hugging his duvet, that in itself was enough to cause him to believe he was still dreaming. However, what turned this into a nightmare was the large black mussel and an open-mouthed cavern filled with large teeth in front of Melina accentuating the fact that Melina had not grown but he had shrunk.

Hoping he was just stuck in a terrible dream he decided to make the most of it. Moving closer he wrapped Melina up in his arms. The feel of her soft skin, and the gentle movement of her chest bringing calm to his freaked out mind. Hoping to wake up in their familiar size differences he pulled the duvet over himself shut his eyes and willed himself to sleep.

Melina awoke to a groaning in her ear and an odd sensation, something heavy laid across her chest. She tried to move her arm to free herself of the constraint. It was at this moment that it became clear that another borrower was holding her close.  The arm was not familiar, it was not Carson or Greg or even her father but it was definitely a male.  Panic welled up in her as the arm pulled her close into his hard body. Soft lips nuzzled into her neck and moaned "Lina". Twisting her body around to face the stranger she gasped, shock numbing her speech as she stared at a sleeping Henry. Not her gigantic bean but now a borrower size bean.

She reached out a hand to touch his face as it scrunched up in his familiar nightmare grimace. Her hand now ran over his entire cheek rather than just grazing his cheekbone. Concern trumped her shock and she fell into the familiar routine of a song. Her sweet voice filling the air and his face relaxed, his eyes opened. Sleep hazed they held the same look of shock as they filled with tears "It wasn't a dream"

He burrowed into her arms seeking assurance that he would be ok, her arms hesitantly wrapped around him. It was not exactly how he had envisioned their coming together, in fact, it was completely the opposite. Instead of him comforting a scared and confused Lina, showing her his world and hoping she would stay. It was Henry scared and confused seeking Lina's comfort. Hoping that she would not be still angry at him, and she would show him her world. Eyes tight he was unable to think of anything else but clinging to the one who he desperately needed.

Melina was so confused and in reality, she was still angry with Henry, but this was an extraordinary situation. As he clung to her she hesitantly wrapped him up in her arms. It was confusing her senses now having her bean clinging tightly to her body. She rubbed his back in small circles as his shuddering breaths started to even out. Running her hand through his hair, something she had never been able to do before, she spoke softly to her bean "It's going to be ok Henry, your not alone." He looked up at her his eyes red and puffy, causing Melina's heart to clench. Determining to put aside her anger she was going to help him adjust as a borrower, it didn't mean she had to trust him, but she didn't have to be angry with him anymore.

It took a while for Melina to shift from full concern for Henry to questioning her own predicament. Her last memory was going to get Ice cream so how did she end up in his bed? it was at that moment that she also realised something else. A deep blush coloured her face as she felt that she was skin to skin with her bean. Hesitant to cause him more turmoil she softly said: "Henry, I need you to move away from me and tuck the blanket around you" having returned his face to her shoulder he mumbled, "Why lina?" biting her lip and fighting the embarrassment she started to lift his arm from her waist "because for some reason I am only in my undergarments ...... and I don't think your boxers shrunk with you" It took all of 2 seconds for her Bean to spring back from her his face also now coloured a Rosie hue of red.

He couldn't look at her, how had he not realised that he was completely naked. He heard her sigh before speaking "Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. It makes sense that they didn't shrink with you. But what doesn't make sense is how I am here in your bed and also almost naked." Pushing past the embarrassment he looked up at her frowning face, "well, umm you got locked in the freezer and when I got to you your body was turning blue. So I did what they suggest for hypothermia, Skin on Skin to warm you up slowly. " He knew that was only the half-truth and hope she would not ask. Her forehead deepened and she took a breath "Ok, Thank you. but how did you know I was trapped in the freeze?"

His red cheeks deepened further in colour as he rubbed the back of his neck a tell tail sign what she was about to hear she would not like. His eyes did not quite reach hers as he explained "Well when you and your family disappeared, I missed you all. I kind of got desperate to see you so I set up cameras. I slept during the day and watched the cameras at night just in hope of getting to see you again. That how I knew you were in trouble because I watched it happen" Melina's mouth opened in surprise at his actions. It confirmed her need to not trust him, but still, she realised that if he had not been watching she would be dead now. She thought for a few minutes trying to get the nervousness down before addressing the problem.

Gathering a breath and pulling the blanket tighter around her she said" In one way I am grateful that you saved me, and that you were watching when it happened. However, can you see how that behaviour is another invasion of privacy?" echoing her action of pulling himself deeper into his section of blanket her bit his lip and replied "I'm Sorry lina, I'm sorry I read your diary, once I realised it was a diary I should have put it down, I'm also sorry for putting up the cameras. The reason I came to see you that day was to apologise for my words that night. I don't just want you to be here as my dream catcher. I actually care about you and maybe that why last night when I thought about losing you I asked the stars to make me a borrower........I guess they heard me. Do you forgive me, Lina"

The atmosphere between the two of them was very heavy, both afraid of what the other felt. Henry watched as his Lina tried to come to terms with what he had said. Hoping he would not be rejected as he had been before he waited. She looked up at him and was about to speak when the sound of  Kal's loud whine was heard. They both looked into the monstrous puppy's face, his large pink tongue lols out in a panting motion. Groaning Henry glanced at Melina in concern "How are we supposed to feed him?" chuckling she said, "We will work it out, that is part of being a borrower, problem-solving."

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[ichabodcranemills]

re: D*rklina

@musical-chick-13 I’m putting this under a read more, because I have additions and, yes, it is long 😂

So, as far as I can tell from what show-watchers have told me, yes, he is definitely worse in the books. And specifically, the general idea in said books seems to be that just because someone is charismatic and attractive and “gets” parts of you doesn’t mean that they’re a good partner or even worth your time, which is a message I have waited FOREVER to see. Beauty (and to a lesser extent, magnetism) does not equal goodness. The Dark/ling (I have no idea if the names will show up in the tags so I’ll put slashes in the middle of them, wow this website’s features need revamping) always seemed…very entitled to Al/ina. There wasn’t any desire for them to become equals (even in a moral sense by dragging her down to his moral level or raising himself up to hers). His behavior and pursuit of her seems much more motivated by the idea of being able to congratulate himself on the fact that he’s “won” her. She’s more of like…a conquest to him? And maybe that’s a huge misread of his character on my part, but the Leigh, the author, HAS said in the past that some of the Dark/ling’s dialogue and actions were written as a way for her to make sense of and deal with an irl toxic relationship she was in during part of the writing period, so I…don’t think it’s a completely unreasonable interpretation? And that’s not to say that power imbalance ships should Never Be Shipped (because they can be genuinely compelling or even fun to watch under the right writer), and Leigh has even said that she Gets The Appeal herself.

But I think the reasons Tho/schei works for me where D*rklina doesn’t are because 1) Tho/schei have genuinely known each other for a long time (and even been on good terms for some of it) but the Dark/ling decides, despite being this all-powerful charismatic force who is hundreds of years old, to get pettily involved in a teenage love triangle in very little time which is a choice that makes absolutely no sense to me at all, 2) The Doctor is an extremely morally grey character, in a way that if they aren’t careful could easily match the destructiveness of The Master. They both are aware of this, and both of them believe themselves (in their own ways) to be “above” morality (The Doctor in the sense of “I know what’s best and my choices are law” and The Master in the sense of “My choices are law and I deserve to cause destruction and have complete control”. There are…not equal, but similar enough levels of moral ambiguity that it makes sense to me that they still Get™ each other. The Doctor also likes Intellectual Challenges and Foiling Grand Plots, to the point where it’s often the Most Important Thing, and The Master not only provides those, but enjoys the conflict as well, and 3) They actually are close to being equals. They’re both very smart, powerful, immortal. Obviously The Doctor has Much More Life Experience and a more extraordinary legacy because of the Timeless Child thing, but Missy’s primary goal was simply “I want my friend back” and Dhawan!Master freaked out because it was impossible to see them as equals anymore. The Doctor, as per Twelve, wants the Master to be good because they’re alike in a way no one else in either of their lives are. They kind of…want the same thing but in different ways, whereas The Dark/ling, while understanding The Burden Of Power, doesn’t actually want the same thing Al/ina does.

And that relationship between D*rklina could still make for a fascinating dynamic, and one that in another life I might even be into myself if not for the whole “reducing it to Good Girl Saves Bad Boy” trope that I keep seeing within a good deal of the fandom. Not that a general fandom reaction or misread should prevent anyone from enjoying something, but I’m so tired that it’s nearly impossible for me to separate them at this point, lol. Ultimately it boils down to the fact that they seem like such fundamentally different people that I don’t personally see how they could ever truly find common ground or genuinely appreciate their similarities. I think the most interesting exploration of a romantic bent to their dynamic would be in a context  where they are so different and recognize that they’re so different, and they might want to focus on their similarities, but it’s not enough. There could be this undeniable pull between them, but what does that really mean when held up against who they are and how they choose to interact with the world? And then having to deal with the necessary antagonism that results. I guess I see the existence of this ship as like…more of a thought exercise than anything I would ever want to happen in any way other than a one-sided attraction on his part, or that could ever truly be narratively justified. But also like…I hate him, so that makes it kind of hard for me to want to explore it in any way at all. Which that’s a personal thing. Other people like this character, and I’m genuinely happy for them that they can see something I don’t.

UGH, I’m sorry this got so long. This is what happens when I have an urge to Share my Thoughts.

I totally understand your feelings and I think the show did a good job on not only humanizing the D*rkling, but also making the relationship more palatable. I, mean, I’m sure we can partially blame Mr. Barnes’ soulful eyes, but I definitely got the impression that, while the D*rkling wants to use Alina for his own gains, he is very drawn to her as THE Sun Summoner, as in “we are linked and will inevitably be the only one for the other”, he basically tells Mal as much.

And I don’t blame you for losing interest in them because of the fandom, it can be very frustrating, especially if one of the characters didn’t appeal to you in the first place (I mean, I’ve been there, hello R*ylo, lmao)

I think I get what you’re saying about how this works out in the books and how what draws me to D*rklina isn’t necessarily textual. And I think I might have went in a little biased when I watched the show, because, before I did, a friend told me she was getting Thoschei vibes from it, but didn’t especify where, So I watched and there it was: M*lina… okay, school best friends, us against the world, but in general, eh, they were too “perfect” (as in, no real conflict between them). And then D*rklina with everything I said on my original post. I mean, I was looking for a thoschei-like dynamic and I found one 😂.

I’ve read some spoilers for the book, so I know my whole “200 years later” fantasy doesn’t happen, so I agree with you, this ship is more of a thought exercise. But I think the show sets it up in a way that is Just My Thing, whereas the book is more straightforward with how incompatible these two are, romantically. But the fandom will ship away, even in kinda blergh ways, it’s how it is 🤷

[mantra4ia]

Desires: Lucifer season 5 on Netflix

Created: August 21, 2020. Last Modified: August 22, 2020.

Preface: Alright my Lucis, here’s the sitch: it’s been a minute. Life got a bit chaotic I wasn’t able to start season five quite on time when it premiered on August 21st because I haven’t finished the great 2020 Lucifer rewatch. I’m nearly done however and should be able to jump into it either later today or tomorrow, which is why beforehand I want to — as I’ve traditionally done for a few seasons — create a desires list and keep a tally throughout the season to see how many are met. I am going to try to pace myself, not binge, and watch a single episode a day so don’t spoil me. Likewise I will tag my spoilers. Here we go... #21DaysofLucifer

Season 3 and 4 Roundout - Desires Fulfilled / Questions Answered

✔We’ve seen other demons “like Maze” and a bit of what havoc they can reek. Well sort of. To be quite frank, although it was cool to see them possess the recently deceased, it wasn’t as impending doom as I was expecting. They didn’t seem nearly as disciplined or intimidating as Mazikeen, even Dromos, more bored and desperate.

✔ We’ve seen a little more or the heavenly host in Remiel. Remi was cool, if a bit intense. Her character, and her affinity to Amenadiel was a nice foil to see how far his character has come in evolution. But again like Uriel was for Lucifer, she kind of became a driving force character device to push Amenadiel’s growth. So I wonder if we’ll get to see more of her or not.

✔ (s3) The backstory of Lucifer’s arrival in LA, finding LUX, and making a deal with Amenadiel.

✔ (s3) Cain finally went to hell, YES! Not that I didn’t like Marcus Pierce/Tom Welling, there were some great interactions there, but I just think he was a wishy-washy antagonist based on how he was written and I can’t wait to trade up for Michael.

✔ Maze finally had some happiness and attachment to this silly mortal coil and it slipped away! Why Eve why? I love Maze’s bonding with humans, Linda, Trixie, Chloe. But I love that after a Millennia of serving, and then watching Amenadiel and Linda be happy in a family unit, that she might actually make her own and my hopes were dashed. 

Things we got that we didn’t even know we wanted. SO GOOD:

Season 4 ep 8: Amenadiel bonding with Caleb and confronting community violence, police brutality, and systemic racism. It was a rough episode to be sure, but absolutely needed,

Chloe talking Lucifer down and out of a self-hatred spiral and his transformation into full-fledged devil and back again.

Lucifer playing Creep on repeat while missing the detective (even after insisting in a therapy session that “he’s not a teenager playing Adele on repeat) and Mr. Said Out B**** trying to rob Lucifer and gun point and ultimately get rich. What a fun twist.

The Dan and Maze Los X’s fight. They are wicked good at laying down the  hurt on the criminal element and I was wondering when they’d pair up again after dispatching Warden Perry.

The devil in a bar fight! I mean, it’s only fair since the ladies had their brawl. I love how this fight sequence was filmed in bursts of slo-mo from various angles, involved everything from fists, to tasers, knives, bottles, and the infamous pool cue, and they picked the perfect song for pacing (Jake Bugg, Lightning Bolt, could listen to it all day on repeat.)

Time for all good demons to go home / Enough, you will bow down to your king. Go home! (aka appropriate use of Devilish intimidation face)

Amenadiel vs Remi 

A Rocky montage with Lucifer and Amenadiel / Amenadiel’s face the first time Lucifer drives the Corvette

Lucifer at the roller derby

Chloe the YA fangirl

Maze teaching Trixie about knives, with each handle decorated in a different toy.

Amenadiel and Chloe catching up: your father is so proud of you. Like and angel BOSS!

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

★ (s3) Amenadiel taking Charlotte home

★ Dan being comforted in his grief by Amenadiel

★ Amenadiel’s wrath and the brotherly duo tag team to lay the hurt on the drug dealer that got Charlie killed. It’s been a while since we’ve seen warrior angel ready to dispatch anyone in his way. And it was glorious!

★ (s3) Lucifer’s almost driving lesson with Trixie “Morningstar”

★ (s3) Maze torturing Lucifer by making him think he’s the Angel of San Bernadino

★ (s3) Amenadiel and Lina helping to dispose of Lucifer’s wings

★  Lucifer kicking Julian, Tiernan’s son, through a glass pane window

★ The goodbye kiss between Lucifer and Chloe

 DIDN’T LIKE:

☒ (s3) Cain playing guitar and singing. What is he, a crime lord, a top cop, or an act that the improv club wouldn’t take? 

☒ Eve. I liked Eve, but we mostly got to see one side of her around Lucifer, and a kind of floundering an confused side when she was with Maze. The side that I would have liked to see more of was the maternal side that came out when she briefly talked about Abel or was interrogated by Trixie. That made her more layered.

☒ Father Kinley. That dude is just meh.

☒ Dan’s broken heart and rebounding with Ella. Don’t get me wrong, its a good arc, but I don’t see it lasting

☒ (s3) Abel and Reese. Those were two side stories I could have done without, although they had great moments of humor. I quite enjoyed Reese’s character, and although I didn’t like Abel Lucifer’s stick-figure comic illustration of Cain fighting with him over a rock was quite enjoyable.

WHAT I TRULY DESIRE: SINFUL SEASON 5, my BURNING QUESTIONS, and SPECULATIONS

Obviously, don’t spoil anything for me, but if any of my desires end up coming true in any of the first eight episodes maybe drop me a hint in the comments...

A big time jump. We need to see the lasting impact of Lucifer’s absence. I know that time in hell works differently per that episode where Lucifer saved Chloe and almost got stuck in a loop, but we still need enough time to elapse that the impact is felt on the mortal side. Or, we need to see the passage of time through a series of events without Lucifer, like a montage of character development. At least a year or so, if for no other reason then Trixie is growing up and I actually want to see her take driving lessons with Lucifer.

Last season Maze gave baby Charlie a gift, something she’d wished she’d had growing up, and previously had alluded to the language of demons, her many siblings, and teased her mother, the mother of all demons. Will we finally get to meet Maze’s mom Lilith (or however they address her)? And, in spite of Mazikeen’s found family, she still has restlessness and abandonment issues. Will her mom finally finally bring her peace, or will clashing with her resolidify Maze’s purpose on earth?

A Decker/Mazikeen team-up or girls night out 2.0 would always be appreciated. At this point its probably 4.0 if you count the bar fight and the bachelorette party.

Will we see tougher, scarier demons, or are they just warmup to the really scary depths of hell?

Speaking of hell, more hell. Tons of hell. I want to know the minutia of all the mechanics. If Lucifer’s gotta be down there in self-imposed exile, he may as well show us around. Pour us a drink.

Will Lucifer see Cain in Hell? Not that I’m dying to see more of “sad Cain” but it would be interesting to see a more dark or desperate or cunning side to him at least now that he’s actually neck deep in torment. Or, alternatively, I’m hedging my bets that he could be a good candidate to light the fire under Lucifer’s *** to get of hell back to the earthly realm. Even in hell, I’m betting Cain would have a soft spot for Chloe, and if news reached Lucifer that Michael were trying to abscond with his life and with Chloe, it would give Cain and Lucifer one last bit of “A-Hole brothers” common ground to bond over. Like “Brothers, am I right? Go kick, get Chloe back, I’ll still have enough guilt to torture me with in a few thousand years when you get back,”   

Will Lucifer fall into peril in hell of once again potentially getting distracted and stuck in a hell loop? Will his servants be satisfied with his return? Will Amenadiel bust him out.

Mr. Said Out Bitch needs a role reprise. He’s been in every season opener 2-4, we’ve gotten to know his undergarments very well.  Its high time we get to know his name and story. He’s put in the work!  

Amenadiel should be running LUX in Lucifer's absence. We got a tease of that in previous seasons (remember when he asked what would Lucifer do?) its time for that to come to fruition. Plus, any excuse to put DB Woodside in a suit, just because he wears them so well. It would also be interesting if, after that tragedy he’s experienced, Amenadiel will start taking after Luci. Maybe not the punishing, not yet, but wanting to seek out evil and corruption. It has been teased since s1 “fall as I did.” Perhaps he’ll start developing a taste for his bother’s line of work whereas he found it repugnant in the early days

Dan and Maze or Dan and Ella pair up. Both Dan and Maze are due for some happiness.

An Azrael reboot, when need more of her. She’s the angel of Death for pity’s sake. I don’t know if the original actress is still available or if they would have to recast, or if the character concept by Netflix would even be the same, but I need Azrael to be capable of sweet and unassuming and on a coin flip downright menacing.

More of Lucifer as a godparent, bless! And maybe a cool montage of “cousin” Trixie and Lucifer co-babysitting Charlie please.

Whilst on the subject of Lucifer and parenting, and without putting Trixie too much into harm’s way, I need to see what “I would do anything to protect that little urchin” looks like. Trixstar ride or die.

Father Frank, come back! I need a cameo or recurrent role pleeeeease.

Trixie in every episode. This is non-negotiable, much like chocolate cake. Beatrice is an all-star. In fact, I’ve decided that when Dad/God finally does show up, Trixie needs to be the one to get to know him / introduce him first. She’s been captain on the celestial cheer squad for four seasons, she’s earned this.

Who's going to see through Michael's facade first? I mean, I know that trailer shows Maze torturing it out of him, but as far as intuition goes, I've got a 50/50 split between Trixie and Linda, with an honorable mention to Dan.

If Michael is Lucifer's twin, does he have the same angelic compulsion skill set? Or something different? And will it work on Chloe or is she universally immune?

A “be like Mike” pop-culture reference. ******Spoilers: ******* all the trailers have revealed Michael already, so they owe us this for letting the steam out.

As far as pop-culture, how many movie and TV references will we get from Lucifer and ensemble this year? I expect A-game, from sci-fi to 80s action, on par with the previous likes of Parent Trap, Star Wars, Home Alone, Kim Possible, and Rocky.

Will Amenadiel’s necklace make a reappearance, even after he put it around Caleb’s neck in the morgue? Heavenly artifacts have a way of causing trouble in this show.

Will what finally learn what, if any, significance there is to Lucifer’s ring? Again, as all my fictional writings will attest, I really kind of want it to be a stolen little trinket from him Dad.

Plot twist: will we get to see Hell and the silver city all in one season, or is that too devilishly good to ask? It would be intriguing if Lucifer fell from Heaven for rebelling and now some threat like, for example, the mother of demons would pose a threat to the gates such that Lucifer was called upon to defend them. Not expecting anything Endgame level with a host of Angels popping up like sorcerers...but it is food for the imagination.

Plot twist: will Michael, duplicitous twin that he is, be revealed as the reason that Lucifer does not lie and can’t stand liars? Will be get a Michael back story? Is he perhaps the true rebellious son? see: my original fan conjecture here.

Additional links to previous recaps, roundouts and wishlists: 

Season 1: Best Moments // Season 2: Predictions, Desires, Roundout, Best Moments // Season 3: Speculations, Quick-shot summary 

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: Taisetsu

Relationship: Zelgadis Greywords/Miwan

Characters: Miwan, Zelgadis Greywords

Tags: Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Rescue

Summary: Miwan has been searching for Zelgadis ever since Lina-tachi left Femille. Finding him isn't what he expected.

Note: I intend to continue this at some point. Set after Evo-R. For the Springkink prompt: Slayers, Miwan/Zelgadis: stalking, romance, hero worship - After the incident in Femille, it had been easy for Miwan to slip out. Finding Zelgadis, on the other hand, wasn't easy at all.

AO3 link

--------

Miwan had lost hope in ever finding him; he'd traveled far and wide since he had left Femille in the turmoil that had followed the Reveal. He had heard stories that he had used to try to follow him, but not knowing his name certainly put Miwan at a significant disadvantage.

He sincerely doubted the stone-skinned man's real name was "Lulu."

From the slip when he had introduced himself, it started with an X or a Z, or maybe even an S. But that wasn't a huge help.

And, of course, Miwan hadn't had the opportunity to talk to him after the Reveal. That really wasn't surprising; his mother had been so infuriated at the Reveal—which had spread throughout Femille like wildfire despite her best efforts—that she had called for the imprisonment and execution of him and his comrades. Something that Miwan had stalled long enough for them to disappear.

And disappear they had. By the time he had followed, they were out of reach. After nearly a year of fruitless searching that had often put him in awful situations, Miwan was seriously considering giving up and returning to Femille—if the city was still standing.

He had actually started on the journey back when he was accosted by bandits. Not that he had anything of value after so long on the road and so many times being robbed. What was worrisome about these bandits was their curiosity regarding his gender; despite everything, being raised as a woman had left its mark, and Miwan was used to this curiosity in the outside world.

What he wasn't accustomed to was the lewd quality of it—at least not enough for it to be unsurprising. Miwan had encountered it before, but the interest had disappeared with the revelation that he was biologically male.

But these bandits, before he could clarify, proved that he had been lucky in those previous encounters.

"Who cares what it is. It's pretty."

The terror helped Miwan find the strength to break the hold they had on him, made him run faster. But unless he found help…

He ran right into someone when he stumbled his way into a clearing, and he could only hope that they weren't a bandit as well.

The voice that intoned, "Fireball!" was familiar. So familiar that Miwan nearly crumpled in relief. But unlike the first time, that fateful first meeting, he refused to pass out. Not until he'd at least confirmed that it wasn't a figment of his imagination.

He looked up to find a familiar stony face, metallic hair poking from an off-white hood.

A face that showed no recognition, only mild concern and… a bit of curiosity. A face that was quickly covered by his scarf.

Miwan hadn't realized he was a shaman, but he'd never seen his real clothing. Somehow, it wasn't terribly surprising to find that he was that powerful.

"Did they hurt you…?" he finally asked.

The drawn out pause combined with his expression made Miwan realize with embarrassment that, once again, this man had mistaken him for a woman. And his voice would hardly clear that up. He hadn't been able to break out of his feminine speaking patterns, even after a year.

"Thankfully, no. You stopped them. They didn't seem to care that I'm a man."

There was a little spark of recognition at that, but his savior shook his head as though to clear it. "Well, you may as well pilfer their pockets while they're unconscious. They certainly deserve it. You should be careful on these roads; solitary travelers are easy targets."

Miwan could only nod, and then kicked himself as the other man made his way toward the edge of the clearing, as though to disappear.

"Thank you," he said quickly. "This is the second time you've saved me, Lulu-san."

He stopped dead, his whole body stiff in surprise at that. When he turned, his eyes were wide. "Miwan?"

He nodded, relieved that the shaman had at least remembered his name. "I'm sorry. I don't know your real name. I never got a chance to hear it before you left."

"Zelgadis," he murmured after a moment. "Zelgadis Greywords."

The name fit him, and not only because it was masculine, not only because it was the first true name Miwan knew to call him. It was a strong name.

"You're a long way from Femille," Zelgadis said after a moment. "Don't you have escorts, as the prince?"

Miwan shook his head. "I left shortly after you did. The turmoil after the Reveal made it easy to slip away."

Zelgadis frowned at him. "That was almost a year ago."

"I know. I was about to give up and go home."

The shaman eyed him, and Miwan knew he was taking in the shabby clothing, his gaunt appearance. He hadn't had anything to eat in several days, and it was hard to sleep in the wilderness with the threat of bandits keeping him from lighting a fire and nothing to keep the wild animals away.

"It can be difficult to leave home," Zelgadis finally said, completely misinterpreting his words. "I can escort you. It's not very safe in this part of the world after all the upheaval."

Miwan shook his head. "No," he murmured, blushing slightly. "Now that I've found what I was looking for, I'm… not ready to go home."

Zelgadis didn't seem to realize what he was saying at first, and then he blinked, wide-eyed and shocked. The blush that spread across his cheeks was actually quite charming, standing out against the blue stone skin in a way that was almost adorable.

"Me?" he managed.

"Yes. You saved me from bandits, and then… Well, you saved me from being forced into the role my mother expected me to take. I might not be the most masculine person, but at least now I get to decide. You gave me that strength."

Zelgadis stared at him, shaking his head, but Miwan didn't give him a chance to protest. "Really, you're probably the most important person who has ever come into my life."

He knew that wasn't reciprocated. After all, Zelgadis was clearly an adventurer, and had likely met all sorts of interesting people. Miwan had likely only been a random person he'd met, a blip on his journeys.

"You shouldn't put me on a pedestal," Zelgadis finally murmured. "I'm no hero, no saint. I went to Femille hoping to find a cure. Everything I've done has been for that. Not that it matters anymore. I'll look like this, a monster, the rest of my life."

His words startled Miwan, in no small part because he had put Zelgadis on a pedestal. Had hero-worshipped him. It was the basis of his crush. He'd never considered who Zelgadis might really be, hadn't even realized that the stone skin wasn't natural. Hadn't considered that he might be in a similar position to Miwan himself.

Seeing him as something other than a saint was new, but instead of pushing his feelings aside, it only made them stronger, made him want to be someone who could ease the sorrow he heard in Zelgadis' voice.

"We're in the same boat, more or less," Miwan said after a while. "I'll never be female, and can never really be male, either. Technically, I'm both, or neither."

It wasn't exactly the same, but he would never fit into normal society—and he was sure Zelgadis had the same problem. Maybe the difference was that Miwan was getting tired of trying.

"So why can't we be ourselves?" Miwan whispered.

When Zelgadis sighed softly, he realized abruptly how exhausted the shaman looked. Physically, and maybe even deeper than just that. Miwan may have had a difficult time during the past year, but it looked as though Zelgadis' year had been even more stressful.

A bandit groaned from where he had been thrown from the force of the Fireball, and Miwan decided to take things into his own hands. He strode over, kicked the bandit in the head to render him unconscious again, and then took Zelgadis' original suggestion, taking what loot the thieves had on them.

Then he turned back to Zelgadis.

"You look exhausted, and I'm not much better. Let's find an inn, pig out, and get some sleep. We can figure out what to do next after that." He smiled tiredly. "My—or, rather, their—treat."

There was only a moment's hesitation before the shaman nodded.

Miwan would see if Zelgadis would let him travel with him, would be patient.

He might never become Zelgadis' important person, but, if nothing else, at least they could be friends.

[wickedbananas]

How to Rock MozCon 2018 Like the Marketing Superhero You Are

Posted by FeliciaCrawford

MozCon is just around the corner, meaning it’s time to share one of our absolute favorite posts of the year: the semi-official MozCon Guide to Seattle!

For those of you following the yellow brick road of I-5 into the heart of the Emerald City to spend three days absorbing all the SEO insight you can hold, this should help you plan both how you spend your time at the conference and outside of it. For those watching on the sidelines, scroll along and you’ll find a treasure trove of fun Seattle ideas and resources for future cons or trips you might make to this fair city by the sea.

And if you’ve been waffling on whether or not to take the plunge (to attend the conference — I wouldn’t recommend plunging into the Puget Sound, it’s quite cold), there may still be time:

Register for MozCon!

We’re now over 99% sold out, so act fast if you’ve got your heart set on MozCon 2018!

Official MozCon activities:

We know you’re here for a conference, but that’s only part of your day. After you’ve stuffed every inch of space in your brain with cutting-edge SEO insights, you’re going to want to give yourself a break — and that’s exactly why we’ve put together an assortment of events, activities, suggestions, and Seattle insider pro tips for how to fill your time outside of MozCon.

The MozCon kickoff party!

With day one behind you, we’re guessing you’ll be some mix of energized, inspired, and ready to relax just a bit. Celebrate the first day of MozCon at our Monday night kickoff party with a night of networking, custom cocktails, and good music at beautiful Block 41 in Belltown.

Meet with fellow marketers and the Mozzers that keep your SEO software shiny while you unwind after your first full day of conferencing. It’s our privilege and delight to bring our community together on this special night.

Our famously fun MozCon Bash

There ain’t no party like a MozCon party! We invite all MozCon attendees and Mozzers to join us on Wednesday night at the Garage Billiards in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. From karaoke to photobooth, from billiards to shuffleboard, and peppered liberally with snacks and libations, the Wednesday Night MozCon Bash is designed to celebrate the completion of three days of jam-packed learning. This is the industry party of the year — you won’t want to miss it!

Birds of a Feather lunch tables

In between bites of the most delicious lunch you’ll find in the conference circuit, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with your fellow community members around the professional topics that matter most to you. Each day there will be seven-plus tables with different topics and facilitators; find one with a sign noting the topic and join the conversation to share advice, learn new tips and tricks, and discover new friends with similar interests.

Monday, July 9th

Google Analytics & Tag Management hosted by Ruth Burr Reedy at UpBuild

Content-Driven Link Building hosted by Paddy Moogan at Aira

Mobile App Growth hosted by Emily Grossman at Skyscanner

Content Marketing hosted by Casie Gillette at KoMarketing

Local SEO hosted by Mike Ramsey at Nifty Marketing

Podcasting hosted by Heidi Noonan-Mejicanos at Moz

Workflow Optimization hosted by Juan Parra at Accelo

Tuesday, July 10th

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Community Speaker Connection hosted by Sha Menz at Moz

PPC + SEO Integration hosted by Jonathon Emery at Distilled

Meet Your Help Team hosted by Kristina Keyser at Moz

Agency Collaboration hosted by Yosef Silver at Fusion Inbound

Site Speed hosted by Jono Alderson at Yoast

Featured Snippets hosted by Rob Bucci at STAT Search Analytics

Voice Search hosted by Dr. Pete Meyers at Moz

Wednesday, July 11th

Content Marketing Q&A hosted by Kane Jamison at Content Harmony

Paid Search Marketing for High-Cost Keywords hosted by Trenton Greener at the Apex Training

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Team Hiring, Retention, & Growth hosted by Heather Physioc at VML

Local Search hosted by Darren Shaw at Whitespark

Machine Learning & Advanced SEO by Britney Muller at Moz

Reporting Q&A hosted by Dana DiTomaso at Kick Point

The delight is in the details

MozCon is literally brimming with things to do and ways to support our attendees when they need it. Aside from our hosted events and three days’ worth of talks, we’ve got things to fill in the cracks and make sure your MozCon experience is everything you’ve ever wanted from a conference.

Photobooth with Roger: Admit it — you see that cute, googly-eyed robot face and you just want to hug it forever. At MozCon, you can do just that — and memorialize the moment with a picture at the photobooth! Roger’s a busy bot, but his photobooth schedule will be posted so you can plan your hugs accordingly.

Ping pong play sesh: Don your sweat bands and knee-high socks and keep your paddle arm limber! During breaks, we’ll have ping pong tables available to burn some excess energy and invite a little casual competition.

The world map of MozCon: Ever play pin the tail on the donkey? Well, this is sort of like that, but the donkey is a world map and (thankfully) there’s no blindfold. You’ll place a pin from wherever in the world you traveled from. It’s amazing to see how far some folks come for the conference!

Local snacks galore: Starbucks, Piroshky Piroshky, Ellenos Yogurt, and Top Pot Donuts will happily make themselves acquainted with your tastebuds! Carefully chosen from local Seattle businesses, our snacks will definitely please your local taste pallet and, if past feedback is to be believed, possibly tempt you to move here.

Stay charged: Pining for power? Panicking at that battery level of 15% at 10am? Find our charging sofas to fuel up your mobile device.

MozCon is for everyone

We want marketers of all stripes to feel comfortable and supported at our conference. Being “for everyone” means we’re working hard to make MozCon more accessible in many different ways. The Washington State Convention Center is fully ADA compliant, as are our other networking event venues. But it’s important for us to get even better, and we welcome your feedback and ideas.

Here are a few of the ways we’ve worked to make MozCon a welcoming event for everyone:

A ramp on the stage

Live closed captioning of the main event

Walkways for traffic flow

Menus featuring options or special meals (that actually taste good) for dietary restrictions

A nursing room

Gender-neutral bathroom options

Lots of signage

T-shirts that fit different body types

Visible staff to help make everyone’s experience the best possible

A proud partnership with 50/50 Pledge, furthering our commitment to better representation of women on stage

Strict enforcement of our Code of Conduct and TAGFEE

Bespoke city exploration — Get to know Seattle!

In years past, Tuesday nights were reserved for our MozCon Ignite event, where brave folks from myriad backgrounds would share stories in lighting-fast Ignite-style talks of five minutes each — the only rule being it can’t be about marketing!

While MozCon Ignite has always been a much-loved and highly anticipated event, we’ve also listened closely to your feedback about wanting more time to network on your own, plan client dinners, go on outings with your team, and in general just catch your breath — without missing a thing. That’s why this year, we’re folding Ignite into the official MozCon schedule so everyone can benefit from the tales shared and enjoy a fun five-minute break between SEO talks.

Wondering about what topics will be covered at Ignite this year?:

The Ninja Kit to NOT Get Sick While Traveling by Dana Weber at Seer Interactive

My Everest: How 10 Years of Chasing Tornadoes Came Down to One Moment by Tom Romero at Uncommon Goods

Baseball Made Me a Better Engineer by Tom Layson at Moz

Trailblazer: How Reading One Book Changed My Life for Good by Lina Soliman at OSUWMC

Drag Queen Warlocks, Skateboarding Sorcerers, & Other Folks by Jay Ricciardi at Tableau

Voice Dialogue Therapy: Listening to the Voices Inside Your Head by Kayla Walker at Distilled

We’re opening up Tuesday night as your chance to explore the Emerald City. We’ll have a travel team onsite at the conference on Tuesday to help you and your friends plan an exciting Seattle adventure. Perhaps you’ve met a fantastic group of like-minded folks at a Birds of a Feather lunch table and would love to talk featured snippets over fresh fish n’ chips at the Pike Place Market. Maybe you’ve always wanted to catch the view at the top of the Space Needle (recently renovated and reopened to provide even better views!). Or perhaps a quiet sunset picnic overlooking the water at Gasworks Park seems like the perfect way to relax after a long day of learning and networking. Regardless of whatever floats your boat, we encourage you to plan local meetups, invite your newfound and long-standing friends, and forge a few irreplaceable Seattle memories.

Wondering what there is to do, drink, eat, and see in Seattle?

Well, who better to ask than us Seattleites? Using tons of real suggestions from real Mozzers, we’ve put together a Google Map you can use to guide your exploration outside the confines of the event venue — check it out below!

Seattle’s got more to offer than we can name — get out there and discover the renowned Emerald City quirks and quaintness we’re famous for!

Travel options:

Seattle’s got a pretty solid transit system that can get you where you need to go, whether you’re traveling by bus or train. The city also has its share of rideshare services, as well as taxis, bikes, ferries, and water taxis, depending on where you're headed.

Public transportation

King County Metro Trip Planner: Traverse the city by bus! You can also download an app to get real-time bus info (I like the One Bus Away app, developed here in Seattle by University of Washington grads)

Light Rail: Connecting the north end to the south, the Light Rail can move you across Seattle quickly (and even drop you off right at SeaTac for your flight home!)

Water taxis and ferries can float you right across the Sound (and offer a lovely view while they’re at it)

A Transit Go ticket or ORCA card will happily power your public transit excursions

Bikeshare programs: As you wander the city, you may notice brightly colored bicycles patiently awaiting riders on the sidewalks. That rider could be you! If you’re feeling athletic, take advantage of the city’s bikeshare programs and see Seattle on two wheels.

Rideshares and taxis

Uber & Lyft can get you where you need to go

Moovn is a Seattle startup rideshare company

Two taxi services, Seattle Yellow Cab and Orange Cab, allow for online booking via their apps (or you can call ‘em the old-fashioned way!)

Are you ready to rock MozCon?!

If you’re already MozCon-bound come this July, make sure to download the app (must be on mobile) and join our Facebook group to maximize your networking opportunities, get to know fellow attendees, and stay up-to-date on conference news and activities.

If you’re thinking about grabbing a ticket last-minute, we still have a few left:

Grab a ticket while you can

And whether you’re going to be large, in charge, and live at the conference or just following along at home and eagerly waiting the video release, follow along with the #MozCon hashtag on Twitter to indulge in the juicy tidbits and takeaways attendees will undoubtedly share.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

from The Moz Blog https://ift.tt/2yOfKka via IFTTT

[autisticblueteam]

fluff week: wash and lina cuddling on chorus with a side of reminiscing about doing the same with their partner(s) in pfl?

@stormphrax thank you this is ideal. 

Few notes: This fic marks the first time I use my Wash and Lina’s civilian names. Yes, my Wash has a different name to canon, for various reasons. 

Two, the other ships mentioned briefly here are: Maine/Wash and York/Carolina, they’re not the focus of the fic and honestly if you really wanted you could see either as platonic for the way they’re discussed. Similarly, Wash and Carolina are platonically cuddling here, but it can be taken however with the right eyes!

Nothing Weird About It

[AO3] [Fic Tag]

Word Count: 1257

Summary: Wash and Carolina have a little time to themselves between commitments on Chorus.

“This isn’t weird if you don’t make it weird, Wash.”

“Who said I’m making it weird?”

“Oh, just the ten layers of overthinking I can see on yourface right now.”

Carolina laughed when the pillow was snatched from under herhead, just so he could dump it on her face instead. She grabbed it and swung itout at him, laughing louder at the shocked squawk he made as it somehow nearlyknocked him off balance−though to be fair, he was standing on one leg whilst he undid his boots.

“Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it. I thought you’dlearned that lesson?” She teased, rolling over onto her side so she could lookat him without craning her neck.

“I’m notoriously stubborn, I thought you’d learned thatlesson?” Wash retorted, as he set his boots down neatly at the foot of the bed.Leaning on the edge of the mattress with one knee, he nudged her. “Come on,budge over.”

She shuffled backwards, until her back was only a couple ofinches from the wall. Wash sat himself on the bed, fidgeting and fussing for awhile until Carolina rolled her eyes and tugged at his shirt.

“Wash.”

“I’m getting comfortable!”

“You’re not even laid down yet!”

Wash huffed; Carolina laughed. Finally he flopped back,wriggled a little and then rolled over onto his side so that they were face toface. A brief moment of eye contact−one of the best signs of trust either ofthem could give−and both of their faces split with grins. Wash was the one tostart the playful nudges, kicking her lightly in the shin and getting a knee inthe thigh in return. Over and over they kicked, kneed, nudged at each otherwithout a word but with faint laughter under their breaths, until Washescalated the play-fighting with a joking punch in the arm and Carolina shookher head.

“Oh− just come here.”

The mock salute almost made her push him off the bed. “Yes,boss.”

With an arm thrown over his side, Carolina tugged himcloser. Wash didn’t resist, he draped an arm of his own across her hip andshuffled over. Their legs tangled clumsily together, their arms wrappedproperly around each other’s backs. Closer together like that, their chestsnearly touching and their faces half a foot away from each other, it shouldhave felt more awkward−but instead,they both relaxed.

The physical contact was… nice.

Carolina nudged his leg. “See, nothing weird about it.”

“I never said itwas going to be weird! I used tocuddle up with Connie all the time, and she was one of my best friends too!”Wash said, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. “It’s just− new. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Lina, but it’s kinda been awhile since I had time to just cuddle people. Shocking, I know.”

“Hey, watch the sarcasm.” But she was smiling, amused. “It’shardly been any different for me.”

“Yeah, I know.” He ran the material of her shirt back andforth between his fingers, enjoyed the texture of it against his skin. He couldalready feel her doing similar, fidgeting with the tag in the back of hisshirt. “Guess it’s been a while for both of us.”

“Yeah. Guess it has.” There was a moment of comfortablesilence, before Carolina reached up and ruffled Wash’s hair. His facedscrunched. “Sorry I can’t quite squish you like Maine used to.”

“I don’t think anyonecould squish me like Maine used to. Except maybe Caboose? And that’s only a maybe.Still a big size difference,” Wash said, shrugging a little. “Maine was− well,Maine, y’know? Never known anyone else quite like them. Never become so closeto anyone else so quickly.” There wasa note of sadness in his voice, and for a moment Carolina worried that she’doverstepped by bringing Maine up at all, but then he laughed softly. “D’youknow I could practically curl my whole body up on just their chest?”

“Seriously?” Carolina said, raising a brow.

“Seriously.”

“I didn’t think you were that small.”

“I’m not! Now Connie, shewas small enough to pull that off even easier than I did,” Wash said with achuckle, absent-mindedly reaching to tuck a strand of Carolina’s hair behindher ear. She’d long since settled her hand in his hair, fingers laced into theroots and rubbing lazily at his scalp. It was familiar, comfortable, even ifCarolina herself had never been the one doing it before. “And hey, not like Ican give you massages the way York used to. We’re about even here.”

“Actually, Idistinctly remember you giving rather good pressure massages when York wasn’t available,”Carolina said. At the same time, she ran her fingers through his hair andresettled her hand so that she could rub at a particular spot that made him allbut melt, that distinctive purring sound she’d heard Maine and Connie draw fromhim slipping out. She grinned at that. “But… I guess the old lock pick did havea certain gift with his hands.”

“Exactly!”

Another long beat of comfortable silence fell over them, andfor a while they just lay there and enjoyed each other’s presence. EventuallyWash’s eyes slid shut; he was purring quietly, Carolina’s fingers still lacedinto his hair and the pleasant warmth of their contact equally as calming. Asmile settled on Carolina’s face; whilst her eyes didn’t close, she was contentthere. Warm, companionable−it was nice. More than nice, really, but she’d neverbeen any good at putting words to things.

“I miss them, Charlotte,” Wash said, after the silence hadlasted so long that they had no idea how much time had passed. He opened hiseyes, and there was another fleeting moment of eye contact before Carolinasighed softly and pulled him closer. Let his head rest forward against hershoulder, let hers rest against the top of his.

Her words were muffled in his hair, “I know, Seo-Jun. I− Imiss them too.”

Wash slipped his free arm under her, wrapped both around herso that he was truly hugging her and exhaled. With his arms around her, herhand laced into his hair and arm looped around his waist, their legsentangled−they couldn’t be much closer. And for once there was no awkwardness,no slight hesitance behind their shows of affection; for once they allowedthemselves a moment of vulnerability.

If they couldn’t trust each other now, then who could theyever trust? Vulnerability didn’t feel like vulnerability around someone youknew wouldn’t exploit it.

“At least we’re not alone?” Wash offered. “Last twostanding. Sticking together. Well, trying to.”

Carolina smiled, “We got there, eventually. Turns outfriendship takes work, who’d have known, huh?” It was less sarcastic, moreamused and self-deprecating. With anyone else Wash wouldn’t have picked it up,but it was always easier to understand someone who dealt with the same. Theytended to make it clearer.

“Yeah, who’d have known.”

“When is your next meeting with Kimball?”

“Our next meeting,”Wash said. Sighing, he nestled closer, rather than pulling away to grab hisdata-pad. “1300 hours. What time is it now?”

“1100.” She smoothed his hair down, chuckled at the way thewaves popped back up when she let go. She ran her fingers over them instead. “Wehave time.”

“Good. Because I’m not moving.” A beat. “Unless you want meto.”

“Don’t worry Wash, I’m not going anywhere either.”

[tainghekhongdaycomvn]

How to Rock MozCon 2018 Like the Marketing Superhero You Are

How to Rock MozCon 2018 Like the Marketing Superhero You Are

Posted by FeliciaCrawford

MozCon is just around the corner, meaning it’s time to share one of our absolute favorite posts of the year: the semi-official MozCon Guide to Seattle!

For those of you following the yellow brick road of I-5 into the heart of the Emerald City to spend three days absorbing all the SEO insight you can hold, this should help you plan both how you spend your time at the conference and outside of it. For those watching on the sidelines, scroll along and you’ll find a treasure trove of fun Seattle ideas and resources for future cons or trips you might make to this fair city by the sea.

And if you’ve been waffling on whether or not to take the plunge (to attend the conference — I wouldn’t recommend plunging into the Puget Sound, it’s quite cold), there may still be time:

Register for MozCon!

We’re now over 99% sold out, so act fast if you’ve got your heart set on MozCon 2018!

Official MozCon activities:

We know you’re here for a conference, but that’s only part of your day. After you’ve stuffed every inch of space in your brain with cutting-edge SEO insights, you’re going to want to give yourself a break — and that’s exactly why we’ve put together an assortment of events, activities, suggestions, and Seattle insider pro tips for how to fill your time outside of MozCon.

The MozCon kickoff party!

With day one behind you, we’re guessing you’ll be some mix of energized, inspired, and ready to relax just a bit. Celebrate the first day of MozCon at our Monday night kickoff party with a night of networking, custom cocktails, and good music at beautiful Block 41 in Belltown.

Meet with fellow marketers and the Mozzers that keep your SEO software shiny while you unwind after your first full day of conferencing. It’s our privilege and delight to bring our community together on this special night.

Our famously fun MozCon Bash

There ain’t no party like a MozCon party! We invite all MozCon attendees and Mozzers to join us on Wednesday night at the Garage Billiards in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. From karaoke to photobooth, from billiards to shuffleboard, and peppered liberally with snacks and libations, the Wednesday Night MozCon Bash is designed to celebrate the completion of three days of jam-packed learning. This is the industry party of the year — you won’t want to miss it!

Birds of a Feather lunch tables

In between bites of the most delicious lunch you’ll find in the conference circuit, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with your fellow community members around the professional topics that matter most to you. Each day there will be seven-plus tables with different topics and facilitators; find one with a sign noting the topic and join the conversation to share advice, learn new tips and tricks, and discover new friends with similar interests.

Monday, July 9th

Google Analytics & Tag Management hosted by Ruth Burr Reedy at UpBuild

Content-Driven Link Building hosted by Paddy Moogan at Aira

Mobile App Growth hosted by Emily Grossman at Skyscanner

Content Marketing hosted by Casie Gillette at KoMarketing

Local SEO hosted by Mike Ramsey at Nifty Marketing

Podcasting hosted by Heidi Noonan-Mejicanos at Moz

Workflow Optimization hosted by Juan Parra at Accelo

Tuesday, July 10th

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Community Speaker Connection hosted by Sha Menz at Moz

PPC + SEO Integration hosted by Jonathon Emery at Distilled

Meet Your Help Team hosted by Kristina Keyser at Moz

Agency Collaboration hosted by Yosef Silver at Fusion Inbound

Site Speed hosted by Jono Alderson at Yoast

Featured Snippets hosted by Rob Bucci at STAT Search Analytics

Voice Search hosted by Dr. Pete Meyers at Moz

Wednesday, July 11th

Content Marketing Q&A hosted by Kane Jamison at Content Harmony

Paid Search Marketing for High-Cost Keywords hosted by Trenton Greener at the Apex Training

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Team Hiring, Retention, & Growth hosted by Heather Physioc at VML

Local Search hosted by Darren Shaw at Whitespark

Machine Learning & Advanced SEO by Britney Muller at Moz

Reporting Q&A hosted by Dana DiTomaso at Kick Point

The delight is in the details

MozCon is literally brimming with things to do and ways to support our attendees when they need it. Aside from our hosted events and three days’ worth of talks, we’ve got things to fill in the cracks and make sure your MozCon experience is everything you’ve ever wanted from a conference.

Photobooth with Roger: Admit it — you see that cute, googly-eyed robot face and you just want to hug it forever. At MozCon, you can do just that — and memorialize the moment with a picture at the photobooth! Roger’s a busy bot, but his photobooth schedule will be posted so you can plan your hugs accordingly.

Ping pong play sesh: Don your sweat bands and knee-high socks and keep your paddle arm limber! During breaks, we’ll have ping pong tables available to burn some excess energy and invite a little casual competition.

The world map of MozCon: Ever play pin the tail on the donkey? Well, this is sort of like that, but the donkey is a world map and (thankfully) there’s no blindfold. You’ll place a pin from wherever in the world you traveled from. It’s amazing to see how far some folks come for the conference!

Local snacks galore: Starbucks, Piroshky Piroshky, Ellenos Yogurt, and Top Pot Donuts will happily make themselves acquainted with your tastebuds! Carefully chosen from local Seattle businesses, our snacks will definitely please your local taste pallet and, if past feedback is to be believed, possibly tempt you to move here.

Stay charged: Pining for power? Panicking at that battery level of 15% at 10am? Find our charging sofas to fuel up your mobile device.

MozCon is for everyone

We want marketers of all stripes to feel comfortable and supported at our conference. Being “for everyone” means we’re working hard to make MozCon more accessible in many different ways. The Washington State Convention Center is fully ADA compliant, as are our other networking event venues. But it’s important for us to get even better, and we welcome your feedback and ideas.

Here are a few of the ways we’ve worked to make MozCon a welcoming event for everyone:

A ramp on the stage

Live closed captioning of the main event

Walkways for traffic flow

Menus featuring options or special meals (that actually taste good) for dietary restrictions

A nursing room

Gender-neutral bathroom options

Lots of signage

T-shirts that fit different body types

Visible staff to help make everyone’s experience the best possible

A proud partnership with 50/50 Pledge, furthering our commitment to better representation of women on stage

Strict enforcement of our Code of Conduct and TAGFEE

Bespoke city exploration — Get to know Seattle!

In years past, Tuesday nights were reserved for our MozCon Ignite event, where brave folks from myriad backgrounds would share stories in lighting-fast Ignite-style talks of five minutes each — the only rule being it can’t be about marketing!

While MozCon Ignite has always been a much-loved and highly anticipated event, we’ve also listened closely to your feedback about wanting more time to network on your own, plan client dinners, go on outings with your team, and in general just catch your breath — without missing a thing. That’s why this year, we’re folding Ignite into the official MozCon schedule so everyone can benefit from the tales shared and enjoy a fun five-minute break between SEO talks.

Wondering about what topics will be covered at Ignite this year?:

The Ninja Kit to NOT Get Sick While Traveling by Dana Weber at Seer Interactive

My Everest: How 10 Years of Chasing Tornadoes Came Down to One Moment by Tom Romero at Uncommon Goods

Baseball Made Me a Better Engineer by Tom Layson at Moz

Trailblazer: How Reading One Book Changed My Life for Good by Lina Soliman at OSUWMC

Drag Queen Warlocks, Skateboarding Sorcerers, & Other Folks by Jay Ricciardi at Tableau

Voice Dialogue Therapy: Listening to the Voices Inside Your Head by Kayla Walker at Distilled

We’re opening up Tuesday night as your chance to explore the Emerald City. We’ll have a travel team onsite at the conference on Tuesday to help you and your friends plan an exciting Seattle adventure. Perhaps you’ve met a fantastic group of like-minded folks at a Birds of a Feather lunch table and would love to talk featured snippets over fresh fish n’ chips at the Pike Place Market. Maybe you’ve always wanted to catch the view at the top of the Space Needle (recently renovated and reopened to provide even better views!). Or perhaps a quiet sunset picnic overlooking the water at Gasworks Park seems like the perfect way to relax after a long day of learning and networking. Regardless of whatever floats your boat, we encourage you to plan local meetups, invite your newfound and long-standing friends, and forge a few irreplaceable Seattle memories.

Wondering what there is to do, drink, eat, and see in Seattle?

Well, who better to ask than us Seattleites? Using tons of real suggestions from real Mozzers, we’ve put together a Google Map you can use to guide your exploration outside the confines of the event venue — check it out below!

Seattle’s got more to offer than we can name — get out there and discover the renowned Emerald City quirks and quaintness we’re famous for!

Travel options:

Seattle’s got a pretty solid transit system that can get you where you need to go, whether you’re traveling by bus or train. The city also has its share of rideshare services, as well as taxis, bikes, ferries, and water taxis, depending on where you're headed.

Public transportation

King County Metro Trip Planner: Traverse the city by bus! You can also download an app to get real-time bus info (I like the One Bus Away app, developed here in Seattle by University of Washington grads)

Light Rail: Connecting the north end to the south, the Light Rail can move you across Seattle quickly (and even drop you off right at SeaTac for your flight home!)

Water taxis and ferries can float you right across the Sound (and offer a lovely view while they’re at it)

A Transit Go ticket or ORCA card will happily power your public transit excursions

Bikeshare programs: As you wander the city, you may notice brightly colored bicycles patiently awaiting riders on the sidewalks. That rider could be you! If you’re feeling athletic, take advantage of the city’s bikeshare programs and see Seattle on two wheels.

Rideshares and taxis

Uber & Lyft can get you where you need to go

Moovn is a Seattle startup rideshare company

Two taxi services, Seattle Yellow Cab and Orange Cab, allow for online booking via their apps (or you can call ‘em the old-fashioned way!)

Are you ready to rock MozCon?!

If you’re already MozCon-bound come this July, make sure to join our Facebook group and download the app (must be on mobile) to maximize your networking opportunities, get to know fellow attendees, and stay up-to-date on conference news and activities.

To download our MozCon 2018 app, head to the Google Play or iTunes store. Download the Bizzabo app and verify your registration with the email you signed up with for MozCon. Once you've verified registration via your mobile browser, you'll be ready and rarin' to go!

If you’re thinking about grabbing a ticket last-minute, we still have a few left:

Grab a ticket while you can

And whether you’re going to be large, in charge, and live at the conference or just following along at home and eagerly waiting the video release, follow along with the #MozCon hashtag on Twitter to indulge in the juicy tidbits and takeaways attendees will undoubtedly share.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

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[isearchgoood]

How to Rock MozCon 2018 Like the Marketing Superhero You Are

Posted by FeliciaCrawford

MozCon is just around the corner, meaning it’s time to share one of our absolute favorite posts of the year: the semi-official MozCon Guide to Seattle!

For those of you following the yellow brick road of I-5 into the heart of the Emerald City to spend three days absorbing all the SEO insight you can hold, this should help you plan both how you spend your time at the conference and outside of it. For those watching on the sidelines, scroll along and you’ll find a treasure trove of fun Seattle ideas and resources for future cons or trips you might make to this fair city by the sea.

And if you’ve been waffling on whether or not to take the plunge (to attend the conference — I wouldn’t recommend plunging into the Puget Sound, it’s quite cold), there may still be time:

Register for MozCon!

We’re now over 99% sold out, so act fast if you’ve got your heart set on MozCon 2018!

Official MozCon activities:

We know you’re here for a conference, but that’s only part of your day. After you’ve stuffed every inch of space in your brain with cutting-edge SEO insights, you’re going to want to give yourself a break — and that’s exactly why we’ve put together an assortment of events, activities, suggestions, and Seattle insider pro tips for how to fill your time outside of MozCon.

The MozCon kickoff party!

With day one behind you, we’re guessing you’ll be some mix of energized, inspired, and ready to relax just a bit. Celebrate the first day of MozCon at our Monday night kickoff party with a night of networking, custom cocktails, and good music at beautiful Block 41 in Belltown.

Meet with fellow marketers and the Mozzers that keep your SEO software shiny while you unwind after your first full day of conferencing. It’s our privilege and delight to bring our community together on this special night.

Our famously fun MozCon Bash

There ain’t no party like a MozCon party! We invite all MozCon attendees and Mozzers to join us on Wednesday night at the Garage Billiards in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. From karaoke to photobooth, from billiards to shuffleboard, and peppered liberally with snacks and libations, the Wednesday Night MozCon Bash is designed to celebrate the completion of three days of jam-packed learning. This is the industry party of the year — you won’t want to miss it!

Birds of a Feather lunch tables

In between bites of the most delicious lunch you’ll find in the conference circuit, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with your fellow community members around the professional topics that matter most to you. Each day there will be seven-plus tables with different topics and facilitators; find one with a sign noting the topic and join the conversation to share advice, learn new tips and tricks, and discover new friends with similar interests.

Monday, July 9th

Google Analytics & Tag Management hosted by Ruth Burr Reedy at UpBuild

Content-Driven Link Building hosted by Paddy Moogan at Aira

Mobile App Growth hosted by Emily Grossman at Skyscanner

Content Marketing hosted by Casie Gillette at KoMarketing

Local SEO hosted by Mike Ramsey at Nifty Marketing

Podcasting hosted by Heidi Noonan-Mejicanos at Moz

Workflow Optimization hosted by Juan Parra at Accelo

Tuesday, July 10th

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Community Speaker Connection hosted by Sha Menz at Moz

PPC + SEO Integration hosted by Jonathon Emery at Distilled

Meet Your Help Team hosted by Kristina Keyser at Moz

Agency Collaboration hosted by Yosef Silver at Fusion Inbound

Site Speed hosted by Jono Alderson at Yoast

Featured Snippets hosted by Rob Bucci at STAT Search Analytics

Voice Search hosted by Dr. Pete Meyers at Moz

Wednesday, July 11th

Content Marketing Q&A hosted by Kane Jamison at Content Harmony

Paid Search Marketing for High-Cost Keywords hosted by Trenton Greener at the Apex Training

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Team Hiring, Retention, & Growth hosted by Heather Physioc at VML

Local Search hosted by Darren Shaw at Whitespark

Machine Learning & Advanced SEO by Britney Muller at Moz

Reporting Q&A hosted by Dana DiTomaso at Kick Point

The delight is in the details

MozCon is literally brimming with things to do and ways to support our attendees when they need it. Aside from our hosted events and three days’ worth of talks, we’ve got things to fill in the cracks and make sure your MozCon experience is everything you’ve ever wanted from a conference.

Photobooth with Roger: Admit it — you see that cute, googly-eyed robot face and you just want to hug it forever. At MozCon, you can do just that — and memorialize the moment with a picture at the photobooth! Roger’s a busy bot, but his photobooth schedule will be posted so you can plan your hugs accordingly.

Ping pong play sesh: Don your sweat bands and knee-high socks and keep your paddle arm limber! During breaks, we’ll have ping pong tables available to burn some excess energy and invite a little casual competition.

The world map of MozCon: Ever play pin the tail on the donkey? Well, this is sort of like that, but the donkey is a world map and (thankfully) there’s no blindfold. You’ll place a pin from wherever in the world you traveled from. It’s amazing to see how far some folks come for the conference!

Local snacks galore: Starbucks, Piroshky Piroshky, Ellenos Yogurt, and Top Pot Donuts will happily make themselves acquainted with your tastebuds! Carefully chosen from local Seattle businesses, our snacks will definitely please your local taste pallet and, if past feedback is to be believed, possibly tempt you to move here.

Stay charged: Pining for power? Panicking at that battery level of 15% at 10am? Find our charging sofas to fuel up your mobile device.

MozCon is for everyone

We want marketers of all stripes to feel comfortable and supported at our conference. Being “for everyone” means we’re working hard to make MozCon more accessible in many different ways. The Washington State Convention Center is fully ADA compliant, as are our other networking event venues. But it’s important for us to get even better, and we welcome your feedback and ideas.

Here are a few of the ways we’ve worked to make MozCon a welcoming event for everyone:

A ramp on the stage

Live closed captioning of the main event

Walkways for traffic flow

Menus featuring options or special meals (that actually taste good) for dietary restrictions

A nursing room

Gender-neutral bathroom options

Lots of signage

T-shirts that fit different body types

Visible staff to help make everyone’s experience the best possible

A proud partnership with 50/50 Pledge, furthering our commitment to better representation of women on stage

Strict enforcement of our Code of Conduct and TAGFEE

Bespoke city exploration — Get to know Seattle!

In years past, Tuesday nights were reserved for our MozCon Ignite event, where brave folks from myriad backgrounds would share stories in lighting-fast Ignite-style talks of five minutes each — the only rule being it can’t be about marketing!

While MozCon Ignite has always been a much-loved and highly anticipated event, we’ve also listened closely to your feedback about wanting more time to network on your own, plan client dinners, go on outings with your team, and in general just catch your breath — without missing a thing. That’s why this year, we’re folding Ignite into the official MozCon schedule so everyone can benefit from the tales shared and enjoy a fun five-minute break between SEO talks.

Wondering about what topics will be covered at Ignite this year?:

The Ninja Kit to NOT Get Sick While Traveling by Dana Weber at Seer Interactive

My Everest: How 10 Years of Chasing Tornadoes Came Down to One Moment by Tom Romero at Uncommon Goods

Baseball Made Me a Better Engineer by Tom Layson at Moz

Trailblazer: How Reading One Book Changed My Life for Good by Lina Soliman at OSUWMC

Drag Queen Warlocks, Skateboarding Sorcerers, & Other Folks by Jay Ricciardi at Tableau

Voice Dialogue Therapy: Listening to the Voices Inside Your Head by Kayla Walker at Distilled

We’re opening up Tuesday night as your chance to explore the Emerald City. We’ll have a travel team onsite at the conference on Tuesday to help you and your friends plan an exciting Seattle adventure. Perhaps you’ve met a fantastic group of like-minded folks at a Birds of a Feather lunch table and would love to talk featured snippets over fresh fish n’ chips at the Pike Place Market. Maybe you’ve always wanted to catch the view at the top of the Space Needle (recently renovated and reopened to provide even better views!). Or perhaps a quiet sunset picnic overlooking the water at Gasworks Park seems like the perfect way to relax after a long day of learning and networking. Regardless of whatever floats your boat, we encourage you to plan local meetups, invite your newfound and long-standing friends, and forge a few irreplaceable Seattle memories.

Wondering what there is to do, drink, eat, and see in Seattle?

Well, who better to ask than us Seattleites? Using tons of real suggestions from real Mozzers, we’ve put together a Google Map you can use to guide your exploration outside the confines of the event venue — check it out below!

Seattle’s got more to offer than we can name — get out there and discover the renowned Emerald City quirks and quaintness we’re famous for!

Travel options:

Seattle’s got a pretty solid transit system that can get you where you need to go, whether you’re traveling by bus or train. The city also has its share of rideshare services, as well as taxis, bikes, ferries, and water taxis, depending on where you're headed.

Public transportation

King County Metro Trip Planner: Traverse the city by bus! You can also download an app to get real-time bus info (I like the One Bus Away app, developed here in Seattle by University of Washington grads)

Light Rail: Connecting the north end to the south, the Light Rail can move you across Seattle quickly (and even drop you off right at SeaTac for your flight home!)

Water taxis and ferries can float you right across the Sound (and offer a lovely view while they’re at it)

A Transit Go ticket or ORCA card will happily power your public transit excursions

Bikeshare programs: As you wander the city, you may notice brightly colored bicycles patiently awaiting riders on the sidewalks. That rider could be you! If you’re feeling athletic, take advantage of the city’s bikeshare programs and see Seattle on two wheels.

Rideshares and taxis

Uber & Lyft can get you where you need to go

Moovn is a Seattle startup rideshare company

Two taxi services, Seattle Yellow Cab and Orange Cab, allow for online booking via their apps (or you can call ‘em the old-fashioned way!)

Are you ready to rock MozCon?!

If you’re already MozCon-bound come this July, make sure to join our Facebook group and download the app (must be on mobile) to maximize your networking opportunities, get to know fellow attendees, and stay up-to-date on conference news and activities.

To download our MozCon 2018 app, head to the Google Play or iTunes store. Download the Bizzabo app and verify your registration with the email you signed up with for MozCon. Once you've verified registration via your mobile browser, you'll be ready and rarin' to go!

If you’re thinking about grabbing a ticket last-minute, we still have a few left:

Grab a ticket while you can

And whether you’re going to be large, in charge, and live at the conference or just following along at home and eagerly waiting the video release, follow along with the #MozCon hashtag on Twitter to indulge in the juicy tidbits and takeaways attendees will undoubtedly share.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2tDELc3 #blogger #bloggingtips #bloggerlife #bloggersgetsocial #ontheblog #writersofinstagram #writingprompt #instapoetry #writerscommunity #writersofig #writersblock #writerlife #writtenword #instawriters #spilledink #wordgasm #creativewriting #poetsofinstagram #blackoutpoetry #poetsofig

[fairchildlingpo1]

How to Rock MozCon 2018 Like the Marketing Superhero You Are

Posted by FeliciaCrawford

MozCon is just around the corner, meaning it’s time to share one of our absolute favorite posts of the year: the semi-official MozCon Guide to Seattle!

For those of you following the yellow brick road of I-5 into the heart of the Emerald City to spend three days absorbing all the SEO insight you can hold, this should help you plan both how you spend your time at the conference and outside of it. For those watching on the sidelines, scroll along and you’ll find a treasure trove of fun Seattle ideas and resources for future cons or trips you might make to this fair city by the sea.

And if you’ve been waffling on whether or not to take the plunge (to attend the conference — I wouldn’t recommend plunging into the Puget Sound, it’s quite cold), there may still be time:

Register for MozCon!

We’re now over 99% sold out, so act fast if you’ve got your heart set on MozCon 2018!

Official MozCon activities:

We know you’re here for a conference, but that’s only part of your day. After you’ve stuffed every inch of space in your brain with cutting-edge SEO insights, you’re going to want to give yourself a break — and that’s exactly why we’ve put together an assortment of events, activities, suggestions, and Seattle insider pro tips for how to fill your time outside of MozCon.

The MozCon kickoff party!

With day one behind you, we’re guessing you’ll be some mix of energized, inspired, and ready to relax just a bit. Celebrate the first day of MozCon at our Monday night kickoff party with a night of networking, custom cocktails, and good music at beautiful Block 41 in Belltown.

Meet with fellow marketers and the Mozzers that keep your SEO software shiny while you unwind after your first full day of conferencing. It’s our privilege and delight to bring our community together on this special night.

Our famously fun MozCon Bash

There ain’t no party like a MozCon party! We invite all MozCon attendees and Mozzers to join us on Wednesday night at the Garage Billiards in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. From karaoke to photobooth, from billiards to shuffleboard, and peppered liberally with snacks and libations, the Wednesday Night MozCon Bash is designed to celebrate the completion of three days of jam-packed learning. This is the industry party of the year — you won’t want to miss it!

Birds of a Feather lunch tables

In between bites of the most delicious lunch you’ll find in the conference circuit, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with your fellow community members around the professional topics that matter most to you. Each day there will be seven-plus tables with different topics and facilitators; find one with a sign noting the topic and join the conversation to share advice, learn new tips and tricks, and discover new friends with similar interests.

Monday, July 9th

Google Analytics & Tag Management hosted by Ruth Burr Reedy at UpBuild

Content-Driven Link Building hosted by Paddy Moogan at Aira

Mobile App Growth hosted by Emily Grossman at Skyscanner

Content Marketing hosted by Casie Gillette at KoMarketing

Local SEO hosted by Mike Ramsey at Nifty Marketing

Podcasting hosted by Heidi Noonan-Mejicanos at Moz

Workflow Optimization hosted by Juan Parra at Accelo

Tuesday, July 10th

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Community Speaker Connection hosted by Sha Menz at Moz

PPC + SEO Integration hosted by Jonathon Emery at Distilled

Meet Your Help Team hosted by Kristina Keyser at Moz

Agency Collaboration hosted by Yosef Silver at Fusion Inbound

Site Speed hosted by Jono Alderson at Yoast

Featured Snippets hosted by Rob Bucci at STAT Search Analytics

Voice Search hosted by Dr. Pete Meyers at Moz

Wednesday, July 11th

Content Marketing Q&A hosted by Kane Jamison at Content Harmony

Paid Search Marketing for High-Cost Keywords hosted by Trenton Greener at the Apex Training

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Team Hiring, Retention, & Growth hosted by Heather Physioc at VML

Local Search hosted by Darren Shaw at Whitespark

Machine Learning & Advanced SEO by Britney Muller at Moz

Reporting Q&A hosted by Dana DiTomaso at Kick Point

The delight is in the details

MozCon is literally brimming with things to do and ways to support our attendees when they need it. Aside from our hosted events and three days’ worth of talks, we’ve got things to fill in the cracks and make sure your MozCon experience is everything you’ve ever wanted from a conference.

Photobooth with Roger: Admit it — you see that cute, googly-eyed robot face and you just want to hug it forever. At MozCon, you can do just that — and memorialize the moment with a picture at the photobooth! Roger’s a busy bot, but his photobooth schedule will be posted so you can plan your hugs accordingly.

Ping pong play sesh: Don your sweat bands and knee-high socks and keep your paddle arm limber! During breaks, we’ll have ping pong tables available to burn some excess energy and invite a little casual competition.

The world map of MozCon: Ever play pin the tail on the donkey? Well, this is sort of like that, but the donkey is a world map and (thankfully) there’s no blindfold. You’ll place a pin from wherever in the world you traveled from. It’s amazing to see how far some folks come for the conference!

Local snacks galore: Starbucks, Piroshky Piroshky, Ellenos Yogurt, and Top Pot Donuts will happily make themselves acquainted with your tastebuds! Carefully chosen from local Seattle businesses, our snacks will definitely please your local taste pallet and, if past feedback is to be believed, possibly tempt you to move here.

Stay charged: Pining for power? Panicking at that battery level of 15% at 10am? Find our charging sofas to fuel up your mobile device.

MozCon is for everyone

We want marketers of all stripes to feel comfortable and supported at our conference. Being “for everyone” means we’re working hard to make MozCon more accessible in many different ways. The Washington State Convention Center is fully ADA compliant, as are our other networking event venues. But it’s important for us to get even better, and we welcome your feedback and ideas.

Here are a few of the ways we’ve worked to make MozCon a welcoming event for everyone:

A ramp on the stage

Live closed captioning of the main event

Walkways for traffic flow

Menus featuring options or special meals (that actually taste good) for dietary restrictions

A nursing room

Gender-neutral bathroom options

Lots of signage

T-shirts that fit different body types

Visible staff to help make everyone’s experience the best possible

A proud partnership with 50/50 Pledge, furthering our commitment to better representation of women on stage

Strict enforcement of our Code of Conduct and TAGFEE

Bespoke city exploration — Get to know Seattle!

In years past, Tuesday nights were reserved for our MozCon Ignite event, where brave folks from myriad backgrounds would share stories in lighting-fast Ignite-style talks of five minutes each — the only rule being it can’t be about marketing!

While MozCon Ignite has always been a much-loved and highly anticipated event, we’ve also listened closely to your feedback about wanting more time to network on your own, plan client dinners, go on outings with your team, and in general just catch your breath — without missing a thing. That’s why this year, we’re folding Ignite into the official MozCon schedule so everyone can benefit from the tales shared and enjoy a fun five-minute break between SEO talks.

Wondering about what topics will be covered at Ignite this year?:

The Ninja Kit to NOT Get Sick While Traveling by Dana Weber at Seer Interactive

My Everest: How 10 Years of Chasing Tornadoes Came Down to One Moment by Tom Romero at Uncommon Goods

Baseball Made Me a Better Engineer by Tom Layson at Moz

Trailblazer: How Reading One Book Changed My Life for Good by Lina Soliman at OSUWMC

Drag Queen Warlocks, Skateboarding Sorcerers, & Other Folks by Jay Ricciardi at Tableau

Voice Dialogue Therapy: Listening to the Voices Inside Your Head by Kayla Walker at Distilled

We’re opening up Tuesday night as your chance to explore the Emerald City. We’ll have a travel team onsite at the conference on Tuesday to help you and your friends plan an exciting Seattle adventure. Perhaps you’ve met a fantastic group of like-minded folks at a Birds of a Feather lunch table and would love to talk featured snippets over fresh fish n’ chips at the Pike Place Market. Maybe you’ve always wanted to catch the view at the top of the Space Needle (recently renovated and reopened to provide even better views!). Or perhaps a quiet sunset picnic overlooking the water at Gasworks Park seems like the perfect way to relax after a long day of learning and networking. Regardless of whatever floats your boat, we encourage you to plan local meetups, invite your newfound and long-standing friends, and forge a few irreplaceable Seattle memories.

Wondering what there is to do, drink, eat, and see in Seattle?

Well, who better to ask than us Seattleites? Using tons of real suggestions from real Mozzers, we’ve put together a Google Map you can use to guide your exploration outside the confines of the event venue — check it out below!

Seattle’s got more to offer than we can name — get out there and discover the renowned Emerald City quirks and quaintness we’re famous for!

Travel options:

Seattle’s got a pretty solid transit system that can get you where you need to go, whether you’re traveling by bus or train. The city also has its share of rideshare services, as well as taxis, bikes, ferries, and water taxis, depending on where you're headed.

Public transportation

King County Metro Trip Planner: Traverse the city by bus! You can also download an app to get real-time bus info (I like the One Bus Away app, developed here in Seattle by University of Washington grads)

Light Rail: Connecting the north end to the south, the Light Rail can move you across Seattle quickly (and even drop you off right at SeaTac for your flight home!)

Water taxis and ferries can float you right across the Sound (and offer a lovely view while they’re at it)

A Transit Go ticket or ORCA card will happily power your public transit excursions

Bikeshare programs: As you wander the city, you may notice brightly colored bicycles patiently awaiting riders on the sidewalks. That rider could be you! If you’re feeling athletic, take advantage of the city’s bikeshare programs and see Seattle on two wheels.

Rideshares and taxis

Uber & Lyft can get you where you need to go

Moovn is a Seattle startup rideshare company

Two taxi services, Seattle Yellow Cab and Orange Cab, allow for online booking via their apps (or you can call ‘em the old-fashioned way!)

Are you ready to rock MozCon?!

If you’re already MozCon-bound come this July, make sure to download the app (must be on mobile) and join our Facebook group to maximize your networking opportunities, get to know fellow attendees, and stay up-to-date on conference news and activities.

If you’re thinking about grabbing a ticket last-minute, we still have a few left:

Grab a ticket while you can

And whether you’re going to be large, in charge, and live at the conference or just following along at home and eagerly waiting the video release, follow along with the #MozCon hashtag on Twitter to indulge in the juicy tidbits and takeaways attendees will undoubtedly share.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

https://ift.tt/2Ir35TY

[maryhare96]

How to Rock MozCon 2018 Like the Marketing Superhero You Are

Posted by FeliciaCrawford

MozCon is just around the corner, meaning it’s time to share one of our absolute favorite posts of the year: the semi-official MozCon Guide to Seattle!

For those of you following the yellow brick road of I-5 into the heart of the Emerald City to spend three days absorbing all the SEO insight you can hold, this should help you plan both how you spend your time at the conference and outside of it. For those watching on the sidelines, scroll along and you’ll find a treasure trove of fun Seattle ideas and resources for future cons or trips you might make to this fair city by the sea.

And if you’ve been waffling on whether or not to take the plunge (to attend the conference — I wouldn’t recommend plunging into the Puget Sound, it’s quite cold), there may still be time:

Register for MozCon!

We’re now over 99% sold out, so act fast if you’ve got your heart set on MozCon 2018!

Official MozCon activities:

We know you’re here for a conference, but that’s only part of your day. After you’ve stuffed every inch of space in your brain with cutting-edge SEO insights, you’re going to want to give yourself a break — and that’s exactly why we’ve put together an assortment of events, activities, suggestions, and Seattle insider pro tips for how to fill your time outside of MozCon.

The MozCon kickoff party!

With day one behind you, we’re guessing you’ll be some mix of energized, inspired, and ready to relax just a bit. Celebrate the first day of MozCon at our Monday night kickoff party with a night of networking, custom cocktails, and good music at beautiful Block 41 in Belltown.

Meet with fellow marketers and the Mozzers that keep your SEO software shiny while you unwind after your first full day of conferencing. It’s our privilege and delight to bring our community together on this special night.

Our famously fun MozCon Bash

There ain’t no party like a MozCon party! We invite all MozCon attendees and Mozzers to join us on Wednesday night at the Garage Billiards in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. From karaoke to photobooth, from billiards to shuffleboard, and peppered liberally with snacks and libations, the Wednesday Night MozCon Bash is designed to celebrate the completion of three days of jam-packed learning. This is the industry party of the year — you won’t want to miss it!

Birds of a Feather lunch tables

In between bites of the most delicious lunch you’ll find in the conference circuit, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with your fellow community members around the professional topics that matter most to you. Each day there will be seven-plus tables with different topics and facilitators; find one with a sign noting the topic and join the conversation to share advice, learn new tips and tricks, and discover new friends with similar interests.

Monday, July 9th

Google Analytics & Tag Management hosted by Ruth Burr Reedy at UpBuild

Content-Driven Link Building hosted by Paddy Moogan at Aira

Mobile App Growth hosted by Emily Grossman at Skyscanner

Content Marketing hosted by Casie Gillette at KoMarketing

Local SEO hosted by Mike Ramsey at Nifty Marketing

Podcasting hosted by Heidi Noonan-Mejicanos at Moz

Workflow Optimization hosted by Juan Parra at Accelo

Tuesday, July 10th

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Community Speaker Connection hosted by Sha Menz at Moz

PPC + SEO Integration hosted by Jonathon Emery at Distilled

Meet Your Help Team hosted by Kristina Keyser at Moz

Agency Collaboration hosted by Yosef Silver at Fusion Inbound

Site Speed hosted by Jono Alderson at Yoast

Featured Snippets hosted by Rob Bucci at STAT Search Analytics

Voice Search hosted by Dr. Pete Meyers at Moz

Wednesday, July 11th

Content Marketing Q&A hosted by Kane Jamison at Content Harmony

Paid Search Marketing for High-Cost Keywords hosted by Trenton Greener at the Apex Training

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Team Hiring, Retention, & Growth hosted by Heather Physioc at VML

Local Search hosted by Darren Shaw at Whitespark

Machine Learning & Advanced SEO by Britney Muller at Moz

Reporting Q&A hosted by Dana DiTomaso at Kick Point

The delight is in the details

MozCon is literally brimming with things to do and ways to support our attendees when they need it. Aside from our hosted events and three days’ worth of talks, we’ve got things to fill in the cracks and make sure your MozCon experience is everything you’ve ever wanted from a conference.

Photobooth with Roger: Admit it — you see that cute, googly-eyed robot face and you just want to hug it forever. At MozCon, you can do just that — and memorialize the moment with a picture at the photobooth! Roger’s a busy bot, but his photobooth schedule will be posted so you can plan your hugs accordingly.

Ping pong play sesh: Don your sweat bands and knee-high socks and keep your paddle arm limber! During breaks, we’ll have ping pong tables available to burn some excess energy and invite a little casual competition.

The world map of MozCon: Ever play pin the tail on the donkey? Well, this is sort of like that, but the donkey is a world map and (thankfully) there’s no blindfold. You’ll place a pin from wherever in the world you traveled from. It’s amazing to see how far some folks come for the conference!

Local snacks galore: Starbucks, Piroshky Piroshky, Ellenos Yogurt, and Top Pot Donuts will happily make themselves acquainted with your tastebuds! Carefully chosen from local Seattle businesses, our snacks will definitely please your local taste pallet and, if past feedback is to be believed, possibly tempt you to move here.

Stay charged: Pining for power? Panicking at that battery level of 15% at 10am? Find our charging sofas to fuel up your mobile device.

MozCon is for everyone

We want marketers of all stripes to feel comfortable and supported at our conference. Being “for everyone” means we’re working hard to make MozCon more accessible in many different ways. The Washington State Convention Center is fully ADA compliant, as are our other networking event venues. But it’s important for us to get even better, and we welcome your feedback and ideas.

Here are a few of the ways we’ve worked to make MozCon a welcoming event for everyone:

A ramp on the stage

Live closed captioning of the main event

Walkways for traffic flow

Menus featuring options or special meals (that actually taste good) for dietary restrictions

A nursing room

Gender-neutral bathroom options

Lots of signage

T-shirts that fit different body types

Visible staff to help make everyone’s experience the best possible

A proud partnership with 50/50 Pledge, furthering our commitment to better representation of women on stage

Strict enforcement of our Code of Conduct and TAGFEE

Bespoke city exploration — Get to know Seattle!

In years past, Tuesday nights were reserved for our MozCon Ignite event, where brave folks from myriad backgrounds would share stories in lighting-fast Ignite-style talks of five minutes each — the only rule being it can’t be about marketing!

While MozCon Ignite has always been a much-loved and highly anticipated event, we’ve also listened closely to your feedback about wanting more time to network on your own, plan client dinners, go on outings with your team, and in general just catch your breath — without missing a thing. That’s why this year, we’re folding Ignite into the official MozCon schedule so everyone can benefit from the tales shared and enjoy a fun five-minute break between SEO talks.

Wondering about what topics will be covered at Ignite this year?:

The Ninja Kit to NOT Get Sick While Traveling by Dana Weber at Seer Interactive

My Everest: How 10 Years of Chasing Tornadoes Came Down to One Moment by Tom Romero at Uncommon Goods

Baseball Made Me a Better Engineer by Tom Layson at Moz

Trailblazer: How Reading One Book Changed My Life for Good by Lina Soliman at OSUWMC

Drag Queen Warlocks, Skateboarding Sorcerers, & Other Folks by Jay Ricciardi at Tableau

Voice Dialogue Therapy: Listening to the Voices Inside Your Head by Kayla Walker at Distilled

We’re opening up Tuesday night as your chance to explore the Emerald City. We’ll have a travel team onsite at the conference on Tuesday to help you and your friends plan an exciting Seattle adventure. Perhaps you’ve met a fantastic group of like-minded folks at a Birds of a Feather lunch table and would love to talk featured snippets over fresh fish n’ chips at the Pike Place Market. Maybe you’ve always wanted to catch the view at the top of the Space Needle (recently renovated and reopened to provide even better views!). Or perhaps a quiet sunset picnic overlooking the water at Gasworks Park seems like the perfect way to relax after a long day of learning and networking. Regardless of whatever floats your boat, we encourage you to plan local meetups, invite your newfound and long-standing friends, and forge a few irreplaceable Seattle memories.

Wondering what there is to do, drink, eat, and see in Seattle?

Well, who better to ask than us Seattleites? Using tons of real suggestions from real Mozzers, we’ve put together a Google Map you can use to guide your exploration outside the confines of the event venue — check it out below!

Seattle’s got more to offer than we can name — get out there and discover the renowned Emerald City quirks and quaintness we’re famous for!

Travel options:

Seattle’s got a pretty solid transit system that can get you where you need to go, whether you’re traveling by bus or train. The city also has its share of rideshare services, as well as taxis, bikes, ferries, and water taxis, depending on where you're headed.

Public transportation

King County Metro Trip Planner: Traverse the city by bus! You can also download an app to get real-time bus info (I like the One Bus Away app, developed here in Seattle by University of Washington grads)

Light Rail: Connecting the north end to the south, the Light Rail can move you across Seattle quickly (and even drop you off right at SeaTac for your flight home!)

Water taxis and ferries can float you right across the Sound (and offer a lovely view while they’re at it)

A Transit Go ticket or ORCA card will happily power your public transit excursions

Bikeshare programs: As you wander the city, you may notice brightly colored bicycles patiently awaiting riders on the sidewalks. That rider could be you! If you’re feeling athletic, take advantage of the city’s bikeshare programs and see Seattle on two wheels.

Rideshares and taxis

Uber & Lyft can get you where you need to go

Moovn is a Seattle startup rideshare company

Two taxi services, Seattle Yellow Cab and Orange Cab, allow for online booking via their apps (or you can call ‘em the old-fashioned way!)

Are you ready to rock MozCon?!

If you’re already MozCon-bound come this July, make sure to download the app (must be on mobile) and join our Facebook group to maximize your networking opportunities, get to know fellow attendees, and stay up-to-date on conference news and activities.

If you’re thinking about grabbing a ticket last-minute, we still have a few left:

Grab a ticket while you can

And whether you’re going to be large, in charge, and live at the conference or just following along at home and eagerly waiting the video release, follow along with the #MozCon hashtag on Twitter to indulge in the juicy tidbits and takeaways attendees will undoubtedly share.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

https://ift.tt/2Ir35TY

[mercedessharonwo1]

How to Rock MozCon 2018 Like the Marketing Superhero You Are

Posted by FeliciaCrawford

MozCon is just around the corner, meaning it’s time to share one of our absolute favorite posts of the year: the semi-official MozCon Guide to Seattle!

For those of you following the yellow brick road of I-5 into the heart of the Emerald City to spend three days absorbing all the SEO insight you can hold, this should help you plan both how you spend your time at the conference and outside of it. For those watching on the sidelines, scroll along and you’ll find a treasure trove of fun Seattle ideas and resources for future cons or trips you might make to this fair city by the sea.

And if you’ve been waffling on whether or not to take the plunge (to attend the conference — I wouldn’t recommend plunging into the Puget Sound, it’s quite cold), there may still be time:

Register for MozCon!

We’re now over 99% sold out, so act fast if you’ve got your heart set on MozCon 2018!

Official MozCon activities:

We know you’re here for a conference, but that’s only part of your day. After you’ve stuffed every inch of space in your brain with cutting-edge SEO insights, you’re going to want to give yourself a break — and that’s exactly why we’ve put together an assortment of events, activities, suggestions, and Seattle insider pro tips for how to fill your time outside of MozCon.

The MozCon kickoff party!

With day one behind you, we’re guessing you’ll be some mix of energized, inspired, and ready to relax just a bit. Celebrate the first day of MozCon at our Monday night kickoff party with a night of networking, custom cocktails, and good music at beautiful Block 41 in Belltown.

Meet with fellow marketers and the Mozzers that keep your SEO software shiny while you unwind after your first full day of conferencing. It’s our privilege and delight to bring our community together on this special night.

Our famously fun MozCon Bash

There ain’t no party like a MozCon party! We invite all MozCon attendees and Mozzers to join us on Wednesday night at the Garage Billiards in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. From karaoke to photobooth, from billiards to shuffleboard, and peppered liberally with snacks and libations, the Wednesday Night MozCon Bash is designed to celebrate the completion of three days of jam-packed learning. This is the industry party of the year — you won’t want to miss it!

Birds of a Feather lunch tables

In between bites of the most delicious lunch you’ll find in the conference circuit, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with your fellow community members around the professional topics that matter most to you. Each day there will be seven-plus tables with different topics and facilitators; find one with a sign noting the topic and join the conversation to share advice, learn new tips and tricks, and discover new friends with similar interests.

Monday, July 9th

Google Analytics & Tag Management hosted by Ruth Burr Reedy at UpBuild

Content-Driven Link Building hosted by Paddy Moogan at Aira

Mobile App Growth hosted by Emily Grossman at Skyscanner

Content Marketing hosted by Casie Gillette at KoMarketing

Local SEO hosted by Mike Ramsey at Nifty Marketing

Podcasting hosted by Heidi Noonan-Mejicanos at Moz

Workflow Optimization hosted by Juan Parra at Accelo

Tuesday, July 10th

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Community Speaker Connection hosted by Sha Menz at Moz

PPC + SEO Integration hosted by Jonathon Emery at Distilled

Meet Your Help Team hosted by Kristina Keyser at Moz

Agency Collaboration hosted by Yosef Silver at Fusion Inbound

Site Speed hosted by Jono Alderson at Yoast

Featured Snippets hosted by Rob Bucci at STAT Search Analytics

Voice Search hosted by Dr. Pete Meyers at Moz

Wednesday, July 11th

Content Marketing Q&A hosted by Kane Jamison at Content Harmony

Paid Search Marketing for High-Cost Keywords hosted by Trenton Greener at the Apex Training

SEO A/B Testing hosted by Will Critchlow at Distilled

Team Hiring, Retention, & Growth hosted by Heather Physioc at VML

Local Search hosted by Darren Shaw at Whitespark

Machine Learning & Advanced SEO by Britney Muller at Moz

Reporting Q&A hosted by Dana DiTomaso at Kick Point

The delight is in the details

MozCon is literally brimming with things to do and ways to support our attendees when they need it. Aside from our hosted events and three days’ worth of talks, we’ve got things to fill in the cracks and make sure your MozCon experience is everything you’ve ever wanted from a conference.

Photobooth with Roger: Admit it — you see that cute, googly-eyed robot face and you just want to hug it forever. At MozCon, you can do just that — and memorialize the moment with a picture at the photobooth! Roger’s a busy bot, but his photobooth schedule will be posted so you can plan your hugs accordingly.

Ping pong play sesh: Don your sweat bands and knee-high socks and keep your paddle arm limber! During breaks, we’ll have ping pong tables available to burn some excess energy and invite a little casual competition.

The world map of MozCon: Ever play pin the tail on the donkey? Well, this is sort of like that, but the donkey is a world map and (thankfully) there’s no blindfold. You’ll place a pin from wherever in the world you traveled from. It’s amazing to see how far some folks come for the conference!

Local snacks galore: Starbucks, Piroshky Piroshky, Ellenos Yogurt, and Top Pot Donuts will happily make themselves acquainted with your tastebuds! Carefully chosen from local Seattle businesses, our snacks will definitely please your local taste pallet and, if past feedback is to be believed, possibly tempt you to move here.

Stay charged: Pining for power? Panicking at that battery level of 15% at 10am? Find our charging sofas to fuel up your mobile device.

MozCon is for everyone

We want marketers of all stripes to feel comfortable and supported at our conference. Being “for everyone” means we’re working hard to make MozCon more accessible in many different ways. The Washington State Convention Center is fully ADA compliant, as are our other networking event venues. But it’s important for us to get even better, and we welcome your feedback and ideas.

Here are a few of the ways we’ve worked to make MozCon a welcoming event for everyone:

A ramp on the stage

Live closed captioning of the main event

Walkways for traffic flow

Menus featuring options or special meals (that actually taste good) for dietary restrictions

A nursing room

Gender-neutral bathroom options

Lots of signage

T-shirts that fit different body types

Visible staff to help make everyone’s experience the best possible

A proud partnership with 50/50 Pledge, furthering our commitment to better representation of women on stage

Strict enforcement of our Code of Conduct and TAGFEE

Bespoke city exploration — Get to know Seattle!

In years past, Tuesday nights were reserved for our MozCon Ignite event, where brave folks from myriad backgrounds would share stories in lighting-fast Ignite-style talks of five minutes each — the only rule being it can’t be about marketing!

While MozCon Ignite has always been a much-loved and highly anticipated event, we’ve also listened closely to your feedback about wanting more time to network on your own, plan client dinners, go on outings with your team, and in general just catch your breath — without missing a thing. That’s why this year, we’re folding Ignite into the official MozCon schedule so everyone can benefit from the tales shared and enjoy a fun five-minute break between SEO talks.

Wondering about what topics will be covered at Ignite this year?:

The Ninja Kit to NOT Get Sick While Traveling by Dana Weber at Seer Interactive

My Everest: How 10 Years of Chasing Tornadoes Came Down to One Moment by Tom Romero at Uncommon Goods

Baseball Made Me a Better Engineer by Tom Layson at Moz

Trailblazer: How Reading One Book Changed My Life for Good by Lina Soliman at OSUWMC

Drag Queen Warlocks, Skateboarding Sorcerers, & Other Folks by Jay Ricciardi at Tableau

Voice Dialogue Therapy: Listening to the Voices Inside Your Head by Kayla Walker at Distilled

We’re opening up Tuesday night as your chance to explore the Emerald City. We’ll have a travel team onsite at the conference on Tuesday to help you and your friends plan an exciting Seattle adventure. Perhaps you’ve met a fantastic group of like-minded folks at a Birds of a Feather lunch table and would love to talk featured snippets over fresh fish n’ chips at the Pike Place Market. Maybe you’ve always wanted to catch the view at the top of the Space Needle (recently renovated and reopened to provide even better views!). Or perhaps a quiet sunset picnic overlooking the water at Gasworks Park seems like the perfect way to relax after a long day of learning and networking. Regardless of whatever floats your boat, we encourage you to plan local meetups, invite your newfound and long-standing friends, and forge a few irreplaceable Seattle memories.

Wondering what there is to do, drink, eat, and see in Seattle?

Well, who better to ask than us Seattleites? Using tons of real suggestions from real Mozzers, we’ve put together a Google Map you can use to guide your exploration outside the confines of the event venue — check it out below!

Seattle’s got more to offer than we can name — get out there and discover the renowned Emerald City quirks and quaintness we’re famous for!

Travel options:

Seattle’s got a pretty solid transit system that can get you where you need to go, whether you’re traveling by bus or train. The city also has its share of rideshare services, as well as taxis, bikes, ferries, and water taxis, depending on where you're headed.

Public transportation

King County Metro Trip Planner: Traverse the city by bus! You can also download an app to get real-time bus info (I like the One Bus Away app, developed here in Seattle by University of Washington grads)

Light Rail: Connecting the north end to the south, the Light Rail can move you across Seattle quickly (and even drop you off right at SeaTac for your flight home!)

Water taxis and ferries can float you right across the Sound (and offer a lovely view while they’re at it)

A Transit Go ticket or ORCA card will happily power your public transit excursions

Bikeshare programs: As you wander the city, you may notice brightly colored bicycles patiently awaiting riders on the sidewalks. That rider could be you! If you’re feeling athletic, take advantage of the city’s bikeshare programs and see Seattle on two wheels.

Rideshares and taxis

Uber & Lyft can get you where you need to go

Moovn is a Seattle startup rideshare company

Two taxi services, Seattle Yellow Cab and Orange Cab, allow for online booking via their apps (or you can call ‘em the old-fashioned way!)

Are you ready to rock MozCon?!

If you’re already MozCon-bound come this July, make sure to download the app (must be on mobile) and join our Facebook group to maximize your networking opportunities, get to know fellow attendees, and stay up-to-date on conference news and activities.

If you’re thinking about grabbing a ticket last-minute, we still have a few left:

Grab a ticket while you can

And whether you’re going to be large, in charge, and live at the conference or just following along at home and eagerly waiting the video release, follow along with the #MozCon hashtag on Twitter to indulge in the juicy tidbits and takeaways attendees will undoubtedly share.

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