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writing-gifts · 4 years ago

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datura (moth!bruno x butterfly!reader)

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A/N: it’s summer timeee and this chapter came out longer than i thought it would First Chapter || Previous Chapter || Next Chapter

Reader is gender neutral!

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[Early Summer]

Your friend Spring was apparently on their way out with Summer on the way in, and with that came more heat and unfortunately, more bugs. It was noticeably getting more crowded in the fields where you would usually gather.

But you had a plan! The plan being that you’d just wait until later in the day to get your food. It was slightly less crowded later in the day so you might as well save yourself some trouble.

So after spending the majority of your day doing what you pleased, you’d go later in the day to get nectar and usually not a moment later after returning home, Bruno would show up. But then one day he doesn’t, which is fair. He could be busy. But then one day turns into three. Then soon a whole week passes.

It wasn’t a long time, but it wasn’t what you were used to. You wanted to confide in Abby but you were worried that it might give them reason to think negatively about Bruno. So at this point, you can't help the negative thoughts swarming your mind.

Did I do something wrong?….Did he get tired of me?

You didn’t want to spend the whole day like this so going to where you both first met seemed like the best option. Unfortunately, there was a good possibility that he wouldn’t be there.

Well even if he doesn’t show, you were out of Datura nectar and you really wanted--no-- needed some, so at least it wouldn’t be all for nothing. You reason that you could feel your way back home too. It had been awhile since you had been to that area but you felt like you still remembered the path back.

The worst thing that could happen is Bruno being upset with me...

So you purposely wait at home until the late evening to leave.

Flying there doesn’t take too long, and soon your feet land on one of the leaves of the many flowers in the area. All the Daturas’ petals were still shut so you have to wait.

Standing around, you realize the grass has gotten much taller and much more easy to get lost in. Your head droops slightly as you stare at the dirt paths being overtaken by the grass a distance below you. You could already see the predicament future you would be in if you decided to stay.

“I swear you’re the only butterfly that would willingly travel in the dark.”

Your body jumps, almost sending you off the edge of the leaf.

You turn towards the familiar voice wide-eyed. “Y-You scared me!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

While steadying yourself, you almost miss the slight look of worry the moth is giving you. “I’m okay...Uh, it’s been awhile?”

Bruno nods. “It has. I had to deal with an emergency so that’s why I couldn’t visit you. My son got sick.”

“You have a kid!?” You cover your mouth “Ah, sorry! Is he okay?”

“Yes. It got pretty bad at one point, but he’s back on his feet now.

“That's good…”

You stare at the Daturas in the distance. You wonder how long they'll stick around.

The silence feels awkward but you didn't know what to say next, but luckily Bruno speaks first.

“I'm sorry, for disappearing without a word.”

You tilt your head, confused on why he was apologizing. “You shouldn't apologize. Your child comes first, you know?”

“But you were worried though and I caused that.”

“How do you know that?”

“It was clearly on your face--you were struggling to look at me a moment ago,” Bruno points out.

“Yea...Okay, I was worried but it's not something you should feel guilty about either!” You frown, trying to get things past this moth was too hard.

Not being able to control your anxieties has finally worn you down so you sit down on the leaf. The urge to climb into any flowers was gone for the moment.

Bruno watches you before walking closer and sitting next to you.

“Soooo , how come you never mentioned having a kid?”

“There wasn’t really a reason to.”

Maybe that was a valid answer, but it was kind of weird . Most bugs were ready to mention they have children at any given moment, but it’s not like Bruno was keeping some terrible secret from you so you shrug it off.

“How old is he?”

“Narancia--he turned 3 recently.”

You trace the irregular lines on the leaf with your finger. “That’s a cute name. You and your m-mate must be really happy.”

“Actually, I’m the only one taking care of him.”

You backtrack immediately. "OH! W-Well now I want to visit your home even more now."

That came out way too rushed and you meant it jokingly, but it didn't mean you hadn’t considered it before.

“I wouldn't mind that. We just need to plan accordingly.”

You didn't expect him to agree so quickly so it shows on your face before you can prevent it.

“What?” Bruno asked.

“Nothing--Maybe it would be better to go at night so it won’t disturb your sleep?”

“No, it’s fine. The day would actually be best and it’s safer.”

The two of you continue to sit together like that, talking until the moon is fully out.

You lean back on your hands as you stare at the freckled night sky. “I never really get to look at the stars much so this is kind of nice.”

“There’s a lot of them out tonight. Slightly more than usual,” Bruno says.

You enjoy the view a little longer before standing up. You smile a bit bashfully at Bruno.

“Can you help me back home please?”

“Of course, you don’t even need to ask. Do you want to fly back?”

“Lets just walk...” This was a good way to spend extra time with your friend. You weren’t exactly sure how you would manage to fly back anyways.

It took twice as much time to get back home by walking, but Bruno didn’t seem bothered at all as he held your hand and guided you through the overgrown foliage in the path you'd taken before with him.

All that happened had cleared a good amount of your worries, but some of the original doubt you had before not seeing the moth for a week still sat within you. So when you both reach your home you thank Bruno for his help, but before he can leave you ask him a question.

“I know this is dumb, but do you enjoy my company?”

“Yes.” The answer comes with no hesitation and Bruno’s glowing eyes stare intently at you. His head tilts slightly. “Do I not seem like it?”

“Oh no! I just needed to make sure…”

“You seem to overthink a lot.”

There was no denying that so you look off to the side unsure what to say.

“Trust me when I say that I do like you, and if I don't like something I'll make sure to tell you.”

Your brows raise at the somewhat intense declaration but it did help reassure you so you nod.

Once you say your goodbyes and Bruno departs, you go back inside. And as you get ready for bed you realize that you forgot about the Datura nectar.

----

“Are you ready for this?”

Bruno gives you the most skeptical look you’ve seen from him. There’s also a pinch of exhaustion on his face. It’s so well hidden, if you hadn’t spent so much time with him you wouldn’t have noticed.

“I really don’t think it's hot enough for this.”

“What do you mean? It's super hot!

“Not really. Your heat tolerance must not be very high.”

“I don’t know about that, but it’s whatever. Whatever happens, happens,” you laugh a bit.

“Do you have the proper tools?”

“I do! I managed to get a whole oven, it's on the lower quality side though.”

So I'm really hoping I’m not overestimating the weather today.

“Anyways it’s outside in the back!”

You move excitedly ahead of Bruno as you walk-jog outside to the back of your home.

You stop in front of your oven and wait for Bruno to catch up.

“I don't know how it exactly works but the bug I got it from showed me how to use it. All you have to do is turn this knob.”

You shield your eyes from the sun shining from the center of the sky and reach for the nob. Your hand stops when you realize you don’t remember where you were supposed to actually turn it. Barely a second passes before you decide to make an educated guess. As long as it was hot enough it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Probably.

“Thanks for coming over in the middle of the day by the way. Did you find someone to watch Narancia?”

“Yes. He wanted to come but I didn’t want to risk it with him just getting over his sickness. On top of that, carrying him all the way over here would be annoyi--difficult. Staying still can be a struggle for him.”

Between his slip up and the image of a cute squirmy little moth in Bruno’s arms, you can’t help smiling. “I guess I’ll just have to take the cooking to your home then.”

You wonder how much the little moth took after his father.

“Let's go back inside. We actually gotta mix the stuff together now.”

After you both enter the kitchen, you start pulling out the ingredients, which you should have definitely done earlier.

“What are we making exactly?” Bruno asks, watching you flit back and forth.

“A simple pound cake. We can use whatever nectar in it too. So it’s gonna be a Datura one!”

“You are obsessed with that flower…”

You grin, “And you help nurture the obsession.”

“Like you wouldn't run to get it yourself if I stopped giving it to you.”

“Sounds like a tough spot pal.”

You almost laugh at the look the moth gives you.

Bruno assists you in the kitchen, your personal sous-chef , while you follow the recipe to make the cake. Once the batter is in the baking pan, you go out and put it in the preheated oven.

You make sure to grab the small hourglass you had gotten along with the oven and flip it over. After placing it on the low table in front of your daybed, you relax back into the bed’s comfortable cotton.

“You know, it would be better if the oven was inside.”

“I think that’s something they're working on actually.”

You rest your head onto the arm of the daybed. “By the way, what do you do at lakes? You said you liked to visit them but I forgot to ask about that.”

“I just like to look out at them. It doesn’t have to be a lake though. A pond or beach works too.”

There’s a beach around here?!

“A-Aren't you worried about being attacked?” There were all sorts of dangerous things near water. Especially ponds! You shudder remembering an encounter you had with a frog. You just wanted to get a closer look at the tadpoles...

“We could be attacked in most places though, and I’m not exactly playing in the water.”

“Hmm, I think you’re just too friendly with danger!”

“Guess that makes two of us.”

You couldn't exactly argue with that. “I'm not as bad as you though.”

“Sure.”

“I'm not…” You stare at Bruno, legs crossed and looking effortly graceful as usual. He probably had no issue avoiding predators but all it took is one mistake

“Are you sure it’s okay?” You didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.

“I promise it really isn't dangerous. I’ll show you one day, if you'd like,” Bruno smiles reassuringly.

Your heart may have skipped a beat. “That--that actually sounds kinda nice.”

You and Bruno stay in the living space while waiting for the cake to finish baking. You do little talking before you encourage Bruno to fall asleep. Then you spend the rest of the time quietly keeping yourself busy around the house, making sure to keep an eye on the hourglass. When the top of it is finally empty, you go to wake up Bruno and are surprised when he starts moving before you even touch him.

“Did you actually sleep?”

“Somewhat. I’m a light sleeper.”

He did look a little more alert. “Well let's go get the cake!”

You run outside excited to see the result. You're already pulling it out once Bruno strolls outside. You then place it on top of the oven, but it seemed... off .

Bruno takes one look at it. “It doesn't look like it cooked properly.”

The cake didn't rise much at all, but the top looked burnt.

“I know. Darn…” you whine. You were sure it was hot enough! “Maybe it doesn't taste bad?”

You look at Bruno and his face says it all.

“Fine, I’ll taste it myself then,” you sigh.

You run to go get a fork so you can grab a piece of the top and realize that the middle still seems raw. But It couldn't be that bad! However, the moment you put the food in your mouth, you regret it. The taste of burnt cake and soggy texture overrode anything else about it, but you force yourself to swallow nonetheless.

You shudder and pout. What a waste.

“Guess you were right about it being hot,” Bruno says.

“Bruno!” You glare at him but he simply raises a brow and you’re sure you see a hint of a smirk!

You groan, “Did I do something wrong...It definitely can’t be the oven though.” The ant you got it from prided themselves on their creations and reliability.

You get so caught up in your thoughts, that you don’t realize that Bruno’s trying to get your attention until he lightly touches your shoulder.

“Huh?”

“I said there's always next time. Let's try again later into the season, okay?”

You couldn't stay mad at him, you weren't exactly mad in the first place. “You don't mind being awake again?”

“I’ll make sure to get enough sleep beforehand.”

“Still we should do some type of cooking at night to make up for it. It wouldn't really be cooking though.”

“What about ice cream?”

You perk up at that. “Ice cream in winter? Narancia has to be there for that for sure!”

#hurry up and kiss already gosh dangit #bruno buccellati x reader #bruno bucciarati x reader #bruno x reader #jjba #reader insert #Bruno Bucciarati #Bruno Buccellati

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indiavolowetrust · 4 years ago

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The Obey Me Boys as RPG Bosses: Frostheart

CHAPTERS: Prologue + Beelzebub and Belphegor , Asmodeus, Satan, Leviathan, Mammon, Lucifer, ??? (YOU ARE HERE), ???, Endings

You are one of many hunters in a land cursed with everlasting winter. You yourself have become rime-touched after an attack by your fellow corrupted hunter, an incident that left you traumatized and lame. Even your hunter’s guild has resigned you to a life of mere cleaning and upkeep duties, and you have spent the last seven years in the depths of your guild’s archives.

Then the White Witch spirits your little brother away into her castle, taking with her the only family you have ever known. Armed with your trusty hunting knife and bow – and aided by your senior hunter, Simeon – you set off into the rime-cursed lands to find Luke and end the White Witch’s reign once and for all.

**Very loosely based on The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen.

Word Count: 2,369 words

TW: Blood, Violence, Gore

[???]

Despite the spread of the curse, you find that your skin grows numb at his touch. His hands -- his perfectly carved, crystalline hands -- cup the sides of your cheek with a strange tenderness, his fingers tracing the soft line of your jaw. A gentle sort of scrutiny. Then there is the matter of the man himself: his form appears to have been carved from ice, translucent as he is, and the smile that graces his delicate features shows no sign of cracking the surface of his skin. An ice sculpture brought to life, it would seem. While you’ve heard of the strange corruption that encompasses the White Witch’s realm, you would have never expected it to procure such a being.

The White Witch’s subjects have only ever attacked you. You had fought them off again and again, nearly losing your life every encounter -- and yet you can’t help but feel as if something is missing from the recollection. As if something dear and important has been torn away. You must have an audience with the White Witch, yes, but why? What could have compelled you to undertake such a dangerous journey? Why does your heart feel so hollow?

Stay away, some buried part of your conscience whispers. Your rime-touched eye discerns only an emptiness where his desires should be, the curse somehow barring you from looking within him. He’s --

“What a joyous day!” he cries, pulling you into a frigid embrace. “We’ve been expecting you, my dear. Oh, and don’t mind the castle guards -- I can always conjure up some more.”

You only blink up at him when he finally lets you pull away, confused. While it is nice not being attacked for once, you must have an audience with the White Witch. You try to make the demand in the most polite manner you can muster. Whatever reasons you may have for coming here -- you’ll certainly remember them on the way to the throne room, won’t you?

He only gives you a bewildered look. “You’ve had quite the journey, my dear! I’ll not have a guest see Her Ladyship in such an exhausted state.”

His name is Michael, you learn. While he handles many tasks in the castle -- almost too many, he says in a jesting tone -- taking care of the White Witch’s guests is highest priority. They don’t receive many guests, after all. You are led through massive halls carved from ice, pass windows and walls draped with expensive tapestries, and walk beneath cupolas adorned with reliefs of various animals. Images of serpents, oxen, crows, and more are scattered about the place. It is all you can do not to gawk openly at the sheer opulence.

You are whisked away by servants before you can protest. The ice-carved handmaidens draw a warm, rose-scented bath for you, washing away what feels like weeks of blood and grime from your skin. The clothes that have been set out for you have been sewn from fine silk, the sleeves trimmed with white fur, and it takes no less than a moment for you to note just how perfectly tailored the garments are. As if you are a mere doll, you can’t help but think. The thought settles like lead at the bottom of your stomach, an inexplicable, deep-seated worry making itself known.

Yet your misgivings are completely dispelled an hour later.

You’ve never seen such an array of fine dishes. Calf’s heart in cream sauce, pan-fried liver served with mushrooms, and cold slices of veal. Caramelized onions atop minced beef, grilled lamb with dry herbs, and a whole roast goose with golden skin. Crispy potatoes, egg-cakes, and tarts filled with root vegetables. Best of all, platters of stewed apples and berry compote topped with fresh whipped cream sit just to the side, waiting to be served. It is too much for two people to eat -- much less one person, judging by Michael’s lack of a plate -- but you don’t care. It only takes one encouraging gesture on his part for you to begin picking at the dishes, trying bits and pieces of everything. Each bite is more flavorful and perfect than the last.

A crystal goblet is placed in your hands halfway through the meal, its contents a clear, vaguely saccharine liquid. Mirrorwine, according to Michael. Some part of your conscience tells you not to drink it.

“Oh, there’s no need to be shy,” Michael assures you, handing out his own goblet for a servant to attend to. He raises it in your direction. “I believe it’ll do you some good, my dear. It is said that mirrorwine eases your aches and pains, whatever they may be.”

You wait for him to take a sip before you do -- only to find that it truly does lessen your bodily pains, just as he said it would. A single sip draws away the nagging soreness of your lame leg, and even the strain of carrying the crystalline limb seems to have disappeared. Michael gives you a knowing smile when you all but exclaim in astonishment, encouraging you to have more. If it is to your liking, he’ll call for a servant to fetch another bottle of it.

You take another long sip of the mirrorwine, feeling something like a knot unravel within you. Again there is that hollow sensation -- whereislukewhereissimeonhowcouldyouforget -- but you push it aside, enjoying the coolness washing over you. The carved chamber glistens, and Michael’s ice-like body seems to lose that strange, off-putting quality. There is only an unparalleled beauty when you look upon him, much to your surprise. How had it gone unnoticed before? How could you find fault within such a perfect being?

A third sip. A chill permeates your bones, runs its icy fingers along your spine, and embraces the confines of your weak body. You need to -- no, that’s not right. You don’t need to do anything. Why would you ever want to step outside of the castle again? You belong here. You’ve only ever belonged here.

A hand rests upon your shoulder. You look up to see Michael eyeing the empty goblet with amusement. “I would have never expected you to be such a carouser, small as you are,” he remarks.

You apologize out of embarrassment, but he merely waves it off. A gesture towards an ice-carved servant sends them scurrying out of the room. Another bottle of mirrorwine is to be served, it seems, but you don’t think you need another. Surely that would taking advantage of --

“Nonsense! You are an esteemed guest, my dear.”

A soft kiss is pressed to your brow -- a burst of winter, piercing and unyielding -- and your heart embraces the frost.

* * *

You hum happily as the comb passes through your locks, enjoying the sensation of the carved bone against your scalp. It is a wondrous thing to be tended to so well -- and by such a breathtaking creature, no less -- so you do your best to sit still. The crystallization of your lame leg seems to have spread, but Michael reassures you that it’s nothing to be worried about. It is merely a part of the process.

An ever-present feeling tugs at your thoughts at all hours of the day. You came here for something, didn’t you? You came here to see the White Witch. You must see the witch, and you do your best to remind Michael.

“But you aren’t ready yet, my little doll.” A frown graces his wonderful, perfect face. “You’re happy here, aren’t you? Do I not tend to your every need?”

He does! He does, it’s just that --

“Fret not,” says Michael, pressing a kiss to your cheek. Your thoughts scatter. “You’ll see her when you’re ready. And you do want to be ready, don’t you?”

You nod obediently.

* * *

You gaze upon your reflection in the bath. Has your skin always been so bloodless? So blue? Have your eyes always been afflicted with that strange color? You blink, and your eyelids move seamlessly against the layer of hoarfrost.

* * *

“That Luke of yours has quite the natural talent for baking, wouldn’t you agree?” Michael plucks a macaron from the display, eyeing it with an almost scholar’s interest. “No experience with such delicate ingredients, no training -- and yet he is still capable of such perfection. Isn’t that wonderful?”

You only give him a confused glance. Who is this Luke? Is he a new pastry chef?

“Oh, do forgive me, my dear. That little detail always slips my mind.”

An ice-carved servant enters the room, bows, and whispers something into Michael’s ear. You pout. While Michael always takes his leave at this time, can’t he spare you just a second longer? As if sensing your thoughts -- or perhaps only expecting them, given how he’s learned nearly everything else about you -- he presses a kiss to your temple, promising to return in a moment. That intoxicating chill fills your body once more, and you let out a sigh of satisfaction.

You peruse the options on the table before you. Berry compote seems a bit too sweet to accompany the tea, as are the crepes. The rice pudding is beholden with a bit too much salt, the lemon custard has too little rum, and you’ve had stewed apples too much recently. Your gaze draws to a strange loaf on a plate on the far side of the table, and you ask a passing servant to identify it for you.

“That would be rye bread, miss,” says the ice-carved servant. “Shall I take it away for you? It is most unsightly.”

You were merely curious, you tell her. There’s no need to remove it just yet.

You as you pick up the loaf, turning it over in your hands. The bread is the color of spruce bark and almost as dense, its insides studded with seeds. While you should find it unsightly -- Michael tends to place appearance over taste when it comes to dishes -- you find that you can find no fault in it. There is only a strange sense of nostalgia.

You’ve lost something, haven’t you?

You tear off a piece of the bread with care, staring at it for a moment. Waiting. The seeds crack against your teeth when you bite down.

* * *

He smells like flour, you think, but it’s a nice smell. A comforting smell. The blizzard howls outside, Luke shivers and burns beneath his blanket, you haven’t eaten in days -- and yet you can’t help but be comforted. The baker’s eleven year old son holds you close as he wraps another one of his father’s spare blankets around you, bundling you up. Despite that, the tears still run hot and unending down your cheeks.

Stop being a crybaby, you’re seven! You’re supposed to be a big girl now! You scold yourself over and over again. How’s Luke gonna see you as his real big sister if you can’t even stop crying?

“Don’t cry, it’s okay,” he soothes you. “Everything’s going to be okay. I’m not going to leave you.”

But everyone’s already gone! Mama’s gone, Luke’s parents are gone, and now there’s no one left! If it weren’t -- if it weren’t for that stupid witch and the rime and the monsters, then --

The baker’s son only hushes you again, pulling the blanket tighter around you. You sniffle. You can stay and hide here in his family’s shed, according to him -- but how much of what he said is true? How do you know he won’t be dragged away into the woods like everybody else? How do you know he won’t just leave? The baker’s son rocks you back and forth for a few minutes before finally pulling away. There’s something he needs to get for you, apparently. Something that you’ll like.

The baker’s son returns a few minutes later and hands you something wrapped in cloth. A burnt, uneven loaf sits within it. Despite your hunger, you can’t bring yourself to want it.

“Made it myself this morning,” he says, beaming with pride. “It’s burnt, but I’m pretty sure it’s still good. I can bring more stuff tomorrow.”

You thank him, trying to discreetly wrap it up again -- but a quick glance in his direction tells you that’ll hurt his feelings. Your teeth scrape awkwardly against the burnt loaf, sinking into a particularly crunchy, scorched spot, and you try to chew as politely as you can.

He smiles. “Well, what do you think? Good, right?”

You nod wordlessly. Your mouth is sore enough to take your mind off crying, at least for now.

His name is Simeon, you learn. His name is Simeon, he smells like flour, he’s a terrible baker, and he promises he’ll be one of the best hunters ever. Luke is four and loves listening to his stories when Simeon can sneak away for a night. You get used to Simeon’s terrible rye bread at some point, because you would do anything for the people you love. You would do anything to protect them, even if that means telling them their rye bread is good when it nearly breaks your teeth.

* * *

The tears carve their way down your cheeks, cutting through the layer of rime. Your tea cup lies shattered on the ground, the contents spilled against the icy floor, and the body is horribly, unbearably cold. It is only then that you realize just how thin your clothes are: the silk raiment that Michael has dressed you in is paper-thin, your feet are covered only by a pair of woolen slippers, and there is no cloak in sight. Your supplies are gone.

The crow-beast had taken your dearest, most fond memories in exchange for freeing Simeon. Simeon had been let go, you remember, but where had he gone afterwards? Where exactly is Luke and what have they done to him? That ice golem -- how long has he bewitched you? How much longer do you have until the curse of the rime takes hold of you once more?

The door creaks open. Michael, the doll-maker, has returned. A knife sits beneath one of the platters at the table.

Tip: You are fighting [Michael, the Doll-maker]. Bide your time and pretend to be spellbound until you have an opening. You have only one chance.

[NEXT: ???]

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me!#obey me simeon #obey me luke #obey me mc #obey me michael #om simeon #om michael #om luke #om mc #frostheart #blood tw #violence tw #gore tw

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dragonnan · 4 years ago

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Everyone is encouraged to join!

FYI - yeah I know it’s actually Saturday... Didn’t feel like changing it though, lol!

Share links to fic, artwork, WIPs, whatever you want!

My works:

Link to my AO3

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The work I thought it would be fun to share is an in-progress unpublished work that will likely take a while to put together. I was incredibly inspired by the brilliant writing of both @hanuko and silentsaebyeok who both have stories about Wilson Fisk. Here is my take on that character in an Avengers fic!

Untitled Fic

Setting: near the end of Homecoming and just prior to Tony reconciling with Pepper

AU of Daredevil season 2-3 (Karen didn't murder Wesley as Fisk's mother didn't remember her visit. She only remembered Ben)

Late afternoon sunlight had turned every pane of glass into a pool of gold. The patio doors of the tall office building had been left open – allowing the haze of late day warmth to coil upwards; carried on drafts of air heated from the concrete below. Rubber soles squeaked softly against marble that knew mainly Italian leather and the rare alligator hide. Two-hundred dollar sneakers were incongruous to the wealth of the man sporting them, but then, Tony Stark had never been a fan of the expected.

“So what wrong side of the bed did I wake up on this morning to earn this clandestine meeting before my Kai Jiew has had time to settle?” One hip resting on the edge of the railing, Tony managed to shudder back a yawn before it became embarrassing. Behind him, the familiar snap of a briefcase lock barely drew a glance as “Dilbert” pushed up his glasses and withdrew a thick file from the depths.

Further in the shadows, the larger man, silent, stood with his head at an oddly subdued angle. Often reticent in the blessedly few interactions Tony had ever had with the man, it was little surprise that it was his assistant who spoke.

“Apologies, Mr. Stark. I assure you this won't take long.”

The unstated request, of course, was that Tony sit at the table positioned within the large room. Tony raised an eyebrow. “You didn't say please.”

A smooth, tight lipped smile, followed his quip. Meanwhile, the still silent other member of their trifecta finally stepped forward – grasping one of the stuffed leather office chairs and rolling it back before seating himself. Wilson Fisk wove his hands together above propped elbows. “I appreciate your willingness to meet me so early, Anthony. I felt it best to speak with you privately given the... delicacy... of the issue at hand.” He gestured towards the single remaining chair.

Well that wasn't at all circumspect.

Returning the tight lipped smile in kind, Tony grabbed the chair facing the head of the table and sat; leaning back and settling his arms on the padded rests. “You know, usually I let Pepper handle SI business. Not sure if you got the memo but I'm not actually CEO any longer. How was prison, by the way? I heard the kitchen got a new chef.”

Ignoring the comment, Fisk tapped his thumbs together and kept a close study of the polished inlay before him. “That is something we share in common,” he looked up, then, finally, “I, too, find that most business affairs tend to be... tedious.” Fisk grinned, a flash of small, even, teeth, before he nodded towards his assistant... Wilbur? Weston? “Mr. Wesley, if you would please?” He turned back to Tony – also leaning back and resting his thick hands over his thicker waist. “I can assure you, however, that what we're here to discuss is a matter that falls somewhat outside the purview of Stark Industries.”

While his employer spoke, Wesley neatly stacked the pages of the file before sliding the bundle across the polished tabletop to Tony. Eager to just get everything done with, Tony pressed his hand flat on the cover to slide it close, flipped it back... and froze.

Across from him, Fisk continued speaking. “I have found that I have an over-abundance of pressure on me as I attempt to rebuild was was lost during my incarceration. Aside from the judgement of the good people of this city I also have faced an ongoing assault from a number of vigilantes. This city, for all of its potential, has the unfortunate side effect of breeding these... vermin... faster than the rats that inhabit the sewers. As it is they are beneath the notice of those who claim to protect the people of this city.” His hands stilled – lying one on top of the other as Tony silently turned to the next page. “Too busy protecting the rest of the world, perhaps.”

Tony made himself turn to the next page; his eyes blinking rapidly.

“Of course it isn't in my nature to harm innocents. I find it distasteful to involve women and children in such matters. And, yet, I find that it is, in fact, a child at the center of my current dilemma. Of greater irony is that this child has both power and connections that would, under normal circumstances, place him outside the reach of those who would wish him harm.”

The forth page was a photo – clipped from a newspaper and a duplicate to the framed image that sat on the worktable in Tony's lab. In the grainy image he stood, one arm slung around a young man's shoulders, as the kid received his certification for completing the “Stark Internship”. Tony licked his tongue across his teeth before closing the file once more.

Fisk let out a soft hum. “As it is, prison has a way of creating strange bedfellows. I met someone – a man you may know. Adrian Toomes. After some persuasion he had something very interesting to share with me. Something that, I can only imagine, you would wish to keep out of the hands of certain individuals.”

Tony wanted to clench his hands – his fingertips twitching before he pushed them flat against the wood beneath them. “Just to clarify you're threatening my intern?”

Fisk leaned forward; hands folding tight before him on the table. “I was hoping we wouldn't have to play any games but given your refusal to read the rest of the documents Mr. Wesley provided, I will summarize them for you.” Here he stood; walking to the open doors facing the patio. “I know who Peter Parker really is. I know about his aunt. I know the names of his friends, where he goes to school, and where he buys his favorite sandwich every afternoon.” He rested his hands behind his back; squinting in the sunlight. “If he continues to disrupt my affairs in Hell's Kitchen, the consequences could be... unpleasant.” He glanced back at Tony; his face serene. “You realize I'm asking for very little. Keep your new pet leashed and allow me to conduct my business in peace. The child will never have to know my name. Other than what he may learn from news reports; of course.” Tugging his cuffs, Fisk turned to more fully face into the room. “I never wanted to involve you. This is the sort of attention I have spent a fortune to avoid. As it is I find myself in a position where reticence could cost me even more.”

Pushing to his feet, Tony could no longer stop his hands from fisting at his sides – though he managed to control the tremor as he joined Fisk. Side by side, the other man practically loomed over him.

“So you aren't just threatening a kid – you're threatening everyone he cares about. Little bit budget TV villain but you do you I guess.” Pulling off his tinted glasses, he stared up at the other man. “The thing is this little weekly drama you're playing?” he waggled his fingers back and forth, “way above your pay grade. Maybe stick to collecting on gambling debts and playing whack-a-mole with the other lowlifes in your contacts list.”

The smallest of smiles twitched at the corner of Fisk's lips. “I know you're someone who prefers visual aids,” his voice became guttural – losing the soft quality, “perhaps a demonstration would help to convince you.”

A glance to the side, the barest nod to Wesley, and the other man typed into his phone.

There was a moment – silence this far above the city.

And then an apartment complex, three blocks away, exploded into flame.

Horrified, Tony gave Fisk a single look, seeing the purpose in that cold gaze, before twisting the dial on his watch and backing up just enough to turn and take a running leap. One foot caught on the railing and with a surge of his muscles, he launched himself out into open space.

Terrifying free fall – the ground racing towards him at breakneck speed.

And then smooth metal wrapped his body and he shot towards the blaze.

:Cutting things a little bit tight, aren't we, Boss?:

“No time to chat, Fri. Emergency response status?” He twisted his body into an angle as the building grew large in his visor – too few residents stumbling free out onto the pavement.

:Fire and Rescue are three minutes away:

“Shit.” Aiming for a top floor window that had been blasted out with the explosion, Tony shot through the opening and made a quick scan of the room. He winced at the sudden burst of heat that briefly enveloped his suit. “Anyone on this level?”

He almost swore he could hear his AI sighing. :Apologies, Boss. I am unable to differentiate life signs from the ambient temperature. Also the heat is steadily rising and will soon be at levels exceeding this suit's tolerances.:

Ignoring the warning, Tony finished his check of the room and moved on to the next apartment. “Yeah, let's put a pin in that. Adjust audio input and scan for human voices.”

In the second apartment he found a single person – deceased. Same for the next two. In the forth apartment there were two dead but he also found a child – burned and terrified but alive – buried beneath the blankets in her parent's closet. Tony kept her wrapped to protect against the flames and rushed her to the sidewalk and into the arms of one of the firemen who had just arrived on scene.

“Explosion – multiple charges – there's still people...” He coughed at the black smoke boiling from the ruined building and dropped his visor back into place before returning inside.

Even with the protection of his suit the heat was breathtaking. There were no more survivors on the top floor so Tony proceeded to the next level down.

:I'm detecting instability in the surrounding structure.:

“We got three apartments left on this floor. Stop listening to the walls and keep listening for voices!”

The next sign of life he found, however wasn't a human but a howling dog still locked in its kennel. Tucking the kennel under one arm, Tony finished his search of that floor – finding three additional people and four more pets. With everyone holding their respective creatures he didn't risk another flight but, instead, soaked several blankets in a shower and guided them to a stairwell FRIDAY had located that was still relatively flame free. Then, turning back to his task he set out to locate more survivors.

Another five minutes in – fire and rescue now dousing the building as fireman began going door to door on the bottom two floors, Tony took the last one remaining.

It was then that disaster struck.

He'd just entered the first apartment – already racing towards the elderly man collapsed on the floor when there was a sudden burst of flames across the ceiling above – overlaid by a warning from FRIDAY.

:Boss, there is a weakening of the...:

“Shit!” His heartbeat was a drum in his ears as hooked a thick blanket from the ratty chair in the living room – slow motion tornados of smoke lifting up from the surrounding dry surfaces. Propulsion would actually take longer – factoring in the time to slow his speed before reaching the man. It was a fast paced eternity bolting across the ancient carpet. The blanket billowed out ahead of him and cloaked the man just moments before he wrapped arms around him – knowing that even inside the blanket he was burning the old man with the super heated surface of his suit.

He managed two steps to the window.

And then the world shattered in a concussive blast.

#fanfic #Self Promotion

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letters-from-the-three-houses · 6 years ago

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GODDD I /LOVE/ your edelgard x dimitri stuff so much omfg... all this potential for tenderness and angst between these two is just so *chefs kiss* im shy but can i request a deeper look into what edelgard might like about dimitri (physical, personality, etc) i imagine being the heiress makes her a bit detached, and she never got to feel like a normal girl with a crush... let her love and my poor soft boy be appreciated

thank you!!!! i’m grateful for the praise, anon, but that explanation of yours is a chef’s kiss all to itself! claude would know and he would be entertained by it. in the original draft of the other post, i said he’d think of eddie/dimitri as his favourite source of melodrama, but i got rid of it bc it didn’t flow well with the rest of the hcs

this turned out to be longer than i expected (holy smokes), so thank goodness the read more finally works again

enjoy!

p.s. for those who don’t know yet, it’s currently my fourth favourite season of the year—midterm season—hence why the blog’s been running slow these days. i’ll be back to normal speed once the second week of july rolls around. so just in time for the two week countdown! i’ll still doing my best to work on requests in my spare time, but studying’s important and i’m going to get me some good grades 🕶️

edelgard’s initial impression of him was that he was much too like herself

with a slight frown and a straight stature, he looked regal, imposing, and dignified

calculating and cool, wary and doubting

she could see herself in him and it put her on her guard

so when she introduced herself for the first time, she made sure to act as aloof at possible

“i am edelgard von hresvelg,” she said, a hand on her chest as she bowed. “it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, prince dimitri”

she expected him to do the same, a well-practiced propriety that only the heir of faerghus could have

so when he grinned, she froze

“well met,” he told her, genuity dripping from his voice. “but really, the honour is entirely mine. i’ve heard only the best things about you, and though i had no doubt they were true, your prowess against those bandits only solidified the claim”

it made her more uneasy than she’d admit, but she masked her discomfort with a passive expression

and during their entire trip to the monastery, she stole secret glances his way, still confused and trying to understand their interaction

whenever he caught her eye, he simply smiled and nodded at her

it was all so baffling

and it bugged her so much that when they were already in the academy, she continued her habit of studying him

she couldn’t understand how someone so…innocent could make it this far on their own

she got her answer one day when she found him laughing and joking around with his housemates

and realization clicked

there, she thought

he could act so open because he believed he had people he could trust to watch his back

and for a moment, all she felt was pity

it was foolish of him

naive

didn’t he know that putting too much faith in someone made it easier for them to stab you in the back?

whenever he was around, she couldn’t help but watch him—like she was waiting for a train wreck to happen

surely this would all fall apart

sooner or later, his so-called ‘friends’ would show their true selves and intentions

but no matter how long she waited, nothing happened

and she began to think

maybe

just maybe

his housemates really treated him like he hasn’t the prince of faerghus

but instead, like he has their equal

like he was just…him

the idea was rather foreign to her, but if she was being fully honest, it was intriguing

she still thought it was unwise

but she was curious to know how it was possible

was it something about dimitri in particular? or was it perhaps because the people in faerghus were just more trusting in nature?

she wondered what it’d be like if adrestia was like that

(and at that, she shook her head and forced herself to turn away)

(nonsense; that line of thinking would surely get her into trouble)

(and yet, she couldn’t help but sneak another glance, watching the way his face brightened when he laughed)

because of interest, or perhaps habit—what else would it be?—she continued studying his every move and mannerism

whenever she talked with him, she memorized his expressions

in an argument, his brows pinched together as he frowned, showing every crease and wrinkle of disagreement

when he was taken aback, pale skin giving way to a warm blush, he stuttered and stumbled on his words

when she quipped a joke, rare as it was, his eyes shone in awe, mouth slightly ajar, before he schooled his features into a smile

it was hard to look away from

and the image of him, light and happy, would remain at the forefront of her mind for the rest of the day

from then on, she sometimes daydreamed about him

reimagining the emotions that would flit on his face

and how, even if he’d try to hide them, they would bleed through with his bad acting

how he’d try to pretend he hadn’t just jumped five feet in the air in surprise

or how he’d clear his throat to divert the attention from his reddening ears

she’d breathe out a laugh before realizing what she was doing, and she’d snap out of it to redirect her thoughts elsewhere

it didn’t stop people from noticing

whenever she was in that mood, staring out into space with a pensive look, hubert would ask, “my lady, are you alright?”

and she’d jolt back to her senses, replying with a “most certainly” before going back to her book

or petra would look on, quizzical at edelgard’s constant sighing, and say, “distraction by something, lady edelgard?”

“no,” she’d say after a moment’s pause. “it’s nothing. sorry, petra, what were you saying about practice?”

it was rather subtle, but the moments and slip ups compounded as the days went on, and the eagles were all worried about what was happening

they finally realized what it was during one of the house tournaments

usually, when the match was against the deer, edelgard would study her housemate’s every move, noting any mistakes and areas for improvement that she’d touch upon later

but when it was against the lions, their leader seemed almost…expectant?

even when the match was bernadetta vs. mercedes—and edelgard was taking careful consideration to make sure bernadetta got the encouragement she needed

her gaze would keep sliding over

so, following edelgard’s line of sight, they noticed she was looking at dimitri

dorothea gasped

caspar elbowed linhardt so hard he almost toppled over

hubert and petra blinked in realization

and ferdinand, disgusted, had a look on his face that said, ‘out of all the people she could have chosen, she chose him? seriously?’

but they watched in silence, eyes flitting back and forth between the two leaders

meanwhile, edelgard was unaware of what was going on behind her

and when bernadetta won, she stiffened as dimitri came over to relay his congratulations

he grinned, almost cheeky. “as expected from your members, edelgard. after all, they learn from the best”

she stared for a moment, a bubbly feeling rising up in her stomach, before she turned her gaze to the training grounds. “yes, quite. you’d best keep up lest you get left in the dust”

“of course. i suspect we’ll be training hard for the next few weeks.” he laughed and it was light, like cold air on a winter’s morning. “still, it’s no loss to lose to you”

her eyes flashed at that, ready to retort

was that an insult?

was he implying they were too insignificant to even be considered proper opponents?

but when she focused on him, she stopped, the argument dying on her lips

because once again, dimitri was staring at her with an earnestness that told her he had utmost faith in her abilities

again, he didn’t bother to hide the full extent of his feelings

but unlike the first time, it didn’t make her uncomfortable

instead, it made her feel…warm?

almost happy?

she softened, about to respond in kind when she realized what was happening

and she hardened her expression before clipping out, “then i suppose matches aren’t the only thing you’ll lose, if your pride has already slipped from you. farewell”

then she turned around, calling to her house to tell them they were leaving

(caspar almost screamed, “what are you doing?!” but linhardt clamped a hand over his mouth)

for the next few days, the eagles secretly monitored edelgard, noting the times when she stopped in her tracks to stare at something

or when her lips would twitch upwards

or when she’d look almost…longing

and they would find dimitri in the area

but whenever they tried to subtly talk about it—"so, have you been thinking about anyone lately?“—edelgard would look at them like she didn’t understand

finally, it dawned on them: he was her first crush

(ferdinand sighed and said it wasn’t worth the effort, but dorothea dragged him along anyway and told him it was for the greater good)

they began to be more overt, name dropping dimitri into conversations and saying good things about him

“he’s talented and smart. he gets top marks in his house, doesn’t he?”

“yeah. and he certainly doesn’t slack off in training”

“he’s also really considerate! just the other day, i saw him help someone who tripped and had all their books flying all over the place. when they tried to apologize to him, he said it was no trouble and even offered to carry some of their stuff to their next class”

“huh, he’s pretty cool”

edelgard would nod along, a smile playing on her face as she felt proud that people were acknowledging his strong qualities

one day, they asked back, “what do you think about him?”

and she stopped in her tracks, heart in staccato, as she simply said, “he’s much too nice for his own good”

too trusting

too honest

too expressive

she thought of his eyes, always crinkled at the corners when he looked at her

his voice, smooth and velvety, when he leaned over to speak in her ear

his awe, clear and evident, when he praised her for her hard work

it made her insides all warm and fuzzy, but she didn’t say that out loud

(it was hard for the others to really guess what she meant by that, though they supposed her wistful tone was answer enough)

and they continued upping their game so she could finally realize that she liked him as more than a friend

dorothea lent her some romance novels, making her listen to explanations of how wonderful it would be to fall in love, all the while ranting about the symptoms that edelgard herself had shown

“sneaking glances when you think they aren’t looking, holding your breath when they get too close to you, straightening your clothes when you see them at a distance—”

caspar would try to make her jealous by relaying gossip about the other people dimitri was close with

“his childhood friends must know a whole lot about him! do you think they have some embarrassing stories they can share?”

bernadetta, cooking way too many extra sweets, would say, “maybe you could give this to someone you know? there are too many to eat by myself…”

(edelgard shared it with the rest of her housemates first, then the professors, then claude, then dimitri, who gave her such a sweet smile in return that her skin turned warm)

(her housemates only shook their heads and sighed, but at least it was progress)

(and by this point, claude picked up the signals, sending the eagles a thumbs up in solidarity to tell them he’d do his part whenever he could)

it almost seemed hopeless, really, because edelgard just didn’t seem to understand her own feelings

but claude would have none of it

and instead of all the secretive mumbo jumbo, he went straight for the kill

“hey,” he whispered one day, after one of the interlord meetings, “do you like dimitri?”

she glanced at him, then the boy in question. her heart pattered at the word ‘like’. “of course i do. don’t you?”

“that’s not what i meant. i meant, you know—” he leaned in like he was going to tell her a secret, eyebrows wiggling all the while. “—romantically”

she almost choked. “what?”

the outburst caused dimitri to look at them, concerned, the question on his face asking, ‘are you okay?’

and she nodded at him, a bit embarrassed, before turning back to claude. “where did that come from?” she hissed under her breath

he chuckled. “don’t tell me you thought i didn’t notice. you sneak glances whenever you think he isn’t looking and you hang onto every word he says. it’s pretty obvious”

“what does that have to do with me liking him like…that?”

“um, because people who like someone act just like that? so you like him?”

“that’s…that’s nonsense”

he slung his arm over her shoulders. “oh come on, eddie—”

“don’t call me that”

“—i know you’re smarter than that. you’ve probably already figured it out but you just don’t want to admit it. ’course, i’d be bummed out myself if i found out i had a crush on our resident noodle boy—”

“don’t call him that”

he eyed her glare with amusement. “wow,” he chirped, “i knew it was bad, but i didn’t know it was this bad”

“is something the matter?” dimitri called from the other side. “the two of you have been whispering furiously to yourselves this past little while, and it’s showing no signs of stopping.” he frowned and tilted his head. “is it something i should know about?”

claude grinned. “yeah, definitely, we were talking about—”

“claude!”

“—the fine intricacies of human emotion. fascinating subject. very deep. the two of you should discuss it sometime”

then, with a wink and an exaggerated wave, he said “ciao!” and made a speedy getaway

whether it was because of the awkward conversation she just had or because of the fact that dimitri made his way to stand much too close to her, she couldn’t get the heat off of her face

“that was odd,” he said. “though to be fair, he’s always weird”

“quite,” she mumbled

he sent her a sheepish look. “i’ll apologize on his behalf”

“it’s not you who should be sorry. you don’t even know what you’re saying it for”

“yes, but it’s for the discomfort you felt. it’s not something i enjoy seeing on your face”

why was he so nice? claude’s words repeated over and over and over again

“thank you then.” she tried to keep her voice even. “i appreciate it”

he returned it with a soft smile. “it was the least i could do for you,” he told her, voice no louder than a murmur, and all she could do was curl her toes. “well, i best be going. i won’t be able to win against you if i idle around, yes?”

you don’t have to, she wanted to say. you could stay here with me

instead, she nodded. “of course.” and in spite of herself: “do try your best, dimitri, but i’m afraid the future is already set in stone”

it was playful, a rarity from her, and his eyes widened for a moment before he laughed. “then i suppose i’m unfortunate enough to attempt defying the fates.” he bowed, low, with only the deepest of respect in his stance. “until then, my lady”

when he left, her mind raced through all that had been said and done

from the moment she had laid eyes on him

to her growing fondness

to her housemate’s hints and claude’s words

to now, heart beating wildly against her chest

she couldn’t deny it any longer

she liked him

and for the first time in her life, within the quiet walls of a room she had all to herself

away from the eyes

away from the judgments

away from the adrestian throne

she let herself grin silly

a/n: dimitri is unknowingly smooth. but for everyone’s sake, do not tell him how smooth he is. because once you do, he becomes way too self-conscious about it and turns into a bumbling mess

[asks are open!]

#fire emblem three houses #fe16 #fe3h #edelgard von hresvelg #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #black eagles #claude von riegan #headcanons #asks #anon #prerelease

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rwoan · 5 years ago

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𝒉𝒊 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 ! oh gosh , i am so excited to finally be posting this ? ya girl has been ecstatic about this group for the past few days and just wow , thank you all for being here ! not to be emo , but i really appreciate your interest and excitement , i truly can’t wait to meet and write with you all . briefly , my name is lenny ( 22 , mst , she / her ) and i’ve been freezing my ass off in - 40 temperatures all week #canada . i’m a huge harry potter nerd and will gladly scream with you about ariana grande , harry styles , or the jonas brothers . below the cut is all that you need to know about my dear rowan , one of my favourite muses who i’ve developed so much in the past that what lies below is a novel and a half , so i apologize in advance . i will likely be messaging you all through discord , so keep an eye on your dms ! i’m the biggest h*e for plots , so straight up just throw ‘em all at me — angst , drama , fluff , tension , we love it all ! okay shut up , lenny , no one cares — mwah , love you all already !

❛ ⋆ ․ i totally just saw 𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒔 walking down sunset boulevard , looking so much like 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒔𝒄𝒉 that i had to do a double take ! the 𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 year old has been living in the city of angels for 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 now and has made quite a name for 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 working as a 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓 / 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒃𝒆𝒓 . i've heard they can be quite 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 & 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 , but at least they're 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 & 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 , hey ? they remind me so much of 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒔 , 𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒖𝒏 , 𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔 ( lenny , 22 , mst , she / her )

* / ♡ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒 .

full name : rowan georgina collins

nicknames : row

age / dob : twenty4 / september 1 , 1995

gender : cis female ( she / her )

sexuality : openly bisexual

hometown : calabasas , california

label : the epicure ( a person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink )

* / ♡ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 .

rowan comes from a fairly opulent background : her parents never married — in fact , her father came out as gay when she was young — but both were quite successful on their own independent ventures and raised row in a very happy , yet slightly spoiled , childhood

her mother is a big - time magazine editor and had sole custody of rowan in their lush calabasas home , but rowan has always remained incredibly close with her father , a celebrity chef , and often spent weekends and holidays in his long beach penthouse apartment .

because of her wealthy lifestyle ( and having a chef for a father ) rowan was exposed to fine cuisine at a young age . she had incredibly mature tastebuds — even at the age of like 6 she was munching on calamari and truffle oil . she honestly can’t remember a time she ever turned her nose up at trying something new , her father having instilled a deep curiosity and passion for all foods in her .

there honestly isn’t much else to say about her upbringing , there’s no big sob story or rising climax — rowan is incredibly grateful for the stable , happy , and comfortable life her parents blessed her with . she found going between homes quite exciting and looked forward to the double christmases and birthdays — which is a great symbol of how rowan looks at the world . while some may call it “ rose coloured glasses ” , rowan sees herself as an optimist and prefers to find the silver lining in most situations and considers dwelling on the negatives a waste of time .

alright , continuing on : when she was in her early teens , rowan started a food blog purely out of boredom and a general desire to share her passion for food . she started out by sharing low quality images of her meals and writing littles blurbs — nothing too fancy .

however , fast forward a couple years of ritualistic posting , her father discovered the blog one day and immediately shared it on his own social media ( because of course he had to brag about his little food connoisseur ) and row’s blog blew up from there . by the time she was 18 , rowan was getting paid to visit some nice ass restaurants around los angeles and write reviews on her blog , which was gaining interest with each post she wrote .

high school graduation came and went , and row’s online influence grew bigger and bigger , and continued to grow even as she attended the university of california to major in communications , which she envisioned would only serve to aid her in her online endeavours .

during her college career , rowan started up her youtube channel . it started as a couple videos that she linked in blog posts , prompted by questions from her followers about how she juggled her busy calendar , what her favourite recipes were , and more . her videos opened her up to an entirely new audience , and thus rowan blew up even more . she has since become a popular youtube star , her channel a collection of daily vlogs , cooking videos , restaurant reviews , and more .

my main inspo for rowan’s youtube aesthetic was alisha marie , our queen , with her casual daily vlogs and fun challenge videos , but with a mix of madelaine herself and laurdiy ( i imagine row as the foodie version of lauren ) , and those sort of vlog queens !

rowan graduated uofc with her degree in communications 2 years ago , when she was 21 , and has since been able to fully dedicate herself to her online presence . for the last two years , she’s been mainly focused on consistent posting on both ( although she did get rid of having a set schedule about a year and a half ago in order to ease up her stress ) .

* / ♡ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 .

label(s) : the epicure , the icarian , the aesthete , the sybarite

epicure : the whole basis of rowan’s existence is food . like , it’s pretty much the whole basis of everyone’s existence , but rowan is extra in love with food . she’s both incredibly passionate about eating and cooking , although possibly more so about eating — it is her job after all .

icarian : curiosity , adventure , and spontaneity are likely the three words most commonly associated with rowan — aside from food of course .

aesthete : to be a popular food blogger / youtuber / instagrammer you kinda have to have a good aesthetic , but rowan’s is extraordinarily good . the girl is always on the look out for cute backdrops for selfies , decor for her home , and new clothes to fill her wardrobe .

sybarite : materialism is probably row’s biggest downfall . she can’t help but have a deep inner desire to own all things on trend .

traits : materialistic , creative , passionate , self - indulgent , obsessive , honest , expressive , confident , starry - eyed

aesthetics : a camera roll full of food photos , large red waves , hourly instagram stories , iced coffee after a morning run , a red kiss pressed onto a white napkin , golden rings decorating manicured fingers , keyboard clicks at midnight , chilled mimosas paired with laughter .

personality : rowan’s definitely very bubbly and charismatic , but can also come off as quite spoiled , materialistic , and bossy at times . she knows what she wants , how she wants it , and she’ll stop at next to nothing to get it .

she practically radiates bde and oozes confidence .

her friends are literally her everything and she’d likely do anything for them . she’s definitely that Rich Friend™ who will buy your lunch for you , take you shopping for the perfect outfit when you land the interview of a lifetime , and also buy the first ( and most ) of many rounds of shots at the bar .

her home has an open door to anyone she cares about . no point in letting two spare bedrooms sit empty , as she says , and she’ll always welcome you in with open arms when needed .

she’s a party girl , but is also the girl who will be texting the group chat at 9am after a night out asking when brunch is .

above all , she’s incredibly passionate about her work . she is a virgo after all , so she’s very organized , ambitious , and a bit of a perfectionist . she’s never afraid to stay up all night ensuring her latest video is perfect , or will re-read a new blog post at least twenty times to make sure she didn’t miss a thing .

this ambition and perfectionism is both her saving grace and her downfall . it makes for incredibly cohesive , put - together , and strong content , but can also often drive her to the point of insanity of trying to make sure everything is just right .

* / ♡ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐎𝐔𝐒 .

in order to keep this from becoming a novel ( too late ) , you can find some extra info about rowan by following the links below :

wanted plots .

headcanons .

pinterest .

playlist .

#( 𝒄 . 𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒏 ) / * ooc .#😘#angeles.intro

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mrneighbourlove · 6 years ago

Text

Negotiation in a Fiery Alliance: Ch 2. First Impression

Travel to the country would be quicker than the other allied partners. At the very least, it was located next to Hyrule. Malik had let his wife chat up with T0-D, who was surprisingly ok with answering all his questions regarding his machinery. Unfortunately, he couldn't spend quality time with her with the android being with them. Kahli, on the other hand, stay under the Gerudo, and used the isolation to make quiet love with his wife, holding her close and teasing her body with massages before giving in to his more lustful desires.

Malik woke up from a nap, finding that they were about to arrive. "Asa, I hope you and T0-D weren't discussing anything too wild while I was asleep?"

"If you call Toddy telling me about his parts wild." Asakonigei made a horrible pun with a grin. She had been holding her husband's head in her lap, running her hands through his hair. "Enjoy your nap?"

"We're the wild ones, Kahli can't keep his hands to himself." Zizi was particularly enamored with her husband and his magic hands. Not to mention, when he heated his palms and massaged her sore back, she was literally putty in his hands. "I'm ready to rest. The meetings don't start till tomorrow, right?"

"From what Zarazu said, we'll rest today, then discussion is tomorrow."

"I'll be glad to just unpack."

"Observation: We are arriving to the capital."

"Oh, Zarazu was not kidding," Zizi gasped as she saw the city from above. "The capital Ewald is... it sparkles!"

"There's so many buildings made of metal and... oh, the stained glass is so lovely!" Asakonigei leaned forward, hugging Malik from behind. "The whole city looks like something from a fairy tale book!"

Malik viewed the masterful city down below. Centuries of potential to grow and prosper had lead to a country full of wonder. "This is what happens when your country isn't constantly laid siege to..."

"Let's hope Queen Annuciata is ready for our arrival."

"No, I said the red gown, I am not wearing that tacky green one, it is so last year." The queen of Danjur told her maidservants as one worked on her hair and the other fetched her shoes. "Get out the rubies with the diamonds, not the rubies with the gold, mind you. And where is my rogue? I won't present to the ambassadors or the Empress looking like a two bit whore."

"Yes, my queen."

"And make sure my useless brothers are there to greet them properly, then bring them to me in the throne room."

"Yes, my queen."

Another servant ran in, giving a bow. "My Queen. The ambassadors to Hyrule have just flown in."

"Good." Annuciata held out her hand and another maidservant handed her a fan. "Make sure the dragons have suitable accommodations, and make sure our esteemed guests have their quarters ready. Can't have them thinking we live in a sewer ditch." After the queen deemed herself presentable, her long red gown trailed behind her as she exited her bedchambers, four maidservants carrying the train. As she walked in heels, she asked, "Is the feast ready? I won't have my guests hungry."

"Yes my Queen. We have taken the proper requirements to make sure they will be absolutely satisfied."

"And the dragons?" Annuciata fanned her face.

"The fishery has spent weeks preparing fresh live fish to be captured and put in tanks. Only the best, even for Dragons."

"Good." Annuciata then made her way to the throne room, but before she went inside, she took a deep breath. "Now..." The queen waited for the servants to open the door and then gracefully strutted her way to the throne. The guests would arrive any moment, and first impressions were always a must.

Kahli took a deep breath. T0-D had decided to wait for Zannah to arrive and accompany her. Without the android, Kahli realized he'd be the very first impression of a Hasai to the Queen of Danjur. The weight of making a good impressions weighed on his shoulders. Hopefully Malik would take charge.

The Gerudo Lord of Hyrule made sure to wear something striking, something that told others he was still powerful. He never considered style before, but he had to wear the right clothing. Just strolling in with a massive suit of armour didn't cut it anymore. He was no mere solider. He was Lord. And he'd come across as such. He made sure he handsome, held some secret protection, stylish, and even a little intimidating. Waiting to be escorted in, he walked into the throne room with his wife and Kahli and Zizi behind him.

"Malik, don't be so tease." Asakonigei whispered to him before the group walked into the throne room. Her husband had a 'tell' when he was stressed. While as a commander, he had nerves of steel and could keep his wits, when there was an issue bothering him, Malik kept reaching for his sword, as if expecting a battle. "You look so handsome, after all, I picked out this outfit for you and I'll get to take it off of you later."

"You all right?" Zizi asked her husband as she squeezed his hand. "Remember, I'm here with you."

As the group of ambassadors made their entrance, Annuciata was all about her overall image. There she sat on her throne, fan in hand with the train of her dress trailing down the stairs. There was sun coming in from the stained glass which reflected different colors on the floor and illuminated her jewelry. Not only was she wearing the top standard of finery for clothes and jewels, there were also adornments in her hair. Her face was coated in makeup, giving the queen an extra flare.

Malik made sure to tell his wife ahead of time that the compliments he'd give Annuciata would be simply words. Arriving in her presence of the Queen, he gave a light bow of his head. "Greetings Queen Annuciata. I am Lord Malik of Hyrule. This is my wife, Lady Asakonigei. I wish to say that flying in, your city is as beautiful as you. I hope you will share its charm."

"It is lovely to make your acquaintance, Queen of Danjur."

Asakonigei bowed as well, making sure she looked stunning as well. Since her husband loved gold, she opted to wear a tight fitted gown, fit and mermaid flare. The dress was made entirely of sequins, sparkling like the metal the Kovina used on her husband's Iron Knuckle gown. Zizi, pregnant and wide, decided to chose a dress less flashy and more so comfortable, a simple green lace gown with a few adornments of bling here and there. She held onto Kahli's arm as the pair walked to the queen of Danjur.

"It is pleasing to meet all of you." Annuciata rose from her seat and took the steps one by one in slow fashion, letting her red gown flow behind her. "I trust your travels were well?"

"They were. I trust that we haven't kept you waiting. Is the Emperor here as well?"

"Empress Zannah is currently being seen to in her chambers." Annuciata explained to the group. "Something about a bit of nausea after riding in one of our Land Riders. She will make her debut later. For now, I have a feast prepared for you all, as well as chambers for your comfort." She gestured for her guests to follow her. "My chefs have prepared nothing but the best for you all." The queen then got to the point. "Kahli, is it? Tell me of your Empress and your people. I have had dealings with Hylians long enough to know what to expect. The Lorleidians have also been pleasant and cordial. I know little of the Kikai Empire."

Kahli was taken by surprise, but held it secret very well. "My people? What would you like to know? I'm sure that when Zannah arrives she can tell you more. My history with the Hasai is held dark chapters, but I am now moving on from that. I suppose the same can be said for my people's history as well."

"I'm sure the empress will be able to give me all the facts of history, power, and conquest, perhaps a love story or two, but I am interested in your personal thoughts." Annuciata sat at the head of the table filled with food to the brim. "There is a difference between the mind of an empress and one of her people. Speak."

Everyone took their seats, Kahli included. It seemed that he had no choice but to speak. He decided that the truth would be the most beneficial. Zannah would be wise enough to show how far she's worked against the atrocities. "Very well Queen Annuciata. The Hasai are made of multiple tribes. These tribes have been categorized by our skin colours, but more importantly our abilities. But first, a question for you. What do you know of war?"

"Danjur has crushed any enemy daring to cross our mountains or invade our seas." Annuciata was not subtle about her dislike for war. "However, we have been fortunate enough to make allies instead of foes. I am curious about your abilities. Is it similar to the Lorleidians? Or different?" The servants filled each person's glass full of wine, until one reached for Zizi's. "Idiot, can you not see the woman is pregnant? Go fetch her a drink of her choice."

"I apologize, my queen, though the kitchen menu orders---"

"Are you deaf or dumb? Perhaps both? Go get her a different drink, fool."

"Yes, my queen, I'm sorry, my queen."

"See it doesn't happen again."

Kahli held his tongue as the Queen chastised her servant. "The reason I bring up war, is because my people are natural users of the element of fire. Masters even, that can even make a Vatra seem like kindle." The Waku quickly patted Zizi's hand. "No offense to Zolori of course."

Taking a breath, he went back to his history speech. "And we used fire to destroy. War and battle was glory in our history. Unfortunately, we even destroyed each other. The Ocho clan, the royals that Zannah descends from, grew jealous of my clan, the Waku. We started to gain power as strong as them, so Zannah's descendants decided to exterminate my people. This lead to a quick and violent conflict that wiped out the Waku, the Hasai Dragons, and our original homeland. From that war, the Hasai only had less than half a century to find new land. So taking everything, they sought to conquer new lands. This lead to the brutal and fiery war against Hyrule. I was only a child and did not take part than. The survivors of my people were hunted down, myself include. If it wasn't for Zannah wanting to find peace, and bring more balance and rebuild our people, than I'd most certainly be dead."

Malik tapped his thigh underneath the table at even the mention of the war. Kahli looked over the Queen, wondering what more she wanted to see and hear. "As abilities go, being Waku means I have control of fire, and even lightning, like the sky. And like Zannah, we are the only two to make a pact with our god for even more power. I can incinerate creatures down to atoms, or cause them to explode, simply by giving them a touch. That is my gift that I was granted. I know not if I have more."

"It sounds like you are an object of power not only to your empress, but built to destroy." Annuciata saw no reason to hold back on the bluntness of her words. "Power is a lustful, corrupting objective, however, it seems you are firmly rooted to your lover and your home. I wonder why you wouldn't use such might to simply take what you want? Or is it because you wish to hold onto ideals of peace? It's amusing."

Zizi held onto Kahli's hand tightly under the table. She was not sure how he would take the queen's words, but both of them were warned that Annuciata was quite forward and said exactly what she thought. All she wished was for this meeting to go well.

"My husband is a good man, Queen Annuciata." Zizi told the ruler of Danjur. "What power he has is to help his people and mine. He doesn't have it for war."

"Seeking absolute power corrupts. Look at Ganon. Or even to my own people. I have this power, but I can walk from it away as well. To do so, is true strength." Kahli squeezed Zizi's hand back. "I have everything I could ever want. A wife. Children. And a job where I can simply be at peace tending the flowers."

"Interesting, a man of power who tends to the plantations of his home." Annuciata chuckled at the thought. "So adorable. Though, you, Lady Asakonigei, my servants told me you are a Kovina." The queen turned her attention to Malik's wife. "Won him over with a suit of... gold, I believe it was?"

"I made him an Iron Knuckle armor suit, Queen Annuciata." Asakonigei clarified. "He made the request for a suit of armor and I simply made a few changes to suit his heritage."

"She also made my right arm. Her craft is unmatched. A woman of steel nerves who mastered steel itself. I'd say that there is no one else who could have won my heart." Malik turned to give his wife a light smile.

"Oh, a blacksmith? I don't think I've ever met a woman who worked with metal like you do, Lady Asakonigei." Annuciata then clasped her hands together. "Show me a demonstration?"

"A... demonstration?"

"Yes, I've heard that you made marvelous suits of armor." She glanced to her guards. "Pull one of them forward. I wish to see your magic in action."

"Oh! ... I... I don't want to hurt one---"

"Oh, tsk, tsk, just drag one toward us."

"I... very well."

Asakonigei selected one of the bigger guards and hesitantly used her magic to pull him by the weapon in his hand. He was startled by his spear suddenly being yanked forward, grunting and trying to pull it back, but she moved him, entire suit of armor and all.

Malik gave a light smile. A display of power was good in his eyes. Showed the Queen exactly what Hyrule was made up of now. Kahli, however, frowned, disapproving a display of such strength. Power was not used for the amusement of others. It was weapon, and like any weapon, should only be used in serious situations.

"Oh, what a nifty little trick!" Annuciata was obviously impressed. "So not only do you forge metal, you actually do control it. I thought Queen Zarazu was simply bragging about the abilities of Lorleidians. Obviously, she was not." She looked at Zizi. "So that means you really can command plants at will."

"Yes, Queen Annuciata." Zizi gave a slight nod of her head. "I use my magic to benefit my kingdom by feeding the people and tending to the plantations. My husband helps me with the work."

"Tell me, sister of the queen, what is your favorite plant to grow?"

"My favorite? There's so many to chose from."

"Oh, please, you must have one."

"Well... Kahli and I first met in one of my greenhouses while I was tending to some arrowroot." Zizi held her husband's hand. "It's used to fight infections, and isn't the most flaunting of plants, but to me, it's special because that's when I met Kahli."

Kahli squeezed Zizi's hand once more. She knew just what to say to warm his heart. His perfect flower. In the middle of talks and drinking though, a servant ran in. "My Queen. The Empress has arrived. She's awaiting invitation to be let in."

"Invitation? Why would she be here unless I invited her, you daft fool!" Annuciata barked an order at the servant. "You dare to keep her waiting? Show her in!"

The servant stuttered an apology before scrambling to show in the Hasai Empress.

Black Royal Hasai Guards escorted Zannah in. To be courteous, the Emperor of the Kikai Empire only brought two. Enough to cover her flank, and show she wasn't a fool to come alone. To appear unhostile, Zannah opted out of her usual royal armour. No need for fancy capes or steel wrapped around her figure for negotiations. Instead, she wore tight, pattern filled dress, in tradition to Danjur culture. She wanted to show she showed her knowledge of studying the lands culture before visiting. Behind her, T0-D flanked her, being ordered to be quiet unless spoken to. Her dress was a striking purple against her emerald skin, and her golden eyes laid on the group at the table. Even Malik was shook by her appearance. When she spoke, she was powerful, clear, and sounded even young, and her golden eyes laid upon the ruler. "Queen Annuciata. Apologies for the wait. I'm so glad to finally meet your acquaintance."

"The same goes for me, Empress Zannah. I hope you're feeling better?" Annuciata asked of the empress. "I apologize for not warning you beforehand about the Land Riders. First time goers are usually a little off put by the motion, and you seemed so keen on trying out one of our fine pieces of technology. Please, sit. If the food does not suit you, I can have my chefs make you a different dish."

"It was not an issue, I assure you." Zannah took her seat, eyes focused on the Queen. "Please, fill me in on the discussion I have missed up until now."

"Ah, just friendly conversation up until now." Annuciata chuckled lightly. "Kahli was giving me some Kikai culture incentives, Zizi was filling me in on their romance, Lady Asakonigei was so kind to demonstrate a Kovina's ability, and Lord Malik... well, we haven't gotten to him just yet."

"I see. I hope Kahli only spoke the truth. He is a great example of how Hasai can co-exist with other cultures. But we can save that for negotiations tomorrow. Please, turn your attention to... Lord Malik? Yes... Afterall, he arrived first."

Malik already felt like Zannah held something against him, but what?

"Oh, I think Kahli knows better than to lie, Empress. After all, he is representing Hyrule and the King and Queen chose him and his wife for this task. He wouldn't want to fail them." Annuciata looked at Malik. "Yes, you're the odd one, Lord Malik. Until recently, I haven't heard of you in Hyrule's ranks."

Malik knew his test would begin now. "I have always been an observer to Hyrule. I even met you when you were but a child, visiting Covarog for his birthday. I am power and the strong arm of Hyrule. My responsibilities is to keep it safe, and its people safe. The title of Lord was not necessary until recently."

"...? When I was a child? I am confused, Lord Malik, you don't look a day over fifty." The Queen of Danjur thought he was jesting. "Come now, tell me of your history."

"My history is my own. I have been on all sides of conflict in my years. I've followed heroes, villains, would be conquerors and mighty tyrants. And I've been told I look younger thirty. Magic is a law of our world that all cultures use, myself being no exception. I have taken many identities Queen Annuciata. While those other identities are still a part of me, my title now, Lord Malik, is the greatest of them all."

"All right, keep your secrets." Annuciata thought it would be best to pester him for answers later. "Please eat and enjoy the food, and..." She paused for a moment, looking at the robot. "Does your... what do you call it?"

"T0-D is his name, he's an android." Asakonigei informed Annuciata.

"Does he eat?"

"Negative: I do not need the sustenance that your meatbag body requires. How you manage to find the power sustain yourself is a true wonder of biology."

Zannah slightly turned her head to her Android's direction. "Tod. Don't use that word towards the queen."

"Conformation: Biology?"

"Meatbag."

"Calibration: Very well. I will have to lower my power capacitors in calling the Queen such. Will need to balance it. I'm positive Meatbag Zizi will compensate. After all, she has a tiny meatbag growing inside her as we speak. That's double the meat. Must be maddening."

"Very well Tod."

Zizi knew that T0-D had to be on his best behavior, so she would use this instance to annoy him.

"Oh, Queen Annuciata, please, watch this. It is most amusing."

Knowing that T0-D had magnetic properties, and that he had to behave, she tossed a fork at him... which stuck to the side of his head.

The Queen of Danjur instantly started to laugh.

"Oh my, that is surely something." Annuciata then asked. "Do you have more T0-Ds? I certainly would like one, despite his talking. I think I'd have that disabled, and have the android just follow orders."

"Zizi..." Asakonigei said just above a whisper. "Be nice."

"The pile of scrap metal started it."

"Negative: I am one of a kind." T0-D took the fork off, placing it back down. He was already calculating a swift and terrible revenge to humiliate Zizi.

"That is a pity. Empress Zannah, I don't suppose I could convince you to let me purchase this one-of-a-kind machine from you?" Queen Annuciata inquired with a smile as she tossed another piece of silverware at the android, giggling when it stuck. Magnetic capabilities could be most amusing sometimes. "Name your price."

T0-D was getting annoyed with these woman throwing their curtly at his head, his eye flashing red and back to blue. Zannah gave a light smile, pulling the spoon of her companions head. "That's up for the negotiation tomorrow. Besides, I don't think Tod would appreciate being sold like a slave."

"Conformation: I would most certainly not."

"Oh, I wouldn't keep him as a slave, no, I'd keep him as a prize." Queen Annuciata sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "Perhaps put him on a pedestal where I could simply look at the piece of ancient technology. Maybe have him follow me around and look pretty and shiny for me."

Zizi had to hold back a snicker when the queen mentioned T0-D being no more than a pet.

"Sarcasm: Oh yes. I'm sure that would do wonders for your collection. Make you the talk of the town. It's too bad I got a citizenship not too long ago. How I always wanted to be sold off as scrap to sit in a museum. It has always been my dream."

"Quite the talker, isn't he?" Queen Annuciata shrugged. "Oh well, it's easy to disable that feature, I'm sure. Tell me, Empress Zannah, is there any issue you wish to be first on the list tomorrow for discussion?"

"An alliance between our people for starters. And to share my grievances against Hyrule."

Malik was taken aback by her wording. "Excuse me?"

"Trust me, we have much to discuss, but I'm sure that we can save it for tomorrow. I suppose Malik and his wife, as well as Zizi and Kahli are tired.

"Grievances?" Queen Annuciata repeated with a surprised expression. "I was not aware there was a problem, seeing that the King and Queen of Hyrule have already helped you start the rebuild of your empire."

"What?" Zizi blurted out at the use of Zannah's wording before she could stop.

"Like I said, we'll save it for tomorrow." Zannah raised her hand to one of her guards. At her signal, they offered the Queen a rich red wine. "My first gift to you. Our wineries are becoming one of our most treasured goods. I call it, "Hyrda's Bane". Ever since the beast's poison was expelled, our land has grown more prosperous than ever."

"A unique name, for starters, but I shall indeed give it a try." Queen Annuciata inspected the wine and then one of her servants took it for her. "Very well, tomorrow morning we shall discuss various issues. However, I must remind you, Empress Zannah, that Danjur and Hyrule have been on good grounds for many decades. We wish to extend our alliance to you as well, though we do not wish to cause strife with others. That said, we will listen to various problems to be cordial."

"Thank you. Are you married Queen Annuciata?"

"Married? Pish-posh, why would I get married when I can simply buy sausage and not the whole pig?" Queen Annuciata laughed at the inquiry. "No, Empress Zannah, I am not married and have no plans to be for the mere future. If I am to chose a suitable husband for the sake of an heir, it will be a man who I can easily control. No one will ever have me under their thumb."

"Interesting. I'm unmarried as well. How'd you like to spend sometime with our glasses of wine and give me a tour of your palace while the rest of the guests settle in for the night?"

"Intriguing offer, Empress Zannah. I shall accept, as long as we speak no more of business and alliances. I am tired from the day's events and wish to simply enjoy good company." Queen Annuciata rose from her seat. "My esteemed guests, please, follow my servant to your quarters. I do hope it is to your liking. If you shall need anything, anything at all, simply give your order to the servant outside the door. They will be there the entire night."

"Of course. You have to tell me who does your decorating." Zannah gently took Annuciata's hand, helping her up. Zannah's hand was smooth and warming at the touch. "To the rest of you, goodnight."

"Oh, you're being a flatterer, I chose everything." Annuciata noticed how warm Zannah felt as she rose from her chair as the other guests exited the room to go to their assigned quarters. "Why would I let some stranger decorate my home? Besides, my brothers have absolutely no taste."

"I bet. I think that might be part of the reason your brothers aren't on the throne."

"Pffft! Please, my brothers are mere children." Annuciata laughed. "Too immature for the role of a leader. No, they don't understand that the kingdom comes first. I will do whatever is necessary for the benefit of my people."

"As will I." Zannah continued walking with Annuciata down her prestige halls. "Tell me, how did you seize power over them? Why is someone like you in charge of such a mighty kingdom?"

"My brothers are twins, you see. Kept arguing over who was to be seated on the throne, while making numerous mistakes in their ruling." Annuciata fanned her face while speaking. "My parents did not like that they could not come to a decision, so made it for them; me on the throne."

Zannah gave a light visible frown. "They just gave you it?"

"Well... that's what we have to let the kingdom think." Annuciata chuckled as she hid a smirk behind her fan. "I had my ways of... manipulation."

Annuciata was rewarded with a genuine smile, and had her wine filled up. "Really now... admirable."

"Ma and Pa were always so easily open to my suggestions. It must be my charm." Annuciata led Zannah onto a balcony for some fresh air. "Though it is my brothers' own fault, always fighting, always squabbling like little children. They may hate me for it, but what can they do now besides bicker?"

"They should be grateful that they are still alive to squabble." Zannah set her glass down, holding the balcony edge. "You have a beautiful city here my dear."

"Danjur is my kingdom, but also my most prized treasure." Annuciata looked over the marvelous lights of the city. "We have strengths all around; impenetrable mountains and a roaring sea on our sides. Though, as much as my brothers squabble, they do unfornately have a point." The queen frowned slightly. "I will have to produce an heir to the throne."

Zannah slowly turned to her. She didn't blink as she spoke. "Really. And why's that?"

"Not only is it expected of me, though my biological clock is ticking." Annuciata had a mild grumbling tone to her voice. "I much rather have a woman than a man. Women do what they say they are going to do and men run at the first sight of trouble. Hmph. Though I need a man to reproduce."

Zannah tilted her head, and grabbed her hand. "Can I tell you something Annuciata?"

Annuciata was taken aback when Zannah grabbed her hand, slightly surprised at her boldness. The Queen of Danjur was not too keen on being touched so freely. Though, this once, she allowed it.

"...? Yes? Go on?"

"I took the seat of Emperor at sixteen. I had to make very hard choices. My people needed a tough ruler to bind them together after losing the war against Hyrule. I lost my entire family, so by being the sole survivor of the royal clans, I became Emperor. I also had to make sacrifices to my happiness by listening to the advice of a war council. Like you, I was pressured into having a child. They had to inject me because I burned the candidates they tried to have forced on me with a donor. I'm a mother to twins because I had to continue my clan. After that I swore to never again let anyone tell me how to lead the future of my people, or how to live my own life." The wind blew lightly against the two woman. "What I'm trying to say Annuciata, is that you have the power. You are in control. And you don't need to follow the traditions of others. Make your own."

"You have wise words, Empress, and I wish to follow them. Though, at the same time, I do not want my people to suffer." Annuciata looked over her capital city of Ewald. "If I fail to produce an heir, then the throne would ultimately fall to one of my brothers. I fear what those imbeciles' offspring would do to my kingdom." She shook her head lightly. "I do not mind entertaining the thought of being a mother. Truth be told, it would be lovely to have a little one who loved me, for me, in return. Though finding someone to trust with my heart... that is the hard part."

"That is the hardest part, finding someone for the heart. Someone powerful, someone... beautiful. Is there nothing else you can do?"

"It is like the kings and queens of old said, Empress Zannah..." Annuciata folded her fan. "Sometimes, you must sacrifice your very heart for the sake of the kingdom."

Zannah held Annuciata's hand firmly. "Take my word to heart Queen Annuciata. The kingdom, if you hold the right amount of power and care over it, will bend to your heart." A sensual warmth filled the queen, giving her a small sense of loss as the Emperor let go. "I will see you tomorrow afternoon?"

"... yes..." Queen Annuciata had to take a breath, having forgotten to breath at that sensual warmth filling her body. "I hope you will sleep well."

Zannah gave her a warm smile. "And may your dreams be sweet."

She walked back to her chambers, giving the queen one last wave goodnight.

#Crossover #ridersoftheapocalypse #Introducing the Queen of Danjur #Annuciata #Zannah #Kahli #Zizi #Klinge/Malik #Asakonigei #T0-D

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hallythelantern-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Marichat May 2018: Chapter 4

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

Fanfiction AO3 Wattpad

Prompt: Croissants!

Chapter 4: Home

"Now," Sabine said. "We will be making the one day version instead of the original. Is that okay, dear?"

"I'm sorry we can't get you the best quality," Marinette apologized.

Chat Noir smiled. "No, no! That is purr-fect. I was starving for some croissants because I haven't had any sweets in such a long time. I was afraid I might have to resort to killing someone to get them." He smirked, but the expression melted as he said, "Thank you."

"Well, that's fortunate. We wouldn't want our beloved superhero becoming a criminal, now do we?" Sabine nudged Marinette's shoulders. They laughed.

"Maman," Marinette said. "Maybe we should invite him at another time to let him help us, so that he could finally taste a true croissant." She looked towards Chat Noir to see his reactions and -

She saw dead flowers reviving because of him.

She smiled. Chat Noir was an important friend to her, and she was happy that she could cheer him up.

Sabine smiled. "I think it's a great idea, dear. And judging from Chat Noir's expression, I think he means a yes too." Marinette and Sabine giggled.

Chat Noir laughed along and rubbed his right hand on his messy hair.

Marinette and Sabine gathered the ingredients from the fridge and behind the counters. Chat Noir, not knowing where anything was, stayed put.

After a few minutes of constant bustling, they had finally had most of the ingredients on the workstation. Marinette finally asked the question that had been itching her mind. "You said that you haven't had sweets for how long?"

"Um.. About three months, I think."

"Three months?!" She almost yelled. How was that possible? She couldn't survive three days without sweets! Plus, there was Tikki...

"Yeah." He said, without any change in his expression. "My chef makes only healthy and low-calorie foods, so it's rare that I get to eat sweets," Chat Noir said. His eyes widened and his right hand went to his mouth. "Oops," he said. He tried a smile.

"A chef? A personal chef?" Marinette asked.

Chat Noir nodded.

Marinette felt as if she had been stung by a bee. "I would have never thought that you, out of all people, would have a personal chef." She was curious as to who he was in civilian form, but she shook herself off from the idea. Superhero identities had to stay secret. She, out of all people, should know that.

"Hey, what do you mean, 'out of all people'? You wound me, princess." Chat Noir smirked.

"Oh come on," Marinette smiled playfully. "We all know those cheesy puns are not exactly Grade A."

"Oh! Oh, that was fatal, princess!" He reenacted the Shakespeare scene where Julius Caesar was stabbed multiple times. "You have officially slaughtered my ego. You know how much I take pride in my puns."

Marinette laughed. "Stop being such a drama queen, Chat Noir." Marinette pushed her index finger to where his heart must have been at the word. "We're going to get started now."

They gathered all of the ingredients. Sabine called for Tom. They were going to make tomorrow's batch, and the more hands, the better it was.

"Here," Marinette said, giving Chat Noir the measuring cup. "Get one cup of the flour and put it in here." She pointed at the empty bowl in front of them. "I'm going to find the yeast."

Chat Noir did exactly as she said. When he was done, Marinette came back and put the yeast in and added water.

Chat Noir looked at the bowl with the wonder that a child had for a new toy. "Wow," he said. Marinette thought it was cute.

"Now, we wait an hour," Marinette said.

"Hello, Chat Noir!" A voice boomed from behind. "We are so glad that you could join us today," Tom said with a huge grin on his face.

Chat Noir caught the same grin. "The pleasure is all mine," he bowed.

Sabine and Tom smiled. Marinette couldn't help but grin with them.

A minute or two of silence between the two teenagers had passed. Meanwhile, Tom and Sabine had been talking excitedly about how the bakery had been garnering more attention nowadays. It had become one of the first stops that tourists passed through. They had said that the reviews were stellar and the people around had said nothing but great things about the bakery. They had taken all of this in pride.

"Chat Noir," Marinette said. "Since you said that you have a personal chef," Tom and Sabine turned around to hear their conversation. Tom's eyes were wide open. Sabine gave an understanding smile to Tom. "I assume that you haven't cooked much. But have you ever been in a kitchen?"

"Well, yes." Chat Noir answered happily. Then, his voice lowered in pitch and volume. His head was lowered. "The last time I was in a kitchen, I was twelve and mom and I had made spaghetti."

"Oh," Marinette said. "Does she not cook often or something? I can guess that having a personal chef around would reduce the burden of having to cook."

"No. She loved cooking. She used to do it all the time." Chat Noir sighed, looking down at the floor. "The personal chef has been an addition to us ever since-"

"Oh no." Marinette's face grew pale. "Is she…"

"Dead? Yeah." The word yeah was barely a whisper.

"Oh my gosh," Sabine had her hands covering her mouth. "I'm so sorry, dear," Sabine hugged him, petting his head. Chat Noir's ears were drooped down all the way.

It feels like mom, Adrien thought. He leaned in to Sabine's shoulders.

"How old are you, sweetie?" Sabine asked, wiping away tears he didn't know he had with her fingers.

"Fourteen."

She gasped. "The same age as Marinette! And when did she pass away?"

"A year and a half ago."

"So it's recent. How is your father handling all of this?"

"Not good, I guess?" She hugged him harder. "Ever since her death, he…changed." He cried.

Marinette flinched. She had never seen Chat Noir cry. He had always been an image of goofiness and fun to her.

"Just the night before yesterday, it had been her birthday," Adrien continued. "And so I had gotten him a hiccup present that had reminded him of her. But he called it as only the hiccup thing that brought terrible memories." He cried.

Marinette tried to hold back her tears without success. Now, she was more appreciative than ever that her parents were alive and well. She only wished that Chat Noir could be the same, but she couldn't just wish back a dead person, even as Ladybug. She tried to imagine a life without either her mom or dead. It was devastating. She would have become a walking zombie. Just going through the motions of life.

She couldn't even imagine what Chat Noir felt. He was handling all of this…alone. And with much more courage than she might imagine for herself.

Marinette wept. All this time with Chat Noir, and she hadn't even known that he was severely pained until just the day before yesterday. She was a terrible partner.

Adrien's jaws chattered. The mask started to break. It blinked back and forth, disappearing and reappearing.

Marinette couldn't believe her eyes. It was as if the mask were just pixels from an old video game. She had never known that the masks could ever break. However, she still couldn't see who the boy behind the mask was. It blinked too quickly for her to see.

"I just…wanted him to be…happy. I wanted the present to serve… as a reminder that mom…was always with us." With every pause, his voice lowered three pitches, as if it was to calm himself down. "But hiccup-" He couldn't finish the sentence.

Sabine embraced him even harder and rubbed his back in a swirling motion. "It's okay. It's okay."

They stayed like that for thirty minutes.

Adrien was calm now. His cheeks were drenched in dry tears, but he felt a lot better than what he had felt like for a long time. It was as if he had thrown away extra weights that he didn't even know he had.

Chat Noir pulled away from Sabine, who still had been hugging him. "Uh.." he ruffled his hair slightly with his right hand. "I'm sorry if I brought the mood down. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, and I ruined it." His ears drooped.

"No, dear," Sabine smiled. "You didn't ruin anything. Far from it."

"Of course not!" Marinette chimed in.

"Yes," Tom said. He was silent for a second. "If you need any help, you can always come to us."

"In or out of costume," Sabine said, taking Tom's hand. "We won't tell anyone. We swear."

Chat Noir smiled. "Thank you," he said, the words barely a whisper.

But Sabine, Tom, and Marinette had heard him. They smiled too.

"Think of us as your adopted family," Sabine said, the smile still on her face. "Marinette could provide a spare bed to you if you ever need to stay for the night. Is that okay, Marinette?"

"I can't say no to a stray kitty," Marinette smiled.

The alarm went off.

"Oh, I guess the croissants are ready for the next step."

Marinette and Chat Noir finally managed to make the croissants. Marinette often instructed him on how to fold or how wide to cut, but she was astounded at the speed which he learned. She didn't have to repeat anything twice, and furthermore, he was able to recreate an exact replica whenever he saw her do it. Maybe it was one of the magical powers of the suit, or maybe it was that Chat Noir was just a talented person. But she couldn't help but be impressed.

They talked about a lot of things. Marinette's school life and her projects, Chat Noir's hero life, Jagged Stone, Ultimate Mecha Strike III, Marinette's crush, Chloe, and Chat Noir's crush on Ladybug. Marinette hadn't said who her crush was, but she had talked about how hard it was to even talk to him. He was too perfect for a mere mortal like her to be able to talk to, she said. And because of that, she got flustered around him easily.

She remembered that Chat Noir's eyebrow had gone up. He couldn't comprehend who could be more perfect than her if she was already perfectly imperfect. It warmed her heart that the kitty thought of her so highly. It didn't change the situation, but it was sweet.

She had then complained that Chloe was too blunt. Marinette was sure most of the akuma attacks had something to do with Chloe. Chloe and she had been in the same class for four straight years, and every time until this year she had let Chloe bully her. But not anymore. She had gained new friends and a new power – confidence. She stood up to Chloe, and she felt happy putting Chloe in her place. Also, the girl had to learn social context. It was obvious to everyone but her that Adrien didn't want to be in her company. She needed to give him personal space. She had fumed.

Chat Noir had nodded, although he wasn't quite sure how the conversation had changed from Marinette's crush to Chloe.

When the croissants were finally done, Marinette and Chat Noir smiled.

Marinette took a bite into the croissant. She could taste the crunchy flakes on the outside and the buttery gooey goodness in the inside. Her tongue was satisfied. She looked at Chat Noir to see what he thought about the taste.

He was examining the croissant from all angles, admiring the work they had put into it. He hadn't even taken a bite yet.

Marinette laughed. "It's not a museum artifact, you know."

Chat Noir laughed. "Right." He took a bite.

His head rose along with his hands, which were now balled into fists. He looked as if he had just found out he had won the jackpot. She swore that she also saw tears.

Marinette smiled. "So?"

Mom. "It's…beautiful." Chat replied, staring at the hole he had just created in awe.

Marinette laughed.

If you have any suggestions or constructive criticism for me, don’t hesitate to contact me.

I hoped you liked this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this (I hope that doesn't sound sadistic).

#marichat may 2018 #marichat may #miraculous ladybug #fanfic #ml marinette #adrien agreste

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rategain-blog · 8 years ago

Link

A couple of years ago I came across an article published by an Italian blog titled “Pizzeria sues TripAdvisor for psychological abuse”. I was intrigued and honestly curious to understand how a review site could possibly psychologically damage an inanimate thing like a restaurant, as I was sure that psychological traumas were a prerogative of mankind and, to a certain extent, animals.

Digging through the blog I discovered that the owner of the pizzeria (I quote literally) “reserved the right to refuse to serve TripAdvisor users, because” he continued, “We are here to work and not to be the target of the frustration of reviewers”.

As the name of the pizzeria was published in the article, I went online and checked his reputation and, not surprisingly, not only it was very bad (actually it was terrible), but the manager responses to the client comments were full of insults and threats.

Now, as a former hotel General Manager, I know how frustrating it can be when you do your best and guests slash you on review sites anyway, but that is part of the game. At the end of the day, you will not be able to make everybody love you. That is true for anything in life. Therefore, the only thing you can do (unless the reviews are completely misleading, and in that case, you can always report them to the review site for further investigation and possible removal) is to swallow your ego, calm down and apologize. I was feeling bad for the owner of the pizzeria and I imagined him as a 70-something old school Naple guy that never get out of the pre-web era, so I tried to contact him privately to give him some advises because, with this approach, he was actually damaging his business (giving the F-word to a client is never a good idea). To my big surprise, when I finally reached him, I discovered that he was around my age and pretty familiar with social networks too.

We had a long chat and I explained to him some best practices in order to deal with the (unavoidmakable) occasional bad reviews (all for free, of course). I didn’t really expect gratitude, and I did it just because I felt bad for the guy, but what he said to me at the end of the conversation shocked me: he accused me to work secretly for TripAdvisor and he told me that I wanted him to buy something from the famous review site. At that point, I stopped any kind of contact with him, as the whole situation was turning into an Illuminati-like conspiracy and I honestly did not want to waste more time on it.

Nevertheless, this incident made me think about how restaurants and hotels managers underestimate the power of reviews when it comes to food & beverage.

Within my clients, I have a hotel with an amazing two-Michelin-star restaurant but, even though they actively reply professionally to every single review published on the hotel review sites, the restaurant TripAdvisor page stays on an incredible state of abandonment. Even worse, whenever they receive a bad review, they try to report it in order to move it to the restaurant page. They use the restaurant review page as the hotel parachute. And we are talking about one of the best places you can eat in southern Italy.

Sure, often hotel restaurants are forgettable (at best), overpriced and the majority of guests eat there as a last resort because the closest restaurant in town is half an hour Uber ride away, but does this mean that you have to give up managing your online reputation tout court? I doubt it.

Listening to your guests is, as always, the golden rule. However, there is another one that’s often forgotten: when was the last time you ate at your restaurant? I am sure between your duties as a general manager you have to inspect rooms, meet your staff and speak to your attendants on a daily basis, but how much time do you spend in the kitchen?

Everybody is complaining about the quality of the veggies on Yelp? Well, maybe it is time to change your distributors. The name of that rude F&B Manager pops out on every single review. I think you should have a chat vis-à-vis with him and solve the issue once for all.

Hotel restaurants have the tendency of being seen as sons of a lesser God when it comes to hospitality: as long as rooms are clean and Wi-Fi works fine then there is no need to worry about the undercooked pasta. They are conceived as unanimated appendages to the main entity: the hotel. However, the reality is that they are not. Even though they do not necessarily reflect the hotel style and vibe, it does not mean they are just tools to make some ancillary revenue. Especially if your hotel is located far from the city center, it is vital that you give your guests a great experience. Would you risk destroying your hotel online reputation just because you serve watered down margaritas? I do not think so. Great experience can mean good prices too. If you know that your restaurant is average, it can be a good idea to review your à-la-carte menu to make it look less like a robbery. Remember that with the rise of mobile and social networks your reputation is just one click away so sometimes listening to your clients when they are in the restaurant is not enough.

Therefore, what you should do to actively monitoring your restaurant online reputation?

We gathered 10 golden rules to improve your restaurant experience:

Collect and aggregate data from all the review sites that mention your property and your competitors. This will give you a better understanding of what is working and what needs to be improved. There are modern online reputation management tools that can do it for you, so adapt an online reputation technology that could simplify all the unstructured data in way that is more actionable. Insight on what are reviewers writing about your restaurant, is crucial to identify the gaps and improve guest experience.

Use an online reputation management tool to map your service style and cuisine with your competitors so that you can benchmark and improve by doing apple-to-apple comparison. Remember that Devil is in detail of guest experience.

Once you start analyzing your competitive set, focus on key metrics for these four categories a) Food & Beverage: consistency, freshness, value for money, portion size, smell, taste and temperature. b) Dining Experience: business hours, greeting, internet access, location, parking, restrooms, seating room and standing room. c) Service: Quality and speed. d) Ambiance: cleanliness, décor design, atmosphere, comfort, heating and cooling, noise isolation and lighting.

That should be understood, but claim all your pages. You should always have control over those and make sure there are no duplicates. It’s free and easy to do and you can add a lot of useful information like your location, your average price, etc.;

Reply to ALL your reviews. Not only the bad ones, ALL of them. If your clients are happy then just thank them, if they’re angry apologize and promise that you will make everything in your power to improve the service

Do not focus on TripAdvisor only. There are dozens of directories out there: Dineout.co.nz, Facebook, Foodio54, Google, Opentable, Restaurant.com, TopTable.co.uk, Yell, Yelp, Zomato etc. Make sure to be listed and active on all of these. Your online reputation management tool can help you to structure data and get all your online mentions in real time.

Foodies love images: think about opening an Instagram account and share your best dishes every day. You can create a hashtag to give to your clients too, so they will share more images and you will have free contents on a daily basis!

Foodies love videos too: you can think about connecting your Google MyBusiness page to a YouTube channel and publish an interview to the chef or a video of your bartender preparing a perfect Martini Dry. These kind of contents are always appreciated;

You can think about inviting influencers to your restaurant and get a great article written on their blogs. It can be expensive, but usually the return on branding is totally worth it.

Last but not least: create a proper strategy: improvisation is good for jazz, but not if you want to re-brand your restaurant.

So, is managing restaurant’s online reputation a priority for hotel general managers? It surely is, if you focus & leverage on technology it can turn out to be a Secret Sauce in enhancing your Hotel Brand.

Originally published at rategain.com on June 28, 2017.

#online reputation management tool #improve guest experience #Hotel Brand Reputation

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toldnews-blog · 6 years ago

Photo

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/why-is-food-such-a-sensitive-subject/

Why is food such a sensitive subject?

Image copyright Getty Images

Earlier this week, a restaurant in New York made headlines for rather unfortunate reasons.

Lucky Lee’s, a new Chinese restaurant run by a Jewish-American couple, advertised itself as providing “clean” Chinese food with healthy ingredients that wouldn’t make people feel “bloated and icky the next day”.

It told Eater website: “There are very few American-Chinese places as mindful about the quality of ingredients as we are.”

It prompted a fierce backlash on social media from people who accused the restaurant of racist language, cultural appropriation, and a lack of understanding of Chinese food.

The restaurant’s Instagram account was besieged with thousands of angry comments, including some which questioned the credentials of a white couple running a Chinese restaurant – as well as comments from defenders who accused the “online slacktivists” of being easily offended, and targeting the restaurateurs simply because of their race.

The whole debate became so polarised that ratings site Yelp placed an “unusual activity” alert on the restaurant’s page after it was flooded with both positive and negative reviews, many seemingly from people who hadn’t actually been to the restaurant.

Lucky Lee’s has since issued a statement saying that it was not “commenting negatively on all Chinese food… Chinese cuisine is incredibly diverse and comes in many different flavours (usually delicious in our opinion) and health benefits”.

It added that it would “always listen and reflect accordingly” to take “cultural sensitivities” into account.

The owner, Arielle Haspel, told the New York Times: “We are so sorry. We were never trying to do something against the Chinese community. We thought we were complementing an incredibly important cuisine, in a way that would cater to people that had certain dietary requirements.”

Image copyright Lucky Lee’s

The uproar is the latest in a series of rows over food and cultural appropriation.

US celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern came under fire for saying that his restaurant Lucky Cricket would save people from the low-standard “restaurants masquerading as Chinese food that are in the Midwest”. Critics accused him of being patronising towards smaller restaurants run by immigrant families, and he later issued an apology.

Meanwhile, in the UK, supermarket chain Marks and Spencer was accused of cultural appropriation after it produced a new vegan biriyani wrap, despite the Indian dish normally being served with rice and meat.

And Gordon Ramsay’s new London restaurant, Lucky Cat, was criticised for selling itself as an “authentic Asian Eating House” – despite not having an Asian chef.

When did food become such a sensitive topic – and why does it provoke such strong reactions from both sides of the debate?

Food can be closely linked to identity

For many people – particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds – food can be both personal, and political.

Second and third generation immigrants often have “a sense of loss of their own culture – their attire is western, their language is western, and food is almost the last of the cultural domain that they retain a vivid memory of”, Krishnendu Ray, a sociologist and professor of food studies at New York University, tells the BBC.

Many Chinese Americans have talked about their experiences growing up – for example when classmates would make fun of the food in their lunch boxes.

Luke Tsai, a food writer in the San Francisco Bay Area, says: “We grew up in the US with a sort of in-between status of our identity. Were we American? Were we Chinese? It was hard to find acceptance in a lot of mainstream culture.

He remembers being “slightly ashamed” of Chinese food when he was younger – “I didn’t want to bring Chinese food for my lunch at school – I wanted a sandwich or pizza to fit in.”

Image copyright Alamy

“People would say: ‘Why are you eating that smelly thing? That’s gross!'”

“But for many of us as we got older, we remembered the food our parents cooked us, and it became a great source of nostalgia for us – in a way, embracing that was embracing the Asian, immigrant side of our identity.”

Many Chinese restaurants deliberately adapted their menus to serve more fried foods or thickened sauces because those were items a “mainstream white audience” were more familiar with, he adds.

“The reason that they opened those restaurants was not because they couldn’t cook their ‘true’ Chinese food, it was because that was what they did to survive and cater to their audience.

“So to see that flipped around nowadays, and have a white restaurateur open a restaurant and say ‘we’re not like those Chinese American restaurants you know about, we’re serving clean Chinese food… is particularly hurtful and offensive for a lot of people.”

There’s also a historical context to this. In the 1880s, the US passed legislation barring Chinese workers from immigrating to the US. Only a few categories were exempt – including restaurateurs – and historians say this contributed to a boom in Chinese restaurants in the US.

Yet “American exposure to Chinese food has mostly been cheap Chinese food”, and the cuisine has been associated with “a kind of disdain” due to the presumption that it is associated with “cheap ingredients and mostly untrained labour”, says Prof Ray.

“Very few Americans realise or know that China probably had the most sophisticated food culture in the world at least 500 years before the French did.”

Whose food is it anyway?

Some of the sharpest criticism on both sides has been around ownership.

Some negative social media comments about Lucky Lee’s have focused on the fact that the owners are white – while critics have responded that it would be ridiculous to suggest that only Chinese people are allowed to cook Chinese food.

Francis Lam, host of The Splendid Table radio programme, believes that a lot of the furore around cultural appropriation and food is due to a “disconnect in the conversation”.

“I think if you’re a chef or restaurant owner, it’s fair to say you probably put a lot of yourself into your business, and don’t want to hear it when you think people are saying ‘you’re not allowed to do that’.”

However, he thinks that for those opposed to cultural appropriation, the issue is “not about who’s allowed or not allowed to do things”, but rather about the manner in which things are done.

“If you are going to promote yourself as someone who cooks or sells food from a culture you didn’t grow up in, I would say it’s also your responsibility to make sure you’re doing it in a way that truly respects the people who grew up in the culture – and the people who frankly invented some of the things you’re doing.”

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Andy Ricker says chefs need to be respectful – but also need a thick skin

Andy Ricker, an award-winning chef and bestselling cookbook author, spent 13 years learning about Thai cuisine, familiarising himself with ingredients and the language, before starting the restaurant chain Pok Pok.

He is recognised as an expert in northern Thai cuisine – and his approach has been praised by Asian chefs and food critics. However, others have also questioned why a white chef is being seen as the authority on Thai food, rather than a Thai one.

He suggests chefs should “be aware that language is important”, and try “to be as accurate and faithful as you can”.

“I can’t say that I’m making authentic food because I don’t have any claim to that.”

The most important thing for chefs like him, he says, is to “be respectful and not claim anything is yours. Don’t apply labels to food – don’t just add chillies, basil and peanuts to something and call it Thai, or put something in a sandwich and call it Banh Mi… you’re playing to clichés which is not a good look”.

He also says it’s crucial for chefs to “grow a thick skin – it doesn’t matter what’s in your heart or how careful you are about what you say, there’s going to be people who just aren’t having it.”

Meanwhile, Chris Shepherd cooks a range of cuisines at UB Preserv in Houston, Texas, but says highlighting and cherishing the cultures that inspired him is important to him.

Image copyright Julie Soefer

Image caption Chris’s dishes include “boudin siu mai” – a take on a type of Chinese dumpling

His restaurant’s bills come with a listing of his favourite local restaurants, and the message “we’d love to have you back at UB Preserv, but we politely request that you visit at least one of these folks first”.

He acknowledges that his restaurant attracts more funding and publicity than many small businesses, but says his goal is to “get people who wouldn’t normally go�� to those places, or try different cuisines, to “visit these restaurants and become part of this community”.

Why is it hard to separate food and politics?

These days, there seems to be constant debate about identity politics, and an endless stream of incidents provoking outrage. It can certainly feel tempting to keep politics out of food.

But commentators argue that the food business, like any other business, is linked to power structures and privilege – and it’s not a level playing field for everyone.

“If you’re opening a business you’re already engaging with the public, making decisions about who you’re going to hire, who can afford to eat at your restaurant, what your staff is going to look like – there’s hundreds of decisions you’re making that will have an impact on society,” Mr Tsai says.

Meanwhile, Prof Ray says that his research suggests some ethnic minority chefs may face specific barriers.

“There is a tendency to ‘ghettoise’ Chinese, Mexican and Indian American chefs into cooking ‘their own food’, whereas white chefs tend to find it easier to cross boundaries”, and are seen as “artistic” when they do.

Image copyright REY LOPEZ

Image caption Kwame Onwuachi, 29, has been nominated for awards for his cooking

Kwame Onwuachi says in his memoir that, during a casting session, a television producer told him that US audiences would not be prepared to see a black chef like him doing fine dining.

Similarly, chef Edourdo Jordan has previously told GQ that some people found it hard to believe he was the owner of a restaurant serving French and Italian food.

Mr Ricker agrees that white chefs face some advantages when cooking in the West.

“Of course in white dominant culture, white people always get away with more than other people. But I would say this too – if you’re a westerner trying to cook in Thailand you’re faced with a massive amount of scepticism and sometimes downright derision…. I think it’s human nature for the dominant culture to pigeon hole people who’re not of their culture.”

It all comes down to money

These perceptions also have financial implications that affect restaurants’ bottom lines.

In one study, Prof Ray found that dishes from certain cuisines were seen as more prestigious, enabling restaurants to charge more.

For example, an average meal at a Zagat-listed French or Japanese restaurant cost about $30 more than an average meal at a Zagat-listed Chinese or Southern restaurant in 2015, his research found.

Chef Jonathan Wu encountered this when he opened a high-end Chinese restaurant, Fung Tu, in New York.

The restaurant received excellent reviews, with Bloomberg calling the food “genius”, and the New York Times giving it a two-star, “very good” review.

Image copyright Paul Wagtouicz

Image caption One of the dishes at Fung Tu – egg whites poached in a broth with Toona sinesis leaves

But Mr Wu says he received a lot of “blowback” for its prices, with complaints that the restaurant was “too expensive for what it is”.

Fung Tu closed down in 2017, and was reopened as Nom Wah Tu, a dim sum restaurant with lower prices.

Mr Wu says there is still an “expectation that Chinese food is cheap”.

He compares how hand-made Chinese dumplings are sometimes sold for “five for a dollar”, whereas a high-end plate of ravioli can sell for “$45 a plate”.

“If you tried that for a plate of dumplings, people would freak out.”

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Which would you pay more for?

Are things changing?

In a way, the whole cultural appropriation debate is also “a symptom of a very visible, assertive, middle and professional class” of people from ethnic minorities in the US, says Prof Ray.

And US perceptions of Chinese food could be radically different in 20 years’ time, due to China’s economic rise, and a growing Chinese middle class presence in US cities.

Prof Ray says a similar process happened from the 1980s with Japanese food, as the culture became associated with affluent immigrant groups or businessmen.

In the meantime, the cultural appropriation debate is likely to continue – but not everyone thinks that’s a bad thing.

“We’re experiencing growing pains in this whole conversation, but the bigger picture is that it’s amazing to see how the American palate has widened, and there is a greater market acceptance of different stories and backgrounds,” says Mr Lam.

“These conversations can seem frustrating and tiresome, but you have to have them.”

Mr Ricker agrees. “There’s a lot of angst, anger and defensiveness out there, [but] it’s important that people understand the sensitivity around food and culture, because they’re very powerful things. I don’t think it’s comfortable for anybody, but it’s certainly necessary.”

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sparda3g · 8 years ago

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Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma Chapter 212 Review

In a traditional sense, it takes its time to review the dish display in all of its detail. As the battle finally sets off to the judging process, it does leave wanting to grab some of its dish in real life and thankful to know why it tastes delicious. It may be one focus dish to taste, but it closes to the next one and soon the taste of victory.

It’s rather amazing that Anne is so top tier that she doesn’t need to worry about searching over the book to find the depth info of its ingredients. Soma feels like it could be troublesome for her to search thoroughly, which could take a lot of time to find one. But she continues to show how solid her confidence truly is. It even got to the point that Soma is bewildered that he has seen someone that is beyond his power of comprehension.

There is a moment later on when she has to search about the shrimp Nene used and there are bunch of books or “bibles,” and yet she grabs one swiftly. I don’t even think she look to see which book is which. That is one true judge that is completely dedicated to the title. Perhaps she is a goddess after all; that or she can talk to Chef God.

As it is the first battle, the tension builds that this is the breaking point. Yes, it’s early on, but it needs to send a message to everyone that they are there to lose; they’re there to make a statement. It would leave a better impression of who they represent. Nene is the first one to go and she’s based on a traditional sense. That is an ironic way to start the battle when you think about it.

It’s a rare occasion that the series actually got me hungry and really want to go to get me some. Although I don’t know of the exact dish, I still want a delicious soba. It’s not because of the characters, though they do help. It’s the sequence and the great visual of near realistic dish that got me craving. The characters got my thoughts and feelings exactly, especially when they take a bite out of that fried tempura topping. It just looks really good; it’s hard to believe that it’s a manga, still images and all. Rindou and Momo drooling is spot on. Now I feel like getting one for later after this review.

Nene is described to focus on the traditional cooking; however, her other specialty is based on time. Her food is so good, that the judges thought it was stolen. I actually like this trait because I can relate to that feeling. I somewhat develop my time consuming process to savor the moment rather eat it quick. I have like a strange sequence to make sure the food is still around. Yeah…Anyway, the point is the food can be so good that you would lose track on how much you have left.

It would have been farfetched if the food actually disappeared like we are now crossing the realm of supernatural. It’s not like one of these characters are reincarnation. The idea is that Nene created a dish for them to eat so fast that would want second immediately and it’s based on a popular choice from the traditional sense.

The chapter contains depth information of its ingredients such as Sakura Shrimps, which blends in significantly that can bring out the flavor at its best. I should try that if I know where. Hm. However, the real kicker is the frying oil, which she uses venus sesame oil. Recently, I learned the importance of oil, so I can get on why it is a game changer. It doesn’t only give you the detail of the dish, but it tells you that traditional cook has its own perks over the modern use, and that makes it challenging for Soma.

Nene is based on traditional and time. She takes her time to cook to bring it to the perfect quality and her customer will eat it at a fast rate. That’s neatly clever use. The judges don’t strip but instead, we are delighted with the reflection of the movie poster of The Girl Who Leapt through Time. That’s a pleasant visual with a fitting description; after all, I recently saw the movie for the first time, and I highly recommend it. Yes, I am late with this. I do apologize. I’ll do better next time or for my future child’s sake.

Nene is only asking for karma, however, since her focus is now center on Isshiki, while she should be focusing on Soma. In mentality, it’s the battle between her and Isshiki. I know she wants her respect from him, but she has another thing coming with Soma about to bring out his dish that does look pretty good, though I don’t know what it is. Nevertheless, if what Isshiki said is true, then there’s one traditional that’s still going around: losing.

It’s a step process chapter that is amusing to read with its fun reactions and visual that pleases for nostalgia and/or newcomers (like me). It also contains a rare moment that gets you craving for some. It’s a tradition that the series would take its time to process every single one, though I doubt it would be like the last battle since that one is more thoroughly and needed to fill in. We will know who wins early on. Now excuse me, I have to search for a restaurant that serves soba.

#food wars #shokugeki no soma #shokugeki no souma #chapter 212 #review

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dorothydelgadillo · 6 years ago

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"A Master Class in Instagram Marketing Ft. Rev Ciancio" (Inbound Success Ep. 85)

What are the best practices for using Instagram to market your business or brand?

Rev Ciancio

This week on The Inbound Success Podcast, author and Instagram marketing expert Rev Ciancio pulls back the curtain on how he's built up almost 80,000 followers on Instagram and breaks down exactly what marketers need to know to master Instagram marketing for their own businesses.

Rev covers both the high-level strategy that will help you win at Instagram, as well as the nitty-gritty tactical details you'll need to know to look like an Insta pro.

This week's episode of The Inbound Success Podcast is brought to you by our sponsor, IMPACT Live, the most immersive and high energy learning experience for marketers and business leaders. IMPACT Live takes place August 6-7, 2019 in Hartford Connecticut and is headlined by Marcus Sheridan along with special guests including world-renowned Facebook marketing expert Mari Smith and Drift CEO and Co-Founder David Cancel. Inbound Success Podcast listeners can save 10% off the price of tickets with the code "SUCCESS".

Click here to learn more or purchase tickets for IMPACT Live

Some highlights from my conversation with Rev include:

Rev is a food blogger and Instagram influencer focused on the restaurant and hospitality business.

He has taken a very intentional approach to what he posts on Instagram and specifically shares things related to his passion for food and how to market restaurant and hospitality businesses on the platform.

Rev says there are really only two reasons that a business should be on Instagram. Either a portion of their target audience is already there, or they have the ability to build an audience where nobody else is.

Instagram is a very visual platform, so if you can't express either the values of your company, or the solutions your service or product provides, or you can't speak to your audience through a visual medium, it's the wrong social network to be on.

It's a particularly good platform for conveying corporate culture through photos of employees, office environments, team outings, etc.

Instagram has both very casual users who just look at photos and videos but don't read captions, and intense users who go deep on a topic. Rev says to design your Instagram presence for the intense user by sharing striking images and videos, and then going deeper in your captions.

Because Instagram only shows a limited amount of text from the captions before making you click to read more, when you're crafting the message to your Instagram post, think about what's going to happen in the first six or seven words that's going to make somebody want to tap more to see what else you wrote.

Photo quality is critical on Instagram and apps like Snapseed make it very easy for even a layperson to create professional looking photos very quickly.

Consistency is also very important, so Rev says to determine how often you will post and then stick with that scheduled to develop a habit amongst your audience.

One way to get discovered by new audiences on Instagram is hashtags. The platform allows you to use up to 30 hashtags, and Rev suggests taking a "content mix" approach by combining some more popular and widely used hashtags with some more niche terms to find your audience.

There is a debate going on right now about whether it's better to post hashtags in the caption to the post or in a comment. Rev is testing both approaches right now and suggests that others do the same.

Instagram doesn't allow you to use hard line breaks when posting captions, and will actually remove hard line breaks when they are put in. Rev suggests using a third party tool such as a notes app to create captions and insert a period in between paragraphs to get around this. Doing so makes caption text easier to read and also lengthens the amount of time your audience interacts with your post, which Instagram's algorithm really likes.

To make it easier to format and schedule out Instagram posts, Rev uses Later, a third party software tool.

Photos and videos posted to the Instagram feed are a great way to capture a moment in time, whereas Instagram Stories are more effective at digging deeper into a topic and weaving together a narrative.

If you're posting a large volume of content to Instagram and one of your goals is to get people to visit your website, or click through on something, then putting a link in your bio can be a great way to accomplish this.

Resources from this episode:

Save 10% off the price of tickets to IMPACT Live with promo code "SUCCESS"

Follow Rev on Instagram

Connect with Rev on LinkedIn

Follow Rev on Twitter

Check out Rev's website

Listen to the podcast to hear how Rev approaches Instagram marketing and learn how to apply those lessons to your business Instagram strategy.

Transcript

Kathleen Booth (Host): Welcome back to the Inbound Success Podcast. I'm Kathleen Booth and I'm your host. And my guest this week is Rev Ciancio, who is a hospitality and digital marketing consultant. Welcome Rev. Rev Ciancio (Guest): Hi, thanks for having me.

Rev and Kathleen recording this episode

Kathleen: I'm happy to have you here, especially because we're going to talk about something that we haven't talked about yet on this podcast.

But before we get to that, you have a really interesting background. What you're involved in now is really interesting and kind of different from some of the other guests I've had on.

Tell my audience a little bit more about yourself and your connection to delicious looking food.

About Rev Ciancio

Rev: So I used to be in the music business, and I owned an independent agency that did marketing promotion on behalf of record labels and publishers. I got this in my head one day that working for a small amount of time on a band, or an album was fun, but I really wanted to get in deep with bands, and I become an artist manager. So I was managing rock bands and touring the world and all that fun stuff.

What I sort of learned over time in that business is that the majority of band members who pick up an instrument don't do it to start a business, they do it because they want to play guitar, or they want to sing a song.

I found that over time, my ability to teach people in that industry to think about business first, or think about business as much as they do their creative aspects, just wasn't providing the results I'd hoped it was. And I was like, "Well, I bet I can apply these same principles to food and to restaurant marketing."

So I made a leap from doing independent marketing and consulting for basically rock bands, to chefs and restaurants. You'd be amazed at how similar those two things are.

Kathleen: I feel like the same thing could said about doctors. Don't they always say doctors make the worst business managers?

Rev: Probably, but I feel like the art of health is less art and more science. So you'd be surprised the similarities in rock and roll, and in food and hospitality. But I kind of quickly learned that you can't download a hamburger, and that if you have a favorite restaurant you might eat there again as opposed to you're not going to buy an album twice unless you're converting from album to CD, or whatever digital.

Anyway, I started to apply the principles I had learned in the music business in marketing, branding and promoting bands to restaurants and food and it worked.

So that was it, I was done. I was done with the music business and from that point forward I sort of focused on hospitality marketing in the forms of local search, social media, menu management that kind of stuff. I actually went and even owned a bar for awhile.

So, not only have I consulted, not only do I like eating, but I've actually been in the trenches and run a bar and restaurant.

The most important lesson I learned in owning a bar and restaurant is that I'm really bad at running a bar and restaurant. But I'm pretty good at the marketing and branding piece. So, I sort of got out of owning and just focused the rest of my career on helping location-based businesses, primarily restaurants, to be successful with digital marketing, and digital marketing tools.

Kathleen: You've spent some time also at Yext, correct?

Rev: I was there for two years, yep.

Kathleen: They're a big player in the local marketing space as well. I've actually had the CMO of Yext on the podcast talking about local search and SEO and optimization. So, it's an interesting background, a mix of things that you have from working at the smaller level with those local businesses to working in a larger SaaS company that's aiming to help those kinds of companies at scale.

Then, one of the things I found really interesting about you, and that was kind of a fun side rabbit hole that I went down, was your Instagram. Warning to anyone listening. Do not look at Rev's Instagram if you're hungry. It's kind of like going grocery shopping when you're hungry. It's really dangerous.

But you have this really interesting Instagram that's attracted quite a following. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Rev on Instagram

Rev: Sure. Well, first of all I don't make any apologies for causing hunger pains. So, no apologies happening there. If you happen to go look at my Instagram screen name, which is just my name Rev Ciancio, I post what a lot of people call food porn.

So, I used to write a lot of content when I was in college and whatever about the music business, about music. Then I got in the music business and I didn't want to have my passion and my job sort of be the same. So, when I started in the music business I still wanted to write, so I started writing about food.

Back in like it must have been in '99, 2000 food blogs weren't really a thing. So my first real food blog was in 2003 and I've just sort of kept creating content since then whether it was a blog or Pinterest, or Snapchat or whatever.

Instagram, I've been on since 2006 so quite a while. But, that I think is the first social network that really lended itself towards the visual nature of food in terms of it being appealing and looking. I really think only in maybe the last three or four years has that channel really become what it's become in terms of growth, and influencer marketing as it appeals to food.

So, how did I get there? Well, I used to treat my Instagram just like everybody else. Pictures of my daily life, and shaking my fist at an angry bus. Or, here's a really poorly lit picture of a salad. You know, just a snap shot of my life.

I made a decision that if I was not only going to lead digital marketing for other businesses, but if I wanted to sort of attract a bigger audience, then I needed to practice what I preach.

So I was like, "Well, I'm not going to look at Instagram as being a yearbook, or a photobook of my life. I'm going to use this to prove that I am who I say I am to reach a broader audience." Then actually be able to use it to learn so that I could transfer that knowledge to my clients.

So, all those great looking photos you see up there were intentional. I decided what was my reason for being on there, what theme did I want to have, why did I want people to follow me. So there's a lot of thought and a lot of curation into sloppy looking cheeseburgers is what I'm trying to tell you.

Kathleen: I mean, the food is insane. I am now deeply regretting the healthy kale salad I chose to have for lunch right before I did this podcast interview. I'm looking at the pizza, the burgers, all of it. It all is everything that I would eat if I had no limitations.

Rev: Well, then it's doing its job. It got your attention.

Kathleen: Yes. It did.

Now, this is exactly why I was interested in talking with you because I really haven't had anybody come on the podcast yet, and I think I'm at about 80 episodes, and talk about Instagram. I talk to a lot of B2B marketers. Certainly B2C as well, but I think particularly in the B2B world, everybody feels like they need to be on Instagram, but nobody can quite figure out what to do with it. I think B2C is doing a little bit better, and I think some Instagram ads are helping.

But, I feel like a lot of the people that are listening really don't have a deep knowledge of Instagram. Maybe I'm making an assumption. I don't have a deep knowledge of Instagram. I mean, I use it. We use it for our business. I wouldn't say it's a major driver of traffic to our website, or leads, or even brand awareness for us.

So, I really just want to pick your brain for marketers who are listening, who are maybe grappling with "How should I use Instagram for my business?"

How would you suggest they get started today, given where Instagram is now? And then we can maybe dive a little bit deeper into very specific tactics of ways to do it right.

How To Use Instagram For Business

Rev: Cool. Well, I would say this really about any social network but specifically as it relates to Instagram. There's only two reasons why a business needs to be on Instagram. Either a portion of their target audience is already there, or they have the ability to build an audience where nobody else is.

If you can't define either of those things I would tell you not to use Instagram or any social tool.

Where it gets specific with Instagram is, this is like a "duh" moment of course, but it's a super visual format. So, if you can't express either the values of your company, or your interests, or the solutions your service or product provides, or you can't speak to your audience through a visual nature, it's the wrong social network to be on.

So, is it a powerful platform for B2B? Well, yeah, I would say it is. But then it's how are you using it.

So, what I think the problem with a lot of businesses when they approach Instagram is they approach it the same way they might approach LinkedIn, or the same way they might approach Facebook or Twitter. They're just copy and pasting the same format, and they're using it to broadcast whatever it is they're broadcasting.

Because Instagram is pretty visual I think it makes a great play for it being a great way to brand your business. So it doesn't necessarily have to be promotional based, "Buy our product. Use our service." But it could be about your people, it could be about your brand, it could be about your customers.

So, I think Instagram is a great tool for expressing either who you are as a brand, or who are the customers you help.

Kathleen: It's interesting that you say that, because I think to date ... Again, we haven't put a lot of resources into our Instagram. But, I feel like the one area to date where it really has produced results for us is with recruiting. Because people do ... We tend to recruit a lot of younger marketers, I say younger but that's younger than me. Which is a lot of people. People who are in that Instagram demographic, and they do tend to look at our feed and see the pictures.

We post a lot of more kind of cultural things -- our employees out having fun together, stuff happening in our office. It's been really great for that. We really haven't put a lot of effort into it as far as attracting a customer, a subscriber audience. I think that there's probably a lot more we could be doing to be quite frank.

Rev: I think you hit on it. I think a lot of, especially in 2019 the way the work force is going, people choose where they're going to work. Not just on the availability of a job or not, but what is the culture like. I think Instagram is a great tool for expressing the culture of what it's like to be a part of your brand from the inside.

So, I would agree that, that's actually a really great use of Instagram because you can take pictures of, or videos of people and moments and show what it's like to be a part of your team. So from that aspect it's actually a really great recruiting tool because it gives a vision into what it's like to be there.

Kathleen: So, fair to say that the key differentiator of Instagram, well key differentiators, one is that the platform is really built around pictures and video? Then, I know the other one is that you can't put links in your posts. You can put a link in your bio, but not in your post, correct?

Rev: That's correct. One of the things with Instagram is because it's sort of an open format and it's very heavy in the influencer world and there's a lot of brands trying to figure out what to do there, I think you get a lot of casual audience. So, just because somebody liked your picture doesn't mean they read your text. So even if you did attempt to put a link in your text, which doesn't hyperlink, or you were smart and put it in your bio and told people to go there after they read the post, it doesn't mean they're even going to see that text.

Rev: So, the problem, or maybe the challenge, with Instagram is that you get a lot of intense users. If you want to go deep as a fan on any subject, cars, education, food, swim wear, vacation you can go super deep by following super deep oriented brands, or channels, or influencers. But you're also going to get the bigger you get a lot more causal of an audience. So it's a lot harder to get them to convert from being causal to intense. But, it's a great place to drive intensity.

So, you see that picture and if it really speaks to you, then you might click more, then you might take my call to action. You might go to my story. So, I tell people to design their content for the intense experience, not the broad audience.

Kathleen: Okay. So, it sounds like focusing on videos and images that can stand alone without any supporting copy?

Rev: Well, from an attraction standpoint. I'll use my account as an example because thats honestly the best one I have, or maybe the one I have the deepest lens into.

So, if you go look at my Instagram account without clicking deeper, it just looks like cheeseburgers, french fries, steak and barbecue. But if you start to go read the captions, or you read the stuff I'm putting out there, you check out my stories, a lot of them have not just where should you get that pizza, but how you should manage your reputation online if you're a restaurant. Or, the importance of impression metrics in Instagram.

So, the actual text is a bit deeper. I do that by design.

The picture of the cheeseburgers is there to get your attention. It's my headline if you will. Then the text drives a deeper intention. So, I've sort of designed it that if you want to casually like burgers, you can, and if you really care about what I have to say or my thoughts, you can go deeper.

I think the sort of a great way to look at how Instagram can work for a brand is that the pictures have to be appealing about whatever it is that you're trying to spread.

Like we were talking about recruiting. What's it like to work here? Then the text, and the links, and the calls to action can be how to take that next step, how to find out more. How that brand can appeal more to the intended, or target, audience.

Kathleen: We talked about the pictures, and it definitely sounds like, if I'm hearing you right, that that's about the first attention grab. We'll call that almost like the top of the funnel. How do you real them in?

Then, as you're describing, there's what you put in your caption to the picture. I mean, even as a casual Instagram user I've noticed there are certain little tricks people use, hacks, et cetera in terms of formatting their captions, how they want hashtags to show up.

Can you talk a little bit about the different ways that you can use that space to your advantage and to help you get found?

Rev: Sure. So, one of the things that you need to keep in mind when you're building the text for your Instagram posts is that they do cut you off. So there's only a certain amount of characters before you have to tap more to see it. It's almost like an article versus going deep into a blog.

So when you're crafting the message to your Instagram post, you got to think about what's going to happen in the first six or seven words that's going to make somebody want to tap more to see what else you wrote.

So, I know again this is going to sound like a "duh" moment. But you got to think in terms of story telling.

The photo gets your attention, that first line needs to make you want to click to read more. So you have to think about, when you're crafting an Instagram post, how intense is the message? If it's not super intense, you can sort of give it away before the fold.

Like if it's ... Let's say it's a giveaway. You're going to run a promotion on your Instagram. I would tell you that the first word in your post should be "giveaway" so that I know, "Hey, that's a giveaway. If I want to participate in a giveaway I need to tap more."

But, if it's more of a story that reveals a point or needs to drive something, you need to almost treat it like it's a headline to your photo. I hate to use the words "click bait," but really you got to think about what's going to drive that tap for more.

If you're going ... Look, I don't tell brands to get on Instagram and think about growing your follower base. It's pointless. You want to grow engagement. So I don't care if you have 100,000 followers, or 10. How many of those followers are hanging onto every word and photo you say?

So when you're writing that text, and you're thinking about "How do I get them to click more?", you got to think about what's the best story you can tell? What is the highest value you can have and get them to click more?

Anything else, Kathleen, that I'm going to go through today is completely tactical-based like where to put your hashtags, which hashtags to use. If you can't sort of perfect the image, the call to action and how to get click more, none of the other advice I would ever give you has any relevance whatsoever.

Kathleen: So, have you seen any examples of brands that are doing this really well that have that deep level of engagement and that passionate following, if you will?

Brands That Are Crushing It On Instagram

Rev: Most of my examples will be food, that really shouldn't be a surprise.

But I really like Taco Bell. I think all their images look great. So they've taken the time to make sure they captured your attention by having a really interesting image. Then if you go look at their photos the first line of text, that pre-header to the more, is always something that makes you sort of want to know more. It makes you want to tap more, it makes you think. You can almost decide in the instant whether you need to know more or not. They're a really good brand to follow.

I kind of also really like Food Beast. I don't know if you're familiar with Food Beast, but they're a media channel. So they're kind of an agency and they do some influencer marketing stuff. They have a podcast or whatever, and a blog, blah blah blah. But their whole thing is about really intense food experiences. So, they don't post a picture of burgers at In 'n Out. They post a picture of a stack of 17 patties on a bun. So, it's really intense but then you'll go click it and they'll be something about how you can order that burger. Or why you should tap their bio to go listen to an interview with somebody who figured out how to gain the secret menu system at In 'n Out.

But, anyway. The content's super engaging. So the photo will draw you in, the text will make you want to tap more and then there's usually some sort of call to action that makes you want to go deeper.

So, those are two examples of brands I really enjoy following.

Kathleen: Okay. We'll definitely have to check those out to see how they're crafting their captions.

Now, as you mentioned there are tactical elements to this. So, shifting from the strategic, which is how do you tell a great story, how do you craft a great first line to get somebody to want to hit that more button and dive deeper. Then there's the very tactical elements of formatting these things. Again, the hashtags. Can you get into the tactical side of it a little bit?

The Nitty Gritty of Mastering Instagram Marketing

Rev: Sure. So, let's start high level.

The first is photo quality. It's so hard for me to tell people to not edit their photos. There's some really simple, simple easy to use apps you can use on your phone.

I happen to like Snapseed, it's available on both iOS and for Androids. I mean, I've got it down where I can edit a photo whether it's a picture of my kid in the backyard, or a stack of french fries I can edit it in under 30 seconds. They've made it super easy to just adjust the white balance, up the structure, add a little saturation.

The difference between a crappy photo and a much more engaging photo is much lower. There's a much lower barrier for entry than you think there is.

Kathleen: Now, do you have to know much about photography or graphic design to do this? Or is this something that anybody could figure out using Snapseed?

Rev: I have been doing some sort of photo content since 2003 and I know nothing. My photoshop skills are about as good as I can cut and past a taco into somebody's hand. I have no photoshop skills. I mean, you said earlier that you really liked my pictures. That's something I could teach somebody in a matter of minutes. It's much easier than you think it is.

So, number one, edit your photos. Don't assume that just because it looks good on your phone it'll look good on mine. Run it through an editor. Do a little white balance, a little contrast, play around with it. But number one, definitely edit your photos. Don't think your handheld device is good enough that you can be a master.

Number two, a really good, and important, tactic is consistency. So, if you're going to post every day on Instagram, then post every day. Don't post every day for a week and then stop doing it. If you don't have the bandwidth to post every day, post every other day, or post just on Saturdays. But you want to build an expectation with your audience of how much content to expect from you. Don't put anything out there that doesn't help ... That basically doesn't help people.

So, if you're like, "We're going to post every day," then you better make sure that every day you have something that's valuable to people. If you can't possibly put up something of value every day, then lower your cadence, right? It's okay. Instagram's not going to hurt you if you only post on Sundays.

Have that consistency, let people expect to know when somethings going to ... They're going to get something from you.

Kathleen: Is there anything you can do in the way you create your post to increase the odds of it getting found by somebody who's casually looking through Instagram? Because there are your followers, and then there are the people that are going to stumble upon your content.

Rev: Sure. So, I'm sure everybody's heard of this but one of the best ways to attract new audiences on Instagram is with hashtags. I'm going to break down something really important here in a second about hashtags. But, the thing to know is you can have up to 30 different hashtags. So, I suggest that people use a content mix of hashtags.

So, again, I'll use food as my example, of course that's my lens. I wouldn't share a picture of burgers and then have all burger hashtags. I'll have some location hashtags, I'll have some branded hashtags, I'll have some more cheap food type hashtags. But you want to get a mix of hashtags that appeals to different levels of your audience.

Some hashtags are going to have millions and millions of uses. If you have 100 followers there's little to no chance that you using a #Life, or #Happy that you're ever going to score with those. You need to find things that are a little bit more deeper down the funnel in terms of getting an audience.

But you need to think of that mix in terms of tiering your hashtags. But the other thing to note, and there's sort of a conversation happening out there in Instagram land, you can either put the hashtags in the caption of the text, so along with your call to action and your description, your story. Or you can put them as a comment. So they're separated.

There's a conversation out there happening, and nobody's sort of landed on which side of the coin is better. But I would tell you to test it.

Kathleen: That's really interesting. I haven't heard about this. So, I would love to get your sense of when you might use one versus the other.

Rev: Well, I have been religiously posting the hashtags in the text of my content for three years. So, I'll write out my post, I'll pick out my 30 hashtags. When I go post it up I've included the hashtags with the text.

Somebody recently told me that they're having success with using it in the comments. So I'm actually in the middle of a seven day test where the prior seven days I only did in the text, these seven days I'm only doing it in the content. Then, I'm going to measure what the differences were in those.

When you're going to run a test like that, and I would tell everybody to test this. Everybody. Know what you're testing.

So me, right now, I'm just looking for a signal. Do I get more audience, do I get more followers, do I get more engagement? What do I get more of?

I'll then take that information and then do a second deeper test. So, right now I'm just looking to see how it affects my impressions. Do I get more or less impressions by putting it in the text versus the comments? Then once I have an answer on what I think it is, then I'll test the next thing which is "Okay, if I continue to get higher impressions will I then get more followers?" See what I'm saying?

Kathleen: Yeah.

Rev: So, Instagram doesn't give us these answers. You kind of got to out there and test them. I'm not exactly sure based on what Instagram has put out there whether there is a difference.

I do know that the algorithm works different for every single account. So that's why it's important to have a theory and to test it. Have a control, that kind of thing.

Kathleen: Okay.

Rev: I would tell somebody to always use some hashtags. Never to not use a hashtag. Even if you don't score for the Explore page, which is when you go to search in Instagram and you see recommended things, you should go look at hashtags are how you get there.

But, even if I post something ... Like, every Monday I post a marketing tip. In that I always use #Rev'sMarketingTips.

So let's say you happen to find the post I did this Monday. You think that's a valued tip. You see that I'm using that hashtag, you can then just tap that hashtag and find other posts related to that subject that go back years, and years, and years, and years.

So, the value of the hashtags I think most people would look at as, "Oh, that's how you hit the Explore page and get a bunch of followers and likes." It's also good for research.

I did a thing last year where I was trying to categorize all the types of fries. There are 21, by the way. I needed a photo visual of smiley fries. I didn't know how to find a picture of smiley fries so I just typed into the Explorer S-M-I-L-E-Y-F-R ... And guess what? People had used the hashtag, so I found the things I needed.

So, hashtags have a double value. It can help you be found sort of in the immediate, and also in the long run. But I would tell everybody to use at least the most relevant ones to the content every time.

Kathleen: Okay. Now, I want to come back in a minute to the Explore tab but I don't want to get distracted from this and lose track.

So, I notice when I look at your posts you have a very particular format that's almost paragraph style. In between your paragraphs you have a period on the line break. This is getting very tactical and technical but it's something that I'm interested in. I see a lot of other people do their initial caption and then five line breaks with little periods and then their hashtags.

Can you talk a little bit about that and also for the newbie to Instagram, because I remember when I had this question, how do you do that? Because you can't do a hard return from your phone.

Rev: So, we'll start with the why, we'll talk about the how, and then I'll go into why you would do each one.

So, first of all you can't do a line break when you're typing in Instagram. Typically they'll just pull it back anyway. They'll delete the line break. So, I put a period in between paragraphs or sentences so that it's essentially a line break. It just so happens that there's also a visual to my line break. They don't allow you, so that's why you would do it.

Now, why do I particularly do it, or why would I recommend you do it? Well, I think if you take five sentences and you put them together they're much harder to read than five sentences with spaces in the middle. So I'm trying to make a really fast moving social network a bit more digestible.

If you see what I call "word vomit," you just see five sentences all smashed together on Instagram, your brain's not going to register that as fast as if I have one sentence, a line break, one sentence, a line break. It feels more digestible and easy.

So I'm trying to get my content to be a little more easy to digest and I would tell that to anybody.

But, now to get into the super, super, super deep part. So the Instagram algorithm rewards the accounts by users who spend more time. So if you come to my content and you spend one second that's worth X amount of algorithm. If you spent two seconds that's worth X+. If you spend five seconds X++. If you spend a full minute on one of my Instagram posts the algorithm is like, "Wow, this must be a pretty awesome post."

So, why would you put in line breaks, or multiple line breaks is you're trying to get people to scroll and interact. So it's a little bit of gaming the system, you know what I'm saying? But, truly Instagram does value time spent on a post.

So that's why you would might see somebody has a sentence and then five line breaks. They're trying to gain time on the post.

Kathleen: Now, the technique I've always used to do that, because you can't do it in Instagram, is to open up the Notes App on my phone and type it in there and then copy and paste it over. Is that pretty much what you do, or do you have some other secret sauce behind how you're doing this?

Rev: I used to use Notes on my phone. I just don't like that app. So now I use Simple Notes. Simple Notes also has a super easy desktop format so it's easy to go back and forth between, which Notes doesn't really. So, but essentially it's the same thing. I write it in the text based notes and then cut and paste it in.

Instagram Software Solutions

Rev: But there are a number of software solutions out there that will let you do that where you can actually write it in the software and have it push it. I just don't happen to like them.

Kathleen: What are some of the more common ones?

Rev: Later is probably one of the biggest ones. I really like their analytics, I just don't ... I'm not a scheduler. I don't like scheduling software, so.

Kathleen: Got it. Those are some of the details that I think if you're not a heavy Instagram user can really trip you up. Being like, "How are all these people adding these line breaks and periods? Why are they doing that?"

Rev: But I could see for a ... You know, I'm a user in that regard. But for a brand or business if you're managing multiple social channels and you have content going out everywhere having a software that schedules could be super, super helpful.

Kathleen: Yeah.

Rev: Don't take me saying I don't like it meaning it's not good. It's just not what I need.

Getting Into Instagram's Explore Tab

Kathleen: Now, back to the topic of the Explore tab. So you mentioned that is how you can get found in Instagram by an audience that may not already know about you if you land on the Explorer tab.

Can you talk me through how does that happen? How does Instagram decide what to put there?

Rev: So, the answer is "I don't know." Anybody that has the answer either works at Instagram or is lying.

Like I said, I'm in the middle of the test and I went and actually analyzed my last 14 days worth of content, so 14 posts this morning in preparation for this conversation. I realized that in the last 14 days I made it to the Explore page twice. It was only worth about 400 total impressions.

So, how do you hit it? I don't know. Ways that you can sort of try to get in the surface of it is having better engagement. One of the ways to send a signal is through hashtags. So the way ... Let me see if I can explain this a different way.

So, here's how the algorithm works. If you, Kathleen, post X type of content and I, Rev, happen to like your content and then I go like content that's similar to Kathleen's content, it will send a signal to me and to Instagram that your account should be shown more to me. Does that make sense?

Kathleen: Yeah.

Rev: Then as long as you continue to post similar relevant content, it's going to be shown to me. So my algorithm is unique, and your algorithm is unique. Where they match is where the magic sort of happens.

The Explore page is where your content and the general populace, so the ven diagram of interest, that's where the general algorithm and your algorithm meet.

So, everybody's like, "Oh, hit the Explore page. Hit the Explore page." People think, "Oh, if I get 10,000 likes in the first 10 minutes I'll hit the Explore page." That is not how the Explore page works. It used to but Instagram's gotten a lot smarter.

So now, again, it's going to take into effect your Explore page, and my Explore page are going to be totally different.

It's going to show me things that are relevant to me based on other posts I've engaged with. It's going to show you relevant things based on what you've engaged with. Hashtags is just a way for you to send a signal that your content might be relevant for X type of category or content.

Kathleen: You said that you knew two of your posts had landed on the Explore page. How did you know that?

Rev: So, if you have an Instagram account and you have, I forget, over so many followers you can change it to a business account. I have a business account and one of the advantages to a business account is Deep Insights.

So you can pull up your Insights on any post and you can see what your reach was, you can see how many followers you got because of that post, you can see impressions and then you can also see how people found that post. So you'll see something like from home, or from hashtags, or from profile, location, Explore, and other.

So, like I said, I went and looked at my last 14 days of content and only two of my posts had impressions from Explore. So if you just view Insights and then you can see. If it doesn't say from Explore, that post did not hit the Explore page.

When To Post to the Instagram Feed v. Create An Instagram Story

Kathleen: Interesting. Now, changing gears for a second, Instagram has the feed and then it has stories. I would be really curious to get your take on when a brand should use stories versus when they should use the feed for something.

Rev: There's a great question. When to use stories, and when to use feed?

I read a poll the other day, and after the interview I'll send you the report so that you can link it up if you want. But basically a company went out and did a bunch of research on Instagram the other day and found out that people don't look at stories. Not nearly as much as people thought they did. I think the reason for that is people originally assume that stories didn't screw up their algorithm for their feed so they were like ballot stuffing, and box stuffing. Like, "Oh, I can put anything I want in my stories. It doesn't hurt my algorithm." Almost like, "Oh, it's going to delete in 24 hours. It's throw away content."

So, you might have an influencer or a person that would go put up 14, or 15 story posts in a day and I think what's happened is as people have started to actually look and play with stories, they move through it even faster than the feed.

So, if you have 20 live stories it feels like homework for me. I don't need that much vision into your life. Unless you're somebody who I really look up to, or you're a celebrity I'm really interested. Or, I don't know somebody you're stalking.

But, when to use them, and I think is really what's good here, is I think that they have to be a part of the overall content plan. The feed is intended as a snapshot. Here's a moment in time, it's super curative, we thought about this, we put time into this post, it's meant to represent us a certain way.

So I think people look at the feed as having a certain value because they know that you have to work to have a certain quality post. They're expecting a certain level of quality.

Where the expectation with stories isn't the same. It's more people are looking for "How do we get here? What's the story behind the story? Is there really a Wizard of Oz behind the curtain?"

So, when would I tell somebody to use a story? When you need to tell deeper parts of a story. Or, when you need to show a side of the brand that's a bit more snackable, right?

Like, I'll give you an example. I know that my content is photo-based around food, and then provides restaurant recommendations and hospitality marketing tips. If I put a picture of my kid in my feed it doesn't deliver against either of my brand goals.

But, I might put a picture of my kid in my stories because something funny happened and it shows you a little bit more about my brand, or my personality. It doesn't necessarily have to interrupt the broadcast of Rev Ciancio. It's just "in addition to."

So, is that a really, really long way to say use it to tell the high listing stories?

Kathleen: No, that's perfect.

The other thing I think is so interesting, though, is that feed and stories have very different functionality. Stories has dramatically enhanced tools when it comes to your ability to edit. I want to even say, like, add bling, or bedazzle your images. There are so many things with text overlays, and animated GIFs, polls, and questions, and music. It goes on and on.

So, that's one of the things I think is really interesting, is the way that you can manipulate the images and the video on your stories is very different then what you can do in the feed.

Rev: Yeah. I think that's one of the fun parts about stories is there's more you can do. You can actually put a link that people can click, and you can have a call to action. You can put fun animations. That's why I think stories are sort of more the behind the scene thing. You can definitely have a lot more creative fun with them. It's easy to add a GIF, it's easy to add a link, it's easy to add a geo locations.

From a business account aspect, one of the things that I love about stories and that was really helpful from a branding and marketing perspective is you can actually calculate sticker taps.

So, a sticker tap is anything that you add to the photo that leads somebody to another destination. So, it could be a geo tag, it could be another screen user name, it could be a hashtag. You can look back and see how many sticker taps.

So, if you're a brand and you're using influencer marketing, you're paying influencers to post sponsored content about your brand you can have them report back, "Hey, how many people saw your story and then tapped to my page?" That's a super valuable metric because it shows high intention.

So, I mean that is one of the great things about stories is there's a lot more fun and a lot more tools.

What Is "Link in Bio" And When Should You Use It?

Kathleen: Yeah. Now, the other thing that I'm really curious about is the whole "link in bio" thing. You see a lot of, particularly news organizations do this a lot where they then maintain dedicated pages on their websites that are just collections of stories that you get to from tapping the link in their bio. Then you tap on that and it takes you to another ... That's sort of their way of getting you to come back to their website.

Any thoughts on should brands be using that? Is that just for bigger companies? When does that make sense?

Rev: I love telling people to always take another ... I'm sorry. Let me put that another way. I love calls to action. Even if the call to action is, "Like this photo." It's a call to action. So, to me, if you have something really valuable, or really funny, or really important to share telling people, or asking people to click the link in your bio to learn more, to read more, to get something for free to download is a great use of it and shows high intent.

So, I published a book. Well, actually my former employer published a book that I wrote earlier this year. I know that I've driven almost 600 downloads to that book from my Instagram bio page. In the grand scheme of thing if I'm getting 2,000 likes a day 600 isn't all that much. But, to me those 600 taps are more important to me than any other content action, or engagement action that's happened on my profile.

How do I know that? I track that link. I make calls to that link. I look at that link. So I think it's a super ...

Putting a link in your bio and drawing a call to action to it is a great way to give customers another reason to be deeper involved with your brand. Or to reward them, or to help them, and I think it shows a really professional way, even if it's just entertaining, to use Instagram. Give me a deeper experience. If you want me to follow you and engage with you give me lots of fun stuff. Give me lots of value, give me lots of information.

So, I'm a huge fan of the call to action. Set a quick link in bio and I'm a huge action of people measuring it.

Kathleen: There are two different ways you can handle that link in the bio. There's the send them to a page on your website where there's a thing, whether that's an offer, or a book as you have. Or there are these third party tools that are specifically for the link in bio feature that allow you to create almost a dynamic page that has multiple offers, or multiple gateways to other things.

Have you used any of those, can you speak to are there any of those in particular that you recommend?

Rev: Sure. I've tested a couple of them and they didn't really deliver against my goal so I kind of stopped. But I can tell you why you would think about using something like that.

So, the way the algorithm is working currently with Instagram is the life of a post, they've extended it. So if you put something in your feed it typically performs about for three to four days. Meaning it's going to continue to get activity, maybe somebody came to Kathleen's page, they start up following you, it throws a couple posts up and they like it. They realize you like it. Three days later they'll test another one from four days ago.

So, anyway, the life of a post is a little bit longer on Instagram than it used to be. It's certainly longer than the life of a Facebook or Twitter post.

So, how does this relate? Well, if I put up an article on Monday and say, "Hey, go click the link in my bio. You should read this article." But then I post another article on Thursday and tell you do to the same thing. If you see that one from Monday you can't interact with it again. So, that call to action kind of dies the minute you switch your bio.

If you are a brand, or a business, or a person that has lots, and lots of media content to share, that's where those tools are really, really helpful because then if I missed the ability to click the link that was directly to the contents that you told me to link to that landing page still gives it to me. Like, I didn't miss out on it as a brand, or a marketer, I didn't miss out on that tap. I didn't miss out on driving that value.

So that's why you would use it.

Kathleen: I see it a lot with media organizations. I follow The Today Show on Instagram and they do a really good job with the link in bio thing. Then they have their page with a million different things you could go off and look at. So that's a good example for anybody who wants to see that.

Rev: Yeah, anybody who's producing a high amount of content like a news channel or media outlet it's a super valuable tool. If you're just sort of writing a blog here and there, producing a monthly video, maybe not a tool that's going to deliver as much value to you. But still something to look at.

Kathleen's Two Questions

Kathleen: Yeah. Well, I could talk about Instagram with you forever. But, we are running out of time. So before we wrap up two questions I always ask everybody. The first one is: company or individual, who do you think right now is doing inbound marketing really well?

Rev: I'm going to answer that question from an Instagram content perspective, how's that?

Kathleen: I love it.

Rev: I love Later. Later is an app that helps you sort of manage your Instagram content. But, I love that their content is a mix of thought leadership, product attributes and branding. It's super specific to Instagram marketers and people who need Instagram solutions.

But it helps people think about the space, then they tell you a bit about why their product could help you. Then they also do some branding moments.

So, they're truly using content in the way it should be used, to get your attention, to get you to consider their solution, to understand the problem. Really that's what inbound marketing is. It's about awareness and conversion down the funnel.

Kathleen: They are @LaterMedia on Instagram, because I just went and followed them as you said that.

Rev: They have a good content mix too, I tell people if you want to learn more about how to do good Instagram marketing, actually check out Later. They have some good marketing and some good branding.

Kathleen: Boy, just casually glancing at their account one thing the very interesting that they do well is all of their images kind of thematically hang together, like from a color standpoint. They're all very pastel and bright and happy. So, that's really interesting. It takes a very keen editorial eye to carry that consistency out throughout everything.

Rev: They have clearly thought out what their Instagram marketing ... Why they're doing Instagram marketing. It's one of the great reasons to look at their account.

Kathleen: All right. Second question: the world of digital marketing is changing really, really quickly. It can be very hard for marketers to stay up to date on the latest developments. How do you handle that? How do you keep yourself educated and on top of everything?

Rev: Oh, boy. Well, you have to want to learn. That's the first thing. Me, I listen to, there's probably three or four podcasts that I really, really recommend that I'll listen to every single episode on. Because they've consistently delivered value and the types of things I want to learn about in marketing. But then there's also a couple media sources that I really like. So, it's reading, it's listening, it's educating, it's asking questions. Then my favorite part about marketing, and the most important one, is testing.

So even if you learn something new, or somebody listening to this interview today is like, "Oh, that's really cool." Don't take my word as bond. Let it inspire a thought and then go test it. Maybe some of this works for you, maybe it doesn't, maybe you come up with something better than what I've thought of. That's really ... How do I stay educated and keep abreast? I learn, ask questions, and then test, test, test, test, test, test.

Kathleen: All right. You got to spill the beans on what your favorite podcasts are.

Rev: So one of my favorite podcasts is Social Pros with Jay Baer. What I love about Jay is that podcast has been around for many, many years and they sort of started it to talk about great solutions and great ideas in social media. But it's really come about digital marketing.

On one episode you might get some great thought leadership about how people need to think about marketing tomorrow, then the next episode you'll get super neat tactics on how to master HubSpot. So it's really good if you like inspiration and tactical information, which is like some days I don't need inspiration I'm just like, "Tell me how to change my day-to-day." That's a great one.

My other really favorite one is The Marketing Companion podcast with Mark Schaefer and Tom Webster. It is entirely thought leadership. So they're not going to tell you, "Hey, what's the best way to get more engagement on Twitter today." But, they truly, truly care about marketing and like to think deeper. So if you're a really heady marketing nerd like myself, and probably a lot of people that listen to this show, The Marketing Companion podcast is a really great podcast for inspiring you to want to think differently, and to be ahead of the curve and be a better marketer.

Kathleen: I was just listening to their episode on Mark Schaefer's new book Marketing Rebellion this morning.

Rev: I'm obsessed with the concept in that book. I believe that reputation management and customer success is the most important form of marketing, that's kind of what that book's about. So, it's speaking to a lot of the values I hold.

Kathleen: Yeah. Very cool. Well, thank you for sharing your insights on Instagram, that was really interesting. I feel like I know a lot more know than I did when I started. I am self-admittedly not an Instagram pro. So, that was really helpful.

How to Connect With Rev

Kathleen: If somebody's been listening and wants to reach out and learn more from you what's the best way for them to get in touch with you?

Rev: Well, again, thank you for inviting me out today. I truly enjoyed this conversation. People say to me all the time, "Oh, I should be like you. I should be on Instagram." If you don't know why you should be, then don't. Take the challenge that works for you. But if people want to ask me more questions, or get more information my screen name is the same on every LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. I'm @RevCiancio. If you're like, "I don't know how to spell that, or I can't remember." Just Google "Expert Burger Taster" and I should be in the top seven results.

Kathleen: Nice.

Rev: Yeah.

Kathleen: You can also visit the show notes and I'll have links to your Instagram, and your LinkedIn, and any other place that you reside online.

Rev: Thanks so much. I'll tell you what, obviously anybody who's listening to this after its been recorded you'll already have known this, but I'm going to put a link to this podcast in my bio once I have the link.

Kathleen: Love it. Excellent. Link in bio, check it out. Very good. Well, thank you so much, Rev, it's been fascinating.

If you are listening and you liked what you heard, as always, I would really appreciate a review on Apple Podcasts, or the platform of your choice. Really, I would appreciate it. If you know somebody else who's doing kick ass inbound marketing work tweet me @WorkMommyWork because I would love to have them as my next guest.

Kathleen: Thanks for joining me Rev.

Rev: Thank you for having me.

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from Web Developers World https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/instagram-marketing-rev-ciancio

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