#adored? i guess? by their nation as more of a mascot than anything
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Ok now that I’ve seen the Sumeru trailer and can actually judge the new content properly (cough, judging too early from leaks is never a good idea, cough), it seems like having a child model for Kusanali is kind of necessary and enhances the narrative, if I’m right about this. Obviously the skin color is probably still an issue (I don’t really want to speak over the actual people who are supposed to be represented but that seems like the general consensus), but her being a child is not.
Unlike the other archons, the people of Sumeru seem to treat Kusanali as a mascot or a funny little girl instead of a revered god. Stuff like making sure “the birthday girl” is happy shows how they respect her, but not in the way that the other nations respect their archon. I mean I can’t really see the people of Inazuma celebrating Ei’s birthday and calling her “the special birthday girl”, right?
The sages too, it’s really clear that they see her as incapable of ruling and have ruled the nation for the past 500 years instead of letting her grow into the position. The whole point is that Kusanali is seen as an incapable replacement for the former Dendro Archon, even if she is 500 years old. Because with how things seem, she’s probably been locked up in the palace they mentioned in the livestream instead of being allowed to make her own decisions. So yeah, she might as well still be a little kid.
Anyways, how does this relate to her design? I’ve seen some people say they could’ve just given her the teen girl model, but like, that defeats the whole point. We’ve seen that model used for many capable characters, from teenagers (Fischl, Barbara) to adults (Keqing, Ganyu, Hu Tao, Kuki Shinobu, Ayaka). Especially with the nebulous ages of Genshin characters, if you see a teenage girl model character, the usual assumption is that they’re probably an older teenager or a young adult who’s pretty capable of doing stuff.
The point is, seeing the nation treat this very capable looking teenager/young adult like a child would be kind of weird. It would’ve been fine, I guess, but it doesn’t have the impact of “oh that god is a kid why is she a god” as much as using the child model would bring. With the child model, it’s understandable why the sages might think she’s incompetent. I mean, even the entire Genshin fandom pretty much agreed the moment she was leaked that she wasn’t suited to be the archon cuz she had a kid model. “How can a kid be an Archon?” “Why is she a literal baby?” “Why does she have a less impressive design than the other Archons?” yeah that’s the point. She’s supposed to look odd and incapable and unfitting of an archon cuz that’s what everyone thinks of her.
Also, to the argument that using the child model is loli-baiting, it really isn’t. There is an actual point to using it in the narrative instead of just appealing to messed up people. I get that you usually want to assume the worst in gacha games, but honestly, if Mihoyo wanted to make more money, they could literally just make her a hot woman with huge boobs or like a super hot tall guy instead of appealing to the weirdos and would probably earn more profit than making her a kid anyways. Just look at Raiden’s banner.
(Personally, I think some people are just mad they can’t sexualize or simp for another archon. Like, there’s a reason why a whole horde of people wanted Al-Haitham, the conventionally attractive tall-male-model character, to turn out to be the actual Dendro Archon for some reason instead of literally anyone else. But whatever that’s just my own theory.)
#i feel like a lotta ppl are just gonna see the first paragraph and argue back without reading but whatever#i just hate it when ppl are like#'omg a child?? that's creepy and has no interesting potential character arcs at all within this very complex narrative'#'theres nooo way that having a child archon would lead to an interesting story arc at all'#bc honestly if mhy doesnt fuck sumeru up like the inazuma act 3 arc this could be a pretty interesting story#like what we've seen so far are archons who are respected and/or feared but never an archon whos like#adored? i guess? by their nation as more of a mascot than anything#like kusalani's line in the pv sounds really sad and interesting and it sounds like she was found randomly as this new archon#without really making a choice in it herself#and she probably has imposter syndrome#and like youre a literal child why is your backstory sounding so sad#but whatever i guess using a child model just means mhy is trying to bring in the weirdos#genshin kusanali#genshin nahida#genshin sumeru#genshin 3.0#genshin impact#long post
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They Can See Right Through Me Glee TOT Challenge FanFiction
@celery-elliry @useless-fanfictions @gleethisorthatchallenge
Hi everyone, this is my third fic for the Glee TOT Challenge and the prompt I choose was “Have you been taking take of yourself?” because it was perfect for angst and I love angst. Hope everyone enjoys and tells me what they thought of it etheir on here, A03 OR FanFiction.Net. Happy reading 🤗🤗😁😁
Archive Of Our Own
FanFiction.Net
The first time the Warblers had seen Kurt was in the dining hall during lunch. They had heard rumors all that week about a new transfer student and were dying to know who it was. Not that they were gossipy or anything but maybe this kid could be another member to their show choir group. They were always looking for new members, they just had to be good enough to get in.
They had been sitting at the designated lunch table for all the Warblers when Sebastian had walked over to them, hand in hand with another boy that they had never seen before. The first thing the group noticed was how cute the boy was. He was very good looking with pale, smooth skin, blue eyes and perfectly styled hair. He held himself upright with confidence but his face told a different story. His eyes were frantic, like he was afraid that someone was going to jump out and attack him at any minute.
The second thing they noticed was how Sebastian and the boy were holding hands and then they thought that maybe the new kid was scared because of Sebastian. Sebastian wasn’t the most… how would you say it… gentle person. Even though he was their friend, Sebastian was arrogant and obnoxious and very straight forward. And his straight forwardness may have scared the new kid off.
“Hi Seb,” Jeff greeted him as Sebastian sat down next to him. He had let go of the new kid’s hand so he just stood there looking very out of place. “Who’s your friend?”
“Oh, this is Kurt,” He informed the group, reaching out his hand so that Kurt would come sit with him. “He’s new here,”
“I’ve heard of you before,” Trent said, excitedly. “You’re from McKinley.”
“Yeah, Kurt Hummel, right?” Thad asked him in which Kurt just slightly nodded his head. “You were apart of the New Directions,”
“That’s right and I’ve persuaded him to try out for the Warblers,” Sebastian beamed proudly. “Isn’t that right babe?” Kurt nodded his head again.
“Oh,” Wes said, raising his eyebrows at the other Warblers when Sebastian’s head was turned. So Kurt was “babe”? It wasn’t that Wes was homophobic or anything, in fact he was bisexual. No, it was just that Sebastian didn’t really seem like boyfriend material to him. He just hoped that Sebastian wouldn’t do anything stupid to break Kurt’s heart.
“That’s amazing,” Jeff exclaimed. “You're amazing Kurt. I watched your cheerleading performance at Nationals on TV last year. You were great,” Kurt just gave him a small smile before looking back to Sebastian.
The Warblers continued talking to one another about various subjects and one by one they subtly noticed how uncomfortable Kurt seemed. He was looking down at his hands, fidgeting with them and he seemed very nervous. They guessed that he was just shy or something like that and didn’t think much about it once they saw him. He would soon learn that they were all nice and trusting and soon they would become great friends.
Sebastian was the only person to confront Kurt. He took one of his hands so that he would stop and realize what he was doing before leaning in to whisper in his ear.
“Are you okay?” He asked. “You seem nervous,”
“I’m fine,” Kurt whispered back, still looking down. “I’m sorry, I’m probably embarrassing you in front of your friends,”
“What no,” Sebastian assured him. “You aren’t embarrassing me. They love you already, I can tell.” Kurt still didn’t seem convinced though so Sebastian continued to hold his hand, comforting him while not drawing any attention to him. Sebastian was more gentle than people gave him credit for.
Kurt was an odd fellow. He wasn’t weird like a nerd or a dork, he was just quiet and shy but sometimes he was too quiet and shy and it made it seem like he had a problem with people or something.
Kurt was an amazing singer. Later that day when the Warblers had met him, Kurt had auditioned for their group singing “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and his performance was outstanding. The emotion he put into his audition gave him a standing ovation and at the end of it he was near to tears. They would’ve been crazy to deny him into joining so they automatically accepted him and gave him Pavarotti, their mascot.
To say Kurt loved the bird was an understatement because Kurt took the bird with him everywhere. The bird’s cage was always on his desk during classes, always next to his bag on the floor at lunch and was always on his table with him when he did his homework. Kurt would take the bird out of his cage and would let him crawl on his finger while the bird sang. Kurt hummed along with him and everyone thought it was really cute.
Kurt didn’t really interact with everyone besides Sebastian and the bird. Sebastian was always holding hands with Kurt, they went everywhere together and the Warblers had never seen him so caring and kind towards another person before, they didn’t even know that it was possible. But then there was the couple, walking down the hallway hand in hand or kissing in the dorm room and it was really sweet. They only wished that Kurt would be more open with them so that they could get to know him better.
It wasn’t like they hadn’t tried to talk to Kurt because they had, it was just that they had given up. They would try to interact with him during the classes they shared or in their shared dorm room after classes but Kurt would just reply to them asking how his day was before returning his attention back to his work. And they knew that Kurt was trying to be rude or anything because he seemed way too sweet to do that but then they just wished that he knew that he could talk to them. It couldn’t be easy to transfer to a new school in the middle of the new semester, leaving all your friends behind and being hours away from your family. It just made them question why Kurt had come to Dalton in the first place.
They assumed that the two things, Kurt not talking to anyone and transferring were connected to each other but how, they didn’t know. So they let Kurt sit with them and they continued to ask how he was doing and if he needed anything in the hopes that he would open up more but he never did.
One day Kurt and Sebastian came to sit down with them at lunch like they usually did everyday when the group noticed something new about Kurt. He never ate anything. He would choose a small salad or a bowl of fruit to eat but would end up just pecking at it like he was Pavarotti. They didn’t really think much of it, just that maybe he had lost his appetite due to being upset about being away from everyone that he knew or that it had something to do with nerves so they didn’t question it or bring it up to Sebastian.
Sebastian however, noticed it and knew the reason behind it and it wasn’t just nerves. Kurt had a slight eating problem. It wasn’t much of a disorder, it was just that when he was under stress Kurt would stop eating. And it appeared to him that Kurt had been stressed for a long time seeing how thin and sickly he looked. You really had to look for it to notice it but Kurt was far too skinny. His uniform looked baggy and loose when he wore it and when he wasn’t in his uniform he wore pajama pants or sweatpants and a t-shirt or a hoodie. And it wasn’t like it was a crime or like it was abnormal for one to wear those pieces of clothing because all the boys wore things like that but the clothes that Kurt wore never fit him right, they were too big. And his facial structure was sharp, a little too sharp and his eyes were sunken in, giving him dark bags under his eyes that he had to cover with makeup. He was adorable to Sebastian but he would admit that Kurt was not the picture of health.
So Sebastian tried to help him. He would remind Kurt subtly to eat something even if it wasn’t much and would try to reduce the amount of stress his boyfriend felt even though his methods rarely ever worked. That day in particular was when David noticed that Kurt’s behavior was something more serious.
He had been conversing with Nick and Wes about potential ideas for group numbers for Regionals when his eyes drifted over to Kurt and Sebastian who were quietly talking to one another. He rarely ever heard Kurt speak which was probably why he was drawn to the scene and why he eavesdropped on their conversation.
Kurt had been staring at a granola bar that Sebastian had placed in front of him like it was poisonous or like it would attack him if he touched it. His eyes were wide and it seemed like he was trying to distance himself from the food as much as possible. Sebastian was sitting right next to Kurt with a comforting, encouraging hand on Kurt’s shoulder, trying to persuade him to eat.
“Come on Kurt,” Sebastian said. “You have to eat something,”
“I’m not hungry,” Kurt whispered back, once again fidgeting with his hands.
“You told me that at breakfast,” Sebastian reminded him and Kurt sighed. “Please, for me. You can do it,”
Kurt shook his head.
“Well can you tell me what’s bothering you then? Why you’re so worried today,”
“It’s nothing,” Kurt told him, his voice breaking a little, “I just miss them and they’re ignoring me,”
“Well what did you do?” Sebastian asked, rubbing Kurt’s back. “Not that you did anything wrong but why would they ignore you? I thought they were your friends,”
“It’s not important,” Kurt said. “I don’t want to talk about it but I’m not hungry,”
“It’s important if it’s bothering you babe. I want to help you. What did they do?”
“I have to go,” Kurt suddenly said, turning around to grab his bag and the bird cage. “Will you come with me?”
“Of course,” Sebastian said, standing up with Kurt and taking his hand. David had met eyes with Sebastian and had raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner as if to ask if Kurt was okay but Sebastian just smiled at him and waved his hand as if to assure David that he was fine. But David knew that he was lying because Kurt wasn’t okay, not if he was so stressed to the point that he was starving himself. So he decided that he would look out for Kurt and that maybe he could find a way to help him out. To find a way to make him feel more at home and welcome at Dalton or to make him feel more calm and relaxed. Kurt was a Warbler now and they were a tight group. They were all friends and they all looked out for each other to make sure they were okay. Kurt wasn’t any different to them.
Kurt had been at Dalton for a month now and it was Regionals. The competition was being held at McKinley and everyone could tell that Kurt was nervous about being at his old school. The reason why, well Sebastian of course was the only one to know of course and of course he didn’t tell them why. Not that the Warblers were trying to get all up in Kurt’s business or anything, it was just that they had started to get closer to the boy and they wanted to know if he was going to be okay.
Kurt was starting to act more comfortable around them. He still didn’t talk much but he seemed to pay attention to the conversations the boys had more instead of being off in his own little world. When he first arrived, all Kurt did was spend time in his dorm room with Sebastian if the rest of the Warblers were in the common room but now he occasionally joined them. Sure he sat away from them and usually did his own thing, homework or writing on a notebook but he seemed to enjoy their company more and that made the Warblers happy.
So after the competition where the Warblers had won they were all standing around outside, talking excitedly to one another about performing at Nationals in New York. They were really proud of themselves and of one another for winning and Wes was lecturing them about how hard they were going to have to work to win and how he was planning on adding extra rehearsals to their schedule so they could practice more. He was ignored for the most part except some teasing about how uptight and serious he was being. They wanted to celebrate, not rehearse.
Unfortunately their celebration was rudely interrupted by a group coming outside and a few of the members shouting.
“KURT HUMMEL,” One girl screamed, running up to the boy and almost knocking him over. She walked towards him while he walked back into a wall and hit his head, hard, against the bricks while the short, brunette pointed her finger into Kurt’s chest. “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US?”
“Rachel,” A tall boy said, coming up behind her along with a boy with obviously dyed, blonde hair, a boy with a mohawk, a girl with long, black hair and a girl with blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail. The rest of their group consisted of a boy in a wheelchair, another blonde girl with her hair pulled up in a ponytail, a well styled black girl, an Asian girl with blue streaked hair and a tall, skinny Asian boy who were all standing by the door and who looked scared.
“Rachel, come on leave him alone,” The blonde boy said from behind the tall boy. “It’s not his fault we lost,”
“The hell it’s not,” The girl with black hair said. “He probably leaked the setlist to the gay boys from Hogwarts,”
“Kurt wouldn’t do that you guys,” The tall boy told them. “Get off of him Rachel,”
“KURT, YOU KNEW HOW MUCH THIS MEANT TO US, HOW MUCH IT MEANT TO ME AND YOU BEAT US?” The girl named Rachel shouted at him causing Nick, Jeff and Sebastian to come over to the group so they could get Kurt away from the maniac. “I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS. I HATE YOU. I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU WOULD BETRAY US LIKE THAT,”
“Excuse me,” Sebastian said, passively aggressively as he tapped Rachel on her shoulder and pushed past her to get to Kurt. “Would you like to explain to me just as to why you are screaming at my boyfriend?”
“Boyfriend?” The group sputtered, shocked.
“Please tell me this is a joke,” The girl with long hair said. “I knew you guys did orgies there,”
“How dare you…” Jeff started to say but Nick held him back.
“I’m still waiting,” Sebastian said, pulling Kurt into a hug and noticing that his head was bleeding. “Fuck, you’re bleeding babe. Look what you fucking did you psycho. What the hell is wrong with you people?”
“Um, hi,” The tall boy said, awkwardly as he held out his hand and Sebastian shook it, hesitantly. “I’m Finn, Kurt’s step brother and this is Rachel, Santana, Sam, Puck and Quinn.”
“Hi,” Sebastian said, annoyed. “Now what the hell was that about?”
“He leaked our setlist to your show choir competition team, that’s what this is about,” The girl named Quinn said, her hands on her hips.
“Would you three stop it already,” The boy with the mohawk named Puck yelled. “Princess didn’t tell them okay, he wouldn’t do that. And look what you did Berry, he’s fucking bleeding you diva,”
“Well I’m sorry,” Rachel huffed. “But this is inexcusable. First he ditches us and now he tells all his new team members about our performances. He’s selfish you guys,”
“He is not Rachel,” The boy named Sam said. “You know how bad the bullying was. He couldn’t stay here,”
“Yeah Karofsky threatened to kill him and all you’re thinking about is yourself and a stupid competition that barely even matters,” Finn yelled at her. “You’re the one who’s selfish,”
“Wait what,” Nick asked, questioning as to what everyone was talking about. Who was Karofsky? Bullying? Someone threatened to kill Kurt? But why, he was so sweet and kind? Was it because he was gay? Were these people homophobic? “Come on Jeff, we have to go. Seb can handle it,” Nick said before trying to drag his boyfriend away but Jeff stayed put, wanting to defend Kurt so Nick stayed with him.
“Look I don’t know what’s going on here,” Jeff shouted, making himself known to the group. “But you people are horrible. I don’t even see how Kurtie could consider you people he’s friends. He didn’t leak your setlist okay? We won fair and square and if you can’t handle defeat and be a good sport then you have no business competing in the first place.”
“Oh whatever blondie,” The girl named Santana said, rolling her eyes. “How are we supposed to believe that, we don’t know what you guys talk about when you aren’t having sex with multiple people at a time at Hogwarts although I have a few ideas,”
“Alright that it’s,” Jeff said, pushing his sleeves up and starting to charge towards the girl before Nick and Sebastian held him back. “Let me at her,”
“No boys let him go,” Santana said, pushing up her own sleeves. “I’m about to show him what goes down when you mess with me, Lima Heights style. And it ain’t pretty, prep boy,”
“No, no fighting you guys,” Sam said, stepping in front of Santana to block her. “We’re competitors, not enemies,”
“We’re leaving,” Sebastian said, taking Kurt's hand and wiping the tears that had fallen down his face with his free hand. “Leave him alone, I don’t want you near him. Come on guys, lets go,”
Sebastian took Kurt with him as he walked away from the group, Nick and Jeff following behind him.
“What was that about Kurt?” Sebastian asked him once they had rejoined the Warblers. “I mean, you told me they were assholes but that girl attacked you,”
Kurt didn’t answer Sebastian and instead, cried into his chest and hugged him tightly.
“No hey no don’t cry babe,” Sebastian said, rubbing his back. “You’re okay,”
“Kurtie, you’re bleeding really bad, hon,” Jeff told him. “We need to get you to a doctor,”
“Jeff’s right,” Nick said. “We should take him to the hospital. He might have a concussion,”
“Shit,” Sebastian cursed, pulling Kurt away from him so he could see his face. “Hey Kurt, how do you feel right now? Are you dizzy?”
Kurt shook his head no.
“Do you feel sick?”
Again, Kurt shook his head.
“Does your head hurt at all?” Sebastian asked him.
Kurt nodded his head yes.
“Okay then. Let’s go,” He said, gesturing to the other boys. “We can take my car, let me just tell Wes that we’re leaving,”
So Sebastian told Wes about what happened and Wes wanted to complain to the show choir committee about the lack of sportsmanship the group showed but Sebastian said that they shouldn’t do it until they’ve talked to Kurt about it. Sebastian then left and went to his car where Nick, Jeff and Kurt were already inside waiting for him. Sebastian sighed, getting in the car and driving off, pissed that he was taking his boyfriend to the hospital for a concussion instead of being out and celebrating with his friends.
They got to the hospital and stayed there until around midnight while Kurt got checked out. Turned out he did have a mild concussion and his symptoms got worse as time went on. He had to have paperwork signed so that he could be released from the hospital but his dad was currently in DC so the papers had to be faxed over to him so he could sign them which was why they had stayed so long. And apparently his dad didn’t even care that Kurt had been hurt, nevertheless by people that had claimed to be his friends. He just signed the paperwork over the phone with Kurt and didn’t even ask him how he was feeling. Sebastian figured that not only did Kurt not have a good relationship with his so-called friends but he also didn’t have a good relationship with his family.
The four boys left the hospital and this time Nick drove so that Sebastian could sit with Kurt in the back seat.
“You feeling okay babe?” He asked Kurt who was half asleep at this point. The doctor had told him that it was safe for Kurt to fall asleep at this point but he still was afraid that Kurt would fall asleep and that he wouldn’t wake up so he tried to get Kurt to stay awake until they reached Dalton.
“Yes,” Kurt told him.
“Are you sure?”
“No,”
“You’ll be okay,” Sebastian assured him, pulling him into a hug. “I love you,”
“I love you too,” Kurt told him, snuggling into his chest while Sebastian kissed his forehead.
After the debacle at Regionals the Warblers became even more protective and concerned towards Kurt and they could feel him pulling away from them again. This time they didn’t let him go so easily. They invited him to watch movies with them in their common room or to ask for his opinions on various topics. They just wanted him to feel safe and included and they wanted to assure him that he had real friends, not fake ones like the friends he had at his old school.
So they became particularly concerned when Wes had called a late night Warbler rehearsal after dinner and when Kurt didn’t show up. Sebastian had told the group that Kurt would be a little late getting back to Dalton because he had spent the day in Lima with his dad and step-mom but then Kurt didn’t show up at all and the boys started to worry. Kurt wasn’t answering his phone and had been three hours late. It was getting late and the boys were considering telling the dean about their friend when he finally showed up.
Wes, David, Thad, Trent, Nick, Jeff and Sebastian were all in their dorm room that they shared with one another, conversing about what to do about their missing friend when they heard the door open and saw Kurt walk in the room. To say that the boys were relieved that Kurt had come back and that he wasn’t dead or stranded alone somewhere was an understatement but then they took a closer look and their panic came back.
Kurt was visibly shaking, soaked head to toe since it had been raining that day and had various cuts and bruises on his face. It was hard to tell whether the water on his face was rain or tears but they assumed that it was both. Kurt looked more scared then he usually did and hugged himself tightly as he slid down the door, breaking down into tears. It seemed like the boy hadn't noticed that he wasn’t alone and was surprised when the boys came up to him. Sebastian and Nick bent down in front of him as they both took one of his hands to hold.
“Kurt what happened?” Sebastian asked, trying to figure out whether he was more upset or angry and whether he would stay with Kurt or go and beat up whoever hurt him. “Where were you, we were scared?”
“He’s gonna kill me,” Kurt said, in between sobs. “He found me Seb… I was leaving my dad’s house, walking to my car when he attacked me with his friends and… and I tried to get away, to get my dad or Finn but they had already left and …” Kurt started to say but his voice trailed off before he continued crying.
“Who was it babe?” Sebastian asked, sharing a look with Nick. “Was it Karofsky?”
“Yes,” Kurt whispered. “Please Seb, I don’t want to die,”
“Hey, look at me,” Sebastian said, tilting Kurt’s head up so that they were looking into each other’s eyes. “You aren’t going to die, I promise you. Don’t worry, okay? But you have to tell us what happened so that we can help you. Can you do that?”
“No,” Kurt said, shaking his head and it broke the boys’ hearts to see how scared and vulnerable he was. “I don’t want to die. I can’t tell anyone,”
“Kurt babe,” Sebastian started to say. “You aren’t going to die, I told you that but you have to tell us what happened so that we can make sure it doesn’t happen again. You don’t want it to happen again right?” Kurt nodded his head. “Okay then, so how about we get you cleaned up and into some dry clothes and then you can tell us what happened.”
“You can’t tell anyone,” Kurt begged. “Please don’t tell my dad. All he’ll do is say that I deserved it for not sticking up for myself. Please Seb…”
“We won’t tell him okay?” Sebastian promised him. “Come on,”
He helped Kurt stand up and gave him a hug while Kurt continued to cry and Sebastian faced the Warblers, uncertain of what to do.
“Can someone get me some… I don’t know, band aids?” He asked. “What the fuck am I supposed to use?”
“Well go get some disinfectant and bandages from the nurse’s station,” Wes told him before leaving the room in a hurry with Thad and David.
“Did he really say that his dad was going to defend his attackers?” Trent asked, shocked. “What kind of sick person says something like that?”
“Well they don’t exactly have the best relationship with each other,” Sebastian sniffed. “That’s one of the reasons why he came here, so his dad could get rid of him and so he wouldn’t have to deal with the bullying at his old school,”
“That’s horrible,” Jeff said with tears in his eyes.
“I know,” Sebastian sighed, rubbing Kurt’s back. “I'm gonna help him change. Tell me when Wes comes back,”
Sebastian led Kurt into their room and shut the door before truing around to see Kurt sitting on his bed.
“You’re gonna be fine Kurt,” Sebastian assured him again. “You’re safe now,”
“I’m scared,” Kurt admitted, looking up into Sebastian’s eyes. “And it hurts,”
“What hurts?” Sebastian asked, sitting down next to Kurt on the bed.
“My head, I hit it on the ground.” Kurt explained. “And my wrist,” He said, holding out his arm so that Sebastian could see that his wrist was red and swollen. It was at least sprained. “Someone stomped on it,”
“Oh yeah that does look bad,” Sebastian told him, taking his arm and holding it gently. “But we can wrap it and ice it so it can rest. And at least it’s not the hand you write with right?”
“Right,” Kurt agreed. “I’m sorry Seb. I would’ve called but they broke my phone. I passed out and I guess they eventually left but when I woke up it was already pretty late so I started driving back here but my wrist… and it was far away… and…” Kurt’s voice broke off and he became overwhelmed and started crying again. “I’m so sorry,”
“Kurt you have nothing to be sorry for babe,” Sebastian assured him while bringing him into a hug. “I’m just sorry for not being there.”
“It’s not your fault,” Kurt told him, embracing the hug. “Can I change?”
“Yeah,” Sebastian said, letting Kurt go. “Go ahead,”
Kurt got off the bed and went over to his draw to pick out a pair of clean clothes before going into the bathroom to change. A few minutes later he came back out in dry clothes and went back over to Sebastian, hugging him again.
“I love you,” Kurt told Sebastian. “I really do and I’m sorry that I’m like this. I don’t want to be this way,”
“No Kurt,” Sebastian said. “You’re perfect. You really are and I don’t want you to change one bit. You’re cute and talented and smart and kind and you’re the best person I know. It’s not your fault everyone’s an asshole,”
“Do you mean it?” Kurt asked, sincerely.
“Every word. I love you too,” Sebastian assured him, giving him a kiss. “I’m so glad I met you and I promise, I’m never going to let anyone hurt you ever again,”
“I know you won’t,” Kurt said. “I’m tired,”
“Wes, David and Thad should be back soon but I guess if you want to we can lay down until they come back,” Sebastian suggested and he laid down with Kurt in his bed, his arms wrapped around the smaller boy.
Kurt was the best thing that had ever happened to Sebastian and he was damned if he was going to mess up what they had going on. From the moment Sebastian met Kurt that day when they had bumped into each other, from the moment he looked and met eyes with Kurt, he knew he loved him. And he was lucky that Kurt loved him back. And he wanted to hurt anyone that had ever hurt Kurt in the past and he wanted to protect him at all cost. And he was going to do that no matter what he needed to do. Kurt meant that much to him.
They fell asleep in each other’s arms and didn’t hear when Wes and Nick knocked on their door. The boys opened the door to find Kurt and Sebastian asleep and debated on whether they should wake the pair up or not.
“Aww, look how cute they are Wes,” Nick cooed. “You can’t possibly think about waking them up now,”
“Kurt needs to be looked at,” Wes explained. “They can be cute again once he’s fixed up,”
“Since when are you a doctor Wesley?” Nick huffed. “Let them sleep. Kurt’s probably exhausted as it is and you blabbing on and on about god knows what isn’t going to make him feel better. You can take care of your patient in the morning,”
“Fine then,” Wes said, rolling his eyes. “Let’s go,”
The boys softly closed the door and left Kurt and Sebastian to sleep peacefully. Wes just couldn’t believe what was happening to Kurt. He had heard from David about Kurt not eating when he got stressed and then that incident at Regionals with his old friends and now someone had tried to kill him. It wasn’t fair. Kurt was the most innocent, kind person he knew and to learn that he had so many people that hated him and that wanted to hurt him made him upset. If it was because Kurt was gay then people really needed to grow up and learn that hating someone because of the gender they loved was ridiculous and made no sense. And if it was because of Kurt’s personality then everyone was crazy. The poor boy needed a break and in the end, that's why Wes had decided to let him be.
It was now December, Kurt was attacked a month ago and he was still dealing with the effects of his attack. Sebastian and the rest of the Warblers had carried out their promise and hadn’t told anyone about what had happened that night but they were still considering it. Kurt was a mess and they meant that with all respect.
At first Kurt had gone on acting like everything was fine. His behavior was normal (or normal for Kurt anyway) and he stayed close to the Warblers and Sebastian. He didn’t leave the school not even if someone went with him but that was understandable. But then he had a nightmare.
Trent was the first one to wake up when he heard a high pitched scream coming from the other side of their room. He shared a room with Thad who was the next person to wake up and they walked out of their room into the common room to see a sleepy eyed Nick and Jeff also awake.
“Did you guys hear that?” Trent asked, rubbing his eyes. “Someone screamed,”
“Yep I heard it,” Jeff said, rubbing his ear. “It was definitely Kurtie, he’s the only one who can scream that loud,”
“Do you think we should check on him and Seb?” Thad asked. “To see if they need help,”
“I guess,” Nick said and the four of them walked over to Kurt and Sebastian’s door. Jeff knocked on the door.
“Seb? Kurt? Are you two okay?” He asked.
“Jeff, get the fuck in here now,” He heard Sebastian yell and he quickly opened the door and walked in, the other boys following behind him.
“Why did Kurt scream?” Nick asked.
“I don’t fucking know,” Sebastian yelled, getting out of his bed. “He screamed and then he ran in the bathroom and he won’t come out,”
“Well have you considered your choice of words Sebastian?” Trent asked and in return received a pillow thrown at him. “I guess not,”
“He had a goddamn nightmare,” Sebastian said, still cursing but lowering his voice some. “Before he screamed he was mumbling and he said his dad’s name and the name of his bully, Karofsky,”
“Oh the poor thing,” Jeff said, sympathetically. “Is this his first one?”
“I don’t know,” Sebastian groaned. “Why the fuck do people have to mess with him? He’s been through enough,”
“Seb,” Trent said. “I think you should check on him,”
“Right,” Sebastian said, walking over to the bathroom door. “Um… if you guys could like, leave that’d be great. I don’t think he’s going to want an audience right now,”
“Of course,” Thad said. “Tell us if you need anything and take care of him,”
The four boys left the room and Sebastian knocked on the bathroom door. “Kurt, are you okay in there? Can I come in?”
He pressed his ear against the door to hear muffled cries coming from the inside and sighed before opening the door. He found Kurt kneeled down in the corner, hugging himself in a tight ball, crying. The scene was heartbreaking and made Sebastian admittedly rush over to him to give him a hug.
“He was right there,” Kurt said, shaking. “He was right there Seb, he wanted to kill me. He almost killed me,”
“No he didn’t Kurt,” Sebastian said, tears welling up in his own eyes. “He’s not anywhere near here, you’re fine I promise. No one’s going to hurt you,”
“What did I do wrong?” Kurt asked, more to himself than to Sebastian. “Why do they all hate me Seb? They hate me so much.” He said through sobs.
“They don’t matter babe,” Sebastian assured Kurt. “I love you and the rest of the Warblers love you and that’s all that matters right, the people that do love you?”
“I miss them,” Kurt said. “I miss my friends and I miss my dad and I messed everything up,”
“No you didn’t. You didn’t mess anything up babe. You’re perfect. Please stop crying, you’re making me cry,”
“I’m sorry,” Kurt said, looking up at Sebastian and wiping the tear that fell down his face. “I love you,”
“I love you too,” Sebastian said, laughing when Kurt brushed off his tear. “And I always will,”
“Ok,” Kurt said softly, “I don’t want to go back to sleep,”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Sebastian told him “You can lay down with me and we can watch a movie ok? You can pick,”
“Ok,” Kurt said again, standing up with Sebastian and leaving the bathroom. They both got into Kurt’s bed, under the blankets and snuggled close together before Sebastian grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. He flipped through the channels until Kurt settled on a movie that he had never heard of before and they both watched the movie together, neither falling asleep. Once the movie was over Sebastian got an idea and dragged Kurt out of the bed, pulling him over to the window and opening it to reveal a beautiful sunrise.
“Look at that,” Sebastian said, sighing happily to himself as he hugged Kurt from behind. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yeah,” Kurt said, smiling. “I love it,”
“And I love you,” Sebastian said, snuggling into Kurt’s neck and kissing him.
“Forever?” Kurt asked.
“Forever,” Sebastian assured.
“I love you too,” Kurt assured him back and they spent the rest of their morning in each other’s embrace watching the sunrise and for a moment Kurt thought he was going to be okay.
But Kurt and everyone else was soon to realize that Kurt was wrong.
It was winter break and everyone in Kurt’s dorm decided to stay at Dalton for the holidays since their families worked during the holiday and they decided that being with each other would be more fun. So they spent their break watching Christmas movies and drinking hot chocolate or singing Christmas carols or playing board games or doing puzzles. Kurt joined in on the movies once in a while but kept to himself for the most part and resorted to writing in a journal.
It wasn’t your typical teenage journal that was actually a diary full of secrets and gossip about one’s life. It was just a notebook full of random words that were written in Kurt's neat handwriting. Kurt’s logic for doing this was that it calmed him, just seeing the word neatly written in pen on a blank sheet of white paper. He could write words about how he felt but for the most part he wrote the things that he liked.
My friends.
Sebastian.
Singing.
Cats.
Clouds.
Coffee.
Watching the sunrise with Seb.
Writing.
Taking walks.
Reading.
Going to my classes.
Flowers.
Grass.
Trees.
Things along those lines. Just things that Kurt loved about his life. He was just trying to focus on the positives rather than the negatives. But sometimes that proved to be really difficult for him and one day was very difficult to deal with.
Sebastian had woken him up early that day to tell him that he was going out to get some things that he needed from the store and told Kurt that he would be back soon. Kurt said okay before falling back asleep and when he woke up his body went into a state of intense panic. Just the sight of the other side of his bed, empty when Sebastian usually laid there and waited for him to wake up threw his whole day off. He tried not to let it bother him too much so he got up and got ready like he usually did before grabbing his blanket and his notebook and walking out into the common room. He was thankful to find the rest of his friends were already awake, continuing their Christmas movie marathon by watching “Elf” and laughing at the movie. They greeted him and he greeted them back before sitting down in an empty chair and trying to pay attention to the screen. It wasn’t working out though. No matter how hard he tried not to think about Sebastian and how he had been gone when he had woken even though he already knew that Sebastian wouldn’t be there, the more he thought about other things.
His dad.
Finn.
Carol.
His family that sent him off to a private school because they didn’t want to deal with him.
Rachel.
Mercedes.
Quinn.
His old friends.
His old friends that hated him now.
Karofsky.
Azimio.
Bullying.
Slushies.
Locker shoves.
Dumpster dives.
Kissing.
Disgusting kissing that tasted awful.
Kissing that made him cry, that made him hate himself.
Kissing that made him feel so disgusting and awful that he wanted to hurt himself.
Fag.
Fairy.
Traitor.
Disappointment.
Waste of space.
Should just kill himself already.
This is what he found himself writing in his notebook and soon there was no trying to think about the positives because the negatives were pushed to the front of his brain and he couldn’t get rid of them. He felt tears come to his eyes and not wanting to cry in front of everyone but then not wanting to be alone, he got up out of his chair and went to sit down on the floor. Behind the couch. Under the table.
Why Kurt picked a table to sit under, he didn’t really know. He just needed a confined area of space that was for him only but he didn’t want to go back into his empty dorm room, he wanted to hear his friend laugh and he wanted to hear the movie so he chose the table. He tried to breathe but it didn’t really work, the air wouldn’t come into his lungs. He silently cried, his pen shaking in his finger and his body wrapped around him as he tried to calm down and tried to think about the positives. But nothing good came. So he tried to shut his mind off. He tried to clear everything out so that he didn’t have to think about anything and closed his eyes shut.
He didn’t know how long he had been sitting there but he was relieved when he heard the door to their room open and heard familiar footsteps walk into the room. He wanted to get out and run into Sebastian’s arms but something inside him told him not to and kept him in place.
“Where’s Kurt?” Sebastian asked, taking off his scarf and coat.
“Under the table,” Wes said casually.
“What?” Sebastian asked confused as he walked over to the table and peered down to see Kurt sitting in a ball covered in a blanket. “Why did you let him sit underneath the table?”
“I don’t know,” Jeff said, still paying attention to the movie. “He seemed like he had his mind set on sitting underneath the table so we let him sit under there. Besides, who are we to tell him what to do? Is it a crime to sit under a table?”
“No,” Sebastian sighed. “I guess it’s not,”
Sebastian reached out to grab Kurt’s hand to pull him out from underneath the table when he noticed the notebook that Kurt had been writing in. Kurt hadn’t really seemed to notice his presence and Sebastian picked up the notebook, reading what Kurt had most recently written.
“Oh Kurt,” He said softly, looking back down to see that Kurt was shaking and that his face was stained with tears. “What happened?”
Kurt only shook his head.
“Come on. Let’s go,” Sebastian said, motioning Kurt to take his hand so he could get up. Kurt took his hand and Sebastian pulled him up before getting an idea. He looked up above his head and smiled, mischievously to himself.
“Look what we’re standing under,” He said in a sing-song voice. “Mistletoe,”
“Kurt looked up and then looked back to Sebastian with a perplexed look, not connecting the two things together. That was until Sebastian dipped him back and kissed him passionately on his lips. Kurt kissed back and they stayed like that until the Warblers turned around and caught them in the position they were in.
“Eww gross,” Trent said, throwing a pillow at Sebastian.
“Get a room Seb,” David groaned, burying his face into another pillow.
“You two are worse than Nick and Jeff,” Wes complained before turning back around to see Nick and Jeff snuggling together, eskimo kissing one another. “Never mind, I take that back,”
“That’s what I thought,” Sebastian smirked before tilting Kurt back up and leading him into their room. “Don’t interrupt us,”
“Trust us, we won’t,” Thad assured him before Sebastian closed the door.
“So are you okay Kurt?” Sebastian asked, turning around to look at his boyfriend. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” Kurt whispered, looking down like he was ashamed of himself. “I woke up and you were gone and I know it’s stupid because I knew you weren’t going to be there but it still freaked me out for some reason and I got upset and I didn’t know what to do. I got dressed and I tried to pay attention to the movie that everyone was watching but I kept thinking about you and then I started thinking about everyone else and instead of writing down things that I liked, I started writing the things down that I didn’t like. And then I got really overwhelmed and I couldn’t breathe and so I got up and sat under the table because I didn’t know where else to go but… I’m so sorry Seb. I know that it was stupid of me to get so upset but I don’t know what happened,” Kurt explained, rapidly.
“Hey, take a breather babe,” Sebastian said, walking over to Kurt and rubbing his back. “It sounds like you had a panic attack. But you’re alright now okay?”
“Okay,” Kurt said, hugging Sebastian. “Please don’t leave me right now,”
“I won’t,” Sebastian promised him. “I promise. So do you want to watch the movie with them or…?”
“Can we just stay in here?” Kurt asked.
“Yeah of course,” Sebastian said before walking over to Kurt’s bed and laying down in it with him. They snuggled up with one another like they usually did, wrapped in blankets and in each other’s embrace and this time Sebastian picked a movie.
“I love you Sebastian,” Kurt said, smiling up at his boyfriend. “I love you so much,”
“I love you so much too Kurt,” Sebastian smiled back.
Kurt had resorted to a different method to manage his stress… running. He knew it probably wasn’t the best thing to do seeing how little he ate but then again, was really anything he ever did a good idea? He didn’t think so. So running was his new thing.
He felt free when he ran, like there was nothing holding him back or there was nothing weighing him down. When he ran he didn’t need to focus on all his problems or the things that bothered him, all he focused on was moving his feet in front of the other one and his breathing. He could run for hours if he wanted to and one day he actually did.
It had been a bad day for Kurt. He had had two exams and a project to present in his classes that day and then a Warbler practice after lunch and he felt like he needed to relax. So he went out after dinner and ran. Some of the other Warblers went out with him and watched him as they sat on the bench and talked with one another.
And Kurt ran. He lost track of time but he could tell that it was getting late when he noticed that the sun was setting and he would’ve stopped but he was on a roll. It felt good to him, to push his body through all the pain and sweat. Yes maybe it was a bad idea to run to the point where you’re in pain but it wasn’t like the pain that he felt when he was shoved in a locker. The pain felt good so he didn’t stop.
“What are you guys doing out here?” Sebastian asked Jeff, Nick and Trent as he walked out to the track and saw the guys on the bleachers.
“Kurt’s running,” Nick said, pointing over to where Kurt was on his probably hundredth lap around the track.
“Shit, you idiots,” Sebastian hissed. “How long has he been like that?”
“Like what?” Jeff asked. “He likes running,”
“He looks like he’s going to fall over Jeff,” Sebastian said, irritated.
“Oh. Well we’ve been out here since dinner which was at six,” Trent said, thinking out loud.
“And it’s around eight right now,” Nick added.
“So that means it’s been two hours,” Jeff said happily. “Woo, Kurtie’s really good at that,”
“Oh my god,” Sebastian groaned before jogging over to Kurt. “Hello babe,”
“Hi,” Kurt said, shortly, out of breath. “What are you doing here?”
“The better question is what are you doing here? It’s been two hours since I last saw you and I miss you,” Sebastian said, giving Kurt puppy dog eyes.
“Sorry. I knew it was getting late but you know… it’s just been a stressful day,” Kurt said.
“Oh,” Sebastian said, his face dropping. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I prefer running,”
“For two hours straight. Is that even healthy?”
“No but neither is being stressed out so I take what I get,” Kurt shrugged.
“Well what if we find a better way to get rid of your stress,” Sebastian suggested slyly. “We could make out,”
“Seb,” Kurt whined, although he did smile.
“Please,” Sebastian begged. “You’re so cute and I haven’t seen you all day. I love you,”
“Fine,” Kurt smirked. “But I’m taking a bath first,”
“Okay let’s go,” Sebastian said excitedly, taking Kurt’s hand and dragging him off the track.
They went back to their dorm room and Kurt showered and got ready for bed and then the two boys got into bed and cuddled up with each other. Kurt kissed Sebastian and Sebastian kissed back and they stayed like that for a while before Sebastian pulled Kurt into a hug.
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” Sebastian asked him. “I just ask because… I mean you could’ve changed your mind and I want you to know that I’ll listen to you,”
“I’m okay Seb,” Kurt assured him. “I just had a lot of work to do today and I'm not used to having so much. I was always on top of my work at McKinley, I was at the top of my class but here it’s just a little harder. But I got it done so I don’t have to worry anymore. I just wanted to run and I guess I lost myself a little too much,”
“Oh,” Sebastian said, rubbing Kurt’s back. "Well if you ever need help you can always ask me,”
“I know Seb,” Kurt said. “But thank you. For… just everything Seb. It means a lot to me,”
“Well you mean a lot to me,” Sebastian smiled.
“So do you,” Kurt smiled back.
Nick, Jeff, Wes and David were all in the common room doing a puzzle when Sebastian and Kurt walked in, hand and hand and stood facing each other with their foreheads pressed against each other.
“Why don’t you just go lay down and I’ll be in a minute, okay babe?” Sebastian told Kurt who nodded his head and wiped some tears on his face as he walked into their room.
“What’s wrong with Kurt?” David asked curious.
“He’s sick,” Sebastian said, rubbing his eyes. “He’s got a fever,”
“Oh, should I get the nurse?” Jeff asked, standing up.
“No, he’ll be fine I think,” Sebastian told them. “I don’t think he’d like that since he’s not really a people person. I’m just going to lay down with him and maybe he’ll sleep it off,”
“Oh okay,” Jeff said, sitting back down. Well tell me if you need anything,”
“I will,” Sebastian said before walking into their room to find Kurt curled up in a ball on his bed.
“You feeling alright babe?” Sebastian asked, rubbing Kurt’s back.
“I don’t feel good,” Was all Kurt said back.
“I know you don’t, you’re burning up. Do you want anything?” Sebastian asked.
“A hug,” Kurt told him and Sebastian laughed a little.
“I mean like medicine or something Kurt,”
“You don’t want to hug me?” Kurt asked, tears in his eyes.
“What no,” Sebastian exclaimed, laying down admittedly and hugging Kurt. “I always want to hug you Kurt, I love you. I just want to make you feel better,”
“I hate being sick,” Kurt pouted. “It’s not fair, I never get sick,”
“Well you just have to take care of yourself more Kurt. You’re stressing yourself out too much, it’s no wonder you aren’t feeling good right now,”
“I’m sorry,” Kurt whispered. “I really do try, it’s just hard,”
“I know you’re trying,” Sebastian assured him. “And I know it’s been rough for you but you’re doing really good, trust me,”
“I trust you,” Kurt told him. “And I love you too,”
“I love you,” Sebastian said, kissing Kurt’s forehead
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Republican National Convention
Corporalki: @monomads @sixofass @nightofviolet
Materialki: @ravenclawsandbeak [x] @incredible-disasters [x] @lystandthefandoms [x] @plasticbattleaxe [x]
Summary: Jesper and Wylan meet at a farmers’ convention and, long story short, they might have to overthrow the government.
Jesper was supposed to spend spring break at Nina’s—then a joint turned up in his backpack and his da decided he was coming to the convention instead. He’s miserable and bored until a chance encounter with a shy artist. He never expected to meet someone sweet, gorgeous, and interested in him in the middle of Iowa.
There’s just one tiny problem: Wylan’s father is nationally prominent and openly homophobic.
Ao3 Link
JESPER
It all started with a joint—a single joint that wasn't even his, that he was only holding for a friend and seeing as he wasn't even friends with that guy anymore, Jesper Fahey was of the opinion that any consequences at all constituted an overreaction.
He hadn't said that.
He had said it wasn't his, but his da wasn't hearing a word of it. Didn't give Jesper a chance to explain himself, to point out his six months of sobriety and that he was different since leaving rehab.
One joint that wasn't even his and Jesper lost any trust he had earned over the past six months. One joint that wasn't even his and instead of spending spring break with his friends, he was spending it at a farming convention. Even though it wasn't Jesper's. Even though he voluntarily took an over-the-counter drug test and proved he was sober. And, sure, he had also got himself a little over-involved in a couple of friendly card games back in December. He wasn't perfect by a far cry, but he wasn't using again.
Part of him knew the smart thing to do was behave. Make a point of behaving. But he was bored and felt overwhelmingly stalled as he lay in the dark hotel room, listening to his da snore and staring at the steady light on the smoke detector until he just couldn't .
He pushed back the covers and slipped from the room.
Padding down the hallway, Jesper reflected that he probably should have worn his shoes. Or at least his socks. But going back for them risked waking Colm. Jesper had left a note, but he was fairly certain going down to the hotel lobby wasn’t allowed. Doing anything besides sitting in the room watching TV wasn’t allowed. He wasn’t even allowed to eat the stupid M&M’s in the mini-bar! He wished he could have texted Nina about the injustice, her response might have cheered him up, but he couldn't. His phone had been taken away.
Anyway, he didn’t want to worry Colm, who was clearly just as nervous as Jesper was frustrated.
The elevator doors slid open with a ding and a near-blinding light. Jesper blinked and squinted as he stepped inside—cold, cold elevator floor! Cold!—and jabbed the button for the lobby. When they first arrived, he had been surprised by how non-partisan the lobby was; it seemed like every storefront back home had a poster in it reminding everyone that the election was just a few short months away. Maybe neutrality was a better business practice in Polk County, which tended to go blue by a narrow margin.
Just off the lobby was a cocktail lounge currently in the throes of a swanky, mildly raging party. There were an awful lot of suits in there, gingerly holding glasses of liquid fun. Maybe he could have snuck in, were he not wearing his track pants and a t-shirt sporting his school mascot (“Cornhuskers - Shuck ‘em!”).
With a sigh, he resigned himself to Starbucks. Would they even serve him in this outfit? The two other patrons looked considerably more respectable. A big, suit-clad lump of blond muscle sat at one table. At another table sat—
Well, hello .
Did this convention just get a little less farmer and a lot more interesting? A dreamy-eyed boy about Jesper’s age sat there, face propped up on his fist with red-gold curls falling over his eyes. One look at those pale, barely-parted lips and Jesper knew he wanted to kiss them. But first thing’s first: he put a little swagger into his step. As he passed the pretty boy’s table, Jesper looked him in the eye, startling him, and winked. The boy turned a very promising shade of pink.
Jesper helped himself to a seat a few moments later.
“Mind if I sit here?” he asked, sitting there.
“Um… I… I…” the boy stammered, before turning his attention to the muscled lump at the next table. Lump looked about ready to punch one of them. “No—it’s fine. It’s fine. You can sit with me.”
Jesper raised his eyebrows. “How generous."
“I didn’t mean it that way." He was even prettier up close. There was something familiar about him, though Jesper couldn’t quite name what. He had a sketchbook in front of him and a tin of drawing pencils. Now that his fist wasn't propping up his face, he took one of the pencils, though he didn't draw anything, just passed it between his fingers. A red mark lingered on his cheek.
Jesper sipped his coffee. He wondered if Starbucks would be rolling out those "unity cups" again this year, the ones that everyone hated during the last election. It was only March now, so they were the regular cups… and his name had been misspelled.
Jasper .
Freaking Twilight punk behind the counter…
“I’m sure you didn’t…” Jesper dropped his gaze to the pretty boy's cup, looking for his name. Waylon? Really? Jesper sincerely hoped the Twilight punk had miswritten that, no one their age was called Waylon . “…Mister Smithers.”
Pretty Boy was visibly confused, lips slightly parted and brow furrowed like this was life or death as he asked, “What?”
“Didn’t you look at your cup?” Jesper asked, like he hadn’t just only now noticed his own. Unless… “Your name’s not really Waylon, is it?”
Or had he never seen The Simpsons ? That was the only incidence Jesper knew of where someone was actually named Waylon—Waylon Smithers, the assistant character in an increasingly transparent closet.
Pretty Boy burst out laughing. He was unfairly cute laughing. The worry smoothed out of his forehead and his eyes sparkled. A human being shouldn’t have eyes so blue! When he laughed hard enough to start snorting, Pretty Boy blushed and covered his mouth adorably. His eyes were so self-consciously wide, Jesper imagined he didn't even know he had dimples.
“S’okay, anyway. Mine says ‘Jasper’. Nice to meet you, Mister Smithers.” Jesper offered a hand.
Mister Smithers accepted the handshake, looked Jesper dead in the eye and said, “You too, Mister Hale.”
Jesper laughed. “I try being nice to someone and that’s what I get!” he cried. “That’s the last time I’m nice!”
“Bet it’s not,” Mister Smithers said.
Jesper couldn’t stop the way his eyebrow quirked in interest— you bet? How much? But he stamped down the inclination. The poker incident was months behind him and he did not fancy a repeat.
Instead, he gave a determinedly confident scoff.
At home, a challenge like that would have been met, and he missed his friends all over again. Nina would have tried to make him be nicer—maybe by taking his cookies hostage at lunch. Or just making him laugh. Kaz would have rolled his eyes, sighed, or found another way to indicate he thought Jesper’s humor was stupid, but they both knew he could talk Jesper into any crazy thing. Kaz could be a pain in the ass sometimes.
Mister Smithers was not Nina or Kaz, and looked momentarily unsure how to respond to Jesper. Jesper had hoped he might go for some aggressive flirting, but given how frequently he blushed, flirting might be more Jesper’s line of work here. That was okay. He just needed to find out if his attention was welcome. It wasn’t easy to resist Jesper Fahey, with his handsome face and sparkling personality—he would be the first to tell you—but some guys are just straight. Which would be tragic, because he felt like there was already a spark between them.
He could have asked. Instead, Jesper sipped his coffee. The whipped cream was starting to melt into it. While he drank, he kept his attention on Smithers. He looked less than at ease, his gaze mostly fixed on the pencil he was fidgeting between his fingers, glancing now and again to Jesper, then back to the pencil.
Smithers cleared his throat. “So, uh, a-are you here for the convention?” he asked. Between that and the creamy linen of the button-down shirt tucked into his khakis, Jesper guessed this wasn't another farmer's son. A not insignificant portion of the convention was about trying to sell; Smithers didn't dress like someone who got his hands dirty.
"I'm here with my da," Jesper said, "he mostly grows field corn. The past couple years he's been growing corn to be used as fuel." He slipped the heat sleeve off his cup and began picking it into little pieces.
"Really?" Of course it was biofuel that got Smithers to set down his pencil and focus on Jesper. Hands folded on his sketchbook, fingers still from his knuckles to his bitten nails. "I didn't think biofuels were profitable."
"They're not," Jesper admitted, "yet. There's a satellite campus of the university near where I live, Da works with them. He's only able to grow anything as biofuel because of their money."
Was he really talking about biofuels right now, literally the least flirty thing on the planet? But Smithers was sitting up straight like an eager student, drinking in every word, so Jesper tried to remember more of what he'd heard.
The trouble was that it kept coming back to money. He kept having to explain, and maybe it would have helped if the boy sitting across from him could stop with those bobble-head nods that made his curls flop over his eyes and the occasional slip of teeth over his lower lip as he really focused. Colm couldn't afford to just grow an experimental fuel, though. That was very, very real for them.
"Their legal department is like one guy," Jesper said, finding some, any excuse to veer away from finances. "He's brilliant, though. He once—I swear this is true, he went into a meeting with… the governor's office, I think, to negotiate down a fine and talked them in circles so much they ended up paying him ."
Smithers' eyebrows rose. No… not Smithers. Jesper didn't like that nickname for him anymore and bought time sipping his coffee. He liked his face. It was so expressive, the way his thin lips parted in shock, or his brow furrowed in confusion like everything Jesper said was important to understand, or that one time Jesper said Steve King's name and his nose scrunched so delicately.
"Is that what you want to do? Be a lawyer?"
Maybe it was because Jesper was distracted that he slipped up and said, "I don't have the grades, but sometimes it's nice to think about a job other than farming."
Not that he wanted to go into law, either, he just wanted options . He wanted… he wanted things he had thrown away himself, but that didn't make their absence easier.
Jesper cleared his throat and went quiet for a moment. He didn't notice the other boy reaching for him until cool fingers alit gently on his hand. He didn't hold his hand or squeeze, just gave a gentle touch.
Then, suddenly, Smithers took his hand away and lowered his eyes, and that sense of familiarity was back. There was something in his veiled look and carefully neutral expression that Jesper recognized, enough to distract him from how long his eyelashes were. Definitely back to being Pretty Boy.
No… Cutie. He was more a Cutie than a Pretty Boy.
“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—I didn’t mean to—“
“Hey,” Jesper interrupted, "it's okay."
"You looked tragically alone," he said, but it didn't sound judgmental or sarcastic. He seemed to genuinely mean that.
Jesper had to smile. “You’re something, Cutie."
The other boy looked away with a shake of his head, and Jesper took the opportunity to consider this new perspective. There was something fragile in him, like the pieces that made him up were independently ready to run away, like his faint freckles and turned-away gaze. The traits that weren't halfawy gone only made him prettier, like the long eyelashes. Jesper wasn't objecting, simply seeing the questioning in him. He perched in his seat like he might float away, the tips of his long fingers pressed against his sketchbook like an anchor.
That was enough talk about the realities of biofuel farming.
"So, what do you draw?”
“Oh, just—I’m not really good.”
“I bet you are.”
“Might as well just give me your money.”
“Hey, I’ll take a forfeit. Do I get a peek in that sketchbook along with it?”
"No way!"
"Don't be shy. C'mon, you're probably like Vermeer."
"I'm really not—"
"More of a Monet?"
He blushed. Making him blush was so much fun, especially since now he looked at Jesper with surprising determination. "Not him either."
"Manet?"
"You have eclectic taste."
"Got 'em from Ocean's Eleven," Jesper admitted.
"Well, they're all painters."
"And you are...?"
"I like to draw. With pencils."
"So you're like a comic book artist?"
"No!" Ooh, he'd hit a nerve. "I want to be a real artist, like… like Cath Riley. She works with graphite and she's a realist, she draws things that look like photographs. What she can do with just pencils… it's amazing. Some of my favorites are pictures she's drawn of two hands, one hovering over the other, they're not touching but they're so close to touching, there's electricity between them. The detail in her work? She draws every wrinkle, flexing tendon, the hairs on a knuckle. She must—she must just see everything, take in everything around her, and she recreates in this way that… it's real, but somehow has a quality of, of a dream at the same time, and she rarely does any backgrounds so instead of being the focus, her subjects are starkly isolated."
Jesper only vaguely understood most of that. Sure, the words made sense, but he didn't understand why it was special that someone drew wrinkled hands. He wasn't trying to understand, either. He was too busy watching Cutie. Suddenly he was just… lit up. His eyes sparkled. He was flushed an entirely different sort of pink and his chapped lips moved around the words like they wanted to hold onto them. He was so animated that his curls bounced when he talked. Making him blush was fun, but making him light up? Jesper had a warm, melting feeling just watching him, and he realized distantly what a goofy smile he was wearing and he didn't even care.
"...if, if that made any sense." His excited pink was already fading to an embarrassed one.
"Absolutely!" Jesper said. "Totally made sense. What else?"
"What?"
"Come on. Cath Riley. Tell me more about her."
Before Cutie had a chance to respond, a voice from behind him said, “Time to go, Jes.”
Jesper froze, then slumped his shoulders. He had almost forgotten how entirely grounded he was, having a nice time talking to a cute boy, but his da’s voice sounded utterly unamused. This wasn’t the time to try to wheedle extra minutes. He realized he had shredded the coffee's heat sleeve to a pile of depressing confetti and scooped it into one hand to throw out.
Jesper slid out of his seat and grabbed his coffee. "Room number?"
"Fifte—"
The muscled lump cleared his throat. Cutie closed his mouth. If his da hadn't been there, Jesper might have needed to get in his face.
“It was nice meeting you," Jesper said.
“Likewise. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
Jesper tossed one final wink and Cutie’s resulting smile almost made up for what came next. Almost.
----------------
Colm Fahey was more than capable of shouting. He didn't do it often, but he was capable—Jesper knew from multiple incidents throughout his childhood. Jesper didn't like being shouted at, but he would take it over the quietness he faced these days. When Colm was quietly angry, Jesper felt so much more alone. He felt keenly that he had disappointed his father. That he had hurt him.
"Da?" Jesper ventured after too many moments of sitting quietly at the end of his bed. He hadn't tried to explain wandering off in the middle of the night. That was Jesper's contribution, his own broken quiet. The knowing that he had disappointed his father too many times and sometimes he should just shut his mouth and not make it worse.
Colm had been pacing the small room. Now he stopped and turned to Jesper. Jesper couldn't help noticing the tiredness in his face.
"Were you anywhere else?"
"No. I just went for a coffee."
"And that boy, was he… were you…"
"No! I saw a cute guy, that's all!"
Colm nodded. "Okay," he said. "All right, Jes."
Jesper had wandered down to the lobby Starbucks in his pajamas. Colm showed up in jeans and a sweater at midnight, and Jesper knew it wasn't his concern for appearances. It was because he thought he might need to go looking for his son beyond the hotel lobby.
"I woke up and you weren't here. What was I supposed to think?"
It wasn't that Jesper hadn't noticed, just like he hadn't noticed the gray in his father's hair or the tiredness in his face. It wasn't that he hadn't tried . It was just…
His mouth acted without his brain's consent and said, "You could have texted me if you hadn't confiscated my phone."
Jesper winced at himself. He was trying. He was trying not to make it worse. But… —did his da need his phone? Did he think a guy could google where to score coke and it was that simple?
"I couldn't sleep. What did you want me to do? Lie there and listen to you snoring for another six hours? You want the lamp off to sleep, you don't want me to have a phone…"
Colm sighed. He sat heavily on the second bed and said, "I know it's not easy."
It wasn't. Sometimes Jesper wished his da were more like the parents on TV or in books, someone to shout because I said so or just do what I tell you . Even when Da shouted, it was more about how Jesper could have gotten himself hurt. Now he just sounded worn down.
Jesper dropped his head.
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
"Not just about tonight."
Colm was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I know that, too. You can keep the lamp on."
"I'm… I'm tired now."
(End of Chapter One)
(The character's views on comic book artists do not reflect the author's. The character's views on Cath Riley, however, are spot on.)
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Baseball, A Personal and Biased Perspective
"A wiener at the ballgame beats dish meat at the Ritz" - Humphrey Bogart
I don't know exactly when I turned into a fan. In truth, I don't think anybody ever does it. I don't think anybody at any point woke up on a Saturday morning and said to themselves, "Today is the day I pick up something about baseball." Baseball isn't that way. Baseball, it appears to me, picks you.
I know this: the greater part of what I found out about baseball is because of my father. Furthermore, I presume that most baseball-adoring individuals in the course of recent years would state something very similar. Baseball resembles your extraordinary granddad's pocket watch passed on to you with consideration. A sort of legacy, maybe, from your dad, granddad, uncle; frequently - however not generally - a male expert figure.
Baseball fans are a one of a kind breed. While your normal baseball fan can examine the better purposes of the game in extraordinary detail, the genuine love the game causes in the enthusiastic fan isn't anything but difficult to characterize. On the off chance that you invest any energy around baseball, it saturates you in a difficult to-clarify way. It's an associating string in a mind-blowing cloths. By one way or another, game by game, inning by inning, it gets in your blood, and once you have it there's no fix. Once truly presented to baseball, it will be, until further notice and consistently, a great contamination, profoundly instilled in your mind. In the event that the majority of this illustration talk about baseball sounds silly or excessively nostalgic, you are not a baseball fan. Be that as it may, don't stress, there's still trust in you.
My first introduction to baseball, as I referenced, was on account of my father. In particular, through the amusements we would go see played by Portland's small time group, the Beavers. I guess I was around eight or nine when I saw my first game. I don't review the score or who the rival group was. Perhaps shockingly, I don't much recall whether our adored Beavers won or lost. Being so new to the game, I didn't get strikes, balls, outs, takes, or whatever else that appeared to occur in some odd blend of peaceful, purposeful request counteracted unexpected, crazy confusion. There were cheers, boos, some running, some residue kicked up, some ball tossing, even some taking (when my dad said that a sprinter stole second base, I called attention to the self-evident: "No he didn't. It's still there.")
I didn't know any of the players, and couldn't tell the catcher from the mascot. I truly had no clue what was happening down there on that tremendous green and darker span. I was a baseball infant, seeing, hearing, smelling the bunch of tangible encounters interesting to this peculiar game for the absolute first time.
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I will always remember my first sight of the baseball outfield as we entered the arena, blindingly green. I recollect the remote mixed smell of lager. I recollect the free pop of nut shells on the ground. I recollect the musky smell of grass and saturated soil, and obviously, the tempting aroma of franks, and salty popcorn. There is a fragrance to a baseball arena, and it very well may be discovered no place else. I recollect the break of a 33 ounce bat against a five ounce rough circle that seemed like a discharge resounding in the arena while the players took batting practice before the game. The vast majority of all, I recollect the ever-present clamor of the fans, similar to a sea, once in a while a tranquil automaton, here and there a rambunctious tsunami of cheers or boos scattered with shouts of "Get your glasses on, ump!" or, "He's going to hit!" or, "Draw that pitcher, he's done!" None of this sounded good to me at all.
In spite of the fact that I was a little kid, encountering a hundred absolutely outsider and unusual things on that day more than 30 years back, I was overwhelmed with a startling inclination - not of being in an awkward and new spot, however of being at home.
I realize that this experience of mine isn't one of a kind. Actually it's just about a prosaism. Converse with any individual who cherishes the game and they will probably have a comparative story to tell. In any case, while baseball has not been my life's energy, my valuation for the Grand Old Game has achieved a point with me where I must choose the option to look somewhat more profound at this odd wonder and investigate the game in my own particular manner.
"I see extraordinary things in baseball. It's our game - the American game. It will remove our kin from entryways, fill them with oxygen, give them a bigger physical aloofness. Will in general calm us from being an anxious, dyspeptic set. Fix these misfortunes, and be a gift to us." ~Walt Whitman
In 1979, the Pittsburgh Pirates, driven by Dave Parker and Willie Stargell, won the National League flag. Whenever I hear their signature tune, "We Are Family," by Sister Sledge, I can't resist the urge to imagine Stargell adjusting the bases in his dark and yellow Pirate uniform, similar to some abundant honey bee, after one of his acclaimed mammoth homers.
As it occurred, our neighborhood small time group, the Portland Beavers, were the ranch group for the Pirates around then. This brought about father and me meeting both Stargell and Parker when they visited Portland during a Beavers display game. Whatever they resembled in their own lives, I recollect that Stargell and Parker showed every one of the signs of the courteous disposition the organization of baseball some way or another appears to impart in such a significant number of its stars. Also, I review that them two, while generous grinning and signing a relentless supply of balls, appeared to have hands and arms of superheroes, which, as it were, they truly were.
"When they begin the game, they don't holler, "Work ball." They state, "Make a move."' ~Willie Stargell
It was at that point - having met a portion of its legends - that I started to focus on baseball. In spite of the fact that I was at that point a fanatic of ball and football, I ended up continually hypnotized - if not out and out befuddled - by baseball and its complexities. That appearing inconsistency among effortlessness and multifaceted nature is nevertheless one of the mysteries of the game. Baseball is, all things considered, one of a kind. How about we recall a couple of things about baseball that, in my psyche at any rate, set it apart from different games.
To begin with, the game is set upon a field organized in a fairly bizarre geometric shape. As opposed to having an objective or something to that affect on each finish of an extended field (as most different games) there is no such objective. No bin, no objective, no net. There is no direct development from one endzone to the next.
While the particular measurements and setup of the lines and bases on the field are steady in major and small time baseball, the fields themselves can shift fit as a fiddle. The good ways from home plate to the inside field fence, for instance, can fluctuate as much as 35 feet from park to stop.
Second, baseball is certifiably not a game depending such a great amount on consistent activity all things considered on minutes that can unfurl in a brief instant fastball strike, or a solitary swing that sends a ball over the fence and carries a home group to its feet (or leaves them reviling despondently). When the pitcher fires the ball toward home plate - a voyage that takes the ball about a large portion of a second - essentially anything can occur. Anything.
Pundits of baseball state the game needs physicality and hard play. This is similar to whining that tennis needs enough pummel dunks, or that golf doesn't include enough handling. In any case, as any individual who has played or given close consideration to the game can validate, there's a lot of physicality in baseball. The power it takes to smack a ball over a fence 410 feet away may just be obscured by the sheer superhuman exertion it takes to dispatch a clench hand measured hardball into a space the size of a hubcap sixty feet away...at about 100 miles an hour...100 times a night...accurately.
In any case, say commentators, the game is moderate, insufficient activity to fulfill the limited capacity to focus of the cutting edge sports fan. While the analysis appears to be lost to us baseball fans, do the pundits have a point? During a normal game, what amount of time slips by during which "something's occurring?"
To get to the base of this inquiry, Wall Street Journal correspondent David Biderman as of late investigated the measure of time spent in real life during a normal significant group ball game. "Activity," incorporates the time it takes for a pitcher to toss the ball, just as the more clear time a ball is noticeable all around after a hit, or a player is taking base, and so on. Biderman confirmed that the normal game had around 14 minutes of activity in it.
Be that as it may, as substantiated by Biderman, the time not spent in real life during a game isn't actually time squandered. Between pitches, a horde of choices and vital choices might be weighed out. Administrators might be occupied with counseling the hitting diagram on a restricting player before he even strides up to the plate. Catchers and pitchers are having a consistent quiet exchange with respect to what sort of pitch to toss and where to put that pitch, contingent upon a scope of elements. Furthermore, defenders may move positions relying upon the player, or the game circumstance to build their odds of sparing runs. While the easygoing spectator may become disappointed by "all the remaining around," in baseball, the more included fan realizes that this time spent between pitches is the place the genuine round of baseball is played. To put it plainly, there is continually "something occurring" during a ball game.
In any case, the commentators who persevere in anxiously drumming their fingers on their knees and yawning over the "moderate pace" of baseball may think that its intriguing to discover that Biderman likewise decided the measure of play activity during a normal expert football match-up. Only 11 minutes.
While it's intriguing to consider these parts of time where baseball is concerned, most fans realize that baseball has unmistakably more to do with timing. To the tenderfoot fan, baseball resembles a game fixated on the pitcher attempting to strike out the player, and the hitter attempting to stay away from such a destiny. In any case, to the prepared eye, the fight among pitcher and hitter is one of sharp basic leadership and split-second planning, an
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Country #102 - South Korea
Day 1 – The Myeongdong District
This morning my brother, Edward, and I headed off for our second country of his short trip with me. Instead of dealing with the confusing airport train again we instead took a bus from the Tokyo Central Station. It was much easier and I was able to book online ahead of time! We arrived at the airport in plenty of time for our flight, headed to a lounge where we ate some delicious Japanese cookies for a few hours, bought our dad some crazy Japanese candy for his birthday, and then boarded our flight to South Korea. The flight was fantastic because we were able to see a Japanese highlight out our window: Mount Fuji! We were very lucky, and it was a great way to end our short stay in Japan.
When we landed in Seoul I was immediately like a kid in a candy store. First, we met a robot that I proceeded to play with. We then saw the Olympic mascots everywhere, as the Winter Paralympics were now going on, and I had to take pictures with them as well. We then headed to the train hub where we got our tickets for the local train into Seoul Square Station. From Seoul Station it was a very easy transfer to ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong, our hotel while in Seoul. After a warm welcome we headed to our room with an amazing view out over the Myeongdong district. Thank you so much to ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong for sponsoring my stay in Seoul! The location was absolutely perfect, and we loved the fun yet modern room. And, once again, we had a fun Asian toilet to try and learn how to use.
After settling into our room we then headed out to a meal of Edward’s choosing: Korean BBQ from a restaurant called On the Grill! Neither of us had any real idea what to do so it was quite the entertaining evening. We eventually figured it out and it was quite tasty. After dinner we headed to walk around Myeongdong. Myeongdong is a super busy and unique shopping area in the heart of Seoul. Our first stop was to get some really cool ice cream that was in the shape of a flower. From there we then walked up and down the streets to see all that we could! I bought some fun socks while Edward went for a sweatshirt. We had so much fun walking up and down the streets of Myeongdong – it was such a cool area!
After a busy evening we were so glad to be staying right in the heart of Myeongdong. We wanted to get a good night of sleep before our morning adventure tomorrow to try and get Edward’s Chinese visa.
Day 2 – The Racoons
We started off the day with a great breakfast at ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong before heading to Seoul Station. We had to visit the Chinese visa processing center to have Edward’s visa expedited as the service we used to get it done before we left the US failed to deliver (it was actually a lot more dramatic than I’m making it sound, but what can you do). Figuring out that the visa center in Seoul existed was a saving grace – without it Edward would have had to fly between Shanghai and Beijing through a third country to reset his visa free periods. But with Chinese visa in hand he could easily ride the bullet train with me as planned. We found the center very user friendly and it was overall a simple process. We left all of his application materials in a process that took about thirty minutes, and we will come back tomorrow to pick up his passport.
With that all taken care of we started off on our full day in Seoul. Our first stop was definitely my choice: the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. It had a mix of modern and traditional Korean art and was such a unique museum in how well it implemented technology. I mean, Samsung is in the name of the museum, so I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Our audio guides would start talking when we walked in front of a new work of art, and there were so many cool pieces throughout the museum! I loved it and Edward tolerated it / pretended to enjoy it for my benefit / I like to think he actually did enjoy it to some extent.
To even the score, though, our next stop was one that I tolerated and Edward thoroughly enjoyed: the War Memorial of Korea. Don’t get me wrong, it was very interesting and I definitely wanted to see it, but Edward is a HUGE World War II buff so I sat and watched while he read every description of every airplane and tank. I found the memorial itself to be very interesting though I wouldn’t have understood in the slightest anything that he was reading.
Our next stop was one that came to us courtesy of Facebook – the Blind Alley Café. While it might sound like a normal café I can assure you that it is not. Blind Alley is situated right in the heart of a university district and is home to many fun animal friends. Namely, the raccoons! While some people may not agree I think that raccoons are adorable and knew as soon as I heard of Blind Alley that we would have to visit. I loved how well taken care of that the raccoons were and I enjoyed seeing the other animals, like the pig and of course the dog, as well. We were both quite surprised when the raccoons were sat on our shoulders and it made for quite the funny photo op! After meeting with the raccoons we had a raccoon shaped shaved ice (of course) and then headed to our next stop, Deoksugung Palace.
Deoksugung Palace used to be home to members of the Korean royal family. We really enjoyed walking around the grounds and also got a glimpse of a traditional procession walking the grounds. It was very cool! We then walked all the way up Sejong-daero (daero means street) to get to Gwanghwamun Gate. Along the way we stopped and took a few pictures, like with Olympic animals (yes, again), the statue of King Sejong, and the U.S. Embassy. Gwanghwamun Gate is the largest gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was the royal palace during the Joseon dynasty and was built all the way back in 1395. There were many people interestingly dressed in traditional Korean clothing, called hanbok, to take pictures inside of the palace.
After the palace we headed right next door to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. There were not many current exhibitions but the ones that were on were quite interesting, including one powerful film on the Korean War. Afterwards we made our way to our last artsy stop of the day, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. It was such a cool building! Inside there were many fun design stores and outside we walked (for too long) to finally find the really cool LED flowers. They were unlike anything that I’ve seen and I was so glad that we found them.
By this point our feet were in a sad state and we started to make our way back towards ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong. Even with our sore feet we were able to enjoy the piano stairs that we happened upon in the metro - they played when you stepped on them! On the way to our hotel stopped in the Myeongdong district once again. I bought one of the adorable Olympic animals (I might have a problem?) at Lotte Department Store before we visited Star Avenue which is basically a walkway celebrating K-Pop. From there we headed to eat some very tasty dumplings for dinner. After dinner we bought some Oreo churros and yes, they were as good as they sound. It was a very long, full, day but it was fantastic from start to finish. We saw so much and I’m looking forward to another day in Seoul tomorrow!
Day 3 – The Palaces
Today we had a few last stops in Seoul before making our way to China. We started the day by heading to the Bukchon Hanok Village. The Bukchon Hanok Village is a preserved traditional village. We then split a tasty grilled cheese in a little spot that we found on our walk before we went to Changdeokgung Palace. Changdeokgung Palace is one of the five Grand Palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty. It was very large and felt even bigger because it connected to the second palace that we visited today, Changgyeonggung Palace. I really enjoyed visiting them both and overall have really enjoyed visiting and learning about all of the palaces in Seoul. They have been unlike anything else that I have seen before and were so interesting!
Our next stop was Jongmyo Shrine, but it was unfortunately closed so we instead made our way back to the hotel to pick up our bags and then headed to the Chinese visa center. Our fingers were crossed, and we were quite anxious to see how Edward’s visa predicament would turn out. Luckily, we got there and were given his passport, visa inside, straight away! It was so easy to do and saved us a huge hassle in China. From the visa center we crossed the street to Seoul Station and reluctantly made our way towards the airport. We did not want to leave Seoul!
Luckily, Seoul wasn’t done impressing us yet. When we arrived at the airport there was a full on K-Pop performance going on, because of course there was, so we watched that for a bit. We then headed to a lounge where we had a full meal. On our way there we passed a nap zone which made me wish that every other airport in the world were that thoughtful. Our last fun Seoul Airport encounter was the string quartet playing in the middle of the terminal. They were even playing the Frozen soundtrack as we boarded our train to out gate! South Korea definitely went out with a bang and I already cannot wait to come back. It was one of my favorite stops so far and I absolutely loved it!
102 countries down, 93 to go.
To learn more about ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong click here.
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Isdaan Floating Restaurant: Rod Ongpauco’s Foodie Wonderland
Filipinos love eating out with the family. We also love to go to theme parks and beautiful places where we can take lots of pictures and enjoy fun activities with the entire group. Most of the time, we will have to choose between the two because the local theme parks don’t exactly have the best food offerings while there’s nothing else to do when we visit the best local restaurants aside from eating. But one man had the vision and the passion to combine these two family activities in one magical location. It’s time to bring out the plates because The Hungry Kat has just arrived at Isdaan Floating Restaurant!
Isdaan Floating Restaurant is the brainchild of Mr. Rod Ongapauco whose family owns the classic and popular Barrio Fiesta groups of restaurants. His food-loving family has always been a big influence in his very colorful life, which even includes a bit of acting and show business. When he was only 15 years old, he invented the original “Crispy Pata” which has become an iconic Filipino dish served in almost all restaurants nationwide. But his biggest dream became a reality in 2005 when he opened the first Isdaan Floating Restaurant and Theme Park in Gerona, Tarlac. Twelve years onwards, Isdaan now boasts of two other locations in Calauan, Laguna and newly-opened and biggest branch yet at Talavera, Nueva Ecija.
Vacationers heading north or traveling back to Manila have always made it a point to stop by Isdaan Floating Restaurant for a merry and jolly afternoon. I have seen and heard a lot about Isdaan before on television and magazines but this will be my first time to personally see this foodie wonderland. A trip to Isdaan Tarlac usually just takes around two hours using the SCTEX if you are coming from Quezon City.
The fun starts right at the spacious parking lot of Isdaan Tarlac with giant statues and quirky characters giving guests a warm welcome. The area is equipped with CCTV cameras for added security.
The dream of Rod Ongpauco is to build a restaurant that will be the first of its kind and very different from the rest. With Isdaan Floating Restaurant, he has brought together several of his restaurant concepts like Barrio Fiesta, The Singing Cooks & Waiter, Atbp., Bakahan at Manukan, and juxtaposed it inside an unbelievable floating theme park with colorful statues of all sizes and shapes. I have never seen anything like it!
There are several dining areas to choose from when you visit Isdaan Floating Restaurant. As its name suggests, guests can dine right beside the waters with fish and koi swimming all around. It’s such a surreal experience as you would think you are dining in Bali or Malaysia instead of being in Tarlac.
Isdaan is a place to have fun and you will notice all sorts of characters and mascots everywhere. Rod Ongpauco does not seem to run out of ideas and imagination because every single corner is filled with gigantic statues, animals, buddhas, and fountains. You might even spot the Obamas somewhere. Visitors are encouraged to take lots and lots of photos because that is all part of the fun.
They also have daily variety shows that feature dancers, magicians, acrobats, and many more. Guests can also participate in a couple of exciting activities like the San Kilo Bridge where you can win a free kilo of fish if you succesfully finish the obstacle course. You can also walk inside the pond itself and feed all the fish. More of those activities on my next article (Isdaan Talavera: A Bigger and More Colorful Branch in Nueva Ecija).
But the most popular activity at Isdaan Floating Restaurant is their infamous Tacsiyapo Wall where you can let out all your anger and misery by throwing plates, mugs, and even televisions on to the wall. Small plates cost P25 per piece and mugs cost P20. As for the television, hopefully you are not THAT angry. Aim for the exact caption that fits you, shout “Tacsiyapo!” at the top of your lungs, then throw your plates at the wall! I assure you, it really helps relieve those pent up emotions. Can you guess which caption I aimed for?
Kids will not run out of things to do as well in this floating Disneyland because there are several areas they will also enjoy. Children can go biking, riding, play on the see-saw, or just hang out with Mickey and his friends.
After touring the Isdaan theme park, it was finally time for us to eat! Each guest is treated like a celebrity and we were given these adorable leis when we entered one of the main dining areas.
Hosting us that afternoon in Tarlac was Ms. Love Ongpauco-Fallorina, one of the daugthers of Rod Ongpauco who was gracious enough to accompany our group. The KTG (Kain Tulog Gang) founder, Spanky Enriquez, also made sure that everyone enjoyed a grand feast at Isdaan Floating Restaurant.
It was a warm and sunny afternoon so I ordered their refreshing Buko Shake to quench my thirst.
One of Rod Ongpauco’s restaurants is The Singing Cooks & Waiters, Atbp. This is the only restaurant where the waiters, janitors, and cooks can belt out popular OPM tunes as well as international hit songs. Here at Isdaan, expect the same spectacular performances as you dine inside your bahay kubo.
And it was definitely a feast to remember as we were all invited for a big Boodle Fight! This is a traditional Filipino way of communally eating piles of rice and viands on top banana leaves using just your bare hands. All of Isdaan’s specialties were laid out on the table and it was every man for himself. Don’t worry, there was more than enough food to share so we did not really have to fight. Boodle Fight Sets starts at P2,762 for four persons up to P12,856 for 15 persons.
Our Boodle Feast came with Bulalo Soup, Daing na Bangus, Mixed Adobo, Lumpiang Bukid, Lechon Manok Tinupig, Pritong Lapu Lapu, Spicy Crabs and more.
But the highlight of our feast was the Patang Tinupig (P690), a unique variation of the well-loved Crispy Pata that you can only find here. Instead of the usual deep-fried crispy pata, this pork knuckle is simmered in creamy coconut milk then wrapped in banana leaves before being grilled. The result is a soft and tender skin with very flavorful pork meat inside.
Few people actually know that it was Rod Ongpauco himself who invented the Crispy Pata all the way back in 1960. He shared with us the story of how he used to invite his friends over to eat for free at his Mama Chit’s Barrio Fiesta, much to the dismay of his mother. To appease her, he found a way of getting leftover pork feet and deep-fried them for his friends. Everyone loved his creation, including Mama Chit, which he later on expanded to include the entire pork knuckle. The rest, as they say is history.
While every restaurant in the Philippines now probably offers their own version of crispy pata, it’s great to know that you can find Rod Ongpauco’s version of the Original Crispy Pata (P740) here at Isdaan, Barrio Fiesta, or at Pamana Restaurant. We also found out that Rod Ongpauco is really a man of many talents, aside from being a generous host. He is also a music composer, with his most popular hit being “Tulak ng Bibig, Kabig ng Dibdib” by Cinderella in the 70′s and later on revived by Lilet in the 80′s. He is also credited for promoting “Mabuhay” as our national greeting and changing the “Welcome” rotunda to “Mabuhay” rotunda including other town markers and landmarks.
Our festive lunch at Isdaan Floating Restaurant was so enjoyable that it stretched all the way until late afternoon. We capped it off with their Talagang Special Bibingka (P192) and cups of Buko Pandan (P141) and Fruit Salad (P152) for a sweet ending.
We had a very entertaining and informative Isdaan Roadtrip to Tarlac and I would like to thank Ms. Love Ongpauco-Fallorina for taking care of us and making sure we experienced the full Isdaan Floating Restaurant experience. We also got to visit their newest and most exciting branch yet, Isdaan Talavera in Nueva Ecija,
Isdaan Floating Restaurant
219 MacArthur Highway, Gerona, Tarlac
(0943) 629-0086
www.facebook.com/isdaanrestaurant
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Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding
Author: Caroline Ruggiero
It’s 10:24 p.m. on Friday night after a long week on the road talking about the Engagement Economy. Instead of relaxing, I am attempting to chalk paint V-Bot, the mascot of Marketo’s LaunchPoint partner Vidyard, in time for my son’s 5th birthday party tomorrow morning.
So how on earth did I get here?
Well, I have been swayed by good swag, which has taught me several great marketing lessons that I’ll share with you in this blog.
Why Swag?
Throughout my 20 years in marketing, I have been to many conferences. Along the way, I’ve collected a bevy of swag–the good, the bad, and the boring. I will fully admit that I am a total swag hoarder. As an event marketer, swag can be a decent ticket item on your budget, but unlike, say, the upgrade to the carpet in your booth, it has greater potential to provide dividends after the conference ends.
Swag is a universal tool that can help drive brand affinity with customers and partners as well as create brand awareness with net-new prospects. Swag gives you a chance to show your brand’s personality, and it makes its way home with attendees if done well. It’s like free advertising.
At this point, you might be asking the style versus substance question: Should I bring good swag or good collateral? The answer? A mix of both. There is absolutely a time and place for distributing content at your booth, but in some cases, you’re better off keeping things short and sweet–welcoming the opportunity to engage and follow up with visitors post-event using your marketing platform. Far too many hard copy materials end up in hotel room recycling bins than make it home in attendees’ suitcases. But good swag has a way of finding its way home.
4 Elements of Good Swag
To accomplish #SwagGoals, finding the perfect items that are both right for your brand and a hit with your audience, aim to meet one or more of these branding goals:
1. Be memorable, fun, or useful. Any combination of these characteristics can land your swag right in the sweet spot and make a lasting impression that makes your brand human. Not to toot Marketo’s own purple horn, but one example is the Marketo munchkin we gave out last year. The little purple guys were adorable, but by naming it “Munchkin,” we also gave a playful insider’s nod to our Munchkin tracking code, a powerful feature of our product.
2. Get exposure immediately at your event. Wearable swag has immediate returns and can be leveraged to drive brand awareness or even foot traffic on-site. Consider giving way accessories, such as glasses, hats, and socks, since attendees already have their conference attire planned out. One big potential billboard you might want to target is conference badges. Everyone loves a little flare, and Marvel Marketers tapped into that and got free on-site exposure. For small surfaces, keep design elements simple so they stand out.
3. Amplify in social media channels. If you’re going to shell out the money for a higher ticket item like a photo booth, be sure to brand the printed images and encourage people to follow your company’s social media pages and share their photos with a hashtag that ties into your brand. Lattice Engines tapped into that with their #mktgnerd concept. This is also a great way to build your following.
4. Maximize post-event exposure. Providing attendees with practical swag increases the likelihood they will take it home–and your brand along with it. Jennifer Clegg, Marketing Nation veteran and 2017 Summit presenter, said the most useful swag she’s ever received is a luggage tag. In my case, as a road warrior and parent, anything cute that I can repurpose as a gift to my kids wins every time.
After my session at last year’s Marketing Nation Summit, I returned home with some fabulous swag from the killer Speakeasy Party thrown by our services partners Elixiter and Mambo. Perhaps feather boas and cigarette holders were not the best idea for 1- and 4-year-old boys, but it was hilarious. Fun? You bet. Memorable? Check.
Have a Plan B
Once you nail your concept for swag and your attendees are clamoring for it, you might end up running out. But this is a good problem to have—it presents a new opportunity for follow-up.
If you run out of swag, don’t close up shop. Make sure you capitalize on the booth traffic and engage with visitors to learn more about who they are. From there, you can give them something else at the booth or offer to send them something later. The latter offer is a judgment call you need to make since postage can get expensive. If you know the conference audience is right in your target sweet spot, it might make sense to go the extra mile across the board–or you could coach your booth staff to make the call on a case-by-case basis.
For example, at Marketing Nation Summit last year, Vidyard ran out of their very popular V-Bot stuffed toy by the time I visited. But they took my card and said they would send me one afterward. It arrived a week or so later, and it was my “gift” to my 4-year-old. You can guess where this is going, right?
Fast forward to a year later, and the only thing my son wants for his birthday is a robot party featuring his Marketing Nation robot friends. My swag-as-gift parenting move may have backfired on me–I now know swag hoarding is apparently hereditary, but it also proves the success of good swag.
Are You Going to Marketing Nation Summit?
This year’s Marketing Nation Summit is right around the corner, with visionary speakers, amazing partners, and a passionate tribe of thousands of marketers all gathered in one place. It is a firehose of cutting edge technology, a booster shot to your marketing chops, and has the vibe of the most fun family reunion ever.
For those coming to the event as a sponsor or partner, remember that you are marketing to marketers. Bring your A-game to cut through the noise and impress. Make the most of your field marketing spend–focus on not what is most expensive but what makes a memorable connection. And to my fellow swag hunters, there is sure to be some of the coolest stuff out there. I can’t wait!
So until then, what is the most creative swag you’ve gotten at a conference? Fellow working parents, anyone else pulled the swag-as-gift move?
Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding was posted at Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership. | http://blog.marketo.com
The post Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.
from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/modernb2bmarketing/~3/bKOGuVYyvAc/marketing-lessons-learned-from-a-life-of-swag-hoarding.html
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Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding
Author: Caroline Ruggiero
It’s 10:24 p.m. on Friday night after a long week on the road talking about the Engagement Economy. Instead of relaxing, I am attempting to chalk paint V-Bot, the mascot of Marketo’s LaunchPoint partner Vidyard, in time for my son’s 5th birthday party tomorrow morning.
So how on earth did I get here?
Well, I have been swayed by good swag, which has taught me several great marketing lessons that I’ll share with you in this blog.
Why Swag?
Throughout my 20 years in marketing, I have been to many conferences. Along the way, I’ve collected a bevy of swag–the good, the bad, and the boring. I will fully admit that I am a total swag hoarder. As an event marketer, swag can be a decent ticket item on your budget, but unlike, say, the upgrade to the carpet in your booth, it has greater potential to provide dividends after the conference ends.
Swag is a universal tool that can help drive brand affinity with customers and partners as well as create brand awareness with net-new prospects. Swag gives you a chance to show your brand’s personality, and it makes its way home with attendees if done well. It’s like free advertising.
At this point, you might be asking the style versus substance question: Should I bring good swag or good collateral? The answer? A mix of both. There is absolutely a time and place for distributing content at your booth, but in some cases, you’re better off keeping things short and sweet–welcoming the opportunity to engage and follow up with visitors post-event using your marketing platform. Far too many hard copy materials end up in hotel room recycling bins than make it home in attendees’ suitcases. But good swag has a way of finding its way home.
4 Elements of Good Swag
To accomplish #SwagGoals, finding the perfect items that are both right for your brand and a hit with your audience, aim to meet one or more of these branding goals:
1. Be memorable, fun, or useful. Any combination of these characteristics can land your swag right in the sweet spot and make a lasting impression that makes your brand human. Not to toot Marketo’s own purple horn, but one example is the Marketo munchkin we gave out last year. The little purple guys were adorable, but by naming it “Munchkin,” we also gave a playful insider’s nod to our Munchkin tracking code, a powerful feature of our product.
2. Get exposure immediately at your event. Wearable swag has immediate returns and can be leveraged to drive brand awareness or even foot traffic on-site. Consider giving way accessories, such as glasses, hats, and socks, since attendees already have their conference attire planned out. One big potential billboard you might want to target is conference badges. Everyone loves a little flare, and Marvel Marketers tapped into that and got free on-site exposure. For small surfaces, keep design elements simple so they stand out.
3. Amplify in social media channels. If you’re going to shell out the money for a higher ticket item like a photo booth, be sure to brand the printed images and encourage people to follow your company’s social media pages and share their photos with a hashtag that ties into your brand. Lattice Engines tapped into that with their #mktgnerd concept. This is also a great way to build your following.
4. Maximize post-event exposure. Providing attendees with practical swag increases the likelihood they will take it home–and your brand along with it. Jennifer Clegg, Marketing Nation veteran and 2017 Summit presenter, said the most useful swag she’s ever received is a luggage tag. In my case, as a road warrior and parent, anything cute that I can repurpose as a gift to my kids wins every time.
After my session at last year’s Marketing Nation Summit, I returned home with some fabulous swag from the killer Speakeasy Party thrown by our services partners Elixiter and Mambo. Perhaps feather boas and cigarette holders were not the best idea for 1- and 4-year-old boys, but it was hilarious. Fun? You bet. Memorable? Check.
Have a Plan B
Once you nail your concept for swag and your attendees are clamoring for it, you might end up running out. But this is a good problem to have—it presents a new opportunity for follow-up.
If you run out of swag, don’t close up shop. Make sure you capitalize on the booth traffic and engage with visitors to learn more about who they are. From there, you can give them something else at the booth or offer to send them something later. The latter offer is a judgment call you need to make since postage can get expensive. If you know the conference audience is right in your target sweet spot, it might make sense to go the extra mile across the board–or you could coach your booth staff to make the call on a case-by-case basis.
For example, at Marketing Nation Summit last year, Vidyard ran out of their very popular V-Bot stuffed toy by the time I visited. But they took my card and said they would send me one afterward. It arrived a week or so later, and it was my “gift” to my 4-year-old. You can guess where this is going, right?
Fast forward to a year later, and the only thing my son wants for his birthday is a robot party featuring his Marketing Nation robot friends. My swag-as-gift parenting move may have backfired on me–I now know swag hoarding is apparently hereditary, but it also proves the success of good swag.
Are You Going to Marketing Nation Summit?
This year’s Marketing Nation Summit is right around the corner, with visionary speakers, amazing partners, and a passionate tribe of thousands of marketers all gathered in one place. It is a firehose of cutting edge technology, a booster shot to your marketing chops, and has the vibe of the most fun family reunion ever.
For those coming to the event as a sponsor or partner, remember that you are marketing to marketers. Bring your A-game to cut through the noise and impress. Make the most of your field marketing spend–focus on not what is most expensive but what makes a memorable connection. And to my fellow swag hunters, there is sure to be some of the coolest stuff out there. I can’t wait!
So until then, what is the most creative swag you’ve gotten at a conference? Fellow working parents, anyone else pulled the swag-as-gift move?
Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding was posted at Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership. | http://blog.marketo.com
The post Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.
from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/modernb2bmarketing/~3/bKOGuVYyvAc/marketing-lessons-learned-from-a-life-of-swag-hoarding.html
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Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding
Author: Caroline Ruggiero
It’s 10:24 p.m. on Friday night after a long week on the road talking about the Engagement Economy. Instead of relaxing, I am attempting to chalk paint V-Bot, the mascot of Marketo’s LaunchPoint partner Vidyard, in time for my son’s 5th birthday party tomorrow morning.
So how on earth did I get here?
Well, I have been swayed by good swag, which has taught me several great marketing lessons that I’ll share with you in this blog.
Why Swag?
Throughout my 20 years in marketing, I have been to many conferences. Along the way, I’ve collected a bevy of swag–the good, the bad, and the boring. I will fully admit that I am a total swag hoarder. As an event marketer, swag can be a decent ticket item on your budget, but unlike, say, the upgrade to the carpet in your booth, it has greater potential to provide dividends after the conference ends.
Swag is a universal tool that can help drive brand affinity with customers and partners as well as create brand awareness with net-new prospects. Swag gives you a chance to show your brand’s personality, and it makes its way home with attendees if done well. It’s like free advertising.
At this point, you might be asking the style versus substance question: Should I bring good swag or good collateral? The answer? A mix of both. There is absolutely a time and place for distributing content at your booth, but in some cases, you’re better off keeping things short and sweet–welcoming the opportunity to engage and follow up with visitors post-event using your marketing platform. Far too many hard copy materials end up in hotel room recycling bins than make it home in attendees’ suitcases. But good swag has a way of finding its way home.
4 Elements of Good Swag
To accomplish #SwagGoals, finding the perfect items that are both right for your brand and a hit with your audience, aim to meet one or more of these branding goals:
1. Be memorable, fun, or useful. Any combination of these characteristics can land your swag right in the sweet spot and make a lasting impression that makes your brand human. Not to toot Marketo’s own purple horn, but one example is the Marketo munchkin we gave out last year. The little purple guys were adorable, but by naming it “Munchkin,” we also gave a playful insider’s nod to our Munchkin tracking code, a powerful feature of our product.
2. Get exposure immediately at your event. Wearable swag has immediate returns and can be leveraged to drive brand awareness or even foot traffic on-site. Consider giving way accessories, such as glasses, hats, and socks, since attendees already have their conference attire planned out. One big potential billboard you might want to target is conference badges. Everyone loves a little flare, and Marvel Marketers tapped into that and got free on-site exposure. For small surfaces, keep design elements simple so they stand out.
3. Amplify in social media channels. If you’re going to shell out the money for a higher ticket item like a photo booth, be sure to brand the printed images and encourage people to follow your company’s social media pages and share their photos with a hashtag that ties into your brand. Lattice Engines tapped into that with their #mktgnerd concept. This is also a great way to build your following.
4. Maximize post-event exposure. Providing attendees with practical swag increases the likelihood they will take it home–and your brand along with it. Jennifer Clegg, Marketing Nation veteran and 2017 Summit presenter, said the most useful swag she’s ever received is a luggage tag. In my case, as a road warrior and parent, anything cute that I can repurpose as a gift to my kids wins every time.
After my session at last year’s Marketing Nation Summit, I returned home with some fabulous swag from the killer Speakeasy Party thrown by our services partners Elixiter and Mambo. Perhaps feather boas and cigarette holders were not the best idea for 1- and 4-year-old boys, but it was hilarious. Fun? You bet. Memorable? Check.
Have a Plan B
Once you nail your concept for swag and your attendees are clamoring for it, you might end up running out. But this is a good problem to have—it presents a new opportunity for follow-up.
If you run out of swag, don’t close up shop. Make sure you capitalize on the booth traffic and engage with visitors to learn more about who they are. From there, you can give them something else at the booth or offer to send them something later. The latter offer is a judgment call you need to make since postage can get expensive. If you know the conference audience is right in your target sweet spot, it might make sense to go the extra mile across the board–or you could coach your booth staff to make the call on a case-by-case basis.
For example, at Marketing Nation Summit last year, Vidyard ran out of their very popular V-Bot stuffed toy by the time I visited. But they took my card and said they would send me one afterward. It arrived a week or so later, and it was my “gift” to my 4-year-old. You can guess where this is going, right?
Fast forward to a year later, and the only thing my son wants for his birthday is a robot party featuring his Marketing Nation robot friends. My swag-as-gift parenting move may have backfired on me–I now know swag hoarding is apparently hereditary, but it also proves the success of good swag.
Are You Going to Marketing Nation Summit?
This year’s Marketing Nation Summit is right around the corner, with visionary speakers, amazing partners, and a passionate tribe of thousands of marketers all gathered in one place. It is a firehose of cutting edge technology, a booster shot to your marketing chops, and has the vibe of the most fun family reunion ever.
For those coming to the event as a sponsor or partner, remember that you are marketing to marketers. Bring your A-game to cut through the noise and impress. Make the most of your field marketing spend–focus on not what is most expensive but what makes a memorable connection. And to my fellow swag hunters, there is sure to be some of the coolest stuff out there. I can’t wait!
So until then, what is the most creative swag you’ve gotten at a conference? Fellow working parents, anyone else pulled the swag-as-gift move?
Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding was posted at Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership. | http://blog.marketo.com
The post Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.
from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/modernb2bmarketing/~3/bKOGuVYyvAc/marketing-lessons-learned-from-a-life-of-swag-hoarding.html
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Text
Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding
Author: Caroline Ruggiero
It’s 10:24 p.m. on Friday night after a long week on the road talking about the Engagement Economy. Instead of relaxing, I am attempting to chalk paint V-Bot, the mascot of Marketo’s LaunchPoint partner Vidyard, in time for my son’s 5th birthday party tomorrow morning.
So how on earth did I get here?
Well, I have been swayed by good swag, which has taught me several great marketing lessons that I’ll share with you in this blog.
Why Swag?
Throughout my 20 years in marketing, I have been to many conferences. Along the way, I’ve collected a bevy of swag–the good, the bad, and the boring. I will fully admit that I am a total swag hoarder. As an event marketer, swag can be a decent ticket item on your budget, but unlike, say, the upgrade to the carpet in your booth, it has greater potential to provide dividends after the conference ends.
Swag is a universal tool that can help drive brand affinity with customers and partners as well as create brand awareness with net-new prospects. Swag gives you a chance to show your brand’s personality, and it makes its way home with attendees if done well. It’s like free advertising.
At this point, you might be asking the style versus substance question: Should I bring good swag or good collateral? The answer? A mix of both. There is absolutely a time and place for distributing content at your booth, but in some cases, you’re better off keeping things short and sweet–welcoming the opportunity to engage and follow up with visitors post-event using your marketing platform. Far too many hard copy materials end up in hotel room recycling bins than make it home in attendees’ suitcases. But good swag has a way of finding its way home.
4 Elements of Good Swag
To accomplish #SwagGoals, finding the perfect items that are both right for your brand and a hit with your audience, aim to meet one or more of these branding goals:
1. Be memorable, fun, or useful. Any combination of these characteristics can land your swag right in the sweet spot and make a lasting impression that makes your brand human. Not to toot Marketo’s own purple horn, but one example is the Marketo munchkin we gave out last year. The little purple guys were adorable, but by naming it “Munchkin,” we also gave a playful insider’s nod to our Munchkin tracking code, a powerful feature of our product.
2. Get exposure immediately at your event. Wearable swag has immediate returns and can be leveraged to drive brand awareness or even foot traffic on-site. Consider giving way accessories, such as glasses, hats, and socks, since attendees already have their conference attire planned out. One big potential billboard you might want to target is conference badges. Everyone loves a little flare, and Marvel Marketers tapped into that and got free on-site exposure. For small surfaces, keep design elements simple so they stand out.
3. Amplify in social media channels. If you’re going to shell out the money for a higher ticket item like a photo booth, be sure to brand the printed images and encourage people to follow your company’s social media pages and share their photos with a hashtag that ties into your brand. Lattice Engines tapped into that with their #mktgnerd concept. This is also a great way to build your following.
4. Maximize post-event exposure. Providing attendees with practical swag increases the likelihood they will take it home–and your brand along with it. Jennifer Clegg, Marketing Nation veteran and 2017 Summit presenter, said the most useful swag she’s ever received is a luggage tag. In my case, as a road warrior and parent, anything cute that I can repurpose as a gift to my kids wins every time.
After my session at last year’s Marketing Nation Summit, I returned home with some fabulous swag from the killer Speakeasy Party thrown by our services partners Elixiter and Mambo. Perhaps feather boas and cigarette holders were not the best idea for 1- and 4-year-old boys, but it was hilarious. Fun? You bet. Memorable? Check.
Have a Plan B
Once you nail your concept for swag and your attendees are clamoring for it, you might end up running out. But this is a good problem to have—it presents a new opportunity for follow-up.
If you run out of swag, don’t close up shop. Make sure you capitalize on the booth traffic and engage with visitors to learn more about who they are. From there, you can give them something else at the booth or offer to send them something later. The latter offer is a judgment call you need to make since postage can get expensive. If you know the conference audience is right in your target sweet spot, it might make sense to go the extra mile across the board–or you could coach your booth staff to make the call on a case-by-case basis.
For example, at Marketing Nation Summit last year, Vidyard ran out of their very popular V-Bot stuffed toy by the time I visited. But they took my card and said they would send me one afterward. It arrived a week or so later, and it was my “gift” to my 4-year-old. You can guess where this is going, right?
Fast forward to a year later, and the only thing my son wants for his birthday is a robot party featuring his Marketing Nation robot friends. My swag-as-gift parenting move may have backfired on me–I now know swag hoarding is apparently hereditary, but it also proves the success of good swag.
Are You Going to Marketing Nation Summit?
This year’s Marketing Nation Summit is right around the corner, with visionary speakers, amazing partners, and a passionate tribe of thousands of marketers all gathered in one place. It is a firehose of cutting edge technology, a booster shot to your marketing chops, and has the vibe of the most fun family reunion ever.
For those coming to the event as a sponsor or partner, remember that you are marketing to marketers. Bring your A-game to cut through the noise and impress. Make the most of your field marketing spend–focus on not what is most expensive but what makes a memorable connection. And to my fellow swag hunters, there is sure to be some of the coolest stuff out there. I can’t wait!
So until then, what is the most creative swag you’ve gotten at a conference? Fellow working parents, anyone else pulled the swag-as-gift move?
Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding was posted at Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership. | http://blog.marketo.com
The post Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.
from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/modernb2bmarketing/~3/bKOGuVYyvAc/marketing-lessons-learned-from-a-life-of-swag-hoarding.html
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Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding
Author: Caroline Ruggiero
It’s 10:24 p.m. on Friday night after a long week on the road talking about the Engagement Economy. Instead of relaxing, I am attempting to chalk paint V-Bot, the mascot of Marketo’s LaunchPoint partner Vidyard, in time for my son’s 5th birthday party tomorrow morning.
So how on earth did I get here?
Well, I have been swayed by good swag, which has taught me several great marketing lessons that I’ll share with you in this blog.
Why Swag?
Throughout my 20 years in marketing, I have been to many conferences. Along the way, I’ve collected a bevy of swag–the good, the bad, and the boring. I will fully admit that I am a total swag hoarder. As an event marketer, swag can be a decent ticket item on your budget, but unlike, say, the upgrade to the carpet in your booth, it has greater potential to provide dividends after the conference ends.
Swag is a universal tool that can help drive brand affinity with customers and partners as well as create brand awareness with net-new prospects. Swag gives you a chance to show your brand’s personality, and it makes its way home with attendees if done well. It’s like free advertising.
At this point, you might be asking the style versus substance question: Should I bring good swag or good collateral? The answer? A mix of both. There is absolutely a time and place for distributing content at your booth, but in some cases, you’re better off keeping things short and sweet–welcoming the opportunity to engage and follow up with visitors post-event using your marketing platform. Far too many hard copy materials end up in hotel room recycling bins than make it home in attendees’ suitcases. But good swag has a way of finding its way home.
4 Elements of Good Swag
To accomplish #SwagGoals, finding the perfect items that are both right for your brand and a hit with your audience, aim to meet one or more of these branding goals:
1. Be memorable, fun, or useful. Any combination of these characteristics can land your swag right in the sweet spot and make a lasting impression that makes your brand human. Not to toot Marketo’s own purple horn, but one example is the Marketo munchkin we gave out last year. The little purple guys were adorable, but by naming it “Munchkin,” we also gave a playful insider’s nod to our Munchkin tracking code, a powerful feature of our product.
2. Get exposure immediately at your event. Wearable swag has immediate returns and can be leveraged to drive brand awareness or even foot traffic on-site. Consider giving way accessories, such as glasses, hats, and socks, since attendees already have their conference attire planned out. One big potential billboard you might want to target is conference badges. Everyone loves a little flare, and Marvel Marketers tapped into that and got free on-site exposure. For small surfaces, keep design elements simple so they stand out.
3. Amplify in social media channels. If you’re going to shell out the money for a higher ticket item like a photo booth, be sure to brand the printed images and encourage people to follow your company’s social media pages and share their photos with a hashtag that ties into your brand. Lattice Engines tapped into that with their #mktgnerd concept. This is also a great way to build your following.
4. Maximize post-event exposure. Providing attendees with practical swag increases the likelihood they will take it home–and your brand along with it. Jennifer Clegg, Marketing Nation veteran and 2017 Summit presenter, said the most useful swag she’s ever received is a luggage tag. In my case, as a road warrior and parent, anything cute that I can repurpose as a gift to my kids wins every time.
After my session at last year’s Marketing Nation Summit, I returned home with some fabulous swag from the killer Speakeasy Party thrown by our services partners Elixiter and Mambo. Perhaps feather boas and cigarette holders were not the best idea for 1- and 4-year-old boys, but it was hilarious. Fun? You bet. Memorable? Check.
Have a Plan B
Once you nail your concept for swag and your attendees are clamoring for it, you might end up running out. But this is a good problem to have—it presents a new opportunity for follow-up.
If you run out of swag, don’t close up shop. Make sure you capitalize on the booth traffic and engage with visitors to learn more about who they are. From there, you can give them something else at the booth or offer to send them something later. The latter offer is a judgment call you need to make since postage can get expensive. If you know the conference audience is right in your target sweet spot, it might make sense to go the extra mile across the board–or you could coach your booth staff to make the call on a case-by-case basis.
For example, at Marketing Nation Summit last year, Vidyard ran out of their very popular V-Bot stuffed toy by the time I visited. But they took my card and said they would send me one afterward. It arrived a week or so later, and it was my “gift” to my 4-year-old. You can guess where this is going, right?
Fast forward to a year later, and the only thing my son wants for his birthday is a robot party featuring his Marketing Nation robot friends. My swag-as-gift parenting move may have backfired on me–I now know swag hoarding is apparently hereditary, but it also proves the success of good swag.
Are You Going to Marketing Nation Summit?
This year’s Marketing Nation Summit is right around the corner, with visionary speakers, amazing partners, and a passionate tribe of thousands of marketers all gathered in one place. It is a firehose of cutting edge technology, a booster shot to your marketing chops, and has the vibe of the most fun family reunion ever.
For those coming to the event as a sponsor or partner, remember that you are marketing to marketers. Bring your A-game to cut through the noise and impress. Make the most of your field marketing spend–focus on not what is most expensive but what makes a memorable connection. And to my fellow swag hunters, there is sure to be some of the coolest stuff out there. I can’t wait!
So until then, what is the most creative swag you’ve gotten at a conference? Fellow working parents, anyone else pulled the swag-as-gift move?
Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding was posted at Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership. | http://blog.marketo.com
The post Marketing Lessons Learned from a Life of Swag Hoarding appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.
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