#this is more of a general vent towards the workload I had to take on to get by

[skylitcreations]

I miss when I felt like I could put my all into my own personal art. Nowadays, I only really post quick sketches cuz if I put more effort into it, I'll feel guilty that I'm not putting that effort towards commissions. I only make warm-ups for myself and then dedicate all my proper rendering to stuff I've been paid to make. The worst part is I know, I KNOW, I have the capability to make art just as good as many people I admire who create absolutely gorgeous pieces. But I don't have the time to do that, and when I get to my normal quality with a comm, I just want to be done with it so I don't take it further. I need to get caught up on comms just so I can start properly challenging myself again and getting better with my work. I feel like I've stagnated because of this predicament. I want to study and improve again, but I can't convince myself to dedicate the time to it because 'if you can draw, you should be working on what you were paid to work on.'

The fact my tablet keeps messing up my pen strokes to make everything take twice as long makes it even worse.

[sirianhewigxiii]

Part 1 A Regular Night Off  Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

Winter opened the door and entered. Even though she spent most nights in her personal quarters at the military base, it was good to return home every so often.  

Home obviously not being Schnee Manor, which back when she was younger, she used to only ever refer to as “home” as a formality. After she had been officially and financially cut off, the first thing she decided on getting the moment she started making her own money was her very own place away from the manor. Away from him. Just thinking about that person made her blood boil to the point where it almost clouded her vision.

She took off her gloves and her white military coat. While neatly hanging the coat on the hanger in the small doorway and putting the gloves in one of the pockets, she noticed the folded weapon on the floor leaning against the hanger. A weapon she was all too familiar with. All anger seemed to almost immediately vent out of her and smiling gently she walked into the living room to look for the owner of said weapon.

Part 2 Partners Chapters: 1/1 - Summary: 

Winter was standing inside the airship, she couldn’t bring herself to sit down, like some of her fellow students. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and she was tapping her finger on her upper arm. She was trying not to pay too much attention to the chatter of the other students, even though or maybe exactly because it was mostly about her. After all she was the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company.

She was also in their group of initiates, which meant there was a chance one of them could become her partner during this. This being the Atlas Academy Initiation which they were all about to take part in. Winter had worked too hard to screw up now and she was trying her best to concentrate on the task ahead which was, to begin with, a deliberate jump out of an Atlas airplane in full flight with no parachute whatsoever. They had been in the air for about 40 Minutes and they should be arriving at the spot designated for the initiation any moment now.

“We have now reached our destination. All students get ready to be deployed.”

Part 3 The One in which they were tired Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

Being in a special program meant that the amount of training, lessons and the workload attached to that were enormous. As such it was now the end of a particularly exhausting week and Winter was completely drained. She slouched towards the lower bunk which was hers, only to simply drop down on it face down. She closed her eyes and groaned into her pillow, pulling it closer to her face…so much for always maintaining a perfect form…Luckily she was alone, if somebody saw her like this, she would never be able to live it down.

Just as the thought of somebody maybe entering the room had left her mind she heard the door being unlocked. A measly “Nooooooooo…” was all Winter was capable of thinking as she heard the door open.

Part 4 Good Together Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

„This looks super sketchy.“

Cassie’s eyes were narrowed and her ears pulled back. Winter couldn’t help but notice how “suspicion” was undoubtedly written all over her. From what very little time she had spent with her new partner Winter had realized that she seemed like the type of person who was relatively easy to read.

Winter preferred that kind of person, she’s already had enough pretense and phoniness in her life. Winter couldn’t help but to think about how strange it was for her to be standing in an abandoned dust mine with a stranger who she had met not too long ago and still feel more at ease with herself than she had ever felt at Schnee Manor.

They had been walking inside of the mine for some time, when they found a small railway line. It was presumably used to transport tools and utensils and they had decided they would follow it in hopes that it would lead them to one of the caches they were required to find during the Atlas Academy initiation.

“Well ‘sketchy’ isn’t a word I would use, but I agree…still this is definitely a right spot.”

Part 5 Overtime Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

Winter sighed. She had read the same two lines for about the fifth time now.

The general had been out on routine military base inspections around Remnant and she had picked up the paper work while he was gone. Usually Winter didn’t have any problems picking up where General Ironwood had left off but with the upcoming Vytal Festival in Vale and all of the security measurements Atlas was meant to provide during that time, it seemed like her usual workload had at least doubled.

She was just thinking about having some coffee brought to her office, when she heard knocking on her door.

Part 6 A Bother Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

It was a late Friday afternoon, classes were finished and Winter was sitting behind her desk, trying to grind through a report which was due by Monday. She was well into it and she figured that if she kept going like this she’ll be done by the evening, so she could review everything over the weekend. She had started early because she wanted it to be absolutely perfect. Winter already knew that she wouldn’t like her current first draft and she would need the time to change and add to it.

She grabbed one of the books she had been using as a reference to read up on certain aspects in her report, when she suddenly had a strange feeling…she closed the book immediately, slammed it over her head and felt resistance.

“Ugh.” - Bullseye. Winter felt a hand drop onto her shoulder. A hand which was attached to an arm that would have otherwise moved around her shoulders and belonged to her partner. A partner who was now standing behind her and slightly teary-eyed holding her nose.

Part 7 Warmth Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

When Winter entered their room carrying her notebooks and books she borrowed from the library she found her partner sleeping on the lower bunk, the one that at the beginning Winter had claimed for herself. Ever since the two of them had first taken a nap together a while back, Winter would find her partner more often fast asleep like this on top of her bed. She had concluded that Cassie simply couldn’t be bothered to climb up into her own bed whenever she was exhausted and while Winter had at first been annoyed at her partner’s level of laziness, she also couldn’t blame her for taking those occasional naps to begin with. Not only were their schedules packed due to being in a special program, but Winter, during her own sleepless nights, had more than once noticed her partner suffering from nightmares that had her tossing at night. And while Winter could see her partner suffering, she also didn’t really know how to handle the situation.

Winter recalled how when they were both still children her younger sister would every once on a while knock on her room door whenever she had a nightmare.

Part 8 A Regular Night Off (cont’d nsfw) Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

Winter and her partner were still sitting on the sofa, cuddled up and simply enjoying each other’s company.

They weren’t paying much attention to the program they were currently watching and Winter had leisurely been drawing patterns on her partners palm and around her fingers, gently massaging two weeks of weapon-wielding strain out of it. Just what had she been doing? Wiping out an entire Grimm nest? As long as she got home safe, Winter rarely asked about the specifics. She knew that her partner could take care of herself. She was also, thankfully, a lot less reckless than she used to be, back in their academy days. Still Winter would be lying if she said that she wasn’t occasionally pacing around at night when her partner had spend more than a few days away on a mission without contacting her. Winter nuzzled closer to her partner and felt her shift slightly.

“Win-ter.“ Her partner’s voice was soft and she nudged the side of Winter’s head with her nose.

“Hm?” In response Winter propped herself up a little. She felt another quick nudge as she moved and then a kiss was placed on her temple. First the one, then a second one, lingering. A soft quiet laugh escaped Winter.

“Let’s go to bed then.“

Part 9 The Stranger (Bonus Story) Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

Weiss was taking a walk through the empty hallways of Atlas Academy. Ever since she and her teammates and friends had come to Atlas she had been feeling restless, but she also knew that it had been necessary.

When she had broken out of the manor and left her home kingdom a few weeks ago she didn’t think that she would be so back soon, let alone living in the dorms of Atlas Academy with her friends.

Friends and teammates who had always been by her side to support her and she couldn’t be more grateful and happy to have them. Winter as well, was now able to be by her side to train and teach her like she used to be able to before she left for her own combat training. At first Weiss had felt lonely when she saw her sister leave, but Winter had also been teaching her that she should be able to stand on her own two feet. If she kept up with her training and continued to get stronger she too could choose her own path. Weiss had been determined to follow suit and chase after her and as harsh as it may have appeared at the time, she was grateful for having been pushed this hard by her sister.

Part 10 Apart Chapters: 10/10 - Summary:

Winter had entered their room to find a bunch of weapon parts spread all over most of the floor.

A week of compulsory holidays was coming up and starting tomorrow the academy was giving its students a small break. Most of them used that time to return to their homes, quite a few however still remained at Atlas Academy. Especially those who originally came from one of the other kingdoms considered the traveling for such a relatively short amount of time simply too much of a hassle. Being from Mistral Winter’s partner was one of those students who stayed. She was planning to use this time to completely take apart, clean and readjust her weapon.

As for Winter…She put the books she had borrowed inside of her suitcase and closed it up. Her hand remained on the lid. Schnee Manor wasn’t too close to Atlas Academy, but it also definitely wasn’t far away enough for her to justify staying at the academy for the upcoming week. She was sure that she still could have made up some kind of excuse, but it was a holiday after all and more than anything she wanted to at least return for the sake of her younger siblings and mother. She certainly wasn’t looking forward to whatever pompous dinner party Jacques was planing…

Part 11 The Stranger (Bonus Story Followup) Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

This picks up shorty after Part 9 of the Series - The Stranger (Bonus Story) —-

Winter entered her private quarters at the military base.

She had just accompanied her younger sister back to her dorm room and decided to quickly go back to her own room. Weiss had been taking a walk around the academy and gotten as far as the military wing where she had coincidentally met her partner moments before Winter arrived to pick up said partner.

Her partner who was sitting on Winter’s bed, a book next to her, and now fighting to hastily put on an arm sling.

Winter sighed.

“Why do you never listen?”

Winter walked towards her partner who was now pouting to the side.

Part 12 Step by Step Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

Winter had received a message from her partner asking her to come to their room.

Her partner usually wasn’t the type to send messages asking for her to come and meet her somewhere. ‘Pragmatism’ as Cassie called it or ‘laziness’ as Winter called it, had her simply use her semblance most of the time to materialize somewhere close to Winter whenever she needed something from her. Or she would just come and quickly get her whenever they needed to be somewhere together.

Cassie also usually didn’t care much about whoever she would give a heart attack by simply appearing out of nowhere.

And so curious as to why her partner had specifically asked her to come and meet her, Winter had quickly packed up her things in the library and started to walk back to their shared room.

When she entered the room her partner had been sitting on the lower bunk with her knees up against her chest and her face burrowed on top of them.

Part 13 Apart: C-Side Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

This runs parallel to the Apart Story Arc/Part 10 of the Series and narrates a day of Cassie Grey’s holiday while Winter was at the manor. —– It was late in the afternoon when Cassie rematerialized into the double room.

She had just picked up her weapon which she had dropped off at one of the academy’s facilities this morning. Cassie had spend the past two days cleaning and readjusting it herself in her shared room, but there was no way she could freshen up the paint here.

She simply didn’t have the time to neatly remove the old and apply the new paint on her own. She also couldn’t do it without basically poisoning herself with the fumes in the room. And that’s even if she was to crack open a window the entire time and overnight and also risk freezing to death in her sleep.

Cassie also would have had to go back to combat lessons without a weapon, because there was no way the paint would have completely dried in time by the end of the holidays.

The Atlesian military however provided the academy with facilities that allowed her to simply drop off her weapon in the morning, input the paint job she wants done on a terminal and simply come back to pick it up all ready in the afternoon.

Part 14 Comfort and Ease 1/1 Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

Winter’s head was resting on her arms on top of her desk. She had finished every report and piece of homework for the week and she had connected a pair of earbuds to her scroll. She had closed her eyes and been listening for a while when she suddenly felt something close to her head. She bolted up and immediately removed the earbuds.

“C-cassie, when did you come here?”

Her partner was standing next to her with a smug smile on her face. Had she been so engrossed that she hadn’t even felt her materialize? Or had Cassie actually used the door for once and she simply hadn’t heard her?

“Oh, just a few moments ago…”

“I see, did you find what you needed from the library?”

Winter tried to immediately distract her while subtly pushing the pause button on her scroll and turning it face down. She wasn’t going to risk her partner asking questions she really didn’t feel like answering.

“I did. I already placed the books on my desk. You didn’t notice however since you were so absorbed in whatever you were listening to just right now.”

Dang. Winter should have known better.

Part 15 A Partner’s Present Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

It was the weekend and Winter was quietly working away on her academy assignments at her desk. She was alone in the room.

In fact she had been alone since this morning. She had even woken up to a note beside her pillow telling her that her partner will be back around noon.

She reached for her scroll and sighed. It was already some time past noon. Maybe whatever Cassie was doing took longer than expected.

But Winter didn’t mind. Because as much as treasured and loved her partner, today of all days she simply wanted to be left alone. Just as the thought had crossed her mind she felt how her partner was about to materialize behind her.

One of Cassie’s arms moved around her shoulder and her head dropped on the other side.

“Winnn-teeeerrr.” She was cheerfully humming her name.

“What do you want?”

Winter was a little irritable today and she really wasn’t in the mood for any of her games.

“Aw, don’t be like that.”

Cassie chuckled and nuzzled against her.

“Here.”

Part 16 Semblance Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

Cassie was alone in her room.

Her grandmother was in the kitchen making light dinner preparations for later. Cassie had greeted her from the front door without going to see her and she had immediately sprinted to her room on the second floor afterwards.

The small Faunus sat by her bed on the floor, her arms around her knees and her face burrowed in them. Her body hurt, her elbow was bruised, her sweater was torn in that place. Her ears hang low and they were sore from all of the tearing and pulling.

——– ——–

Winter was in her father’s office.

A gala he had put together at the manor had just ended. She had played the violin well, she had quietly stayed by his side and behind him.

Everything had went well up until the moment one of his business partner’s sons had asked her to dance and she had refused.

Part 17 Rest Chapters: 1/1 - Summary:

It was the evening and Winter was sitting on her bed.

She put the text book she was reading down on her knees to look at her partner who was currently at her desk grinding away at a report and sighed.

Cassie had been at her desk for quite a few hours now and Winter could tell that her partner was getting increasingly more frustrated at the subject Winter knew she had no interested in whatsoever.

What’s more, her partner was bored by the subject and she hated the professor teaching it. And Winter couldn’t blame her since she as well couldn’t have cared any less for him.

[mwolf0epsilon]

Norman finds out Joey abuses Sammy. How? And what does he do ?

Warning for Joey Drew being a verbally and physically abusive dickhead, Norman being a little voyeuristic, and canon typical violence.

Summary: Despite his imposing size and general weirdness, Norman Polk had a very soft heart...

---

Growing up with a militaristic family had shaped Norman Polk into one of the most capable people to ever work at Joey Drew Studios. He had a variety of skill sets that could cover a lot of general tasks in the studio itself, from handyman to mechanic work, to a bit of plumbing and a lot of heavy lifting. On days he didn't have anything to record, Norman would either find himself organizing the projector storage area, or carrying boxes full of reels, as well as lugging around those damn soup vending machines Drew had splurged large sums of money on (what a waste, he'd seen Grant's notes, he felt for the poor accountant).

In the earlier days of the studio, when Henry was still around, he'd been akin to a godsend in Joey's eyes. Cheap labour and little to no care about the workload.

Now that he had a more set position he helped where he could when asked. Yet, for all his usefulness, everyone in the studio considered him to be a bit of a creep.

Granted, he had done that to himself. His dear ma had always told him he had a bad habit of sticking his nose where he shouldn't, and his older sister had flicked his ears whenever he'd snuck up on her to eevesdrop on her conversations with that boy from across the street she clearly fancied.

"Quiet as a hunting jaguar and twice as observant", his pop would say with pride. His sisters all used to scoff and say he was just a snoop trying to get them in trouble.

Of course he never told on any of them, because that wasn't his intention. No, he simply had an insatiable curiosity that lead to him creeping about in the dark places, where none could see him.

It was something that followed him into adulthood and into the studio.

Quiet as a mouse he got around and saw things. Things no one could even dream he knew about them. Like the contents of Grant's locked filing cabinets, the bottle of whiskey Lacie hid in her toolbox, Thomas Connor's favourite sandwich (peanut butter and jelly, cut in triangle shapes), the conversations Susie had with herself in different voices to warm up for recordings, the rather interesting discussions between Jack and Sammy, Wally's frustration with his memory issues, even the few times he'd caught sight of Bertrum Piedmont being less than appropriate in a workplace bathroom (for his age, Norman had to say the man had restraint and stamina to be able to fiddle with himself for so long unnoticed). Info he could easily use to humiliate or even bribe a few people. But he wouldn't of course... Despite his imposing size and general weirdness, Norman Polk had a very soft heart. One that could fit all these misfits.

Which is why it physically hurt him when he noticed things changing. And not for the better either.

The studio was a mess from day one due to Joey clearly having poor management skills. Things tended to go a little haywire at times, and throwing money at something until it worked didn't solve anything in the end. When the war propaganda started popping up, stuff got way worse. More than half the staff enlisted, leaving Joey to hire women to cover for his losses. And god did Joey Drew hate women.

Norman had been repulsed by all the things he caught his boss saying and doing in the presence of the female staff. The looks of discomfort and masked anger left a bitter taste in his mouth and he cursed his own sneakiness for leaving him without a reasonable way to tell him off for it. How could he know if he wasn't in the room to witness it? How could he just come out and say he was in the walls watching his peers like some creep?

The few who caught on to him observing them often looked at him in disgust. An entire studio of angry women turned against him wouldn't do his sanity no good.

Conflicted mind aside, the new hires weren't the only changes. The few who remained weren't doing any better. If anything there was a decline in behavioral patterns due to an influx of work.

Grant became quieter, more anxious. He saw less of the man on lunch breaks and found him chugging coffee in his office just mumbling numbers to himself like his life depended on it.

Wally's hostility towards Thomas was escalating to the point he'd dragged Shawn Flynn into the mess. A stolen tool belt, a match of the blame game, and an irate Irishman were not good things.

Susie had been replaced, and her subsequent upset at losing a spot she'd adored was affecting her side character voice work. She also acted outright hostile towards the replacement and to Sammy of all people.

Speaking of which, both Sammy and Jack looked tired and had constant migraines from working with the band all day. While he saw little of Jack, he noted that Sammy was behaving in a rather aggressive manner to anyone who so much as inconvenienced him (Buddy had only been trying to be nice and immediately he'd gotten Sammy's full fury on day one of knowing him).

Lacie was murmuring paranoid mambo jumbo about that one creepy bendy robot thing moving and watching her (he'd never seen it do such a thing, and he'd spent a good part of a morning staring at it).

Bertrum's mood had darkened after an argument with Joey, and even the damn dancer they'd hired a month or so ago was going about hiding stuff behind toilets. If that wasn't disgusting Norman didn't know what was... Some of these people lacked the decency to clean after themselves so there was no way he'd take a peek himself.

The studio was, for a lack of better words, becoming a bit of a circus act.

So really, it shouldn't have surprised him when he'd stumbled upon an alarming sight in Drew's office.

There was a particular vent that lead to a nice and big crawlspace between the ceiling of Joey's office and the floor of the room above. Norman liked to eat lunch there, nice and quiet and with a vantage point to look down at Joey's desk, where he'd be writing the most pitiful letters to his investors.

It was fun to watch the bastard degrade himself when he often degraded those around them instead. That day Norman had expected to find just that, not Joey holding Sammy by the neck and squeezing it tight while the poor music director squirmed uselessly in his grasp.

Naturally de'd frozen in shock, staring through the crack he used to observe his less than favourite protagonist, watching the scene unfolding like something out of them novels his wife liked to read. Murder mystery stuff.

Joey Drew was choking the life out of one of his first employees, while hissing the most cruel and deplorable things imaginable. Once in a while he'd release his grasp when Sammy's face would start turning a horrid shade of blue, then continue to choke him and verbally assault him once the guy reinflated his lungs. The process carried on for at least five minutes before Norman could take no more.

Food abandoned to the mice, he crawled all the way back out and made his way to Drew's office. He slammed his fist on the door before opening it, refusing to wait for an answer.

Joey had released Sammy in the time it took for Norman to get out and back. The blond just barely composing himself while Joey played the part of a saintly boss, sitting behind his desk with a calm and peacefully look on his face.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Polk?" The devil of a man asked, with that false sweet tone he used when addressing his more naive employees. Sammy refused to look at anyone, instead fixing the creases on his shirt and pinning his loosened hair into a messy ponytail.

Caught red-handed, Norman didn't know what to say. Thankfully Wally was a saving grace in that respect.

"FIRE IN THE BAND ROOM! THE DANG PROJECTOR EXPLODED!"

"The music sheets!" Sammy practically shoved past them both to run to the aid of the few pieces that had survived any encounters with the faulty ink pipes. Wally followed, leaving Norman to stare at Joey.

The look in Drew's eyes told him he knew perfectly well why Norman had come here.

"Best be less obvious about your hobbies Mr. Polk..."

"Why Mr. Drew, I haven't a faintest clue what yous is on about... Just comin' ta tell ya the projector was no good no more."

"Right... The projector. Hopefully the projectionist doesn't end up the same. There's only so much a soft heart can take, hm?" The implications of his words were a little unsettling, but thus far Drew was more bark than talk.

"Resortin' to threats now, are we? Can ya really afford ta lose anyone else?" Not to mention it'd be odd to just let him go after years of working at the studio. People would ask questions.

"If I could afford to lose the best damn artist this studio ever saw, I can definitely afford to lose a nosy projectionist." He meant those words. He really did. Norman could sense the malice behind them. So he hit back harder.

"Henry did the right thing leavin' your sorry ass behind."

He got out as soon as the paperweight flew his way. He'd definitely pay for that later, but it felt good to at least spare Sammy from Joey's wrath.

Soft heart and all that...

A soft heart that would inevitable have an axe buried in it, brandished by the very same person he'd been trying to help.

Life didn't much care for soft people, it seemed.

[aria-xue]

A kiss goodnight 🌙 | Ben Copper x Reader

Author’s Note: You’re a pureblood wizard in this one. No specific house is given to the reader in this drabble.

Word count: 1941

Summary: You’ve been wanting to confront Ben about something that’s been bothering you lately. Tonight was the night; what could he be hiding?

The Great Hall buzzed with a lively atmosphere as students piled in, making their way to their house’s tables. Many of them were already in their cliques laughing and smiling over events that happened throughout the day. You had just arrived for dinner with Rowan. The aroma of food wafted through the air as you stepped foot into the Great Hall, taking in the dimly lit room and the crackling of the fireplace. Rowan was to your right, walking with their face burrowed into a textbook. They looked up from their book to speak.

“So, are you ready for the upcoming potions exam?” Rowan looked towards you. Just the word ‘potion’ was enough to make you groan in pain.

“No, I’m not.” You let out another groan, causing Rowan to laugh.

“Well, it’s free-period after dinner, would you like to study with me?” They had invited you to study at the library with them. This was too good to pass up - with Rowan’s knowledge you would be able to pass with at least a decent grade. You nodded your head. “Great, I’ll meet you there!”

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a certain blonde sitting at the Gryffindor table.

Wanting to surprise the boy, you told Rowan to take a seat at your house table, telling them that you would catch up to them later. Then, you made your way to the unsuspecting Gryffindor.

Plop! You put your head on his shoulder. The poor boy let out a blood-curdling shriek, dropping his sandwich in the process. The sound caused a couple of students at the surrounding tables to turn towards him.

“(Y-Y/N)!! You scared me!” Ben’s face contorted with worry as he turned his head to look at you.the way he looked at you caused your heart to pound with guilt. You offered him an apologetic smile and lifted your head from his shoulder. You then began to take a seat next to him.

“Sorry, Ben! I thought that you’d be used to me by now!” You cast him a sad look, looking down towards the floor.

Silence...

“S-so, what did you need, (Y/N)?” He stuttered out. You chuckled at his response; the way he puffed his cheeks when he got flustered was adorable.

“Nothing! I just wanted to come over and say hello!” You could see his soft features relax as the tension left his face. Everything about Ben was adorable - his smile, his stutters, and even some of his fears - they all left you feeling helpless. Truth be told, you just wanted to spend time with Ben. Every second you spent with him was precious. Who would have thought that you had a crush on this ‘cowardly Gryffindor’ - as many other students referred to him as. You couldn’t exactly explain the way your heart fluttered when he smiled, or why you turned to mush when he begged you to help him with his potions essay. Perhaps it was his gentle nature that roped you in. Or maybe it was his smile that captured your heart. Whatever it was, one thing was true: you fancied the Cowardly Gryffindor.

You watched him as he took another sandwich from the platter. The look in his eyes was distant, as if he was lost in thought.

There it was again: the awkward pause between your conversations. He became distant ever since you decided to take a break from your quest to search for the rest of the cursed vaults. There weren’t many opportunities to speak with him; you barely saw Ben anymore. He sat on the other side of the room during Charms and generally avoided you during flying lessons. It was getting on your nerves, you wanted nothing more than to spend time with him! Apart from the occasional wave in the halls, there was little to no interaction between the two of you. It was as if he was running from you...

Ben’s eyes shifted downward. He took yet another bite of his sandwich.

“Is there something interesting on the floor?” You stifled your laughter while asking him.

Silence…

“Hello? Ben?”

No response… you heaved a sigh, tapping him gently. “Hey, are you feeling well?” Now you were concerned.

Ben finally responded. “Ah, sorry. I was just thinking about Charms. I didn’t fully comprehend today’s lecture.” The Gryffindor looked away with an apologetic chuckle.

“I see, would you like to borrow my notes? Or perhaps I could try and explain it to you?” The blonde thought about it for a minute before taking you up on the offer.

“... if you would be willing to…” Ben trailed off again. He yet again, broke eye contact with you, lowering his eyes down to the floor. Breathing out a sigh, you got up from the table.

“Great! Why don’t we meet at the library after dinner? It’s free period, so we’ll be able to study there!” You waved goodbye to the cowardly Gryffindor.

Your pace was quick, and your mind was swirling with thoughts. The Gryffindor’s behaviour seemed off. ‘What the bloody hell is going on with him?’ Was the thought that went through your head. You could see Rowan at the end of the hall, absorbed in their textbook.

Taking a seat next to them, you knew that you had one thing to do: Vent.

——-

“DAMN IT, ROWAN!” You balled your fists in frustration. Rowan sighed, placing a bookmark on the page. They looked at you while shaking their head.

“Merlin’s Beard, please calm down, (Y/N)!” Rowan put a hand on your shoulder in an attempt to console you.

“Rowan, how can I remain calm? Ben has been avoiding me like the damn Plague!” Rowan watched you angrily stabbed your Baked Potato with a spoon. Damn, they felt really sorry for that potato… Rowan heaved a sigh.

“(Y/N), take a deep breath and think about what’s changed in our fourth year..” Rowan urged you to stop and think. “As fourth years, our workload has nearly doubled compared to our third year. As a result, the majority of our year has been spent studying. Thus it’s perfectly reasonable for there to be little interaction between the two of you!” Rowan went on preaching about the Hogwarts curriculum.

Rowan was right, because of the accelerated workload that fourth years received, many students spent every waking second barricading themselves in walls made of textbooks. You were no different - as a result of this increase, your pursuit of the cursed vaults halted. You now devoted the majority of your time to academic work.

Rowan’s explication made sense, but you weren’t completely satisfied. They were absolutely done with your shit. Rowan opened their mouth to speak. “If you need answers, then the most effective solution is to ask him yourself. It’s never good to assume what someone is feeling. Good luck, (Y/N).” Those were the words Rowan left you before opening their book again.

With Rowan’s constant pushing, you walked to the Gryffindor table. There Ben was, eating yet another sandwich. You tapped his shoulder.

“Hey!” You waved at him. “May I talk to you after dinner?”

Ben paused for a second. “Y-yeah, sure. I guess…” he trailed off.

“Thank you, Ben. I’ll come find you after dinner,” a smile formed on your face as you made your way back to Rowan.

—-

Dinner was soon coming to an end. Many students began to leave along with their cliques, heading to their usual spots. Some left to study in the library while others wandered the halls of the castle.

While getting up, you spotted Ben scurrying out of the Great Hall. Your footsteps sped up so that you could catch up with the Gryffindor. It seemed safe to conclude that he was definitely running from you.

“Ben!” You raised your voice in attempt to reach him. He froze for a few seconds before turning towards you.

“H-hey…” Ben shifted his gaze towards the floor again. You finally caught up to him, he couldn’t run from you Forever. Taking his hand into yours, you began to pull him into an almost abandoned corridor. “(Y-Y/N)?!” The distress in Ben’s voice lingered in the way he said your name.

“Ben, please…” you stopped in a barely-lit corner. “We need to talk.”

“R-right. What did you want to talk about?”

“I don’t like beating around the bush, so I’ll get right to it.” You crossed your arms, turning to face the Gryffindor. “Have you been avoiding me?”

silence, yet again. Ben paused before opening his mouth to speak. He gave a silent ‘yes’.

“So you have?” you raised an eyebrow at his remark. “Why?” You couldn’t hear much of his response, the only thing you caught was the word ‘mudblood’. Leaning in closer, you gave out a “Huh?” Ben raised his voice.  

“A pureblood like you shouldn’t be seen with a mudblood like me.” Those words triggered you, really hard. You snapped.

“Is that what all this is about?!” The poor boy was taken aback by your sudden outburst. “You think that I care about blood status? Your bloodline has nothing to do with who you are!” Ben opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, you continued. “The things that really define a wizard are your actions and what you stand for!” You took his hands into yours. “You are an amazing wizard! If I made a list of all the things that make you amazing, it’d extend from the East Towers to the Great Hall!”

Ben was quiet. It was silent again You’ve had enough of it. “Oh, to hell with this damned silence!” you paused for a moment before speaking again. “Ben, please, out of all the things I’ve said to you, let this one sink in…. Your bloodline does not define you. And if people can’t look past your ‘mudblood’ status, then they don’t deserve to have you as a friend.”

The Gryffindor finally spoke. “I’m sorry…” He dropped his hands to his sides, staring at his shoes.

You heaved a sigh before running your hands through your hair. “Perhaps it’s about time I told you… maybe if I told you about it, you’d stop avoiding me.” you gave him a small smile before continuing. “I’ve been waiting for the right time to say this. I guess it’s now or never…” In a swift motion, you placed your hands on his shoulders. “I like you a lot, Ben. As in more than an ally or a friend… I fancy you.” His eyes met yours momentarily before gazing at the floor again. Before you could say anything, you felt a pair of cool, clammy hands caress your cheeks. He brought your face to his, planting a kiss on your lips.

When your lips parted, you were the first to speak. “Not a man of many words, huh?” You laughed.

“I love you too, (Y/N) (L/N).” He brought you closer to him, embracing your figure. The Gryffindor spoke let you go with a wide, toothy grin. You flashed a smile back before coming to your senses. Rowan was waiting for you at the library, and they were probably really ticked off.

“Oh dear! I completely forgot about Rowan, they’re waiting for me at the library! Goodnight, Ben! I’ll see you during breakfast!” You gave Ben another peck on the lips before disappearing around the corner.

Ben stood there dumbfounded, raising a finger to his lips.

“Ben? What are you doing here by yourself?” He turned around to see his prefect standing there with her arms crossed.

“Oh, nothing…” He said before walking away to his dormitory.

[loljulie]

flicker; {001} think of the start

(so, here is the first part to my Deviant!Connor x Female!Reader mini-series. i can’t guarantee how many chapters there will be at this point, but i would say at least 3. because this game is so dependent on individual choices, and because the game literally takes place in like 3 days, this story is going to have some moments from the game and some made up in the interest of character development. this first part is setting up the reader’s character and her relationship to hank and people in the station, so it is a bit of filler unfortunately. i promise, the next chapter will be interesting ;) thank you if you do read, and i’d love some feedback!)

genre: detroit: become human

deviant!connor x reader

word count: 2212

The freezing air barely had any chance to nip at your exposed face as you rushed into the police station, hoping nobody would notice your second tardy of the week. You breathed a sigh of relief as your eyes found Captain Fowler in his glass office, fortunately preoccupied with Lieutenant Anderson and a new android you hadn’t seen before. Your hurried steps took you to your desk, across from Hank’s, as you hastened to remove your beanie and attempted to appear busy.

The computer screen had just started to boot up with email notifications and previously open browsers when you could hear muffled shouting from Fowler’s office. Your head swiveled just enough for you to see Hank and Fowler engaged in another screaming match while the dark-haired android idly stood by. A faint smile crossed your lips as you turned back to resume your work, knowing all too well the outcome of their argument.

Without fail, heavy footsteps sauntered over to the desk across from yours, and with a loud sigh, your coworker plopped onto his chair. From the corner of your eye, you could see his arms folded over his chest as the android attempted – and failed – to lighten the mood. After a few more uncomfortably awkward efforts from the android to make conversation, you stood up and crossed over to greet Hank.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” you commented as you came to a halt before both of their computer screens. Instantly, you felt two gazes on you, one relieved and one scrutinizing.

“Believe me, it’s a welcome interruption,” Hank muttered. Your eyes flitted to the android to gauge his reaction, but as was usually the case with them, there was none to be had. You smiled softly to the android before reaching into the box of donuts on Hank’s desk and stealing one for yourself.

“I didn’t get to eat breakfast this morning,” you explained to Hank’s arched brow before taking a bite of the glazed donut.

“And you still showed up later than me?” He teased, a faint smile tugging at his lips. You shrugged.

“My alarm didn’t wake me up, and you of all people should understand technology troubles,” you shot back with a wink. Hank conceded and leaned back in his chair. Your relationship with Lieutenant Anderson was a mixture between mentor and friend. Despite the generational gap and your disapproval of his heavy drinking, Hank was one of the few people at the police station you worked well with.

“Are you going to introduce me to your new friend?” You asked tentatively, an eyebrow raised. Hank shot an exasperated glance up at you but didn’t speak.

“My name is Connor,” the android spoke. Your eyes shifted to meet his gaze. “I’m the android sent by Cyberlife to help Lieutenant Anderson with the deviants.”

Your eyebrows furrowed slightly while you glanced back to Hank. “I’m sorry, what? Fowler did what?”

“I don’t think it was entirely up to Fowler,” Hank replied in a cool tone, noticing your agitation. He turned to Connor for a moment. “Go get us some coffee.”

You waited for Connor to leave the desk before venting your frustration. “Ever since we had the first instance of deviancy 9 months ago, I’ve been dedicating my entire workload to analyzing every single clue. I have poured over the evidence for hours on end and you’re telling me it was for nothing? I should be on this case with you, Hank.”

“Believe me, I’d prefer you over that any day,” Hank grumbled, voicing the dissatisfaction you no doubt heard in Fowler’s office moments earlier. “But you just became a lieutenant, they’re going to throw you smaller cases to see what you can handle first. They did it to me, too.”

You let out a sigh of frustration.  “9 months of work, Hank.” You commented tersely, your arms crossed over your chest.

Hank gave you a fleeting look of genuine empathy before Connor returned, two paper cups in hand. He offered one to you, which you took with a forced smile. Frustration and all, you still were polite. Unlike the protestors you pass by in town squares, you looked upon androids favorably, even after the deviancy outbreaks.

“I didn’t know how you drank your coffee, so I just left it black.” He explained as you took the cup from him.  

“Cream and sugar until there’s no coffee left,” Hank answered with a sly smile. You rolled your eyes.

“While I do enjoy some cream and sugar, I still enjoy the taste of coffee, Hank,” you replied. You turned to Connor and lowered your voice slightly. “Hank thinks lattes are too fancy for his taste. He’s a simple man, but you probably already know that.”

“I heard that, you know.” Hank called out. “I may be old, but my hearing is still as good as it used to be.”

You let out a small chuckle and headed back to your desk. -

Not long after your interaction with Connor and Hank, they were called to investigate the suspected hideout of a deviant android. Up until then, you watched out of the corner of your eye as Connor analyzed files you had spent hours looking over in just a matter of seconds.

It was disheartening, to say the least. Seeing the spot you had been working to fill taken by a newcomer would upset anybody, especially when the job had forced you to miss family events and other engagements. When the pair across from you left, you had decided to voice your concerns to Fowler.

The glass walls allowed you to see that Fowler didn’t appear to be busy. You approached the glass door and tapped your finger knuckle on it three times. Fowler looked up from his computer screen and nodded. With a polite smile, you opened the door and stepped inside.

“What brings you to my office, Lieutenant (Y/L/N)?” He asked, his eyes refocused on his screen.

“I wanted to talk to you about the Android cases,” you declared with a confident tone. “And about how I think I deserve to be on them.”

Fowler looked up at you and sighed. “(Y/N), Lieutenant Anderson and his android are already on it. Your skills are better suited elsewhere.”

You had to stop yourself from scoffing. “On civil disputes?” You asked rhetorically. “Captain, I’m not asking you to remove either of them from the case. Just let me work with them. You know how much time I’ve spent on these cases already.”

Fowler met your gaze with a sympathetic look that told you more than his words could. “I know, and I’m sorry, but for now the cases are being handled by them two. There’s nothing either of us can do.”

You stared at Fowler for a moment more, desperately hoping there was anything else to be said. When it became obvious the discussion was over, you nodded solemnly and began to take your leave.

“(Y/L/N), one more thing,” Fowler’s voice interrupted. You turned your head toward him. “If they need it, you’ll have to share any notes you have on the investigation.”

As if taking the position you had yearned for wasn’t enough, now your work would literally be taken from you. A small sigh escaped your lips, but you nodded in response anyway, and returned back to your desk.

-

Your 15 minute break was over too soon for your liking. With a sigh, you pocketed your phone and threw away your empty wrapper before leaving the breakroom and heading back to your desk. As you sat down, you noticed Hank and Connor had returned from their call. You logged back into your computer, though their conversation was more interesting than the reports you had to file.

“Look, Connor, following them into the intersection would’ve been a stupid fuckin’ choice,” Hank’s grizzly voice spoke.

“I might have been able to intercept them if I chased them,” Connor replied, “but they got away, and now there is another deviant on the loose.”

Hank let out a frustrated sigh. “You followed my orders, which is what you’re supposed to do. Now, I ain’t gonna sit here and listen to you whine about what could’ve happened.”

Hank stood up from his chair, only minutes since he had sat down in it, and continued. “I’m gonna go get something to eat. Stay here, you got that?”

The Lieutenant didn’t wait for an answer before walking past your desk and leaving. Your eyes followed Hank as he disappeared into the station lobby. To your right, Connor seemed to be standing still at the front of Hank’s desk, as if unsure of what to do with himself.

You began filling out the report on your screen at a sluggish pace, knowing it was the only one you had to complete until you were off in 3 hours. As you worked, you became aware of a presence approach your desk.

“Lieutenant (Y/L/N),” Connor’s familiar voice made you gladly take your eyes off of your screen. “I know that you are a colleague of Lieutenant Anderson’s. I would like to know if you have any notes about the deviant cases I could have a look at.”

Your heart sank. It was inevitable that either Hank or Connor would’ve asked for your notes on the case, but it was still hard to come to terms with. Your smile faltered only slightly, but it was enough for the android to notice.

“I hope this isn’t a bother to you,” He added.

“No, not at all,” you replied, though it was partially a lie. You opened up a drawer to your desk and pulled out a tablet. “I’ve only taken notes on evidence collected at the crime scenes. Comments and speculation aren’t included.”

“Why not?” Connor asked as you handed him the unlocked tablet with your studious notes. You glanced over at Captain Fowler’s office before replying.

“I’m not supposed to make official notes about my ‘opinion’ of what happened,” you made sure to put an emphasis where it was needed, hoping that would be understood by the android. “I’m not technically assigned to the case, and I’ve just been promoted, so my speculation isn’t exactly credible to their eyes.”

Connor only nodded in response, then turned his attention to the tablet. Realizing he was about to read all of your hard work, you decided to get back to your task on hand. Only a few moments later, the tablet was placed back on your desk.

“Thank you, those notes were very detailed and well-written,” Connor stated. You stared at the tablet, and then at the android, bewildered.

“Did you just finish reading all of that?” You asked, unlocking the tablet to see it was on the last page of your notepad.

“Yes. I’m sorry it took so long, there was a lot more to read through than I thought there’d be,” Connor answered. You could’ve sworn you heard the slightest hint of pride in his voice, but realized how impossible that was.

“I am curious to hear your theories on this case,” Connor went on as you put the tablet back into the drawer. “Would you mind telling me them?”

Your work notes were one thing you knew you had to share with Connor, but your own theories and speculation weren’t under Fowler’s jurisdiction. The last thing you wanted was someone to take your idea as their own, and have them get credited for it. It  would be selfish to keep those private, you would admit, but the alternative didn’t seem fair to you.

“I can’t tell you here, in case anybody listens and reports me,” you explained. Though it was technically true that you also weren’t encouraged to speculate in the office, you doubted anybody would report you for doing so and so it wasn’t a big concern. “Plus, those notes are at home, and I can’t even remember every part to my theory at the moment.”

That was mainly a lie, but it would keep you from having to give up your thoughts. Besides, this android was sent from Cyberlife and could analyze anything it wanted to in a matter of seconds. He wouldn't’t really need your help or your guesses.

“Then I can meet you at your home,” Connor said with an air of finality. “When are you off?”

You blinked at Connor, unsure of how to respond. “Uhm,” you started, “well, 5, but it’s possible I may have to stay late…”

It should’ve dawned on you by then that Connor wouldn’t understand that you were hinting that it would be inconvenient to meet. Instead, he nodded and accepted your statement as a helpful suggestion.

“I will be sure to check if you have left the station before going over, then. Does Hank have your address?”

You nodded silently in response, feeling that it wasn’t worth it to try and make excuses to a determined android. Besides, there was always the chance that he would be too busy with Hank or the investigation to even drop by.  Connor took that to be the end of the conversation, and left your desk. You turned back to your report, took a deep breath, and began typing once more.

[cameronwjones]

2018 Event Trends: Predictions from Event Experts

Event wisdom comes in many forms. Learn about the trends that will dominate the event space in 2018 from experienced industry professionals.  

Now that 2018 has arrived, new trends and changes in the the event industry are already rumbling underfoot. Preparing for these changes early on in the year will be a key factor for developing a successful event strategy. And what better way to kick off the new year than with event trend predictions from a group of event experts?

We asked 19 event professionals one question: What will be the biggest event trend in 2018? Our respondents covered a wide range of topics, offering insights into how the industry will continue to evolve. Some event trend predictions were in long form while others got straight to the point. All in all, these answers will help you better prepare for the changes that are to come.

Some of the topics that were mentioned include:

Partnership Event Marketing

Event Design

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Artificial Intelligence

Data Security

Event Personalization

For even more in-depth analysis of industry trends, click the image below to download a free copy of the 2018 Event Trends Ebook. You’ll deep dive into topics and ideas that will better equip you to take the event industry by storm in 2018. 

  Liz King, CEO, Techsytalk

2018 is going to have a huge focus on artificial intelligence - planners will be learningmore about how to use the data they collect to better engage their attendees, speakers and sponsors.

"Through the use of AI, event planners will be able to create a more personalized experience and reach their audiences in more meaningful ways."

This will transform the event experience and help drive more perceived value to the role that events play in overall marketing strategies.

  Gaetano DiNardi, Director of Marketing, Sales Hacker

Events are popping out of the woodwork like we've never seen before. To say the market is crowded would be an understatement.

"I predict we will see more partnerships and major brand collaborations to put on co-hosted events / conferences."

The consolidation of co-branded efforts alleviates marketing workload and lowers overhead / risk / costs of operation. I would also add that big name speakers and "influencers" are becoming less relevant. 99% of them won't promote anyway, and they're usually expensive to book. Audiences want good tactical content, and topics that align to their needs. They'd rather see an actionable deck from a presenter with high energy, ideally from a well known company from their industry.

Ella Prendergast, Digital Content Executive, HeadBox

With the release of the iPhone X, we predict a greater emphasis on virtual and augmented reality in events as it becomes more widely used by consumers across the world. From aiding event planners in the conception phases of planning to increasing attendee engagement at the event itself, virtual and augmented reality are seeping into our daily lives. 

"VR and AR are becoming part of everyday life for the millennial generation."

It's important that the event industry stays ahead of this curve, which is why we've launched HeadBox 3D, our 360* tour technology, which allows event planners to explore a venue in 360° view, to save time and money on non-fruitful site visits.

Nikita Johnson, Founder, RE.WORK

Artificial Intelligence software - chatbots and AI Assistants in particular - will allow event organizers in 2018 to automate customer questions to provide a quicker and more efficient service, and reduce customer service costs. Advanced chatbots will also provide a more personalized service for event attendees and increase user engagement.

Bianca Bujan, Marketing Consultant, TapSnap 

Experiential marketing is becoming a bigger priority for companies, bringing brands to life, and allowing consumers to see, touch, interact with and create an emotional bond with a product or service. Photo booths are emerging as an experiential marketing solution for brands through creating customized and interactive activations that entertain event guests while acting as a platform for new sponsorship opportunities.

Customized branding and event-specific photo booth backdrops, animations, and photo-sharing campaigns are delivering a high ROI for event professionals looking to offer something fun and unique that will entertain guests and drive results for their business.

Dan Berger, Founder and CEO, Social Tables

Industry suppliers are going to go all-in on tech investments that will help them prepare for a potential industry downturn. The past few years have been a seller’s market. That will continue in ’18, but who knows how long it will last. Riding out a few great years in terms of group business with record high KPIs, suppliers are feeling confident, but they will hedge their bets by purchasing new and exciting sales solutions that will strengthen their moat.

  Lloyed Lobo, Co-founder, Traction Conference

VR from an audience experience perspective will be huge. We had VR booths at our conference this year which was a huge hit. We'll be doubling down on this. 

    Juraj Holub, Marketing Director, Slido 

Given that $37 billion is wasted on ineffective meetings, our prediction is that meeting design will continue to be one of the key drivers across industries in 2018 and beyond. We believe that the ability to design and facilitate an effective meeting will become a critical skill for any business leader. At Slido, we always look at our meetings, be it anything from a team stand up or a user conference, through the meeting design spectacles. For instance at our all-hands meetings, we have a moderated Ask Me Anything session with our CEO and we even have a dedicated moderator for our online participants. With interaction at the center of our thinking, we continuously experiment to organize events that our team members and clients love.

Ciera Jones, Events Coordinator, The Gathering

Conferences will start using AI to improve networking opportunities between attendees.  There will also likely be an increase in the use of Chatbots to serve up conference information in real time i.e. address questions participants have at any given point. 

Josie Scotchmer, UK Marketing Manager, Mailjet

Events are no longer just about pitching your sales story to potential customer. You must also add value to the event audience. This might be by providing educational and thought leading content on the event stage or by adding value to the event attendees in a different way.

"Providing actual value to the attendee will be a crucial success factor." 

Some of the ways we’ve experimented with at Mailjet are by having stand activities that add value. We’ve tested headshot photographers so that delegates can get a new LinkedIn picture at an event and even administered GDPR quizzes to test marketers on their understanding of the latest data protection regulation. At Mailjet, we’ll continue testing different tactics to ensure we are adding value in the best possible way.

Corbin Ball, Co-Founder, Corbin Ball Associates

Increasing data and privacy protection will be needed. The recent data breaches of Equifax, Sony, the DMC and international ransomware attacks point to increased and more sophisticated hacking activity. Hackers will almost inevitably target some events via an online registration system and/or a mobile event-related app (likely an Android version) in the near future.

"As a planner, make sure your registration company is PCI compliant and take other steps to guard attendee information captured."

Also, be aware of the coming GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) a sweeping set of privacy regulations that will affect any event with European attendees or members regardless of where the event takes place.

   Alon Alroy, Co-Founder and CMO, Bizzabo

 In 2018, things are getting personal. In a world where brands allow   consumers to customize their shoes, socks, sunglasses and watches,   events will get personal too. This will be possible through increased access to AI technology and richer datasets provided by integrated event management platforms.

"Organizers will create a more personal event experience."

Technology will enable marketers to get to know their audience on a deeper level which will allow them to design a more personalized experience. From content, to logistics, to food, to business introductions, all-in-one platforms will have access to a plethora of data that will push the industry towards providing a holistically personal experience. 

Cathy McPhillips, VP of Marketing, Content Marketing Institute 

I hope that the events industry continues to push for more sustainability. Fortunately, at UBM, Content Marketing World’s parent company, this is a huge initiative for us.

"Event attendees are going to be attracted to conferences and events that put extra care into sustainability and think about environmental and social issues."

This includes using water jugs rather than thousands of disposable plastic water bottles, printing signage that can be used year over year, donating leftover food to charities, giving extra supplies left by exhibitors to local organizations, and even suggesting that sponsors use printers local to the event location to save on shipping. 

 Lelde Dalmane, Marketing Content Manager, Catchbox

I believe that technology will be the trend that will take off (even more than now) in 2018. Since everything is all about the audience, I think that events will become more interactive than ever and tools to gather audience response will have their time to shine.

Nick Borelli, President, Borelli Strategies 

Influencer marketing will become more of a mainstream practice for event producers in 2018. As event marketers settle on metrics and reasonable (i.e. longer) length of contracts between event and influential personal brands, deeper trust will breed increased conversions. What has been the status quo for industries like fashion and beauty, influencer marketing will humanize the core messaging of attendance while helping break into groups who aren’t as accessible through traditional marketing strategies.

 Payman Taei, Founder, VisMe

Given the mania around Bitcoin, Ether, and Altcoins, 2018 will be filled with an uptake of cryptography topics, whether or not the bubble actually bursts. And although there is no relation with Visme and Cryptography, we do anticipate utilizing this trending topic to improve our reach using data visualization and infographics as a means to simplify the understanding of complex data and translating them into snackable content.

Trey Smith, VP of Events, Human Capital Media 

Artificial Intelligence and leveraging the capabilities of this technology is something I foresee will make a big impact in 2018 and beyond. We’re already seeing this with a number of the chatbots that are popping everywhere to handle lead nurturing and customer service inquiries, among others.

"Leveraging AI-powered chatbots can free up hours of a planner’s time by delegating repetitive and monotonous tasks to the bot."

Looking forward, advanced AI will allow us to create more personalized content for attendees and deliver sponsor advertisements in new and unique ways at just the right time.

Allison Lucey, Senior Managing Director of Events, Teach For America

An important trend that we are focused on is “head up technology” to ensure people are engaged at the event, but also compelled to share their experience digitally . To do this, it’s crucial that we use digital engagement as an enhancement to the in-person experience, but not as the focus of the event itself.

"When customizing our in-person event experiences we look to ensure that the engagement on the ground is meaningful and relevant to our audience, but also compelling enough for them to share on their social channels."

We do this through the creation of interactive elements that do not incorporate any technology but force attendees to interact with the installation and with one another. These engagements are always crafted with the digital share in mind, ensuring that the end result is a photo or post that reaches the social or professional circles of our attendees to further generate interest or engagement with our organization.

Liron David, Founder, Eventique 

The biggest and most exciting trend I'm anticipating this year is utilizing art in creating storylines. The convergence of art, technology, and space is what’s making experiential events more engaging than just throwing a brand name on anything in sight — today’s consumer won’t go for it, and they certainly won't share it.

"Social media is predominantly visual, and when a brand invests in a meaningful artistic component, it resonates because the art seems to eclipse the product."

It will be interesting to see how credible artists and brands interact on commissioned work in the future, as both parties give each other more leeway.

Looking for more helpful content? Click below to subscribe to the Bizzabo blog and stay updated on the latest posts. 

    from Cameron Jones Updates https://blog.bizzabo.com/2018-event-trends-predictions

[bakjacconsulting-blog]

12 Days Of Mental Toughness For Christmas

I have to admit, Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year. I am one of those people who absolutely loves to put up the Christmas tree. It is a tradition in our family to put up the tree on the same day as the Christmas Pageant in Adelaide, and yes, I do have OPD (that’s Ornament Placement Disorder), and I love to drive my kids mad until they get it right.

For many of us though, Christmas can be quite a stressful time of year. Workloads can get excessive, and sometimes we have so much on that we just don’t know which way to turn. Some of us are also confronted by the fact that we may be alone at Christmas and this can bring its own challenges.

So following are 12 strategies to enhance your mental toughness over the Christmas period. So as I sing, “On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me”……., Consider these 12 opportunities to enhance your mental toughness so you not only survive the Christmas period, but thrive.

1)   Recognise what is within your control.

Consider drawing two large circles one within the other. In the outer circle write down all the things about the situation which you cannot control. In the inner circle write down all the things about the situation which you can control. Now, consider which circle are you thinking about the most?

There is an old Chinese proverb – “If you have a problem which you can control, then you don’t have a problem and if you have a problem that you cannot control, then you also do not have a problem.”

2)   See challenges as opportunities.

There are many things in our lives that push us outside of our comfort zone. This can obviously feel very uncomfortable. However it is only in a state of complexity where we experience growth. So rather than say “I can’t do it”, reframe this for yourself and say “I can’t do it yet”.

3)   Stay above the line.

We can often get bogged down by a problem we are facing and get caught up in blame, negativity, excuses and frustration. Rather than be below the line, ask yourself the question “what is one thing I could do right now to move myself one step forward”.

4)   Stomp on your ANTS

We all have ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts). We catastrophise, we engage in black and white thinking, we mind read and we generalise. Consider the automatic negative thoughts you tend to engage in. Ask yourself how could you stomp on your ANTS and make them PETS (Performance Enhancing Thoughts)?

5)   Create stickability to your goals.

We have all heard of SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely). But while many of us are aware of the acronym, many of us fail to develop and write down our goals and commit to dedicated action. Really consider, what is it that you want to achieve, when is it that you want to achieve it, and what will it look like when you get there.

6)   If you name it you can tame it.

Often, we have difficulty understanding our emotions and as a result we have difficulty deriving an appropriate action plan for an emotion we do not understand. So consider:

•      Recognising the emotion - “If you name it you can tame it”

•      Understand the emotion – what generated it. What was the thought behind/generating the emotion?

•      Now what steps can you take to manage the emotion?

•      Express the emotion – how can you do this in a productive way?

7)   The aggregation of marginal gains.

At this time of year, don’t try to make big changes which you will have difficulty sustaining. What if you tried to just improve a few areas of your life by just 1%? Consider the opportunities and the advantages of the aggregation of all of those marginal gains. Consider improving your relationships by just 1%, consider improving your well-being by just 1%, consider improving your opportunity for relaxation by just 1%, consider your opportunity by being more mindful by just 1%.

8)   Shift your focus.

It is easy for us to get caught up in selective attention. When we put a run in our stockings, we drop our coffee cup or our children are fighting, it is easy for our brains to only focus on the one negative thing that is happening around us and catastrophise by saying, “now I’m going to have a bad day”.

Instead, shift your attention and decide to focus on the positive. Decide to notice three good things that are happening in your life. These things don’t necessarily have to be particularly huge or meaningful to anybody else but you. Has somebody been particularly helpful, have you noticed a funny YouTube video recently, do you like the outfit you have on today? You can reset your mood if you aim to focus on the good things that happen around you and to you throughout the day.

9)   Let it go, let it go…..

Come on…… sing it out loud “Let it gooooo, Let it gooooo”

My Nana used to have a lot of great sayings that she used to spout at me on a regular basis. One of my favourites was “Michelle, a problem shared is a problem halved”.

Often we are so close to a problem that “we can’t see the woods for the trees” (this was another of Nan’s favourites) and we are confused by the scenario, options, decision etc etc.

Talking the problem out with a trusted person can often really help. By letting your big worry be “exposed” it often does not seem quite so big and a trusted friend might be able to give you the perspective you never had, and drive you toward some dedicated action which allows you to put that ever present worry down. Plus venting can be good as well!

10)  Don’t look back – you’re not going that way.

We seem to spend a whole lot of time looking back over our shoulders to ruminate on all the things we have done which typically feeds our worry monster. However, spending too much time in the future can also feed that same monster and we can get caught up in all the disasters we imagine “could” happen.

So focus on spending more of your time and attention in the present moment. Reconnect with what is occurring in the moment and “be mindful”.

Slow yourself right down and take notice of what’s going on around you. Focus on disrupting your worry and ruminative thoughts and reconnecting with what is going on around you right at that moment.

    11) Treat yourself

Never underestimate the value of reward. A sweet treat, a nice hot bath, a massage, sitting in the garden with a cup of coffee, or a lunch date with a friend, all of these provide a great opportunity to take a timeout, refresh ourselves and gain a newfound sense of energy to deal with the Christmas season.

12)  Put your own air mask on first

This is the time of year where we have to recognise that our well-being needs to be at the forefront of our attention. Are you running around with an air mask in your hand administering oxygen to everybody else, or are you putting your own air mask on first so that you are in a better position to assist others around you.

So there you have it. 12 strategies to develop your mental toughness through this Christmas period.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and look forward to sharing fantastic insights on mental toughness and well-being in the New Year.

Michelle Bakjac is an experienced Psychologist, Organisational Consultant, Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. As Director of Bakjac Consulting, she is a credentialed Coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a member of Mental Toughness Partners and an MTQ48 accredited Mental Toughness practitioner. Michelle assists individuals and organisations to develop their Mental Toughness to improve performance, leadership, behaviour and wellbeing. You can find her at www.bakjacconsulting.com or michelle@bakjacconsulting.com