#yo we should be able to save a set of tags to choose from

[yespolkadotkitty]

Fall For a Shooting Star

An Agent Whiskey x OFC AU. Retired from active duty, Whiskey runs a ranch for people needing protective custody.

Thanking my beta and cheerleader, @songsformonkeys !! <3

“You have got to be kidding me,” Sage muttered as the car pulled up to the ranch. The agent in the driving seat spared her a look, and Sage bit down on her lip to keep from saying anything else. They’d been driving for a full two hours, and for half of that had passed nothing, just dirt roads, greenery and old ramshackle fences. Only a single bumfuck-esque gas station had punctuated the landscape.

“We’re here,” Agent Plymouth announced shortly, stopping the car by a pair of huge wooden gates. They looked aged but in good repair, the only distinguishing feature being the words SHOOTING STAR RANCH engraved into the top arches.

He reached out and buzzed a comm on the stone wall. After a few moments, a crackle was heard and the gates swung open. 

“I’m sorry,” Sage interjected as the car rumbled on the gravel path. “I just didn’t expect it to be, this, well, remote.”

Next to her in the sedan, Agent Hendricks smiled. “I’d feel the same. I’m a city girl to the bone.”

“Says she’d rather die than go without a cut and colour every twelve weeks,” Plymouth groused, but Sage only smiled.

She’d spent the last four days with these agents and she knew that Hendricks and Plymouth loved each other in their own way.

“But this is the safest thing,” Hendricks added. “Agent Whiskey will take good care of you. He saved my life, a few years back, in the field. He’s a dedicated agent.”

“He’s a dedicated hillbilly is what he is,” Plymouth groused, and earned himself a swat around the ear from Hendricks.

“So,” the female agent asked as the car rumbled further down the path, towards a big ranch house that looked like it was built around 1900, “Do you want to go over the cliffnotes one more time?”

Sage settled back in her seat, chewing her bottom lip absently. “I’m Sage Stewart. Taking a sabbatical for work. Saw the ad for a housekeeper online, wanted to escape to the country for a while to get over a breakup. “ She smoothed a hand over the fall of her hair. “I’m more comfortable with all that than I am with my sudden redhead status.”

“Okay,” Plymouth said from the driver’s seat. “Not even Whiskey knows your real name, all right? It’s safer for everyone. Over the years he’s sheltered over a dozen people at the Shooting Star, and they’ve all eventually been able to return to their normal lives. You will, too.”

Sage swallowed as the car rolled to a stop by the house. This late in the day, dusk was starting to creep in at the edges of the big Kentucky skyline, bringing with it the chirp of cicadas and the herald of birdsong. “Got it,” she murmured, some - okay, most - of her bravado slipping as Agent Hendricks waked around and opened the passenger door.

“Yo, Whiskey,” she heard Plymouth call out as footsteps approached down the steps to the porch of the big house.

The car door opened and she thanked Hendricks, stepping out of the air conditioned sedan into the humid Kentucky air, the heat licking at her arms, bare in the simple grey sundress the agents had given her to wear - her new wardrobe was nothing like her closet at home, filled with designer items. That was the point, she supposed, glumly.

“Sage, this is Agent Whiskey,” Hendricks announced as Sage looked up at the man tasked with keeping her alive for next goodness-knew-how-long.

The tall man tipped his black Stetson to her with a finger. “Ma’am.”

What had she expected? Not… this. Not a long-legged cowboy in worn, darkwash denim that fit him like it was painted on, big, soulful brown eyes and a neat moustache that framed his mouth, making her immediately wonder how he tasted.

Of whiskey? Or something stronger?

“Thanks for having me,” Sage said automatically, offering her hand.

Whiskey took her palm between both of his, and the gun calluses on his hands brushed her softer skin before he pulled away. “I give you my word on behalf of Statesman that you’ll be safe here,” he murmured in that deep, husky-edged Southern-comfort voice. With a voice like that, he could read the phonebook and she’d be enthralled.

Hendricks pulled a suitcase from the back of the sedan and passed it to Whiskey, who carted it up the steps. 

Sage knew firsthand that the suitcase was full of plain clothes - nothing that would attract attention or stand out. 

The opposite of what she would choose for herself.

But exactly what Sage Stewart would wear.

“This it, sugar?” he asked, his gaze meeting hers and holding.

Sage automatically bristled. “That’s it - but less of the pet names, if you don’t mind.”

Whiskey glanced at Plymouth and the two shared a speaking look, but he just shrugged. “Whatever makes you comfortable. What’ll I call you?”

“Am- Sage will be fine,” she stuttered. “That’s my name, after all.”

“Right,” he drawled, his tone giving nothing away.

Hendricks patted her on the shoulder, and then at Sage’s little nod, drew her into a hug.

“Whiskey’s a good man,” she whispered into Sage’s hair. “A little rough around the edges is all, but you of all people should know, it’s best not to judge a book by its cover. There’s more to this cowboy than meets the eye.”

Sage released a shaky breath. She’d become really comfortable with Hendricks and Plymouth over the last few days; hated having to say goodbye now. But she had little choice in the matter. “Thank you,” she murmured back. “I really am sorry for being such a bitch.”

Hendricks laughed and drew back from the hug. “You weren’t. And besides, an attempt on a girl’s life tends to make her a little grumpy. I get it. Take care, and you’ve got our number if you need anything. Whiskey also has a direct line to Plymouth.”

Sage turned to see the two men deep in conversation. Whiskey’s head was tipped low, listening, and he nodded every so often at something the heavier-set man said, one hand on his hip, his fingers long and tanned. As she gazed at them, Whiskey turned and their eyes met. Something wordless and electric passed between them as his chocolate-brown eyes drank her in, and for a second, every inch of her skin felt like it had been licked by fire.

She broke the eye contact. 

“Thank you both. Really. I, ah…”

“It’s getting late,” Whiskey began, turning from his conversation with Plymouth. “Let’s get y’all settled, shall we? I’ll show you to your room and we can have some supper. Plymouth, Hendricks-” he tipped his hat with a finger- “I’ll take it from here.”

Sage stood awkwardly as the agents climbed back into the car, watching as they drove back down the gravel path, taking any hope of her old life with them - for the foreseeable future, at least.

She stood in the sunshine until the car disappeared through the big wooden gate, and then she allowed herself one big, internal sigh. The pity party could come later when she was out of sight of Agent Whiskey’s big brown eyes, eyes that seemed to see too much already.

“Ready?” he asked, and his tone was soft this time, his voice almost a caress in the encroaching dusk. The way he might sound sinking into a woman’s body, the way he might sound trailing his lips along the inside of her thigh.

“Not at all,” Sage made herself say cheerfully. “But let’s get on with it anyway.”

Part II

****

Tagging people who might like this, along with my reg taglist: @pedropascalito @pedrosasscal @spacegayofficial @dindjarindiaries @agentpike @fleetwoodmactshirt @just-the-hiddles @hopelessromanticspoonie @queenofheavenandhell​ @paniclana​ @starlight-starwrites​ @abuttoncalledsmalls​ @whiskeyslasso​ @alldatalost​

[waywardaardvark79]

Supernatural Rewrite: Season 1, Episode 11: Scarecrow

Summary:  Y/N Singer joins Sam and Dean on the road. A rewrite starring you.

Pairing: eventual Dean x Reader, Sam x Reader (platonic)

Warnings: language, show level violence

Word Count: 10,818

A/N: I’ll try to do at least one episode a week. No set schedule. Tags open. 

 "Dean." Sam said, trying to wake him, his phone ringing on the nightstand, but Dean wouldn't budge causing Sam to reach for the phone himself. "Hello." he said.

"Sam, is that you?" John asked, calling from a payphone in California.

Sam shot up in bed, "Dad? Are you hurt?" he asked.

"I'm fine." John answered.

"We've been looking for you everywhere. We didn't know where you were, if you were okay." Sam rambled.

"Sammy, I'm all right. What about you, Dean, and Y/N?" John asked, Dean starting to stir around in bed.

"We're fine, but Y/N...she's, uh..." Sam trailed off, unsure if he should say anything or not. "Dad, where are you?" he asked, Dean sitting up in bed.

"Sorry, kiddo, I can't tell you that." John said.

"What? Why not?" Sam asked.

"Is that Dad?" Dean asked, Sam ignoring him.

"Look, I know this is hard for you to understand. You're just gonna have to trust me on this." John said.

"You're after it, aren't you? The thing that killed Mom." Sam said, Dean shaking your shoulder to wake you.

"What?" you mumbled, your eyes still closed.

"Yeah. It's a demon, Sam." John explained.

"A demon? You know for sure?" Sam asked, the mention of a demon making you shoot up in bed, now wide awake.

"A demon? What's he saying?" Dean asked.

"Who's he talking to?" you whispered to Dean.

"Dad." he said, your eyes going wide.

"I do. Listen, Sammy, I, uh...I also know what happened to your girlfriend. I'm so sorry. I would've done anything to protect you from that." John said.

"You know where it is?" Sam asked, desperate for more information.

"Yeah, I think I'm finally closing in on it." John replied.

"Let us help." Sam said, you and Dean completely focused on him.

"You can't. You can't be any part of it." John said, frustrating Sam.

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Give me the phone." Dean demanded.

"Listen, Sammy, that's why I'm calling. You, Y/N, and your brother, you gotta stop looking for me. Alright, now, I need you to write down these names." John ordered.

"Names? What names, Dad...talk to me, tell me what's going on." Sam said, needing to understand so badly.

"Look, we don't have time for this. This is bigger than you think, they're everywhere. Even us talking right now, it's not safe." John warned, beginning to get frustrated.

"No. Alright? No way." Sam said, defying him, and you knew it was about to get messy even though you couldn't hear what John was saying.

"Give me the phone." Dean demanded, again.

"I have given you an order. Now, you stop following me, and do your job. You understand me? Now, take down these names." John ordered, Dean grabbing the phone from Sam before he could say anything else.

"Dad, it's me. Where are you?" Dean asked, pausing as he listened to John. "Yes, sir." he said, turning to you, "Pen." he mouthed.

You jumped out of bed and grabbed the motel stationary and pen from the table, "Dean." you said, getting his attention before tossing him the pen and paper.

"Uh, yeah, I got a pen. What are the names?" Dean asked. 

Dean insisted on leaving the motel right away, and the three of you packed your things in tense silence. You knew a fight was brewing, and fully expected it to come, but you just didn't know when.

You found yourself hoping that you were wrong. You never did like to get in the middle of the boys when they were fighting, always feeling like your loyalty was being tested, afraid of what the other would think when you didn't side with them.

You never liked choosing sides, always trying to find a way to keep the peace the best you could, but as the search for John continued to turn up empty, you found yourself playing referee to their fights more and more.

As you placed the last few things in your duffel you couldn't help but think about what was to come. Part of you knowing that all of the tension was about to come to a head, and one of them was going to snap. The only thing you could do was hope that somehow, someway, you would be able to fix it. 

The three of you were in the car, Sam behind the wheel, Dean in the passenger seat, and you leaning up from the backseat so that you and Dean could go over the information about the case.

"Alright, so, the names Dad gave us, they're all couples?" Sam asked.

"Three different couples." Dean said.

"And all three went missing." you added.

"And they're all from different towns? Different states?" Sam asked.

"That's right. You got Washington, New York, Colorado. Each couple took a road trip cross-country. None of them arrived at their destination, and none of them were ever heard from again." Dean explained.

"Well, it's a big country, guys. They could've disappeared anywhere." Sam argued.

"Yeah, could've, but each one's route took them to the same part of Indiana. Always on the second week of April. One year after another. Now, you can't tell me that's not something, Sam." you said, looking over at him.

"This is the second week of April." Sam said, you nodding your head.

"Yep." Dean said.

"So, Dad is sending us to Indiana to go hunting for something before another couple vanishes?" Sam asked.

"That's what it looks like to me." you said.

"Can you imagine putting together a pattern like this? All the different obits Dad had to go through? The man's a master." Dean said.

"Yeah, he definitely knows what he's doing." you said, Sam looking annoyed as he pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned off the engine.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked.

"We're not going to Indiana." Sam said, you letting out a slow breath, knowing what was coming.

"We're not?" Dean asked.

"No. We're going to California. Dad called from a payphone. Sacramento area code." Sam said.

"Sam, please." you said, trying to quickly think of a way to diffuse the situation.

"Guys, if this demon killed Mom and Jess, and Dad's closing in, we've gotta be there. We've gotta help." Sam said.

"Dad doesn't want our help." Dean said.

"I know it's hard to understand, Sam, but I'm sure he has his reasons." you said.

"I don't care." Sam said.

"He's given us an order." Dean said.

"Dean." you warned, knowing this was headed into dangerous territory.

"I don't care. We don't always have to do what he says." Sam firmly said.

"Sam, Dad is asking us to work jobs, to save lives. It's important." Dean said.

"He's right, Sam. You just need to try to focus on the people that need our help." you said, trying to keep your voice calm and even.

"Alright, I understand, believe me. I understand. But I'm talking one week here, guys, to get answers...to get revenge." Sam argued.

"Sam, I know you want revenge, and in a way I want you to have it, but it's not going to change anything. It's not going to bring her back. There's a reason John doesn't want us there, and I think for once, we should just listen." you said, your argument falling on deaf ears.

"Alright, look, I know how you feel." Dean said.

"Do you?" Sam asked, both you and Dean shocked by his tone. "How old were you when Mom died? Four? Jess died six months ago. How the hell would you know how I feel?" Sam asked.

"Hey!" you snapped, raising your voice. "That's not fuckin' fair and you know it, Sam. That was a low blow." you said.

"Dad said it wasn't safe for any of us. I mean, he obviously knows something that we don't , so if he says to stay away, we stay away." Dean said.

"I don't understand the blind faith the two of you have in the man. I mean, it's like you guys don't even question him." Sam said, looking between you and Dean.

"Sam, it's not that I don't have questions, because believe me, I fuckin' do. It's...it's just, John has been doing this a hell of a lot longer than we have, and I  think we should trust his judgement on this one." you said, Sam looking away from you.

"It's called being a good son!" Dean snapped, Sam angrily getting out of the car.

"Dean, that wasn't fair either." you said, both you and Dean getting out of the car to see Sam unloading things from the trunk.

"You're a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do whatever you want. Don't care what anybody thinks." Dean said.

You turned and stepped in front of him, putting your hand on his chest, "Stop." you warned.

"That's what you really think?" Sam asked.

"Yes, it is." Dean said.

"God damn it! I told you to stop!" you yelled, Dean looking down at you.

"What? He needs to hear it." Dean said.

"Well, then this selfish bastard is going to California." Sam said, putting his backpack on before walking away.

"Sam, stop. Don't do this." you called out, whipping around to face him.

"I have to." Sam said, never looking back at you.

"Come on, you're not serious." Dean said.

"I am serious." Sam said, you taking a couple of steps in his direction.

"It's the middle of the night! Hey, we're taking off, we will leave your ass, you hear me?" Dean asked, Sam stopping to turn around.

"That's what I want you to do." Sam said, the three of you staring at each other, seeing who would break first. 

"Goodbye, Sam. Come on, Y/N." Dean said, closing the trunk before walking to get behind the wheel. "Come on, Singer." he said, when you hadn't moved.

"Just...just give me a minute, De." you said, looking back at him over your shoulder before rushing off after Sam.

"Sam!" you called, out stopping him. "Please don't fuckin' do this." you said.

Sam turned to face you, a sad smile on his face, "You know, I can remember a time when you wouldn't have thought twice about coming with me, and now...now I can't even get you to side with me on anything." he said.

"Don't do that. It isn't fair. I'm not picking sides, Sam. I'm not choosing him over you. I'm just...I'm trying to do what I think is right here." you said.

"So am I, and there was a time when you would have agreed with me." he said, both of you staring at each other. "You still can, you know. Come with me."

"Sam." you sighed, feeling like you were being pulled in two directions. "He...he." you said, looking back over your shoulder at the car. "He needs me."

Sam scoffed, "Are you ever going to realize that I need you, too? Dean isn't the only one, Y/N. I...I need you, too." Sam said, and as sincere as you knew he was being you couldn't help but feel angry.

"Really, Sam? Because you sure fuckin' fooled me. Do you really expect me to just forget everything that happened? Do you want me to  pretend that you didn't do what you did, and then what, we just go back to being best fuckin' friends?" you asked.

"What did I do? What do you think I did that was so bad, Y/N? Because the last time I checked, all I did was go to college." Sam said, the two of you stepping closer to each other.

"You cut me out! You completely forgot about me like I never even fuckin' existed! You were my best friend, Sam. You were the person I told everything to. The one person I could count on to always be there for me no matter what, and then one day you just rip all of that away. You didn't even tell me you were going." you said, Sam looking down at you.

"Y/N-" he tried to say, you holding up your hand to stop him.

"I wouldn't have tried to stop you, you know. I would have been fuckin' happy that you were doing what you wanted to do. You wouldn't even take my calls, Sam. You were my best friend, and I needed  YOU! But, I guess, in the long run...I just didn't fuckin' matter!" you yelled, not able to control how angry you were.

You took a step back, trying to calm yourself down, and looked up at him, "It was so easy for you to throw me away, and forget me. So, you tell me, Sam. You tell me right fuckin' now how I'm just supposed to let all of that go." you said.

"I...I never forgot you, Y/N." Sam said, looking ashamed. "It's just...I knew that if...if you were still a part of my life then I would never really be out of it. I would never be able to completely turn my back on it." Sam said, trying to justify himself.

"So, you just turned your back on me instead?" you asked, tears brimming.

"I'm sorry. I really am, and I hope that you believe that." Sam said, looking at you with those puppy dog eyes.

"You should be because I never would have done something like that to you." you said, shaking your head.

"I know." he sadly said, the two of you standing there in silence, neither one of you knowing what else to say.

"I, uh, should probably go. He's already pissed, and making him wait is only going to make it worse. Just, uh, take care of yourself, Sammy." you said, starting to back away.

"I will." he said, not wanting to end it with you like this, taking a few hesitant steps in your direction.

You backed away quicker, needing to get out of there, "Just answer your God damn phone this time, okay?" you said, turning to walk away, not able to look at him any longer.

"I will." he quietly said, turning around to walk away. 

You walked back to the car and turned around, standing there watching him until you couldn't see him anymore. You shook your head, trying to shake everything off, your hand instinctively reaching out for the back door, stopping when you realized that the passenger seat was free again.

You got into the car and Dean started the engine, "Sorry it took me so long." you said, looking out the window.

Dean looked over at you, "You okay, Singer?" he asked.

"Not even a fuckin' little bit." you said, Dean pulling away from the side of the road, the two of you riding along in silence, both of you working through everything that just happened. 

You and Dean  made it to Burkittsville, Indiana, and Dean pulled the car to the side of the road before pulling out his phone.

You looked over as he selected Sam's name from his contact list, "You should call him. You know, at least let him know we made it. He said he'd answer this time." you said.

"Later." Dean said, shutting off the engine before putting his phone back in his pocket and getting out of the car, you following after him. 

The two of you walked up to a building, a sign reading Scotty's Café hanging overhead, a man sitting out on the porch.

Dean gestured to the sign, "Let me guess." he said, pointing to the man, "Scotty." he added, the man looking up at the sign.

"Yep." Scotty said.

"Hi, my name's John Bonham." Dean said, introducing himself, the man looking over to you.

"Roberta Plant." you said, the man eyeing the two of you.

"Aren't those members of Led Zeppelin?" he asked.

"Well, shit." you said under your breath.

"Wow. Good. Classic rock fan." Dean added, a little taken aback himself.

"What can I do for you, John, Roberta?" Scotty asked.

You pulled two pieces of paper from your jacket pocket, "We were wondering if you'd seen these people by chance." you said, passing him the flyers.

"Nope. Who are they?" Scotty asked.

"Friends of ours. They went missing about a year ago. They passed through somewhere around here, and we've already asked around Scottsbury and Salem." Dean said.

"Sorry." Scotty said, passing the flyers back to you. "We don't get many strangers around here." he said, you and Dean nodding your heads.

"Scotty, you've got a smile that lights up a room, anybody ever tell you that?" Dean asked, Scotty staring at him strangely. "Never mind. See you around." Dean said before the two of you started to walk away. 

"Well, he's completely full of shit." you said, Dean nodding.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Dean said. 

Sam was standing on the side of the road, taking a momentary break, your words running through his head like they had been since he left. He turned around to see a girl with short blonde hair, sitting with her back to him.

"Hey." Sam said, the girl not able to hear him over the music she was listening to.

Sam walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder, making her jump as she removed her headphones.

"You scared the hell outta me." she said.

"I'm sorry. I just thought you may need some help." Sam said.

"No, I'm good. Thanks." the girl said, Sam pausing for a moment.

"Uh, so where you headed?" Sam asked.

"No offense, but no way I'm telling you." the girl replied.

"Why not?" Sam asked, genuinely curious.

"You could be some kind of freak. I mean, you are hitchhiking." she said.

"Well, so are you." Sam pointed out, a smile on his face. "You, uh, you remind me of someone I know." he said, thinking of you.

He didn't think that you shared any resemblance with the stranger, but it was more the way she carried herself. She didn't seem to be afraid to say what she thought.

A van pulling up pulled Sam from his thoughts, "Need a ride?" the driver asked.

"Yeah." Sam and the girl answered in unison.

"Just her. I ain't takin' you." the driver said to Sam as the girl gathered her things before getting in the van.

"You trust shady van guy and not me?" Sam asked.

"Definitely." she said, the driver pulling off moments later leaving Sam standing there alone. 

"You sure they didn't stop for gas or something?" Dean asked, the two of you now in the local general store.

"Nope, don't remember 'em. You said they were friends of yours?" the older man asked.

"That's right." Dean answered, a young girl coming downstairs carrying some boxes.

"Did the guy have a tattoo?" she asked.

"Yes, he did." you excitedly said, the girl putting down the boxes on the counter before looking at the missing person's flyer.

"You remember? They were just married." the girl said to the older man and woman in the room.

"You're right." the man said, as if he suddenly remembered, setting off alarms in your head. "They did stop for gas. Weren't here more than ten minutes."

"Hmm." you hummed, eyeing him, "Anything else you can suddenly remember?" you asked.

"I told 'em how to get back to the interstate. They left town." he said.

"Could you point us in the same direction?" Dean asked.

"Sure." the man said. 

"Everyone in this fuckin' town is just off." you said, the two of you back in the car.

"You got that right." Dean said, a noise coming from the backseat as he drove by an orchard. "What the hell?" he asked, slowing down.

"I'll get it." you said, turning in your seat, raising up so you could lean over the front seat into the back. "Why the fuck did you have to toss your bag all the way over here?" you asked, leaning further over the seat.

"Careful." Dean said, his hand grabbing onto your ass.

"What the fuck are you doin'?" you asked, digging through his duffel until you found his EMF.

"I'm helping." he said. "Just trying to keep you from going over." he added, his hand still firmly on your ass.

"Really?" you asked, working your way back into your seat, "Cause it looked like you were just grabbing yourself a handful of my ass for no reason." you said, passing him the EMF which was beeping frantically.

"I had a reason...I told you I was helping." Dean said, looking down at the meter. "What the hell?" he asked, bringing the car to a complete stop.

"Come on." you said, getting out of the car, Dean following after you. 

"Look at that fuckin' thing." you said, both of you walking around the orchard until you came upon a scarecrow on a post.

"Dude, you're fugly." Dean said, the two of you walking up to it.

"That's an understatement." you said, looking up at it, noticing the sickle in it's hand, and the distinct pattern on it's arm. "De, look at it's arm." you said.

Dean grabbed a ladder from a nearby tree and climbed to the top so that he was eye level with the scarecrow. He moved it's clothing back so that he could see it's arm, instantly recognizing the pattern as the missing man's tattoo.

"Good eye, Singer. Pass me the flyer." he said, wanting to be sure.

You pulled the flyer from your pocket and passed it to him, "It's the same, isn't it?" you asked, Dean holding up the flyer, comparing the designs, which were exactly the same.

"Nice tat." Dean said before climbing down the ladder. "How'd you spot that?" he asked, jumping down to the ground.

"I have a thing for tattoos." you said, shrugging your shoulders before turning to head back to the car.

"A thing, huh?" Dean asked, quickly stepping to your side. "You ever think about gettin' one?" he asked.

"I already have a couple." you said, not looking at him as the two of you walked.

"Since when? Why don't I know about them?" he asked.

"You don't know everything about me, De." you said, Dean looking you up and down.

"Where are they? Cause I've seen a lot of you, and I've never seen them." he said, his imagination running wild.

You looked over at him, a smirk on your face, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Uh, yeah, I would like to know. That's kinda why I asked. " Dean said.

"Get in the car, Dean. We have more important things to worry about." you said, opening the passenger side door.

Dean sighed as he walked around to the driver's side, "How hard is it to answer a simple question?" he asked himself before opening the door. 

Dean pulled up to the gas station, the two of you getting out to see the young girl from earlier standing by the pumps.

"You're back." she said, looking between the two of you.

"Never left." Dean said.

"Still looking for your friends?" she asked.

"We are." you replied.

Dean looked down at the necklace she was wearing, her name in fine script, "You mind fillin' her up there, Emily?" he asked, Emily grabbing the nozzle to start filling the tank.

"So, you grew up here?" you asked.

"I came here when I was thirteen. I lost my parents, car accident. My aunt and uncle took me in." Emily said.

"They're nice people." Dean said.

"Everybody's nice here." Emily said.

"So we've noticed." you sarcastically said, Dean giving you a look.

"So, what, it's the, uh, perfect little town?" Dean asked.

"Well, you know, it's the boonies, but I love it. I mean, the towns around us, people are losing their homes, their farms, but here, it's almost like we're blessed." Emily said.

"Well, isn't that just special." you said, different theories about what you could possibly be dealing with racing through your head.

"Hey, you been out to the orchard? You seen the scarecrow?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, it creeps me out." Emily said, Dean laughing.

"It is an ugly fucker. Whose is it?" you asked.

"I don't know. It's just always been there." Emily said.

Dean nodded his head towards a red van parked by the garage, "That your aunt and uncle's?" he asked.

"Customer. Had some car troubles." Emily said.

"Really? Car troubles, huh?" you asked, Emily nodding her head.

"It's not a couple, is it? A guy and a girl?" Dean asked.

"Mmhmm." Emily answered, both you and Dean sharing a concerned look. 

Sam had made it to a bus station and was currently busy talking to the clerk.

"Sorry, the Sacramento bus doesn't run again till tomorrow." the clerk said, checking the schedule, "Uh, 5:05 PM."

"Tomorrow? There's got to be another way." Sam said, desperate to get to California as soon as possible.

"Well, there is...buy a car." the clerk said, Sam looking at her annoyed before leaving the ticket window. 

Sam took out his phone and selected your number, "Hey!" someone said, Sam looking over to see it was the girl from earlier.

"Hey." Sam said, putting away his phone.

"You again." she said.

"What happened to your ride." Sam asked.

"You were right. That guy was shady. He was all hands." she said, Sam raising his eyebrows. "I cut him loose." she added, Sam looking around disappointed, "What's the matter?"

"Just trying to get to California." he said, surprising her.

"No way." she said.

"Yeah." Sam said.

"Me too." she said, standing up and walking towards him, "You know, the next bus isn't until tomorrow."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's the problem." Sam said.

"Why? What's in Cali that's so important?" she asked.

"Just something I've been looking for...for a long time." Sam said.

"Well, then, I'm sure it can wait one more day, right?" she asked, Sam laughing as she extended her hand, "I'm Meg."

"Sam." he said, introducing himself. 

You and Dean walked up to Scotty's Café, Dean opening the door and letting you walk inside first. You nudged him once he stepped inside, subtly pointing out the couple.

"It's on the house." Scotty said, placing a plate of pie down on the couple's table.

"Oh, hey, Scotty. Can we get two coffees, black?" Dean asked, Scotty walking away to get them, "Oh, and some of that pie, too, while you're at it." he added, you rolling your eyes as the two of you sat down at the table next to the couple.

"Hi." you said, giving them a sweet smile, "How are you?" you asked, the couple smiling and waving.

"Just passing through?" Dean asked.

"Road trip." the girl said.

"Well, look at that, Honey." Dean said to you before turning back to the couple. "Us too." he said, the couple nodding as Scotty walked over to refill their cider.

"I'm sure these people want to eat in peace." Scotty said.

"Easy there, Scotty. We're just making a little friendly conversation." you said, Scotty walking away annoyed.

"Oh, and those coffees, too, man. Thanks." Dean said, Scotty looking at him agitated. "So, what brings you to town?" Dean asked.

"We just stopped for gas, and the guy at the gas station saved our lives." the girl said.

"Saved your lives? That sounds interesting." you said, trying your best to be friendly.

"Is that right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, one of our brake lines was leaking. We had no idea. He's fixing it for us." the man explained.

"Well, wasn't that lucky?" you asked, Dean nodding his head, concern on both of your faces.

"Nice people." Dean said.

"Yeah." the man agreed.

"So, how long till you're up and runnin'?" Dean asked.

"Sundown." the man said.

You scoffed, breaking character, "Really? To fix a fuckin' brake line?" you asked, the man looking at you a little shocked as he nodded, "You know, we both know a thing or two about cars." you said, Dean nodding.

"We could probably have you up and running in about an hour, and we wouldn't charge you anything." Dean said.

"You know, thanks a lot, but I think we'd rather have an actual mechanic do it." the girl said, looking over at you.

"Oh, what 'cause I'm a girl you don't think I could do it? Lady, I was learnin' how to work on cars when you were probably busy playin' with fuckin' dolls and bakin' in your Easy Bake oven." you said, Dean kicking you under the table causing you to glare over at him.

"Sure. I know what you mean." Dean said, trying to do damage control. "You know, it's just that these roads...they're not real safe at night." Dean said, you kicking him under the table now while the couple exchanged a look.

"I'm sorry?" the girl asked.

"I know it sounds strange, but, uh...you might be in danger." Dean said, earning himself another kick.

The man looked at the two of you, annoyed, "Look, we're trying to eat, okay?"

"Yeah." Dean said, looking disappointed, the couple completely freaked out by the two of you. "You know, my brother could give you this puppy dog look, and you'd just buy right into it." Dean said.

"Ain't that the fuckin' truth." you grumbled, the bell on the door ringing.

"Thanks for coming, Sheriff." Scotty said, you and Dean both looking a little nervous.

Scotty whispered something in the sheriff's ear, and they both looked over at you and Dean, the two of you looking away as the sheriff walked over.

"I'd like a word, please." the sheriff said.

"Come on. I'm having a bad day already." Dean said, you turning in your seat to look at Scotty.

"Really, Scotty? You fuckin' narced?" you asked, the sheriff clearing his throat.

"You know what could make it worse?" he asked, you and Dean both slowly nodding your heads. 

The two of you were back in the car, the sheriff following after the two you , making sure you left town.

"Well, that just fuckin' sucked." you said, Dean sighing. 

"So, what, are you on some kind of vacation or something?" Sam asked, Meg laughing.

"Yeah, right. It's all sipping Cristal poolside for me." Meg said, both of them laughing, "No, I had to get away from my family."

"Why?" Sam asked, part of him understanding where she was coming from.

"I love my parents, and they wanted what's best for me. They just didn't care if I wanted it. I was supposed to be smart, but not smart enough to scare away a husband." she said, Sam smiling. "It's just...because my family said so, I was supposed to sit there and do what I was told. So, I just went on my own way instead." she said, Sam starting at her, "I'm sorry. The things you say to people you hardly know."

"No, no, it's okay. I know how you feel. Remember that brother and friend I mentioned before, that I was road tripping with?" Sam asked, Meg nodding. "It's, uh, it's kind of the same deal."

"And that's why you're not riding with them anymore?" Meg asked, Sam shaking his head as Meg raised her beer, "Here's to us. The food might be bad, and the beds might be hard, but at least we're living our own lives." she said, Sam tapping his bottle against hers. 

"Right there!" you said, pointing out the car of the couple from earlier.

"I knew it." Dean said, both of you getting out of the car, grabbing a few weapons before running into the orchard.

"Oh, shit." you said, the scarecrow from the post coming up behind the couple.

"Get back to your car. Go! Go!" Dean yelled, the couple running away as you and Dean both raised your guns.

The two of you both fired, both shots hitting the scarecrow causing him to stumble, but not stopping him.

"It's time to go." you said, the two of you starting to run, both of you taking turns at turning around, firing shots at the scarecrow, but he kept coming.

"Why won't you just fuckin' die?" you asked.

"Go! Go!" Dean yelled, the two of you catching up with the couple as you reached a clearing, you and Dean turning around to look for the scarecrow.

"Where the fuck did it go?" you asked, scanning the area.

"I don't know." Dean said, doing the same.

"What...what the hell was that?" the man asked.

"Don't ask." Dean said.

"Bet you wish you would have let us look at your car now, huh?" you asked, the couple looking at you and Dean in shock, Dean shaking his head at you. 

"The scarecrow climbed off it's cross?" Sam asked, sitting by his bags in the bus station, talking to you and Dean on speaker.

"Fuck yeah it did." you excitedly said, Sam chuckling.

"Yeah, I'm tellin' ya, Burkittsville, Indiana...fun town." Dean said.

"It didn't kill the couple, did it?" Sam asked.

"No, we can cope without you, you know." Dean said.

"I bet they don't think we're so creepy now." you said.

"They thought you were creepy?" Sam asked, and you could tell he was smiling.

"Oh, yeah. You should have seen it, Sam. Your brother came off like a fuckin' serial killer." you said, Sam laughing loudly.

"A serial killer? What the hell are you talkin' about?" Dean asked.

"I was basically sitting across the table from Ted Bundy." you sassed, Dean rolling his eyes as Sam laughed. "I mean, the whole these roads aren't real safe at night. You guys are in danger." you said, doing your best impersonation of him. "They probably thought we were trying to lure them outside and kill them."

"Oh, and you snapping at her really helped, didn't it? What was it? I've been workin' on cars since you were playin' with fuckin' dolls." Dean said, trying to impersonate you.

"I couldn't help it. You saw the way she was looking at me like I couldn't do it, and you know I get pissed when people thing I can't do shit." you said.

"Yeah, but you were lookin' at her like you wanted to take her fuckin' head off." Dean argued.

"Well, that's because I did, but I held myself back." you said.

"Who's Ted Bundy now?" Dean said.

"Oh, eat me." you snapped.

"I'd love to. Name the time and place, Sweetheart." Dean fired back.

"Is that so?" you asked, Dean nodding, "Well, put up or shut up, Winchester." you shot back.

"I'll pull over right now." he said, glancing over at you, Sam still on speaker.

You laughed under your breath, "Oh, come on, De. We both know all that mouth of yours can do is talk." you teased, pushing his buttons.

"Yeah, keep it up, Singer, and I'll show you exactly what my mouth can do. You'd be singin' a different tune then." he said, smirking at you.

"Guys! Guys!! I'm still on the phone!!" Sam yelled, both you and Dean looking at the phone in your hand.

"Sorry." you both said, in unison.

Sam sighed, "How in the world do you two get anything done?" he asked.

"Hey, we know what we're doing." you said, Sam chuckling.

"So, something must be animating it. A spirit." Sam said, trying to get back on task.

"No, it's more than a spirit. It's a god." Dean said.

"A Pagan god." you added.

"What makes you guys say that?" Sam asked.

"The annual cycle of it's killings, and the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman. Like some kind of fertility right." you said.

"And you should see the locals. The way they treated this couple, fattenin' 'em up like a Christmas turkey." Dean added.

"The last meal...given to sacrificial victims." Sam said.

"Yeah, we're thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some Pagan god." Dean said.

"So, a god possesses the scarecrow..." Sam said, trailing off.

"And the fucker takes its sacrifice, and for another year, the crops won't wilt, and disease won't spread." you said.

"Do you guys know which god you're dealing with?" Sam asked.

"No, not yet." Dean said.

"Well, ya figure out what it is, you can figure out a way to kill it." Sam said.

"We know. We're on our way to a local community college. We have an appointment with a professor." you said.

"You know, since we don't have our trusty sidekick geek boy to do all the research." Dean said, Sam laughing.

"You know, if you're hinting that you two need my help, just ask." Sam said.

"Ah, we'll be fine, Sammy." you said.

"Yeah, I'm not hinting anything. Actually, uh...I want you to know...I mean, don't think..." Dean rambled.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, too." Sam said.

"Me too." you softly said.

"Sam, you were right. You gotta do your own thing. You gotta live your own life." Dean said.

"Are you serious." Sam asked, a little shocked.

"You've always know what you want, and you go after it. You stand up to Dad, and you always have. Hell, I wish I...anyway...I admire that about you. I'm proud of you, Sammy." Dean said.

"What he said." you said.

"I don't even know what to say." Sam said.

"Say you'll take care of yourself." you said.

"I will." Sam replied.

"Call us when you find Dad." Dean said.

"Ok, Bye, guys. " Sam sadly said, hanging up the phone, Meg waking up and moving next to him.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"My brother and my friend." Sam said.

"What'd they say?" she asked.

"Goodbye." Sam said, the two of them exchanging a look. 

"It's not everyday I get a research question on Pagan ideology." the professor said, walking the two of you to his classroom.

"Yeah, well, call it a hobby of ours." Dean said.

"But you said the two of you were interested in local lore." the professor said.

"We are." you said, Dean humming along in agreement.

"I'm afraid Indiana isn't really known for it's Pagan worship." the professor said.

"Well, what if it was imported?" you asked.

"You know, like the Pilgrims brought their religion over. Wasn't a lot of this area settle by immigrants?" Dean asked.

"Well, yeah." the professor said.

"Like that town near here, Burkittsville. Where are their ancestors from?" Dean asked.

"Uh, northern Europe, I believe, Scandinavia." the professor answered.

"What could you tell us about those Pagan gods?" you asked.

"Well, there are hundreds of Norse gods and goddesses." the professor said.

"We're actually looking for one. Might live in an orchard." Dean said. 

The three of you were now standing in the professor's classroom, the professor putting down a large book on the table before opening it.

"Woods god, hmm? Well, let's see." the professor said, leafing through some of the pages, you and Dean both noticing a picture of a scarecrow on a post surrounded by farmers in a field.

"Wait, wait, wait. What's that one?" Dean asked.

"Oh, that's not a woods god, per se." the professor said.

"What's it say?" you asked, Dean closer to the page.

"The V-Vanir?" Dean read, the professor nodding, "The Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity, keeping the local settlements safe from harm. Some villages built effigies of the Vanir in their fields. Other villages practiced human sacrifices, one male, one female." Dean read aloud, pointing to the picture, "Kind of looks like a scarecrow, huh?"

"I suppose." the professor said.

"This particular Vanir that's energy sprung from a sacred tree." Dean read.

"Well, Pagans believed all sorts of things were infused with magic." the professor said.

"So, what would happen if the sacred tree was torched? You think it'd kill the god?" you asked, the professor laughing.

"Honey, these are just legends we're discussing." he said.

"Oh, of course. Yeah, you're right. Listen, thank you very much for your time." you said, smiling kindly at him as you shook his hand.

"Glad I could help." the professor said, Dean leading the way to the door, you following after him. 

Dean opened the door, the sheriff hitting him on the head with his rifle causing Dean to fall to the floor.

"What the fuck?!" you yelled, instinctively starting to kneel down by his side, the professor grabbing you from behind.

You struggled in his arms, slamming your foot down on his causing him to loosen his grip enough for you to turn and face him. You pulled back your arm, your fist meeting his nose with a sickening crunch.

"Damn it." you heard the sheriff say, everything going black before you even had a chance to turn around. 

The elders of the town were all standing together, discussing what needed to be done. Harley, Emily's uncle, was dead set on keeping her out of it, arguing that they already had what they needed with you and Dean.

"If the boy and the girl we already have has to die, then they have to die, but why does it have to be her?" Harley asked.

"Like I said, it's angry with us, and the girl we have gave them quite a time gettin' her down there." Stacy, Emily's aunt, said, looking over to the sheriff who had a very distinguishable bite mark on his cheek.

"Crazy bitch bit me." he said.

"What happens if she gets away? It has to be her in case that happens." Stacy said, referring to Emily. 

You and Dean were down in a cellar, the door suddenly opening, Emily standing there crying, being held by her aunt and uncle.

"Aunt Stacy. Uncle Harley, please." she begged, both of them bringing her down the stairs, sitting her next to Dean before going back upstairs. "Why are you doing this?"

"For the common good." Stacy said before closing the door, leaving the three of you in the dark. 

Back at the bus station Meg was gathering her things while Sam was trying to call you and Dean, having no luck getting either of you to answer.

"Hey. Our bus came in." Meg said, Sam hanging up the phone, shaking his head.

"You better catch it. I gotta go." Sam said, putting on his backpack.

"Go where?" Meg asked.

"Burkittsville." Sam replied.

"Sam, wait." Meg said.

"I've been trying to call my brother and my friend for the last three hours, and I'm just getting their voicemail." Sam said.

"Well, maybe their phone's are off." Meg said.

"No, that's not like them. Meg, I think they might be in trouble." Sam said.

"What kind of trouble?" Meg asked.

"I can't really explain right now. I'm sorry, look, I don't want you to miss your bus." Sam said.

"But I don't understand. You're running back to them. The people you ran away from? Why, because they won't pick up their phones? Sam...come with me to California." Meg said.

"I can't. I'm sorry." Sam said.

"Why not?" Meg asked.

"They're my family, and I'm not turning my back this time." Sam said before walking away, Meg watching him go, close to tears. 

"Come on, Singer, wake up." Dean said, shaking your shoulder, your eyes fluttering open.

"What?" you asked, your hand coming up to your head.

Dean grabbed your chin, turning it so that you were facing him, "One of those bastards hit you in the mouth?" he asked, noticing the blood around your mouth.

You chuckled, "No, I bit the sheriff." you said, Dean raising an eyebrow at you. "I came to when they were bringin' us down here. The guy just gave me a little love tap back in the classroom, and I saw an opportunity and I took it. Wasn't good enough, but at least I got the asshole." you said, shrugging your shoulders, "Also pretty sure I broke that dick professor's nose. What about you are you okay?" you asked, your hand coming up to the dried blood on his forehead.

"I'm fine." he said, standing up and walking to the door, trying to open it.

"I don't understand. They're gonna kills us?" Emily asked, both of you forgetting that she was actually there.

"Sacrifice us. Which is, I don't know, classier, I guess." Dean said, giving up on the door when it wouldn't budge.

"Classier." you snorted.

"You really didn't know anything about this, did you?" Dean asked, walking over to Emily.

"About what? The scarecrow god? I can't believe this." Emily said.

"Well, you better start believing and fast, cause we're gonna need your help." you said.

"Okay." Emily replied.

"Now, we can destroy the scarecrow, but we gotta find the tree." Dean explained.

"What tree?" Emily asked.

"Maybe you can help us with that. It would be really old." Dean said.

"The nut jobs around here would treat it with a lot of respect, you know, like it was sacred." you said.

"There was this one apple tree. The immigrants brought it over with them. They call it the first tree." she said.

"Is it in the orchard?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, but I don't know where." Emily said, the cellar door opening, the elders of the town standing there.

"It's time." Stacy said, the three of you looking at each other nervously. 

The elders were tying the three of you to adjacent trees in the orchard, the sheriff busy with you at the moment.

"You know, I gotta say, sheriff. I really dig the new look, but you know, I really think I should even it up. You know, get the other side." you said, the sheriff backhanding you.

"Don't you fuckin' touch her again, or I swear I'll kill you!" Dean yelled.

You let the blood pool in your mouth for a moment before spitting in on the sheriff's boots, "Don't worry, De, he hits like a fuckin' girl." you said, smiling up at him, your teeth blood stained.

"You check  her knots. Make sure she can't go anywhere." the sheriff said to a nearby man before walking away.

"Hey! Where ya goin'? I thought we were havin' fun!" you yelled after him, the sheriff ignoring you.

"How many people have you killed, Sheriff? How much blood is on your hands?" Dean asked, the sheriff walking up to him.

"We don't kill them." the sheriff said.

"No, but you sure cover up after. I mean, how many cars have you hidden, clothes have you buried?" Dean asked, the sheriff turning to walk away.

"Yeah, some fuckin' cop you are. What happened to protect and serve? And I'm not talkin' about servin' up people to some crazy fuckin' god." you said, the sheriff glaring at you.

"You know, you really need to learn to control that mouth of yours. It's gonna get you in trouble one day." he said, smiling smugly at you. "And it looks like today is that day."

"I've been told that's something I should work on. It's a weak spot , but I just can't seem to learn my fuckin' lesson." you said, not backing down from him.

"You will." he said.

"Uncle Harley, please." Emily said.

"I am so sorry, Em. I wish it wasn't you." Harley said.

"Why do you need her anyway? You got me, let her go." you said, the elders ignoring you.

"Try to understand. It's our responsibility, and there's just no other choice. These two have messed everything up, and he's angry with us. We have to appease him." Stacy said.

"I'm your family." Emily said.

"Sweetheart, that's what sacrifice means. Giving up something you love for the greater good. The town needs to be safe. The good of the many outweighs the good of the one." Stacy said before walking away, the other elders joining her.

"You're a crazy fuckin' bitch, you know that?!!!" you yelled, pulling at your ropes.

"I hope your apple pie is freakin' worth it!!" Dean yelled.

"So, what's the plan?" Emily asked, looking at the two of you.

"I'm workin' on it." Dean said. 

"So, I got nothin'. The asshole can tie a knot." you said about an hour later, your wrists raw and bloody from struggling against your ropes.

"I'm still workin' on it." Dean said, his mind racing with ideas.

"Did you ever think we'd go out like this? You know, tied to a tree in a stupid fuckin' orchard, a crazy god gettin' ready eat us, or whatever the fuck he does. Cause I always pictured the whole blaze of glory thing, definitely not this apple orchard bullshit, dyin' just so those crazy fucks can keep makin' their stupid fuckin' pies." you said, Dean looking over at you.

"Hey, pie has nothin' to do with this. Don't start bad mouthin' pie." he said.

"It kind of does, though." you argued.

"Do you guys know how you're getting us out of here?" Emily asked.

"Workin' on it." you and Dean said in unison, neither of you knowing what to do. 

"Hey, Y/N?" Dean asked, a couple hours later.

"Yeah." you said, looking over at him.

"About those tattoo's." he started, you quickly interrupting.

"Really, Dean? We're about to be sacrificed, and that's what you're thinking about?" you asked.

"I'm still workin' on something, but consider it my dying wish." he said.

"Pretty stupid dying wish." you said, the two of you staring at each other.

"Humor me, Singer." he said.

"Fine." you sighed, "Might as well, you know, considering we're about to die and all." you said in an annoyed tone. "I have two. One is-" you started, Emily interrupting.

"Neither one of you have a plan, do you?" she asked.

"Emily." Dean sighed, "You couldn't have waited a minute to ask that?" he said, frustrated.

"We're still workin' on it." you said, slightly panicked because you had nothing.

"Can you see?" Dean asked her.

"What?" Emily asked.

"Is he moving yet?" Dean asked.

"I can't see." Emily said, a shadow moving near the trees. "Oh my God." she said, the shadow moving closer, you and Dean trying harder to free yourselves. "Oh my God!" Emily cried, Sam coming out from behind the trees.

"Dean? Y/N?" Sam asked.

"Oh! Oh, I take everything back I said. I'm so happy to see you. Come on." Dean said, overjoyed, Sam working on untying him.

Sam walked over to you once he freed Dean, Dean working on untying Emily.

"I've never been happier to see you. I'm sorry for everything too. I could fuckin' kiss you." you said as Sam worked on your ropes, Sam laughing under his breath.

"You've never offered to kiss me." Dean said, looking over at you, Emily now free.

"I HAVE kissed you. Did you forget the plane?" you asked as Sam pulled you to your feet.

"Did you forget the plane?" Dean mocked, you glaring at him.

"Guys, can we do this later?" Sam asked.

"How'd you get here, anyway?" Dean asked.

"I, uh...I stole a car." Sam said.

"Aww. It's like our little baby is all grown up." you said, pinching his cheek, Sam rolling his eyes at you before swatting away your hand.

"That's my boy, and keep an eye on that scarecrow. He could come alive any minute." Dean said.

"What scarecrow?" Sam asked, you and Dean turning to see the post empty.

"Well, fuck." you said, you and Dean exchanging a nervous look. 

"Alright, now, this sacred tree you're talking about-" Sam said, the three of you and Emily running through the orchard.

"We think it's the source of it's power." you said.

"So, let's find it and burn it." Sam said.

"Nah, in the morning. Let's just shag ass before Leather Face catches up." Dean said, the four of you reaching a clearing, the town elders and a few other townspeople waiting. "This way." Dean said, the four of you turning to see that path blocked as well.

"Please. Let us go." Emily said.

"It'll be over quickly, I promise." her uncle said.

"Please." Emily begged.

"Emily, you have to let him take you. You have to-" her uncle tried to say, the scarecrow suddenly appearing behind him, his sickle piercing through his stomach.

Emily and her aunt, Stacy, started to scream, the scarecrow grabbing Stacy and dragging her away as Emily ran into Dean's arms. The rest of the townspeople that were left started to scatter away in fear.

"Come on, let's go." Dean said, the four of you starting to run, a noise stopping each of you.

You all turned around, expecting to see the scarecrow, but there was nothing. The scarecrow and his victims were no where to be seen.

"Let's get the fuck outta here." you said, everyone nodding in agreement. 

You, Sam, Dean, and Emily were back in the orchard the next morning, equipped with gasoline as the four of you searched for the sacred tree.

"That has to be it." you said, walking up to a tree marked with strange symbols, pulling off your gloves as you looked at it.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Dean asked, stepping towards you.

"Making sure." you said, placing your hand on the tree before he could stop you, jerking it back a few seconds later, "That's it." you said, slipping your glove back on.

Sam walked up to the tree, and started to pour gasoline on it while Dean picked up a long branch and lit the end of it.

"Let me." Emily said, taking the branch from Dean.

"You know, the whole town's gonna die." Dean said.

"Good." Emily said, throwing the branch on the tree, the four of you watching as it went up in flames. 

"Good luck!" you called out, the three of you at a bus station watching as Emily boarded a bus to Boston.

"Think she's gonna be alright?" Sam asked, looking over to you and Dean.

"I hope so." Dean said.

"She just survived livin' in a town of fuckin' nut jobs, and almost being sacrificed. Pretty sure she's gonna be just fine." you said, Sam nodding.

"And the rest of the townspeople, they'll just get away with it?" Sam asked.

"Guess so." you breathed out.

"Well, what'll happen to the town will have to be punishment enough." Dean said, the three of you walking to the car. "So, can we drop you off somewhere?" Dean asked Sam.

"No, I think you guys are stuck with me." Sam said, stopping at the car.

"What made you change your mind?" you asked.

"I didn't. I still wanna find Dad, and you two are still a pain in the ass." Sam said, Dean nodding.

"Hey!! And to think I offered to kiss you." you teased, Sam shaking his head, a smile on his face.

"But, Jess and Mom...they're both gone. Dad is God knows where, You, me, and Y/N...we're all that's left. So, if we're gonna see this through, we're gonna do it together." Sam said.

"Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful." Dean said, putting his hand on Sam's shoulder, Sam smacking it away.

"You two should be kissing my ass. You guys were dead meat." Sam said.

"Yeah, right. I had a plan. I'd have gotten us out." Dean said, you shaking your head.

"Right." Sam said, smiling as he opened the car door.

"You know, I gotta side with Sam on this one. We were fucked." you said, giving Sam a look, a smile on his face.

"I had a plan." Dean argued.

"Really? Cause the last thing I remember was you tellin' me that you're dying wish was to know where my tattoos are." you said, raising one eyebrow.

Dean threw his arm around your shoulders, "Speakin' of that...you never got around to telling me." he said.

"Well," you said, shrugging his arm off, "You aren't dying now, are you?" you asked, opening the door to get in.

"Come on, Singer! That's not fair." Dean said.

"Not a word, Sam." you said, pointing at him over the car.

"What?! Sam knows?" Dean asked you before turning to Sam, "You know?!" he asked, Sam looking down at his feet.

"He knows about one of them. I mean, he was there after all." you said, sliding into the backseat, Dean staring after you slack jawed.

"You better start talkin'." he said to Sam, Sam shaking his head.

"No way, man. You heard her." Sam said, getting into the car and closing the door.

"Son of a bitch!!" Dean yelled, kicking at the ground before opening the door and climbing behind the wheel. 

"Can we stop at the next motel?" you asked, a few hours later.

"It's barely nine. We can keep going for a little while." Dean said.

"Please." you said, Sam snoring softly in the passenger seat.

"If you're that tired take a nap back there." Dean said, glancing over at you as you leaned over the seat.

"I'm not tired. Would you just do it, please?" you asked, Dean sighing.

"Fine." he said, spotting a sign for a motel at the next exit. 

Dean pulled into the parking lot of the motel, "You wake up Sleeping Beauty, and I'll get the room." he said before getting out of the car.

"Sam." you said, shaking his shoulder. "Wake up."

"Hmm...we stoppin' already?" Sam asked, sitting up in his seat before rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, Dean's getting a room. Come on." you said, grabbing your bag and getting out of the car, Sam following after you. 

Dean opened the door, you and Sam walking through first, Dean following. You tossed your bag on the end of one of the beds before turning to Dean.

"I need the keys." you said, Dean giving you the room key.

"To the car." you said, shaking your head.

"Why?" Dean asked, narrowing his eyes at you. "You're the one who was bitchin' to stop."

"Because I have a surprised planned, asshole. I need to the keys to go get it." you said.

"A surprise?" Dean asked.

"Just give me the keys, De. I'll be right back." you said, holding out your hand, Dean reluctantly dropping the keys.

"Right back." he said, a warning tone to his voice, you rolling your eyes before you turned to the door.

"What's that about?" Sam asked, laying across the bed he claimed.

"Who knows." Dean said, shrugging his shoulders. "She said she had a surprise." 

You walked in the door about forty minutes later carrying two brown bags.

"I was about to come looking for you. That wasn't right back." Dean said.

"I may have hit a snag." you said, walking to the table, placing the bags down.

"Snag?" Dean asked, worried about his car.

"Well, come on boys." you said, looking between them. "Get your asses over here. We're celebrating." you said.

"Celebrating?" Dean asked, one brow raised as he walked to your side.

"Celebrating what?" Sam asked, making his way to the table.

"Well, for one." you said, gesturing between you and Dean, "We didn't die, and then, two, you came back." you said, smacking Dean's hand away from the bag. "It's not a fuckin' surprise if you look."

"I'm tired, Y/N. So, can we do whatever you're gonna do already?" Sam asked.

"Well, I was gonna go ahead and get started but it looks like I'll have to remove the stick from your ass first." you said, Dean laughing.

"Alright, what do you got in there?" Dean asked, sitting down.

"I got jerky for you." you said, reaching into the bag, tossing a few bags of beef jerky in front of him. "And these are mine." you said, grabbing a couple bags of M&M's.

"Snacks? The big surprise is snacks?" Sam asked, Dean already tearing into one of his bags.

"This is where I hit the snag. You just can't get healthy shit at gas stations or liquor stores." you said, reaching into the bag, "So, Sam, you get veggie flavored chips, and this questionable lookin' apple." you said, placing them in front of him. " I really wouldn't fuckin' eat that if I were you."

"Yeah, I don't think I will." Sam said, looking at the apple.

"Now, for the good stuff." you said, pulling out two bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue.

"Oh, now you're talkin', Singer." Dean said, snatching a bottle as you grabbed three of the little disposable cups the motel offered.

Dean opened the bottle and filled each of your cups, "To not dying, and Sam coming back." you said, raising your cup before shooting it down, Sam and Dean following after you. 

The first bottle was well on it's way to being empty, the three of you talking and laughing about anything and everything.

"You should have seen them, Sam." you laughed out, Dean refilling your cup. "They were so freaked out. You woulda had them eatin' out of your hand, though." you said, Dean nodding.

"I still don't see how you guys ever made it without me." Sam said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, we aren't the best with people." you said.

"Speak for yourself, Singer. I'm great with people." Dean said.

"You're great with bimbos." you said, pointing a finger at him, Dean glaring at you.

"Alright, guys." Sam said, slapping the table. "I'm callin' it a night."

"Lightweight." Dean said, Sam standing up from the table.

"Night, Sam." you said, refilling your cup.

"So, you ready to call it a night, too?" Dean asked.

"Does it look like I am?" you asked before raising your cup to your lips, Dean smiling at you. 

Sam's snores were filling the room, and you and Dean had somehow made your way from the table to the floor at the end of your bed.

"How drunk are you?" you asked, your head leaning against the bed as you looked over at him.

"Well, I'm not sober." Dean said, a big smile on his face as if it was the funniest thing in the world. "You?"

"Drunk enough to know I'm drunk, but not drunk enough to not know what I'm doing." you said, hoping it came out like meant it to.

You got to your feet, a little shaky at first, "Wh-what are ya doin'?" Dean asked, looking up at you.

"I gotta show you somethin'." you said, pulling off your gloves, tossing them to the floor.

"I've seen your hands before, you know." Dean said, your foot coming out to gently kick him.

"It's easier to unbutton my jeans without the gloves, smartass." you said, toeing off your boots.

"Un-unbutton you pants?" Dean asked, looking up at you nervously.

"You wanna see my tattoo or not?" you asked, unbuttoning your jeans, Dean's eyes laser focused on you as he nodded his head.

You pulled your zipper down and started to pull your jeans down over your hips, shimmying a little as you worked them down.

"Here, let me help." Dean said, pulling your jeans down until you could step out of them.

"You'll have to scoot closer. It's kinda small." you said, Dean leaning in as you held the hem of your shirt up with one hand, and hooked your thumb into the right side of your panties, pulling them down just a little, just far enough for him to see it.

"Is that...?" Dean asked, trailing off as he cocked his head to the side and leaned in closer, his shoulders starting to shake before he threw his head back laughing.

"Shut up! You're gonna wake Sam up." you scolded, shoving at him.

Dean looked up at you, wiping his watering eyes, "Is...is that a cartoon M&M?" he laughed out.

"Don't laugh, asshole." you said, glaring down at him.

"What...what's it holding?" Dean asked, leaning in closer again, trying desperately not to laugh.

"A shot glass." you said, before bursting out laughing yourself.

Dean raised his hand, resting it on your hip, his thumb running over the tattoo, "Never in a million years would I have guessed that." he said, pulling you down into his lap, your legs on either side of his so that you were straddling him.

"Yeah, well, I had a reason for getting it, but I just can't remember what it was." you said, Dean laughing before pulling you in closer to him.

"I like it." he said, his face inches from yours.

"Do you now?" you asked, wrapping your arms around his neck, leaning down your lips ghosting over his.

"You lost a bet." Sam mumbled, you and Dean whipping your heads to face him, "Also, I need to make something very clear." Sam said, rolling over in bed to face the two of you, "I'm in the room. I need you both to remember that I'm in the room, so put your pants back on Y/N." he said before rolling back over.

"Sam's in the room." you said, looking at Dean, hesitating a moment before standing up.

"Sam's in the room." Dean breathed out, his head dropping back against the bed in frustration. 

A/N: Thank you all for taking the time to read this. I’m going to try to get the next two episodes posted as soon as I can. <3 <3

Tags: @for-a-brothers-love​ @slytherinrising​ @miraclesoflove​ @22sarah08​ @deans-baby-momma​ @spnae​ @karikatz12481​ @spngirl05​ @winchester-fantasies​ @freddiemermaytaydeac​ @rainbowkisses31​ @in-deans-arms​ @scentedhoundshepherdmoney​ @teamfreewillisbae​ @it-could-go-off​ @moonlight-on-her-skin

​

[thebiasrekkers]

Fragmentation 5.0 - KNJ

Plot: How does one measure freedom? Are our choices truly our own, or are they part of a preset design outside of our control? We all have a question burning inside of us, though few speak it out. It is the question that drives us forward, seeking purpose in our lives. What is The Matrix?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | The Matrix!AU | angst | sci-fi | action | drama

Pairing: N/A

Warnings: Strong language, allusions to suicide, extreme angst, graphic violence

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,269

AN: Now we get Namjoon’s perspective. YAY. Also in the Real World in Zion. Again, all information in the universe can be found on the official Matrix Wiki so please use that as a reference guide if you ever get confused!

Tag List: @aroseforyoongi​, @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432​

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

“Oh look,” a voice said suddenly, “it’s the prodigy.”

Namjoon sighed as he continued typing away on one of the system computers. For the last three years, he lived in Zion’s control tower. It was where all the trainees went who hoped to become Operators for a ship. In less than a year of his boarding, Namjoon showed excellent marks in reaction time as well as hacking prowess. It was no secret that he was far ahead of the rest of his class and there were rumors that he would graduate in the next year if he continued to excel in every area of expertise they could throw at him.

That didn’t make him very popular with his peers. Then again, it wasn’t like he actually cared. They all had a common goal and as long as that remained true, then they only needed to focus on doing their jobs.

Who cared if it was some popularity contest?

“Wait guys. You know he hates that title. We have to call him by his alias, remember?”

The tone was snide and insincere. Again, Namjoon didn’t care. He had other things he needed to devote his attention to. Rumor was that he would be boarding a ship soon to help with a simple reconnaissance mission. Nothing too overly complicated, but he wasn’t about to turn his nose up to the task. The lives of Matrix Operatives were in his hands and that was a responsibility that no one should ever take lightly.

So he continued to tune out his fellow classmates, focusing his energy on the program he was creating. It was a training program that would be used in the Construct - an exercise to help hone the sensory perceptions of operatives so that Agents wouldn’t be able to get the jump on them. When Agents obtained a target, they were relentless in their pursuit until an Operator was able to get them out. Namjoon wanted to prevent such tragedies from ever taking place. What better way than to prepare the operatives in any way possible?

He received word from his mother that Taehyung would be boarding a hovercraft next year. To successfully become a pilot, a trainee needed to physically handle the controls for years. Namjoon barely saw his brother due to his own hacker training, but it was guaranteed that they would not cross paths for several more years once Taehyung boarded a vessel.

Namjoon felt a hand on his shoulder, but he continued typing away at his station.

“Don’t listen to them,” said Vermillion, giving Namjoon a gentle shake.

“I don’t,” he replied, his eyes narrowing at the line of code he was reworking, “I always tune them out.”

“Typical. That’s just like you, Spectre.” Vermillion chuckled, sliding into the chair beside him. She peered over his shoulder as he continued working. “That looks pretty advanced. I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished.”

Pressing several more keys, Namjoon saved his progress and closed out the command console. Everything was transferred to the mini disc that slid out from a tray on the main hub. He popped it into a small case and shoved it into his pocket. 

“It’ll take a few more weeks before I’m satisfied.” 

Namjoon stood from his chair, grabbed his bag, and made for the exit. He didn’t have to look to know that Vermillion was hot on his heels. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, but he’d come to be a very solitary person. He rarely saw his mother and there was a good chance that he wouldn’t see his brother for several years. Not until they were both finished with their respective Training Programs. 

“You’re not going to report to the Head Programmer of your progress for the day?”

He smirked. “He already knows.” Turning to look at her, he continued walking. “I was told to help out at the Command Tower for a few hours.”

Vermillion’s eyes widened. “Wow. Forreal?” 

He nodded and they continued walking through the various metal corridors. The shocked look on her face was well-placed. Most people didn’t get to work at the Command Tower during training because there was a high risk of something failing because of an amateur mistake. The fact that their teacher cleared him for work at the Command Tower was another testament to Namjoon’s skill level. 

They reached the elevator for the Command Tower. Namjoon’s hand hesitated over the button as he looked at Vermillion. She seemed to want to say something else to him, so he waited. But after a handful of minutes of silence, he sighed and pressed the button to call the lift.

“Well, I’ll be seein’ you,” he said as he readjusted his bag’s strap along his shoulder.

The metal doors groaned as they slid open, granting him access. He stepped onto the lift and just before the doors closed, he saw Vermillion’s smile as she waved at him.

“Do well, Spectre.”

He flashed an easy grin in her direction. But once the doors were closed, the smile fell off his face immediately. Namjoon didn’t have any time to waste. There was a chance the war could be over in his lifetime. It waged on for damn near a century already. The people of Zion, human-born and field-born alike, were all tired of this seemingly never ending conflict. His parents saw the brunt of it during the beginning phases - children when their parents were fighting for their freedom.

Namjoon didn’t want to pass this burden on to his children.

To keep that from happening, he would work himself into the ground. Until there wasn’t a single breath left in his mortal body.

Four Years Later

Spectre pulled out his mini computer, booting it up to look over the dossier files of the ship he was newly assigned to. He was originally slated for Operator duty the previous year, but he opted out of it. His brother, Edge, hadn’t returned from his training tour yet. The benefit of finishing at the top of his peer group was that Spectre got to pick and choose a few things here and there. 

Namely when he would be boarding a ship. 

He quipped a brow at the list of crewmates on his future ship. There were some impressive resumes on the vessel. Certainly nothing he could turn his nose up at. The Admiral must have had a hand in the assignments and there was clearly a reason why Spectre was placed with that particular group. Based on the skill records of everyone on board, save for the pilot, they all had more than one year of field experience that wasn’t “on the job training”.

The Captain and First Mate in particular. 

His eyes scanned over the pilot’s name and he couldn’t help the smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth. Spectre had all the faith in the world that his brother would make it through the Training Program, but he hadn’t expected to see his name on a crew member manifest just days after his ship docked back home. 

“Yo, Big Bro!”

Spectre lowered the mini computer to his side, lifting his gaze up to see his younger brother strolling up the long metal walkway toward him. He closed the computer, slid it into his pocket, and waved to Edge. His little brother wasted no time closing the distance between them, taking off in a dead run and barrelling into him. Spectre grunted when he felt Edge’s shoulder crashing into his chest, his arms encircling around his waist. He laughed as Edge lifted him up off the ground.

“Hey,” Spectre said, patting his younger brother’s head, “a little over the top, don’t you think?”

Edge set him down, placing a fist on his hip. “Are you kiddin’ me?” He pouted. “I haven’t seen you in years. I should be setting off fireworks.”

Lifting a basket off the ground and handing it to Edge, Spectre shook his head. “Yeah, don’t do that. We’ll get court-martialed.”

Edge’s heavy steps reverberated off the metal flooring. “It would totally be worth it, though.” 

“It wouldn’t, actually, but whatever.” 

The brothers shared a smirk with each other. 

It didn’t take them long to reach their house. The door was already open just as they saw their mother stepping out. She carried a basket of linens in her hands - presumably to go do laundry at the water recycling plant. The minute her eyes shifted in their direction, however, she seemed frozen in place. They took a few more steps toward her, watching as she dropped the basket at her feet. The dirty clothes and bedding would remain ignored. They already knew what mattered most to their mother.

“You’re back,” she finally managed, her hands trembling as she reached for them, “I knew you’d both come back home together.”

The two brothers filled their arms with their mother - holding her closer than they believed was possible. Her smell hadn’t changed and the strength in her embrace was just as they remembered it when they were children. She openly sobbed against each of their faces, overwhelmed with how much they’d changed. Yet they remained the same. They were men now, but the brothers knew that they would always be her little boys.

Her pride and glory.

After what seemed like too short a moment, their mother pried herself from them. “You two must be starving,” she said, turning to usher them into the house, “I’ll see about gathering some rations for dinner.”

Spectre leaned down to pick up the discarded laundry basket. “You don’t have to do that, Mother,” he offered, but he could tell that she would not be hearing any of it.

“Go inside and unpack your things. I’ll be back!”

They both sighed in unison as they watched their mother dart off down the metal walkway and across the bridge. Spectre turned to Edge and they both shrugged, making their way inside the home they hadn’t been in for several years. Lucky for them, nothing had really changed.

Spectre poured himself a cup of water, handing it to Edge and then poured another. “Have you gotten your assignment yet?”

Edge smirked as he pressed the metal cup to his lips. “Of course I have.” He gulped down half the water and set it down on the metal counter. “I’m stoked as fuck that I’m going to be piloting the ship you’re the Operator of.”

“That’s it?” Spectre lofted a brow at his younger brother. “Nothing else?”

“I mean, not really.” Edge shrugged. “I don’t know much about the others. I’m just glad I’m with you.”

Chuckling, he shook his head. He should have known that his brother would still continue to be simple-minded, even after all of these years. It didn’t come to him as a surprise; not really. In a way, it was almost relieving to know that his brother remained wholly the same - even after the intensity of the Training Programs.

“Did you get a chance to look at the ship?”

Edge whistled, sailing his hand out across his body in a dramatic flourish. “Bro, let me tell you…” He leaned sideways, bumping his shoulder against Spectre’s. “Just thinking about flying that ship is giving me a hard-on like you wouldn’t believe!”

He rolled his eyes, lightly elbowing his younger brother’s side. “Seriously? Come on.”

“I’m dead-ass serious, Bro. Like, holy shit, the Amaterasu is one sexy fuckin’ vessel.” Spectre watched a gleam sparkle in his younger brother’s eyes as he spoke. “She’s the newest hovercraft in the fleet and that baby was made for speed and destruction. I bet she could make it to The Fields and back before a Sentinel could even detect what actually happened.”

Spectre quipped a brow. “New stealth tech?”

He watched his brother nod emphatically. “Oh yeah, and then some.” He clapped his hands together. “I can’t wait to test that beauty out.”

Pulling out his computer, he looked over the ship’s diagnostics. There was some serious hardware put into the hovercraft. If the deployment of the Amaterasu was successful, the engineering crew would work on replicating the ship’s schematics for future hovercrafts. As exciting as that prospect was, Spectre couldn’t help but frown a little.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the Amaterasu was a guinea pig ship. This would be the first time the crew would work together as a collective. Some were still fairly young, their minds “freed” but needing more time to mature. There was also the chance that they would all clash when it came to their personalities and work flow.

He barely got the sigh out of him before Edge wrapped an arm around his shoulder to pull him in close. “Hey, c’mon, Spectre! This is what we went through all that training for, right?” Edge winked at him. “Everything’ll be fine. Every single member of the crew is the best of the best of the best, right?”

Spectre nodded. “Yeah…”

“So there’s nothing to worry about. We’re going to be the talk of the entire fleet. Everyone in Zion is going to know our ship.” Edge laughed, causing Spectre to grin; his enthusiasm was infectious. “We’ll do great things, Bro. I know we will.”

Spectre ruffled his little brother’s hair. It brought him an overwhelming amount of relief to know that his younger brother had, in fact, barely changed at all. In a time where their future was bleak and uncertain, pure optimism was necessary. Hope was needed.

And he would do whatever he needed to do in order to ensure that that hope never died.

[finderskeepersff]

15.

Closing the door to my parents home, I finally show my face in this place. I honestly don’t want to be in Brooklyn currently but like Kyle says, I can’t just shy away from the place because then it makes me look like I did the shit “that might be him, who else could it be. All my kids are home besides you” hearing my mother say, I wonder who she is speaking too. She always knows it’s me when I am home which is annoying, sighing heavily turning the corner “the man himself arrives back” my mother is on the phone “Cassius!” Jasmine ran at me, my little sister is back home “you here again?” I laughed, she is always home this girl “well I heard everything that was going on and came back” hugging Jasmine “you should have stayed there, shit will be fine. You good though? Cali treating you good?” moving back from the hug “yes but it’s nothing like being back home, also I miss you guys” my mother walked over to me “who is that?” I asked “Jordan” he has been trying to call me for so long “ok” taking the phone from my mother “what is it?” walking off slowly “I have been trying to call you, you never answer” rubbing my cheek “well if you call and I don’t answer then that means I don’t want to speak to you but we are speaking now? How may I help your life again?” that’s all I seem to be doing, if it isn’t his spawn then it’s him “I heard you with Sofia” this is why I didn’t want to answer the phone, this is what he wanted to speak on “so?” what else does he want “mom was saying it, she was saying some shit but I set her straight. I told her I never had sex with her. You seem really happy” my face scrunched up “I ain’t spoken to you about shit, how do you know?” the hell is this “social media, I have a phone in here now and I still have Sofia on it. I saw a picture of you both before mom even mentioned it. If you happy then so be it, I wanted to say thank you for being there for my son and for me. I’ll probably be locked away for a few more years and if you could like try and help them get Bryce with us” I don’t trust Jordan “this ain’t you, tell me how you really feel nigga? Come on now, and how have you got a phone?” he’s a dumb ass, who would give him one “I don’t feel anything Cassius, this place kills you mentally. I’m finally able to walk in this place because of you, people talk to me and with respect. I got caught with a weapon in here, so I think I will be here for more years” the kid is dumb “why can’t you just lay low? Jordan, you are dumb” he is dumb and doesn’t need to do that “I am not you Cassius, nobody will do anything for me. I have to work” he ain’t wrong with that.

Passing the phone back to my mother, I am wondering now. How did he see the picture, what picture do I look happy in. Sitting down on the couch next to my sister, I knew something would break him. Being locked away has, I mean he had to get raped for that “you dating Sofia?” I didn’t even get a whole minute of silence “Josiah said she cooked him breakfast” glaring over at Josiah “she was rude to me you know, she is stuck up. Out of every girl, why her? I mean Celine is bad enough” Josiah has a big mouth “I didn’t even date Celine, she was a nut rag. Josiah you a whole dummy” he really is “Jasmine, it’s got nothing to do with you. Just be the good little sister and be quiet” she will end up riling mom up and I can’t be bothered, I only came here to see them and then get a few things “who got you that?” Jasmine pointed at the bracelet, looking down at the bracelet Sofia got me “Sofia” I admitted, I don’t care “she did? You really dating her? You never date” scratching my head “well I am now, anyways. When you go back, take Josiah with you” Jasmine rested her legs across my lap “why would I do that? I will not” Jasmine touched my neck “he came home with hickies, mom!” placing my hand over Jasmine’ mouth “shut up” Jasmine laughed out loud “you a whole adult hiding away from mommy” Josiah and Jasmine both laughing at me “it’s not that, I can’t be bothered to hear her mouth. Where is dumbo dad?” he must be around “doing the garden but what about Josiah? Tell me” Jasmine slapped my face lightly “I told him he needs to live out his dream so do it, I will give you money if you need it” Josiah smiled at me “I got money Cassius, I will go” that is all I wanted, these two tag-teaming me just to laugh at me.

My dad got up from the grass “you like my flower bed boy?” my dad said, nodding my head “very nice of you” he walked over to me taking off his gardening gloves “didn’t think I would see you in this place, it’s been a while” clearing my throat “I can’t choose my family but I am here, I am going away for a while. About two weeks, I think. I’ll be out of the country” I ain’t speaking to my mom so I might as well tell my dad “really? With Myles?” shaking my head “Sofia dad, but if you need anything I can always make it happen you know me” my dad placed his hand on my shoulder “if you happy then go for it” I chuckled “not being mom’ little bitch in the corner. You wouldn’t say that in front of her” my dad pointed at me laughing “you will soon see, when you love it’s a different feeling. To not hear an argument you just stay quiet, you will understand. I am not a little bitch. I have my own ways to get to your mother” he probably does this nigga “also they have put Bryce into a home where the family is looking after him, we can fight this. We can get him back, we just need to fight for it. I’ll leave that to you” my dad nodded his head “we did seem him, we are fighting it Cassius. He will be back with us, I wish you and your mother would speak” I snorted “nah, she disrespected me in a different way, she hurt my feelings. But take care” turning around to go back inside.

I should technically take all of my clothes to the apartment but this gives me a whole reason to come back here, I do like to watch over my family. Sofia scolded me, she says if I come back with a duffle bag she will murder me, I mean it’s a long time and it’s out of the country so I did need think when I packed. I have a whole bunch of new clothes in the apartment so I just packed some of the shit in this. Placing my suitcase down on the floor “going?” Josiah asked “yeah, I’ll be away for a while” my mother walked out of the living room, she glared at me and I stared back “you are so engrossed in that girls pussy” she speaks “I was waiting on you, upset that I’m not your little bitch?” she has been dying “you’re my son!” my mother shouted “you have two sons and one daughter, I am nothing to you. You should have got an abortion before you had me, I don’t know how you would have lived without me actually. But seriously you should have, saved my soul for better parents cause you trash” Josiah hates arguments “Cassius, come on” he mumbled “you are my first born son, I love you. You was the most wanted child but the most lost child I have had” she is blaming me “lost? You knew I was lost but didn’t help? Ok mother, you pawned me off to the streets for your fat ass. If I hear you speak shit on Sofia again I will make sure every money you have taken from me comes back to me. I will get yo ass in jail cause you know I can do that” my mother looked at me shook, she doesn’t know what to say “over a girl!?” my mom shouted “shouldn’t have said that shit to the baby I lost, now you either get on board or leave” grabbing my suitcase “you lost a baby!?” Jasmine spat, I am not in the mood to be explaining shit to anyone.

Throwing the suitcase inside the apartment “wow” Sofia said, I didn’t think I threw it that hard “my bad” that nearly hit into her legs “so did it go well?” closing the door “better than expected, Sofia. Who do you bank with?” placing my car keys on the side “Citi?” she said confused “oh so do I, I need you put some of my money in your bank?” I can’t do it in my own, it doesn’t look right “you want me to put drug money into my account?” she spat “don’t say it like that but yes, I can’t take that amount of money in cash with me, I need a back up of you holding it. I can take some cash but I don’t want to be stopped. Can you do that for me? They won’t know, I won’t give you loads” she is scared to do one simple thing “we do need to go soon, I mean we can go to the bank while we drive to the airport” I breathed out “thank you” that is all I wanted “if they question or ask just tell them your great aunt died and left it you, don’t look so guilty it’s fine” she is so cute, she looks like the police will lock her away “but could I get in trouble?” shaking my head “it’s just for this, I won’t do this to you. One time, they can’t question you, as long as it ain’t all of the duffle bag money” I love this woman too much.

Seeing Kyle’ car as I pulled up outside the bank “you look beautiful and why didn’t you get the ring changed?” she has hung it on a chain “no, you got it like that and I want to keep it that way” touching the ring “that is fine, don’t act all nervous. You’re just depositing five thousand” Sofia’ mouth hung open “Cassius? Like that is a lot” I chuckled holding the clear bag up “it is but deposit that” she took it from me “one time thing, just be cool about it. It’s nothing” Sofia put it in her bag “why that much? You have cash on you too” I grinned “start your savings too, just go” she doesn’t get it, pressing a kiss to her lips “what savings?” she frowned “exactly, you don’t know what it is? Just go woman” she needs to learn the value of money, watching Sofia get out of the car, she is so damn beautiful and all mine. Looking to the side of me watching Kyle walk over to the car, looking back over at Sofia’ booty “Cass” dapping Kyle, he lowered his head down into the car “you all set to go?” nodding my head “she is depositing money for me, I didn’t want to leave that money unattended in that home. I took things from the safe at my parents and then also the apartment. I trust you to hold it for me” Kyle laughed “it’s like we swimming in money, these niggas don’t get it. These young cats will never know” nodding my head laughing “your girl is back out” that was too quick, she can’t have done it “I need you take the shit out of my back seat, don’t do it yet” Sofia dragged open the car door. Kyle and I just staring at her “I forgot my mobile, I forgot my pin for the card” blinking at her several times “I did say relax, it’s fine” she closed the car door and then stopped “who are you?” she asked Kyle “I am asking for his number? I like the booty” busting out laughing “stop it nigga” she looks so confused “I was coming to the bank and saw him, he’s my friend” Sofia let out an oh and then walked off “she believed me too, do I look gay?” Kyle asked “a little but you thinking on leaving the life?” Kyle nodded “we getting too high for this shit, we will end getting a low and I don’t want to see that” he ain’t wrong, I am glad to be hopefully getting out of it.

Well she is back in the car with no trouble “you good? You know you are now apart of the drug dealing process bub?” Sofia’ head snapped in my direction “don’t play me, am I really? Cassius I did say I would help you but don’t purposely use me like that” laughing at how serious Sofia is “you love me though? I mean a lot right? You just need to do this a few times” putting the car engine on “Cassius! No, this is wrong, I refuse to do such a thing. No” she is triggered “Sofia, you really think I would let you do such a thing? Listen to me, the money is in there for me to spend and also for you to start saving, you hear my words. You need to start saving” putting the car in drive “you’re not funny, I thought I was a dealer there” she is so simple at times “but what did I say to you? What do you need to do more in life?” she doesn’t listen “save but why save when you can spend and live for now” she is a spender “and go on holiday every time, I kind of know now why you work there. You do it for the free flight, you ain’t sneaky now but I am a little offended, when I went Miami with you. I paid for my own flight, you didn’t get me free anything and I dicked you down” I ain’t forget about that “well treat them mean keep them keen, I didn’t think ok. But I did it for you now” she ain’t shit for that.

I am the type of guy to not care where I sit, the girls want to sit together then so be it but she dogged me out of first class “is this flight really eight hours?” this is going to be painful, I hate sitting in one place for so long “yeah, but you had the right idea” he pointed at my neck pillow “I took it from Sofia” I laughed, she ain’t notice shit “I was thinking Cassius rocking that pink too” buckling my belt, I am sat next to Lloyd which I don’t mind, he funny as shit “I was like what is that, she told me I then thought of myself, so why the hell not” she will notice it soon and then cuss my ass out “where we going anyways? Italy?” I be in my own world, I just follow the crowd “Milan nigga and then we going Greece, Spain and then France. Going home after” pulling a face “but why? Is that why it’s like two weeks? I don’t know what I signed up for with Sofia” Lloyd laughed “yeah, I think with our women we just say yes to please them. I’m the same but I didn’t want to pass on this, I love hanging with the idiots and we have another one. I am sorry for that night, you know getting too drunk, is everything ok now?” it wasn’t even his fault “all good, don’t be sorry for something that ain’t your fault. I drank” it was all me on that.

Staring out of the window on the flight, it’s kind of amazing the we up in the clouds. Never did I think I would be going anywhere out of America but look at god “hey” Lloyd nudged me, looking away from the window “what’s up?” sitting back in the seat “Ivy wanted to announce it later but I am dying to say it but she is pregnant” that is so random to tell me “seriously? That is so good, I am happy for you. Is that something you always wanted? To be a dad?” Lloyd paused “it wasn’t planned if you are asking, she found out like two days ago. It was like slap in my face. I am a little in shock but happy, it’s new beginnings” nodding my head “happy for you bro, I won’t say anything to anyone but I am happy for you” that is good on him “happy about what?” Sofia came out of nowhere “you took my neck pillow?” I knew she would be around “nothing and it’s mine now, why don’t you go back to your friends. You have offended me again, you put yourself in first class” she dead ass wrong “I can’t pick and choose Cassius, and you gave up your seat to be here. You both did” rolling my eyes “excuse me, this lady is bothering us” I said to the flight attendant “yes sir?” the lady said, clearly didn’t hear me “the lady here, she is harassing me for my mobile number. Can you please move her, thanks” Sofia wants to kill me “hi, are you supposed to be here?” the flight attendant asked “no but are you going to move me?” Lloyd and I laughed out “I will need you to move back to your seat ma’am, please stop harassing the passengers” I cackled laughing “bye” waving at her, she did this to herself.

Closing the door behind me, I needed that pee “is everything ok now sir?” the flight attendant asked me “erm yeah, all good thank you. She been harassing me since the start” this has to be the funniest thing to me “I’m sorry to hear that, is it just you and your friend?” nodding my head “yes” all them niggas ditched us, they wrong “we can upgrade you, free of charge. Business class” my eyes widened “seriously? What is the catch?” there has to be one “none sir, please gather your things. I will take you there” maybe she wants my dick, I would have given it if I was single or maybe she is being kind. Walking down the rows of seats, hitting Lloyd’ arm “we going business class, come” Lloyd gasped unbuckling himself out of his seat “get my backpack” I am shook right now, business class so she can shove that first class up her ass. Lloyd held my backpack out to me, grabbing my bag from him as we made our way up the rows of seats. To get to business we have to go through first and go up the stairs, I am so here for this. Scanning first class and then I see their heads all looking up, Sofia looked straight at me and I put a finger up at her “aye, where you both going!?” Mitch shouted, going up the stairs. This is more like it “wow, I don’t know what you want from me. Things like this don’t come for free” she must want something “oh no, enjoy your flight with us” I am about to sleep like a baby.

We even arrived via business departure, that shit is lit “how the fuck did you get Business?” Ivy shouted at Lloyd “sorry we don’t speak to peasants” I cackled walking behind him, we will end up meeting up at some point but I am following the business side to leave “what did you do? I didn’t get to ask?” I shrugged not knowing myself “I think she assumed Sofia was a stalker, I assume that also. But Lloyd she said I gave the seat up, I didn’t. She said the seat is Ivy’ but she will give it you, so I was like fuck it” Lloyd laughed “the thing is, it’s like we are seat fillers. So it does work like that, how you think I feel? I had no chance, I was always going to be economy but I am staying with you. You be getting the good dealings here” I practically blinked and we was out “so we didn’t need to do shit? Like seriously? No wonder these business people just leave so quick” that was quick “we can have a drink while they still checking their shit” first class ain’t shit on business “I just realised, like I was thinking why they looking at us crazy. You out here with a pink neck pillow and one sweatpant leg up and one down, you sir are a mess” looking down at myself “I slept good, I even drooled, that was special” Lloyd laughed “I ain’t going to lie, I will get you drunk again. You was funny as shit” he is saying that but Sofia didn’t find it funny “record me too, I would like to see” seeing the group that left us “y’all look so miserable” I said smiling, catching the  flight attendant walking out with her other workers “can you please stop harassing me, I don’t want you” Sofia mean mugged me, Lloyd laughed out loud “you’re so annoying, put your pants down properly” she leaned down pulling the leg down “ok mom” she is moody when I should be moody.

Holding out Sofia’ neck pillow as I made my way to the back of the bus they hired, they hired a whole thing “thanks” she snatched it from me “can I sit here or is it first class only?” Sofia shuffled over “oh wow, see that. I can sit here” I sat down next to Sofia “I wish you would drop it” she mumbled “I have heard about the back massage and the promise ring” Mia was quick to say, looking up at Mia “you told them everything?” I said looking over at Sofia “I tell them everything, like they do theirs. I even tell them that your remaining fat for me and our bodies be slapping and I stop breathing sometimes when you on top” she being dead ass, staring at Sofia with my mouth hung open “that is dead ass wrong, why?” I ain’t here for that “just like you probably flirted your way to business class, no bitch would do that. I ain’t stupid” my mouth fell open “you clearly are stupid Sofia because you are wrong, and wrong even more. I don’t appreciate you speaking shit about what we do. Just because your ass is skinny talking about you stop breathing. You just piss me off for no reason, I don’t appreciate that shit at all. That’s my business” kissing my teeth “talking about I flirted, talking about my business” I got up from the seat “piss me off for nothing” sitting at the back in the corner on my own, I just need space.

[isabeau25]

Get To Know Your Author

Tagged by @eastofthemoon!

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean?

There’s a book called Dove Isabeau that I loved as a kid, and also I loved the movie Ladyhawk, and Isabeau was one of the main characters.

2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (bookmarks/subscriptions/hits/kudos).

Room with a View (although Can’t Take the Sky From Me was a very close second  - I had to do actual math to figure it out; I’m impressed I remember how to math.)

3. What is your AO3 profile icon, and why did you choose it?

I don’t have one. I never bothered to upload it. If I did, it would be the same as the one for this account. It’s my cat Nibbs laying on my foot not long after we found him in my parents’ backyard. I use it because he’s cute and fluffy, and because I don’t like pictures of me floating around the internet.

4. Do you have any regular/favourite commenters?

I love all my commenters! It’s always exciting to get the notice that someone took the time to comment and I go back and reread them all all the time.

@maychorian​ has commented on a bunch of my Voltron fics (almost all of them I think), and I’m always super excited when I see her comments because she leaves such excellent and well thought out ones.

5. Is there a fanfic that you keep going back to read again and again?

Hound by story_monger I come back to because it’s so well done. The writing is fantastic, and the sense of suspense is amazing, and I really love the way it dealt with different layers of trauma and wove together the way past trauma continued to impact how present trauma was processed and dealt with. Plus the team was wonderfully tender with Keith, and he got cuddles.

Hyggelig by heyheroics I’ve gone back and reread a couple times. It is an example of the ever rare, non-romantic Keith and Lance center story. Well written and even though it’s not finished, the chapters read as short stories, so I’m not left with cliff hangers. I’m always excited when it updates.

I reread pieces from @maychorian​ all the time, particularly from the Boom Crash series and the Dream Seam series (*whispers* a lot of the time I skip straight to the cuddles. She writes the best cuddles.)

The Raised by Lions series by @eastofthemoon​ I like to go back and reread. Red and her strange furless cub are super fun to read about, and then Shiro comes along and there is even more fluff and cuddles.

Basically there’s a shortage of platonic fluff and cuddles in the Voltron fandom and when I run out, I go back and re-read my favorite cuddles.

6. How many stories are you subscribed to? How many do you have bookmarked?

I have like 12 bookmarked and 4 subscriptions. I always forget that’s a thing you can do on AO3.

7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most?

.... so many. I’ve been working on The Five Lion Cafe au lately, trying to finish up the next one (almost done *fingers crossed*), and Mermaid Rescue and Rehab Inc. is up next on my list to finish, so I’ve been picking on that. 

I’d like to get back to Babe’s in Space at some point. I have general outlines for lots of short stories in that AU, and there actually is a bigger over arching plot if I ever get to it.

8. How many people are subscribed and bookmarked to you in total? (you can view this on the stats page)

91 subscriptions and 992 bookmarks

9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are afraid of people judging you for it? (Feeling brave? If so, share it!)

Mostly platonic physical intimacy, just because I don’t want to deal with it being labeled as romantic or shippy (I guess that’s not so much a fear of being judged as just not feeling like dealing with other people’s reactions). Once something is posted, you have no control over how it’s received or interpreted. That’s just the nature of publishing something; you have to let it go (or drive yourself crazy trying to force people to see it only the way you want, which is just not worth the time or energy).

Because of that, I sometimes pull back from writing a scene as intimate as I’d like, or I choose a slightly different approach to it, just because I don’t want to deal with seeing it labeled as a ship in the tags and comments.

10. Is there anything you would like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc.

Action sequences and creating suspense. It’s hard to translate the movie-like images in my head into words for action sequences. I watch a lot of youtube videos for reference when I’m trying to write them.

And suspense, when done well, is just a great thing to be able to do. It keeps the reader engaged and makes the piece more exciting.

Also replying to comments! They mean so much to me, and I’m so terrible at replying.

11. Do you write rarepairs or popular ships more often?

Not really? I guess Ronin and Tara from Epic qualify as a rarepair just because the fandom for Epic is so small. I think the idea of Ezor and Kolivan from Voltron being a crack pair (not one that ever would or should show up in canon) is hysterical, but I haven’t written anything for them yet.

I really just don’t ship much in general.

12. How many stories have you posted on AO3 to this day (finished and unfinished)?

As of December 22, 2018, I have 49 stories up on AO3, all of them finished. I never start posting a story unless it’s already done.

13. How many stories do you have saved in/with your writing program?

So, that’s really hard to calculate. For every fandom I have what amounts to a dump document where I write random scenes and stories that I’m not sure will go any where, in addition to that I have:

Epic - 14 docs, most of those are probably single stories

ROTG - 9 docs, but I don’t think I separated out many of the WIPs from my main dump doc, so there’s probably more WIP there.

Voltron - 15 docs, but some of those documents are for series, so there’s might be multiple WIPs in the document.

And that’s just the unfinished stuff. I didn’t include the stories that are done. I usually keep those on my hard drive too because I don’t trust the internet not to suddenly eat my work.

14. Do you write down story ideas, or just keep them in your head?

I keep them in my head way too often, then go back to stories I’ve set down for a couple months (or years) and don’t remember what was going to happen. I’m trying to get better about writing out at least a general outline for stories so that doesn’t happen.

15. Have you ever co-authored a story?

I have co-authored with @eastofthemoon and @ladydouji. I’m kind of a flake about writing though and I’m really bad at keeping deadlines with something I just do for fun, so I don’t team up very often.

16. How did you discover AO3?

Google search for fanfiction because there wasn’t enough decent stuff on ff.net.

17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on AO3?

I don’t think so? I don’t pay much attention so I don’t have much bases for comparison.

18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers?

Nope.

19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write?

I read a lot growing up (not so much now - grad school does a really good job burning you out when it comes to reading). I loved fantasy mostly, and a little bit of sci-fi, although that’s never been a super sharp distinction for me.

Patricia McKillip is my favorite author. I absolutely love the way she writes and the way she crafts stories. I really enjoyed Jane Yolen, and Bruce Coville too.

20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author?

I really like Neil Gaiman’s 8 Rules of Writing.

The most important thing you can do is write. Get the words on the paper. That’s really the hardest part. I like his last rule best though “Write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly and tell it as best you can.”

21. Do you plot out your stories, or do you just figure it out as you go?

I usually know where they’re going (in my head at least, by the time I actually start getting words on the page), but sometimes they end up taking unexpected turns or new scenes show up out of now where while I’m writing. That’s part of what makes writing exciting. 

22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do?

Nothing terrible, but a few (at least one of which went over my head until years later because they were being sarcastic).

I find I have an increasingly low reserve of energy, and things like that are not worth spending it on. I just ignore them.

23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (action, smut, etc..)

Interpersonal conflict! Why would these two normally rational people who care about each other let a thing escalate to the point of them actually fighting over it, or having it damaging their relationship, or coming to blows over it? And how do I write that in a way that doesn’t sound contrived and is in character to everyone involved.

24. What story(s) are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on finishing up the next Five Lions Cafe story, and also working on the last of the Mermaid Rescue and Rehab series.

I’m also working on a story that is probably going to be called Bad Moon on the Rise, and is focused on Lance and the Red Lion’s bond (and also has quintessence vampires).

25. Do you plan your next project(s) before you finish your current ongoing story(s)?

Yes! My brain never stops planning stories. Never.

26. Do you have a daily writing goal set for yourself?

Not really. Sometimes I’ll got through stretches where I write a lot, and other times my brain just melts and refuses to make words.

27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started?

Yes! Even just going back a few years, but I’ve been writing since I was in elementary school, so there has been a great deal of improvement from the epic and fully illustrated “There are dinosaur ghosts living in our playground” that I wrote in first grade (and tried to convince my teacher was true).

28. What is your favorite story that you’ve written?

It’s actually not even up on AO3. It’s the only Narnia fanfic I ever wrote, and it’s called Refuge. One of those things that just felt unfinished and unaddressed in the Prince Caspian movie, and I like how I addressed it.

29. What is your least favorite story that you’ve written?

*Snorts* Thankfully lost to the great ether of individual fan sites that no longer exist, I had some CATS fanfics that were pretty terrible.

There’s also some Ronin Warriors stuff, and I think some stuff from the original Voltron dub, that’s pretty terrible, but I don’t have the heart to take down because people were actually kind enough to leave nice comments on them.

30. Where do you see yourself (as a writer) in 5 years?

The same, but hopefully better at it. I don’t really have any aspirations to be a professional writer. I’m happy just doing it for fun.

31. What is the easiest thing about writing?

The stories!

32. What is the hardest thing about writing?

Putting the words on the page!

33. Why do you write?

Because it’s fun! And challenging! And it gets the things in my head out of my head!

Tagging: anyone who wants to. I think all the people I know on tumblr have already been tagged.

[ardentlyjae]

All I Want - Part Two (First Half)

Pairing: Taehyung/Reader, Jungkook/Reader

Genre: Angst, War!AU (Trigger Warnings: Violence, Gore, Death)

Rating: M

Word Count: 18,296

Summary:

You’ve been in love with Taehyung your whole life, even following him into war. Now you have to deal with the effects of living during a brutal war that takes everyone.

Author’s Note: I had to break this part into two because the entire document was ~40K+ words haha.

Part One | Part Two | Part 2.5

You woke up to the sound of a loud bomb in the distance. It had become such a routine now that you didn’t even register the noise anymore. The loud sounds that resulted from battles and attacks did not surprise you, or even get a reaction from you.  They all just signaled the beginning of a new day – a new busy day. Sometimes you wondered what your life would be like if you had decided not to volunteer as a nurse, but the thought of you just waiting at home while your closest friends experienced the horrors of the war firsthand was enough to make you think that you made the right choice. There was no way that you were going to let them experience this alone. Though you couldn’t actually be next to them, you wanted to make sure that Taehyung, Hoseok, Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin all knew that you were with them through all the good times and all the bad.

It had been a year since that initial choice – a year since Taehyung had made that promise to talk to you after the war was over. The letters that Taehyung sent to you, that all of your friends sent to you really, became the thing that you looked forward to the most. The fact that you were abroad with them made them come more frequently, although the last time you had seen any of them had been the day they enlisted. They continued to update you, each boy’s personality still managing to shine through each letter you received.

But something had changed in the letters lately. Jimin’s letters had a sense of apprehension, as if his sudden short and curt replies to you seemed to be hiding something. They did not have the same feeling, the same personality, and even the things that he wrote to you about seemed more mundane than they had previously. It wasn’t just Jimin either. The last time you had received a letter from Taehyung had been over a month ago. You still received your biweekly letters from the rest of the boys, and you still sent out your own biweekly letters, even if that meant that you lost a few hours of sleep each night and there wasn’t much you had to update them on.

It wasn’t until almost two months after Taehyung’s last letter that you realized why his communication had ended so abruptly. You checked the makeshift mailroom that had been made in a tent a few hundred feet from the entrance of the hospital you were stationed at. It had become a habit to check the mailroom everyday, as you were never really sure on when a letter from the boys would arrive, except that you were guaranteed two per month. Instead, what you found waiting for you was a set of two letters from Taehyung’s mom which you found strange. She hardly ever wrote to you, choosing to send any messages to you through Taehyung or your parents. Bidding the soldiers sorting the mail a goodnight, you quickly ran back to your small room inside the hospital, sensing the need to be alone before you even opened the envelopes.

You took a seat at your desk and opened the envelope that was postmarked earlier, knowing that it was the one that you should read first. Sometimes the mail from home was so delayed that you would end up receiving multiple letters at one time, each postmarked months before, though these two letters were from two months ago – with each postmark dated just days from each other. You tore open the envelope of the earlier letter, revealing the crisp white paper inside and began to read.

Dear Y/N,

How have you been my dear? Your parents send me updates as soon as they receive your letters, and I’m glad to know how you’ve been doing. I feel just the same amount of pride as your parents do as you tell them about all of the soldiers that you have saved. You’re growing up to be a wonderful young woman with a bright future ahead of you.

I was wondering if you had received any letters from my son recently? I haven’t heard from him and I know that he maintains really good contact with you. It could just be that the boys are busy, especially now that they’re off being heroic and fighting, but if you hear anything could you please let me or your parents know? I would love to hear from you as well.

Take care of yourself darling.

There was an immediate sense of dread that came over you. The thought that something might have happened to Taehyung immediately came to mind. If he hadn’t been sending letters to you, it could have been because he was too busy, but not sending letters to his mother was so unlike Taehyung that you couldn’t help but think that there was something wrong. If there was one thing that he cared about more than your friends and yourself, it was his own family. Perhaps it was that and the combination of Jimin’s unusually bland letters that almost made you suspect that there was something he was keeping from you.

You took the second letter from the side of your desk, slowly opening the letter, as if part of you was afraid of what its contents would be – and you were afraid. Your subconscious refused to allow you to move faster, the letter holding one of the most frightening answers at that very moment. Unfolding the letter, you saw his mother’s large handwriting once again and taking in a deep breath you began to read. The first thing you noticed about the letter was that the writing was messier, with smudges and words that were almost illegible. The paper was also rougher in some parts, as if it had been wet and dried while it was being written.

Dear Y/N,

I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, especially when you’re abroad. A few days after I sent my other letter, my husband and I were sitting at home. We had a knock on the door and there were two men there dressed in their uniforms. I’m so sorry honey, but they told us that our boy, my son, was missing in action. His plane had been shot down over enemy territory and that it was likely that my boy was likely dead though they could not recover his body.

They told us that his dog tag was found and they gave it to me. It feels like a part of me just died. Like the biggest and brightest light in my world has just ended. My husband has begun making preparations for his memorial service. I wish you and the rest of the boys could be present but I know that you’re off fighting the war. When all of you come back home, please come visit our house. It needs the life that my son and all of you brought.

I wish my boy had been able to tell you how he felt. I always considered you like a daughter, and I hope you considered me like a second mother to you. I always thought that you would marry Taehyung and become my real daughter but I guess that will never happen. My boy, he loved you so much. He told me that just about every single day as a child and as he grew up I never once doubted that those feelings ever changed. There was no other girl that he ever cared for as much as he cared for you. I’m sorry to tell you this over a letter, and I hope you can come over when you are back and this damned war is over. Please take care of yourself and try to focus on the effort first. Thank you, and thank you to all of your friends, for making my son’s life one that he was so happy to live and for giving him many memories that I’m sure all of you cherish.

Please, take care of yourself.

You read and reread the letter a million times after that initial reading. You refused to believe any part of that. Your heart began to beat increasingly fast and your breathing hitched. How could Taehyung be missing? How could the military just write him off as dead? You felt the emotions welling up inside of you, just bubbling underneath the surface, ready to spill out at the slightest movement.

There was no way Taehyung could be dead. Your mind was full of your memories with him, his brown hair and boxy grin that seemed to be permanently on his face. There was his deep voice that always lulled you to sleep and filled you with a sense of protection. You remembered the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled and the way his eyebrows furrowed when he was confused or angry. How could someone that your entire world revolved around be gone?

You felt the tears begin to fall from your eyes as the realization suddenly dawned on you. You would never be able to see him again. You wouldn’t be able to feel his hugs when he greeted you or said goodbye. You wouldn’t be able to hear that laugh that you swore was the most incredible sound you had ever heard or his smooth voice whenever he sang along to a song on the radio. The picture frame that sat on your desk, an old photo of you and Taehyung at the park during high school, suddenly became one of your most prized possessions in that moment. You took it in your hands, desperately wishing to go back to that time, or really any time before Taehyung had enlisted in the military.

How could someone as pure, as friendly, as bright as the sun be gone? If this war had never occurred, maybe Taehyung would be around. As you sat there, you realized that you would give up everything just to have seen his smile one more time.

This war didn’t make any sense to you. Nothing about what was happening to all of the soldiers out on the battlefield ever made any sense. The only people that seemed to be suffering from this war was everyone that was fighting, the people on the front lines, and the people whose lives the soldiers affected.

It felt like the wind had been knocked out of you. You could hardly breathe, struggling to get in air through your sobs. There was an immeasurable pain in your chest and you could barely think, your mind just filled with thoughts of Taehyung, of things you wished you had said and done before. You wished you could go back and tell him how you felt earlier. How different would life be if you had done that? Would he have been more careful? Would he have still died?

Taehyung was your world. How were you supposed to act when your world was gone?

17 MONTHS LATER

It was your birthday, yet you did not feel like celebrating. You didn’t tell any of your fellow nurses or supervisors. It had been months, a year and more since the day that you received the news about Taehyung, yet it still stung as if you had just received it minutes prior.

The boys had all found out through you, all except Jimin who was in the same unit as Taehyung and knew before even his mother did. He found out as it happened, you later learned, with Jimin being the last person to hear Taehyung’s transmission over the fighter pilots’ communication lines. Jimin was told he was not allowed to report anything until Taehyung’s family was notified through the formal military channels, and it became apparent to you that was why his letters had become so distant.

Since that news, the war had only gotten more brutal. The hospital that you were assigned to was forced to move closer to the battle lines as an attempt to get help sooner for all of the wounded soldiers that made it back to the base. The new hospital was in a large building that used to be a mansion for some rich aristocrat in the 17th century, but had since been turned into the main medical center for the allied countries. It was in the middle of the countryside, about five minutes away from where soldiers from your country and its allies had dug trenches opposite the enemy’s.

This particular day had started out with a relatively quiet morning, an event that you had grown to appreciate greatly since you enlisted as a volunteer. You were walking down the hall, when one of your coworkers sped by you, running to an emergency room with supplies spilling out of her arms. You had just finished treating one of your patients when another one of the nurses grabbed your wrist, pulling you to the foyer of the hospital.

“There was a large battle in the morning and it didn’t turn out in our favor. We got a message a few minutes ago that there was a large amount of wounded,” she explained, her face visibly worried. You simply nodded, immediately realizing what was coming, and turned to look at the entrance.

The foyer had two large, white doors opposite the main entrance that two nurses were opening. Inside that lay a grand ballroom, almost the size of a football field that had been converted into a large emergency room. You could see nurses rushing, moving soldiers that could be moved onto gurneys, clearing the beds for the expected patients. Other nurses came to wait with you and your coworker, the head nurse giving instructions for the large amount of soldiers you were expecting. As you looked around, you saw that even the nurses who were given the night shift that week were still working. You felt sorry for them, knowing they must be exhausted, you knew you would be. From the looks of all the available staff, it meant that the amount of wounded soldiers would be higher than usual.

“Prioritize the soldiers who can be saved! Those that need to be treated immediately that you can treat without the help of a doctor. We are running low on morphine and other supplies so please use it sparingly. There should be an extremely large number of soldiers being brought in very soon!” The head nurse yelled out as she walked down the line.

You could see other nurses biting their nails, and you looked down, taking in a deep breath. Having served for a year now, you had gotten used to all the blood and gore caused by war. Many patients you had treated had passed away and you felt yourself becoming numb to all of the atrocities. In fact, in a way it helped that you had managed to be able to witness an amputation without gagging, making you into one of the doctors’ favorite nurses to have in the operating room. You could focus better on trying to save their lives rather than on anything else as well. You always remembered that the soldier you were treating was someone’s friend, brother, son. The man in front of you could always be to someone else what Taehyung was to you. In fact, every man that ended up in front of you was Taehyung. He was every face you passed by, every patient you saw. You made a silent promise to yourself at that moment, that whoever you were left to take care of would survive at whatever cost. That was all you really wanted for your birthday.

You heard the first siren in the distance and watched as the truck turned onto the road leading to the hospital. All nurses and doctors immediately ceased speaking. Everyone was ready for the oncoming flood of wounded soldiers, all of you only hoped that there would be enough supplies to treat everyone.

Multiple trucks full of soldiers began arriving shortly afterwards, and men who were fine helped carry in those that were wounded. All the nurses sprung into action, pulling gurneys and leading men to beds inside of the large ballroom. There was yelling everywhere, cries in pain from the wounded and men yelling trying to explain what had occurred to the person they were carrying. You ran to the side, pulling a gurney with you and you saw a tall man with broad shoulders holding someone.

“Put him on the bed!” You yelled in his direction, pulling the bed so that he could reach it.

After laying the soldier on the gurney, you saw that he was shaking, possibly from all the wounds he had received, yet he made no noise as the other soldiers did.

“He was shot and then a grenade went off near us!” the man holding him explained, panicked and worried about his companion. “Please save him! He’s only twenty years old!” You simply nodded to him, saying in a hurried voice, “I’ll try my best.”

He helped you push the gurney inside of the ballroom, while you searched for an empty bed, finding one on the row by the wall underneath a window. There he transferred the boy to the other bed and stood a few feet away as you began examining the soldier’s wounds.

He had burns all over his chest and arms, one of them reaching the lower half of his neck. There were other burns, some running down his left leg. Then there were the gun shots. You could count nine as you examined his body. On the left side of his body, one had hit his clavicle, two hit his upper arm, and another had hit his forearm. There were two more gunshots that hit the right side of his ribcage and stomach. The final three seemed to have hit his left thigh, with one grazing the side and leaving a surface wound. How this boy had managed to take all these injuries was beyond you, but you were sure going to try to make sure he survived.

You worked quickly, putting gauze on all the gunshot wounds to stop the bleeding. You could feel the other soldier’s presence behind you, watching as you worked with a frightened expression and you figured that the two were friends, slightly adding to the pressure that you had already placed on yourself. Once you finished covering up all the gunshots, you looked up, searching for the nearest doctor and noticing one a few beds away and doing quick exams on each of the wounded.

You began disinfecting all the burns, noticing the solider wince every time you touched him but never once making a sound. It struck you as odd, as the rest of the soldiers yelled out in pain while he stayed silent, only showing his pain through the intense shaking and a slight groan he would let out every once in a while. Dirt covered his body, making you worry about his wounds getting infected. If he was only twenty years old, you didn’t want him to lose an arm or leg because of an infection. You had seen too much of that already and one more life that could be permanently damaged by the war would only anger you more.

The doctor reached your patient within a few minutes, shining a flashlight on all the wounds and commenting on your quick work to cover up all the gunshot wounds. After a few moments he ordered, “He’s going to need surgery. We don’t have time to take him to the operating room, so wait here. I have to pull out the bullets lodged in his body. Give him enough morphine to last until I finish examining the rest of the patients.”

Nodding, you administered a small amount of morphine, watching the shaking slowly begin to stop. When you saw him begin to calm down, you changed the gauze covering one of his wounds that had soaked through. All around the room, there were cries of agony as the rest of the nurses ran around trying to keep their own patients alive. You sat beside this young man, waiting to make sure that he continued to stay alive and so that he would be ready for the intense amount of pain that you knew was sure to come when the doctor began to remove the bullets lodged in his body. The only thing you could hope for was that the morphine you gave him was enough to lessen the pain even slightly. You softly cleaned his face, removing all of the dirt from his cheeks and forehead in an attempt to calm him down. As you took off more of the dirt, you began to realize that this boy was actually pretty handsome. You noticed that he had a small mole underneath his bottom lip, another right under the very tip of his nose, and a mouth that was tinged a light shade of pink. His closed eyes also seemed as if they were actually quite large and he had soft features that made you want to try everything possible in order to save him.

As you were taking in every crevice, every feature that lined the boy’s face, the lead doctor came back to you saying, “None of the operating rooms are available. I’m going to remove the bullets here.”

You heard a gasp behind you, remembering that the other soldier who had brought him in was still standing a few feet away. It wasn’t the first time for you to witness a procedure usually done in an operating room to happen in the large ballroom, but you could tell that it was for him. He probably didn’t want to see his friend getting metal instruments poked into his body to remove bullets.

“You might want to go outside, possibly help bring in more wounded. This isn’t going to be pretty,” you warned him. “I will look for you when we’re done.”

He nodded quickly, running to the exit without a second thought. You looked at him for a few seconds longer before turning back your attention to the patient and waiting to receive instructions from the doctor.

A few hours later, most of the yelling had subsided – either from morphine or from soldiers passing away. You had been sitting next to the bed of the wounded solider, monitoring him to make sure nothing happened to him. You refused to let someone you helped die on your birthday, even if it was the last thing you did and continued to sit by him as the rest of the nurses began to retreat back to their rooms, exhausted from the day’s events. The sun had begun to set, casting a soft yellow glow in the room. You had taken a few minutes to run back up to your room to grab a book in order to keep yourself occupied. Around you, the other nurses had just finished their rounds, or were slowly wheeling those that passed away out of the room.  Earlier in the day, you had gone searching for his friend but could see that he was nowhere in sight, but you were too exhausted to do some deep search in the soldiers’ base.

As you looked around the room, you didn’t notice when one of your other fellow nurses, a girl named Rachel, came up beside you with a pastry and a small, lit candle. Although you rarely spoke much to any of the other nurses unless it was about work, Rachel had become a close friend of yours. A few years older than you, her boyfriend had been drafted into the army a few days after he had proposed to her. She volunteered as a nurse to at least have a chance to run into him again, though she knew it wasn’t likely. She was one of the few who knew about Taehyung, including the news that managed to break your heart every single day but you saw her as a kindred spirit, as both of your reasons for enlisting were almost exactly the same as each other’s.

“Happy birthday,” she whispered. She had noticed the boy in front of you was sleeping. You smiled, “Thanks.” “Are you going to stay here all night?” She asked, looking concerned. You turned back to the bed that held the solider, and said in a soft voice, “I can’t let him die. Not today.”

She didn’t say anything else. Instead she just patted your shoulder softly and turned to leave the ballroom. There was nothing she could say that would make you change your mind and you appreciated that she understood that. Rachel always understood your thoughts before you could even make a sense of them yourself and that was a quality of hers with which you were extremely grateful for. It made your life a lot easier and made working at the hospital more tolerable – even if you were surrounded by so much suffering.

After a few days had passed since your birthday, the hospital resumed its normal routine, though now inundated with more patients. You went back to the rounds that you did on a daily basis, checking on each of your patients and making sure that they were all doing okay. They had begun moving some of the wounded soldiers that had come in that day into rooms and as you checked your assigned rooms, you saw that you had three new patients to take care of. It didn’t surprise you. Everyday there was some new patient that was given to you.

It took two hours before you finally reached the last room assigned to you. It was at the end of a long hallway in the northeast corner of the mansion. You pushed a small cart with a tray of food and a few bandages and stopped at the door of the room. One more patient and you would be done with the first half of your shift and then be able to go to lunch. You sighed to yourself, already feeling drained from the previous rooms you visited. Slowly pushing the door open, you walked inside and instantly recognized the face of the soldier in the room.

His eyes were closed, but after spending the entire night by his bed, his sleeping face had become so familiar to you. When you couldn’t sleep, you had found yourself studying his face as if it was a piece by Michelangelo, taking in every single detail of his features. You paused for a few seconds, looking at his face and wondering what his life was like before the war even started. Did he have a girlfriend back home? Did someone else confess to him before he enlisted like you had to Taehyung? Something about him reminded you of Taehyung, but it wasn’t his looks. They didn’t look anything alike.  Maybe it was because he was around the same age as you and Taehyung, though something told you that was not the case.

You walked to the edge of his bed, picking up the clipboard with his chart on it to read what you were supposed to administer to him. His name was Jeon Jungkook, you read. The chart called for a redressing of all of his wounds twice a day as well as a few other steps for medication to keep infections from happening in any of his wounds. The cabinet on the opposite wall from the bed held all the bandages and gauze and some of the medicine, and you walked over to pull some out.

Pulling a stool to the side of his bed, you slowly began to remove the old bandages that had hardened due to the dry blood and applying some hydrogen peroxide softly to disinfect the wounds. As you treated him, you began to think about Taehyung once more, bringing a dull ache to your chest again. If you were completely honest to yourself though, your mind never wandered from him though. He was in everything that you did. You removed all of the old bandages and looked down at the soldier’s wounds, you couldn’t help but think about Taehyung and his last moments, your mind continuing to drift from this boy to Taehyung as you worked. You hoped that he hadn’t suffered like this boy had, hoped that he didn’t experience the pain that you were sure Jungkook had even though you gave him massive amounts of pain medication. You could not imagine what it must have felt like to have a grenade explode near you and get shot multiple times and somehow still survive.

It was when you had finished redressing the wound by his collar bone that you realized that his large eyes had opened. It was also then that you noticed that there were tears in your eyes, and you wondered when you had begun to cry.

His large eyes looked at you in surprise and you couldn’t help but jump away. Staring at each other for a few seconds in complete silence, you were the first to break into movement. Quickly giving him the prescribed medicines and leaving the food for him in a distance that he could reach, you ran out of the room as soon as you were able to, pulling the door behind you shut. You leaned against the door to his room, waiting for your rapid beating heart to slow down as you took in deep breaths. If you went back to the nurses’ station like this, they would ask questions that you didn’t even know the answer to yourself.

You weren’t sure what caused you to be so caught off guard. He was just surprised to see you, at least that was what you thought. He probably hadn’t been expecting the nurse treating him to be crying. You wiped the tears from your eyes and looked down for a few seconds in a feeble attempt to calm down your heart before it burst out of your chest.

It was the next day before you saw Jeon Jungkook again. You had taken the rest of the previous day off, asking one of the other nurses to cover your afternoon shift because you were feeling under the weather. You couldn’t admit to yourself that it was simply because you didn’t want to run into him again. Now today, you had once again finished serving and treating the rest of your patients before you found yourself standing in front of Jungkook’s room.

You stood outside his door for a minute, collecting yourself before you did something else dumb around him and before embarrassing yourself once more around one of your patients. Taking in a deep breath, you gave yourself a little bit of a pep talk as a feeble attempt to get you to open the door.

You knocked twice on his door to announce your presence and then stepped inside, pulling the cart holding his food behind you. Today, he was awake and the second that you walked in, his eyes immediately went wide in recognition. You tried to pretend that you couldn’t feel his stare, but when you looked back at him a few moments later, you could see his curious eyes watching your every move.

Sitting down on the same stool you sat on the previous day, you gave him a quick warning that you were going to be giving him a bit of morphine so that he wouldn’t hurt so much while you tended his wounds. Jungkook nodded, continuing to stare at you in an almost apprehensive way.

After waiting a few moments to make sure that the morphine’s effects had begun to kick in, you began to redress his wounds. You started at the legs because those were the furthest away from his curious, large, doe eyes that you would eventually have to face. You were dreading having to get near Jungkook to redress his collarbone wound, but you continued to repeat to yourself that you were a professional and that no soldier before had ever caused you to get so flustered around him, so you didn’t see why Jungkook had to be so different.

You slowly worked your way up his body, disinfecting and redressing every single wound and dabbing the cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide on all of his burn marks. You were sure that the majority of his body would be covered in some form of scar for the rest of his life, yet of all of injuries had happened on his body – none had hit his face. It wasn’t until you had finished redressing the collarbone wound, and finally moved your head away from the mere inches where he was, that Jungkook spoke.

“Why did you cry yesterday?” He said, in a voice so low that you almost didn’t hear it. You paused, in the middle of pulling the cart over his bed to place his food in front of him. “What?” You asked, knowing it was the only thing that you could muster in your shock. “Yesterday, when you were treating me. You were crying and then you ran out,” Jungkook responded, his eyes still full of curiosity and a hint of timidness. You looked down, unsure of what to say. You weren’t even sure yourself why you had begun to cry, so how could you even explain it to him? “I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he said, staying silent as he waited for your response, as if somehow he knew that you yourself didn’t have an answer to his question. You stayed quiet, hesitant to answer. When he noticed your hesitation, he spoke again. “Sorry, I was just curious. I thought I had done something while I was asleep.” That was what made you look over at him, taking a good look for the first time since you walked into his room, straight into his eyes. “It wasn’t you. I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure myself either why I had begun to cry if I’m being totally honest.”

You laughed shyly, hoping to diffuse the tension that had developed between the two of you. You began to move so as to distract yourself from his silence and assumed that you had sufficiently freaked him out, so you turned to take the food tray from the cart. After placing his food in front of him, you walked over to the door and it wasn’t until you were in the middle of stepping out of his room that you heard his soft, melodic voice say, “See you later!” causing you to let out a smile and a soft laugh as soon as you were sure you were out of his sight.

In the afternoon, you usually had to redress the wounds of some of the soldiers per the doctors’ orders. There was also the second round of food that you had to deliver to all of the patients that had been assigned to you – including Jungkook. You seemed to breeze your way through the rest of the patients on your list, feeling lighter than you had in months. As you made your way towards Jungkook’s room, the last on your list, you couldn’t help but feel something. You were not quite sure what the feeling was, but the closer you got to his room, the stronger the feeling grew inside of you.

It was late afternoon when it was finally time to help Jungkook once more. You did a quick tap on the door to let him know that you were coming in and turned to pull the lunch cart with you before opening the door with one hand. As soon as you opened the door, you heard an unfamiliar laugh, immediately recognizing Jungkook’s voice soon after.

You opened the door fully, revealing to you that Jungkook had a visitor with him, and feeling your stomach drop slightly at the sight. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, turning to face the boy laying down. Since spending so much time around soldiers and interacting with them, you had learned the differences between the uniforms of the men and you could tell that Jungkook’s visitor was not just a normal private, but a higher ranked officer instead.

It was when the visitor turned around to face you that you instantly recognized him as the one who had brought Jungkook in to the hospital that first day. Now that you had time to breathe, you took a good look at his face realizing that he, too, was extremely handsome. His light brown hair, cut short fit his face well and his broad shoulders were emphasized by his military uniform, which now that you had a closer look, recognized as that of a corporal.

His face immediately lit up in recognition of you as well and he gave you a smile, giving you a greeting. “Hi! I remember you!” You nodded slightly, giving a light smile before leaving the lunch cart by the door and walking over to the cabinet that held all the bandages and syringes for the morphine. When you turned around again, it was Jungkook that spoke, a look of bewilderment clearly written on his face, “Have you two met before?” You shook your head at the same time that the other man answered, “Not formally, no. When I brought you in, she was the one who took you.” After you finished gathering all the bandages and cotton balls that you needed, you walked over to the other side of Jungkook’s bed, causing the other man to ask, “Do you need me to move?” “If you can, I just need to redress the wounds. I don’t know if you want to stay and watch that. It might not be pretty,” You finally answered him mirroring your words from your other meeting and remembering his eager run back outside when he heard the doctor say that he was going to remove the bullets. Your answer caused him to laugh. “Compared to what I’ve seen on the battlefield, this is nothing. That other time, I was just feeling really frantic about everything. Also, I’ve grown up with this kid. I’ve seen more of him than I would have liked over the years.” His answer caused your eyes to grow wide, as you were surprised of the sudden change from just a few days ago, while Jungkook protested his friend’s response, firing a jab of his own at him. “More like, I’ve had to put up with your obsession with yourself these last few years,” Jungkook said. “By the way, thanks for saving this kid. I don’t even want to know what his mom would have done to me if I hadn’t brought her son back alive,” the visitor said after the two finished their banter. “My name’s Seokjin but you can call me Jin if you’d like, all the pretty girls I meet call me that.” You had been cleaning the burns on Jungkook’s leg, eliciting a slight hiss from Jungkook as the antiseptic touched his wounds. You looked up and with a smile and a small laugh at his not-so-subtle flirting, answered him, “I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you.” Jin smiled back at you, turning to Jungkook and saying, “She’s the nurse you were telling me about right?”

You paused and turned to look at Jungkook, whose large eyes were wide and his face was slowly turning a deep shade of red.

“What? No…” Jungkook said feebly, refusing to turn to you. Jin laughed from his seat, “Then who else was the really cute nurse you said was tending to you. I think Y/N’s pretty cute.” He then turned to you, addressing you directly. “Hey, Y/N, does anyone else help him out?” “Not that I know of,” You said in a quiet voice, feeling more self-conscious than you had already been feeling despite the compliment from Jin. Maybe it was the fact that you knew deep down that Jungkook had been talking about you, but you felt your face heating up. Jungkook cleared his throat, his cheeks a tomato red now as his friend kept embarrassing him, and then spoke, “Jin, don’t you have to go order people around or something?”

Feeling the need to leave the room as soon as possible, you began to speed up your treatment of Jungkook’s wounds, caring less about whether he would feel any pain or not while you disinfected. The last wound you had left was the one on Jungkook’s collarbone, the one closest to his face and the one likely to cause you to make eye contact with the boy. You had purposely put off tending to this particular one for that very purpose.

Jin was telling Jungkook a story about his interactions with the generals as you moved to better reach the wound. After unwrapping it and removing the old bandages, you lightly dipped a cotton ball in the peroxide before turning back to Jungkook. Unconsciously, your eyes moved to catch a glance of Jungkook’s eyes that were staring at you with the same amount of curiosity as they had they day you began tending to him. From where your face was, you had a clear view of his jawline, admiring the sharp angle that moved slightly with each breath he took.  It was almost intimidating, knowing that Jungkook was staring at you and the second your eyes met his, you quickly looked back down at his wound. After doing a quick round of disinfection, you wrapped up his wound in a new bandage and got up to dispose of the cotton balls and old bandages. When you walked over to the food cart to prepare to exit the room, Jin spoke to you once more.

“You’re leaving already? Wow, you work fast,” He said in a joking manner. You replied with a nod, prompting him to speak again. “Do you have many more patients to take care of after him?” “Nope,” You answered. “He’s the last one on my rounds.” “Then why don’t you stay for a little while longer?” Jin asked you, motioning towards your now empty seat beside Jungkook’s bed. Your heart began to speed up, and you turned to look at Jungkook whose face seemed like almost a mystery for once. While still looking at his face, you replied to Jin. “I would, but I have a lot of charts I need to complete by tonight.”

You finally left Jungkook’s room after a groan from Jin and one last feeble attempt to get to you stay for a longer period in the room. The charts that you claimed needed to be completed had actually been finished during the break between your first and second rounds. You just weren’t sure if you would be able to handle being in that room any longer. Jungkook’s mere presence had an such a profound effect on you that you could barely speak. Perhaps it was your first real encounter, when Jungkook saw you crying that made you so embarrassed to be around him. You knew it was unprofessional to say the least and as you walked back to the nurses’ station you were repeating to yourself that Jungkook was just a patient. He was just someone that you needed to treat and that he would be back out on the battlefield as soon as he recovered completely. He seemed the type who would be reckless as well, judging by his wounds. When he recovered, it was almost as if there was a guarantee that he may end up back in the hospital once again. Yet as you finished your shift, he was still in your mind.

The rest of the day seemed like a blur, and before you knew it, it was time for your first set of rounds the next day. You went about tending the soldiers assigned to you as if you were almost in a daze, your mind refusing the banish the thought of Jungkook from your head. One of your patients even asked if you were feeling okay because you seemed distracted. You could never admit to them that it was because your mind was focused on the room at the end of the hall.

With every room and every patient that you finished treating, you found yourself getting almost giddy at the thought of seeing Jungkook once more. It was a strange feeling, you contemplated, and you had to remind yourself again that he was just a patient and you were in charge of treating him. Somehow, thoughts of Jungkook was making it hard to remember that he was a patient.

It would be another hour before you were standing in front of his room again. With a light knock, you turned the handle to his room with your other hand and pushed the door open. You pulled in the food cart and set it beside the door and then turned to look at Jungkook, who was already sitting up and giving you a smile. He was alone today and you couldn’t help but wonder what he had been doing before you walked in. The window above his bed let in sunlight that shined down on him just right, making him look beautiful. You smiled at him in response, and gathered your supplies from the cabinet before taking your seat beside his bed.

As soon as you began treating him, Jungkook spoke almost immediately. “How are you?” You dabbed a cotton ball on his leg, causing him to wince before responding. “I’m okay.” You smiled at him softly, returning to focusing on your work in silence when his voice suddenly came through again. “Have lunch with me.” He said. You stopped working on disinfecting his leg, putting the cotton ball down and turning to look at him. “What?” He smiled, his teeth making him look like a bunny. “Have lunch with me,” he repeated. “Why?” You asked, looking at right him, searching for any sort of sign that would tell you that he was joking. “Because, I want to spend more time with you and you’re only ever in here for 30 minutes max when you come to put new bandages on all the gunshots and burns,” Jungkook said, his smile never leaving his face. His answer caught you off guard and your eyebrows furrowed as you spoke again. “But why do you want to spend more time with me?” He answered bluntly. “I want to get to know you better and I think that you’re really pretty.”

Jungkook’s sudden forthrightness caught you off guard. Yesterday, he was blushing when Jin asked if you were the nurse he kept talking about, yet today he was suddenly really flirty. At least, you believed it was flirting and deep down inside, you hoped that it was.

After a few seconds of silence on your part, you finally replied, talking slowly. “I don’t think that’s a really good idea.” Jungkook’s face fell for a few seconds, before he suddenly pulled it back into his smile and said, “Why isn’t it a good idea? There’s no rule that says you can’t eat lunch with the soldiers is there?” “No, there’s not,” You said, pausing slightly to pick up a new cotton ball and resume tending to all the injuries on his body. “But you’re my patient.” “Well, just think about it as giving me some much needed counseling! I’ve been cooped up in this room for the past few days and I’m starting to get a little stir crazy not doing anything.” His response caused you to give a slight laugh, and he spoke again. “That was really cute. You should really smile more often, it suits your face better.” You felt your face getting red and refused to look up at him as you worked on disinfecting all of the injuries. “Thanks.” “So how ‘bout it? Spend your lunchtime in here with me. I promise I can make you smile more if you just let me.” You gave a slight laugh and took hold of his left hand where a burn mark was creeping onto the back of his palm and began to dab the cotton ball, “Fine. But just this once okay?” He gave you what you were starting to realize was his signature smile and said, “Okay” before tilting his head slightly.

After you finished redressing all of Jungkook’s wounds, you left his room wondering about what your lunch break would bring you. You honestly did not know what to expect if you were being honest with yourself, but you were slightly excited. Lunch couldn’t come soon enough.

It was after you had finished filling out your morning charts and an unbearably long staff meeting that it was finally time for you to begin your second round of visits to each one of your patients. You purposely waited to take your lunch break until you were done with this second round, saving Jungkook for last once again. It would be about two hours before you finally reached his room.

Jungkook seemed almost giddy as you redressed all of his injuries, which you found odd considering that the wounds were still relatively fresh and probably still stung quite a bit every time they were disinfected. He talked animatedly about how excited he was for lunch, so much that you found it quite adorable. It was only when you began to prepare to leave the room, his face suddenly became crestfallen.

“I thought we were having lunch together?” He asked, his giddiness suddenly gone. His reaction caused you to smile a genuine smile, one that you hadn’t done in a long time and you felt your heart swell with happiness. “We are. I have to go get my lunch now from the cafeteria. I’ll be back soon.”

You speed walked back to the nurses’ station, informing your supervising nurse that you would now be taking your late lunch. Walking to the cafeteria, you could see the soldier assigned to mail duty passing you by once again. He smiled at you, letting you know that there were two letters waiting for you in your box and you thanked him. After picking up your lunch, you dropped by the office to see who had sent you the letter. When you saw Namjoon and Jimin’s name on the envelopes, your mood immediately perked up even more at seeing that they had finally written to you. You made a mental note to yourself to pick them up once you were done with your shift and walked back to Jungkook’s room with your lunch tray. His food lay untouched as he waited for you to return. It was only when you began to eat beside him that he finally ate as well.

“You seem happier than you did before you went to get lunch,” Jungkook remarked. This caused you to give a slight pause. Just how easy were you to read? “Oh yes, actually, I am,” You said. “That must have been one exciting walk to the cafeteria,” he joked. You laughed slightly, embarrassed at how easily he was able to pick up on your mood change. “I received mail from some very important people to me today. I haven’t heard from them in a while so I’m actually kind of glad that I finally received letters from them. It’s probably because my birthday just passed but still, it’s the thought that counts.” “Your birthday just passed? When was it?” Jungkook asked, his eyes going wide. You nodded before answering him. “It was just a few days ago, about a week. Actually, it was the day that you were brought in.” His eyes went even wider as your response registered in his brain. After a second or two, he said, “Well, happy belated birthday – though I do feel honored that you chose to spend it with an unconscious me.” You laughed at his joke, before Jungkook spoke once again. “Also, important people? Is one of them your boyfriend?” You vehemently shook your head, “No they’re not. They’re my friends. I’ve known them since high school. They’re all currently enlisted but in different areas.” Jungkook’s face immediately lit up, showing that bunny smile that you were beginning to grow so fond of. “So you’re single then?” Laughing once again, you responded, “Yes. Yes I am.”

The lunch ended on a high note, so much that you were reluctant to leave his room when your lunch break was over. Even after reading Namjoon and Jimin’s letters wishing you a happy birthday in your room before you went to sleep, the lunch was still the highlight of your day. Without even trying that hard, Jungkook had convinced you to spend your lunch break tomorrow with him as well before you left his room that day and what had started out as something that you claimed would only be once, turned into a near-daily occurrence for the two of you. Jungkook was suddenly extremely flirty the next day during lunch, spouting cheesy pick-up lines any chance he got and causing you to laugh loudly. Every single lunch afterwards, he would pull out another move on you, making you smile in the process. You never took it seriously, believing that Jungkook’s flirtiness was just part of his personality – a stark contrast to the first few days that you knew him. Every once in a while, Jin would join the two of you for lunch as well, first updating the two of you on what was occurring on the fronts and then goofing off as well.

It was refreshing for you, giving you a breath of fresh air from what the atmosphere at the hospital was always like. The war seemed to almost drain the life and vitality from the people serving, both in combat and behind the lines, but in the small, northwest corner room of the makeshift hospital, it was as if life was suddenly brighter and a war had not been raging outside.

After a month, Jungkook’s burn injuries and gunshot wounds were almost healed to the level where he could be put to battle once again. He remained at the hospital, but was now free to walk around the wing and the courtyard to regain his strength. You knew that your lunches with him would be coming to end soon, a thought that you banished from your mind whenever it began to creep up. Another thing that you would banish from your mind were your own creeping feelings that had begun to blossom. Something that you had to constantly remind yourself to ignore, but became more and more difficult to do with each passing day.

You also learned a lot more about Jungkook. He was extremely competitive, telling you stories about his and Jin’s constant debates with each other and from their childhoods. He also told you about the scar on his cheek and how he received it when he and Jin were fighting over trying to reach the computer when they were both little.  Whenever Jin would join the two of you, you would witness their banter first hand, seeing how the younger would rebel against the older of the two. He told you about the many sports he had joined, being the best player in almost all of them as well.  You also learned about the passion that Jungkook had, throwing himself deeply and completely into whatever it is that he wanted to do. He told you that while in school he had begun to learn to dance and was recognized by his classmates as the best dancer. He also loved to sing, something that you had yet to experience listening to for yourself. You could see that underneath this confident façade he often had on, he was quite bashful about some things as well, like his singing, and you began to learn to tell when he would try to cover something up. He made it seem like his only weak spot was actual school, or more specifically, math. He explained to you that learning about history and math never really grabbed his attention and he was glad to be rid of them once he graduated, only to be drafted into the military shortly after.

When Jungkook was finally allowed to leave his bed, your lunches together began occurring outside at some picnic tables in the courtyard that were usually empty after your second set of rounds. It was on one of these days, that you two were sitting outside, laughing about a story you told about a time when Namjoon had broken Yoongi’s television in one swift move, staying true to the “god of destruction” nickname your friends had awarded him.

When you two had stopped laughing, there was a peaceful silence that had fallen over the two of you. Jungkook had been sitting next to you on the bench, his back leaning against the table and his legs stretched outward as he stared up at the sky. You had been facing the table, where your food tray sat, half-eaten. Your body had been turned to face Jungkook, your food forgotten as you stared at his profile, admiring his beauty one again. It was almost ethereal, being able to see someone with the looks that Jungkook possessed sitting less than a foot away. You wondered how any one person could ever brush past him without stopping and admiring his beautiful face. You almost couldn’t believe yourself how lucky you were to be sitting beside him. After what seemed like a long pause of comfortable silence, Jungkook turned to you, his large, brown eyes locking with yours.

“What are you doing? Admiring my beauty?” Jungkook asked, smiling as he looked at you. You didn’t laugh this time, entranced by the way his eyes looked at you. Before you even realized, you responded honestly, “Actually yes I am.”

Jungkook seemed to almost freeze at your response, his smile disappearing from his face causing you to snap out of whatever trance you were under. You began to stutter, looking down and attempting to come up with any excuse for your answer when Jungkook spoke again.

“Go out with me.” He suddenly said, before you could formulate an explanation, his face remaining completely serious. You almost thought it was a joke at first, until you looked back into his eyes and saw an intensity lurking within them. When Jungkook realized that you weren’t going to respond, he spoke again. “I’m serious. Go out with me.”

There was another silence on your part. You weren’t sure what it was, but at that moment Taehyung’s face suddenly came to your mind. You remembered his childlike smile and his laugh and how those were the things that seemed to almost give meaning to your otherwise plain life before this war started. You felt as if you said yes to Jungkook’s request, it would suddenly negate everything that you had ever felt for Taehyung. It was as if by accepting Jungkook, you were betraying your love for your childhood friend.

You didn’t notice when you had begun to cry, but suddenly Jungkook’s arms were around you, holding you as tears streamed down your face. Your chest hurt as you remembered Taehyung and your favorite memories together. Images of his box smile became intertwined with Jungkook’s voice and it all suddenly became too overwhelming to bear, especially as you realized that Jungkook’s arms were holding you in a tight embrace.

You quickly pushed Jungkook’s arms away, pushing him to the edge of the bench as your tears continued to fall and Jungkook stared at you with surprise. You stood up and stared at the ground below your feet, refusing to look at the confused boy sitting in front of you.

“I…I…I’m sorry. I can’t do this,” You said, and turned to run inside.

As you ran to the workstation, your supervisor took notice of your state and immediately grew concerned. You saw Rachel and the other nurses at the station look at you with worry as you attempted to wipe the freefalling tears from your face. You somehow managed to ask yourself to be excused from the rest of your shift with Rachel volunteering to take over the rest of your duties for the day just before turning back around once only to see Jungkook walking down the hallway, his face laced with concern as he watched the occurrence, and you turned in the other direction and ran to your room.

You felt ridiculous, your face red and swollen as all your pent up feelings from Taehyung’s disappearance over a year and a half ago came to the surface once again. Jungkook had simply asked you on a date, yet it felt like that request meant that Taehyung’s entire memory would be gone. You knew that it was impossible for something like that to actually happen, yet it still felt that way. Your burgeoning feelings for Jungkook felt to you as if they were invaders, sent to eliminate any and all love that you ever felt for Taehyung. It was as if you owed it to him, that boy with the tanned skin and a grin that lit up an entire room, to remember all of those feelings that you held, and still continued to hold for him. The feelings you held for Taehyung and the feelings that you held for Jungkook had to be mutually exclusive. You couldn’t see for yourself how one could function with the other present.

When it was time for dinner, you didn’t leave your room, resulting in a late-evening visit from Rachel as she brought you a tray of food from the cafeteria. She didn’t ask you any questions, though you could tell she was worried about you and wondered what had caused you to feel so much agony. She had known about your daily lunches with Jungkook, in fact, she was always delighted to hear about how each meal went. You were sure that the thought that Jungkook had been the cause of your tears had crossed through her mind at least once since you came back from your break that afternoon.

“If that boy is the reason you’re a mess I will go to his room and wring his neck,” Rachel told you, making you smile slightly at the image that had popped into your mind.

Had it really been Jungkook to have caused you so much pain? You knew it was unfair to cast all the blame onto him. If anything, he had become one of the brightest parts of your days. When there were no new letters from any of the boys, he was the brightest part of your day. You asked Rachel to inform your supervisor that you didn’t feel well enough to come into your shift the next day and she obliged without a single question asked.

The next day, after you were sure that everyone had left the cafeteria in the morning, you carefully stepped out of your room. Your eyes were red and swollen from crying the whole night, your hair a mess from the lack of sleep that you experienced as a result of all the feelings you held. You picked up a tray of food and quickly walked back to your room, successfully evading everyone. Once you were inside of your room once again, you placed the tray that held a depressing meal on your desk and sat down at the chair.

Taking a bite from the apple, you pulled out a couple blank papers from your drawer and began to write a letter to the one person who you felt you could count on to tell you what you needed to hear and who you could freely express all of your thoughts to.

Dear Jimin,

I hope you’ve been doing okay. I hear the battles have been picking up pace lately and I’ve been kind of worried about you and the rest of the boys. Please promise me you’ll be safe. I know you probably haven’t received my last letter to you since I only wrote it a few days ago but I just don’t know who else I can talk to, or in this case write to.

I’ve told you about him in another letter, but just in passing. His name is Jungkook and he was one of the soldiers that I’ve been caring for here at the hospital. He was brought in on my birthday and I’ve basically seen him every single day since. We started having lunch together and…oh Jimin, it was so nice to finally laugh again. I haven’t laughed or smiled like that since before all of you enlisted. Since before Tae…disappeared.

He’s made me smile so much since then, and he’s listened to all of my stories about all of you. I haven’t told him about Tae. I don’t know how I ever could. How do you summarize everything about him into a conversation? But Jungkook, he asked me to go out with him, and it just felt so strange for me. It felt like if I let myself develop feelings for someone other than Taehyung, his memory would just fade as well as all the feelings I have. The feelings for Taehyung were one of the only things that has kept me going for so long, how do you suddenly just throw them away for something new?

I hope you’ve been well. Thank you for everything that you’ve done for me and for reading this rant. I miss you.

Y/N

The next morning, you finally recovered enough of your emotional stability to manage to bring yourself to work but before you showed up for your shift, you ran down to the tent where the mail room had been designated. One of the soldiers, with whom you had developed a nice acquaintance with due to all your visits to the mail center, greeted you and took your letter addressed to Jimin. After having a brief conversation about the war, you returned back to the hospital and sat down next to Rachel for the early morning debriefing.

She gave you a small smile and put a hand down on your knee, giving it a slight rub as if to welcome you back after the emotional outburst. She never did end up asking any questions, though you could see the wonder and worry etched on her face.

Once the morning meeting was adjourned, you walked with Rachel to the nurses’ station to grab the charts for each one of your patients. Your face immediately scrunched up in confusion as you noticed that the pile of charts was significantly smaller than it was two days ago.

Rachel noticed your confusion and began to explain, “Yesterday a general came down out of the blue with one of the doctors and they went around examining everyone to determine who would be discharged. They gave us no warning and we ended up being so busy processing all of the discharges!” “Why would they do that? Half of my patients are gone,” You answered, judging just from the smaller stack in front of you. “It’s not just yours. Half of everyone’s are gone! The general was demanding for any soldiers who could walk to be discharged from the hospital even if they weren’t fully healed yet. You should have seen the faces of some of them when they heard they were going back to the barracks. Poor things,” she answered, her voice laced with sympathy.

Her explanation set off an alarm in your head. Jungkook had been able to walk since a couple weeks prior and you immediately thought of whether he had been discharged as well. With a few more pleasantries, the two of you each headed to your respective wings and began your rounds.  You refused to look through the charts to figure out if Jungkook was still at the hospital or not, but as you worked your way through each chart, your heart slowly began to drop.

You were at the room two doors away from Jungkook’s room when you reached the last chart, seeing the name for the soldier in the room beside his. There was a pain that shot through your heart as you thought of how your last encounter with him ended. You mindlessly treated the last soldier that managed to escape the checkups and stopped at Jungkook’s door as if something was willing you to go in. Taking in a deep breath, you walked inside only to see that it had already been cleaned by someone, with any semblance of Jungkook gone.

You didn’t cry, but you felt the tears beginning to form as you pictured the smile he always greeted you with whenever you entered. Part of you wondered if you would ever see Jungkook again, and you hoped that you would eventually. Filled with regret, you left the room and walked back to the station, reminding yourself that if it was meant to be, it would have happened. It might have been your fault, and although you had been full of regret over how you handled the situation, another side of you was relieved as you remembered your previous emotional outburst.

About a month had passed by since you had last seen Jungkook when you received a letter from Jimin. You thought back to the day when you had written the last letter to Jimin and wondered what kind of response he could have written to that. The war had picked up pace in some places, while in others – such as the location where the hospital had been set up – it had slowed down. In fact, most of the soldiers, the lucky ones at least, when on-duty had been spending their time practicing drills and even had the luxury of getting a day off every two weeks and being allowed to go into the nearby city for some entertainment. You were grateful for the change of pace, seeing how the newfound leisure time of the soldiers had begun to boost up their morale in the seemingly endless war. Even the hospital had seen a reduction in patients and severe injuries.

At the end of your shift one day, you went to dinner with Rachel and some of the other nurses, as they talked about how some of the soldiers had asked them out now that they had some free time. You stayed relatively quiet throughout the conversation, remembering your unintended, yet disastrous, refusal of Jungkook. They still had no idea what was the real cause of your sudden emotional outburst. You had told no one except for Rachel who seemed relieved when you finally told her the real reason.

Once you were back at your room, you finally sat down on your bed and carefully sliced open the envelope containing Jimin’s letter with a letter opener. You pulled out the letter only to see that it contained multiple pages all written in his handwriting. Unfolding it, you began to read.

Dear Y/N,

The war has started to pick up pace over here. We’re being sent out on more scouting missions and more missions to bomb the enemy now. Don’t worry about me. I’m one of the best fighter pilots in my squadron so you really have nothing to worry about. I’ll make sure I come back alive.

As to the whole Jungkook situation, although I am concerned that I’ve never met this guy, Y/N, you deserve to be happy. I know starting a relationship right here, right now probably isn’t the greatest idea you’ve ever had, but you spent your entire life loving Taehyung which I still find amazing. Don’t think that by letting yourself have feelings for this guy that your feelings for Tae will just suddenly disappear. Feelings don’t work that way. If they did, you would not have loved Tae for as long as you did and you definitely would not have volunteered to come to the war.

I’m happy that someone has made you smile and laugh. I’m happy that someone has made you happy. The only thing that concerns me about Jungkook is that, again, I haven’t met him. I need to screen all potential suitors for you and make sure that they are ready to take on the challenge of dating a girl with four very protective brothers.

Don’t think of it as betraying Taehyung or forgetting about Taehyung. I know you’ve had the hardest time dealing since he passed, but you and I both know that he would not want you to become a spinster and make your life into a shrine to him. By letting yourself fall for Jungkook, you are not throwing away your feelings for Taehyung, it’s more like, you’re opening yourself to new experiences. I do think that you should tell this guy about Taehyung though, if you haven’t yet. Maybe not right at the beginning, but you will need to explain to him why you’re so hesitant. It’s not fair to keep him in the dark about something that basically was your life for so long.

I hope nothing’s changed between the two of you and if it has, hopefully for the better. Honestly, just grow a pair. The damn mail takes such a long time to arrive. Hopefully you don’t read this when it’s too late.

Take care of yourself,

JM

You stared up at the ceiling, wishing that you had this sooner. Everything that Jimin wrote made complete sense to you and you knew it was the truth all along, you were just too afraid to admit to it. You laughed in disbelief, wondering how it is that you came to be in this situation.

The rest of the week passed by in a blur and before you even noticed, it was the day before your own day off. After reading Jimin’s letter, you had been in a daze, just going through the motions of everyday life. Your mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of Jungkook and Taehyung to fully register the occurrences around you.

You were seated at the nurses’ station by yourself while everyone else went to get their lunch. At least one of you was always required to be seated at the station during lunch in case a nurse was needed. On this day, it happened to be your turn.

It was a quiet day at the hospital. You had been flipping through a magazine that Rachel had lent you, reading about the latest trends in the fashion world being referred to as “military chic.” You felt it ridiculous, looking at all the stylish suits for women in dark green and navy colors, drawing heavy inspiration from the uniforms of all the decorated officers. How could any of them really know what was going on at the battlefronts from the comfort of their homes? Turning the war into another fashion trend only made you irritated as you thought of all the sacrifices that the soldiers had made.

You felt the presence of someone standing in front of the nurses’ station, but kept flipping through the magazine, assuming that they were taking a second to gather their bearings and figure out in which direction to turn as most of the hospital visitors did. However, this person did not leave. Instead, they cleared their throat and you were compelled to look up to see what they wanted.

What you saw were two large brown eyes look back at you, along with a familiar smile that you had not seen in a long time, causing you to freeze, your mouth open in shock as your mind processed the sight in front of you.

Jungkook gave a small laugh, sending shivers down your spine and began to speak, “Did you miss me?”

You could hardly believe that Jungkook was in front of you. His hair had been growing out at the hospital but now that he was standing in front of you, it was noticeable that it had been cut short once again. He also looked noticeably different in his uniform and his frame looked larger, almost as it had when he was brought in. Yet, the one thing that remained the same was the bunny-like smile that he always had on his face.

Sensing that you were too surprised to respond, Jungkook spoke once again, “Did you?” He asked, clearly expecting an answer as he gave you a pointed look. Once you finally managed to pick your jaw up from the floor, you replied. “It’s been a while since I saw you.” You said, attempting to keep your cool as your heart began to beat furiously in your chest. You could see a flash of disappointment run across his face at your answer, but his smile almost immediately covered it. “The people who were discharged were forced to do an insane amount of drills. We thought they were sending us to the battle zones! Jin managed to pull some strings and use the small leverage he had to convince the generals to finally give us a day off like the rest of the soldiers here.” You eyes opened wide. “Really?” you asked. “The Generals must have been in a good mood the day Jin decided to approach them,” Jungkook spoke, his eyes never leaving your face. “They decided to give us two days off. Probably felt bad for all the drills they made us do.” You smiled, wondering why Jungkook was acting like if the last time you saw each other you had run off crying. “Sounds like you owe Jin a lot.” He nodded, and giving a slight chuckle he said, “Yes I do. He’s going to hold this over my head for the rest of my life.” You laughed, “Besides the hell training, how have you been?” “I’m alright. I had a lot on my mind.” Jungkook said, looking at you. Your face fell and you could feel the blood begin to rush to your cheeks. “But right now I’m honestly just glad to see you.”

You could feel yourself freeze, afraid to look back up to see the expression that would be on Jungkook’s face. It only took a few seconds for him to realize that you weren’t going to say anything, so he spoke again.

“I know that there’s something you’re not telling me. I’ve known it since the first day that I was conscious enough to register you in my mind,” Jungkook spoke slowly. You looked up at him, seeing an earnest expression, but still seeing the caution as he thought about the words he was saying. “But I really think that you should give us a try. You have to admit that we are actually really good together. Our daily lunches before I was discharged from the hospital are proof of that.”

You continued to look at him, the surprise in your face evident.

“You’re not very good at hiding your emotions, Y/N. Even when you were laughing, I always sensed that there was a sadness about you,” Jungkook explained. “And I mean, we’re in war. You mentioned you had friends enlisted. It’s more rare to find someone without some emotional baggage.” You couldn’t take your eyes off of his face, it was as if you were trapped in his gaze, when you finally spoke. “You don’t seem to have any.” “I do too, but it’s not written on my sleeve as it is with you.” He answered. “I like you Y/N and I know you like me too. You wouldn’t have spent all that time with me if you didn’t. I don’t know what it is that’s making you say no but I know that you’ll tell me in your own time. All I’m asking is for you to just please just give us – this – a chance,” Jungkook said, rambling as he looked at you, a fierce determination in his eyes. “I know you won’t regret it.“

You couldn’t stop looking at him, barely registering what he was saying as he spoke to you. You could hardly believe that this was the same boy that would spout those cheesy pickup lines on a daily basis just to get you to smile. You knew that his rant was him placing his pride aside in order to stage an attempt to get to you. You admired the way that Jungkook went after what he wanted, in every single way. He was mid-rant when you answered in a soft voice.

“Okay.”

At first you thought that he didn’t hear you, as he continued to speak with the same fiery passion that his voice had taken on.  “-and I really think that you would be able to have- wait…what?” His face immediately changed from one of determination to one of confusion and a bit of wishful thinking.

You let out a small laugh, finding his expression adorable. “I said yes.” Jungkook’s face changed once again, this time a large smile dominating it. “Really?” “You were right. About everything. So yes,” you said, a shy smile on your own face. His face still had the large smile as he spoke again, “So then when are you free? Please say tomorrow because it’s my last free day and I don’t know when they’ll give us another.” You laughed again. “Tomorrow happens to be my free day too.” “Great! Be ready in the morning then! 11 o’clock, I’ll wait for you in front of the hospital!” You nodded, “Okay.”

He smiled at you in response and left and your eyes instinctively followed him as he turned the corner, only finding yourself making eye contact with the rest of the nurses who had been watching since who-knows-when with giddy excitement.

They immediately rushed over to you the second that they were sure that Jungkook was out of hearing range, immediately demanding details as to how the relationship between the two of you developed.

“This was why you always ate lunch later than everyone else wasn’t it?” One of them asked. “This whole time I could have sworn that it would be Johnny to ask you out.” Another remarked. “He’s got such a big crush on you.”

You laughed as you tried to deflect every question that they threw at you, but it wasn’t until the supervising doctor came by that everyone finally let up and got back to work. It was only Rachel that looked at you with a smirk that caused the red on your cheeks to deepen further.

The next morning, you woke up unreasonably early. Your heart was pounding loudly inside your chest as you realized that it would be the first time you had gone on a date, ever, with anyone and the fact that this date just happened to be with Jungkook of all people. You didn’t have much clothes with you and barely anything that could be passable for being worthy to use on a date which resulted in you asking Rachel to help you put together an outfit, borrowing a halter, floral-print sundress that she had brought with her and some blue sandals that complemented the detailing of the flowers.

You stared at the dress hung on your door and slowly got up to begin to fix your hair, undecided as to the style that you wanted. It was either that or do your makeup, which you were even less decided about. Your bag of cosmetics that you had brought from home had barely been touched and had begun to gather dust in your drawer and you wondered whether you could even pull off whatever look you decided to go for.

There was scarcely a sound outside, and the sun was shining through the window into your room. You decided that first you would go get yourself breakfast, before returning back to the stress of preparing for your first date ever.

You knew that Jungkook had already seen you with barely any makeup and you were surprised that he still decided that he liked you regardless, but now that it was an actual date, there was a sudden pressure of looking pretty for the date. Jungkook knew you well, too well it seemed, but something about spending time with him in this manner, with this label, caused your nerves to act up.

Once you were back in your room, you started to apply your makeup. Opting to go for a simpler look because of the sundress, you hoped that this look would be fine for whatever it was that Jungkook was planning. After dinner the day before, he had dropped by once again to visit you, only to let you know that he had a plan ready for the two of you and refused to reveal anything else. The anxiety of not knowing what to expect was killing you, and it made you wonder how many dates Jungkook had previously been on. You imagined he was like Taehyung, having a few serious girlfriends but being loved by the whole school. The fact that he was in every sport and managed to still find time to dance and sing made you believe that he must have been insanely popular.

Somehow you finished getting ready, though not really paying attention as you wondered about Jungkook’s life pre-war. You were still lost in your thoughts when you looked at the clock only to see that the clock had struck 11 ten minutes ago. You jumped up, knocking over a bottle of water that you had on your desk and ran around your room as you searched for your bag. Finding it hanging on the doorknob, you ruffled your hair once more and straightened out the dress before running out of your room.

Jungkook was leaning against the passenger side of a black car, one that was not an army vehicle, but instead a convertible, making you surprised. He was looking down at something and was dressed in a white button up shirt that fit him just right, some black jeans, and brown boots and he looked… absolutely incredible. You stopped at the top of the steps that were in front of the entrance to the hospital, laughing in disbelief as you wondered how he managed to get his hands on the car and also to pause and really admire how beautiful Jungkook truly was. He looked up at that moment, and a wide smile came across his face, silently willing you to come down the steps.

When you finally stood in front of him, he pulled the passenger door open for you only saying with a small laugh and a sigh, “I thought you were going to stand me up.” You got inside the car, watching as he half-ran around the front to get to the driver’s side. It was when he had turned the car on and begun to drive that you answered, “Sorry. I got kind of distracted and didn’t notice the time.” You explained, then slightly raised your voice. “But more importantly, how did you get this car?” It was Jungkook’s turn to laugh as if he had been expecting you to ask that question. “Jin befriended someone in town, managed to convince them to let me borrow the car. The guy just has a way with words, or maybe the friend just really likes corny jokes.” “Sounds like Jin alright,” You smiled. “So then, what’s the plan?” He turned to you, smiling mischievously as he answered, “You really think I’m going to tell you? Just wait and see.”

There was a brief lull in the conversation before Jungkook spoke again. “You look really pretty by the way.” You could see his cheeks begin to take on the slightest tint of red, though you could feel your own cheeks begin to burn up. “Thanks. So do you.”

There was another lull, but one that wasn’t uncomfortable in the slightest. Spending time with Jungkook just felt so…right to you, and you hoped that he felt the same. The two of you matched so well together and the friendship that you two had built earlier truly made it all come together. There was also something different about the way that Jungkook was handling himself. His usual confidence seemed less prominent, and he seemed more unsure of himself. Though you had to admit that you would never have been able to tell this if not for the long lunches that the two of you used to have. Though it had been a while since one of those lunches occurred, you knew Jungkook’s usual demeanor better than you knew your own.

You could see the nearby city in the distance slowly getting closer. It had not been damaged by the war and every building still stood, majestic and tall with all of its rustic architecture. Your eyes immediately widened as the car went in, the streets changing from mostly dirt to pavement, and the density of people steadily increasing.

“Have you been here before?” Jungkook asked, noticing your reaction to suddenly being in the city after spending so long in the countryside.

You shook your head, unable to take your eyes off of the scenery outside. You had no idea where Jungkook was taking you to but you didn’t mind if it was just a drive, so that you could finally see a scene that you used to take for granted while you were at home.

It was about twenty minutes and a handful of turns made by Jungkook when he finally parked the car along the sidewalk. He turned off the car and quickly ran around, making sure that he opened the door for you before you even had a chance to unbuckle your seatbelt. He extended his hand out to help you get out, and you looked up at him only to see a bit of shyness hidden in his eyes.

Once you were out of the car, he closed the door behind you and stood beside you. He walked slowly, letting you admire the scenery of the tall buildings and the mix of colors present. It seemed as if this small city had never been touched by the war, as if it was a small oasis in the middle of the destruction.

Jungkook made no attempt to hold your hand, making you feel a bit insecure, slightly doubting what his intentions were but not vocalizing your concerns. You wondered what was going through Jungkook’s mind as he walked silently beside you, his hands in his pockets.

“This way,” Jungkook said when the two of you reached a corner. He gave a left and you followed suit, staring at his broad back. “Will you tell me now where we’re going?” You asked. He turned to you, still giving you the smallest of smiles. “You’ll see in a minute.”

Jungkook was right. Just a minute later, you saw a movie theater appear, its marquee board announcing a movie that you had never heard of.

“Taking me to the movies I see,” You said playfully. Jungkook’s cheeks took on a tinge of red again, and you realized that he was actually pretty shy about this date. Nothing like the confident boy that you had gotten to know over time. “Are you shy?” You asked. Your question caused an immediate answer from Jungkook, as he loudly exclaimed, “No!” His cheeks only getting redder.

It suddenly made sense why he made no moves, and why he had been so quiet since the two of you got out of the car. You couldn’t help but smile as you saw him aggressively deny any shyness. It made you feel relieved as well, to know that you were not the only one who was nervous about the date. You didn’t know what it was. He was just Jungkook, the same person you were tending to just a few weeks ago.

You kept pace with him, reaching the ticket counter at the same time as you leaned against it and watched as he ordered your tickets. His polite smile as he spoke to the theater worker left you mesmerized as you watched him. After paying and taking the tickets from the clerk, he turned to you, a soft smile on his face, and said, “Ready?”

You nodded, standing upright as he turned to the theater doors. It was a small venue, with only one small screening room and done in a very classic style, with ornate walls and columns painted in gold and red colors. Jungkook handed the theater worker at the door your tickets and then turned to you, reaching for your hand as you saw a light shade of red begin to form on his cheeks. He led you to the concession stand, standing beside you but never letting go of your hand, even as he ordered the popcorn and drinks for the two of you. Your heart was beating fast as you looked down at your intertwined fingers. His hand was a bit rough due to all the trainings in the military and his long fingers completely encompassed your own hand, but the way they molded together just felt correct. Everything with Jungkook felt fitting.

You held the big bucket of popcorn while Jungkook carried a cup holder with both of your drinks, not letting go of your hand once as he led you to some seats towards the back. There were a few more couples spread about the theater, but a large distance between everyone. It was only to turn around that Jungkook finally let go of your hand.

“Have you heard of this movie?” Jungkook asked when the two of you had settled into your seats, clasping your hand once more and placing them on the armrest between the two of you. You turned to him, shaking your head. “I haven’t been keeping up with pop culture lately.” “I haven’t either,” Jungkook admitted. “Jin recommended it. I don’t know how he does it to have so much free time on his hands.”

The room suddenly darkened, the only thing illuminated was the screen at the front of the room. The two of you stared at each other in the darkness of the theater for a few more seconds afterwards, until you finally turned your head to the screen when the movie began. As the movie played, it was the last thing on your mind as you were unable to take the focus off of Jungkook beside you. Somewhere throughout the movie, he had begun to draw circles on the inside of your hand and you became hyperaware of everything that he was doing beside you, electricity running throughout your entire body. The popcorn that he had purchased stayed forgotten on your lap, and you began to watch Jungkook out of your periphery. He didn’t show any sort of reaction on his face, his eyes remained focused on the film in front, but his hands continued to draw circles on your palm. You would never have even noticed when the film was over if not for everyone around you beginning to stand up and talk loudly as they walked out of the theater.

You followed Jungkook out of the room, throwing the half-eaten forgotten popcorn into a trashcan by the exit. He led you out of the theater by hand, walking slowly down the street in front of the building.

“Now it’s time for part two,” Jungkook said, turning to you and smiling. “I’m assuming you’re not going to tell me again?” You asked, inching closer to him as the two of you walked. He laughed, “We’re just picking up something first. Part two is outside of the city.” Knowing there wasn’t much more that he would tell you, you decided to change the subject to a question that had been burning in your mind. “Hey, Jungkook?” He responded with a, “Mmm?” And you continued, “Why did you push so hard for this date?” Jungkook turned to you, his large doe eyes almost hypnotizing you and the cute, bunny smile appearing, “Because I like you Y/N.”

You were surprised at his nonchalant confession, wondering how he could shift from being too afraid to hold your hand to suddenly confessing how he felt about you. His mercurial personality was only piquing your interest more.

Jungkook stopped at a small deli tucked between a bookstore and a grocery store. He pulled you inside, finally releasing your hand to motion for you to take a seat at the counter facing the window. You leaned your back against it, watching Jungkook approach the cashier and pull out his wallet once more. The cashier went to a counter, grabbing two ready-made sandwiches and placing them in a bag. Jungkook paid and then turned back around, tilting his head slightly when he saw you. It was one of your favorite habits of his, whenever he would tilt his head, and watching him do that as he looked at you only made you smile.

You got off the stool, and waited for him by the exit. He pushed the door with the hand holding the sandwiches and took ahold of yours once more, his fingers lacing through yours. The two of you walked slowly, knowing that you were headed back to the car. He seemed a lot more relaxed now than he had been when he first picked you up. It was beginning to feel more like one of your lunches that you used to have, except now it was occurring outside of the hospital and the two of you were dressed a lot nicer…and Jungkook was holding your hand.

When you two reached the car, Jungkook began to drive once more in the opposite direction of the hospital as he took you further away. He turned onto a dirt path about five minutes from the outskirts of the city, driving calmly and singing softly to a song you recognized on the radio. You were grateful, to finally be able to hear the singing voice you had heard about as it sent chills down your spine.

“You have a really nice voice,” You pointed out, turning to Jungkook as he stared at the road. “Do I?” Jungkook asked. “Yeah. It’s really soothing, comforting too,” You said. “I’ve always liked music, singing and dancing. It’s a nice release from the world, though I haven’t done it much since coming over here if I’m being honest.” Jungkook sighed, glancing at you briefly as he drove into a wooded area. “I just sing songs that I like. I’m not that great at composing or producing yet, though I would have liked to learn.” “Two of my friends from home like composing and producing. You would probably have liked to meet them,” you answered, thinking of Yoongi and Namjoon. “Maybe when this whole thing is over I will be able to,” Jungkook said with a smirk.

He only drove for a few more minutes before stopping in a shady area. He opened the his door and got out of the car, running around the front to open the door for you. You took hold of the sandwiches he had left in between the two of you and took his hand as he helped you step out.

“Wait a minute,” He instructed after he closed the car door behind you. He walked over to the trunk and opened it, though you were unsure of what he could be looking for. Once he closed it, you saw that he now had two blankets draped over his arm. He walked up to you, taking your hand as he began to lead you off the dirt road and over a trunk.

“Where are you taking me? You’re not planning to murder me are you?” You asked as you looked around at all the greenery sitting in the middle of nowhere. He laughed, “No. Just trust me.”

The two of you walked for twenty minutes, with Jungkook being a complete gentleman and helping you over rocks and tree trunks bigger than you could step over. After what seemed like forever, the trees opened up, revealing a large, green meadow.

“Well? Doesn’t this seem better than a murder?” Jungkook joked, causing you to lightly hit him on the arm.

He led you to a spot in the middle, laying out one of the blankets on the floor and motioning for you to take a seat. You placed the sandwiches on the blanket and took a seat with Jungkook sitting in front of you. He quickly handed one of the sandwiches to you and then took his.

“How did you find this place?” You asked, your eyes scanning the clearing before taking a bite from your food. “It was while we were on a drill. We were just patrolling the forest during a practice run, and we got ambushed by other soldiers pretending to be the enemy. My squad split up and I ran here. I kept on running for a while and found this meadow,” Jungkook explained. “Fell asleep around here and woke up two hours later with the general yelling at me and making me to clean the toilets and showers for three weeks.” You laughed, “Really?” “Yeah! When I was thinking about what we should do today, I just kept thinking about how much I wanted you to see this place,” He said. “It’s nice right?” You nodded in agreement, his bunny smile filling you up with warmth.

The two of you finished your sandwiches fast and then laid down on the blanket beside each other. Jungkook propped himself up on an elbow to look down at you and reached over to take your hand and begin drawing circles on your palm once more. You were turned to him, his fingers’ light touch sending jolts of electricity throughout your body.

“Your hands are soft. I really like them,” Jungkook said, staring at his fingers as they continued to move around your palm. “I noticed,” You answered him in a quiet voice, remembering the way he did the same thing at the movie theater.

Your heart was beating fast and you were barely able to speak. You continued to look at Jungkook’s beautiful face, his large doe eyes flicking up to look at you when you unconsciously placed your hand on the side of his face. Jungkook’s eyes flickered to yours, his face had a serious expression as he looked at you. He stopped tracing your hand, taking hold of your wrist firmly.

It was then that he leaned over and you suddenly felt his lips on yours. It was almost magical, the way his soft lips felt and at first you were too shocked to move. When you finally got used to the sensation of his lips, yours began to move slowly along with his, his tongue begging for you to open your own mouth. You let Jungkook lead, mimicking every one of his moves back to him as fire spread throughout your entire being. It was like a jolt of electricity running throughout your whole body – like if the only two things that existed were the two of you, and the only thing that mattered was his lips on yours. Jungkook slowly deepened the kiss, one of his hands softly cupping the side of your face.

He suddenly pulled away, panting as he looked down at you. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

You stayed silent, still not able to believe that this was really happening. This time it was you to reach around his neck and pull him back down to you. You could hardly believe your bold action, knowing that you had only been kissed one more time before, the day that Taehyung enlisted.

Taehyung.

You quickly pulled away, sitting up as Jungkook looked at you with surprise. You heavy breaths began to slow down as you thought of your first kiss, your only kiss before today. Jungkook sat up a few seconds after you, looking at you with concern as he wrapped an arm around you.

“Did we go too fast?” Jungkook asked, leaning over to get a better look at your face, his arm comforting you as you tried to catch your breath. You shook your head, turning to him and feeling your stomach drop as you stared back at his face, now etched with worry. “Sorry, I’m sorry. It was fine, you were fine. It was…more than fine.” You answered with a sigh. “Then what’s wrong?” Jungkook asked softly. You moved, letting Jungkook’s arm fall. You knew it was unfair to Jungkook to keep him in the dark about Taehyung, even Jimin had told you so. If you wanted something, anything, to happen between the two of you, he needed to know.

You took in a deep breath, and turned to look at him. “Do you remember the first day I treated you? Not the day you were brought in, but after.” He nodded. “You were crying.” “I was looking at you...and at that moment, you reminded me so much of my…friend Taehyung,” You explained. Jungkook’s eyes flickered in recognition. You had mentioned him previously in passing, when telling him stories about when you were younger. “I remember that name.” “He died, almost two years ago in the war…At least that’s what we think. The official reason is missing in action,” You explained, watching slowly as Jungkook’s eyes went wide. “We grew up together, I was seven when I met him.” He nodded, fixing his posture. He was ready to listen to whatever it is you were going to say. “So he was really important to you.” Before you could even control yourself, the words began to tumble out. “He was more than important. I’ve loved him all my life, if I’m being totally honest with you.” You paused, Jungkook’s eyes going wider as he bit down on his lip. “When I treated you that first day, all I could think about was whether the two of you had any similarities. Whether there was a girl back home waiting for you to return or whether he had suffered the day it happened like I’m sure you were suffering when you were brought in.” Jungkook’s mouth went into an ‘O’ shape as all the puzzle pieces began to fall into place in his mind. You could almost see the gears working in his brain as you continued to talk. “When you first asked me out, I felt like I was betraying Taehyung and his memory. I had promised myself to love him for the rest of my life and I freaked out at the thought that I may have feelings for you,” You whispered. “That’s explains your reaction that day,” Jungkook said in what you hoped was an understanding tone. “I was scared of what I felt for you, what I feel for you. I was afraid that the second I let myself fall for you, Taehyung would disappear from my mind,” you said. Jungkook nodded, waiting for you to continue. “But the truth is…I probably fell for you a long time ago.”

You saw Jungkook freeze in front of you and you could see him contemplating what you just told him and you sat beside him in silence as he took in your sudden confession.

It felt like an eternity, waiting in the silence of the meadow for Jungkook to speak again. “How do you feel now?” You turned to look at him, concern still evident on his face. You nod, “I’m okay.” Jungkook reaches out to take both of your hands into his hold. “Y/N…I really like you, and if you need this – whatever this is – to go slow, we can do that. We’ll go at your pace.”

You stared at Jungkook in shock, completely surprised that he was being so understanding. He really was too good to be true.

“I’ve never loved someone my whole life, not how you loved your friend or for as long as you loved him,” Jungkook spoke. “But, I really like you. I won’t push you for anything, but please, this is all I’m asking for…don’t push me away.” You looked at him, letting the words sink into your mind. “Do you really mean that?” “Y/N, of course I do. You’re one of the most incredible girls I have ever met, and I met you in the military. I can count the amount of girls I know here on one hand.” “Does that mean you wouldn’t have paid attention to me if there were more girls here?” You asked jokingly, attempting to lighten the mood. “It means that makes me like you a lot more, knowing that you took a plunge – that I’m assuming was done on impulse – most girls won’t take,” he said. “And that makes you even more incredible to me.”

He lifted up one of your hands, bringing it to his lips and placed a feather-light kiss on it.

“Also, I don’t have a girl waiting for me back at home. At least…not that I know of,” Jungkook said, laughing slightly. “Except for my mom, if she counts.” He added, eliciting a laugh from you.

The two of you stayed in the meadow for a while longer, with you resting your head on Jungkook’s chest listening to the beat of his heart and his smooth, velvety voice as he sang softly a song you had never heard. You felt at peace in the meadow, as if nothing could get you down, not even the raging war that was occurring just miles away from where you two lay.

[bugheadjones-the-third]

Title: Inspiration . Summary: Jughead is suffering from writers block and Betty decides to help him get inspired. . A/N: Thank you, Lili and Cole, for destroying my study schedule this week. Those photos of Lili surrounded by flowers were just too beautiful and I couldn’t help make a Bughead version of that XD I hope you enjoy it, and please, give me some feedback! . . . She hates to see him like this.

A deadly glare is set on his laptop screen, three empty cups of coffee resting aside and that troubled inconstancy that consists of typing and deleting everything. His fingers are making a loud, clicking sound, as they dance violently around his keyboard, and she can hear the cursing under his breath, even if they’re coming out in a really low whisper.

Her boyfriend had been like that for what felt like hours now, suffering from the worst writer’s block she has ever witnessed, as he runs his fingers through the exposed locks of his dark hair every now and then. He's puffing his cheeks in pure frustration as he continues to stare at a blank page in front of him, tapping his feet against Pop’s tiled floor.

Perks of being a writer, she thought.

Jughead Jones the Third was sitting in a booth at Riverdale’s number one meeting spot, completely unaware of the world that surrounds him. Betty is sitting across from him, trying to finish her homework, but failing miserably as her blue eyes refuse to leave the boy in front of her. She knows he’s not conscious of her presence, for he’s even ignored the basket of fries Pops left for him, and she knows how serious things are at this point.

While he’s trapped in that attempt of writing a new paragraph of his novel, nothing else seems to matter for that boy and his beanie.

Oh, but it does matter for the girl with the golden ponytail.

Watching him slowly and uselessly drowning in that current state is harder than watching him write without being able to have a taste for the words. Betty doesn’t understand what’s going on in his head, but she sure as hell knows that if he doesn’t figure it out soon, his beanie will be covering an entirely bald head.

She has to do something, she thinks. She has to save that soft hair of his.

“ Hey, Juggie…” Her voice breaks the silence that had started after his keyboard was briefly spared from his anger. His eyes didn’t leave the screen, as his right hand rests over his upper lip.

It’s obvious that her words didn’t cross the barrier he had placed around himself, and for an instance, she can feel a certain annoyance building up in her stomach. She bites her lower lip, ready to try a little harder- and a little louder this time.

“ Jughead.” Her voice is, indeed, louder, but she still has no success. She clenches her fists, and her big, bright, blue eyes are now glaring at her boyfriend. He’s giving her no choice. “ Forsythe Jones!”

At the sudden mention of his name, the writer snaps his head up, his greenish-blue eyes now set on her. His Adam apple goes up and down in a gulp, for he can tell Betty is annoyed by something- someone- him. He doesn’t like the way she’s staring at him, and for the first time, he chooses to grab one, cold fried potato, shoving it into his mouth.

“ Hey, Bets… What is it?”

“ Don’t you think you should take a break?”

“ A break? But I barely wrote one line!”

“ Yes, and that’s exactly why you need a break. You’re stuck.”

“ No, I’m not.”

She says nothing, her eyebrow lifting in a way that says it all.

Oh, really?

“ Well… Maybe… I’m kinda stuck. But it doesn’t mean I should give up right now! What would’ve happened if Stephen King had given up while writing one of his books?”

“ Juggie, that’s not the point. Yo-“

“ Or what if Mary Shelley had decided to stop writing because of menstrual cramps?”

“ …What? That makes no sense, I mean-“

“ Or even better! I bet Truman Capote didn’t, couldn’t and wouldn’t stop writing his articles for In Cold Blood! Betty, I can’t give up!”

“ I’m not telling you to give up, Jughead! What I mean to tell you is that even Edgar Alan Poe must have suffered from writer’s block!”

“ Writer’s block?” He lifted an eyebrow, his lips creating a gap in pure disbelief. For a moment, Jughead seemed to be offended by his girlfriend’s words, and before he knew it, his head was already shaking in pure denial.

Writer's block, seriously? Who does she think he is? An amateur who spends hours writing about cliché couples and their dramatic hypocrisy?

No. He’s Jughead Jones and he’s writing his own, criminal novel about his own, small town. He’s living his own words, so there’s just no way he could actually be suffering from that curse.

No, not him.

His tongue is now playing around his lower lip, as a smirk tugs on the corner of his mouth. His head is slowly tilting to the sides, and his eyes are still trapped on hers in a way that sends shivers down her spine. Jughead’s expression looks amused as he looks at the concerned, cute blonde, and if not for his current writing issue, the beanie boy would’ve allowed a chuckle to escape his throat.

But he has no time for such thing.

“ Tch, There’s no such thing as writer’s block, Betty.”

“ Then how do you explain what you’ve been doing for the past 2 hours?”

“ I’m just unsure of which words to use. I’ll figure it out soon.”

“ I believe you will, and I want to help.” She says, softly, reaching out for his hands. Betty is trying her best to show him her support, but judging by his expression, he is not really taking her intentions seriously.

“ Thanks, Bets, but…” He holds her hands, brushing her knuckles with his thumb. “ I don’t think I would like to hear you reading the entire dictionary for me. Even if I’m sure your voice would make all the words sound a lot better.”

A sigh escapes her lips, as they soon return to their previous positions. Her hands are now forming a bridge in front of her face, as his eyes are now back to the screen. She hates his sarcastic, smart words more than everything now, and the pout on her lips shows how unsatisfied she is with this situation.

Apparently, he won’t be giving her another option.

Without thinking twice, the blonde stands up from the booth, and unconsciously, his eyes follow her golden pony tail dancing around in the air. She went to talk to Pop Tate and they giggle a bit before she finally returns to the booth with a wide smile spread around her face. Betty doesn’t sit, he notes, as she simply stands there, looking at him for as long as it takes for him to feel uncomfortable.

Betty Cooper really knows how to get his attention.

“Bets.” He stops and looks at her. “ Are you really just going to- Wait, what!?“

Before he could even finish his line, the Cooper girl is already closing his dark laptop, leaning down so their faces are just a couple of inches away from one another. Her eyes are intimidating right now, and somehow, he feels all the words and the sarcasm escaping from his body.

“ Listen, Juggie. If you really wanted me to read an entire dictionary for you, believe me, I would. However, I know this won’t work so I’ll be doing something that might actually take you off of this writer’s block.”

“ There’s no such thing as-“

“ Yes there is. And now, you’re gonna stand up, hold my hand and we will both be going out to find you some inspiration. Deal?”

Her breath is tickling his nose, her eyes are blinding his and her vanilla scent is invading his nostrils. Suddenly, he feels his palms sweating and his heart beating faster, as her idea- order- starts to sound quite appealing.

Perhaps, taking a break with his girlfriend won’t be that bad.

“ Fine. And where do you-“

“Awesome!” She pecks his lips, before carefully placing his laptop inside her purse, and in a blink of an eye, she’s already pulling him by the hand as they storm out of Pop’s. His free hand is holding his beanie down, as he stumbles, trying to keep up with her excitement.

Cheerleaders, he thinks.

“ Hey, shouldn’t we pay before we leave?”

“ It was my treat! Just tag along, okay?” While they are still running with no particular reason, Betty quickly turns to face him, with a warm, soft smile on her face. Her cheeks are blushing due to Riverdale’s cold air, and before he notices, there’s a blush spread around his cheeks too. Jughead is smiling, and when he finally answers the tight grip she has around his hand, the writer finally realizes that his girlfriend may be right.

And if he does need inspiration, then who would be better than his her to give him some?

————————————————————

At the beginning of their unexpected hike, their hands were intertwined together. However now, after walking through so many, rocky miles, Jughead is barely being able to keep up with Betty Cooper and her excited ponytail. They’ve been walking for almost an hour already, chasing the SweetWater river’s water upstream, and by the look on his girlfriend’s eyes, there’s still a long way to go until they reach the so called inspirational place. There’s a smile decorating her lips, and even if he appreciates the fact that she’s forcefully dragging him around, right now, he just wants to go back to Pop’s and resume his miserable and failing attempt to write something.

Jughead Jones the Third was not created to walk long distances.

At least not without a vanilla milkshake.

“Bets… Not that I dislike Riverdale’s natural, cold scenarios, but… Can we just go home? I’m starting to feel like the Revenant and I don’t really feel like going through that whole thing for an Oscar.”

“ Tch, stop being such a kid, Juggie… We’re almost there.”

“ You said that like half an hour ago…” He whispers, a childish pout gracing his lips.

“ Did you say something?”

“ Nope.”

“ Uhm… Then hurry up! Move faster or we will take longer than Leonardo took to crawl from inside that horse!”

A sigh escapes his lips as soon as he watches the girl cheerfully hopping from stone to stone as they reach a steeper part of the mountain. His lungs and his muscles are protesting as his eyes try to figure out the best way to cross those rocks, and it’s only when he reaches the last one that he knows he shouldn’t have ignored his own body when it tried to stop him from moving.

The last rock was covered by a thin layer of moss, and as soon as his dark converse steps on it, the only thing Jughead can feel is his entire body falling back in slow motion. His eyes widen, his lips part in awe, allowing a loud gasp to escape his lungs, and before he knows, the world is spinning.

It’s definitely gonna hurt, he thinks.

But surprisingly, it doesn’t. When his body stops in the air and his hand is enveloped in a warm, soft sensation, Jughead realizes it doesn’t hurt at all.

“ Wow! I gotcha!”

Big, bright, blue eyes stare at him with a little fear shaking her pupils, and a relieved smiles plays on her lips as she stands still, firmly holding his hand so he won’t fall and hit his head. For a moment, he feels his heart beating faster and a blush hovers over his cheek as he watches- from the best seat in the house- the sheer light that surrounds his blonde heroine.

She’s certainly a super girl.

“ And that’s why kids must stay at home.” He smirks, as she pulls him up so he can sustain his own weight.

“ Maybe next time I can find a way to carry you all the way up here.”

“ You know I wouldn’t find it all that bad.”

“ Oh, so are you saying I can ask one of the joggers to come and stay with us all the time? Maybe Arch could come.” She teases, watching as his lazy expression suddenly turns into a more serious one. Even if he knows she’s just joking, this is not the kind of humor that makes him laugh.

“…. I’ll pass. Tch, couldn’t you have chosen a closer place to take me? I wouldn’t complain if we went to somewhere as close as Pop’s.”

“ Stop being so lazy, Jughead! If going to Pop’s had helped, we wouldn’t have climbed all the way up here.” She holds his hand, swinging it back and forth. Slowly, she guides him a couple of steps ahead and before he notices, Betty stops and her eyes turn to face another direction. There’s a new light shining upon them, and a wide smile takes over her expression.

It’s definitely a good view, he thinks, feeling a silent sigh escaping through his nostrils.

“Now open your mind and let the inspiration come…. We’re here.”

It takes Jughead some seconds to finally build up enough strength to turn away from her porcelain face, but when he does, his greenish-blue eyes widen in pure surprise. In front of him, a bright, yellow field of lilies extends itself, blending in with some orange daisies and destroying the constant, winter gray that envelops the town. It’s a secluded and protected area that certainly goes against Riverdale’s own cold and mysterious atmosphere, and even if he’s not really fond of flowers himself, the writer suddenly starts to feel awkwardly well while surrounded by them.

His girlfriend really had a good idea in order to make him relax.

But inspiration is not something he can feel building up inside himself. At least not now.

“ So, what do you think? Beautiful, isn’t it?” She asks, biting her lower lip in pure anxiety as she waits for his answer.

“ Yeah… It’s really breathtaking, and I’m not saying this because I might have dropped my lungs somewhere on the way up here.” She punches his arm playfully, making the corner of his mouth lift in amusement. “ I appreciate the fact that you’ve brought me here, Bets… I really do…”

“ But…?” Her expression is soft, as she waits for the truth. The Cooper girl could tell by the way his eyes looked at the scenery in front of him that her attempt was, indeed, useless. She waits to hear it from his lips, and for they’ve always cherished the truth, Betty knew he will tell her exactly what’s on his mind.

They are trying to solve a crime. Lying isn’t really their thing.

“ But I’m writing a novel about a murderer… I doubt beautiful flowers and sweet scents will give me any kind of motivation.”

“ You’re right. It was a stupid idea…”

“ I wouldn’t say stupid… Far from that, actually. You were just trying to help, and it’s not your fault if it didn’t work. You did all you could.”

Oh, did she?

As a cold breeze hits their bodies and dances with their blonde and dark locks, Betty Cooper starts to think that she didn’t really try everything she could to help him rid himself of that block. Looking at the flowers right now and feeling his warm hand against hers is suddenly making her feel lighter than usual, and Betty doesn’t know if it was his scent or the flowers’, but she can feel a sweet scent invading her nostrils and leaving her in an inebriated state of heart.

Betty can feel the slightest changes happening around her, and as her heart starts to beat faster, she realizes that maybe bringing him all the way up here was nothing but a selfish wish from her jealous and needy love for the boy with the beanie.

Maybe all she wanted was his attention and those stunning eyes of his set on her.

Her eyelids are half closed right now, as she looks at him and allows the fresh air of the mountains to fill her lungs. She suddenly lets go of his hand, and before she knows it, her legs are dragging her towards the middle of that field of flowers. The yellow and orange petals brush against the tips of her fingers, as she looks like a little girl who has forgotten about spring after a long winter. There’s a simple smile on her face, and when she finally turns to face him and their eyes lock, her smile only gets softer.

Oh, how good it is to be observed by those eyes…

The eyes of someone who can eternalize that moment with his own, pure words.

“ Betty?” He’s confused, watching his girlfriend entangling herself with the flowers. “Are you okay?”

“ Of course I am! Come here with me. Have some fun!” She smiles brightly, not paying attention to where she’s heading to. “ I don’t understand how you can’t get inspired by this.”

“ I think I’ll pass… Maybe it’s the thin air… My brain needs oxygen.”

“ Your brain needs oxygen and I need a- AH!”

Her sarcastic comment is abruptly interrupted by a hidden root that ended up trapping her foot, and like an autumn leaf, Betty falls in the middle of the flower field. It was quite an amusing view, he admits, as he holds back the laughter that had suddenly built up inside his stomach.

Betty Cooper is beautiful even when falling.

“Betty?! Are you okay?” There’s an amused smile playing on his lips, and as he finally enters the yellow and orange field, Jughead starts to carefully look around for his girlfriend. Yellow pollen is sticking on his pants, and the buzzing sound of a bee tells him that he has messed with the wrong flower.

“ I’m okay…” She says, lifting a hand in the air as if to indicate her location. “ Damn, how did this happen?”

His long legs take him to the place where she is, and when his eyes finally find her, Jughead is surprised by the sudden hit he feels on his stomach. His eyes widen, his heart skips a beat, and before he knows it, the writer is at loss of words as he simply looks at the girl below.

Her golden locks are mixing with the flowers, as they're messily splayed around, daring to pop out from the ponytail. Her legs are brought up to her chest as she massages her lower back, and the faint yellow that covers her cheeks give the girl an air of freedom and innocence. Her eyes are still as blue as they could be, and he has to hold back the urge to call her the personification of the Blue and Gold.

Betty really looks cute like that, he thinks.

“ Were you trying to act like a disney princess or was that your audition for playing the role of the flower number 3?” He says, looking at her with an amused smile.

“ Really funny… I guess they forget about the things you can’t see hidden under the flowers.”

“ Well, if I were the director, I would call you back, Bets.”

She chuckled, holding a broken flower in between her fingers. “ I guess I only got the part because I murdered the competition.”

And that is when the 'M' word hits his senses. His eyes widen, the gears in his head start to spin and as he looks at her, Jughead can feel a certain excitement burning the tips of his fingers. There’s something about her position… And something about the scenario and the flowers…

Everything suddenly starts to blend together, and even Betty can tell that there’s something going on with him. She looks at him, with a confused expression ruling her face, and she soon finds herself deciding on wether or not she should call his attention.

There’s something going on with him.

But by the way his lips are twitching, the Cooper girl doubts it’s anything bad.

“ Juggie… Are you ok-“

“ Bets! You’re a genius!”

“ Am I?”

“ Yes! I mean… This is definitely not the best crime scene ever, but the way you fell and all… Do you think that’s how a dead body falls?”

“ … Are you looking at me and thinking about dead people, Jughead?”

“ Yes!” He suddenly pulls her up so they can stand at the same level, and as he observes her with curious eyes, Betty no longer thinks inspiration is something healthy for a young writer such as Jughead.

“ Should I worry about this or not?”

“ No… Maybe, I don’t know. I’m probably having a moment of epiphany right now!”

He's smiling happily at her, consequently causing her own lips to form an amused, proud smile. Seeing him like this is certainly much better than the way he was before, and even if she’s just being casted to play dead in his thoughts, Betty couldn’t be any happier for her boyfriend.

At last, the writer within him is back.

“ Thank you for bringing me here, Betty!” He says, pulling her face for a quick, chaste kiss.

And she can’t wait to read what his murdering words will do to those yellow flowers.

“ You’re very welcome.”

[stripedigital]

11 Steps to Building a Results Focused Digital Marketing Campaign

A digital marketing campaign has many moving parts that all work together to grow your business. Once you get your campaign up and running with advertisements, email automations and sales funnels you will be able to review analytics and physically see your business developing. From defining your goals and budget to setting up Facebook and Google advertising it’s a long road, but we’re here to give you the best advice, tips and tricks to building your next digital marketing campaign.

So apply these tips to your digital marketing campaign, or contact our expert team and we’ll be an extension of your marketing department.

1. Define your goals

Do you want conversions, followers, likes, responses to emails, to be #1 on Google searches? The options are endless in digital marketing but it is wise to decide what your main goal is going to be in your digital marketing campaign. If you want to send emails as well as run ads on Google and other social media platforms, consider hiring a digital marketing agency to help you out as this can be a huge task for a small business owner.

There are several different types goals you can focus on. Some important ones that you should be aware of are brand awareness, follower growth, conversions and lead generation.  

Brand awareness should be high on your list. How many times have you told someone to search for something on the internet but instead of saying “Go search for it” you have said “Just Google it”? This is brand awareness at the highest level. When users start to use your brand name to refer to a generic term, you’ve made it. But it’s a long process to get there.   

Gaining followers is not as easy as it sounds. Sure you can tell all of your friends and family to like your business on Facebook or follow you on Instagram. But you still need a digital marketing campaign. Here you can run follower growth ads on Facebook that target your specific audience and ask them to like your page. Send emails to your current clients asking for likes or follows. It is always a good idea to have something to exchange like a coupon or free gift.  

Getting people to convert to using your product takes a lot of coaxing. If you want your digital marketing campaign to be focused on conversions you essentially want someone to see your ad or open your email and make a purchase.

Lead Generation is a step in the conversion process. If you are focused on generating leads, these users will become aware of your product and then let you know they are interested in learning more and potentially making a purchase.

With each of these goals there are various steps you will have to take in order for your digital marketing campaign to be successful.

2. Define Your Target Market

What types of people do you want to target? If you already have a website and are running analytics you can pull reports to see what kinds of people are shopping for your products. If you are just starting out you will need to do some research. You can check out your competition to see who they are targeting but don’t just target their audience. You should find a niche market to target that they might be missing out on.

You will need to first decide if you are targeting other businesses or consumers. No you cannot target everyone. Find your niche market. A successful digital marketing campaign has a well defined audience that is carefully crafted by you, the business owner!

You can survey your current customers on your own or hire a digital marketing company to do the research for you.

3. Develop Personas

Create a buyer persona for you brand. Describe this person in detail – what they do for a living, their annual income, family situation, age, likes and dislikes.

Say you are opening a craft coffee company in your local community. The average price of a cup of coffee is around $5. Your ideal customer will likely have a higher salary and have some disposable income. Let’s map out a persona for our future coffee business.

This is Steve. Steve is a 27 year old marketing professional who earns $80,000 a year at his job. He loves his local community and is always looking for a fun new place where he can spend the days he works from home instead of the office. He is very tech savvy and loves a good subscription box. Steve loves learning about the latest technology but also enjoys the outdoors. He spends his Saturdays shopping at the local farmers market and taking his dog for walks in the park. He hopes to one day have his own tech company. Although he likes to save money, he will often splurge on locally crafted food and drinks.

This is a short summary of an ideal customer for our local coffee business. When creating buyer personas, you should consider your customers’ demographics, fears, goals and their online behaviors. Creating these takes time, practice, and patience to get them just right. If you want to make sure you craft the perfect buyer persona, contact LYFE! We can get your digital marketing campaign up and running with little time spent on your part.

4.Define Your Budget

For any digital marketing campaign you will need to come up with a budget. Keep in mind that digital advertising is the cheapest form of advertising! We have already compared digital marketing vs traditional marketing if you don’t believe us.

If you are hiring a digital marketing company keep in mind that you will need to budget for paying for services as well as having a budget for running Facebook or Google Ads if that is something you are interested in for your digital marketing campaign. You can start by asking yourself how much revenue you want to see. This is where you need to set a reasonable goal. If you are running a Facebook ad campaign and you want to make $10,000 each month and your product margin is $100 you will need to generate 100 sales from this ad campaign. And with that in mind, you can set your budget based on the profit margin you’d like to generate.

Creating a budget is a big part of your digital marketing campaign. If you don’t know what you budget should look like, set up a time to talk it through with a social media professional.

5. Choose The Channels You Want to Use

In your digital marketing campaign you will probably want to utilize as many channels as possible. If you are a business to business company you should not be using the exact same channels as a business to consumer company.

You can advertise on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and even Pinterest. Google Ads are popular as well and can quickly get your company website to the top of search results. Don’t leave email marketing out of your digital marketing campaign. Sending emails is often neglected by companies but this is one of the best ways to grow your business.

A combination of marketing on social media channels, sending emails, optimizing your website and using Google to advertise can build a strong strategy if done correctly. With all of these strategies working together, there’s a lot of room for user error. Of course, you can learn how to build an amazing digital marketing campaign yourself, but wouldn’t it be easier to let a professional do all of the heavy lifting for you?  

6. Do Keyword Research for SEO and PPC

If you are planning on running Google Ads (PPC) or optimizing your website for search engines (SEO) you will need to do some keyword research. Keywords are words that users type into search engines in order to find a product or service or answer a question.

If you don’t want to run ads you definitely want to make sure your site is optimized. SEO is free unlike PPC and is used to organically move your page up in Google search rankings.

The trick to finding keywords for your business is to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Brainstorm a list of keywords that you think customers will be searching and then test them! You can type words into Google and let your search bar autofill like this. It will help you get an idea of what customers are searching for.  

You can also use sites like Answer the Public. This site will provide a web of questions that people are asking search engines based around the keyword you type in. As you can see these are all the questions that people are asking Google about flights.

Here’s a sneak peak into our keyword research process. We start by talking with our clients about their goals for their digital marketing campaign and which words they think customers are searching. We then compare what competitors are ranking for and check to see if there are any keywords you are ranking for already and if it’s possible to get you that number one spot.

After our initial research is completed we compile keywords so that we can compare their monthly search volume and keyword difficulty. We also like to map out which page we can optimize for each keyword or if we should create a new landing page. We are usually looking for keywords that have high monthly search with low competition.

Here you can see part of our process for defining which keywords will work well for this company and which won’t. We like to explore all of our options to make sure we don’t miss a potential keyword.

Our process for PPC is a little different as we have to compare the cost per click of each word and then group the keywords accordingly. With PPC we are focused on how much each word will cost when a potential customer clicks as well as the monthly search volume. Our goal is to keep your CPC low while reaching as many people as possible.

You can learn more about the differences between SEO vs PPC here!

Once you have completed your keyword research you are ready to start optimizing your site and set up Google Ads. SEO will physically take place on your site. You will need to change your title and meta descriptions, H1 tag, images alt tags and copy to reflect the keywords you have chosen. When creating your PPC ad campaigns you will use your target keywords so that when they are typed in, your ad comes up as one of the top ad results. If you are going to put time and money into something like SEO and PPC you want to make sure it is done correctly. Hiring a professional for your digital marketing campaign will ensure that a custom strategy is put in place so that you can achieve your goals.

7. Set up Ads on Social Media Platforms

Now that all of your research is completed and your goals are set, you can jump in to social media advertising. Wherever you decide to advertise (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter) you will need to create engaging advertisements that resonate with your audience. Since Facebook advertising is the most popular form of social media advertising in a digital marketing campaign we’ll show you an example.

You will be creating this ad in Facebook ads manager for your Facebook business account. They will first ask you to choose your objective. Let’s go with brand awareness.

You will then choose a name for your campaign and decide if you want to optimize your budget or not. You will then be prompted to create an audience for your ad.

Pro Tip: Use a lookalike audience. This is a great way to target people who are similar to your existing customer base. You’ll need an email list to start so that Facebook can build an audience for you. Once you have this set up you’ll be targeting potential customers like a pro!

You will then set your advertising budget. Our best advice is to start small and then scale up. You wouldn’t want to spend a bunch of money on an ad set that’s not converting.

Finally you will create an advertisement complete with images and copy that is going to resonate with your audience.   

8. Manage Your Social Media Profiles

Not only is social media advertising an important component for your digital marketing campaign but managing and monitoring your accounts should not be neglected. Follower growth and reputation management are two management techniques that we swear by. You should always be focused on growing your fan-base because you want to continue to gain customers. Don’t just rely on your existing customers.

In order for your digital marketing campaign to be successful, you should make sure you have a good online reputation. This means you will need to interact with your customers on your social media accounts as well as reply to disgruntled customers who give you bad reviews. Reaching out to people who have had a bad experience (although it may be scary at first) builds trust and rapport with your customers.

Here’s a review that was left on Google. This could have really harmed the business if the owner had not responded. If a customer did have a bad experience you can open a dialogue with them, ask them to send you a message or an email about their experience or offer them a coupon to try your business again. As a business owner the best thing you can do is to make sure you are actively reading comments and reviews on social media as well interacting with customers. 9. Formulate an Email Marketing Strategy

Email marketing should not be left out of your digital marketing campaign as it can be incorporated with the social media side of your campaign. You can use social media to collect emails which you can then use to build a lookalike audience for your campaign. You now have a list of people who have opted to receive news and special offers from you! You can also use emails to encourage follower growth on your social media platforms.

If you feel like you don’t have time to send emails, at least set up some automations (or hire an email marketing pro to do it for you!). Automations can be created to welcome users, remind them that they left something in their cart, update them on their purchases and more! Once you create the emails you want to appear in your automation, you will need to set up a trigger and press start.

We’ll look at setting up an automation in MailChimp.

As you can see, the trigger is set to send the first email one day after a subscriber joins your list. You can then add as many emails as you want to this sequence. Automating emails can save you a lot of time but it is good to send non-automated emails as well. A welcome sequence is great but what happens when it’s over and your customers finish the automation? If you discontinue email marketing, your customers will quickly forget your brand.  

10. Set Up Remarketing

Remarketing is a tool that you should be using throughout your digital marketing campaign. It allows you to capture sales that you might have otherwise lost. If someone browses your products but does not make a purchase you can target them with social media ads, Google Ads or emails.

Here is an advertisement from Rareform, a company that sells wallets, bags and purses made from recycled billboards. Since they have a bunch of different products, they are running a carousel ad so that customers can easily browse their products or see products that they have looked at previously on their website. They even offer a coupon to further entice customers.

Remarketing emails can come in the form of cart abandonment emails. If you add something to your cart and don’t purchase, you may receive an email about it later encouraging you to come back and make a purchase. Big companies like Amazon have remarketing down to a science. They will send you emails about what you have left in your cart or products that are similar to products you have either purchased or clicked on like this backpack.

This strategy should be a big part of your digital marketing campaign in order to catch the customers who slip through the cracks.  

11. Craft A Blogging Strategy

Blogging is a critical piece of your digital marketing campaign that may sound insignificant but it can be a game changer for your business. Blogging can help out your SEO, increase customer engagement, and help to answer questions that your customers have. A big tip for writing blogs is to make sure you are crafting relevant content. Your blogs don’t have to be 3,000 words but keep in mind that the longer the blog the better your chances of ranking. If someone clicks on one of your 300 word blogs, they’ll be finished reading pretty quickly. This means that their time spent on your site will be fairly short. Users will spend a lot more time reading a longer blog that has engaging copy and cool graphics. If users spend a lot of time on your site, Google now thinks that your content is important which can ultimately help you move up in search.

By writing a blog you can also help to answer your potential customers’ questions about your company or product. No matter what your product, service, or cause is your website will greatly benefit from blogging. If you don’t know where to begin, our team of experts can help you brainstorm topics and even help with writing your blogs, which can end up saving you a lot time.

Constructing a Winning Digital Marketing Campaign

When building a results focused digital marketing campaign you should be utilizing each of these strategies. One builds on the next, and skipping a step can be costly. This is a huge job for one person especially if you lack experience in any of these fields. At LYFE we give our clients a team of dedicated specialists who work together to curate and manage successful digital marketing campaigns. Contact us today to see how we can help your business reach its full potential.

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Auto Lotto Processor Review

Auto Lotto Processor Review

Auto Lotto Processor Review

Auto Lotto Processor Review

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[marie85marketing]

How to Sell Multiple Products Online: 12 Ways to Boost Sales without Jeopardizing the Experience

Steve Jobs wore one thing.

Zuckerberg started doing it. And even Obama caught the bug.

But why? (Beyond, you know, an apparent lack of fashion sense.)

One less decision to make for these powerful decision makers. More time for everything else, according to the Zuck himself in a Q&A session.

Outfit dilemma hit former Saatchi & Saatchi art director, Matilda Kahl, too. After arriving late to an important Monday morning meeting, her sweater inside out, she adopted the same approach.

Choices are good though, right? Yes and no.

On the plus side, more choice can help bring in more attention to your wares. But on the down side, more choice can also cause analysis paralysis. It can literally freeze people (and more importantly, buyers) right at the moment of truth.

So. What on Earth are you supposed to do if you have multiple products online? How do you sell them without putting your visitors on ice and jeopardizing sales?

Let’s find out.

How to Sell Multiple Products

The jam study is infamous.

It recounts one day in a Menlo Park grocery store. (No doubt surrounded by all sorts of vegan nuts and berries. Because vegans just basically eat nuts, right? Like chipmunks. Crazy California hippies.)

Twenty-four jam varietals were set out. Muchas people came over to check them all out. But the conversion rate (of lookers to buyers) wasn’t all that impressive.

Later, they reduced that number down to only six. Less people came over, but more people ended up buying.

The theory, so it goes, was that too many choices can actually reduce conversions. Now, not everyone is convinced. There are flaws. Biases. And other scientific-sounding things.

But it still presents an issue.

Ecommerce marketers have multiple products. Even a single product page has a TON of ‘variables’ that you have to get right. For example:

Descriptive product names

SEO-optimized product description

High-resolution product images

CTA buttons that are difficult to miss

Additional details such as price, size, availability, and cost savings

Reviews and testimonials

An option to buy later (or save searches) via an “Add to Wish List” button

Related products recommendation for cross-sell and upsell opportunities

Social media sharing buttons

Clear shipping and return information

Product videos

Live chat widget

Of course, there’s the copy as well. Which, when done right, can increase clickthrough rates by an astounding 93%.

So how do you sell multiple products again without compromising the sales experience?

Thankfully, MarketingExperiments.com ran a clinic on selling multiple products online. And they found three major takeaways after performing, you know, some marketing experiments:

Reduce the number of choices

Prioritize product presentation

Communicate the product’s value proposition

Cool. Let’s see how those three work.

Step #1. Reduce the number of choices

Decision fatigue is a thing afterall. Too many choices, too much analysis required, and less purchases are made. (Yes, in that order.)

Too many choices can lead people to second-guess themselves. Question their decisions. Before finally throwing up their hands and exclaim, “Screw it. We’re eating eggs again tonight.”

Turns out, there is some data that backs up the “too many products backfire” claim.

MarketingExperiments.com found that reducing the products on a page from three down to one increased revenue by 24%. (Not conversions — revenue.)

Image Source

Ok… but how, exactly, do you do that? Especially when you’ve got a full product catalog with tons of inventory sitting in an expensive warehouse?

Here’s a few ideas they put forth.

✅ Tip #1: Prioritize the best selling products (duh)

Sounds trite and obvious. But it’s incredibly important. Funnel visitors to your best performing products.

Similar to how you’d ‘funnel’ visitors to your best converting pages or blog posts when trying to increase conversions.

But of course, you can only answer this if you actually have customer insight. Cold hard data. From analytics software. Like the one whose blog you’re reading right now.

Surveys also work. Kinda. Sorta. But only if you are asking the right questions.

✅ Tip #2: Visually streamline how people choose products

Just because you have three digits worth of products sitting on shelves somewhere (undoubtedly collecting dust), doesn’t mean you have to force all of those things onto the same page at one time.

Instead, group your products differently in order to not overwhelm people. That might apply to category (or even sub category pages). If possible, one page, one goal.

That can even apply to the entire conversion funnel on your site.

Helix is one of my favorite examples. They sell mattresses. Boring, right? Not exactly unique or different. You can’t throw a rock in a city without hitting some rundown mattress factory.

So what’s so special about them? Well, for one, they make buying a mattress sexy as hell.

Their Shop page condenses multiple mattresses down into a ‘single’ product.

Then from there, you go into a customization builder to select, add, or remove different attributes.

The result is a simplified, streamlined, approach. You only have one or two decisions to make on each section at a time.

✅ Tip #3: Eliminate (or deprioritize) ‘extra’ products

You can. And you should.

While the goal is to not allow them to overthink and bounce off the page or abandon the cart, you also want to make sure that the product page carries what they came there to buy.

We just saw that in the last Helix example. And here’s another similar one from EvoDesk.

You can literally add almost anything to their stand-up desks. But once again, they remove a lot of the headache and only present you with one option at a time.

The result is that they end up de-prioritizing a lot of the ‘minor’ but cool decisions (like do you want speakers mounted to the top or not) so that they don’t get in the way of the ultimate decision: plopping down a G or two for a desk.

✅ Tip #4: Segment your traffic to tailor what they see

Personalization, yo! Buzzwords! Growth Hacking! Jargon!

Jokes aside, don’t treat everyone the same (if you’re juggling tons of products). Show them what they’d be most interested in. Based on previous visits or purchases.

That’s what Amazon does right on their homepage:

And that’s what the high-converting QVC does, too.

You can try to personalize based on different segments of the market (i.e., financial, marketing, project management sectors, etc.), Or get more granular through targeting: behavioral, location, referring URL, ad content, device, search keywords, customer history, sessions behavior, date and even time of day.

If you can’t personalize pages like this, turn to inbound funnel segmentation. Line up the specific product pages with the source, medium, or channel someone’s coming from.

Step #2. Prioritize Product Presentation

Sometimes you can’t (or don’t want to) eliminate products from a page.

So reducing the number of choices is out.

But… your hands aren’t tied completely. You can still use a few tricks in order to prioritize products. That would give people a visual hierarchy of what’s most important through a series of images, shapes, text, etc.

Once again, MarketingExperiments.com comes through in the clutch. Through a series of product presentation prioritization points (holy Ps), they were able to increase conversions by 66%.

Image Source

And once again, here are a few tips they outlined so you can adopt the same approach.

✅ Tip #1: Size does matter.

Product page sizing depends on a few factors. Like:

How many products are you featuring?

How high up the priority list is the product?

What other elements of focus will the page contain (i.e., text, buttons, menus, etc.?)

It also depends on the site aesthetic that works for your site. But here’s a good example from the Dollar Shave Club:

First, they’ve reduced the number of options. That much is true. But then they also have used product sizing to help you prioritize which one to go with.

✅ Tip #2: Shape can also play a role.

“Packaged products incorporating more natural shapes or motifs” are more likely to be successful, according one consumer buying study on the impact of shapes.

Shapes can mean many things online. For example, check out these product shots on Amazon:

Sure. The Best Seller tags jump out. But otherwise, the product images loaded with stuff do, too.

Because as a red blooded American, your first instinct is MOAR.

Seriously though, one store saw a 320% increase in sales by making tweaks to their Amazon SEO. And what is ‘Amazon SEO’ you ask?

Basically you’re optimizing for visibility, relevance, and conversions by optimizing product pages just like you would on your own site. So title tags, images, reviews, etc.

✅ Tip #3: Time to gif.

You should probably have a video. People like product videos. According to stats.

But otherwise, design elements like blurring, motion lines, or wave effects can help add a little motion to your ocean.

Check out this Bonobos example to see how motion catches your eye:

Image Source

Obviously though, use a little discretion here. The simpler, the better.

✅ Tip #4: Use color contrasts

Colors also play a huge role on buying decisions. But how do you emphasize a product using colors alone? Answer: contrast.

For example, the first image of the three below has the least amount of reviews. But it catches your eye because of the different background image.

✅ Tip #5: Emphasize eyeliner.

Here’s how people view websites:

The top-left corner gets people’s attention first and foremost

People then scan in F-patterns.

The left side of the page gets more attention than the right.

Fortunately, you can use this information to your advantage. You can use it to define your visitors’ eye path. Just remember the following:

Media instantly attracts.

Use the “compare and contrast principle” (example: full price vs. discounted price).

Use directional cues (example: use arrows.)

Be mindful of your typography (example: relevant H1/H2 tags).

Frame/encapsulate what’s important.

Expedia excels at these:

Step #3. Communicate the Product’s Value Proposition

Last but certainly not least, a clear value prop can make all the difference.

MarketingExperiments.com generated a 93% conversion increase by helping customers better understand why they should buy a particular product.

Image Source

Why is your product worth buying? What are its benefits? How will it help the buyer? Your answer to those questions should be the ‘end result’ that will ultimately make someone’s life better.

Your value proposition should “boil down” your sales pitch (and all the complexities associated with it) into something the buyer can easily understand and remember, grab their attention and eventually say, “Yes, that’s the one for me.”

Because “if you’re the best in at least one way, you’re the best option for the people who value that aspect.”

Cases in point: Apple, not the largest selection of products; QVC, not necessarily prestigious; Tiffany, definitely not the cheapest. But people still buy from them.

SaaS companies regularly have good value props. Because they only have a single product to sell. They’re not burned — unencumbered — by the same flaws of those with multiple. So here are a few lessons you can draw on from SaaS companies.

✅ Tip #1: Emphasize what matters most.

Value props aren’t taglines per se, but they should still be succinct; communicating everything that needs to be said in just a few words. (Irony in action: run-on sentences touting “succinct.”)

Trello’s emphasizes three main points:

Free

Flexible

Visual

And you know, if you’ve used Trello before, those are the perfect three words to describe its benefit.

Unbounce also excels here by not just focusing on the benefit, but also removing a pain point.

Building, publishing, and testing landing pages is one thing. But to do those without the need for your I.T. department is like music to a marketer’s ears.

✅ Tip #2: Clarity trumps cleverness.

Value props run a risk.

The entire concept of it is kinda business-y. Kinda jargon-y.

So you run the risk of being too clever. Too complex. Or too MBA-y.

When in reality, the best value props are incredibly simple; requiring less than a few seconds of thought.

That means no big words. No run-on sentences. No generic garbage. No “collaboration”, or “effectiveness”, or other synergies.

Bitly nails it with three short words that instantly communicate what it does and why you need it.

✅ Tip #3: Incorporate visuals.

If you’re still struggling, visuals can help add context. For ecommerce, think about showing the product in action.

Short videos also work well, as evidenced by Dollar Shave Club’s infamous viral one they still use front-and-center today.

Conclusion

Selling multiple products online can be a recipe for disaster.

Showing visitors too many products might get their attention. But it can also cause analysis paralysis. Too many choices may lead to no choosing at all.

Start by reducing the number of options (if possible). You don’t have to axe them completely, necessarily. But streamline how people discover them, or how you’re prioritizing which products they see (in sequence).

You should then present products strategically by using a visual hierarchy to indicate importance. Think: shapes, colors, motion, contrasts, and where you want someone’s eyeline to go first. And yes, gentlemen, size does matter.

Finally, simple, clear copy always wins. An individual product’s value prop should be instantly recognizable. And instantly communicated. That means no generic stuff or jargon that will confuse us. You and your Ivy League friends might love your Ivy League education.

But more often than not, buyers don’t. So keep it stupidly simple.

About the Author: Brad Smith is the founder of Codeless, a B2B content creation company. Frequent contributor to Kissmetrics, Unbounce, WordStream, AdEspresso, Search Engine Journal, Autopilot, and more.

[samiam03x]

How to Sell Multiple Products Online: 12 Ways to Boost Sales without Jeopardizing the Experience

Steve Jobs wore one thing.

Zuckerberg started doing it. And even Obama caught the bug.

But why? (Beyond, you know, an apparent lack of fashion sense.)

One less decision to make for these powerful decision makers. More time for everything else, according to the Zuck himself in a Q&A session.

Outfit dilemma hit former Saatchi & Saatchi art director, Matilda Kahl, too. After arriving late to an important Monday morning meeting, her sweater inside out, she adopted the same approach.

Choices are good though, right? Yes and no.

On the plus side, more choice can help bring in more attention to your wares. But on the down side, more choice can also cause analysis paralysis. It can literally freeze people (and more importantly, buyers) right at the moment of truth.

So. What on Earth are you supposed to do if you have multiple products online? How do you sell them without putting your visitors on ice and jeopardizing sales?

Let’s find out.

How to Sell Multiple Products

The jam study is infamous.

It recounts one day in a Menlo Park grocery store. (No doubt surrounded by all sorts of vegan nuts and berries. Because vegans just basically eat nuts, right? Like chipmunks. Crazy California hippies.)

Twenty-four jam varietals were set out. Muchas people came over to check them all out. But the conversion rate (of lookers to buyers) wasn’t all that impressive.

Later, they reduced that number down to only six. Less people came over, but more people ended up buying.

The theory, so it goes, was that too many choices can actually reduce conversions. Now, not everyone is convinced. There are flaws. Biases. And other scientific-sounding things.

But it still presents an issue.

Ecommerce marketers have multiple products. Even a single product page has a TON of ‘variables’ that you have to get right. For example:

Descriptive product names

SEO-optimized product description

High-resolution product images

CTA buttons that are difficult to miss

Additional details such as price, size, availability, and cost savings

Reviews and testimonials

An option to buy later (or save searches) via an “Add to Wish List” button

Related products recommendation for cross-sell and upsell opportunities

Social media sharing buttons

Clear shipping and return information

Product videos

Live chat widget

Of course, there’s the copy as well. Which, when done right, can increase clickthrough rates by an astounding 93%.

So how do you sell multiple products again without compromising the sales experience?

Thankfully, MarketingExperiments.com ran a clinic on selling multiple products online. And they found three major takeaways after performing, you know, some marketing experiments:

Reduce the number of choices

Prioritize product presentation

Communicate the product’s value proposition

Cool. Let’s see how those three work.

Step #1. Reduce the number of choices

Decision fatigue is a thing afterall. Too many choices, too much analysis required, and less purchases are made. (Yes, in that order.)

Too many choices can lead people to second-guess themselves. Question their decisions. Before finally throwing up their hands and exclaim, “Screw it. We’re eating eggs again tonight.”

Turns out, there is some data that backs up the “too many products backfire” claim.

MarketingExperiments.com found that reducing the products on a page from three down to one increased revenue by 24%. (Not conversions — revenue.)

Image Source

Ok… but how, exactly, do you do that? Especially when you’ve got a full product catalog with tons of inventory sitting in an expensive warehouse?

Here’s a few ideas they put forth.

✅ Tip #1: Prioritize the best selling products (duh)

Sounds trite and obvious. But it’s incredibly important. Funnel visitors to your best performing products.

Similar to how you’d ‘funnel’ visitors to your best converting pages or blog posts when trying to increase conversions.

But of course, you can only answer this if you actually have customer insight. Cold hard data. From analytics software. Like the one whose blog you’re reading right now.

Surveys also work. Kinda. Sorta. But only if you are asking the right questions.

✅ Tip #2: Visually streamline how people choose products

Just because you have three digits worth of products sitting on shelves somewhere (undoubtedly collecting dust), doesn’t mean you have to force all of those things onto the same page at one time.

Instead, group your products differently in order to not overwhelm people. That might apply to category (or even sub category pages). If possible, one page, one goal.

That can even apply to the entire conversion funnel on your site.

Helix is one of my favorite examples. They sell mattresses. Boring, right? Not exactly unique or different. You can’t throw a rock in a city without hitting some rundown mattress factory.

So what’s so special about them? Well, for one, they make buying a mattress sexy as hell.

Their Shop page condenses multiple mattresses down into a ‘single’ product.

Then from there, you go into a customization builder to select, add, or remove different attributes.

The result is a simplified, streamlined, approach. You only have one or two decisions to make on each section at a time.

✅ Tip #3: Eliminate (or deprioritize) ‘extra’ products

You can. And you should.

While the goal is to not allow them to overthink and bounce off the page or abandon the cart, you also want to make sure that the product page carries what they came there to buy.

We just saw that in the last Helix example. And here’s another similar one from EvoDesk.

You can literally add almost anything to their stand-up desks. But once again, they remove a lot of the headache and only present you with one option at a time.

The result is that they end up de-prioritizing a lot of the ‘minor’ but cool decisions (like do you want speakers mounted to the top or not) so that they don’t get in the way of the ultimate decision: plopping down a G or two for a desk.

✅ Tip #4: Segment your traffic to tailor what they see

Personalization, yo! Buzzwords! Growth Hacking! Jargon!

Jokes aside, don’t treat everyone the same (if you’re juggling tons of products). Show them what they’d be most interested in. Based on previous visits or purchases.

That’s what Amazon does right on their homepage:

And that’s what the high-converting QVC does, too.

You can try to personalize based on different segments of the market (i.e., financial, marketing, project management sectors, etc.), Or get more granular through targeting: behavioral, location, referring URL, ad content, device, search keywords, customer history, sessions behavior, date and even time of day.

If you can’t personalize pages like this, turn to inbound funnel segmentation. Line up the specific product pages with the source, medium, or channel someone’s coming from.

Step #2. Prioritize Product Presentation

Sometimes you can’t (or don’t want to) eliminate products from a page.

So reducing the number of choices is out.

But… your hands aren’t tied completely. You can still use a few tricks in order to prioritize products. That would give people a visual hierarchy of what’s most important through a series of images, shapes, text, etc.

Once again, MarketingExperiments.com comes through in the clutch. Through a series of product presentation prioritization points (holy Ps), they were able to increase conversions by 66%.

Image Source

And once again, here are a few tips they outlined so you can adopt the same approach.

✅ Tip #1: Size does matter.

Product page sizing depends on a few factors. Like:

How many products are you featuring?

How high up the priority list is the product?

What other elements of focus will the page contain (i.e., text, buttons, menus, etc.?)

It also depends on the site aesthetic that works for your site. But here’s a good example from the Dollar Shave Club:

First, they’ve reduced the number of options. That much is true. But then they also have used product sizing to help you prioritize which one to go with.

✅ Tip #2: Shape can also play a role.

“Packaged products incorporating more natural shapes or motifs” are more likely to be successful, according one consumer buying study on the impact of shapes.

Shapes can mean many things online. For example, check out these product shots on Amazon:

Sure. The Best Seller tags jump out. But otherwise, the product images loaded with stuff do, too.

Because as a red blooded American, your first instinct is MOAR.

Seriously though, one store saw a 320% increase in sales by making tweaks to their Amazon SEO. And what is ‘Amazon SEO’ you ask?

Basically you’re optimizing for visibility, relevance, and conversions by optimizing product pages just like you would on your own site. So title tags, images, reviews, etc.

✅ Tip #3: Time to gif.

You should probably have a video. People like product videos. According to stats.

But otherwise, design elements like blurring, motion lines, or wave effects can help add a little motion to your ocean.

Check out this Bonobos example to see how motion catches your eye:

Image Source

Obviously though, use a little discretion here. The simpler, the better.

✅ Tip #4: Use color contrasts

Colors also play a huge role on buying decisions. But how do you emphasize a product using colors alone? Answer: contrast.

For example, the first image of the three below has the least amount of reviews. But it catches your eye because of the different background image.

✅ Tip #5: Emphasize eyeliner.

Here’s how people view websites:

The top-left corner gets people’s attention first and foremost

People then scan in F-patterns.

The left side of the page gets more attention than the right.

Fortunately, you can use this information to your advantage. You can use it to define your visitors’ eye path. Just remember the following:

Media instantly attracts.

Use the “compare and contrast principle” (example: full price vs. discounted price).

Use directional cues (example: use arrows.)

Be mindful of your typography (example: relevant H1/H2 tags).

Frame/encapsulate what’s important.

Expedia excels at these:

Step #3. Communicate the Product’s Value Proposition

Last but certainly not least, a clear value prop can make all the difference.

MarketingExperiments.com generated a 93% conversion increase by helping customers better understand why they should buy a particular product.

Image Source

Why is your product worth buying? What are its benefits? How will it help the buyer? Your answer to those questions should be the ‘end result’ that will ultimately make someone’s life better.

Your value proposition should “boil down” your sales pitch (and all the complexities associated with it) into something the buyer can easily understand and remember, grab their attention and eventually say, “Yes, that’s the one for me.”

Because “if you’re the best in at least one way, you’re the best option for the people who value that aspect.”

Cases in point: Apple, not the largest selection of products; QVC, not necessarily prestigious; Tiffany, definitely not the cheapest. But people still buy from them.

SaaS companies regularly have good value props. Because they only have a single product to sell. They’re not burned — unencumbered — by the same flaws of those with multiple. So here are a few lessons you can draw on from SaaS companies.

✅ Tip #1: Emphasize what matters most.

Value props aren’t taglines per se, but they should still be succinct; communicating everything that needs to be said in just a few words. (Irony in action: run-on sentences touting “succinct.”)

Trello’s emphasizes three main points:

Free

Flexible

Visual

And you know, if you’ve used Trello before, those are the perfect three words to describe its benefit.

Unbounce also excels here by not just focusing on the benefit, but also removing a pain point.

Building, publishing, and testing landing pages is one thing. But to do those without the need for your I.T. department is like music to a marketer’s ears.

✅ Tip #2: Clarity trumps cleverness.

Value props run a risk.

The entire concept of it is kinda business-y. Kinda jargon-y.

So you run the risk of being too clever. Too complex. Or too MBA-y.

When in reality, the best value props are incredibly simple; requiring less than a few seconds of thought.

That means no big words. No run-on sentences. No generic garbage. No “collaboration”, or “effectiveness”, or other synergies.

Bitly nails it with three short words that instantly communicate what it does and why you need it.

✅ Tip #3: Incorporate visuals.

If you’re still struggling, visuals can help add context. For ecommerce, think about showing the product in action.

Short videos also work well, as evidenced by Dollar Shave Club’s infamous viral one they still use front-and-center today.

Conclusion

Selling multiple products online can be a recipe for disaster.

Showing visitors too many products might get their attention. But it can also cause analysis paralysis. Too many choices may lead to no choosing at all.

Start by reducing the number of options (if possible). You don’t have to axe them completely, necessarily. But streamline how people discover them, or how you’re prioritizing which products they see (in sequence).

You should then present products strategically by using a visual hierarchy to indicate importance. Think: shapes, colors, motion, contrasts, and where you want someone’s eyeline to go first. And yes, gentlemen, size does matter.

Finally, simple, clear copy always wins. An individual product’s value prop should be instantly recognizable. And instantly communicated. That means no generic stuff or jargon that will confuse us. You and your Ivy League friends might love your Ivy League education.

But more often than not, buyers don’t. So keep it stupidly simple.

About the Author: Brad Smith is the founder of Codeless, a B2B content creation company. Frequent contributor to Kissmetrics, Unbounce, WordStream, AdEspresso, Search Engine Journal, Autopilot, and more.

http://ift.tt/2tlWRP8 from MarketingRSS http://ift.tt/2sio1rB via Youtube

[ericsburden-blog]

How to Sell Multiple Products Online: 12 Ways to Boost Sales without Jeopardizing the Experience

Steve Jobs wore one thing.

Zuckerberg started doing it. And even Obama caught the bug.

But why? (Beyond, you know, an apparent lack of fashion sense.)

One less decision to make for these powerful decision makers. More time for everything else, according to the Zuck himself in a Q&A session.

Outfit dilemma hit former Saatchi & Saatchi art director, Matilda Kahl, too. After arriving late to an important Monday morning meeting, her sweater inside out, she adopted the same approach.

Choices are good though, right? Yes and no.

On the plus side, more choice can help bring in more attention to your wares. But on the down side, more choice can also cause analysis paralysis. It can literally freeze people (and more importantly, buyers) right at the moment of truth.

So. What on Earth are you supposed to do if you have multiple products online? How do you sell them without putting your visitors on ice and jeopardizing sales?

Let’s find out.

How to Sell Multiple Products

The jam study is infamous.

It recounts one day in a Menlo Park grocery store. (No doubt surrounded by all sorts of vegan nuts and berries. Because vegans just basically eat nuts, right? Like chipmunks. Crazy California hippies.)

Twenty-four jam varietals were set out. Muchas people came over to check them all out. But the conversion rate (of lookers to buyers) wasn’t all that impressive.

Later, they reduced that number down to only six. Less people came over, but more people ended up buying.

The theory, so it goes, was that too many choices can actually reduce conversions. Now, not everyone is convinced. There are flaws. Biases. And other scientific-sounding things.

But it still presents an issue.

Ecommerce marketers have multiple products. Even a single product page has a TON of ‘variables’ that you have to get right. For example:

Descriptive product names

SEO-optimized product description

High-resolution product images

CTA buttons that are difficult to miss

Additional details such as price, size, availability, and cost savings

Reviews and testimonials

An option to buy later (or save searches) via an “Add to Wish List” button

Related products recommendation for cross-sell and upsell opportunities

Social media sharing buttons

Clear shipping and return information

Product videos

Live chat widget

Of course, there’s the copy as well. Which, when done right, can increase clickthrough rates by an astounding 93%.

So how do you sell multiple products again without compromising the sales experience?

Thankfully, MarketingExperiments.com ran a clinic on selling multiple products online. And they found three major takeaways after performing, you know, some marketing experiments:

Reduce the number of choices

Prioritize product presentation

Communicate the product’s value proposition

Cool. Let’s see how those three work.

Step #1. Reduce the number of choices

Decision fatigue is a thing afterall. Too many choices, too much analysis required, and less purchases are made. (Yes, in that order.)

Too many choices can lead people to second-guess themselves. Question their decisions. Before finally throwing up their hands and exclaim, “Screw it. We’re eating eggs again tonight.”

Turns out, there is some data that backs up the “too many products backfire” claim.

MarketingExperiments.com found that reducing the products on a page from three down to one increased revenue by 24%. (Not conversions — revenue.)

Image Source

Ok… but how, exactly, do you do that? Especially when you’ve got a full product catalog with tons of inventory sitting in an expensive warehouse?

Here’s a few ideas they put forth.

✅ Tip #1: Prioritize the best selling products (duh)

Sounds trite and obvious. But it’s incredibly important. Funnel visitors to your best performing products.

Similar to how you’d ‘funnel’ visitors to your best converting pages or blog posts when trying to increase conversions.

But of course, you can only answer this if you actually have customer insight. Cold hard data. From analytics software. Like the one whose blog you’re reading right now.

Surveys also work. Kinda. Sorta. But only if you are asking the right questions.

✅ Tip #2: Visually streamline how people choose products

Just because you have three digits worth of products sitting on shelves somewhere (undoubtedly collecting dust), doesn’t mean you have to force all of those things onto the same page at one time.

Instead, group your products differently in order to not overwhelm people. That might apply to category (or even sub category pages). If possible, one page, one goal.

That can even apply to the entire conversion funnel on your site.

Helix is one of my favorite examples. They sell mattresses. Boring, right? Not exactly unique or different. You can’t throw a rock in a city without hitting some rundown mattress factory.

So what’s so special about them? Well, for one, they make buying a mattress sexy as hell.

Their Shop page condenses multiple mattresses down into a ‘single’ product.

Then from there, you go into a customization builder to select, add, or remove different attributes.

The result is a simplified, streamlined, approach. You only have one or two decisions to make on each section at a time.

✅ Tip #3: Eliminate (or deprioritize) ‘extra’ products

You can. And you should.

While the goal is to not allow them to overthink and bounce off the page or abandon the cart, you also want to make sure that the product page carries what they came there to buy.

We just saw that in the last Helix example. And here’s another similar one from EvoDesk.

You can literally add almost anything to their stand-up desks. But once again, they remove a lot of the headache and only present you with one option at a time.

The result is that they end up de-prioritizing a lot of the ‘minor’ but cool decisions (like do you want speakers mounted to the top or not) so that they don’t get in the way of the ultimate decision: plopping down a G or two for a desk.

✅ Tip #4: Segment your traffic to tailor what they see

Personalization, yo! Buzzwords! Growth Hacking! Jargon!

Jokes aside, don’t treat everyone the same (if you’re juggling tons of products). Show them what they’d be most interested in. Based on previous visits or purchases.

That’s what Amazon does right on their homepage:

And that’s what the high-converting QVC does, too.

You can try to personalize based on different segments of the market (i.e., financial, marketing, project management sectors, etc.), Or get more granular through targeting: behavioral, location, referring URL, ad content, device, search keywords, customer history, sessions behavior, date and even time of day.

If you can’t personalize pages like this, turn to inbound funnel segmentation. Line up the specific product pages with the source, medium, or channel someone’s coming from.

Step #2. Prioritize Product Presentation

Sometimes you can’t (or don’t want to) eliminate products from a page.

So reducing the number of choices is out.

But… your hands aren’t tied completely. You can still use a few tricks in order to prioritize products. That would give people a visual hierarchy of what’s most important through a series of images, shapes, text, etc.

Once again, MarketingExperiments.com comes through in the clutch. Through a series of product presentation prioritization points (holy Ps), they were able to increase conversions by 66%.

Image Source

And once again, here are a few tips they outlined so you can adopt the same approach.

✅ Tip #1: Size does matter.

Product page sizing depends on a few factors. Like:

How many products are you featuring?

How high up the priority list is the product?

What other elements of focus will the page contain (i.e., text, buttons, menus, etc.?)

It also depends on the site aesthetic that works for your site. But here’s a good example from the Dollar Shave Club:

First, they’ve reduced the number of options. That much is true. But then they also have used product sizing to help you prioritize which one to go with.

✅ Tip #2: Shape can also play a role.

“Packaged products incorporating more natural shapes or motifs” are more likely to be successful, according one consumer buying study on the impact of shapes.

Shapes can mean many things online. For example, check out these product shots on Amazon:

Sure. The Best Seller tags jump out. But otherwise, the product images loaded with stuff do, too.

Because as a red blooded American, your first instinct is MOAR.

Seriously though, one store saw a 320% increase in sales by making tweaks to their Amazon SEO. And what is ‘Amazon SEO’ you ask?

Basically you’re optimizing for visibility, relevance, and conversions by optimizing product pages just like you would on your own site. So title tags, images, reviews, etc.

✅ Tip #3: Time to gif.

You should probably have a video. People like product videos. According to stats.

But otherwise, design elements like blurring, motion lines, or wave effects can help add a little motion to your ocean.

Check out this Bonobos example to see how motion catches your eye:

Image Source

Obviously though, use a little discretion here. The simpler, the better.

✅ Tip #4: Use color contrasts

Colors also play a huge role on buying decisions. But how do you emphasize a product using colors alone? Answer: contrast.

For example, the first image of the three below has the least amount of reviews. But it catches your eye because of the different background image.

✅ Tip #5: Emphasize eyeliner.

Here’s how people view websites:

The top-left corner gets people’s attention first and foremost

People then scan in F-patterns.

The left side of the page gets more attention than the right.

Fortunately, you can use this information to your advantage. You can use it to define your visitors’ eye path. Just remember the following:

Media instantly attracts.

Use the “compare and contrast principle” (example: full price vs. discounted price).

Use directional cues (example: use arrows.)

Be mindful of your typography (example: relevant H1/H2 tags).

Frame/encapsulate what’s important.

Expedia excels at these:

Step #3. Communicate the Product’s Value Proposition

Last but certainly not least, a clear value prop can make all the difference.

MarketingExperiments.com generated a 93% conversion increase by helping customers better understand why they should buy a particular product.

Image Source

Why is your product worth buying? What are its benefits? How will it help the buyer? Your answer to those questions should be the ‘end result’ that will ultimately make someone’s life better.

Your value proposition should “boil down” your sales pitch (and all the complexities associated with it) into something the buyer can easily understand and remember, grab their attention and eventually say, “Yes, that’s the one for me.”

Because “if you’re the best in at least one way, you’re the best option for the people who value that aspect.”

Cases in point: Apple, not the largest selection of products; QVC, not necessarily prestigious; Tiffany, definitely not the cheapest. But people still buy from them.

SaaS companies regularly have good value props. Because they only have a single product to sell. They’re not burned — unencumbered — by the same flaws of those with multiple. So here are a few lessons you can draw on from SaaS companies.

✅ Tip #1: Emphasize what matters most.

Value props aren’t taglines per se, but they should still be succinct; communicating everything that needs to be said in just a few words. (Irony in action: run-on sentences touting “succinct.”)

Trello’s emphasizes three main points:

Free

Flexible

Visual

And you know, if you’ve used Trello before, those are the perfect three words to describe its benefit.

Unbounce also excels here by not just focusing on the benefit, but also removing a pain point.

Building, publishing, and testing landing pages is one thing. But to do those without the need for your I.T. department is like music to a marketer’s ears.

✅ Tip #2: Clarity trumps cleverness.

Value props run a risk.

The entire concept of it is kinda business-y. Kinda jargon-y.

So you run the risk of being too clever. Too complex. Or too MBA-y.

When in reality, the best value props are incredibly simple; requiring less than a few seconds of thought.

That means no big words. No run-on sentences. No generic garbage. No “collaboration”, or “effectiveness”, or other synergies.

Bitly nails it with three short words that instantly communicate what it does and why you need it.

✅ Tip #3: Incorporate visuals.

If you’re still struggling, visuals can help add context. For ecommerce, think about showing the product in action.

Short videos also work well, as evidenced by Dollar Shave Club’s infamous viral one they still use front-and-center today.

Conclusion

Selling multiple products online can be a recipe for disaster.

Showing visitors too many products might get their attention. But it can also cause analysis paralysis. Too many choices may lead to no choosing at all.

Start by reducing the number of options (if possible). You don’t have to axe them completely, necessarily. But streamline how people discover them, or how you’re prioritizing which products they see (in sequence).

You should then present products strategically by using a visual hierarchy to indicate importance. Think: shapes, colors, motion, contrasts, and where you want someone’s eyeline to go first. And yes, gentlemen, size does matter.

Finally, simple, clear copy always wins. An individual product’s value prop should be instantly recognizable. And instantly communicated. That means no generic stuff or jargon that will confuse us. You and your Ivy League friends might love your Ivy League education.

But more often than not, buyers don’t. So keep it stupidly simple.

About the Author: Brad Smith is the founder of Codeless, a B2B content creation company. Frequent contributor to Kissmetrics, Unbounce, WordStream, AdEspresso, Search Engine Journal, Autopilot, and more.

How to Sell Multiple Products Online: 12 Ways to Boost Sales without Jeopardizing the Experience

[seoprovider2110]

How to Sell Multiple Products Online: 12 Ways to Boost Sales without Jeopardizing the Experience

Steve Jobs wore one thing.

Zuckerberg started doing it. And even Obama caught the bug.

But why? (Beyond, you know, an apparent lack of fashion sense.)

One less decision to make for these powerful decision makers. More time for everything else, according to the Zuck himself in a Q&A session.

Outfit dilemma hit former Saatchi & Saatchi art director, Matilda Kahl, too. After arriving late to an important Monday morning meeting, her sweater inside out, she adopted the same approach.

Choices are good though, right? Yes and no.

On the plus side, more choice can help bring in more attention to your wares. But on the down side, more choice can also cause analysis paralysis. It can literally freeze people (and more importantly, buyers) right at the moment of truth.

So. What on Earth are you supposed to do if you have multiple products online? How do you sell them without putting your visitors on ice and jeopardizing sales?

Let’s find out.

How to Sell Multiple Products

The jam study is infamous.

It recounts one day in a Menlo Park grocery store. (No doubt surrounded by all sorts of vegan nuts and berries. Because vegans just basically eat nuts, right? Like chipmunks. Crazy California hippies.)

Twenty-four jam varietals were set out. Muchas people came over to check them all out. But the conversion rate (of lookers to buyers) wasn’t all that impressive.

Later, they reduced that number down to only six. Less people came over, but more people ended up buying.

The theory, so it goes, was that too many choices can actually reduce conversions. Now, not everyone is convinced. There are flaws. Biases. And other scientific-sounding things.

But it still presents an issue.

Ecommerce marketers have multiple products. Even a single product page has a TON of ‘variables’ that you have to get right. For example:

Descriptive product names

SEO-optimized product description

High-resolution product images

CTA buttons that are difficult to miss

Additional details such as price, size, availability, and cost savings

Reviews and testimonials

An option to buy later (or save searches) via an “Add to Wish List” button

Related products recommendation for cross-sell and upsell opportunities

Social media sharing buttons

Clear shipping and return information

Product videos

Live chat widget

Of course, there’s the copy as well. Which, when done right, can increase clickthrough rates by an astounding 93%.

So how do you sell multiple products again without compromising the sales experience?

Thankfully, MarketingExperiments.com ran a clinic on selling multiple products online. And they found three major takeaways after performing, you know, some marketing experiments:

Reduce the number of choices

Prioritize product presentation

Communicate the product’s value proposition

Cool. Let’s see how those three work.

Step #1. Reduce the number of choices

Decision fatigue is a thing afterall. Too many choices, too much analysis required, and less purchases are made. (Yes, in that order.)

Too many choices can lead people to second-guess themselves. Question their decisions. Before finally throwing up their hands and exclaim, “Screw it. We’re eating eggs again tonight.”

Turns out, there is some data that backs up the “too many products backfire” claim.

MarketingExperiments.com found that reducing the products on a page from three down to one increased revenue by 24%. (Not conversions — revenue.)

Image Source

Ok… but how, exactly, do you do that? Especially when you’ve got a full product catalog with tons of inventory sitting in an expensive warehouse?

Here’s a few ideas they put forth.

✅ Tip #1: Prioritize the best selling products (duh)

Sounds trite and obvious. But it’s incredibly important. Funnel visitors to your best performing products.

Similar to how you’d ‘funnel’ visitors to your best converting pages or blog posts when trying to increase conversions.

But of course, you can only answer this if you actually have customer insight. Cold hard data. From analytics software. Like the one whose blog you’re reading right now.

Surveys also work. Kinda. Sorta. But only if you are asking the right questions.

✅ Tip #2: Visually streamline how people choose products

Just because you have three digits worth of products sitting on shelves somewhere (undoubtedly collecting dust), doesn’t mean you have to force all of those things onto the same page at one time.

Instead, group your products differently in order to not overwhelm people. That might apply to category (or even sub category pages). If possible, one page, one goal.

That can even apply to the entire conversion funnel on your site.

Helix is one of my favorite examples. They sell mattresses. Boring, right? Not exactly unique or different. You can’t throw a rock in a city without hitting some rundown mattress factory.

So what’s so special about them? Well, for one, they make buying a mattress sexy as hell.

Their Shop page condenses multiple mattresses down into a ‘single’ product.

Then from there, you go into a customization builder to select, add, or remove different attributes.

The result is a simplified, streamlined, approach. You only have one or two decisions to make on each section at a time.

✅ Tip #3: Eliminate (or deprioritize) ‘extra’ products

You can. And you should.

While the goal is to not allow them to overthink and bounce off the page or abandon the cart, you also want to make sure that the product page carries what they came there to buy.

We just saw that in the last Helix example. And here’s another similar one from EvoDesk.

You can literally add almost anything to their stand-up desks. But once again, they remove a lot of the headache and only present you with one option at a time.

The result is that they end up de-prioritizing a lot of the ‘minor’ but cool decisions (like do you want speakers mounted to the top or not) so that they don’t get in the way of the ultimate decision: plopping down a G or two for a desk.

✅ Tip #4: Segment your traffic to tailor what they see

Personalization, yo! Buzzwords! Growth Hacking! Jargon!

Jokes aside, don’t treat everyone the same (if you’re juggling tons of products). Show them what they’d be most interested in. Based on previous visits or purchases.

That’s what Amazon does right on their homepage:

And that’s what the high-converting QVC does, too.

You can try to personalize based on different segments of the market (i.e., financial, marketing, project management sectors, etc.), Or get more granular through targeting: behavioral, location, referring URL, ad content, device, search keywords, customer history, sessions behavior, date and even time of day.

If you can’t personalize pages like this, turn to inbound funnel segmentation. Line up the specific product pages with the source, medium, or channel someone’s coming from.

Step #2. Prioritize Product Presentation

Sometimes you can’t (or don’t want to) eliminate products from a page.

So reducing the number of choices is out.

But… your hands aren’t tied completely. You can still use a few tricks in order to prioritize products. That would give people a visual hierarchy of what’s most important through a series of images, shapes, text, etc.

Once again, MarketingExperiments.com comes through in the clutch. Through a series of product presentation prioritization points (holy Ps), they were able to increase conversions by 66%.

Image Source

And once again, here are a few tips they outlined so you can adopt the same approach.

✅ Tip #1: Size does matter.

Product page sizing depends on a few factors. Like:

How many products are you featuring?

How high up the priority list is the product?

What other elements of focus will the page contain (i.e., text, buttons, menus, etc.?)

It also depends on the site aesthetic that works for your site. But here’s a good example from the Dollar Shave Club:

First, they’ve reduced the number of options. That much is true. But then they also have used product sizing to help you prioritize which one to go with.

✅ Tip #2: Shape can also play a role.

“Packaged products incorporating more natural shapes or motifs” are more likely to be successful, according one consumer buying study on the impact of shapes.

Shapes can mean many things online. For example, check out these product shots on Amazon:

Sure. The Best Seller tags jump out. But otherwise, the product images loaded with stuff do, too.

Because as a red blooded American, your first instinct is MOAR.

Seriously though, one store saw a 320% increase in sales by making tweaks to their Amazon SEO. And what is ‘Amazon SEO’ you ask?

Basically you’re optimizing for visibility, relevance, and conversions by optimizing product pages just like you would on your own site. So title tags, images, reviews, etc.

✅ Tip #3: Time to gif.

You should probably have a video. People like product videos. According to stats.

But otherwise, design elements like blurring, motion lines, or wave effects can help add a little motion to your ocean.

Check out this Bonobos example to see how motion catches your eye:

Image Source

Obviously though, use a little discretion here. The simpler, the better.

✅ Tip #4: Use color contrasts

Colors also play a huge role on buying decisions. But how do you emphasize a product using colors alone? Answer: contrast.

For example, the first image of the three below has the least amount of reviews. But it catches your eye because of the different background image.

✅ Tip #5: Emphasize eyeliner.

Here’s how people view websites:

The top-left corner gets people’s attention first and foremost

People then scan in F-patterns.

The left side of the page gets more attention than the right.

Fortunately, you can use this information to your advantage. You can use it to define your visitors’ eye path. Just remember the following:

Media instantly attracts.

Use the “compare and contrast principle” (example: full price vs. discounted price).

Use directional cues (example: use arrows.)

Be mindful of your typography (example: relevant H1/H2 tags).

Frame/encapsulate what’s important.

Expedia excels at these:

Step #3. Communicate the Product’s Value Proposition

Last but certainly not least, a clear value prop can make all the difference.

MarketingExperiments.com generated a 93% conversion increase by helping customers better understand why they should buy a particular product.

Image Source

Why is your product worth buying? What are its benefits? How will it help the buyer? Your answer to those questions should be the ‘end result’ that will ultimately make someone’s life better.

Your value proposition should “boil down” your sales pitch (and all the complexities associated with it) into something the buyer can easily understand and remember, grab their attention and eventually say, “Yes, that’s the one for me.”

Because “if you’re the best in at least one way, you’re the best option for the people who value that aspect.”

Cases in point: Apple, not the largest selection of products; QVC, not necessarily prestigious; Tiffany, definitely not the cheapest. But people still buy from them.

SaaS companies regularly have good value props. Because they only have a single product to sell. They’re not burned — unencumbered — by the same flaws of those with multiple. So here are a few lessons you can draw on from SaaS companies.

✅ Tip #1: Emphasize what matters most.

Value props aren’t taglines per se, but they should still be succinct; communicating everything that needs to be said in just a few words. (Irony in action: run-on sentences touting “succinct.”)

Trello’s emphasizes three main points:

Free

Flexible

Visual

And you know, if you’ve used Trello before, those are the perfect three words to describe its benefit.

Unbounce also excels here by not just focusing on the benefit, but also removing a pain point.

Building, publishing, and testing landing pages is one thing. But to do those without the need for your I.T. department is like music to a marketer’s ears.

✅ Tip #2: Clarity trumps cleverness.

Value props run a risk.

The entire concept of it is kinda business-y. Kinda jargon-y.

So you run the risk of being too clever. Too complex. Or too MBA-y.

When in reality, the best value props are incredibly simple; requiring less than a few seconds of thought.

That means no big words. No run-on sentences. No generic garbage. No “collaboration”, or “effectiveness”, or other synergies.

Bitly nails it with three short words that instantly communicate what it does and why you..

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2tFw5R1

[goldieseoservices]

How to Sell Multiple Products Online: 12 Ways to Boost Sales without Jeopardizing the Experience

Steve Jobs wore one thing.

Zuckerberg started doing it. And even Obama caught the bug.

But why? (Beyond, you know, an apparent lack of fashion sense.)

One less decision to make for these powerful decision makers. More time for everything else, according to the Zuck himself in a Q&A session.

Outfit dilemma hit former Saatchi & Saatchi art director, Matilda Kahl, too. After arriving late to an important Monday morning meeting, her sweater inside out, she adopted the same approach.

Choices are good though, right? Yes and no.

On the plus side, more choice can help bring in more attention to your wares. But on the down side, more choice can also cause analysis paralysis. It can literally freeze people (and more importantly, buyers) right at the moment of truth.

So. What on Earth are you supposed to do if you have multiple products online? How do you sell them without putting your visitors on ice and jeopardizing sales?

Let’s find out.

How to Sell Multiple Products

The jam study is infamous.

It recounts one day in a Menlo Park grocery store. (No doubt surrounded by all sorts of vegan nuts and berries. Because vegans just basically eat nuts, right? Like chipmunks. Crazy California hippies.)

Twenty-four jam varietals were set out. Muchas people came over to check them all out. But the conversion rate (of lookers to buyers) wasn’t all that impressive.

Later, they reduced that number down to only six. Less people came over, but more people ended up buying.

The theory, so it goes, was that too many choices can actually reduce conversions. Now, not everyone is convinced. There are flaws. Biases. And other scientific-sounding things.

But it still presents an issue.

Ecommerce marketers have multiple products. Even a single product page has a TON of ‘variables’ that you have to get right. For example:

Descriptive product names

SEO-optimized product description

High-resolution product images

CTA buttons that are difficult to miss

Additional details such as price, size, availability, and cost savings

Reviews and testimonials

An option to buy later (or save searches) via an “Add to Wish List” button

Related products recommendation for cross-sell and upsell opportunities

Social media sharing buttons

Clear shipping and return information

Product videos

Live chat widget

Of course, there’s the copy as well. Which, when done right, can increase clickthrough rates by an astounding 93%.

So how do you sell multiple products again without compromising the sales experience?

Thankfully, MarketingExperiments.com ran a clinic on selling multiple products online. And they found three major takeaways after performing, you know, some marketing experiments:

Reduce the number of choices

Prioritize product presentation

Communicate the product’s value proposition

Cool. Let’s see how those three work.

Step #1. Reduce the number of choices

Decision fatigue is a thing afterall. Too many choices, too much analysis required, and less purchases are made. (Yes, in that order.)

Too many choices can lead people to second-guess themselves. Question their decisions. Before finally throwing up their hands and exclaim, “Screw it. We’re eating eggs again tonight.”

Turns out, there is some data that backs up the “too many products backfire” claim.

MarketingExperiments.com found that reducing the products on a page from three down to one increased revenue by 24%. (Not conversions — revenue.)

Image Source

Ok… but how, exactly, do you do that? Especially when you’ve got a full product catalog with tons of inventory sitting in an expensive warehouse?

Here’s a few ideas they put forth.

✅ Tip #1: Prioritize the best selling products (duh)

Sounds trite and obvious. But it’s incredibly important. Funnel visitors to your best performing products.

Similar to how you’d ‘funnel’ visitors to your best converting pages or blog posts when trying to increase conversions.

But of course, you can only answer this if you actually have customer insight. Cold hard data. From analytics software. Like the one whose blog you’re reading right now.

Surveys also work. Kinda. Sorta. But only if you are asking the right questions.

✅ Tip #2: Visually streamline how people choose products

Just because you have three digits worth of products sitting on shelves somewhere (undoubtedly collecting dust), doesn’t mean you have to force all of those things onto the same page at one time.

Instead, group your products differently in order to not overwhelm people. That might apply to category (or even sub category pages). If possible, one page, one goal.

That can even apply to the entire conversion funnel on your site.

Helix is one of my favorite examples. They sell mattresses. Boring, right? Not exactly unique or different. You can’t throw a rock in a city without hitting some rundown mattress factory.

So what’s so special about them? Well, for one, they make buying a mattress sexy as hell.

Their Shop page condenses multiple mattresses down into a ‘single’ product.

Then from there, you go into a customization builder to select, add, or remove different attributes.

The result is a simplified, streamlined, approach. You only have one or two decisions to make on each section at a time.

✅ Tip #3: Eliminate (or deprioritize) ‘extra’ products

You can. And you should.

While the goal is to not allow them to overthink and bounce off the page or abandon the cart, you also want to make sure that the product page carries what they came there to buy.

We just saw that in the last Helix example. And here’s another similar one from EvoDesk.

You can literally add almost anything to their stand-up desks. But once again, they remove a lot of the headache and only present you with one option at a time.

The result is that they end up de-prioritizing a lot of the ‘minor’ but cool decisions (like do you want speakers mounted to the top or not) so that they don’t get in the way of the ultimate decision: plopping down a G or two for a desk.

✅ Tip #4: Segment your traffic to tailor what they see

Personalization, yo! Buzzwords! Growth Hacking! Jargon!

Jokes aside, don’t treat everyone the same (if you’re juggling tons of products). Show them what they’d be most interested in. Based on previous visits or purchases.

That’s what Amazon does right on their homepage:

And that’s what the high-converting QVC does, too.

You can try to personalize based on different segments of the market (i.e., financial, marketing, project management sectors, etc.), Or get more granular through targeting: behavioral, location, referring URL, ad content, device, search keywords, customer history, sessions behavior, date and even time of day.

If you can’t personalize pages like this, turn to inbound funnel segmentation. Line up the specific product pages with the source, medium, or channel someone’s coming from.

Step #2. Prioritize Product Presentation

Sometimes you can’t (or don’t want to) eliminate products from a page.

So reducing the number of choices is out.

But… your hands aren’t tied completely. You can still use a few tricks in order to prioritize products. That would give people a visual hierarchy of what’s most important through a series of images, shapes, text, etc.

Once again, MarketingExperiments.com comes through in the clutch. Through a series of product presentation prioritization points (holy Ps), they were able to increase conversions by 66%.

Image Source

And once again, here are a few tips they outlined so you can adopt the same approach.

✅ Tip #1: Size does matter.

Product page sizing depends on a few factors. Like:

How many products are you featuring?

How high up the priority list is the product?

What other elements of focus will the page contain (i.e., text, buttons, menus, etc.?)

It also depends on the site aesthetic that works for your site. But here’s a good example from the Dollar Shave Club:

First, they’ve reduced the number of options. That much is true. But then they also have used product sizing to help you prioritize which one to go with.

✅ Tip #2: Shape can also play a role.

“Packaged products incorporating more natural shapes or motifs” are more likely to be successful, according one consumer buying study on the impact of shapes.

Shapes can mean many things online. For example, check out these product shots on Amazon:

Sure. The Best Seller tags jump out. But otherwise, the product images loaded with stuff do, too.

Because as a red blooded American, your first instinct is MOAR.

Seriously though, one store saw a 320% increase in sales by making tweaks to their Amazon SEO. And what is ‘Amazon SEO’ you ask?

Basically you’re optimizing for visibility, relevance, and conversions by optimizing product pages just like you would on your own site. So title tags, images, reviews, etc.

✅ Tip #3: Time to gif.

You should probably have a video. People like product videos. According to stats.

But otherwise, design elements like blurring, motion lines, or wave effects can help add a little motion to your ocean.

Check out this Bonobos example to see how motion catches your eye:

Image Source

Obviously though, use a little discretion here. The simpler, the better.

✅ Tip #4: Use color contrasts

Colors also play a huge role on buying decisions. But how do you emphasize a product using colors alone? Answer: contrast.

For example, the first image of the three below has the least amount of reviews. But it catches your eye because of the different background image.

✅ Tip #5: Emphasize eyeliner.

Here’s how people view websites:

The top-left corner gets people’s attention first and foremost

People then scan in F-patterns.

The left side of the page gets more attention than the right.

Fortunately, you can use this information to your advantage. You can use it to define your visitors’ eye path. Just remember the following:

Media instantly attracts.

Use the “compare and contrast principle” (example: full price vs. discounted price).

Use directional cues (example: use arrows.)

Be mindful of your typography (example: relevant H1/H2 tags).

Frame/encapsulate what’s important.

Expedia excels at these:

Step #3. Communicate the Product’s Value Proposition

Last but certainly not least, a clear value prop can make all the difference.

MarketingExperiments.com generated a 93% conversion increase by helping customers better understand why they should buy a particular product.

Image Source

Why is your product worth buying? What are its benefits? How will it help the buyer? Your answer to those questions should be the ‘end result’ that will ultimately make someone’s life better.

Your value proposition should “boil down” your sales pitch (and all the complexities associated with it) into something the buyer can easily understand and remember, grab their attention and eventually say, “Yes, that’s the one for me.”

Because “if you’re the best in at least one way, you’re the best option for the people who value that aspect.”

Cases in point: Apple, not the largest selection of products; QVC, not necessarily prestigious; Tiffany, definitely not the cheapest. But people still buy from them.

SaaS companies regularly have good value props. Because they only have a single product to sell. They’re not burned — unencumbered — by the same flaws of those with multiple. So here are a few lessons you can draw on from SaaS companies.

✅ Tip #1: Emphasize what matters most.

Value props aren’t taglines per se, but they should still be succinct; communicating everything that needs to be said in just a few words. (Irony in action: run-on sentences touting “succinct.”)

Trello’s emphasizes three main points:

Free

Flexible

Visual

And you know, if you’ve used Trello before, those are the perfect three words to describe its benefit.

Unbounce also excels here by not just focusing on the benefit, but also removing a pain point.

Building, publishing, and testing landing pages is one thing. But to do those without the need for your I.T. department is like music to a marketer’s ears.

✅ Tip #2: Clarity trumps cleverness.

Value props run a risk.

The entire concept of it is kinda business-y. Kinda jargon-y.

So you run the risk of being too clever. Too complex. Or too MBA-y.

When in reality, the best value props are incredibly simple; requiring less than a few seconds of thought.

That means no big words. No run-on sentences. No generic garbage. No “collaboration”, or “effectiveness”, or other synergies.

Bitly nails it with three short words that instantly communicate what it does and why you..

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2tFw5R1

[seo78580]

How to Sell Multiple Products Online: 12 Ways to Boost Sales without Jeopardizing the Experience

Steve Jobs wore one thing.

Zuckerberg started doing it. And even Obama caught the bug.

But why? (Beyond, you know, an apparent lack of fashion sense.)

One less decision to make for these powerful decision makers. More time for everything else, according to the Zuck himself in a Q&A session.

Outfit dilemma hit former Saatchi & Saatchi art director, Matilda Kahl, too. After arriving late to an important Monday morning meeting, her sweater inside out, she adopted the same approach.

Choices are good though, right? Yes and no.

On the plus side, more choice can help bring in more attention to your wares. But on the down side, more choice can also cause analysis paralysis. It can literally freeze people (and more importantly, buyers) right at the moment of truth.

So. What on Earth are you supposed to do if you have multiple products online? How do you sell them without putting your visitors on ice and jeopardizing sales?

Let’s find out.

How to Sell Multiple Products

The jam study is infamous.

It recounts one day in a Menlo Park grocery store. (No doubt surrounded by all sorts of vegan nuts and berries. Because vegans just basically eat nuts, right? Like chipmunks. Crazy California hippies.)

Twenty-four jam varietals were set out. Muchas people came over to check them all out. But the conversion rate (of lookers to buyers) wasn’t all that impressive.

Later, they reduced that number down to only six. Less people came over, but more people ended up buying.

The theory, so it goes, was that too many choices can actually reduce conversions. Now, not everyone is convinced. There are flaws. Biases. And other scientific-sounding things.

But it still presents an issue.

Ecommerce marketers have multiple products. Even a single product page has a TON of ‘variables’ that you have to get right. For example:

Descriptive product names

SEO-optimized product description

High-resolution product images

CTA buttons that are difficult to miss

Additional details such as price, size, availability, and cost savings

Reviews and testimonials

An option to buy later (or save searches) via an “Add to Wish List” button

Related products recommendation for cross-sell and upsell opportunities

Social media sharing buttons

Clear shipping and return information

Product videos

Live chat widget

Of course, there’s the copy as well. Which, when done right, can increase clickthrough rates by an astounding 93%.

So how do you sell multiple products again without compromising the sales experience?

Thankfully, MarketingExperiments.com ran a clinic on selling multiple products online. And they found three major takeaways after performing, you know, some marketing experiments:

Reduce the number of choices

Prioritize product presentation

Communicate the product’s value proposition

Cool. Let’s see how those three work.

Step #1. Reduce the number of choices

Decision fatigue is a thing afterall. Too many choices, too much analysis required, and less purchases are made. (Yes, in that order.)

Too many choices can lead people to second-guess themselves. Question their decisions. Before finally throwing up their hands and exclaim, “Screw it. We’re eating eggs again tonight.”

Turns out, there is some data that backs up the “too many products backfire” claim.

MarketingExperiments.com found that reducing the products on a page from three down to one increased revenue by 24%. (Not conversions — revenue.)

Image Source

Ok… but how, exactly, do you do that? Especially when you’ve got a full product catalog with tons of inventory sitting in an expensive warehouse?

Here’s a few ideas they put forth.

✅ Tip #1: Prioritize the best selling products (duh)

Sounds trite and obvious. But it’s incredibly important. Funnel visitors to your best performing products.

Similar to how you’d ‘funnel’ visitors to your best converting pages or blog posts when trying to increase conversions.

But of course, you can only answer this if you actually have customer insight. Cold hard data. From analytics software. Like the one whose blog you’re reading right now.

Surveys also work. Kinda. Sorta. But only if you are asking the right questions.

✅ Tip #2: Visually streamline how people choose products

Just because you have three digits worth of products sitting on shelves somewhere (undoubtedly collecting dust), doesn’t mean you have to force all of those things onto the same page at one time.

Instead, group your products differently in order to not overwhelm people. That might apply to category (or even sub category pages). If possible, one page, one goal.

That can even apply to the entire conversion funnel on your site.

Helix is one of my favorite examples. They sell mattresses. Boring, right? Not exactly unique or different. You can’t throw a rock in a city without hitting some rundown mattress factory.

So what’s so special about them? Well, for one, they make buying a mattress sexy as hell.

Their Shop page condenses multiple mattresses down into a ‘single’ product.

Then from there, you go into a customization builder to select, add, or remove different attributes.

The result is a simplified, streamlined, approach. You only have one or two decisions to make on each section at a time.

✅ Tip #3: Eliminate (or deprioritize) ‘extra’ products

You can. And you should.

While the goal is to not allow them to overthink and bounce off the page or abandon the cart, you also want to make sure that the product page carries what they came there to buy.

We just saw that in the last Helix example. And here’s another similar one from EvoDesk.

You can literally add almost anything to their stand-up desks. But once again, they remove a lot of the headache and only present you with one option at a time.

The result is that they end up de-prioritizing a lot of the ‘minor’ but cool decisions (like do you want speakers mounted to the top or not) so that they don’t get in the way of the ultimate decision: plopping down a G or two for a desk.

✅ Tip #4: Segment your traffic to tailor what they see

Personalization, yo! Buzzwords! Growth Hacking! Jargon!

Jokes aside, don’t treat everyone the same (if you’re juggling tons of products). Show them what they’d be most interested in. Based on previous visits or purchases.

That’s what Amazon does right on their homepage:

And that’s what the high-converting QVC does, too.

You can try to personalize based on different segments of the market (i.e., financial, marketing, project management sectors, etc.), Or get more granular through targeting: behavioral, location, referring URL, ad content, device, search keywords, customer history, sessions behavior, date and even time of day.

If you can’t personalize pages like this, turn to inbound funnel segmentation. Line up the specific product pages with the source, medium, or channel someone’s coming from.

Step #2. Prioritize Product Presentation

Sometimes you can’t (or don’t want to) eliminate products from a page.

So reducing the number of choices is out.

But… your hands aren’t tied completely. You can still use a few tricks in order to prioritize products. That would give people a visual hierarchy of what’s most important through a series of images, shapes, text, etc.

Once again, MarketingExperiments.com comes through in the clutch. Through a series of product presentation prioritization points (holy Ps), they were able to increase conversions by 66%.

Image Source

And once again, here are a few tips they outlined so you can adopt the same approach.

✅ Tip #1: Size does matter.

Product page sizing depends on a few factors. Like:

How many products are you featuring?

How high up the priority list is the product?

What other elements of focus will the page contain (i.e., text, buttons, menus, etc.?)

It also depends on the site aesthetic that works for your site. But here’s a good example from the Dollar Shave Club:

First, they’ve reduced the number of options. That much is true. But then they also have used product sizing to help you prioritize which one to go with.

✅ Tip #2: Shape can also play a role.

“Packaged products incorporating more natural shapes or motifs” are more likely to be successful, according one consumer buying study on the impact of shapes.

Shapes can mean many things online. For example, check out these product shots on Amazon:

Sure. The Best Seller tags jump out. But otherwise, the product images loaded with stuff do, too.

Because as a red blooded American, your first instinct is MOAR.

Seriously though, one store saw a 320% increase in sales by making tweaks to their Amazon SEO. And what is ‘Amazon SEO’ you ask?

Basically you’re optimizing for visibility, relevance, and conversions by optimizing product pages just like you would on your own site. So title tags, images, reviews, etc.

✅ Tip #3: Time to gif.

You should probably have a video. People like product videos. According to stats.

But otherwise, design elements like blurring, motion lines, or wave effects can help add a little motion to your ocean.

Check out this Bonobos example to see how motion catches your eye:

Image Source

Obviously though, use a little discretion here. The simpler, the better.

✅ Tip #4: Use color contrasts

Colors also play a huge role on buying decisions. But how do you emphasize a product using colors alone? Answer: contrast.

For example, the first image of the three below has the least amount of reviews. But it catches your eye because of the different background image.

✅ Tip #5: Emphasize eyeliner.

Here’s how people view websites:

The top-left corner gets people’s attention first and foremost

People then scan in F-patterns.

The left side of the page gets more attention than the right.

Fortunately, you can use this information to your advantage. You can use it to define your visitors’ eye path. Just remember the following:

Media instantly attracts.

Use the “compare and contrast principle” (example: full price vs. discounted price).

Use directional cues (example: use arrows.)

Be mindful of your typography (example: relevant H1/H2 tags).

Frame/encapsulate what’s important.

Expedia excels at these:

Step #3. Communicate the Product’s Value Proposition

Last but certainly not least, a clear value prop can make all the difference.

MarketingExperiments.com generated a 93% conversion increase by helping customers better understand why they should buy a particular product.

Image Source

Why is your product worth buying? What are its benefits? How will it help the buyer? Your answer to those questions should be the ‘end result’ that will ultimately make someone’s life better.

Your value proposition should “boil down” your sales pitch (and all the complexities associated with it) into something the buyer can easily understand and remember, grab their attention and eventually say, “Yes, that’s the one for me.”

Because “if you’re the best in at least one way, you’re the best option for the people who value that aspect.”

Cases in point: Apple, not the largest selection of products; QVC, not necessarily prestigious; Tiffany, definitely not the cheapest. But people still buy from them.

SaaS companies regularly have good value props. Because they only have a single product to sell. They’re not burned — unencumbered — by the same flaws of those with multiple. So here are a few lessons you can draw on from SaaS companies.

✅ Tip #1: Emphasize what matters most.

Value props aren’t taglines per se, but they should still be succinct; communicating everything that needs to be said in just a few words. (Irony in action: run-on sentences touting “succinct.”)

Trello’s emphasizes three main points:

Free

Flexible

Visual

And you know, if you’ve used Trello before, those are the perfect three words to describe its benefit.

Unbounce also excels here by not just focusing on the benefit, but also removing a pain point.

Building, publishing, and testing landing pages is one thing. But to do those without the need for your I.T. department is like music to a marketer’s ears.

✅ Tip #2: Clarity trumps cleverness.

Value props run a risk.

The entire concept of it is kinda business-y. Kinda jargon-y.

So you run the risk of being too clever. Too complex. Or too MBA-y.

When in reality, the best value props are incredibly simple; requiring less than a few seconds of thought.

That means no big words. No run-on sentences. No generic garbage. No “collaboration”, or “effectiveness”, or other synergies.

Bitly nails it with three short words that instantly communicate what it does and why you..

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2tFw5R1

[seo53703]

How to Sell Multiple Products Online: 12 Ways to Boost Sales without Jeopardizing the Experience

Steve Jobs wore one thing.

Zuckerberg started doing it. And even Obama caught the bug.

But why? (Beyond, you know, an apparent lack of fashion sense.)

One less decision to make for these powerful decision makers. More time for everything else, according to the Zuck himself in a Q&A session.

Outfit dilemma hit former Saatchi & Saatchi art director, Matilda Kahl, too. After arriving late to an important Monday morning meeting, her sweater inside out, she adopted the same approach.

Choices are good though, right? Yes and no.

On the plus side, more choice can help bring in more attention to your wares. But on the down side, more choice can also cause analysis paralysis. It can literally freeze people (and more importantly, buyers) right at the moment of truth.

So. What on Earth are you supposed to do if you have multiple products online? How do you sell them without putting your visitors on ice and jeopardizing sales?

Let’s find out.

How to Sell Multiple Products

The jam study is infamous.

It recounts one day in a Menlo Park grocery store. (No doubt surrounded by all sorts of vegan nuts and berries. Because vegans just basically eat nuts, right? Like chipmunks. Crazy California hippies.)

Twenty-four jam varietals were set out. Muchas people came over to check them all out. But the conversion rate (of lookers to buyers) wasn’t all that impressive.

Later, they reduced that number down to only six. Less people came over, but more people ended up buying.

The theory, so it goes, was that too many choices can actually reduce conversions. Now, not everyone is convinced. There are flaws. Biases. And other scientific-sounding things.

But it still presents an issue.

Ecommerce marketers have multiple products. Even a single product page has a TON of ‘variables’ that you have to get right. For example:

Descriptive product names

SEO-optimized product description

High-resolution product images

CTA buttons that are difficult to miss

Additional details such as price, size, availability, and cost savings

Reviews and testimonials

An option to buy later (or save searches) via an “Add to Wish List” button

Related products recommendation for cross-sell and upsell opportunities

Social media sharing buttons

Clear shipping and return information

Product videos

Live chat widget

Of course, there’s the copy as well. Which, when done right, can increase clickthrough rates by an astounding 93%.

So how do you sell multiple products again without compromising the sales experience?

Thankfully, MarketingExperiments.com ran a clinic on selling multiple products online. And they found three major takeaways after performing, you know, some marketing experiments:

Reduce the number of choices

Prioritize product presentation

Communicate the product’s value proposition

Cool. Let’s see how those three work.

Step #1. Reduce the number of choices

Decision fatigue is a thing afterall. Too many choices, too much analysis required, and less purchases are made. (Yes, in that order.)

Too many choices can lead people to second-guess themselves. Question their decisions. Before finally throwing up their hands and exclaim, “Screw it. We’re eating eggs again tonight.”

Turns out, there is some data that backs up the “too many products backfire” claim.

MarketingExperiments.com found that reducing the products on a page from three down to one increased revenue by 24%. (Not conversions — revenue.)

Image Source

Ok… but how, exactly, do you do that? Especially when you’ve got a full product catalog with tons of inventory sitting in an expensive warehouse?

Here’s a few ideas they put forth.

✅ Tip #1: Prioritize the best selling products (duh)

Sounds trite and obvious. But it’s incredibly important. Funnel visitors to your best performing products.

Similar to how you’d ‘funnel’ visitors to your best converting pages or blog posts when trying to increase conversions.

But of course, you can only answer this if you actually have customer insight. Cold hard data. From analytics software. Like the one whose blog you’re reading right now.

Surveys also work. Kinda. Sorta. But only if you are asking the right questions.

✅ Tip #2: Visually streamline how people choose products

Just because you have three digits worth of products sitting on shelves somewhere (undoubtedly collecting dust), doesn’t mean you have to force all of those things onto the same page at one time.

Instead, group your products differently in order to not overwhelm people. That might apply to category (or even sub category pages). If possible, one page, one goal.

That can even apply to the entire conversion funnel on your site.

Helix is one of my favorite examples. They sell mattresses. Boring, right? Not exactly unique or different. You can’t throw a rock in a city without hitting some rundown mattress factory.

So what’s so special about them? Well, for one, they make buying a mattress sexy as hell.

Their Shop page condenses multiple mattresses down into a ‘single’ product.

Then from there, you go into a customization builder to select, add, or remove different attributes.

The result is a simplified, streamlined, approach. You only have one or two decisions to make on each section at a time.

✅ Tip #3: Eliminate (or deprioritize) ‘extra’ products

You can. And you should.

While the goal is to not allow them to overthink and bounce off the page or abandon the cart, you also want to make sure that the product page carries what they came there to buy.

We just saw that in the last Helix example. And here’s another similar one from EvoDesk.

You can literally add almost anything to their stand-up desks. But once again, they remove a lot of the headache and only present you with one option at a time.

The result is that they end up de-prioritizing a lot of the ‘minor’ but cool decisions (like do you want speakers mounted to the top or not) so that they don’t get in the way of the ultimate decision: plopping down a G or two for a desk.

✅ Tip #4: Segment your traffic to tailor what they see

Personalization, yo! Buzzwords! Growth Hacking! Jargon!

Jokes aside, don’t treat everyone the same (if you’re juggling tons of products). Show them what they’d be most interested in. Based on previous visits or purchases.

That’s what Amazon does right on their homepage:

And that’s what the high-converting QVC does, too.

You can try to personalize based on different segments of the market (i.e., financial, marketing, project management sectors, etc.), Or get more granular through targeting: behavioral, location, referring URL, ad content, device, search keywords, customer history, sessions behavior, date and even time of day.

If you can’t personalize pages like this, turn to inbound funnel segmentation. Line up the specific product pages with the source, medium, or channel someone’s coming from.

Step #2. Prioritize Product Presentation

Sometimes you can’t (or don’t want to) eliminate products from a page.

So reducing the number of choices is out.

But… your hands aren’t tied completely. You can still use a few tricks in order to prioritize products. That would give people a visual hierarchy of what’s most important through a series of images, shapes, text, etc.

Once again, MarketingExperiments.com comes through in the clutch. Through a series of product presentation prioritization points (holy Ps), they were able to increase conversions by 66%.

Image Source

And once again, here are a few tips they outlined so you can adopt the same approach.

✅ Tip #1: Size does matter.

Product page sizing depends on a few factors. Like:

How many products are you featuring?

How high up the priority list is the product?

What other elements of focus will the page contain (i.e., text, buttons, menus, etc.?)

It also depends on the site aesthetic that works for your site. But here’s a good example from the Dollar Shave Club:

First, they’ve reduced the number of options. That much is true. But then they also have used product sizing to help you prioritize which one to go with.

✅ Tip #2: Shape can also play a role.

“Packaged products incorporating more natural shapes or motifs” are more likely to be successful, according one consumer buying study on the impact of shapes.

Shapes can mean many things online. For example, check out these product shots on Amazon:

Sure. The Best Seller tags jump out. But otherwise, the product images loaded with stuff do, too.

Because as a red blooded American, your first instinct is MOAR.

Seriously though, one store saw a 320% increase in sales by making tweaks to their Amazon SEO. And what is ‘Amazon SEO’ you ask?

Basically you’re optimizing for visibility, relevance, and conversions by optimizing product pages just like you would on your own site. So title tags, images, reviews, etc.

✅ Tip #3: Time to gif.

You should probably have a video. People like product videos. According to stats.

But otherwise, design elements like blurring, motion lines, or wave effects can help add a little motion to your ocean.

Check out this Bonobos example to see how motion catches your eye:

Image Source

Obviously though, use a little discretion here. The simpler, the better.

✅ Tip #4: Use color contrasts

Colors also play a huge role on buying decisions. But how do you emphasize a product using colors alone? Answer: contrast.

For example, the first image of the three below has the least amount of reviews. But it catches your eye because of the different background image.

✅ Tip #5: Emphasize eyeliner.

Here’s how people view websites:

The top-left corner gets people’s attention first and foremost

People then scan in F-patterns.

The left side of the page gets more attention than the right.

Fortunately, you can use this information to your advantage. You can use it to define your visitors’ eye path. Just remember the following:

Media instantly attracts.

Use the “compare and contrast principle” (example: full price vs. discounted price).

Use directional cues (example: use arrows.)

Be mindful of your typography (example: relevant H1/H2 tags).

Frame/encapsulate what’s important.

Expedia excels at these:

Step #3. Communicate the Product’s Value Proposition

Last but certainly not least, a clear value prop can make all the difference.

MarketingExperiments.com generated a 93% conversion increase by helping customers better understand why they should buy a particular product.

Image Source

Why is your product worth buying? What are its benefits? How will it help the buyer? Your answer to those questions should be the ‘end result’ that will ultimately make someone’s life better.

Your value proposition should “boil down” your sales pitch (and all the complexities associated with it) into something the buyer can easily understand and remember, grab their attention and eventually say, “Yes, that’s the one for me.”

Because “if you’re the best in at least one way, you’re the best option for the people who value that aspect.”

Cases in point: Apple, not the largest selection of products; QVC, not necessarily prestigious; Tiffany, definitely not the cheapest. But people still buy from them.

SaaS companies regularly have good value props. Because they only have a single product to sell. They’re not burned — unencumbered — by the same flaws of those with multiple. So here are a few lessons you can draw on from SaaS companies.

✅ Tip #1: Emphasize what matters most.

Value props aren’t taglines per se, but they should still be succinct; communicating everything that needs to be said in just a few words. (Irony in action: run-on sentences touting “succinct.”)

Trello’s emphasizes three main points:

Free

Flexible

Visual

And you know, if you’ve used Trello before, those are the perfect three words to describe its benefit.

Unbounce also excels here by not just focusing on the benefit, but also removing a pain point.

Building, publishing, and testing landing pages is one thing. But to do those without the need for your I.T. department is like music to a marketer’s ears.

✅ Tip #2: Clarity trumps cleverness.

Value props run a risk.

The entire concept of it is kinda business-y. Kinda jargon-y.

So you run the risk of being too clever. Too complex. Or too MBA-y.

When in reality, the best value props are incredibly simple; requiring less than a few seconds of thought.

That means no big words. No run-on sentences. No generic garbage. No “collaboration”, or “effectiveness”, or other synergies.

Bitly nails it with three short words that instantly communicate what it does and why you..

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2tFw5R1