#he’s let me recover thrown items I was SURE were lost in the battle

[platypusisnotonfire]

My DM after having been adding features to my character on DnDBeyond: oh my GOD you have so many weapons how do you have so many weapons good grief

As if he, playing all the Shopkeeps, wasn’t the one selling them all to me 😂

[abundantchewtoys]

Homestuck Candy p24-27 (timeskip!)

Page 24

Wooooow.

Okay, as dark as the subject matter became, this was almost a reprieve from the previous action.

So, Terezi and John are both depressed. Terezi struggles with the same issues we heard John get more into. Of course, it's just a matter of question now whether this Terezi is in fact the same one that Meat John met. I'm inclined to say yes, as the Furthest Ring is supposed to be outside of timelines.

Thus that means she was able to hang on long enough to recover (via shaving cream and tobacco) from exhaustion. To meet up with John and have "a moment". Only to lose him in the end. :(

But even so, she would have hung on. In any case, I like how it delves further into the actual problem for John and Terezi. Their Ultimate Reward doesn't feel like one. I think John and Terezi share something, a feeling of enjoying the chase, the taste of adventure, I should say. But what could they find that fills this hole? Exploring Universe C together, maybe?

In any case, Aradia and Sollux have appointed themselves as part of Calliope's court. Or acolytes. I think Calliope might be the drive behind the narration of the Candy path, even if her personality doesn't leak through.

So, more information about what's she's doing here! She seems to be building up strength to rescue people from Dirk's influence. Now that Lord English is dead, she's found another one worthy of her opposition, someone that has too great an influence on too many innocent lives.

I mean, I remember I didn't 100% trust her in the Meat timeline, since in the end she still has an alien look on life. But it's a worthy cause, I would say.

It seems that Calliope has retreated, or at least, migrated to this timeline, up until she's ready to take over the narration of the Meat path.

This, together with John and Terezi's feeling that nothing is real anymore, is one of the most meta things to happen in these epilogues.

So, does that mean that the Postscriptum of Meat took place on Candy Earth C? And then, is that Davebot a ghost from the dreambubbles or not? ... Hey, in fact...

Does that mean that, every ghost of the dreambubbles was "saved" by Alt Calliope by moving them outside of canon, outside of Dirk's influence? Wow. It's like the theory that went around in late Act 6, that maybe the kids would move into blankspace to escape the influence of the Green Sun!

Now, Blaperile already theorized Vriska's ghost might end up on Earth C. It could happen. Though, if Vriska would survive the journey, wouldn't Davepeta and Lord English have as well? Maybe it only works on ghosts?

I mean, I'm pretty sure that the Feferi and Eridan making out in one of the previous pages were (alt) ghosts.

---

Page 25

Ooooooooh!!!!

I didn't know I needed Karkat the tortured grassroot rebel leader in my life, but here I am.

They're trying to get the Mother Grub to safety. I can see how it is THE most important asset fought over in this war. (And whatever propaganda Jane has going for her, this IS a war, she's just delusional about it.)

Jezus, the fate of that top analyst. It's like a Hunger Games thingy. Jake's just a figurehead to improve Jane's image at this point, while she doles out corporeal punishments...

Swifer Eggmop continues to be comedy gold.

The fact that bucket taboo is now blasé, hahahahahah.

And then.

The mystery arrival.

By all accounts I thought it would have been Vriska.

But Meenah? How did it even work, the fact that Lord English' server connects to Earth C? ... Okay, fair enough, he's fated to grow up on the planet in the future, and Candy Earth C is looking to be more and more like the timeline it'll happen in. But still.

Still.

Wow.

She's so supportive for a battle hardened Karkat, it's adorable!

His commanding her around does make me wonder... Are they good for each other as kismeses?????

Meenah is so punk, she doesn't really care she can't be in command, hahah.

It'll be a big shock for Jane to see Karkat got his grubby paws on an alternate Condesce though. That MIGHT hurt her image as well, or her self image. She's been influenced by Condy into this ruthless business persona, she just doesn't realize it. To see a version of Condesce reject her policies might be world shattering news.

Still unsure if we're going to see Vriska, Davepeta and LE land on this Earth as well. If so, how would LE even be able to be defeated, I mean... He would have survived a black hole and all prophecies thrown as his life. Outside of canon, but not powerless.

... Still, think of the irony.

John thought he had chosen to AVOID fighting Lord English by staying on Earth.

How do you expect to avoid him, when he's ALREADY HERE? :o)

---

Page 26

Wow.

Another powerful page.

The Candy path is really much more existential than I could've expected. And, it's very much more of a continuation of the Meat path than vice versa.

So, Meat John's car ended up sucked into the black hole after who knows how long, after he and Terezi zapped to Earth C.

And Candy John is here to find it, more questions asked than answered. Just like how the meteors sent all this anachronistic crap back into time, hurling to the Earth for people to ponder over, like Nanna's note to John in the joke book.

Wow, John.

I think it's good he's in the Troll Kingdom, he might be able to catch up to Karkat.

But... Really now.

If this means Vriska, Davepeta and Lord English will end up here, and only Dead-Jade, Davebot and Aradia escape back into "canon"... What is going to be everyone else's fate.

I mean, I don't think Adult Jade is going to open a portal just like Dead-Jade.

---

Page 27

wow.

that

I was always surprised before of every long timeskip.

But 10 years. TEN. YEARS.

Though it is cool to see their kids growing up, I'd say. Of course Vriska would be looking forward to her sixteenth birthday, it's the equivalent of 8 sweeps!

Seems that despite everything, Vriska and Tavros and Harry Anderson too can keep in touch right under Jane's nose.

It's all kinds of weird and awesome, to see a Vriska that's kind of balanced. You can see the influence Kanaya has on her Quite Clearly, when she emphasizes her words.

Karkat got an eyepatch - actually, seeing the role he fills, it's quite fitting. Karkat grew into an admirable, suave leader figure, who knew?

Calliope emphasizes again, that what happens on this Earth won't matter for canon. Though I wonder then, what her plan was, why she had to wait so long to leave.

From the Postscriptum, it seemed as if she devoured bodies to charge up, so why did it take so long, and whose did she eat? Other Space players like Kanaya, Porrim and Jade?

Meanwhile, Dave and Jade illicitly support the rebellion too! It's weird to see them be so awkward about their breakup, but at least they put that all besides them and focused on the bigger picture. And hey, Dave and Rose, and Maryam and Vantas, united in a rebellion against a condescending figure... Time really does repeat itself.

John still suffers from the feeling it all doesn't matter. But it's very intense to read all this. So, only when he's 44 does he do away with Terezi's picture.

And through it all, he has suffered from the same ennui and desolation he has felt since he came to Earth C. In the Meat timeline, he felt as if he let time pass him by. But we see now that, without a purpose, John is just as lost.

And Meenah and Karkat are an item now. Contrary to what seems to be the popular belief, I think they're not <3, but rather <3< or <>, but who even knows. No references were made to more ghosts arriving on Earth C, which merits attention.

It's just such a strange world, both alien and so far removed from Homestuck, and in other ways, exactly what the doctor ordered.

It was cool to get a visual description of Harry Anderson. I’m looking forward to the first image I’ll come across from him.

Now I’d just like one from Tavros, to get an idea in what manner his appearance differs from John.

[davids-cartoon-corkboard]

Do you think Donnie will turn to the dark side and betray his bros? That’d be pretty cool and heart wrenching. Also a great device for the development of the Bros relationship.

(This is the blog’s very first ask! Thank you!)

I don’t think Donnie would ever outright flip his lid and say “forget you guys, I’m gonna go live with my evil dad now”. He loves his family and also he’d be at risk of getting thrown off a roof.

Buuuuut Draxum has a lot of powerful magitech. A situation might arise where the turtles need to get some of it to stop a bigger threat. The Shredder, for example.

Draxum has no doubt increased security since the turtles jacked up his lab in the first episode. They won’t be able to sneak or force their way in. So how do they get Draxum to let them in?

Remember, Draxum isn’t being evil for evil’s sake. He genuinely thinks turning humans into mutants/yokai is the right thing to do, and that killing those who get in his way is perfectly acceptable.

My theory is that Draxum is the only one of his family left alive after humans killed all the rest. Because sheep yokai are animals, monsters, less than human, and hey, this one has a pretty good rack! And so a young Draxum watches them remove his father’s head and carry it away. Later it will be mounted on a wall as a conversation piece. A trophy. The kiddies will play ring toss on it.

The rise turtles, as a nod to the ‘87 cartoon, are comfortable walking around in public with minimal disguises. None of the humans give a shit, because New York is just Like That.

Right?

That won’t last forever. Mutants are animals, monsters, less than human. They’ll eat our children! Make our homes vanish! Wreck our china shops!

People are going to run from our boys. People are going to throw things at them. People are going to call them names. Agent Bishop is going to crawl out of the depths of Hell and try to pick them apart in the most painful way he can.

If the turtles need something from Draxum, they’ll be able to use this treatment (and his backstory) to their advantage.

Donnie alone will approach Draxum, because a single turtle is less likely to make him feel threatened. And Donnie alone will approach Draxum because Draxum will see his young turtle, the one that took after him the most from the start (arrogant cynical softshell genius), exhausted and frightened, with no weapon and a new scar beginning to form on his shell.

He’ll hear Donnie speak to him humbly and say “The humans have discovered us. We can’t go anywhere anymore without being attacked. We’re running low on supplies. None of us can sleep at night. They’re eventually going to find out where we live. The others think there’s a peaceful solution, but I know better, and I don’t want to die. Please, help me.”

If there is any heartstring of Draxum’s left to tug, that will be it. What a young Draxum wanted more than anything else in the world was for someone to help him when he was alone, and the Hidden City was a terrible place to grow up without help. These days he’s not soft, of course, but another mind put towards his project would be useful…

He lets Donnie inside, but doesn’t let his guard down.

It was mostly a trick, on Donnie’s part. Sure, humans have given them some shit, but they’re not in immediate danger. Donnie prepped for this deception. No sleep for a week, with difficult training and splashes through the sewer throughout. It took him ages to convince Raph to rough up his shell. But now he’s inside. And if he’s patient, he can get what he needs.

Donnie learns that the “Baron” in “Baron Draxum” isn’t just for drama- he actually holds some status in the Hidden City. Draxum brings back things he considers scraps and trinkets, and they’re unlike anything Donnie has ever seen. Magic has opened up a whole new field of study for him! Imagine what he could do if he had access to more of Draxum’s stuff! He might be able to get his hands on the thing he needs now… but his chances would be better if Draxum trusted him more.

He should stay a little longer.

Huginn and Muninn’s chatter provide a familiar level of background noise, but they’re wise enough not to bother Donnie- they only watch him, as Draxum commanded. They bring him food and medicine to help him recover. They’re quiet when he sleeps. They don’t poke at and accidentally break whatever he’s tinkering with. They recognize that streak of Draxum in him better than anyone else.

Donnie hasn’t been able to focus so well in- well, ever.

While watching Draxum work, he casually offers a suggestion -human gametes form like this, so if you tweaked the mutagen like that then they’d transition to yokai gametes more easily- and Draxum smiles, adjusting his formula. Later, Draxum monologues about Unified Runic Laws in Donnie’s general direction. Sure, Donnie probably shouldn’t have helped out with the whole evil plan thing, but knowing those Runic Laws is going to make the lair’s antimagic security system go from theory to reality!

Surely Donnie could learn even more if he stayed for another week or so.

Big Mama sends some of her minions to attack Draxum’s lab- more to annoy him than anything, but they knocked a couple of things loose. Instead of grabbing some gizmos and running off in the confusion, Donnie helped fight off the interlopers and solder some things back together afterwards. Draxum examines his handiwork. Precise, organized, efficient. “Well done” he says. “Thank you.”

Donnie could stick around for a bit more, couldn’t he?

Donnie’s been gone a long time, and of course he couldn’t take his bo or any communication devices with him. The rest of the turtles fear the worst. They try to “free” him. He “rejects” them. But that’s all right. It’s just a trick to get Draxum to trust him. Giving his brothers a few bruised scales is worth the artifact he has to bring back.

He tries not to think about how Leo ran off with a limp.

Baron Draxum is not a trusting yokai. But seeing how the boy’s eyes lit up at the slightest hint of praise, how much effort he put into whatever he worked on, how fascinated he is by the magitech under Draxum’s roof… it seems unlikely that he’ll just run off.

But just in case… a present. A test. Children like presents, right? And Draxum likes tests. He gives Donnie a glowing purple staff.

Now, Donnie had refused this staff in the first episode, back when things were simple and he still had his titanium bo. But now that he knows a bit more about magic, he’d really like to see what makes this one tick.

Leo’s sword creates portals through space. Why not have his twin’s weapon create portals through time?

While tinkering with the staff, Donnie accidentally flings himself into a future where he sees what will happen if Draxum continues to influence him. If he stays too long, he’ll never want to leave.

He meets his brothers, aged and weary over a thirty year gap. And he is reminded of the pile of notes and gadgets he has back at Draxum’s lair.

Leo is blind (Donnie was working on a flashbomb/curse combo).

Raph lost an eye (Donnie had scratched out some ideas for magical whirlwinds that selectively picked up the sharpest shrapnel).

Mikey’s arm is severed (a simple reversal spell, and his kusari-fundo turned on him and sawed it off).

April is cold, so different from her bright and vibrant teenage self. She leads what little resistance there is, and used up all her warmth to try and keep hope alive.

They all buried what was left of Splinter ages ago.

Future!Donnie is Draxum’s right-hand turtle, his favored, only son, and if he can hold out just a little longer, Draxum will die (of old age or of coup, Future!Donnie could go either way), and he’ll be in control, and he will fix the world, and make it as it should be.

Future!Donnie got Draxum’s praise, he got his trust, he got his knowledge, he got his artifacts, he got, he got, he got…

He got a swift kick in the teeth from his pissed-off past self.

Donnie is shaken. For how long had this mission been about him, at the expense of everything and everyone else? How much time had he spent listening to Draxum ramble instead of gain intel on the object he needed? How far had he been willing to go?

The ensuing battle leaves Donnie victorious… sort of. He’s the only one left alive. He doesn’t have time to process what he’s experienced, because the staff re-activates, and rockets him back to the present.

Donnie breaks it over his knee, takes the item he was after, and burns Draxum’s lab to the ground.

[lolocepu-jajacepu]

Yishida?

Yishida, still holding Cepu’s hand, kicks him in the ankle, then down the stairs. As Cepu tumbles down, he casts Leylines. Cepu hits the bottom of the flight of stairs hard, getting up to see a large fireball coming right for him. He quickly uses fire to boost himself to the left away from the attack and hides behind a pillar. He feels another attack coming for him so he readies himself. He peaks around the pillar to see nothing, but feels cold. He looks above and sees a large ice shard that starts to fall on him. He is quick to boost away again but is blown away by a large explosion of aether. It rumbled inside the house, furniture shaking and small items falling to the floor. Cepu was blown out the door and onto the grassy ground on his back. He groaned a moment before he got up quickly, not wanting to waste time.

He figured that since Yishida didn’t have any plan of moving until his Leylines were finished, he would have to either wait it out or rush him. He didn’t know if he could withstand his strong moves for much longer however. With his decision made he runs in and boosts himself into the air, then towards Yishida, who was ready to meet Cepu headon. Yishida releases another fire directly at Cepu, but he boosts over it, evading it narrowly. He then channels his aether and uses thunder on Yishida. It hit, however it only broke his shield. As Cepu falls towards his brother, he watches his hand point up towards him. Quickly Cepu summons a shield and is hit with fire extremely closely. He is shot straight up, breaking through the roof and up into the air, floating for a moment. Thankfully his shield took most the hit, but he could feel the pain against his entire body.A sharp pain sizzling through his limbs but he was quick to answer by snapping back with a thunder straight down at his brother as he falls, landing on the roof. However his thunder spell misses completely, much to Cepu’s dismay.

Cepu could feel aether shooting towards him. He began to dance around fireballs shooting through the roof for a while, luckily not getting hit. Then the spells stopped and Yishida jumped up onto the roof to meet Cepu.

“I have to get close, I was always better than him at hand to hand combat but he always beat me in the range battle.” Cepu thought to himself as he watches his brother, anticipating his next move. The Leylines must have worn off by now and this was his chance. He couldn’t waste a second. He charges towards Yishida, and so did the brother. They began throwing punches and kicks at each other as the house below them began to catch fire from all the fire spells thrown just moments ago. Neither of them could get a hit off on the other until Cepu manages to get a punch in against Yishida’s ribs. He uses this opening to punch him once in the face, swipe at his legs to make him fall down, then focusing all his power into his right fist as he punches him in the stomach once again. The punch was strong enough to break the roof, causing them both to fall into a burning building.

Yishida lands on his back and rolls away as Cepu comes down, landing on his toes and relaxing down on his feet. He watches as Yishida gets up, staggering and coughing from such a strong punch. Cepu charged forward once more towards Yishida and starts throwing more punches. Yishida is only able to block and dodge a few punches, he takes many to the body and face. Eventually Yishida grabs Cepu’s fist as he throws a punch and holds him there. He focuses all his aether into his fist and punches Cepu directly below his chest. Cepu lost his breath and couldn’t breathe in before he was shot back by the punch, out of the flaming doors and onto the grass. He stayed on the ground, wheezing for air and coughing. He spit some blood out and wipes his mouth quickly, looking up at the door to see his brother standing in the doorway of a flaming building. Cepu could barely see his face, but once he regained his strength, he stands up slowly.

Yishida charges two large fireballs and shoots them at Cepu, who throws his own pair of fireballs. With a clash they exploded, sparks flying off onto the grass which also starts to kindle the nearby greenery. Cepu and Yishida run towards each other and spar once again. Both of them more sluggish than before, but Cepu is still recovering from such a hard hit just mere moments before. He takes more punches than he could count, getting kicked onto the ground and thunder quickly being cast on him. Cepu lets out a yell of pain, clutching onto consciousness before forcing himself to focus. Cepu quickly used fire to blast away from Yishida, ragdolling on the ground. He stops and slowly gets up, seeing the forest around the house catching fire slowly. The house could be heard collapsing on itself in a blazing inferno that had long spread over to the nearby forest.. He throws an ice shard at Yishida, who easily dodges it. Cepu had to regain some aether, fast. He couldn’t drink a potion like before because Yishida would stop him somehow.

Cepu takes a few breaths before charging towards Yishida yet again, who was eagerly anticipating his brother’s next move . He has a plan, but had to injure his brother more for it to work. He put all his power into his movements and punches, fighting on fumes. Cepu was lucky to land more punches than he was taking. Cepu kept pushing, refusing to give up! He jumps back and casts ice on Yishida, who was too slow to avoid it. His feet were bound to the grass, like a magical turret grounded but deadly. Cepu boosted in as Yishida casts fire at him, but Cepu dodges it mid-air, blasting in a different direction, then  right back at Yishida. The caster tries to cast again but Cepu strips him of his glove. He spins around Yishida’s body and quickly grabs the other, throwing them away into the forest fire picking up around them. Cepu casts ice at his brother’s feet again, solidifying him and making sure he wouldn’t break out.

“Congratulations, you got me.” Yishida says, panting for air, “I’m almost out of aether, and I know you already are. You finally beat me.” Cepu doesn’t respond, just looks at him with sad eyes while catching his breath. Yishida went into a pocket and pulls out a piece of paper.

“Have this, this is likely where their boss will be.” Yishida said, as he hands the paper over to Cepu. Cepu takes it and reads it over. It was their main house in a mansion inside the Goblet.

“Why didn’t y’give me this before we set t’forest on fire?” Cepu asks, still out of breath.

“I’m still your brother, aren’t I? Besides, you passed all my tests. This is your reward.” Yishida responds.

“Just more revenge. More killin’.”

“It’s the only way.”

“Revenge makes you insane! It almost made me crazy and you’ve been gone for a while!” Cepu yells at Yishida with tears rolling down his cheeks. “I thought the next time I saw you I’d be dead and able to join you ‘n mom! But instead this is what I get, my brother tryna kill me for some stupid plan! I wanted to kill you because of you using me and everyone for that plan, puttin’ us through so much pain! You’re not even sorry, are you?” Cepu adds in his desperation, trying to put his feelings into words to reach out to his brother, however...Yishida slowly shakes his head in response before speaking up himself

“Sorry for what? My plan worked perfectly.” Yishida says in a monotone voice. In that moment, for Cepu, it truly sunk in that his brother was dead, and an insane man took his place in his body. He overcame with rage and grabs Yishida’s face, ready to shock him to death, but he stops, he removes his hand.

“What are you waiting for? Kill me already!” Yishida yells at Cepu. “Hurry up before I get enough strength to break out of here!” Cepu considered letting him live, trying to get him some help, but it has been years, he wasn’t convinced he could be helped. Seeing him now would hurt his father and his only living brother.

“I’m not doin’ it for me, I’ve accepted you’re dead, and so has the rest of the family. Bringin’ you back would only hurt them more. Yishida has been dead for years, I don’t know who you are.” Cepu says, looking with furrowed brows at the man in front of him. Yishida frowns and struggles.

“I am your brother! This is the way things are supposed to go! Me being here means you have to kill your own brother in order to finish your revenge!” Yishida barks out, gritting his teeth in defiance

“You were a worthy opponent, but  bested by me.” Cepu simply replies. He no longer sees Yishida as his brother, but as a crazy person trying to kill him. “Like I said, my brother has been dead for years.” He repeats, casting ice to form an ice shard in his hand and impale Yishida’s heart. He lets go and turns to walk away as Yishida choked and tries to breath, stuck in his spot, watching his brother walk away, not even acknowledging him. He died seconds later, alone, in the middle of a burning forest.

[lostlegacyuniverse]

NNK2 Thoughts

So with Ni No Kuni 2 having been out for a year now, as well as having the free adventure DLC that just went live, I can finally sit down and talk about the sequel to the amazing first game.

This is long and there will be spoilers ahead, you have been warned.

Combat! The combat of the second game is wonderful and fluid. Blocking, dodging, being able to even attack with ranged weapons like guns and wands at will. It’s really well done and easy to get into the rhythm of combat. I especially like the idea of recharging your mana by hitting enemies with melee attacks, and then using that mana on an empowered weapon for a massive hit in kind. Putting a pause on combat when using items was a nice feature to have as well. And the party AI! Oh, goodness it’s nice. Sure they do silly things on occasion, but they don’t come close the the AI teammates of Ni No Kuni 1. No Esther running into an enemy attack, no Oliver eating every ounce of mana he can as fast as he can. They’re smart! They build charge, they are cautious with spells, they run into healing zones, they back off when on low hp, THEY DODGE ATTACKS. It’s a wonderfully drastic improvement. However, having a limit on each helpful item type per battle was seriously annoying, especially against one of the Tainted dragon mini bosses which, -even with me being a full 10 levels ahead of him- made the battle draw out for far, far longer than it needed to. It wasn’t fun to get smacked for half my hp for the 40th time, and then realizing that I had no more ways to recover hp through items. This is an RPG, not Dark Souls. I have 99 4 Leafed Soreaways, let me use them, dammit. The only thing I really disliked about the combat was the inability to force the enemy AI to target a specific character on my team with a taunt or spotlight or what have you. Which led to awkward situations where- for example- a Tainted monster would suddenly turn on me -mid attack- after having focused an ally for the entire battle.

Aside from combat and story, I really disliked how damn tedious building my kingdom was. It felt like a glorified mobile game. There was even a point where I had to wait for a specific research to finish, so I could move on. This wasn’t one of those “Oh I want more xp before I keep going” kind of things, I had to actually put down my controller for 30 minutes, and WAIT for this research to finish to PROGRESS THE PLOT OF THE GAME, because the game would not allow me to continue until I had done so. Honestly, that’s one of the reasons I probably won’t be replaying this game from scratch. And it’s not due to lazyness. I’ve replayed the first Ni No Kuni dozens of times, hell I’ve even replayed Persona 5 TWICE, which is a 100 hour run each. I’d have no problem replaying Ni No Kuni 2, it’s just the way you progress the story, and all of the shit it’s locked behind is a complete turn off for starting a new game run.

Story wise, the game was... okay. Nothing terrible, but nothing fantastic either. There were a lot of plot points that were either never really answered, or were done so in a way that felt just unsatisfying and copped out. For example how quickly Evan forgave Mausinger for what he had done not only to his father and him, but to the entire kingdom (who then equally forgave him just as quickly).

I was admittedly thrown for a loop and shocked when it was revealed that Roland and Doloran were “soul mates” (a term from the first game that was CRITICAL TO THE PLOT, that meant that two people from different worlds shared the same soul. What happens to one, happens to the other, death or brokenheartedness for example.) Doloran just monologues for a bit about how they “were the same” and “wanted the same thing” (to resurrect a loved one), and ends up asking Roland to join him, but again, as crucial as a point it was supposed to be, it felt very sudden and copped out. Long story short, Doloran had supposedly been trying to manipulate Roland to do things. What exactly? I don’t know, it’s not explained, let alone important in any way. Did he use him to try and sabotage Evan’s kingdom? No. Did he use him to help him steal the Kingsbonds of other kingdoms? No. Did he use Roland to accomplish his goals at all? No, he didn’t need him for any real reason. There was this sudden pressure of “THIS IS IMPORTANT” but it held no actual merit.

Soul Mates weren’t mentioned at all during the entirety of the story, and the developers themselves said you didn’t need to play the first one to understand the second. So to have this “VERY IMPORTANT PLOT POINT”- seriously I can't stress this enough- just suddenly pop up at literally the final boss in the final chapter, with no prior warning or discussion felt downright lazy. It certainly made no sense to anyone that had never played the first game. What significance was it supposed to hold for them? It’s not like this was a cute little easter egg like the Trial of Kings was, what with the Ni No Kuni 1 crew being there, this was supposed to be a BIG IMPORTANT REVEAL. But knowing about the bond changed absolutely nothing about the fight or the story that followed. There was no danger to Roland, no dramatic fight to the death followed by self sacrifice. Doloran just got thowmped, did his evil hocus pocus anyways, and we flew off into the 9th dimension to go fight Bahamut. The only reason the bond between them exists, is so that Roland had a way into Evan’s world, and later a way back, and that’s about it. Sadly there wasn’t even retribution for Doloran for how many lives he’d taken to fuel his Horned One monster (regardless of the fact they were returned after it was killed), nor the damage he’d caused by taking the Kingsbonds (which weren’t returned, by the way). His love blinded ass even created a death dimension dragon that BROKE THE LITERAL SKY, and all he got was a pat on the shoulder and a talk about how sad it was to lose a loved one, and that he would enjoy this new world if he tried.

I.. what? What? Course you could argue that Shadar and Cassiopia from the first game received similar treatment. However, Shadar and Cass fell into a deep despair (from their respective actions, defying orders and saving Alicia, and using the Manna) that consumed them to the point of wanting to inflict that despair on others. Shadar payed for his actions by separating his soul from Oliver’s so that the boy could keep living while he drifted into Limbo / The Afterlife. He didn’t even see himself as being forgiven for his actions. Cassiopia redeemed herself when she helped fight against the Zodiarchs, the abomination created from her despair, grief, and magic that had utterly consumed her for thousands of years. Doloran? Doloran killed thousands of people and threw the world out of balance to get his beloved back, when in fact she was WAY beyond saving, and then did nothing to help defeat the monster he had unleashed. But it’s okay guys, he was in love, he gets a free pass.  I thought this game was supposed to be “more mature” and ‘more geared towards adults” than the first one. So how is it that the first game handles these messages and themes better than the one that was designed to does?

Don’t even get me started on the lame assed bonus ending of “Oh well Evan only united 4 of the kingdoms, you missed all the smaller ones, so your KID went ahead and took care of that in the future and offscreen, and he’s the one that ACTUALLY united the world. He’s the real hero, not you.” Don't invalidate the efforts of the player like that. Don’t.

Aside from the remarkably disappointing ending, there were a few other gripes I had.

So your Kingmaker is Lofty (who doesn’t compare on any level to Drippy’s character, don’t get me started on that rabbit hole) and he’s supposed to impose this weak and downright worthless appearance compared to Longfang, Oakenheart, Brineskimmer, and Bastion. He’s not supposed to be this majestic, powerful dragon like the other 4. Until of course it’s revealed that he IS, he just can’t transform because his bond isn’t strong enough. Cool idea right?

NOT WHEN THE TWIST IS SPELLED OUT ON THE VERY FIRST CUTSECENE WITH THE DECLARATION.  HE’S LITERALLY AT THE TOP OF THE DOCUMENT. IN FULL EASTERN DRAGON FORM. BEFORE YOU EVEN GET TO THE FIRST KINGDOM.

Not to mention the fact that he’s even on the COVER OF THE GAME. Who did this? Who decided this was a good idea? Who ruins their own twist like that?*coughDisneyandTreasurePlanet,no,I’mnotstillsaltyaboutthat,shutup*

And the characters, ohhhh the characters.

Evan felt surprisingly out of place in his own story. I understand that he’s a young king and his character should reflect that, but his growth felt dry and fake. He didn’t really expand as a character, he didn’t overcome his flaws, or grow in any meaningful way. The people around him did that for him. By the end, I cared more about Leander, Bracken, hell, even the other Kingdom leaders than I did about Evan. Evan stayed this cringey child character that didn’t seem to understand very critical concepts about running a kingdom, and the rest of the supporting party was happy to stand back and let the world tick down to literal annihilation as he figured it out on his own. It definitely felt more like Roland should have been the main character of the game. He had more drive and interesting traits right from the start than Evan had all game to develop. Which is incredibly disappointing. I wanted to hear more about Roland’s backstory of being bullied, how he became President, how the literal atomic BOMB going off moments before he was yanked away to Evan’s world damaged his psyche. I will admit the traitor arc was very interesting and had a lot of promise. I only wish it had lasted longer, or had a larger impact on the other protagonists.

Batu and Tani lost a lot of value throughout the game, which is a damn shame considering they were these rough, authority defying Sky Pirates. About the time Goldpaw ran around (which is very early on, mind you) they started to fade into the background, and they were almost forgotten until Roland’s traitor arc, which is CHAPTER 8. OF 9. Let that sink in.

Leander and Braken had a similar problem of being shoved to the side in favor of Evan, but however stayed relevant throughout the remaining story. Although I would have loved to hear more about Hydropolis before the eruption and subsequent daily magic resets. Or more about Broadleaf as a whole, like for example the GIANT FLYING SUBMARINE THE SIZE OF A CONTINENT SITTING JUST 2 MILES NORTH STUCK IN THE ICE? OR THE GIANT CRACKS IN THE SEA THAT GO INTO THE VOID? NO? WE’RE NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT? Okay.

There was just all this amazing backstory and lore that could have been expanded on, like connections to the first game, places and ideas that changed over time. Where did the Higgledies come from? What happened to the familiars? To Wizards? To Nazcaa? To Cassiopia? The other kingdoms? Anything? At all?

Honestly, this game could have come out as completely unrelated to Ni No Kuni 1,��and I would not have noticed a single difference. Not that Ni No Kuni 2 is a bad game, it’s far from it. But if you’re looking for an engaging story and have to choose between the 2, pick the first game. No amount of improved combat can redeem a story so desperate to jump the shark, that it falls in and gets eaten.

[faeriesboon-a]

NAME OF YOUR MUSE: Laguna Loire.

ONE PICTURE YOU LIKE: 

TWO HEADCANONS YOU HAVE FOR YOUR MUSE YOU NEVER TOLD ANYONE:

leviathan is his favorite guardian force,  and i’m not really sure why. maybe the delivery was cool and all he thought was POOL PARTY when it’s an ocean snake and not a pool snake  ...  his second favorite gf is shiva because he has some weird kinship with her even without really using her  (  thanks, squall  )  and it’s not something he sits to think about too much  ...  besides,  she’s pretty to look at from behind,  whatever THAT implies.  diablos is his least favorite and always pawns it on kiros in exchange for carbuncle because who doesn’t love a cute fluffy green rabbit-cat thing that protects you??  odin nearly made him piss himself the first time he came riding on his horse  ...  he started crying in which they had to escape from battle after odin was done.  they literally dragged him by the arms while he yelled about a six-legged horse. literal definition of ‘ kicking and screaming. ‘

100% sure he broke a couple bones on the way down the cliff and the only reason he spent six months recovering is because physical therapy is a bitch and a half.  not to mention working on getting all those muscles back and being told to ““ take it easy ”” ... smh. no one just gets up and walks away with everything intact when you fall down a cliff rip.  he probably has some wicked scars.  his left arm is slightly harder to use because he neglected some of his physical therapy  ...  he’s just glad it isn’t his dominating arm that suffered the collateral. you can’t really tell unless you’ve been around him long enough to realize there’s something going on with it. he’s good at hiding things,  after all. sometimes you’ll find him working on it with a stress ball or something just as fun to squish.

THREE THINGS THAT YOUR MUSE LIKES DOING IN THEIR FREE TIME:

going through the photo books of his adventures and things he did along the way. he’s been everywhere and the book is like a log of the places he’s been and gotten lost.  usually ward had the camera so he’s not in a lot of the pictures.  60% of them have kiros and laguna in them.  they also had a tripod for those trio pics they took.  ward still thinks he’s not that photogenic,  but kiros and laguna will disagree even after death.  it should be noted he also has copies of his own columns in the back of the photo book he’ll read sometimes just for funsies.

exploring the presidential palace as the place has so many rooms that even after eighteen years of being thrown in there,  he still hasn’t seen the entire thing. to prevent himself from getting lost,  kiros usually goes with him to make sure he can make it back to the main area. sometimes ward comes along and they both end up getting lost because ward can’t make sure laguna doesn’t get sidetracked, to which kiros has to go find the both of them ANYWAY.  ward gets a lecture from the Alpha Adviser not to let laguna do whatever he wants because he has OBLIGATIONS.

collecting moomba items.  be it dolls,  pins,  posters,  or anything related to.  he has a lot of things packed away,  but he has a moomba doll he keeps sitting on top of his mirror in the corner of the room.  it always greets him in the morning with a small peep  ...  it makes noise if you press its tummy in.  he’s had to replace the batteries seven times because it’s a morning routine. lately,  he’s been thinking of giving it to squall  ...  it means a lot to him,  but the kid has a lion aesthetic.  it’ll be better in the hands of someone he wants to get to know better.

SEVEN PEOPLE THAT YOUR MUSE LOVES: ( in no particular order )

Raine Loire,  for many obvious reasons. first and ( very likely ) last wife.

Ellone,  she’s his adopted niece. raine took care of her.

Squall Leonhart, it’s his son and he isn’t obligated. he just does.

Kiros Seagill,  they’ve been friends since he joined the army.

Ward Zabac,  same as above. they met him not too long after.

Julia Heartilly she wrote a song about him. they were in love at some point.

Rinoa Heartilly,  he knows her mother, it’d be wrong not to care a little.

TWO THINGS YOUR MUSE REGRETS:

having not gone back to deling to see julia,  especially after hearing “ Eyes On Me “ several times looped on the radio. it was especially difficult knowing raine really liked the song and even made him dance along a few times when she was in a good mood.  it always made him think about when he said he’d be back and left her waiting for longer than he wants to ever admit.  occasionally if raine isn’t the first girl in mind,  julia is.  he owns the record of the song,  but he’s never actually played the thing.  it’s carefully packed away in storage just in case his bravery gets the better of him.

the worst decision of his life,  not going back with ellone so he could return to raine.  his intentions were good,  for the sake of the people in esthar that had no real strong figure to turn to  ..  but at what cost?  it seemed like they didn’t have much of a wedding,  and it’s odd to think that as soon as everything happened,  it was just his luck that ellone was kidnapped for sorceress inspection  ...  and then he was hurdled into the office thinking he could go back  he thought maybe he could help them get back on their feet in no time,  and the irony is laguna HAD no time in the end.  sadly,  he condemned himself with heartache and never ending remorse for doing what he said he was going to do for the nth time..  it seems like all his regrets have to do with the women in his life.

TWO PHOBIAS/FEARS YOUR MUSE HAS:

strangely enough,  neither of them are dying.  it’s not realistic to say he lost that in the time he was in the military,  but actually became more aware of his humanity and limits.  but that’s not even a fear:  it’s not living up to expectations of those who are already gone.  it’s like living for two people,  and at the moment?  he’s quite disappointed in himself for not being able to live for two,  if not three people and then some. it’s likely he’ll die with his fear intact,  having no time whatsoever to remedy that.  he’s not doing anything and CANNOT do much about it  ...  not to mention he’s getting older and that makes things harder on him,  minus having an entire high-tech city weighing him down.

squall and ellone.  or rather,  them dying before he can even get a chance to see them become good people.  ellone he isn’t too worried about;  it’s squall he’s having a hard time with.  ellone isn’t so much a huge concern as she lives   (  or is close  )  with him enough for him to do something about her.  squall runs an entire army of mercenaries and that is the most terrifying thing of all.  squall puts himself in the midst of danger and if he doesn’t come back?  he probably won’t say anything to anyone,  but he’d be completely devastated knowing that he hadn’t even gotten to know the kid as a person,  and perhaps as a father if squall ever reciprocates.  granted,  he’d never force squall to do anything or imply belief on him.  he isn’t here to guilt trip anybody.  he just wants to know him for who he is no matter the circumstances he finds himself in with him.

TAGGING PEOPLE: @theancientflower​ because you said no one loves you and i’m here to disprove that since i’m tagging you. @leofatali @sunny-explosions @firexcross @rocketbcss @telekinetiq TAGGED BY: i forget who i hijacked it from. @zackleos i think ??

[douglassmiith]

What Local Business Owners Are Doing to Recover From the Covid-19 Tsunami

June 19, 2020 8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 million people are currently unemployed. To put this in perspective, the Great Recession in the early-2000s saw its height of unemployment in 2010 at 14.8 million. The COVID pandemic has not only left this number in the shadows, but the speed at which it occurred is also like no other in our history. The result? Employees and contractors were quickly displaced and left scratching their heads saying, “What just happened?” Businesses scrambled to communicate with employees, clients, and vendors. Leadership teams worked tirelessly to adhere to remote requirements, struggled to put technologies in place, and quickly built new processes to maintain revenue that would keep the doors open and employees on staff. It has left a trail of exhaustion. But, in the wreck of it all, the small business – the entrepreneur – quickly and without warning, may have felt like they were thrown out of a 20 story window, watching their life pass before them, all to hit the safety net which was faulty, at best.

I ask you…look around. Our communities are not the same. Aside from the fear of the unknown and a total mental shift, practically overnight, doors have shut – permanently. Many of our favorite retail shops have sunk and countless places we frequented for lunch have not survived. A true sadness is in it all, as it’s the entrepreneurial spirit that makes our great country thrive. It makes us unique. These hopeful spirits create our fidgets and gadgets, they give us a place to congregate that isn’t built from the cookie cutter and their creativity advances our nation in amazing ways – it’s the American Dream. But we are a bit battered and broken and we’ve lost a bit of our shine.

Related: The Supreme Court’s Ruling on LGBTQ+ Workplace Protections Could Help Revitalize the Entire Economy

The reality is that eventually we will get back to our routine. We will mingle with each other again. And we will go back to work. But we will never forget what 2020 has burned into our brains and the rubble that was left in its wake. Many dreams have been lost or are still dangling in the balance. I know, nobody wants to talk about COVID anymore. Enough is enough, right? Wrong. Just like in any business situation, you can’t have blinders on. You can only mitigate future situations if you take the time to learn from what happened, face the impact, understand what was lacking, and cling to the seed of hope – planting it if there is a next time.

I talked with Samantha Moore, an entrepreneur and small business owner of an adorable boutique gift shop, Simple to Sublime, in Summerville, SC. She has handpicked the products she sells, works behind her own counter, and puts great effort into the feel you get as you walk in the door. She has, like many, the kind of business we want to have on our corners. It’s unique. It’s charming. It’s not cut and paste. Here’s a conversation I had with her. She was open about the challenges she has endured, what the new normal means and her advice for small business owners. Take heed, as the more we understand, empathize, and support these local businesses, the more we will be able to look this beast in the face and say, never again.

Have you faced challenges before, prior to COVID-19, that made you question your decision to be a small business owner?

Of course! There are many instances that have caused me to pause and ask the question, “Why am I doing this?” Sometimes it was a lack of cash flow, difficulty hiring the right people, economic downturns, rent increases or even local or national politics. But I always took a step back, assessed what was going on, and readjusted the plan. For me, throwing in the towel was never an option. You must be resilient, a bit stubborn, and have a large measure of creativity in solving problems to ride the waves.

How has COVID-19 impacted your business?

In my head, I have this image of coronavirus as a huge tsunami wiping out a small town. That’s how crushing it feels to my small business. Events happened so quickly, that I literally couldn’t communicate plans to my team before they would change. The economic impact on my business has been catastrophic. As the store was forced to close, the only opportunity for sales was through social media and a new online store that had to be created. Everything was in warp speed and for a business with limited resources, it is an understatement to say that things were difficult.

As businesses start to reopen around the country, what do you see as an ongoing challenge for small business owners?

Customers are likely going to be nervous about coming back inside stores. I also believe that customers, in quarantine, have really been pushed towards online retailers and big-box stores, as they were the only ones that were open. I am hopeful but know that it may be an uphill battle to get them back into the independent brick-and-mortar stores. Couple this with the crushing unemployment statistics and we are going to have to fight, hard, to get consumers to spend their money on discretionary items.

Related: 5 Lessons That Will Stay With Me After the Quarantine

How have you had to get creative in your marketing?

Prior to COVID, we did not have an online store. Now we do. We had never done social selling. Now we do Facebook Live as a part of our regular routine. We’ve also added free local delivery and we work hard to stay connected to our loyal customers through virtual events. Everything is different. In the end, if we can pull through, this trial-by-fire will make us stronger.

What would you like policymakers to do to help the small business owner right now?

I received the Economic Injury Disaster Loan. But, as we all know, loans are a bandage that can soothe today but create more financial difficulty down-the-road. I also received funds from the Payroll Protection Program, but the economic impacts will last far longer than the eight weeks of payroll that we received. Then what?  We need long term help and legislation that will ensure that future funds go to the businesses that they were designed to help.

And, going forward, we need policymakers to solve the unrest in our country and work across party lines to restore consumer confidence. Then, and only then, will we build a foundation that is on solid ground.

What is your advice to other small business owners?

Rest when you need to rest and fight when you need to fight. We need to remember to stay connected with our customers, stay educated on our industry, reach out to our peers, make webinars part of our daily work calendar, think creatively, and work harder than we have ever worked before. My biggest suggestion would be to not look at today for the pot of gold. Do the hard work and make consistent changes now. This will catapult us when the world gets back to our “new normal.” The real gain will be in the long term.

Related: 5 Steps to Protect Your Career As We Turn Toward Recovery

Quick tips and ideas for small business owners

I asked some marketing agency pros, and here are three tips for small business owners in the midst of the COVID crisis:

1. Run a social media contest. Tom De Spiegelaere is a Senior Digital Marketer and the founder of Tom Spicky. He suggests running a “Caption This” contest as a simple attention-getter campaign. By uploading a funny photo from your store on social and requesting their participation, it will engage consumers, incorporate humor, become highly shareable, and will help to increase brand awareness.

2. Create D.I.Y. projects from items that you sell – share through your social platforms. James Jason, Assistant marketing agency Manager for Mitrade, knows that you need to find customers where they are (which may be at home). Get creative by coming up with tiny projects that customers can use – paired with what you sell. For example, show them a shirt and couple it with a simple how-to for a matching face mask.

3. Show you care and understand your customer’s concerns. John Butterworth, In-House marketing agency Manager at Virtual Internships, knows that you must embrace COVID-19 and that in order to find success for a brick-and-mortar location you must make your customers feel safe. Use tools, such as Calendly, to provide private appointments in-store.

Meet financial and emotional stress with action

The pandemic has created a disaster of epic proportions for many in our country. Some effects are yet to be seen. But we know one thing for sure. Small businesses and entrepreneurs in every state are fighting to regain what they lost, rebuild what has been destroyed, and welcome their beloved customers back, with open arms. As Samantha told me, “Now is the time to meet stress with action and to not let perfection stand in the way of progress.” When all is said and done, it may not look the same. It may not feel the same, but we are resilient, and we will regain our shine.

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[laurelkrugerr]

What Local Business Owners Are Doing to Recover From the Covid-19 Tsunami

June 19, 2020 8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 million people are currently unemployed. To put this in perspective, the Great Recession in the early-2000s saw its height of unemployment in 2010 at 14.8 million. The COVID pandemic has not only left this number in the shadows, but the speed at which it occurred is also like no other in our history. The result? Employees and contractors were quickly displaced and left scratching their heads saying, “What just happened?” Businesses scrambled to communicate with employees, clients, and vendors. Leadership teams worked tirelessly to adhere to remote requirements, struggled to put technologies in place, and quickly built new processes to maintain revenue that would keep the doors open and employees on staff. It has left a trail of exhaustion. But, in the wreck of it all, the small business – the entrepreneur – quickly and without warning, may have felt like they were thrown out of a 20 story window, watching their life pass before them, all to hit the safety net which was faulty, at best.

I ask you…look around. Our communities are not the same. Aside from the fear of the unknown and a total mental shift, practically overnight, doors have shut – permanently. Many of our favorite retail shops have sunk and countless places we frequented for lunch have not survived. A true sadness is in it all, as it’s the entrepreneurial spirit that makes our great country thrive. It makes us unique. These hopeful spirits create our fidgets and gadgets, they give us a place to congregate that isn’t built from the cookie cutter and their creativity advances our nation in amazing ways – it’s the American Dream. But we are a bit battered and broken and we’ve lost a bit of our shine.

Related: The Supreme Court’s Ruling on LGBTQ+ Workplace Protections Could Help Revitalize the Entire Economy

The reality is that eventually we will get back to our routine. We will mingle with each other again. And we will go back to work. But we will never forget what 2020 has burned into our brains and the rubble that was left in its wake. Many dreams have been lost or are still dangling in the balance. I know, nobody wants to talk about COVID anymore. Enough is enough, right? Wrong. Just like in any business situation, you can’t have blinders on. You can only mitigate future situations if you take the time to learn from what happened, face the impact, understand what was lacking, and cling to the seed of hope – planting it if there is a next time.

I talked with Samantha Moore, an entrepreneur and small business owner of an adorable boutique gift shop, Simple to Sublime, in Summerville, SC. She has handpicked the products she sells, works behind her own counter, and puts great effort into the feel you get as you walk in the door. She has, like many, the kind of business we want to have on our corners. It’s unique. It’s charming. It’s not cut and paste. Here’s a conversation I had with her. She was open about the challenges she has endured, what the new normal means and her advice for small business owners. Take heed, as the more we understand, empathize, and support these local businesses, the more we will be able to look this beast in the face and say, never again.

Have you faced challenges before, prior to COVID-19, that made you question your decision to be a small business owner?

Of course! There are many instances that have caused me to pause and ask the question, “Why am I doing this?” Sometimes it was a lack of cash flow, difficulty hiring the right people, economic downturns, rent increases or even local or national politics. But I always took a step back, assessed what was going on, and readjusted the plan. For me, throwing in the towel was never an option. You must be resilient, a bit stubborn, and have a large measure of creativity in solving problems to ride the waves.

How has COVID-19 impacted your business?

In my head, I have this image of coronavirus as a huge tsunami wiping out a small town. That’s how crushing it feels to my small business. Events happened so quickly, that I literally couldn’t communicate plans to my team before they would change. The economic impact on my business has been catastrophic. As the store was forced to close, the only opportunity for sales was through social media and a new online store that had to be created. Everything was in warp speed and for a business with limited resources, it is an understatement to say that things were difficult.

As businesses start to reopen around the country, what do you see as an ongoing challenge for small business owners?

Customers are likely going to be nervous about coming back inside stores. I also believe that customers, in quarantine, have really been pushed towards online retailers and big-box stores, as they were the only ones that were open. I am hopeful but know that it may be an uphill battle to get them back into the independent brick-and-mortar stores. Couple this with the crushing unemployment statistics and we are going to have to fight, hard, to get consumers to spend their money on discretionary items.

Related: 5 Lessons That Will Stay With Me After the Quarantine

How have you had to get creative in your marketing?

Prior to COVID, we did not have an online store. Now we do. We had never done social selling. Now we do Facebook Live as a part of our regular routine. We’ve also added free local delivery and we work hard to stay connected to our loyal customers through virtual events. Everything is different. In the end, if we can pull through, this trial-by-fire will make us stronger.

What would you like policymakers to do to help the small business owner right now?

I received the Economic Injury Disaster Loan. But, as we all know, loans are a bandage that can soothe today but create more financial difficulty down-the-road. I also received funds from the Payroll Protection Program, but the economic impacts will last far longer than the eight weeks of payroll that we received. Then what?  We need long term help and legislation that will ensure that future funds go to the businesses that they were designed to help.

And, going forward, we need policymakers to solve the unrest in our country and work across party lines to restore consumer confidence. Then, and only then, will we build a foundation that is on solid ground.

What is your advice to other small business owners?

Rest when you need to rest and fight when you need to fight. We need to remember to stay connected with our customers, stay educated on our industry, reach out to our peers, make webinars part of our daily work calendar, think creatively, and work harder than we have ever worked before. My biggest suggestion would be to not look at today for the pot of gold. Do the hard work and make consistent changes now. This will catapult us when the world gets back to our “new normal.” The real gain will be in the long term.

Related: 5 Steps to Protect Your Career As We Turn Toward Recovery

Quick tips and ideas for small business owners

I asked some marketing agency pros, and here are three tips for small business owners in the midst of the COVID crisis:

1. Run a social media contest. Tom De Spiegelaere is a Senior Digital Marketer and the founder of Tom Spicky. He suggests running a “Caption This” contest as a simple attention-getter campaign. By uploading a funny photo from your store on social and requesting their participation, it will engage consumers, incorporate humor, become highly shareable, and will help to increase brand awareness.

2. Create D.I.Y. projects from items that you sell – share through your social platforms. James Jason, Assistant marketing agency Manager for Mitrade, knows that you need to find customers where they are (which may be at home). Get creative by coming up with tiny projects that customers can use – paired with what you sell. For example, show them a shirt and couple it with a simple how-to for a matching face mask.

3. Show you care and understand your customer’s concerns. John Butterworth, In-House marketing agency Manager at Virtual Internships, knows that you must embrace COVID-19 and that in order to find success for a brick-and-mortar location you must make your customers feel safe. Use tools, such as Calendly, to provide private appointments in-store.

Meet financial and emotional stress with action

The pandemic has created a disaster of epic proportions for many in our country. Some effects are yet to be seen. But we know one thing for sure. Small businesses and entrepreneurs in every state are fighting to regain what they lost, rebuild what has been destroyed, and welcome their beloved customers back, with open arms. As Samantha told me, “Now is the time to meet stress with action and to not let perfection stand in the way of progress.” When all is said and done, it may not look the same. It may not feel the same, but we are resilient, and we will regain our shine.

loading…

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/what-local-business-owners-are-doing-to-recover-from-the-covid-19-tsunami/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/06/what-local-business-owners-are-doing-to.html

[riichardwilson]

What Local Business Owners Are Doing to Recover From the Covid-19 Tsunami

June 19, 2020 8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 million people are currently unemployed. To put this in perspective, the Great Recession in the early-2000s saw its height of unemployment in 2010 at 14.8 million. The COVID pandemic has not only left this number in the shadows, but the speed at which it occurred is also like no other in our history. The result? Employees and contractors were quickly displaced and left scratching their heads saying, “What just happened?” Businesses scrambled to communicate with employees, clients, and vendors. Leadership teams worked tirelessly to adhere to remote requirements, struggled to put technologies in place, and quickly built new processes to maintain revenue that would keep the doors open and employees on staff. It has left a trail of exhaustion. But, in the wreck of it all, the small business – the entrepreneur – quickly and without warning, may have felt like they were thrown out of a 20 story window, watching their life pass before them, all to hit the safety net which was faulty, at best.

I ask you…look around. Our communities are not the same. Aside from the fear of the unknown and a total mental shift, practically overnight, doors have shut – permanently. Many of our favorite retail shops have sunk and countless places we frequented for lunch have not survived. A true sadness is in it all, as it’s the entrepreneurial spirit that makes our great country thrive. It makes us unique. These hopeful spirits create our fidgets and gadgets, they give us a place to congregate that isn’t built from the cookie cutter and their creativity advances our nation in amazing ways – it’s the American Dream. But we are a bit battered and broken and we’ve lost a bit of our shine.

Related: The Supreme Court’s Ruling on LGBTQ+ Workplace Protections Could Help Revitalize the Entire Economy

The reality is that eventually we will get back to our routine. We will mingle with each other again. And we will go back to work. But we will never forget what 2020 has burned into our brains and the rubble that was left in its wake. Many dreams have been lost or are still dangling in the balance. I know, nobody wants to talk about COVID anymore. Enough is enough, right? Wrong. Just like in any business situation, you can’t have blinders on. You can only mitigate future situations if you take the time to learn from what happened, face the impact, understand what was lacking, and cling to the seed of hope – planting it if there is a next time.

I talked with Samantha Moore, an entrepreneur and small business owner of an adorable boutique gift shop, Simple to Sublime, in Summerville, SC. She has handpicked the products she sells, works behind her own counter, and puts great effort into the feel you get as you walk in the door. She has, like many, the kind of business we want to have on our corners. It’s unique. It’s charming. It’s not cut and paste. Here’s a conversation I had with her. She was open about the challenges she has endured, what the new normal means and her advice for small business owners. Take heed, as the more we understand, empathize, and support these local businesses, the more we will be able to look this beast in the face and say, never again.

Have you faced challenges before, prior to COVID-19, that made you question your decision to be a small business owner?

Of course! There are many instances that have caused me to pause and ask the question, “Why am I doing this?” Sometimes it was a lack of cash flow, difficulty hiring the right people, economic downturns, rent increases or even local or national politics. But I always took a step back, assessed what was going on, and readjusted the plan. For me, throwing in the towel was never an option. You must be resilient, a bit stubborn, and have a large measure of creativity in solving problems to ride the waves.

How has COVID-19 impacted your business?

In my head, I have this image of coronavirus as a huge tsunami wiping out a small town. That’s how crushing it feels to my small business. Events happened so quickly, that I literally couldn’t communicate plans to my team before they would change. The economic impact on my business has been catastrophic. As the store was forced to close, the only opportunity for sales was through social media and a new online store that had to be created. Everything was in warp speed and for a business with limited resources, it is an understatement to say that things were difficult.

As businesses start to reopen around the country, what do you see as an ongoing challenge for small business owners?

Customers are likely going to be nervous about coming back inside stores. I also believe that customers, in quarantine, have really been pushed towards online retailers and big-box stores, as they were the only ones that were open. I am hopeful but know that it may be an uphill battle to get them back into the independent brick-and-mortar stores. Couple this with the crushing unemployment statistics and we are going to have to fight, hard, to get consumers to spend their money on discretionary items.

Related: 5 Lessons That Will Stay With Me After the Quarantine

How have you had to get creative in your marketing?

Prior to COVID, we did not have an online store. Now we do. We had never done social selling. Now we do Facebook Live as a part of our regular routine. We’ve also added free local delivery and we work hard to stay connected to our loyal customers through virtual events. Everything is different. In the end, if we can pull through, this trial-by-fire will make us stronger.

What would you like policymakers to do to help the small business owner right now?

I received the Economic Injury Disaster Loan. But, as we all know, loans are a bandage that can soothe today but create more financial difficulty down-the-road. I also received funds from the Payroll Protection Program, but the economic impacts will last far longer than the eight weeks of payroll that we received. Then what?  We need long term help and legislation that will ensure that future funds go to the businesses that they were designed to help.

And, going forward, we need policymakers to solve the unrest in our country and work across party lines to restore consumer confidence. Then, and only then, will we build a foundation that is on solid ground.

What is your advice to other small business owners?

Rest when you need to rest and fight when you need to fight. We need to remember to stay connected with our customers, stay educated on our industry, reach out to our peers, make webinars part of our daily work calendar, think creatively, and work harder than we have ever worked before. My biggest suggestion would be to not look at today for the pot of gold. Do the hard work and make consistent changes now. This will catapult us when the world gets back to our “new normal.” The real gain will be in the long term.

Related: 5 Steps to Protect Your Career As We Turn Toward Recovery

Quick tips and ideas for small business owners

I asked some marketing agency pros, and here are three tips for small business owners in the midst of the COVID crisis:

1. Run a social media contest. Tom De Spiegelaere is a Senior Digital Marketer and the founder of Tom Spicky. He suggests running a “Caption This” contest as a simple attention-getter campaign. By uploading a funny photo from your store on social and requesting their participation, it will engage consumers, incorporate humor, become highly shareable, and will help to increase brand awareness.

2. Create D.I.Y. projects from items that you sell – share through your social platforms. James Jason, Assistant marketing agency Manager for Mitrade, knows that you need to find customers where they are (which may be at home). Get creative by coming up with tiny projects that customers can use – paired with what you sell. For example, show them a shirt and couple it with a simple how-to for a matching face mask.

3. Show you care and understand your customer’s concerns. John Butterworth, In-House marketing agency Manager at Virtual Internships, knows that you must embrace COVID-19 and that in order to find success for a brick-and-mortar location you must make your customers feel safe. Use tools, such as Calendly, to provide private appointments in-store.

Meet financial and emotional stress with action

The pandemic has created a disaster of epic proportions for many in our country. Some effects are yet to be seen. But we know one thing for sure. Small businesses and entrepreneurs in every state are fighting to regain what they lost, rebuild what has been destroyed, and welcome their beloved customers back, with open arms. As Samantha told me, “Now is the time to meet stress with action and to not let perfection stand in the way of progress.” When all is said and done, it may not look the same. It may not feel the same, but we are resilient, and we will regain our shine.

loading…

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/what-local-business-owners-are-doing-to-recover-from-the-covid-19-tsunami/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/621406534229999616

[scpie]

What Local Business Owners Are Doing to Recover From the Covid-19 Tsunami

June 19, 2020 8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 million people are currently unemployed. To put this in perspective, the Great Recession in the early-2000s saw its height of unemployment in 2010 at 14.8 million. The COVID pandemic has not only left this number in the shadows, but the speed at which it occurred is also like no other in our history. The result? Employees and contractors were quickly displaced and left scratching their heads saying, “What just happened?” Businesses scrambled to communicate with employees, clients, and vendors. Leadership teams worked tirelessly to adhere to remote requirements, struggled to put technologies in place, and quickly built new processes to maintain revenue that would keep the doors open and employees on staff. It has left a trail of exhaustion. But, in the wreck of it all, the small business – the entrepreneur – quickly and without warning, may have felt like they were thrown out of a 20 story window, watching their life pass before them, all to hit the safety net which was faulty, at best.

I ask you…look around. Our communities are not the same. Aside from the fear of the unknown and a total mental shift, practically overnight, doors have shut – permanently. Many of our favorite retail shops have sunk and countless places we frequented for lunch have not survived. A true sadness is in it all, as it’s the entrepreneurial spirit that makes our great country thrive. It makes us unique. These hopeful spirits create our fidgets and gadgets, they give us a place to congregate that isn’t built from the cookie cutter and their creativity advances our nation in amazing ways – it’s the American Dream. But we are a bit battered and broken and we’ve lost a bit of our shine.

Related: The Supreme Court’s Ruling on LGBTQ+ Workplace Protections Could Help Revitalize the Entire Economy

The reality is that eventually we will get back to our routine. We will mingle with each other again. And we will go back to work. But we will never forget what 2020 has burned into our brains and the rubble that was left in its wake. Many dreams have been lost or are still dangling in the balance. I know, nobody wants to talk about COVID anymore. Enough is enough, right? Wrong. Just like in any business situation, you can’t have blinders on. You can only mitigate future situations if you take the time to learn from what happened, face the impact, understand what was lacking, and cling to the seed of hope – planting it if there is a next time.

I talked with Samantha Moore, an entrepreneur and small business owner of an adorable boutique gift shop, Simple to Sublime, in Summerville, SC. She has handpicked the products she sells, works behind her own counter, and puts great effort into the feel you get as you walk in the door. She has, like many, the kind of business we want to have on our corners. It’s unique. It’s charming. It’s not cut and paste. Here’s a conversation I had with her. She was open about the challenges she has endured, what the new normal means and her advice for small business owners. Take heed, as the more we understand, empathize, and support these local businesses, the more we will be able to look this beast in the face and say, never again.

Have you faced challenges before, prior to COVID-19, that made you question your decision to be a small business owner?

Of course! There are many instances that have caused me to pause and ask the question, “Why am I doing this?” Sometimes it was a lack of cash flow, difficulty hiring the right people, economic downturns, rent increases or even local or national politics. But I always took a step back, assessed what was going on, and readjusted the plan. For me, throwing in the towel was never an option. You must be resilient, a bit stubborn, and have a large measure of creativity in solving problems to ride the waves.

How has COVID-19 impacted your business?

In my head, I have this image of coronavirus as a huge tsunami wiping out a small town. That’s how crushing it feels to my small business. Events happened so quickly, that I literally couldn’t communicate plans to my team before they would change. The economic impact on my business has been catastrophic. As the store was forced to close, the only opportunity for sales was through social media and a new online store that had to be created. Everything was in warp speed and for a business with limited resources, it is an understatement to say that things were difficult.

As businesses start to reopen around the country, what do you see as an ongoing challenge for small business owners?

Customers are likely going to be nervous about coming back inside stores. I also believe that customers, in quarantine, have really been pushed towards online retailers and big-box stores, as they were the only ones that were open. I am hopeful but know that it may be an uphill battle to get them back into the independent brick-and-mortar stores. Couple this with the crushing unemployment statistics and we are going to have to fight, hard, to get consumers to spend their money on discretionary items.

Related: 5 Lessons That Will Stay With Me After the Quarantine

How have you had to get creative in your marketing?

Prior to COVID, we did not have an online store. Now we do. We had never done social selling. Now we do Facebook Live as a part of our regular routine. We’ve also added free local delivery and we work hard to stay connected to our loyal customers through virtual events. Everything is different. In the end, if we can pull through, this trial-by-fire will make us stronger.

What would you like policymakers to do to help the small business owner right now?

I received the Economic Injury Disaster Loan. But, as we all know, loans are a bandage that can soothe today but create more financial difficulty down-the-road. I also received funds from the Payroll Protection Program, but the economic impacts will last far longer than the eight weeks of payroll that we received. Then what?  We need long term help and legislation that will ensure that future funds go to the businesses that they were designed to help.

And, going forward, we need policymakers to solve the unrest in our country and work across party lines to restore consumer confidence. Then, and only then, will we build a foundation that is on solid ground.

What is your advice to other small business owners?

Rest when you need to rest and fight when you need to fight. We need to remember to stay connected with our customers, stay educated on our industry, reach out to our peers, make webinars part of our daily work calendar, think creatively, and work harder than we have ever worked before. My biggest suggestion would be to not look at today for the pot of gold. Do the hard work and make consistent changes now. This will catapult us when the world gets back to our “new normal.” The real gain will be in the long term.

Related: 5 Steps to Protect Your Career As We Turn Toward Recovery

Quick tips and ideas for small business owners

I asked some marketing agency pros, and here are three tips for small business owners in the midst of the COVID crisis:

1. Run a social media contest. Tom De Spiegelaere is a Senior Digital Marketer and the founder of Tom Spicky. He suggests running a “Caption This” contest as a simple attention-getter campaign. By uploading a funny photo from your store on social and requesting their participation, it will engage consumers, incorporate humor, become highly shareable, and will help to increase brand awareness.

2. Create D.I.Y. projects from items that you sell – share through your social platforms. James Jason, Assistant marketing agency Manager for Mitrade, knows that you need to find customers where they are (which may be at home). Get creative by coming up with tiny projects that customers can use – paired with what you sell. For example, show them a shirt and couple it with a simple how-to for a matching face mask.

3. Show you care and understand your customer’s concerns. John Butterworth, In-House marketing agency Manager at Virtual Internships, knows that you must embrace COVID-19 and that in order to find success for a brick-and-mortar location you must make your customers feel safe. Use tools, such as Calendly, to provide private appointments in-store.

Meet financial and emotional stress with action

The pandemic has created a disaster of epic proportions for many in our country. Some effects are yet to be seen. But we know one thing for sure. Small businesses and entrepreneurs in every state are fighting to regain what they lost, rebuild what has been destroyed, and welcome their beloved customers back, with open arms. As Samantha told me, “Now is the time to meet stress with action and to not let perfection stand in the way of progress.” When all is said and done, it may not look the same. It may not feel the same, but we are resilient, and we will regain our shine.

loading…

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/what-local-business-owners-are-doing-to-recover-from-the-covid-19-tsunami/