#i used to daydream about being like a famous creator and having people actually see the small details i added to stuff

[skenpiel]

i want to add more secrets to my carrd.

[whentheynameyoujoy]

So the ATLA Movie Is... Good, Actually?

Just kidding, of course it’s not, it’s so bad it sucked the paint off my walls. But after ten years of people pointing out its glaring flaws, why would anyone bother talking about this garbage heap if not to go the other direction? So here’s a very brief and very superficial list of things the movie does get kinda... not atrociously wrong.

And they won’t be fake hipster pokes, like “It’s fun to laugh at”, “The Rifftrax for this is OK”, or “Kudos to the actress for managing to say we believe in our beliefs as much as they believe in theirs with a straight face”.

(though now that I mentioned it, it is fun to laugh at, the Rifftrax for this is OK, and massive props indeed.)

Rasta Iroh

Yes, I know it’s not exactly the aesthetic of the real Iroh or that it makes no cultural sense for him to sport this do when no one else in the racebended Indian “OMFG what were you thinking Shyamalan” Nation does but goddamn, long-haired dudes are my one mortal weakness and I will ogle the hell out of him.

Jesus is that a man bun I see that’s it mum I’ve been deaded

Yue’s hair

No.

Now we’re talking. Yue’s hair turned white when the Moon spirit gave her life, so it makes sense for it to go black again when she sacrifices herself to revive the koi fish. It’s a neat detail I find myself expecting whenever I rewatch the scene in the show. Yes, I realize it’d be a pointless hassle to animate since she, unlike in the movie, immediately goes on to become the Moon herself but still. I like.

The Blue Spirit’s mop

Zuko, hun, what’s with the dance-off?

First of all, I want to imagine that Zuko the Theatre Nerd was about to leave his ship with just the mask like in the show but then stuck his head into the cleaning cupboard and went, “Yeah, more coverage might be good, even though it do seem mighty fried to shit”.

Which makes me giggle. I like to giggle.

And secondly, the hair’s movement is what makes the static mess of the Blue Spirit’s solo fight scene appear at least bit more dynamic because God knows the cinematography isn’t doing it.

Any particular reason why it’s at the edge of the action, shot all boring-like?

Now, I get why circular shots would be reserved for Aang while he’s in the practice area and then used once the two join forces. What I don’t get is why Aang’s part of the action scene has a defined visual style while Zuko’s delegated to a few stationary wide shots from afar as though he’s a tertiary goon, meaning that when the time comes to combine the respective pieces of cinema language and visually convey collaboration, there’s not really much to combine.

But as long as Zuko is stuck in this static mess, it’s that awesome disaster on his head flopping about that draws the eye, helping me understand that something even is going on over there.

It also prevents me from paying much attention to how the extras are mostly just staying put and a lot of the hits don’t land, so that’s good.

The music slaps

James Newton Howard is too good for this.

Pls ignore that the word “gods” is used in the ATLA universe

I can’t be the only one who constantly uses this piece to daydream about writing specific fanfic scenes instead of, you know, actually sitting down and writing them. It’s just so good at communicating a sense of sorrow while speaking of rebirth that I find myself getting misty-eyed whenever I listen to it. Unfailingly, the soundtrack as a whole manages to break through the mile-thick crust of horrible acting, confusing writing, and uninspired cinematography and make me feel things. And considering how everything on screen is working against it, that’s no small feat.

Imagine what a powerful experience it would be if the score was used in service of an actual movie.

Dev Patel

No wonder since he’s the only one in the film occupying that crucial intersection between “is a good actor” and “was given something to work with”. It also doesn’t hurt that he breaks with the trend of actors starring in martial arts flicks despite never having done any martial art.

And all EIP-jokes about “stiff and humorless” aside, he’s a pretty decent Zuko considering how abridged this version of the character is. A while ago, I remember hearing a reviewer say that with his comedic chops, Patel should have been cast as Sokka. And on one hand, yes, god, absolutely, I need to see that asap. But on the other? He captures all layers of Book 1!Zuko, the desperate obsession, rage, and self-loathing, and at the same time gives you a peek at the soft momma’s boy dork that’s buried underneath. For Christ sakes, he exudes intensity and ambivalence even when acting against an emotionless hunk of wood that’s giving him nothing in return.

Oh, and I guess there’s a tree in the frame.

Ba dum tss

What can I say, the guy’s good.

Showing vs telling

OK, so this movie is all tell and no show, except for one single moment. And it’s the exact moment where the original goes in the other direction in terms of how information is conveyed.

See, I never liked this. The revelation is preceded by Iroh giving advice to Zuko who scolds him for nagging. Iroh then apologizes, moves in to say the line above, and is interrupted by Zuko who seems rather uncomfortable with Iroh laying his feelings out like this. And once they’re out, Zuko verbally confirms that he knew already and Iroh didn’t need to bother.

All this extraneous information and pussyfooting ends up weakening what should be a profound scene that reveals to us, the viewers, how deep the relationship between these two in fact runs.

Compare to the movie where Dadroh acts like a parent by fussing and worrying, with Sonion needing a single look to tell him and us that he understands what it’s all really about.

It’s genuinely efficient and just good.

No Cataang

Fine, a bit mean-girl bitchy from me since I only start minding the ship in Book 3. And probably unintentional on the part of the creators since there are moments where I think they’re trying to set the romance up? There’s a, well, an attempt to recreate the famous introductory shot of fateful meaningful destiny of meaningness, there’s some slight note of saving each other’s bacon going on, I’m pretty sure they’re the only ones in the film who smile, and oh, right, Katara’s shoved into her post-canon useless role where she doesn’t ever do anything, and is all about Aang right from the get go.

Yes, I will blame the “executive producers” because a) I’m incredibly petty, and b) it’s perfectly in line with their vision of the character so why the hell not.

Hilariously, none of it reads on screen because the actors are just... yeah. These poor kids are struggling so much with delivering their own lines and portraying their own characters they don’t seem to have any strength left to create something between them. To be fair, the bare-bones shot-reverse shot style of their scenes doesn’t exactly lend itself to the idea they occupy the same universe, let alone are friends or each other’s crushes.

And I enjoy this immensely because it allows me to forget the depressing horror show Katara’s life turns into post ATLA.

Yes Zutara

I need to delve into this because it’s fucking hilarious. So in a movie which fails to establish the original’s central romance so spectacularly that if Aang got lost in a crowd I don’t believe Katara would notice, SomEOnE thought it’d be a good idea to add an utterly unnecessary non-canon moment where Zuko for some reason feels the need to pause his character-defining hunt for the Avatar which otherwise has him ignore everything and snap at everyone, and explain his central conflict to an unconscious peasant he doesn’t know, complete with gently pushing the hair from the pretty girl’s the soulmate’s the Water Tribe Ambassador’s the Fire Lady’s the love of his life’s her face away, AFTER his uncle nagged him twice to find a girl and settle down.

I just wanted to make sure we’re all on the same page and this is what we really saw.

Celibate Avatars

I have no idea why the decision was made, if TPTB thought expecting viewers to understand the story through the lens of Buddhism would be too much, or if the “executive producers” already worked their retconny magic. What I do know, however, is that there’s a big shift in worldbuilding and Aang’s struggle with his role as the Avatar stops being a personal conflict defined by a) his grief for Air Nomads, b) his notion of being robbed of the loved ones in his life, and c) the selfish attachment to Katara he confuses with true love. Instead, what he has a difficulty to accept is apparently a general notion of who Avatars are supposed to be, i.e. a fantasy version of Catholic monks, no family and worldly relations, period.

I guess either someone understood the original’s portrayal of de/attachment as “hermit no freaky”, or thought the audience would so why not go there outright.

Now, do I like this on its own? No, God no, it makes the world infinitely poorer and changes the story from an exploration of ideas which aren’t all that ingrained in the West, to a cliché tropester about a Catholic priest going Protestant so that he could be with a girl.

At least I assume that’s where they were going to take this eventually.

I mean, I think the direction was “look conflicted, this isn’t the final stage of your journey”?

But consider this—the show went there, it built on the concepts of Eastern philosophy and touched upon the ideas of spiritual awakening, only to swerve in the end and strongly imply they’re bullshit and Aang should have never wasted his time with them.

So honestly, I much prefer scanty worldbuilding to an insulting retcon by a damn rock.

Multiracial Air Nomads

Probably the most substantial “no hint of irony” point on this list and a genuinely good addition to the universe’s worldbuilding.

See, the notion of the elemental nations being perfectly separate and never mingling before Sozin has always been sketchy but it’s especially ridiculous in the case of airbenders. It never made sense to me for all airbenders to be Air Nomads and for all Air Nomads to be monks and for all monks to be chilling at the temples all the time to facilitate a quick everyone-dies genocide should an imperialistic warlord ever decide to commit one.

Because committing everyone to a single way of life at a handful of places kinda goes against the central philosophy behind airbending. Like the freedom and nomadism part.

Instead, there should be more variety to the airbending culture, with some staying at the temples as monks, hermits, and teachers while others live as nomads, travelling the world and creating more airbenders, with the resulting children in turn being influenced by the non-airbending cultures they grew up in.

And thus, not only should airbenders not be modeled after a single culture to create a one-size-fits-all lifestyle, but they should have the most diverse and dynamic culture out of the four nations.

And it’d be precisely this diversity which would pave way for an eventual reveal that some of them survived, that their complete extermination is impossible.

Because they’re everywhere.

You know.

Like air.

[just-a-real-human]

Silver Warfare part 1

Captain William D. Wallace was standing on the bridge, looking over his immense ship, the Silve Warfare. A massive, 2000 meter long Yamato class battleship. A classifaction that still holds its name, a name from a record long since broken, a name that’s over 250 years old, but still elicits power, just as its creators intended. The massive ship had a secondary classification, it was a built broadsider, so it had a large majority of its weapons on the sides, bottom and top of the ship, instead of on the front. You also had modified broadsiders, which is a headfighter(the standard guns-front ship) transformed into a broadsider. They were usually somewhat faster and more agile, but that is not to say the S.W was slow or sluggish, far from it...as the largest B.B ever built besides the Deus Ex Machina himself, it had a surprising amount of manoeuvrability, being able to swiftly roll and even flip entirely. With the new cutting edge tech and gravity generators it could afford manouvres that would knock out the pilot and crew of a simpler gravity generator. The crew stuck to the floor no matter what, so if the ship flipped, they didn’t noticed much at all. In the simpler and smaller ones, you get knocked around and often need painstakingly crafted magnetic boots, the S.W and Deus Ex Machina didn’t need those. William was proud to be the captain of this mighty vessel, and he was proud to be the captain of the fine crew. Suddenly, his daydreaming was interupted by a nervous voice. “S-sir er- captain! Captain William?” “Hmm?” Willaim turned around, looking at a young boy, barely older then 20. He barely had the first hairs on his face, especially compared to the magnificent, silver beard William had.  The poor boy nearly pissed himself, hastily saluting, swallowing hard and struggling not to close his eyes in fear. William chuckled, shaking his head. “At ease, boy...what seems to be the problem?” “I-nothing, there’s nothing wrong...R-remember that you were supposed to be assigned an assistant and secretary?” William looked up a moment, the gears in his brain cracking into motion “Hmm...ah!, you must be Peter then?” “Y-yes sir! I’m P-Peter, Peter Mason, sir!” “And you’ll be my secretary? Well, what are your skills?” “My...my skills? OH! Oh, i uhh...i-i can code, i’m very good with dates, i can multitask very well and i can remember names very well! Also i-” “Hold it, i can see you’re good for the job, you’ve got that feeling, and you’re nervous enough for it! Ha!” William laughed, gently patting the boy in his shoulder, gently guiding him along to the Elevator on the back of the bridge, letting him go as they walked. “So, how’d you get the job on the oh-so famous Silver Warfare?” “Oh, i was the very top in my class in the skills i mentioned, but also Xenobiology, Xenoarcheology and Xenoculturology.” “Ah, a big brained secretary then? Those are surprisingly rare!” William laughed warmly, Peter nervously chuckled along. William returned to a more serious look, asking: “You know how to use weaponry?” “...B-barely sir...But i can defend myself!” William squinted at him a little, stopping for some reason... Which became apparent when peter crashed into the elevator doors, William chuckling softly. He pressed the elevator button, shaking his head softly, a warm smile on his face. “You should watch where you walk, Peter.” “Hehe...w-will do sir.” The two stepped into the 4 person elevator, William pressing the button which said ‘citadel’ The elevator suddenly blasted downwards, Peter stuggled to keep himself on his feet, meanwhile William stood still, smiling widely. “You’ll get the hang of these things in no time, believe it or not, but even me and Yeshua had trouble keeping upright in these blasted elevators!” “Wait, you and the grand admiral know eachother?” “Know eachother?, We’re best friends! We went to the academy together, we were a great team, i was the pilot, he was the commander for many years! I can’t tell the whole story here...maybe someday i’ll tell it!” Peter wanted to ask more, but then the elevator came to a halt, not instantly (thank god) But it was fast enough to make him stumble around a bit. The elevators opened up to reveal a lavish, beautiful room, perfectly made for a captain like William. ‘Windows’ covered the walls, they weren’t actually winows, they were in the citadel, AKA the middle of the ship, they were merely holograms depicting an almost perfect view of the outside, and sometimes inside of the ship, if William, or now Peter, was so inclined. “These are my quarters, You can use everything you can in here, anything you can’t is exclusive to me. Drinks are in the floor over there-” William pointed to a point just away from the main desks, where three signs were on the floor. “And snacks are over there in the wall. The drinks raise out of the floor and for the snacks the walls slide away, make yourself at home, you can even grab a plushie. Peter, snickered at the captain’s joke, but William turned around, dead serious. “I’m serious, many people work better with a plushie with them, they’re in the wall over behind my desk. Your desk is the one besides that, with the big monitors.” Peter was surprised, plushies?, in such a proffesional environment? Not to mention snacks and drinks. This didn’t seem as intense as he expected, huh... William smiled, gently clapping him on the shoulder. “Now, i have to go back to the bridge, we’re expecting an attack soon, there’s a document on the desk that details the work you have to do...don’t worry, this attack isn’t gonna do much for you, you’re in the citadel, nothing short of a blast from the Deus Ex Machina can get us. Besides, the enemy underestimates us, it’s just drachalians, they think just because they have a big ship they’re better then us.” “D-Dr’acha’lians, sir...n-not Drachalians, Dr’acha’lians” William smiled brightly “Well, you’re already better then my previous secretary, now get to work!” William gently pushed him in, leaving Peter alone in the captain’s quarters...He was understandably nervous, but he was somewhat reassured that this was in the citadel. He was probably the safest guy on the ship at the moment... William went back into the elevator, going back up to the bridge, waiting for the attack. This was part one of two from the Silver Warfare! I had a really neat idea, but if  put the two halves into one part it’d be a bit of tonal whiplash since the second part is all about military stuff ‘^^. I’ll try to NOT take a month long break again, at least not without telling you first. Anyways, like usual, feel free to post constructive critisism or just your opinion, have a very nice day and be good people c:

[fuckitup-in-style]

JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS!

Hey guys, so I just finished watching JATP and I am absolutely obsessed with it! The songs, the characters, the plot - it’s just beautiful how the creators have brought to life this light, whimsical but also very heartfelt and warm show and I am so glad to see the wonderful reception from the fandom here on Tumblr and other social media outlets because the more reception, the more likely the show will come back for season 2 - which, I think we can all agree is something we all want to see (OH, and the TOURRRR)

But I couldn’t help but notice that there is some budding tension in the fandom concerning the controversy over shipping the characters Julie Molina and Luke Patterson, which I have noticed makes a lot of people uncomfortable (and I understand).

But I got some red flags when I saw words like predatory and sickening were labelled to the ship, and specifically to Luke as a character (and the casting team). I also noticed people attacking others for shipping Luke and Julie and I felt like I needed to say something.

So, as you probably can tell, I ship Juke or Jukebox as some people have started to call them (which I think is really cute). I only ship Juke, I do not under any circumstances ship the actors because 1) I dont ship actors as a principal because too many times have actors and the relationships they have held with others in their life been damaged because of people taking the chemistry they demonstrate with their onscreen relationship out of context 2) Maddy is underaged and I don’t ship child actors at all especially with 3) their co-actors, especially if they’re over 18 like Charlie is because 4) they have a very controversial age gap.

Now that I have gotten that out of the road, I was to explain why I ship Juke - and I can’t believe I feel so anxious about defending myself for wanting to see the relationship/friendship explored with Julie and Luke over the seasons but I understand. 

1. The characters themselves are 2 years apart. It’s an interracial relationship and I love the representation with Juke as well as with Willex. Maddy has promoted and publicly shipped the idea of Julie and Luke as a couple on social media and I think that if she was okay with it, than it shouldn’t be a problem (we’re the same age and i could see how, as a actress who would have the emotional and mental capacity to consent to acting out romantic scenes, it would be ok - keep in mind, it is a G-PG teens show so it would be limited to kissing. Wishing for anything beyond that to be presented as canon is wrong and I can admit that without any shame or regret). Julie canonically has a crush on Luke and Luke has canonically confirmed strong feelings/ chemistry with and for Julie. I love seeing this demonstrated when they are singing, songwritng, performing and dancing and even during really soft or playful moments like Unsaid Emily and Edge of Great and would like to see more of these really powerful moments between the two characters as the show progresses.

2. Be that as it may, I don’t want the characters to get together in the second season. I still believe that this show is primarily about Julie and the Phantoms, a band of friends consisting of a girl rediscovering her love and passion for music and continuing to do what she loves in her mom’s memory and three boys who died before they could make their dreams come true. The Orpheum was their first step to becoming legends and I don’t believe that’s over yet.

3. I also love the idea that Charlie and Maddy both have implied that they want Luke and Julie to build a strong, formidable friendship in the show before they even consider acting on any romantic notions and I support this and would look forward to seeing it! It would be great to see how their friendship, and she friendship she has with Alex and Reggie, grows and evolves over the show. Some people might argue that this will be boring and would slow the seemingly fast progress of the bond that has been shaped but I don’t think so.

There is so many subplots for the show to explore based off of what the show creators gave us in season 1:

- The obvious, Caleb possessing Nick. I have seen the Juke shippers jump right onto this one and saying how Caleb (as Nick) trying to get closer and make moves on Julie would make Luke jealous but I think we have seen a bit of that already from when Luke first interacted (kinda) with Nick when he and Julie were talking by the lockers. I think that the Caleb subplot would not only be a good idea to show how Luke will be conflicted with how he feels about it, but it would also show how Julie might be conflicted with her own feelings if she sees Nick presenting a different attitude. As to Caleb’s true motives, this presents the opportunity for some advenutre kind tropes where Julie and the Phantoms have to stop Caleb and save Nick from possession. Both Caleb and Nick have demonstrated an affintiy for performing (Nick with guitar and Caleb with singing) so that will be interesting to see. Also Willie is still under Caleb’s thumb so that will cause some angst and tension between himself and Alex.

- Willie and Alex’s relationship has a chance to develop. The last time they saw each other, Willie thought that Alex was crossing over so I think it will be super cute to see their reunion. (Boo Boo Stewart is a cutie) so I’m interested in seeing him and the Phantoms interact. Also - I kind of want to see him and Julie meet. I want to see if Julie’s ability to see ghosts extends to all ghosts or just the boys (this can relate back to the Phantoms connection to her mother and that can be explored).

- I want Reggie and Alex’s backgrounds to be developed and explored with music and with their friends. They didnt get much bonding moments with her and I want to see their friendship with Julie grow like Julie and Alex talking about relationships and Willie and Julie and Reggie talking about how he sees Ray as a father figure and how this might relate back to his own family history. 

- Carlos knows about the boys being ghosts and I want to see how that will play into everything. I know that Reggie has shown to be playful and indulgent in his ‘Ghost Hunting’ hobby so maybe they can have some fun playing pranks on Aunt Victoria. 

- I want to see Flynn’s character become more involved in the Phantoms and helping Julie reach her dreams but I also want Flynn’s dreams to be introduced and to be explored because she is such a fun and relatable character - and her and Julie’s friendship is pure - and she deserves to have a storyline independent of that or dominant and explored.

- I want more flashbacks too of Carrie and Julie’s friendship, of the boys when they were still alive, of Julie’s mom and how her connection with Sunset Curve was forged. I just think that would be super cool to see.

- Bobby has now seen the boys perform with Julie, finally achieving their dream performance at the Orpheum so I wonder how that will go on. I want to see the boys confront him and I want to see like some real shit going down on why and how he could cheat them out of their music. They were his friends and they died and he stole their dreams, their musics, their very souls laid bare on paper and I feel like that’s some good angst.

- Like I said before, it’s a show about Julie and the Phantoms and they want to make it big. After the Orpheum, it will be interesting to see them go on to play at other venues, tackle getting involved in the music industry and making more songs. I WANT MORE SONGSSS BRUH.

- Guys, if Julie and the Phantoms are going to become stars sometime in the show, they’ll be pretty famous. Like maybe they’re going to be on TV and they’re supposed to be dead and what happens if Luke’s parents see him like Bobby did? WHat will ahppen then?!

- As for romantic relationships (besides Juke and Willex) I want to see Reggie have a love interest or maybe even come out as Bi. That would be so cool! As a fellow bisexual, I think that would demonstrate a lot of representation to not only have a openly gay character (maybe two bec Willie’s sexuality hasn’t been confirmed yet but fingers crossed) but also a bi character. Maybe another ghost ? I want to see more ghosttss.

As for how I want Julie and Luke’s relationships to be explored:

- MORE MUSICCCCCC (because I feel the safetest bet right now considering, I feel everyone agrees that their music chemistry is A+ and gives their performances some fire😉)

- Some shenanagins with them and the rest of the Phantoms (+ Flynn) like them being actual teenagers (the boys were 17 when they died and I think that’s pretty sad as a 17 year old) and showing up at school and Alex dancing with Carrie when she throws Dirty Candy performances. I think it would be funny if the two of them ever met.

- Luke making fun of Nick (jealoussyyy) and him and Julie bickering like they always do. Maybe Flynn and the boys making fun of them both. Flynn will definently want to protect her friend after seeing what a wreck she was before the performance when she thought the boys might have crossed over or gotten destroyed by Caleb’s curse, so she might convince Julie to keep her distance like in ‘Edge of Great’. Alex and Reggie will make fun of Luke def. No questions. It’s what they do best but they love each other.

- Guys, they can’t just ignore Perfect Harmony like - come on. Like, if Luke goes snooping inside Julie’s dream box (because, let’s face it, it’s sitting right there and it’s full of LYRICS people and he loves MUSIC and he loves JULIE’S MUSIC and - yeah, come on.) I also think it would be funny to see more of Julie saying Luke’s name by accident or daydreaming because I thought - ACTUAL TEENAGE GIRL REPRESENTATION!

- More fighting because her and Luke have such strong, dominant personalities and I can see them clashing in the future over the direction they want the band to go in and, more or less, petty teenage stuff.

- Possibly being more diverse with their style of music like in Perfect Harmony and Unsaid Emily. Maybe exploring some really deep and emotional lyrics and changing it up with their performance (although, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE THAT BIT WHERE JULIE DOES THAT HIGH NOTE AT THE START OF THE SONG AND THAN THE BOYS JUST ROCK IN LIKE LEGENDS AND - ) but yeah, I want to cry again like I did in Unsaid Emily so. 

Anyway, feel free to add what you guys most look forward to but the whole point of this was I want this fandom to be a fun, free and safe environment. So don’t ship actors, I don’t support sexualizing child actors and don’t expect Luke or Julie’s relationship to go past the soft, chaste, fluffy kisses you see at 16/17 because it is a kids show and once again because Maddy is underage and her and Charlie’s age gap is controversial. But shipping Juke isn’t predatory because Luke isn’t a predator, the character is 17, 1-2 years older than Julie. It’s a kids show and it’s very tender, very pure and very sweet. We have seen nothing to contradict this so don’t make it something it’s not.

Anyway that’s my two cents so don’t @ me to yell at me, okay?

[hacker-of-fandom]

Obey me characters reactions to a chaotic ratman human.

Sidenote I was high on tired and chaotic rat TikTok enjoy.

Lucifer:

What the fuck is that thing.

This thing was supposed to go to school with demons and angels.

Thought he summoned the wrong person until Mc responded to the name that he called.

A more chaotic Mammon but he does shit for no reason. LIKE AT ALL.

The first time he saw Mc petting a rat inside the house, he felt himself cracking.

"Mc.... What are you holding?"

"My new friend."

"Is your friend... A rat?"

"Why yes he is, most rats don't like being called a mouse or rodents. So he thanks you for that."

"Would you like to pet him? Oh, you've gotten quite pale."

Might have begged Diavolo to change the human students with someone else. As you can tell that didn't go well.

But-

Mc did have some good flaws.

He has good advice for the stupidest things ever, that just so happens to help in the most interesting times.

Like when the sink starts to flood the kitchen, just to grab Mc and give him a wrench and leave him in there.

"Don't let anyone come in here until I've texted you so, okay?"

Gets a text like a minute after that saying that everything is back to normal.

He runs in there not believing that shit.

No doubt the sink is fixed and there is no more water on the floor. And it seems like-

Mc is cooking dinner???

Lucifer is baffled how that even worked.

Another thing is, while Mc doesn't look like he could even be a suitable tea guest with his messy knotted hair, black ripped clothes, and usually a rode- rat on his shoulders. He likes tea.

Very much so.

"No, no Lucifer. I'm not saying the Earl Grey tea that you brought isn't good, it's just that I can tell that you boiled the tea leaves for way too long. A minute longer than needed if anything- Lucifer. Please don't raise your voice, Charlie doesn't like it."

He will never admit that a ratman was actually right about how long you needed to boil Early Grey tea leaves.

His nickname from Mc is, "Prideful boi" or "Lucyyyyyy~"

When he realized he couldn't get Mc to stop calling him Lucy, he just stopped getting mad over it. He now seems to almost smile at it.

Almost.

Mammon:

He has to watch over this human?

Oh hell no.

Is what he thought when Mc first came to Devildom. But now?

Mc is his escape buddy.

You know how Mammon gets tied up from the ceiling like every week?

Mammon just needs to call out for Mc and he'll come with a smirk on his face.

"What'cha do this time, greedy boi?"

Mammon can't even lie to him.

"I tried selling one of Lucifer's rings."

"Oooooh, yeah that'd getcha stuck. So whatcha goin do for my comrades and I?"

"I'll tell the local crows to stop hunting you guys?"

... The rats basically cheer at that.

"You have yourself a deal."

In the next ten seconds, a small army of rats have bitten the rope apart to have Mammon fall into Mc's arms.

Even with Mc scruffy look, Mammon can't really deny that Mc's smirk is very nice looking.

In class, they pass notes to each other with the rats.

Might have matching necklaces to show both crows and rats that they are equal.

Crow king and Rat king.

Bonus points if they now have networks of crow and rats stealing people's stuff.

"Crow bro", "Mamoney", and, "Cutie".

"Don't pet me when saying that! NO I'M NOT BLUSHING, STOP PETTING ME!"

Leviathan:

Didn't really care.

Just another normie.

Until.

"WHERE IS MY SERIES OF "Rat God and snake hybrid fall in love after meeting each other in the woods!" ROMANCE MANGA!"

He was so sure it was Mammon. He was about to storm up towards his seat in the dining room but-

"Oh, wait- oh man I'm sorry dude. That was totally me." Deadly silent.

Rat man knew how to read?

"What."

Mc explains that he was bored one day and asked if the rats could find him a manga to read. He just never got where they got it from.

Apologies for the inconvenience and hands him the manga that he was currently reading.

Was in such a state of shock that he didn't even comprehend that rats somehow got into his room and got the books of the top shelf.

"Y-you read manga?"

"Yeah, I watch anime and play video games too in my free time."

"Oh- w-well! I bet you don't even play Heros alley!"

"I've played both demos, the first game, and the dev even emailed me a few days ago, about letting me play the second upcoming Hero Alleys 2 game before the release to see my opinion."

He can't believe it.

"You know Kero-sama?"

"He's an old high school friend, yeah."

Begins to worship this rat-man.

Probably hugs Mc crying.

Spends so much time texting each other about games they've played and animes. That Leviathan realizes Kero is not the only game creator Mc knows.

Mc knows a lot of famous people in the Otaku world.

Leviathan sometimes leaves out open bags of chips for the rats that come by his room when Mc is gone.

Might accidentally confess his love towards Mc to the rats.

Mc explains the next day that he can understand what the rats say to him. And that he thinks Leviathan is pretty cool to be around as well.

Leviathan might die.

"Gamer bro.", "Envy boi", and "Levi-Kun".

"Don't call me that!" Five minutes later... "Can you call me Levi-Kun again, please?"

Satan:

Hates rats.

With his cat love, he wouldn't bat an eye at a rat dying.

But when he finds rats in the library in huge group pushing specific books of shelves with Mc sitting on a couch reading the books to them, and them sitting in crowds just watching and listen to his voice. He might think twice before kicking them.

Other than Mc's messy looks and chaotic personality, his voice was often very nice to listen to. So when he saw this reading group of rats, he slowly walked towards Mc before sitting down on one of the empty seats. As all of the other seats were taken with rodents.

It was ironically the Nutcracker, that Mc was reading out loud. At it seemed like he just started on the book. When the nutcracker and Ratking were fighting, Satan summed that the rats would hate the nutcracker.

But to his surprise, the rats cheered or jumped around when the Rat King was defeated. And Mc laughed at their antics.

Mc ended the book with a happily, "The end!".

"Sorry, Satan. You were probably looking for something."

Satan snapped out of his daydream and realized, yes he was looking for a book before coming here.

"Oh no it's fine, this was actually quite entertaining. May I ask some questions?"

"Shoot."

This ended up in a beautiful friendship of two chaotic people who love torturing Lucifer and reading books.

And yes, Satan does try to protect some rats from cats now.

"Kitty cat", "Angry boi", "Bookworm" and "Mine" are all nicknames that has made Satan stop reading or keeping a straight face.

Satan was reading a book while Mc was holding him against his chest, reading over his shoulder and just gripped tighter on Satan and said,

"Mine." Satan didn't know who he was telling that to but he was pretty sure his heart just picked up it's speed and lost his place in the book.

His voice is very nice, okay?

Asmodeus:

GrossgrossgrossgrossgrossGrossgrossgrossgrossgrossGrossgrossgrossgrossgrossGrossgrossgrossgrossgross

Did he mention gross?

Mc needed to take a shower! Do his hair! Clean up! Wear some good clothes!

AND FOR DIAVOLO'S SAKE GET RID OF THE RATS.

Asmodeus avoided Mc like the plague. I mean- rats have been involved with many plagues so it's no surprise.

But one day-

"Hey! Asmodeus! I think you lost this!"

Asmodeus turned around to see his lost necklace. It was pink pearls with a gold diamond chain.

He completely forgot that Mc was dirty and hugged Mc as hard as he could.

"How did you find it? Oh, I've missed it so much!"

"Let's say I've had a little help. Plus I actually wanted to know if you've lost anything else?"

Short answer yes, yes he did.

So Asmodeus was in Mc's room which wasn't actually that bad looking. There weren't that many rats as he expected. While Mc was grabbing all the jewelry the rats have found in a month time.

Is honestly surprised that Mc didn't sell any of the items. A lot of it would have made him one of the richest humans in all three dimensions.

Asmodeus asked how he can repay him, with Ya know. Sex.

Mc shakes his head no but instead asks him what hair products he uses?

Asmodeus thinks he is about to get a new makeup friend when in reality Mc wants to clean some of his rat friends.

But it just ends up Mc and Asmodeus going to a spa, that is at human temperatures.

Even if Mc looks like a rat, he is kinda good looking without a shirt and his hair covering 95 percent of his eyes.

"Pretty boi", "Jewels", and "Pinky-pie" are nicknames he has used for Asmodeus.

Personally likes all of the nicknames.

Beelzebub:

Ratman eats.

A lot.

It's not just him that he's feeding, it's his army of rats.

So when Mc first eats with the demon brothers he eats a shit load for himself and then pulls out a basket to put cheese, bread, crackers, and a few veggies inside for his army.

Then walks into his room and just whistles.

The army comes flooding in his room to eat the food he has provided.

He leaves the room to go to the kitchen where he finds Beelzebub going through the fridge even though dinner was just served twenty minutes ago.

They actually begin to talk.

Beelzebub enjoys knowing that he has a eating partner(s).

They get onto the topic working out, school, food and eventually family.

Mc explains he doesn't have much of a family except for his rat family.

Beelzebub doesn't try to bring up Belphegor but Mc says this:

"I've actually read about the seven sins avatar once. And I'm just wondering, where's sloth? I can't remember his name but I know it starts with a 'b'." Mc turns to the rat on his shoulder.

"Belphegor? Oh yeah, that's it! Belphegor the avatar sin of sloth! Where is he?"

Beelzebub might just cry right then and there.

"I don't know." Mc's eyes soften at his answer.

Mc and Beelzebub talk about what happened. And become very close friends in the matter of days.

Beelzebub is glad to have someone to talk to about his guilt and the fight between Belphegor and Lucifer but-

There is one thing that he just doesn't- understand.

Mc fights for him. And he didn't understand it. Beelzebub once caught Mc fighting a demon in the hallway of the school. And he punched the demon square in the face.

He later figured out that the demon was talking trash about him and Mc overheard it and just attacked the student. Like a vicious animal.

After the fight, Mc is left a bleed nose and a smirk. Beelzebub is very scared and worried. But is calmed down once Mc hugs him.

"I'm not letting anyone talk trash about my family."

Is super happy for the rest if the week.

"Hungry boi", " Favorite cheese.", "Cutie pie".

Cutie pie kinda makes him freeze or drop whatever he has from shock. He likes it though.

Belphegor:

After the whole timeline killing thing, the rats don't trust Belphegor at all. They'll hiss and bit and poop in Belphegor's bed. And let me tell you when you have an army of rats pooping in someone's bed its like cow shit.

Mc probably forgives him completely but Belphegor is getting a different vibe with the rats.

Finally, speak up about it.

"Hey, Mc."

"Yesss?"

"Do you still hate me?"

"What."

Now Belphegor feels like a dumb ass for asking this.

"Do you still hate me because your rat friend-army is like attacking me? And it's making me feel terrible for Ya know, the..." Belphegor kinda just moves his hands around.

Mc sighs and whistles sharply. Belphegor flinches seeing the thousands of rats running in the room with most of their eyes on him.

"Alright! Who has been harassing Belphegor!? I told you guys not to hurt him. He's my friend. We just set on the wrong foot guys. Apologies now."

Fuck he didn't mean for Mc to do this. He has gotten afraid of the rats for the past two weeks and he's just waiting for the rats to turn their backs on Mc.

Like he did.

But to his surprise and relief, the rats run away but come back with an item.

It was ring.

They tower up towards Belphegor with the ring grabbing his left hand and placing it on his ring finger. It was a diamond ring.

"What." Mc stuttered realizing what they were doing.

"Guys I'm not forcing him to marry me to make up the whole killing thing, come one."

The rats didn't seem to care as they danced and made a shrill scream of the wedding music.

"So... We're married now?"

"In rat terms, yes."

He's not going to complain if he doesn't get attacked anymore and is expected to cuddled Mc.

Also, the ring looked very nice.

Nicknames are, "Sleepy boi" "Cowboy" and "My husband".

Mc meant it as a joke but realized Belphegor was blushing. So he decided to only say it when they were alone.

Solomon:

Thinks Mc is a wizard of some sort.

A rat wizard.

Solomon constantly tries to make Mc do a blood pact with him.

"Dude can't we just be friends like come on."

Is also okay with that.

They become potion buddies.

The rats help with getting items that humans can't get. Like herbs in the monster forest.

They might have accidentally made a love potion for Asmodeus but used the wrong hair.

It was a long week for Mc since Solomon taste-tested it.

Solomon was constantly trying to hold his hand, or hug him.

The few times Mc laughed at something in class while hold Solomon's hand, Solomon would be overcome with emotions to kiss the dirty rat-man.

One time he succeeded.

*Insert muffled ratman screaming*

After that interesting week, Solomon remembered everything and would scare Mc by hugging him or giving him the same half lid eyes while telling him he loved him.

The only man Mc has ever feared.

Nicknames Mc has given him, "Wizard boi" "Lover boi" and "White owl."

Solomon honestly likes White owl as an alias.

Simeon:

Rats like shiny things.

Simeon is very, very shiny.

Mc is very protective of Simeon.

Case closed.

But he knew the only way to really befriend Simeon was to befriend Luke. But without seeming like he was just trying to befriend him, Ya know?

So, Mc stood up for Luke when he was being teased for his height.

"Mammon you better shut up before I start sending my rats to take your jewelry and sell them."

You can bet that no one bullied Luke for his height again.

"You okay, Luke?" Luke denied that he even needed help but Mc knew that he just got on Luke's and Simeon's good side.

There is just times where Luke, Solomon, and Simeon talking while Mc is just listening when Mc would grab Simeon's hand and play with it.

Solomon would chuckle at the sight of the rat-man just playing with an angel's hand. While Simeon would be slightly confused.

Mc would have the most serious look on his face while he just tenderly touch Simeon's palms.

"Mc, what are you doing?"

"Shiny."

His hand wasn't even shiny but that's his response.

It would become a thing where Mc would friendly touch Simeon's hair or hand or cape.

And animalistic fight for him.

It took Simeon to look up if rats liked shiny thing and if they protect them.

And they do. In fact, they can hoard them and protect them with their life.

It was too late for Simeon. He had a cute dirty ratman king protecting him because he was shiny.

His nicknames would be, "Holy boi" "Lovely" or "Shiny".

Simeon did blush at the nickname lovely.

Luke:

Luke thought Mc was a sinful human based on looks. Dirty, hoarded shiny things, and was friends with the demons.

But he soon just realized that Mc wasn't a bad person, just a rat.

Luke became very interested in Mc's rat friends and secretly giving him sweet after he stood up to the demon brother about his height.

And much like Simeon, Mc found that Luke was very shiny too.

But soon Luke looked up at Mc like a dirty father-like figure. And Mc saw him as a son. Along with the rats.

"Shiny kid." Or "Angel boi" was the first nicknames he used.

Mc would let Luke pet the rats after a while.

Simeon, Mc, and Luke looked like a small family.

Mc would begin to call Luke, "Son" or "Kiddo".

Luke complained but would cheerfully tell Simeon about it.

Barbatos:

He probably fainted seeing Mc with rats on his shoulders.

Would avoid him at all costs.

But he would suddenly get along when Mc stated that there were mice in the palace.

"What?"

"Yeah, my rats just told me that they smell mice in here we can get them out if ya-"

"Please, that would be very appreciated."

In a minute the ten rats that Mc brought were biting the back of at least twenty mice's feet as the ran out of the open castle doors.

Everyone was in awe at how organized the rats were and more of the fact that Barbatos was being held by Mc.

They got along but Barbatos was very cautious around Mc. Until Mc had enough.

"Barbatos I love you, so I'm going to leave my rats outside when I come to the castle, I also will be well washed okay? I want to befriend you." Is the voicemail Barbatos got from an unknown number which he could tell was Mc.

Part two will be the rest of Barbatos and Lord Diavolo. Thank you!!!!

[trishmishtree]

live tumbling my reaction to ml season 2 episode ???

aka The Return of Fuckboy Adrien Frozer

This is a week late because I’ve been busy. idk what the actual episode number is, but this release order is not cutting it. I’ll have to make another recommended list some time.

Spoilers and salt below. Warning: there’s a lot of salt.

Did he really need to use Cataclysm when they were just chasing a runaway hang glider? They weren’t even fighting an akuma!

Nope, this can’t be real. Adrien must be daydreaming. The love rectangle was the reason this show got attention in the first place. There’s no way they’d give up the game this soon.

Well, this came out of nowhere. Now I get the feeling Galciator is supposed to be later in the season...

What’s Kagami doing in the boys’ locker room? (They do separate locker rooms, right? Or do they change elsewhere and those are their normal school lockers? Does Kagami even go to College Francoise Dupont?)

It’s been a really long time since I watched Riposte, but...is Kagami’s voice different? I thought I was supposed to be deeper. Or maybe I’m just getting the French and English dubs mixed up.

“I’m Plagg, so very nice to EAT you” /groan

Oh look, Gorilla isn’t fired after all

Ok, so obviously he’s talking about Kagami, but since when do you study together? And why the fuck is it not even mentioned, let alone shown on screen? No, wait, don’t tell me. It’s because the writers are lazy as fuck and think that keeping the details vague somehow makes the show clever

^Tikki is all of us

I don’t know, I actually thought Marinette handled it pretty well, considering there was no way she could have seen that coming. What was she supposed to do? If she told Adrien how she felt, then he’d reject her. If she manipulated him into thinking Kagami’s not that great, or gave him a shitty date idea that backfired, that would way too inconsistent with the kind of person Mari is. Offering to third-wheel on his date as moral support was kind of dumb, but she literally had milliseconds to think about what to say after he dropped that bombshell on her.

Wtf was Juleka’s voice just there?

Is Juleka going to offer to set Marinette up on a fake date with Luka, to give her an excuse not to show up at the rink?

(Where are they anyway? This setting doesn’t look familiar at all.)

Never mind, it looks like they’re on Anarka’s ship.

Oh great, it’s Corny McCheeseface

His lines are so cringey, omg

.......Marinette, what are you planning here?

Weird how no one has been akumatized yet. You’d think Adrien would have gotten it this time, since Ladybug rejected him. Or Marinette, since she seemed so down just now. It’s not like people haven’t been akumatized for much less.

Philippe’s English voice is awful

Does either of them even know how to skate? I get the feeling Kagami’s going to have to be the one helping Adrien around.

Yep. Of course, she’s perfect at this too.

So Luka is too busy with music (does this guy even go to school, or did he drop out of Lycee?), Marinette is too busy being Ladybug, Kagami doesn’t take skating seriously even though she’s ~practically perfect~, and...let me guess, Adrien says no because he can’t let his dad know he’s here?

idk Philippe, maybe you should introduce yourself before you shove your lessons in people’s faces? Pretty sure letting people know you’re a famous skater would be a better selling point than “I’LL MAKE YOU A STAR”

Never mind, Kagami answered for him. (To be fair, he was being pushy and obnoxious, so I don’t blame her for brushing him off)

I know Gabriel can sense “negative emotions,” but can he specifically sense “my ice rink is getting shut down because Adrien Agreste won’t sign up for my class” vibes? And if so, wouldn’t Gabriel be able to know where Adrien whenever he’s out, as long as someone sees and recognizes him?

Is Plagg serious here? He KNOWS who Marinette is! Or did this happen before Dark Owl and Sandboy?

“All of Paris will be your ice kingdom”....so he’s Elsa now?

Side note: I already know they get outfit changes for this episode, so...does Marinette keep her magic macarons with her at all times, or is she going to have to run home to get them?

Never mind, they were in her backpack. (Isn’t that dangerous though? What if they fell out of her bag and someone ate them thinking they were regular macarons? Do they affect humans differently?)

Convenient how she saw the ice and immediately thought to transform, even though she probably only has a limited supply of “magicarons” and will have to make a run to Master Fu’s to restock if she uses any up. If she had those magicarons in season 1, would she have been this quick to use them on Stormy Weather/Climatika too?

It’s almost like the writers don’t give a shit

Stalactikki? Do they have to announce her new name every time, like she’s a fucking pokemon?

What’s the thing on the front of her supersuit that looks like her yoyo but isn’t? Why give her a tiara? Other than the fur, is there any part of this outfit change that has any practical purpose?

Convenient how Adrien just happens to have the magic cheese on him. Convenient how Plagg hasn’t eaten them all, too.

Why is he acting like such an asshole now? He seemed happy to ask Kagami out, and he seemed fine at the rink. Why is the writing for this show so inconsistent?

Thomas, you can’t insist on Twitter that Felix got scrapped because his trope has been done to death and Adrien is much better because he’s a perfect gentleman, while at the same time making him act like this out of nowhere in the name of giving him flaws to make him more ~realistic~

Maybe he’s mad at her for constantly replacing him with other Miraculous wielders? That would make more sense, since she’s done it like 4 times now. Plus, it would be more justified than passive-aggressively (passive-Agreste-ively?) whining about how nice guys finish last when he seemed fine just 20 minutes ago.

So...Frozer just shoots icicles out of his hands and feet?

Well, that got resolved fast. Not that Frozer was all that dangerous a villain.

I’m noticing a theme here: Any time the episode tries to fit in more “plot,” the akuma battle loses out because of timing issues. This one is most obvious because the akumatization happened SO LATE in the episode since they were too busy drawing out Love Square drama.

It’s nice of Adrien to advertise Philippe’s class online, but what is his father going to say when he gets home?

New headacanon: Kagami figured out in Riposte that Marinette is Ladybug, but she’s been keeping it from Adrien because she can see those two are hopeless.

Of course nothing changes in the end. Wouldn’t want the writers to hurt themselves trying to keep things consistent when they’re more interested in ripping off fanon after all.

4/10 The villain was lame and the writing sucked

While I despise love triangles, most of my problems with this episode actually stem from the inconsistent characterization. This episode brought us the return of Fuckboy Adrien, as well as the long-promised return of Kagami and Luka. But if Thomas was trying to convince us that Kagami and Luka were going to be deeper characters than just secondary love interests, I don’t think he could have failed more epically. Making Kagami way too cool for Adrien in addition to a secret Adrienette shipper does not make her the more compelling love interest Thomas tried to sell her as. Having Luka be nice to Marinette--who is his friend AND his little sister’s friend--just makes him a decent human being, it doesn’t give him any personality to contrast with Adrien. It just shows that the creators/writers can’t commit to an idea. It’s like “we want to shake things up a little, so let’s bring in homewreckers...but we don’t want people to hate us, so let’s make the twist that they’re secret Adrienette shippers instead!” They chose the safest route that they could chicken out of at the end.

[spiritmediumlaura-blog]

MANIFESTING SUCKS: Why Manifesting Does Not Work and What To Do About It

MANIFESTING SUCKS:  Why Manifesting Does Not Work and What To Do About It. At times you might find it is so easy to manifest (create through intention) something you want.  Indeed in this physical world there are those that are excellent at manifesting. What do they know that you do not know? They know COHERENT INTENTION.  This is a term I first heard from Dawson Church, Ph.D. "Dawson Church, PhD, is an award-winning author whose best-selling book, The Genie in Your Genes has been hailed by reviewers as a breakthrough in our understanding of the link between emotions and genetics."  Taken from https://www.eftuniverse.com/certification/dawson-church-phd. He uses Coherent Intention to describe the way to achieve excellent results manifesting anything. What is COHERENCE INTENTION?  When your mind is in COHERENCE you are in an intuitive brain wave state attuned to the Collective Unconscious. When you are not in this state MANIFESTING SUCKS!  When you ARE in this state setting intention, manifesting, is automatic.  Those that manifest really, really well enter a coherent state as part of their manifesting process. I have been calling this state TRANSCENDENCE.  It is the state where you have left the physical and gone to the supernatural. How to enter Coherence or Transcendence?   One way to instantly get into this state is to manifest things for other people, before you try to manifest for yourself.  The mere act of praying for another places you into the state of Coherence. Ways to enter the TRANSCENDENT or COHERENT STATE to manifest like a champion. Meditation. Art. Dance. Sports. Prayer. Fasting. Singing. Playing or composing music. Daydreaming. Gardening. Cooking. Playing with a child, animal or anyone, actually. Relaxing. Energy healing. Psychic work. Writing. Praying for the greater good. Etc. Why MANIFESTING SUCKS?   It seemed that the biggest obstacle to consistent results in manifesting is in trying too hard, like attempting to will a condition into existence. So now as I use a carefree meditative state to calmly focus on that which I desire, while I walk, results are flowing to me.  As I do this, I keep repeating my desired intention while visualizing signs and symbols for that which I want. Flow in your manifesting and your results will flow to you.  I listen to meditative music, and while I am walking I keep repeating my desired intention while visualizing signs and symbols for that which I want. STEPS 1.  Play some meditative music you like.  Here's one I really love. 2.  Define that which you desire.  Go over it in great detail. 3.  Create a two word phrase for this to use like a mantra during meditation.  Ex. If you want love in your life you might use RICH LOVE. 4.  Start to walk, draw or do something relaxing while repeating the MANIFESTING MANTRA. 5.  Visualize or draw a sign or symbol for your desired intention.  Then visualize or draw the INFINITY sign over it.  I believe the infinity sign is a way to access coherence as it is calling upon Universal Consciousness. VISUALIZATION.  Using visualization during your meditative manifesting session helps create COHERENCE in that the right brain works in pictures.  So when you visualize a simply symbol for that which you desire, you are calling into mind your right brain to aid in the state of creative intention.

Why Manifesting Does Not Work

CHANNELING ON HOW TO BECOME A MANIFESTING MAVEN.

Dear Spirit Guides, do you have any advice on how to become a great creator of intention?

It is not easy to create your thoughts while still on the earth plane, but suffice it to say, it is VERY possible to begin using your mind to create at will. This is called desired manifesting or setting creative intent.  We in the spirit world know how to create at will. It is so easy and automatic for us. However, those on earth has the illusion of being separate from that which you desire. You believe this illusion. Pay attention.  IT IS AN ILLUSION. Everything you want is available to you.  All you need to do is call upon it.  There is nothing separate, there is no lack and there is no manifesting! Yes, there is no manifesting.  Things already are. When you are manifesting or what you think is manifesting you actually are calling upon The One, the ultimate creative entity called God, and asking for delivery of that which already exists. So the next time you begin to manifest something remember it already exists.  All you are doing is calling it forth. This idea will help you see from our perspective how easy it is to create that which you desire.  You are not creating it yourself.  You are calling it forth from the one Creator who can deliver. God has no boundaries, limits or difficulties.  It is this power that you are calling upon to do the deed for you. If you can think of it this way, you will begin to see how potent this power is within you. It is ASK and RECEIVE. Namaste, The Ones. To book your private appointment with Spirit Medium Laura go to BookLaura.com. FURTHER READING. If you would like further information on creating from Dr. Dawson here is a link to his famous, wonderful book, "Mind to Matter."  It will explain how to become a manifesting maven! Read the full article

[itsraraamedeo-blog]

"Stop and take two steps back"- easier said than done

I can’t for some reason shake the fact that I can’t stop “living in the past” in my mind. I go on a walk to clear my head and for some reason there’s been countless minutes and steps walking thinking about all the things that I could’ve done or should have done and then think about my life now, in the present and how it would’ve been if I would’ve taken a different path and then I think “Ok, all right stop, you can’t think that way because it didn’t happen, why the fuck are you wasting all this fucking time thinking about the way your life could’ve been if you, maybe, on the off chance you would’ve taken a different route rather than trying to figure out what road you’re going to turn onto next!” Yes that quite literally is what I said to myself but really thinking about our next turn is really quite difficult to think about because it’s actually MUCH easier to let your mind wander and daydream about all the “cool” things you could’ve done :maybe you’d be famous,maybe people would like you more, maybe you’d have more friends, maybe you’d have a cooler place to live in, more money in your bank account but then you need to just fucken STOP, take two steps back and breathe cause that was a butt load of thoughts all at once and shit man, you’re mind must be ready to explode. Stop and think, what the fuck does that all matter? Think of what you’ve got right now, seriously, think about it because I promise it’s more than you really thought. I bet you’re saying “I’ve got a dozen really good people around me that actually care about me, I have a roof over my head and it’s pretty fucking dope too, I have a car, have a dog who loves me no matter what fucked up thing I end up being, also I bet you’re like me saying I have a really good job and when I mean really good I mean fucking hit the jackpot with that one and was graced with a boss that lets me have my fun too and go on the adventures that allow me to be the free being I want to be, hell I mean the free person I AM. But, the question still remains: "why am I still not satisfied?” I am pretty sure that’s the question that we all ask ourselves, “why are we still not satisfied and is it selfish to want more?” Some may think it’s kind of childish or maybe even that’s one of the other million thoughts in your head right now. It’s like that kid who has 40 gifts that always asks how many more presents she has rather than being satisfied with the ones she has in front of her. (Yeah I used she rather than he, whys it always gotta be a dude?) Yeah yeah and some people might think oh my god get the fuck over it you’re just being a whiny millennial who is just lazy and wants things placed in front of them without putting in the work. Ya, well guess what I don’t care and I’m proud because my generation is pretty fucking dope. Were are pretty progressive and making life better for those marginalized groups that deserve better and we love you no matter who you love or what gender you are. All right, so there’s that point that had to be made but anyway back to the main point, if there is one here. It doesn’t matter!!! Anyone can be sad, mental health is a real serious thing and it’s ok to admit your current mental health status. Words to remember: it’s OK to not always be OK. Ok off that side track.. anddd now I think I’m back on track. I kind of think it’s a good thing to want more and good to never really be completely satisfied with your life because you’re thinking “maybe I know I can get more out of my life, I’m going to do more with my life, maybe I’ll change peoples lives maybe I’ll just change mine and make it even better than it already is cause that’s the point, it ALREADY IS! I need to realize that but why is it so goddamn difficult? Why can’t I sit here and say I have XY and Z, which is a lot of fucking things that a lot of people don’t have, also I’ve traveled to countries that people can only imagine or see online or in the history books (do they still have those?) I’ve seen things people could only imagine, I mean for fucks sake I touched a crocodile and fed monkeys bananas in the jungle in West Africa and celebrated my 22nd birthday in Ghana when I was in college I mean really, who does that? Look at everybody else in life, all those extremely successful people that you know regardless of who they are, if they are an actor, athlete, digital content creator, a politician, author, friend or family member anybody you can think of, they didn’t just stop and settle once they made it, because if they did they wouldn’t be relevant to us anymore they wouldn’t continually be making strides and successes. They knew that there was so much more to life, they weren’t gonna let these little things get to them, they didn’t just stop and say "ok, this is it, I’m done” Now, I get it, it’s easier said than done I can’t even wrap my head around it myself and i’m the one who is fucking writing this. I’m writing it for me and everyone to see that it’s fucking hard, it’s hard to clear your head, it’s hard to be OK with not being OK, it’s hard to not be happy all the time, it’s hard to wonder what the fuck you’re going to do with your life, but the coolest thing is, wait for it…(cue Barney Stinson) no one has it figured out, not one single person and if they look like they do, they are either kidding themselves or just really good at make believe. Yep, this might just be a venting sesh but it’s my little rant or whatever you want to call it to help me try to cope with the fact that it’s OK to not be fully satisfied. And if there are people in your life who say otherwise, don’t listen to them, ignore them when they tell you you’re good! settle and take what you got and just stick with it and don’t make any changes or don’t add anything to your life or don’t take anything away! And why you ask? Because you know who those people are? THOSE are the boring people and you are not boring. Don’t settle, keep moving, you’re never too old to take what’s yours and mold your life into what you want it to be.

[aion-rsa]

25 Best RPGs Ever Made

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It’s almost cruel to talk about the best RPGs ever made. Not only is it the kind of topic that inspires especially heated debates, but even a shortlist of the greatest RPGs ever may leave you desperately trying to find the time to somehow play them all.

Then again, the thing that separates the best RPGs from the rest is that they never really make you feel like you’re in a rush to “beat” them or move on to the next thing. They grab you by the hand and take you on a journey defined by character building, storytelling, world design, and, most importantly, the very convincing idea that you are no longer simply yourself but rather have the chance to truly become the kind of legendary figure you used to only be able to daydream about.

Whether they’re JRPGs, CRPGs, Tactical RPGs, or ARPGs, the best RPGs ever made are united by their ability to ease the escape from your burdens, your worries, and your world by taking you on an adventure the likes of which you simply won’t find in any other game.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

25. Disco Elysium

It may be the newest game on this list, but in less than two years, Disco Elysium has changed the way some of the industry’s best creators approach the art of video game writing and RPG design. 

Though it lacks a proper combat system, this hard-boiled detective adventure is never lacking in intensity. With its fascinating moral dilemmas and incredible writing, Disco Elysium raised the bar in terms of challenging us to define who we are in its intoxicating world. If that isn’t role-playing, what is?

24. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Tactical RPGs don’t always get the love some of their genre cohorts enjoy, but it’s nearly impossible to not respect everything that Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance does so well.

Fire Emblem’s “rock, paper, scissors” style combat shines brighter than ever in this 2005 GameCube classic, but it’s the way this RPG’s incredible plot highlights the thrills of Fire Emblem’s high-risk permadeath system that puts it over the top. This is a simply brilliant blend of tactics and raw emotion that few games in this genre have come close to besting.

23. Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar

There’s a healthy debate to be had about the best Ultima game ever, but Ultima 4 gets the nod here by virtue of this sequel’s sheer audacity.

Free of nearly every overused role-playing trope, Ultima 4 tasks you with finding yourself in an age of enlightenment rather than battling some great evil during a dark time. Ultima 4 deserves more credit than it typically receives for its plot that focuses on internal struggles in a time of peace, but it’s this game’s Virtues system, unusual character-building mechanics, and truly open nature that make it special to this day.

22. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines

Look, Vampire: The Masquerade was a tragically broken game upon its release and is only really playable today thanks to fan updates. However, so many of Masquerade’s problems can be attributed to its incredible ambition.

Some of the best tabletop-style RPG mechanics ever perfectly complement a truly unique RPG world where vampire clans battle for control of an extensive underground society. At its best, Vampire: The Masquerade is even better than that premise makes it sound.

21. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey Of The Cursed King

Ranking the Dragon Quest games is a tall enough task in and of itself, but there’s something to be said for how Dragon Quest 8 so perfectly captures most of the things that make this series great while adding a few necessary improvements.

Here’s a Dragon Quest game that offers a 100 hour+ journey packed with the incredible settings and memorable characters this series is known for that still manages to make the whole thing just accessible enough to encourage even the timid to participate in a truly epic adventure.

20. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

What is there left to say about KOTOR? After all, you probably know about its all-time great Star Wars story, its memorable morality system, and certainly its incredible twist.

Instead, let’s focus on how BioWare managed to break down the wall that divided PC and console RPGs by releasing one of the most well-crafted, best-written, and surprisingly deep PC-style RPGs ever exclusively for a console. It’s as if millions of gamers cried out in joy at the collective realization that it suddenly felt like anything was possible no matter what platform you owned.

19. Secret of Mana

It’s really a testament to the quality of the SNES’ JRPG library that Secret of Mana isn’t even the first SquareSoft RPG that people usually think of when they think of that console.

Still, Secret of Mana is something close to a video game design miracle. Few other games have come this close to packing this much depth and heart into such a substantial RPG experience that never feels like a slog and even allows you to play with a friend. This is one of the most entertaining RPGs ever made.

18. Earthbound

For years, Earthbound fans had to beg and plead for gamers to go out of their way to give this initially overlooked RPG the chance it deserved. I even spent quite a few years preaching that same gospel.

Now, though, many gamers know that Earthbound is one of the weirdest, most creative, and most surprisingly emotional JRPGs ever made. From its bizarre story to its soundtrack that refuses to stick to a genre for more than a song, Earthbound is a truly unique creative vision the likes of which many weren’t prepared for at that time and likely won’t see again.

17. Vagrant Story

Vagrant Story is another one of those games that were initially overlooked by many of the people who may have enjoyed it most. Even positive reviews said that Vagrant Story was too complicated, too dry, and maybe too much of an investment.

Years later, some of those criticisms remain, but they’re often quickly drowned out by praise for Vagrant Story’s unique take on the dungeon crawler genre and the ways that it juggled a pleasantly deep combat system with a dark, subtle, and mature narrative. There’s a world in which Vagrant Story achieved Dark Souls levels of fame, but it’s still rightfully remembered as one of the best dungeon crawlers ever. 

16. Persona 5

There are very few misses in the Persona franchise, but Persona 5’s story and style arguably elevate it over the other Persona titles that could have easily appeared on this list.

Alright, if I’m being very honest, Persona 5 gets the nod here for its style alone. This title’s design team took no piece of on-screen real estate for granted and managed to turn even the most mundane piece of UI into art. The worst part about this game is spending almost 100 hours with your jaw on the floor. 

15. Final Fantasy 9

You’ll soon discover that Final Fantasy 9 essentially “beat” Final Fantasy 7 for a spot on this list. They’re obviously both great games, but there are just so many little things that separate Final Fantasy 9 from the series’ revolutionary 7th (numbered) installment.

Final Fantasy 9’s characters, story, world, and music are simply among the best in franchise history. While it certainly doesn’t hurt that Final Fantasy 9 returned to a wonderful medieval setting, this incredible swan song for the original PlayStation ultimately gets the nod for the ways that it so perfectly utilizes and improves on so many of the things the FF franchise does so well. 

14. Deus Ex

Deus Ex may owe a lot to the System Shock series, but when it comes to executing the ambitious concept of a narrative-driven first-person RPG series that emphasizes environmental storytelling and character building, the original Deus Ex arguably stands alone. 

While Deus Ex’ bionic implant system and the way it offered multiple solutions to almost every situation are just brilliant bits of roleplay excellence, the game is arguably best remembered for its conspiracy theory narrative and how it sent you across the globe in search of something close to the truth.

13. Suikoden 2

While many RPGs (including an especially famous one we’ll be talking about in a bit) are built around assembling a party, few do it better than Suikoden 2 and its cast of 108 “collectible” characters with unique personalities, abilities, and stories. 

That large cast of character is understandably the game’s highlight feature, but what’s easy to forget about Suikoden 2 is how its incredible political storyline, castle building minigame, and surprisingly enjoyable combat system so easily ensnare you even if you aren’t especially interested in finding every available party member.

12. Planescape: Torment

For years, I’ve heard Planescape Torment fans argue that it features the best story in RPG history. Well, you know what? They…might actually be right.

Planescape: Torment’s story of the “Nameless One” quickly evolved into a philosophical meditation on the nature of existence that never feels as pretentious as that description may make it sound. This masterpiece expertly forces you to confront the implications and impact of every decision you make in a way that feels pleasantly organic. This is a nearly unrivaled example of choice-driven storytelling.

11. Baldur’s Gate 2

There’s a strong case to be made that Baldur’s Gate 2 is the best “pure” D&D style RPG ever, but what’s really so impressive about this title is how it translated D&D’s most complicated concepts to a digital medium so easily that you’ll likely find yourself wondering why other games haven’t been able to pull that feat off with such apparent ease.

Of course, there’s nothing easy about Baldur’s Gate 2‘s design. Its choice and consequence-based storytelling and stunningly deep character-building systems have often been replicated, but it’s hard to top one of the best RPG developers ever working at the top of their game.

Read more

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10. Dark Souls

It’s always a little controversial to label Dark Souls as an RPG, but the two things that this game does better than most in terms of classic RPG genre conventions are class distinction and character building. 

To survive in the world of Dark Souls, you have to understand your character and your own abilities in a way that goes beyond knowing which button to hit. The bond you form with your character by the time that you finish Dark Souls is something that the best RPGs strive for but rarely achieve. You truly feel like you have become your in-game persona and belong in this game’s wonderful yet horrifying world.

9. Pokémon Red and Blue

In case you’re wondering, this spot nearly went to Pokémon Gold and Silver based on quality alone. Ultimately, though, the cultural impact of Red and Blue was too great to ignore.

There’s a very good chance Pokémon was the first RPG that many people lost themselves in, which is all the more impressive when you consider that it’s a shockingly deep RPG in its own right rather than a simple “introduction” to the genre. Adventures are supposed to feel magical rather than cumbersome, and few RPG adventures are as consistently magical as this one. 

8. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind

Look, I know Skyrim is the blockbuster best-seller, and I’ve even argued that Oblivion is the best Elder Scrolls game ever, but much like Pokemon Red and Blue, it’s hard to argue against the impact of Morrowind and how it forever changed our expectations for the scope of an RPG. 

Morrowind‘s status as one of the first modern open-world RPGs (at least based on how we use usually that term today) is impressive enough, but what’s so shocking about this game is that few RPGs that followed in its footsteps have come close to topping Morrowind‘s visual creativity and lore. It’s so easy to forgive so many of the ways that Morrowind hasn’t aged especially well once you’ve fallen down the shockingly deep rabbit hole of its character-building possibilities and world-building.

7. Fallout: New Vegas

The debate over the best Fallout game will go on, but for the moment, let’s put down our swords and talk about all of the things that make Fallout: New Vegas so unbelievably brilliant.

Rarely have we ever seen an “open-world” RPG that puts this much attention into its side quests, out-of-the-way locales, and minor characters. Most open-world games try to sell you on the idea that you can go anywhere and do anything, but Fallout: New Vegas is one of the few that will encourage even the most focused gamers to see it all. More importantly, it manages to offer a variety of potential paths forward that only reveal themselves based on how you navigate its complex web of choices. It’s the kind of game that makes you want to stand up and take a bow.

6. Mass Effect 2

There are some who will say that Mass Effect’s core promise of a galaxy that’s fate will be impacted by most of your choices was always too ambitious. There are others who will argue, “It wasn’t. Just look at Mass Effect 2.”

Mass Effect 2 is arguably the closest BioWare came to realizing their most ambitious design ideas. Despite working with (often against) a scope that would make most studios weep in the corner, BioWare packed this sequel with a legion of memorable characters with their own complicated arcs that slowly reveal themselves as you brazenly explore a galaxy that feels ready to open up or crumble at your feet at any time. Mass Effect 2 does all of that and still manages to be a blast to play throughout.

5. The Witcher 3

The first two Witcher games are incredible, but if you find that most people don’t seem to be able to put The Witcher 3’s impact into words, that’s probably because even the first two games couldn’t quite prepare them for this masterpiece.

The Witcher 3 has side stories that would be worthy of campaigns in lesser games. I honestly still can’t quite explain how this game remains so fresh and exciting even after dozens of hours of play. Many of us grew up dreaming of being thrown in an elaborate medieval fantasy world where we truly felt like the hero that could shape the fortunes of all, and The Witcher 3 might just be the ultimate piece of sword and sorcery fantasy wish fulfillment.

4. Final Fantasy 6

Look, I could sit here all day and talk about the virtues of Final Fantasy 6 or even how its best moments are still capable of reducing gamers to tears. I could tell you about the heroes, the villains, the plot beats, and all the other things that make this game the classic that few will debate that it is.

Instead, I want to talk about how Final Fantasy 6 changed how so many of us look at gaming. This title’s prestigious nature was so prominent that it almost feels like developer Squaresoft traveled into the future and brought something back with them. This was the kind of game you begged people to play and it was the kind of game that made you pledge your allegiance to the very concept of gaming. 

3. Diablo 2

In an earlier article, I talked about how Diablo turned RPGs into an addiction. Somehow, that brilliant game managed to retain all the deep qualities of the greatest D&D adventures and wrap them around a simplified combat system that had many of us playing until the wee hours of the morning completely unaware of what was happening in our own world.

Well, Diablo 2 did all of that and made the whole thing so much better that you rarely even hear people talk about the original Diablo anymore. If the highlight of an RPG is that moment when you so completely lose yourself in its world that the troubles of your own existence leave your mind, Diablo 2 arguably reaches that point faster than almost any other RPG ever made.

2. World of Warcraft

I often wonder how I would explain to a child of the ‘80s or early ‘90s that a game like WoW exists. I suppose I’d just say “See, there’s this persistent world filled with wonders that you and your friends can spend thousands of hours exploring as you work together to defeat overwhelming threats and write your own adventures.” They’d probably understand the appeal of that idea but may not be able to comprehend how such a thing could be possible.

WoW may require one hell of a commitment to get the most out of it, and the game has had some ups and downs over the years, but the fact of the matter is that there is really no other RPG that can offer what the best moments in WoW history have to offer. It’s a truly magical experience that you’ll willingly sacrifice your free time to for the simple fact that it offers experiences you could only previously dream of. 

1. Chrono Trigger

Maybe this is an oddly appropriate statement for a game about time travel, but I’m fairly certain that Chrono Trigger will forever remain a timeless masterpiece. 

Chrono Trigger is an almost flawless game that not only combines so many of the things that we love about RPGs but arguably perfects them. Assembled by a dream team of some of the best JRPG creators ever, Chrono Trigger makes even the most seemingly mundane elements of its adventure feel absolutely joyful. When this game wants to go big, though, it does it in a way that few other games could ever dream of topping. Here’s a game with over 10 endings and a multi-layered time travel plot that moves with the effortless pace of a game of Tetris. 

Chrono Trigger is simply one of the best examples of curated RPG design that has ever or will ever be crafted. 

The post 25 Best RPGs Ever Made appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[befoundonlinemarketing]

Be Like Honest Abe: How Content Marketers Can Build Trust Through Storytelling

Pardon me for telling the same old story once again ... Storytelling is a fundamental staple of content marketing. This isn’t news. It has become a central talking point throughout the business world, and one we’ve discussed quite frequently here on the TopRank Marketing Blog. Compelling narrative is impactful for fairly obvious reasons: it captivates a reader, keeps them engaged, and tends to leave a lasting impression. The psychological power of storytelling has endured from ancient times, and outweighs any new technology or tactic that comes along. But one of the less-discussed benefits of storytelling might be among the most important in today’s context: it builds trust with your customers and prospects. Today, we’ll examine how this dynamic works and why every marketer should be on board.

Storytelling Was Abraham Lincoln’s Greatest Strength

“Four score and seven years ago…” With these six words, Abraham Lincoln launched the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches in American history. He set up a persuasive argument in favor of human equality by calling to mind the nation’s origins, and the principles that formed its foundation. Last year at Quartz, Dacher Keltner wrote about how good leaders tell stories that make people trust them with power, citing Lincoln as a prime example. Keltner suggested that the 16th president’s “ability to shape moving narratives about the Civil War and the organizing principles of the United States was … crucial to navigating the fractious politics of his presidency.” Modern marketers are not tasked with bridging a divided country, but we do face an uphill battle in this crowded, fractured digital setting. And with trust toward media, organizations and institutions diminishing, stories present an underrated vehicle for fostering connections and establishing credibility.    Lisa Saffran, who teaches Storytelling in Public Health at the University of Missouri, explains that storytelling injects an element of humanity, which might be particularly helpful for B2B companies:

“Human beings are primed to tell stories but also to listen for the person behind a story being told. Storytelling, whether it’s reporting the news or writing a memoir, involves the active selection and ordering of some information and the omission of other information. Principles of selection inform what questions we ask and which answers we might receive. This directing, ordering and selecting reflects a human consciousness at work, a person with beliefs, assumptions and suspicions.”

Everywhere you look, the tactic is becoming more ingrained. [bctt tweet="With trust toward media, organizations and institutions diminishing, stories present an underrated vehicle for fostering connections and establishing credibility. - NickNelsonMN #ContentMarketing #Storytelling" username="toprank"]

Stories Are Growing More Ubiquitous

Every content creator should consider themself a storyteller. When we write, we are invariably sharing a story: about our solution, about our customers, about the pains we can help solve. And the integration of narrative is extending beyond marketing copy. Sales professionals are incorporating stories into their presentations and pitches. Companies use stories to attract quality talent. The video marketing movement is largely driven by storytelling and its innate resonance, reflected by the rapid growth of ‘Stories’ on social media platforms. When people hear or see stories, their brains light up in different ways, tapping both the rational and emotional areas. Tying multiple pieces of information together in a coherent, chronological, and — above all — relatable way makes the message far more affecting. The content suddenly becomes experiential instead of merely educational. It’s also what an audience craves. As Rachel Gillett wrote for Fast Company:

“Our brains are insanely greedy for stories. We spend about a third of our lives daydreaming–our minds are constantly looking for distractions — and the only time we stop flitting from daydream to daydream is when we have a good story in front of us.”

We can satiate this appetite by putting a good story in front of the people we want to reach. But it’s not that simple. When it comes to building influence through storytelling, there are a few considerations worth keeping front-and-center. [bctt tweet="Tying multiple pieces of info together in a coherent, chronological, & relatable way makes the message far more affecting. The content suddenly becomes experiential instead of merely educational. - @NickNelsonMN #ContentMarketing #Storytelling" username="toprank"]

How to Maximize Storytelling as a Trust-Building Tool

Stories serve many purposes in marketing. In our current environment, building trust may be the most vital among them. If this is the goal, make sure you adhere to these imperatives.

#1 - Be Genuine, Authentic, and Transparent

Lincoln didn’t gain the nickname “Honest Abe” for nothing. Despite his physique, the gangly 6-foot-4 politician didn’t have a reputation for spinning tall tales (at least not in misleading ways). Storytelling backfires when it strikes people as false or disingenuous. Share real anecdotes and back them with third-party evidence or quotes. Telling hard truths, even if it means acknowledging a shortcoming in your business, can be tremendously beneficial in the long run. Even more than being true to the facts, you must be true to yourself, and your brand. In his book, All Marketers are Liars, Seth Godin lays this out this first tenet of telling a great story:

“A great story is true. Not true because it’s factual, but because it’s consistent and authentic. Consumers are too good at sniffing out inconsistencies for a marketer to get away with a story that’s just slapped on.”

[bctt tweet="A great story is true. Not true because it’s factual, but because it’s consistent and authentic. - @ThisIsSethsBlog #ContentMarketing #Storytelling " username="toprank"]

#2 - Make It Meaningful to Your Audience

You know who you’re trying to reach. Hopefully you know a fair amount about them and their circumstances. When crafting a story, you must ask yourself if there’s a relevant hook that will make it applicable for them personally. As Ashley Zeckman has written here in the past: “Your customers should be able to see themselves in the story that you are telling through content.” This dynamic makes case studies, customer testimonials, and content featuring industry thought leaders and influencers — featuring first-person perspectives from businesses very similar to the ones you target as prospects — tremendously powerful. But even beyond that, it’s crucial to outline situations, scenarios, and challenges that your audience can relate to. Empathy is essential to gaining trust. [bctt tweet="Your customers should be able to see themselves in the story that you are telling through content. - @azeckman #ContentMarketing #Storytelling" username="toprank"]

#3 - Implement Recurring Themes

As you can tell from the opening sentence of this post, and many of the links scattered throughout, this is not the first time we’ve discussed storytelling on this blog. But we only continue to focus on it because of its critical importance in content marketing today. And hopefully this ongoing emphasis helps crystallize this significance. There’s an actual psychological phenomenon behind this: our brains give preference to the familiar. Once a seed or idea has been planted through effective and memorable narrative, people are more likely to notice and internalize it going forward. In other words, telling the “same old story” isn’t such a bad thing, so long as you can find new angles and dimensions to explore. A robust, ongoing, expanding narrative has the capability to continually reinforce trust and confidence. [bctt tweet="Telling the “same old story” isn’t such a bad thing, so long as you can find new angles and dimensions to explore. - NickNelsonMN #ContentMarketing #Storytelling" username="toprank"]

What’s Your Story?

via GIPHY As you contemplate your brand narrative and how you’ll present it going forward, I encourage you to keep these three cornerstones in mind: authenticity, relevance, and familiarity. When storytelling incorporates all three elements successfully, it can build trust in ways unparalleled by other methods. Storytelling can not only build trust, but also influence with your audience. Check out our post Cracking the Code: 3 Steps to Building Influence with Content Marketing for actionable tips and insights. At TopRank Marketing, storytelling is a core component of our content marketing approach. Give us a shout if you’d like to hear the whole story.

The post Be Like Honest Abe: How Content Marketers Can Build Trust Through Storytelling appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Be Like Honest Abe: How Content Marketers Can Build Trust Through Storytelling posted first on http://www.toprankblog.com/

[christopheruearle]

Be Like Honest Abe: How Content Marketers Can Build Trust Through Storytelling

Pardon me for telling the same old story once again ... Storytelling is a fundamental staple of content marketing. This isn’t news. It has become a central talking point throughout the business world, and one we’ve discussed quite frequently here on the TopRank Marketing Blog. Compelling narrative is impactful for fairly obvious reasons: it captivates a reader, keeps them engaged, and tends to leave a lasting impression. The psychological power of storytelling has endured from ancient times, and outweighs any new technology or tactic that comes along. But one of the less-discussed benefits of storytelling might be among the most important in today’s context: it builds trust with your customers and prospects. Today, we’ll examine how this dynamic works and why every marketer should be on board.

Storytelling Was Abraham Lincoln’s Greatest Strength

“Four score and seven years ago…” With these six words, Abraham Lincoln launched the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches in American history. He set up a persuasive argument in favor of human equality by calling to mind the nation’s origins, and the principles that formed its foundation. Last year at Quartz, Dacher Keltner wrote about how good leaders tell stories that make people trust them with power, citing Lincoln as a prime example. Keltner suggested that the 16th president’s “ability to shape moving narratives about the Civil War and the organizing principles of the United States was … crucial to navigating the fractious politics of his presidency.” Modern marketers are not tasked with bridging a divided country, but we do face an uphill battle in this crowded, fractured digital setting. And with trust toward media, organizations and institutions diminishing, stories present an underrated vehicle for fostering connections and establishing credibility.    Lisa Saffran, who teaches Storytelling in Public Health at the University of Missouri, explains that storytelling injects an element of humanity, which might be particularly helpful for B2B companies:

“Human beings are primed to tell stories but also to listen for the person behind a story being told. Storytelling, whether it’s reporting the news or writing a memoir, involves the active selection and ordering of some information and the omission of other information. Principles of selection inform what questions we ask and which answers we might receive. This directing, ordering and selecting reflects a human consciousness at work, a person with beliefs, assumptions and suspicions.”

Everywhere you look, the tactic is becoming more ingrained. [bctt tweet="With trust toward media, organizations and institutions diminishing, stories present an underrated vehicle for fostering connections and establishing credibility. - NickNelsonMN #ContentMarketing #Storytelling" username="toprank"]

Stories Are Growing More Ubiquitous

Every content creator should consider themself a storyteller. When we write, we are invariably sharing a story: about our solution, about our customers, about the pains we can help solve. And the integration of narrative is extending beyond marketing copy. Sales professionals are incorporating stories into their presentations and pitches. Companies use stories to attract quality talent. The video marketing movement is largely driven by storytelling and its innate resonance, reflected by the rapid growth of ‘Stories’ on social media platforms. When people hear or see stories, their brains light up in different ways, tapping both the rational and emotional areas. Tying multiple pieces of information together in a coherent, chronological, and — above all — relatable way makes the message far more affecting. The content suddenly becomes experiential instead of merely educational. It’s also what an audience craves. As Rachel Gillett wrote for Fast Company:

“Our brains are insanely greedy for stories. We spend about a third of our lives daydreaming–our minds are constantly looking for distractions — and the only time we stop flitting from daydream to daydream is when we have a good story in front of us.”

We can satiate this appetite by putting a good story in front of the people we want to reach. But it’s not that simple. When it comes to building influence through storytelling, there are a few considerations worth keeping front-and-center. [bctt tweet="Tying multiple pieces of info together in a coherent, chronological, & relatable way makes the message far more affecting. The content suddenly becomes experiential instead of merely educational. - @NickNelsonMN #ContentMarketing #Storytelling" username="toprank"]

How to Maximize Storytelling as a Trust-Building Tool

Stories serve many purposes in marketing. In our current environment, building trust may be the most vital among them. If this is the goal, make sure you adhere to these imperatives.

#1 - Be Genuine, Authentic, and Transparent

Lincoln didn’t gain the nickname “Honest Abe” for nothing. Despite his physique, the gangly 6-foot-4 politician didn’t have a reputation for spinning tall tales (at least not in misleading ways). Storytelling backfires when it strikes people as false or disingenuous. Share real anecdotes and back them with third-party evidence or quotes. Telling hard truths, even if it means acknowledging a shortcoming in your business, can be tremendously beneficial in the long run. Even more than being true to the facts, you must be true to yourself, and your brand. In his book, All Marketers are Liars, Seth Godin lays this out this first tenet of telling a great story:

“A great story is true. Not true because it’s factual, but because it’s consistent and authentic. Consumers are too good at sniffing out inconsistencies for a marketer to get away with a story that’s just slapped on.”

[bctt tweet="A great story is true. Not true because it’s factual, but because it’s consistent and authentic. - @ThisIsSethsBlog #ContentMarketing #Storytelling " username="toprank"]

#2 - Make It Meaningful to Your Audience

You know who you’re trying to reach. Hopefully you know a fair amount about them and their circumstances. When crafting a story, you must ask yourself if there’s a relevant hook that will make it applicable for them personally. As Ashley Zeckman has written here in the past: “Your customers should be able to see themselves in the story that you are telling through content.” This dynamic makes case studies, customer testimonials, and content featuring industry thought leaders and influencers — featuring first-person perspectives from businesses very similar to the ones you target as prospects — tremendously powerful. But even beyond that, it’s crucial to outline situations, scenarios, and challenges that your audience can relate to. Empathy is essential to gaining trust. [bctt tweet="Your customers should be able to see themselves in the story that you are telling through content. - @azeckman #ContentMarketing #Storytelling" username="toprank"]

#3 - Implement Recurring Themes

As you can tell from the opening sentence of this post, and many of the links scattered throughout, this is not the first time we’ve discussed storytelling on this blog. But we only continue to focus on it because of its critical importance in content marketing today. And hopefully this ongoing emphasis helps crystallize this significance. There’s an actual psychological phenomenon behind this: our brains give preference to the familiar. Once a seed or idea has been planted through effective and memorable narrative, people are more likely to notice and internalize it going forward. In other words, telling the “same old story” isn’t such a bad thing, so long as you can find new angles and dimensions to explore. A robust, ongoing, expanding narrative has the capability to continually reinforce trust and confidence. [bctt tweet="Telling the “same old story” isn’t such a bad thing, so long as you can find new angles and dimensions to explore. - NickNelsonMN #ContentMarketing #Storytelling" username="toprank"]

What’s Your Story?

via GIPHY As you contemplate your brand narrative and how you’ll present it going forward, I encourage you to keep these three cornerstones in mind: authenticity, relevance, and familiarity. When storytelling incorporates all three elements successfully, it can build trust in ways unparalleled by other methods. Storytelling can not only build trust, but also influence with your audience. Check out our post Cracking the Code: 3 Steps to Building Influence with Content Marketing for actionable tips and insights. At TopRank Marketing, storytelling is a core component of our content marketing approach. Give us a shout if you’d like to hear the whole story.

The post Be Like Honest Abe: How Content Marketers Can Build Trust Through Storytelling appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

[reesesxpieces]

Task #1

THE BASICS:

What is your character’s full name?: 

Theresa Renee Raven

The name “Theresa” is a feminine named used by the English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish.History: From the Spanish and Portuguese name Teresa. It was first recorded as Therasia, being borne by the Spanish wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola in the 4th century. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek θερος (theros) “summer”, from Greek θεριζω (therizo) “to harvest”, or from the name of the Greek island of Therasia (the western island of Santorini).The name was mainly confined to Spain and Portugal during the Middle Ages. After the 16th century it was spread to other parts of the Christian world, due to the fame of the Spanish nun and reformer Saint Teresa of Ávila. Another famous bearer was the Austrian Habsburg queen Maria Theresa (1717-1780), who inherited the domains of her father, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, beginning the War of the Austrian Succession. {source: http://www.behindthename.com/name/theresa } 

Does your characters have any nicknames?: 

Reese

Theresa is often called “Reese” which she does not mind, and actually prefers. 

What is the title or label you can describe your character with?: 

A mixture of:

The Caregiver

The Creator

The Jester

{Source: http://www.soulcraft.co/essays/the_12_common_archetypes.html }

Age:

30

Birth date:

August 9, 1986

Nationality: 

Theresa is not a London Native.

She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Origin: 

Theresa’s father was born in Houston, Texas, USA. His nationality is German.

Theresa’s mother was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. She’s a mix of:  English, Irish, Italian, and a hint of Cherokee Indian. 

Gender: 

Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexual Orientation:

Heterosexual

Relationship Status:

In a relationship with Charles “Chip” Holmes as of May 2017.

Religion: 

Christian (Non denominational) Her father was Methodist, and her mother Catholic, but neither of them forced religion in the household. Growing up, Reese was encouraged to go to church and find God. She went to a non-denominational church, and considers herself to be a Christian, though she doesn’t believe that you have to be a church-goer to be close to God.

Occupation:  

Owner/Operator of Behind the Mask Community Theatre

This was nor her first choice. 

She knew she had always wanted a career in performing arts, but needed something to fall back on, so she double majored and completed degrees in both Theater Arts and Business.

In the states, she was an Administrative Professional, and would often get told that she was downsizing her talents and should look into bigger and better things than sitting behind a desk day in and day out at a job she wasn’t too thrilled about. After a lot of soul searching and a family trip to London, she fell upon a run down building that was up for sale, and instantly had a vision for what she wanted to turn it into. Throwing every ounce of faith she had into it, she created the theatre, dedicated it to her father whom encouraged her to perform in order to find her own voice, and hopes that it can be a safe haven for the community to express themselves through the performing arts.

PHYSICAL TRAITS:

Eye color:

Blue

Hair color:

Reese is a natural brunette, but from time to time, she’ll go to the salon and get highlights in her hair, or have it professionally lightened.

Height:

5 ft 2 in or 157 cm 

Body build: 

Slender

Notable physical traits:

Less than average women’s height

Left-handed

Skin color:

Depends on the time of year. 

Summer/Spring: Tanned

Fall/Winter: Pale

Facial Hair:

Blood type:

O

Clothing size: 

Small

Shoe size: 

Seven

HEALTH AND IMAGE:

Diet: 

Theresa will just about eat anything you put in front of her, and it’s very rare that she turns down an offer for food.

Fitness: 

Theresa tries to work out as much as she can. 

Currently she is on a plan where she does strength training Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

She loves lifting weights and using weight machines, but despises traditional cardio and will often use the term “cardio is hardio.”

Handicaps: 

No known handicaps

Allergies:

Seasonal

Pollen

Dust

Illnesses: 

No known illnesses

Disorders: 

No known disorders/addictions

Broken bones: 

Broke her wrist in three places when she was nine years old as a result of falling off of her bike when her brakes gave out. 

Broke her pinky finger on her right hand after falling off a raft while water tubing.

Piercings:

Ears

Tattoos:

None. But she has thought about getting some.

Scars:

No major scars. She is accident prone though so she may get small scars from time to time, that will heal quickly and disappear.

Favorite Perfume / Cologne: 

She doesn’t have a favorite perfume or cologne, but she does wash her hair with strawberry scented shampoo and conditioner, and along with applying deodorant, she also sprays her body with vanilla body spray after her showers 

CHARACTER:

Skills: 

Theresa is somewhat a jack of all trades as far as skills goes. She loves to learn new things and still strives to learn something new to this day. Throughout life she has learned the following:

Singing

Dancing

Piano

Drums

Acting/Drama/Musical Theater

Web Design/Coding

Body flexibility

Just to name a few!

Quirks: 

Affectionate

Tries to find the silver lining in every situation.

Tries to save the world and give advice for all of her friend’s problems.

Speaks in lyrics

Uses sarcastic humor any chance she can get - especially in awkward situations

Bounces her leg when she’s nervous and sitting.

Rambles and doesn’t have much of a filter when she speaks

Not afraid to use foul language.

Yelling at inanimate objects

Hates when people whistle in an otherwise quiet room

Turns on closed captioning/subtitles when watching television/movies

Typing aggressively when she’s pissed off, even though the offender can’t see it. 

Not knowing what to do while people sing “Happy Birthday” to her.

Not being able to sleep without the tv or radio on. 

Hobbies:

Researching

Learning

Writing

Singing

Dancing

Listening to music

Watching TV/Movies

Painting

Web Design

Photography

Scrapbooking

Eating

Shopping

Traveling

Being sarcastic

Habits:

Overthinking/Over-analyzing

Speaking in lyrics

Sarcasm

Swearing

Always wanting to be there for those she loves most whether they are family, friends, or friends who have turned family

Daydreams

Guilty pleasures: 

Country Music

Sleeping in the nude

Taking long showers/soaks in the bath

Reality TV

Sleeping In

Dancing/Singing like no one is watching

McDonald’s McNuggets and McRibs

KFC Gravy

Pet peeves: 

Unnecessary rudeness

People with an inflated sense of their own importance.

When someone comes into a room, but forgets to shut the door

When someone comes into a room, turns on a light, then leaves without turning it off

Whistling

Loud chewing

Late people (unless they have a valid reason)

When others don’t cover their nose/mouth when they sneeze/cough

When people walk too slowly or just suddenly stop in front of her

When people drive too slowly

When people don’t use their turn signals when driving

When people don’t say “thank you”

Being interrupted or talked over when speaking

When someone goes to tell her something then says “Never mind”

When Taco Bell drive-thru asks if she wants any sauce, she confirms that she does, but winds up getting no sauce.

MISCELLANEOUS (SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN CHARACTER):

Favorite genre of music:

This is such a tough question to answer, because I will literally listen to anything. I have favorite country songs, rap songs, even horror-core songs. But if I had to pick a specific genre, it’d probably be a toss up between Rock or what is known as “emo”. OH! and show tunes! Can’t forget about those!

Favorite dish:

Again this is a tough one, because I love food so much. But if I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, I’d probably go with pizza since I can change up the different types of pizza and have a variety.

Favorite animal:

Seahorses and Sea turtles

A superpower your character wants to have:

Shape-shifting

If they made a movie about your character’s life, what would the title be?:

“How is a Raven like a Writing Desk?” 

Food or sex:

Why not both?

Their life’s theme song:

Childhood: Frankie J - “Daddy’s Little Girl”

Overall: Faith Hill - “Wild One” 

Favorite day of the week and why?:

Saturday, because it’s the motha-fuckin’ weekend, gonna have me some fun!

What came first, the chicken or the egg?:

The chicken…because of Noah’s arc, who laid more eggs, to give us more chickens? 

Do you prefer hot or cold weather and why?:

Hot. I hate when the air hurts my face.  

Describe your first crush:

He was a shy, dorky theater geek, like me who had a voice that everyone envied. He was taller than me (who isn’t), and had dark hair, blue eyes, and thick Drew Carey like glasses. He would often be cast as the star in all of our high-school productions. Although he had many talents, he was the nicest guy you could ever encounter. It helped that I had a crush on him when we were in productions together, because the chemistry didn’t need to be faked out, but nothing became of that crush because my dad told me that I couldn’t date until “after I was married.” His name was William.

Your house is on fire. What are the first three things you grab?:

Phone, purse, and military flag from my father’s death