#on the subject of this. we know alchemy is a huge factor

[generic-waffle]

I’ll take “what if fear was an attractive force, instead of a repellant one?” for 200, Alex.

#tmagp #on the subject of this. we know alchemy is a huge factor #so it seems possible that much like the elements #some may naturally want to bond more with certain things or manifestations than others #additionally. it’s possible that the nature of alchemy #being transformative- means that the avatars-while appearing mostly human fire time around #may be more noticeably different #idk #needles x oiar

[queer-as-used-by-tolkien]

Storyline Study: Season 2 (feat. Shadow of the Dragon)

In many ways, Season 2: Glint's Prophecy (the name of the season according to the Living World Return achievements) is the jumping-off point for the rest of the game after it. In it, Glint's egg is introduced and instantly commands the attention of the story - and the Commander - for the next six story arcs over eight years.

S2 is longer than the other seasons, also with poor pacing and extremely hard boss fights. It's my least favorite season, for various subjective reasons, but I also never see people talking about it, despite its huge narrative importance.

The first quarter of the season is set-up, building on what little we learned from S1; learning about Scarlet, Omadd's Machine, and the threat of Mordremoth. The second quarter is spent convincing various world leaders to attend the World Summit - in the process, Braham is reunited with his mother and Rytlock is lost in the Mists.

At the Midpoint - a narratively significant moment - the World Summit is actually held, and the Pale Tree is attacked, not just by the Shadow of the Dragon, but also by many lesser minions.

The lesser minions arrive first, and the Summit is broken up to deal with the threat, and the world leaders are evacuated from the Omphalos Chamber.

The Commander (in this study, they are assumed to NOT be a sylvari) is the last to leave, but the Pale Tree calls them back to speak privately. She is clearly heavily injured. "These Mordrem tore at my roots and battered my branches."

Pale Tree: And... be warned. There is another... [...] One of the most dangerous... it comes directly from Mordremoth. It draws nearer! If I die... Commander: You will not die today. Where is it? [...] I will stand in its way.

The Shadow of the Dragon cuts off the portal that Kasmeer was holding; now the Commander is stuck in the Omphalos Chamber... alone. Your allies are yelling and panicking outside.

Braham: Kasmeer! What happened? Where'd your portal go? Kasmeer: I... I don't know! It was holding strong, then all of a sudden it was cut off! Taimi: (scream) It's attacking the chamber! Rox: Hang on! We'll do what we can from down here! Just hang on!

"What we can" amounts to keeping an eye on the Shadow of the Dragon and shouting reports at the top of their voices up to the Omphalos Chamber.

It is never helpful to yell at someone who is under a lot of stress - that just makes it much worse. Not only was the Commander surprised and ambushed, but they's cornered, trapped in the Omphalos Chamber - and there is no way of getting reinforcements. Even if they wanted to leave, they can't, without jumping out of the Chamber - a fall long enough to kill.

And on top of all that, this is powerful - a full-on dragon champion that reminds the Commander of Blightghast the Plaguebringer.

Blightghast the Plaguebringer was a powerful champion that took an alliance of all three Orders to defeat. And the Commander is alone. By these factors, we know that this fight lasted a very long time, was very stressful, and the Commander did not escape unscathed.

The Commander was heavily traumatized by this fight. Surprised, alone, knowing that people you care dearly about are also in danger and in significant distress. And they couldn't leave. It made most tactical sense to retreat, regroup, find a way to fight - but the Commander is the top combat strategist, and they's trapped in the Omphalos Chamber.

Being unable to flee is a trauma in itself. There's always the option to flee. Always. Except here. And the wiki says if you take long enough to kill the Shadow of the Dragon, it's health resets.

This one-on-one fight could have lasted for hours. If the Commander has spent ages whittling down the Shadow of the Dragon, and then it reappears, fully refreshed - they'd want to leave. They'd beg the Six, or the Spirits, or the Eternal Alchemy, or they realize that today is the day they die, and just do the best they can to do as much damage as possible first.

And if the Commander is a sylvari... the pressure and trauma is ten times worse. Mother Tree is already severely injured, and they's in a severe state of panic over her even before the Shadow of the Dragon shows up, and then they's the last line of defense. And a sylvari Commander is far, far younger than their non-sylvari counterparts.

I see significant evidence that Trahearne was traumatized by this attack on the Pale Tree, and he wasn't even in the Omphalos Chamber. There is no question that the sylvari Commander was traumatized.

I believe, however, that the human, norn, asura, or charr Commander was also traumatized. Being at risk for your life is trauma for normal people, as is even non-lethal injury, or even just witnessing injury or death. But two things here are HUGE risk factors, greatly increasing the severity and impact of the trauma, as well as how long it's likely to affect the traumatized person. These two things are that the event was unexpected; the Commander went from quietly discussing alliances to being in the middle of life-or-death combat action. The other is that the Commander was helpless and unable to leave. Those are both huge.

And I believe this trauma is actually played out and acknowledged in-game, and it has had a huge impact, not just on events immediately after the World Summit, but also with repercussions stretching into HoT and beyond. The reason is as follows.

When the Shadow of the Dragon was finally, finally driven off (but not killed), the Pale Tree called the Commander over and projected a vision into the Commander's brain. Even if it hadn't been a magically-induced vision, it would have become heavily associated with the trauma the Commander had just suffered.

Braham: A vision? What kind of vision? Commander: I don't know. There was golden light and crystals everywhere. [...] The Pale Tree showed me... It felt like a call to action. Kasmeer: What action? What was she talking about? Commander: I'm afraid I don't know. Rox: It's okay. We'll figure it out. Commander: Yeah, and the first thing is to learn all we can about dragons. [...] Kas and Jory, I want you two to go to the Durmand Priory. [...] Rox: You got it, boss. But what about you? What are you going to do? Commander: Decipher that vision. Tyria's future depends on it.

That vision was ultimately discovered to be about Glint's egg, and the Commander heads off to find it, leaving Trahearne and the Pact to fend for themselves. But first I want to point out a few moments that are... uncharacteristic of the Commander.

Ogden Stonehealer: Entertain an old dwarf. Tell me your tale. Commander: It was a portal to Glint's lair. Ogden: So it was. The Master of Peace and I set it up after Glint's death so I could guard it for the Brotherhood. Commander: I saw the Master of Peace take an egg. Ogden: The last one intact. It's been in stasis since her death. The Master of Peace is taking it where it will be safe and allowed to hatch.

Okay, so it looks like the Brotherhood of the Dragon (a dwarven organization of which Ogden is the last member) and the Zephyrites (the Brotherhood's successor) are doing their jobs. But note the Commander's response:

Commander: Where has he taken it? You must tell me!

It's only after this outburst that Ogden asks the Commander to look after the Master of Peace, which the Commander agrees to without hesitation, without even stopping to consider that the Pact might need them. As of yet, there is no indication that this is relevant to Mordremoth or that it is a need that must be addressed right now.

And yet, the Commander spends the whole rest of Season 2: Glint's Prophecy tracking down the egg.

Logan: I'm glad you're going with us. You got my mail? Commander: About that. I came to tell you that I may not be able to fight with you. Zojja: What? You're 74.3 percent of our firepower all by yourself! [...] Commander: I've been given a different mission that I can't turn down. Eir: What are you talking about? We're already one down with Rytlock gone. Commander: I have to swear you to silence. This can't go beyond us. Logan: I can speak for all of us when I say we can keep your secret. What is it? Commander: I had a vision from the Pale Tree, an important one. Glint had an egg. [...] A Zephyrite master took it for safekeeping. [...] I also saw a golden location. I believe he may be taking it there. Eir: If he is clever, then he has survived thus far. But he's in treacherous territory out there. Commander: So you see why I have to do this before I can go with you. Zojja: A dragon hatchling could turn into an enemy if raised in the wrong company. Of course, you must safe it. If it were to grow up as an ally to Tyria, it could change the course of history.

Destiny's Edge and the Pact, after the defeat of Zhaitan and before the crash of the Pact Fleet, suffering from a case of untempered pride that only quieted back down after the resounding defeat they faced in HoT. Quite understandable.

But... excuse y'all, the egg is being looked over by the Master of Peace, the person whose whole job it is to make sure it's protected and who will certainly raise it to be an ally to Tyria. He was taking it to Tarir, a well-protected sanctum designed to raise Glint's offspring. Which the Commander didn't know about and didn't have to because it wasn't their job.

Their whole reasoning is based on the idea that the Master of Peace can't handle himself, because "humans who are used to flying around on ships are going to leave a trail a mile wide."

Eir: But Glint never mentioned she had an egg. I would have... Commander: It's okay. It has had protectors. And now, it has me as well. Logan: [...] You'll return when you're done, right? We may not leave immediately. Commander: I definitely will.

Caithe opts to go with the Commander to track down the Aspect Masters, who are tracking down the Master of Peace, and in the end, Caithe steals the egg.

At first, the Commander appears trusting, even if you pick the more cautious dialogue option:

Marjory: She's sylvari. Commander: So? What are you trying to say? Marjory: Nothing. I just... Why would she take off with it? She wouldn't be the first sylvari we've known who - Commander (trusting): She did it to protect the egg, I'm sure. I'll thank her when we catch up. [Rox comes and changes the subject] Commander (cautious): I don't know. She can be difficult to read. Marjory: That's what I mean. How well do you know her? Commander: I know she's risked her life on many occasions for me and for Tyria.

Commander leads the group to the Pale Tree to find out where Caithe might have gone, and they follow her memory seeds until they dead-end into a cave with a closed door.

Commander is summoned to Camp Resolve by a letter from Logan, who, along with the rest of Destiny's Edge, believes the Commander is coming with the Pact Fleet.

Commander: I don't mean to cut this short but, Logan, I can't stay long. Logan: What? But we need to launch our assault on Mordremoth now. We risk losing the fleet to another sneak attack if we stay here. Commander: I agree, but I can't come along. Remember what I said about Glint's egg? Zojja: Remember? I've been eager to hear what happened. Did you find it? Commander: I did. But then Caithe ran off with it. I'm trying to track her down. Eir: She came through here not long ago, but she didn't stay and barely talked to us. She said she had something she had to do. If Zojja hadn't noticed her, we'd have missed her entirely. Commander: Did she say anything about what she was doing? Zojja: No. Only that it was a matter of life or death. She took off before we could even offer to help. Don't be too angry with her. She's independent and stubborn. Commander: I just wish I knew what she was up to.

Read: I wish I knew what she was doing with the egg.

Eir: Caithe is one of us. She's saved all our lives, at least once. I don't think you have to worry. She's just... rash.

Then Camp Resolve is attacked. Afterwards, Trahearne has a rather depressingly accurate read on things:

Commander: You don't need to convince me, Marshal. I hope I can join you. Trahearne: So, this means you're definitely not coming with us? Commander: I have a mission I need to finish first. Trahearne: I understand. Marjory Delaqua explained it - the egg. You're right to make it your priority. Commander: Be safe. We'll share a drink and stories when we meet again.

Excuse me, I need to go cry over that line.

Anyway, you talk to Logan:

Logan: Did Caithe tell you why she was taking the egg? Commander: No, she was just gone. I wish I knew what she was thinking. Logan: Caithe has always been different. The first time I met her, she walked into our camp like the queen of the world. No fear. Rytlock and I were both there, and on our guard. Commander: Caithe wasn't afraid of you? Logan: Caithe is a linear thinker. She takes everything literally. If she took the egg, it's because she felt it was necessary. She does nothing without a reason.

Logan doesn't think Caithe having the egg is a problem. She'll do right with it. I think he really doesn't think the Commander needs to go after her.

Commander: Do you have any idea where she would go with it? Logan: Not exactly, but I know she has secret places and hiding spots that hold significance for her. She's probably in one of those.

Then they get off on talking about Eir and Braham, and Logan circles back to make a point about Caithe.

Logan: [It's strange how you can work so closely with people] and still know so little about them. It is strange when you put it like that. I suppose we learn what we need to know - whether we can trust the person or not. Commander: That reminds me. Did Caithe ever mention a cave to you?

Commander's being a bit obsessive about this, I think.

Zojja (to Logan): I'm telling you, Logan, you can't assume that Caithe knows what she's doing. Logan: How long have we known Caithe? She doesn't think like other people, but she chose the path of good.

Remember that at this stage we didn't know how Mordremoth affected sylvari. Zojja (and Marjory) are operating on the pattern that Scarlet and Aerin were both sylvari, but that's not evidence of anything at this point.

There was no reason not to trust Caithe except that the Commander's vision was tied to trauma. The sylvari player calls it a Wyld Hunt, but the sylvari player already had the Wyld Hunt to fight Mordremoth, discussed with Trahearne during the World Summit, and non-sylvari don't get Wyld Hunts.

So the Commander leaves Camp Resolve for the last time before the crash of the Fleet, which led to the capture of Destiny's Edge and Trahearne, which led to the deaths of Eir and Trahearne, which have had very long-lasting repercussions on Braham and the Commander, respectively - not even taking into account the devastation the Pact faced that took years to recover from, new policies with regards to the duties of the Marshal, Logan's injuries that led to him taking that position, and Zojja's absence for eight years. And Aurene, of course.

The Shadow of the Dragon's attack on the Pale Tree was not given enough narrative weight for the role it played.

Characters and their arcs have four different aspects to them, but two are most important: the Wound, a significant trauma that causes the Lie, a belief or worldview that is false, and goes against a narrative's Truth - the underlying themes and messaging of the story.

Throughout a story, the Lie will be challenged, and either the character will heal from the trauma and overcome it, resulting in narrative victory, or else sink deeper into the false belief, which will often become worse. This path results in narrative defeat and is often used with villains.

In this case, the Commander's Wound was the traumatic fight in the Omphalos Chamber, and it led to the Lie that the egg is all-important, which led, in practice, to a violation of the story's thematic Truth: that through unity, many impossible things may be achieved.

The Commander had many chances to change their mind about going with the Pact, but in the end, they abandoned it for their own private goals. Narratively, this is a fail and consequences need to be dealt accordingly. Therefore, the Pact Fleet was crashed, and key members of the Pact were killed.

I am of the full and complete opinion that if the Commander had acted differently, the whole course of HoT could be changed, up to and including that Mordremoth's abilities would have been different and not led to the crash of the Fleet at all, and we'd have had a wildly different expansion. This is an example of the narrative direction making lore and worldbuilding decisions.

So, yes, if you want, you can blame the Shadow of the Dragon for traumatizing the Commander and leading to the Pact Fleet crashing and resulting in Trahearne's death. Especially if you have a sylvari Commander.

#s2 #Glint's Prophecy #trahearne #shadow of the dragon #caithe #glint #glint's egg #ogden stonehealer #destiny's edge #pact fleet #commander poobah #the pale tree #omphalos chamber #fiction #writing #story theory #hot #gw2

[jean-does-not-have-a-horseface]

Hot Chocolate (Birthday/Christmas Special)

Summary: Levi is bound to spend this birthday on his own, seeing that you're halfway across the globe as an exchange uni student. What he doesn't know though is that you have planned a huge surprise for him. NSFW 18+

Notes: sorry for any mistake you guyss please enjoy this

Pairing: Levi/ Reader 

Tags: f l uff, nsfw

Warnings: nsfw, the sexies

Disclaimer: I do not own the gif, I simply found it on Pinterest.

White heavy cream fell fluidly out of the carton it was stored, squeezed by Levi's calloused hand and into the small metallic pot that he rested his other hand onto. The mixture, an aromatic, dark brown hot chocolate, lightened in color upon a few stirs of his tool. Slowly with his hand he disposed of the empty carton in the recycling bin, making sure to wipe any stray droplet of white on the counter.

He blinked as his mind went blank, forgetting the next step of the recipe but only momentarily. His thoughts once again traveled to what troubled him, but he continued with his stirring in fear of burning the beverage he was set on making. With his teeth sinking dangerously at the tip of his tongue what he needed clicked in his head. Corn flour. A quorter of a cup.

He didn't bother tasting the mixture as he lowered the fire of the stove to the minimum, he simply marched to the corner built in cupboard, hands searching furiously for the porcelain vase that held this oh so precious corn flour that would act as the stabilizing factor to his hot chocolate beverage.

Seconds later he brought the fire to an halt absurdly, never ceasing with his stirring careful as to not have the mixture stick to the pot. He didn't like his chocolate adorned with burnt flakes or the taste they brought to his mouth neither did he like cleaning the burnt pot before having to pop it in the washing machine. As his hands reached for the cups he had set beside the stove beforehand to his alchemy, he helped the thick mixture in with a spoon.

The cups were immediately transfered inside the over; an attempt to keep them from any predatory fly that could have entered the apartment before Levi had a chance to realise and in addition keeping them sheltered as they reached a drinkable temperature. Levi threw the pot into the sink next, sighing to himself as he grabbed his thick latex gloves and out them on his hands. With a twist of his hand at the handle the watered started running on his gloves hands pot making him grab his steel wool.

His hand came to his forehead, wiping some sweat as he sighed again, hanging his head low as he gritted his teeth in frustration. His eyes squinted in anger, his hands dug into the inox of his sink and his heart sink dangerously low as he felt the room run cold due to the sun quickly setting behind the horizon.

Why had he made that chocolate, it beat him. The two of you hadn't spoken in at least two days and he liked -or rather chose- to blame it on your busy studying schedule, rather than the fight the two of you had over that call two nights ago. He had been to angry to admit he was acting like a brat to you, he had been too proud to simply say that he wanted your attention, instead he had resolved his anger into grumpiness, causing your overworked mind to snap.

You were gone as an exchange student in Japan for too long and both your busy schedules and the enormous time difference had dug their ways into Levi's life very negatively. Before you he had never lonely when he was alone, but now, now that he had gotten a taste of what it was to be with you, now that you had been ripped away from him from so long, he definitely felt lonely. And angry. And it killed him that he was almost on time for your arranged video chat, when you didn't even show any sign of being in existence still.

It made his boil though, by now, it must have been the 26th in Japan and you had spent your day ignoring him, not even bothering to open his message. Had he been so cruel to you while admitting he wanted you here with him? Was it that you didn't have enough decency to let him you know you were alright? That was what he simply wanted to know, in the end.

Sighing again he ripped the gloves off his hands and grabbed his phone. His fingertip touching the button provided him immediate access to his homescreen and he quickly entered Instagram dragging the homepage down a couple of times to let it load any new activity. Internally he knew, he would have been glad if he was to see a story or a post by you, any sign that you were alright would do for him.

Of course, as if on cue to shake him of his miserable thoughts his phone rang, buzzing in his palm. His eyes fell on the small window the revealed the caller id to him. It was Erwin, naturally, as he always used to shower him with phone calls on his birthday even up until the moment he was at his front door. Levi didn't missed out on those signs of affection, it's was quite the opposite really. He cherished them deeply. Seeing how much of an impact he had on his friends' lives moved him whether he showed it or not.

And so, while holding back his saddened sigh he picked up the phone, greeting his friend through greeted teeth.

"Hey Levi, uhm, I kind of need you at the moment, am I interrupting anything?"

"No," Levi spoke, biting painfully on the inside of his cheek in an attempt to hold himself back from sprinting out on his frustration. Of course Erwin could try and hide behind his finger, Levi knew that much. The blond was aware he wasn't interrupting anything, but he was still kind enough to ask; he always was sappily kind when it came to such sensitive subjects.

"Great look, I'm on route twenty two, fifth exit, I'm out of gas can you please come to my rescue and bring me some?" Erwin paused for a moment and then proceeded to mumble through an overly amused breath "I'm sorry I'm doing this to you tonight."

"Did you take your father's run down car again?" Levi questioned.

"No... yes. I'm sorry Levi I felt like I wanted to drive his car tonight. I shouldn't have to drag you here too, I'm sorry."

"No it's fine," Levi bit back, hissing at Erwin's unhealthy habit of wanting to drive his father's antique due to its sentimental worth. But then again, he reminded himself he wasn't in a place to judge. "Give me 15 and I'll be there."

Fidgeting his fingers on the counter without throwing a second look he came in contact with his car keys. The familiar jiggling sound gritted through the air proudly as Levi pierced his finger inside the key loop, finally pressing the keys steady to his palm. With another grunt, he hang up the phone, bringing the device to the palm of his hand once again.

His mind begged him to open his texts with you again -his initial goal ever since the moment he opened his phone- just to stare at the screen or at his unopened text, his insides begged to boil with concern at the process but he figured had all night to do so, prolonging his misery could definitely wait now that Erwin was in need. And thus he simply marched to the hanger behind his front door, eager much to quickly get a hold of his warmest jacket before having to step out in the cold apartment corridor and consequentially outside in the cold December weather.

___

You forced Hange to suppress her giggles as you slipped the metallic key inside the lock to your shared apartment with Levi. With an exaggerated jump though Hange let out another scream fill the air, ignoring yet another playful rasped gaze you consequentially threw her. Laughter bubbled from the both of you as you kept on locking eyes, amused by the upcoming execution of your plan.

The plan was simple really. You had Erwin call Levi for any emergency he could come up with and only when he left the house you and Hange would sneak in, light up the aromatic candles you spent weeks picking. You would make some hot buttered rum and light the fireplace to warm up the house. Then, Hange would leave right when Erwin would call you to announce that Levi was on his way back and you'd wait for him with the biggest smile on your face.

"Okay now let's see how much time we have." You said and rubbed your hands together to warm them up. Leaning with one hand over the wall you moved the heel of your left foot on top of your right one, pressing down enough so you could wiggle your foot out of the shoe. Doing the same for your other foot, you removed your jacket and hung it behind the door.

"Erwin said it will take Levi about twenty minutes to get to him, they shall spend about ten to fifteen minutes fueling his car, but he promised he'd try his best to delay Levi if we need to. And then add another ten minutes for him to get back." Hange spoke, fixing her glasses onto her nose.

"You think I have enough time to take a bath?"

Making sure to slip her shoes off after you, Hange nodded in your direction and proceeded to set her heavy backpack on the couch. One by one she took the candles and a lighter out, eventually smirking to herself as she tried to come up with a plan on how to neatly set them around the living room.

"Hange!" Can you put those in the bedroom?" You spoke, ripping your shirt off of you before your finger came to graze the side of your mouth as your mind sunk in your thoughts.

"Ha!" Hange huffed "as if you're even going to make it to the bedroom!"

Your cheeks burned as she spoke, eyes widening slightly at how your mind told you she was completely right. Of course you and Levi wouldn't make it to the bedroom at least until later tonight. It had been months since you had last seen him and it was his birthday, you wouldn't even be able to rip yourself off of his arms. Thus you simply threw a mellow smile at Hange as you sprint to the kitchen checking to see if you had all the ingredients you'd need to make your choice of drink.

Coincidentally, you opened the oven and your eyes immediately fell on what was inside. Your expression softened as two grey toned cups shone in your orbs, the smell they emitted deliciously filling your nostrils. You smiled to your self as you thought about how your lover didn't miss out on making your traditional Christmas drink.

It was unbelievable how kind hearted Levi was, in contrary to what people thought of him, you thought. Most of the times -and simply because he didn't allow otherwise- the only thing people who weren't close to him saw was a cold demeanor, a sharp tongue and a foul mouth. It all would be too ironic if they knew how Levi was behind closed doors. Taking notice of small everyday details, sticking to his beloved routine, cherishing moments with his loved ones, remembering everything most people would ignore about others and showing his love in the sweetest yet most Levi way were only a few of his virtues.

Of course he wouldn't miss on making your favorite strawberry scented thick hot chocolate, even if you had spent the last few days not speaking to him, even if as of now he remained ignorant as to why. You assumed he believe it was about that ridiculous fight and you could admit you purposefully riled him just enough for him not to expect to see you. You were sure, seeing he had shown a previous liking in surprises like this, that his jaw would hit the floor when he'd see you.

Guilt rushed through you at the thought of you making him feel miserable even in the slightest, but Hange couldn't just have you standing there, sulking in your anxiety over how things had led up to this moment. If you wanted to make it in time for when Levi came home you'd have to rush. Hange insisted on shooing you out of the kitchen and into the bathroom, urging you to act fast, before Levi came. Sensing she was right, you settled for running to retrieve a new pair of underwear and a clean towel before jumping in the shower.

Stretching your arms to close the curtain behind you as you stepped on the white marble tiles you twisted the faucet handle to the right, letting a deep sigh escape from the depths of your chest as the hot water started running.

___

The sound of keys jiggling together filled what should have been an empty apartment, making Levi's arrival known only to you who stood inside the kitchen. He stepped inside a few seconds later, ripping his shoes off of his feet before slipping into his fuzzy slippers.

His hands immediately reached for the wipes and rubbing alcohol he kept on a stand right next to the door, silently grabbing a wipe and coating it in the strong smelling disinfectant before bringing it to his phone and keys. He spent a good minute cleaning the items meticulously only stopping when he felt satisfied to set them on the stand. He took a step to turn around with his goal to walk to the kitchen and heat up his got chocolate. Judging by the time he could still try to reach out to you before the day ended.

With a quick glance around the room, though he found himself freezing in his spot.

"Great, now I'm so shit mad I'm seeing fucking things." Levi announced -seemingly only to his own self- the moment he laid his gray orbs upon you.

"No Levi, you're not seeing things baby."

Standing up for your seat on the kitchen table you shot him an adorning look; your eyes squinted and your cheeks puffed up, coated in a sheer scarlett color. You silently watched as his eyes grew impossibly wide, flickering between you and each lit candle that showered the room in plenty of romantic golden light.

His legs were slightly trembling, his knees going weak at the sudden need to intake all of what was unraveling before him, but with his heart hammering in his whole body he only managed to part his lips before even beginning to thing if what to utter.

"Merry Christmas and happy birthday my Vee." You smiled again, mouthing the tooth rotting sweet nickname as you walked to him with open arms and a longing look on your face.

He wasted no time, even if his head was starting to buzz in confusion and uncertainty, he bucked in his stand before sprinting towards you. His hands quickly wrapped under your bum, lifting you up on him while prompting you to wrap your legs around his waist. With painfully squinted eyes his nose nuzzled up between your neck and your chest, inhaling your magnetising aura sharply as he span you around. You wrapped your arms around him tightly, embracing his head in a loving manner as you couldn't supress your bubbling giggles.

His strong grip on you wasn't ceasing, not even for a moment as he began mouthing his questions; he didn't even care that his voice was muffled by your own form.

"How- I mean when?" He spoke and only hugged you tigher onto him.

"Well, you thought I'd ever miss this day?" You placed a kiss on the top of his hairline. "I was supposed to be here days ago but my flight got delayed, so Erwin and and Hange came up with this surprise plan."

Levi's hands loosened their grip on you slowly was you tried to slide down his body carefully; this breathtaking moment could only ever last for so long, Levi figured as he set you down. Kissing you was the next task he assigned to himself, but it could only happen after he got a good look at your face.

God, he had missed you so much.

So many months had passed since the last time he had been graced with seeing you this close to him and in the moment what he was witnessing almost felt too unreal. Your tender eyes looked into his with adoration and warmth, your chest dwelled with tainted breaths as your hands slowly came to cup his sharp face.

"I'm sorry I wasn't responding at all, I really had to leave to go to the airport after that silly fight we had, I couldn't just tell you I was coming." You said and placed a kiss on the tip of his nose. "Although I was really temped to."

Levi wrapped his arms around you again and hugged you to his chest- this time he missed on levitating you if the ground, even more fiercely than he had done before. He simply huffed in amusement in the crook of your neck, mouthing a sole 'thank you' against you.

The next kiss you shared was maniac and passionate in nature. His lips didn't just graze over yours, the engulfed them. He sucked onto your tender flesh as if his life depended on it and you couldn't get enough. You found yourself grabbing his shirt, then running your hands through the short spiky hair of his undercut.

His slick hands cupped your own face as he pulled back only to catch his breath for a moment.

"I've missed you much I can't even be patient to talk with you."

"Me too" you announced, a hazed look masking your face.

You took a few leading steps to the couch, careful not to disturb the candles in the corners of the coffee table that before it, much afraid of setting everything on fire in your despairate state to have him. Your mouth launched feverishly onto his as you threw him onto the gray sofa.

Levi didn't fight it, not even for a moment. His tongue shoved inside your mouth, rolling around yours, slurping and cherishing each corner of your mouth as he took small intakes of breath through his nose from time to time. His tender hands loosened their grip on the sides of your face, the action eliciting a small whine from your occupied mouth but to was quickly gulped down by the movement of his lips that came to suck on your tongue.

You felt his fingertips travel down your clothed body, skillfully sinking underneath your shirt before restlessly traveling back up taking the cloth away with them. You only broke away from each other for a singular moment, breaths hitching and tinting the air around you, so much that you could almost ignore the way your heart sped it's throbbing in your ears. His hips bucked longingly int you from underneath, the friction already driving you crazy.

As his hands shoved longingly inside your pants you let another moan slip from the depths of your throat, though it was guickly muffled by your lover's mouth attaching on yours , making you melt into him. You felt his fingers graze ever so slightly over your still clothed crotch, painfully flicking their way through your flesh.

Roughly, he pulled back, detaching his want body away from yours while fixing his gray eyes into you. He didn't bother speaking as he tagged at the sides of his shirt, ripping the article of clothing away from him in such quick movements, as if it was the only thing getting in his way from getting close to you.

With hanger widening his eyes he stared at you again, prompting you to put your hands into him, to feel him all the while he run his hands into your form. He failed in exploring your body as he had wished though, with a shagged breath he only managed to bring you close, in a proximity that didn't even allow a kiss to be exchanged. You simply nuzzled into the crook of his bare neck, rubbing the tip of your nose in calm circles against him as you breathed hot huffs of air onto his skin.

His back was still so muscular and ripped despite his skin being so overly smooth under your tender touch, the more small trails you rubbed over him the more he sighed in greed and over exaggerated longing. Licking his lips with a constipated look on his face, he placed a tender kiss on your collarbone before traveling back up, just to teasingly rub his bottom lip over yours.

Breaking the kiss you grabbed his hand, bringing his palm close you your face. You teasingly picked his pointer finger, making sure to scratch the inside of his hand with your nails as you brought the digit to your mouth. His mouth, running ahead of his own desire to stay quiet, blurted lewd moans at your soft suckling and with all blood boiling in his body he was unable to even think about chocking down on his sounds.

He was on his back before he even knew it. It seemed like squirming was the way to go now, right underneath you as you placed kisses all over his chest and torso. With slow hands you reached for his pants, fidgeting with his zipper and buttons before wiggling your arms inside the dark denim.

Quickly, any remaining article of clothing was discharged thrown anywhere on the floor; you could worry about that later but right now you couldn't seem to be able to pay attention on anything else than each other. You had missed him, he had missed you, there was only so much that the two of you could process momentarily.

It was the high of the moment mixed with your scent that pulled him even even more as you craddled him to your chest while never ceasing the bobbing of your hips. The kisses that he sucked in you, sped up the beating of your heart against his as soft skin mingled with your own. Even that was painful to him, the extend to which he had missed you didn't leave any space for him to pull just an inch away from you, as if he wouldn't ever be able to get enough.

"My Levi, I've missed you so much." You spoke with hitched breaths, lips grazing his earlobe ever so slightly.

Levi allowed him self to eventually grunt in response letting harsh huffs of air through his nostrils while trying to guide your hips to an alt.

"Keep talking like that and I'm not going to last." He spoke, his fingering digging into your thighs to put an halt to your movements.

It didn't work -he should have known it wouldn't work- because you only slid down on him longingly and fast, sending his mind in the familiar pre orgasmic haze he so wished to momentarily be freed from.

"Who said," you paused only for another tainted moan to slip outside your lips "I want you to last?" You placed a kiss on the skin behind his ear, careful not to suck and create any loud noise that close to his eardrum.

Levi only threw his head back, his hips starting to work onto a hard, quick rhythm against you. He trembled under your words and every deep thrust, every feel of your insides on his throbbing length was only contributing to the build up in his abdomen.

He hair, sweaty as it was, stuck on his forehead as it dripped, but you paid no mind in his salty taste as you kissed your way all over his forehead and cheeks, nose and jawline, trailing your tongue on any sharp edge of him.

Your legs were shaking now and much to your best wishes you struggled with your thrusting onto him. You only managed to gyrate your hips, earning another moan of him as you ceased your movements, sweat dripping off of your own forehead as if mimicking his antics.

His hands nearly slipped from your thighs as wet as they were but he managed to get the message you were trying to convey; with jaded breaths he started thrusting maniacally from underneath you, damaging through you as pleasure dueled in both your bodies.

Yearning splashed all over his face and his grunts only got louder. Your foreheads collided as you cupped his face, noses nuzzling up, eyes staring deep into eachother.

Gentle. His ultimate indulge into you was gentle and earth shattering at the same time. His veins popped in white hot pleasure and his chest boiled with numerous erotic moans as his abdomen screamed throughout him, leaving him with barely enough time to mechanically reach just to pull out. His head hung low onto your collarbone while his head throbbed, unable to come down from his high just yet. He couldn't even move his eyes to see you, although he knew by listening to your panted breaths that you were in the same position as him.

Pushing him back to lay down on the couch, you kissed all over his face for the thousandth time tonight.

"I'd never ever miss this important day, you know." You smiled, pressing your lips to the tip of his nose.

"It's not that special, brat" he spoke shyly as he cooed into your face rubbing his upper lip to your cheek. You recognised the action; it was a habit of his to coo in such way, any overly soft thing grazing his top lip indulged him in endless calmness and you hummed to yourself in amusement to the feeling.

"I missed you."

"I know. You said that." He huffed, his lips puckering to hide the playful demeanor behind his next words. "But I don't think I heard it right, mind repeating it?" His fingers trapped your nose between them and swayed your head from side to side before moving to your naked back to press you closer to him him once again.

"You're such a tease. I love you Levi."

"I love you too," He blurred with eyes that burned into yours and proceeded to place a sweet kiss onto your sweat drenched hair "so much, you brat."

Taglist go off: @ackermans-freedom-inc @hawkssnugget @berrijam @levisbrat25 @nobody-knows-anymore @callmepromise

#levi ackerman x reader #levi x reader #LEVI ACKERMAN #levi #levi ackerman imagine #levi snk #levi attack on titan #snk x reader #snk #AoT #aot x reader #snk imagines #levi imagine #shingeki no kyojin #shingeki no kyojin x reader #Attack on Titan Imagine #attack on titan #aot season 4 #snk season 4

[earthnashes]

What’s the magic system for witches in FnF?

As a sidenote before I start, keep in mind that this is still a WIP and as such subject to change! That said, in order to touch on the magic system of a witch, you must know about how it works for Spirits too since it operates under the same set of rules. SO! To answer your question, first some context:

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-Magic is a natural occurrence in the universe of FnF. In simple terms, the Spirit Realm is where most of the world’s magic originates and generates from, shared and connected with the Mortal Realm through Leylines. In this way, we can see the “Spirit Realm” as the world’s heart, the “Leylines” as the world’s nervous system, and the “Mortal Realm” the world’s bones and body. What affects the Spirit Realm affects the Mortal Realm, and the same is true vice versa.

-Spirits are the only race who can actively harness magic. Spirits have far greater control and magic ability due to it being a huge factor of their existence, as they act as what’s essentially guardians to the realms. 

-Humans, however,  do not have the ability to harness magic. As such, this is why Witches (humans with the born ability to use magic) are an anomaly as much as they are a rare occurrence. Under circumstances that can’t fully be determined, a Witch is born with a deeper spiritual connection to the world and thus it manifests itself into a tether, which is what allows them their magic ability. However, unlike Spirits, a witch has far more limitation on the magic they can use, as well as having weaker magic in general.

-Both Spirits and Witches’ magic type is determined by what they’re tethered to. A Spirit always have 3 Tethers (Animal, Biome, Element) whereas a witch will only have 1 (either an Animal or an Element, never a Biome). A witch will never have more than one, and a Spirit will never have more than three.

-Both Spirits and Witches’ magic power comes in the form of spiritual energy, otherwise known as “mana”. While both Spirits and Witches’ bodies can naturally produce mana, it’s usually the result of their bodies essentially drawing energy from what they’re tethered to and storing it for use. Spirits’ naturally have a much higher mana font and endurance than Witches, however in both of their cases: if they exhaust their mana they will not be able to use magic unless they rest. Mana exhaustion is soul-deep and strenuous on the body, and best avoided if possible.

-Being in direct contact with what they’re tethered to can allow the Spirit or Witch to feed off its energy, enhancing their capabilities.

-Magic cannot be taught. In order to be able to use it, you must be born with it.

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With that said let’s move on to how the Tethers work:

-A Tether is the soul-bound connection a Witch and Spirit have to the world. This connection is what grants them magic ability and determines what abilities they inherit. While similar, Spirits and Witches do differ in how they can utilize their magic, mainly in which a Spirit has greater flexibility over their abilities while Witches have a more constricted limit. That said, here are the main categories of Tethers a witch and spirit will fall into:

Animals: -Birds, Fish, Reptiles, Mammals, Amphibians, Invertebrates

Elements: -Water, Fire, Geo, Aero  Domain/Biome: -Sky, Forest, Aquatic, Desert, Grassland, Tundra

Each category of Tethers have subcategories, but while the “Animals” and “Biome/Domain” subcategories are vast due to the varying amounts of real world animals and biomes, the Elements are only the result of two combining into one. These additional elements are called Paraelements. As such, I’ll go over those briefly:

Lightning (aero + fire), Lava (geo + fire), Flora (geo + water), Storm (aero + water)

While Spirits can have one of the paraelements as their dominant Elemental Tether, those who don’t have one as their dominant tether still holds influence over it so long as that tether correlates with it. For example: A spirit tethered to Aero won’t be able to produce lightning, but they’d be able to have some semblance of control over it if presented to it. Second example: A spirit with a the Water element can influence a storm to a limited extent, however they are not able to conjure one or control one.

Witches, if tethered to an Element, will almost always be connected to a Main element (aero geo fire water). Witches tethering to a paraelement is extremely rare. Unlike Spirits, unless they are tethered to it, a Witch does not have influence over a paraelement, and vice versa. They are limited to that element alone.

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Basic rules of magic in general:

-Spirits’ entire existence has magic as a basis, and as such they have much longer lifespans. Witches do not; they will live the normal lifespan of a human.

-Witches cannot harm anyone with their magic unless they act out of self defensive instinct or they intend on harming their target.

-Both Spirits and Witches’ magic can be influenced by their emotions. That said, a Witch’s magic is far more prone to reacting to their emotion than a Spirit’s is.

-Spirits have a greater range of influence over the world around them than a witch does. For example, in similarity to each other, a Spirit and Witch with the Flora tether can actively manipulate the plants and woodlife around them. However, the Spirit could spontaneously grow flourishing trees and plants, terraform, whereas the Witch can only influence plants to grow faster, not spontaneously.

-Mana can be influenced by the endurance of the body. As such, general exercise can often help increase Mana endurance

-While Spirits have an easier time learning how to control their magic given its instinctual to them on some level, both they and witches often must be taught how to harness it properly. It’s alot like exercising: there’s a right way to do it, and a wrong way to do it. In the same vein, it’s also like riding a bike; once you learn how to harness it properly, you won’t forget it.

-Spirits and Witches cannot conjure or manipulate something that doesn’t already exist. Using magic in this world is mostly about using what’s already around you, not somehow creating something out of nowhere.

-Abstract “elements” such as Darkness, Light, Time, and things of this caliber cannot be used as a Tether for neither the Spirit or Witch. It simply doesn’t happen, can’t happen, and never will happen.

-Witches are the only humans who can travel between the realms without the aid of a Spirit. It must be taught to them, however, and since Spirits are the only ones who know it isn’t common for a Witch to travel to the Spirit Realm.

-Breaking a Tether is damaging to a Spirit, and lethal to a Witch. It can become lethal to a Spirit if 2 or more of their tethers are broken.

-Familiars do occur, but only to Witches with a Tether to an animal. That Familiar will be of the animal they are connected to, and they can only imprint onto one individual animal, who will then imprint onto them and the bond lasts for the rest of their lives. Spirits don’t form Familiar bonds with one specific animal of the species they’re tethered to because they are guardians to these animals, thus are bound to all of them.

-On the topic of Familiars, some quick facts about how they work:

A Familiar occurs when a witch shares their mana with an individual animal of their specific Tether to form an “Imprint” between the two of them. Imprinting occurs on instinct and isn’t something that can be forced, and it generally happens upon eye contact with the animal they’re most compatible with.

A Witch cannot gain a Familiar through an animal outside their Tether. It has to be an animal of the same exact species.

When a Witch has a Familiar, both parties benefit from the bond: the Familiar will gain a human-long lifespan that matches with their witch and a better access to their innate magic, whereas the Witch can use their Familiar as a sort of conduit for magic use and they gain that animals’ senses. Both are able to communicate through what can considered telepathy, though there isn’t an actual language associated with the communication.

If a Witch dies, their Familiar dies. If the Familiar dies, the Witch can survive it, however it isn’t unheard of for the witch to pass soon after in what’s ultimately a literal “broken heart”. If the Witch survives, they often aren’t able to gain another familiar due to how deeply they feel the sever. It’s documented to simultaneously feel like “losing a limb and losing a loved one”

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Some additional magic rules and funfacts:

-Fire/Lightning is the most exhausting of the elements, due to the user often having to generate their own using their mana if they want to use it spontaneously. 

-A blatantly wrong and unhealthy way to go about magic is often practiced in human culture (it doesn’t exist in Spirit culture), and that’s outright suppressing their magic. This is the result of how Witches are often treated as second-class citizens, or how their magic is sometimes treated as a health condition, and the “cure” is often artifacts made to do exactly that: suppress their magic and let them be “normal”.

-On the topic of artifacts, Alchemy is a form of scientific magic, sometimes known as artificial magic. Once upon a time, alchemists generally specialized in creating items that can react to magic via runes etched into the item. These runes were once formed using a bastardized version of the written native language of the Spirits (the original reason for the invention of alchemy was to restrain and depower a Spirit), but now that practice has been forbidden and cast out.

Nowadays, Alchemists still practice in creating rune-etched items that will react to magic, but they’re often specialized and custom-tailored upon consent and request. Alchemy also includes the act of potion brewing and  poultice making, which is often considered a form of herbal remedies/medicines.

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It got rather long there so I’m sure I might’ve missed somethin’, so if you have any other questions lemme know! <:

#fnf #feathers and flowers #fnf canon

[imaginaryelle]

Thoughts on Chinese to English translations and MDZS

I’ve been thinking recently about how Chinese and English differ and how that can affect the translation of media like MDZS, so I thought I’d collect those thoughts into a post with some resources if people are interested in further reading.

I saw a post the other day that brought up how useful it can be to recognize and accept tropes of a new genre, especially one aimed at an audience that speaks another language. One example given was the frequency with which characters will cough up blood in wuxia or xiaxia novels, which is based in the idea that blood can become “stale” or “bad” and needs to be expelled to bring relief. Other such tropes might include the idea of a golden core (based in Taoist alchemy and the search for immortality), etc. Some useful sources for those that I’ve found include:

Immortal Mountain – General resources, idioms, essays, and a common phrases and terms of address list (may have some overlap with Wuxia World, not sure about the relationship there)

Reference for Modao Zushi Writers: Chinese terms - on AO3, extremely useful

On a more language-based front, here are three things that I think are important to keep in mind when reading a Chinese work in translation, just based on my own extremely limited knowledge:

1. In Chinese storytelling it’s an established practice to reference idioms, poetry, folklore and historic events as a sort of shorthand for evoking the proper tone. Chinese writing tends to be extremely allusive, and much more understated than what we’re used to in English-language storytelling. We can see hints of this in some of the MDZS translator notes, and it’s likely that this difference feeds into a lot of dissatisfaction with the translation. Either the allusions are not translated in a way that adds meaning for an English-speaking reader, or the standards for detail are different. Indirectness and subtly are huge parts of Chinese literature, and so different words or scenes will have very different connotations for Chinese vs. English speaking audiences. And this isn’t even touching on the use of rhyme and rhythm in Chinese writing, which are all but impossible to translate a lot of the time, or the often extremely different approaches to “style” and “genre” between the languages (an interesting article on comparative literature is here at the University of Connecticut website). Given this knowledge, it’s entirely possible that, for example, the smut scenes of MDZS are more effective in Chinese than in the English translation. In fact, I find it difficult to believe it would be popular enough to get multiple adaptations and a professional publishing run if they weren’t. In translation, smut is a lot like humor: every culture approaches it a little differently. Unless a translator is familiar with both writing traditions and the relevant genres (or they have editors or sensitivity readers who can offer advice), something is going to get lost in the process. And sometimes that something is what at least one of the involved cultures would consider to be the most important part. It’s unfortunate, but it happens.

2. Chinese grammar is slightly different from English grammar (I’m focusing on Mandarin as the common written language. A very basic rundown of major differences is available here). Verb tenses and concepts of time work differently. Emphasis is marked differently – in English we tend to put the most importance on the start of a sentence, while in Chinese it’s often at the end. Sentences are also often shorter in Chinese than in English, and English tends to get more specific in our longer sentences. From what I understand, it’s also a little more acceptable to just drop subjects out of a sentence, and that is more likely to happen if someone is attempting to be succinct. I’ve been told that it’s especially common in contentious situations, as part of an effort to distill objections or arguments down to an essential meaning (if I’m wrong about this or there’s more nuance to it, I’m happy to learn more). As one example of how this affects translation, let’s take that and look at Lan Wangji’s dialogue. I’m willing to bet that most of his words are direct translations, or as direct as the translator could manage. But his words don’t work the same way in English that they do in Chinese. If you continuously drop subjects and articles (which Chinese doesn’t have) out of a character’s speech in English, they start to sound like they have issues articulating themselves, and I see that idea reflected in fic a lot. The idea that Lan Wangji just isn’t comfortable talking or can’t say the words he means is all over the place, but I don’t think the audience was intended to take away the idea that Lan Wangji speaks quite as stiltedly as he comes off in the English translation. He’s terse, yes. But I at least got the impression that it’s more about choosing when and how to speak for the best effectiveness than anything else, because so many of his actual observations are quite insightful and pointed, or fit just fine syntactically within the conversation he’s part of. This isn’t a judgement on anyone’s headcanons or how they want to write LWJ (I very much enjoyed a lot of those fics!), it’s just an observation about languages and translation.

3. Chinese is both more metaphorical and more concrete than English in some ways. In English we use a lot of abstract words to represent complex ideas, and you just have to learn what they mean. In Chinese, the overlap of language and philosophy in the culture results in four-character phrases of what English would generally call idioms. Some examples I found: “perfect harmony” (水乳交融) can be literally translated as “mixing well like milk and water” and “eagerly” (如饥似渴) is read as “like hunger and thirst.” If these set phrases are translated to single word concepts in English, we can lose the entire tone of a sentence and it’ll feel much more flat and... basic, or uninspired. The English reader will be left wondering where the detailed descriptive phrase is that adds emotion and connotation to a sentence, when in the actual Chinese those things were already implied. I know that I frequently came away from the MDZS translation wondering at how bare bones it was, and my theory is that this might be one of the contributing factors.

I think that keeping these things in mind, and learning more about Chinese culture and literature, can be really useful in making sure we as readers can enjoy and get meaning out of works like MDZS in translation, even as we go on to create our own fanworks in English. If anyone has further thoughts or resources to add, I’d love to see them!

#mdzs meta #mo dao zu shi meta #resources

[fma-facts]

Applying FMA’s Philosophy to Real Life

Here’s something a little different from what I usually post! For some reason I found myself thinking about this in the shower for almost an hour today, so I thought I’d write a post on it. (Also, keep in mind I wrote all of this spontaneously in one go.)

Now, here’s a little disclaimer: This is very subjective. There are a thousand different ways to personally interpret the philosophy of FMA, and even different ways to interpret what “the philosophy of FMA” even is- Is it the overall themes of the story? The actual real life alchemical/philosophical concepts mentioned in the series? The politics of the FMA world? Arakawa’s outlook on life and writing manga? Some sort of weird deep subtext about the Philosopher’s Stone or something? 

It all depends on how you want to look at things, and everyone and their mom has a different interpretation. Every anime analysis blogger or YouTuber has done something on the philosophy of FMA. But I wanted to do something a little different: Take the philosophical concepts within the FMA universe, and find positive ways to interpret them that you can apply to your own life to better yourself.

Like I said, there’s a thousand different ways of interpreting these concepts. But I’m an optimist, or at least I try to be, so I tried to choose interpretations that are positive and motivating. I think Dante’s already got the whole “pessimistic existential despair” thing covered.

So, without further ado, here we go! This is an extremely long post, so it’s under a cut. Feel free to skim it and only look at the parts that interest you.

Concept: A lesson without pain is meaningless. Interpretation: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Sometimes the most difficult challenges are the most rewarding.

“Teachings that do not speak of pain have no meaning, because humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return.” -Chapter 1: The Two Alchemists “A lesson without pain is meaningless, because gaining anything worthwhile requires sacrifice. But if you can overcome that pain and achieve your goal, you can achieve a fullmetal heart, and that’s irreplaceable.” -Chapter 108: Journey’s End

It’s very easy to have a negative interpretation of this phrase, to take it to mean that suffering is necessary. As another favorite anime character of mine once said, “People never learn from their mistakes until they are hurt from them.” But like I said, I want this to be an uplifting list, so we’re going with a happier intepretation.

Everything is a learning experience. You can’t get a diamond without subjecting carbon to immense pressure and high temperatures, right? Even when things seem dark, if you can power through, you’ll come out with experience and strength that others might not have. And even if you can’t win, as any scientist knows, failure can show you where you went wrong and what you need to do to improve. There’s an old proverb in the go (east Asian strategy board game) community: “Lose your first 100 games as quickly as possible.”

This is what really got me started on this tangent, thinking about... believe it or not... Alchemical encoding methods. (Oh, on a side note, does anyone know the proper usage of “alchemical” vs. “alchemic”? Please let me know. It’s been driving me up the wall for years.) Think about it: Alchemists encode their work so they can’t be read by those who aren’t worthy, right? It’s fairly likely that there’s a standard system of alchemical encoding in the FMA world; We’ve heard Ed and Al mention real alchemy concepts like the green lion, or the sun and the moon as masculinity and femininity- things that wouldn’t make sense to a non-alchemist, but are probably standard knowledge for most alchemists. There’s also that mural from Xerxes, which Ed was easily able to understand, because certain symbols and phrases are known to have certain meanings in alchemy.

Encoding systems like this would really only be useful for keeping out non-alchemists and novices, but any skilled alchemist would probably be able to understand them. Because of this, it would probably only be used for fairly benign things. But if you look at things like Marcoh’s notes on the Philosopher’s Stone, or Scar’s brother’s research, those are the really big ones. There’s layers upon layers of coding there that require a ton of skill, time, teamwork, and in Scarbro’s case, knowledge of alchemy across multiple cultures and languages. That’s some intense stuff, but incredibly important. Of course the most rewarding alchemical secrets are the most well guarded.

Challenge yourself. Challenges can often be scary, difficult, and stressful, but sometimes the harder it is, the bigger the reward.

Concept: All is One, One is All. Interpretation: Everything is connected. You are part of a greater flow, and you are not alone.

“Remember when we talked about what would happen if we died here?” “Uh-huh, and I said everyone would be sad.” -Ed and Al, chapter 22: The Masked Man “Maybe it’s ‘the world’, maybe it’s ‘the universe’... Life is a complex cycle, so vast that we can’t see it with our own eyes. But whatever it’s called, you and I are only a tiny part of the great flow. One part of the whole. But all those individual parts come together so that the whole can exist. And the cycle keeps flowing because all of nature follows this fundamental law. Understanding that flow, deconstructing and then reconstrucing... That’s the meaning of alchemy.” -Ed, chapter 22: The Masked Man

Nothing exists in a vacuum. Everything has impact on something, no matter how small. A huge number of factors came together to create the you that is here now, and in turn, your existence affects the lives of others. Even if it seems like you’re alone, like nobody loves you or pays attention to you, you’re not invisible and you’re not alone. 

Maybe you’re someone’s favorite blogger, or maybe someone passed you on the street and thought your hair was beautiful. Maybe you own a shelter pet that would have been otherwise put down, or maybe you helped introduce someone to something that changed their life for the better. Maybe you buy a coffee from Starbucks every week, and your purchase contributes a little to the overall income of that particular Starbucks, which allows it to stay open, thus keeping a single mom employed and able to feed her kids. It’s impossible to exist without having an impact on others. The way each little person operates as part of the great web of humanity to make the world what it is today is part of what makes humanity so beautiful.

You’re never truly alone, no matter how much it feels like it, and there’s always someone who would suffer in some way without you. Try to make meaningful connections. If you ever feel like you’re alone in this world, take some time to think about what things you do that affect others, and how you are connected to the world as a whole.

Concept: The energy of the world is cyclical, and only flows in one direction. Interpretation: What you do comes back to you. Be mindful of the attitude you choose to put into the world.

“The foundation of alchemy is the power of the circle. The circle dictates the flow of power, and when the proper runes are written within it, it is possible for the power to be released. Even when you’re not using alchemy, the flow of power has many practical applications! For example... If you can read your opponent’s movements, you can turn them back against him. That’s one way of manipulating energy. Accepting the flow, understanding it, and using it to create... That’s what makes an alchemist an alchemist.” -Izumi, chapter 23: Knocking on Heaven’s Door

Due to some spiritual experiences I’ve had in the past, I very much believe that likes attract likes, and that the energy you put out into the world will come back to you. But you don’t have to be even the least bit spiritual or religious to see how this can sometimes be true.

If you snap at someone for no reason, even if that person was in a good mood, that’s going to discourage them from being nice to you. If you’re a generally mean, angry, nasty person, people just aren’t going to like you. But if you gain a reputation for being nice and treating others with respect, that’s going to earn you respect as well.

I’m not saying you have to be cheerful all the time- everyone has their bad days, and plenty of people (myself included) might naturally be a bit more Raven than Starfire. I’m not even saying you always have to be nice to everybody, because there will always be people who aren’t worthy of your respect. What I am saying is that you have control over how you generally interact with others, and it pays to be nice rather than mean. Things like keeping a generally polite attitude, saying nice things to others, and helping people when they need it are things that people will remember, and make them more likely to want to be nice to you as well.

If you find yourself in a situation where you can choose whether or not to be mean, take a minute to think to yourself: Does this person really deserve this treatment? What will this accomplish? How will this affect how others see me? If you can choose whether or not to be unnecessarily mean, I encourage you to not be mean.

Concept: You cannot gain without sacrifice. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. Intepretation: Change doesn’t happen on its own. If you want something to happen, you must first take steps to make it happen yourself.

“Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy’s first law of equivalent exchange.” -Al, Fullmetal Alchemist opening monologue “It is impossible to create something out of nothing. If one wishes to obtain something, something of equal value must be given. This is the law of equivalent exchange.” -Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood opening monologue

Again, it’s easy to interpret this as a negative, “We all must suffer” thing, or as a (50-year-old conservative voice) “If you’re poor it’s just because you’re a lazy bum and blah blah blah” thing, but this is the positive interpretation I’ve come up with.

Nothing ever happens without some sort of catalyst. You have to take the initiative. Like Ed once taught Rose, no matter how religious you are, you can’t just sit around praying and expect all your problems to magically be solved; You have to at least make some effort yourself. Does this mean hard work will always be rewarded the way you want? No. Sadly, this is an unfortunate reality of the world. But it does mean that nothing will happen if you don’t try.

For example, I see a lot of people say, “I wish I could draw.” ...And then that’s it. They just say that, over and over. Guess what? Literally nobody is stopping you from drawing! You have to be the one to pick up the pencil/pen/tablet/paintbrush/mouse etc. and start drawing. No, your first drawing will not be perfect, and it may take a very long time before you’re able to draw something that you can really be proud of. But you’ll definitely never be able to make a great drawing if you never start drawing in the first place.

If you have a goal, and you’re already doing what you can to work towards that goal, even if “what you can do” is next to nothing: That’s great! I’m proud of you for trying, and I hope you can achieve your goal. But if you’re constantly sitting around lamenting how you wish for such-and-such without actually doing anything to try to make it happen... Well, you’re not really going to get anywhere.

Concept: There’s no such thing as “no such thing”.  Interpretation: Don’t underestimate yourself. Never give up on something just because others don’t believe in you.

“Nothing is impossible.” -Greed, chapter 27: The Beasts of Dublith

People can accomplish amazing things. I’m sure you’ve all heard the stories of how Harry Potter was written on napkins in a bar and rejected by like 2872193 different publishers or whatever, or how much Vincent van Gogh struggled both in life and art, or how Dav Pilkey wrote Captain Underpants while sitting out in the hall in grade school as a punishment from teachers who told him being a cartoonist isn’t a real career. Even against impossible odds, sometimes with enough determination, you can come out on top.

It’s easy to get bogged down by negativity. If your goal is somewhat out there, you may get a lot of people telling you that you can’t do it, but that’s not necessarily true. In a similar vein to the previous topic, you may never be able to accomplish your goal- life just happens that way sometimes- but there’s always a change that you might. If you let others discourage you to the point of giving up, you’ll definitely never be able to achieve your goal.

Believe in yourself, BELIEVE IN THE ME THAT BELIEVES IN YOU!!!, and keep trying. Don’t give up just because things are looking grim, or because other people say you’ll never be able to do it. They don’t know what you’re capable of.

Concept: A king without his people is no king at all. Interpretation: Life is collaborative. Don’t neglect those who support you.

“A ruler’s duty is to his people. Without them, he is no king at all!” -Ling, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood episode 22 (because I sadly still don’t own volume 12)

You can’t do everything on your own. People move through life by interacting and helping one another. It’s ok to ask for help sometimes. But at the same time, you have to be ready to give help when the time comes- If someone does things for you, and you turn your back on them when they need you, what kind of person does that make you? Not a very nice one.

Of course, that’s not to say that you have to be giving and giving and giving all the time. If you don’t have the money, time, skills, knowledge, physical ability, or emotional/mental availability to help someone, that’s ok. It happens. But if you can help someone, and choose not to just because you don’t want to make the effort, that’s selfish. Why would you do that to someone who helped you? Who, in turn, will help them? And when people see that you weren’t there for them when you could have been, again, that’s going to come back to you. Nobody wants to help someone who takes without giving.

Also, if you’re in a leadership position, your job is to lead. It is your responsibility to keep an eye on the needs of those below you, and to make sure the system runs smoothly. If you treat your subordinates like garbage, they’re not going to want to respect you.

If you do treat your subordinates well, and help others when they need it, people will look up to you and be more likely to return the favor when you need it.

Be a Colonel Mustang, not a Brigadier General Fessler.

Concept: Take 10, give 11. Interpretation: It doesn’t always take much to be kind. You can do nice things sometimes without expecting something in return.

“My brother and I met so many wonderful people on our journey, people like Mr. Hughes. I’ve come to realize how much happiness they brought us, even if we didn’t see it at the time. That’s why I feel that now it’s our turn to try and give back some of that happiness. If we receive ten and only give back ten, then it’s a zero-sum gain. Instead, if we receive ten we will add our one to it, and give eleven in return.” -Al, chapter 108: Journey’s End

You don’t always need a specific motivation to be nice. Being kind for kindness’ sake is always a good thing to do, and doesn’t necessarily have any negative payoff. A lot of the time, doing something nice for someone can take as little effort as just saying, “You look nice today”, or even- as Arakawa herself has said she believes to be important- just saying thank you when someone does something for you, no matter how small.

If you’re grateful to have someone in your life, show it! Be nice to them. You don’t even have to give a heartfelt speech; sending people posts you think might interest them, for example, can really make them happy. Also, if you see someone who’s feeling down- or even someone who’s perfectly fine- it never hurts to show them a little kindness. Your small compliment may wind up meaning far more to them than you think.

One way I personally try to spread a little kindness: When I see art on my dash, unless I have some particular reason not to want it on my blog (bad pairing, too sexual, etc.), I reblog it. Even if it’s really terrible art, I reblog it anyway, because I know how much it can mean to beginner artists to have just a little bit of encouragement. I also usually try to gush in the tags about how much I love it, or add specific compliments, like “This is a really cool art style” or “I like how you draw his hair”. 

Most of the time, I don’t get anything out of this, and I don’t expect or need to. But every once in a while, someone will message me saying how much my comment meant to them, and that’s a really wonderful thing. Also, whenever I leave a comment on a fanfiction, I always end it with a simple, “Thank you for writing this”. The other day, someone said the same thing on one of my fics, and I was shocked. People so rarely show such simple, straightforward appreciation for the amount of work writing takes, and it really made me happy to read.

Anyway, that’s all! I hope you guys enjoyed this spur-of-the-moment little pep talk, I hope it gave you something to think about, and I hope it might be of some help to some of you. And remember: It’s not hard to be nice!

[kindergarchy]

Human Acts by Han Kang There are a few things that I really like about Human Acts: 1) The title, 2) The addressed subject + how it is based on real life horrors (1980’s Gwangju Uprising in South Korea), 3) Han Kang’s writing and her masterful use of various narrative devices, 4) Deborah Smith’s translation* I read Han’s earlier work, The Vegetarian, a few months ago and thought that I really admired Han Kang’s writing style, very “efficient” without being stingy/cold/economical--razor-sharp with a quiet burst of vigor. But by no means is The Vegetarian a likeable book… Sure, the appeal works very well on some people, it won the Man Booker in 2016, and I finished it in one sitting, but I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. I’m not even sure if I personally like the book. Besides the strange discomfort trailing behind the ineffable weirdness explored in the book, I find the pace of the book (which is more like a “triptych” according to some readers) uneven - despite the highly probable intentionality behind this fact. I liked the pace of the first chapter and inevitably projected a similar expectation on the following two....maybe that’s why I didn’t enjoy it that much Human Acts, on the other hand, is more accessible, without compromising on Han Kang’s style of writing. The first chapter opens with a second-person pov, which is always a huge hit-or-miss for me. Strange because I know how much I like Han Kang’s writing but find this particular use amiss and unnecessary at first. But the first sentence of the second chapter drills in the implied reason very effortlessly and it does make me go...wow. From then on there is this constant shift in points of view and tonality, but unlike in The Vegetarian, this feels more like a welcome variation for me, rather than an intended flaw of inconsistency All the characters employ different, yet occasionally overlapping sets of coping mechanism upon dealing with the aftermath of the 518 tragedy -- withdrawal, denial, mania, a wobble between blame and guilt… Then comes the specific common thread: Distaste for food, disgust at human interactions to varying degrees. And more often than not, death is seen as a welcome sight. I find that books on uprisings sometimes read rather scornful/morally patronizing, by painting those who commit past atrocities as inhuman and convincing their readers that there is no way that any of us--as long as we are (made into believing that we are) decent human beings who can be reasoned with, equally well under any circumstances, at any given time--would do the same. Sometimes, this is often followed by a hasty reflex to lay down steps to “fix things”, and a self-righteous march toward either patriotism or rebellion. Han Kang always likes to ask questions. “Is it true that human beings are fundamentally cruel? Is the experience of cruelty the only thing we share as a species? Is the dignity that we cling to nothing but self-delusion?” Why are human beings like this? The crowd tendencies upon dissolution of individual identity to sway one way or the other--between the side of extreme evil and that of extreme nobility--is not a newly discussed phenomenon, but the uncertainty of which side it eventually bids for is something that Han highlights in this book… this time via a dissertation paper sent to one of the survivors of the Uprising The decisive factor dominating the morality of the crowd has not yet been clearly identified. One point of interest is the emergence in situ of a particular ethical fluctuation separate from the moral standard of the individuals who constitute the crowd. Certain crowds do not blench at the prospect of looting, murder and rape, while on the other hand, others display a level of courage and altruism which those making up that same crowd would have had difficulty in achieving as individuals. the author argues that, rather than this latter type of crowd being made up of especially noble individuals, that nobility which is a fundamental human attribute is able to manifest itself through borrowing strength from the crowd; also, similarly, that the former case is one in which humanity's essential barbarism is exacerbated not by the especially barbaric nature of any of the individuals involved, but through that magnification which occurs naturally in crowds. At some point you stop to treat these questions as if they were directed at the perpetrators, you realize that Han directs this at humanity in general, which you are undeniably a part of. It is inevitable to feel called out... not so that you can repent the sins of those people, because you can’t (not even the perpetrators can do that), but so that you can try to prevent these from happening again. The first step is using the awareness that often it is not the morality of the individuals that determines the moral direction of the crowd. So if it’s not that, then what? One thing is it is for us to try to find out, second thing is to realize that none of us can claim that we are 100% immune to committing these wrongdoings, if we were in the perpetrators’ shoes. I don’t find the overall tone of the book bleak though. I really like the part about conscience: It wasn’t as though we didn’t know how overwhelmingly the army outnumbered us. But the strange thing was, it didn’t matter. Ever since the uprising began, I’d felt something coursing through me, as overwhelming as any army. Conscience. Conscience, the most terrifying thing in the world. The day I stood shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of thousands of my fellow civilians, staring down the barrels of the soldiers’ guns, the day the bodies of those first two slaughtered were placed in a handcart and pushed at the head of the column, I was startled to discover an absence inside myself: the absence of fear. I remember feeling that it was all right to die; I felt the blood of a hundred thousand hearts surging together into one enormous artery, fresh and clean…the sublime enormity of a single heart, pulsing blood through that vessel and into my own. I dared to feel a part of it. At one o’clock in the afternoon, while the speaker in front of the Provincial Office was playing the national anthem, the soldiers opened fire. I’d been standing in the middle of the column of the demonstrators, but when the bullets came flying, I turned and ran. That sublime feeling that I’d been tapping into, that enormous heart I’d felt briefly a part of, was smashed to pieces, strewn over the ground as so much rubbish. (...) In the meantime, I had no way of knowing how many had fallen in the street fighting. All I remember is the entrance to the hospital the following morning, the seemingly never-ending line of people queuing up to give blood; the doctors and nurses striding through the blasted streets, white gowns bloodstained, hands gripping stretchers; the women who handed up stale rice balls, water, and strawberries to the truck I was riding in; the strains of the national anthem, and “Arirang,” which everyone was singing at the top of their voice. Those snapshot moments, when it seemed we’d all performed the miracle of stepping outside the shell of our own selves, one person’s tender skin coming into grazed contact with another, felt as though they were rethreading the sinews of that world heart, patching up the fissures from which blood had flowed, making it beat again. That was what captured me, what has stayed with me ever since. Have you even known it, professor—that terrifying intensity, that feeling as if you yourself have undergone some kind of alchemy, been purified, made wholly virtuous? The brilliance of that moment, the dazzling purity of conscience. and You are aware that, as an individual, you have the capacity for neither bravery nor strength. (...) But at the same time you know that if a time like that spring were to come around again, and even knowing what you know now, you might well end up making a similar choice to the one you’d made then. Like those times during a primary school dodgeball game when, having nimbly avoided danger thus far, there was no one but you left standing on your team and you had to face up to the challenge of catching the ball. Like the time your feet led you to the square, drawn there by the resonant song of the young women on the bus, even though you knew that armed soldiers were stationed there. Like that final night when they asked who was willing to stay until the end and you quietly raised your hand. We mustn’t let ourselves become victims, Seong-hee had said. We mustn’t let them dismiss us like that. I don’t know, we often view conscience or the spirit to fight as something noble, something that only a handful of people possess, the sacred fuel that propels movements forward… I like how Han Kang shows conscience in a different light of net neutrality, inching toward the idea that while brimming with hope, selflessness, and extraordinarily good feelings, it could be a shaky basis for irrational decisions (maybe good for the mass, not for your self-interest) The glimmering shafts of hope, while occasional, are beautiful and often so...truthfully simple, and it is precisely how Han puts an end to the book (before the epilogue): You disliked the shadowed places where the trees blocked out the sun. When I wanted to walk there to escape the heat, you tugged me by the wrist as hard as you could, back to where it was bright. Even though your fine hair sparkled with sweat, and you were panting so hard you sounded as if you were in pain. Let’s walk over there, Mum, where it’s sunny, we might as well, right? Pretending that you were too strong for me, I let you pull me along. It’s sunny over there, Mum, and there’s lots of flowers, too. Why are we walking in the dark, let’s go over there, where the flowers are blooming. v v good, would reread * really enjoyed Smith’s essay on the process of translating Human Acts here: http://www.asymptotejournal.com/criticism/han-kang-human-acts/

#human acts #han kang #deborah smith #contemporary literature #fiction #korean literature

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

PSG Roundtable #9: Practicing Multiple Traditions

We’ll be talking about our perspectives on being someone who practices in multiple traditions.  Before I start, I want to make it clear that I’m coming at this with a series of biases.  I believe that:

The gods are separate, unique agents in and of themselves as individuals (hard polytheism);

Objects have, or can develop, their own spirits to varying degrees of animistic complexity;

Gods, guides, and spirits can communicate with us in a variety of ways

By its very nature, practicing in multiple traditions means acknowledging that no single tradition is the only “true” one;

My experiences are not reflective of everyone’s and what works for me and mine may not work for you and yours.  While I do have strong personal feelings on this subject, they’re still only my personal opinion.

I’m also approaching this as an Irish polytheist and Kemetic, among other things, who is part of an (offline) group of hard polytheists from various traditions of their own, including Bacchic Orphic, Gallo-Roman, Heathenry, and Santeria.

What does it mean to be “multi-trad” or practice in multiple traditions?

I use “tradition” to refer to any collection of beliefs and behaviors that is coherent and has a recognizable identity of what it means to be a part of that group.

To be multi-trad, then, is to be able to move between various traditions.  Think of a big, lovely house with a room for each faith tradition: when I’m in the Irish polytheist room, I follow its guidelines for interacting with the Tuatha Dé, leave votive offerings, celebrate the cross-quarter days, understand that words like ‘poetry’ and ‘satire’ have very different meanings in this context.  When I go to the Kemetic room, I might wake up the Netjeru in their statues and worship in specific “praise” postures, share in food and drink (and for me, maybe talk alchemy).  When I visit friends in the Santeria room, I change out of my default black to completely white clothes, greet the Orisha in a way very different from the Tuatha Dé and Netjeru, and try to keep up with a completely different etiquette and sense of hierarchy to show respect for the divine, dead, and living Santo communities.

Can I combine multiple practices?

In my personal opinion, combining multiple traditions into a single “one approach fits all” practice means losing the characteristics that empower those traditions as individual identities.  I mean, you could worship Brighid as a Triple Goddess of Maiden/Mother/Crone, but doing so means taking the Celtic tendency to triplify goddesses to emphasize power and turning it into something that misconstrues much of Brighid’s nature.  YMMV.

That doesn’t mean one practice won’t ever impact another.  Say it’s Samhain and I’m honoring the Morrígan; before beginning my rites for her, I might also acknowledge other deities with whom I share death-related work, like Anpu in his psychopompic aspect, and the spirit allies who help me handle the unhappy dead that come up through my work at the women’s center.  Or perhaps I’ll honor them all in separate rites, not because Samhain has anything to do with Anpu but because my own associations with Samhain overlap with my work with him and doing so doesn’t violate anyone’s etiquette.  In another instance, if you’re oathed to a deity and you agree to a task they give you, you might then turn around to your dead or your guiding spirits and say, “All right, troops, here’s the goal.  I’d like your help to get it done, please,” even if your dead or guides don’t come from that deity’s paradigm.

Can I have events, like rituals, for multiple traditions?

It’s definitely possible to have multi-trad events, but if you try that, you need to be careful that the different entities are getting what they need.  Make sure everyone gets an appropriate offering (within reason, of course - sometimes you have to negotiate, like, “Dude, you can’t have that whole bottle of $50 whiskey, how about a shot of Fireball instead?”) without someone feeling ignored because of another.  Don’t put the shrines of entities who don’t get along beside one another.   Make sure you share the Netjeru’s portion of food, but once you offer something to the Tuatha Dé, it’s theirs.  And so on.  It’s like…having a dinner party with finicky guests of wildly differing temperaments, complete with some cultural barriers.  It can be a lot of fun, especially if you have skillful mediums with you and/or dedicants who are knowledgeable in their respective paths, but it can be a lot of work.  I think it’s well worth it, but I know some people would disagree.

When my own group has multitrad events, we always make sure to have a shrine for each god or pantheon to which the humans have oaths or relationships and plenty of diverse offerings so we can provide proper hospitality for whomever chooses to show up.  We also put a huge emphasis on consent, both human and nonhuman, so we don’t assume who will or won’t be present and willing to work with us - we just make sure the ritual space is available.

If you decide to go the ritualistic route, the hardest part is making sure that your ‘ritual tech’ - that is, your methodology - doesn’t violate the rules of one of the traditions in question.  Some traditions aren’t very strict on some things, like perhaps your method of cleansing yourself spiritually, but there shouldn’t be actual conflict in ideology or application.  Divining for the input of the gods and spirits involved, and maybe asking the opinions of others with knowledge of them, can be invaluable.

How do I switch between the different paradigms?

I think it’s not unlike switching between different environments or groups of people.  When you’re at work, you behave a certain way according to your workplace’s guidelines; when you’re at school, you behave according to those rules.  Even with friends, you probably act one way with a particular group that’s different from how you act with another.  You wouldn’t behave the same way around your conservative grandparents as you do with your mates at the pub.  You’re not lying or ‘faking it’ in any of these scenarios: you’re adjusting your style of communication and behavior to match the requirements and expectations of your environment.  When you’re familiar with the rules, when you have solid relationships with those people, you can start bending those rules a bit and acting more familiar, just as you do with human people.

Does it always have to be so complicated?

Ha, nope.  The things that I do with my group are usually much more involved than what I do privately because there are more traditions being represented, but that also means there are more people present to share the physical and spiritual work.  I maintain only as many relationships as I feel is reasonable for me, my lifestyle, my resources, and my rather limited spoons.  I’d rather have deeper knowledge of a few traditions to make my practice feel that much richer and fulfilling for me than try to juggle many different ones (although having general knowledge is often useful).

But I do take these fewer relationships as seriously as I do human ones, and any kind of mutually beneficial, respectful, healthy relationship takes effort.

It’s too much work and research!

Many of us have busy lives: job(s), kids, schooling, and so on.  Some of us are limited by funds, spoons, or other factors out of our control.  But if your reason for not doing at least some research with the sources you have access to in order to have a baseline understanding of the paradigm from which a specific god is coming is just, “It’s too much work,” I don’t have much sympathy.  Isn’t the relationship you forge with a deity worth that extra effort, which can deepen and strengthen that relationship because of shared language and understanding?  This doesn’t mean you need to go back to school to have a scholar’s understanding, and the gods’ conception of time is different from ours; their sense of ‘hurry up’ is, I think, often very different from ours, and you can take the time you need.  Religion should fit into your life, not the other way around, but you do still have to do the work.

What are the benefits of all this work?

You’d have to ask other people, but for me, some things I’ve gotten out of this include:

Showing respect for the gods and spirits and developing deeper, more nuanced relationships because of it

Showing respect for the tradition’s ancestors and, if relevant, living culture

Enrichment of personal perspective, broadening of horizons, etc.

I mean seriously, the world is so weird and people and the gods are so amazing and complex and diverse, why wouldn’t you want to engage with them as they’ve revealed themselves to us rather than try pigeonholing them into something we think they should be?

Do I still need to think about cultural appropriation?

Yes.

Do I still need to be initiated into things?

If initiation is part of the tradition you’re choosing to engage in, then yes.  Hanging out with Santeros, for example, does not make me a Santera myself, nor does it mean I have access to the mysteries of the tradition.  I would still need to undergo the same training and rites that every other Santero in this tradition has had to do.  As it is, I’m perfectly happy just being an invited guest.  Going back to my Big House of Faith metaphor, some rooms have more locked cupboards and drawers than others: initiations are the means by which you earn the keys to unlock them.  There’s actually a lot to be said about initiations, but that should probably be saved for another post.

Here are the “multifaith practice” tag, the resource blog @thepaganstudygroupresourcepage, and our collected links on various traditions and kinds of information.

Now that I’ve talked at great length - do my fellow mods who practice multiple traditions have their own experiences that they’d like to share?

- mountain hound

I don’t have much to add since I think MH covered a lot of the main points. As for my own experiences, you need to know that your discernment may still mean fuck all. If their myths and legends paint them as never getting along (for example, Korean deities versus Greek, though there aren’t any actual myths about that) it’s very fair to assume that if your UPG is that they get along swimmingly and don’t mind you mixing up the two traditions, you’re probably skewing something here. 

Like MH, I make sure to keep my Kemetic shrine in its own space and my Mugyo shrine in its own space. Keep in mind that each tradition may have particular regulations and rules that simply cannot be mixed. Forcing it together is an amalgamation and has a very high risk of offending the gods of both pantheons.

Being properly initiated is a huge deal. No matter what you read or watch as an outsider or fringe-member, you’re kept in the dark about specific hows and whys to the things we do inside the tradition. You’re always going to be missing something, some key information. So if you are able to get initiated into the tradition that you’re vetted for, you should do so.

- trueriptide

The PSG Roundtable Index

#pagan #paganism #multifaith practice #psg roundtable #mountain hound #trueriptide #multitrad practice #multiple traditions #eclecticism

[therevaliir-blog]

Announcements: 08-15-2017

Wiki Changes and Additions:

Thank you to Nadine Hydria for his work writing this piece about Lacriamium! Lacriamium: A Goddess's Tears Reborn It is now a subcat. of this new article: Materials of Revaliir I hope to get more of the materials and stories about them up on the wiki as we go!

Site Changes:

Mo'Mey Steppes has undergone changes!

-Language has been changed to Belarusian

-Capital has been renamed to Sviet

-The tribe has been renamed Adorany

-Map of Sviet has been added to the description of the area for Mo'Mey

Added Kujishoku to the Language Guide in the wiki

Redid/Better described other places with new languages / better definitions

Reuploaded the images for Stairway to the Skies and Canelux's Wings for the Wiki. You can see them again!

Changed General Discussion's overhead area to O.O.C. Pub! More fun! Links are still the same :)

Wishing Well and Wish Upon A Star now roll on Sundays

I started the x2 silver boost Area Spotlight! The first area is Baltil. These spotlights will last for 2 weeks so get your silver boost! I do have a schedule for this!

The O.O.C. Pub's description now links to the debate and game forums without using a quick link.

Tidied up the Synth/Alchemy Spreadsheet, made the link to the spreadsheet open up in a new tab!

Kirika Maze was changed to Kirika Lake since it was the bigger attraction! The description for the maze is still there :) 

Something is Happening! As the Moon Parvpora enters into its fullest state, and her sister Canelux waxes strong in the sky, an aurora spreads across the sky, originating from somewhere in the Jasumin Plains. As the green, blue and purple bands fill the sky, magical energies feel more potent, and minds feel sharper, while spells seem to have an added effect: the fading image of an ornate eye inside a triangle.

EVENT:  Sanguine Tenebris Conclusion

Many brave souls made an attempt to battle their way through the Circulorum Inferni. A select few were strong enough to make it all the way to Domus Tenebris to seek counsel with the Reaper. She heard their pleas, for it was her decision whether or not the mortals deserved her mercy. Their dedication did not go unnoticed by the Goddess - after several had successfully made their way to her, she appeared once more to the people of Adeluna. “Good people of Adeluna, it seems you have learned your lesson on this day. Let this serve as a reminder that greed is a dangerous thing, and that appearance is not always what it seems. Let this remind you that while Death may be cruel, it can also be merciful and forgiving. Write of this in your histories, and do not let it be forgotten. As for the Apothecary that brought this plight upon your town… do not fear. He serves in the deepest of my Circles now… pay him a visit if you please.” With a devilish wink, the Reaper was gone from sight.With Dalanesca’s appearance, it seemed that the effects of those under the spell of Sanguine Tenebris faded immediately, leaving many people with a loss of time and memory - a notion probably for the best. Perhaps the effects of Sanguine Tenebris have taught a lasting lesson to the people of Adeluna and Revaliir - greed is never worth it… but then again, the souls of mortals have always been weak, and more powerful things could always come about…. — Sanguine Tenebris has come to a close! Thank you to all who participated - I hope you enjoyed! Hopefully, this shows that Dalanesca isn’t alllll that bad.

We finally finished the capital of Railoch's description! Gobethio will be a subarea of Railoch unless people really want it to be separate. You can find it here: Railoch's Area Description OR YOU CAN READ ABOUT IT BELOW! The Unwavering City of Gobethio: Capital of Railoch Because of the persistent thunderstorm overhead, much of Railoch remains an inhospitable wasteland filled to the brim with ruins and strange machines leftover from a bygone era. However, despite the tempest's best efforts, the heart of civilization still beats in the eye of its storm. Gobethio, the once abandoned city now called the motherland of Revaliir's archaeologists, stands as the last city yet to succumb to the sky's unending fury. No one is quite sure how Gobethio has lasted so long; not even the inhabitants themselves. It is one of Parvpora's greatest mysteries, especially given the city's remnant, advanced technologies. Gobethio is the only major settlement in all of Revaliir that is known for having hydraulic and electrical power. The entire city, while Adelunian in architectural style, is lined with magical conduits and aqueducts that harness power from the storms overhead and channel it into luxuries that the rest of the world can only dream about. From trams throughout the city to indoor plumbing and electrical lights, Gobethio has many comforts that no one else has been able to recreate. As for the city itself, it is quite sprawling even if more of a research outpost than a typical settlement. Some sight-seeing focuses can be found here and there, thanks to the elevated city center and many waterfalls that flow down to the boundaries. There are also trading hubs and inns scattered throughout the city's limits, but these are hardly the main focus of Gobethio's splendor. The numerous guilds and their halls that dot the landscape capture that role, especially with their tendency toward ornate design. Gobethio's residents are particularly fascinated with lights, and so they often devote a great amount of resources toward flashy buildings when they want to impress. Yet despite this shiny and bustling exterior, Gobethio does play host to a multitude of secrets. The reason for its high volume of archaeologists is because of the oddities that surround the settlement. The implementation of all of its technology, save for the production of additional lightning rods, light fixtures, and pipes, is completely lost on anyone that lives there now. What lies above ground and what has been implemented or repaired since the city was first resettled is not nearly grand enough to provide all of the creature comforts that the people have come to expect. There are vaults of machinery deep underground, guarded by traps and unspeakable monsters. The archaeologists have gotten rich off of the wonders within that they have managed to plunder, but no one is sure how far down the complex goes or whether it is smart to find out.

Announcement:

Our Twitch Affiliate Naki introduced me to his good friend Arthzull, a professional graphic designer, who has generously given us a huge discount on designing us not only a logo but also a header for Revaliir. We will have our own images and truly be unique. Normally logos are $70 but when he heard about our troubles he gave us a huge discount down to $20 and is giving us a header. Naki also is throwing money down so that our header is professional sketched by someone that Arthzull knows. We'll be able to watch Arthzull's twitch when he starts to work on Revaliir's logo and I am working with him to make sure it is the best that Revaliir deserves. I can't thank everyone enough for supporting us and it has made me tear up greatly. I hope that we can continue making Revaliir unique and wonderful, a place where we can truly be ourselves and enjoy our creativeness together. Thank you to both Arthzull and Naki! Make sure to thank them both. -Brittlez, Revaliir Admin

Apply to Become a God(5 month warning):

Before I get started I just want to remind people that we have no tangible NPC gods. You can say your character worships a deity that isn't a PC but you can't interact with them. These are our rules please respect them. We even have a place where people can practice the old faiths here on the site. See the City of Abed for the Tower of Edhit. The God Applications are coming and we will be giving instructions in December. We are giving you guys a 5-month heads up to get your activity up. There will be only 1 spot to round us out to 6 spots.

You must: 1. Be able to write 10 posts a month. 5 the first two weeks 5 the last two weeks. 2. Be an active member of the OOC boards. Remember that being a god isn't a status symbol. It's a staff position. 3. Post with more than 1 person. Meaning you can't just post with me on all my different accounts(example). 4. Have a yearly event idea. 5. Be a role-model. This means behaving yourself. 6. Be prepared for conflict. This isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Staff discussions can get heated and you must be able to deal with that. 7. Be actively present for staff decisions, this means being in touch with us not all of the time but we prefer most of the time. You will be a deciding factor on future changes. This is the Application (though it may change by the time we get to December so be prepared for that. DO NOT send us it. We will throw it out and you will have to redo it/resend it) We'll tell you when the time frame to send us it starts. Application Form to Fill Out: 1. Username: 2. Character name: 3. Brief character history (max 150 words): 4.Our gods and goddesses don't have domains per se, for they have a title or function that defines them, which you can see just under the title of their temples. Our question is: what would your title be, and what would it mean for your character as a deity? How would they function as such? (Max 250 words) 5.What would be your character's three god powers? (bear in mind that this does not have to be absolutely definitive as they would be subject to approval (should you be selected) but a general idea would be helpful.)(If you need an example check Angela's signature) i. ii. iii. 6. As a deity, you would be expected to run events from time-to-time(Once a year). Describe one such event that you would like to run. (max 150 words.) 7. Why do you think you would make a good deity? This is your chance to tell us about yourself, why you feel qualified for the position, what qualities you feel you could bring to the deity mix and how you would function as a part of our expanding community. (max 250 words.) 8. Provide us with an example of your writing. This can be from a thread you have already written, or it could be a piece you have specially written for this application. Whatever the case, it should feature the character you are applying with. (250 words max) Sample Application (I used Toya, Ang's sister, for the App since doing one for Ang wouldn't have been as fun… I will admit Toya looks fun to play as for a Deity >.>; This is how we expect your app to look like in format. No links to posts or links to other documents.): Username: Toya Character name: Toya Rose Brief character history (max 150 words): Toya is the queen of the White Court in Arri. She was the youngest and raised by her four older sisters. Her life has been met with fire and destruction much like her soul. She has the soul of a dragon and the madness that goes with it. She does what she has to for her family even if her attitude says otherwise. Toya is the queen of Wildfire and Innocence; the innocence due to her ignorance. The queen is a person who speaks with her fists instead of logic, a formidable foe. One of a few mortals ever to punch a god and survive. Toya is also the Tactician in Arri, meaning she has good standings with how to win a war as long as you don’t leave the talking and negotiations to her. Our gods and goddesses don't have domains per se, for they have a title or function that defines them, which you can see just under the title of their temples. Our question is: what would your title be, and what would it mean for your character as a deity? How would they function as such? (Max 250 words) The Fire Wrath, The Dragon. Toya is a creature made of fire and destruction. Her heart is always in the right place but her mind leads her down the destructive path. The saying the road to Hell is paved with good intentions defines her. She would rather fight to get her way and ignite the world on fire when it isn’t. Diplomacy is lost on her and she would be the first one to throw a punch if things weren’t going her way. What would be your character's three god powers? (bear in mind that this does not have to be absolutely definitive as they would be subject to approval (should you be selected) but a general idea would be helpful.) i. Toya is able to have a volcanic eruption so the battlefield is in a haze with volcanic soot. ii. She is able to make things that would normally have a good effect become destructive. EX: Picking up a glass and having it break from the slightest grip. iii. Anything can become her firestorm, a massive fire attack. EX: Couch cushions lighting on fire or Ice cubes even. As a deity, you would be expected to run events from time-to-time. Describe one such event that you would like to run. (max 150 words.) The Dragon’s Nest. It is a tournament on the back of dragons. The ultimate aerial battle between warriors. The catch is that the dragons don’t want you on their back and they have been told to do whatever necessary to fling the competitors off. This would be a writing competition about a changing battlefield that just happens to be a dragon. Why do you think you would make a good deity? This is your chance to tell us about yourself, why you feel qualified for the position, what qualities you feel you could bring to the deity mix and how you would function as a part of our expanding community. (max 250 words.) I am an active member of the community. I run not only the Wishing Well but also heavily stalk the help forums looking for people to help. I have a standard of twenty threads I’m in at all times for roleplay. I’m also one of the veteran roleplayers for the Greenhorns’ Guild. I draw icons for the shops and for events in my spare time. I also always answer my PMs from people when they get sent. I can post upwards of 60 posts a month for a good month. A bad month is 20. I also multitask with 36 other characters. Provide us with an example of your writing. This can be from a thread you have already written, or it could be a piece you have specially written for this application. Whatever the case, it should feature the character you are applying with. (250 words max) She wasn’t sure that this is what Blaine had meant by ‘finding a new hobby’. She wasn’t even sure if this would be a get out of jail free card. The lycan was protective of his slightly psycho mate. Toya had a tendency not to understand when she was taking things way too far. Her recent activities included being a grand champion in Torn’s arena; it kept her out of trouble. However, when she woke up after one of her victories she found herself tied up to the bed with a quite displeased Blaine at the foot of it. She was more disobedient than a child being told no. Saddling her dragon she heard about the unrest that was in the ice lands. Her blood ran hot naturally and there were plenty of nights that Blaine had thrown all of the blankets off the bed just to deal with how hot her body tended to be. It was the flame elemental in her that stirred; go figure the crazy one had the destructive powers of fire. Climbing up onto the golden dragon they were soon off. Through the thick of blizzards and giant clumps of snow she found herself wanting to be back in the desert, she wasn’t cold but she wasn’t happy here. Her eye was visibly twitched as she landed the dragon. If it was one thing that she had a gifted talent in it was using her nose. Tips Your Event and You: I think this is one of the most intimidating and hard things on the application. (I know it made me really nervous when I applied for my spot) It is absolutely alright to ask people for help with this. Personally, I would pm past deities or current deities for tips and tricks. This absolutely does not have to be an event that you will follow through with. Make it practical and within our reason of doing. To help you out a bit here is how our event system works: You can have 3 prizes, 2-3 synth drop to make the prizes, it can be site-wide, in a pre-existing area, in your own area of your making, you can choose to do a hit point event where you heal or strike down health. For example; Angela needs priests to save 75,000 crops. People post and it will raise the bar from 0 to whatever. If people make it you could have a prize or if they don't you can have a bad result. For a creature, you could do KILL THE DRAGON! 75,000 health and each post will knock its health down. You can do other things with the health bar as well. I think Rhylana did her event it was healing Rhylana. Be creative nothing is set in stone just because it says hit point/heal doesn't mean you have to do it that way. You would work with me to determine just how much health/heal would be alright for the activity on our site. Obviously, having too much or too little is a bad thing. Your Title & You: Don't make it like an enigma where we or normal members can't understand where you are going with it. I should be able to tell what your positions are by reading your name. Angela's original title was She who gifts Fertility and Holds the Cornucopia (Fertility and Earth) Also your deity can hate their title. Angela hates hers now and I did that to show that the world gave her the title, not the other way around. You can see her title now: Master Artisan of Life and Keeper of the Cornucopia. Long and she hates but gives her story. You do you: When you get to why you want to be a deity think about everything you do for Revaliir. We want people who are a part of our community, people who help out, and who are friendly and least likely to cause conflict. You should join our Discord/Skype to find out more about our community and get to know everyone. People who are staff are required or will be to be part of our chatbox/discord/skype in some way. Your Post Sample & You: Get a post sample you have on the site and grammar check it. We highly suggest making it best. You can even do an entry that hasn't been done. Anything that shows up why your character is the spot you are applying for. Remember the character is the spot not the spot, is the character. Your God Powers & You: These god powers should be for god modding outside of your temple. In your temple, you can god mod all you want. For instance: Angela's relic making I could take off and most likely will for something I can actually god mod same with her desires. It requires cooperation with other roleplayers, therefore isn't god modding. Even I make mistakes and so do the other gods. These powers can change over time as we adjust and get better at what we're doing. They should be relative to your spot. Something I could replace her relic making with is: Her Earth Magic is stronger than anyone's at any given time. Few other things: The deity position is a job. You guys will be expected to actually work. When we say you have to be active we mean it. Even in times of slow posting where we disband the quota, there is a mandatory log in time where you guys have to spend on the site. If you didn't show up for your job you would get fired, this is no different. PMing Dalanesca and myself to see how your app was, if we got it, or ANYTHING like that will be considered prying and we won't hesitate to throw it out. If for whatever reason you are worried your application didn't make it through the pm system (which is doubtful) please pm another staff member and they will check. Dalanesca and myself cannot and will not look over your apps. You don't send your future employer your application and be like "Is this what you want?" That won't work. It's not here. No favoritism. I don't know how many time I have to say this but I will say it again: I don't care who you are. I've thrown other people's applications out who I've been friends with for years. I don't believe in favoritism and neither does Dalanesca. We might hurt your feelings but understand we have our reasoning. It is by no means a betrayal in our friendship. I'm friends with everyone on the site. I'll be best friends with you all but that will not get you this spot. Your talent, dedication, and time on Revaliir will. Be careful about what titles you choose and what areas you choose. Make sure that it isn't anything that can be made out as if you are trying to take a current deity's spot. Don't apply to be: The Gifter of Fertility knowing full well that we have a goddess in that range. This has been a problem. Make sure your app is clear. Make your spot known in the application and not all over. Look over your powers and make sure that they don't overlap with other gods. If you want to know if you can you can ask that god if that's ok. (I really don't care about god powers being close to Angela's so have at it but the others might care). Don't use this application as a platform to complain about some injustice done to you. I have a paper shredder with your name on it. Don't waste ours or your own time. Do not link us to stuff in your app. We will ignore you. We were lenient last time with this stuff but this time around we will ignore it. If you want it in your app make room for it. This includes; backstory, post sample, etc etc. You wouldn't link stuff off your application for a real life job don't do it here either. Do not send us a half-filled out applications. (This has happened) Be professional. If I or a staff member catches someone intimidating members not to apply I will strike you or worse. I don't care who you are – this is not okay. Sell us your character don't just write it down and be like "Whatever". SELL IT. You want it this bad you make sure we can tell. I can tell when people don't really care so trust me it shows. Don't apply if you want to just advance your plot and act like you have nothing left to rp but be a god. Let me tell you something: We don't trust that and we don't appreciate it. What's stopping you from making god and getting bored with it? This is a spot you should plan to have long term. I've held my deity position before Revaliir and I intend on keeping it. We're in for the long haul and you should be as well. We're dedicated to serving Rev for the greater good even if we're the only ones left rping. That was the promise we the creators made ourselves when we built Rev. It will always be here. Always. Do not be intimidated: What I posted above are guidelines. As we evolve we have to set new standards for ourselves and for Revaliir. I do not want people to think: Well gosh my character is off the wall I'll never make it. On the contrary, anyone has the possibility of making it. Personally, I like off the wall ideas but I'm only 1 of the selectors for applications. I don't suggest trying to play into our likes or dislikes (People know me they know what I like) because I become hardened when I do applications. I, for the most part, am the one who delivers the bad news to friends, spouses, etc, etc. I want the best for this site and so do the other ladies. We can also tell from past posts and other things. Most importantly have fun with it. If you don't think you can handle quota and think it will ruin your experience… Don't torture yourself. I had a good friend apply and get his spot and I ended up demoting him because he lost all interest because quota ate him alive. 10 posts a month doesn't sound like a lot but when it is expected of you quota becomes a burden you have to bear.

#fantasy #roleplay #rp #rping #writing #announcements

[timothyakoonce]

Take Complete Charge of Your Content

Take Complete Charge of Your Content written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

In 2016, content was in supreme power expected to be delivered in the form of compelling, personalized and interactive stuff that can be rated well and ranked high in all search engines. Overall, the strategy of content marketing saw a significant shift in 2016 compared to a year ago. The year 2017 is predictable. Brands, big or small are slowly preparing themselves to deliver value added real-time contextual content with videos, images, GIFs and infographics.

Content creators and marketers get a chance to enrich their customers with a more personalized content, those that can add value to the brands and those that can stand out. The key point here is to keep appearing with different sets of quality content. But, the majority of the marketers are still lacking the confidence to take complete control of their contents. Campaigning such content is no doubt going to be complex.  Efficiency in creating contextual content, formatting them as per the need of their target audience, and distributing them through proper channel needs little homework.

Deliver Value; Business will Automatically Happen

Know Your Customer and Deliver Experience They Seek

Earlier, brands use to merely broadcast to a mass of audience about what they have and what best they can offer. Reach was accidental. Hope, believe, chance etc were the words that marketers use to rely on during that decade. Trends changed drastically over the years. In recent days, with social media marketing and other online marketing taking the upper hand, companies have a new rule to follow in this game. This digital transformation can have positive impacts on delivering personal experiences. They can now reach their existing customers and simultaneously build a new set of audience who show interest through targeted messages, visuals, and preferred contents. Joe Pine, a well-known author and lecturer, sees this move towards personal experience as a new beginning that has the capacity to bring consumers closer to the market. Marketers have a challenge now to consistently keep the audience informed and entertained. This trend is going to run throughout 2017 and may be further than that. So, exist where your customers are!!

Be Contextual and Generate Quality Leads

Marketers need to stop campaigning insensitive contents and stop being tone deaf. You need to hear your customers’ preferences and place your offerings based on several data insights and several other factors. Internet of things, connected devices etc are simplifying the campaign process as it lets marketers gain insights about the customers; their preferences; spending patterns etc.

Examine Contextual Clues Left For You

Marketing contextual content and showcasing your brand personality needs a tilted mindset. The trick lies in tracking the digital behavior of your customers. But once this process is done, it is easy for you to understand the preference of your customers and create content that people actually wish to search for. Contents that go to the social media channel can be tailored based on the type of channel too. The challenge is to be active both online and offline.

Keep the Customer at the Center

Inventive Contents

Prediction says that by 2020, 4billion people will be online. In future, consumers are going to be purely networked all time, considering the trend has already set in many parts of the world. Access to the networked audience is direct. Reach is more of search-centric. The reaction is quick and instantaneous. Publishing to such audience is easier as your content and communication can travel freely irrespective of border/ geographies and connect instantly. Marketers have to work on one brand positioning strategy that can go well with the global audience. Although this presents a huge opportunity, businesses need to work on a different level of operational tactics to understand the power of customers and to click with them instantly.

Sizing Contents As per Mobile-Only Consumers

Since smartphone ownership rates are increasing phenomenally, researchers indicate that soon we can see the percentage crossing 90% mark. The coming decade can see a substantial increase in the number of mobile-only internet users. This sure induces anxiety on every marketer as there is a need to prepare and assess the methodology to reach customers directly onto their mobile devices.

Contents are Well Discovered in Social Media

Social media adoption and usage are on the rise. This continuous growth of social media and the enormous number of people getting hooked to various social media platforms has paved way for easy promotion and distribution of contents. The latest report from Statista indicates around 2.34 billion social media users globally for 2016 and the number is indicated to touch 2.51 billion by 2017. Content developers and marketers need to understand the importance of generating fresh contents and simultaneously also understand the strategy behind the distribution of their contents. To make things simple, there are many social media management platform available which helps in managing the distribution of contents based on certain analytics to the right customer at the right time. The best way to get this done is to create the right impression with engaging contents and reach at the right time. Do not rush and get shabby, you need to time it well and be interesting. Social media managers and content developers need to strike a chord and work this out together. Identify the influencers as they have the authority in the social media dimension. For all you know, they can be the right bird that can draw the whole flocks!!!!

Content Creation Works Hand-In-Hand with SEO

By now, the majority of the content creators and marketers would have understood the importance of SEO – Search Engine Optimization. For all those, who still have not, then this is the right time to understand that SEO is alchemy. Contents need to have few factors that can generate signals in search engines. Search engines catch these signals quickly and mark such information with rewards and rankings.

Produce quality content

Have a reason which will grab the attention of your customers/users

Offer value

Focus on Keywords – Research on the search types of your customers and include such words in your contents.

Be fresh

If not overall, your content should have few factors that can create a vertical slice at least to the entire spectrum of interest.

Go Real-time

Real-time technology is interesting. It lets you reach your audience instantly and interact with them immediately after you publish your blogs, tweets or post a message. Such content allows you to portray yourself naturally, visually and at the same time also lets you pick clues from customers that can help you grow.

Learn, Iterate, and Innovate

Understand the technology. Commit to a quality and be consistent. The process will help you to learn your customers. Real-time is like rapid fire. They are too quick, instant. Size your communication well to keep yourself active and fresh. The coming years are going to be challenging. Be ready.

  About the Author

Meenakshi Krishnan is a Content Consultant at OpenXcell, a pioneering Mobile App Development Company in India and USA. Technology inspires her and this has helped her author content on a variety of topics ranging from telecom, apps, healthcare communications and so on. She is currently working on global mobile app technologies reporting on diverse subjects. Prior to this, she was working for a technology marketing company based in Norwalk as a content contributor.

from Duct Tape Marketing https://www.ducttapemarketing.com/take-complete-charge-content/

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