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worryinglyinnocent · 3 years

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Fic: Forged Through Fire (11/13)

Summary: Amestris. Once democratic, now a military dictatorship. Prohibition is strict; personal freedoms curtailed. All alchemists must be state-licensed or face imprisonment. Foreigners are met with suspicion. It’s a grim place and a grim time, but there are some people able to bring a little light to the world. Behind an innocent-looking bookshop, speakeasy proprietor Chris Mustang has formed an unlikely alliance with unlicensed alchemist Van Hohenheim to provide alcohol to those who want it and medical care to those who need it. When Riza’s newly complete tattoo becomes infected, Roy brings her into this underworld, little knowing the way it will change their lives in the future – uncovering the secrets of the mythical Philosopher’s Stone and the schemes of a Fuhrer hell-bent on achieving immortality, all whilst navigating what they mean to each other.

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Rated: T

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [AO3]

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Content warning for this chapter: Implied medical abuse and vivisection; mild blood and gore.

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Forged Through Fire

Eleven

“Well, that’s not at all ominous.”

“You can’t deny that it’s the perfect place to house a super-secret alchemy laboratory, though.”

Riza peered out of the car window at the building they had pulled up across the street from. It looked like it was on the verge of collapsing, the very definition of a dead building, surrounded by high fences with ‘CONDEMNED BUILDING IN DANGER OF COLLAPSE, NO ENTRY’ signs plastered all over them.

“How stable is it?” she asked.

“The building itself is more stable than you’d think from looking at it, but the lab’s underground anyway.” Marcoh sighed. “I swore I’d never come back here, you know.”

“We surmised as much,” Roy said. “But we’re very grateful that you’re here nonetheless.”

“For the record, I think that this is the worst idea anyone’s ever had, and I’ll remind you that I used to work directly for the Fuhrer and was there when he dreamed up Project Xerxes.”

“This can’t be as bad as that, surely.”

“It’s up there.” Marcoh looked to Roy on one side of him and Riza on the other; Armstrong was driving with Havoc riding shotgun. “We’d better go before they clock that we’re up to something. Are you ready?”

Riza readjusted her borrowed uniform; it felt strange to be wearing military blues and even stranger to be wearing Roy’s clothes, even if Gracia had altered the spare jacket and pants to fit.

“I think we’re as ready as we’ll ever be. Come on, the longer we spend out here, the longer they keep doing whatever it is that they’re doing to Hohenheim.”

They got out of the car and Armstrong and Havoc drove away to go and enact their part in the plan.

“Don’t you think that someone would have noticed people going in and out of this supposedly dilapidated building all the time?” Riza pointed out as they crossed the street towards the gates. “Especially if the people are obviously government, even more especially if one of them is the Fuhrer, and even more than that if some of the people are being dragged in unconscious with black bags over their heads.”

“It’s not exactly a highly populous area.” Marcoh gestured around at the other blocks around them; most of them were in a similar state of disrepair to the lab’s front even if they weren’t actively condemned, and even though night had fallen, there weren’t any lights burning in any of the windows. “Most of the people who live in this area want to keep a low profile anyway; if they see something strange then they aren’t going to question it. Besides, the prisoners all come in via the vehicle entrance in the next block.” That was the entrance that Armstrong and Havoc were going to infiltrate.

“I mean, ordinarily I would use that one too, but Mustang here wanted to make an entrance,” Marcoh groused.

Roy shrugged. “If you’re going to take refuge in audacity, go the whole hog.”

“The thing working in your favour, obviously, is that this lab is by necessity pretty cut off from the rest of the military network so that as few people as possible know about it.”

“Considering how frantic Central Command was earlier when they couldn’t find Bradley, I can well believe that,” Roy muttered.

Marcoh was examining the padlock on the gates. “Ugh, they changed the combination since I was last here. Never mind.” He pulled some chalk out of his pockets and drew a small transmutation circle on the padlock, pressing his hand over it; the metal sparked bright white and the lock gave out. It seemed simple. Too simple. Riza’s hand went unconsciously under her jacket to the gun belt at the back. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were walking into a trap.

Nevertheless, this was the only plan that they had and the only plan that might have any chance of working.

They made their way up the rubble-strewn path towards the main door of the building. Now that Riza was closer, she could see that unlike the rest of the structure, this was definitely completely up to scratch – heavy and reinforced and showing no signs of wear and tear, a dead giveaway that this was not at all what it seemed to be.

Marcoh drew another transmutation circle and the door swung open under his touch, leading to a dark corridor that seemed to have no connection to the rest of the building.

“Be careful; there are steps downward about ten feet along,” Marcoh said. “Follow me.”

Riza and Roy inched along in the gloom, although Marcoh seemed assured of where he was going. They were about fifteen steps down when there was a clunk and the stairwell was bathed in a flickering glow of light; Marcoh had flipped a switch somewhere on the wall. Riza glanced over at Roy. His expression was hard to read in the dim light, but he looked focussed, sharp. Riza hoped that her own worry wasn’t etched on her face.

She had volunteered for this part of the mission, knowing that she wouldn’t be recognised by the military where others might be. Roy was willing to take the risk, knowing that they would need more alchemic power than just Marcoh if it came down to a fight, especially since Marcoh’s speciality was medical and Roy’s was combative, and if they needed any current military knowledge then Marcoh and Riza would both be stymied by lack of familiarity.

There was also the fact that Riza didn’t think they’d have been able to keep Roy away if they’d tried. A long and loud argument had ensued after the incident with Kimblee in the ammo cabinet, since it was only a matter of time before Roy’s name came up in connection with that, but Roy had won out, and here they were, about to enter the villains’ lair.

The steps came to an end in front of another door, and Marcoh turned back to them.

“This is it. Once we’re in, there’s no turning back. Are you ready?”

Riza nodded. “We’re ready.”

Another transmutation circle unlocked the door and they stepped into the Fifth Laboratory proper, a long, dingy corridor stretching out to the left and the right. The place wasn’t any more inspiring than the steps down to it had been, and Riza shivered at the inherent creepiness of it all.

Marcoh led the way confidently down the corridor. There was no sense in being furtive if they were to achieve what they’d set out to do, in fact, that was the entire point. As long as they acted like they had every right to be there, then the plan would hopefully go off without a hitch. If they started behaving suspiciously in any way…

“Hey!” A young military officer had come out of a door into the corridor in front of them. “You can’t be down here!”

“Yes I can,” Marcoh said calmly, continuing to walk straight on with calm self-assurance.

“Halt!” The officer pulled out his sidearm and aimed it at Marcoh, who stopped but didn’t raise his hands in surrender.

“Young man, do you have any idea who I am?”

“You’re trespassing.”

“I can hardly trespass in my own laboratory. I can see that you’re young, so I can forgive you for not knowing me. My name is Dr Marcoh, and I am the head of this facility.”

The officer lowered his gun, staring bug-eyed at Marcoh.

“Dr Marcoh? But you’re…”

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Marcoh’s voice was as mild as if he’d been commenting on the weather. “Since the unsuccessful attempt on my life I’ve been lying low to avoid a repeat performance, but on hearing about the chaos going on in Central at the moment I decided that the time was right to come back and see just what kind of havoc has been wreaked in my absence. So, if you could please alert your superior and let them know that I would like to see them, I would be most obliged.”

“Yes, erm, right away, sir.” The young soldier holstered his gun again and waved for them to follow him down the corridor, showing them into a small office. “I’ll, erm, I’ll need to get my CO to verify all this.”

As soon as the younger officer had left the room, locking the door behind him, Roy sprung into action, moving chairs and climbing up towards the ventilation grill on the wall. As Marcoh had explained to them earlier, the main laboratory experiment room where they would be working on Hohenheim could only be accessed through several other rooms if they wanted to go in through the doors, so to save effort and time, it would be easier to go directly there through the air vents, however much of a pain shuffling through them might have been. The grill came away easily enough, and Roy gave Riza a leg up into the shaft.

There was so much dust that Riza had to press a hand over her face to stop her sneezing. There was just enough room to get through on hands and knees, but turning round would be impossible so she hoped that Marcoh’s mental plan of the place still rang true or they might end up lost in the vents forever. She shuffled forward a little to allow Roy to get up into the shaft behind her, slapping at the cobwebs that crisscrossed in front of her before finally giving up and pulling her turtleneck up over her mouth and nose. It wasn’t perfect, but at least it would stop her choking and giving away their position.

“Good luck,” she heard Marcoh hiss as he replaced the grill behind them.

“We’ll need it,” Roy muttered.

They set off, their progress somewhat painstaking with the need not to make any noise and the undeniable fact that ventilation shafts were in their very nature noisy.

“I really hope there aren’t any rats in here,” Roy whispered. Riza stopped and glanced behind her, glaring at him. He dutifully looked sheepish. “Sorry.”

The shaft got darker and darker as they moved away from the room that they had left Marcoh in, and Riza felt along blindly, scared of somehow falling down a long drop. Eventually, after a sharp left turn, another grill came into sight, and she slowed down, inching forward to take a look through it.

It was not the room they wanted, but she still had to hold back a gasp at what she was seeing nonetheless. Below them, Bradley was sitting in what appeared to be a normal doctor’s office, not unlike the makeshift clinic back at the bar. He was hooked up to a couple of drips, but the one that caught Riza’s attention was the blood bag transfusing into his veins.

She felt Roy tap her ankle to get her attention and she glanced back at him, finger to her lips, then pointing at the grill. He nodded his understanding, and Riza continued to watch what was going on for a moment, focussing on the blood. Looking closely, she could see the odd tiny red spark crackle in the dark liquid, and if she hadn’t already been convinced it was Hohenheim’s blood then that sealed the deal.

“How much longer do you think it will take?” Bradley asked presently, and Riza heard the unseen second occupant of the room moving around.

“The process has slowed down. I think we’ve reached capacity in terms of how quickly he can regenerate the lost blood.”

The other figure moved into Riza’s field of vision, evidently a doctor of some sort, checking the drip line into Bradley’s arm.

“How are you feeling?”

“No different to normal.”

“Well, it might take a while to have any effect, and it may take us several attempts to get the refining process right.” Riza craned to see as much of the room as she could, and her heart leapt to her mouth when she saw the containers of blood lined up on the doctor’s desk. How much had they taken from him already?

Roy tapped her ankle again and she shuffled forward so that he could take a look through the grill as well. If nothing else, at least it showed them how close they were to their destination. If Marcoh’s memories were to be believed then the inner lab room would be the next grill on the left.

She froze as she heard the door to the room below burst open, and the person who had opened it be rebuked severely by Bradley and the doctor.

“I’m sorry, Sirs, it’s just that Dr Marcoh’s here!”

“What?”

“Dr Marcoh! He just arrived!”

“That’s impossible!”

“Evidently not.” Bradley’s voice was dry. “Go and see what he wants.”

Roy nudged Riza again and she kept moving as quietly as she could, feeling him shuffling along behind her, and it was only once they had rounded the next corner and could no longer hear Bradley and the doctor talking that she heard Roy swear violently but almost silently. Riza agreed with the sentiment completely. They were getting Hohenheim out by any means necessary.

Riza almost missed the next grill since the room it opened onto wasn’t anywhere near as brightly lit as the office had been, but her shoulder brushed against it and she stopped suddenly, Roy bumping into her. Peering down through the grating, she let her eyes become accustomed to the faint light inside, an eerie red coloured emergency bulb set high in the wall above the door.

Hohenheim was there, strapped down to a table in the middle of the room. He didn’t look conscious, and Riza’s heart was pounding in her ears.

“Riza?” Roy hissed. She glanced behind her and nodded. No time to dwell on the horror; they had to get the grate off from the inside and get down into the room without Bradley in the office next door hearing anything. She moved up to let Roy get at the grate, shuffling on until she found the next junction and awkwardly turning around. By the time she got back, Roy was drawing out a transmutation circle onto the grill. He gave her a look that said ‘pray this works’ and pressed his palm to the chalk.

The metal started to bend and warp under Roy’s touch, and although the process was slow-going to avoid making any noise, eventually the grate was open. Roy stuck his head out of the gap, then one hand, snapping to produce a spark and using the ensuing ball of flame as a torch to look around the room.

“We should be ok, it’s soundproofed,” he whispered. Riza didn’t want to think about why it was soundproofed. She glanced down at Hohenheim again before Roy began to pull himself through the hole, dropping down onto the ground heavily. Both of them froze, but the soundproofing appeared to have done its job and Roy held out his arms to catch Riza as she followed him down.

Hohenheim was cuffed down at all five points and Riza began to undo the stiff buckles holding the metal in place, Roy providing flickering flame light to work by. The short chain lengths attaching the cuffs to the table clinked ominously, and both of them kept looking towards the door for the slightest hint of what might be happening with Bradley and the doctor in the next room.

“Roy, what do we do about that?” Riza pointed to the tubes snaking out of Hohenheim’s chest, draining his blood slowly and directly from his major veins.

“Well, in any other circumstances, just yanking it out would be a bad idea, but this is Hohenheim so if anyone can survive it, he can.”

“You heard the doctor though. He’s running on empty.”

They didn’t really have much choice, and Roy made the decision for her, grabbing the tubes and pulling. Riza was glad he wasn’t awake for it. Immediately, blood started to pour steadily from the opening; Riza pulled off her jacket to use as a compress, realised how filthy it was from the trip through the vents and just used her hands instead. After a couple of agonising seconds, she finally felt the crackle of alchemy below her palms and Roy gave a sigh of relief, putting out the flame he’d sparked to cauterise the wound. Hohenheim was still alive and still immortal, for now at least.

Riza wiped her hands on the jacket.

“Hohenheim? Hohenheim, can you hear us?”

There was no response. She wondered how heavily sedated he was, or if he’d just passed out from the blood loss.

Roy went over to the door, listening closely and peering through the keyhole. They had already known that there was no way they would be getting out the same way that they got in, so now they just had to wait and hope that the rest of the plan went off without a hitch. Although Riza had her pistols with her and Roy was carrying as well after the excursion to the armoury, she really hoped that they wouldn’t have to shoot their way out.

Hohenheim gave a muted groan, and Riza took his arm around her shoulders to pull him up. She hadn’t realised how tall he was until he was a dead-weight.

“R’za?” He squinted at her as she dragged him off the table.

“Sh, we’re here to rescue you.”

Roy rushed back over to help and they made an ungainly way back to the door, listening for the hopefully obvious signs that the other part of the plan had worked.

There was no mistaking the ear-splitting shrill of the fire alarm, and the sounds of panicked confusion beginning in the rest of the building began to echo through the vents. On the other side of the door, Riza could hear raised voices and anger. Together she and Roy pushed Hohenheim further back into the corner - he was still way too groggy to be able to react quickly to anything, if he could react at all. There was the sound of a key in the door lock. Riza grabbed a pistol. Roy was poised ready to spark.

The door was flung open and they pressed themselves back to the wall behind it as the room was flooded with painfully bright light, showing the very empty table and the transmuted grate. “They’re in the vents!”

Whoever had opened the door turned and rushed back out again, and Riza looked at Roy. He nodded, then waited a moment before inching around the door and looking through into the room beyond.

“We’re clear, Bradley’s gone.”

They hoisted Hohenheim up between them and made their way out of the lab room and into the office, hastily abandoned, and Riza went to check that their exit route was clear. She could hear people running around, but this stretch of corridor was clear; presumably even within secret locations there were some parts that were even more secret than others, and she doubted that Bradley would have wanted too many people hanging around and potentially finding out about his immortality treatment going on.

She nodded to Roy.

“Wait.” Roy gestured to the bottles of Hohenheim’s blood stacked up on the desk. “We need to do something about those. Might as well stop them in their tracks whilst we can. God knows no-one needs an immortal Fuhrer Bradley.”

Riza nodded. “What’s your plan?”

“Well, I don’t think that pouring it down the drain would be a good idea; I don’t want to think about mutant immortal crocodiles in the sewers under Amestris.”

“I don’t think that there are any crocodiles in the sewers in a land-locked country, but I get your point.”

Roy held up a hand, poised to snap. “I don’t think that torching the entire room will dramatically lower the market value of this place too much.”

Riza just stared at him. “Are you sure?”

“There’s already a fire alarm going off.” Roy shrugged. “Might as well give them something to be alarmed about.”

They made it out of the room and along the corridor a little way, leaning Hohenheim on the wall. He was getting more and more with it, but he was still weak and it was taking time for his regeneration to get him back to normal. Roy went back to the doorway and snapped. Riza could see the flames licking the doorway, lighting up Roy’s grim face for a while as he watched the blaze begin to consume the room. Satisfied that everything had been destroyed, he came back towards her as smoke began to billow out, and the three of them made their way as quickly as they could through the corridors.

They were almost out of this section of the rabbit warren when they came face to face with the doctor from the office, no doubt hurrying back to check on his precious experiment.

“Where are you going with my Philosopher’s Stone?”

Riza glanced sideways at Hohenheim; despite the fact he probably still had sedatives coursing through his system and was still recovering from his copious blood loss, the stare that he was fixing on the doctor was pure, unadulterated rage. If looks could kill, Hohenheim’s death glare could have buried this gold-toothed bastard three times over.

Riza adjusted her grip on Hohenheim and reached behind her for a pistol with her other hand, but she didn’t need to fire. The wall next to them swelled and reformed with a shriek of brick and plaster under strain, smacking out and sending the doctor flying. He landed limply with a groan, and Riza looked sideways again. Hohenheim hadn’t moved, but she caught the slight quirk of a satisfied smile on his face before he gave a shuddering groan of exertion.

Roy gave an impressed nod. “Yes, that’s certainly one way of doing it.”

They continued on until they reached the corner; Riza darted ahead to peer around and nearly yelled as she came face to face with Havoc in his dark covert ops clothing. He lowered his gun.

“Thank God Marcoh’s got a good mental map, I was beginning to think I’d never find you. You’ve caused so much chaos, by the way. They’ve got people all over the air vents now. This way’s clear back here. Hey Doc,” he added to Hohenheim, going over to where he was leaning against the wall and taking an arm around his shoulders as they moved off in convoy in the direction Havoc had just come from. “Good to see you.”

“Is Trisha ok?”

Roy gave Hohenheim a look. “You’re besotted. You’re only half awake, you can barely stand, you’ve just spent I don’t know how long having your blood siphoned off and your first thought is Trisha.”

Havoc laughed. “Hohenheim’s a lover, not a fighter, Roy. We’ve always known this. She’s fine, Doc; she’s safe at the shop with Hughes and Madam.”

They had only gone around one more corner when they hit a large obstacle.

“Right.” Havoc visibly deflated at the sight of the heavy wall blocking the corridor in front of them. “Will you believe me when I say that wasn’t there before?”

Roy nodded and gave a long sigh. “Yes. It’s a fire barrier, it would have come down when I started throwing actual fire around.”

“I suppose the whole point of it is that there isn’t an alternative exit?” Havoc sighed as Roy shook his head.

“It’s fine.” Hohenheim pulled himself upright against Havoc’s shoulder and reached out towards the barrier. Red sparks crackled around the edges and the entire thing exploded outwards. Havoc just looked at him, and he shrugged.

“Sorry it wasn’t neater. Haven’t got full control back yet.”

Havoc just continued to stare as they stepped through the rubble. “You know, I’m really glad you’re on our side.”

They continued to make their way through the labyrinth of the laboratory, out towards the exit where Havoc and Armstrong had come in with the car. Riza was glad of Havoc being there to guide them; they’d passed where she and Roy had come in with Marcoh and they were into unknown territory now. The smoke from Roy’s earlier fire in the doctor’s office and experiment room continued to follow them, billowing around the ceiling. Their path was starting to cross with other people in the complex now, but no one was paying them any mind, all too concerned with getting out as soon as possible now that it was evident that there was definitely a fire in the building somewhere.

Riza stopped in her tracks when she heard an ominous creak from behind her. It sounded like the entire building was groaning. She remembered the creaking sound that the wall had made when Hohenheim had knocked out the doctor, and the exploding fire door, and the ever-present and ever-increasing smoke.

“I don’t think this building is very structurally sound anymore,” she said, taking to her heels again with the rest of the group. “The ‘in danger of collapse’ sign out front seems more and more accurate.”

The ear-splitting shriek of concrete and metal under pressure was all the warning they had before a massive chunk of ceiling fell down.

“Riza!” Roy practically threw her out of the way, covering her. When the dust cleared, she was glad to see that he was unhurt.

“Roy? Riza?” Havoc yelled from the other side of the debris. “Are you guys ok back there?”

“We’re fine, but we’re not going to get over this in a hurry.” Roy helped Riza back to her feet. “You go ahead and get Hohenheim out of here, that’s what’s important. “

“What about you two?”

“We’ll double back and get out the way we came in with Marcoh.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, now get going before anything else collapses!”

Havoc didn’t need telling twice, and Roy and Riza turned tail, running back in the direction they had just come until they reached the long corridor they’d arrived in before. It was blessedly free from smoke, and the creaking sounds were left behind them.

“Do you think there’s any chance that Bradley’s been crushed under falling masonry?” Riza asked.

“God, I hope so.”

“Is that so, Mustang?”

Riza’s blood ran cold.

#FMA:Brotherhood #FMA Fanfiction #Royai #Roy Mustang #Riza Hawkeye #Fic: Forged Through Fire

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sparrowsabre7 · 4 years

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Used a guide, because life is short and this game is long. So I'm meant to talk to Fragile by selecting Fragile jump in my room. I guess that makes sense but given it's only ever been for fast travel not sure how I would have worked that out as a method of communicating, or that Fragile could put you into a beach.

It's quite a nice story beat, that Fragile can't jump to Amelie as previously explained, but she can jump to Sam and Sam can get to Amelie through the things that bind each of them like knots on a strand. It may be a little on the nose but it still works, as does perhaps the first moment of consensual touch Sam allows in the game, after Fragile quietly says "I'll have to touch you" and he silently accepts. For all his weird sexualisation of some scenarios and badly worded dialogue, Kojima can still sell emotional beats when he needs to.

On the beach at last; ok, Higgs is Darth Vader now and has force powers. He creates a BT spiderweb and sets Amelie at the centre before a fourth wall breaking monologue about stick vs rope and one last boss fight: no items, final destination, Fox only.

It's Strandin' Time!

Ok this kind of... blows. It's a stealth segment where he can find out where you are almost instantly. Why the fuck wouldn't you take any weapons Sam? It's really hard to break line of sight. I know I need to throw the boxes to distract him but it's not working. Did manage to yeet one right in his dumb fucking face though. Didn't see that coming Mr. God Particle.

Ah fuck this; LEEROOOOOY mmJENKINS!! Decked the shit out of him then pivoted to bind and then kick the shit out of him some more. God, that's satisfying.

After a few rounds of that, "I don't need a gun Sam". Brave of you to say half way through the fight dickwad. Come at me.

When you were partying, I studied the strand. When you were learning how to control BTs, I mastered the parry mechanic. While you wasted your days at the gym in pursuit of vanity, I cultivated inner strength. And now that the world is on fire and the barbarians are at the gate you have the audacity to come to me for a boss fight and expect victory. Welcome to dirt, punk.

Oh, and apparently you don't need a gun but do need grenades. You're a real honourable warrior, Higgs. Truly the last of the samurai.

Kicked out a Snake-like "Aaaaaah" from him and it's over.

No. Wait. Round 3. "We got DOOMS, Sam! This was only ever gonna end one way." Ok, I... I don't know what that means but now we're in Tekken apparently. Health bars above our heads and everything. Oh no, it's Mortal Kombat, with the slow mo jaw break.

This...

This is kind of a shitty end to a boss fight... I'm literally hammering attack and winning it's just so incongruous with the rest of the game, should have left it at stage 2.

It's got dramatic music like it's meant to be the Snake and Liquid fight in MGS4 but I have no emotional connection to Higgs, in-game or out. He's just kind of a shithead, there's no brotherly bond here and he's not been established enough.

Ah multiple headbutts finisher. It is literally trying to be that MGS4 fight.

I know this isn't the end since Cliff's thing is still unresolved, but it is definitely trying hard to feel that way.

Oh shut the fuck up Higgs, stop with your "you won but still lost" bullshit. Fragile, kill the fuck out of him, please. Ugh, don't repeat I'm not that Fragile like it's your catchphrase.

Ha! Fuck you Higgs! Run out of BT juice. Oh... was that it? One punch. Also, don't just repeat "You're damaged goods" back to him like you're in a Joss Whedon film and that's an adequate comeback. Wow after a strong start this not-finale has been super anti-climactic.

Oh nope,she is going to shoot him. But offscreen. Fragile managed to bring Lou over too, nice. "Where should I take you?" Fragile asks, before Amelie butts in with "He doesn't need you, he's got me." Alright, calm down. Jealous much. But Sam is like "yeah you should go." Glad Fragile at least calls them both out on it.

Ok, so now Amelie says she could have left at any time basically, but did it to force Sam to connect the Chiral network.

And now we're "Mario and Princess Beach" running back home.

And now everything has gone insane. Now Bridget is here but maybe she's also Amelie and Die-Hardman is here to kill Bridget for fucking the world up and now Cliff is here and he knows Die-Hardman (who's real name is John) and Bridget is sending him after Sam but now she's Amelie again and behind Sam and tells him to run by pushing him in the sea, causing him to repatriate but in the repatriation sequence it's not BB inside Sam but one of those horrid dolls.

What the FUCK.

Ok and now I'm back in my room and Deadman tells me Amelie ported me here and then checked out to "finish what Bridget started" which I'm guessing may still mean blow up the world or the beach or something. Christ it has got very dense very quickly.

"We've been operating on the assumption, Higgs was controlling Cliff"; have we? News to me, I always assumed they were two separate antagonists given the Battlefield was entirely separate from Higgs' brand of goopy nonsense. So now Cliff has Amelie AND Die-Hardman on the beach. Great so things have gotten worse. Now Fragile can't port me to the beach either because reasons.

So I have to walk all the way back East all the fucking way because she transported all the secondary characters before me.

Thanks a fucking lot. This has been a real kick me while I'm down moment.

At least I don't need to carry anything there save protection and climbing gear. Hope I can at least drive some of it.

Ooh more flashback time. Looks like Bridget was intending to use BB as a sacrifice to build the UCA, unclear if by causing the Death Stranding or somehow starting the Chiral network.

Anyway now I'm walking these 6k or whatever back to Lake Knot. Some zipline help but one asshole put the zipline where the dismount is off a cliff. Sam echoes this though with a "nice zipline, asshole".

I also have no equipment, so stopping off at the paleontologist to gear up. Nice, a free bike too. Everything's coming up Bridges.

Oh fuck off Deadman, I don't want a Cliff notes session (pun intended), especially when you're just restating a bunch of theories. So Cliff wants BB to b whole, yep already gathered, the battlefield is tied to him due to his anger dragging his hellscape through with him. Sure, cool, can I get back to my drive now?

Oh come on... BTs can now spawn as catchers immediately, don't even need to grab you. Fuck this, I'm running. Sorry purple bike!

Jesus fucking christ Deadman, fuck OFF. Blah blah secret BB experiements were to make BT detectors but actually they were designed to make the Chiral network like I thought.

Oh.

They made the network by building all the cities with a BB integrated into each one.

Jesus Fucking Christ, I didn't see that coming...

That's some heavy shit man. This is that episode of Doctor Who with the space whale heavy.

While I ponder that horrific choice I'll inevitably have to make I am enjoying coming back and seeing how much bigger the highways have gotten in my absence. It's so fun to boost down them on a trike.

Another call from Deadman. Cliff put his BB in the care of the scientists but didn't know they were going to use the BB for the Chiral network, I assume he thought the experiments were benign per the lie told. Deadman says he's unsure how he was able to arrive on Bridget's beach and that there must be more to their connection so I'm going to go ahead and guess, he's Sam's father as well as the BB's, or he's a sibling of Bridget.

Fucking hell, another call from Deadman. Jesus give it a rest. No apparent connection between Die-Hardman and Bridget because his past has all been redacted, also suggested that Die-Hardman had no connection with Amelie/Bridget and that it's DH connection to Cliff that allowed him access to Bridget/Amelie's beach. God my head hurts.

Heartman's saying that the beaches are beginning to merge into a single seam, aside from the battlefield and Heartman's beaches. Amelie may have some kind of super bridge that controls all beaches which further my theory that she was BB patient zero.

Oh boy, big ol' Chiral storm, looks like it's battlefield time.

Flashback time, Cliff gives a sad speech about being a father and it looks like Die-Hardman killed Cliff under Bridget's orders.

Ok we're in Vietnam now and Cliff's wearing DH's mask. Comparatively this opener is less badass than the WWI and II battlefields but only in comparison. In any other games this would be a ridiculously cool moment. The arena itself excels as always, still not sure I could pick a favourite. Vietnam feels more linear but the mix of violent explosions, fire and oppressive silence and darkness work so well together.

Ok, I was wrong, actually reaching Cliff gives a supremely cool scene of Cliff and co marching through a lake of fire.

Another intense game of cat and mouse later and Cliff is finally down.

It's actually a really nice moment of emotional catharsis. Cliff begins to whistle a tune to BB and Sam completes it. It's not a big shock reveal, just a quiet mutual realisation that Cliff is Sam's father. They embrace and then a gunshot is heard and Cliff disappears, having first transitioned from combat gear to a suit, I hope implying his becoming whole and at peace. Despite minimal development until this past hour of exposition, Cliff has been a much more successful antagonist compared with Higgs.

Another flashback, DH is saying that Cliff should escape with his BB, but he will be forced to carry out any orders Bridget gives, hence the previous flashback. Seems DH was one of Cliff's soldiers. Still unclear if the woman lying on the bed, who is Cliff's wife, is the same person as Bridget. It's deliberately vague and when Bridget approached the BB in a previous scene her face was covered with DH'S mask.

Oh... Sam seems to think Cliff is Lou's father but that very much wasn't my take away from that scene. Deadman comes along with a recording of DH, says that Amelie left a message for him to get to the beach with one of Cliff's dolls. He knows it's a trap but plays along anyway and says Amelie also has no recorded past and made the point no one's ever met her in person. Seems to point to the fact that she may only exist on the beach.

DH says that her soul remained on the beach while her body deteriorated in the real world, but with high DOOMs abilities. She could then travel to the beach body and soul by the time she was 20 and the president said never contact Amelie except by hologram, but once the Chiral network was up and running DH checked the old records:

Bridget had uterine cancer in her 20s and never had children, yet Amelie is the spit of a younger Bridget, so... what's the connection?

Ok, now Fragile's here, and says Amelie was behind Higgs, she led the Demens and he abandoned Fragile when Amelie showed up, began the extinction initiative. She could control BTs and she was the one who turned Higgs into Homo Demens, able to command BTs at will. There was no BB in Higgs' chest pack either, only another of the dolls Cliff had.

But if that's all true, then why did she not just trigger the death stranding when Sam competed the network? Why did she need Sam to kill Higgs?

Another chapter closes but I feel we've still got a ways to go.

#sparrowsabre7 plays death stranding #death stranding

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blackrose-ffxiv · 5 years

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Fair Trade and Leverage 11/19

"What we have to discuss is not necessarily suitable for uninvolved parties," Leon Robinaux leads the way, finding a spot upon the balcony where they cannot easily be heard, but which does not make it look as if they're trying to hide. "Now then," He says in a slightly lower voice, "we have some business to settle between us, do we not? I have discussed your claims and proposal to the boss, and he is… skeptical. Intrigued, but skeptical. He wonders just how much power you truly hold over Vidal. He believes that a demonstration is in order, and I agree."

Lebeaux Desrosiers rolled his shoulders and walked along with Leon casually towards the railing of the platform. He turned to lean casually against it, holding onto the rail. Just to be entirely sure that he wouldn’t be easily tossed over should the other decide he didn’t care for his replies. “I never agreed to hand him over to you or coerce him into working for you.” He pointed out calmly. “I offered to keep him out of your way. Which I have done.”

Leon snorts softly, as if Lebeaux has just told a little joke. "And how does that benefit us, ultimately? The only reason he still lives right now is because I allowed him that chance. And do you know why I did that? Because the boss still believes Vidal can be useful. So, do you understand now? If he never works for us, there's no reason to let him live. The best means of keeping him out of our way is to eliminate him. I want to trust you, of course. He's the one I don't trust, and I doubt you should, either."

Lebeaux tilted his head slightly as he smiled at Leon. “If you want him to benefit you, you should be off cutting deals with him rather than me.” He noted. “Oh, right. You stabbed him. You’re likely the last person he would be willing to work with.” His chin lifted slightly so he could smirk down his nose to Leon. “Let’s say I were to indulge you and agree to at least listen to your demands. What would your boss want by way of a demonstration."

"Michaux made it clear he had no intention of working with me when he stole from me with just surprising audacity," Leon says, waving off this suggestion. "If I were to dangle Solenne's fate before him… But no. I imagine that would only work once. Then I would either be forced to repay him, and thus lose my last tenuous hold on all three of them, or I would have to break our agreement, which will certainly dissuade him from working for me again. It would be better if I could keep him on a leash in some other way." He smiles when Lebeaux asks about the demonstration. "Ah, yes. One of those pirates from the Ruby Sea was recently captured for questioning on.. a certain matter, but she is proving extremely difficult to interrogate. Dismembering her to get the information I need would be inconvenient, but Michaux could obtain it easily."

The Ishgardian slowly tilted his head in the other direction, smiling all the while as he considered that. “There would be conditions. I wouldn’t agree to bringing him to you and your boss, seeing as there’s no guarantee that you wouldn’t harm him. Arrangements could be made to do the questioning at another location of my choosing. Bring your own subject.” He suggested cheerfully despite the subject matter. “But.” He held up a finger. “One little problem.” He pointed out. “You and your boss have still done nothing for me. I’ve no incentive to help either of you.”

"We thought you might stipulate something of the kind. I would accompany the prisoner myself, of course, and several guards to keep her in line. The guards can keep their distance, however. I would agree to do it in a location of your choice." He huffs and smiles faintly. "Yes, of course. Money will be yours, and limited access to our spy network. Possibly access even to our assassins, if you prove valuable enough. But you want something more than that, don't you? Tell me, how much do you know about Solenne's activities while she was in Hingashi?"

Lebeaux allowed his gaze to drift away from the Duskwight, as though he was losing interest in the conversation. Pale eyes moving over the skyline and the ships in the harbor before they drifted back over towards the bathhouse. “I haven’t bothered to look into them.” It didn’t matter to him if she burned this place to the ground with her shady dealings. His grudge was far older than that. “I doubt that knowledge will be more satisfying than knowing she was gone for good and would never be able to interfere again.”

Leon's smile widens. "Why, I am surprised at you, Lebeaux. I've heard you were quite a shrewd man." He reaches up to brush a few strands of hair from his eyes. "You don't consider knowledge that could bring about her execution satisfying? The prospect of holding such information over her head - and Idristan's - doesn't interest you at all? Well, if that is the case, perhaps we should go our separate ways."

Lebeaux allowed his gaze to continue to roam until it circled back to Leon, settling it briefly on the other’s smile. “I’ve had my hands full in other matters. The pair of burnt-out heretics aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.” He noted calmly, lifting his hands from the railing to cross his arms over his chest. “Is that what you’re offering in exchange for my cooperation in coercing Michaux to aid you. Damning information and evidence against Solenne.”

"Burnt out heretics," Leon repeats, looking even more amused. "I have recently been given to understand that they intend to go wherever they wish, and do whatever they wish, even if it's likely to bring about a direct confrontation with me. Do you think you're immune? Ah, perhaps you do, using their friend as a shield. An excellent tactic, by the way. Too bad I might have to remove him from your grasp." He taps his chin, looking thoughtful. "Yes, I do have permission now to offer you such evidence against Solenne."

The medic toyed lightly with the edge of his sleeve before he smoothed it out again, keeping his arms folded over his chest. “I suspect I’m immune until they find a method of dealing with you.” He noted. “Considering my truce with Idristan, I am the lesser target for the time being.” Honestly he was just waiting for one to take the other out, either way. “And should you talk like that, it’s truly not very conducive to convincing me to bring Michaux around you. Why would I share my toys when you’ve threatened to take them away or break them.” He teased with a smirk. “Unless. Unless you give me a down payment on your end of the bargain. A taste to ensure what you’re offering is worth my time and not common knowledge.”

"Of course I would not remove him if you prove to have enough control over him to make him useful," Leon points out. "Isn't that part of what we're bargaining for? Let's see though. A little taste. Hmm… I wonder if you have heard the fuss about the recent assassination of a noble in Bukyo? Perhaps not, if you've had your hands full. It's quite a scandal. It was a foreign woman who received special permission to pass beyond the gates of Kugane because she was another noble's concubine. You must have heard this part, though. You have met that noble yourself." He tilts his head to one side. "How it has horrified the nation. A foreign woman - an Elezen - assassinating one of our elite. It is thought that she is dead, but should she ever be found alive, I can readily imagine what would become of her."

Lebeaux listened with a calculated air of disinterest. As though such things were below him. But after the tale was told he uncrossed his arms from his chest and pushed lightly away from the railing. “Very well. I’ll have to do a bit of looking around to check the veracity of the fable you’ve fed me. But should things seem to add up I shall be in touch to arrange that rendezvous between Michaux and your honored guest.” He offered. “Lovely as this all has been, I shall resume my plans to have a bath. Spending too long around you makes me desire one all the more.” He offered cheerfully. “Good day, Leon.”

Leon eyes Lebeaux calmly, his smile faded. But not because he is disappointed. No, despite his air of indifference, Lebeaux does seem interested in this small taste of Solenne's sordid Hingan visit. Instead of hemming or hawing further, he seems interested in this bait. Perfect. "Very well. Thank you for giving me a few minutes of your time, Lebeaux. I look forward to hearing from you quite soon." He seems poised to leave, but then he pauses. "Give Michaux my regards next time you see him." And with that, he walks away.

@secrets-and-aetherlight

#lebeaux #leon #he doesn't seem to have a problem putting someone else's neck in a noose #poor mich #plotting for him

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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31 Best Horror TV Shows on Streaming Services

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Horror and television have always been a bit of an awkward fit. What’s scary and what’s bingeable sometimes seem mutually exclusive. Horror requires that you suspend your disbelief and the longer it asks of your attention span, the higher the risk that the tension wanes.

Still, in the modern streaming era, there are plenty of horror TV shows that get the spooky job done. Gathered on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and HBO Max are some truly great bingeable options to elevate the heart rate. Here we’ve compiled the very best of the best. What follows are the 31 best streaming horror TV shows.

American Horror Story

Available on: Netflix, Hulu

Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story is revolutionary in quite a few ways. Not only did it help usher in a renewed era of anthology storytelling on television, it also was arguably the first successful network television horror show since The X-Files.

Like all anthologies, American Horror Story has its better seasons (season 1 a.k.a. Murder House, season 2 a.k.a. Asylum, season 6 a.k.a. Roanoke) and its worse (season 3 a.k.a. Coven and season 8 a.k.a. Apocalypse). Still, for nine years and counting, American Horror Story has been one of the go-to options for TV horror fans.

Apparitions

Available on: Amazon Prime

When The Exorcist first premiered in 1973, it changed everything for horror. A whole world of demonology and exorcism entered into our collective unconscious to torment the masses. Still, the TV world hasn’t done much with exorcism-based horror since that then. BBC’s Apparitions from 2008, however, might be the exception. This is a nifty little horror drama that goes about demons the right way.

Apparitions stars Martin Shaw as Father Jacob Mays. Mays is tasked with examining potential miracles for canonization. But as Mays sets out, he begins to come into contact with dark forces in need of some exorcising. Apparitions is an excellent miniseries that has a shockingly complete perspective on how the Catholic Church operates.

Ash vs Evil Dead

Available on: Netflix

Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead series (consisting of Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, and Army of Darkness) are some of the most deliriously bloody and fun slasher films ever committed to celluloid. Surely, however, a TV series made decades later couldn’t possibly bring the same level of thrill, could it?

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Wrong! Starz’s Ash vs Evil Dead is another installment of fantastic comedy horror. Bruce Campbell returns as Evil Dead hero Ash Williams, who has done seemingly little with his life since battling the forces of evil (and dead) 30 years ago. That all changes when the dead walk once again and Ash, and some new friends must pick up the chainsaw once again.

Black Summer

Available on: Netflix

In a zombie television landscape largely dominated by AMC’s The Walking Dead, Syfy’s Z Nation found a nice with a more playful, tongue-in-cheek presentation of the zombie apocalypse. In this spinoff, Black Summer, things get a touch darker.

Jamie King stars as Rose, a mother who is separated from her daughter during the height of a zombie apocalypse. Rose sets out on a mission to recover her and in the process builds a group of like-minded individuals looking for something they’ve lost.

Castle Rock

Available on: Hulu

Stephen King properties have made their way to television before. There have been miniseries for classic King texts like The Stand and ‘Salem’s Lot and even full series for works like Rose Red and Under the Dome. Still, none of those series has had the audacity to adapt multiple aspects of the Stephen King universe itself…until Castle Rock.

Castle Rock takes multiple characters, storylines, and concepts from the vast works of Stephen King and puts them all in King’s own Castle Rock, Maine. The first season featured inmates from Shawshank prison, extended family of Jack Torrance, and maybe even a touch of the shine. The show has opened itself up for more storytelling possibilities in season 2, adopting an anthology format and bringing Annie Wilkes into the fold.

Castlevania

Available on: Netflix

Netflix has beefed up its anime offerings in recent years and one of the first IPs they mined to do so was atmospheric Konami videogame series Castlevania. Originally planned as a film, Castlevania makes good use of its serialized format to pick up the horror story from where it begins with 1989 gameCastlevania III: Dracula’s Curse.

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And what a story it is. Wallachian lord (and vampire, obvs.) Vlad Dracula Tepes (Graham McTavish) falls into a mighty rage after his wife is wrongly accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Vlad summons an army of the dead to declare war on the living of Wallachia. The only people who stand in his path are a ragged band of heroes led by Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage).

Chambers

Available on: Netflix

Chambers only survived one season at Netflix, proving once again that it’s tough out there for horror television shows. But the one season legacy the show leaves behind is a decently spooky one.

Chambers tells a story that contains a pretty familiar, yet effective horror trope. Sasha Yazzie (Sivan Alyra Rose) receives a much-needed heart transplant from a girl named Becky Lafevre. Soon, Sasha begins to experience troubling visions and begins to unravel a conspiracy that brings her into contact with Becky’s parents (Uma Thurman and Tony Goldwyn).

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Available on: Netflix

After the Archie comic universe got a gritty reboot in The CW’s Riverdale, it was only a matter of time before Archie cousin comic Sabrina the Teenage Witch got her turn. Thankfully Netflix stepped up to the plate with the Kiernan Shipka starring Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and even more thankfully…it’s gritty as all hell.

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The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina brings witchcraft back to its absolutely metal satanic origins. Sabrina Spellman (Shipka) is like any teenager at Baxter High. She’s concerned about her grades, her social status, and her impending 16th birthday in which she must undergo a dark ritual in which she’ll have to grant her loyalty to the Dark Lord Satan. Such is life for a half-mortal/half-witch.

Dark/Web

Available on: Amazon Prime

For those interested in anthology and serialized horror storytelling, Dark/Web offers the best of both worlds. This Amazon Prime original tells a single spooky tale, spread out over eight largely self-contained “chapters.”

Dark/Web picks up with the disappearance of cyber analyst Molly Solis (Noemi Gonzalez). As her friends investigate what happened to Molly, they begin to uncover some truly dark secrets hidden within the fabric of the Internet. Dark/Web expertly exploits real world fears about the spreading influence of this omniscient communication technology.

The Exorcist

Available on: Hulu

The Exorcist is one of the greatest horror films ever made. The Fox series that bears its name and premise isn’t quite as good (few things could ever be) but it’s still an excellent horror story in its own right.

The Exorcist is a two-season long anthology series that follows two different cases of demonic possession. In the first installment, two Catholic priests assist a woman with a possession in her home. In the second, two new priests help a young girl battle evil.

Folklore

Available on: HBO Max

HBO’s 2019 series Folklore is based on a novel concept. HBO Asia has access to some of the best horror storytellers in the East. Why not give them carte blanche to tell the horrifying stories they want to tell in an anthology format?

Folklore features episodes from filmmakers based in Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and South Korea. Each installment is unique to that country’s sensibilities and also entirely terrifying.

Ghost Adventures

Available on: Hulu

Since the turn of the millennium, television has not been lacking for shows involving paranormal investigations. But even within the crowded spooky market, Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures stands out.

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First premiering in 2008, Ghost Adventures follows paranormal researchers Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley as they travel the world looking for ghoulish occurrences to investigate. Over its 200-some episodes (not including specials), Ghost Adventures has proven itself to be the gold standard for people who just want to watch some dudes stumble around old properties in night vision.

Haunted

Available on: Netflix

Haunted is a bit of an odd duck among Netflix’s horror offerings. It was introduced for the 2018 Halloween season, just a week before the juggernaut Haunting of Hill House. As such, it got lost in the spooky shuffle. Still, this is a surprisingly effective take on your classic “tell a scary story” style TV series.

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In Haunted, people tell their real life scary stories. That’s it. This is well-trodden ground on long running cable series like Ghost Stories and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Where Haunted differentiates itself is in its shockingly high production values, as witnessed in the ethereal screengrab above. Also, these stories are like…really scary.

The Haunting of Hill House

Available on: Netflix

Shirley Jackson’s novel The Haunting of Hill House is considered one of the most important texts in the horror literature canon. It’s only fitting then that it’s Hill House that Netflix turned to when the time came to make its first big original horror series. It’s also fitting that they turned to Hush director Mike Flanagan to make it happen.

Flanagan’s version of The Haunting of Hill House is quite different from the novel from which it takes its name. This Haunting is a modern story that follows the Crain family as they try to recover from the trauma they sustained as kids living in the terrifying Hill House. Of course, Hill House is still out there just dying to call them all back home. Netflix is going to keep “The Haunting” going with The Haunting of Bly Manor and presumably more to come after that.

The Haunting of Bly Manor

Available on: Netflix

The consensus is that The Haunting of Bly Manor is significantly less scary than Mike Flanagan’s original Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House…and that consensus is correct. But there are still plenty of scares to be had in this worthy followup.

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Bly Manor borrows elements from the works of Henry James, including The Turn of the Screw, to craft another affecting ghost story. Hill House‘s Victoria Pedretti returns as Dani, a young American woman who takes on a job as a governess to two young children at the titular Bly Manor. Soon Dani and all involved will come to find that Bly Manor holds some serious (weirdly romantic) secrets.

The Living and the Dead

Available on: Amazon Prime

The BBC’s The Living and the Dead is an aesthetically beautiful show. It’s not entirely dissimilar to a British-ized The Returned. It stars Colin Moran as Nathan Appleby, a psychology who inherits a beautiful, if creepy manor.

Sure, the property is a touch isolated but that doesn’t concern Nathan and his wife. It should because what comes next is a bit more Amityville Horror than The Returned.

Lore

Available on: Amazon Prime

Aaron Mahnke’s history horror podcast Lore has always operated under the theory that truth is stranger (and scarier) than fiction. That’s the same philosophy that this Amazon Prime original adaptation adopts.

Both seasons of Lore tell a handful of real life stories that illustrate the origins of some of our world’s spookiest legends and events. Narration combined with live action recreations present tales of vampirism, grave-robbing, werewolves, and more.

Lovecraft Country

Available on: HBO Max

Classic horror literature is largely dominated by white voices and white characters. HBO’s bold adaptation of the book Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff, seeks to seamlessly insert some Black voices and characters into the historical horror canon.

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To that end Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett star as Atticus “Tic” Freeman and Letitia “Leti” Lewis – two Black Chicagoans discovering magic in 1950s America. The plot is structured as a sort-of anthology with Tic, Leti, and their friends and family dealing with the supernatural weekly while also engaged with the machinations of the ancient Braithwhite family. With a deep appreciation of monsters, both real and imagined, Lovecraft Country is worthwhile horror programming.

Monsterland

Available on: Hulu

Since Netflix acquired the rights to Black Mirror back in 2015, the streaming world has been a veritable arms race of sci-fi and horror anthology series. Hulu has already tried its hand at horror anthology with the Blumhouse-produced Into the Dark, and Monsterland represents the latest effort.

Monsterland is based on the short story collection North American Lake Monsters: Stories by Nathan Ballingrud. It consists of eight spooky, unconnected tales and features the acting talents of Kaitlyn Dever, Bill Camp, Kelly Marie Tran, and more. The twist here is that each episode focuses on an urban legend from a different city within the United States. And given how weird this country is, the series won’t be running out of of stories anytime soon.

One Step Beyond

Available on: Amazon Prime

The amazing drama you are about to see is a matter of human record,” runs John Newland’s introduction to this Twilight Zone-esque series. “The real people who lived this story, they believe it, they know, they took that one step beyond.

Famously, Newland took one step beyond himself when making “The Sacred Mushroom” episode in which he ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms and filmed his reaction. It’s not available here, but it’s out there in both senses of the phrase.

The Outer Limits

Available on: Hulu

When The Twilight Zone premiered in 1959, it set off a brief little renaissance of anthology horror storytelling on television. The best of these contenders to the Zone‘s throne was probably the sci-fi centric The Outer Limits.

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Outer Limits aired from 1963 to 1965 on ABC. In that span it generated 49 spooky episodes, several of which made an impact on pop culture. Alan Moore infamously borrowed the plot of the episode “The Architects of Fear” for the ending of Watchmen. The Outer Limits received a Sci-Fi Channel revival in the ’90s and is currently poised for another bite at the apple.

The Outsider

Available on: HBO Max

Stephen King is among the most adapted authors of all time. And yet, even after all this time, the King canon is able to produce some surprises. HBO’s miniseries (or series, they’ve not really made that clear) The Outsider, based on a 2018 King novel of the same name and developed for television by The Night Of‘s Richard Price, is one such pleasant surprise.

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The genius of this story is how it first presents as a true crime tale, with little league coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman) being arrested for the unspeakably violent murder of a local boy. But as Detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn) looks further into the case, he discovers there might be a supernatural force at play. The Outsider deftly delves into themes of belief, skepticism, and family, all the while asking viewers “how long would it take for you give in and believe the unbelievable?”

The X-Files

Available on: Hulu

The X-Files is quite simply the gold standard for horror on television. Chris Carter’s conspiracy-tinged supernatural masterpiece not only inspired every horror TV show that came after it, but just about every other TV show in general.

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The X-Files follows FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they investigate the unusual cases that traditional law enforcement won’t touch. For 11 seasons (and a handful of movies), the show expertly balanced a massive series-long story along with what came to be called “monster of the week” self-contained tales.

Scare Tactics

Available on: Netflix

Scare Tactics is what happens when someone looks at the prank camera show format and thinks “What if this but also dangerous and terrifying?” The concept of Scare Tactics is simple: take normal people, put them in elaborate horror movie situations, and film what happens. Awful? Yes. Entertaining? Absolutley!

Shannen Doherty hosted the first incarnation of the show that premiered on Syfy in 2003. Stephen Baldwin took her place in the middle of the show’s second season. Then after a three-year hiatus, Scare Tactics returned with Tracy Morgan at the helm and lasted three more seasons of hilariously cruel pranking.

Stan Against Evil

Available on: Hulu

To parody horror, one needs to love horror. And Stan Against Evil creator Dana Gould really, really, really loves horror. The longtime standup comedian and comedy writer brings his unique humor sensibilities and lifelong appreciation of horror to tell the story of a quaint New Hampshire town that just happens to be built on the cursed site of a massive witch burning.

John C. McGinley stars as the titular Stan, a disgraced former sheriff who opts to pick up the battle against evil after a close call. He teams up with new sheriff Evie Barret (Janet Varney) to defend the town (and sometimes world) from supernatural threats.

Stranger Things

Available on: Netflix

It seems so obvious now but in hindsight there was little buzz about this nostalgic tweenage horror project on Netflix from the relatively unknown Duffer Brothers. Little did we know that the Stev(ph)ens Spielberg and King inspired Stranger Things would be one of Netflix’s biggest hits.

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Stranger Things takes place in the fictional Hawkins, Indiana in the mid-’80s. Hawkins is your typical smal ltown American city. The kids like to ride bikes, play Dungeons and Dragons, and tease one another. Little does everyone know that the mysterious government building on the outskirts of town may have opened a portal to another world – a portal that will usher in multiple seasons worth of monster fighting mayhem.

The Strain

Available on: Hulu

The most novel thing about FX’s vampire horror thriller The Strain is how it equates the ancient fear of vampirism with the more modern, global fear of pandemic. The Strain, produced by Guillermo del Toro Chuck Hogan and based on their novel series opens with a flight landing with all of its passengers mysteriously dead.

As CDC director Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) steps in to investigate, he discovers that there might be something more sinister…and ancient afoot than a simple virus. The Strain lasted for four mostly decent seasons on FX and if nothing else helped re-embrace the vampire as a monster and not some sort of noble antihero.

The Terror

Available on: Hulu

Based on a 2007 book of the same name by Dan Simmons, The Terror season 1 tells a fictionalized account of Captain Sir John Franklin’s expedition to the arctic in 1845. In real life, the doomed men likely got lost and succumbed to the cold but the show asks “what if there was something more sinister than low temperatures lurking about?”

The Terror features a cast impressively full of “hey it’s that guy” guys like Jared Harris, Ciarán Hindis, and Tobias Menzes. It deftly turned itself into an anthology with the second season The Terror: Infamy that tells a ghost story within the setting of a Japanese interment camp in World War II.

The Twilight Zone

Available on: Hulu

The Twilight Zone is an all-time television classic for good reason. Join Rod Serling each episode for a new tale of mystery, horror and woe.

Whatever you do, however, do NOT drop your glasses.

Unsolved Mysteries

Available on: Netflix

Any reboot of continuation of the classic ’80s/’90s true crime series Unsolved Mysteries just needs one element to be considered authentic: that music. Thankfully, this modern iteration on Netflix maintains a version of the original’s haunting theme. Beyond that crucial aspect, Unsolved Mysteries honors the original by continuing the formula to great success.

Unsolved Mysteries Review (Spoiler-Free): True Crime With More Questions Than Answers

By Tony Sokol

Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2 Review: Reboot Fits a Flatfoot More Than a Bigfoot

By Tony Sokol

Unsolved Mysteries remains largely a true crime enterprise. The show covers unexplained disappearances, murders, and crimes. But it also spends plenty of time with the truly unexplained: the paranormal. This reboot has covered UFOs and some tsunami ghosts. That, combined with the atmospheric music, makes this a suitably spooky watch.

The Veil

Available on: Amazon Prime

1958’s The Veil consists of dramatizations of strange tales, the majority of which also feature host Boris Karloff in the cast. At story’s end, our host is back to offer a conclusion to that particular story of “the world beyond our understanding.”

Not that 1950s TV audiences would have known about it, because The Veil wasn’t broadcast. Footage from its episodes appeared in some late sixties TV movies, and a DVD release followed in the 1990s, but its cancellation prior to airing have made it a cult find.

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The post 31 Best Horror TV Shows on Streaming Services appeared first on Den of Geek.

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douglassmiith · 4 years

Text

The Small Business Guide to Podcasting

The term podcasting has become mainstream these days and interest in this medium is on the rise and, rightfully so. Not only is it convenient for listeners who want topics that they’re interested in on-demand, but it’s also valuable for the person or business hosting them.

Below find seven great reasons every business should consider starting a podcast

Getting started is easier than it looks

The secret’s out, podcasting really isn’t that difficult to get started. People often assume that podcasts require a lot of fancy equipment and a large investment, and while you certainly can get to that point, you definitely don’t have to start there.

As long as you have a microphone that works, a way to record a conversation with guests (if you have guests), and a way to share the content with your audience, you’re really all set. Here’s a simple set-up that covers what you need.

Microphone USB Mic such as a Blue Yetti

Recording – You can use Squadcast, Skype or Zoom

Editing – Garage Band or Audacity

Hosting – Libsyn or Blubrry

Publishing – Podcast on WordPress using Blubrry Plugin

Distribution – iTunes/Apple, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, TuneIn

You can repurpose episodes into other forms of content

Since podcasting is audio-based, repurposing the material into other forms of content, such as video, a blog post or a series of blog posts, is a great way to create content without reinventing the wheel. Additionally, it helps to further expand your reach because part of your audience may not be podcast listeners, but they may be blog readers, and vice versa.

Rev.com is a great transcription service.

Podcasting is great for networking and building referrals

Reaching out to others to have them as a guest on your show is a great way to build your network and will also give you more chances to be asked to be a guest on other podcasts, furthering your connections even more. The more people you can connect with, the more you’ll increase the chances of referrals, leading to more opportunities and business for your company.

Along with networking and building referrals, podcasting can expand your public speaking skills as well which can lead to in-person speaking events (a great way to establish authority and credibility in your field).

It establishes an emotional connection with your audience

The format of a podcast allows you to develop a deeper relationship with your audience. You’re not hiding behind words on a page. Hearing your voice on a frequent basis makes your audience feel like they actually know you, and the more likely you are to establish an emotional connection with them, the more likely they’ll be to follow your brand and buy from you.

You can make money from it

Not all podcasters want or need to monetize, but if you are interested in making money from your show, there are a number of ways to do that, including:

Sponsorships

Affiliate marketing agency

Product promotion (be careful with how you go about this, your podcast should be entertaining and educational, not “salesy” if you want it to truly be effective)

You can increase traffic to your website

The audio portion of your podcast can drive traffic to your website simply because it helps to build your credibility and authority on your topic which often makes your audience want to visit your website to learn more. Another way this boosts site traffic is that podcasts often come with show notes (at least they should) that people can review for resources and an outline of the show. If people are on your site reviewing the show notes, or even the episode transcript, they’ll be more likely to visit other areas of your site, which will increase the odds of them converting to customers.

Another way podcasts boost site traffic is that they often come with show notes (at least they should) that people can review for resources and an outline of the show. If people are already on your site reviewing the show notes, or even the episode transcript, they’ll be more likely to visit other areas of your site, which will increase the odds of them converting to customers.

Podcasting is a type of long-form content that people actually pay attention to

Hate to say it, but our attention spans are fading. We live in a world of information overload where we only have the time to consume small bits of information at a time. With podcasts however, you can consume them at times when other forms of content are unavailable (hopefully you’re not reading a blog post while driving to work in the morning). Whereas with a podcast, you can sit in traffic for an hour and consume valuable information. Since people are engaged with podcasts for longer periods of time than other content, this gives you opportunities to showcase your knowledge and expertise in a way that you’re unable to with other formats.

Podcast Guesting is a Killer Marketing Tactic

So far we’ve focused on creating your own podcast but there are many benefits associated with being a guest of someone else’s podcast.

There’s no denying that interest in podcasting has increased over time, especially within the last 5-6 years. I think this is for a couple of reasons:

Content has become the air that drives so many channels

It’s portable and allows for multi-tasking nature of it

The combination of the two has allowed the popularity of this medium to skyrocket, both from listening and production standpoints.

While I think producing a podcast is a great idea and can provide many benefits for your business, there are also a plethora of opportunities that are there in podcasting for any business owner, namely through being a guest on another person’s podcast. Let’s dive in.

Guest interviews

Putting yourself out there as a guest on podcasts (as opposed to traditional PR with radio and TV) is one of the best things you can do for your business these days, but let me be clear, in order to be successful with it, you must put yourself out there and pitch yourself on an ongoing basis, and truly build this as a channel for your marketing agency efforts.

A podcast interview is not only content, it’s great quality content. It’s a tremendous way for you to build expertise, authority, and branding for you and your business. When people hear your voice, it adds a deeper level to building trust, and the more a person trusts you, the more likely they’ll be to buy from you.

SEO Company and the benefits of podcasting

My friend, Phil Singleton, is one of the most knowledgeable people on SEO Company that I know, and he recently stated (over this past weekend, in fact) that of all the time he has spent on SEO Company, podcasting may be the best SEO Company tactic to give you the biggest bang for your buck. Being a podcast guest provides the following benefits:

Gives you access to an engaged audience

The host does the majority of the work

You have virtually no preparation (especially in comparison to guest blog posts)

High production value will make the content more shareable

There will likely be show notes that will drive links back to your website

Reviews can help build authority and credibility

There is a ton of repurposing potential with the content

At the end of the day, SEO Company really comes down to three main things:

Keywords– You must know what keywords your ideal client is searching for

Content– You must build those keywords into your content on a consistent basis

Links– That content must be seen and shared by other people by acquiring links from other sites to link to that content. From that, Google surmises that it’s good content.

If you focus on those few things over time, you will show up, and likely rank highly, in search engine rankings. What this means, is that a guest appearance on a podcast is your content on steroids. You get high-quality content and awareness to the podcaster’s audience (podcasts get shared more than blog posts).

Guest blog posts are a lot of work and time-consuming. Even if a podcast doesn’t have a huge following, it will likely still have more engagement than blog posts and have the ability to get more shares than regular blog posts and you will get links back to whatever it is that you’re promoting.

To make this even better, a lot of podcasters, including myself, are also creating transcripts along with their podcast episodes to have the written word content go along with the spoken content. In many cases, if you appear on a podcast, and they don’t transcribe it, many podcasters will let you transcribe it and repurpose it for additional content on your site; again, which will help to boost your SEO Company.

How to get on shows

Remember, this is a consistent process, not just something you do every once in a while, so it’s important that you allocate time and attention to this. Below are a few ways you can approach getting on podcasts.

Google search

Google is great at showing podcasts. Start by searching with an industry you’re interested in and Google “[industry] podcast” and see what appears. Simple enough, right?

iTunes

iTunes not only categorizes podcasts, they include related searches like Google as well.

Amazon

If you click on an author link, Amazon will show related authors, which can help expand your search.

From your research, build a spreadsheet of hosts you want to reach out to. Most podcasts have some form of contact information or a form asking people to pitch themselves as a guest.

Once your spreadsheet is filled out, one of the things I’d spend time on is to think of your objective for being on a show. Make the podcast host understand the value they’ll get by interviewing you.

From a content and link objective perspective, don’t worry about how big the show is or the size of the audience. Focus on the links and content and make sure they align with your objective.

In almost all cases, you need to go out and pitch people. I can’t emphasize this enough if you listen and subscribe to their show and know the host’s listeners, what they talk about, and how they deliver value, you’ll do a much better job of showing how you’ll benefit their listeners in your pitch.

These days, podcasters are looking for guests to have one-sheets that include your bio, why you’re a good fit, what you have to offer, places you’ve appeared, what others have said about you, and so on. If a podcaster is trying to decide between you and another guest, the one-pager can go a long way. The more professional you’ll look, the better your odds are of getting chosen for the show.

How to be a great guest

Your work isn’t done once you book the podcast. In order to be a great guest and get the most value out of this exposure, you really need to prep for it.

Subscribe and listen

If you want to be on a show, subscribe to it, or at least listen to it and really educate yourself on the host’s style and type of questions he/she may ask.

Don’t sell

The purpose of the interview is to educate or entertain the host’s audience. You may have the opportunity at the end of the episode to say where people can find you and so on, but nothing will turn an interview sour faster than selling.

Answer questions succinctly

A minute to 90 seconds is often too long for a response. Prepping will help you be clear and concise in your delivery.

Sound quality

Nothing is more frustrating than listening to a podcast with poor sound quality. Before you hop on the interview, confirm you have a solid internet connection or cell reception, and take the call in a quiet space to try to eliminate any extra background noise.

Show appreciation for the opportunity

Once you’re on the call, remember to thank the host for having you on the show and express your appreciation. Once the show is complete, be sure to leave a review for the podcast on iTunes.

How to promote your interview

After the show, most podcast hosts will send you a link to promote the show, and may even send you proposed copy for social media posts. Sharing and promoting your appearance makes a lot of sense. It helps spread the word and it’s good content that people may want to share. Look for multiple ways to promote it to your network.

After everything is said and done, ask your host for a review and use it in your marketing agency to boost your authority. If you own a local business, have them do the review through Google. Think of this as an opportunity to produce content and get amazing links and put your SEO Company on steroids.

One of the best ways to get the interest of podcast hosts is to let them know you’ll be a great promotional partner as well as a great guest.

Below is a checklist of potential promotional activities once you’ve been a podcast guest.

Add it to Your Next Webinar

Do you host webinars? If so, why not make a highlight of your next one a chance to hear your recent podcast interview?

Email Newsletter

When someone signs up to receive your email newsletter you can include photos, teaser videos, quotes and Click To Tweets from the actual interview in your emails.

On Your Blog

Highlight the event with a blog post. You can include episode show notes, as well as the embedded video or audio from the interview. You can even repurpose your podcast interview into a long-form blog and then embed the audio of it at the end of the post.

Social Channels

Please post links to the podcast, videos, graphics, quotes, and photos. Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, and Snapchat are all great for real-time engagement. Also, Facebook, Instagram Images, and LinkedIn offer the perfect platforms for promoting evergreen content.

Retargeting and Paid Advertising

Paid advertising on social media can also be effective. With Facebook especially, you can create ads that are hyper-targeted for the ideal persona that will find value in your interview.

Email Signatures

The average person sent 34 business emails daily. Now think about if you have advertised your podcast interview in each one of these. That gives you the opportunity to reach even more people.

Free eBook 7 Steps to Scale Your Consulting Practice Without Adding Overhead

“This training from Duct Tape marketing agency has exceeded my expectations and I couldn’t be happier” ~ Brooke Patterson, VanderMedia

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

Via http://www.scpie.org/the-small-business-guide-to-podcasting/

source https://scpie.weebly.com/blog/the-small-business-guide-to-podcasting

0 notes

riichardwilson · 4 years

Text

The Small Business Guide to Podcasting

Below find seven great reasons every business should consider starting a podcast

Getting started is easier than it looks

Microphone USB Mic such as a Blue Yetti

Recording – You can use Squadcast, Skype or Zoom

Editing – Garage Band or Audacity

Hosting – Libsyn or Blubrry

Publishing – Podcast on WordPress using Blubrry Plugin

Distribution – iTunes/Apple, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, TuneIn

You can repurpose episodes into other forms of content

Rev.com is a great transcription service.

Podcasting is great for networking and building referrals

It establishes an emotional connection with your audience

You can make money from it

Not all podcasters want or need to monetize, but if you are interested in making money from your show, there are a number of ways to do that, including:

Sponsorships

Affiliate marketing agency

Product promotion (be careful with how you go about this, your podcast should be entertaining and educational, not “salesy” if you want it to truly be effective)

You can increase traffic to your website

Podcasting is a type of long-form content that people actually pay attention to

Podcast Guesting is a Killer Marketing Tactic

So far we’ve focused on creating your own podcast but there are many benefits associated with being a guest of someone else’s podcast.

There’s no denying that interest in podcasting has increased over time, especially within the last 5-6 years. I think this is for a couple of reasons:

Content has become the air that drives so many channels

It’s portable and allows for multi-tasking nature of it

The combination of the two has allowed the popularity of this medium to skyrocket, both from listening and production standpoints.

Guest interviews

SEO Company and the benefits of podcasting

Gives you access to an engaged audience

The host does the majority of the work

You have virtually no preparation (especially in comparison to guest blog posts)

High production value will make the content more shareable

There will likely be show notes that will drive links back to your website

Reviews can help build authority and credibility

There is a ton of repurposing potential with the content

At the end of the day, SEO Company really comes down to three main things:

Keywords– You must know what keywords your ideal client is searching for

Content– You must build those keywords into your content on a consistent basis

Links– That content must be seen and shared by other people by acquiring links from other sites to link to that content. From that, Google surmises that it’s good content.

How to get on shows

Google search

Google is great at showing podcasts. Start by searching with an industry you’re interested in and Google “[industry] podcast” and see what appears. Simple enough, right?

iTunes

iTunes not only categorizes podcasts, they include related searches like Google as well.

Amazon

If you click on an author link, Amazon will show related authors, which can help expand your search.

From your research, build a spreadsheet of hosts you want to reach out to. Most podcasts have some form of contact information or a form asking people to pitch themselves as a guest.

From a content and link objective perspective, don’t worry about how big the show is or the size of the audience. Focus on the links and content and make sure they align with your objective.

How to be a great guest

Your work isn’t done once you book the podcast. In order to be a great guest and get the most value out of this exposure, you really need to prep for it.

Subscribe and listen

If you want to be on a show, subscribe to it, or at least listen to it and really educate yourself on the host’s style and type of questions he/she may ask.

Don’t sell

Answer questions succinctly

A minute to 90 seconds is often too long for a response. Prepping will help you be clear and concise in your delivery.

Sound quality

Show appreciation for the opportunity

Once you’re on the call, remember to thank the host for having you on the show and express your appreciation. Once the show is complete, be sure to leave a review for the podcast on iTunes.

How to promote your interview

One of the best ways to get the interest of podcast hosts is to let them know you’ll be a great promotional partner as well as a great guest.

Below is a checklist of potential promotional activities once you’ve been a podcast guest.

Add it to Your Next Webinar

Do you host webinars? If so, why not make a highlight of your next one a chance to hear your recent podcast interview?

Email Newsletter

When someone signs up to receive your email newsletter you can include photos, teaser videos, quotes and Click To Tweets from the actual interview in your emails.

On Your Blog

Social Channels

Retargeting and Paid Advertising

Paid advertising on social media can also be effective. With Facebook especially, you can create ads that are hyper-targeted for the ideal persona that will find value in your interview.

Email Signatures

The average person sent 34 business emails daily. Now think about if you have advertised your podcast interview in each one of these. That gives you the opportunity to reach even more people.

Free eBook 7 Steps to Scale Your Consulting Practice Without Adding Overhead

“This training from Duct Tape marketing agency has exceeded my expectations and I couldn’t be happier” ~ Brooke Patterson, VanderMedia

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/the-small-business-guide-to-podcasting/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/619247298451537920

0 notes

scpie · 4 years

Text

The Small Business Guide to Podcasting

Below find seven great reasons every business should consider starting a podcast

Getting started is easier than it looks

Microphone USB Mic such as a Blue Yetti

Recording – You can use Squadcast, Skype or Zoom

Editing – Garage Band or Audacity

Hosting – Libsyn or Blubrry

Publishing – Podcast on WordPress using Blubrry Plugin

Distribution – iTunes/Apple, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, TuneIn

You can repurpose episodes into other forms of content

Rev.com is a great transcription service.

Podcasting is great for networking and building referrals

It establishes an emotional connection with your audience

You can make money from it

Not all podcasters want or need to monetize, but if you are interested in making money from your show, there are a number of ways to do that, including:

Sponsorships

Affiliate marketing agency

Product promotion (be careful with how you go about this, your podcast should be entertaining and educational, not “salesy” if you want it to truly be effective)

You can increase traffic to your website

Podcasting is a type of long-form content that people actually pay attention to

Podcast Guesting is a Killer Marketing Tactic

So far we’ve focused on creating your own podcast but there are many benefits associated with being a guest of someone else’s podcast.

There’s no denying that interest in podcasting has increased over time, especially within the last 5-6 years. I think this is for a couple of reasons:

Content has become the air that drives so many channels

It’s portable and allows for multi-tasking nature of it

The combination of the two has allowed the popularity of this medium to skyrocket, both from listening and production standpoints.

Guest interviews

SEO Company and the benefits of podcasting

Gives you access to an engaged audience

The host does the majority of the work

You have virtually no preparation (especially in comparison to guest blog posts)

High production value will make the content more shareable

There will likely be show notes that will drive links back to your website

Reviews can help build authority and credibility

There is a ton of repurposing potential with the content

At the end of the day, SEO Company really comes down to three main things:

Keywords– You must know what keywords your ideal client is searching for

Content– You must build those keywords into your content on a consistent basis

Links– That content must be seen and shared by other people by acquiring links from other sites to link to that content. From that, Google surmises that it’s good content.

How to get on shows

Google search

Google is great at showing podcasts. Start by searching with an industry you’re interested in and Google “[industry] podcast” and see what appears. Simple enough, right?

iTunes

iTunes not only categorizes podcasts, they include related searches like Google as well.

Amazon

If you click on an author link, Amazon will show related authors, which can help expand your search.

From your research, build a spreadsheet of hosts you want to reach out to. Most podcasts have some form of contact information or a form asking people to pitch themselves as a guest.

From a content and link objective perspective, don’t worry about how big the show is or the size of the audience. Focus on the links and content and make sure they align with your objective.

How to be a great guest

Your work isn’t done once you book the podcast. In order to be a great guest and get the most value out of this exposure, you really need to prep for it.

Subscribe and listen

If you want to be on a show, subscribe to it, or at least listen to it and really educate yourself on the host’s style and type of questions he/she may ask.

Don’t sell

Answer questions succinctly

A minute to 90 seconds is often too long for a response. Prepping will help you be clear and concise in your delivery.

Sound quality

Show appreciation for the opportunity

Once you’re on the call, remember to thank the host for having you on the show and express your appreciation. Once the show is complete, be sure to leave a review for the podcast on iTunes.

How to promote your interview

One of the best ways to get the interest of podcast hosts is to let them know you’ll be a great promotional partner as well as a great guest.

Below is a checklist of potential promotional activities once you’ve been a podcast guest.

Add it to Your Next Webinar

Do you host webinars? If so, why not make a highlight of your next one a chance to hear your recent podcast interview?

Email Newsletter

When someone signs up to receive your email newsletter you can include photos, teaser videos, quotes and Click To Tweets from the actual interview in your emails.

On Your Blog

Social Channels

Retargeting and Paid Advertising

Paid advertising on social media can also be effective. With Facebook especially, you can create ads that are hyper-targeted for the ideal persona that will find value in your interview.

Email Signatures

The average person sent 34 business emails daily. Now think about if you have advertised your podcast interview in each one of these. That gives you the opportunity to reach even more people.

Free eBook 7 Steps to Scale Your Consulting Practice Without Adding Overhead

“This training from Duct Tape marketing agency has exceeded my expectations and I couldn’t be happier” ~ Brooke Patterson, VanderMedia

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/the-small-business-guide-to-podcasting/

0 notes

laurelkrugerr · 4 years

Text

The Small Business Guide to Podcasting

Below find seven great reasons every business should consider starting a podcast

Getting started is easier than it looks

Microphone USB Mic such as a Blue Yetti

Recording – You can use Squadcast, Skype or Zoom

Editing – Garage Band or Audacity

Hosting – Libsyn or Blubrry

Publishing – Podcast on WordPress using Blubrry Plugin

Distribution – iTunes/Apple, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, TuneIn

You can repurpose episodes into other forms of content

Rev.com is a great transcription service.

Podcasting is great for networking and building referrals

It establishes an emotional connection with your audience

You can make money from it

Not all podcasters want or need to monetize, but if you are interested in making money from your show, there are a number of ways to do that, including:

Sponsorships

Affiliate marketing agency

Product promotion (be careful with how you go about this, your podcast should be entertaining and educational, not “salesy” if you want it to truly be effective)

You can increase traffic to your website

Podcasting is a type of long-form content that people actually pay attention to

Podcast Guesting is a Killer Marketing Tactic

So far we’ve focused on creating your own podcast but there are many benefits associated with being a guest of someone else’s podcast.

There’s no denying that interest in podcasting has increased over time, especially within the last 5-6 years. I think this is for a couple of reasons:

Content has become the air that drives so many channels

It’s portable and allows for multi-tasking nature of it

The combination of the two has allowed the popularity of this medium to skyrocket, both from listening and production standpoints.

Guest interviews

SEO Company and the benefits of podcasting

Gives you access to an engaged audience

The host does the majority of the work

You have virtually no preparation (especially in comparison to guest blog posts)

High production value will make the content more shareable

There will likely be show notes that will drive links back to your website

Reviews can help build authority and credibility

There is a ton of repurposing potential with the content

At the end of the day, SEO Company really comes down to three main things:

Keywords– You must know what keywords your ideal client is searching for

Content– You must build those keywords into your content on a consistent basis

Links– That content must be seen and shared by other people by acquiring links from other sites to link to that content. From that, Google surmises that it’s good content.

How to get on shows

Google search

Google is great at showing podcasts. Start by searching with an industry you’re interested in and Google “[industry] podcast” and see what appears. Simple enough, right?

iTunes

iTunes not only categorizes podcasts, they include related searches like Google as well.

Amazon

If you click on an author link, Amazon will show related authors, which can help expand your search.

From your research, build a spreadsheet of hosts you want to reach out to. Most podcasts have some form of contact information or a form asking people to pitch themselves as a guest.

From a content and link objective perspective, don’t worry about how big the show is or the size of the audience. Focus on the links and content and make sure they align with your objective.

How to be a great guest

Your work isn’t done once you book the podcast. In order to be a great guest and get the most value out of this exposure, you really need to prep for it.

Subscribe and listen

If you want to be on a show, subscribe to it, or at least listen to it and really educate yourself on the host’s style and type of questions he/she may ask.

Don’t sell

Answer questions succinctly

A minute to 90 seconds is often too long for a response. Prepping will help you be clear and concise in your delivery.

Sound quality

Show appreciation for the opportunity

Once you’re on the call, remember to thank the host for having you on the show and express your appreciation. Once the show is complete, be sure to leave a review for the podcast on iTunes.

How to promote your interview

One of the best ways to get the interest of podcast hosts is to let them know you’ll be a great promotional partner as well as a great guest.

Below is a checklist of potential promotional activities once you’ve been a podcast guest.

Add it to Your Next Webinar

Do you host webinars? If so, why not make a highlight of your next one a chance to hear your recent podcast interview?

Email Newsletter

When someone signs up to receive your email newsletter you can include photos, teaser videos, quotes and Click To Tweets from the actual interview in your emails.

On Your Blog

Social Channels

Retargeting and Paid Advertising

Paid advertising on social media can also be effective. With Facebook especially, you can create ads that are hyper-targeted for the ideal persona that will find value in your interview.

Email Signatures

The average person sent 34 business emails daily. Now think about if you have advertised your podcast interview in each one of these. That gives you the opportunity to reach even more people.

Free eBook 7 Steps to Scale Your Consulting Practice Without Adding Overhead

“This training from Duct Tape marketing agency has exceeded my expectations and I couldn’t be happier” ~ Brooke Patterson, VanderMedia

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/the-small-business-guide-to-podcasting/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-small-business-guide-to-podcasting.html

0 notes

goodra-king · 4 years

Text

The Small Business Guide to Podcasting

The Small Business Guide to Podcasting written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Below find seven great reasons every business should consider starting a podcast

Getting started is easier than it looks

Microphone USB Mic such as a Blue Yetti

Recording – You can use Squadcast, Skype or Zoom

Editing – Garage Band or Audacity

Hosting – Libsyn or Blubrry

Publishing – Podcast on WordPress using Blubrry Plugin

Distribution – iTunes/Apple, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, TuneIn

You can repurpose episodes into other forms of content

Rev.com is a great transcription service.

Podcasting is great for networking and building referrals

It establishes an emotional connection with your audience

You can make money from it

Not all podcasters want or need to monetize, but if you are interested in making money from your show, there are a number of ways to do that, including:

Sponsorships

Affiliate marketing

Product promotion (be careful with how you go about this, your podcast should be entertaining and educational, not “salesy” if you want it to truly be effective)

You can increase traffic to your website

Podcasting is a type of long-form content that people actually pay attention to

Podcast Guesting is a Killer Marketing Tactic

So far we’ve focused on creating your own podcast but there are many benefits associated with being a guest of someone else’s podcast.

There’s no denying that interest in podcasting has increased over time, especially within the last 5-6 years. I think this is for a couple of reasons:

Content has become the air that drives so many channels

It’s portable and allows for multi-tasking nature of it

The combination of the two has allowed the popularity of this medium to skyrocket, both from listening and production standpoints.

Guest interviews

SEO and the benefits of podcasting

My friend, Phil Singleton, is one of the most knowledgeable people on SEO that I know, and he recently stated (over this past weekend, in fact) that of all the time he has spent on SEO, podcasting may be the best SEO tactic to give you the biggest bang for your buck. Being a podcast guest provides the following benefits:

Gives you access to an engaged audience

The host does the majority of the work

You have virtually no preparation (especially in comparison to guest blog posts)

High production value will make the content more shareable

There will likely be show notes that will drive links back to your website

Reviews can help build authority and credibility

There is a ton of repurposing potential with the content

At the end of the day, SEO really comes down to three main things:

Keywords– You must know what keywords your ideal client is searching for

Content– You must build those keywords into your content on a consistent basis

Links– That content must be seen and shared by other people by acquiring links from other sites to link to that content. From that, Google surmises that it’s good content.

How to get on shows

Google search

Google is great at showing podcasts. Start by searching with an industry you’re interested in and google “[industry] podcast” and see what appears. Simple enough, right?

iTunes

iTunes not only categorizes podcasts, they include related searches like Google as well.

Amazon

If you click on an author link, Amazon will show related authors, which can help expand your search.

From your research, build a spreadsheet of hosts you want to reach out to. Most podcasts have some form of contact information or a form asking people to pitch themselves as a guest.

From a content and link objective perspective, don’t worry about how big the show is or the size of the audience. Focus on the links and content and make sure they align with your objective.

How to be a great guest

Your work isn’t done once you book the podcast. In order to be a great guest and get the most value out of this exposure, you really need to prep for it.

Subscribe and listen

If you want to be on a show, subscribe to it, or at least listen to it and really educate yourself on the host’s style and type of questions he/she may ask.

Don’t sell

Answer questions succinctly

A minute to 90 seconds is often too long for a response. Prepping will help you be clear and concise in your delivery.

Sound quality

Show appreciation for the opportunity

Once you’re on the call, remember to thank the host for having you on the show and express your appreciation. Once the show is complete, be sure to leave a review for the podcast on iTunes.

How to promote your interview

After everything is said and done, ask your host for a review and use it in your marketing to boost your authority. If you own a local business, have them do the review through Google. Think of this as an opportunity to produce content and get amazing links and put your SEO on steroids.

One of the best ways to get the interest of podcast hosts is to let them know you’ll be a great promotional partner as well as a great guest.

Below is a checklist of potential promotional activities once you’ve been a podcast guest.

Add it to Your Next Webinar

Do you host webinars? If so, why not make a highlight of your next one a chance to hear your recent podcast interview?

Email Newsletter

When someone signs up to receive your email newsletter you can include photos, teaser videos, quotes and Click To Tweets from the actual interview in your emails.

On Your Blog

Social Channels

Retargeting and Paid Advertising

Paid advertising on social media can also be effective. With Facebook especially, you can create ads that are hyper-targeted for the ideal persona that will find value in your interview.

Email Signatures

The average person sent 34 business emails daily. Now think about if you have advertised your podcast interview in each one of these. That gives you the opportunity to reach even more people.

from https://bit.ly/3giZQjA

#Marketing Plan

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thisdaynews · 5 years

Text

The Final Lesson Donald Trump Never Learned from Roy Cohn

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/the-final-lesson-donald-trump-never-learned-from-roy-cohn/

The Final Lesson Donald Trump Never Learned from Roy Cohn

One of Donald Trump’s most important mentors, one of the most reviled men in American political history, is about to have another moment.

Roy Cohn, who has been described by people who knew him as “a snake,” “a scoundrel” and “a new strain of son of a bitch,” is the subject of a new documentary out this week from producer and director Matt Tyrnauer. It’s an occasion to once again look at Cohn and ask how much of him and his “savage,” “abrasive” and “amoral” behavior is visible in the behavior of the current president. Trump, as has been well-established, learned so much from the truculent, unrepentant Cohn about how to get what he wants, and he pines for Cohn and his notorious capabilities still. Trump, after all, reportedly has said so himself, and it’s now the name of this film: “Where’s My Roy Cohn?”

Story Continued Below

What Cohn could, and did, get away with was the very engine of his existence. The infamous chief counsel for the red-baiting, Joseph McCarthy-chaired Senate subcommittee in the 1950s, Cohn was indicted four times from the mid-’60s to the early ’70s—for stock-swindling and obstructing justice and perjury and bribery and conspiracy and extortion and blackmail and filing false reports. And three times he was acquitted—the fourth ended in a mistrial—giving him a kind of sneering, sinister sheen of invulnerability. Cohn, Tyrnauer’s work reaffirms, took his sanction-skirting capers and twisted them into a sort of suit of armor.

It’s the past quarter or so, though, of Tyrnauer’s film that is perhaps most salient at this stage of Trump’s first term. It deals with the less discussed but arguably much more trenchant lesson of Cohn’s life—not his decades of dark-arts untouchability but his brutal comeuppance. Cohn did not, in the end, elude the consequences of his actions. He could not, it turned out, get away with everything forever. He was a braggart of a tax cheat, and the Internal Revenue Service closed in; he was an incorrigibly unethical attorney, and he finally was disbarred; and only six weeks after that professional disgrace, six months shy of 60 years old, Cohn was dead of AIDS.

Now, less than 14 months out from next year’s election, with Trump facing historic legal and political peril, it’s getting harder and harder not to wonder what he might or might not have gleaned from watching Cohn’s wretched unraveling. Trump is beset by 29 federal, state, local and congressional investigations. Poll after poll shows he’s broadly disliked. He could win reelection, obviously, but it’s true, too, that he’s an unusually endangered incumbent. Trump, to be sure, is not weakened by physical sickness, and he has not been pursued by prosecutors and other committed antagonists for nearly as long as Cohn was. And as powerful as Cohn was perceived to be at his peak, he was never, it almost goes without saying, the most powerful man in the world. Even so, the question looms: Will Cohn’s most accomplished and attentive mentee ultimately suffer a similar fate?

“The maddening thing about Cohn and Trump,” Tyrnauer told me recently, “is that they have this sort of Road Runner-versus-Wile E. Coyote knack, where you think the boulder is going to fall on them and crush them and they escape just in the nick of time.”

“There’s a certain American romance to getting away with it. We all secretly admire the guy that can,” said Jim Zirin, a former federal prosecutor who is a regular interviewee in the film and also has a book coming out next week,Plaintiff in Chief: A Portrait of Donald Trump in 3,500 Lawsuits, in which Cohn plays an unavoidably prominent role.

“But I, as a lawyer, particularly,” Zirin added, “believe in justice, and I believe that at the end of the day, sooner or later, everyone has to pay for it.”

Just look at Cohn.

“We had him. He wasn’t getting out of this,” Martin London, one of the lawyers who led Cohn’s disbarment, tells Tyrnauer. “He was a pinned moth.”

***

The government long had tried to take him down, “a vendetta,” Cohn thought, for his role with McCarthy—and he had not fallen, or so much as flinched, and it had granted him, as a New York politician put it inNewsweek, a certain “jugular mystique.” Many came to view his checkered record as not noxious but enticing.

“He was a prototypical Teflon man,” Zirin writes in his book. “The more unscrupulous he became, the more his law practice grew. He was the man to see if you wanted to beat the system.”

“He did whatever he wanted, and he felt he was good enough at everything to get away with it,” Robert Cohen, who worked with Cohn at his firm, says in the film, “and he did for a very, very long time.”

“Roy,” according to an attorney in his office, “couldn’t have given less of a shit about rules.”

“I decided long ago,” Cohn once toldPenthouse, “to make my own rules.”

He was acquitted in ’64, and he was acquitted in ’69, and he was acquitted in ’71, all the while thumbing his nose at the feds, but Cohn’s screw-you stance was a lifelong philosophy, entitlement plus boldness.

He was “an incredibly spoiled princeling of an only child,” Cohn cousin David Lloyd Marcus told me. “He always got his way,” recalled his favorite aunt. As an adult, the resting expression on his face, which was marred by a scar that ran like a scrape down the middle of his nose, was a mixture of “arrogant disdain” and a “whipped-dog look,” people observed, “caught somewhere between a pout and a challenging glare.”

He didn’t pay his bills, all but daring his creditors to sue him for what he owed—tailors, locksmiths, mechanics, travel agencies, storage companies, credit card companies, stationery stores, office supply stores. He didn’t pay people back, “friend or foe,” wrote his biographer, Nicholas von Hoffman, who reported that a captain of his yacht calledDefiance“had a mental map” of “ports we couldn’t go into because we owed thousands of dollars.”

He didn’t pay his taxes, either, racking up millions of dollars in liens. Taxes, he believed, went to “welfare recipients” and “political hacks” and “bloated bureaucrats” and “countries whose people hate our guts.” He ceaselessly taunted the IRS, calling it “the closest thing we have in this country to a Nazi or Soviet-type agency”—subpoenas from which, he said, went straight into “the wastebasket.”

He drank champagne spiked with Sweet’n Low and habitually picked food off other people’s plates, thinking that manners for some reason did not apply to him. He told his chauffeurs, the drivers of his Bentley and his Cadillac and his money-green Rolls-Royce, to run red lights. “Just go!” he would yell, reaching over to the steering wheel and pounding on the horn.

He was preening and combative, look-at-me lavish and loud. It was an act. The truth was he hated what he was—a lawyer who hated lawyers, a Jewish person who hated Jewish people, and a gay person, fiercely closeted if haphazardly hidden, who hated gay people, calling them “fags” and expressing his conviction that “homosexual teachers are a grave threat to our children,” according to both his biography and autobiography. In his book, Zirin calls Cohn “a quintessential hypocrite, a classic Tartuffe.” He wanted the world to see only the person he “shaped and invented,” in von Hoffman’s words, “a secret man living a public life.”

And as a litigator, Cohn had earned a reputation as “an intimidator and a bluffer,” attorney Arthur Liman would write, “famous among lawyers for winning cases by delays, evasions, and lies.” He was unorganized and largely disinterested in specifics, relying less on preparation and more on his belligerence and his vast, nonpareil network of social and political connections that spanned parties and stretched from New York pay-to-play clubhouses to the backrooms of Washington as well as the Oval Office.

“People came to me,” Cohn explained inPenthouse, “because my public image was that I was unlike most other lawyers. Not the typical bill-by-the-hour, do-nothing, cover-up shyster but someone who won’t be pushed around.” His clients called him a “pit bull” and “a shield” and included mob bosses who met in his office to use attorney-client privilege to dodge potential wiretaps. “He’ll bend the rules to the limit,” a New York law professor once toldNewsweek. “He will stop at nothing,” a law school classmate once toldEsquire.

His biographer likened him to Houdini.

Cohn, however, preferred a different comparison. “If you can get Machiavelli as a lawyer,” he once said, “you’re certainly no fool of a client.”

He was roundly, practically fetishistically unapologetic, remorseless, shameless, “totally impervious to being insulted,” said gossip columnist Liz Smith, living by a code of blunt, come-at-me audacity, accessible only to those unhampered by morality.

“He made his legal and political career,” in the estimation of the British historian Eric Hobsbawm, “in a milieu where money and power override rules and law—indeed where the ability to get, and get away with, what lesser citizens cannot, is what proves membership of an elite.”

“Cohn,” Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Murray Kempton wrote, “brought an aura perfectly calculated to attract rich men who are not quite respectable.”

Trump found him irresistible.

***

“Trump,” the late Wayne Barrett wrotein 1979, “is a user of other users”—a keen, foundational insight, true then and true now. And with the exception of his father, whose fortune made possible the life he’s lived, Trump used Cohn more than he used anybody.

From 1973, when Cohn started representing the Trumps after the Department of Justice sued them for racist rental practices at the thousands of apartments they owned, through the rest of the ’70s and into the ’80s, when he served as an indispensablemacherfor Trump’s career-launching maneuvers, Cohn became for Trump something much more than simply his attorney. At a most formative moment for Trump, there was no more formative figure than Cohn.

Tyrnauer and Zirin remind viewers and readers that Cohn imparted an M.O. that’s been on searing display throughout Trump’s ascent, his divisive, captivating campaign, and his fraught, unprecedented presidency. Deflect and distract, never give in, never admit fault, lie and attack, lie and attack, publicity no matter what, win no matter what, all underpinned by a deep, prove-me-wrong belief in the power of chaos and fear.

Trump was Cohn’s most insatiable student and beneficiary. “He didn’t just educate Trump, he didn’t just teach Trump, he put Trump in with people who wouldmake Trump,” Marcus, his cousin, told me. “Roy gave him the tools. All the tools.”

“He loved him,” early Trump Organization executive Louise Sunshine told me.

Why?

“He was ruthless.”

So, though, was Trump.

Cohn was diagnosed as HIV-positive in October 1984. He insisted his illness was liver cancer. “Even at the end, he refused to admit that he was gay,” Wallace Adams, one of his boyfriends, tells Tyrnauer, “and he refused to admit that he had AIDS.” But everybody who knew him knew. And when Cohn’s feared, famed capacities started to sag, as he grew more and more weak and less and less useful, Trump began to transfer work to other attorneys. He called Cohn on occasion to express encouragement. He invited him to Mar-a-Lago for a dinner with others. But these gestures failed to paper over what some close to Cohn considered Trump’s effective abandonment. “Dropped him like a hot potato,” Cohn’s secretary, Susan Bell, told me. “He really did.”

By the end of 1985, Cohn was pale, frail and gaunt. His right eye was a maze of red lines. His mind wandered often, and his voice wavered to the point of a whisper. He would use one hand to stop the other from shaking. At his annual New Year’s Eve party, limos double-parked outside his Upper East Side townhouse, the A-list guests ran the gamut as usual, from onetime Tammany Hall heavy Carmine DeSapio to gossip columnist Cindy Adams to celebrity artist Andy Warhol. Cohn bucked up enough to don a white dinner jacket with a red bow tie with sequins but fooled nobody. “God,” thought Warhol, according to his diary, “he looked so sick.”

His physical diminishment ran parallel to his legal jeopardy, gutting him of the wherewithal to mount the kind of fight for which he had been so vaunted. The IRS mobilized to seize the townhouse and his cottage in Greenwich, Connecticut, filing for $7 million in back taxes. Circling, too, was the New York State Bar, bringing to a head its three-year-plus disbarment proceedings based on accusations of “dishonesty, fraud, deceit and misrepresentation,” stemming from four separate cases over the course of three decades—that he didn’t pay back a loan from a client until disbarment was underway, that he misappropriated escrowed property of a client, that he forged a signature on a client’s will, and that he lied on his application to the Washington, D.C., bar.

Trump, along with New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, TV personality Barbara Walters, attorney Alan Dershowitz, conservative columnists William Safire and William F. Buckley and others, testified on Cohn’s behalf as a character witness. But in late June, Cohn was disbarred. His conduct, according to the top appellate court in the state, was “unethical,” “unprofessional” and “particularly reprehensible.” In public, he remained tough-front defiant. He called those who had made the decision a “bunch of cheap politicians,” a “bunch of yo-yos,” a “bunch of nobodies.” He said he “couldn’t care less.” He said it “doesn’t bother me in the least.” But he cared a great deal. And it bothered him a lot. He talked to law partner Thomas Bolan and cried. He knew what was coming. He wrote a will and tried to “finish it” but fumbled pitifully with a bottle of pills.

Early that July, his secretary saw him just once. “I had come in the front door, and he was just descending the stairs,” Bell told me. “And he was just coming down, and he had a man on either side of him helping him walk, and he was very, very thin. You could see every bone in his ugly face, and he had thrush all around his lips. And as I walked by him—I had to go by him to get to the elevator—he looked up at me, and he said, ‘Hello, Sue.’ And I said, ‘Oh, hi, Mr. Cohn.’ And I got on the elevator, and I cried. And I didn’t like him, but I’ve never seen anybody so devastated.”

A month later, Cohn was dead.

A crowd, his crowd, of some 400 people assembled for his memorial service at Town Hall, the landmark New York venue. Bolan and DeSapio and former mayors and borough bigwigs and businessman Bill Fugazy and Republican Senator Chic Hecht of Nevada and Rupert Murdoch and Roger Stone. And Trump. They remembered him as loyal and funny and smart. They remembered him as an anticommunist patriot with an “almost insatiable interest in gossip.” Bolan eulogized Cohn as a victim of “the liberal establishment,” of “foes in the media,” of “political enemies” who “tried to shoot him down.” Fugazy said his longtime friend had “hopped the tables” until he finally was felled. He said Cohn had “lived life at the edge of danger.” Trump did not speak. He wasn’t asked. He stood instead in the rear of the room, contemplating, perhaps, all that Cohn had done for him, and who might be able to replace him, who could build on what Cohn had bequeathed. But there was just one Roy Cohn, and Trump, even at 40, maybe more than anybody, had to know it.

Cohn’s cousin doesn’t believe in karma, but he can’t help but think there is a final reckoning. “You can only outrun that fortune, and your own mistakes, and your own ego, and your own nastiness,” Marcus told me, “for so long.”

“The open question,” Tyrnauer said when we talked, “is whether Trump’s luck will hold up or whether—like Cohn—he’ll run out of road and face a tsunami of legal difficulties that will diminish him or put an end to the game that he’s played so effectively.”

“We were all brought up to believe, whether it’s an eye for an eye, it’s religion, it’s Greek tragedy, it’s whatever, that justice is going to catch up with everybody,” Zirin added. “The jury’s still out on Donald Trump. We don’t know whether he’ll get his comeuppance.”

But Tyrnauer reiterated the last lesson of Cohn.

“He got away with it,” he said, “until he didn’t.”

#Foreign #learned #never #Politics

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