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redphlox · 4 years ago

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How Touya can be Saved

I’ve talked before about why I think Shouto will save Touya, and now I want to talk about how. No doubt saving the eldest Todoroki child will be a combined family effort, but I want to specifically talk about Shouto’s role in this because it will be the culmination of his character arc. I also want to tie in how Dabi can make himself seen and understood by crying tears of blood in front of his family. Finally receiving validation after desperately needing it his entire life will be the key to his salvation.

As of chapter 298, Shouto already empathizes with Touya; he feels Touya’s hate and even recognizes Dabi is the person Shouto himself was before the Sports Festival. Shouto is extending his empathy and understanding to his brother the same way he reacted to Iida during the Stain arc in chapter 53, “Todoroki to Iida.”

Having empathy for Dabi’s resentment is only the first step in reaching him, though. That shared rage doesn’t completely validate Dabi’s pain as an abuse victim, which is something Shouto has yet to recognize about himself. Shouto’s anger has always been about how Endeavor abused Rei to the point she had to be institutionalized and not how Endeavor isolated him, physically abused him, and robbed him of his childhood. Shouto probably hadn’t stopped to think about how the other Todorokis perceived their family situation because, like most families in this situation, no one talked about the abuse - Shouto even expresses surprise and agreement in 192 when Natsuo confronts Endeavor with the entire family’s pain. Shouto thinks back to the memory of wanting to play with his siblings and realizes that specific day didn't only stay with him but that his siblings remember it and were impacted by it, too.

Like Natsuo, Dabi knows the root cause of their family’s dysfunction was Endeavor, and while he had a problem with what he perceived as each individual member’s blindness to their abuse, he ultimately doesn’t blame the victims and instead assigns all the blame onto Endeavor. Even 10 years later, he still calls Rei ‘okaasan’, Fuyumi ‘Fuyumi-chan’, and Natsuo ‘Natsu-kun’ because he still cares about them and recognizes all of them as victims of a corrupt hero who never set out to be a husband and a father and only used them.

However, Touya's own victimhood has never been validated - in 301 and 302, it was seen that he was the scapegoat for his family, and no matter how much he tried to earn back his father’s approval or call his father out on his unfair treatment, no one was ever on Touya’s side. His mother told him to look away from his father as an example instead of standing up to Endeavor for herself and her children, and Fuyumi and Natsuo were too young to understand and couldn't relate to what Touya went through as Endeavor's prized heir. Touya needs validation that he was abused and neglected. He always has. He still does.

The person in the perfect position to understand what it’s like to be on the receiving end of Endeavor’s impossibly high standards, obsession with surpassing All Might, and quirk training is Shouto. But in order to fully empathize with Dabi and show his brother that he can relate, Shouto needs to acknowledge that he too was a victim. In 292, Dabi basically asks Shouto to validate the pain and suffering Dabi had just exposed in the battlefield, but his question still stands unanswered.

To reach Touya, Shouto also has to show Dabi what kind of person he is - as in, Shouto has to separate himself from Endeavor’s shadow and establish that he too has been holding Endeavor accountable for his actions. We as readers know that Shouto’s entire character arc has been about asking himself, “Who am I?” Often, children who grow up in abusive households struggle with their identity and Shouto is a perfect example of this. This is why he chose his hero name to be his name: Shouto. He’s learning who he is after years of trying so hard to not be his father and becoming exactly like him - cold, distant, tunnel visioned, hateful. It wasn't until he met Inasa that he realized this and wanted to right his wrongs.

Like Inasa, Dabi doesn’t know Shouto at all. Both Inasa and Dabi knew Endeavor and assumed Shouto would be just like him. Inasa had a valid reason to think this of Shouto of course, because Shouto was standoffish and dismissive during the UA entrance exams, but at the time of the provisional license exam Inasa hadn’t learned that Shouto had recognized this toxic side of himself and had begun working towards the kind of person he wants to be. Shouto had to show Inasa the real him, and in a similar way, he will have to prove this to Dabi. Dabi hasn’t seen Shouto struggle with his identity like we the readers have; Dabi only sees his usurper making headlines and willingly interning with Endeavor. He probably assumes Shouto is proudly training to carry their father’s legacy. Dabi isn’t privy to the nuanced relationship Shouto or their siblings have with their father. All Dabi knows is that Endeavor is seeing and paying attention to Shouto and Shouto seemingly submitting. Dabi has no idea THIS is how it really is:

Showing others who he is is a way for Shouto to process his own trauma and establish his identity. As the son of the #2 hero, Shouto has always had to prove himself to others - that he’s not his father. He’s even had to prove this to himself by accepting his fire side and making it his own in spite of his father repeatedly calling him a creation or a masterpiece. Not being like his father is such a defining trait for Shouto that he feels compelled to tell kindergarteners during the re-licensing exam his life story and his trauma. He literally bore his heart out to these kids because he knew he wouldn’t get through to them unless he was genuine. I think he’ll apply this concept to Touya, too.

The thing about Shouto is that, while he hasn’t reconciled with his own status as an abuse victim, he sees himself as a survivor. He sees himself as someone who managed through a difficult situation and wants to help others get through their struggles too. That's why getting through to these kids was so important to him, why he took it so seriously. These were problematic kids, and instead of calling them brats or trying to intimidate or manipulate them, he tries to get down to their level and relate. Notice he emphasizes how much he struggled in school at first, how his relationship with his father is strained - in his mind, it's something these kids may be able to relate to.

Shouto is someone who sets out to understand and make others feel seen and understood. It's what makes him kind. Shouto probably understands why his father abused the entire family - Endeavor's reasons don't excuse him or earn his children's forgiveness, but it's a reason that humanizes him to Shouto. He himself was a cold, bitter person who now believes people can change if given the right opportunity and self-awareness because this is a lesson he's learned from Midoriya and Inasa. This is also something Shouto can grant Touya: understanding, a listening ear, space to be wrong, and a chance to be seen.

Touya wanted and still craves to be seen, and he has to see in return. He has to realize Shouto isn't his father's puppet. He has to relate to Shouto much like Shouto is relating to him. Shouto will have to pull the same move he pulled on those kindergarteners and tell Dabi his struggles, and then show him he’s making his own path different from their father’s and that the family isn’t blindly following Endeavor anymore or letting him do what he wants. Natsuo has stood up to him, Rei has stood up to him, Fuyumi has admitted to herself she had been trying to play a happy family instead of fixing the internal mess - they as a family will have to show Dabi all of this, and he’ll have to wrap his head around it. He has to realize that his family is different from how they were 10 years ago. This is what I mean by allowing Touya space to be wrong - it’s okay for him to be wrong in assuming all these things about Shouto. Shouto won’t judge him for it.

I've talked before about how the narrative framing as of chapter 309 has set up that a person must express their feelings in a socially acceptable manner before they can be a candidate for saving, and that means crying. As soon as Midoriya saw a glimpse of little Tenko crying, he switched his mentality from "I'll never forgive you" to "I want to save that crying boy." When Toga ran away from Ochako crying, Ochako became concerned and curious. Following this pattern, it makes sense that Dabi also has to show his emotions, but it’s complicated because he can’t cry due to his burnt tear ducts. Every time we’ve seen him cry tears of blood, he’s been alone - he’ll have to cry in front of Shouto and the family for it to sink in that all of Dabi’s destruction and hate stems from deep-seated sorrow and feelings of abandonment. The family does not yet know how the fire that killed Touya started, and they have no idea that Touya’s emotions are linked to his fire and that he died because he was feeling overwhelmingly forsaken and sad. Once they find out, however, they’ll fully understand Touya (hopefully) and recognize they haven’t been understanding him at all. Saving Touya will be difficult because he has to be vulnerable and that's not something he's done as Dabi, but that's where the Todoroki family arc is headed: healing as a family.

As a side note: I’m not saying that the message the manga is giving is the correct one (how you express yourself shouldn’t be a determinant of the help you receive) but it’s what we have to work with. I also think saving Touya will be more complicated than this and will also involve Natsuo, but that’s a meta for another day! ;]

#bnha #dabi #touya todoroki #shouto todoroki #my meta #inasa yoarashi #bnha spoilers #Bnha meta #Mha #mha spoilers

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theworkofxanderking · 5 years ago

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The Originals: Bad Blood (Alternative Season 5)

Episode 9: 731 Days

Warnings: I do not own the original content to “The Originals”, “The Vampire Diaries” or “Legacies” or any of the characters from the television shows.

15 plus, displays of Violence, Gore, Torture, M/M, F/M, F/F.

Day 14

Rebekah had Augustus tied to a cross in Saint Charles Church located within the ghost town turned prison world Helton his body heavily bleeding and cut and bruised in several places while Rebekah taunted him with a knife she was holding as Nathaniel walked into the church.

“You do realize you’re just going to torture him to death and then the day will repeat itself and he’ll be alive again.” Nathaniel told her while walking towards her.

“True but then I’d literally have nothing else to do.” Rebekah responded before plunging her knife into Augustus’ chest causing him to scream in pain. “I am curious to why a church has so much torture equipment.”

“In fairness Rebekah you turn everything into a weapon.” Nathaniel replied while ignoring his father’s screams.

“We’ve been here for two weeks now and your yet to tell me anything about this little town of yours.” Rebekah said to him as she pulled her knife out of Augustus’ chest and slit his throat causing him to bleed out within seconds and silencing his screams in the process. “I’m beginning to work this place out for myself slowly, but it would be far easier if you just told me.”

“This place used to be a home a long time ago until it wasn’t.” Nathaniel admitted clearly hiding something from his friend.

“A clearly satanic church, a rundown hotel which we are forced to call home and woods which whisper. This is not a normal town is it?” Rebekah asked. “What’s in the woods? The spirits of your zombie friends.”

“Woods which whisper if only you could hear yourself Rebekah.” Nathaniel scoffed. “It’s just a normal town that got abandoned like many other towns.”

“I will find out what your hiding Nathaniel and for your sake it better not be another Malus witch or a long-lost bloody sibling of mine.” Rebekah stated making her intentions clear.

Day 182

It had been half a year since Nathaniel, Rebekah and Augustus first found themselves trapped within the ghost town of Helton and luckily for Augustus Rebekah’s attentions switched from torturing him to uncovering the secrets of the town in which her friend Nathaniel and her brother Henrik once called home.

She knew there was something especially eery to Helton some reason to why it had become a ghost town in those six months she researched in the rundown library, scoured the woods endlessly and turned every abandoned home upside down numerous times but it wasn’t until she went deep within the woods that she uncovered something she never knew existed within the ghost town she had been forced to call her home.

Rebekah went deep into the woods deeper than before until she came to the end of the woods and found herself staring at a small farm with an even smaller home on the land instantly sending her chills down her back and that was before Augustus walked out the front door of the farm home.

“182.” He shouted at her as he began walking towards her and her towards him.

“What the bloody hell are you shouting about?” She asked him while continuing to look around the abandoned farm.

“182 days it took you to finally find this place.” Augustus replied to her. “I had you finding it sooner, but those woods do tend to play tricks on the mind.”

“What is this place anyway?” Rebekah quizzed the Malus witch.

“You really do know nothing about this place.” Augustus responded with a laugh. “You can’t blame my son he gets his distrust from me.”

“He gets it from running from you for a thousand years.” Rebekah snapped at him.

“This little farm is my home or at least at one stage in my life it was my home although it wasn’t here when Nathaniel lived here or at least the second time he lived here.” Augustus revealed to her before out of nowhere Rebekah and Augustus found themselves in the woods once again. “And I guess it’s gone once again.”

“What the bloody hell is with this town?” Rebekah asked while looking around the woods in confusion. “I thought we’re cut off from all magic.”

“We’re not talking about magic when it comes to this place we’re talking about pain, loss, rage and death the four most powerful forces in the world.” Augustus revealed. “Helton really puts the ghost in ghost town the land itself is cursed by the blood of my wife.”

“The Other Side is gone how is that even possible?” Rebekah quizzed knowing the answers would just make her more confused.

“This is where I murdered my betrothed and it’s also the land in which several terrible acts were committed not just by me but by your brother and my son. I may have cursed this land, but they made sure the curse was never broken.” Augustus explained to her. “My wife was a powerful witch who feared her own death at my hands and bound herself to this land before I killed her only, she didn’t just bind herself she bound everyone who died to this land for centuries.”

“So, this place is freaking haunted by a curse that’s not broken by the whole no magic deal?” Rebekah asked.

“It may have started as a spell, but it grew into something far worse it grew into Malus.” Augustus admitted. “This town is the source to our power this is where the Malus witches were slaughtered by me after my wife’s death and this is where they remained. Malus was only meant to be a magic opposite to nature to keep a balance however I manipulated it to my own gain to possess unseen power but now there’s no magic in place draining the land we are left with just ghosts very angry ghosts.”

“The whispering woods are the spirits of people you killed.” Rebekah realized.

“People myself, Henrik and Nathaniel all killed yes although mostly me.” Augustus revealed to the original vampire turned human by their prison.

“Why are you telling me all this?” She asked clearly not trusting of a man she believed was more monster than man.

“Without magic I am as human as you are and since you’ve stopped torturing me…” Augustus began to say.

“You’re lonely,” Rebekah scoffed while rolling her eyes. “Imagine how lonely it would be on the run for a thousand years.”

“Imagine how lonely it would be being possessed by darkness for a thousand years.” Augustus told her and, in that moment,, Rebekah began to see a man within the monster who had made her friend’s life hell for so long a man within the monster who had made his own son’s life hell for most of his life.

Day 243

8 months had passed in Helton and things weren’t getting any better for the three remaining residents Rebekah Mikaelson had managed to form a wedge between herself and Nathaniel due to her newfound and reluctant alliance with his father Augustus but despite how much she long to repair her fractured friendship she wanted to return to her family more and Nathaniel wasn’t willing to help leave this prison he had helped create for them all.

Nathaniel Malin would’ve loved to leave Helton behind and find Henrik once again, but he knew that would mean allowing his father back out into the world and that was not an option for him. He knew if they remained within the ghost town his father nor himself would cause anymore harm and that they’d both be free from the darkness that lured their lives. That never stopped him worrying about the man he claimed as his son but deep down he had faith in Elijah being able to save Henrik from himself.

Augustus Malin was a story that witches told their children in the night a tale of too much power leading to destruction of oneself. He was considered a monster and rightly, so the man killed his coven, murdered his own wife and hunted his own son for a thousand years all in the name of claiming more power. However, without that magic, without the darkness corrupting his very soul he was just a man who did terrible things which now weighed heavy on his soul. Augustus sought out redemption but neither Nathaniel nor Rebekah were going to give that to him easily.

Nathaniel sat on his rocking chair with a blanket around him outside of his run down cabin that was placed just before the Helton woods as he watched the flames burn on the large bonfire he had built when he noticed his father Augustus walking towards his home.

“Unless you’re here to provide yourself as kindling for my fire then I suggest you walk straight back around.” Nathaniel warned him.

“I proposed to your mother around a bonfire just like this one.” Augustus revealed to him.

“You don’t get to mention her name you lost that right when you killed her.” Nathaniel snapped at his father as he stood up to face him.

“She was a remarkable woman, stubborn, brave and fearless just like you.” Augustus continued while walking closer towards his son.

“Oh, I was filled with fear for a thousand years wondering each day if it was my last if my father was going to kill me.” Nathaniel admitted to him. “You took my mother from me and then you took my life from me. My entire existence has been outrunning you and nothing else.”

“I’m not using this as an excuse of any kind but once the Malus takes a hold as you know there’s this undeniable darkness that consumes you. I didn’t have that darkness before I killed my own wife nor my coven on this very land however I was consumed by it by the time I began hunting you.” Augustus told his son. “How else do you think a baby managed to escape me? Because I let you go to a witch who hid you from me knowing one day, I would no longer feel that love and only the darkness.”

“So, what? You expect me to be grateful because you couldn’t kill me as a baby?” Nathaniel snapped.

“You have a million reasons to hate me for the rest of eternity Nathaniel and no-one would ever blame you, but I have a million reasons why I love you my son.” Augustus explained to the son he had spent most of his life hunting. “You lost your mother at my hands, then you lost the family that raised you and spent your life on the run and yet you still managed to love you still managed to find yourself some form of family.”

“Because I’d never allow you to beat me.” Nathaniel replied with pure hatred in his eyes for his father.

“I admire that more than you could ever imagine even when I had no emotions, I admired that.” Augustus told him. “I wish I could rewrite our history; I wish I could stop myself from killing your mother and my coven. Your mother truly was remarkable just like you.”

“Then why kill her?” Nathaniel asked with tears forming in her eyes. “Why on earth would you kill her?”

“She was a Malus witch too, a beautiful raven-haired woman with skin so pale it was like it had never been touched by sun, her lips blood red. Her name was Clara.” Augustus said while revealing Nathaniel’s mother’s name to his son for the first time. “She had a vision of well I guess me becoming the monster I am today and she wanted to run with you I never meant to kill her but I was fighting to keep you and one thing lead to another and…”

“You killed her.” Nathaniel said as her voice began to break. “She was your first taste of Malus power.”

“And from then on I needed more and more until it consumed me.” Augustus admitted much to his own disgust and his son’s horror.

Day 365

An entire year had passed, and Rebekah was still trapped in Helton alongside warring father and son Augustus and Nathaniel although a lot had changed in four months.

Rebekah had found her friendship with Nathaniel fully restored which was far from easy considering she did kill him that one time but risking eternity in a prison world for him proved to be quite the deal breaker even if Nathaniel didn’t like her growing friendship with the man who murdered his mother and tried to kill him.

Rebekah was still adamant there was a key, trick or loophole in which she would find that would lead her out of the ghost town once and for all refusing to give up on her family and striking up an unlikely friendship with Augustus in the process.

Augustus was far from the monster he once was he showed care for Rebekah and a longing for reconciliation with his son although Rebekah denied her care for him out of respect to Nathaniel who avoided his father like a plague and in a small town like Helton his avoidance was rather impressive.

Augustus without Malus was just a normal man who had done monstrous things and although neither Rebekah nor Nathaniel would admit it, they had begun to see the man within the monster.

Nathaniel stood in front of the rundown Helton Hotel within the town center of Helton looking at the building with a sense of reminiscence the building clearly meaning a lot to him with a history running deep into his heart.

“Out of all the places I catch you lurking around here this bloody hotel tends to be your number one spot.” Rebekah said to him while walking up to him from behind having walked from the direction leading towards the Helton woods.

“And I always find you either coming in or out of the woods.” Nathaniel replied while turning to face his friend. “How many times has it led you there?”

“A few times not before it kicks me out it tends to kick Augustus out too; I figure you’re the one it wants to visit not us.” Rebekah revealed to him.

“I know I’m a Malus witch and with that comes a certain level of macabre but even I am not willing to visit the scene of my mother’s murder at the hands of my own father.” Nathaniel admitted.

“Trust me I understand that,” Rebekah replied before looking at the hotel. “So, what’s the deal with this place? I know your big on secrets but one little slip up is hardly going to be the undoing of this bloody prison world.”

“The hotel once belonged to me in one of my many attempts to live a human life,” Nathaniel said with a sigh of sadness. “I didn’t know the land was cursed at first or that it was the town in which so many of my kind were slaughtered by my father.”

“What happened here why was this place abandoned?” Rebekah quizzed him.

“It wasn’t abandoned the townspeople still reside here they just reside among the dead.” Nathaniel explained to her. “I was under the illusion Henrik and I could live a normal life here my worshipers told me of a land my father never dared step foot and so we moved here. I was genuinely happy here running this little hotel and dealing with the miserable townsfolk but like it does so many times disaster struck as Henrik’s darkness grew stronger.”

“He slaughtered the entire town I guess mass murdering really does run in the family.” Rebekah responded.

“Not all some survived his violent outburst but I couldn’t let them escape Helton flee and then spread word of what had happened after all we were in hiding so I murdered the remaining survivors and buried their bodies in the woods with a cloaking spell.” Nathaniel revealed. “It was big story back then how an entire town vanished from out of sight becoming something of an urban legend until it started to slip from people’s minds. Ironic how I made them disappear and now we’ve disappeared with the town itself.”

Day 425

Two months had passed since Nathaniel’s bloody revelation to Rebekah and their friendship had grown stronger than ever because of it.

Rebekah revealed her loves and losses over the years to him while he admitted he had only ever loved one man truly and that was her brother Klaus Mikaelson. She told him of the near calls and horrors of her own father hunting her while Nathaniel shared his own father horror stories. Rebekah complained about the many struggles of being Klaus, Elijah and Kol’s sister for a thousand years while Nathaniel admitted to the burden of playing father to the mass murdering Henrik.

It was as if a thousand years had never passed and Rebekah and Nathaniel were as close now as they were back in their human years if not closer. However, Nathaniel remained distant from his father until one day he went deep into the woods.

Nathaniel was reluctant at first but after many conversations with Rebekah he decided to go into the woods and continued to roam until he found himself out of the woods and on to the run-down farm that Rebekah and his father had previously visited.

He had no memory of the place in which he was born and yet he felt a connection to the place as he walked towards the farmhouse he began having flashbacks of a woman running across the field holding a baby covered in cloth the woman looking terrified while trying to soothe her crying child only for Augustus to appear as if from out of nowhere right in front of her.

“If only I saw the monster within the man sooner.” The woman said to Nathaniel as she appeared in front of him and was no longer in his flashbacks.

“Mum,” Nathaniel said to her as tears formed in his eyes. “How is this even possible? This place is free from magic I had a powerful witch see to it myself.”

“The afterlife holds a very different magic to that of witches.” She revealed to him. “As to why I’m here instead of finding some peace well that answer lies within my own blame. I’m trapped here for as long as your father walks this earth because of a spell I was foolish enough to believe would help me be around for you somehow.”

“I always wondered what you would look like what you would be like if you regretted having me.” He cried. “I mean it’s because of me that you died if you weren’t trying to save me you would never have died that way.”

“Oh, my darling Nathaniel you hold no blame in any of this you were just a baby born to a cruel world filled with malice.” She explained to her son. “If I knew what your father would become if I knew what giving birth to you would lead to I’d do it all over again because you got to live and that’s all a mother wants for their child.”

“But I’ve not lived mother not really I’ve spent centuries on the run longing for a life but never really getting one because of him.” Nathaniel admitted. “And now I’m trapped here forever but at least I’m finally reunited with you.”

“You’re not trapped here forever,” Clara revealed to her son while placing her hand on his cheek to comfort him in his time of need. “There’s always a loophole when it comes to any spell and it just so happens, I know how you and your friend can leave this place behind forever and finally get to live your life however you choose.”

“How?” Nathaniel asked clearly eager to know the answer.

“The spell was created to hold your father and therefore can be broken by his death.” Clara made clear to him.

“But Rebekah killed him a bunch of times and he just came back the next day.” Nathaniel told his mother.

“A Malus witch can only truly be killed by a Malus witch they made sure of long before even your father’s and my time.” Clara confessed. “For you and Rebekah to be rid of this town and be free you’re going to need to kill your father.”

Day 547

The First year in Helton had been and gone and Rebekah, Nathaniel and Augustus were nearing their second with only six months to go.

Rebekah had found ways to pass the time she spent in this ghost town turned prison world as her reluctant bond with Augustus took an unexpected passionate turn beginning a sordid affair they both knew to keep hidden from Nathaniel knowing he’d feel betrayed for many reasons; one being Rebekah was his only friend and another being Augustus was well Augustus.

Augustus knew Rebekah had no feelings for him and he had none for her but their time together they both cherished making them feel anything other than completely and utterly alone.

Nathaniel was not one for helping anyone feeling less lonely having struggled in recent months after being told by the spirit of his mother he had to kill his father which surprisingly to him he had found himself not wanting to do. His hatred for the man had dwindled as he started to see him as another victim of the all-consuming Malus which he too possessed.

Nathaniel felt guilty towards his mother for not particularly wanted to kill the man who murdered her, furious with his father for making himself more human to him and even more guilty towards Rebekah knowing how much she wanted to be reunited with her family but not willing to make the sacrifice needed for her family reunion this time around.

Rebekah climbed off Augustus’ naked body before falling to the floor of the abandoned church, so she was lying next to him with nothing but a sheet covering their sweaty naked bodies having quite clearly just having sex.

“I can’t quite decide whether torturing you or sleeping with you is more enjoyable.” Rebekah joked before kissing Augustus passionately. “Definitely the torture part.”

“Well I certainly prefer one to the other however both don’t require much sleeping.” Augustus said with a smirk before kissing Rebekah once more.

“Oh, bloody hell,” Rebekah groaned as Augustus began kissing her neck. “Nathaniel is going to kill us both.”

Day 730

Two years had officially gone by and Helton was still the only place Rebekah, Augustus and Nathaniel called home unable or unwilling on Nathaniel’s part to break the curse that kept them in the ghost town turned prison world.

Nathaniel had grown rather fond of the peace and quiet and took his time to read several books from what remained of Helton’s library and would often attempt Rebekah’s hand at reading some literature leading to a book club of sorts being formed between the two and Nathaniel quickly noticed Rebekah’s only genre of literature she had any interest in was that of romance perfectly fitting for the girl who normally fell in love too easily.

Nathaniel sat on a bench just outside the decaying building which was one a store within the town center while reading “Wuthering Heights” the book itself looking as old as when it was first released in 1847 which is when Nathaniel more than likely purchased this book. He was so engrossed within the story he hadn’t noticed his father Augustus walking up the street towards him until it was too late, and Augustus was in front of him.

“I’d be careful about seeking out all consuming passions they tend to consume you in ways not written in books.” Augustus said to him as Nathaniel closed his book and stood up to face his father.

“Ironic that the king of consumption wants to advise me on that particular topic.” Nathaniel replied coldly.

“Your snaps are getting less sharp my son either your growing lazy or your starting to hate me less.” Augustus responded with a smile.

“Don’t worry father my hate for you grows stronger with every day that goes by.” Nathaniel said to his father, a statement which neither of them believed.

Their altercation was quickly interrupted when they saw Rebekah walk past them holding a sledgehammer looking like a furious woman on a mission forcing them both to follow her in a quest to find out what she was up to.

Nathaniel and Augustus continued to follow Rebekah step for step right through the town center and towards the road leaving Helton knowing she couldn’t be trying to leave having given up with this method within the first weeks of being trapped there.

They continued to follow Rebekah right up to the Helton graffiti-ed sign with nothing behind it but woods and forestry before she began screaming frantically as she wielded the sledgehammer at the sign multiple times leaving the sign dented in the process before Nathaniel and Augustus managed to walk over to her, Augustus taking the sledgehammer off the furious Mikaelson woman.

“I hate it here!” She screamed. “I hate this miserable little ghost town; I hate the infuriating spirits who never bloody show themselves. I hate everything about this god forsaken town, and I want the hell out right now!”

“I know how to break the spell.” Augustus reluctantly admitted.

“You do?” Nathaniel asked, shocked to know he wasn’t the only one with the answer.

“Are you serious?” Rebekah questioned while attempting to pull herself together after her recent outburst. “Well do tell us.”

“The spell can only be broken by Nathaniel he has to kill me.” Augustus revealed much to Rebekah and Nathaniel’s shock.

Day 731

“Are you sure about this?” Nathaniel asked his father while he held a knife in his hand as the two of them and Rebekah stood within the ever-moving Helton Farm, the same farm in which Augustus had taken the life of Nathaniel’s mother.

“I took a magic once known only as opposite to nature our witches drew from death which is a natural process. I took that magic and I bastardized it to make myself more powerful at first, I only wanted to keep you but once I got a taste of true death I became addicted and therefore created the Malus in which we practice. I cursed this land by my own actions, I took your mother, your coven and your family.” Augustus admitted to his son. “It’s only right that my permanent death will not only free you to live a wonderful life but will restore the natural balance well and truly.”

“I’ve been running from you for so wrong I lost count of how many times I wished you dead and now I’m struggling to do the deed.” Nathaniel replied as tears formed in both his and his father’s eyes. “I do not blame you for the all-consuming darkness that consumed you, but I do thank you for your sacrifice. I wish you had a chance to be my father.”

“I do too,” Augustus revealed making tears form in Rebekah’s eyes. “I may have never been a father to you, but you have always been the most amazing son I could ever have asked for.”

Nathaniel lifted his hand that was holding the knife before cutting his father’s neck open with it harshly and quickly forcing him to fall to the ground and bleed out as tears fell down Nathaniel’s cheeks. Before Rebekah had a chance to comfort her grieving friend both her and Rebekah found themselves on a dead-end road with nothing but trees and forestry behind them.

The exact same spot in which Hope, Klaus and Bonnie stood two years and one day ago.

“Nathaniel,” Rebekah shouted as she looked down to see her belly which had what looked like at least a six-month pregnancy bump. “What the bloody hell?”

#rebekah mikaelson #ghosttown #theoriginals #the originals fanfiction #vampire diaries #vampire diaries fanfiction #legacies #legacies fanfiction #alternativeseason #731days #babymikaelson

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lovemesomesurveys · 6 years ago

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If you were given three things to make you happy, what would these be? Good health (mentally and physically) is really what I would need, but money and a beach home would be nice, too. How would you rank the following in importance: family, career, love life? Family is first and foremost. I’m struggling to rank the other 2. I’m unable to work right now, plus I have no idea what I’d want or could do. It’s not something I’m thinking about right now or actively seeking. Same with my love life, which is currently completely non-existent. I’m not actively seeking that either right now. It’s best for me right now to be single and I’m pretty fine with that at this time. Which would you prefer: having a baby without a partner or a partner without a baby? Partner without a baby. What was your experience about being “mansplained,” and what did you do about it? I’ve dealt with know-it-alls and condescending people, both men and women. Who was your favorite cartoon character when you were a kid? Hm. Not sure about cartoon character, but I was obsessed with Barney.

Do you think God is real, and why? Yes. Do you believe in giving people second chances, and why? Yeah, generally. In some cases I’ve probably given too many. How would you describe your first crush? I was 9 years old, I really don’t remember much. Do you ever keep a journal? I used to keep physical journals in middle school and early high school, but now this is my journal. Do you think people fall in love because the right person has arrived, or because the time is right (regardless of whom the person is that they fall in love with)? I believe the person themselves is the main thing, but timing does play a role. How do you feel about the #MeToo movement? I think it’s extremely important to speak up and out about sexual harassment and assault. What do you look for in a relationship? Someone who is patient, understanding, caring, and kind is very important. A good sense of humor, too. What is your idea of a perfect date? Just being with the person somewhere where we’re able to talk and enjoy each other’s company. Food and coffee at some point, too. ha. What legacy do you want people to remember about you after you’re gone? I don’t know. I haven’t done anything memorable thus far.

”When my time comes, forget the wrong that I’ve done. Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed. And don’t resent me. And when you’re feeling empty, keep me in your memories, leave out all the rest.” Have you ever asked a guy out on a date? No. What was the most important lesson you’ve learned from your past relationship? Don’t allow someone to play or use you. What book influenced you the most? The Bible. What life-changing event have you experienced? There’s been a few, starting with the one that made me a paraplegic at just 7 months old. What’s a deal-breaker for you in a relationship? I’d like to think abuse would be. Are you a morning or a night person? I’m barely a person, my guy. How important is trust in a relationship? Extremely. I don’t see how you could have one with someone you don’t even trust. How do you feel about infidelity? I don’t feel great about it. Do you believe that the day will arrive when humans will be replaced by machines in almost all aspects of life? In some ways that’s happened. For example, at the lab office I go to to get blood work done, there aren’t any receptionists at the desk. There’s like an iPad to sign or check in and that’s it. Then of course an actual person calls you back to do the blood work, but yeah. Some fast food places you can order on a machine. Oh, and aren’t there those Amazon grocery stores or something that doesn’t have any registers, checkouts, or cashiers? What do you think is humankind’s greatest invention? There’s been far too many to think of what the greatest one of all would be. Do you think that humans are doing more harm than good to the planet? Definitely. What is your take on telepathy? I don’t believe in it. I think some people can communicate with people they’re really close to with a look or something, or know someone so well that they have a good idea what they might be thinking or feeling, but that’s all it is. What is your favorite workout routine? I don’t workout. Would you rather be called vain or insecure? I mean I am insecure, so. What important lesson did a close relative teach you? It’s too late to get that deep.

What part of your body do you find attractive? None of it. Which would you choose to be: law-abiding citizen or rule breaker, and why? I consider myself to be more of a law-abiding citizen, but I’m not perfect. What is your ideal vacation? Somewhere with a beach. What superpowers did you wish you had when you were a kid? Teleportation. Are you a mountain or a beach person? I enjoy both, but the beach is my absolute favorite. What mythical animal do you resonate with, and why? I don’t resonate with any of them. Which member of your family do you feel closest to, and why? My mom and younger brother. Who do you consider your best friend in your workplace? I don’t have a job. What three adjectives would describe you? Blah, blah, and blah. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose? Somewhere where it doesn’t have long, miserable summers like where I live now. What are you passionate about in life? :/ What quality in a person do you fall in love with? There’s a few things. Have you had your heart broken before? Yes. What is your take on astrology? I don’t believe in it. What is your life’s soundtrack? Uhhh. When was the last time you spoke with a classmate from high school? It’s been years. Well, apart from “liking” someone’s status on Facebook, maybe a comment now and then, but that’s the extent of it. Are you left- or right-handed, and would you want to switch? Right handed. What subject were you good at in high school? English and Spanish. What was the most memorable experience you had in elementary school? Some of the teachers and friends I had, field trips, book buddies, field days (the last of school where we did various activities), square dancing in 4th grade (I don’t understand why that was a thing...) the Oregon Trail game... Do you find it difficult to admit that you are wrong, and why? I’m first to admit I’m wrong and always take blame for everything. Do you get excited or scared when meeting new people? I’m very shy and awkward. What is your secret hobby that others would consider weird? Maybe listening to ASMR. *shrug* How do you cope with stressful situations? Not well. Is there anything that you would like to change about yourself? A lot of things. What musical instrument do you know how to play? None anymore. Who or what inspires you? I haven’t felt inspired in a long time. Which would you prefer in a romantic partner: a dreamer or an achiever? An achiever. What is your favorite part of a house, and why? My bedroom, it’s where I spend majority of my time. Who is the fictional character who closely resembles you in terms of attitude? Hmm. When you were a kid, what did you say you wanted to be when you grew up? A teacher. What was the title of the first movie you watched in a movie theater? I don’t recall what the first movie was, but the first one that always comes to mind is Stuart Little for some reason. And the Rugrats movie. I know those aren’t the first ever, though. When was the last time you slept outdoors? I never have unless you count napping a bit at the beach. What is something that you are proud of about yourself? I don’t feel proud of anything about myself right now. What song do you often sing in the shower? >> Whatever’s playing on my Spotify. <<< Same. I have a whole shower playlist, actually. What do you feel is the right age for people to get married? When they feel it’s right, I guess, as long as they’re both consenting adults. Personally; though, I think 18 is way too young even though they’re legal adults, but that’s just me. What would be your super villain name and your powers? I don’t know. What three non-electric or non-automatic items would you take on a deserted island? Water, a book, and my medicine. That would really, really suck not to have a phone, though... of course being on a deserted island at all would really, really suck, ha. If “hello” were to be replaced by another word as a greeting, what word would that be? ”Hey.” lol. What is the weirdest thing that your family does together? I don’t know? What was the most embarrassing thing that you’ve done for a friend? Nothing comes to mind at the moment. What task would you really fail at doing? A lot of things. What is your definition of a “perfect life”? No such thing in this life, but good health would be pretty great. What would be the title of the movie showing your life from birth up to present? Yikes. Ha, that could work as a title. What fashion piece would you invent for women? I have no idea. What is the single most important thing people should do for the planet? Not trash and destroy it. How do you define evil, and do you believe that a person can be evil? I believe serial killers, rapists, and abusers are pretty evil. What do you think are the two things that prevent people from realizing their dreams? I don’t know. Would you lay down your life for someone? Yes. What word or term do you wish to know the meaning of? >> I mean, if such a word existed, I’d just type it into google and bam! knowledge. <<< lol true. What makes you nostalgic? A lot of things. Do you believe that each of us has a soul mate? I don’t know. How would you live your remaining days if you found out you had only a week to live? Blah. Do you listen to other people’s advice, or do you prefer figuring things out yourself? Really depends. What is your favorite motivational quote? I don’t have one. Imagine that you are tasked to re-design society - what changes would you make? I absolutely would not want to be assigned that task. What’s the perfect day for you? A day at the beach. Would you wait for the sun to rise or for it to set, and why? Set. I can’t stay up late enough to see it rise anymore. If you were born in another era, when would that period in history be and why? I like that I grew up in the 90s. Have you made someone cry? Not intentionally or to be mean, but yes. What is the most astonishing act that a person can do for you? Uhh. What is more important: being true to yourself regardless of who gets hurt or considering the consequences of your actions on other people’s lives? >> I think one can consider the consequences of one’s actions on others without turning into some kind of self-less yes-man. Being true to oneself doesn’t at all mean “fuck everyone else”, and I really don’t know why those two concepts get conflated so much. <<< Well put. I agree. If you die tonight, would you pass away fulfilled or unsatisfied with life? I guess it wouldn’t matter. Thanks for ending with this, though....

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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staliasjeronica · 6 years ago

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Riverdale 3.09 Thoughts *Spoilers*

- Choni ❤️❤️❤️ But “stealing from.the rich to give to, well, us” what? Cheryl… YOU’RE RICH. Give some of the money to the Serpents They need it a bit more than you do baby. BUT BITCH THEIR FIRST I LOVE YOU I’M—

- Five weeks of the quarantine… that would have made an INCREDIBLE story line? Seriously? It would have been amazing to see Sweet Pea being temporary king while Jarghead and FP were gone. But no… let’s just skip the good part? What the fuck kinda writing skips.a great plot?

- “All physical contact must be kept to a minimum?” um… literally WHY? There’s literally NO reason for that to be a rule? Also fuck off Moose no ones likes a tattle tale and we all know that you’re slumming it up with Kevin after school so leave my babies alone. Oh. it’s for the seizures? Really? Dude SEIZURES ARE NOT FUCKING CONTAGIOUS YOU STUPID FUCKERS OH MY GOD. Stop trying to keep then gays from being cute!!!!!!!

- The RROTC made the rules? Dude they don’t run the school lmao that’s NOT HOW THINGS WORK

- JOSIE SINGING!!! MY BABY VERONICA!!! UGH FUCK ME UPPPP

- VEGGIE. VERONICA IS LOOKING AT JOSIE’S INCREDIBLE SINGING WHILE REGGIE IS AWING AT VERONICA I’M—

- Ew and then my mood is ruined by bughead waking up 😷😷😷

- Betty put all of those girl’s… in HER house? THE COOPERS CAN BARELY TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES LET ALONE THOSE GIRLS. Also don’t they fucking have families? And yes, Betty, that scream definitely would wake up your mom because they have those motherly instincts and they’d think their child was hurt, so ofc she’s going to wake up.

- They want to play… G&G… are you kidding me? I kinda get that it makes them feel better because that’s how they had it in SOQM but still WHY? JUST PLAY CLASSICAL MUSIC OR SOMETHING AND TAKE A BATH.

- Of course Jughead goes from his horrible leadership to “I left you too long” stfu right now your priority is the Serpents and who’s dealing the drugs (although I know who and uhhhh leave them alone he has to stay alive somehow)

- They don’t even have an elected Sheriff yet? WHY? SHERIFF KELLER DIDN’T DIE DID HE? THEN FUCKING REINSTATE HIM??? IT’S NOT THAT FUCKING HARD YOU STUPID FUCKS

- “Maybe that means that Archie could come back home” wE KNOW YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH HIM BETTY. Barchie!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

- Reggie ❤️❤️❤️ WOAH WHAT NO LEAVE HIM ALONE? HE ALREADY GETS ABUSED BY HIS FATHER! But aw Ronnie gets to take care of him I’m—

- Hiram really is trying to hustle his daughter wow so uhhh he does know that his daughter is the incredible Veronica Lodge, right? She’ll find a way lol we all know the queen can do everything

- “Has anyone ever told you you’re a badass?” Wow Reggie is so fucking into her I’m just 😭😭

- If Vegas gets hurt RAS will LITERALLY DIE. I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AND I’M NOT READY FOR THIS. Also there’s no way Vegas wouldn’t have seen or heard the bear behind him but sure whatever. ARCHIE JUST BC SHE’S ZONING OUT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T HEAR HER. JUST DO WHAT SHE SAYS JESUS. Also how convenient that it suddenly doesn’t work.

- “They imprinted on me” Betty NEVER say that again that was gross as fuck. “But as their queen, they are your responsibility, not mine” bitch Betty can’t be a queen no matter how hard she tries, and she (nor Jughead) know how to take care of anyone but themselves so… Alice unless you want Betty to end up killing them, this is where you, as the mom, undermine her and take them to the farm. Of course I don’t trust the farm but it’s much safer than the Cooper house hold because they have the resources to spare, the Cooper’s don’t.

- Hey here’s an idea… since you can’t get to Hiram using the nuns because they took a vow of silence (cowards) then maybe… just maybe… OUT IT AS A CONVERSION THERAPY HELL SITE AND USE THAT INSTEAD? But we know Betty doesn’t want to save the gays so 😷😷

- I love Josie’s singing but why is she singing in an empty lounge? REST HER VOCALS.

- I used to love Hiram’s evil-ness but now he just shows up all the time and it’s getting annoying. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD END THIS FUCKING PLOT SO VERONICA CAN FOR ONCE GET HER OWN STORY THAT BETTY DOESN’T TAKE, THAT DOESN’T REVOLVE AROUND HER FATHER OR A GUY. SERIOUSLY. They have so much potential with literally any other character but still decide to force Bughead and their separate characters down our throats. Like at this point honestly just kill them both off Jesus Christ

- Jughead… this is a gang… they’ve always sold drugs? At least, weed, but still? You have to take into consideration that you were gone, and they were placed under quarantine, and they needed money. You can’t blame any of them for dealing with Hiram you whiny piss baby. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

- God it bothers me that Jarghead is such a lowsy king. When do we get Sweet Pea overthrowing him? pLEASE WE NEED IT SO TONI CAN LEAD BESIDE HIM. Maybe Swangs (even though I know what happens) and Choni can co-lead the Serpents

- Cheryl speaking facts! AND MY BOY FANGS. Jughead had NOTHING to say to Fangs and FP had to step up and cover for Jughead, because he was right. What else are they supposed to do? Gangs are supposed to do bad shit? Jughead has done ultimate horrible shit and suddenly he’s going to act like a gang is supposed to be clean? Jughead do your research that is not what gangs do. Also, if FP is going to be at every fucking Serpent meeting maybe he should, you know, take his spot back. He’s a MUCH better leader than Jughead, even though I’d prefer it be one of the founding members like TONI FUCKING TOPAZ or something.

- I love how no one really does the “in unity there is strength” thing. Like, they know they’re being lead to slaughter basically and FP is just letting it happen. Also, they’re running the gang into the ground. There is no more unity because JUGHEAD’S STUPID POWER-HUNGRY ASS ISN’T DOING SHIT TO HELP THE GANG. Also also Betty looks so out of place and awkward there. Can’t wait for Archie to come back and for her to realize that he almost died and then realize she can’t live without him and that she loves him and finally bughead can split for good and barchie can rise

- If Veronica paid why the FLYING FUCK did they go after Josie? FucK OFF HIRAM

- Polly you had to say his name. LEAVE MY BOY ALONE.

- FANGS CRYING STOP STOP STOP MY BABY BOY NO NO NO

- “We could’ve helped you” JUGHEAD YOU LITERALLY JUST BANNED CRIME. THE SERPENTS HAVE NO MONEY WHAT ELSE WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO? Also they can’t get mad at him bc this was before Jughead got back and did the stupid crime law like a hypocrite

- DUDE FANGS DID THIS BEFORE THE FUCKING RULE YOU STUPID FUCKERS? LIKE??? DO YOU HAVE NO BRAIN CELLS?

- Oh Jughead has one brain cell left? I know he ends up being cancelled but he’s not… yet.

- CHONI BREAKING IN AND STEALING SHIT YES BITCH

- Why is Archie hallucinating playing G&G? Like doesn’t this mean he’s playing by himself? The fuck?

- Dead ass Cassidy telling Archie it sounds like his fault that all that happened, you can tell that this is Archie’s mind because he always blames himself for things that have nothing to do with him. Because we know that it’s definitely NOT his fault. None of it is.

- Cheryl just HAD to kiss the picture

- JERONICA. JERONICA. JERONICA. JERONICA. JERONICA. JERONICA. JERONICA. MY FANFIC IS COMING TO LIFE. JUGHEAD AND THE SERPENTS PROTECTING VERONICA YASSSSSSSSS

- I’m mad that they didn’t have Joaquin not actually die. Like, Sweet Pea and Fangs were close to him? They could have faked his death like what the fuck

- YES WE LOVE AND STAN LAWYER MCCOY

- How did Jughead know that Toni was involved? Cheryl was the only one who left a stupid calling card.

- THE TEARS WELLING IN TONI’S EYES STOP STOP STOP

- But he can’t fucking kick her out she’s literally a legacy. This crusty white boy needs to sit the fuck down

- Okay one, Cheryl why would you bring Fangs back into it? THE FUCK. Also, Jughead you can’t be disappointed in Fangs for telling SP even though you said not to tell anyone—best friend’s never count.

- SWEET PEA STANDING UP. FANGS CRYING. “Some leader you are” YES FANGS WHAT A KING. SWEET PEA BBY OH MY GOD

- “And the rest of us don’t get to go back to Thistlehouse” says the disgusting whiny piss baby who gets to sleep in his girlfriend’s house, in her comfortable bed while his gang lays in cots or some shit in tents. Get off your mighty high horse, Jughead. God, now they’re switching roles… Betty is kinda becoming SLIGHTLY tolerable and now Jughead is being so fucking annoying. Go back to how it was please.

- JERONICA. AND VEGGIE. EXCELLENCE.

- So Archie standing over Hiram and shit was all a fucking dream? Really? COME ON. Lol Hiram has a point though because everyone goes in and tells him their fucking plans. OMG THE CALLBACK TO THE FIRST EPISODE WAS GREAT. CALL BACK TO BARCHIE BEING ENDGAME YESSSS.

- So if Veronica ended up smashing the egg… then fucking give Fangs, Toni, and Cheryl their spots in the Serpents back since it was all for nothing anyways.

- I’m glad Cheryl and Nana Rose are housing some fo the girls but WHAT ABOUT THE SERPENTS YOU GUYS HAVE A BIG FUCKING HOUSE. Why didn’t she house some of them there? I mean it’s ooc for Toni not to be thinking of her fellow Serpents why wouldn’t she be like “hey babe you have a lot of room here what if we help house some of the Serpents” but uhhh apparently not.

- Hey FP shut the fuck up with this “she’s still a Lodge” shit because you all know she doesn’t associate herself with her parents anymore. Remember “you don’t have a daughter” or…?

- Jughead brought up when FP worked for Hiram. Hell yeah! But him saying he wants Jughead to be a better king than him? BITCH YOUR SON DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO RUN A GANG. HE SUCKS. HE’S STUPID AND RUINING THE GANG HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE THAT? God never give your throne to blood family.

- Yeah, FP, you’re not made for the sidelines you’re made to RULE you stupid fuck. Maybe you should get back with Alice she makes you more stable and less stupid

- REGGIE’S LIKE “NOT THIS TIME BITCH”

- SWEET PEA WITH A BAT FUCK YEAH

- So… you threaten the gargoyle bitch but you don’t unmask him to see who he is? Are you fucking stupid?

- Wtf… he has to beat himself with a bat on his own bed? I am confusion… WHAT THE FLYING FUCK? THE BLACK HOOD AND HIRAM AND THE GARGOYLE KING HAVE DONE SHIT NOT YOU YOU BIG BAFOON. NO DON’T DESTROY YOU’RE GOOD HEARTED INNOCENCE. YOU’RE THE ONLY BRAVE ONE OF THE CORE FOUR. ARCHIE NO.

- If they make Archie unlikable the only good core four person will be Veronica.

- VERONICA SINGING ❤️❤️❤️ Oh fuck I know this song but I can’t remember where I’ve heard it!!!

- VEGGIE. SHE’S SO FUCKING HAPPY TO SEE HIM I’M— HE’S SO ENAMORED WITH HER. VEGGIE KISS. Why can they make their chemistry shown on screen but Bughead can’t? Like both couples are even dating irl, too…

- JUGHEAD YOU PIECE OF SHIT. He only uses Sweet Pea or Fangs when he has something he doesn’t want to do usually because it’s too dangerous for him (whiny piss baby). DON’T MAKE MY BABY BOY GO UNDERCOVER HE’LL FUCKING GET HURT.

- I’ve literally never hated Jughead more nothing he can do can make up for what he’s done in this episode bye

- What the actual fuck. This is so fucking stupid.

- Archie isn’t dead. If Archie dies before bitch ass Betty or Jiggaloo Jones I will literally come after RAS.

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allagan-weeb · 6 years ago

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EXEC_LINKER/.

“Finally. It’s cool tonight.”

Mor Dhona was an interesting place, thanks to being a battle scar of the earth in itself. It made the area breathe unlike any other, with its’ chaotic imbalance of aether and the many things still churning, be it currently alive at the surface or ancient and buried. Many described it as having a magical aesthetic, but it was also a treasure trove of lost knowledge. This was exactly the sort of stuff that attracted this archaeologist-wanna-be of a rat.

Indeed, but even on warmer nights as this the star-filled skies still never cease to impress. Even while Nero was lazily sprawled out with his back against the ground. He had built a makeshift base within a cave just feet away, but toiling and researching in such an environment proved to be rather muggy and uncomfortable. The cool ground did wonders for relief.

A familiar beacon could be seen in the distance. The Crystal Tower, glowing softly with the surrounding atmosphere of lights reflecting off of it. The sight of it caused memories and emotions to bubble back to the surface.

With a deep sigh, he slipped a small contraption into his ear. Not a Linkpearl, but rather something of his own craft. A misshapen recording chant played, but it wasn’t any ordinary chant. Even through the static and crackling, one could tell it was something alien of this world. Something that he had picked up long, long ago. It was the very thing that gave appetite to his lust for knowledge and power, for he wished to know, understand, and reach whatever this sourced from.

.as yant ga... c.s ...mnos .ea ... ♪

En ...ee fwal, ..al .ea ... ♪

He could still remember the first time his equipment picked up the chant. Back then, he was still tasked of spying on the Warrior of Light--still a part of an Empire he wished to be recognized in. It was that day where his motivation towards knowledge and power began to shift heavily.

W.s ...t g..is chs hy....s ..a ...♪ E. ch..e f..l, ..al me...♪

What was this exactly? He had no idea. He could only remember entirely dropping whatever work he was doing on the Ultima weapon to dive towards the contraption that was barely picking up this static-y excuse of a message. It was in a language he had never heard and, through the crackling, the voice sounded.... odd... as if the source had multiple vocals somehow. He knew it dripped of power. A power that would shame anything else that had been found or invented.

“What?... Wait, what was that-”

At that moment everything else around him no longer existed. There was only this superb mystery and there was very, very little to go off of it. It would be this very recording, although incomplete, that reignited his passions that has thus driven him this far. The instrument he used to spy on his enemies would be altered to not only track his foe, but also to attempt to pick up anymore of this message.

Nero continued to follow and watch the Warrior of Light, being that he felt that this blip on his radar was only found due to this rival. If he continued to follow and study the Warrior, he assumed more information about the source of this chance would eventually surface. It had to.

Of course there would be no doubt that he would be right. He is Nero tol Scaeva after all.

“He who will out do Garlond and even the Allagans themselves,” as he often said.

Finally, the contraption upon his wrist that he often doted over sang out, but much more clearly than before:

Was yant gagis chs hymmnos mea...♪ En chsee fwal, fwal mea...♪

Fou paks ra, diasee, sarrifis hyzik tes dius yor... ♪

This was soon after the disaster that was Praetorium. Soon after he was exiled from his homeland and forced to wander the land of the savages. At this point his desires were defeated and everything lost. The only thing left was a fleeting flutter of revenge and the contraption that he still clung to. The song. That song--what was it?

Quietly, he schemed. He still followed closely at the wake of the Warrior of Light’s footsteps. He needed to know what was the source of this, even if it killed him. After all, he had nothing else to lose.

Certainly, it must be something connected to the Crystal Tower, There was too much potential at this wonderland of knowledge for it to be anything else. The events that transpired there was only further proof of his assumptions.

“So...this is the legacy the Allagan Empire left behind. If my readings are correct, the energy source waiting atop the tower is a match for even the Ultima Weapon. Nay...more than a match. Heh heh heh... A new toy for me to play with.”

At least that’s how he convinced himself to feel about it. In all honesty the source was playing with him due to the extreme obsession that had grown from it. If only he had any idea exactly how much of a toy he would end up being to the source of this voice. That voice which was now repeating a single phrase, over and over,

Rrha ki ra tek wim tes yor.... Rrha ki ra tek wim tes yor.... Rrha ki ra tek wim tes yor.... Rrha ki ra tek wim tes yor.... ...

After all was said and done, and after his newfound debt he had towards his childhood rival, there was yet a single quote that lingered at the back of his head. A quote from that woman he so selfishly defended and saved,

“What you seek by this instrument may not be possible, Nero. But do not give up. There are many other paths that await you.”

...Of course they do.

Nero remembered all too well how he stood alone afterwards, looking down upon the instrument in his hand, and jaw clenched in both disappointment and enlightenment.

The thing was now silent.

Too silent... and somehow he knew he would never hear that beautiful voice from it ever again. Therefor, he tossed the now useless thing into the abyss before him.

At the same time, he also had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last time he would hear it. In the mean time, he would study the recordings. He had to try and decipher it. That passion of his to climb to the top would never falter.

He would continue on. Renewed, he would continue to grow and evolve at any means necessary.

He will find the source of this voice.

Suddenly his body jerked and startled itself awake.

“Ngh... How long has it been? Curses-” he grunted as he pressed against a knee to hoist himself into a sleepy standing position. Reaching up, he finally switched off the contraption that had been repeating the chant.

This was a sort of ritual of his. At least once a day he had to listen to it--analyzing what he heard over and over to the point of insanity and back. Again and again. He was hoping for some breakthrough in deciphering it.

...At least that use to be the reason for listening to it.

“Ah, I better retire properly. Not unless I want a little god-creature waking and being insufferably upset due to waking up by themselves. I know I’m certainly in no state to be able to withstand the sour pout they would likely guilt me with.”

After brushing himself off, Nero quietly retreated back into the cave where bedding was dressed into the deeper, cooler section of it. There, something that looked similar to a child lay asleep. Captured between their arms was a makeshift plush, which Nero had no doubt sewn himself. Male? Female? Who knew. Not even Nero knew after extensive study of this synthetic yet living humanoid. It seemed as though this animated ball-jointed-like doll was created without such trivial characteristics in mind.

This made no difference to the engineer. To him, this creature was perfect and beautiful just the way they were.

The source of the voice? This was certainly it. Now, how did it come to be that he came across this creature? Why, that will be saved for another fit of accidental dreaming.

As far as the Garlean was concerned, he was just happy he ended up with the antiqued thing from another world. That much was prominent with how he leaned over to gently place a hand over the other’s forehead. All the while a very fatherly-like smile managed to wriggle its’ way to the surface.

This sort of life and these sorts of emotions was exceedingly far from how he first predicted his happiness would be upon finding the source of that voice.

Not even he knew that his obsession for power would somehow twist into the love of that of a parent.

Not only a parent to what he was convinced in being the greatest thing ever created within the very fabrics of space and time--but a parent to his first and only family.

This was his child.

Rrha ki ra tek wim tes yor,...♪ en weel waath dius manaf, yat!♪

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#computed #defrag #Antique Doll #Nero tol Scaeva #Crystal Tower #Ar tonelico

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repeatsfate · 8 years ago

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A, K, R!!

vidya games!

K – game you’re most looking forward to?

at the moment it’s super mario odyssey and pokemon ultra sun and moon! and, uh… my inner 12 year old is rearing her ugly head to force me to admit i’m also pretty hyped for sonic forces, oops. lOOK IT LOOKS FUN, OKAY…

i’m looking forward to fe musou too but also i’m pretty neutral on it– everything they’ve revealed has been super incredible so far and i’m looking forward to maining my birb, but i’m more interested in the confirmed fe16 and i’m looking forward to hearing more about that when the time comes. <3

R – most underrated game?

hmmmm… while xenoblade chronicles itself would certainly fit the bill despite shulk being a giant meme now, i think i’ll take it a step further and go on to say xenoblade chronicles x deserves a bit more love than it got–

despite the very real flaws with the game and some aspects of the story, a thing that draws me to it aside from the ‘if you can see it, you can go to it’ MASSIVE open world and setting on a foreign planet was just how human its supporting cast and even minor npcs are. the game does an excellent job of portraying raw humanity in both ends of the spectrum– where there are heroes, there are people even in man’s most desperate hour that took that second chance as an excuse to be horrible, horrible people. the encounter of alien life goes as swimmingly as you expect, with the remaining fragments of humanity split on how to deal with these new beings in their midst. some choose to try and form alliances and bonds, the others shun and fear the outsiders– many quests actually revolve around the racism in what’s supposed to be a safe haven for the aliens pledging themselves to humanity’s side. the conflict taking up the last leg of the game is one born of human grief and the sting of loss– and when you really get into the motivations behind it it’s so easy to understand why the person did what they did but also acknowledge yeah no you did bad buddy you gotta pay for it now. i just???? it’s so good????

the planet and creatures that make up the game’s setting are imaginative and beautiful, i honestly love just booting it up and wandering. sometimes it’s scary as all heck because OH GOD GIANT MONSTER OUT OF NOWHERE but also… that just adds to the immersion and feeling like you’re a tiny fish in a big, big sea… and when you’re strong enough to stand up to those monsters it’s the most satisfying thing in the world.

the musical direction is honestly up to taste- i personally adore xcx’s soundtrack, but those not a huge fan of hiroyuki sawano’s works might find it lacking. here’s a personal favourite!

point is, it’s super fun, i want to do an araceli run sometime if i can ever be arsed to go back on my wii u or it gets a switch port, and a verse would be fun to play around with… i’m not a huge jrpg person, but i really really like xcx. also, fans of matthew mercer– he’s in this one, too! he plays lao huang, one of my all time favourite characters tbh <3

point is it is flawed, yes, but it’s also a very solid jrpg that i had fun sinking hours into and i’d totally do so again

A – favourite game of all time?

my top fave game of all time? easy! it’s the legend of zelda: wind waker!

it wins in both nostalgia points and a critical eye as i’ve gotten older– as a little kid, it was the first game i ever actually beat all by myself! the gamecube was the first home console i ever got to own– for a while i lived with my granny, who wasn’t very big on gaming if that makes sense? and then after moving back in with my mom she got me one for christmas and a friend lent me wind waker after i tried playing it at his house and repeatedly got stuck in the forsaken fortress. the excitement of finally making it past that and seeing this big, bright, beautiful world and story unfold before me has stuck with me to this day?? idk how to explain it i just. wind waker was an important game in my childhood, and i’ve played through it a loooooot– mostly i’ve noticed it was during times of stress or particular loneliness. everyone has that one game that’s been there™ for them during times of duress, and wind waker has always been mine.

okay i’m read more-ing the rest of this because i… went on for a WHILE. which is also why i answered it last oops. tl;dr there are many reasons why i love this game and it’s still my fave even now that i’m nearly 23.

as an adult, i’ve found that from a technical standpoint the game holds up really well, too– even without the hd remake on the wii u wind waker is still a very beautiful, stylistic game; a major benefit to having taken the art in a more cartoony direction is that it prevents the game from aging too much; if you were to look at the vanilla gamecube edition now, it still holds up amazingly! (meanwhile, i find that while twilight princess is still lovely, the more realistic art direction tends to date it a little. i could look at the original and just know the era it was made in, whereas if i never saw wind waker before, i would question it.)

the textures are rather blurry, sure, but that was a product of the time– hypatia on tumblr actually produced a mod with hd textures for roms of the gamecube version– check out these comparasion shots of the then-work in progress mod versus the original textures… and then here’s a few polished shots of the mod with a few extra effects dolphin/ishiiruka can provide. in short, the original wind waker is a very, very beautiful game and age has done very little to tarnish that even with the remake’s updated graphics.

but obviously graphics don’t make or break a game, though proper presentation is important– wind waker’s story also resonates with me deeply in various aspects. as an older sister, the initial quest to set out and rescue your younger sibling in danger caught my attention and held it fast; they do a very good job of making you feel attached to aryll, and the scene where she is kidnapped always tugs at my heartstrings every time i see it. watching this young boy who lived the world’s most quiet little life on a tiny island suddenly get swept up into this grand, big adventure to rescue someone dear to him and becoming an actual hero – despite having no relation to oot link whatsoever! – is the quintessential coming of age story that most people can relate to, and watching that change as the game plays out is always really sweet???

it was nice watching link’s development through his little actions: the backing away from helmaroc king when he first storms the fortress and then confident staring it down the second time and then giving it what for– aside from ganondorf himself that’s my favourite boss in the game if only because of those moments of development. link’s not just some kid from outset in over his head anymore– he’s a hero who overcame the trials of the goddesses himself in the name of protecting his baby sister, and he will not fail again. and then, after he could easily just throw in the towel and take his sister home because he accomplished what he set out to do, link goes on and sees it through to the end anyways because restoring order to the world is the right thing to do– there’s no legacy of knights looming over his head like several of his other incarnations. there’s no grand kingdom, there are only desolate little islands. there’s a princess, but… he barely knows her. hell, she didn’t even know she was a princess until that moment.

the story also touches on themes of death and the ends of eras… but also ends on a note of hope and new beginnings– clinging to the past only leads to ruin, and we must create opportunities for ourselves and the world to grow. hyrule is actually completely washed away by the end, and ganondorf goes with it– unless we assume breath of the wild is in the adult timeline, that’s it. he’s gone FOREVER in the subsequent games, with bellum and malledeus taking his place as the main villain. the kingdom link and tetra found is called new hyrule, but that’s all they share in significance– it’s their own land, just like the king said. that final scene of wind waker with the king always got to me– that message of hope is so poignant and powerful, i just. i don’t know how to put it into words, but it’s a scene i love dearly.

then there’s the music and cast of characters, and even quests and gameplay? i know the sailing could get tedious but i always liked it; it was relaxing to me just watching the virtual waves and listening to that beautiful score?? the characters are all bright and unique and fun– they’ve got their own little lives and you can impact them in so many different ways and things definitely change once you do?? like starting windfall vs windfall after you do a few sidequests or even turn on the ferris wheel and lighthouse again feel so different? it’s a neat little detail i’ve always found!!

…i really need to stop rambling about wind waker now i actually dozed off a bit typing this post, oops.

#long post;#◈▏▐ ❛ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ sᴀᴛɪsғʏ ʏᴏᴜ / ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ. ❜ ― ( latrocinari )#◈▏▐ ❛ ᴄʜɪɪ ɪs sᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ. ❜ ― ( ooc )#◈▏▐ ❛ ��ᴇ'ʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ʏᴇᴛ. ❜ ― ( meme )

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a-writing-bear · 8 years ago

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[PruCan] Chapter 1: Soft-Spoken Calling, They Want Their Shyness Back

Ao3 Link:

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11159997/chapters/24905436

This Has been cross-posted onto FF & Ao3 under Aliases: BearBooper

You can read this Fic on tumblr under ‘Keep Reading’

Next Chapter

Fandom: Hetalia Axis Powers

Main Pairing: Gilbert Beilschmidt & Matthew Williams (Prussia & Canada)

AU: College AU - Art Student Matthew and Media/Film Student Gilbert

Age Rating/Mature: Teen And Up Audiences (12+ due to mentions of mature themes as well as swearing)

Trigger Warnings: None in this chapter (Future addiction to mention themes such as addiction, rape etc.)

Summary:

Matthew likes art. It gives him expression when his quiet voice gets lost in the seas of attention-hungry students at Himaruya Academy. Art seems safe yet teetering just on the edge of questionable and provocative at times. In a way that could summarise his experience with Gilbert: Enough danger and uncertainty to keep his social life turning without feeling the discomfort. He likes art...He also really...really likes Gilbert.

Gilbert is - to be honest - a self-proclaimed media genius (He's not wrong, he is pretty damn good at the course), He likes to create discussion and create thought-provoking pieces of music and film. At the same time, while he may have built his legacy in Media he has yet to build a sense of legacy and certainty with himself. Cue the smoking, drinking and late night 'rendezvous' and indulgent one night stands...it's the high point of college right. That was a while ago now. It’s already a year into the semester and Gil needs to start saving money instead of partying. He's not lost- not fearful? Why does he not feel lost anymore when there's that blonde birdie looking his way?

I do not own any of the characters, they all belong to the Show/Manga/Hell that is Hetalia and the creator/Hima-Papa Himaruya Hidekaz Himself.

Matthew was soft-spoken, which in hindsight he realised was attributed due to his, let’s be frank, terrible childhood of growing up with his loud and boisterous brother. Don’t get him wrong, sometimes being soft spoken had its benefits- like that time he got to skip out of doing public speaking…or that time his father gave him a pass after a problematic day at school…

This was not one of those times.

 If the Canadian could describe himself it would be ‘appropriately passive’, someone not prone to anger unless he was provoked to a boundary which only certain people correction: incredibly and insanely idiotic people, have crossed (Alfred learnt his lesson after the case of the missing art supplies…). On any other typical evening at the bustling university dorm - a Friday night that all students of Himaruya Academy were yearning for - the strawberry blonde would roll his eyes as he heard the booming blasting music from the dorm adjacent to his, but with an art piece already way behind and his paint pot PHYSICALLY edging itself off his desk due to the vibrations, Matthew knew it was time to finally get over his quiet nature and shut down whatever the fuck his dorm neighbour thought was music.

‘Maple- This is getting out of hand- come on Mattie just go over and give the hoser a good shout…it’s like that time with Alfred and his damned pranks’,

Still dressed in his old white shirt covered in splotches of green and red acrylic, spare jeans and tousled hair, the Canadian padded his way out of the room preparing himself to attempt a confrontation with his unknown neighbour. ‘Wait- I don’t even know who lives next door? Is this really a good-‘

His knuckles seemed to go in autopilot as he realised he had already knocked on the door. Suddenly the music spilt out of the already overfilled container of a dorm and filled the hallway with loud blaring drums of some generic rock song. A head had poked out and was currently staring down Matthew as if the artist was the one doing something rude. He gulped, anxiously as he looked to face the head which had appeared…never one to be good with confrontations his original angry tone he planned to use came out meeker than he wanted:

“H-Hey could you have some respect and s-switch off your trashy music, some of us are t-trying to work….?”

As usual his plan had failed, this was clearly evident with the stuttering and the last few words, which were meant to be a verbal jab, turned into an awkwardly poised question. Trying to regain control over himself, Matthew watched as the head retreated into the room, music promptly turned off, and quite surprisingly the door opening with the resident grinning wildly in return. It was the blonde’s turn to stare the man in front of him down, the bright ruby eyes pierced through his thoughts, the light grey- seemingly white- silver streaks of hair and what must have been the lightest skin he had ever seen (‘I wonder if he would make a good canvas for my next paint-Mattie Back to task!’) made the glasses-clad boy look in awe.

‘He’s so pretty...’ oh jeez…w-what-why am I here again??’

“Uh hello? Ah Kid you okay there?” a heavily accented voice dragged Matthew out of his little-infatuated daydream. Matthew gulped. What was he getting into?

 Gilbert Beilschmidt was not a soft-spoken guy. Granted that could be attributed to his position of an older brother; the one to get into squabbles and fights to protect the honour of his sibling (Not that Ludwig ever really appreciated it). It wasn’t uncommon to get various noise complaints from the students who occupied the rooms around him, however, the shy-looking captivating character in front of him was a new sight to see. ‘Scheiße he’s cute, verdammt….’ He tilted his head and flashed a trademark snarky smile as he questioned the boy who also seemed to be lost in a daze. Slowly but surely opening up the door to his sanctuary, without words he invited the unknown person in – ‘this is probably not a good idea to invite strangers in…. but this kid…he’s so cute he couldn’t hurt…..a fly…’

As the kid shuffled into Gilbert’s poster-covered room, Gilbert couldn’t help but continue watching the blonde’s small fidgets and expression: First a hand twitch as if to say ‘n-no I’m okay’ then acceptance and a preoccupied sense of unsure thoughts then a fluster of blinking violet depths accompanying a sudden wave of...wonder? The new person was busy admiring his décor with an enchanted glare,

“Whoa…so beautiful….” He heard the student said quietly

“Why thank you, I do look my best when there’s good company” The self-proclaimed Prussian was prone to spilling automatic pickup lines from his lips, though it was strange because he had started blushing after realising what he had said.

Gilbert Doesn’t Blush. Not Usually.

There was a dramatic and quick change in the air as the visitor whipped around and scoffed out, “E-excuse me?”

Gilbert’s eyes widened and he spluttered out an apology as he realised he just tried to flirt with a random guy who had only just met him.

“A-ah sorry- I’m Gilbert, Nice to meet you, sorry about the noise-“ he reached out his hand and felt a bit of hurt as the boy looked at the gesture with caution and had jumped back,

“German.”

It was Gilbert’s turn to look confused and scoff.

“Excuse me?”

Matthew’s cheeks grew bright red as he looked down to the floor which was suddenly very interesting,

“Sorry eh, Y-your accent…it’s German, You’re Ger-“

“Prussian. I’m Prussian. Judging from your ‘eh’ you’re Canadian, wait do you have something against Germans?”

“NO NO oh my god no-I-I... Just...I didn’t- ….”

Matthew paused, it was embarrassing to admit what he said next,

“I... I like accents.”

Matthew was filled with horror at how he must have sounded. He definitely wasn’t racist towards Germans…he just…. really liked accents. It was a quirk he enjoyed strangely, a guilty admission of a detail Matthew loved. The room resident, now known to Matthew as Gilbert, halted for a moment inquisitively, before bursting into a laugh that nearly replicated his brother if it wasn’t accented – ‘Although this one feels…nicer to hear than Alfred’s..’ Finally, really paying attention to the skinny man Matthew noted the lopsided creased ‘Kings of Leon’ shirt (A band Matthew actually enjoyed!) and the low riding jeans that hung dangerously on the pale hips. Blushing and feeling more out of place than usual, the artist let out a tiny huff of discomfort.

“My name’s Matthew Williams…Technically William-Jones but. I prefer-I mean- just Williams is better.” Out came the scattered words from the red cheeks,

“As in William-Jones like Alfred William-Jones?” ‘Typical. Of course, this hot handsome interesting guy knew his brother. ‘Game over, no point attempting to be friendly now- ‘

“Mattie? Hey? You’re zoning out again, you alright ja?” a hand had reached up to Matthew’s fringe,

His deeper thoughts subsided as he responded to Gilbert who was now closer and looming over him; almost touching his messy hair. With a small ‘eep’ Matthew shrunk at the student’s proximity and lack of boundaries. The silence was deafening when you realised all that could be heard was the rather sped up breathing of two college idiots gawking at each other, needless to say, he flurry of confusion, uncertainty and perplexity were tangible between the bated breathes. Everything they ever knew about connecting with someone seemed to click into place and while they both weren’t aware that they were on the same page, they both thought the same thing at that very moment:

Fuck. He’s my Type.

#prucan #aph prussia #aph canada #prussia x canada #hetalia #aph #hetalia axis powers #fanfic #multichapter #college au #alternate universe #hetalia fanfiction #SoftSpokenCalling

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martechadvisor-blog · 7 years ago

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Are You Contemplating Switching Marketing Automation Systems?

Since your marketing automation system is essentially your digital hub, it’s critical you have the system that best addresses your current and future needs.

Virtually every major software category has 3-4 leaders in it and just as we’ve seen the iPhone take over BlackBerry who took over Nokia who took over Motorola, we can expect fierce competition by companies who want to be “the system of record” for digital marketing.

Having worked with literally hundreds of marketing teams in the enterprise and mid-market segment I can tell you that the primary reason people change systems is brand preference and not that the system failed them in some way. However, with some of the legacy marketing automation vendors slowing down innovation and lacking quality customer service, we’ve started to see more and more migrations in the past two years than in all the previous years combined.

So why are people switching?

The first reason is frustration with support. It might be due to all the changes in leadership that have come about from the acquisitions over the past couple years, but without a doubt, customers are not getting the love and attention they once were.

For many marketing teams we talked with, they are very vocal about the lack of customer service they are receiving from the vendor. These customers were looking for the concierge-like support they were accustomed to years ago when the vendors were smaller and more focused on customer service instead of profitability. We heard complaints about vendors not being proactive and not responding in a timely way. Another common theme was that vendor client services teams are stretched too thin: clients asking for help with their systems are being directed to online self-service resources, communities, user groups or being asked to pay for professional services engagements from the vendor. We also heard that the vendor customer service teams lack knowledge on the platforms and consistently say “I’ll need to get back to you on that.” When the customer knows more about a product than their technical support team, you can expect frustration and often defection.

But should you migrate just because of the lack of customer service? Maybe not (yet).

One approach is to adjust your expectations on what you’re going to get from a mature vendor in the space. You don’t expect established vendors like Microsoft, Intuit, Adobe, or SAP to provide you “free consulting” and concierge-like support at no charge anymore, so you probably should not expect your marketing automation vendor to do so either — unless it’s a startup-hungry for your business that lacks the huge installed base to serve. And for sure you can’t call up a large company and get the bug fixed asap or talk directly to the product manager for the platform. When you’re buying from startups you can, but legacy marketing automation vendors won’t engage with you this way.

Migrations are costly in time, money, and opportunity cost (you’re often not able to keep driving demand while you’re switching unless you get outside help) so it’s less expensive and more impactful to get support from a MarTech agency or get some additional training than just punt your system out of frustration. That’s assuming the support you need is adoption, usage, integration, and training. If your system is failing you and you’re trying to get “fix it” support that is impacting your marketing programs and revenue, it might be time to migrate.

According to research conducted by several of the leading marketing automation providers, approximately 70% of companies that have purchased B2B marketing automation systems have used outside resources in some capacity.

In short, **if you like the platform you have, don’t migrate just because of support reasons**. Instead, keep the solution you’re happy with and invest in other outside resources that will better serve your needs.

But what if it does not support and rather the system no longer is evolving to meet your needs? I’ve found there are a few common migration groups.

Group 1: We’ve Outgrown the System We Have

These folks have been using their marketing automation system for a few years and feel that their needs and level of marketing maturity have grown to the point where the solution they purchased is no longer right for them. Many of them feel their current vendor is no longer innovating and enhancing the product. Others simply feel that they are ready to take on a more sophisticated platform because of the experience and expertise they’ve developed over time. They are passionate, experienced, confident marketers who want more integration capabilities with other MarTech tools, Omnichannel marketing capabilities, more sophisticated scoring and nurturing capabilities, remarketing tools, integrated social monitoring, SEO tools, predictive content, ABM capabilities, more granular user group control and security, better reporting, more database management tools: essentially, an ecosystem of tools for their marketing automation system.

Group 2: It’s Too Expensive

This group is simply paying too much for what they are getting. Either their licensing fees have increased due to the growth of their marketing database, or they bought a system that was more than they need or have the capability to handle.

This group needs to make a decision if it’s about license fees. They need to figure out what it will cost to migrate versus ways they can drive down costs with negotiation and other tactics.

Since most of the marketing automation vendors’ fees factor in database size (along with functionality), I prescribe that you do an annual “spring cleaning” of your database at least six months in advance of your renewal time. Face it, you’ll need to do it anyway if you migrate systems, so doing one annually will shrink your database and reduce your licensing fees. If your costs are going up based on the growth of your database and you don’t have the time or experience to trim your database in-house, then hiring a firm to analyze and clean up your database is significantly less expensive than migrating and also will decrease your license fees. If the base price of your platform has gone up but you want to keep using the system you have, then negotiate like heck months ahead of your renewal while you still have leverage. Your cost of migrating, re-training, and getting proficient on a new system is often costlier than an increase in the vendor’s licensing fees so be sure you’ve done your best to negotiate and avoid license creep due to database bloat.

Group 3: We Prefer Another System

This group seems to have a bias akin to iPhone vs Android users: they simply have a preference as to which platform they like best. As companies hire people who have experience with different systems, the new team members often lobby for a migration to what they have used and are more familiar and comfortable with. Let’s face it, we know what we like, and we like what we know. If your current vendor’s platform is not continuing to get updated and simplified at the same time, it might be time to switch. But remember, your marketing automation system will likely be around longer than the marketing people using it so do what is right for the business. If you do migrate, you will have a steep learning curve (unless your team has used the platform you plan to migrate to) so be sure it’s truly a usability issue and not just folks seeking familiarity and avoiding change.

Before you buy into the lobbying to switch to what the team prefers, ask your team for specifics as to why the platform you’re using is truly hard or time-consuming for them. Some are. But all of the leading ones have capabilities beyond the expertise of most marketers due to lack of training, experience, or a combination. If you are personally the one that wants to change systems, be sure to prep and make a convincing pitch to your management why you’ll be able to accomplish more in less time and have a greater impact. Otherwise, if the company has had success with the current platform, your request to change systems will be met with skepticism around your own capabilities and personal bias.

Group 4: We are Frustrated with Performance

This group in the “frustrated segment” expresses that “the system takes too long to do X” or “when we make a big change in our CRM it bogs down our marketing automation system that is synced to it.” Some also have experienced costly outages and have had to explain to senior management that “the reason lead generation and pipeline are down was due to a system outage by the marketing automation system.” The first time this happens, it’s shame on the vendor. The second or third time this happens, it starts to affect the perception of how marketing is managing and taking accountability for its infrastructure.

If your system simply does not scale to your current needs, or the needs you’ll have within the next year or two, it’s probably time to plan a migration to a more scalable and reliable system. Before you do, though, consider escalating performance issues to your vendor’s leadership team so you have their commitment to addressing the performance issues in a specific time frame. We’ve coached our clients to get these performance commitments in writing, including relief of licensing fee payments due to performance issues. Saving on licensing fees for performance issues is not a long-term solution, but it will hold the vendor more accountable and get you some budget back if you do end up migrating.

Group 5: We Got Acquired, and They Use Another System

There is one last group that does often migrate marketing automation systems and they are the companies that have been acquired by another parent company who uses a different system than the one acquired. In general, standardizing on a marketing automation platform across your global organization is a best practice. If you’re highly decentralized and running independently, there might be a rationale to operate different systems. Otherwise, if you get acquired, and the parent company has already standardized on a different platform, expect to migrate at some point and embrace the opportunity of becoming a two-footed soccer player in the marketing technology game.

If you have to switch, do it right using a migration checklist and get help from an outside agency or from the vendor you’re migrating to. You’ll save time and have experts that have done this many times to ensure it goes well and doesn’t blow up in your face.

If you’re wondering what’s involved in a migration, you’ll find this checklist I put together an incredibly useful tool.

The migration checklist covers:

10 Business Functions Impacted by a Migration

30 key tasks you’ll need to complete during migration

Did you find this post helpful? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below.

This article was first appeared on MarTech Advisor

#martech #marketing #technology #business #cmo

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survivormyanmar-blog · 8 years ago

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Ep. #11- “This Game Is Crackedt” - Sam

After a 10 day break for the holidays, the game started back up again and the players were presented with their next immunity challenge, Tile Flip. In the challenge Tommy claims he threw it to let Sam get the largest section of the grid to himself and Sam won immunity. By this point everyone in the game knew that Jay was the biggest threat but Jay was trying to round people up to take out Tommy. She had some success actually convincing Leah to vote for Tommy. Jay made a mistake though trying to cause paranoia by telling Tommy that Leah brought up his name. This caused Tommy to go back to Leah with this information which made Leah flip out and change her vote to Jay. Jay was sent home in a 7-1 vote.

Well, I've never been on the bottom in an ORG before, so that's a fun development. If nothing else, losing all my allies except for one (Linus, shout out to you for not being a giant bag of small dicks) means I'll get to really flex my game skills. I'm going hard as fuck on the next challenge because if I lose, it's probably the end of me. But if I make it to the end, assholes, then thank you for putting someone who loves me on the jury.

You know what sucks? Still being in the game but feeling like people are already campaigning for your jury vote.

since i promised this I MADE THE CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!! what kind of survivor magic you know as much as playing on the bottom sucked, I needed to figure out how to play the game differently. I used to just have this rogue-esque style of gameplay that never put me on the "bottom" because I was usually just thinking about myself and not my allies. now, I'm back in a majority (that is still very fluid), but I safely feel like I'm no longer at the bottom of a specific group. I feel like I've refined my game and made it more social, and I needed the experience of bottom-feeding to do that. I need momentum for when we come out of the break; it's time for me to start winning this thing.

"The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry" -Robert Burns Well, that tribal sucked. What's running through my head right now is I must be considered such a non factor in the game to people that they just aren't attempting to play the social game with me. My reason for thinking this is because unless they are actually jury threats somehow, this vote was absolutely moronic for Leah, Amanda (and Ting if she's lying about her reasoning for the vote). The only person this helps at all is Ashley from my perspective, which means either I'm playing with idiots, or my perspective is way off. I feel from a strategy perspective for myself I have to assume the latter. Leah, Amanda and Ting need to get to the end with a goat from what I see, so why cut a goat when the goats could have formed a majority in the alliance once Tommy and Sam are gone? Ting's reasoning is that the vote was already in Christian and she just wanted to be in the majority (which is reasonable, I did the same on the Brett vote), and Ashley claims she heard about the vote 10 minutes before tribal. I am more prone to believe Ting on a logical level, but Ashley's story actually does kind of check out too since she was gone all day. The problem now is figuring out h approach to move forward. I feel like if I play my cards right I can stay safe, but I have to figure out if Amanda and Leah secretly are some social beasts or something and I need to appeal to a strategic mind, or if I need to make a serious call out post in the main chat and maybe wake some people up to their position in the game.

Linus is not funny but I'm not funnIER

i just typed a huge game confession and my internet went out happy 2017... i'll try again tomorrow

oh wow i won something! i'm not really sure how this vote is going to work out; i'm expecting that jay will have something to offer me tomorrow. that, or she'll try to blindside me so that i'm at the point at which i have to win immunity. anyway, it's dope to at least make it back to 7th again. but i'm not done. time to go to work.

okay apparently people are paranoid that tommy is gonna play an idol like I WANNA SEE THE CHAOS

LET ME IN I'M ALL ABOUT THAT SHIT

this game crackedt.

[1/4/2017 10:50:34 PM] Nigel (Linus) Silversides: How are you feeling on the vote? [1/4/2017 10:51:27 PM] Ashley Hudson: Ummmm I am really not sure because I dont really know where anyone's head is at [1/4/2017 10:53:15 PM] Nigel (Linus) Silversides: Yeah, people have been quiet :( . You're kinda the one calling the shots right now though so I was hoping you'd maybe heard something. [1/4/2017 10:53:31 PM] Nigel (Linus) Silversides: (Thats not meant as an attack on you for being in the power position in any way, sorry it was worded badly ahdfjlhads) Well... This is new. A power position?! Me?! How?! I guess people have been assuming Leah, Amanda and I are a thing but I odn't quite see how that would make me in a powerful position. Help.

So Tommy called with Amanda and I and told us that Leah ran to Jay before the last vote and told her that the plan was majority on Christian. Thankfully Leah didn't flip or anything, but just the fact that she told Jay about it before tribal is annoying as heck. Like idek if I can trust her anymore. She is in an alliance chat with Tommy, Amanda, Sam, and myself. So I have been trying to not talk much in the chat and work more with Tommy and Amanda. Amanda and I are tight still, I guess you could call it a F2. My second person I would say is Tommy. I really want to trust Ting Ting but all she is saying to me is that she will go with whatever I say which is kinda sketchy so I will be cautious with that one. For tribal tonight I have no idea what is happening, so that is cool. I think if people play their idols I might too. Might as well be safe rather than sorry. Jay is supposedly trying to pull in the ranks because she thinks that it will be her tonight, so if she does that, and if people fall for it, she could get a group together unfortunately. I however, don't think I will be the initial target they choose. Jay has suggested Amanda before and unfortunately she might again. So we really need to be careful. I can't go losing my biggest ally tonight. But I also need to keep an eye out for myself.

People I trust?: Amanda Tommy People I am unsure about: Sam Leah Ting Ting People I will be looking out for anything, and I mean anything sketchy: Jay Linus Maybe we will see a split vote tonight? Tommy Amanda and I were talking about it. maybe a 4 and 2? Like our most trustworthy people on the 4, and then the 2 could be like Leah and Ting Ting. In case they flip, it would be 4 and 4. However, we may have to make it seem as if Leah and Ting Ting are voting in the majority so they don't feel any urge to switch. So possibly lie to them and say Linus, then have the majority vote Jay? That could be messed up if Ting Ting or Leah flip, and Jay plays an idol... So tbh our ideas have cons and pros and I am not sure what is going to happen tonight.

My kink is being on the bottom, knowing I'm on the bottom, and still having to play nice. Like, I wish people would stop bullshitting me. Don't campaign for my jury vote before you murder me. Assholes. At least if I go tonight, it won't be a blindside.

okay uh now jay is brewing up some bubble bubble toil and trouble shit and saying that ashley is some kind of strategic mastermind?? I agree that ashley is in a good spot but I'm not sure she's the one calling all the shots over there. then again, I could be very wrong. I've been wrong before.

Well this is quite the yikes fest. I literally don't even know how to describe what's hopefully going to happen. So the overall plan is to vote Jay out. So I definitely know that we have me, Tommy, Sam, Amanda, and Ashley which is good enough to have a majority. But let me tell you, there are fireworks. Like it's the 4th of July out here. Bc first, Jay wanted to get me out, because apparently she doesn't trust me anymore, which is totally understandable, but like she thinks that I'm cocky and act above her and like always expect her trust, which I don't. But like sorry i lied to you, i know that sucks, but you've done it to me so... Anyways, everyone's worried I have something from the cave but like all i've gotten is scuba gear WHICH ISN'T EVEN HELPFUL ANYMORE, LIKE THANKS A LOT TREVOR AND OWEN. I just have the stupid legacy advantage which i don't even know what it is yet but like anyway Leah helped to get Jay to not vote me hopefully, so like go her love you. And then Leah and Jay were like let's go vote Tommy. And I was kinda like well shit how about not bc he's like my numero uno. So then Tommy like outed Jay to Leah and then Leah got paranoid so hopefully she changed her vote to Jay. So yeah. Also Linus' name was thrown in there by someone (idk who) so I kinda convinced him to vote Jay to keep himself safe in the upcoming votes. So hopefully all goes well. I mean if she has an idol then we're kinda fucked but you know life also kinda fucks you up too. It's all about the challenge brochachos.(also like i'm the only asian left. plz keep me in. all the asians of the entire world will love you 5ever)

okay so now jay is coming around saying "hey i've only heard linus and ting ting" like WHAT????? you were just taking to me about how you think you're going and ALSO you're pushing for tommy and you aren't even throwing out either name! i feel kinda bad for everyone they seem really like stressed and shit because jay has literally thrown out everyone as a possible target. i'm kinda lucky that i'm immune and i guess it couldn't have come at a better time but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ i still got the feels

youtube

Back from the break... I threw immunity to Sam so he owes me like A LOT! Like he owes me his life in this game. Amanda/Ashley/Myself talked about a target and we all agreed on Jay and I gave them tea that Jay was after them. So it's been a crazy turn of events Leah tried to vote me out by telling Jay to vote for me then Jay told Linus and Ting Ting. Jay also mentioned Ting Ting's name and I told her. Also Linus was messaging me about hearing my name and it all turned crazy af. Basically I went back to Leah and told her Jay told me that she was after me and Leah went bizerk, Ting Ting ended up helping me by using her paranoia (or so I think) to get Leah to think Jay was after her. Basically this tribal is just a train wreck and the only people I kind of trust are Sam and Ting Ting. If all 3 of us can survive until Final 6 I think we'll be good for a majority of the game if that's what they want to do as well. This game is crazy af and I have a huge possibility of going home tonight.... I really need Jay out this vote so everything falls into place. I'm just hoping nobody plays an idol on her and I hope I don't go home.

okay this is a call out confession trevor these tribal questions have such an ATTITUDE like WHAT??? i'm ready to fight

"Nothing to win and; Nothing left to lose" -U2 Well damn. It looks like the run of Linus may be coming to it's end, or at best I may be losing my number 1 closest ally in the game :( . If I go home, than Ill be disappointed I never made my big callout move, but I gotta go with the info I have and it looks like laying low is my best chance at not going. If Jay goes and is reading this after, know that I'm sorry and this isn't personal in the slightest.

I dont remember the last thing i wrote so i might be backtracking-- - Ashley told me she has an idol - People think me Ash and Leah are a trio...yikes - Me Ash and Tommy actually have a trio chat....and another chat with Sam included lmfao Now to the vote, this shit is confusing as FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK So me Ashley and Tommy want to vote for Jay, and Ting Ting and Leah came to me wanting to vote for Jay but then Ash heard Ting say Tommy and Jay wants Tommy and IDK WHATS GOING ON ugh i'm so confused I have a really bad feeling that a ton of powers and shit are gonna get played and i'm gonna end up going home. I know Ashley's most likely playing her idol cause she's nervous and that might spark shit and UGH. MY ASS IS PROB GONNA LEAVE CAUSE OF THE CAVE AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET MY DAMN CHICKEN. Im gonna die. I have a gut feeling. Its the same feeling I had the week Steffen left and its not a good feeling.

#mustlearntoadapt #confessionals

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