#admittedly a longer post than i originally planned on making. this is just the tip of the iceberg i could talk about this all day baby

[gristlegrinder]

part of what makes IBS so fascinating to me is its position both within the world of Tyria and the story it was trying to tell, and the larger metatextual circumstances surrounding its development. because, like, The Icebrood Saga is a story that's, IMO, largely about placing individual actions in complex systems of power, and what happens when those systems begin to unravel.

-> Can you help us deal with Bangar? Aurene: He's a part of a larger web. Strands connecting to strands. Cut one out and nothing changes, not really. Aurene: It's hard to explain. But seeing how those strands connect... Taking one life won't solve your problems. (x)

so, like, you have Ryland, who talks about "playing his cards right" but has really been dealt a bad hand from the start and can only keep playing bad cards - the one decent play he gets in Turnabout to try and get out of the game gets interrupted by an arrogant bastard killing Cinder, and it's downhill from there. it's not necessarily that it was always going to end the way it did with him, but you're fighting an uphill battle against his upbringing, against his relationship with Bangar, against all cultural context. he insists that Jormag didn't coerce him into anything, and that's true; he ends up as Jormag's champion because, at least from Ryland's perspective, there's really no other option by the time he has the bow in his paws.

likewise, you have Braham, wrestling with being the norn of prophecy, slowly (slower if Champions didn't have to be rushed out of the door, I imagine) coming to terms with what exactly that means. he knows from the beginning that either Jormag dies, or he dies. he knows this, and knows that it's always going to end one way or the other. the prophecy unfurls, and Jormag awakens, and it becomes more and more obvious how it's supposed to go. He bonds with Primordus, because there's really no other option by the time Jormag is threatening to freeze the world ten times over to ice their brother out of existence. and sure, it might still destroy him even if Jormag doesn't kill him, but he doesn't get the luxury of thinking about that.

and then you have the Commander, who should be in control of the narrative, because in-universe they're the Commander and out-of-universe they're the player character, but there are multiple points where that agency is taken away from you - Smodur bombs the bunker and interrupts your negotiation, Ryland puts a bullet through Smodur's skull. you're always going to try and save the farm, but not every problem has an easy solution. the Legions are built on centuries of war and violence and hypervigilance against external threats; Bangar is not an isolated bad actor but a product of that system, and the gears of the war machine churn on both sides of Drizzlewood. you (and Aurene) are largely an audience to the family tragedy - tragedies, plural, both the relationships between Rytlock/Crecia/Ryland and Jormag/Primordus - as they break down.

"The Balance" isn't sustainable in its current state, but there isn't really a good alternative at this point. you can't back down when you're three dragons in (we tried that after Mordremoth, and Balthazar wouldn't have it and Kralkatorrik couldn't stomach it), and Jormag and Primordus (mostly Jormag) are threatening to escalate as the encroaching void eats away at them both. there's this real sense that they just have to make the best of a bad situation, and hope that the damage is minimal. the universe itself is on a cresting wave and it's about to crash, heading into End of Dragons.

so you have all of that, and it's also the chapter of GW2 where the developers are hit with major studio-disrupting internal problems and a fucking global lockdown. your story gets interrupted, there's not much you can do about it, but you have to keep going and make the best of it, even when the fate of arenanet itself seems uncertain.

what happens in the aftermath, after the dragonstorm clears?

[sixeyesgojo]

kiss it better

Summary: You had a shitty day at the store. Gojo is here to comfort you <3

Characters: Gojo x Reader

Word count: 1100

A/N: The past few weeks have been super rough - personal matters and on top of that, natural disasters + "I could lose my closest friends thanks to this" type of rough - so I wrote this pretty self-indulgently because I seriously need to be comforted lol. But that doesn't mean you can't imagine yourself in it!! The fanart is fem reader but I don't think I indicated any gender in the fic. Shoutout to the folks who work with customers, you guys are doing an amazing job! Thank you.

This entire fic was inspired by the art by the amazing @yuusagi-chii that I commissioned; check out her blog and leave a reblog on her artworks!! ♥ - posted with permission from the artist

There had been nothing to do. The whole time, Satoru was just lazing on the couch, legs stretched out on the entire thing, and waiting for you to come home as the television showed nothing but garbage.

As soon as they perceived the sound of your dangling keys in front of the door, Satoru’s ears perked up. He had been so bored all day, not knowing what to do on his free day; he was used to being busy all day, every day, around the clock. The lethargy got to the extent where he cleaned every nook and cranny in your shared home, did all the laundry for the week, reorganized the cupboard where his treasures were stored and even took a nap. Originally, he had planned to kidnap you to go on a date with him but unfortunately, your workplace said otherwise, wrecking his not-so-planned-out plan. Admittedly, it did piss him off a little but there was nothing to be done. Satoru just missed you incredibly much since he was usually gone for most days.

Your heavy footsteps that came from the entrance hall, the way your keys seemed to make louder noise than usual and the soft sigh he could hear all indicated that you had a shitty day so far. It really wasn’t rocket science for Satoru to notice little things about you. Probably entitled customers again, he thought. Satoru was well aware that working in a customer-oriented branch had to be unrewarding, draining even. Still, he wanted to tantalize you a bit, to lighten the mood and ease his boredom a little – he would do that on normal days.

However, ‘normal’ was quickly discarded when he saw your face: a hefty scowl and… were those teary eyes? His previous demeanor immediately dropped and a serious one took over. This was definitely not okay.

Satoru had noticed the last few weeks had been a little rough on you. On normal days, teasing you was his favorite thing to do and quite frankly, it was enjoyable to you as well as it lifted your mood after a stressful shift… but today must have been the tipping point and he knew better than to tease you in times like these. The last thing he wanted to be was the cause of your tears.

“Had a rough day?” Satoru asked as he met you in the hallway, wasting no time to slip his arms around your body. Crushing into his chest, you simply nodded without looking at him. You feared that if you did, tears would fall and you would no longer be in control of your emotions. The entire time you spent at work had been filled with some particularly grumpy customers you had to tend to. You had to deal with utterly disrespectful behavior towards you. Yet, you had to stay friendly and polite when, throughout the day, there had been several instances that made you want to quit your job right then and there.

Today had been terrible, so being in the amenity of your home felt uncommonly relieving. In addition to that, being in the comforting space of Satoru’s gentle hug washed off your exhaustion. It was fine to bask in the solace of his embrace for a moment, wasn’t it? Was it okay for you to give in a little and enjoy the moment for all its worth?

“Do you want to talk about it?” “Just the usual trouble but way worse for some reason,” you mumbled into his chest, just loud enough for him to hear. “Tell me about it, baby. It’s better if you get it off of your chest as soon as possible.”

You breathed out, the emotional dam you’ve built today finally breaking, “It’s just… people suck… They s-snap at me for the smallest things… and I know some of those incidents are just part of the job – I really get it a-and I try so hard to stay polite but… it’s just… very hard.”

Throughout your ramblings – how a customer had yelled at you for a minor mistake, how another one treated you like something lesser because of something that was not your mistake, how people would insist on being right and more – he listened intently to each and every word… All the while, Satoru had gently stroked your back with his palm to calm you down. “Say, Toru…there must be something wrong with me for them… to treat me like this, isn’t there?” you finally asked. “No, honey. You are perfectly fine,” he said, suppressing how pissed he actually was at the people who dared treating you badly. “Their attitude just sucks and they don’t deserve being served by someone beautiful like you. Maybe I should give them a piece of my mind some day…” “I just— I don’t even know. People are so mean… and for w-what? Is kindness in this world really that hard to find?” you lamented, choking back a sob as you buried your face deeper into him.

“Can I help you feel better in any way? Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?” Satoru asked sweetly but the frown on his face made his worry very evident. He didn’t like it at all whenever you came back emotionally drained like this. All Satoru wanted to do was to go and ‘teach them a well-deserved lesson’ but he knew well that it would be against your wishes, so he had no choice but to sit back and be there for you when you needed him the most.

“Let me pamper and spoil my angel for today, hm?” he whispered affectionately, pressing kisses to the top of your head. Finally, you raised your head to look at him. The teary stains on your cheeks and sad expression broke his heart and he swore you could hear it cracking in his ribcage. “I just want you to hold me right now, wanna feel you close to me and nothing more,” you admitted and slung your arms around him tightly.

Promptly taking the chance, Satoru placed a sweet and loving kiss on your forehead. The sensation of his lips on your skin eased a big part of your discomfort away, making you sigh in comfort for the first time in what felt like decades. The effect this man had on you was inexplicable; the way he had the power to make you feel better by simply being there was truly magical. It made your heart flutter in a thousand ways and more.

“Then I’ll have no choice but to kiss it better.”

Taglist (open): @satosuguslut @assbuttbaek @melonnbar @delammi @silversatoru @princesatoru

[garyofrivia]

For They Shall Be Satisfied

Arthur Morgan x OC


Chapter 4

(masterlist in bio)

A/N: boy howdy, it’s been a minute on this one, huh? i’ve decided to not post this on AO3 anymore due to incredible typos and posting issues that i ran into. also, if you want to check out the other chapters, check my bio/page for the masterlist! i’m pretty sure tumblr is still weird with links in posts so this is likely how i’m going to handle chapter postings from now on. thanks to whoever reads, feel free to lmk what you think! i want to keep this one going for as long as i can... hopefully. Annie is a special one. enjoy <3

Warnings/Categories: Violence, Blood; Angst

(WC: 6,037)

“You boys ready to ride tonight?” Dutch boomed as he slung his saddle over The Count’s back. Annie looked up as she combed out Nero’s tail, studying Dutch as he worked.

“Aye, aye, cap’n,” Davey said, raising his hand in a mock salute while Mac giggled at his brother’s antics. Dutch just winked at the pair of them and carried on with his business.

 Annie and the rest of the gunmen stood around talking for a while, double and triple checking their guns and ammo as they waited for the sun to sink down over the horizon. The temperature would surely drop once night fell, so she slipped on her dark jacket over a black shirt. Even on a ridge, her dark outfit would help her blend into her surroundings once the sun went down. 

They decided to go with the original idea: three groups with three lookouts ready to raise the alarm at any sign of danger. They were to meet Benson and his men at the crossroads and head to the ambush site together. It was strange, being so uneasy about the plan. It was her idea, sure, but it wasn’t a good idea to move on it at all. The sunset caught her eye for a moment, all the orangey-red colors erupting over the Earth as a moment of clarity came over her. She couldn’t be distracted if she wanted this to turn out well. It was a silent promise she made to herself. 

“It’s more beautiful that I’ve seen in a while,” Charles said, joining her at her side as she gazed at the horizon.

“Yeah, I haven’t seen it this red in quite some time.” Annie said, glancing at him as she absentmindedly adjusted the buckles on her saddlebags.

“Supposedly that means we’ll be getting good weather soon.”

“Good weather? Here? That’s likely.”

Charles chuckled lightly and returned his attention to oiling his gun. Annie caught Arthur’s eye as he was saddling Boadicea, strapping the girth as tight as he could. He hadn’t said much to her outside of hesitantly discussing details for the job. He glanced at Charles as he stalked away, and then back at Annie with a new look of tension in his eyes. She watched him angrily jam the buckle into place on his saddle and begin to adjust the rest of his gear. 

“You good, Morgan?” she called.

He didn’t look up to meet her eyes. “Yep. You?”

“Yep.”

“Great.”

Annie nodded and hid a sly smile. Whatever he was upset about, it was something trivial for sure. He wasn’t one to keep his opinions to himself unless it meant he knew it was about  something foolish. Not wanting to jump to conclusions, she bit her tongue as she thought of ways she could eventually confront him about his sour mood as of late. 

“What are you laughin’ at, Princess?” Micah drawled, making Annie’s skin crawl.

“I caught a glimpse of your ugly damn face,” she said, eliciting a snicker or two in the background. “Couldn’t quite help myself.”

“Yeah, ha-ha, very funny. You’ll be thinkin’ about my face tonight in your dreams… amongst other things.”

Sean and Charles snapped their heads up in horror to watch what would happen next, but Annie simply chuckled. “You’re right! I’ll be dreamin’ about your face and how twisted it’ll look when I’m skinnin’ you alive.”

Micah laughed. “You’re a little firecracker, ain’t you?”

“Micah,” Dutch warned. “You keep provoking her like that, I’ll be tempted to cut her loose on you.���

Annie tauntingly snapped her teeth at him as he stalked away to finish readying up. Dutch shot her a knowing smile and she just shrugged. Even though he was newer to the gang, it was a common thing for Micah to let his mouth run longer than anyone wanted to hear it, especially if it was directed toward Lenny, Charles or any of the women. Annie enjoyed putting him in his place, though admittedly, he figured out how to push her buttons fairly quickly. It was almost admirable. 

By the time the gang had shared cigarettes and a small bite to eat, it was dusk and Dutch called for them to mount up. As they took formation to ride off, Annie nodded to Karen who winked and cocked her shotgun to assume her place guarding camp. “Come back safe, y’all!” 

“Men! Let’s ride!” Dutch bellowed and spurred The Count to a gallop and the wild faces of the Van der Linde Gang cheered and took off after him.  

The thunder of thirteen horses racing across the plains would have been a fearsome sight to anyone. The ground trembled as they moved swiftly up the road in a tight two-by-two formation with Dutch at the head, Hosea and Arthur just behind him, and John and Annie taking up the rear. The rendezvous point was about a forty-minute ride north, though, it felt longer with the building anxiety in the air, no matter how hard Annie tried to ignore it. Arthur and Dutch began exchanging words up ahead, slowing the pace to a steady jog as they neared the location. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but 

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” John mumbled, low enough for only her to hear. 

“Yeah,” she said, glancing over to meet his fickle eyes. “Me too. I… Let’s just get it over with.”

John looked nervous, but he nodded in agreement all the same. For a moment, she swore she saw Jack’s face flash before her. John had to stay safe for his son’s sake, if not his own.

Their posse moved at a steady pace down the road and with a glance around at the surrounding landscape, Annie knew they were getting close. Eventually, she heard a familiar whistle from up front. The riders slowed as Benson and a few of his men came into view just ahead on horseback. 

“Hello, gentlemen,” Dutch said, riding up next to them.

“Mister Kilgore, so nice to see you again!” Benson said. 

“I believe we can be straight with each other now, Mister Benson,” Dutch said, sliding down from The Count.

Benson sighed, resigning himself to the failure of his ruse. “Yes, I agree, Mister Van der Linde. I trust we can count on each other’s discretion.”

“Glad to see we have an understanding, then.”

“Certainly. Shall we proceed?”

“Of course.”

Annie was surprised to see that he only had three men with him. Though, that’s most likely why his “employer” was seeking the help of outlaws. He tensed when he recognized her, but he managed to smile politely. She tipped her hat and smirked, subtly reminding him that he was outnumbered if he felt the need to try anything.

Dutch confirmed the details of their plan and the diversion with Benson. There was an old abandoned house a few hundred yards off the road from where they would launch the ambush. Benson’s men would blow it up and make sure it caught fire to catch the attention of the escorts that were now all suspected to be lawmen. 

“Lawmen?” Dutch asked suspiciously. “All of them?”

“We have scouts along the route,” Benson said. “In Van Horne, they traded their hired guns for deputies. Not to worry, this shouldn’t change a thing. In fact, we can use this to our advantage. Deputies will be more inclined to answer a call for help along their journey. It will work.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that it’ll work,” Dutch said. “I’m sure everything will go according to plan.”

“Indeed, Mister Van der Linde, it shall.”

“What my friend here is too polite to say,” Annie said and cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention to her, “is that if it don’t go according to plan, you’ll be the first one we come lookin’ for.”

Dutch turned back to Benson and clapped him on the shoulder. “She’s right, I am too polite to say it. But we have… an understanding. So surely that is not a situation that we will come across.” 

Benson avoided her eyes and cleared his throat. “I assure you, I anticipate this to go off without a hitch. I know you all to be true to your word.”

Dutch laughed and mounted his horse. “Yes, that we are, my friend. Let’s get this show on the road, then! Shall we?”

“Alright, everyone split off,” Arthur said. “Mac, Bill, Hosea, Javier you’re with me. John, Lenny, and Davey, you’ll go with Dutch and Charles, Sean, and Micah are with Annie.”

“Cream of the crop,” Micah grumbled to himself but loud enough for everyone to hear. Annie glared at him as he rode over to join her, Sean and Charles not far behind. “Who organized these damn groups, anyways?”

“I did,” Annie deadpanned. She wanted to keep an eye on the loose cannon of the crew and Hosea had been more than happy to let her take that responsibility.

“Aw, you really are sweet on me, ain’t ya?” he winked at her.

Charles groaned and Sean chuckled. “Last person she’d be sweet on is you, ya ol’ sack o’ shit.”

Annie chuckled quietly. She always had a fondness for Sean and his lack of a social filter. Silently, she motioned for her counterparts to follow and started off to the top of the northernmost hill.

“Watch for Hosea’s signal,” Annie said. They could see the silhouettes of the men on the opposite ridge illuminated in the moonlight, one of them waving. She waved back to confirm they were in view.

“This could take a while,” Sean groaned.

“Yes, and you’d do well to keep quiet,” Charles said. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Ambush, or whatever. That Benson fella seems a bit curious, don’t ya think?” 

“Shut up, Sean,” Annie said. 

“I’m jus’ sayin’.”

“Hmm, I agree,” Charles added. “He was a bit fidgety. This could turn out to be more than it seems.”

“I’m countin’ on it,” Annie mumbled. 

“That why it took so damn long for you fools to jump on this thing?” Micah asked.

“Shut your damn mouth and focus, idiot,” she snapped, shooting him a glare that could kill. 

They finally fell silent and Annie turned her attention to the horizon where the house was set to blow. Any minute, they would be coming up on the horizon...

There they are. About a mile off, she saw the first of the riders pull into view, illuminated by their lantern lights. She counted six escorts and four wagons. Hosea waved his hat and she returned the gesture and while Lenny was out of view, she prayed he saw him. 

“Here we go,” she said. “Masks up.”

“Oh, I’m fuckin’ ready,” Sean said, bouncing in his saddle. 

Waiting for them to get in range seemed as if it took forever. Annie’s heart quickened with each passing moment, filling her with anxiety where there’d usually be adrenaline. The seconds ticked by excruciatingly slow, yet so incredibly fast. She could feel the tidal wave of chaos building and building, waiting to crash down into the gully at any second. 

Hosea and he gave the first signal to Benson’s men, waving his white handkerchief. Within a few seconds, there was a massive explosion on the ridge behind him. The fire was quick to start, illuminating their silhouettes against the night sky with a haunting orange glow. Annie heard voices, Benson’s men, calling for “help”. The caravan stopped in its tracks and all but one rider took off immediately. She was almost shocked that it worked.

Hosea waved the rag in the air once more. Show time. 

Annie sucked in a breath. “You’re up, boys. Get goin’.”

Micah, Sean, and Charles raced down the hill to meet the rest of their Van der Linde counterparts and Annie whipped out her sniper rifle. She’d removed the scope since it would just limit her visibility in the darkness of the new moon - It’s a trick she learned while hunting at night, even though it was far more difficult to hit a shot without the proper sights for most everyone. But she wasn’t most everyone.

The fire in the background illuminated the scene ever so slightly as the horizon glowed like an inferno. She scanned the terrain, alternating between her binoculars and bare eyes, looking for any sign of movement. They were clear for now, so long as they worked fast. 

She kept on looking up and down the road and back at the gang. At the hills. Towards the horizon. Nothing. It seemed too good to be true. Surely someone would have heard the blast and would come to investigate. How much time had passed? It felt like it’d been an eternity.

The sound of snapping twigs behind her nearly made her jump out of her own skin. She whipped around, frantically shoving the bolt action of the rifle into place and bringing her grip up to aim.

“Who’s there?” she demanded a bit too loudly.

“Don’t shoot,” a familiar voice said softly. 

“What the hell?” Madelyn. 

The girl stepped into view from behind a tree. Her hands were raised in surrender and her fingers were trembling in fear. Even though Annie could barely see her face, it was certain that she was terrified out of her mind. 

“Give me one goddamn reason I shouldn’t shoot you right here,” Annie threatened in a low voice.

“They’re comin’. The O’Driscolls, t-they know about the job.”

“What?”

“They… took me… and I-I was-. They’re comin’. You gotta get outta here. They wanna kill the lot of ya.”

“Why should I listen to you?”

She seemed exasperated and desperate as she spoke.“Why the hell else would I come up to you like this? I ain’t got no gun. I’m just tryin’a help.”

Annie thought for a split second. She was right, but nevertheless. this could be a ploy. Though, then there’d be no way Colm would ever pass up an opportunity for 10,000 dollars to risk sending someone to warn them as a distraction.

Annie made a split second decision, one that likely saved the lives of everyone in the Van Der Linde gang that night. She barely noticed Madelyn flinch as she swiftly traded her rifle for her revolver. She turned her aim to the sky and fired three times. She turned toward the road to make sure the boys were preparing to make their escape.

When a few moments passed, her stomach started to churn. No one was leaving. She heard someone shout but couldn’t make out who or what they said. She looked up to where Hosea should have been, but he was sprinting down the hill on horseback. She jumped into action, leaving Madelyn in the dust.

“What the hell is going on?” She heard Hosea yell as she rode up. “You heard the signal! We need to move!”

“We’re almost… finished,” Dutch panted as he slung the first saddlebag full of cash onto his shoulder. 

“What is it, Annie?” Charles asked uneasily. “Why’d you sound it off?”

“It’s Colm,” she breathed. She could hear her own heart pounding in her ears. “He’s here.”

“Goddamnit!” Arthur cursed, kicking the wheel of a wagon. “That English bastard set us up.” “You seen ‘em yourself?” Micah said.

“That girl from the saloon found us and warned me. We gotta get outta here, now.”

“Annie, you can’t be serious,” Dutch said.

“Dutch, we don’t have time for this,” Annie said. “Why would she risk tellin’ me if it weren’t honest?”

“We stick to the plan,” Hosea declared, before Dutch could protest. “Split up everyone, and meet back at camp. C’mon!” He kicked his horse to a sprint. Lenny immediately followed, while Charles, Davey, and Mac swung up on their horses and chased after them. Javier hesitated, looking between them and Dutch, but eventually decided to take off.

“Damn it! We were so close,” Dutch said. He went to swing the saddlebag over his horse’s back, but a shot suddenly rang out through the pass. The bag exploded next to Dutch’s head, sending cash and coins flying in every direction. The Count reared, neighing loudly. Nero, as steady as he usually was, had also been spooked and started to pace. Annie tried to calm him as she turned and saw a horde indistinguishable silhouettes swarming the road from the west. 

“Go, get outta here! Now!” Annie cried.

The remaining members of the gang jumped onto their horse’s back and took off in the opposite direction. She glanced over her shoulder and watched as Boadicea carried Arthur down the dark road. Everyone was in the clear. Wait… Not everyone. 

Annie raced back up the hill. She didn’t know what came over her, but she knew she had to help Madelyn. If the O’Driscoll boys found her after she helped them, they’d most definitely kill her. Or worse.

She halted next to Madelyn and reached down with a steady hand. “Get on.”

“What? Why are you helping me?”

“Christ sake, get on the horse or get killed, I don’t rightly care.”

Madelyn nodded and hastily hoisted herself into the saddle behind Annie. She kicked Nero to a gallop and they started to make their retreat.

A shot rang out.

Annie cried out in pain and involuntarily kicked Nero’s side, making him skid into a sharp left turn. She toppled off his back and hit the ground with a thud, rolling clumsily to a stop, face down in the dirt. An indescribable pain overtook her body and her worst fear had been realized.

“Fuck! Fuck, I’m hit!”

Madelyn yelped and struggled to stay stop Nero’s back, but she gripped the reins so he would stop pacing nervously. “Shit! Are you okay?”

Annie ignored her and struggled to her feet, clutching her side where the bullet had torn apart her flesh - in through her back and out the other side. Warm blood was quickly soaking the inside of her shirt and started to pool where it was tucked into her pants. This ain’t good. This ain’t good, at all. She poked a finger through the hole in her jacket and groaned.

“Damn it, this is my favorite one,” she muttered. Her vision narrowed and everything suddenly seemed slower as the adrenaline started to kick in. 

“What do we do?” 

“You know how to ride a horse?”

“Y-yes.”

“Help me up, then.”

Maddie shifted her position into the saddle and held out a hand for Annie. She sucked in a breath and lifted herself onto her horse’s back, grunting as she held back a scream of agony. Her abdominal muscles were shredded just below her rib cage and she silently prayed that nothing important was harmed.

“Jesus Christ,” she growled through gritted teeth. They were chattering with the tension in the rest of her body, her mind getting blurrier with each wave of adrenaline being pumped through her veins. “Go that way ‘till you hit the river. Don’t stop.”

Doing as she was told, Madelyn urged Nero to a sprint and Annie clutched her side, trying to keep the bleeding to a minimum and to keep her balance on horseback without stirrups. 

She took a breath and clenched her jaw. In a flash of urgency, she turned behind her and fired in the direction of the pursuing O’Driscolls, managing to tag one on the shoulder and knock him off balance. Aiming as steadily as she could, she fired again and brought him to the ground. She snapped her sights on the next target like she was aiming down a long tunnel. All she could hear was the sound of her own gun as it went off in her hand again and again. 

BANG. BANG. Click. Reload.

Frantically, she grabbed six rounds from her belt and shoved them into the cylinder as fast as her fingers could manage. The pain - or maybe the blood loss - was blinding. Her vision was fading, slowly… and then quickly, in and out. One more shot. One more. 

One more… Another rider toppled off their horse as she found her mark.

“Keep goin’,” she grunted as Nero started to slow his pace. They’d been running for a while and he wasn’t used to carrying two passengers. 

C’mon boy. You can do it. She started to fire blindly to cover their backs, again and again. Her hands were shaky and slick with blood. Fumbling a bit more with her gun, gasping and grunting through gritted teeth, a few rounds slipped from her fingers as she reloaded. Focus. Focus, focus, focus… Feeling more and more unsteady, she gripped the saddle and tried to regain balance. 

“You alright back there? Annie?”

She shook herself to consciousness. “They still chasin’ us?”

“No, they’re gone. I think you scared ‘em off.”

Annie tried opening her eyes, but she couldn’t even lift her forehead off Madelyn’s shoulder. “Keep… goin’.”

Each stride her horse took was a dull stab of agony. The constant movement was ripping apart each attempt her body was making to stop the bleeding. She didn’t even realized she’d fallen until she slammed into the ground like a sack of grain. It was a haze. The stars in the night sky swirled around her as if she was at the bottom of a tornado, looking up into the spiraling whirlwind of chaos.

“Annie! Shit!”

“Bedroll…”

“What-.”

“Bedroll. Get it… and a shirt… in the saddlebag.”

Madelyn did as she was told and retrieved the bedroll and extra shirt. She and spread the roll out and tried to help her move on top of it, but she swatted her hands away. Grunting, Annie took out her hunting knife and managed to cut out a long strip of the padded canvas, slicing it in half, working with her eyes half open and her whole world spinning.

“I can do this,” Madelyn said, trying to take the knife from her.

“No just-,” Annie groaned. “Help me patch it up.”

The blood on her black shirt made it look like an oil slick, as if she was an automobile leaking fuel. Maddie lifted it and there was a flood of red. It stuck to her fingers like tree sap, thickening every time she touched the fresher blood that oozed from the wound. She carefully placed the canvas padding on the dime sized opening in Annie’s abdomen. It was a scary thing that something so small could cause so much trouble.

“I’m going to roll over,” Annie mumbled, “and you need to get the other one on my back.”

Madelyn nodded and gulped, her hands shaking uncontrollably. She inhaled sharply and heaved herself off the ground, crying out as her weight shifted. Maddie helped her shed her jacket and pressed the second square into place, holding them together as if Annie would crumble into pieces if she let go.

“The shirt…” She tried to speak, but Madelyn was already tying the patches in place with by the sleeves. Annie had lost so much blood already, that she was starting to see in distorted colors. Red. So much red. It consumed everything, as if the earth had been swallowed by it. She knew she didn’t have long.

“Go on, get out of here,” Annie breathed. “I can’t…”

“No, no, no, we didn’t spend all that time patchin’ you up just for you to give up.”

“You can’t... lift me.”

“You’re gonna have to help me, then. C’mon.” She put Annie’s arm over her shoulders and snaked her own around her waist, careful to not put pressure on the patches. “One, two, three!”

Annie cried out as she stood, unable to form a coherent, thought let alone see anything beyond a few inches in front of her own face. Another round of adrenaline must have kicked in and she somehow made it onto the saddle, grasping onto the horn for dear life. Madelyn mounted behind her and put her arms around Annie, holding the reins out in front in case she fell again. She put her feet in the stirrups and peered over Annie’s shoulder, getting a clear view of the path ahead.

“Stay awake now, ya hear?”

Annie struggled against entering into a state of delirium. Trying to ground herself in reality, she realized something was missing… My hat! She groaned and let her head fall back against Madelyn’s shoulder. Madelyn… How kind…

“Annie! C’mon, stay with me.”

Annie ignored her panicked voice and said the only thing that came to mind. “Your name ain’t really ‘Madelyn’, is it?”

“No. It ain’t”

“What is it… then?”

“Jenny. Jenny Kirk.”

***

Arthur tapped his foot in anticipation as Dutch paced between the fire and the camp entrance. After everyone had split up, all but Charles, Javier, and Annie had made it back safe. It was risky returning to camp this early after a job gone bad, but they hadn’t been followed. Arthur figured that must have been what was holding up the rest of them.  

“Damn it, Dutch, we had a plan,” Hosea said as he massaged his temple. “Why’d you pull that shit back there?”

“Pull what exactly, Hosea?” Dutch said, whipping around to face him. Arthur had been listening to them go at it since they returned. “You need to calm down, my friend. Everyone here is capable of handling themselves.”

“Dutch, he’s right,” Arthur interjected. “We knew Benson wasn’t trustworthy. It ain’t a matter of how well we can handle ourselves, cause that wasn’t no gunfight. It was a setup, plain as day.”

Dutch shook his head. “We needed that money, boys. If you’re not prepared to take a little risk for that, then I don’t know what to tell you!” 

“It already was a risk!” Hosea said, exasperated. “That’s why we needed to stick to the plan.”

Dutch threw his arms up in defeat. “Well, it failed anyways, so why are we still arguin’ about this?”

The rest of the camp had gathered outside their tents to see what all the commotion was about. “What happened, Arthur?” Mary-Beth asked, pulling his attention away from the two men arguing. 

“Just a job gone bad.”

“So no money?” Karen asked. 

“Only a bit. Not nearly as much as we were countin’ on.”

Tilly joined them. “Have y’all seen Charles yet? Or Javier and Annie?”

Arthur looked through the trees and caught a glimpse of the empty road. “Not yet.”

“I hope they’re alright,” Mary-Beth said.

“I’m sure everything’s fine, Mary-Beth,” Tilly assured her, but her voice wavered enough for Arthur to tell she wasn’t entirely sure of her own words. 

Just ask she said it, two riders appeared on the road and made their way through the trees. Charles and Javier. 

“Boys!” Dutch called. “Good to see you back.”

“Sorry we’re the last ones to the party,” Javier said. 

There was a pause and the air grew tense. 

“You mean Annie ain’t with you two?” Karen said.

“No,” Charles said. “She’s not back yet?”

“We ain’t seen her, but I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Dutch said.

“That’s it, I’m goin’ after her,” Arthur stated, starting for his horse.

“Are you jokin’?” Dutch said, raising an eyebrow and stopping Arthur in his tracks. “O’Driscolls and lawmen are crawling all over these parts.”

“She’d do it for one of us,” Charles said. He nodded at Arthur. “I’ll go with you.”

“No, no, I need you both here,” Dutch said. 

“He’s right, boys,” Hosea said. Arthur glared at him. “We can’t risk any other wild adventures tonight. She’s capable, she’ll make it back in one piece.”

Arthur let out a sharp exhale and eyed the two of them, unable to think through his own rage. Annie was capable, sure, but this didn’t feel right. Dutch had screwed her, screwed them all. He told them to keep on with the robbery when she gave the signal. If they’d just listened to her signal...

The energy of the camp rippled, voices murmuring around Arthur, wondering where Annie had gone. The atmosphere was growing thicker with tension and the anxiety welling in his chest made it so he could hardly breath. He couldn’t take it anymore. Just as he turned away to get some air, he saw something down the hill, across the river. A single black horse with two riders. Holy shit…

“Hello?” a small, female voice called out, just barely over the sound of the rapids upstream. 

“Who’s that?” Dutch bellowed as Charles drew his rifle to his shoulder.

“It’s Nero…” Hosea said, his voice flooded with concern.

Arthur ran over to the ridge to get a clearer look. The black stallion was breathing heavily, glistening in sweat as he bowed his head in exhaustion. 

“M-my name’s Jenny. Annie’s here with me, but she’s hurt real bad.”

“No, Arthur, wait!” Dutch said, trying to grab Arthur’s shoulder as he rushed forward. He shook the hand off and took off down the hill to the riverbank. 

“Can you get him across?” he said, trying his best to hide the dread in his voice as he saw the limp body, slumped against the stranger’s chest.

Nero didn’t hesitate as he crossed the water, even though it was somewhat deep. The horse plowed through the flowing water and onto shore, almost as smoothly as if he was on land.

Annie was unconscious and the blood on her shirt glistened in the dim light of the distant campfire. Her face was white as a sheet and covered in a cold sweat. “Charles! Could use your help here!” 

He heard Hosea call Grimshaw for assistance as John and Charles came rushing down the hill. They took in the sight of the wounded woman, speechless. 

“Arthur?” Annie murmured, reaching out her hand to touch what she didn’t think could be real. “That you?”

“It’s me, alright.” He took her bloody fingers in his hand and squeezed. 

“Damn it, I’ve died and gone to hell,” Annie said, a hint of a mischievous smirk on her face. 

He smiled and shook his head. “No, not quite yet, Annie girl.” 

Even though she was dressed in black, the slick stain of blood covered most of the right side of her body, from her ribcage to her thighs. Streaks of red matted stray hairs against her forehead, mixed with the tear marks on her cheeks and the sweat on her neck. He wanted to say he’d seen worse, and he probably had. But this, for some reason, shook him to the core. 

He lifted her off the back of the horse and cradled her in his arms. She wasn’t light and his front was now soaked in blood, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Charles, hitch her horse at the posts, make sure he’s watered.”

“What about her?” John asked, gesturing to Jenny who was covered in blood herself.

“You, Miss Jenny, are with us now,” Dutch said, walking down to join them on the riverbank. “Go wash up, Miss Jones here will help you. You can have Annie’s spot until we find you a place.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jenny said with a breath of relief.

“‘Sir’ was my father,” he said. “You can call me Dutch.”

Arthur brought Annie up the hill as most of the camp watched. She was drifting in and out of consciousness, but at least she was alive. He gently laid her down on his own cot, making sure she was comfortable. She winced and her eyes fluttered open slightly.

“Step back, Arthur,” Grimshaw said, pushing her way into the small area, fresh bandages in hand. She replaced the bedroll patches slowly but securely, cleaning the wounds with what Arthur figured was gin as she worked.

“Ahh!” Annie yelped as the alcohol splashed into the open wound. “Huh. Nice to see you, Susan.”

“You too Annie, you lucky, lucky girl,” Grimshaw said. “Can I use your jacket, Mister Morgan? And will you give us some privacy?”

“Oh, uh, sure.” He said, shedding his coat and handing it over and turning away as Grimshaw carefully removed Annie’s tattered and stained shirt. She covered her so that only she could see as she wiped away the blood from the wounds with a wet cloth.

“Tilly, can you get one of Miss Bolton’s shirts from her things, preferably a light one?”

“Is she gonna be okay, Miss Grimshaw?” Mary-Beth asked with a look of horror on her face.

“Yes, Mary-Beth, she’s gonna be just fine.”

He saw her nod and bring a hand to her mouth, holding back a sob. The rest of camp was watching, but keeping their distance. He saw John say something to Abigail as she tried to walk over to help. She protested for a moment, but he pulled her into a small hug and shuffled her and Jack back into their tent. The suspense had settled since she was back and more or less in one piece, but Arthur’s own fists were clenched with anxiety. 

“Arthur,” Dutch called, snapping his attention away from the scene. He and Hosea were standing back, trying to keep everyone from crowding around the lean-to. 

Arthur sighed with frustration and walked over. “What is it, Dutch?”

“You alright, son?” Hosea asked. 

“Yep.”

“Arthur…” Dutch said, studying him.

“I’m good.”

“She’s gonna pull through.”

“Yeah, I know.” The shakiness of his voice was hard to disguise. “She knew it was a damn trap, too.”

Hosea furrowed his eyebrows, giving him concerned look he hadn’t gotten in a while. “We can get you a bedroll. You can sleep in the-.”

“I’m good,” he said, cutting him off. “I got the chair.”

“Arthur-,” Dutch started.

“I know what my goddamn name is, Dutch, quit sayin’ it,” he snapped.

Dutch sighed and raised an eyebrow. “I was just gonna tell you to keep an eye on her for the night. That’s all. Make sure you get some rest.”

Arthur sighed and ran a hand through his hair, lifting his hat slightly. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Dutch squeezed his shoulder and sent him back to Annie’s bedside. Grimshaw finished with the buttons on the fresh shirt and stepped back.

“I can keep an eye on her, Miss Grimshaw.”

“Thank you, Arthur. When you can, try to get her on her side, she won’t listen to me. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Of course,” he said. He suddenly recognized the white button up Annie now had on. “Hey, is that my shirt?”

“Yes,” Tilly said as she balled up a few bloodied rags to be washed. “I couldn’t find any clean light ones of hers, I’m sorry.”

He shook his head and forced a small smile. “No, Tilly, it’s fine. Thanks. Get some sleep, I’ll take it from here.”

Tilly nodded and took her leave. Arthur turned back to Annie, hesitantly. Her eyes were closed but she had a slight grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. He reached down to the end of the bed and pulled the thin wool blanket up to her shoulders.

“They put me in your shirt?” she mumbled, eyes still closed. “You’ll have to burn it now, surely.”

“Do you ever stop jokin’?”

“Only when there’s nothin’ to joke about.”

Arthur chuckled. When this had happened before, she almost didn’t make it. It was terrifying to watch her fight against seemingly unbeatable odds. But nevertheless, she fought hard and won. He feared she wouldn’t be so lucky this time around. He felt a sudden urge to take her hand. Like his, it was calloused and rough, but smaller and somehow more delicate. He held it gently and she absentmindedly squeezed one of his fingers. 

She met his gaze and for a moment, Arthur saw the same sadness reflected in her cloudy, hazel eyes that had always been in his own. In a strange way, it was comforting to him. To know that he was just as afraid as she was, to know that the path ahead of her could prove to be treacherous. It meant she still was still breathing, her heart still pumping. It meant she had a chance. In that moment, somehow, they both knew everything would be okay. 

“Get some rest,” he whispered.

She grinned and her eyes blinked closed. “I’ll rest when I’m dead.”

[saskiavalentineapologist]

starsailorstories replied to your post : As far as ascended beings in daosa, are they...

are these…lich kaiju…am i grokking that right because holy SHIT i love it

>:D

ascended beings are nasty. they are violent, deadly creatures who destroy anything and everything around them.

in the pale island, people are tested young to determine whether or not they’re dormant ascended (just a harmless test that’s sole purpose is to mutate you if you are a dormant ascended, and will do no harm if you are not) and then...they’re kind of executed?? 

there’s a lot of fucked up culture around the ascended/dormant ascended....hold on let me find some Excerpts 

under the cut bc it got long

Reyana’s thoughts drifted back to what she had been reading last night. Asaevaanilaer Ahmasae. Ascended Beings. Monsters. So many names for a relatively minor hiccough.

They were an anomaly in the magic system; they were what happened when people’s magic adapted to magic itself, instead of to their surroundings.

The end result was a person whose magic was always Active in nature. The most interesting, though, was that they could absorb any magic that was aimed toward them. Healing spells, destruction spells, illusions, anything that was directed their way that wasn’t their own magic they could absorb, nullifying the incoming magic.

These people were called Dormant Ascended.

All gifts came with a downside, though.

They couldn’t control the magic they absorbed. After a time, the magic they absorbed became too much for their inherent magic to keep under control. The foreign magic started to escape their bodies, causing small mutations as it went. Most mutations were related to the senses, either heightening the senses themselves or changing the structure of the sense organ. Other results were altered pigmentation of the hair, skin, or eyes; change in the dental or general bone structure; and in extreme cases, extra growths or appendages.

When the magic they absorbed became too much for their inherent magic to keep under control, the warring magic inside them would reach a tipping point. When they arrived at that point, all the magic in a Dormant Ascended would be expelled in one violent, painful burst that turned them into a mindless monster by any definition of the word. 

Different languages referred to them in different ways. Over in the far far east, past the Reiyan Ocean, she heard they were revered as gods and called the Ascended Beings. 

In the Vhiernan Kingdoms, they were feared. Their names reflected that.

In Vhiernish, they were called the Asaevaanilaer Ahmasae. Dissected and literally translated, it meant “people who have risen above, but are no longer people.” Reyana wasn’t quite sure what they were called in Palish.

She had been reading about the war that started 250 years ago, when the Pale Island had tried to conquer the Vhiernan Kingdoms using the Ascended as living weapons.

The Vhiernans, naturally, had put aside their differences and had banded together to research how to weaponize the Ascended as well. They had found a way to do so, and so began a war that lasted a generation. After the war, both sides had signed a treaty that stated that neither would use Ascended as weapons in any wars in the future, and all parties had held up that agreement.

Reyana had soaked up all the information she could, devouring every book on the subject. 

She knew the relatively simple process needed to get someone to Ascend, she knew the dates and locations of famous battles, and locations of famous Ascended burial sites.

It wasn’t enough.

She had spent entirely too much money on this set of books in hopes that the original accounts held something she missed. They, admittedly, had a great deal of information that she didn’t already know, but they didn’t have the one piece of information that she was looking for.

Could the process be reversed?

The books had given her a small sliver of hope, though. She had been reading through some descriptions of Ascended that she had never read about before when one section made her stop.

The Dormant Ascended focused on in that passage had been an ordinary peasant woman before she had been taken from her home to become an Ascended Being and fight for the crown. When she had Ascended, she had turned into an almost serpentine creature with arms like a human’s and six sets of webbed wings. Because the army was unprepared for an Ascended that could fly, she had escaped.

That in itself wasn’t unusual. Ascended from both sides had escaped over the course of the war, decimating the livestock and crops of farmers in a battle against starvation. Being that big meant that they needed a lot of food to keep themselves going, and what could a single farmer do against a hungry Ascended, after all?

What was unusual was the fact that she had turned up in her home village in Aalzho—the easternmost Kingdom in the Vhiernan Kingdoms—a few weeks later. She had picked up a man and dropped him from a great height and disappeared into the Stormcrag mountains, where she presumably lived out the rest of her days.

The thing that made it even more interesting was the fact that when the villagers were asked who the man was, it was revealed to be her abusive husband.

That fact proved to Reyana that Ascended had at least some recollection of their former lives. There was no way an Ascended would fly to their home village hundreds of miles away and kill someone they hated out of pure chance.

It gave her hope. Many said that Ascended were mindless beasts, but this proved that they had at least some recollection of who they had been.

people use the bones of ascended beings as the basis of many enchanted/fortified items, such as wands, beads, and the like. 

they’re not hunted in the kingdoms, per say, but it’s a constant everywhere that if a dormant ascended actually Ascends, they’re immediately “put down” through whatever means necessary

there’s a huge slave trade involved with the dormant ascended, some people sell them to the wealthy, others sell them to the pale island where they’re subsequently executed.

there’s...hold on let me find some more excerpts

Sometimes, rich people liked to have Dormant Ascended as guards to their lavish manors. In case of a large attack, they could make them Ascend to either scare off or completely destroy the invading force. They would have to put them down after the fight was over, but it was extra security and a sign of wealth. Plus, after that, they could sell their bones to be made into beads and wands and other lavish items.

so there’s that. and...

“Yes, well.” Zara carefully put her headscarf on and pinned it into place with several long pins she had brought. Today’s color was an off white with delicate patterning. “I’ve dealt with an Ascended before and believe me, we would’ve lost a lot more people if she had Ascended. That’s probably what the captain was hoping for, that she’d attack our crew.” Zara shook her head. “I don’t know how he was planning on getting her with that crane, but I guess we’ll never know.”

Emira’s head slowly turned to Zara. Her eyes were wide and her mouth opened slightly.

“You’ve seen-?”

“Yes,” Zara said, the look in her eyes growing distant. “Around eight years ago, before I was put into the Queen’s personal guard. A Dormant Ascended man had managed to escape capture for his entire life until he was injured in an accident and knocked unconscious. He was taken to the healer’s, where he Ascended.” Zara’s eyes flicked down. “Ascended don’t retain their minds when they Ascend. They turn into angry and wild beasts, and this man was no different.”

Emira’s face fell more and more with every sentence Zara spoke.

“What happened to him?” Faera asked.

“Oh, he was put down,” Zara said, talking flippantly and not noticing Emira’s crestfallen expression. “But not before he took a great deal of people down with him. He was burned, as is custom.” Zara scoffed. “Honestly. There’s rules in place for a reason. These things wouldn’t happen if people didn’t try and hide their Dormant family members.”

so!! that’s ascended beings

there’s no real... “restrictions” on what they can look like. there’s definitely some that are more out there than others. i’ll see if i can post some stuff later if i can find any old ascended drawings.

[kateofthecanals]

For The (Not)Watch: Episode 7.1

The Great YAWN Begins

For all the jokes I made about needing Xanax for this, what I really needed was a handful of NoDoz... PRO TIP: If you’re gonna write endless scenes with nothing but dialogue, try to at least make the dialogue GOOD?

Anyway, let’s get on with it...

After an interminably long Previously On (which I guess is supposed to suggest that there are things that happened in previous seasons that will matter this season??), we get to our cold open. Why, WHAT THE HECK is Walder Frey doing there?? We just saw him killed I can’t possibly imagine what’s going on!! Fake!Walder has gathered his bros together to celebrate being total heroes and serves them all the finest arbor gold... all except for his new child bride, whom he says he doesn’t wanna “waste” good wine on. Everyone takes a good hearty gulp -- all except Walder GOSH IT’S SO WEIRD WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?? Then they start whooping it up about totally murdering the shit out of the Starks and everyone gets kinda awkward when Walder starts throwing some passive-aggressive shit out there about killing a pregnant woman, a mother of five, and violating Guest Right. Then it’s the Big Reveal -- as the Frey dudes start choking on their obviously poisoned wine, Walder's like

BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY ARYA ALL ALONG ZOMG!!! But she actually waits until they’re all dead before revealing this, which.... is even dumber and more pointless than serving Walder a Frey Pie he never actually eats. So, she saves the reveal for the wife only, which contradicts the earlier “spoiler” than Arya spares ALL the women, when, in fact, she only spares the child bride (who, admittedly, was in all likelihood blameless) in order to have someone bear witness. Arya then walks out of the room but not before doing the obligatory post-murder smug smirk that is mandatory of all female characters now.

So I GUESS this scene was supposed to be “dramatically satisfying”, but it left me cold, since (a) the Frey bros never actually got to know that they were being killed by a Stark, and (b) why does Arya have to always go for the most Extra™ method possible?? Oh that’s right, according to D&D, every decision Arya makes is based on “what's the most BADASS thing I could do??” Well, for starters, taking your Walder mask off BEFORE all his men died so they could see the true face of their killer would have been pretty badass, but what do I know, I never dropped out of Faceless Men School...

Credits roll, where they still insist that this is “Based on ASOIAF by GRRM”.

We then fade in to about 3 hours of a cold plain and a snowstorm, followed by a Wight Power March that culminates in learning that the Others have giants. Good to know.

Cut to Meera Reed and Bran ringing the doorbell at the Wall, where Edd answers with a couple bros in tow. He’s all “state your bizness” and Meera’s like “yo this is BRAN MUTHAFUCKING STARK” but Edd’s like “nah, prove it.” So Bran pulls down his breeches to show him the birthmark on his ass shaped like a direwolf. Just kidding, he goes full Miss Cleo on Edd and reads his diary out loud and Edd is like “sounds legit” and lets them pass. Not sure how that proves Bran is Bran though? Like, how does Edd even know that Bran is a greenseer? How does Bran saying “I know you fought at The Fist & Hardholme” prove he’s Bran Stark? Hello? Well, it doesn’t, but I guess it’s enough for Edd to know that Bran knows about the Night’s King. Though Edd would be a real shit to leave two kids on their own north of the Wall.

Then we move down to Winterfell where Prom King Jon is holding court, telling his peeps they gotta get theyselves some dragonglass to kill the white walkers. Then he announces that women and girls will be expected to fight as well cuz he #woke and Lyanna Mormont proclaims that she doesn’t “plan on knitting by the fire” while men fight for her -- another PRO TIP: if you’re a white male bro who wants to spew gross sexist rhetoric, just have a little girl say it and feminists everywhere will cheer! Anyway, let’s just hope SOMEONE is left behind to do some knitting, young lady, otherwise your sassy ass is gonna freeze to death. She then declares they’ll begin training every man, woman, boy, and girl on Bear Island... as if that’s something they don’t already do on Bear Island. Jon goes on to suggest that they need to man all the castles in the path of the white walkers, which Tormund is cool with but apparently Yohn Royce has something to say?? Uhhhh who let him in?? Sandra speaks up for the first time and Jon gives her a look like “bitch did I say you could talk?” Sandra thinks it’s a good idea to undermine Jon in front of the rest of the North, like yeah we get it he’s a usurper but can we save the bickering for later?? Basically Sandra wants all the Northern kids to pay for the crimes of their fathers and gosh hmmmmm where have I seen that before...?

So, cool, after absorbing Ramsay’s evil powers, Sandra seems to have taken on Joffrey’s as well...

Sandra then confirms that the Karstarks and Umbers died fighting for Ramsay; as we now know, the “original” ending to the Battle of the Bastards involved the Karstarks and Umbers turning on Ramsay but it was never filmed because D&D are hacks with no sense of realistic time management, so it appears that they just went ahead and officially retconned their own original intention and I guess it worked out well for them because it gives Sandra another thing to be a bitch about. Anyway, Jon’s like “I will not punish a son for his father’s sins and my decision is final GOT THAT SIS?” and to prove that everyone is cool now, he calls up Alys Karstark (why is she a redhead?) and an Umber kid (TinyJon?) and makes them swear fealty right there on the spot, which they do, and Sandra stares at them like she’s the witch from Hansel and Gretel... Insert random shots of Creepy Grinning Littlefinger and Slightly Concerned Davos.

Afterwards, Jon and Sandra go for a little stroll and, out of nowhere, Sandra invokes Godwin’s Law by comparing Jon to Joffrey --What??? Even Jon’s like “did you just fucking compare me to Joffrey?” And Sandra’s like “lol j/k you’re totes a good leader.” Then she goes on to drag Ned and Robb and outright calls them “stupid”.... Sigh. You know, if this show had GOOD writers, they could easily find a way to acknowledge Ned and Robb’s fuck-ups without having their daughter and sister call them stupid. Like, say, “Hey, Dad and Robb were great men but they made mistakes that we shouldn’t repeat. Let’s learn from them and do better.” Done, NO SLANDER NEEDED. Then Jon’s like, “You think Imma be smarter listening to YOUR crazy ass?” She says “Would that be so terrible?” YES, SANDRA, IT WOULD. Then Maester Whatshisnuts delivers a raven from Queen Cersei saying “come here and bend the knee, bitches” and Sandra’s like “yeah dummy, there’s a war to the South too!” Jon’s like “uhh I have bigger to fry” but Sandra insists that Cersei should be addressed because she’s found a way to murder all her enemies. Which, for some ungodly reason, prompts Jon to say “It sounds as if you admire her.” Which Sandra, instead of slapping him in his face for suggesting such a vile thing, replies almost wistfully “I learned a great deal from her.”

So add Cersei to the list of abusers that Sandra has decided to personify. #NOTMYSANSA

Speaking of, we jump to Cersei supervising the painting of a big floor map when Jaime comes in and she asks him if he’s afraid of her and his mouth says “no” but his eyes say “yes but it turns me on tbh”. Somehow she knows that Tyrion is Dany’s Hand and Jaime knows they will definitely land at Dragonstone, which apparently Stannis left unoccupied(!!?!?!). Cersei calls the girl whom not a minute ago we saw infer that she respected Cersei “that murdering whore Sansa Stark”, because Game of Thrones & Girl Power™. Cersei’s like “Literally everyone outside of the Red Keep is an enemy, how do we defeat them?” Jaime’s like, “Ummmm” and Cersei’s like “Nevermind, I have a totally awesome full-proof can’t miss idea!”

Very conveniently right at that moment, the entire Greyjoy fleet rolls up into the Blackwater. Jaime’s like “Seriously?? These jerks never keep their promises and always betray their friends” And Cersei is literally like, “Meh, everyone does.” (!!!!!???) Jaime’s like “No for real, the Greyjoys suck at life” and HE LITERALLY ADMITS THAT THE GREYJOYS DON’T GROW ANYTHING ON THE IRON ISLANDS AS THEY STAND THERE STARING AT A FLEET OF SHIPS THAT EURON TOLD HIS MEN TO “CUT DOWN TREES” FOR.

Cut to the throne room where Euron Both-Eyes proceeds to launch a thousand Twitter memes with his tight leather pants and guyliner, looking for all the world like a MCR reject. Or maybe I should say Mystery, as he attempts the Pick-Up Artist routine on Cersei. He and Jaime proceed to have a pissing contest involving faux-backstory (apparently Jaime was the reason Euron went into exile? lololol okay), and Jaime points out at that Euron kills his own kin as if that’s something that matters anymore. Euron’s like, “Cersei baby, I got a thousand ships and TWO GOOD HANDS!”

However, Cersei decides to play hard-to-get and is like “nah, you’re not trustworthy and you’ve broken promises and murdered your own brother and shit” and Euron’s just looking at her like “bitch didn’t you just blow up a church?” But Euron won’t be dissuaded! He says he’s gonna go out there and get Cersei a gift, a gift that she will be so HAPPY to receive that she will immediately divest her smallclothes. I WONDER WHAT IT COULD BEEEEE....

We then kick it Oldtown where Sam’s days are filled with books, shit, and soup. We are then treated to a soup-and-poop montage that lasted longer than Arya’s training at the HoB&W. (And no, D&D, the juxtaposition of books with shit was not lost on us, go fuck yourselves.)

Elsewhere at Hogwarts the Citadel, Sam goes to visit Professor Slughorn to ask him for access to the restricted section of the library (no, I am not making that up). Archmaester Slughorn (is this supposed to be Marwyn?) is like “sorry kid no acolytes allowed” so then Sam tries to sweeten the deal by revealing that he’s seen the White Walkers, and Slughorn quickly believes him and proceeds to pick up where the High Sparrow left off by launching into some long-winded nonsense that comes down to “don’t even bug about it, the Wall will protect us forever!” Sam doesn’t buy it, though, so that night he grabs his invisibility cloak and sneaks into the restricted area of the library!! And all I could think was, if Walder Frey suddenly pops up with a lantern complaining about acolytes being out of bed, I am gonna have a stroke.

We then jump back to Winterfell where Brienne is filling her 3-seasons-long wish of beating the snot out of poor Pod, which gets Tormund aroused (bleh). Speaking of creepy ships, Sandra is watching from overheard where Littlefucker comes up behind her and divulges how Brienne “beat the Hound in single combat” (how would he know that?), and Sandra’s like “Whoa she fought the Hound?? Is is okay?? OMG is he the ‘man’ that Brienne said was with Arya????”

HAHAHA just kidding she had no reaction at all.

So LF is basically like “pay attention to meeeeeeee” and Sansa is just like “creepers to the left please” until Brienne materializes and gives him stank-eye so he’ll leave. Brienne’s like “why the fuck is he even still here?” and Sansa says “we need his men” (by “his” I’m assuming she means Robin Arryn, Lord of the Vale??) and then is like “Littlefinger saved us! heehee” OMFG MAKE UP YOUR MIND, SANDRA.

Over in the Riverlands, Arya stumbles upon a free Ed Sheeran concert in the woods. Apparently, when it comes to mass murder, Arya is like a snake -- after a feeding, she’s good for like 6 months because girlfriend just rolled up on a handful of Lannister men just chilling and instead of immediately shanking them decides to hang out. Gee, D&D sure do like to show Arya bonding with Lannister surrogates, don’t they? And in the same episode where Sandra declares her respect for Cersei. Mixed messaging much...?

Anyway, Arya tells Sheeran his song is lit but she never heard it before and he’s like “just dropped my new single, download it on iTunes!” and then another guy offers her some rabbit. Turns out Arya happened upon the only decent Lannister men (or, MEN, period) in Westeros as none of them try to kill, molest, or bother her at all and are in fact very generous and sympathetic. Ooookay. They ask her why she’s going to KL and Arya “Faceless Men Dropout” Stark just casually states that she’s going to kill the queen, which they find hee-larious!

So, what exactly are we supposed to be taking away from this scene? On its own, it’s fine, but it lines up more with GRRM’s messaging than it does D&D’s and therefore feels out of place here. Which brings me to...

... the only scene in this episode I really give to shits about! So, while it’s brisk and sunny in Arya’s part of the Riverlands, it’s a goddamn blizzard over where Sandor and the BwB are journeying. Auntie Thoros is like “brrrr it’s cold!” and Sandor’s like “THANKS CAPTAIN OBVIOUS”. Thoros calls him a “grouchy old bear” and asks him why he’s always in a bad mood and Sandor’s like “um have you met me?” They then come upon a familiar farm that they think looks inviting but Sandor’s like “NOPE” and Thoros is like “what, are you SCARED?” and Sandor’s like “NO YOU ARE!!! AND YOUR TOP-KNOT IS STUPID TOO!!!” Thoros tries to entice him with the possibility of ale inside and Sandor’s like haha joke’s on you they have no ale cuz I fucking stole it all...

They make their way inside and Sandor sees the frozen corpses of the farmer and little girl he robbed back in Season 4 in a corner. Detective Dondarrion C.S.I. deduces that it was a murder-suicide and Sandor tries to brush it off, saying “It doesn’t matter now.” They sit down while Thoros builds a fire and Sandor points out that Beric is not special and actually kinda lame, so why did the Lord of the Light choose him when there are better men who deserve it more? Beric’s like “fuck if I know” but he knows that there’s a reason. Sandor’s like “why doesn’t the Lord of Light just tell you?” and again Beric has no answers. Sandor opines that it’s not fair that Beric is still alive but that little girl is dead...

Then Thoros is like “come stare into the flames with meeeee” and Sandor’s like “I don’t wannaaaaaaaa” but Thoros convinces him, and after a few moments of some skeptical squinting, Sandor’s like

And also a mountain shaped like an arrowhead. Sandor is SHOOK and Beric is like “TOLD YA.”

Later that night, Auntie Thoros wakes up to a ruckus outside, so he throws on his shawl goes out to see Sandor digging a grave for the farmer and the little girl. Yes, folks, after 2 seasons, we finally get The Gravedigger. Sandor is especially reverential as he lays the small bundle of the little girl into the hole. Thoros helps him fill the hole, then Sandor attempts to recite a prayer to the Seven but he doesn’t know the words. So he leaves it at a simple “I'm sorry you’re dead. Both of you. You deserved better.”

Am I... even watching the same show here?? I mean, aside from all the “cunting” and the “cocksucking”, this is the first time in a LONG time that I felt like we were seeing the REAL Sandor Clegane... the one from the books. The sequence by the gave in particular rang completely true for me. Now, as y’all know, I hate hate HATE that scene in Season 4 with a fiery passion, so I was actually glad to see some actual CONSEQUENCES being addressed. Yes, the same show where there is literally never any fallout for people’s shitty, nihilistic decisions, here we watch Sandor having to face the brutal reality of something extremely vile he did 3 years(?) prior. And not only did he confront it, he attempted to atone for it, of his own volition, in the only way he knew how. Here’s a man who realized his own hypocrisy in railing against an unjust system while simultaneously making these two innocent people a victim of it himself -- which, granted, NEVER should have happened in the first place, because Sandor would never do such a thing... but if the payoff for it was seeing this more compassionate, repentant side of Sandor, then I’ll take it.

Anyhoo, back at the Citadel, Sam is poring over some books with Gilly (why is she still there exactly?) when he flips a page and is like “EUREKA! Here’s a thing Stannis told me about 2 seasons ago that I conveniently forgot about until now!” Namely that Dragonstone is sitting on a goldmine of dragonglass. Sam immediately begins writing a letter to Jon.

Later on, Sam is on poop duty again and is cruising down the Hallway of the Damned when the busted arm of Jorah comes shooting through the wall. (Wow, somehow Jorah managed to get alllll the way to Oldtown but Dany’s not even to Dragonstone yet OH WELL!)

Speaking of which, AT LAST, 55 minutes in, we finally arrive at the location the entire episode is named for! It’s an extremely long, drawn-out sequence of Dany checking out her new digs, including the Stone Throne™, culminating with her running her hands all up and down the Westeros map table where Mel’s naked butt once was. Tyrion very generously allows her to have her moment and doesn’t get a single line. Then finally, Dany sits down at the table and asks the question I was asking the entire freaking episode: “Shall we begin?” YES, THAT WOULD BE NICE.

And there you have it. An insufferably boring beginning to what is supposed to be the penultimate GoT season. Just too bad they can’t afford to film in color anymore, otherwise this might have actually seemed rather grand...

Until next week!

[shannrussell-blog1]

Uluru, the rock formerly known as Ayers, and still often referred to as simply ‘The Rock’, (not to be confused with the former wrestler turned actor who is, admittedly, of a similar size and arguably similar acting ability), is a natural wonder recognised across the planet.

Having been there a few times now, I thought I’d share a few insider tips that no one really tells you about to help you make the most of a visit there.

If you’re thinking of visiting Uluru, there are some things you should know first. 

1. It’s not actually the biggest monolith in the world

First of all, some facts: Despite what a lot of people think, Uluru is not, in fact, the world’s largest monolith. That honour goes to Burringurra (Mount Augusta) in Western Australia, which is 2.5 times larger than Uluru and a million times less well known!

That said, Uluru is still massive, and certainly much bigger than most people expect, despite having seen any number of images of it over the years.

To be specific, it’s 9.4kms around, rises 863m above sea level, and there’s literally nothing anyone can say to prepare you for just how big and incredible it is.

What you might not know is that it’s actually not the largest monolith. 

2. It’s a long way from… everywhere!

I’m an enthusiastic road tripper, so the few times I’ve been I’ve driven up from Adelaide, which is a 1,600km drive. If I’m on a mission I can do it in two days with a stopover in Coober Pedy.

If I’m making a few stops along the way, (eg Arid Lands Botanic Gardens in Port Augusta, a few sights around Coober Pedy including the Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park, and numerous roadside stops to look at the local birds and wildlife), it takes me three days.

Most people prefer to fly to Alice Springs and think it’s close to there, and those people would be very wrong. It’s still 467kms from Alice, which can take around 5.5 hours so you need to keep in mind you’re still going to lose a big chunk of the day getting there, and another chunk getting back.

It’s a lot more remote than you would think, so plan your journey accordingly. 

3. The base walk is longer than you think, and further then they say

Officially they say the walk around the base of Uluru is 9.4kms, but that’s a bare rock faced lie. If you do all the little extra bits along the way, which you totally should, it’s more like 14kms. So if you’re going to walk it make sure you allow quite a bit longer than you might originally think.

The official estimate is 3.5 hours and I usually divide that by about half because I hike fast, but last time I hiked it in the heat it took me 3:23 with all the stops along the way. I’d previously done it in close to 2.5 hours so it is possible to do it faster if you’re fit and enthusiastic.

It’s also worth noting the base walk is often quite far away from the rock itself. So if you’re expecting up close and personal, it’s worth keeping in mind that there are some parts of the hike where you can literally reach out and touch it, but about 75% of the walk is at a distance. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though as it allows you to take in a full view which isn’t possible up close.

Allow for extra time to fully experience the base walk. 

4. To climb or not to climb?

Climbing Uluru will be banned on October 26, 2019, which coincides with the 34th anniversary of returning Uluru to its original owners. I won’t go into whether you should or shouldn’t climb it as I know it’s a sensitive issue for some. What I will say is that signage at the base of the climb is a bit ambiguous and seems to suggest you shouldn’t climb it for safety reasons, which isn’t completely true.

While safety is an issue and people have been injured and even died climbing Uluru, (36 deaths since the 1950s), the truth is it’s more out of respect for its traditional owners.

Climbing Uluru will be banned in the coming year.

Add to this the fact that people litter and do other disrespectful things in this sacred place, it’s surely not such a bad thing that we can enjoy it from down below, above by plane or helicopter, but not on top.

Besides, that still leaves pretty much every other rock and hill and mountain in Australia that you can climb. For the record, when I first visited I wasn’t sure if I would climb it or not. But when I saw it, and read about the issues, I very quickly decided I could never do it. You can still have an amazing trip there without climbing it.

You might not know that Uluru has waterholes, despite being in the heart of the red centre. 

5. Uluru has waterholes!

Many of the images of Uluru are of the big red rock in arid surrounds so a lot of people are surprised to find several waterholes around it. Some of these get fairly dry at various times throughout the year, but Mutitjulu on the eastern side is almost certain to have water.

If you’re not up to the full base walk, it’s only a short hike from a nearby carpark. It’s absolutely stunning, and I’d say a ‘must see’ part of Uluru. You can also view some indigenous rock art at this location.

You can also view the indigenous rock art around Uluru. 

6. Is nearby Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) even better than Uluru?

Okay, this is a controversial one, because Uluru is so iconic, but if I was feeling brave I might admit I personally like visiting Kata Tjuta even more than Uluru. And if not more, at least as much. Uluru may be a monolith, unique and world-famous, but Kata Tjuta and in particular the Valley of the Winds hike is a much better hike and experience.

Kata Tjuta, though lesser known is just as worth a visit. 

The Uluru base walk takes you around Uluru, but the Valley of the Winds hike takes you in, through and over and is way more immersive. There are canyons and monoliths and rock scrambles and creeks and different microenvironments.

All in all, a much more enjoyable experience, albeit without the same level of bragging rights when people ask “Where the hell is Kata Tjuta?”. Just tell them it’s the really good bit, often with fewer tourists, about 60kms down the road from Uluru. Well worth a visit!

TIP: On hot days above about 35°C they close the trail early so check with the ranger if it’s open before you head out there!

Don’t skip the Valley of the Winds hike when you’re there. 

7. You’ve got to be there early for the sunrise and sunset

Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta have designated sunrise and sunset viewing areas, and there’s no question that these are great places to get an awesome view. There’s only one catch: it’s where everyone goes to get an awesome view and can be a bit of a circus. Especially if you’re going to go to watch the sunset at Uluru, I strongly recommend getting there early and taking a chair. And a cool drink. Possibly even a few nibbles.

If you get there late, then your view may be obstructed. 

Set up your chair right up against the fence so you’ve reserved your little spot, then sit back, relax, and wait for sunset. An hour or so early is a good idea, otherwise, you’ll roll up and get a great view of the backs of everyone’s head.

Of course, there are various other places around the park where you can pull over and enjoy the view too, so maybe do a drive around in the afternoon and see if you can’t find a spot. It may not be as perfect as the official viewing area, but it may well be more relaxing and enjoyable.

You can enjoy the view from various areas, but if you want the best spot – get there early. 

One last thing!

Oh, and one last thing, a lot of people tend to race off the minute the sun sets and that’s just crazy. I strongly suggest sitting around for at least another half hour and enjoying the light dim beyond sunset. Watch the sky turn dark, the rock change colour again, and the stars come out.

Most of the people will have left, and it will be quiet and peaceful and beautiful. It’s probably my favourite time of day there.

Watching the stars come out is the most peaceful time in the park. 

Itinerary for a shorter Uluru trip

If you’re pressed for time, I’d suggest an itinerary might look something like this:

Day 1

Uluru base walk then watch the sunset. Depending on the heat, I’d suggest doing the base walk as early as possible. If you arrive around midday as I did on my last trip, you can do the base walk in the afternoon. However, it can get pretty uncomfortable out there so slip, slop slap.

Also, take twice as much water as you think you’ll need!

Day 2

Get up early and watch the sunrise, then head over to Kata Tjuta to do the Valley of the Winds hike. If you’re still around, watch the sunset at Uluru again or head back to see it at Kata Tjuta.

You can find accommodation, a petrol station, supermarket and various stores, cafes and restaurants all at Yulara – the township that services the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

So there you go, I hope you took something away from my tips for visiting Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. If you do decide to visit this incredible place, you definitely won’t regret it!

  Are you planning on road tripping up to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park? 

The post 7 Things They Don’t Tell You About Visiting Uluru appeared first on Snowys Blog.

[woodstonefeatherbone]

@panimemanda, AHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE KIND WORDS AND REBLOG!! <3 :D AHH!

Short answer is: practice. Like a lot of practice. All the time.

Longer answer: I’ve been drawing since I was five (admittedly more doodles and crap than anything remotely finished, let alone “good”), so I’ve been practicing for almost 25 years now. >_> Haaaaa.... I’m only just now starting to feel like I’ve developed  a style and some kind of consistency at all. 

I only started seriously working at “gettin’ good” at the start of 2016. I wanted to do a drawing a day for the whole year.. and that ended up being a little too ambitious and I failed, but I did start drawing a lot more, which REALLY REALLY helped. I usually draw every other or every few days now, depending on my energy levels (been sick a lot the last two years, blargh).

Things I do to try and improve:

look at a lot of reference photos of real people, whether screen shots from a movie or photos in magazines/online, whatever, to get proportions right. This also really helps with poses!

art tutorials! Lots of ‘em on Pinterest and Tumblr. :D

expression sheets--lots of other artists post one character with lots of expressions, so I try to mimic the various looks with my own characters with their features in mind.

if you’re sitting at a desk/table with your paper flat on the surface, pick it up and hold it at arm’s length, and look at your work straight on. It’s a good way to catch weird, exaggerated angles that shouldn’t be there.

go back to basics now and then--use just a pencil. Yup. Erasing helps when you’re not having a good time. Sometimes I’ll use a blue or red pencil for the first sketch, then regular pencil to try and refine the outline, then ink over it for the final version and erase all the pencil lines after the ink has dried overnight.

sometimes... you’re just gonna make shit, and that’s okay, because it’s still practice. Set it aside and start over, maybe use the shit drawing as an example of what not to do, lol.

Bonus Tip/Personal Opinion: Work with traditional materials to develop skills--pencils, pens, paints, etc.

You often can’t completely erase or cover up  your mistakes when you’re using traditional tools on paper, so it forces you to learn how to move your fingers, hands, wrists, and arms and builds muscle memory. So the more you do it, the more often you get it right the first time, instead of having the luxury to erase every single time you mess up.

Plus, it’s kind of liberating to not be able to erase, and see just what you end up with. You may make an accidental line and be forced to stare at it for awhile, and maybe you decide you like it better than your original plan. :D

That’s just my personal take. I envy digital artists, actually.. No wasted paper or materials, and it looks so smooooooth and professional. There’s a disconnect for me when it comes to using my stylus and my iPad to make digital art, though. It doesn’t “feel” right to my hand, so I feel like any digital sketching I do is really rough, no precision at all. But I should probably take my own advice and just practice more. <_<

Related concept: The word TALENT... is complete and utter bullshit, so let it go. Reject it, even! I sure as hell do. I hate that word. Arts, crafts, and work you do with your hands are all “workable skills.” The more you do them, the better you get at them. So take that horrible word and throw it right in the garbage can where it belongs. If you ever feel down on yourself, or that you’re “not talented,” take a step back, breathe, and realize that it’s a word envious people made up to describe something they were too lazy work at themselves. Because if anyone who ever said “I wish I had your talent!” actually did want to make art, they would be doing it instead of merely wishing they could.

/rant

...

Hope that helps a little! I’m thinking maybe I should take photos step by step as a kind of half-assed tutorial soon?!

[qtakesams]

Back Home, Now What?

It’s stupidly hard for me to comprehend that a month ago, I was wandering the streets of Lisbon, and today I’m sitting at the kitchen counter with my parents. It’s especially been weird to see posts from my friends still in Europe or the national friends I made abroad. The people I was seeing daily for over four months, who now only exist on my cell phone screen.

           The above paragraph is in italics because it was the original introduction I wrote to this post back in January. I meant to post it then, but life got in the way and then college got back in the way. I’ve been back to campus now for longer than I was home for break. So, bear with me as I take you on a journey through a post that spans the course of nearly two months and includes some of the most growth I’ve ever had in my life. Beginning with day one of life in the United States…

           Mainly, the suckiest thing I’ve discovered about going abroad in the fall is the timing of your arrival home.

           Most institutions of higher education in the States end their fall semester in early to mid-December and don’t return to campus until almost the end of January. Winter break is roughly 4-6 weeks long, depending on where you go and when your finals end. Generally, this break is needed. No matter how much you love college, it’s always nice to get a breather from cafeteria dinners, early classes, and the loud students in your dormitory. I suppose I should say, however: it’s nice for two weeks and then you cannot wait to get the hell out of your house.

           My abroad program didn’t end officially until the day I flew home, December 21st. That meant, of course, I was getting home the week of Christmas.

           Fortunately, I wasn’t nearly as jetlagged coming back home as I was when I arrived in Amsterdam. Between sleep deprivation and jetlag, it took a good week for me to adjust to my surroundings and my sleep schedule. On top of that, I admittedly spent a huge portion of my time in the first week partying harder than I really ever had before and was home just before dawn for four nights in a row. The air felt different, the food was new, and I had never walked into a restaurant and been spoken to in Dutch before. It was a lot of adjusting to make in a week, and when I was at my house, I was napping or watching something American on Netflix to remind myself just what the hell I was doing.

           Coming home was thankfully far less exhausting, but it had its moments. My flight home was a connection flight; I flew out of Amsterdam at roughly nine in the morning Dutch time, endured a three-hour connection in Ireland, and flew out of Dublin in the early afternoon.

           I left Amsterdam at six in the morning and didn’t go to bed in the States until it was nearly 5 am my personal time. The next day.

           Almost instantaneously, I was thrust into a week of family-oriented activities. On some level, this was a bit of a blessing. Time planned (not by even by me personally) to see everyone who would want to see me in one week. Unfortunately, I might say, it did mean that I was on autopilot, completely unaware of what day it was or having an idea of how I was supposed to return to my “old life”. I know four months seems like it’s barely a thing, but a huge amount of stuff happened in those four months. I had had just enough time to build a new life in a new place with new people, which was very much needed. By the time I came home, I felt like I’d been living in Amsterdam for my entire life. It was hard to come back to my old one, where everything had been moving forward without me.

           Admittedly, I am not a fan of going home, and I haven’t been since I started college. It’s not quite that I don’t like my hometown; I love my house, the area I grew up in, and my close friends. I have, however, grown a lot since I lived in my town full time. Returning home feels like running into that kid—high school Quinn. I don’t like that kid.

           This winter break felt different. For starters, I was only home about three weeks. One of which was the craze of the holiday season. Truthfully, I only felt like I had two weeks to hang out and do nothing.

           I don’t have many close friends from my area anymore, about three to four. My general friend group is much bigger than that but consists of mostly peers further on the east coast, European friends, and internship friends scattered around the country. Being home is a nice period of relaxing and not feeling like I have to being going out daily to be living my college experience to the fullest. This break almost didn’t feel like enough time to hermit.

           Perhaps the biggest reason the break felt strange was because, in my heart, I knew it was the last time I’d spend time with my dog.

           My parents had told me about my dog’s cancer diagnosis when I was a little under my halfway point of abroad. I spent a lot of the remaining time in Amsterdam lying awake in anxiety that I wouldn’t see my dog again. I didn’t feel like I had sufficiently said goodbye to her. I didn’t like that I had potentially taken her on a final hike without knowing it.

           Thus, my winter break was buoyed by squeezing time with friends in, hiking as often with my dog as I could, and prepping my resume for another semester of applying to internships.

           I didn’t feel much culture shock in the time I was home. But when I returned to campus, reverse culture shock hit me harder than the puberty train. For those who know me now but did not know me when I was ten, the puberty train smacked me hard.

           I had to be back at school for residence life training, so I was back on campus before a lot of my friends. As my parents moved me back, made my bed, and took me to Walmart, I had the feeling in the pit of my stomach that that drop-off would be the last time I would see my dog.

           The three days of training were exhausting. I came back to my room every night post-dinner and stared at my blank ceiling for an hour just to regain consciousness. I wish I was being overly dramatic.

           Less than a full week after my parents moved me in, they called me late one night after I had gotten back from the gym to tell me they had put our dog down that day. I momentarily became emotional over the phone, but then stopped myself. We chatted for another few minutes, and then the moment I hung up the phone, I sobbed.

           The rest of the week became an ultimate blur of new classes, what felt like a new campus, and the occasionally waterworks over the loss of my fluffy best friend.

           Later that same week, I attended an MLK teach-in regarding tips and advice on student activism. The lecture was awesome and given by one of my favorite professors in my department. Something, though, was off about it.

           By nature, I am a very introverted human. If you take me to a dance, sporting event, family gathering, or virtually any event where I have to be social and chatty for longer than a few hours, you’ll notice how tired I become. When I am overly exhausted from socializing, I call it being in “overdrive”; I get restless, sometimes slur my words, or simply shut down. It’s a little like being drunk, but not in the good way. When I was really little, I would noticeably, yet often subconsciously, flap my arms in public if I was too exhausted from socializing.

           This all said, I have never been a socially anxious person. I’ve been all forms of anxious, but never socially.

           Return to this lecture. They held their teach-in schedule in Stretansky Hall, the auditorium in the music building where music majors roam. I walked there from the library, after a solid 2-3 hours of sitting in a study room alone. I ventured outside, walked over to Cunningham, and entered the building.

           Almost as soon as I was inside, where I saw people I knew and received greetings, I felt like I was beginning to panic. I nearly ran through the hallways to get to the auditorium, where I had to stand outside with a small crowd before the doors opened. When we walked in, I found a middle seat and sat alone. I have no issue with sitting alone. In fact, sometimes I prefer it over sitting next to another person who will talk to me.

           I sat in my seat, silently panicking.

           I have a few other “ticks” I do when I’m socially beat: grind my teeth, tap my foot, pick at my cuticles, bit my lower lip, sometimes slightly rock back and forth. I was sitting in this chair, in an auditorium that wasn’t even full, doing almost every tick at once.

           Perhaps the weirdest part, was that I didn’t really know why I was that nervous. My heart wasn’t racing, I wasn’t telling myself to be nervous. I just was.

           It made me nervous to be nervous. I’ve only had, of my own recollection, one panic attack in my entire life. It was sometime, I think, in early high school, when nobody my age had their driver’s license. We were on the bus in the afternoon when our area was issued a tornado warning. As a preteen, I had a life-altering problem with storm anxiety.

           I remember sitting on the bus, maybe five minutes from my house, hyperventilating. I didn’t get particularly showy about how much I was panicking, but I knew I was having a panic attack.

           I didn’t have an actual panic attack sitting in the audience of this lecture, but I knew if I didn’t relax, one was probably coming.

           After a few minutes, I did calm down. The presentation started, the room went quiet, and I chilled out.

           A few hours later, I texted a few of my close friends about this. I hadn’t had any other serious anxiety issues that week, but I had had difficulty entering the café when it was busy or being comfortable with sitting by myself in a crowded room.

           The friends I told are all very good friends of mine; two attend my school but are abroad this semester, three live far away at other universities, and one lives in Europe. For the most part, none of them know one another. They know of each other’s existence in my life, but they’ve never met. Their commonality is that they all love me dearly.

           I told them about this incident, how it almost felt like an out-of-body experience. They all, independently of one another, agreed that social anxiety was unlike me. They know I am introverted, but they all agree it’s really not like me to feel anxious in crowds. I like lectures, concerts, cities, public transportation, and running at the gym. To walk into a place where there’s other people and be nervous for that reason alone, is nothing like me.

           The following weekend, one of these humans, amongst my favorite of all time, came up to visit me. We got food, went ice skating, got drunk, and laughed really hard. After she left, later that day, we joked about our moms asking about our friends. She asked if I was still feeling anxious and if I was going to the counseling center. I told her maybe, and she Venmoed me $20 so I could go buy a stress-relieving candle.

           Another of my friends, who lives far away and whom I haven’t seen for several months, asked if I was going to therapy that week. When I gave him the same “maybe”, he reminded me that the previous week, I said I would. I told him I’d go Thursday if I wasn’t feeling any better, and he said he was not only holding me to it but would drive to my school and take me there himself if I refused. My friends from abroad sent me hearts over text and told me I could call them if I needed some help.

           One, this pretty much proved to me that after two decades of struggling to find them, I’ve finally got the good friends I’ve always wanted. Second, part of me naively assumed when I returned from being abroad, I wouldn’t have any issues doing so.

           I’m described, both by others and by me, as a very chill human being. It takes a lot to stress me out, and even more to make myself tell people how I feel. Feeling an emotion so closely that I had to tell people about it in order to make the guilt go away was rare. Really rare, and really undesirable.

           Attention-seeking and gaining sympathy is not why I want to write a post that connects so deeply to my inner core. I write this post because reverse culture shock and readjustment are things that happen to most college students, and we need to do more for said students than just throw them back on campus and put syllabi in front of them.

           At the beginning of week 5 of this semester, I feel a lot more like my old self. I’ve reached out to my friends, left my room for several hours at a time, and gotten back to my usual college routine.

           I talked and thought about this a lot when I was physically abroad, but I find it even more concerning now that I’m home. Studying abroad is hard. Really, really hard.

           My university’s study abroad requirement is amazing. It’s incredible to attend such a small university in the middle of Pennsylvania and produce hundreds of graduates a year who had some sort of eye-opening abroad experience at some point in their education. I was against studying abroad in high school but doing it in college made me seriously regret my prior decision.

           A lot of the post-abroad process you endure when you return to campus deals with marketing yourself. You learned valuable skills in between side trips and partying three times a week, right? Why don’t you come up with a way to turn that into something employable on your resume?

           There’s nothing wrong with a program that focuses on that particular part of post-abroad. The job market is more global now than it was when I was a toddler or even in high school. Nothing is wrong with letting an employer know that you have the skillset to deal with foreign affairs or communicate cross-culturally.

           What I do critique about the program, and a lot of other students do, is the overlooking of students who return to campus and just don’t feel right. If I don’t feel like myself or I don’t like returning to my old life, I won’t want to market that to anybody. Including myself.

           My transition back to school was pretty quick but also pretty painful. Taking everything I’ve learned about myself in a different country and bringing it back to campus with me was a heavier load than I imagined.

           Normalizing your lifestyle again and convincing yourself that you’re okay is one thing. Accepting your struggle and refusing to let it slow you down is another. Sometimes, I feel like I have rocks tied to my shoes. But, if you walk far enough, eventually those rocks erode down to pebbles, and you get to start running.

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Welcome! I’m Nathan, a 22-year-old Serial Entrepreneur. This is my story of how I grew one of my companies from zero customers to 13,800 sign ups, 3000 active users and $79,000 in monthly recurring revenue in less than 90 days.​So just before I start here are a few facts:The Business was a SaaS Social Media Marketing PlatformI was the sole member of the team; I had no employees or additional helpThe pricing started at €39 and came with a 3-day trial to test the service.I already owned a startup in the same space which had around 300 customers, so I had an understanding of how to market a similar business giving me a bit of a headstart.​This post contains around 4000 words, so I decided to break things down into (slightly more) bite-sized chunks. Please feel through to Navigate through the article to whichever sections are most relevant to you.​BackgroundJumping straight into this article, I had purchased a pre-built SaaS application, installed on a shared VPS hosted by Bluehost (not recommended, I’m now with Digital Ocean who are a million times better).The app was built with LAMP, PHP 5.6 and CodeIgniter. After installing on my VPS and checking everything was working correctly my journey of growing the business and acquiring customers began.​Acquiring my First CustomerMy first point of call was Adwords, I set up a marketing campaign for Instagram Automation Software and went live with my first Ad. I managed to acquire users, but 0 converted into paying customers. I lost around $200 and turned off my campaign feeling quite annoyed that had cost me $200 with nothing gained other than a few emails.​At this point, I moved on to Free Traffic Channels; I started engaging a bit in the Reddit community, and also admittedly did a bit of shameless self-promotion. I set up Google Alerts whenever someone was asking the question (“More Instagram Followers?” or “More Followers on Instagram”) I’d get an email alert and could instantly start pitching a product and offer them a free trial.​Again, this was pushing users to my site, but nobody was converting into customers or entering card details for the product. It was at this point, I hired a developer to change the signup flow where a user would have to enter card details in order to access the product. This was to filter out anyone who just wanted a free product, as much as I like helping people the purpose of my business was to turn a profit.​I reached out to some of my ex-customers from one of my other startups, offering them the services of my new business. I acquired my first ever paying customer who subscribed to a $5 per month plan. This is truly a great feeling; the fact it’s was only $5 didn’t matter. I think any other business owner can tell you one of the best feelings is receiving your first ever paying customer.​First 10 CustomersSeeing as I had acquired my first customer through a previous relationship, I continued reaching out to previous customers of another startup of mine and managed to acquire two other paying users through old relationships.Now that I had changed the signup flow, I was also starting to see customers sign up via Reddit and was averaging about two customer signups per day through Reddit.I’m also a very active user of LinkedIn and had previously grown my network to over 58,000 connections. So I knew the power of Networking, I set up Instagram Automation targeting “Business Owners” in the USA offering Social Media Management services, I was seeing out 600 connection requests per day with personalized invitation messages.My personal Instagram account also had over 45,000 followers who were an excellent form of Social Proof. I automated direct messaging to invite users to sign up for a trial to my software, and also set up around 20+ other Instagram accounts targeting various users and offering free trials.LinkedIn & Instagram Marketing was all 100% automated, so once set up this ran forever.​First 50 CustomersAt this point, I didn’t make any major changes to the growth channels. I was receiving a few signups per day, and this was all being automated. My original idea for this business is that I wouldn’t need to oversee it much as SaaS doesn’t require much human input (I was wrong!), I would just let it grow in the background while I managed my other startups and it would bring in another stream of revenue.Regarding the business itself, two changes I did make were improving the landing page; I picked up a cheap template of Envato market for $9. I edited the HTML and changed the copy and put this on the server, it really wasn’t anything special but actually doubled the conversion rate from 3% to 6%.I also changed the pricing plan from $5 per month to $5 per week; I felt psychologically seeing $5 per week felt like a lower commitment than $20 per month - although this is purely based on my opinion and has 0 research behind it. It seemed to work as the conversion rate for the site didn’t drop off whatsoever, in fact, there was no change at all which I was quite surprised by.By the time I reached 50 customers, I was around ten days in and had a total of $500 in MRR. Each new signup was worth $20/month, and I was receiving 3-4 per day meaning $60-80 worth of new business per day which isn’t bad.The cancellation rate was also very low, I only had ten days worth of data which of course isn’t great for making significant decisions, but I think only 2-3 out of 50 customers had canceled.​First 250 customersAgain, just sitting back and watching my customers climb. I went and met with a fellow entrepreneur for a Beer in Canary Wharf; we were both involved in Social Media although different platforms and often exchanged ideas on the industry, tips, tricks, and hacks. It was nice as we weren’t in direct competition it made no impact on us to share what avenues we were exploring.​I told him my new venture was acquiring a steady stream of customers and this was coming from free channels. He suggested scaling via Facebook Ads, having been burnt by PPC before I was hesitant but respected his advice and explored it as an avenue.​After setting up Facebook Pixel, Optimising for Conversions and hoping that Facebook's powerful algorithms were going to make me rich, I sat back and waited for the customers to come flooding in. They didn’t, I was picking up signups who claimed the free trial, but about 70% canceled straight after, and my CAC was around $70. I didn’t have enough data on my customer LTV, but a customer would have to renew their subscription for at least four months for me to turn a profit, and that’s before we even include taxes, expenses, support costs, etc. I soon after turned off Facebook ads (at this point I didn’t quite understand, you need to feed the algorithm data in order for it to understand the type of people that purchase on your site, then it will, and your CAC should decrease.)​Anyway, my main acquisition channels remained as Reddit, LinkedIn, Instagram and Email Marketing.​By this time I had made about $600 and decided to reinvent this in some tools to grow the business. I bought an Instagram Email Scraper, that would scrape a list of profiles based on a keyword and search for emails in Bio. It would also log the number of followers and account username so you could send an email to them saying “I saw you have 2,468 followers. Our average user gains 1200 real followers per month” and I received reasonable results, but as the scraper doesn’t pull the first name it is spammy, and I didn’t scale this any further.​For anyone who’s interested I used Amazon SES to send emails, it’s free to send 60,000 emails per month, so it’s a tool worth using and helps keep my expenses down as a bootstrapped founder.​I also explored Referral Marketing, I took a 30-day free trial of referral candy and installed their widget on my site. I didn’t see any improvements whatsoever; I don’t think I had a large enough user base for referral marketing to be an effective marketing strategy.​Given the success I had seen from updating my landing page, I turned my focus to improving our conversion rates and purchased a new theme for the landing page (which was miles better than either of the previous 2). I spent a day or two updating this and writing what I thought was fantastic copy, but really I was just sticking in the word “Supercharged” wherever it made sense!​I changed CTA buttons to all say “Claim Free Trial,” and overall the website looked FAR, FAR more professional. This pushed my conversion rate up to around 11%.​Now that I had a website that looked half decent, and I could say I was proud of owning I took another shot at Google Adwords. Many of my competitors were running huge campaigns, and of course, they wouldn’t be pouring money into Adwords unless they were turning a profit.​So this is where the real Growth began…​I set up about five different Ad types with some ad text like the #1 Instagram Growth Service. My first keywords were targeting when my competitor's customers were looking for alternatives for example “Alternatives to XYZ.” I simply said my target CAC is $20, this is the 1st month's subscription, and anything after that is profit for the business.​I kept a very close eye on the keywords, and the second they went over $20 Cost Per Conversion I would pause the keyword, so I was no longer bidding on it.​I started making a profit, but the conversions didn’t come in the masses. People searching for “alternatives to my competitors” weren’t exactly high-traffic keywords. However, I had now managed to make my first profitable Adwords campaign, which reassured me that it was possible to make a profit using Adwords.​I was acquiring these customers for about $10-14 which was below my target CAC, I researched even more competitors and added these as target keywords.​I created a free trial for Alexa.com and entered some of my main competitors, Alexa will then pull together a list of the keywords your competitors are bidding on. I simply assumed that if my competitors are bidding on them, and have been for a while, they must be making a profit.​I fired up another campaign on Adwords and added in all of these keywords. Was I right? Yes, and no. Many of the keywords I copied did make a profit; however, my main competitors were charging $50-79 per month, meaning they could afford to spend far higher amounts to acquire customers. Plus they already had substantial user bases in the region of 10k+ customers, so they could afford to lose a bit of money on ads.​I monitored Adwords closely, being sure to turn off any keywords that went over $20/conversion. You also analyzed countries we were bidding on, and with higher than $20/conversion cost were removed, and also monitored, age, gender, device and applied the same principle.​At this point I was bidding on around 30 keywords, I had previously limited my Adwords campaign to $50/day, but now I was making a profit, and my confidence had grown this went up to $100 per day for several days, I kept analysing the data, and then put up to $250/day making sure I was still making a profit on all my keywords.​First 1,000 CustomersNow that I had a successful Adwords campaign running, my problem wasn’t acquiring the users; it was affording to keep my campaign financed. My business had made about $1000 by this point, but with a $250/day Adwords campaign running, I would be out of cash in 4 days.​The users received a 3-day trial, and then once charged the money would stay in Stripe and would take another five working days to process and hit my business bank account, after that, it would be another 30-days until I saw a profit.​To solve this issue, I wanted to increase prices for the app. I had a steady user base, and even changing by a few dollars would have a significant impact on my annual recurring revenue.​I initially decided to change from charging $20/month to €20/month. This is quite strange as I’m based in the UK, and we use GBP, but I felt the Euro was more widely recognized, and also more stable after Brexit and the uncertainty around the pound.​20 USD to GBP is around £15.1620 EUR to GBP is around £17.53​Also, when we look on a larger scale, even a £2 increase in pricing is an extra £2000 in revenue per month per 1000 customers. Making this change didn’t decrease conversions whatsoever which again I was surprised by, that’s twice I had put up the prices, and conversion rates hadn’t decreased at all.​I continued with this pricing model for a week, and after talking about this to my girlfriend, she raised the interesting point of “If something’s cheap, often people think it’s not good, or too good to be true.” This was understandable, If most of my competitors were charging double or even quadruple my rates, was I being viewed as a lower quality cheap option? With this in mind, I thought I’d raise the prices again to see if my conversions drop at all.​I doubled my prices, from €20/month to €39/month (psychologically ended your pricing with a nine is the most appealing to the mind). I was shocked by the results, my conversion rate didn’t drop at all, It went up. It seemed people had more trust in a more expensive app, even though no changes to the software had been made whatsoever. The only difference had been pricing; people trusted a more expensive product over a cheaper version which is exactly the same! (Funny how the mind works!).​Now with increased pricing, this opened the doors for me to bid on keywords that had previously been over my desired CAC. So I dived into my Adwords history and anything keywords that were under $40 CAC I reactivated in the campaign.​Now I was bidding on more keywords, and for all my existing keywords I would be doubling my money assuming they didn’t cancel their account.​One thing to note, whilst my conversion rate improved, my churn rate also increased. Unfortunately, I don’t have any specific metrics as I wasn’t tracking this from the start, but I can tell you a more expensive app significantly pushed up cancellations.​My Adwords campaigns were bringing in a steady profit, I scaled up my ad budget to $500/day, and as soon as money entered my bank account from Stripe, I was pushing this straight back into ads.With a $500/day campaign, I was bringing in around 50-60 new signups every day.Now that I was bringing in more than a steady stream of customers I was focusing on maximizing revenue.I installed a few apps to help boost conversions and retain customers.​Intercom - $500Intercom to provide Live Support to users, I also setup Intercom Engage to send in-app messages to users.This was a very effective way to automate use onboarding at scale; I could deliver targeted messages and send embedded YouTube videos explaining each feature.I also set up welcome messages on the landing page asking users if they had any questions and asking if they wanted to join our mailing list/​OptKit - $39I also installed OptKit; I used exit-intent popups on the landing page to offer an extended trial of 30-days in exchange for an email, I also offered this on each stage of the sign-up funnel before users entered their card details.This actually saved around 15% of all exit attempts, which isn’t bad at all.​UseProof.com - $139One of my competitors were using UseProof, I installed it on my site, and it worked. Notifications of my most recent sign-ups were displayed on my landing page, sign up page and upon entering card details.I felt this really pushed users to complete the sign-up process if they can see many other many doing this.​Reviews.co.uk - $50This is a cool app; they allow you to embed a widget on your site displaying reviews you receive from customers. This also helped with Social Proof and boosting conversions.I did a test and played around with many other tools, but these were the ones that actually worked and had the most significant impact on my conversions. They were also the motivation behind my most recent startup Notifia hybrid of the 4-tools listed above available at a fraction of the cost.​AutopilotHQ - $200This is a visual email marketing application where you can create complex user journeys based on behavior and interaction. Using Zapier, I created an Automation Workflow, so whenever a user created an account but didn’t enter their card details, I would send a drip sequence containing 11 emails over the next three months. This would offer a 30-day free trial, and I was receiving around 10% conversion rate on these emails.​Churnbuster - $99As the business continued to scale, I was receiving more and more failed payments I added churn buster which sends automated emails on failed payment asking users to update their card. I did profit from the service but later canceled the subscription as Stripe recover was even more effective and is free.At this point, all of my Growth Channels have been set up. As a had a large customer base and decent traffic to the site most of my time was forced towards customer support (this is probably my biggest regret, and If I were to do this again I would hire external help. I was a terrible support agent, and I found the job very repetitive and unenjoyable.If I were to do this again, I would hire a Customer Support Agent and Customer Success Manager, one to handle basic queries and the Customer Success Manager to optimize users experience and also look for opportunities to upsell.Seeing as I was gaining 50-60 new customers per day on average, it didn’t take long to reach 1000 customers.​2,500 customersFrom a customer acquisition perspective, I didn’t change much, aside from putting ad budget up to $1000 per day, setting up retargeting ads, optimizing ad relevancy scores to try to achieve 10/10​I did add a second campaign which was a mirror of the first campaign only with campaign objective changed to target Cost per Conversion, rather than maximize conversions.​Aside from that, I didn’t feel the need to change anything. I had an Engine of Growth that was making me money automatically if anything now I look back I was scaling too fast.​No matter how much automation you introduce to your business when one person and a heck of a lot of automation try to manage 3000+ active users, things get messy.​At this point, I turned my focus from acquiring new customers as this was all automated to trying to boost revenue through existing users.​As I mentioned earlier, I was also seeing a rise in failed payments, when I last tallied up the total number of failed invoices it was in the region of $600,000+ worth of failed payments. I’ve since done my best to try and recover some of this revenue, using automation scripts to Auto Retry, although Strip’s recover is pretty damn good.My days were pretty much spent on Intercom responding to customer queries.​Aside from that, I didn’t really make any further changes to the engine of Growth; I continued to spend $1.5k on ads per day. Now, a total of 3 months (90 days) since I first set up on my $30 shared VPS I had achieved $79,000 in monthly recurring revenue. I had a total of 13,000 users in the MySQL Database, 3000+ of those had entered credit card details and over 2000 active, paying customers.​Then What?Following a legal dispute with Facebook, I really can’t and don’t want to go into detail I was forced to shut down and no longer offer services to my users.​What did I learn from this experience?With PPC Advertising, you must be prepared to lose money to collect Data on what works and what doesn’t. Be prepared to lose money first; profits come later.Don’t underestimate the power of a good landing page ;)Don’t price your product too cheap; people are wary when something seems too cheap compared to the competition.If you are using PPC ads and spending large amounts, invest in tools for CRO. Hotjar, Notifia.io (shameless plug), Intercom would be excellent starting points​What would I do differently?Focus on my strengths - My core skill set lies with Growth Marketing. I’m a jack of all trades and can do pretty much any task within my business; I tend to set up all the servers myself, usually build sites from scratch and then market and grow the business.However, when a company gets to a certain point, you need to hire external help who are experts rather than just having an understanding of the field. If I was in the same scenario, I would have hired full-time customer support, customer success manager, and at least a part-time full-stack dev.I should have also brought on a CRO specialist and UX designer to give recommendations.—Optimise cancellation pagesThis is so important, especially with SaaS. It's pretty much your last chance to save your customer from leaving. I developed the Churn Saver kit which delivers targeted offers to your users based on their motivation to quit.—Talk to users about what they would like to see improved.​Other PointsI believe it’s better to focus on 1-2 channels of Growth and do them well, very well. Unless you have an entire team to cover each channel of Growth, it’s virtually impossible to cover them all effectively.With over 19 Growth Channels you want to find the ones most effective for your business and then optimize, and scale.​What am I working on now?Given the success in my previous Startup, I decided to jump straight back into SaaS. I was working on building many in-house tools for internal use to optimize our AARRR metrics (Acquisition, Activation, Revenue, Retention, and Referrals).​However, I’ve since launched them as a platform, and they are available for everyone to use @ Notifia.io - We are still in Beta stages, but when completed it will be an AIO platform for growth with the following features...​Acquisition: Social Proof Widgets, Live Visitors on-site, # of rent purchases, others viewing this product, Checkout Abandonment Kits, Triggered CTA cards, Exit Intent triggers offering discount coupons, Automated Demo BookingsActivation: Onboarding Cards, Automated Messages, Onboarding checklistsRevenue: Upsell customers, Failed payment notifications, Hosted Payment FormsRetention: Churn Reduction via User Off-boarding Surveys with triggered offersReferrals: Refer a Friend Widgets, Social Media Share, Giveaway kitsFeedback: Exit Intent survey, Feedback popup, cancellation survey, NPS surveys​Currently, the average marketer has eight products installed on their site. Usually meaning eight paid subscriptions, and with Notifia.io I’d like to offer end to end tools for Entrepreneurs to Grow Online Businesses.​I’m going to be writing about the entire journey from $0-$10m ARR as well as building a YouTube series documenting the entire process of growing a company.​I’ve struggled to find a good eCommerce channel that isn’t just trying to sell you on some $999 course, and I’d like to change that and deliver some value back to the community. I’ll be publishing videos on Youtube.com/nathastonIf you have made it this far, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.​All the best,Nathan.​Orig Post: https://blog.notifia.io/growth-hacking/bootstrapped-79k-mrr.html

[hangeravoidance]

Planning on Japan & Thailand

I think Nate and I discussed our honeymoon before we discussed our wedding. That might say more about my feelings toward wedding planning than it does about my feelings toward traveling though to be honest... There is nothing wrong with sitting on a beach for two weeks and blissing out for your honeymoon. Planning any wedding is stressful. It sucks. Turning off your brain and only using it to remind yourself to re-apply suntan can do wonders to counteract all the wedding planning stress. However, we are not those types of travelers and our travel philosophy is usually to see/eat/drink/do all that we can. So when we started to brainstorm locations these are some reasons we had that led us to Japan & Thailand and how I started to make it happen...

Our reasons for going to Japan & Thailand:

I’ve been to China (3x), Hong Kong (1.5x), and Taiwan (1x). Nate has never been to East Asia. Japan and Thailand have been on both our lists.

We wanted a nice long honeymoon and, in my opinion (which I know is shared by many), it’s not worth going to East Asia unless you go for a minimum of 10-14 days. The longer the better. That full day of travel from NYC/America is just not worth a short turnaround.

FOOD (admittedly, this list is not in priority order).

We figured Japan would be a nice starting point if we went to Tokyo, as it’s more modern and honestly more New York-like, before we made our way to the jungle mountains of Chiang Mai and beaches of Phuket. Also, the food.

It’s JAPAN AND THAILAND.

(My mouth is watering looking at this gif)

Thereafter, we decided on Tokyo, Kyoto, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. Tokyo is the obvious choice. Kyoto is pretty popular too. I think when we were only going to be in Japan for a week, going with the more popular options makes sense unless you have more specific interests. If/when we go back, we’ll definitely want to see Osaka, Hiroshima, Mt. Fuji, etc. Next time. 

Bangkok is also obvious given its capital status and it’s pretty trendy. Chiang Mai for the elephants (and now I know, for the food too!). Phuket was a tougher choice because my well-traveled friend was yelling at me to avoid Phuket and go to Krabi. In the end, going to a touristy place last where we just wanted a nice beach wasn’t a bad choice. It’s also nice to land in an airport and just take a taxi without worrying about other modes of transportation. 

We were travelling during the monsoon season which I agonized over a little. In the end, I decided it would be fine. And it was. We did get some massive downpours but luckily they were short and usually only during travelling and not during any activities. It did mean the waves were pretty rough and we missed out on Phi Phi islands which I’m sad about, but all in all it was an excellent trip with excellent locations.

Now that we had cities, I had to figure out how we were going to get there and where we’re going to stay...

Flights & Hotels

I am a big fan of DIY travel plans (obviously, as this Tumblr exists). I am also a huge proponent of the flight tracker app Hopper, which alerts you when flight prices drop. We planned a five-city tour, with bullet trains and flights in-between. I then excitedly tried to book one flight online (I believe it was Bangkok to Chiang Mai) when I saw cheap prices and arrived at a website that was legitimately all in Thai. While Google helpfully offered to translate the website, I’m not in the habit of providing my credit card information to sites that REQUIRE GOOGLE TRANSLATE.

Therefore, I decided to turn to a travel agent to help book flights and hotels. I originally reached out to Liberty Travel, who I thought came up with a fine itinerary (although looking back at it now that I’m more familiar with the areas of the city it wasn’t as great as what we ended up with), but then I read these horrible reviews of them and decided to try something more local instead. 

Finding a travel agent is actually more difficult than finding a good restaurant. I’ve never used a travel agent. I actually googled multiple “why use a travel agent” articles on Google. I also rely my life on Yelp and internet reviews, of which there are not that many for travel agents which is frustrating. I ended up going with Gina at G World Travel based off her positive Yelp reviews (of which there are only 13). Gina was great and a great choice. We only communicated over email. She gave me alternative options when I asked her about different times we could leave and when we decided to knock off a day at Tokyo to give it to Bangkok. We are also of the mind that, when you spend all your travel time outside exploring, there’s no need to go higher than a 3-star hotel, which Gina was great at accommodating with affordable hotels in great locations close to public transportation. At one point she selected a nicer hotel than we needed, and easily changed it to a cheaper option once I asked.

Nobody is perfect, so I will be honest with some of the issues too. She required a lot for the deposit which was fine for us but may not be great for others (although it may have also just been the nature of this trip). At one point early in the planning she had our dates mixed up but that was easily addressed. The biggest thing was that every hotel in Thailand required our “vouchers” which we had no idea what that meant. I ended up having to forward our itineraries to the hotel staff at all three hotels which I don’t love doing since it has some personal information on there. I also wish she was more forthcoming with recommendations for activities or travel tips, but maybe she would have if I asked. Who knows? 

However, all of that was really minuscule in comparison to everything Gina did. She picked good hotels in our budget (and almost all of them had some upgrade or complementary thing to celebrate our honeymoon), all of which were in great locations for travelling. She also selected a quieter part of Phuket away from the hormonal fratty tourists which I didn’t appreciate until after we arrived. We had five cities, five hotels, and with layovers we had 7 flights to catch. It all ended up great and I would definitely use Gina again and I would 100% recommend her to anyone planning a trip abroad.

Activities & Excursions & Food!

Like most travelers, I rely heavily on TripAdvisor. Luckily, I also have a good amount of friends who have gone to Japan & Thailand, so a call out on Facebook for recommendations was a good start also. I always look at the most popular things to do on TripAdvisor, make a list, and star it on Google Maps so I know where everything is (I also star our hotel so I know where our home base is). Then I make a big list that includes where the location is, a summary of what it’s about (because when your list grows it’s hard to remember what everything is!), and other details like prices (if applicable), time constraints, location details, and anything else that might be helpful. After that, it’s just a lot of re-arranging until you get the perfect itinerary! Also, I work a lot around food....

Next post will be all about Tokyo!