#plus i had like 2 transformers accounts like my posts so awkward time to post an angst

[justanotherboringwriter]

||I’m Haunted.||

Summary; the memories of his past often haunt Optimus. As a sleepwalker and sleeptalker, the contents of his dreams often spill out of his mind and into the real world, awakening his husband, Atticus.

A/N; for those confused; Atticus is a shapeshifter who prefers animalistic form which leaves his arms and legs resembling his latest form. He favors a dog form so in this form, he has dog ears, dog paws up to the elbow, dog legs up to the knee, and a tail. Imagine it like a partial fursuit.

Word count; 1,410.

Atticus was sitting on the porch of his farmhouse, enjoying the chirping of birds, mooing of cows, pinking of pigs, bleating of sheep, and the sound of leaves bristling in the wind. The cool breeze hit him, gently caressing his face as it passed, making his windchimes float softly to the right, clinging against each other and letting out a metallic melody. Suddenly, there was banging at the door.

Atticus jumped, startled. He looked over as the door practically moved as it was punched with enraged vigor. Atticus quickly stood up and walked to the door, “Optimus?” He asked, concerned. There was no response and his concern grew into panic. “Optimus!” He yelled, grabbing the doorknob and struggling with it. Locked. “Optimus!” He screamed, “Open the door!” He shrieked.

Suddenly, he gasped and woke up, tears brimming his eyes. He was laying in bed, panting. He coughed, feeling his lungs and throat burn as if he had run a triathlon. He sat up, looking around; he was in his farmhouse, in the main bedroom, with the early morning sun rising. He assumed it had just started rising as it was still very dark. He heard thumping and his head shot over, seeing Optimus, the covers having fallen off of him, punching the bed angrily.

“Optimus?..” Atticus panted.

Optimus didn’t respond, continuing to punch the mattress. Atticus watched, struggling to decide on what to do without getting hurt. He sighed, “Honey?” Atticus reached out, settling a paw on Optimus’s back. Optimus suddenly stopped, panting heavily before sitting back.

Sleeping.

Atticus crawled even closer, “Optimus, baby..” He mumbled softly, “You okay?” He added.

“That’s what you get.” Optimus growled, staring down at where he had been punching. “You took away what I had. I took away all you had.” He slumped, still sitting up, seemingly exhausted as he tilted his head up. Atticus took one of Optimus’s hands and he suddenly seemed startled as he looked around. He looked forward, “Atticus?..” He whispered hauntingly. “Oh, Atticus. W–What happened? Fuck, I ruined our wedding, didn’t I?..I’m so sorry…” He started to cry, “I’m sorry. I know how important this day is to you, I–” Atticus toned out what his husband was saying.

He remembered that day.

Atticus peeked into the bathroom of the luxurious resort he and Optimus were staying with for their wedding. “Optimus?” He called out, a bit worried. It’d seemed like his soon-to-be husband had just disappeared out of thin air. He heard aggressive panting and mutters of vulgar insults. Atticus walked past the stalls slowly, trying to locate the source of the sound.

He finally found it–The handicapped stall–And knocked awkwardly on the door. “Um, Optimus?” He called out a bit quietly. The person immediately shut up and simply panted. Atticus tried the door and it was unlocked so he pushed it open, seeing Optimus, on his knees, looking frantic and shaken, his brushed back curls a bit tousled with a curl hanging onto his forehead. He was panting like he’d been running.

Atticus closed the door behind him and locked it for some privacy, approaching the other man. “Optimus, what happened?..” He asked, concerned.

“Atticus?..” Optimus whispered, “Oh, Atticus. W–What happened? Fuck, I ruined our wedding, didn’t I?..I’m so sorry…” He started to cry.

Atticus came out of his thoughts, his eyes meeting Optimus’s tired and tear-filled blue eyes, having awakened somewhere along his husband’s thoughts. “Atticus!” He yelled, “You looked so distant. What happened?” He asked, taking his husband’s furry paws. “You were sleeping–You were punching the mattress and you just suddenly started..” Atticus sighed. “Remember our wedding day? When you had that PTSD episode and you started crying and apologizing for ‘ruining our wedding day’?” He tried again.

“Yeah. I was talking about that? Fuck.” Optimus looked off, brushing his messy curls back.

“It’s not like you meant to; you were sleeping, after all.” Atticus replied. Atticus crawled closer, now on his knees in front of his husband as he wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Optimus wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him even closer and nearly between his legs, nuzzling his face against his husband’s fluffy dog ears. “Did I..talk about anything else?” “Mhm..You said ‘That’s what you get’ and ‘You took away what I had. I took away all you had’. Was that anything important? I assume so.” Atticus mumbled.

Optimus tensed up, taking a deep breath.

“Just some bad memories is all. Don’t think you’d wanna hear them; they’re pretty..gruesome.” He muttered, tightening his grip around Atticus in a protective, almost possessive manner. “The war?” Optimus was quiet for a few seconds, solemn. He nodded. “The war.” He repeated.

“Mm, my poor baby..” Atticus cooed. “It’s all okay now. It’s all over. You survived and that’s all that matters now. So many people didn’t but you did. You persevered.” He added, kissing Optimus’s cheek as Optimus started to cry, breaking down. “I still remember it–The bodies, the blood, the broken bones..I held them as they died. They didn’t deserve to die! They were so young, they didn’t deserve it!”

Optimus sobbed into Atticus’s shoulder, sobbing his heart out as Atticus rubbed his back, cooing to him. “Let it all out, let it all out. I don’t mind.” He whispered as Optimus put his hands over his eyes, clenching at whatever skin or hair he could grab at to pull and punch, trying to release tension and stress. “Hey, no!” Atticus said quickly, gripping Optimus’s wrists and holding them away from his head to prevent him from causing further harm. “No, no, we don’t hurt ourselves.” He immediately switched to caretaker mode, like how he was with his students when they had issues with their supernatural abilities.

“We have healthy ways to relieve stress without causing any harm to ourselves, those around us, and the objects and environment around us. Do you remember the stress relief strategies I told you about?” He asked gently.

Optimus panted, his head hung low.

He stayed still, just breathing, his head pounding with flashes of bodies, crumpled and bloody, fire dancing high in the air with the sour and bitter smell of smoke filling his lungs and nostrils, screams of horror and anguished pain, yells of orders to fire or kill, the bang of a building collapsed followed by clouds of smoke rising high, grounds full of boot prints, blood, and the outlines of bodies.

He groaned, his breathing starting to slow down as he looked up into his husband’s eyes. “There you go. Just breathe. Deep breaths.” Atticus spoke calmly, taking deep breaths. Soon, Optimus copied his breathing pattern, feeling his body relax as his mind cleared up.

Atticus sat back and Optimus got on top of him, laying down on top of him.

“Thanks..” Optimus mumbled, exhausted. “It’s nothing. It’s the least I could do for you, baby. Just try to relax and keep your mind clear. What about a date tomorrow?” “Y’mean later?” Optimus chuckled tiredly. Atticus chuckled, “Yeah. A date, later. Think of that and just stew on it. What are we gonna do on this date? I’ll help you with some questions.” He added.

“Alright, go ahead.” Optimus nodded, smiling a bit as he started to become more entertained.

“First; Are we leaving or staying home?” “Staying home, definitely.” Optimus hummed. “Second; what are we gonna do? Or, rather, will we be caring for the crops, swimming, or something else?” “Hm..Baking? The harvest was pretty bountiful and it’s ours so before it hits the market, let’s use some. Maybe a pie? Or a cake!” Optimus got a bit more energetic.

“How sweet!” Atticus kissed Optimus’s forehead. “Now..” He muttered, thinking. “Any other activities?” Optimus looked off, thinking about if he wanted to do anything else. “Maybe going for a swim? Then movie night. Candies and other snacks and goodies, soda, blankets, pillows–A fort?–And..horror! In our bedroom, of course. So we can snuggle better if you get scared~” He responded, teasing.

“Scared? Me? No!” Atticus replied dramatically.

“Scared? You? Yes!” Optimus repeated, laughing.

Atticus huffed and rolled his eyes, brushing Optimus’s hair back. “Whatever. Can you get the blanket?” He asked. Optimus nodded and quickly stood up, grabbing the covers and pulling them over him and Atticus. Optimus got comfortable again, allowing Atticus to stroke his curls again. “See you later, honey..” Optimus smiled.

“Mhm, see you later.” Atticus hummed.

[ka-writes]

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Notes: haha I did a semi short chapter... sorry... also this is chapter 4 of my space AU..

ALSO READ THE DAMN WARNINGS. Thank you ☺️

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Incase you missed:

Chapter 1:

Chapter 2:

Chapter 3:

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Inspired by:

Humans are Space Velociraptors

By:FreshRoses_InMyGarden_NeedTheRain

Some kids come from storks, others come from crashed spaceships

By: mmmajora

Home Again, Home Again

By: teeth_eater

All works can be found on Ao3

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Warning: Mentions of abuse (physical verbal and sexual) there aren’t any graphic recalls it is simply mentions. Mentions of being beaten up. Mentions of knives and blood. Threatening characters, and character pain. Again characters being trapped and not going home. Cussing. Characters passing out. Characters being distressed characters being malnourished. Yea I kinda was in an angsty mode sooo.... here you go..

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Ao3 link:

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“Humans are [Add text here]”

Chapter 4: I guess it qualifies as an introduction?

Phil wasn’t expecting to wake up at 4 in the morning to the sound of laughter.

It wouldn’t be the first time, definitely not the last.

Curiously the avian poked his head into his kids’ room. The laughter wasn’t coming from the gardener, guard, or scientist. The laughter was coming from the assistant who wasn’t in their room. Phil turned his attention down the hall. Sure enough the laughter was louder. Quietly he made his way to the holding cell. Phil sat in a smaller hallway and decided to listen into the conversation… What can he say? He always eavesdropped..

“What even is a you-tube?” The assistant asked through small giggles. To that the human gasped as if he was hurt by the statement.

“You don’t have YouTube?! Or like an alien version of it?!” The human replied, not even trying to hide his shock.

“Erm no?”

“Well it’s like this thing that humans use to make really cool videos and stuff.”

“What’s a video?” Ranboo interrupted.

“They’re kinda like moving photos that usually work as a sort of entertainment or info dump. I could probably tell you thousands of the times my stupid teacher made me watch ‘educational’ videos..”

“So they’re kinda like illusions?”

“Yea but you don’t see 'em in 3D. As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted..” The enderian let out a small squeak of embarrassment at that, “YouTube is like a thing people use to post videos on. I am totally making an alien version of YouTube when I get out.” The air stiffened at that.

“Tommy.. you probably won’t get out for a while…” Ranboo said, Phil heard one of them shift and the entire atmosphere lost it’s warmth, “It’s not like you won’t get out! It’s just hard… especially when no one really trusts you yet.” Ranboo swallowed, as he usually does when he is uncomfortable, “Even when we let you out of the holding cell.. you probably won’t be allowed off the ship. It’s too dangerous for all of us..” the two fell into a deafening silence. Phil shivered at the tension, making sure to be silent while doing so.

“I assumed as much…” the human started, being the first to break the silence, “I-I… I guess I won’t be going home either… since the ISF absolutely hates us.. plus like you said, only already crazy humans are sent back..” the human sighed sadly.. For the first time Phil felt sympathetic towards a human. With that he decided it was time to start on breakfast.

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Three things happened after Tubbo woke up.

One, Ranboo passed out at the table. Phil simply shook his head and picked up the enderian with some unknown strength to the rest of the crew.

Two, a scream was heard from the other side of the ship, causing Wilbur to frantically run to the holding cell.

Three, Techno put his milk in before he poured his tea… I mean who does that?

Ignoring the last strange thing, Tubbo went to check on Ranboo. He was fine, so Phil said. “He only needs rest. Leave them be.” Was what Tubbo got as he peered into the enderian’s room. Shrugging off the weird behavior Tubbo made his way to the garden.

Before he made his way to the garden he noticed the human wasn’t in the holding cell. That meant he was probably in the lab… Which meant Tubbo would have to meet him.. Oh prime no. That’s not gonna happen.

He started sprinting to the garden. It was just passed the lab if only he took another step-

“Tubbo, I need your help.” Wilbur said from behind him. The droneling turned around reluctantly. Holding his breath he made his way into the medical part of the lab.

[gore and distressed characters, skim if you need to]

There, laying on the bed, was a human. He held back a scream which came out as a labored gasp. Sweat was bubbling on his forehead. With that he turned to Wilbur who examined the human from a distance.

“Go get some bandages and the stitching kit.” Wilbur commanded. Without hesitation Tubbo ran to grab the items. Wilbur took both objects and disinfected a bad cut on the human’s arm. He hadn’t even realized there was a cut until Wilbur cleared off the strange red blood. Wilbur then proceeds to stitch the wound and bandage the irritated wound.

That’s when Tubbo noticed the amount of blood the human lost. Most species wouldn’t be able to handle that much blood loss, but here was the beast of the galaxy, completely fine in a matter of minutes after losing quite a bit of blood.

[End]

When Wilbur was satisfied, he picked the human up and carried him back to the holding cell. Tubbo was unable to stop himself from following. Before thinking the droneling sat at the table and watched as Wilbur finished cleaning the human.

“Er.. do you want me to grab Techno so you can stay in here?” Wilbur asked, noticing Tubbo sitting in the corner.

Without saying a word Tubbo gave a small nod. Wil didn’t push like he usually did and left to get Techno.

Tubbo got up and approached the sleeping human. He was skinnier than what Tubbo thought humans should be. There were odd dark circles under his eyes and his hair clearly hadn’t had a good wash for what looked like months. He had injuries over his body and was practically shaking in his sleep.

Since Tubbo was preoccupied, he barely noticed Techno enter, or the door closing. Let alone the clangs and thuds from other crew mates.

He was preoccupied by the strange human who was sleeping in front of him.

The human stirred and the droneling stumbled away.

After a few seconds the human sat up and looked at the now fallen droneling.

“What the fuck?”

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Tommy didn’t expect another alien to push their luck in his space. But here he was.

The alien was smaller than Tommy by a lot. Further proving Tommy was the biggest man. Unlike the other aliens this one wasn’t threatening upon first glance.

The one from last night had been way more intimidating at first. Being way taller than Tommy and having weird lanky limbs and magical purple glowing orbs surrounding them. They had horns and a half and half complexion. One half of the alien being white with grey and purple freckles along with a red eye. The other half being a purplish black with grey and green freckles along with a green eye. They wore a suit with a red tie and dress shoes. He also had two tails of the same colors as his complexion. All of this being forgotten after they stammered through their introduction. It was honestly hilarious.

This alien was very different from the others. They had brown messy hair, encasing black antennas and small black bumps that resembled horns. Their skin was a honey peach color and practically glistened. There were strange hexagon patterns over their face along with three black stripes on either side of their face. They had bee wings, which was the only thing Tommy could relate to the alien too. There was also a black fuzzy tail, similar to a stinger, poking out of their pants. Their hands were lanky and pointed, completely black. There was also soft yellow fuzz poking out of their sleeves and holes in their pants. They wore ripped jeans along with a long sleeved green button down shirt. Their eyes were another thing entirely, being a honey brown in certain light but could also shift to a greenish blue in other light. They had fly-like pupils.

After a minute of them sitting in an awkward stance the alien got up. Using their wings to properly position them in a standing position. They brushed themselves off and approached Tommy.

“You lay a finger on anyone here and I will kill you. Understand?” The alien said, any intimidation that was lost from the alien falling was regained in an instant. The alien poked him in the chest with one of the lanky fingers, which started burning like acid after a minute.

Since Tommy was too, sacred, poggers to move he simply nodded, which is absolutely the best response to the situation. Sadly the alien didn’t get the gesture and dug their nail into his chest even more. Seriously, it was starting to really burn.

“Y-yes.” Was all Tommy could muster. The alien was satisfied with the answer and let go of Tommy. They walked out of the now open door. Shortly after Techno followed the door closing behind him. Tommy never realized the other alien was in the room.

[Mentions of abuse]

For a split second the interaction reminded him of his dad.

The way his dad did the same thing to his mom when she didn’t listen.

Or when his sister didn’t follow his dad’s friend.

Or when Tommy made a mistake.

Except instead of a nail, it was glass, or a punch, or sometimes a knife…

[End]

He shook off the thoughts and reminded himself that the aliens weren’t his father, nor were they going to do that to him.

They wouldn’t do that right?.. Right?

Tommy slapped his face, only to find there were silent tears flowing down his cheeks. He quickly wiped his cheeks and continued his train of thought.

Tommy trusted too easily. That in the end is how at nine he ended up getting beat up in his first foster home. He condemned himself for trusting the aliens. They were strangers. He knew nothing of them and they knew more about him. This was the moment in which Tommy shut himself off. Where he regained the ability to leave his blind trusting instincts.

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Chapter 4- End

Words: 1633

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Notes: I didn’t know what to add next so I decided to leave you here. Your welcome! <3

Again hope you enjoyed! Now go eat food, drink water, take a shower if you haven’t, and go to sleep. Stay safe, love ya! <3

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Tubbo: *falls out of fear

Tommy: ._. This dude ain’t intimidating

Tubbo: *threatens Tommy

Tommy: ,:^ never mind then...

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Reminder likes are appreciated but reblogs are better!!

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[firebirdsdaughter]

Okay...

Finally sitting down to watch Zi-O ep 4...

Let’s game?

Well, no, actually no, we won’t, but I was trying to be thematic.

And in no particular order:

Okay, that explains it. When I saw the preview images it looked like they were talking to Emu, and then Geiz and Sougo both henshined and took a knee for some reason. It’s actually the other way round.

Geez, Emu. Since when were you this uncommunicative and unhelpful? That’s Taiga’s job!

Like seriously, you know these two are Kamen Riders. Just explain yourself to them instead of making weird vague statements.

Geiz at it again w/ the grump. Have I mentioned--you know where that’s going.

Tsukuyomi w/ the intercede again. I’m liking this trio.

Okay, I wanna know who Goggles is. The guy whose hand Geiz was holding in that future-flashback? A friend? Brother? This being Toei it’s unlikely to be a boyfriend, but it’s still possible. He looks like he mighta been a nice fellow, I’m sorry he died.

I guess this is a lot to take in, and Sougo is generally pretty slow on the uptake, it appears, so... But looks like he’s getting it now.

Tsukuyomi, I really hope you’re aware just how much of a problem child you just decided to adopt.

I actually agree w/ someone else I saw, I think. I kinda wish they would give her a better reason than ‘I don’t know’ for this. Like, I’m liking the idea that she doesn’t want her childhood friend to technically become a murderer by killing someone who is, at that point, still innocent, but this ‘I don’t know’ thing is kinda... meh to me. It doesn’t feel touching or sweet, and is even kinda out of character... But that’s just me. She’s super great, but she otherwise seems so decisive and confident that it’s a little odd.

OH MY GOD IT’S THAT CHURCH! I mean--it’s that wizard Bugster!

Fun fact, that Church is not just a Toei set. I have seen it in about FIVE other shows I think (don’t ask me to name them all, I can’t--but Kaname Jun was in one I think)

AH! Brave is here! But it’s back in 2016, episode... 2? Or maybe 3, but it would be when Hiiro literally just got there, so he’s still an ass. I mean, I still love him. But he was an ass.

Geiz, mister straight forward, just fucking informs them he’s from the future, I love him.

Maybe this has something to do w/ Hiiro’s sense that he should help them before... Aside from grumpy secondary solidarity, ofc.

‘From your perspective,’ Geiz, you are literally from 2068. I’m pretty sure, excepting folks from 2069 onward, that that’s the future from everyone’s perspective.

Also, to get this out of the way: AAAAAAH! SETO IS SO PRETTY! OH MY GOD I LOVE HIM SO MUCH EVEN WHEN HE’S A DICK! AND ESPECIALLY WHEN HE’S NOT!

Note: I don’t love him because he’s a dick, but what I love is grumpy, pretty much jerky characters who come out of that bc they start caring about someone or something (again, in Hiiro’s case). Did that make sense?

Also, I’m actually giggling bc of how much of a pompous ass my grumpy surgeon son was. The fact that this is literally like, right after he first showed up, means that he’s at peak dickishness and it’s really funny to look back.

Kids pulling on Geiz. God, honey, what were you expecting when you put that thing on? Well, at least they’re aware of how goofy it is.

On that note, ARE WE EVER GONNA SEE YOU WITHOUT IT?

Also, dear god, someone get this boy some fashion advice. I’ve SEEN that preview image sweetie. You canNOT dress yourself.

Oh my god, it’s the hospital helipad. Now I’m nostalgic.

Okay. Emu can teleport to game worlds now? Al... Alright then. You know what, whatever.

And Emu’s getting thrown around again. Some things never change. What’s still funny about this is still that Ijima Hiroki is (still) not a short man. He’s 5′ 10″. This, to me, makes how much Emu get’s thrown around utterly hilarious.

See, Emu. This is what happens when you don’t pull a Taiga, and discuss things w/ people. You’re the one who forced Hiiro to learn that, why are you doing it?

Aw, Sougo appreciates that Tsukuyomi is trying to save the future w/out killing him. Good kids.

Where’s that B99 ‘cool motive still murder’ picture? I mean, I know it’s a kid. But dude... You don’t have the right to other people’s lives (or body parts) just bc your son is dying.

Hm... I know people are thinking it’s named after Hiiro, but... What if it’s named after his dad? I mean, Kagami Haima was the director of the hospital, he had to start somewhere. To me that feels more logical? Bc it’s only been two years since Ex-Aid, that’s awfully fast to name a medical procedure... But it’s just a thought.

You know what, I bet Hiiro feels bad for brushing Geiz off in the past, so now he’s like ‘I must do everything I can to help these kids out bc when I met them before I was a jerk.’ Part of his ‘stop being an anti-social grump’ attempt. And he’s worried about Emu.

Does the Time Majin have an AI? How did it know to fly up to the roof right then? Is it telepathically connected to Sougo now?

So Uhr is helping Ora/Hora out? Maybe there is hope for a villain-family dynamic after all...

Also apparently that’s Takeru’s mech? Takeru has a mech? I really need to finish Ghost... But it’s either just for the sake of cameo, or it’s related to how Geiz got the Ghost Ride Watch. Now I’m wondering if he maybe stole the Drive and Ghost Watches from the Time Jackers? But if that’s the case, why did they have them? They usually use the Another Rider Watches...? Are Takeru and Shinnosuke okay? Oh my god, did Takeru die again? Actually, I guess Shinnoksuke also died a lot in that one movie so... Oh dear.

Is Sougo transforming in tiny spaces gonna be a thing now?

Come to think... Since the opening, we haven’t seen Woz. What’s prophet boy up to?

This tiny gremlin child who I adore and want to pinch the cheeks of just giggling to himself in his busted mech like a five year old.

Sorry, Geiz, you can’t beat the bounce.

Sougo just fucking slams this thing w/ the Time Majin.

And so, the path toward very reluctant and at first very awkward friendship begins. Let’s a-go kids!

But also god that boy is skinny. Honey, do you even HAVE hips? Are you okay?

Geiz is having feelings but is very confused right now. Punching things is generally a good venting method.

And the boys are still very bad at not being good at teamwork. Like, they’re already synchronising in pretty much every fight they’ve been in--not just in henshins but in attacks and so on.

Emu that looks NOTHING LIKE YOU, WHY would you call it a doppelgänger.

Since this is after Hiiro first showed up, it means that the two of them still don’t like each other (bc it took them a while to get there), so I’m not surprised that he wouldn’t call Hiiro immediately if something came up. Plus this may not show up bc CR relied on reports by witnesses and were in an abandoned warehouse. But then why is Emu...? Oh, I don’t know.

Was his henshin really always that deep?

Oh! There he is! Woz! I was wondering where you were! So, uh... Where were you?

Geiz: ‘Oh no, not again!’

Wow, he did the hoppity hop thing!

HE HAS GIANT BUMPS ON HIS ARMS! I LOVE THE GIANT BUMPERS ON HIS ARMS!

(I think they’re meant to be buttons?)

Aaaaand, right on cue, there Woz goes again.

Emu just like ‘okay then, let’s roll w/ this then, I guess!’

Wait, but the Brave and Snipe (and Genm, and then there’s Para-DX, and Poppy, and Cronus... Though I guess those last ones may not end up existing since they’re post-this?) Watches don’t seem to be in-show, so... Does that mean that Hiiro and Taiga keep their powers? Bc there was a Crozz-Z Ride Watch, so I now understand Ryuuga losing his, but there were so many Riders in Ex-Aid... Though maybe there’s a whole butterfly thing that simply by removing the primary everything is effected. Bc if you had to account for each individual Rider... Imagine how complex and difficult shows like Ryuki and Gaim would be to explain/sort through.

Hiroki has such a nice smile. Actually, pretty much everyone is Ex-Aid had a nice smile when they smiled.

Oh, god, yes. I really hope that the Rider trying to teach Sougo how to do the finisher in some way (miming for Emu, explaining for Sento) is a thing every time... Though I guess since they couldn’t get Gentaro we won’t get to see him do it... But maybe Takumi will? (I’ve never actually watched Faiz, so I have no idea what the finisher looks like)

Oh, hey. When Sougo hits him it says it in... Kanji, I think? But in Japanese characters of some kind instead of English.

ATTACK OF THE SUBTITLES!

Geiz standing of to the side trying to act cool while these two dorks help this man up.

... He’s wearing socks and... You know what, this is Japan. They’re probably his shoes for inside, and because he was running out to the ambulance with his dying son, he didn’t bother to change.

I love how Emu is like ‘who could we possibly... OH! That asshole!’ (again bc this is the very early season, back hen we didn’t like each other)

HE SAID IT! I guess they cut away so Seto didn’t actually have to eat the cake. Apparent he doesn’t actually like sweets? Maybe bc he’s such a sweetie. ^^

I really love it when the ones playing the ‘serious grumps’ are really adorably dorky and super nice. Like apparently, Seto was the funny and fun one, which I find so cute and hilarious.

Sougo here, getting into the groove of things during his second rodeo.

Emu’s like ‘are you two together?’ and Geiz is like ‘someone shoot me.’

Awwww. Of course Hiiro saved him. Though they haven’t shown us anything yet... So, maybe, even in the altered timeline, he and Emu still ends dup becoming close somehow? Can I pretend that’s the case? Seriously, Hiiro needs that kid. Otherwise he’s just gonna continue forgetting how to be human.

Why do you need another plate? But I think it’s cute how Junichiro is making so much food. I wonder if it’ll be like Mario in Zyuohger, where when he find out (if he doesn’t already know) he decides to just make life at the shop as homey as possible.

Geiz, maybe you should start using his name? Just to, you know, keep Uncle from getting suspicious?

ALSO WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WEARING WHY... I just can’t anymore. I love my dorky fashion disaster assassin son.

Here we are w/ the intense staring again. Wouldn’t be KR w/out it.

Geiz and Tsukuyomi be like ‘wow no pressure.’ Seriously, Geiz looks like he’s having a small panic attack back there.

He looks very pretty, though.

Aw, they’re keeping their Ride Watches together!

Well, there’s clearly a friendship theme, so I’m hoping there’s a level of deepening the bonds that just started forming in this episode. Unfortunately, I know nothing about Faiz other than apparently Kaixa is a horrible person (given that the preview images imply he’s strangling some poor girl, I am inclined to agree), so I can’t make any guesses there.

All I ask for Christmas is ONE episode where Geiz doesn’t wear that damn collar thing. I know it’s only been four eps but just ONE.

And, in final news, looks like they’re switching the Watches around.

Okay! Well, that's that for now. Now, my head hurts and I still want pizza, so... Not much else to say. Imaginary pizza for anyone who read all of this, you really didn’t need to do that.

I’m gonna pretend Hiiro and Emu are still friends somehow. Having a good time here, looks like we’re looking at another solid trio and I love it. Also, w/ OOO and Ghost apparently coming up... Good times.

[brianobrienny]

7 Key Stats That Point to the Future of Marketing

I just read that in the year 2100, Nigeria will be the 2nd most populous country. And that by 2100, populations will plunge a lot across what we call the  “developed world” (hate that term – it’s so condescending isn’t it?)

Statistics can help us see into (and plan) for the future. This is true for life and one of my favorite things to do for marketing. Recently, we looked at quotes from CMOs and influencers on the future of marketing.

Now let’s look at some of the hard data. so you can plot the right marketing strategy for your team’s future.

Traditional market research often falls short when new technology and new ideas have the potential to become game-changers. With today’s tech-driven world, then, marketers must look for developments that are possible — and promise huge impact.

The future of marketing, it would seem, must include a futurist’s intuition, a dash of creativity, and the ability to see what can lie ahead. When it comes to marketing, fortune indeed favors the bold.

Quick Takeaways:

Diversity is not a political issue. It’s a fact. So open your culture to a diverse workforce, and leveraging that knowledge.

Optimize all your marketing for mobile, emphasizing geolocation and AI-enabled suggestions.

Keep an eye out for new trends and technologies that can streamline your marketing strategy.

Use these statistics as your springboard into innovation.

1. Millennials Will Not Compose 75% of the Future Workforce

Conventional wisdom has pounded the point home that by 2025 (or in some versions of the myth, by 2030), millennials will become three-fourths of the nation’s workforce. As Anita Lettink shows, that old saw is a bit of a myth.

Blame a few fuzzy data in a 2011 study. And the chorus of otherwise sensible publications — including PWC, Brookings, EY, Deloitte, Allianz, and the World Economic Forum, to name a few — echoed the tune.

Marketers glommed onto it, plotting their future strategy on its gospel truth. If you read marketing publications as much as I do, you’ve seen your fair share of blog posts, white papers, and videos that reference it.

Certainly, millennials will become a driving force in tomorrow’s workplace. However, they’ve already maxed out their presence in the workforce, as Lettink points out.

Generation Z, she shows, will rise in numbers among the nation’s workers. In fact, unless plenty of 65-plus workers buck today’s trend of staying on the job longer, millennials won’t likely even reach the 50 percent mark.

Image courtesy of Anita Lettink

For marketers, this myth-busting fact means that they’ll need to diversify their approach to reach every generation.

It makes my case for personalizing content, doesn’t it?

When you personalize content for every segment of your target customer base, you’ll be sure to hit the mark every time.

2. A Billion New Consumers in Emerging Countries Will Tip the CPG Market Balance

A McKinsey report predicts that the growth of consumer packaged goods (CPG) outside the traditional West foreshadows an overseas boom, particularly in Asia. With US soda brands bringing in over half their revenue from outside the country, other CPG brands have leaped into the fray.

Their collective revenue has caught the attention of investors, driving CPG stocks to outperform the S&P — and even high-tech industries, such as IT, telecom, and energy. With a 10-percent rise in shareholder returns over the past 25 years, this industry shows no sign of stopping.

In fact, CPG industry leaders have upped the ante on innovation, anticipating changes to maintain their lead. Their move outside the West continues that drive. With a billion new consumers emerging from non-Western, largely Asian, markets, it looks to be a savvy move.

Image courtesy of Visual Capitalist

Marketers would be wise to create content that appeals to Asian and other markets in emerging nations. Hiring locals who know the nuances of the language is critical to avoiding “lost-in-translation” moments.

Creating an internal culture that celebrates diversity across the global enterprise shouldn’t only be HR’s responsibility. Your marketing team should take the lead in communicating that openness.

Last year alone, CPG online sales in the U.S. totaled $58.6 billion, which accounts for 11% of total CPG retail sales.

3. The Role of the Digital Consumer Will Continue to Rise

That same McKinsey study reported that in 2010, the percentage of online CPG purchases was already at six percent. It’s now at 11 percent and rising.

I’d bet good money that the shift to digital during the current pandemic will cause this number to rise even faster. As people become used to the convenience of ordering online, it doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that consumers won’t be likely to give up that advantage.

For marketers, this development means that they’ll need to invest more time and money in understanding potential customers and their needs. Audience and content analytics will rise in importance, as will detailed enterprise content marketing strategies that deliver on business goals and ROI.

Social listening will become even more important, as will user-generated content. As consumers do more research online, they’ll depend more on what others say about your products and services.

An overwhelming number of consumers (70 percent) already depend on user reviews for information about products and services. That number will only rise as they turn online to do business.

4. Mobile Commerce Will Rise to 44 Percent of Digital Commerce by 2024

What Zenith Media once dubbed the “I-Street” will shift increasingly to mobile in the coming years. In fact, the Business Insider intelligence team believes that mobile commerce will become 44 percent of all digital transactions by 2024.

The reason: convenience. From voice search to delivery and everything in between, a consumer can shop and buy practically anything right from the palm of their hand.

Content marketing needs to lead this transformation. They must:

Optimize everything from static web content to blog posts for mobile consumption, including natural-language searches.

Personalize mobile messaging.

Create intuitive, seamless mobile experiences that make it easy for people to research and buy from a mobile device.

Use in-store messaging to assist customers in finding what they need at a price they want to pay.

5. Virtual Reality Will Likely Generate Nearly $2 Billion in Revenue in 2022

As futurist Blake Morgan points out, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) will rise in importance during the next few years. Studies project that the technology will do about $1.8 billion in business during 2022. Consumers are steadily adopting more and more AR and VR applications.

Even for B2B companies, VR will account for 40 percent of their buyer experiences by 2022. The trend shows no sign of stopping, nor should it. Studies show that it slashes garment returns by 25 percent. And, a majority of customers are more likely to buy products or services from a brand that offers them a VR experience.

To prepare for the future of VR marketing, content teams should plan now to get ahead of the game. Using 3D videos and photos, live videos, 3D models, and simulations should be a central part of their digital marketing strategy.

6. Artificial Intelligence Looks to Double Developed Countries’ Economic Growth by 2035

Imagine what your team could accomplish if they could hand over most of their customer research to a machine? According to Morgan, if artificial intelligence (AI) usage continues to grow at its current pace, quite a bit.

Studies indicate that the time and effort AI can save will double the economic growth in developed countries by 2035. Even by 2022, Morgan says, AI will replace many of the tasks of data analysts, freeing them to work on other tasks.

Imagine what even this one application could do for your content team. Combine that advantage with AI’s personalization and predictive capabilities, and you could double your productivity.

Now imagine what this application of AI technology could accomplish on a global scale. And that’s just marketing.

It’s no wonder futurists predict an economic growth spurt. If your content team isn’t leveraging the power of AI, it’s time to start.

7. Geolocation Marketing Looks to Reach $38.1 Billion in 2025

The benefits of geotargeting are indisputable.

Life’s about to get real for all those marketers who thought all they had to do was write “best plumber in Pittsburgh” and sprinkle that phrase at awkward places in every post they write.

Today’s geolocation allows content teams to pinpoint their audience’s location exactly.

Just think of the possibilities.

Dynamic content: In the case of our Pittsburgh plumber, their content could suggest water treatment for those areas around town that have trouble with lime and rust deposits. Customers in high-end neighborhoods might get suggestions about instant hot water installations, and so on.

Shopping suggestions: Geolocation can tell a shoe store, for instance, that a shoe-addicted fashionista is in the area. Automated messaging can alert that potential customer that the store is offering a two-for-one deal on sizzling Ferragamo flats. Or, to get the jump on the competition, that shoe store can send messages to shoe lovers while they’re in a competitor’s store.

Precise location-based search results: The future of location-based searches takes yesterday’s “best X in Y” searches to a whole new level, thanks to mobile technology and voice-based searches. Content marketers can use keywords in a whole new way — to answer questions — to become the one Google suggests when potential customers are out and about.

And much more. It’s no wonder that studies project that geolocation marketing will reach over a $38 billion spend by 2025.

For marketers, it pays to have one eye on the now and another firmly focused on the future. Putting these key trends to work for your business is a strategic place to stars.

If you are ready to get more traffic to your site with timely content published consistently, do talk to me about our Content Builder Services. Get started today — and generate more traffic and leads for your business.

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