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threshprince · 5 years

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Burning Bright

Word count: 2,165

Summary: Karissa has a secret she's been keeping from Eddie and the Symbiote... and has now peaked the interested of the fearsome God of the Symbiotes: Knull has returned to this world to take it. Can she stop Knull from using her gift to destroy the universe?

Notes: A Self Indulgent Selfshipping Fanfic with Eddie and the Venom Symbiote! I've wanted to write something involving Knull for quite a while and that time is now! I know some people dislike the run but I'm simply enthralled by it and love it. It's something I'm very much into and sometimes wish more people were so I wanted to pay homage to it in some kind of way! Thank you Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman and the rest of the team for the amazing (and heart-wrenching) story so far! All in all, enjoy~

Burning Bright is also on AO3

Chapter One: Tenebris

God Is Coming.

Those three simple words altered the course of the future once more.

A gasp escaped her bolting upwards from the mattress feeling the sweat roll off of her. Karissa grasped at the sheets trying to ground herself to the fact that it had been just a dream. Her muscles tensed and her knuckles white she gazed out into the night sky that only garnered a peek of the stars from the apartment window.

Her eyes wearily turned to the body next to her as her sudden movement didn't seem to wake him. Good thing, as he surely needed the rest. Though otherworldly ivory eyes gleamed in the light that did pour through the window at her.

They were safe. They both were.

It was just a dream.

The viscous being brought their thin head over to her making a bizarre questioning noise that was akin to a trill or a purr. Their mass began to slowly envelop her shaky form giving Karissa the comfort she needed in that time.

"I'm okay, dearest... I'm okay... just a nightmare." Karissa cradled the Symbiote against her bosom gently tracing their skin with her nails. Their eyes squinted in content as they noticed how worked up she had gotten. They could sense the tenseness within and coaxed her to lay back down with thin appendages.

Her head was still fogged with dread as if an ominous threat was looming over her head. Despite the Symbiote's light nuzzles bringing her back to reality she still felt herself tremble. She had never had that vivid of a dream in her life.

Especially with one that was supposed to be still imprisoned.

Swallowing thickly she allowed her muscles to calm even if they trembled and stared at Eddie as he slept soundly. She hoped that she wouldn't have to worry about them as much as she did. Considering the incident with a god Eddie had gradually been working on the mental strain that it caused him.

She allowed herself to settle and felt the drowsiness overtake her being as exhaustion set in.

A piercing roar jolted her from her hour long slumber as it cracked the sky. She awoke in panic hoping it was just her imagination frantically darting her eyes around the room. Shifting in her arms she felt the Symbiote shift their head upwards to her.

A look of dread painted her face realizing their once pure eyes were now a bloody crimson. Their voice distorted as if being commanded to say so.

"GOD IS COMING."

"No-!" Came the voice of Eddie from her side as he looked just as petrified. "No this can't be happening..."

Karissa watched warily as the Symbiote drifted towards the window to peer out muttering in their alien language. It was as if they were being drawn to it as she desperately held them back from it.

"Dear no!" Karissa cried out trying to get them to snap out of it.

"No dammit! Not again! He shouldn't be here!" Eddie bunched his fists up tightly trying to quell the rage and fear within him. Karissa sucked in a breath trying to calm the anxiety within her getting up to embrace him with the Symbiote between them both.

"You stay. We have to keep you safe at all costs, Karissa." Eddie murmured taking in the scent of her hair as if it were the last thing he would.

"I refuse! Last time you disappeared and almost were killed! I'm not going to lose you to him again!"

"We know you feel helpless... but we can't risk you getting hurt. You-"

A deafening screech came overhead as the apartment rumbled like an earthquake from the impact outside. Terrified screams filled the air as chaos seemed to ring through the streets. Clasping their ears from the roar she felt Eddie rip himself away from her in desperation.

"He's here! Stay inside, Karissa!" Eddie pleaded desperately in a hurry before the Symbiote reformed around him. Lunging through the window and letting the webbing that he had shot out to a surrounding building bringing him down to the source.

Everything was happening so fast as she wished she could heed his words. Her safety meant nothing if she didn't lend them some sort of help. Looking at her trembling hands she wondered if she finally had a chance to prove her worth and save them. The power she had within her all this time and had been practicing in secret. She could save them this time, she could with this power at her disposal.

Her legs carried her now to the door before swinging it open feeling another rumble shake the building. Karissa flinched and headed down the stairs as fast as her legs could take her. Tears welled up in her eyes trying to get herself down to the lobby as fast as she possibly could muster.

Out of breath she reached ground floor wearily leading herself outside as she was finally met with what was happening. The sight of her boyfriend being grounded as the Symbiote shielded his body. Knull looming above advancing him threateningly and against her better judgment she burst out into the street.

Feeling the heat within her palms and the warmth flood her core her eyes glowed white as she aimed her trembling hands towards the god.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!"

A beam of light shot through her palms as it sped towards him but the trajectory had gone off course with how hard she had been shaking. Shooting past his shoulder and into the Grendel it screeched being hit. Knull faltered in pain with his approach as his chilling gaze rested upon her.

"Aren't you right on cue... you see, Eddie and I have been having a little chat all about you. I didn't expect you to come out of hiding however..." Knull sneered wickedly regaining his composure. "... How wonderful."

"K-Karissa!? What... how-? We told you to stay inside! You stay AWAY from her!" Eddie grit his teeth in fury getting back up to slash at him. The God simply caught his wrist effortlessly and threw him aside causing him to hit the brick of a surrounding building.

"How futile. It seems you won't learn to stay down, host. It's what you've been known for after all. I'll deal with you at a later date." Knull stated ominously before his gaze turned back to the shaken woman still standing her ground.

"Where were we before we were rudely interrupted? I suggest you listen well, My child... you too Eddie Brock."

His limb extended in a grotesque manner towards her rapidly as she panicked and shot another ray of light at him. His hand simply split in two avoiding the weaker attack as tendrils began wrapping themselves around her legs and arms faster than she could react.

"No! Let me go!" Karissa cried trying to struggle away before she was yanked forward into his embrace. Coils of himself keeping her trapped like a fly caught in a net as she trembled at his touch along her jawline.

"Yes, you are the one... such a powerful light emanating from you. I sensed you before on this earth when my presence was known here last. I had known you were close to my child. I saw you in the memories I had tried to burn... but it proved futile in the end." Knull preached on while she wavered in his grip. "This power was enough to wound me temporarily confirming my suspicions. This wretched light within you is a threat to my conquest... but, I have decided your powers could be of use to me as well. Your shine reaches far through the cosmos and pierces the void. You will be cleansed in my darkness personally as my weapon to further reclaim what is mine."

The Symbiote reformed around Eddie surging into a rage as they continued to listen on to this. It was as if Eddie's blood was boiling underneath the skin as Venom's form bulked up even further than it was before.

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING TO HER!!!"

Blinded like a bull ready to charge his muscles tensed as if he was only one hairpin away from tearing into the god. Though he knew he would have to tear Karissa away from his clutches. He couldn't fail her. He wasn't going to lose someone he loved twice to the hands of this repulsive being.

Charging forth he tore through the street he slammed into Knull swiping at him furiously to release her. His form was punctured and torn through yet never seem to lose grip on her.

"Having fun? You know this won't work... I'm far away from you. We've been over this, My child."

"DON'T PATRONIZE US!" Venom roared as Knull's shape-shifting form continued to shift away and keeping Karissa out of the onslaught of blows.

"You know you cannot touch me yet you still try... pitiful. Stay down where you belong." Knull's hand swiftly clamped against his skull as an ancient power flooded their collected mind. The Symbiote screeched feeling the burn that Knull was once again trying to inflict upon them as Eddie felt it tear through his psyche.

"STOP IT!" Karissa desperately sobbed out trying to struggle in his grasp but still being immobilized by Knull's mass.

Once Eddie's other split from him Knull had let go as they collapsed to their hands and knees in agony. Knull simply turned his heel to the Grendel as it opened up to invite their deity within. A tight tug made him stop in his tracks as Venom's claw clenched against the threads of fabric. "Still you fight the inevitable? You won't prevail." The threads began to slip away from his grip thinning and sliding from the cracks. Venom's grip now empty as his head stung and was still foggy with lingering pain.

"VENOM!!" Karissa screamed his name as the dragon stitched itself up for voyage obscuring vision from them.

The God Dragon made a mighty raucous screech as it rattled even the Symbiote that was grounded from the sound as it splayed it's wings for flight. Venom couldn't just lay there and shot a thick strand of webbing against the skin of the Grendel.

Pushing off the ground and beginning the rapid ascent Venom was tugged along into the sky holding on for dear life. The heavy gusts of wind covered the scream that he let aloud from how quick they had shot up into the atmosphere. He had to grab onto the hide if he wanted to save her struggling to fight the turbulence. There was a brief instance of black that covered around the webbing as the milky pearlescent eyes widened in horror. Snipping the webbing free they were now in free fall as the Grendel sped towards the stars and beyond the clouds into the stratosphere.

"KARISSAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" Venom howled in agony as he desperately reached for the sky.

Falling back to Earth the sheer panic of trying to slow themselves down as buildings began to start to get closer. Venom shot out webbing to catch his fall as it latched onto the side of a building nearest to him. It stopped him from falling but the force of the stop made him fly back and upwards and hit the stone leaving a sizable crack. Almost like a bungee Venom was flung up and down a few times before settling and dangling.

They stayed together like this defeated as a numbing feeling set inside of them. Venom failed yet another person that he promised to always protect and keep safe. After an hour of dangling they both had the strength to finally swing towards a building to sit on the ledge staring at the bright lights of the city below. The sirens of police and ambulances a few blocks away from what happened with The Grendel.

They both said nothing to each other sharing their grief as a unit. No words needed to be spoken as Venom's claws dug into the limestone. The sun began to peek from the horizon as the dawn of a new day greeted them but they only wished it hadn't come. She wasn't here to see it with them.

The Symbiote peeled back from Eddie's head as silent tears fell from his cheeks. His outfit morphed out into the guilt riddled face of his Other as they pressed their forehead against his. Eddie's trembling hands came up to cradle their face hearing them made a high pitched noise of distress. Their minds ached as one from the after effects of Knull's power tearing through their collective conscious. They both held each other closely glad to be whole but knew the last piece of the puzzle was lost to them. Eddie cracked open his steel blue eyes as they were weary with fatigue and despair but yet had a newfound fire lit with clouded vengeance.

"We'll get her back, Love. We will."

#Webbed Hearts #Selfship #Selfshipping #Supia's Writing #Fanfic #Symbrock #Knull #Venom 2018 #Them Poly Triad Ship Feels #Here's the first chapter guys!#prepare for angst #I finally finished something its a christmas miracle #Venom x Self Insert #Eddie Brock x Self Insert

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martechadvisor-blog · 6 years

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Talking About Establishing an Emotional Connect with the Audience Using AI

Kevin Knull, CEO, Truthify, chats with MarTech Advisor about the expanding world of emotion AI and how an audience’s emotional connect to marketing messages can now be accurately measured to form the basis of a new kind of marketing. Find out how to navigate these newest aspects of MarTech in this far-ranging talk.

According to psychological research, emotion drives human beings to action. What is the significance of emotions and emotional analysis in the world of marketing?

Have you ever said, “this just feels right”? In marketing, emotions are everything. **Research shows 90% of decisions are made based on emotion, not information. For a marketing or advertising company, the ability to identify how their audience actually reacts to content is invaluable.**

Knowing whether the creative content elicits disgust, happiness, sadness, contempt, fear, or anger can dictate what the best next step is for each person. The firm might even change directions completely, based on the reactions received.

Marketing campaigns which establish an emotional connection with their target audience tend to be more successful. What tips would you give marketers to create a campaign powered by the right emotions?

My four recommendations would be the following:

First, depending on the content, choose the emotion that most closely aligns with your campaign. The most memorable emotions tend to be disgust, surprise, and happiness. Second, be bold and daring in your creative. There are so many boring, forgettable cookie-cutter ads. Delight, surprise, or shock your audience and your campaign will be remembered. Third, test your creative extensively with different audiences before you spend a fortune executing the campaign. Different demographics will react differently to your creative: a millennial may have a very different emotional reaction than a baby boomer.

Finally, iterate, iterate, iterate! With the current advancements in technology, what type of emotional analysis tools are available to marketers?

Emotion AI is now available via computer vision and voice analysis but heretofore was relegated for use on a desktop/laptop with back-end data analysis. Now it is possible to leverage emotion AI on a mobile device, which adds a new level of efficiency, engagement, and experience. **The traditional focus group just became obsolete. Marketing firms can now get instantaneous feedback on how their audience reacted in near real-time for a fraction of the cost.** In continuation of the above question, what analytical insights can these tools give to a CMO? How can these insights enhance the engagement ratios of a campaign?

Emotional insight can inform the CMO how an audience reacts to content many times per second. At this frequency, the CMO can identify the precise moment a word, image, or sound triggers an emotion, which enables a far more scientific analysis of the content.

This information can then be used to either a) revise the content, or b) select the appropriate follow-up action, if applicable. If little to no emotion is shown by the viewer, then there is likely very low engagement, and the content should be improved. Emotion recognition technology coupled with Big Data’s analytical capabilities is a buzzing topic in MarTech. Could you give us a little insight into this technology and how it works?

**Emotion artificial intelligence, or Emotion AI, leverages deep learning technology to identify when and if a user experiences an emotional reaction.** Simply put, the limbic part of the brain causes facial muscles to move subconsciously when an emotion is experienced. The technology tracks the movements of these muscles over time and interprets which emotions were exhibited if any. The basic emotions identified are happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, contempt, disgust, and anger. We believe the next big buzz by product is enabling CMOs to establish, measure and monitor the emotional behavior of their customers and leads. Over time, this data will be invaluable to brands and marketers alike. 24% of media consumption globally happens through mobile devices. How have you seen marketers’ approach to mobile marketing evolve over the last few years? Do you think they are keeping pace with consumer usage patterns?

I am surprised this statistic is so low – people are on their devices all day, every day. Marketers haven’t capitalized on the mobile phenomenon much beyond posting ads on social media and continuing the never-ending email barrage. Marketers that develop a more personalized experience will set themselves apart. “Interactive Marketing” is another of the buzzwords in the MarTech landscape. How can CMOs leverage interactive marketing to boost not only their sales but also their customer experience (CX)?

Interactive marketing continues to improve – and CMO’s should be looking for ways to get their content in front of the right audience. They should also look for ways to drive the user to engage in the actual marketing. A better interactive marketing solution would allow for the user’s experience to alter based off their emotional response. If a marketer can learn how their users feel, they can completely personalize their customer experience. A good digital UX ultimately adds up in a good CX. What tips would you give marketers to improve their digital presence, increase online reach and brand awareness in the market?

**Create amazing content, deliver the message in a creative way, and get it out to as many people as you can.** Ideally, your delivery mechanism will go beyond a “like” button and will encourage people to re-share the information with others. Enabling customers to re-share your content and experience with their social network is and will continue to be the key to a message going viral. How do you see mobile advertising and marketing evolving as we go into 2020? Conversational commerce, chatbots, voice-based marketing, the decline in app usage and a possible resurgence of barcodes or text messaging – how do you see space evolve?

I think we are going to see mobile marketing evolve significantly in the next few years. People have become numb to the constant onslaught of advertisements, and we are in a battle for their attention. Much of the new AI enhancements have simply been efficiency plays – saving time for the individual/company and cutting costs for the company. We are on the verge of seeing the technology run on the mobile devices themselves, which could create a far more intelligent, interactive, and personal experience for the individual. Marketers should be thinking: “How will I reach my audience if their ONLY exposure is through a mobile device?” What are some of the most exciting projects/feature upgrades at Truthify? Would you like to give our readers a sneak peek into these future projects?

We just released Truthify Pro, the first mobile app that enables a marketer to send video content/messages to customers/prospects, identify how they react emotionally to the content, and then drives them to engage via a customized hyperlink. Marketers are now able to use the application as a more efficient replacement for focus groups or more tactically to deliver content to an audience while measuring their ACTUAL reaction.

Even more exciting, however, is a new solution we are releasing shortly that provides marketers a completely new way to engage clients/prospects. By shifting the paradigm on the ubiquitous data discussion, it compensates the audience for their data if and when the audience chooses to opt into the program. The audience watches the video/ad content, the device identifies emotional reaction, the data is shared with the marketer, and the audience is compensated for this information. Behind the scenes, the marketer simply sets a price per lead and total budget, uploads their content, and then distributes the ad via any means to clients and prospects. The product provides greater value and significantly higher levels of engagement than typical pay per click solutions. This is significant in several ways: 1) The audience is compensated instantly for their data, 2) the campaign can go viral with a click by the user, 3) the marketer learns how the audience actually reacts when viewing the content, and 4) the marketer gains insight never before available. Most of all, advertisers can reduce digital marketing costs and create viral campaigns.

MTA: Thanks for such great insights into Emotion AI, Kevin. We hope to talk with you again soon!

About Truthify Truthify is an Emotion AI company that develops solutions that identify subconscious emotional reactions at scale for anyone that sees value in knowing how a person actually responds to content. Marketers, advertising and media companies, consumer brands, political campaigns and even individuals can use Truthify to gain honest feedback to questions, ideas, content, products, and people from their audience, buyers, and stakeholders. Truthify empowers smart decision making and successful business outcomes for businesses while providing individuals greater insight in their personal interactions with friends.

This article was first appeared on MarTech Advisor

#martech #marketing #technology #business #cmo

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