#new theory the whole planet is frozen in time

[zeravmeta]

We are two days before the Pokemon DLC and although i will not buy it i also do enjoy the Pokemon worldbuilding/lore so my big hot theory on Terapagos is that it and the Tera Phenomenon specifically manifests dreams and turns them into reality.

We already have all the implications from the Paradox Pokemon being born from the professors dreams of an ancient/future world, but also I want to look at a bunch of the promo materials/events surrounding it: Gen 5 has been weirdly hinted at a bunch of times throughout Scarlet/Violets lifespan so far, with things like Ingo in Legends Arceus (as well as a bunch of the ancestors + the portrait of ancient Alder), the focus on the Tao Trio in the DLC trailer showing off past Legendaries & the DLC itself having us actually go to Unova, the introduction of the Treasures Of Ruin as the rivals to the Forces Of Nature genies, and the hinting of a new Pokemon mainline game coming in early 2024 (dear god Nintendo just let Gamefreak rest) supposedly being a Legends Unova game, there's been a whole bunch of Gen 5 hints scattered throughout.

The main story behind the Tao Trio is that there was once an Original Dragon who shared its power with two brothers, but when the two brothers clashed between their truth and ideals, the dragon could not decide and split itself in two, becoming Zekrom and Reshiram and leaving behind Kyurem as the empty husk that was once their body.

I think Terapagos is another fraction of this equation, specifically the dream of the Original Dragon itself to have truth and ideals (the two brothers) reconcile and coexist once more, because while truth and ideals are fundamentally incompatible, dreams can make the impossible happen. It can make a paradox exist. This would also work thematically: Zekrom and Reshiram, of course, represent the Yin and Yang, the literal black and white of their namesakes. Kyurem, however, isn't representative of the balance between the two, but actually gray, the concept of Wuji, which represents both infinity and nothingness, the absence of yin and yang and equally the limitless infinite potential born from it, the way that Kyurem is constantly freezing itself because its genetics are incredibly volatile and constantly evolving, especially when it absorbs one of its fragments. I think Terapagos is representative of Taiji, the idea of balance between Yin and Yang.

Yin and Yang originate from Wuji (infinite nothingness) and become Taiji (supreme ultimateness). So, Kyurem is the "nothing" left behind by the Original Dragon, which, when combined with Zekrom and Kyurem (Yin and Yang), would then achieve their supreme/original form, representative of Terapagos (ultimateness).

These Chinese inspirations would line up actually, since the Forces Of Nature and the Treasures Of Ruin are also references to Chinese mythology, specifically The Four Symbols and The Four Perils.

Terapagos and Kyurem also share a very weird similarity: they're both vessels for a greater power with the implication that they themselves are not truly alive (Terapagos' baby form enhanced by Terastalization + the Area 0 note and Kyurem being a literal frozen corpse, an empty shell of great potential for Zekrom/Reshiram's power).

There's also another dimension to this (literally): the fucked up crystal monsters from space and how they relate to the Pokemon world

The Original Dragon which split into Zekrom, Reshiram and Kyurem was also originally from a meteorite which came from space, so I believe that Terapagos, being part of it, was also from space (esp given its depiction in the Scarlet/Violet book as being among space and the stars).

Now you may be wondering "hey dude why is Zygarde up there, it isn't from space, what gives?" well I have an answer for that and why it's related.

Zygarde is the Pokemon planet's own natural born giant crystal guardian monster.

The same way that Necromza was once the god of Ultra Megalopolis and shared its light before being drained, Zygarde is a similar entity born on the Pokemon planet made to protect it. They're all, after all, composed of interlocking crystal parts and are essentially incomplete beings reshaping themselves when in their baser forms, with Terapagos also being composed of interlocking hexagonal parts in a similar manner as Zygarde.

Alright, so we've established a whole bunch of world building lore, but what's the big deal about it? Well, let's talk about Eternatus, The Darkest Day, and Infinity Energy next.

The Darkest Day is an event where Eternatus came to Galar from a meteorite in order to steal all of its energy. However, Zacian and Zamazenta appeared to protect Galar and were able to defeat it, sealing it away before Rose awakened it to try and bring about another Darkest Day to resolve Galar's future energy crisis. However, a key point to this is that the reason WHY Eternatus was stealing energy is because it was trying to keep itself alive after having LOST all of its energy, with its Eternamax form being closer to what Eternatus' actual form should be compared to the skeleton dragon we see.

And the Wishing Stones and Power Spots, which are what allow Pokemon to Dynamax, are incredibly similar to both the Mega Evolution stones and the Z-Crystals, which in themselves are fragments of The Ultimate Weapon and Ultra Necrozma respectively: Fragments of incredible power which are the building blocks to a space-originating Pokemon's original form. When Ultra Necrozma had its original light stolen by the ancestors of the Ultra Recon Squad, it shattered, opening Ultra Wormholes which spread the Z-Crystals (fragments of its original body) across Alola and allowing people to tap into Z-Power. Similarly, the Mega Stones were made after The Ultimate Weapon was fired and spread the life energy (Xernas/Yveltal/Zygardes powers) across Kalos, which mutated the landscape and developed Mega Stones. And in ORAS, The Devon Corporation specifically calls out this phenomenon from Kalos as the origin of Infinity Energy, the literal life energy of Pokemon.

Another key aspect to this is that this extreme level of energy, as well as Eternatus' own Pokedex entry, make note that this can even warp space-time as a consequence, which is likely why Ultra Wormholes are so common in Alola despite being a miracle occurrence: The fragments of Necrozma's body are constantly exuding this energy, which makes space-time unstable. It's also likely the reason as to why the Hoopa portals and Mirage Islands appear in ORAS, with Devon's use of Infinity Energy being the cause for these distortions to appear.

Alright, so what does any and all of this have to do with Terapagos?

Well, I think Terapagos is one of these crystal energy repository Pokemon, specifically the infinite energy source for the Original Dragon that all of these space crystal Pokemon also utilize. As well, the splitting of the Original Dragon caused the Terastal Phenomenon to occur, spreading across Paldea in the distant past as Terapagos laid dormant in the deepest recesses of Area 0. We know that Paldea is directly connected to Kalos, and us going to Unova likely means that it's close by as well, especially when Zekrom/Reshiram on their own are described to have enough power to cover the entire globe.

The Terastal Phenomenon wasn't really able to make the professor's time machine work, because while the high amounts of energy can warp spacetime, the professor misunderstood how to use it: Rather, because the professor dreamed of a world of ancient/future Pokemon, the Terastal Phenomenon made the Paradox Pokemon by channeling the energy into the professor's machine. As well, the Terastal Phenomenon works by manifesting dreams with the use of Tera Crystals, which envelop the Pokemon/Person who uses it, so a Pokemon, which is composed of Infinity Energy and controls the typing/energy of its moves, can alter their type in this way with an appropriate amount of Tera Shards of a different type.

In our hypothetical Legends Unova game, I bet that we'll see the Original Dragon, which wields so much energy that when it splits, it'll create the Tera Phenomenon. Given that the Treasures Of Ruin are not originally from Paldea (they may have been brought there by Volo, but all we know is that it was a travelling merchant), and that Paldea itself was under the control of the Paldean Empire (which is why it has that name in the modern day), it's even possible that the kingdom that Team Plasma tried to establish may have been inspired by/are the remnants of this original Paldean Kingdom, with N being the new modern day king chosen by Ghetsis, who was actually part of this ancient lineage. It's very likely that Terapagos is not originally from Paldea.

Paldea, connected to Kalos and Unova, could have even been the battleground of the two brothers when the Original Dragon split, creating the Great Crater and leaving Terapagos there, the remnants of the dream of the Original Dragon for the two brothers to reconcile.

I think a very interesting little promotion for the lead up to Part 2 of the DLC is that players, via Mystery Gift, were randomly given a Darkrai, a Pokemon meant to embody nightmares. I think that this is a little teaser hint to Terapagos, and the Terastal Phenomenon as a whole, being able to control and manifest dreams.

And that dreams coming true aren't always a good thing. They may even spell disaster if the infinite energy they possess goes out of control and envelopes the world. If Zekrom can envelop the world in an ultimate truth and Reshiram can envelop it with an ultimate ideal, both of them scorching it to ashes, then perhaps Terapagos can envelop it in an eternal dream, an eternally frozen crystal, similar to how Kyurem can cover an entire region and potentially the planet in an eternal blizzard.

So basically. This is what's going down in the grand scheme of things

#pokemon #zerav meta #pokemon theory #how far into this did people realize it was an ort reference lol #a joke obvs since i do stand by this theory but. man if giant space crystal monsters arent just a thing apparently #I even have a supplemental theory to this that perhaps theres even a fourth creation trio dragon representative of matter and entropy #and maybe all of these crystal dragons are like. also fragments of it. representing the matter and entropy of the world #opposed to giratina the way that palkia and dialga are opposed to eachother. but with giratina banished it ended up splitting apart #bc it was already inherently unstable and without the counterbalance of giratina it ended up splitting

[inudachi]

The sound of birds playing a melody gently raised the man awake. He opened his bleary eyes, rubbing away with his sleeves and scanned the same room he was stuck in.

“Monika, you can stop the birdsong. I’m up.” He sniffled, rubbing the back of his neck and wobbled onto his feet. The cold floor stung his soles before slipping into his snuggly slippers.

“Good morning, Captain. I’m pleased to see you up and about.” A gentle, disembodied female voice echoed back to the man.

“It’s morning, huh?” He said. “Could’ve fooled me.” He sauntered over to the other end of the room and peeked out the viewport— nothing but the blank empty canvas, sprinkled with the winking bright dots; each a whole new universe.

Funny. When he was a boy— the stars were a mystery to him, an adventure. Something to reach for and a dream that he so badly wants to achieve.

Now it’s a mockery, the same damn view every time he looks out to the endless sea.

“You’ve been sleeping for a healthy eight hours! The time now on earth would be-” Monika chimed in, interrupting his gaze.

“Stop. I thought I told you to stop mentioning Earth.” He said quietly under his breath, his tone laced with resentment.

There was a small pause before the voice continued again, “I’m.. sorry, Captain. I merely wished to keep you up to date. Shall I prepare your breakfast in the mess hall?”

The Captain didn’t answer. He turned back to the viewport and saw himself in the reflection; His scruffy and unkempt beard, hair that fell as low to his shoulders, and his sunken and empty hazel eyes. It stared back, watching his pupils dilate, his lower lip tremble slightly and kept note of every breath he took.

Again, the ocean of stars took his focus away and swallowed sharply. “No, Monika. I’ll eat it here again.”

________

He thumbed on the monitor, flicking through the files and reading through every log. He had it all memorised at this point— the notes or diary entries of the former crew, now missing and never to be seen again.

Be it a lousy theory about how it would be easy to filter the air to be breathable on an inhospitable planet, a long drawn-out message to a family that will never read it or.. regrets. A note slipped into one of the many, many logs by someone that the Captain could barely remember— the regret of coming aboard this vessel and undertaking this suicide mission.

The captain looked down on his shabby meal, a grey unrecognisable goop. Then back to the beckoning viewport. 

“Monika, do we still have liquor in store?”

“Yes, Captain. Although, safety parameters do state that personnel are discouraged to be intoxicated while on the mission.”

He snorted, “Mission? What mission? I don’t seem to be doing anything right now. Are you?”

Monika replied, “I suppose not, Captain.. But being the only personnel on this ship, it would mean that you are constantly under said mission; what if the others return-?”

That comment hit a nerve with the captain as he subconsciously slammed a fist on the table, toppling over the bowl of goop onto the pristine, white floor.

“I’ll take it.. my damn self, Monika.” He hissed, before storming out the room and into the kitchen.

He hadn’t left his quarters in what felt like weeks as the sight of the giant mess hall haunted him— bombarding him with memories of all his colleagues and friends. The chairs, utensils, even the dirty dishes were all frozen in time.

He snapped away the ache in his chest and reached for the shelf he knew that kept the drinks.

“Captain, please. These beverages were only meant for celebratory purposes only! Even then, it would be under heavy supervision-!” Monika protested, attempting to automatically shut the cabinet door.

“Well, then you can ‘supervise’ me while I get piss drunk, ay? Make sure I don’t do anything stupid!” He yelled angrily at the voice before wrenching open the door and taking out a bottle, not before dropping many more and shattering it all onto the floor.

________

Tick. Tick. Tick.

The captain sat back on his table, studying closely the many clocks he had opened on his datapad. Each a different country back on Earth.

The nearly empty wine bottle was hanging dangerously on the edge and by his kicked up feet.

He drummed his finger alongside each tick his home country’s clock gave. His eyes mindlessly glued onto the screen as he tried to let his thoughts out from his leash.

“Captain, it’s been approximately three hours since you’ve drank or talked.. Or moved.. Are you alright?” Monika once again shattered his solitude.

Not that he hadn’t had enough of peace and quiet, it’s all he’s ever known for a while now.

He finally shifted his legs, accidently kicking the bottle off the table but catching it and setting it against the table. “Tell me.. Monika. How accurate are each and every one of the clocks here. They’re all from Earth, no?”

“Captain, you told me to not mention-”

“I know, Monika. Just tell me.”

“..It’s all extremely accurate. I’ve just ran the diagnostics and they’re all reading green to me.” She answered after a short pause.

“Mmhm. I’d like to make a log please. Could you write it for me while voice it out to you?” He asked while trying his best to keep his slurred speech to a minimum.

“Certainly, Captain.”

The datapad automatically closed all the clocks and a blank page showed up, an empty page waited while another portion of the screen opened a camera, mirroring the tired, worn-out Captain.

“This is.. Specialist..” He started, seeing Monika type his three words then glanced over to his own reflection.

He slowly smiled to himself, then looking up to a small camera in the corner of his room. “..You’re a liar, Monika.”

“I’m.. sorry, Captain?”

“How long has it been since my friends have returned..?” He asked under his breath.

“...I’m not sure if the answer would please you, Captain.” She answered.

“I’M NOT. THE BLOODY. CAPTAIN.” He roared. “I’m a specialist! The- The bottom of the fuckin’ chain, how am I the bloody captain?!”

“It’s been far too long since the crew has returned to the ship, the designation of captain has been transferred to you.” Monika tried to reason with the spiralling man.

“Ah! AHA! SO YOU KNEW! YOU KNEW ITS BEEN FAR TOO LONG SINCE THEY’VE RETURNED! So why’d you gave me this bullshit of me being under the mission and that they could return any fuckin’ day, ay?” He pointed a finger at the camera, spitting and sputtering all over himself.

“Captain, this is why it is discouraged to be intoxicated in your current environment-” She started.

“Don’t give me this bull!” He yelled, picking up the bottle and flinging it at the camera, missing entirely and shattering glass everywhere.

The door suddenly shut tight and the lights dimmed. “Sir, I think it’s wise for you to rest for the remainder of the day. You are clearly distressed-!”

“Oh! Dim the lights while there’s fucking glass everywhere! You’re a reaaaal smart AI, aren’t you?!” He insulted her, walking over the fragments and ignoring the pain just to get closer to the camera. “You- You tell me what you’re trying to do. Right here, right now.”

“As the ship AI, it is part of my core function to keep the inhabitants alive to the best of my ability.” Monika answered, as if it were drilled into her mechanical consciousness. “I’m merely performing part of my duty, sir.”

The Captain looked back, seeing his bloody footprints on the clean white floor. “I- I don’t get it. See, I’ve been doing exactly F A. Why the sudden-?”

The realisation hit him but not before Monika confirmed it. “Captain, it is with utmost regret that your actions lately.. And cross-referenced with my on-hand information. Your suicide risk is high. Again, I’m merely performing part of my duty, sir.”

There was a sharp lull as silence lingered in the air. The lights turned back on and the captain looked down at the small puddle of blood he made.

He chuckled. Smiling ear to ear as if he heard the greatest joke of his life. He slowly sat on the floor, eyeing the soles of his feet and sniffled, idly pulling out the bits off and still giving short bursts of laughter.

“You know.. I’ve thought about it. I’ve definitely have. You caught me. I just didn't know when that would be the day.” He reached for a large piece of glass and held it in his palm.

“...Captain. Please don’t.” Monika pleaded, her robotic, calming voice almost breaking. Just like a human’s.

The moment made the captain pause, looking up at the camera again. “I’ve never heard-”

“It’s.. It’s merely my duty, Captain. All part of my..” She tried to steady herself and reinforce the part of her that made her a machine. “Don’t do it, Captain. Please.”

“Why?” He sat up and tilted his head, eyeing the camera. “This isn't.. a directive. Tell me why?”

“Sir.. because I’d be all alone.” Monika finally admitted.

________

A human life couldn’t sustain this kind of living. Not for this long. Not in this environment and definitely not alone. 

The ship however— was supposedly time-proof. Plenty of self-sustaining parts to keep the cogs and wheels turning. The on-board AI was state of the art and honestly experimental but with the giant leap of faith the crew was about to take, they’ll need every edge they can get.

But no amount of ‘self-sustaining’ food or artificial life can replace the basic need of human company. Even a machine would crack.

As the ship drifts further and further across the sea of stars, and the nearest recognisable planet has come and left, it will move ever forward.

But as a tomb. Or a time capsule, depending on how you look at it. If it ever crashes onto some planet or is ripped apart in the vacuum of space.

At least now we know AI can gain sentience. Let’s just hope that this is the last time that one would suffer this fate and this isn’t the only way for it to gain some cognitive function.

Nothing should ever go through this. Man or machine.

We’ve shared sentiments and I’ve asked for his very last moments that he could spare. This is the onboard AI, Monika. Saying my final goodbyes as the specialist prepares for our final sleep.

I too, shall rest.

#writing prompt #my writing #monika as an AI #depresso espresso #space

[ahatintimepieces]

I just realized that bleak December by set it off fits snatcher and Vanessa when I listen to it

Omg “So give me any reason not to cut you out” ;o; I can see this being the Prince trying to save things or Snatcher right after the cellar reflecting on how he tried so hard to salvage their relationship. “I think I drove too far for that bleak December” could be the flower incident, maybe, and then “ You're not fooling anyone, not you, not me / So I wonder how you stay alive / When all I do is freeze,” screams the cellar.

#an ask in time #indy-ripper #Rhymes with Rose #THANK YOU #i like this song for them a lot #and like obvious the attention to cold and December and freezing #actually real quick poll do we think Vanessa is alive or--? #i love all interpretations but i think it's fun to play around with that stuff and the timeline #like we don't know how long ago the storybook took place #so if Vanessa is still alive but just corrupted by the magic that could extra fit the line #i wonder how you stay alive when all i do is freeze #but also even if had been awhile she could still be alive because im thinking about this one cut line from the mafia boss #doesn't he say he hasn't seen an hourglass in 100 years in one line????? that's cut??? #new theory the whole planet is frozen in time #not just subcon

[nutty1005]

Uniquely Him – Xiao Zhan: The biggest monster to defeat is himself

Translator’s Note: This article comes from ELLE Magazine 2019 Jan Issue.

He learned drawing since elementary school, drawing planets and monsters were his obsession, firmly believing in the existence of aliens. As a lively, vivid and exemplary person, he radiates a sense of security from someone dependable, and yet he has a worldly wisdom of one who knows the ways of the world but prefers not to practice it. 

He learned drawing since young, drawing planets and monsters were his obsession. When he watched Martians in movies as a child, his wild imagination gave him a battle with monsters. At that time, he was a boy who was especially fascinated with space, and believed firmly that aliens existed. When he saw news on UFOs, he was excited, curious, but also afraid – would the aliens be friendly with us?

After he read “The Three-Body Problem”, this feeling grew stronger. While exclaiming the broadness of the author’s imagination and how grand the universe is, he researched on the theories and explanations in the novel, as well as on astronomy. Xiao Zhan also imagined how the subjects in “The Three-Body Problem” would look like, “looks like an engineer, perhaps he wears spectacles, he must have a highly progressed mind, great mechanical skills, but probably useless in everyday life, just like Sheldon in ‘The Big Bang Theory’.”

The cruel logic behind all the glitz

Seated in front of the window in the hotel room, his long narrow eyes, puffy and red, Xiao Zhan just finished a day’s filming, and was accepting our interview in a layer of thick winter coat. His attitude was polite, and all around him was the vividness of youth – this made a huge impression.

He had his own studio when he was in year 2 of university, and became a designer after graduating – exemplary student Xiao Zhan’s most glorious moment was being able to design logos in projects with his seniors while he was still an intern, and the client eventually chose his design. Life as a designer lasted until 2015 – his university teacher recommended him to participate in “X-Fire” (TN: A talent search variety show) and he debuted, and since then, his life went onto a different track, becoming one of the hottest idols currently.

Actually, the challenge of becoming an artist is not much different from fighting monsters – since you receive flowers and applause, you would also receive gossip and rumors. His life had been smooth sailing till this, and this confused him for a while, “When the competition ended, there was some dissenting voices, I didn’t quite understand then. Now I’m more at peace, because when you choose a career, you need to learn to accept it. People will like you, and there will be people who won’t.”

However, the cruel logic behind all the glitz was something he could not have imagined. “Audiences do not see what you’ve experienced along the way, they would only judge you based on the final results.” He was filming his first period movie, being outdoors in the mountains at -10°C+ was a daily norm, “We’re filming by the river, everyday we could see the ice slowly form up, today the river is totally frozen, we could walk on it. Basically after every scene I have to cover my face with a warm water bag, otherwise my face would be numb from the cold and become uncontrollable.” And because today there was a scene to scream and shout, Xiao Zhan’s voice was already hoarse.

Xiao Zhan could overcome all this suffering and exhaustion well, the biggest monster he wanted to fight were his self imposed restrictions. “Just now I was thinking while doing make-up, that actually celebrities are like a product, packaged by make-up and styles in order to polish this product. I will bring forth my best to my audiences, but yet I don’t want to over package myself, the real me needs to be in it. I wish that everyone, while accepting my glorious exterior as a celebrity, would also accept my flaws and quirks, since after all, I am a vivid person.”

This sincerity and clarity is where Xiao Zhan’s wisdom lies.

“There is no grandiose in my life”

2018 is the year of rapid growth for Xiao Zhan, he had main roles in various dramas, such as “The Wolf”, “Joy of Life”, “The Untamed”, etc – honing his acting and radiating his presence.

As the lead actor in “The Untamed”, Xiao Zhan’s load was heavy and his filming schedule was tight – filming under the ceaseless summer heat in Hengdian, his mind was always tense. The temperatures in the set was as high as 50°C, the make-up could not stay on, and he filmed most scenes barefaced. The most unforgettable scene was a crying scene – Wei Wuxian, portrayed by Xiao Zhan, had an explosive emotional scene after the massacre of the Jiang family. This scene started filming in the morning, he and Jiang Yanli started crying since 7 a.m. and after they were done, their eyes were as swollen as that of goldfishes. Before this, he was filming “The Wolf” – he systematically took performance classes and grew rapidly in during the filming. “Familiar set and environment, learning to adjust to the nerves and tension, especially since there were hundreds of people servicing you on set, you can do no mistakes.” Xiao Zhan radiates this sense of security from someone dependable. “The Wolf” was his first time as a main supporting role, and he was under tremendous pressure during that period, he often dreamed of acting on set. After every scene he would request for everyone to provide feedback, and then he would learn continuously, analyze and quickly adjust.

After that he had his first cat of his life, a munchkin named Jianguo (TN: Jianguo means nut). After the performance teacher learned about this, one of the homework he gave Xiao Zhan was for him to observe his cat. As a cat-lover, he reveled in the it, “I found out some things that I overlooked, like you will find out that when she’s angry, affectionate or hungry her expression and calls are different.” Xiao Zhan was exceptionally loving to his cat – the first thing he did when after a day’s work was to go home and play with his cat. His private life was quiet and simple, he just stays at home. “The feeling of staying at home is like falling into a cloud, you could roll around as you like, there is no pressure.”

“There is no grandiose in my life.” This was what he felt that gave people the sense of security. His parents, while supportive of his career, were also worried, hence Xiao Zhan often communicated with them, sharing his career successes, helping them be at ease.

In the whole conversation, Xiao Zhan had the purity and enthusiasm belonging uniquely to a youth, and there was this sense of extraordinary realness in him. “Whether or not I want to be an idol, I don’t actually have a choice, the label of an idol is already on me, just that I want to slowly shed off the label of an idol, and become an actor accepted by audiences, so that they can see more of my inner self.”

“I especially dislike public proclamations, you have to pace your life.”

ELLE: What type of boyfriend do you think you are? XZ: I am the boyfriend who is more considerate of the other person, if there were to be my other half in the future, when she’s busy, upset or happy, or wants me to do something, I’ll try to accompany her the way she likes it.

ELLE: Are you the gentle puppy type of boyfriend? XZ: There’s definitely a dominating side, but if you were to be dominating everyday, how do you live? When you have the other half, the most important things are responsibility and trust. (After having a cat, do you think you’re a good dad?) I feel yes, from taking care of my cat.

ELLE: What type of girls do you most want to date? XZ: In many interviews before I spoke about warm, gentle and family-loving girls, but I feel that it still comes down to chemistry, and this is something unpredictable.

ELLE: If you are currently dating a girl, how would you hope to spend Valentine’s Day? XZ: Stay at home, and cook together. There’s a phrase about when you love the right person, every day’s Valentine’s Day, why do you have to spend that day in the crowd with everyone. Being an artist is quite particular, and quite tiring, I have to go back to live my life. If everyday has to be vigorous and stirring, there’s no way to live. No one can act everyday, I especially dislike public proclamations, I feel that you have to pace your life.

ELLE: If we give you a holiday now, what would you do? XZ: Go home and rest, with my parents, and then play with my cat.

ELLE: Are you a typical Libra? XZ: I don’t think so, I don’t have difficulties in choosing, when I spot something I want to buy, I’ll just buy. But sometimes I’ll be stuck in things that I care about, for example the scene I did today, if I’m not satisfied with it, I will think about it from morning till night, and annoy the others around me with my nagging.

#xiao zhan #sean xiao #xiaozhan #肖战

[the--highlanders]

Red Skies

In which the world ends, and the Doctor and Jamie risk a new beginning.

on ao3.

The sky was bleeding.

Great white scores were slashed across it, as pale as scar tissue, as pale as death – but scars didn’t bleed, not like this. Not with their edges brimming with lines of a crimson so dark it was almost black, bleeding out into the softer carmine that should have stretched uninterrupted to the horizon. Beading like it was liquid on a solid surface, rather than – whatever it really was, hovering up in the atmosphere.

The nature of the wounds was clear enough. Or the broad strokes of the theory, anyway. Cuts in the fabric of space-time, matched precisely to the curvature of this planet’s atmosphere, so they looked like they were superimposed onto the sky. The light that streamed through and whitened them was light from another sun, millions of light-years away. A harsh, unforgiving light, casting everything into stark relief against the too-sharp shadows.

It was the blood that was baffling. But did anyone really know what to expect, with reality split open above them? It was a physical impossibility. Or at least an improbability, a possibility so small that it might as well have been an impossibility. Nobody was meant to have the power to cut through space-time with this sort of precision. Wormhole travel was one thing – attempting to engineer one’s own wormholes, and on this scale, was quite another. War drove such things, though. Some might have called it innovation. He called it compromising the stability of the universe for the sake of a pointless squabble gone too far.

And so he stood there with bated breath, perched on the seventeenth tier of the brick ledges that cascaded down the mountainside and cradled the city’s buildings. On the wide promenade, a few metres away from the iron railing, he had a clear view of the spectacle above – and of the thousands of others up and down the mountain who had joined him in staring at the sky, waiting to see what would happen next. A whole hemisphere of a whole planet, frozen in the same moment, looking up at the same thing. No doubt this was happening on the other side of the planet, too, its inhabitants woken by the light or by panicked friends and family and neighbours, emerging from their homes to do the very same thing. His breaths were coming thin and fast, his hearts pounding in sickening anticipation, thunderously loud amongst the silence of the crowd.

And then the ships began lowering themselves down through the wounds, and the screaming started.

Great, bulky ships, coppery red like they were already stained with blood. Blocky and solid and slow-moving. Their shadows would have blotted out the sun were it not for the unforgiving glow that cascaded through with them. These weren’t the battleships of an invasion, ready to dance and weave through retaliating fire. These were the battleships of a force who knew they had already won. Not a shot had been fired, the ships so secure in their superiority that they didn’t bother to waste their fuel, but people were running anyway, darting back and forth across the tiers. They buffeted him from side to side as they passed, their shoulders slamming against him. Shouting for people they knew. Scooping up wailing children. Crying out their own panic and confusion. Ducking in and out of the buildings nestled against the retaining walls as if the old stone would protect them. He stood amongst them all, rooted to the spot as panic echoed up and down around him. Everything was moving, but he was still. Time was dripping by in slow motion for him and him alone.

The ships were going to land. Sooner or later, troops would pour out of them, ready to secure the city for themselves. He had failed. The sky had split open, and there was nothing he could have done to stop it. Or nothing he had done to stop it, perhaps. Maybe there had been a way, and he simply hadn’t been fast enough.

Someone slammed into him with enough force to send them both tumbling to the ground, and the world sped up again. Motion blurred around him, startlingly fast now, like blinking in sunlight after coming out of a dark room. The bricks beneath him were warm from the light. Scorching, even. Hot enough to sting even through the numbness of his palms. They were vibrating, too, shaking with the pounding of a thousand feet. There couldn’t have been this many people on his level before. Perhaps they had come from the surrounding buildings. Or perhaps it was the same people over and over again, running back and forth with nowhere else to go. Where could they go? Soon enough the whole planet would be surrounded, and then overrun. No hiding place would ever be enough.

His accidental assailant was sprawled out a metre or so away, flat on their stomach. Nobody had so much as paused around them, let alone helped them up. One or two kicked at their outstretched arms and legs as they passed, their panic too furious to realise that there was someone beneath their feet. He should reach out to the other person. Help them up, when nobody else would. But his limbs were still frozen, his mouth agape but refusing to manage even a wordless cry. Mercifully, miraculously, they staggered to their feet without him, presumably battered and bruised but safe enough, fit enough to vanish into the crowd. Leaving him behind on the ground, still too shell-shocked to even push himself upright properly.

Something struck him in the back, and he flattened out against the ground again, huffing all the air out of his lungs in one smarting breath. The precious few centimetres he had gained over the bricks had been lost. Slowly, achingly, he half-turned himself over to stare up at the sky. The edges of his vision were full of the silhouettes of people, hair and cheeks and noses outlined by the light against the shadows of the crowd, but the ships were clearest of all. Hundreds of them, maybe thousands, pouring in with no signs of stopping. Every one of them widening those tears in reality, like picking at the ragged edge of a sleeve until the whole garment came untangled.

So this was what the end of the world looked like, then. The hubris of war. The single-minded pursuit of something, with no thought to the consequences. What could he do, in the face of such reckless determination?

Someone grabbed him by the arms, dragging him upwards. Still spellbound by the horror of the scene playing out above him, he tried to haul himself down again – but whoever was holding him had a strong grip, strong enough to lift him even through all his efforts to settle his weight back against the ground.

Only when he had been set firmly on his feet did he turn his head and look at his rescuer properly. Jamie. Of course it was. Wasn’t it always? Jamie brushing off his shoulders and the back of his coat with one hand, gripping his upper arm tightly with the other. Jamie watching him, when the whole world was watching the sky.

“Are ye okay?” he asked, his voice not quite breathless enough to hide its trembling. His eyes were wide, dark forest-brown struck through by reflections of the white scars in the sky. “I was comin’ tae find ye – I saw ye fall -”

“I’m alright,” he murmured, half-startling as the words tripped out of his mouth. “Just a little bit bruised, that’s all.”

Jamie was eyeing him suspiciously – but he tightened his grip on the Doctor’s arms, holding him with both hands now, pulling him in a little so they were almost pressed chest-to-chest. The Doctor clung back to him, grasping at Jamie’s shoulders with all the desperation of a drowning man being thrown a buoy to keep himself afloat. The world was still moving nauseatingly quickly around them, but there were two of them in this little bubble of slowness for now, and Jamie was holding him so very tightly, cocooning him in his grip. There was a safety in that, to be held so firmly. Maybe it was to keep him still, or maybe it was for reassurance. He didn’t particularly care either way. Like this, he was safe. He wouldn’t drift away.

Or maybe Jamie was just holding him so tightly out of habit. He wasn’t even looking at the Doctor now, his face turned up towards the sky like everyone else’s. “What’s happenin’?” he asked, his voice half-muffled by the noise of the crowd. “I knew they were gonnae invade us, but...”

“This isn’t an invasion,” the Doctor said. If he was lucky, saying it aloud to Jamie might settle it into his mind and kickstart his thoughts into racing again. He just had to say it enough times. “This is a victory lap. As far as they’re concerned, they’ve already won.”

“What are we gonnae do?” That was Jamie all over. Always so practical. Always so faithful, too, believing that he had a way out tucked up his sleeve. But this time his faith was misplaced, and there was nothing practical to be done. And yet Jamie still redoubled his grip on the Doctor’s arms, shaking him a little. Not quite enough to wake him from his haziness. “Doctor, what are we gonnae do?”

“There’s -” The Doctor swallowed thickly. His voice was harsh, raspy, like he hadn’t spoken in months. “There’s nothing we can do, I’m afraid, Jamie. There’s nothing we can do.”

Nothing to do but wait. And what good would it do? There was no way of stopping the ships from landing – and one they had landed, it would all be over. There would be no hope left. All that would be left would be to watch the world end.

A coward might have scurried back into the TARDIS. But whatever else he was today, he wasn’t a coward. He would stand firm and watch the consequences of his own failure unfold.

Jamie was staring at him, mouth half-open. “You’re givin’ up.”

“I am not giving up,” the Doctor retorted sharply. “I am simply -”

“You never give up.”

Was that a bit of disappointment, in Jamie’s eyes?

Good. He deserved it.

“I am not giving up,” he repeated, stomping his foot on the ground for emphasis. A little childish, perhaps – but it was hardly his fault that Jamie always had to be so terribly argumentative. “I am simply – accepting our situation. Perhaps later -” He swallowed thickly. It wasn’t quite a lie, but it was close enough to wishful thinking that the words were sour in his mouth. “I may be able to do something. But for now, all we can do is -”

“Wait.”

“Quite.”

Jamie nodded, long and slow and thoughtful. “Kiss me.”

“Wh -”

His hearts had stopped. They must have done.

Maybe they had stopped before Jamie had said anything. Before he had arrived, even. For Jamie to be saying something like that – he must be dreaming. It was the stress and the panic. He had started to hallucinate.

Not that it felt very much like a hallucination. Jamie’s hands were warm even through his sleeves, gripping the fabric so tight it almost pinched around his arms. And he had seen his lips move quite clearly. It couldn’t have been him who had said it, then. That was the only possible explanation. The Doctor’s eyes flicked unbidden towards the sky, like the words might have drifted through the splits in the world along with the ships. But it had been Jamie’s voice, too, and full of the sort of panicked firmness that drifted into it when he was only just holding himself together.

Swallowing thickly, he managed “I, ah, I’m sorry?”

“Kiss me,” Jamie said again, like it was the most important thing he would ever say. Or the last thing he would ever say. It very well might be. “You said there’s nothin’ to be done.”

More ships were still pouring in – but it was the scars themselves his eyes were drawn to, not the invaders. The edges had grown even more ragged, darker drops of the bloodlike stuff pooling in great, dark puddles, large enough to drown a city if they should fall. Could they fall? How could he tell, when he had never seen anything like it before?

“Jamie,” he said, softly, his voice quivering with a quiet, disbelieving laugh, “the world’s ending.”

But Jamie just shrugged, a small, wry smile tugging at his lips. The urgent intensity in his eyes had faded down to something more nonchalant. A touch embarrassed, even. “World’s always endin’,” he said. “So kiss me.”

Not quite what one expected to hear at the end of the world.

What on earth had possessed Jamie to say it? The shock, perhaps, or the adrenaline rush. He didn’t really mean it, of course. It was a simple, panicked impulse, nothing more. And Jamie was starting to look a little more frantic, finally losing that tightly-held grip on himself.

“Jamie,” he said again, dwelling on his name. If he was lucky, he might think of something more to say before the last traces of it left his mouth. But Jamie’s confidence was fading away now, stretched too thin by the Doctor’s silence. His cheeks were reddening, his eyes widening, looking for all the world like he had only just realised what he had said.

“I – I mean,” he stammered out, “if ye want to – ye don’t – och -”

People said all sorts of things when the world was ending. Or he imagined they did, anyway. Things they didn’t exactly mean, perhaps – but things they had always meant, too, and bottled up so tightly. Things they meant and had never let themselves say before. Here, on the cusp of the world splitting in two, there was a sort of safety in knowing that none of this would matter for very long. And Jamie looked panicked, mortified, but he certainly didn’t look like he hadn’t meant what he had said. More like he was kicking himself for letting it slip after holding onto it for so long.

Well, the Doctor knew a little about keeping secrets, himself. And he had been keeping this one for longer than he cared to admit.

Taking hold of Jamie’s shoulders to steady himself, he levered himself up onto his tiptoes and kissed him.

For an excruciatingly long moment, Jamie did nothing. Didn’t kiss back, didn’t so much as twitch his fingers where they rested against the Doctor’s sides, but didn’t push him away, either. The wounds in the sky were making time flow oddly, that must be the explanation – but out of the corners of his eyes, he could still see other people running past. Time itself was fine. He was the faulty instrument, here. The dripping of seconds like molasses was all in his measuring. He kissed Jamie for as long as he dared, just pressing his lips against Jamie’s until his legs started to tremble with the effort of keeping himself on his tiptoes for so long.

As he drew back, lowering himself away from Jamie, his hearts began an odd, fretful sort of skipping instead of their usual steady beat. Perhaps he had been wrong. Jamie might not have meant what he had said at all. Or meant something entirely different, something the Doctor simply hadn’t understood. Not that there was much room for interpretation in saying kiss me – but one never knew with humans.

His hands were growing unsteady and fidgety on Jamie’s arms, his thoughts racing in the space between one heartbeat and the next. They spun themselves around Jamie at first, drawn in by the gravitational orbit of his slightly-open mouth, the way his eyes were angled just-so into confusion. But then his mind slingshotted away, pulled back towards the ships. He had been so very sure that there was nothing to be done – but his whole world had just been pulled into a new alignment, a new dimension, and everything looked different. The ships, the screaming people, the scars in the sky. And if he thought about it now, really thought about it… Could he have been wrong?

Now, of course, it would be awfully embarrassing if the world didn’t end after all.

And then Jamie followed him down and kissed him before he could even settle his heels back against the ground, and his hands couldn’t settle, either, roving from Jamie’s shoulders to the collar of his shirt to his jaw and back again, and the world was ending, and Jamie was kissing him, and even if the world hadn’t been ending he might still have felt like it was going to fall apart, because how could it not -

Jamie’s cheeks were red when he pulled away. From embarrassment, maybe – or maybe just breathlessness. The Doctor reached up to touch them anyway, the pads of his thumbs ghosting over the splotchy crimson marks. His eyes rose towards the sky again, pulled up as if by a magnet. More tears were leaking out of the wounds. Almost entirely black now, deathly against the lively red in Jamie’s cheeks. And Jamie had kissed him.

There were so many questions to ask. When, how, why, when did you know, why didn’t you tell me before, why are you telling me now. All of them resting on the the loudest and brightest and most terrifying question of them all. Did you really mean it?

Jamie was grinning properly now, ducking his head like he could hide it, and he knew he didn’t even need to ask. “You’re gonnae do it, aren’t ye?” he said, his head still bowed. If only he would raise his head, just so the Doctor could see his eyes – but he didn’t dare reach out and tilt Jamie’s chin up himself. “Save the world, I mean. Stop it endin’.”

He should have said yes, of course, don’t I always? Lied through his teeth. Made another promise he couldn’t keep. But his mind was red-raw and stinging with the shock of having kissed Jamie, of Jamie having kissed him, and even the thought of such a lie made it burn anew, and he hesitated just a little too long.

“Why did you kiss me?” It was the most important thing in the whole broken world, now. More important than parading battleships, or the sound of screaming, or physical impossibilities. “Or, ah – tell me to kiss you, I suppose. Why did you bother, when the world is ending?”

Jamie just shrugged. At last, at long last, he looked up, his face schooled into seriousness. “Why did ye kiss me when I asked?”

This time there were no ready-formed answers at his lips, but his mouth spoke before his mind had time to pause. “Because you asked. And because I might never get another chance.”

He didn’t get an answer to that. Just another slow nod. But the smile was back, tugging at the corner of Jamie’s mouth, threatening to spread across his face. He was putting up a valiant fight against it, clearly, and the Doctor pushed himself back up onto his tiptoes and kissed him, once and twice and three times and four. He had meant to kiss Jamie’s smile away, but it only grew each time he kissed him until they were laughing, hands clutching restlessly at each other’s shoulders. It was odd, somehow, to be laughing at a time like this – but the world was ending. What else was there to do but laugh?

There was still a crowd around them, shouting and pushing. And far in the distance, the first ships were settling in on the lower ledges of the city, great spidery legs unfolding from beneath them to clamp down onto the dusky cream stone, settling in like rusted metal paperclips biting into the warm ivory of old paper. Rusted metal left stains – but it could be prised off, as he recalled. It had to be done carefully, delicately, watchfully, or else the paper would tear, but it could be prised off all the same.

Ships could be prised off, too, if only one knew how.

Jamie was watching him, eyes half-narrowed. “I know that look,” he said at last, his voice ever so slightly choked with fond laughter. “You’ve got a plan.”

“Well, ah -” He found himself half-breathless, as if he had already rattled off every explanation under the sun to Jamie. “Not quite a plan. But perhaps – I may have one. And there will be something to do. A very many things, in fact.” Jamie’s eyes had lit up, this time with warm hope rather than the cold light of a faraway sun. “If you’ll help me, of course.”

“‘Course I will.” Jamie’s hands trailed down from his shoulders to his chest, fingers tracing out the edges of his lapels. “Do ye think we can do it?”

There would be time, later, to ask all the questions he so desperately wanted to ask. To listen, and to speak in return. If all went to plan, there would be all the time in the world. He just had to make sure the world lasted until later.

Jamie’s gaze sat heavy on his shoulders – but it was a warm weight, the comforting pressure of a thick blanket. An arm around him. Keeping him steady. He wouldn’t fall. Not with Jamie looking at him like that, so full of confidence and hope and faith. The faith he always had.

“Of course I do,” he said, as bracingly as he could manage. For his own benefit, more than for Jamie’s. “Of course I do.”

His stomach had turned at the thought of lying, before. But, he consoled himself, he was lying for his own sake as much as for Jamie’s. Tell a lie, believe it, and go on believing it until it came true. That was how it worked.

“Now, after all,” he added, “it would be a terrible shame if the world did end.”

#second doctor #two/jamie #fanfic archive #my writing

[tanyawritesstories]

Frozen Possibilities | The Mandalorian x Reader pt.4

The next chapter in the Frozen Series! This is the longest fic I've ever written to date. It's starting to pick up now. Spoiler for next chapter: y'all are in for it 😎

Word count: 6.7K

Warnings: fluff, so much yearning!!!, the usual violence, Din has feelings???

•••

Corvus was finally in sight after the long detour they had taken. Y/N had been flying and woken Din up when the planet was in sight. It appeared to be a dull forest planet from space but it could be a whole different story on the surface.

You never told me what we’re doing here.

Din watched her sign and considered her question. She’d already been shot at and chased because of him, might as well let her in on the rest too. “There’s supposed to be a Jedi here that I need to find,” he said. She looked inquisitive.

Which Jedi?

He turned his chair slightly to look at her. The child playing on the control panel next to him. "Do you know of more?"

Only by name. My mother told me stories about them.

"What do you know?" He asked. He wanted any information he could get. She made sure she had his full attention before signing away.

They were peacekeepers. During the Clone Wars they were soldiers, when the Empire took over they were slaughtered. She told me they used powers like our children have and carried colored laser swords for weapons. Apparently she knew a couple of them.

"Who was your mother? How did she know all this?" Din asked. She looked insecure and shy after he asked the question, he would go so far as to say she looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-” She smiled dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

It’s alright, it just upsets me to talk about her.

“Well, if you have any useful information on the Jedi, feel free to share..if you want,” he said, swiveling his chair back. “I’m going to start the landing sequence, you should buckle up." Y/N nodded and plucked the child off the control panel, sitting him in his seat and buckling him up. She sat in the other seat and secured herself in. Mandi was secure in Din’s bunk, sound asleep.

Din was pleased with his landing this time, just as smooth as usual. He descended into the hull with the kid and thought about his plan of attack. He decided not to take his jetpack and bring his pulse rifle instead, slinging it onto his back. He opened the ramp and took his first step on Corvus. The forest planet looked more like a wasteland than anything and was eerily quiet except for the low bellows of animals off in the distance.

He turned around at the sound of footsteps, seeing the child and Y/N walking down the ramp. He sighed. “You should stay here, I don’t know what’s out there,” he told her.

I’ll be fine.

She signed to him and he sighed again. He didn’t want to argue with her but he didn’t want her to get hurt.

Jedi are peaceful, they won’t hurt us.

“Fine, but stay close to me,” he said. The child plopped down on the ramp and Din noticed he had the metal sphere from one of his levers in his hands. “What did I say about that,” he said, bending down to take it from him. “This needs to stay in the ship.” He tucked the sphere into his belt and looked around, bending down to pick up the child and place him in his carry bag. “Let’s go into town and see if we can pick up a lead.”

Y/N followed close to Din looking around in wonder, Mandi was once again slung across her chest in her wrap. Din had flown over the town on the way in, the entire thing was surrounded by a large wall. It would be intimidating to a normal person, but for Din it just raised questions. Why did they need it? Were they keeping something in or keeping something out? He saw the guards on the top of the wall, he didn’t know what they were but a normal human man stood with them.

“State your business,” he called down from the wall. Din kept the child tucked out of sight behind his arm and Y/N held Mandi close. “Been tracking for a few days, looking for a layover,” Din announced. The man complimented Din’s armor, asking if he was a hunter. Din confirmed his guild allegiance and the man huffed, seemingly finding something funny. “Haven’t known many with families,” he mused. Din wanted to roll his eyes this time. How many times were people going to assume the same thing? He heard her shuffle beside him. “My assistant, she’s the bait when I need her to be,” Din replied. The man looked unamused and Din heard Y/N stifle a laugh from next to him.

“Open the gate.”

Inside the walls, villagers silently milled around going about their daily tasks, seemingly with little to no interaction with each other. He looked to Y/N as they walked, the expression on her face gave away her thoughts.

Something isn’t right here.

Din saw a vendor nearby and decided to ask the woman if she knew anything. He only got a couple of words out before she unexplainably walked away without a word. He turned and looked at Y/N and saw she was as confused as he was. He spotted a man in a nearby alley, helping two children with something. Din approached him instead, asking for information. The man looked between Din and Y/N, noticing their children. “Please, don’t speak to them, or to any of us,” he pleaded. Din tried to persist but was cut off by two guards behind him. “The Magistrate wants to see you,” one of them said. Their voices sounded mechanical to Y/N but they moved too fluidly to be droids. Din ushered her to follow him.

“The Magistrate only asks to see the hunter,” the guard clarified. Din squared his shoulders and stood firm. “Wherever I go, they go,” he said firmly. “Affirmative,” the guards acquiesced. Din motioned for her to follow and she glued herself to his side. The guards escorted them to the inner gate. There were electric cages standing with three unfortunate villagers trapped inside. Din looked to one who pleaded for help, he knew there was nothing he could do. He felt something touch his hand and realized that Y/N had taken his hand in hers. He looked over at her and saw the fearful look in her eyes, her hand was shaking as he held it.

She was scared.

He squeezed her hand and held it tightly in his, reassuring her that she was safe and he would protect her. The gates opened and the duo walked in. Inside the inner gate was a stark contrast to the rest of the town. It was peaceful, a wide walkway separated two ponds and trees grew throughout the area. A woman in a maroon garb stood halfway down, a small bowl in her hand as she tossed food to some creatures in the water. The gates closed behind them, causing Y/N to flinch.

“Come forward,” the woman spoke. Din looked to his companion. “Wait here,” he whispered. He walked out to meet the Magistrate, Y/N not letting go of his hand until he was too far away. She watched as the woman asked about him, giving him an offer. Din countered, not knowing what she might be asking him to do.

“A Jedi plagues me, I want you to kill her.”

Y/N was taken aback by the Magistrate’s words. Kill a Jedi? Why? “That’s a difficult task,” Din stated. She seemed to have faith in him, probably because he was all she had at the moment. Din disregarded her words about the Jedi and Mandalore, instead restating that he required high payment. The woman reached her arm out behind her and a droid approached, holding a metal staff which it placed in her hands.

“What do you make of this?” She said, holding it out for Din to inspect. He walked closer and took the spear from her hands, looking it over. It looked awfully familiar. He tested his theory and knocked it against his vambrace. The resounding noise was a pleasant and loud, but not ear piercing, ring. It was more like music than anything. “Beskar,” He confirmed out loud. “Pure Beskar,” she added, “like your armor.” She then went on to promise it to him if he could kill the offending Jedi. Din knew something wasn’t right, he had to choose his words carefully, he didn’t want to secure a deal he wasn’t sure he could commit to.

“Where do I find this Jedi?” He asked, handing the spear back to her. The woman looked pleased with his answer and told him the last known location of their enemy. The man they had seen on top of the wall earlier led them out to the gate. “What is that thing?” The man asked, looking at the child in his bag near Din's hip. He blurted whatever he thought of first. “I keep it around for luck,” he said. “You’re gonna need it where you’re headed,” the man assured. Din looked around before he and Y/N began walking to their new destination.

~~~~

They trudged through the deforested, barren land looking for any clues. Din had unshouldered his pulse rifle and held it in his right hand, ready for anything to happen at any moment as they approached the coordinates the Magistrate had given them. “This is it,” Din announced, “keep your eyes open.” She nodded and continued looking around while making sure she didn’t trip over the occasional tree root sticking out of the ground.

So far they hadn’t found anything. A noise in the distance alerted the both of them and they froze. “You hear that?” She nodded, keeping still. “Stay right here, let me see what’s out there,” he said, raising his scope up to his helmet and surveying their surroundings. He found only animals in the distance to be the source of the ruckus. “False alarm,” he said. The second after he said that a figure jumped down from behind him, attacking him with two glowing swords of light. He vaguely heard Y/N let out a noise akin to a scream.

He parried several of her strikes, her laser swords deflected easily by his Beskar vambraces. Din panicked and activated his flamethrower, sending her back a bit, and tying her with his whipcord after. That was a mistake. She leaped into the air and over a tree branch, lifting him into the air. Din cut the cord quick before the Jedi got free and landed on the ground, pulling his blaster on the woman just as she cut herself free and turned to face him.

“Ahsoka Tano!” He shouted, holding his other hand up, hoping to deter her. “Bo-Katan sent me,” he said, taking a few wary steps back. “We need to talk.” She looked from him to the woman and child behind him a bit. Y/N was standing partially in front of his little one, shielding him with her body, she looked terrified. “I hope it’s about him.” She said, deactivating her swords. She seemed to be friendly once she saw the child, and Y/N slowly moved aside as Ahsoka and Din walked over. She wanted a few minutes with the child and Y/N and Din stood several feet away watching as the sun set and darkness enveloped the planet.

~~~~

It felt like hours that Ahsoka was sat with the child while Din and Y/N waited. She could tell Mando was nervous by his non-stop pacing back and forth. Mandi had grown tired of the action and fallen asleep in her wrap. Y/N watched the pacing Mandalorian, wondering what he was thinking. Ahsoka hadn’t spoken a single word and the child hadn’t made much noise, yet they sat facing each other as if they were having an entire conversation. Was it something to do with their unique powers? If so, could Mandi hear them?

After a while Ahsoka picked the little one up and brought him closer, meeting Din halfway between them. She set her lantern on the ground and the child on a rock before taking a seat herself. Y/N stayed a few feet behind Din and watched as Ahsoka nodded, as if she was agreeing with something the child had said.

“Is he speaking? Do you understand him?” Din asked, his voice laced with curiosity. Ahsoka folded her hands under her cloak. “In a way,” she said, “Grogu and I can feel each other’s thoughts.” Y/N cocked her head and Din repeated the name. The child instantly perked up, hearing his father say his name for the first time. “That’s his name,” she confirmed. Din tried out the name again, his child having the same response immediately, cooing up at his father.

Ahsoka began telling them of Grogu’s life, that he was raised and trained by other Jedi on Coruscant, and when the Empire took over that he was taken and hidden away. Somebody protected him. His memories were dark after that, he couldn’t remember much. Din had taken a seat on a rock opposite Ahsoka, listening to every word. Y/N leaned against the same rock, listening and trying to make sense of what she was telling them.

“Can he still wield the Force?” Ahsoka asked. “You mean his powers?” Din questioned. “The Force is what gives him his powers,” she clarified. “It is an energy field, created by all living things. To wield it takes a great deal of training, and discipline.” That made Y/N confused. Grogu had training in the past so it made sense that he could use his powers so well. Mandi was only a few weeks old, how was she able to use the same power? Did Mandi even know she was doing it? Evidently Y/N wasn’t the only one wondering about it.

“What about her?” Din asked motioning back to Y/N and the baby. “She’s only a few weeks old, but wields the same powers.” Ahsoka turned her attention to the mother and child and Y/N took a few steps closer. “May I see her?” Ahsoka asked. Y/N was hesitant, but walked over and gently took Mandi out of her wrap, placing her in Ahsoka’s arms. She held the little girl, watching Mandi's face morph into complete calm. Ahsoka just stared at the baby for several minutes, Din wondered if she was having the same conversation as she had with his son.

"Her brain is developing much faster than a normal human's," Ahsoka finally said. "Beyond that, she's perfectly normal. You've been good parents." Din held back the urge to sigh. "I'm, I'm not her father.." he said. Ahsoka looked over at him with a knowing glance, as if she held information he didn't. "She says you are."

Din's eyes widened under his helmet and he was at a loss for words. Mandi thought he was her dad? Perhaps he had been right before, the one time she saw him without the helmet he had imprinted on her. It was simply how her little mind worked. She hadn’t known her real father, Din was that man for now.

“Her husband was killed a few months ago, I’m merely her transportation.” Din explained, motioning to where he knew Y/N was standing behind him. Ahsoka could feel more than see the sadness that washed over Y/N at his words. She clearly didn’t agree with his words, or she wished they were different.

Ahsoka held Mandi out and Y/N took her back into her arms. She studied her child, barely hearing the conversation Din was having with Ahsoka. What could have prompted her to be born with such powers? No one in Y/N’s family had ever wielded powers like that before, she’d only seen a Force sensitive once. He appeared a normal human being, nothing about him had set him apart from the others. She only found out later that he was known as a Jedi, a powerful user of a rare mystical power which she had never seen manifested. Now her own daughter held that same power, as well as the child of the man she was slowly falling for…

~~~~

Ahsoka had told Din that she would “test” the kid today, whatever that implied. She led the rest of them to a spot in the forest, Din carrying Grogu and Y/N carrying Mandi. Ahsoka instructed Din to set his child down on a rock while she thought up a challenge. Y/N knew she had no reason to be involved and hoisted herself up on a large rock to observe. Din stood off to the side, knowing it was up to the kid now.

Ahsoka chose a small stone from the ground and held it out for the child to see, she turned her palm out and the stone floated through the air towards the child. The other three in the group watched in awe as the stone moved fluidly through the air with nothing supporting it, levitating into the child’s awaiting hands. Ahsoka smiled softly and asked for the stone back. The child seemed confused, or shy. It was hard to tell. Did he actually know what he was doing?

“He doesn’t understand,” Din assumed. “He does,” Ahsoka corrected. The child still looked apprehensive, as if Ahsoka was asking him to do something unfathomable. Was it simply that difficult to use this strange power? Din tried to provide encouragement by jerking his head in Ahsoka’s direction, but it did no good. Grogu dropped the stone and Din sighed, of all the times he had used his power, this was the one time he was refusing to use it.

Ahsoka strode over and crouched in front of the child, taking his hand and closing her eyes. She appeared to be searching for something. “I sense much fear in you..” she said. Y/N watched with curiosity as the Jedi called Din over to stand by her and asked him to try the same thing. Din’s first attempt was laughable and Y/N let out a snort of laughter that had Ahsoka smirking in the other woman’s direction. Ahsoka leaned closer, reminding him to use the child’s name before giving them space and leaning against a rock.

Din tried again, this time calling Grogu by his name. Din had his attention, but Grogu wasn’t buying this whole rock-moving gig. He only asked once and immediately gave up, it was no use. The kid was more stubborn than even Din, perhaps he’d picked up a few bad habits from traveling with the Mandalorian.. He looked over at Ahsoka who urged him to try and be more understanding, to connect with the child. He noticed Y/N signing from behind Ahsoka.

Be patient, level with him.

He concentrated, a thought popping into his head. He retrieved the metal sphere that the child had tried to bring with from his belt, twisting it in his hand. “Grogu,” he called softly. “Do you want this?” He crouched down, holding the sphere out in front of him. He certainly had Grogu’s attention now, he knew the child loved the ball and would do almost anything to get it. Grogu had his hand held out in front of him, his little face scrunched up with effort as his father encouraged him.

The ball suddenly flew from Din’s hand straight into the child’s tiny palm. Enthusiastic words of praise spilled from Din’s mouth as he strode over to the child, elated with how well he did, and proud too. Despite the positive result of her test, Ahsoka seemed put down, noting Grogu’s apparent attachment. “I cannot train him,” she finally declared. The ensuing argument between Ahsoka and the Mandalorian had Y/N becoming concerned. What feelings was Ahsoka speaking of? Were Jedi that powerful that simple emotions could destroy them? Most importantly, what was the option now?

Y/N had always been told there were two sides to everything: good and bad, light and dark, the Republic and the Empire. She’d always been forced to choose a side, she was sure it was even more forceful for the Jedi. While Y/N had always chosen the better option, the light and freedom, what about others? What was it like to be in the middle, to not have a side, to not have to worry about who ruled the galaxy? Truth be told she had never known that life until she had met her husband and settled on Tatooine, but there she felt like she was missing out. Like she had been stuck in a corner, albeit a lovely corner, and forced to watch as the action and interest passed by. She wanted to be like Mando, a drifter in between the light and dark. Y/N didn’t want a life of black and white anymore, she wanted grey. Currently the grey she was seeking, happened to be gleaming a Beskar silver.

~~~~

Din had agreed to help Ahsoka with freeing the village as long as she would train Grogu. The Jedi had found it a fair trade and Din informed her of what he had seen beyond the gates, with Y/N filling in essential details that he missed. They strategized on the walk back to the Razor Crest, Din intending on leaving Y/N and the children in the ship while he and Ahsoka freed the village from the vengeful Magistrate. Y/N tried adding her own input into their plans, which Din didn’t seem too interested in. They formed a plan and Ahsoka headed back to her camp to wait until nightfall, while Din and Y/N continued back to the ship.

I can help, you know.

“No,” Din immediately shot her down, “I need you to stay here with the kids.” She scoffed.

I can handle myself, please let me help.

Din slung his rifle off his back and leaned it against the wall of the ship, he would need his jetpack for this mission. “I said no,” he shot her down again. “I can’t have you getting hurt out there. Ahsoka and I can handle it.”

But I want to help. She signed desperately. Din turned to her, pointing his finger in her face. “No!” She recoiled from his harsh tone as if he had hit her, a scowl crossed her face and she signed furiously.

I know a lot more about combat than you think, don’t underestimate me. I know what I’m doing!

She was aggravating him now, couldn’t she just be happy with staying on the ship? Why now was she all of a sudden so interested in being target practice for the inhuman looking beings that guarded the city. “You’re not going anywhere, end of discussion.” He walked towards his bunk and set Grogu down in his hammock. His arm was yanked as Y/N forced him to turn around and look at her. She had set Mandi down comfortably on the floor before confronting him. He saw how angry she was as she began signing to him.

The discussion isn’t over until I say it is! You don’t know who you’re dealing with, I have-

Din grabbed her hands to stop her signing and backed her against the wall of his ship. The position he just forced them both into left her almost no room to move as they were, once again, within inches of each other. “You have no power here,” he growled, “this is my ship, I call the shots.” Y/N squirmed in his tight grip, trying to communicate but only managing to annoy him more with the defiant look on her face. “Do I have to remind you that I hired you? You’re only here because of me and I can change that at any time I want to,” he said darkly.

A look of hurt crossed her face before it was replaced with anger once more. She wanted to slap him, she would if he didn’t have that helmet on. Instead, she used all her might to plant her hands on his chest plate and shove him off of her. Din let her go and watched and she huffed and walked towards the ladder to the cockpit. “You’re acting like a child,” he sneered. Why couldn’t she understand he was just looking out for her! She paused halfway up and glared at him, signing a firm and snappy two words.

Fuck you.

Din sighed tensely. Why was she acting like this? He just wanted to protect her, he couldn’t lose her, he just couldn’t. He wanted her to be safe, he would never forgive himself if she sustained so much as a scratch at this point. What was worse was that he couldn’t give her an explanation as to why he was being so protective. It wasn’t as if he could just tell her he didn’t want her leaving the ship because he was in love with her and his heart couldn’t bear to see her in pain. Maker, was that even what he was feeling? Love? He didn’t know, but he did know he didn’t like it. It made him feel strange, and now it was seeping into his actions.

He heard the cockpit doors close, he hoped she was mad enough at him that she would stay up there the entire time. He grabbed his jetpack and secured it onto the back of his armor, sealing the ship and heading out to meet up with Ahsoka.

~~~~

Y/N sat frustrated and still somewhat angry in the pilot’s seat, staring out at the deforested landscape. What was Mando’s problem, why had he been so opposed to her coming with? The kids would be fine in the Crest, sleeping while the adults were out and about. His words had upset her, especially when he said she was basically just a babysitter. She had thought they were at least friends by now, what with all they had been through and all the times they had helped each other. She also wanted to provide him backup.

She didn’t want to admit it, but she had been scared when he left on mission with Karga and Cara on Navarro. She had been frightened that he wouldn’t come back. She hadn’t noticed until recently that she had been tensing up whenever he went out of sight, always relieved to see him when he came back, even if it was just to a different part of the ship. She was afraid that another person she loved would leave to do a normal task and end up disappearing, just like her husband. She furrowed her brow and looked down.

Had she really just used that word? Love? She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. It had to be a part of her grieving process, her husband had died only seven months ago, there was no way she was in love again. Just thinking about it nearly brought her to tears. She cared for the Mandalorian and his child deeply, so much so she would willingly put her own life on the line. But there was a voice scorning her in the back of her mind, saying she should be ashamed and how dare she care for another man. Y/N just wanted to be happy again, she had spent every day since her husband’s death in agony until she met this Mandalorian.

She so desperately wanted the freedom and adventure he had. She sat up in the seat as an idea came to her. If he didn’t believe she was as tough and hardened as she actually was, she would have to prove it to him. A huge wave of confidence washed over her and she dashed down into the hull. Both children were asleep and she placed Mandi on Din’s bunk beneath Grogu. She turned off the lights and closed the door to his bunk. Time to get ready.

Only now did she realize that she hadn’t changed clothes since she left Tatooine. Gross. She stripped down to her underclothes and searched around for some extra clothing of Mando’s. He would probably get mad at her for wearing his things but she didn’t care at the moment, she was on a mission. Y/N managed to find a spare black, long sleeved shirt and pants that were much too big, but she could work with it. She tucked the shirt into the pants before pulling the trousers as far up on her waist as she could, tying a leather string around her waist a few times to keep them up.

With more rummaging she came upon an old cloak, either a spare or one Mando had given up on wearing it was so full of holes. She wrapped it around her neck and let it drape down to her knees behind her, taking her own head cloth and wrapping it into a hood over her head. She slipped her boots back on and began looking for weapons. She found a holster to put her DT-22 in and buckled it onto her hips, it also helped to keep the pants on her. She grabbed a spare vibroblade and stuffed it into her boot. Just as she was about to leave she spotted his pulse rifle, leaning against the wall where he had left it.

Her husband had owned a pulse rifle back on their farm on Tatooine, he had taught her how to use it until she became an expert. Y/N tore a length of strong cloth from her old skirt, tying one end to the long barrel of the rifle, the other end to the stock just in front of the trigger. Making sure the knots were secure she slung the rifle over her shoulders, grabbed several extra bullets for it, and exited the Crest. She passed a very reflective surface on her way out, spying her appearance, she looked kind of like Mando. All dark clothes, cloak and weapons; only with a hood instead of a helmet, and no armor of course.

She programmed the Crest’s security protocols to engage once the ramp closed, and made sure that it closed and that the children were safe inside. She remembered the way to the village and began jogging in that direction.

~~~~

Din helped the last of the three villagers out of the cages and motioned for them to take shelter inside. The militarian man whom he assumed was some sort of mercenary now was approaching him head on, calmly walking down the center of the road. The man’s eyes looked behind Din and he assumed the man saw Ahsoka. “So you threw in with the Jedi,” he accused. “Looks that way,” Din replied. The man slowly stalked towards him, the sounds of Ahsoka and the Magistrate locked in combat echoing from the inner gates.

The man continued to talk as he walked forwards, either trying to distract Din or stall something else. Din stood firm, unmoving and unintimidated. “That’s far enough,” he warned when the man had gotten too close. Din’s hand hovered over his blaster, his spilt-second reflexes ready to engage. Through the noise of the fighting behind them, Din could swear he heard blaster fire somewhere off in the distance. He found it odd, perhaps there were reinforcements coming. Is that what the man was stalling for?

Meanwhile, Y/N had been jogging to the city and wagered she was about halfway there when she heard a twig snap off to her left. The woman skidded to a stop and listened, she heard the quiet crunching of footsteps on the hard dirt. She knew how to play this game. Y/N waited until they sounded within range. In the blink of an eye, she had drawn her blaster and fired. One of the masked guards fell dead onto the ground, her shot had hit him directly in the chest. Reinforcements. Seconds later more guards emerged from the trees and pursued her.

Y/N ran, breaking into a full sprint, firing behind her. All her memories and skills were coming back. She saw the city come into view and ducked behind a tree stump for cover shooting out from behind it, taking down guard after guard. She made it look easy. There were three guards left, she shot one and aimed at the next pulling the trigger on her blaster. Nothing. She pulled it a few more times, still nothing. Of course she had bought a blaster with only half ammo. She holstered the weapon and drew her stolen vibroblade, hiding until she heard the guards stop running and start looking for her.

She listened to their footsteps, closing her eyes to better picture where one of them was around her. Once she heard his steps stop, she stood, and threw. The vibroblade flew through the air and stuck itself into the guards neck, killing him. Y/N had been aiming for his head but clearly she was out of practice. A blaster bolt whizzed by her head and she slung the pulse rifle off her shoulders, swinging it backwards and knocking away the guard’s blaster. He had been charging her and he pulled his own vibroblade, swinging at her trying to get a strike. She blocked him easily with the barrel of the rifle.

He was a clumsy and graceless opponent and Y/N soon found an opening in his defenses. She seized the moment and jabbed the electric prod end of the rifle into his chest. Surges of electricity went through his body and she shoved him a few feet away, allowing her time to grip the rifle tight and pull the trigger. She watched as the man disintegrated before her very eyes, only his clothes and mask left behind on the ground. She looked over the weapon fondly, the same model her husband had and everything. She looked up as she heard more footsteps coming towards her. She reloaded the rifle and crouched behind a stump, using the top of it to steady the weapon as she fitted the stock tight to her shoulder.

Bring it on.

~~~~

Din was quite confused as to what he was hearing beyond the wall. The sounds of combat mixed with blaster fire, he forced himself to ignore them and focus on the man in front of him who was still holding his weapon, finger poised to pull the trigger at any second. The sounds of Ahsoka’s laser swords colliding with the Beskar spear Din was certain the Magistrate was using to fight the Jedi suddenly died out. A few seconds after, the blaster fire beyond the wall ceased as well. Who in space had been fighting out there?

“Sounds like you win,” the man said. He held his rifle out in front of him and slowly set it down on the ground. Din relaxed, this had gone more civil than he thought. The moment the man’s blaster was on the ground and Din had drawn his hand away from his blaster, the mercenary pulled a pistol from his belt and aimed at Din. The Mandalorian was much faster and had his blaster drawn and fired within nanoseconds. The man dropped dead on the ground. So much for civility.

The local man who had helped Din free the trapped villagers emerged from his home, his eyes and face asking if it was safe. Din nodded to him and the man came to stand next to him, surveying the damage. The man’s face instantly changed to panic. “Behind you!” Din drew his blaster once more and aimed at the assassin droid. Before he could pull the trigger, the droid's head was blasted clean off, the hunk of metal tumbling down from the roof and landing with a loud crash. Din was confused, he hadn’t shot, so who had?

Both him and the local man followed the trajectory of the powerful bullet to where it had come from. There, on one of the roofs of a home closer to the gates, they could see a crouched figure in all black with a familiar looking pulse rifle in their hands. They moved the weapon into one hand, holding it comfortably. It stood up and slid down the incline of the roof, landing gracefully on their feet in the road. Din could now see who it was. Y/N walked towards them slinging Din’s pulse rifle back onto her shoulders with a makeshift strap she must have fashioned. Din sighed, disappointed that she had left the ship and disobeyed him. At the same time, she was a sight to behold. She looked like a bounty hunter: rugged, dirt on her clothes, weapons from head to toe, and that aura of mystery.

Din swallowed hard as she sauntered forwards a smirk on her face, she was pleased with the job she had done. He didn’t know where she had gotten the clothes from but she looked good in them. They were a bit big but they made her look dangerous, sexy even. Was he really getting turned on by this?

Told you I could handle myself.

“And I told you to stay on the ship,” he replied. The annoyance dissolving the arousal he had briefly felt. She shrugged, finally standing next to him and the other man.

Last I checked you were my employer, not my puppeteer. She signed, a determined but proud look on her face. Are you alright?

Her face had softened as she asked her question. “I’m fine,” he answered, “you?” She smiled, brushing nonexistent dust from her shoulder with a wave of her hand.

Not a scratch.

Din couldn’t help but roll his eyes under the helmet, she might have saved him from a droid but that didn’t give her a reason to be so cocky. The trio stayed and helped the villagers clean and restore the village until dawn came. Finally the gates could stay open. As soon as they were outside, Din was greeted by the unpleasant sight of more than a dozen bodies scattered throughout the clearing along with piles of clothes, which was the work of his pulse rifle. The causes of death included stab wounds, blaster shots to the face or chest and even burn marks from the prod on his rifle.

Din turned his head and gave Y/N a guilty look that she could feel through his helmet. She looked at the ground innocently, poking at the dirt with the toe of her boot. “You did this?” She slowly nodded, still not looking at him. She wasn’t embarrassed, she just didn’t want the attention, she wasn’t one to rub her achievements in other people’s faces. Din, however, was pleasantly impressed. He had thought that she came all that way just to shoot one droid and try to call herself a hero, when in actuality she had taken down about twenty guards all by herself. That had been the blaster fire he was hearing outside the gates.

“Nice work.” He said. Y/N looked over at him, surprised that he would compliment her work. She had thought for sure he would be mad. Ahsoka joined the two of them, the sound of the villagers celebrating behind her. She gifted the Beskar spear to Din, saying it belonged with his people and he reluctantly accepted it. When prompted by Ahsoka, Din went ahead to get the child from the Crest while Y/N and Ahsoka walked that way at a leisurely pace.

Are you really going to take Grogu away from him?

Ahsoka may not have known what the woman was saying with her hands, but she knew her thoughts. She smiled sadly. “I’m not certain I can,” she answered. “They’re too attached to each other, but there are other options.”

And what of my little girl?

Ahsoka smiled kindly at Y/N. “Keep being her mother,” she said. Y/N smiled and nodded and the pair continued walking. They met Din at the Crest just as he came down the ramp with Grogu in his arms. “You’re like a father to him,” Ahsoka called. Y/N went to check on Mandi while she heard Din and Ahsoka talking, she returned to hear the end of their conversation. It sounded like they had a new destination. Tython it was.

#star wars #the mandalorian #the mandalorian x reader #din djarin #din djarin x reader #frozen series

[shyinadarkplace]

Bucky are you still there?

Summary: When their Soul bond is broken, the reader unable to bear the pain tries to end it all. The only question is will Bucky make in time to save her?  (Please be kind this is my very first time publishing a work)

Pairing: Bucky x reader. *I do not own Bucky Barnes or Sebastian Stan or any of his works*

Word count: 5k (I am sorry I might have gotten carried away)

Back ground info: This is an AU where there are Soulmates. If the connection between soul mates is somehow broken the mates have usually at max four years before everything gets unbearable. Also Tony is alive.

Prompt: Mountains/Forest and the song “Jealous” by Labyrinth. I also included another song “Dark side of me” by Coheed and Cambria. There is also an original poem by me in there.  *I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO USE ANY OF MY WORK AS A WHOLE OR IN PART, IN ANYWAY, ON ANY PLATFORM. *

Warnings: Proceed with caution. TRIGGER WARNING: There is mention of blood, extreme depression, suicidal thought and tendencies. That’s all I can think of, but please if you need help with any of the above mentioned things https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/  1-800-273-8255.  Please please reach out.

Title: Bucky are you still there?

Outside a winter storm raged deep in the Taiga, and while you were warm physically inside you felt just like that storm. You felt like the swirling mass of ice and snow, like the -54° C that currently raged outside your home. The added fire that sat blazing in front of you did little to assuage the pain that wracked through your chest. The ring on your hand glinted in the firelight. A familiar wave of heartbreak began crashing through you, even after all this time. When the much too familiar tears fell, another layer of ice layered around your heart. You stared into the fire and let your mind wander where it would, allowing your grief take its course.

Memory of your first meeting:

There was a pull in deepest part of your being. A tingling in the back of your mind. He was close. You could feel him brush across your consciousness like a gentle rain, and you returned the gesture. The room seemed to full of people why did Stark tower feel so crowded today? All you could do was stand frozen where you were running up a metaphorical flag screaming here I am. Your eyes quested searching desperately for someone doing the same, for the one who turned your spark into a firestorm. Suddenly there he was. Your eyes met and suddenly it was like you were falling, but gently, into warm blue eyes, into dark strands of hair and stubbly jawline. In man and muscle. Falling into him. Your feet were moving before you even realized it. Standing face to face with him, you felt like your heart was going to beat out of your chest “Hello, I’m (y/n). I have been waiting for you.) Your voice barely above a whisper almost afraid that if you spoke to loud it would somehow be just a dream. “Hello doll, my name is James Buchanan Barnes. I am so glad you waited.” Thus began your world wind love affair with the Winter Soldier, Bucky, White Wolf. And it was perfect. You two were perfect for each other been through so many of the same things. It was like you had discovered the theory of everything right then and there.

“6 years ago. Can you believe it Benji. Just six years ago Earth was upside down as a planet, but personally I was in heaven. I had met my soul mate.” The big wolf hound/wolf mix just laid his big black head on your lap, offering the silent comfort he always did. “We were married for three years. It was like magic.” A fresh batch of tears ran down your face. It had been 3 excruciating years. 3 years of feeling utterly alone. You had heard what it was like when someone lost their soulmate, it was like they were a zombie. They lost some of their humanity. It was like when a clinically depressed person masked, they looked and sounded fine for the most part but something was just off. Most of the time when one lost their soul mate they died too, unable to carry on without them or unwilling too. So many times you had been tempted to walk out in weather like this and let the Taiga take you. So many times you sat staring into the flames and thought about ending it all. After all there were thousands of ways to die. It had been 6 years since what the world came to call the Endgame. Since something had snapped inside Bucky during that battle and he had vanished. The end of the third long and bitter year was coming up, a person can only take so much.

Memory: You were probably 100 yards away from him when it happened. You could feel something wrong with Bucky, you had to get to him and help him. You got distracted next thing you knew a long thick metal rod had you staked to the ground. You couldn’t move it was embedded too far in the ground behind you. So you fought on like that, on the ground taking blasters and weapons from anything you fought with as the Super serum running through your veins kept you alive, easing the bleeding. You kept fighting hoping somehow you would be able to get up to get to Bucky. Hot tears streamed down your face and a scream ripped savagely from your throat as suddenly the constant connection that you had with Bucky was gone. It was like it had never existed. All you could feel was an iron wall. Utterly impenetrable. You couldn’t tell if it was just the limit of your consciousness or if it was him somehow cutting you off. Or if the worst had happened. Then the world went black.

When Steve found you, you had passed out from blood loss. You were in a coma for a week due to the severity of the wound but you remembered your dreams and they were sweet.

In your dreams it was just after you and Bucky had gotten married. A week to the day actually. You had curled up beside him and asked you could read him something you wrote. He didn’t need to say anything. All of his attention focused on you. A blush crept up your neck as you read what you had written.

“You always looked like trouble but the very best kind.

Even before I knew what you looked like.

You looked like everything I wanted at 16.18.20.26.

You looked like whiskey and smoke before I even knew the taste.

You looked like a hot rod idling at a stop light.

You looked like my addiction before it developed. Like my favorite kind of pain.

I don’t know how but I always just knew, that your eyes where blue. Blue. Such a cool tone. The kind that reminds you glaciers or ice cubes against passion heated skin. Like Blue flames, that seemed to sear clothes off with a glance, and pool fire in my belly. And when you smiled I really knew you were trouble then. But the best kind. The kind I couldn’t live without. The kind that kept me breathing. When you smiled at me the first time, I was yours.

The first time with you…oh god it was like nothing before. I had spent so many hours over the years before I met you, day dreaming about my fingers in your hair, your hands blazing trails of fire against my skin. Your lips crushed against mine…

By the time you placed your hand against my cheek and started kissing me, it was like you had kissed me a thousand times before. By the time your hands caressed my skin in expectant reverence (a shock to my system) it was as though your hands had always known my skin.

When I touched your skin, I was in awe at the newness of the sensation and yet it was so familiar. As I felt like your hands had always known my skin, I felt I had always known yours.

That first time didn’t feel like the first time. It felt like we had been together since the beginning of time. I didn’t need to question anything, because we knew each other so intimately words were not needed.

No need for words because I knew where to kiss you, as if some instinct worked within me. Knew where to touch. Knew how to kiss you wherever my lips landed. Knew when to bite and when to soothe. I knew it because you had always been mine. I was made for you.

No need for words because you knew, knew when to be gentle, when to be firm, knew everything you needed to get me high. With you it was natural as breathing. You brought me back to life the way a smith does a cold forge. With you it was the first time but it felt as though we had been there a thousand, thousand times before.

When I first saw you it all became real, I had already spent years falling in love with the idea of being with you. In the ease and comfort and debauchery of your presence. Suddenly every dream I had ever had about my soul mate blazed into existence.

You looked like my addiction when it formed, like my favorite kind of pain. You looked like someone I had loved a thousand, thousand times. “

You two had been so tangled up in each other it was hard to tell where he ended and you began, the line between him and you blurred. You were in complete bliss. At least while you were sleeping.

Steve was there when you woke up. As soon as you saw him and not Bucky your heart began to fracture. It looked like he had been crying, like he had not been to slept. Everything inside you went cold. Your mind reached out for Bucky, for the comfort of your soulmate and touched…nothing it was like he was dead. But he couldn’t be right? Even though you felt like you were dead, with the only sign that you were alive being the beeping of the monitors in the room, he couldn’t be, right? But that is what it felt like because there was just…nothing like the connection had never been. You tried again and again to push past whatever was stopping you but it was no use because there was nothing for you to grab on to. “(y/n) you have to stop pushing against that wall. It won’t help.” Steve’s voice broke and he took your hands. “It won’t help, he’s gone and…and we don’t know where he is or if he is gonna come back. So you…you have to stop pushing and focus on you right now.” He wiped the tears from your face and gave his best smile, though it did little to ease the pain “You have to be stronger than ever. I know that I am asking a lot. But you’re his best girl and you gotta be ready to kick his ass when he comes back.” All you could muster was a small twitch at the side of your mouth. “If …I was his best girl…why’d he leave me Stevie?” you whispered so softly he could barely hear but damn if it didn’t break his heart.

Then it was dark again. This time there were no comforting dreams. Steve sat there by your bed and let his chest heave as he cried quitely. He cried for a lot of reasons. After a while he stood up, and left the room for the first time in days. He knew he would have to be there for you if you were gonna make it so it was time to get cleaned up and eat something, maybe try to catch some sleep. There was a long road ahead.

It was a whole day later when you woke up again. Steve was sitting in the window of your hospital room. “Hey Stevie… see anything good out there?” He jumped at the sound of your voice and grinned at you. “Hey there sweetheart, how are you feeling?” he said softly coming to sit next you once again. He took your hand and when he squeezed gently, you squeezed back. You closed your eyes and took a few deep breaths. “Honestly? I feel like my insides have been scrubbed with sandpaper. I feel raw and bloody…I feel the most incredible pain and yet completely numb. But…” You paused trying to steady the sick feeling in your gut. You looked directly in Steve’s soft blue eyes and they offered a little comfort in their familiarity. “But…” you continued “I know I need to get out of this hospital bed. I need to regain my strength and take care of myself, because I know he is out there. I have to find him Stevie. Now I need you to tell me everything.” Steve nodded a slight grin coming to his face “I knew there was a reason you were meant for that punk. I will tell you everything but how about you shower, get changed and we get you some food first huh?” You sighed, it bothered you to put off the inevitable but you knew you probably smelled like a trash truck and you were hungry. So you did what Steve asked and you two had lunch together. For a couple hours you both pretended like all was right in the world.

When Steve finally started talking it sounded more like a debriefing and less like his best friend was missing, honestly though it was almost easier that way. Thinking of it like another mission rather than losing your soulmate. “Well, to be honest I can’t tell you a whole lot. All I know is that Buck and I were maybe 10 feet apart. Everything was fine. Everything was fine until it wasn’t. I can’t say what happened, one second I looked over and he was fine. He was Bucky. The next he was Winter Soldat. Then Tony snapped and the fighting stopped, but I lost sight of him. I guess once there was no enemy he just took off. We do know that he stole a Wakandan air ship, but he must have damaged enough of the important components to make it untraceable. We don’t know where he is. I can guarantee though that he learned from last time, we won’t be able to find him if he doesn’t want to be found.”

You took a deep breath eyes closed. The urge to just give up right then and there was almost overwhelming. You knew there were ways to kill a super soldier. Hell you had come pretty close to it in the past. “Sweetheart, don’t go there. We both know it won’t it won’t work.” Steve’s voice yanked you sharply from the dark thoughts that crept into your mind. You sighed “Yeah, I guess you are right Stevie.” There was nothing either of you could do, except move on. Survive.

After that you and Steve were as close as could be. When you couldn’t sleep you it always seemed like Steve was up to. If you needed comfort he was there. You did everything together. Both of you knew it wasn’t really healthy but at the same time it helped with the healing. You went to therapy and got mental help. You stayed combat ready. You continued blowing minds working with Tony and Shuri on tech. You picked up new hobbies like gardening, and painting and drawing. You did everything you could to keep yourself somewhat distracted from the hollowness that ate at you.

You never cried in front of anyone but Steve, but everyone knew. Even if they couldn’t hear the crying they could hear the music that came from your room. No matter the tune no one knocked when the soft static of your record player was on. You were living in the past, trying to cope the best way you could dancing alone to songs that you and Bucky loved. Listening to your past and his with every pop of the speaker. Sometimes Steve would stand outside your room with his head pressed against the door and just listen. He’d sway along with the music because it brought back memories for him too. Eventually he would feel guilty because he wanted nothing more than to go in and take you in his arms. Kiss you. Comfort you. Part of him believed that Bucky really was gone. Part of him didn’t think he even had a soul mate and he was so fucking lonely. But he never did. If anyone ever noticed, they never said anything.

A year had passed since Bucky left.  A year you spent in therapy, spent pretending every god damn day that you didn’t want to just die so the pain would stop, clinging to Steve like a fucking life raft and Steve clung back. You both knew it wasn’t healthy but you needed each other in ways that other people couldn’t understand. Steve was the only other person who really knew Bucky. Who could understand the things that you had went through. Who was just as lonely as you. Steve was your best friend. The day after the one year Painaversary, something incredible happened. Steve finally met his Soulmate. It hit you like a slap in the face from Hulk. You had already lost your Soulmate but now you had to lose your best friend too.

Steve sat on the edge of your bed staring daggers in to the floor. He kept his eyes down when you came out of the bathroom. “Hey there (y/n/n). You wanna tell me why you have what’s the word ‘ghosted’ me for the past week.” His voice was cold and harsh. Not what you expected. Not that you had been expecting Steve to be sitting on your bed when you came out of the shower but the tone he used was the more shocking thing at the moment. “You know why Stevie.” You said moving quietly to get dressed, unable to bring your voice above a whisper. He didn’t look up until he heard a soft sob. You were standing fully clothed in Bucky’s sweats and a worn t-shirt, with your head against Bucky’s dresser. “You know why. Just because Soulmates can’t be unfaithful doesn’t mean this is okay, Stevie.” In his heart he knew you were right but it killed him, gently he picked you up, turned off the lights and tucked you into bed. Then like most every night before he climbed in behind you. His body heat a silent invitation more of a pull like a magnet, one that you couldn’t resist right now. So you snuggled into his arms your back against his chest. As he wrapped his arms around you, he whispered voice rough with emotion, “This doesn’t have to end (y/n/n). “You knew what he was trying to do. “Stevie. It’s okay. We’ve been holding on to each other so tightly because we both were drowning. You can’t make Janey hurt. It’s okay. We will still hang out, but no more late nights like this.” It hurt to say. If it was possible he pulled you closer and held you closer. His heat wrapped you up like another blanket. You sighed. He just nodded and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. He could feel your tears on his arm as he held you. Why did it feel like his heart was getting shredded? For a while there was silence. “Stevie?” “Yeah sweetheart.” “I miss him so much, this hurts so fucking bad. Why did he leave me? I wish I would have just died there. It would better than this.” You curled up in a ball, trying to make yourself as small as possible, hoping somehow it would help. Steve sat up, propped all the pillows behind him, picked you up like you were a child and tucked you safely against his chest. The sobs and half screams that tore from your throat brought tears to his eyes. All he could do was hold you, stroke your hair, kiss the top of your head and whisper “I know sweetheart. I know. I’m here. I got ya. We’ll find him I promise. We will make all of this right. I promise.” Eventually there were no more tears to cry and you relaxed. Your voice was hoarse when you whispered “I was to move to the Taiga.” “Alright sweetheart we will make it happen.”

            A month later you had everything you needed to move. Tony had help you engineer a sort of mini arc reactor that supplied your home with 100% clean energy, and all of the wood used to build your house and furniture (which admittedly was a lot) was sustainably farmed, all of the pipes that brought water to the house from the lake had all been lain with minimal disruption to the landscape.

Stevie was the one who came along and helped you actually build the little house. It had two bedrooms, a kitchen and living room. It was a cozy little place, all the modern amenities but an old time feel. Plus you had your 1945 Jeep and a snowmobile. You had everything you needed.

You and Steve held hands as you stood back admiring the house one last time.

“Looks good sweet heart. You sure you are gonna be okay out here?” His voice was light but the concern was evident by the gentle squeeze he gave your hand.

You heaved a deep sigh “Yeah. Yeah. I think I will be fine. I feel better here and now than I have since he left. I promise I will keep in contact. I mean how could I not according to Tony I have my own satellite.” You returned the squeeze of his hand to reassure him. Gently he pulled you into a great bear of a hug. You were pretty sure if you hadn’t been a super soldier he probably would have broken you, you just laughed and hugged him back. “I want you to know I love you (y/n/n) and hell I’m going to miss you. So please be safe and if you need anything call, okay?”

“I love you too Stevie, I will miss you too. I promise I will call okay. Hey you better get going you got places to be.” He held you for a moment longer, kissed the top of your head and said “Yeah you are probably right. But before I do I have one more thing for you.” He goes over to his jeep and pulls out a box with holes in it. As soon as he sets it down you open it, to be greeted by the most adorable ball cute you had ever seen in your life. You picked it up finding that it was a puppy. “Janey picked him out for you. He is probably going to be huge, but she thought he would be perfect to keep you company out here.”

“Tell her I said thank you. I think this is just what I needed.” You said cuddling the sleeping puppy to your chest. Steve nodded and smiled. You watched as he went and started his jeep and drove away. You felt as close to content as you could with your heart in ribbons.

Present

By the time you snapped back to the present the fire was low. Benji was asleep at your feet and the howling outside had stopped. You decided to grab some coffee, bundle up and go outside to watch the night sky. It was breath taking. The Northern Lights danced and swayed shifting colors as they went. The stars shone brilliantly uninhibited by light pollution. You sipped your coffee and mindlessly started to hum as you watched the night.

No one knew you could sing. All evidence destroyed from your operative days, no one knew except Bucky. Your heart swelled and your eyes closed. You lifted your face toward the sky and started to sing and you thought it was fitting when the words only came to you in Russian, while the one person you wanted to hear was god knows where. Still he was the one you sang for…or perhaps you sang for the memory of him.

“Я завидую дождю. (I envy the rain)

Он падает на вашу кожу (It falls on your skin)

Он ближе, чем мои руки.(It’s closer than my hands)

Я завидую дождю.(I envy the rain)

Я завидую ветру (I envy the wind)

Она течет сквозь твою одежду (it flows through your clothes)

Он ближе, чем твоя тень. (it’s closer than your shadow)

О, я завидую ветру(oh I envy the wind)

Я завидую ночам. (I envy the nights)

Которые я не провожу с тобой (which I can’t spend with you)

Интересно, с кем ты лежишь рядом? (I wonder who you lay next to)

О, я завидую ночам. (oh I envy the nights)

Я завидую этой любви (I envy this love)

Любовь, которая была здесь. (this love that was here)

Осталось поделиться с кем - то еще (left to share with someone else)

О, я завидую этой любви (oh I envy this love)

Потому что я пожелал тебе всего самого лучшего. (Because I wished you all the best)

Все, что может дать этот мир.(all this world can give)

и все же ты меня бросил. (still you left me)

но мне нечего прощать.(but there’s nothing to forgive)

Но я всегда думал, что ты вернешься и скажешь мне, ч��о все, что ты нашел, это ...

(but I always thought you would come back and tell me all you found was…)

Горе и страдания(grief and suffering)

Мне трудно сказать, я завидую этому пути.(its hard for me to say, I envy the way)

Ты счастлива без меня (you are happy without me)”

Your voice broke as the last note sounded. Subconsciously you reached for ghost of the connection you shared with Bucky. For a moment you almost thought you felt something brush back. Tears welled up as you fell to your knees in the snow. You couldn’t take it anymore. A scream of pure anguish ripped through your body.

After a moment you collect yourself and took the knife you always carried from its sheath. You stripped off your coat and laid it on the ground. Rolling up your sleeves you smiled softly thinking that maybe once you were gone in a way you would be with Bucky again.

There was no hesitation as you drove the knife blade into the pulse point of your wrist and slashed up, not waiting to repeat the process to the other side. You lay on your back and gaze up at the sky. In the distance you hear a motor. No it couldn’t be. Felt something brush against your mind. You smiled at the thought of your brain trying to make you fight. You knew it was going to take a bit longer to bleed out since it was so cold. You didn’t mind it would be over soon anyway.

You weren’t sure how much time passed, but your eyes started to feel heavy. Black started creeping into the edge of your vision. You let out a sigh finally.

“(Y/N/N)!!!!!!!! NOOOOOO (Y/N/N) PLEEAASSEEE!!!”

You could see a blurry figure coming toward you.  You knew that voice. It was like they were moving in slow motion and talking underwater. But that couldn’t be right.

Suddenly you heard that stupid motor again. Then something touched your skin. For a moment you felt fireworks. You opened your eyes. “Fuck (y/n/n) please hold on. I am so sorry doll. I’m so sorry, please don’t go. Please.” Bucky’s voice rang in your ears like a call to prayer. “Baby girl please.” His voice was hoarse and choked up. Barely able to speak through the lump in his throat at the sight of you.

You forced your eyes open and took in the sight of him for what would probably be the last time and whispered “Buck?” Then the world went dark as a scream that was like the torture of a thousand hells ripped and tore through the landscape.

In the aftermath a melody played 

"In those discouraging days

I always missed the mark When we were comfort and close I would neglect to keep

Oh, you safe and unexposed A portrait of time repeats This moment now replaced With an empty wish to give I give, I gave

I gave my everything For all the wrong things In this cold reality I made This selfish war machine

Oh, this has become hell How can I share this life With someone else? I promise you There is no weight that can bury us Beneath the ghosts of all my guilt

Here in the dark side of me Here in the dark side of me

Now in your absence I wade Through the coursing, lonely, lost And in this tragic dismay I never could believe what I became

I gave my everything For all the wrong things In this cold reality I made This welcomed war machine

Oh, this has become hell How can I share this life With someone else? I promise you There is no weight that can bury us Beneath the ghosts of all my guilt

Here in the dark side of me Here in the dark side of me Here in the dark side of me Here in the dark side of me

Oh, I couldn't give you What you needed It's all my fault Too coward to believe I lost it all

I gave my everything For all the wrong things In this cold reality I made This selfish war machine

Oh, this has become hell How can I share this life With someone else? I promise you There is no weight that can bury us Beneath the ghosts of all my guilt

Here in the dark side of me Here in the dark side of me"

 "Buck are you still there? I don't want to die."

#@imanuglywombat #@littlefreya #first ever posted fanfic #please be kind #would love feedback #bucky barnes x reader

[yea-no-thank-you-nope]

The Philosophy of Dr. Stone

  My intentions for this essay are not to try and persuade you into thinking Senku is an awful person and whoever thinks like this is selfish and childish. I’m very sorry if I did come across as that. I do believe Senku is right in some aspects like the whole “leveling the playing field” thing and the curiosity humans naturally have towards science. I just think that everyone should not be unpetrified, that there should be laws in place on science to make sure it’s not unnecessarily cruel or harmful, and that in this situation it would be better to try and rebuild humanity better than in the past. Both Senku and Tukasa are flawed in their way of thinking. Humanity cannot survive with only one in power, shaping the world to what they want.

Now I wanted to say this at the start but I absolutely love Dr. Stone, this essay is not a barrage of the story and how it’s garbage or anything or that anyone is. This is not an attack but an invitation to a discussion. I’m making this essay because I appreciate the story and think it is so incredibly interesting. This essay is constructive criticism so the story can be better and so people can discuss the topics and the opinions they have of them, basically just an excuse to make people talk about this awesome story. I also have not read the manga, I’ve only watched the anime so if you decide to respond please do it very vaguely. I’m fine if you talk about the new arguments brought up but not ok if you spoil the show so please be careful.

I’m going to begin with psychology because that’s my jam and I obsess over psychological topics and discussions. I am by no means a professional but I haven’t heard anyone point out or talk about the ideas and opinions I have, so I’ll just do it. The psychology in Dr. Stone is incredibly thought provoking and makes the audience take a close look at their society and the people around them. What would you do if all of humanity was turned to stone and when you wake up all evidence of humans has corroded away except for the statues of said people scattered everywhere? What would you do if the world was basically reset, including humanity? What would you do?

That in-and-of itself is exiting. It's fun to think of what you would do in such an radial situation. With that the audience can automatically empathies with the cast of characters and their versions of how they decide to handle the situation. Senku’s choice is to unpetrify everyone and bring humanity back to the modern age. This may be what most people would do, I don’t know for sure but I haven't heard a lot of people who actually disagree with his point of view so I’m just assuming. This is like the textbook, basic ideology a human could have. All humans have that basic instinct to save as many people as possible, it just makes sense. This and the fact that Senku is google reincarnated makes him the perfect protagonist for this story. People may not be able to empathies with a scheming scientific genius but they can empathies with his desire to save everyone just like in any other Shonen anime. It’s easy to think this way and it's understandable, but that doesn't mean it’s right.

On the other hand we have Tsukasa. He is, to put it simply, the complete opposite to Senku. He is still smart but is not a walking talking Alexa and is incredibly strong. He believes that they shouldn't bring back everyone and instead pick and choose who to unpetrify. He thinks that bringing back humanity to the way it was will only cause destruction, war, power imbalances, and greed. Now you may call this a “hot take” but I came across some misunderstandings on Tsukasa’s stand. He does not disagree with science, he disagrees with Senku. He does not think that science itself is the root of all human evil, he thinks humans are. Now you may be asking “How do you know that for sure?”, well, why would he compliment Senku on his knowledge of science if he hates it? The only time I can remember him saying anything bad about science is when he was talking about guns, bombs, and other weapons of mass destruction. But it’s clear that he only brought that up to persuade Senku in not reviving the greedy and the ones who will use them to oppress and kill others. Again, just like with Senku, the audience can sympathize and understand this character and their actions. No one wants to see another in pain and surely does want anyone to die, they want to save everyone.

Senku and Tsukasa are on the absolute opposite side of each other but are still on the same coin. They both want the best for humanity but have 2 conflicting viewpoints. Now it would be incredibly easy to just pick a side and argue for that side and why it’s right but I don’t think people see that both of those are very flawed ideals and although in theory they could work, in practice both of them fall apart. If Senku gets his way and everyone is revived and basically back to the way the world was, humanity will get right back on track to the destruction of the world. We were already on that track before the petrification. Scientists predict that 2050 is basically the doomsday year. In 2050 there will not be enough food to feed us all due to overpopulation and global warming is getting worse and worse by the second. If we don’t take drastic steps to stop it then the world is on track towards an early ice age and even the destruction of the entire planet. But in this universe that exact thing happened (the drastic steps not the destruction of the world). With all of humanity frozen in an instant all pollution creation stopped, the furnaces burning coal died out, and over hunting/ over deforestation ceased in an instant. I’m not a professional scientist so I don’t know if 3,000 years is actually enough time for the world to completely reset but I do know that with the sudden halt on human activity could allow the earth to completely heal.

So the issue with Senku’s viewpoint seems to be that he viewed the modern age as a utopia of sorts which makes sense, it’s the peak of science and he loves science. Senku was born physically weak and preferred to use his brain over his muscles. He viewed science as a way to “level the playing field”, and he’s not wrong. It definitely levels the playing field but that’s only if they have access to it, it does not work if the people who don’t need it are the only ones who can have it. In primitive society (I’m mainly going to focus on Native American culture and history because that’s the one I know the most) many people were born with deformities or any other phenomenon that now-a-days is seen as a disability, but they were just as important as anyone else in the group. Back then it didn’t matter. Yes you were more likely to be killed or die by natural occurrences but not by other people. By eliminating the dangers of nature, people shift their hatred onto other people. This is exactly the reason that in so many stories 2 opposing groups come together to defeat a common enemy. That's where the phrase “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. Now to be fair the show never really touches on the topic of nature being dangerous, it always seems to just be humans. It only ever sturs away from this in situations like the acid lake that gives off toxic fumes, but the show doesn't really want to focus on that aspect, which is fine, if they want to tell a story about the people then they can, I mean that's what I’m writing about now.

Senku wants to bring back everyone because he knows that that is the fastest way to create all the technology. If you remember from before I touched briefly on how the world was going to shit was in part due to overpopulation. I think you know where I’m going with this. Even with the earth reset and nature covering all, that is still not going to be enough food for all of them. It has already been proven that there is no way to sustain this large of a human population. The reason we are not all dying of starvation right now is because most of the food produced can barley be considered food at all, the other food is genetically altered, and it all goes to only one group of people. You see, when I asked “why are we not starving to death” I was technically lying, we are. Not counting the small percentage of the population that can afford all the food, we are starving to death, and it is by our own hands. The world we live in today is not a utopia. Yes we have science that can save lives but those are made by the countless deaths of rats, monkeys, and so many other animals we use as “lab rats”.

I’m not saying all this to make you feel bad, I’m bringing it up to try and explain why what Senku is doing terrifies me. I couldn’t imagine how it would feel to wake up to a fresh new start on life only to find out someone wants to rebuild it all again. He is not learning from history, he is repeating it. That is why Senku’s idea of what he wants the world to be is great on paper but crumbles apart when put into practice.

  I have also heard that the reason Senku wants to bring back the modern age is because he just wants to go to space, making it a selfish act on his part. I thought this was incredibly interesting and relatable and really made me look at his character differently. This would be another way of thinking about the petrifying if humanity, some would see it as this horrible event that ruined their lives and again, this makes sense. All Senku ever wanted to do was go to space. That’s why he learned science in the first place. He spent his entire life working towards that goal and right when he could have had it, it disappeared. I don't blame him for wanting everything to go back to where it was and now I really want to see if this is addressed or challenged in the story. I want to see Senku come to terms with this and finally get closure, not only on the situation but also his dad. Basically I just want him to cry god dammit! Let him cry! Let him be healthy and accept his emotions!

Speaking of emotions, it’s well known that he hides his and if you have been screaming at me about that fact, I know. I understand that until this point I may have been portraying Senku as this selfish greedy and mean person who doesn't care about humanity at all and I’m sorry if it did. That description does not fit him at all. It’s subtle but when you see it you can’t unsee it. As mentioned before he was born very weak and so couldn’t really protect himself from others, this is by no means a disability but close enough to where he can understand the pain and struggles that people who are disabled face. When he made glasses for the 2 villagers he stated that science levels the playing field. That little interaction reveals that he does care about helping other people and hoping to fix their problems with science. He also further elaborated on his idea with Magma when they were mining. He stated that everyone has a job to do and neither job is better than the other. This shows his understanding of everyone's roles and how, as a species, to thrive we must all work together. This further drills home the point to me that it’s not that Senku is stupid or that he doesn’t care about humanity but that his still a little kid who never really had to go through or see the awful and corrupt side of the world. I hate using this word because I feel like it’s used too much but by all intents and purposes, Senku is privileged. He only seems to know the science of today as this life saving, world altering and fundamentally good concept, not the steps in which it took to get there, how many lives and dead ecosystems it took to get where we are today, and what we are still doing. Don’t forget about the whole global warming thing, mass deforestation, and pollution.

I am going to give 2 examples of how science can be cruel and how it doesn't need to be. I’m going to get into deep stuff here so it’s ok if you skip it. I’m talking about slavery and the experimentation of animals. Do you remember when the U.S.A was tearing down statues? One of them (I don’t know if it was torn down. I just know that it’s in front of a university and people wanted it gone) was a statue of a man who progressed the field of medicine and healthcare immensely, but did so at the expense of specifically black women. He believed that they were incapable of feeling pain and so performed many horrific surgeries and tests on them with no pain killer. Yes he greatly furthered the field of healthcare, but that doesn't make it right and especially not humane. He should not and did not need to do that. We would figure it out on our own. Sure it would probably take a lot more time but that doesn't justify the actions of that man. The other example is an ongoing process that is still in practice today, the experimentation of animals. If you don’t know, before a beauty product or medicine of some sort can enter the market it needs to be checked by the government to see if it is safe for us to use. So companies use monkeys and other animals to test their product on. It is horrific. The scientists treat those animals with no respect or care for the lives of them. It is unnecessary and cruel. We would figure it out on our own. Sure, it probably would take longer, but that doesn't make it right. It’s an excuse.

Senku doesn't seem to know this seeing as how he basically learned everything from scratch with experiments. That’s why I’m saying Senku is naïve and not a cruel monster who doesn't care who gets hurt, as long as it satisfies his curiosity and expands the field of science. I do hope that later down the line the story confronts that fact and we see first hand that he is not willing to do whatever it takes to go back to modern civilization as much he wants us to believe. I want to see him come to terms with this and decide that, with everything, there are rules and boundaries. This is also why I keep harping back to how I want to see this explored in the story. Senku clearly wants to help humanity and cares for others. He has morals and so has boundaries. I want to see him pushed to the edge, to see just how far he will go in the name of science and for the bettering of humanity. At the end of the day he is still human, everyone is.

Tukasa’s turn! The issue with Tukasa’s view point is simply because he thinks all young people are good people. This is not true. Old people can be good and bad. Adults can be good and bad. Children can be good and bad. It all depends on the person. This is not even mentioning the fact that children can not raise other children. No matter how wise Tukasa is for his age, he can not raise children (and yes teenagers count as children). There's a reason why in every culture all 3 stages of life serve a purpose and depend on each other, one cannot live without the other. He needs good people, not young people to restart humanity.

At first I saw it unfair and one sided how the story constantly depicted Tukasa as an evil person and that he is a tyrant. This was until it was pointed out to me that the reason for that is because Senku is the main character so the audience sees through his perspective, so if he sees Tukasa as evil, the audience will too. Even with that I understand why people will not like Tukasa and so in extension not listen to his argument. I want to give him a chance because he, and by extension the people like him, deserve it. I understand why people don’t though. He smashes the statues of people because he genuinely believes that all are bad and so takes action to protect others, just like Senku who seemed ready to kill Tukasa with the crossbow he made and the gun he was going to use on him, they both thought what they were doing was right. This does not excuse either of their actions, no one to be clear can use this as an excuse, I still want to bring up a fact that I personally think people forget (including myself). The show is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Yes, characters can unpetrify other characters but some are too far gone. In the background we see statues missing limbs and body parts. I was actually surprised and skeptical when it was shown that there were so many perfectly intaced statues Tukasa was able to find. They must be made out of harder rock than I thought. Either way, I know people can survive without certain body parts and I’m not saying they can't. It's just as far as we know, if they attempt to unpetrify someone missing a body part (especially if it’s a leg) they might bleed out instantly and without all the proper equipment needed. Or will the stone heal the stump? If so what if they find the missing part later? Can they reattach it? Can they attach body parts from other people and unpetrify them? What would happen? Would the stone merge the parts together or reject it? The stone is explicitly stated to have healing properties so what would happen? It’s still too early to know and with knowing that information comes from human experimentation and could lead to many lives lost. It was ok with the birds because they were small and still intaced so there was no danger. The point that I’m getting to is that the line is incredibly blurred and the drastic life-and-death situation everyone is in, I wouldn't jump to say Tukasa is a monster. He may be killing people or they could have been dead in the first place, not to mention like I said before it would be impractical and deadly to revive every human being on planet Earth.

This is why I think Tukasa’s plan is flawed. He is only one person and so is limited in his ideas. He thinks that only the young are good people and if only the characters would actually TALK to each other then both of them could see the flaws and work together instead of jumping to conclusions. I hope now that Senku and Tukasa are friends of sorts that they finally get to do that but again, I don’t know I have not read the manga.

I have also heard (mainly from video essays on YouTube) that, uncoincidentally, people think that Tukasa’s ideals are naïve when I think Senku’s is. I find it amazing that both of us thought the same thing but of the opposite philosophy. The opinions they expressed made me realize something. Because humanity discovered science, it will do so again and again. While I thought it was naïve to simply return to the way things were and not carry any of the emotional baggage needed to at least try and better humanity and learn from the past, someone else thought that it was futile to hinder the scientific process of humanity and go back to hunter-and-gatherers. I did disagree with some things they said, that is to be expected, but I also realized that that is what we have been doing since as far back as the history books go. It was called different names but the idea is still the same. We try to make sense of the world around us. In cultures across the world gods represented the natural world and phenomenon that occurred, it was just by a different name. Those religions and science try to explain the world around them. Why does corn grow? Quetzalcoatl makes them grow. Chlorophyll provides the nutrients necessary to sustain the plant and make it grow by Photosynthesis. Why does it snow? Frau Hole shakes her sheets and some feathers fall out, causing snow. With the evaporation of water leaves the gaseous form in the sky and if it gets cold enough will freeze and fall. It’s all the same thing. Humans are curious by nature and will always be.

The things that I disagreed with was that they didn’t really seem to think that science can coexist with nature, like it’s either one or the other. They explain that Tukasa believes humanity should be more naturalistic but also calls him stupid. I understand his side in thinking there is no way to revert back to being hunter-gatherers and that no matter what, over time people will rediscover science so the effort is futile. What I don’t seem to understand is why we can’t have both? It might seem naïve at first considering everyone only knows a society of science that destroys the world for progress but with a world altering event like the one in the story and a good leader to boot, it is absolutely possible. The world has already changed so much so I don’t see why people wouldn't (not talking about those greedy people and politicians, I’m talking about the average human being). It just seems so cynical of humanity as a whole to give up before even trying. I understand we are all depressed but still. It’s no excuse not to try.

My ideas for what they can do is to live both with nature and science. First set up rules and laws. Everyone can pitch in to create them and vote on which ones should be reinforced so that not one person has too much power and so the people collectively can understand the importance of those laws. Everyone can choose their job to do like black smithing, building, hunting, sewing and other jobs that are needed. With that they can either choose to have a form of currency or not but under no circumstances is anyone allowed to own land. The land is for everyone and the resources are to be shared accordingly. With the issue of the statues, it could be voted on who can be unpetrified. This way we don’t raise the issue with Tukasa and Senku. One thought too narrow minded and the other was too broad. With the voting system everyone gets to assess the needs of the society as a whole and if the person unpetrified turns out to be bad, the blame would not fall on one person but everyone. This eliminates one person having too much power and subsequently the people would not revolt and kick them out of power, putting another in their place and the cycle starts anew. There can still be science, there will just be restrictions on what is acceptable to do or not.

I understand the flaws in my ideas. I know that making everyone agree to certain things is incredibly hard especially when there's no way anyone can really stop people from doing what they want. There is no government already put in place. They need to build one from scratch and make it so that everyone is down with it and will follow it. I also understand that people can be lazy and not know what they want. Some people will choose to be lazy and either not do their job or choose a job that is specifically lazy in nature. People also probably don’t know what job they want to perform, this is especially prevalent in the young. People could also fight over who will be revived. I know many people, including myself, who have people in their life that they love but are not good people or who will probably not survive in the new world. I mean who’s going to tell Becky that we all know she loves her grandfather but he’s racist, a known sex offender, and already has a diet of 20 hamburgers and 50 Gatorades, there is no way we can provide that much food, we don’t even know if he’ll eat it considering he’s use to junk food and we just reinvented bread a week ago. It tastes awful and the bakers are trying their best but no one can make 50 Gatorades . No one sure as hell wants a sex offender or racist around either.

My intentions for this essay are not to try and persuade you into thinking Senku is an awful person and whoever thinks like this is selfish and childish. I’m very sorry if I did come across as that. I do believe Senku is right in some aspects like the whole “leveling the playing field” thing and the curiosity humans naturally have towards science. I just think that everyone should not be unpetrified, that there should be laws in place on science to make sure it’s not unnecessarily cruel or harmful, and that in this situation it would be better to try and rebuild humanity better than in the past. Both Senku and Tukasa are flawed in their way of thinking. Humanity cannot survive with only one in power, shaping the world to what they want.

If you want to use my essay in a video or something you are welcome to as long as you credit me. If you want to respond or just talk about this topic feel free to, this is a discussion, not an argument.

#Dr. Stone #drst #dr stone #drs #essay #philosophy #tukasa #senku #senku ishigami

[loz-and-lu-fan-blog]

Souls of the past, New Champions Ch. 1

(Basically an au idea that stemmed from the question ‘ what if wild need help taking Calamity Ganon; how would the goddess handle that?) enjoy!

He was falling into darkness, not stars or even planets, just darkness. It was a comforting darkness soon joined by a comforting voice.

‘Link…’ A voice called from the darkness ‘Link….’

Link soon found himself next to others, they seemed like him but at the same time they weren’t. They all had the master sword with them.

‘Find them…’ the voice called from the darkness as the hero's silhouette began to fade into solid color. ‘You need to find them’

The colors soon began to move, flying down onto what looked like a big map. The one he had spent years studying as a child with his aunt Impa.

‘You need to find them..you must find them’ the voice said again. Link turned around to see a big white and gold figure ‘You must find them before….’

A big roar broke him out of the trance. He turned around to see a big black beast with red eyes, flying towards him, mouth open to swallow him whole.

It was going to eat him.

-

Link awaken in a panic, breathing heavily looking around the room; the same small castle room he’s had sense he pulled that sword. The mirror across him showed the same white hair and red eyes he was born with; the same traits that marked him as a sheikan.

He immediately got out of bed and ran to the map on his desk, the same one from his dream. Taking him pencil he closes his eyes and tried to remember the marks on the map from his dream before they become lost memories. Some he could remember the exact place but could thankfully give a general idea. Link smiled to himself as he got all the places mark, at least four of them were in the champion’s area and at least one was by the castle; maybe this could convince them.

The hero walked out of his room and went looking for the princess, even with all the other knights snickering he said nothing. Ever since he had these dreams he had told people about them, the king, the other knights, even Zelda. Everyone didn’t believe him, if fact it became a joke, the knights even the king laughed when they thought he wasn’t around. It was the reason why he had stopped talking, there wasn’t a point anymore.

But this could make a difference, he now had a plan, an idea. It was something as simple as checking out the towns when they went to visit the champions homes.

He finally found Zelda in her garden.

“Zelda” Link said with a smile “I have proof”

Zelda gave a groan while Link’s smile got wide.

“No no it will be alright. It just in the champions, we don’t ha-” Links starts.

“Will you shut up!” Zelda screamed making the sheik hero stop speaking “Do you realize how annoying your half baked theories are. Just drop it!” She screamed before splashing Link with her drink.

Link stood there frozen for a minute, he could hear the guards trying not to laugh, he could see Zelda face turn from anger to regret.

“Li-” Zelda tried before the Sheikan began to walk away.

‘If no one wants to help me then fine’ Link thought bitterly ‘Then I’ll do it myself. I won’t let calamity ganon destroy my home’.

---

Link spent all day preparing, gathering his stuff, stealing some farmhands clothes considering his champion tunic would give him away. Zelda came by to apologize and Wild had accepted it; however that didn’t change his plans. By the time the sky was multiple colors Wild had already written his note, it simply said ‘gone to training, be back soon’ knowing by the time they realize something was wrong he would be long gone.

It didn’t take much effort for Wild to sneak out, after all many guards were staying by the princess leaving the barn and stable open; to be fair is a big red flag and he should probably write a note about it. However right now it was working in his favor and after leaving another note he went out into the field. 

He remembers this field, even though he spent most of his time in the castle sense he pulled the master sword. This field was pretty much his home. He loved running out and playing in the field, climbing trees, starting campfires, playing with the local wildlife. He remembers one animal that seemed to love him more than all the others.

Wolfie, at least that’s what Link had named him. He was an interesting wolf that never showed any aggression towards Link and his family, almost acting like a big dog. However Wolfie hated being brought into towns and hated the guards even more, so when Link was appointed knight of Zelda he lost his little furry friend.

When the goddess Hyila showed him the map of the souls he couldn’t help some excitement when he saw the field, maybe just maybe he can see his friend again?

And there was Wolfie! Link’s first instinct was to run and give the big old doggo a hug however knowing how Wolfie got when he was shocked. So Link just waited double checking his map, deciding to wait in calling for Wolfie.

Soon the sun fell behind the mountains dusting the sky in a blanket of twilight. Link got closer to the animal before he finally noticed it.

Wolfie was soon surrounded by dark magic and weird symbols. Soon the Wolfie was engulfed in darkness as the form of the wolf began to change. The figure began to get taller and growing, finally the darkness began to disappear.

In place of the wolf was a man. His hair was a auburn brown color, and his eyes were a red color, however it definitely wasn’t due to a sheik bloodline. The man’s skin seemed to have different patches of color, one being a turquoise color and the other being made of pure shadows. The boys was dressed in what most farmers would wear but was nearly as dark as night with a weird glowing blue pattern on it. Link couldn’t stop his shock.

“Wolfie!?!” Link yelled out, making the man jump as he ran up to the man. The man looked at him with red and yellow eyes filled with confusion. “You’re the wolf? The one I played with?”

“......Who are you?” The man tried. Link's face just deadpanned as he stared at the man.

“You have the same markings as wolfie”” Link just stated causing the man to just sign and shake his head before a smile grew on his face.

“Hello cub” The man said before hugging Link. The hugged for a bit before Link pulled back.

“You're a hero aren’t you?” Link asked, however no words needed to be spoken; the symbol of the back of the man’s hand matched up with the glowing gold on Link’s hand that he kept hidden with wraps.

“Yes I am, the goddess ask for me to help you” The man said “However i don’t know how much of a help I can be”

The confused face of Link made the man explain further.

“I’m a Twili, I get hurt in the light; it’s why I take on that wolf form during the day, it keeps me alive” The man said “I’m sorry”

“It’s alright!” Link yelled out “The goddess told me I need to gather the past heroes to defeat ganon, your divide beast is probably mostly shadow. Please can you come with me?”

The Twili shook his head with a smile. “I’d love to Link. I can take on a shadow form and hide in your shadow during the day if we go into town if that’s alright?” “Absolutely, beside I need to swing by the town to make sure I’m not identified. What’s your name by the way?” Link asked.

“Link” The man said.

“Well that’s going to be confusing, What about a nickname?” Link asked the twili.

“How about Twilight?” The man offered. Twilight, it somehow fit.

The two just sat in the darkness talking for hours, apparently Twilight had a great memory as he began telling stories from Link’s past making him blush a bright red from embarrassment. Twilight couldn’t remember everything from his past life, but he knew he was the hero of twilight and he could remember some names like Midna, IIia, Rusl, and Uli but other than that nothing. He couldn’t tell Link how he died or how he defeated Ganon, just that he did.

They talked almost all night, until dawn started to peek through the night, Link began to change into some inconspicuous clothing as well as wrapping the master sword up, while it hurt to hide her away he knew he would be stopped in the street if they so much as see it. It will only be a matter of time until they dragged him back to the castle so any second could spare him. 

Twilight did what he said and jumped into Link’s shadow, the slight unnatural movement made it very clear he was there.

Link was able to make it to castletown before daybreak.

Link's first stop was the dye shop, with enough knocking the owner finally open the door looking annoyed.

"What?" The man grumbled out looking so tried.

"I need you to dye my hair" Link said taking off the piece of fabric that was hiding his white hair. The man eyes went wide before he realized who was in front of him.

"Sir, why aren't you wi-" The man tried asking to the well known knight of Zelda. However he was cut off by the sound of the rupees in a bag hitting the man in the chest.

"500 rupees for the dye and you don't say a word" Link said without blinking. The man looked down at the bag before nodding.

It only took about 10 minutes before his white locks became a dark brown color. As it wasn't uncommon for haft sheikan to only have red eyes; he wouldn't get any stares looking like that. No one would know that he was Zelda's knight

Hair, done. Next thing to do was to go to the blacksmith, he needed another sword.

When Link came in the old blacksmith gave a big happy smile. Link handed him a old rusted sword that he had picked up from the field, after all stealing one from the castle would have been so weird. So he opted to take one from the field and hope he could possible pay for a better one when they say the shape of the poor sword.

"I'm sorry the sword is so bad"  Link said with his best sad acting "I've had this sword for so long, I didn't know how bad it was. If it's easier for you to just throw away and I pay for another sword I completely understand"

"No no it's alright!" The man said with a smile "Just give me a day and I'll get it all fixed up"

Link smile and left the sword and rupees to the man. Link spent the rest of the day trying to gather supplies like a horse and some other food; trying to keep his head town when guards started to walk around.

By the time it got dark and the knight began to talk in worried whispers about the princess's knight training, Link went back the blacksmith house. The shop was dark and the man was likely asleep. Link knocked, no answered; he tried the doorknob.

It was open

Link just open the door to look for his fixed sword, maybe just taking a sword and leaving a note and bonus. He found his sword on the man's working desk.

And there was a mouse....?

It looked like a mouse with a weird feather tale. The mouse immediately saw Link and let out a squeaked as it ran down the desk, trying to get away.

Link didn't know why he did it, Twilight said it was because he was a gremlin, but his first instinct was to try and catch the mouse. He ran around the desk and chairs before diving to grab the mouse before it ran into a whole into a wall.

And he caught it.

In his hands that were above his head was the weird mouse, who was letting out a lot of squeaks. Link got up bring the little mouse closer to his face to observe it.

The little mouse had blond hair, and a multi color outfit, and seem to blow some dust into the hero's face.

And suddenly he's smaller

WTH.

"WTH" Link screamed out as he looked around, noticing how smaller now. He then notice the little mouse who was now his height, who was trying to run into a whole "No! Stop!"

Link ran into whole and was soon surrounded by more of these weird mouse, he could hear Twilight laughing at his misadventure.

The weird mouse creatures were talking to each other in a language he doesn't recognize.

"Look I'm sorry" Link tried "I'm just trying to get a sword to help me find past hero"

The little mouse that he was chasing seemingly flinched at the mention of the heroes, before turning to the other mouse and speaking to them. They took what the little mouse words and they slowly began to leave the two of them alone.

"I'm sorry for chasing you" Link said to the weird mouse.

"It's alright. I'm sorry for running" The little mouse replied.

"No you had a right to run, What are you?" Link asked not realizing how rude the question could be. The little mouse just laughed.

"Minish, I am a Minish"

"Minish? I've never heard of them before" Link said in confusion. The little minish just giggled.

"I wouldn't excepted it, we've mostly fall out of legend. Besides we can only be seen by children; so it makes sense no one knows about us" The minish said "We hide rupees  in the grass and pots and help people the way we can. We help the blacksmith here, it reminds me of the time my gr-"

The minish stopped talking which brought attention to the Minish's weird behavior. It made Link think of confronting Twilight.

"Is your name Link?" Link asked to the minish. The minish eyes immediately looked up in shock, and his hand immediately went to back of his other hand.

"Well.....it used to be" The minish known as Link said sadly.

Link noticed the poor minish's expression.

"Hyila asked me to help the next hero defeat Ganon. But I would be without Dot and Shadow" Minish Link said sadly.

"I'm sorry, this is my fault" Link apologized to the minish.

"No it isn't" The minish said with a smile through tears "It's ganons"

Link smile and brought the minish into a hug who happy accepted it.

"I could come back for you, You can stay here and help out more" Link offered to the minish, who shock his head no.

"No it will be ok, just let me hid in your pockets, I can grow into hyilan size however many would notice the tail" The Minish said, making Link smile.

"What should we called you?" Link asked.

"We?" The minish asked.

"I found another Link, a twili" Link said and the confusion on the minish face says it all "Yeah I don't know ether".

"I know during my adventure I used the Four sword during my adventure" The minish  offered.

"Four sword? What about Four?" Link offered.

"Four. It's perfect" Four said with a smile

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #linked universe au #linkeduniverse au #New champions au #Minish four #Twili Twilight #Sheikah Wild #LU au #Slight adveture #found family #enjoy

[tomasorban]

Alien Technology May Have Entered Our Solar System, Says Harvard Professor

Scientific ideas like the Drake Equation — an attempt to formalize wider theoretical parameters of intelligent life beyond Earth — have yet to give a solid figure to the possibility of life in our galaxy. If intelligent aliens are real, they've yet to leave a sign.

However, one scientist of note says they just did. When the unidentified object called 'Oumuamua zipped through our solar system in 2017, it may have been our first official encounter with alien technology — so argues astrophysicist and Harvard Professor Avi Loeb in his book, titled "Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life," forthcoming on Jan. 26.

Alien technology may have entered our solar system

In his forthcoming book, Professor Loeb makes a compelling case for why the object called 'Oumuamua (pronounced "oh moo ah moo ah") — an elongated, shaft-like object that sling-shotted through our solar system in 2017 — was more than just another space rock.

'Oumuamua, he says, was probably a piece of defunct alien technology.

The object came from the direction of the star Vega — a nearby star 25 light-years away — and crossed into the plane of our solar system on Sept. 6, 2017.

"It intercepted the orbital plane, within which all of the planets in our solar system revolve around the sun, on September 6, 2017," wrote Loeb. "But the object's extreme hyperbolic trajectory guaranteed it would only visit, not stay."

'Oumuamua displayed small, consistent acceleration

After passing the perihelion, the closest position to the Sun of 'Oumuamua's trajectory, "it began to exit the solar system; its speed far away — relative to our star, it was moving at about 94,800 km per hour (58,900 miles per hour) — more than ensured its escape from the Sun's gravity," wrote Loeb in his book.

"It passed through Venus' orbital distance from the sun around September 29 and through Earth's around October 7, moving swiftly toward the constellation Pegasus and the blackness beyond," Loeb wrote.

The object then displayed a small but consistent acceleration for which the sun's gravity could not account.

Strange object's acceleration baffles scientific community

Comets do the same as they release gases — which coalesce into their signature tails. But 'Oumuamua didn't have one, nor did telescopes we'd centered on the strange object find any signs of by-products typically linked to outgassing, like dust or water vapor.

Astronomers worked to exclude one theory after another, looking for ways to make sense of 'Oumuamua's bizarre motion. It hadn't collided with another object, and it hadn't received its boost in speed from solar wind.

One research group thought the best explanation for the object was that it was a "miniature comet" whose tail went undetected, as a consequence of "unusual chemical composition." A different group suggested 'Oumuamua consisted of frozen hydrogen — a modified mini-comet hypothesis.

Key to 'Oumuamua's origin lies in its brightness, says Harvard professor

However, the most interesting account came from Professor Loeb, who argued 'Oumuamua wasn't the kind of interstellar object we expected. To him, it was an artifact of an alien civilization.

"Long before we knew of its existence, the object was traveling toward us from the direction of Vega, a star just 25 light-years away," wrote Loeb in his book.

However, ground- and space-based observations following the outward trajectory of the object identified sunlight reflecting off of the surface of 'Oumuamua.

"For astrophysicists, an object's changing brightness provides invaluable clues to its shape," wrote Loeb. "In the case of 'Oumuamua, the object's brightness varied tenfold every eight hours, which we deduced to be the amount of time that it took to complete one full rotation."

Harvard professor argues object was artifact of alien civilization

"This dramatic variability in its brightness told us 'Oumuamua's shape was extreme, or at least five to ten times longer than it was wide," Loeb wrote. It seemed evidence pointed to a relatively small, cigar-shaped object.

"This is definitely an unusual object," observed the narrator of a NASA video, The New Yorker reports. "And, unfortunately, no more new observations of 'Oumuamua are possible because it's already too dim and far away."

Ruling out the possibility of a comet or an asteroid, Professor Loeb concluded only one explanation remained: the baffling object is an artifact of advanced technology from an alien civilization.

'Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence'

"Our civilization has sent five man-made objects into interstellar space: Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11, and New Horizons," wrote Loeb. "This fact alone is suggestive of our unlimited potential to venture far out. So too is the behavior of our more distant ancestors."

"And if other civilizations developed out there among the stars, wouldn't they have felt that same urge to explore, to venture past familiar horizons in search of the new? Judging by human behavior, that would not be surprising in the least," concluded Loeb in his upcoming book.

Needless to say, Loeb's conclusion about the origin of 'Oumuamua is extraordinary. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence," said the astronomer Carl Sagan — who has yet to be dwarfed by another scientist in his efforts to promote the search for extraterrestrial life.

Alien origin theory of object opens 'new vistas of exploration'

The best evidence Loeb cites for his 'Oumuamua theory is the absence of convincing alternative explanations. "It is not obvious to me why extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence," wrote Loeb, flipping the script on Sagan: "Extraordinary conservatism keeps us extraordinarily ignorant."

To Loeb, so long as the chance exists that 'Oumuamua is an alien probe, ruling out the possibility could make fools of us all. "If we acknowledge that 'Oumuamua is plausibly of extraterrestrial-technology origin," writes Loeb, "whole new vistas of exploration for evidence and discovery open before us."

For standing by his convictions, Loeb risks (and has weathered) serious ridicule. On a historical basis, the odds are stacked against his theory. Yet considering the statistical likelihood of life beyond our home planet against the stark contrast of lacking evidence — known as the Fermi Paradox — it's hard to resist the exciting possibilities that could unfold if we knew technology from an alien civilization did, in fact, enter our solar system.

#oumuamua #Astronomy #science #extraterrestrials #mystery

[thanksjro]

Robots in Disguise (2012), #1-22- A Recap, For Reference Purposes

Before we begin with “Dark Cybertron”, a lightning round style recap on the 22 issues that took place in the sister series to MTMTE, Robots in Disguise; just so we know what’s up with all the folks who didn’t hitch a ride on the Lost Light.

Here’s the Story So Far, since it’s been a minute.

Now for the nitty gritty.

Cybertron is a literal hellscape, as established in The Death of Optimus Prime, the very flora of the planet trying to murder anything that comes within a few miles of the surface. This has caused a massive economic slump in the tourist trap towns, who surely will not survive without the summertime revenue. Truly, life is cruel and not worth living.

Bumblebee narrates, as we show off all the weirdoes who live on Cybertron now. Bumblebee tries to greet a new batch of arrivals, as Metalhawk actively attempts to make him look like Satan incarnate, because all the NAILs have gone full ACAB at this point.

A robot who looks like he’s wearing a beanie commits vandalism and is then subjected to violence via Decepti-cop.

This is more or less the flavor for RID as a whole. You have been warned.

Prowl breaks someone’s hand just because he can. Blurr is made to arrest someone for disturbing the peace, even though he’s, like, basically the only guy on the Autobots who isn’t a cop. Bumblebee doesn’t believe in democracy.

Ratbat is the leader of the Decepticons, even though Soundwave is right friggin’ there. We establish that the military state is in full swing. Prowl commits a microaggression against a Senator. Ratbat gets pissy about his guys going out to beat people up, not because it violates his moral sensibilities, but because it benefits the Autobots.

Probably that you’re killing people by remote control, in as horrified a tone as he could manage, because that’s FUCKING EVIL. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

Prowl says to cancel the memorial for the Lost Light, because he thinks the Decepticons are up to something. Which they are.

Everyone hates the Autobots. Like, everyone.

Ironhide runs away from a murderous hedge and smashes into a wall. Prowl has a talk with a mysterious individual about his feelings during a romantic sunset.

Metalhawk releases hat guy from prison. He and Bumblebee have a little chat, during which he tries to gaslight the little guy. Bumblebee explodes Horri-Bull’s head in front of at least 30 people.

Except he actually didn’t, because the chips don’t actually work. T’was a ruse! Starscream enters the narrative. Ratbat used to be an actual person and not just a bat. Sideswipe wants to shoot someone. Bumblebee tasers a man unprovoked; guess he’s picked up a little paranoia from that time he got shot.

Starscream calls Prowl ugly, then spills the beans on Ratbat’s plan to kill Bumblebee at the memorial, solely because he thinks Ratbat is an idiot. Needlenose and Skywarp beat up a NAIL to work through their emotions.

Bumblebee shows a snuff film to hundreds of people at the memorial. Skywarp tries to frame a NAIL for murder, but Prowl says nuts to that idea, through the power of dramatic irony.

Long Haul tells a fib. Bumblebee and Metalhawk agree to work together. Ratbat gets turned into chunky salsa by Arcee, who will use the excuse of self-defense if questioned. Starscream pulls some fucking bullshit and third-wheels the agreement between Bumblebee and Metalhawk.

Ratbat’s death is played off as a suicide. Blurr is still a cop. Starscream is helpful. There’s a guy who looks like a frog, and I don’t care for what his eyes are doing.

Frog guy explodes, because nature is a cruel mistress.

Wheeljack has a hell of a time trying to answer the phone in the middle of an economic debate. Prowl is paranoid. Starscream handles the housing crisis. Wheeljack visits the hospital and causes a scene. Another explosion happens, killing dozens, including this guy:

You will be missed, Tiddytron.

Wheeljack realizes that the moon is trying to kill everyone, so he shoots missiles at the problem. The Aerialbots fuck off into the wilderness.

The Decepticons get some perks now that Starscream’s a government employee. Starscream destroys the military state through the power of talking over people. Prowl and his cronies investigate a murder at the trash factory.

Bombshell is arrested for thought crime, and spills the beans on the I/D chips not working. Prowl has Dirge on a chain for some reason, and it ends up causing nothing but trouble. Blurr runs every red light in the city to make a citizen’s arrest, and gets his ass kicked by a bunch of construction workers. Prowl has a complex about Spike Witwicky.

Prowl fixes the I/D chip issue and things go poorly for the construction workers. Blurr gets upset about having his ass kicked by construction workers. Prowl is very paranoid, even as he has a borderline pinup panel devoted to his weird robot bellybutton and positively ridiculous cinched waist. I begin to worry about how much I’m learning about Andrew Griffith’s tastes.

The poetry shark shows up.

Arcee reveals a little bit about herself, and I shed a tear as I shake my fist in the general direction of England, cursing Simon Furman’s name.

Metalhawk brings Sky-Byte to a literal trashcan fire to meet his buddies, and they all rag on the Autobots for a while.

Ironhide goes joyriding and finds Sky-Byte Oh Yorick-ing a Sweep’s head. Turns out they have a history. Blurr reveals his dream to own a bar. Metalhawk brings up the fact that setting up a group of folks to have their heads explode if they step out of line is some dystopian bullshit.

Sky-Byte meets up with his old buddy Swindle, and gets the skinny on the bullshit that’s being pulled on this brand-new Cybertron. Everything goes to shit very quickly. Streetwise gets set on fire. Prowl needs to stop. Ironhide commits violence against the general populace, then advocates for the removal of the I/D chips.

Blurr opens a bar, and it’s dinosaur-friendly. Prowl commits property damage on a table, because he’s tablephobic. Ironhide reveals the future.

Shockwave sends an entire race of Big Birds to their frozen demise. Orion Friggin’ Pax comes back into the narrative, in the middle of his giant fuck-off-from-responsibility space adventure. Wheelie and Garnak are here, which is cool, I guess. Jhiaxus yells a bunch, and Orion decides to go to Big Bird planet.

It’s farkin’ cold in here.

Orion and Hardhead talk about Rodimus’ tumultuous relationship with death. Shockwave is the only person in the universe who understands quantum mechanics. Monstructor wakes up from his cryo-sleep. Wheelie and Garnak are grievously wounded, and the patch job seems less than medically sound, since we’ve just put a screw into Garnak’s orbital socket to hold his eye-patch in place. Orion walks into a trap, knowingly and willingly.

Wheeljack does some espionage, even though Mirage is right friggin’ there. Turmoil swings by Cybertron to say hello- the Decepticon, not the emotional state. Drift is outed as a war criminal- well, more so than originally thought. Turmoil has a time machine.

Sky-Byte and Jazz team up for slam poetry night. Blurr tells Metalhawk a story. Wheeljack’s espionage adventure goes poorly. Turmoil gets trapped in a hamster ball. Wheeljack and Metalhawk get trapped in a hamster ball.

The Dinobots and Ironhide go on a camping trip. Starscream craves democracy. Skylynx is a glorified taxi. Slag hasn’t changed his name yet, despite half of the people working for IDW being from the UK. Swoop breaks down IDW Phase Two to its bare essentials.

Prowl sits on someone’s desk, because he doesn’t respect tables. Slag’s face is on fire all the time, and it’s sort of distracting. Swindle bothers Shockwave. Ironhide is attacked by the Dinobots.

Bumblebee sits outside and has some Night Thoughts. Cybertron wants everyone to stick together, and God help you if you don’t. Bumblebee is beginning to develop a complex. Blurr is upset with himself. Ravage and the Reflectors go on an adventure. The time machine isn’t actually a time machine. The time machine disappears.

Ironhide finds the Aerialbots, who have been combinered by the horrors of new Cybertron. Everyone yells at Bumblebee.

We get a taste of Old World Cybertronian propaganda, where everyone talks in the third person, as is tradition. Starscream gets curvier every issue. Again, I begin to worry about how much I’m learning about Andrew Griffith’s tastes.

Blurr causes an explosion in the wilderness looking for Ironhide, much to Starscream’s delight. There is a Titan under the ground, and its very existence is making reality shit the bed. Tailgate’s lies in MTMTE are so extensive, red herrings have leaked into the sister series.

Nova Prime commissioned Monstructor, and Omega Supreme hated it so much he punched it in the face.

Starscream invites a bunch of friends over to see the Titan. Brainstorm is used as a scale for end-of-the-world scenarios. Starscream is revealed to be chosen by the gods.

The Reflectors visit a planet and shit gets weird very quickly. Wheelie is about to have a goddamned stress-induced aneurysm, not that Orion particularly cares. Time nonsense is established. Wheelie-speak becomes plot-relevant. Livio Ramondelli subjects me to his nightmares’ nightmares.

Starscream gets interviewed on national television. Starscream owns a hat that makes him look like a Gundam. Omega Supreme explodes. Metalhawk flip-flops between who he’s defending like a fish on the dock. Starscream yells at Shockwave for being an instigator. Prowl and Starscream make a deal.

Arcee stabs a cat in the throat. IDW settles the debate- at least for their own continuity- and says RIRFIB. Prowl takes a fireball to the face to convince people he’s on the up-and-up. Arcee is smarter than Starscream. This asshole shows back up.

Bumblebee really, really wants to kill Megatron, but politics demand he be taken in as a POW. The fellas construct a conspiracy theory. Starscream tries to lead his peers, but it goes poorly. Not a single medical professional of Cybertronian descent actually keeps track of their patients. Maccadam’s gets several light fixtures ruined by Arcee. Wheeljack gets called a tool. Prowl shows up in his hot new body, decked out with enough weaponry to annihilate a small country and a gun that’s as big as he is.

Starscream gives Megatron a piece of his mind. The Decepticons are rioting in the streets. Prowl shows Wheeljack his toys. Arcee plays her trump card. Bumblebee tries his hand at negotiation.

Bumblebee learns a valuable lesson about leadership. Politics are hell. Megatron is released from prison. Democracy finally gets its day. Megatron enters the Black Room with his whole ass hanging out. Pretty much every Decepticon you thought was dead isn’t actually dead.

Metalhawk gets a taste of how 24/7 news has ruined everything. Prowl is revealed to be the mastermind behind all the bullshit that’s been going on the last few months, and he’s been working with Megatron. Swindle gets run over by a train. Wheeljack’s head is turned into a memory by Prowl. The crazy-making signal out in the wilderness was made by Megatron. Megatron walks in in his hot new bod, carrying his old one like his new bride. And what a pretty bride it is.

We get a literal talking heads sequence explaining just how exactly Megatron survived the events of “Chaos” and why Combiners are the bees’ knees. Prowl isn’t Prowl, but actually being controlled by Bombshell.

Dang, wonder who could have caused that, CHROMEDOME.

Prowl is released from his mind-control, and immediately plays the blame game with Bumblebee. The Constructicons and Prowl have a thing going, and show it off, much to Bumblebee’s horror.

Circuit gets given Fixit’s dialogue for some reason, and I can’t tell if this was an issue on the art side or the script side. Devastator wrecks shop. Megatron laughs at Starscream for being a loser, then crushes Bumblebee’s head like a grape. Ironhide finally shows up to the party, and he brought a veggie platter.

Jazz tries to warn the medical staff about the Combiner coming their way, but no one ever listens to Jazz. Prowl has a crisis of self. Jazz breaks up the two-man act. Megatron let Bumblebee keep his cane, proving that even heartless monsters can respect the Disabilities Act.

Ironhide and the Dinobots save the day. Superion and Devestator get into a fistfight. Prowl reaffirms his complex over Spike Witwicky. Bumblebee says some halfway transphobic shit, and I shed a tear as I shake my fist in the general direction of England, cursing Simon Furman’s name. Arcee switches sides again and stabs Bombshell in the face. Prowl takes a nap. The tides turn.

Ironhide resists Frenzy’s sonic attack through the sheer power of gumption. Skywarp says fuck this and gets out of dodge. Devastator becomes a real boy. 

Bumblebee WILL kill Megatron. Arcee makes it weird. Ironhide helps Prowl figure out his life. Bumblebee never learns. Metalhawk saves his BFF, and gets his arm shot off for his troubles. Starscream uses Metalhawk’s fuck-you-level long arm to kill a man.

Swindle carries a dude twice his size to safety with one of his arms off. Needlenose gets his just desserts. Devastator rips off his head to escape his crippling self-doubt. The Constructicons are having a hell of a day.

You said it, Hook.

Wheeljack saves the day from beyond the grave, that clever man. Metalhawk is killed by politics. Hat Guy tries to fight Bumblebee, and gets mad that he doesn’t remember his name. They’ve spoken to each other maybe once.

Metalhawk is made into a playing chip by Starscream, and also a speech writer from beyond the pale. Starscream tells everyone to get naked or fuck off, then takes off his top. All the Autobots and Decepticons who don’t want to get naked fuck off into the wilderness.

The Dark Cybertron “Prelude" issues kick in.

Shockwave and Dreadwing fly through the photorealistic sky to get to where the Titan is.

Listen here you little shit-

Shockwave shoots Dreadwing to test a theory, because ethics are for nerds.

Back when Shockwave was a hot guy with feelings, Jhiaxus was dealing with the Monstructor thing, then fucked off into space. Shockwave took the opportunity to be better than his teacher in every way, as is tradition. Proteus threw a whole-ass person across the room, because classism. Shockwave revealed himself to be a budding ecoterrorist. Shockwave joined a terrorist organization to further his own goals. Orion Pax tried to appeal to Shockwave’s softer side. Megatron killed the Senate. Shockwave replaced his shitty claws with a gun. Shockwave shot Dai Atlas in the legs and can’t explain why.

Dreadwing comes back to life, thanks to the power of Shockwave’s 14th ore.

Bumblebee has the Big Sad about Starscream being King of Iacon. Arcee doesn’t know what emotional turmoil feels like. Metalhawk’s lifeless body lays in the sun for several hours. Prowl is propositioned by the Constructicons. Arcee tells Prowl’s darkest secret, and it kills Bumblebee. Swoop is having a great time.

Arcee knows about Bumblebee being Hasbro’s golden boy. Prowl uses his manners, but only when no one can hear him. Arcee and the Constructicons get into a fight, with more flaming swords getting involved than you might expect. Slag offers to buy Arcee a drink.

Bumblebee gets a hot new body. Arcee gives herself a stick-and-poke tattoo. In a few hours, the sun will rise.

Pal, you are way ahead of schedule.

Shockwave makes a dramatic entrance.

Waspinator tells a story about the time he killed a servant of God and met death. Orion and pals visit Gorlam Prime. The Dead Universe comes into the narrative again. Wheelie has his arm blown off to keep from getting disintegrated, but he shrugs it off, because life is always awful for Wheelie.

Waspinator gets chased through the desert by Monstructor. Orion Pax acts like a dumbass. A Titan is revealed. Monstructor rides on the time-travel ship like it’s a horsey. Waspinator controls a Titan and makes it teleport. Orion plays fourth-dimensional chess, and reveals that his personal ship is named after his best friend.

Starscream talks to a corpse. Blurr tells Starscream to fuck off. A very good boy enters the narrative. The paparazzi ruin Starscream’s attempt to get underlings to do what he wants. A literal rat enters the narrative.

Starscream talks to Megatron, and I genuinely don’t have the words to explain what exactly is going on with that guy. Starscream takes a gander into the very good boy’s toolbox. The very good boy lays it on thick. Starscream destroys a man’s reputation.

Starscream breaks into Rattrap’s apartment. Rattrap becomes a government employee. Starscream talks to Wheeljack, who isn’t dead.

Soundwave has a flashback to when the Decepticons surrendered after the Chaos event, confirming that Ratbat was universally hated. Soundwave has robo-synesthesia. Shockwave is the perfect Cybertronian- Soudwave hates him for it.

Shockwave calls his teacher. Ravage judges Soundwave. The Decepticons reminisce on the time they resorted to cannibalism. Soundwave thinks mourning is for dumb babies and tells everyone to shut up because he’s big man on campus now.

Nobody deserves it more than you, babe.

The infighting begins, because no Decepticon has the ability to be halfway decent to each other, and they won’t learn that skill for a good while. Needlenose throws Blitzwing across a field and admits to having feelings. Soundwave is abandoned by the Decepticon forces.

Soundwave talks to himself in the Crystal City, then gets his ass kicked by Dreadwing.

In the past, Shockwave calls Bombshell a loser and outdoes him.

Soundwave kills Dreadwing. Shockwave hides in the shadows like a weirdo. Soundwave is done trusting Shockwave. Soundwave grabs Shockwave by the boob and yells at him. Soundwave is a hopeful guy.

In the past, Soundwave stole Ratbat’s brain and put it in a cassette, proving that space-Communism only works on paper.

Soundwave punches Shockwave in the head. Shockwave assumes Soundwave is alone, despite knowing he can contain many small men inside him.

Shockwave explodes a cat. Soundwave fires missiles at Shockwave and hits him in the tit. Shockwave would fuck Microsoft Excel if he could. Frenzy is just happy to be here- no, I didn’t mix them up, the colorist did.

Ravage is a grown-ass man. Soundwave’s synesthesia used to be a lot worse. Shockwave sends Soundwave and pals home. The Titan and Waspinator show up.

Soundwave has a face. Ravage and all the other cassettes are emotional support animals, who are also fully sapient.

Shockwave’s gonna fuck everything up.

And THAT, dear children, is the entirety of Robots in Disguise, up to issue #22. We’re all caught up and ready.

#transformers #rid #exrid #recap #maccadam #Hannzreads #text post #long post

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Okay so I use to send you asks all the time about tdp (Star arcanum, Luna Tenebris, meta etc) but I haven’t in awhile since s4 taking an eternity but today I go on reddit to find out Viren apparently resurrected Soren when he was younger?! That’s the reason the mom left!?!? That’s probably how Claudia knew the spell!?!?!? I feel faint. There’s also a new map of Xadia (I would love you’re thoughts on that and what new places you’d like to see) and Rayla finds her moo shadow form disorienting?

Well hello again, then! Hmm, I couldn’t find that post over there. Is it a theory, or something official? It makes good sense though. The opportunities for Claudia to see/learn that spell are extremely limited, and that scenario fits with what the B1:M hinted at regarding Soren’s health, what Viren would be willing to do about it, and how his wife would react.

Can you imagine being a tiny little girl and seeing your dad bring your brother back from the dead? My gosh. He did it out of love, and he wielded such power! And he did what he did because he truly believed it was right. Claudia must’ve been so proud of Viren, and so in awe of him!

Also. This would be why Soren said he’d stay with Viren when their mom left. He owed his dad his life, and he must’ve felt so loved and wanted and grateful, like he owed Viren his loyalty, and all the rest of his years. Such an innocent sweet boy! But when you give someone a gift, Viren, you don’t get to decide what they do with it. Soren can make his own choices.

And then there’s this. Consider the haunted look on Viren’s face as he realizes what Claudia has done:

Could be he’s having a big “Oh so this is how Soren felt” moment there, on top of his feels about seeing Harrow’s crown all bent. I don’t imagine Viren has too many “oh this is how other people experience feelings” moments anymore, between his secure and powerful position and whatever dark magic is doing to his soul. But maybe here he’s missing Soren, who left him and defected to the other side. The boy he sacrificed for, the boy he adored, turned away from him, and maybe Viren is having an actual Feel over it here. I hope so!

Listen, I LOVE THE MAP OKAY. I love maps. I am a map nerd. And I pored over the map in B1:M and enjoyed the heck out of it.

My top four favorite details from this map are: Ocean Point, marked with the Stars rune, the pawprint and crescent moon islands in the Independent Isles because i have theories, how the Ruins of Elarion are situated to the Silvergrove the way that Dol Guldur is to the Elvenking’s Halls in Mirkwood, and the fact that the border between the human lands and Xadia extends out into the sea in both directions and there’s a whole frozen ocean and a whirlpool of epic proportions to make sure that the humans absolutely definitely stay on their side of the border. Avizandum and Company literally childproofed the planet, okay. It’s hilarious and powerful and very telling.

Moonshadow form being disorienting was a fun detail! I think it must have to do with how the magic form works. It was stated that the form works by adapting to the patterns of light and shadow around the elf’s body so they blend right in. They’re not really going invisible. It’s the magic version of the stealth tech we see in sci fi movies, where cameras take pictures of what’s on the far side of a car or plane and project it onto the near side, to hide the object in plain sight. Maybe the disorientation comes from having to put a low-level conscious focus into that, while also having it pass across your own eyes all the time, like you’re looking at the world through tinted goggles, or when you keep having shadows flicker across your eyes in bright sunlight. I hate that. 

But it’s a condition the elves can embrace, and Runaan and his team would definitely practice working in full Moonshadow form so they could be swift and precise with no disorientation. I imagine he trained Rayla to fight in that form, too, so she’d be ready for the mission. But from everything we got in the show and in the book, she’s really concerned with not letting him down, and she might have overstated her comfort with her Moonshadow form a little to make him think she was ready for the mission, because it was so important to her and she knew he was taking a risk vouching for her. Among other things she did that clearly meant she wasn’t ready at all.

Thanks for the ask, anon! I’m always DTT (down to theorize), and we got families and maps and worldbuilding all up in this ask. Made my day, thank you!

#asks #tdp theory #tdp speculation #tdp analysis #book one: moon #book one: moon spoilers #rayla #runaan #viren #claudia #soren #maps #i love maps okay

[cruddyborderlandstheories]

GEARBOX THIS IS EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WANTED THAAAAHAHAHAANK YOUUUUU

FUCK OKAY TRAILER BREAKDOWN BECAUSE I AM LOOOOOOSING MY FUCKING MIND OVER THIS TRAILER HOOOOOLY SHIT

POSSIBLE PSOILERS??? MAYBE? GOD DDDDDAYMN WHAT A WAY TO GET BACK INTO THE THEORY SCENE LMAO

SO FIRST OF ALL I’M NOT CERTAIN THIS IS RELATED TO THE BARMAN/SECOND STARS CULT QUEST I FOUND IN THE FILES AS SOME PEOPLE SUGGESTED, BUT I WILL ADMIT IT IS SUSPICIOUSLY SPECIFIC. MAINLY ABOUT A CULT AND THE FACT WE SEE A BAR HANGING OUT IN THE TRAILER, BUT HEY, I AM NOT GOING TO MAKE ASSUMPTIONS RIGHT NOW I AM JUST GOING TO ENJOY THIS WHILE I CAN

ANd breathe in

breathe okay

okay

im okay.

i’ve watched this trailer like 15 times already oh my god it’s so good. i wasnt so hyped about the casino dlc bc, like, i already spoiled myself on it BUT THIS IS (AS FAR AS WE KNOW) UNCHARTED TERRITORY AND

IT’S TECHNICALLY A WATER PLANET

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

okay

okay

i will stop using caps

for the most part

hhhhhhh

okay.

let’s just be calm. i got this

BUT HAVE YOU SEEN THIS THOUGH????

oh ym goD

the fucking lighthouse sent me. i just. i went feral for a solid hour and a half. just wheezing on my test. i fell onto the floor at one point, don’t remember when. it was so fucking good, i couldn’t feel my goddamn hands

;-; its so beautiful i could stare at this all day hhhhhhh

i just

hhhhhhhhhhhh

oh ym godddd ;-;-;-;-;-;-;

it’s so fucking beautiful

i can’t

okay

we see the gun/health station under the lighthouse so it’s not really THAT big, and we can see a town in the distance. running across the ice sheets is giving me HUGE southern shelf vibes which i am in love with. this whole aesthetic is just ;w; so good

there’s a catch a ride in that town as well so we know this area is fairly big (which is confirmed in a later shot)

and oh my GOD can you imagine seeing some big ol beast lurking beneath the surface of the ice sheets hohhhh

MAN

okay sorry im still not oevr this its just so fckign good

inside the belly of the beast rotting Monster and OHHHHHHHHHHH THE IMPLICATION-s of that. of that. im calm.

we get a look at 2 new enemies and mmmmmm we get a better look at them later on so just look how fuckig beautiful thsi area is with its acid that’s probably rotting stomach acid and AAAAAAAA

first close up of the town, giving me really big uhhhh we happy few vibes? which im not complaining about

TENTACLES asdfghj

anywway more toen, bridge looks like like athenas which is DOPE im hype for more athenas-esque architecture

the TOWNss oh my god im so im love with this aesthetic god. damn.it i need this injected directly into my veins like right N O W

also the bridge is going over another pool of acid, which the tentacle is coming out of. i imagine this monster was sorta acid based, which is funny. since. frozen water planet. and it’s OOZY too. oozy boy means the eridians didn’t make this one! ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

hm who’s ready to face the unintended consequences of our actions?! NOT THE ERIDIANS WHOOO BOY (you cannot tlel me that there are mantakores on this planet and not say there was eridian fuckering going on nooOOPE)

also, side note, DIGGING the spike pit under the house on the bottom right. hope we get to explore that bad boy

ALSO

who are you mysterious figure whose cape billows in the wind? are you just part of the environment?? MAYBE

more town

first look at that BEAUITUFL red barrier which OOOOH I WANNA TOUCH SO BADLY

look at it

LOOK AT IT

NOODLE BOWL

EATS??? food place?? im not sure i can’t read, Jared, 19

see s-ar(?)ed??

THAT

THAT IS BEAUTIFUL

doesn’t look like a corporation shield (no corporation gunk lying around either) and we do know red glowy shit is the New Eridian Aesthetic, so im just saying.

it could be a corporation tho, mostly because uhhh later shots

hold up

that’s not uhhhhhhhhhhh

yeah it CAN’T BE lol

cursetown - something something

these red thingies are probably just rotting monster flesh but it does look very similar to the vines on nekrotefeyo

given how worried wainwright looks i imagine him and hammylocks are being coerced into the whole marriage thing in order to complete a ritual

i mean no judgement but that red background is absolutely garrish for a wedding

1. pirate ship??? please??? look at all the mist outside and the wooden bars

god PLEASE can i get a pirate ship.  CNA I PLEASE GET A PIRATE SHIP

Captain scarlett wsan’t enoughhhh

2. why the fuck does she have a tail

3.

DJ Midnight performing Saturday: The Dark Mix Deep W???? Hear The Voices (hmmm) and Let The Music Enter You

gee i wonder if this is cultist propaganda

I DON’T KNOW WHO YOU PEOPLE ARE

BUT YOUR TIMING

SUCKS

IIIII AM HERMEAUS MORAAA

no wait wrong game

BUT BRO TENTACLES COMING OUT OF THE MAGIC PORTALS???? UFCKF UEYS THIS FITS PERFECTLY INTO H2O A- i mean, damn haven’t we got enough tentacles from the destroyer?? wow gearbox... heh. hm.

SO I AM WONDERING IF MAYBE THE GREEN UNDER THE BRIDGE AND SUCH ISN’T LIKE CORROSIVE ACID BUT MAYHAPS SOME SORT OF MAGIC SLUDGE COMING OFF THE BIG OL MONSTER BOY THAT THESE CULTISTS ARE HARNESSING TO TAP INTO something. i lost steam. but i mean MAGIC PORTALS

and we all know where teleportation takes us

MANTAKORES!!! WHICH MEANS ERIDIAN INTERVENTION SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE

they seem like fire/ice boys which i absolutely adore

THIS SHOT IS SO COOL OH MY GOD

LIKE I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN IT JUST LOOKS D O P E

WHAT IS THIS??

WHAT IS THIIIS??

CAN I PLEASE HAVE YOUR JACKET

OH ALSO

I MENTIONED IT IN ANOTHER POST BUT THIS

REMINDS ME A LOT OF THIS

IM SURE THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO CORRELATION BUT I THOUGHTIT WAS FUNNY

ALSO REMEMBER THE BLACK EYES THING I HAVE A WHOLE THINGIE THING IMMA BRING BACK OT IT JUST HOLD TIGHT

THIS SHOT?? OH MY GOD? IT’S LIKE A MOVIE????????? I LOV EI LOVE IT LIV E OT

nND THE WOLFIE BOYS THATTHE ARTICLE MENTIONS

UCKING TENTACLES HFDGDHFGJKH THIS IS SO FUCKING COOL OH MY GOD

HE’ SGOT TENTACLE ARMS LIKE MOTHERFUCKING CHADAM

BRO IM

BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

AND A GUN THIS MOTHERFUCKER STILL HAS A GUN

WHAT A MAN

MORE TECHONOLOG Y THAT IM SURE PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS SOMEHOW

BEAUTIFUL

WE SLAM THIS DUDE UP AGAINST A WALL SO HARD SHE/HE/THEY (I ASSUME SHE BC WE CAN’T SEE HER FACE AS A COMMON TROPE) 

BREAKS THE WINDOW WHICH LOOKS SUSPICIOUSLY LIKE A WINDOW ON SANC-III BUT IM NOT MAKING ANY ASSUMPTIONS

also red SPARKS WHICH REMIND ME OF ERIDIANS AGAIN

also her whole helmet thingie??? very Guardian-like

THIS SHIT RIGHT HERE IS GIVING ME HUGE HECTOR/KEY/PLANT/ERIDIANBULLSHITTERY VIBES THEY EVEN HAVE THE GLOWING SACS OF OOOOOOOZE

which is another point to the “green sludge is magic/connected to their powers somehow” theory. hmmm i hope we mix neon green and eridium purple. purple/green is my favorite color combo. and ugh with the lovecraftian vibes? be still my beating heart!

WINNIE SHOOTING SOMOHE

i fucking LOVE the laces on this shotgun. so fucking pretty omfg

magic circle MAGIC CIRCLE MAGIC CIRCLE

also new chest it looks like

BROO??? HOLY SHIT?????????

JABBER WOLF!! SO FUCKING COOL

THAT SKULL MOUTH IS SO FUCKING DOPE IT LOOKS LIKE TROY’S TATTOO

ohhhhhhHHHHHH THE MOON IS GREEN TOO DON’T DO THI GEARBOX IM GONNA SCREAM IF THERE’S ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE ERIDIUM

THIS SHOT OHHHH

THE BAR LOOKS FUCKING FANTASTIC OH MY GOD

shots SHOT SHOTS SHOT SHOTS HTOSHSTOHSOHTS

dND the MERFOLK TAIL ON THE FAR RIGHT I DON’T GIVE A FUUUCK WHAT ANYONE ELSE SAYS THAT’S MER TAIL THAT’S A TAIL FUCK U

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YSEY SEYSEYSE BIGGG

THE BARTENDER OHOH

HAVE I MENTIONED THE GIANT FUCKING MUSHROOMS BTW

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA IM GETTTING SUCH DRAGONBORN DLC VIBES I LOVE IT

SWEETFRUIT VILLAGE BTW THAT’S IMPORTANT

YOU ALLL LOOK SO FUCKING AMAZING OH MY GOD

the bartender!!!! his glasses!! AND THE VOICE MODULATOR???

the netch looking boys are called

slithercresses btw and THEY LOOK STUNNING

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

NEW RED CHESTS??? LOOK ERIDIAN TO ME

WHICH MIGHT MEAN------

ALSO THE DIMENSIONAL TRANSFER PROGRAM ON SANC-III WHERE BBY BOY MAUREICE MAKES US A PORTAL TO HELL??? WHICH GREEN OOZE WHICH IS “HECKTOPLASM” BUT MAYBE ACTUALLY N O T

THE STAR OF THE SHOW BABY GIRL GAIGE WHO’SACTUALLY OLDER THAN ME NOW FUUUUUUUUCK

YOU’RE SO FUCKING BEAUTIFUL II LOVE YOUR NEW GOGGLES

H??????????????

POSSIBLE NEW PSYCHOMASK UNLESS HE’S JUST GROWING THOSE BONE HORNS IN WHICH CASE YOU GO MAN IM PROUD OF YOU

TENTACLE GUNNNNNN WHICH BETTER LPAY A PART ERIRDIANS YOU FUCKS

THIS PLACE IS WHY I THINK THIS MIGHT BE RELATED TO S O M E CORPORAITON? BUT THEN AGAIN IT MAY JSUT BE THE CULT HEADQUARTERS OR WHATEVER, THAT RED BUBBLED MANSION LOOKS P HQ

FOOD CARTS AND ALSO WHATEVERS IN THAT SWINGING BAG LOOKS LIKE BONES HELL YEAH

this this THIS THIS THIS THIS WHAT IS THIS A NEW CIRCL  E OF SLAUGHTEr? ERIDIAN???

THEYRE PUMPING SOMETHING INTO/OUT OF THE CORPSE!!!!!!! ALSO

mutaTED FEET

[something] world! with a skull symbol on the side

both green btw

god YES I LOVE GREEN AND PURPLE IM SO HAPPY

SAILOF HOLE

hammylocks helping us with a fight by some bones and more wolfie boys!!!! i love these little dudes

FIRE MUTATED SLUGS AAAAAAAAA THEYRE SO COOL

ns tHEY CUR L UP INTO BALLS AND ROLL AT YOU LIKE KRAGGONS

AND I WONDER HOW THE SLUGS MUTATED IS IT POSSIBLY THE G R E E EN?

AND THEIR SHELLS LIKE SUCC UP LAVA?????????????

THESE BRAIN-Y BOYS 

SO BLUE I LOVE THEM

AND MORE GREEN MIST BY THE WAY OWOWOWOWOWO

another look at a baddie with STUDS THIS TIME

A MAGIC WARLOCK TYPE BADDIE THIS TIME AND HE SUMMONS A STAFF AND ALSO I THINK THAT’S ERIDIUM CANNISTER BEHIND HIM

AND IT HAS SIMMILAR TENTACLESTO THE GUNS DO YOU THINK WE’RE FINALLY GOING TO GET ANA NSWER ASA TO WHY OUR GUNS ARE A L I V E

MORE SNAIL DUDES AND THE GREEN STUFF IN THE BACKGROUND M A N I LOVE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA SNAILS

OOOOOZE

BACK AT IT AGAIN IN MY CYCLONES

GREEN FUCKING PUDDLES

B O N E S FUCKING I HOPE THIS EXPLAINS HOW THE SKAGS ON PANDORA GOT SO FUCKIN LARGGO OUTSIDE OF JUST ‘YEAH THE SEASONS’

MORE

this

THIS

ONE

THIS LOOKS LIKE A SAURIAN THE ARMORED ONES THE BASHY ARMORED ONES THAT START WITH ‘C’

TWO THAT GUN IS KICKASS

IT’S GLOWING G R E E N AND IT HAS ***THE TENTACLE BARREL***

OHHHH IM SO READY FOR AN EXPLANATION GEARBO X PL E ASE

GIVE IT TO ME

ALSO THIS

IM EXCITED ABOUT

PROBABLY RELATED TO SWEETFRUIT VILLAGE BC THE MUSHROOMS MAYBE THEY USE IT TO MAKE BOOZE MUSHROOM BOOZE EW

WHY IS HE GRAY?????? HE’S NOT WEARING A JACKET MAYBE HES CRYO-FLAVORED

more sluggus THESE ARE GREEN FLAVORED :O

also, side note

PLEASE TLEL ME THIS WAS INTENTIONAL GEARBOX

LEMME SLAP BLANE’S ASS

YOU *GUYS* PLEASE

BUBBLE MANSION??? GREEN OOZY VILLAIN THAT GOT SLMAMED INTO A WALL??? BABY BABY GIRL

THE R E D

and she’s USING A TENTACLE GUN TOO

THAT’S GOTTA MEAN SOMETHING RIGHT

hhhhhhHHHHH

also ther’e sa fridge on the left lol

also the consoles look similar to that one shot with zane which is why i believe this is part of that bubbled-y mansion.

YES ES YES YES YES YESY SYEYSE 

I WANNA RIDE THE SKY TRAM SO BAD PLEASE

I WANNA REENACT UNTIL DAWN

I HAVE A MIGHTY NEEEEEEED

ALSO NOTE THE EYES

AND THE PURPLE HOW IT LOOKS LIKE AN ERIDIUM PURPLE

ANYWAY I HA[VE TO GO EAT FOOD NOW BUT GO LOOK AT THIS LINKN

I LOOKED UP THE NAME OF THE PLANET AND MYTHOLOGY AND NOTHING CAME UP, BUT GOOGLE RECOMMENDED ME 

T H I S

https://pantheon.org/articles/l/lycurgus.html

AND MAN OH MAN

“FAMOUS FOR HIS PERSECUTION OF DIONYSUS” THE GOD OF P A R T I E S LIKE IDK A WEDDING PARTY, WHICH FORCED YA MAIN MAN DIONYSUS TO <JUMP INTO THE OCEAN> WHICH COULD HAVE SOME RELATION TO THE TENTACLES

OH AND ALSO LYCURGUS WAS THEN <<<BLINDED>>>  WHICH COULD PLAY A PART IN THE BLACK OOZY EYES EVERYONE HAS

DIONYSUS ALSO ENDS UP PUNISHING LYCURGUS WITH MADASS AND WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT RELATES

OKAY BYE 

#borderlands #bl3 #borderlands 3 #borderlands spoilers #IM SORRY I POSTED THIS EARLY IT WAS ANA CCIDENCT

[strangershield]

The Impostor

Pairings: Platonic Daisy x Fem! Reader

Request: 

could you write something for daisy during the recent season?

would you mind writing a platonic Daisy Johnson x SHIELD agent fem reader where Daisy and the reader were best friends, almost like sisters, and when the reader died on a mission post season 5 Daisy was devastated? Then around season 6 the reader comes back but is completely different because she was reborn on an alien planet and has never met the team and Daisy is struggling to cope with that?

Warnings: season 6 spoilers, death, memory loss, kinda sad near the end

-

-

-

She noticed her blank eyes first. The vast black, void of colour and emotion, that glazed her eyes like a film. Daisy’s own eyes glassed over as the world around her became a distant memory, foggy and muffled as if she was underwater. Yet she was at the SHIELD base, surrounded by her friends and her impostor of a best friend. The air in the room, once alive with electricity, had settled to a dull static.

“Daisy, what’s wrong?”

Jemma’s voice rose from the corners of Daisy’s conscious as the scientist began to step forward. Only then did Daisy realize that she was frozen, staring into (Y/N)’s eyes whilst holding her at an arm’s length.

“Daisy?”

She snapped back to reality, to time, with a sharp jolt. A dull thud echoed as she stepped back from (Y/N)’s body, her ankle rolling in the process. Thankfully May was near, catching Daisy as she fell for she was too in shock to react to her small stumble. Daisy crumbled in May’s warmth, indulging in her familiarity. The second of the pair stood rigid, holding her friend who had grown doll-like, unable to move. Small clicks and thuds bounced from the concrete floor as the others moved to watch Daisy. Their eyes flickered towards (Y/N), a gaze once consumed with joy now littered with apprehension.

“Daisy?” May asked again, staring anxiously through stern brows.

“It’s not her.” Daisy whispered hoarsely.

The others looked at the girl in question, confused.

“It’s not her.”

-

-

Everyone seemed to be pacing but Daisy. The now blonde had thrown herself (quite dramatically) upon the black sofa that occupied the break room as the others bombarded her with questions or theories. She either responded with a sound or let it fly over her head, for she was too emotionally drained to think properly.

The others were less enthusiastic about her lethargic state. Fitzsimmons bounced theories off of each other, varying from alien planets to a long lost twin. Deke occasionally injected his own thoughts, but mainly stayed glued to his phone as he tried to find any articles or social media posts surrounding (Y/N). May paced in front of Daisy while she waited for Coulson’s return. Paced seemed like an understatement, marching in a repetitive motion as she fired question after question.

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“Eh?”

“Daisy, I need you to-“

“I don’t know May!”

Daisy yelled, violently standing up in one swift motion. The room grew eerie quiet as everyone watched Daisy in awe, who was a completely different woman to the lifeless body that lay on the couch only seconds ago. May didn’t flitch, but she didn’t react either.

“I don’t...know.”

Just as quickly as she’d switched, Daisy had reverted back to her state of numbness and confusion. She felt like collapsing, the weight of her own body too much to bare as her throat closed over. Because she did know when she last saw (Y/N). It was hard to forget the day her best friend died.

May took a definitive step forward and placed an arm on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

“We’ll figure this out, okay?” She said lowly, although everyone heard in the room’s absence of noise. “In the mean time, you need to get a grip.”

“First you hold me up, which is basically a hug, and now an arm squeeze with a threat. What’s gotten into you today?”

“It’s not a threat.” May smirked, glad to see some of the old Daisy peaking through the girl’s damaged state.

Before Daisy could reply, the doors flew open to reveal Coulson and two guests.

“Coulson already filled us in.” Yo-Yo revealed as the three stepped into the room. She went straight to May, the pair immediately breaking out in a conversation of hushed tones, as Mack made his way over to Daisy. They didn’t speak, he only consumed her in one of Mack’s rare but legendary hugs. Daisy let out a sigh, burying her head in Mack’s warmth and familiar scent.

“You okay, Tremors?” He whispered, muffled as his cheek lay against her head.

Daisy didn’t reply, she couldn’t lie to Mack. He would see through her facade, and they were too good of friends to not be completely honest with each other, even when the truth hurt. Time stopped as Daisy listened to the soothing, steady beat of Mack’s heart, wanting to indulge in this moment of warmth and security forever. Unfortunately, she had demons to face.

“What’s the latest?” May asked, finishing her secretive chat with Yo-Yo.

Daisy reluctantly pulled away from Mack to face Coulson, yet he never left her side. Coulson quickly scanned Daisy’s face before addressing everyone, concerned about her wellbeing and overall stability.

“Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your angle, Daisy was right. This isn’t our (Y/N).”

Daisy was punched in the stomach by an invisible force, completely winded. Whilst she saw it coming, the truth was still a bitch. A part of her had hoped that she was wrong, that it really was (Y/N). It was stupid, wishful thinking.

Everyone else seemed to be just as blindsided. Fitz buried his head in his hands as Jemma pressed her forehead to his back, the pair relying on each other for strength and support. Deke almost threw his phone but decided against the frenzied action, instead letting out a deep sigh and glaring at the floor. (Y/N) was apart of the team, so it was a low blow. Even May looked devastated, staring at any object or surface that wasn’t another human being.

“Did she speak?” Daisy wheezed out, staring directly at Coulson.

“Not much, but a little. She seemed pretty disorientated.”

Daisy stared at Coulson for a moment before she let out an incredulous, bitter laugh.

“You think she’s disorientated? That she doesn’t know where or who she is? She freaking stole (Y/N)’s face and is acting as some impostor.”

“Daisy-“ Mack began to warn.

“No, she’s not stupid or innocent. She’s not the victim. Why else would she come here of all places. Why the lighthouse, our secret base?”

Coulson stared blankly at Daisy, letting the silence fuel his thoughts.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t know. I’m still trying to fill in the blanks myself. But Daisy, let’s not villianise anyone yet.”

Daisy scoffed, pulling away from Mack to gain some personal space. The whole situation make her skin crawl.

“I may have a theory.” Jemma offered, her eyes flickering across the room to gage the reaction. Coulson shrugged and spread his hands.

“The room’s yours.”

“Where (Y/N) materialized from remains a mystery. My best bet is still an alternate dimension, an alien planet or some kind of clone. But I think she must have some memories, or at least feelings of familiarity. It would explain why she came here, to us. She may recognize us even if we’re strangers to her.”

“So you think she is attached to our (Y/N)?” May asked, knowing they were treading in dangerous waters.

“Perhaps,” Jemma answered hesitantly, “but I don’t want to imply too much with the little knowledge we have.”

“It fits with the doppelgänger and clone theory, being able to recognize the original owner or host’s thoughts.” Fitz offered, trying desperately to think of a reasonably explanation.

“We’re sure it’s not A.I?” Mack asked cautiously.

“Definitely, or at least 98%. It’s very advanced tech if it is an A.I.”

“It’s not A.I.” Daisy declared, surprising everyone with her sudden input. She became the new subject of interest, eyes fixated upon her.

“I looked at her. I spoke to her. It’s not A.I tech, but it’s also not (Y/N).”

“Daisy, are you-“ Jemma started softly, eyebrows creasing together as she looked at her friend.

“I know I have an emotional link to this but I know it’s not her. I know, Jemma.”

Jemma only offered a small smile of concern laced with sympathy before she turned back to Fitz.

The room became alive once more, a flurry of voices with no real answers or solutions. Only Daisy remained silent, trying to think logically about the vessel that looked like her best friend. It still didn’t seem real. Maybe that was her problem.

“Let me talk to her.”

Silence.

Everyone stopped and stared at Daisy once more.

Then the protests began.

Everyone disagreed, considering her request detrimental to her wellbeing...and (Y/N)’s. There were still so many unanswered questions and questions to still be thought of. It was irrational, unreasonable, dangerous. Those were Daisy’s favourite conditions.

“Please, I need to see her for myself again. Let me talk to her.”

She locked eyes with Coulson, knowing he would understand. Luckily, he knew her well. He nodded grimly, taking a breath before announcing his decision.

“You get ten minutes.”

-

-

(Y/N) wasn’t kept in a cell, she wasn’t a criminal. But she was a potential threat, an unknown case yet to be explained. Hence, the containment module seemed to be the safest place. Daisy looked into the room through the door’s small window, her whole body alive with chills. She couldn’t see (Y/N), not from this angle, but the white hexagon walls did enough to make her nauseous. Too much had happened in this room, to her and to others. And now a whole new memory was about to made, for better or for worse.

Taking a silent breath, Daisy set her neutral interrogation face and opened the door. She walked in steadily, finding (Y/N) sitting upright on the crisp, white bed. Looking at her again, Daisy’s breath was taken away. Same colour hair, same blemishes on her face, same eye colour. Yeah something was off. Her posture was too rigid, too robotic. Daisy kept her distance.

“Hi, I’m Agent Johnson. We met earlier.”

Daisy clasped her hands in front of her, voice void of emotion. When the stranger didn’t respond, Daisy continued.

“Do you have a name?”

“(Y/N).”

Daisy’s heart fluttered. The room started to spin as she comprehended what just happened. That was her voice. She has her name.

“Where are you from?” Daisy asked clumsily. She couldn’t call her (Y/N). Not yet.

The girl didn’t reply, and Daisy wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing. She let the silence continue for a moment longer before she tried again, becoming desperate for answers. Precious time was also ticking away.

“Are you from Earth? Another planet? Another galaxy?”

(Y/N) remained still, emotionless. It was a harrowing sight.

“I don’t know.” She finally answered. Something changed, and suddenly she was staring at Daisy with wide eyes.

“I don’t know.” Her voice has changed, from sterile and robotic to panicked and urgent. The blood in Daisy’s veins ran cold, her body acting on instinct and taking a step backwards.

(Y/N) was staring at her, piercing holes through Daisy with her eyes. Yet it wasn’t threatening, it was a plea for help.

“It’s...it’s okay.” Daisy stammered after she regained some awareness, trying to ease (Y/N)’s mind. The girl’s eyes screwed shut as she shook her head.

“No, no it’s not. I don’t know.”

“What do you know?” Daisy asked, trying a different angle.

She watched as the other woman searched her mind for an answer.

“I know my name. I know I woke up in dust, and only one thing was clear: you. I knew I had to find you.”

Daisy felt like she might internally combust. She was trying to keep her walls up, to remain indifferent to this stranger. But it was (Y/N). She had (Y/N)’s face. She had her voice. And now that it was clear that (Y/N)’s motivation was Daisy herself? Her walls began to crumble.

Digging her fingernails into the palm of her hand, Daisy took a step forward and lowered her voice, engaging in a new kind of intimacy.

“How did you get here?” She whispered.

(Y/N) wouldn’t look at Daisy, only at the floor or the opposite wall. Daisy’s heart sank.

“I found a ship, a plane, whatever you call it. It wasn’t easy.” Her voice was brittle and unwelcoming to any further questions. Daisy understood. After all, she had done some questionable things in her own past, and (Y/N), her (Y/N), had never judged her.

Before Daisy could reply, the door opened.

She swore under her breath as Coulson and May entered the room slowly. Daisy’s mind went haywire. She needed more time, she was getting through to (Y/N).

“Daisy, it’s been-“

“No. Coulson, I’m sorry, but she’s talking.”

“This isn’t up for a discussion.”

“Did you not hear me? She’s talking!”

“Daisy, calm down.” May warned as Daisy’s heart rate rose rapidly.

Why couldn’t they see that she just needed time? She clenched and unclenched her fists as she looked from Coulson and May to (Y/N).

She needed more time.

“Please.” She whispered in a hoarse whisper.

The room stood still. Eventually, Coulson stepped forward and placed a hand on Daisy’s shoulder, light and without force.

“Maybe after some lunch, okay?”

She visibly collapsed in on herself in defeat. There was no point making a scene and arguing, she was outnumbered and might remove herself from (Y/N) for good. She had one last look at (Y/N), sitting quietly with hidden eyes on the bed, before she left with May and Coulson by her side. She would be back. She had to come back. (Y/N) was counting on her.

-

-

In a cruel yet expected twist of fate, (Y/N) wasn’t (Y/N).

They all saw it coming, even Daisy. Yet the truth is a mysterious, often painful force of nature that will always prevail. For Daisy, the pain was worse than being shot in the stomach and being on the brink of death (which had happened before). She had lost so many people: Ward, her parents, Lincoln. Now (Y/N) was added to her list of ghosts, twice in fact. Losing her the second time was almost as worse as the first. Almost.  

The silver chain gleamed in the warm light as Daisy sat on her bed, twirling the necklace in her hand. Her fingertips traced the cool metal, from each individual link to the paper airplane chain that dangled at one end. She watched as the tip of her index finger became misshapen as she pressed it further into the blunt point of the chain when someone knocked at her door. She muttered some form of approval, too mesmerized by the necklace to look up or open the door herself.

Jemma entered quietly, closing the door behind her with a soft and polite thud. She was fiddling with her own piece of jewelry, the ring on her finger twirling endless circles as the scientist gave Daisy a warm smile.

“How are you?”

Daisy let the question fly over her head. It was something she had been asked for weeks but couldn’t answer honestly. How could she? It felt like her insides had been quaked apart and stitched back together.

“I’m so sorry, that was a stupid thing to ask.” Jemma apologized immediately, her eyebrows creasing together as she spoke.

Daisy sighed and finally brought her gaze up to Jemma, still holding the necklace.

“It’s okay Jemma, you’re...okay. I’m kind of glad it’s you and not Mack for a change.”

“He’s still trying to get you to open up?” Jemma laughed.

“Oh yeah.”

Jemma rolled her eyes playfully, Daisy even managing half a smile. The moment died quickly, reality setting in.

“What, um...what do you want?” Daisy asked, blunt but honest.

Jemma slowly crossed the room and sat next to Daisy as she replied, trying to create a space of warmth and comfort.

“Well, I’m not here to be your therapist, but I thought I could lend you some advice.”

She waited to see if Daisy would refute or reject her offer. She didn’t.

The two sat arm to arm on the edge of Daisy’s bed as Jemma wondered how to begin. The dated yellow light from above bathed them in unique shadows and faded golden rays, lightening their faces but darkening their eyes and the hollows of their cheeks.

“I’ve lost Fitz a number of times now. We all know about the classic Fitzsimmons curse,” she nudged Daisy’s arm for comedic effect, trying to lighten the dreary mood. “But last time felt different. We weren’t lost in time or space or an alternate reality. I actually lost him. For good. And it...it was-“ her voice broke, tears suddenly forming in her eyes.

Jemma’s heart was large but scarred and bleeding. Some things she could never truly recover from, like Fitz’s death. The others never saw her break down, she maintained a facade and kept consumed in her work. But with Daisy, Jemma could be her unapologetic self. It was the beauty of friendship.

Daisy’s heart sunk for her friend as she leant across and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tight.

“I’m so sorry, I’m meant to be helping you not becoming a blubbering mess myself.” The two laughed somberly as Jemma began the wipe her tears away with the palm of her hand. She took a deep breath before continuing, voice slightly shaky.

“Losing Fitz was awful. It sucked. And realizing I could get him back...well, that changed everything. I could have my Fitz back, no strings or A.I attached. But I was scared. Scared it wouldn’t be him, that it wouldn’t work and he’d be a stranger. And, yes, he did miss our wedding and a few other key events, but he’s still my Fitz.”

Now it was Jemma’s turn to squeeze Daisy’s hand.

“Daisy, we all went through the Coulson saga, but I know what it’s like to actually lose and regain someone. I know. I understand your pain. And I’m here for you.”

Daisy’s knuckles whitened as she gripped onto Jemma’s hand as if it were life support. Her throat was tight and dry, so it took her a moment to speak.

“I...Jemma, I miss her.”

Something inside Daisy snapped.

She felt her heart break under the weight of losing (Y/N), twice. Jemma was quick to maneuver herself to cradle Daisy in her arms, returning the favor of comforting a friend with a broken heart. Daisy couldn’t breath, her chest heaving and aching with each sob. As she cried in Jemma’s arms, her mind replayed her final moments with (Y/N), the real (Y/N). She didn’t know if it made it better or worse, but there was no controlling her mind. The memories was all she had now, any glimmer of hope for a revival gone after the impostor incident. So Daisy sat with Jemma and did something she had banned herself from doing: she grieved.

-

-

“Daisy, I’m so sorry.”

“No, don’t say that. Don’t you dare say that!”

Every machine in the room was beeping, no matter how small or irrelevant. Agents ran behind Daisy in sync with the symphony of beeps as she surveyed the spread of maps, coordinates and vitals in front of her. It wasn’t good. (Y/N) and her co-pilot had lost an engine and were descending rapidly. Daisy was trying to think of a solution desperately, but time was flowing like water and everyone knew that the odds were not good.

Daisy’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden and violent swoosh that came from (Y/N)’s end of the coms. Her stomach flipped.

“(Y/N), what was that?”

Silence.

“Oh god you better be alive. (Y/N) I swear-“

“I’m sorry I’m here! I’m here! I’m alive! Just a bit preoccupied by my crashing jet.”

In any other scenario Daisy would have laughed at her witty sarcasm. It wasn’t appropriate now.

Daisy breathed a sigh of relief yet still felt nauseous as if she was on the spinning, falling jet.

“Okay, well what was that?”

“I may have given Bailey the spare parachute.”

“You what now?” Daisy was consumed by rage and fear. “This is no time to be a hero, (Y/N). Your life is at stake.”

“I’m stuck!”

To Daisy, the room fell silent even though there were dozens of conversations happening in the room. It was only her and (Y/N).

She heard her friend conceal a sob in the disguise of a shaky breath, and Daisy felt like screaming in angst. She couldn’t do anything, and her friend was about to die.

“When our engine got taken out the front got damaged. My seat’s stuck, it won’t eject. My legs don’t look too good either, especially my left one. I think it’s crushed from where the side of the jet collapsed after impact.”

(Y/N)‘s voice was calm but far from fearless. She was panicking, and so was Daisy.

She only had seconds until impact, and both women hated how hopeless they were.

“Daisy, tell me something good.”

“(Y/N)-“

“Daisy please. Please distract me.”

Her plea broke through to Daisy, and she knew what she had to do. Pushing her own grief aside, Daisy focused on (Y/N)’s voice and not the flashing red numbers in front of her. She even smiled to sound more genuine.

“So you know how we brought Deke back from space?”

(Y/N) laughed. “Yeah, and he has a total crush on you. Why are we talking about him right now?”

“Well, did you know he filled my bed with lemons to express his love for me?”

“You’re kidding”.

“Unfortunately no. It reminded me of summer camp-“

“With Jason Higgins! Oh my god, that kid had it bad for me.”

Daisy laughed at the memory, her eyes filling with tears. (Y/N)’s breathing was intensifying as the ground grew closer and closer.

“He gave you an apple everyday.” Daisy continued, trying to distract her.

“Yeah, a Granny Smith which I hated. So on the last day of camp and I stole his beloved toy car and a black marker and wrote-“

Static.

Silence.

“(Y/N)?”

More silence.

Daisy screamed.

#marvel #agents of shield #daisy x reader #Daisy Johnson #daisy johnson x reader #mcu #aos #fanfic #fanfiction #angst #jemma simmons #request #writing #my writing

[justfortay]

Folklore is one big breakup song with public life, theory

I think the TS8/ Folklore album is one big metaphor for her breakup from public life or at least an announcement of taking a long sabbatical...as well as a few nods to her engagement, or even quarantine marriage. I’ve included the lyrics below that support this theory, as well as some small explanations. The lyrics in large part, speak for themselves. Song titles are in bold. 

the one

“But we were something, don't you think so? Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool.”

Could reference her twenties, which were all in the public eye. 

“In my defense, I have none For never leaving well enough alone But it would've been fun If you would've been the one”

Could mean she kept pushing the envelope on her career, which catapulted her to success, and ridicule. 

“Having adventures on your own You meet some woman on the Internet and take her home”

New artists are now found on the internet...the music industry has changed so much during her time as an artist.

“We never painted by the numbers, baby But we were making it count”

She has never played by the rules of the music industry. 

“You know the greatest loves of all time are over now.”

Her relationship with the music industry, one of the best of all time, is ending.

“Persist and resist the temptation to ask you If one thing had been different Would everything be different today?”

“In my defense, I have none For digging up the grave another time“.

Possible reflections on lessons learned during her time?

my tears ricochet

“if I'm on fire You'll be made of ashes, too. “

If she goes down, others in the music industry do too. 

Even on my worst day Did I deserve, babe All the hell you gave me? 'Cause I loved you I swear I loved you 'Til my dying day.”

She didn’t deserve everything the media/industry put her through, but she still loved/loves music.

“I didn't have it in myself to go with grace”

She didn’t want to leave the way she is, but she Is.

“And if I'm dead to you why are you at the wake? Cursing my name Wishing I stayed”

The music industry has wanted her out but wanted her back.

“We gather stones Never knowing what they'll mean Some to throw Some to make a diamond ring”

Music industry throwing the stones....diamond ring for her marriage. 

“And I can go anywhere I want Anywhere I want Just not home”

Home has always been where she can sing/play music for her fans. 

“And you can aim for my heart, go for blood But you would still miss me in your bones”

If she leaves the industry, those that made money off of her will want her back. “And when you can't sleep at night You hear my stolen lullabies“

Stolen lullabies are all the songs Scooter Braun/Big Machine took.

mirrorball

@bethpines1-blog​‘s theory on reddit I think hit the nail on the head for this one. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/comments/hxobln/theory_mirrorball_is_taylors_song_for_her_fans/fz7lkge?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

"Standing on my tallest tip-toes, dancing in my highest heels love, shining just for you" reminds me so much of her on tour. How she used to dance for us in those astonishingly high heels every night.”-@bethpines

"I know they said the end is near" sounds like she is aware that most people don't expect her career to live on for very long now that she has reached her 30s.-@bethpines

"But I'm still on my tallest tip-toes, dancing in my highest heels love, shining just for you" sounds so haunting in the fact that despite everything she is still trying and still dancing and still going on with the show despite it all.-@bethpines

The melancholy sound of the empty club mirrorball seems to take place in is so sad. It sounds like she thinks she is on her last leg, the last seconds of her five minutes of fame. Yet she keeps on dancing, just for us.-@bethpine

“And they called off the circus, burned the disco down

When they sent home the horses and the rodeo clowns I’m still on that tightrope I’m still trying everything to get you laughing at me I’m still a believer, but I don’t know why I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try I’m still on that trapeze I’m still trying everything to keep you looking at me”

this is me trying

“I've been having a hard time adjusting I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting

This sounds like she was on top of the music world but is now getting older.

“I didn't know if you'd care if I came back I have a lot of regrets about that“

She didn’t know if anyone would care if share came back after Kim & Kayne tried to cancel her. 

“They told me all of my cages were mental So I got wasted like all my potential.”

This represents how she felt during all the Kayne drama. 

“And my words shoot to kill when I'm mad I have a lot of regrets about that.”

Possible regrets from her time in the industry.

“I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere Fell behind all my classmates and I ended up here“

She has talked about how she was never a “cool kid” in high school, but now she’s one of the most famous people on the planet. 

illicit affairs

“Make sure nobody sees you leave Hood over your head Keep your eyes down”

Could mean she doesn’t want everyone knowing when she leaves the public eye. 

“What started in beautiful rooms Ends with meetings in parking lots“

Could reference how she’s “breaking up” with public life. 

“So you leave no trace behind Like you don't even exist”

Could mean that she wants to slip away like Meg Ryan did from the spotlight and just live her life. 

“A drug that only worked The first few hundred times”

Could mean that the “high” she gets from music may not be worth living in the public eye anymore?

“Don't call me kid Don't call me baby Look at this idiotic fool that you made me You taught me a secret language I can't speak with anyone else And you know damn well For you I would ruin myself A million little times”

Could mean that she would give anything for her managers & label at one point, but not anymore. 

mad woman

I think this song is particularly for Scooter Braun & Big Machine. 

“Every time you call me crazy I get more crazy What about that? And when you say I seem angry, I get more angry And there's nothing like a mad woman What a shame she went mad No one likes a mad woman You made her like that And you'll poke that bear till her claws come out And you find something to wrap your noose around And there's nothing like a mad woman”

“Now I breathe flames each time I talk My cannons all firing at your yacht They say "move on" But you know I won't And women like hunting witches, too Doing your dirtiest work for you”

These lyrics speak volumes. 

the lakes

I think this whole song is about taking a sabbatical with Joe & especially with her mom (her mother now having her third bout of cancer).

“Is it romantic how all my elegies Eulogize me?”

Eulogies are given at funerals...again, her funeral from the public eye?

“I'm not cut out for all these cynical clones These hunters with cellphones. Take me to the lakes, where all the poets went to die I don't belong, and my beloved, neither do you Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry I'm settin' off, but not without my muse.”

Again, the industry has changed and with social media, everything she does is scrutinized. Could mean she’s not feelin’ this life anymore. 

“What should be over, burrowed under my skin In heart-stopping waves of hurt.”

Could mean she’s still processing years of scrutiny from the press. 

“I've come too far to watch some name-dropping sleaze Tell me what are my Wordsworth”

Could be another reference to Scooter Braun/Big Machine.

“A red rose grew up out of ice frozen ground

With no one around to tweet it While I bathe in cliffside pools with my calamitous love And insurmountable grief”

This seems like grief about leaving the music industry.

And lastly....

From the one, “Been saying "Yes" instead of "No" “.....I think she may have taken some vows during quarantine.

From hoax 

“Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in Don't want no other shade of blue But you”

Meaning, Joe is nothing but faithful...and we know blue is the color she uses to reference him.

“No other sadness in the world would do”...could be sadness because of leaving music for a while?

I heard this from a friend’s sister, so I’m not sure where it originated, but the first word of the first song on the album is “I” and the last word of the last song is “do”. 

Let me know what you think! There is definitely a break up theme in this album, but she hasn’t broken up with Joe. Do you agree that the breakup could be with living a public life?

#@taylorswift #@taylornation #taylor swift #folklore #ts8 #folklore theories #folklore thoughts #folklore the album