#School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

[n0thingiscool]

Last week, the judge in Held v. Montana handed down a victory for the 16 young plaintiffs, who argued that the state’s continued production of fossil fuels violated their constitutional rights. Advocates say the landmark ruling could have broad ramifications for future climate litigation. But it’s also clear that Montana was woefully unprepared to face climate science on trial.

[nightingale-prompts]

Field Trip-DCxDP prompt

(Another Danny the Cosmic Babysitter pompt)

Danny had little patience for the adult heroes with a handful of exceptions. That is most of the heroes are fine but Danny likes to complain because he isn't called to be on missions often.

Instead, he often gets calls on Friday nights to watch Superboy and that means Robin comes too.

Danny is their favorite babysitter and the only people Danny doesn't complain about. He treats the boys with as much care as he does his little sister but he is also pretty negligent. If the boys were unharmed and not traumatized then he lets them do whatever they want. Much to their father's concern.

The boys were dropped off at Danny's portal after school with their bags and Clark gave Danny one of his mother's cheese apple pies and a batch of Alfred's cookies.

Clark wished them luck and reminded them to do their homework and to be respectful to Danny.

Bruce called and reminded Danny to....blah blah blah. Danny wasn't listening he was a busy god.

Danny instead took the boys on a field trip when Jon asked for help on his science homework.

Danny took them to his observatory and showed them just a fraction of the infinite cosmos. The observatory was a place he made to monitor the realms, tracking the path of stars and galaxies, and the life on planets.

"So how does life form on different planets?" Jon asked staring into the rainbow-colored galaxy twisting around them.

"Let's go see!" Danny opened a portal to a far-off desolate world under a purple sun making sure to put a protective barrier on the boys so they would survive the environment.

"Are suns supposed to be that color?" Damian asked.

"They can be any color," Danny said reassuring "Large amounts of potassium salts cause the star to look this way."

The boys looked around on this planet hoping to see new aliens. But there were none. Danny laughed at their puzzled expressions.

"This planet has no life on it. In 5 billion years the right conditions will be met to form organic life when this star burns enough of the potassium around it. Frozen ice in asteroids will hit this planet and water will form and the heat will create an atmosphere. Organisms will form and die and for a brief moment, this world will have life." Danny explained laying out the beginning of life.

"What? So they won't live? Why not?" Jon asked in distress of the idea.

"Haha, don't worry. That's how it's supposed to be. Life is a miraculous thing and the beings that will one day grow here are one of the billions of planets that share the same fate. They will never gain sentience of course but they will live and living in a universe so fickle and absurd is a testament. Think of just how amazingly it is to live on earth." Danny said taking the boys into another portal to a world populated by beasts.

Alien beasts that walked on four legs and birds flew.

Damian marveled at the giant birds that dwarfed any on Earth.

"This is a super planet with enough oxygen to support 50 Earths. Full of life and animals who have evolved from the small bacteria that would have died like on the planet before had the environment been different. Life is a roulette wheel though and even the same environment could yield different results." Danny said as they stood on the grassy clift.

"There really are no people?" Damian asked.

"No, and there never will be. You two are the only people who will ever reach this planet. This world will never know society. No government. No civilization." Danny hummed in thought.

"That's a good thing." Damian said.

"Is it? Maybe. Even a lowly beast still looks up at the sky and dreams of a better existence. But here this world will never know a truly peaceful life. It will always be predator and prey. Survival is all they know. No, they will mostly live short lives knowing only fear and violence. They will not know art or music, things gained from learning and sharing. They have not reached that part of development and they never will know. An ice age will soon come when their planet loses its orbit and they will all die." Danny said as he ushered the boys to another world.

Jon and Damian when silent in despair. Learning the benign cruelty of the universe was harder when you had to see it.

The next was a world that was a smoking wreckage.

"This world was once populated with billions. The people had evolved from the smallest life forms, surpassed their beastly heritage, and grew into tribes. They built cities and hubs. But they also built weapons. The truth is boys that the progress of a species hinges on the ability to evolve and the greatest driving force is competition. The greatest opponent is yourself. These people chose to give in to that call and they suffered for it. Some turned towards the stars and had long fled to start a new life on another planet." Danny said soberly.

Damian and Jon looked at the space god and noticed he suddenly didn't look like his usual self. He was slightly weathered and creased at the edges.

Danny opened another portal to another world. A city full of lights where below them.

"This boys is a planet of strange aliens. They dream constantly of a better life but don't know how to achieve it. They work together and they break apart, always arguing. But time and time again they come together to prove they care for one another. True there will be those who work against this collective and care only for themselves. Take pity on them, they have succumbed to their instincts from when they were just simple beasts trying to survive. If they can one day look up and see that all they have in this lonely universe where life can be blinked out of existence if the tide shifts differently then they'd truly become a better species. Boys you must understand that your existence is nothing short of a miracle upon miracle. We are all made from stardust and it is next to impossible that you exist at this moment but despite all odds you are here." Danny said as he flew over the city carrying the boys.

As Damian and Jon looked down they recognized landmarks this was earth.

"Will the same thing happen to us as that other planet?" Jon asked.

"I don't know. You mortals tend to surprise us. I can probably predict a billion futures and still be wrong. I'll have to ask the time god. Still, there is no telling what I do know is that the future will have you two and that tells me that it's going to be okay.

[clairewritesfanfics]

Inside an Otoge: Mister Dragon, Let Me Love You Chapter 4

Pairing: Dragon!Sylus x Non-MC!Reader

CHAPTER 3 | Series Masterlist <<read the synopsis and trigger warnings first>>

A/N: Another update, because apparently, my brain will do anything except study anatomy.

The science of world-hopping is far from your expertise, but even with your high school-level grasp on physics, you understood the sheer miracle of getting transported into a dimension where the environment is not hostile and shares similarities with Earth’s atmosphere. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that there is no verbal language barrier between you and Sylus. 

That’s why you are currently sitting on a gold and velvet chair while he lies on his side, cheek on his knuckles, and listens to you read your worn-out copy of The Little Prince,[1] the only reading material in your bag that isn’t related to your job.

When he first saw the cover, he was unimpressed, calling the titular prince “ugly.” You didn’t blame him. When you first laid eyes on it, you also didn’t like the artstyle, but you were young and prioritized realism and beauty. When you grew older, you appreciated the unique and cute character designs. 

“She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her . . . I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little strategems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her . . .”

You are about to start another chapter when you catch Sylus with his eyes closed. Chuckling, you put a detached can tab between the pages. Maybe this novella is too boring for the great fiend. You move to stand, but he pinches the material of your shirt. “What’re you doing? Why did you stop?”

“I was going to let you sleep.”

“‘m not sleeping, I’m just resting my eyes.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I want to know what happens between him and the flower.”

“... fine. But if I catch you dozing off I’ll stop and you’re going to have to learn to read these words yourself.” You love this book but it is too long to be recited in one go. 

As you have predicted, by the time you reach the chapter about the Businessman, a lonely and pathetic man who counts the stars and only sees them as “little glittering objects” to be possessed, your throat has become too raw and you couldn’t continue. 

Fortunately, your spoiled dragon is too busy sleeping to protest. You bookmark the page and quietly set it down. “Sweet dreams.”

You take this time to find the exit, not to escape, just to know. You eventually find it. The cave opens to a cliffside overlooking a city boasting a castle that resembles a gothic Neuschwanstein Castle.

You breathe in the fresh air. Crisp and cool and not a trace of smog. 

Left alone in silence, all the questions that you forced into a vault have pushed their way to the front and center of your mind. 

Why were you brought here? What forces were behind this? Was it on purpose or an accident? Was this world  truly real? Did you get run over by a truck, end up in a coma and now stuck in this dream? Maybe the wormhole was a convoluted way for your brain to rationalize this.

You stretch your hand toward the sky as if trying to touch the clouds. If this was a dream, then…

You close your hand. 

“It doesn’t matter.”

A strong gust of wind howls at you. You grab onto the wall of the cave, almost falling over to certain death.

You raise your brows. The skies remain clear, but for a moment, it seemed like a storm was brewing. 

Shaking your head, you step back inside and explore more of the cave.

That evening, Sylus awoke to see you standing over him, watching him. He had to shut his eyes again. He would sooner stick needles into his tongue than admit that you scared him for a moment. 

“Did I scare you?” You tease him.

“...”

It is unnerving to have someone read him so easily.

Loathing, revulsion, disgust–he is all too used to these looks from humans. As a child, he would have done anything to have something different, something softer. He even tried to cut off his horns and tail, but nothing changed. When he grew up, he discarded such desires. A monster could never receive anything but the darkest tar of human emotion. 

“Hey, can I ask a question about dragons?”

“If you’re interested in making a deal with me, don’t bother. Your soul is too…” Your greed is nothing he has ever encountered before. It is there, he can sense its weight in you, but it resembles a tamed beast. No, rather than tamed, your greed is like a wild animal that had lost hope of ever escaping its chains. As if you’ve given up hope for anything more. “You have nothing to offer me.”

“Oh, no, I don’t want to make a deal.” 

He snickers. Of course. “Fine. Tell me your question.”

“Do dragons have two penises?”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...?”

“Repeat the question for me.”

“Do dragons have two–”

“–so I wasn’t hallucinating.” He rubs his temples. “You… I have no words.”

“Is that a no?”

“Do try not to sound so disappointed. Also, I advise that you not ask this type of question to anyone, regardless of species.”

“But I’m only interested in what you have to say.” 

He glances at you. There is not a hint of shame or deceit on your face. Ever since you arrived here, you have never looked at him the way others have. You always meet his gaze head on, steady, unafraid but never arrogant or angry. You told him that he reminded you of the sunset. If that were so, then you are a clear sky. 

He could never stand mornings. The light makes him weak and irritates his eyes. But if he were an ordinary man, a human, would the sun that used to burn him be kind and gentle like what he was feeling right now?

You did say that you belonged to him now, so it shouldn’t matter if he gets greedy.

“Sylus?” 

He stops his hand mid-air before it could reach you. “Your voice is hoarse.” 

“Gee, I wonder why.” 

He gets up from the bed, stretching his wings. “Don’t pout. I’ll make it up to you.”

“Will you?”

He smiles. “A dragon never goes back on his word.” 

He leads you to the cave’s entrance and gestures towards the black castle below. “At the foot of this mountain is Tarus City. It’s considered the lowliest of all the cities here. But its markets have a lot of interesting things. Perhaps you will even find an object that can meet your impossible standards.”

He offers you his hand and you hold it without hesitation. He stares at your fingers, small and fragile next to his claws. This is not the hand of a fighter. If he applies just a little bit more pressure, the bones would break like eggshells. He could have never imagined something so delicate would willingly approach him.

“I’m assuming that your kind cannot fly,” he says.

“You would be correct,” you reply, already knowing what he is planning as he bends over and scoops you into his arms. 

“Better hold on tight then.”

His bat-like wings spread to their full length and push the two of you upward. 

This scene feels exactly like a CG scene from an otome game, or even a shoujo manga, where the darling female lead wraps her arms around the male lead. But you keep your hands to yourself as Sylus soars across the moonlit night. 

“You’re stiff. Got nothing smart to say?” He asks.

That steady gaze of yours remains on him. “I’m admiring the view.”

“I caught you doing the same thing while I slept. Will you get tired of it?”

“I don’t think that’s physically possible.”

“Normally, people would be admiring the scenery below. It’s not everyday a human can live like a bird.”

“I don’t need it.” This world is lovely, without a doubt, but whatever is below you is nothing compared to Sylus’s face which could be part of the Seven Wonders. Besides, you want to ingrain every one of his pores into your memory. 

“We’re here.” He slows down and drops a few meters away from the city entrance.

You make no effort to hide your disappointment as he sets you on the ground. 

“Did you enjoy being held by me that much?”

“Why ask when you already know the answer.” You then let out an exaggerated, playful sigh.

“Now, now. There are plenty of chances to hold each other in the future.” 

“Sure, sure.” You shrug and then realize something. “Oh, wait–my clothes…”

“Don’t fret, you may end up getting some strange looks but ultimately, the citizens here have their own problems to worry about. They can’t afford to be nosy about a harmless thing like you.”

“Fair enough. Let’s go then.” 

The city was designed after the word “gloom,” with a silent dread perpetually hanging over every person you pass. This place is like Gotham in medieval times. 

“Your eyes are sparkling,” Sylus notes, amused at how your head swings back and forth with childlike vigor.

A normal NPC would be affected by this darkness, but not you. You find yourself wishing you had a working phone so you could take pictures. A true, obnoxious tourist. 

“In my world, this type of trip wasn’t affordable to me. And even if I had the money, going on alone would’ve made me too stressed to enjoy myself.”

“Is that so?”

You rub your palms together as you admire the iron lamp post that lined the streets. “Yeah, and I would have never gotten an opportunity like this in the past.” You turn to him, beaming uncontrollably. “So thank you, Sylus.” 

Sylus stops walking. 

You stop too. “What is it?”

He touches his chest and opens his mouth, but no words escape. He narrows his eyes, but not at you.

“Sylus?”

He lets his arm drop to his side as he looks up at the sky. “It’s nothing.” 

You silently watch him, your own face blank, then you grin. This time, your smile is subdued. “All right.”

He holds out his hand. You put yours on top and he places a pouch of coins on it. 

“Feel free to look around. I have some business to attend to, it won’t be long and if you need me, just call my name. I’ll come to you, no matter what.”

“Okay.”

You watch him walk away, disappearing in the shadows. You let out a breath, the cold air fogging in front of you. “‘Nothing,’ huh.” You didn’t think it would happen so fast. 

Whatever.

Deciding to do as you promised, you approach some of the stalls. You haven’t eaten anything since that pack of Pocky and since you would rather not touch the meat here, you opted for the pastries. 

As you sit on a bench chewing your second pretzel, an elderly woman dressed in a black hooded robe wobbles towards you. She points an accusatory finger. “You… you are not of this world.”

Oh?

You continue to eat, ignoring her.

“You shouldn’t be here. You need to leave!” With a burst of energy, she rushes forward and clamps her hands over your shoulders, knocking the pretzel away from you.

You don’t fight back though. You keep your expression unreadable and let her ramble.

“It doesn’t want you here. You need to leave. You will doom us all…and you will die!”

“Everyone dies, though, granny. And you may end up going before me.”

She seems taken aback by your apathy. Her shock then morphs into rage. “I’m warning you! If you’re not careful, you will get killed!”

It is your turn to grab her–you hold her fingers tightly and lean forward. “Really? How does it happen? More importantly, who gets to kill me? Are their eyes as gorgeous as polished rubies? If not, then can you tell me how to get that person to kill me? I have no interest in getting murdered by anybody but him.” Your questions come after another in rapid succession.

“Answer me, granny, who kills me?” 

The old woman’s legs shook and you let go. With a sigh, you retreat. “I didn’t mean to scare you, ma’am, but you should be careful when telling people about their destiny.”

“Granny!” Two little boys run towards the shaking old woman. “So you were here, mother has been looking everywhere for you.”

One of the boys bow to you. “We’re so sorry if she offended you in some way. She’s sick so please pardon her.”

You wave them off. “Apologies are not needed, but you should keep a close eye on her.”

“We will…” The boys move to help their granny walk.

“Wait.” You pick up the bag full of pastries and give it to the boy. It isn’t just the granny, all three of them are frail enough to be knocked down by a faint breeze. 

“But…”

“Just take it.”

“T-thank you!”

Picking up your other purchases, you go to find a different place to wait for Sylus. You feel bad for picking on an old lady, but you wanted to see if she were an authentic fortune teller. To be honest, the information you’ve gathered can only result in an inconclusive answer because this whole “reality” could not be trusted. Still, it is better to lean into caution. 

You hold your chin. That woman saying that you are “not of this world” is too specific, but this place co-exists with different species and acknowledges the existence of a metaphysical plane like the Abyss, so there is a chance that she saw your abnormal clothes and thought you were a non-human similar to Sylus. The statement doesn’t necessarily have to refer to a different reality.

It doesn’t want you here. 

It. 

“Killed, not die…” This is quite the pickle. “...killed…not die.”

Hm.

Hmmmmm…

You have decided. 

“This is tomorrow’s problem.” You wish your future self good luck because you don't care anymore.

Before you can stand, a shady-looking man stumbled towards you, eyes glossed over and posture uneven. A drunk. “Haven’t seen you here before.”

You grab your things. 

“Hey now, no need for that, I just want to… want to talk with you.”

He is a malnourished drunk so you could probably push him away, but it’s always better to avoid a confrontation. 

“Hey… hey! Don’t ignore me!” He lunges forward, but is blocked by a solid wall forming between the two of you. No, not a wall.

Sylus stands in front of you. “Did you need something from my companion?”

“Huh? Who the hell are you? Don’t get in the way of our fun!” He throws a punch but your dragon dissolves his fist up to his elbow.

“Um, Sylus…” You tap your savior’s shoulder. 

“Do me a favor and turn around and cover your ears, puppy. I don’t think I have the right mind to be clean about this.”

“Well, sure, but before that, I have a request. Please don’t kill him.”

He glances over to you. “You can’t be serious. If you could see and hear the… filth that he was planning to do to you…” His right eye glows dangerously. “I cannot possibly leave this garbage alone.”

“Leave? All I want is for you to keep him alive.”

Sylus pauses. “You mean–”

“–think of it as a personal request, but if you really want to kill him I won’t hold it against you.” 

You are a person from the 21st century. It would be difficult to continue knowing someone died because they were related to you in some way. You are fine with them being barely alive though. 

You then turn around and cover your ears. You have to hum and whisper-sing random songs to distract yourself. Even if you were happy to vote for torture, that doesn’t mean you could stomach the sound of a living creature screaming in agony. 

“...making my way downtown walking fast and I’m homebound–ah.” Something warm and fluffy ends up on your shoulders. 

“It’s done,” Sylus says, adjusting the cloak. “He’s still alive. The amputation was successful, all five of them.”

“Good to know–hey!” 

He uses his body to block you from taking a glimpse of the carnage. The smell of rust and urine permeates the air.

“It’s an ugly sight.”

“...All right.”

“Are you not going to fight me on this?”

“It’s sweet that you remembered that I don’t like gore. I’ll trust your judgment.” Reading and watching records of criminal cases is a different experience from a real life slaughter. 

“I thought I told you to call for me if you encountered trouble.” He secures the gold clasp of the cloak around your neck. 

“Yes, but you arrived before I got the chance to scream. I appreciate the assist.”

He shakes his head lightly and pulls the hood over your head. “Your composure is astounding.”

“I hope your business meeting or errand went well.”

He hums in response before pinning a brooch on the left breast of your new coat. 

You examine the shimmering accessory. “I’ve never seen red thorn apples before.” The primary florals are made with garnets framed by gold leaves and complemented by tiny dots of diamonds that resembled tuberose flowers.[2]

“Is it too gaudy?”

You laugh softly at his pettiness and caress the wine-red blossom. “Not at all. It’s beautiful.” You hope your customer service smile would be enough to trick him.

“Not as beautiful as my ‘polished ruby’ eyes, I hope.”

“You heard that, huh.” 

“I think the whole market heard the commotion you made.”

“It was more of a kerfuffle.” 

He quirks his brow.

“It wasn’t a big deal. I wanted to teach her about manners, but now I’m starting to feel guilty.” You then dramatically draw circles on your belly.

He grins and offers his hand. “Come. I’ll treat you to something delicious.”

“I refuse to eat Wanderer’s meat.” You put your hand in his. If he fed it to you then maybe you would consider partaking in technical cannibalism. 

He cocks his head to the side. “You are impossible to please.”

“Really? I’d say I’m quite low maintenance.” You surprise yourself every time you say such lines. It is getting ridiculously easy to spout out these half-truths.

Important author’s notes:  [1] The Little Prince is a novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. If you haven’t read it, I suggest giving it a try. The book explores the innocence of youth, loneliness and isolation, human relationships and the responsibilities and vulnerability that come with these relationships.  Why does Y/N carry a pocket-sized copy with them to work? Speaking from personal experience, I like to have a good, comforting book with me when I feel sad. A security blanket of sorts.

[2] Thorn apples: Datura stramonium. Other common names are devil's trumpets, moonflowers and jimsonweed. In floriography, they mean “I dreamed of thee.” In the right doses, this plant can be used in treating various ailments. However, it has hallucinogenic properties.  Tuberose: Agave amica. An expensive blossom that is used in perfume-making. These flowers can mean “dangerous pleasures.” References: Floriography - the language of Flowers. Flowers by Flourish. (2015, January 27). https://www.flowersbyflourish.com/floriography/  

Fun fact, according to a post on the LoveAndDeepspace subreddit, the flowers present in the Sylus: Abyssal Blossom card are most likely thorn apples. The original poster (OP) makes a lot of good points. You can read it here.  

@phisen @leryg0 @capribun @sinnamon-bunn @wegottastayfocus @erisnxxi @syyyy4ever @limerenceisserenity

Thank you to everyone taking the time to comment. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Part 5: here Masterlist: here

[mindblowingscience]

Giant viruses play a role in the survival of single-celled marine organisms called protists. These include algae, amoeba, and flagellates, that form the base of ocean food webs. And since these protists form an important part of the food chain, these large DNA viruses are often responsible for various public health hazards, including harmful algal blooms. A new study from scientists at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science may help unravel the many types of viruses present in our waterways and oceans. This knowledge could help local leaders better prepare for when a harmful algal bloom may be impacting their coastline or if any other viruses are present in local bays, rivers or lakes.

Continue Reading.

[kizzer55555]

DPxDC: Jarro Adopts an Alien

Ok, so Danny has a space obsession and a protection obsession (I headcanon that as a halfa, Danny has two obsessions like all Halfas do which makes them unique to other ghosts.) and so while he can get his fill protecting people in Amity, he struggles with his space obsession. Sure, he can look up everything he can about space and the stars on the internet. He can stay up until 2 am looking at the stars (who needs sleep? He’s a ghost, he can go days, or even weeks without sleep if he wants, same with a lack of air or food.) but it’s just not enough. He craves to learn more, see more. Just as Dani gets that itch to travel, Danny wonders. What would it be like to see the stars up close? Are they really as hot as a dragons fire breath? Hotter!? Or maybe they are so hot they are cold. What does it look like to see plasma dancing across the surface, or touch the gasses of Jupiter? Does Pluto have ice caves like the far frozen? How many planets are actually out there? What about Mars. There’s a whole species living there with a language and culture Danny can’t even fathom! Oh what he wouldn’t give to talk with martian manhunter or Superman. 

And what’s stopping him from exploring this? He can fly. He doesn’t need air. He can go intangible if it gets too hot and he’s practically immune to the cold. He wants to touch a space rock! See if they are smooth because there is no wind or earth to rub against them and erode the surface. He wants to see what planets they come from. What minerals they might have. He wants to know if there are currents in space. All of these things are right there just above the atmosphere. Surely it couldn’t hurt to take a quick peek. So he does. During a particularly bad day Danny flies as fast as he can until the earth’s gravity looses its effects. Until his hair is floating as of it’s in water even more than normal. Until he can feel when breathing no longer became a choice (still not necessary though). And it…was beautiful. To be surrounded by space. To see the earth like this. Pictures just didn’t do it Justice. He flew across the solar system and as he passed planets, he longed to fly through them. To search every crevice and learn their secrets. But he had a bigger prize in mind at the moment. The crown jewel of their universe. The closest star he could find. The sun. 

Danny was mesmerized. The plasma really did dance across the surface. Like a never ending performance of science and beauty. There were sparks that few in arcs. Danny flew down and played in them, making a game to see how many he could fly under. His ghost core purred in delight. His obsession had never been more satisfied. He spent hours out there. Just exploring what his solar system had to offer. So when he returned? He couldn’t just forget. Pictures and online science theories had nothing on the real thing. He wanted to explore some more. So he did. Every night he would go out and explore the cosmos. Flying from planet to planet. (Either the Martians were still around and Danny made friends with them, even learning their language, or he just looks at their ruins to learn as much as he can). And with both obsessions now being filled, Danny is more settled. More confident. And he can focus better. Everyone notices the change, even his teachers. They just think that he’s paying more attention to his education now. He’s even better during his ghost fights. 

But Danny can fly awfully fast. And he soaks up information even faster. Soon his trips take longer and longer as he flies further out. Sometimes he can barely make it back in time for school. And he can't go every night. Sometimes the ghosts won’t wait for daytime so he has to make sure the town will be safe in his absence. Although he’s been able to take more trips ever since Valerie joined the vigilante ranks. But still, he’s getting farther and farther from earth each night. Until one day he’s visited every planet, every star, every comet or debris in their solar system. Which would be fine. He could deal with that if that was all there was. But it wasn’t. Danny saw the stars just out of reach. He saw places the Milky Way was leaning towards. He saw just the barest hints of new solar systems with new planets and stars. And he knew of legends from lanterns that they had posted online. Heard tales from some scientists that have made better telescopes. And his core itches. It aches to know more. See more. Yet he can't go further. And this puts him in a sort of depression. Suddenly he’s back to his old self. Lagging behind. Distracted. Zoning out. Crashing into a few more buildings during ghost attacks. Yet he tries so hard to be satisfied with what he has. He can still fulfill his obsession…it’s just more like chewing on a granola bar rather than eating a decent meal. He’s almost becoming lethargic. 

So one day he goes to Frostbite to see if there’s anything he can do to lessen the effects. But the yeti just takes one look at him and gives him the infimap. And suddenly Danny is in a whole new universe in seconds. The planets are purple. The stars are blue. He’s pretty sure there are furry blob-like creatures living on one of those planets. And suddenly he gets that itch, but holding the infimap, he knows he had time, so he lets himself go. 

And for a while it’s good. great even. Since he can’t keep asking the yetis for the infimap, he goes over to Wulf to see if he’s up for an adventure. Most of the time he is and they go exploring the galaxies together. And then Wulf had the genius idea of teaching Danny how to make portals. It took a long time but soon, he could concentrate the surrounding ectoplasm enough to weaken it and pull. It took a while since Danny didn’t have ecto claws and would have to use his pure will. But this would allow him to follow his obsession anytime, anywhere. So it was only a matter of time. And once he figured it out? It was like something was unlocked. Danny had never before understood how Ellie could travel so much. But now he did. That feeling when you discover something new. When you add to your reservoir of knowledge. When the patterns in the universe just click. There is nothing Danny could compare it to. And to explore that whenever he wanted? It was so freeing. While Wulf sometimes still joined Danny’s adventures, Danny did most of his explorations by himself. 

He meets various planets and aliens. So many different cultures. He learns thousands of languages. Tries all kinds of foods (and it’s a good thing his ghost self has an iron stomach and he’s basically poison resistant.) even found a whole comet where blood blossoms grew. (Which he most definitely avoided). And wasn’t that fascinating? To find out they were from space. 

And then during his travels one day he met a space alien starfish. 

It was actually a funny story. A meteor shower was about to attack a planet of talking blue monkey creatures with 4 arms. Danny immediately started diverting them and was soon joined by some lantern corps (which his inner fanboy wanted to talk to so bad.). And a tiny starfish in a…Robin uniform? Oh and the starfish could apparently do martial arts which was interesting to watch him karate chop a meteor. He could also talk directly into Danny’s head which the halfa found more interesting. So they got to talking and apparently his name was Jarro. He seemed to be helping the lantern corps as a ‘proxy from earth’ to make better use of his skills. 

Danny would run into Jarro a few more times. Sometimes he was with Lanterns and sometimes he would just be exploring the galaxies. They started forming a pretty strong friendship and Danny would start seeking out the starfish alien to travel with him. He knew all kinds of space facts. Apparently he had an eidetic memory. When they explored, sometimes Jarro would just stick to part of Danny. Wrapped around his arm, his waist, sometimes just sticking to his back like a strange backpack. But they always had fun.

So Danny was happy. He could fulfill both obsessions and got a space pal. Everything was great!

Until the GIW caught him. 

It would probably be the worst day of his life.  There was an explosion in the lab. Something set up by them after they realized Danny frequented that place often. So they set a trap and blew it up. Thankfully, Jazz was at college during this but both his parents were home. When the explosion went off, Danny had tried putting a Barrier around them all. It took everything he had to maintain it. That’s how they found out he was phantom. Danny had a few moments where his parents said they accepted him but he couldn’t hold the barrier for long. His parents said that they loved him and then everything went green. He woke up in a lab, tired and injured. His only saving grace being that he remained in phantom form. And he was determined to remain so. 

Danny’s time at the GIW was a haze but eventually, he managed to escape. Bleeding, and tired, and still recovering from the burns in the explosion, Danny made a portal straight to Amity. Only when he got there, it was a ghost town. Streets were empty, buildings were boarded up. Even the Nasty Burger was deserted. As for his house, there was nothing but a crater left and some scattered debris. Danny looked everywhere but there was no one. No Jazz. No Sam. No Tucker. No one. and he was tired. And everything hurt, and he needed a friend. Someone he could trust. So in a daze he made a portal and tried to just project safe. Safe safe safe. Somewhere he knew he would be protected. And so Jarro got a surprise when his space buddy suddenly popped out of a green portal, bleeding green and clearly passed out. He didn't know what to do. He didn’t know how to help him. But Jarro knew someone who would. 

So with a speed never before seen from a tiny starfish, he flew to earth. Bringing his friend straight to his father. Because surely batman could help!

And with his appearance, the green blood, the knowledge of space facts. The lack of wanting to talk about where he came from (and the nightmares crying out for his parents). This is how the bats became convinced that Jarro brought them an injured alien. 

[literaryvein-reblogs]

World Building Worksheet

Time

If you could compare the era of your story to one on earth, when would it be?

In the present? In the past? In the future?

Location

What is the settling of your world?

Does it take place in a parallel universe?

Is it on another earth-like planet?

Does it occur in another dimension?

Population

Who lives in your world?

Are they humans, aliens, animals, insects, hybrids, monsters?

What is the population?

Are there multiple races?

Is there tension between the races?

What distinguishes the races?

Where do they live? Do they live in small villages or large cities?

What type of living arrangements do they have?

Do they live in houses? Tents? Communes?

Society

How does your collective population relate to each other?

What is the basis for society?

Is there a class system? Who is rich? Who is poor?

How do the different classes relate to each other?

Can one go from poor to rich and vice versa?

What is the family structure?

Are couples married? Are they monogamous? Polygamous?

Do they have children?

How many children do they typically have?

What are people’s values?

What is sacred?

What is universally accepted as right and wrong?

How do they deal with old age?

What are the gender roles?

History

What is the history of your fantasy world?

What created the current circumstances of the story?

What is the catalyst for change?

Laws and Government

What are the relevant laws in your universe that the characters must obey?

What is the political environment?

Who are the controlling parties and why?

Is there a struggle for independence? Is there growing dissent?

How does magic affect these laws?

Magic

What type of magic will you include in your story?

Are there wizards? Genies?

Is it mental magic?

Science-based magic, like time-travel?

Supernatural, like superheroes?

Who has the magic?

Is magic only available to a select few? If so, how do they get it?

Is magic banned?

Is magic respected?

What are the rules of magic in your world?

Daily Life

What do people do to pass the time?

What do they eat? Drink?

Do they exercise?

What type of clothing do they wear?

Does clothing reflect their values or their social class?

How are they educated?

What do they learn in school and why?

Sentiment

How do your characters feel about the world in which they live?

What do people agree with?

How do people differ?

Religion

What is the name of the prevailing religion?

Are the characters monotheistic? Polytheistic? Atheistic?

What is their folklore?

What do the characters believe?

What do they value?

Physical Attributes

What does the world look like in a physical sense?

What are the natural resources?

What type of plants grow there?

What type of animals?

What is the atmosphere?

How does the world smell?

What does the night’s sky look like? Is there night?

What is the climate?

Source

Writing References: Worldbuilding ⚜ Plot ⚜ Character

[gard3nias]

31| The sun on the horizon

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wc: 10.75k

date: 30/03/2025 (it's been exactly a year since I published this book aaaah!)

mdi // masterlist // playlist // pinterest board

—Now playing: Hate That by Key, Taeyeon ✫

According to science, only four days before Christmas marked the beginning of winter, precisely the winter solstice.

The season is characterised by the Earth’s axial tilt, causing a hemisphere to receive less direct sunlight and shorter days. This results in lower temperatures and, in many regions, the presence of snow and ice. The severity of winter varies based on latitude, altitude, and proximity to large bodies of water.

Many cultures celebrate this day worldwide, reflecting the themes of renewal and the return of the sun’s light. It’s all about a new beginning, a sunrise. 

The sunrise is the moment the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon. It symbolises the morning, a new day, a new beginning. It’s the start of the Sun’s path before setting and bringing the day to an end. But just as the sunset meant the end of the day, it also was the start of the night—a new beginning of sorts.

The sunrise and the sunset are easy to differentiate because of the palette of colours in the sky.

Sunrise paints the heavens with soft hues—pinks, purples, and oranges merging together to create a flare right above the horizon. 

Sunsets are richer in colour. The tones are more vibrant, a result of the ethereal dance of reds, yellows, and oranges. Sometimes, the Sun would also leave purple hues in its wake, replacing the typical smooth and cold colours of the sky.

Sunrises’ warmer colours match the start of the daylight, while sunsets represent the transition into the night and its cooling temperatures.

But this was only the most noticeable difference. 

Sunrises occur on the eastern horizon, while sunsets are on the western horizon. Atmospheric conditions could alter the palette of colours in the Sun’s wake.

Cleo was well aware of all these details.

Running around her neighbourhood was a habit she’d built since middle school. The main reason it became part of her routine was because she enjoyed it. 

The beauty of going on a jog in the morning exceeded the simple ethereal aesthetics of the sky as the sun rose up.

Cleo believed mornings to be the most purified moments of the day. Yes, she lived out of the city, but there was something about the morning’s crisp and fresh air that made her feel better.

Most of all was the silence. As she ran, a foot ahead of the other, the only sounds she heard were from the gravel, the wind blowing against her ears as she sped through the breeze and her breath.

The after-effects were even better because she’d feel alive and ready to face the day.

But lately, all these amazing details lost their essence in her eyes.

Running was supposed to be healing and therapeutic, have her face her thoughts and work them out. That was what she believed, but, with how things had been unfolding recently, the more she was alone with her thoughts the worse she felt.

With sneakers, sweatpants, and a jacket on, Cleo walked out of her compound, closing the gate behind herself before following the same route.

She’d first begin by walking, slowly increasing the speed, before full-on running. With the help of her smartwatch, she’d choose when to sprint or simply jog. She had three minutes to walk, each minute meant she’d quicken her pace. 

It was the last Saturday of the month, just a couple of days away from December, a month she always loved because it called for numerous celebrations. Yet, that year she couldn’t feel as excited as usual because of all the thoughts preventing her body from properly functioning—and it was scary because of all the amazing things that had occurred in the past months.

The greatest of all was Daphne's permanent move to the countryside. It placed an end to all those years spent basically babysitting her neighbours’ children, who were younger than her. It marked the beginning of a new era in both girls’ lives; Cleo now had a very close friend, emotionally and physically.

But Daphne’s arrival also gave Cleo something, someone, to compare herself to, unwillingly.

Daphne was her age mate, just a couple of months older. They went to the same school, the same class, and were even desk mates. The proximity made her discover so much of her friend without having to ask even half a question.

She always knew Daphne to be very studious, an avid book reader and an enjoyer of her me-time. She could remember all the times she became grumpy when she’d rush over to Daphne’s house only to find her reading, drawing or writing.

She also knew Daphne was a very attractive girl. Every time the girl came over for the summer holidays, Cleo always imagined how it would have been if Daphne had been in school with her. A part of her felt proud to present her to her friends, showing them the very pretty girl she knew.

Cleo herself could be considered above average in looks—she’d been working on her appearance ever since she gained so much popularity in her school because of her volleyball skills.

She surfed the internet, trying to discover the things that suited her best. She tried them all—flat-ironing her hair, making them as wavy as Daphne’s, or leaving them in their natural curly pattern. She’d tried all types of make-up and fashion styles, and now she was the result of all that effort.

But truly, as she increased her pace, moving onto the second minute of her walk, she wondered how it would’ve been if her appearance had been the true problem. 

She compared herself to Daphne, not looks-wise. Daphne was smart. That was one.

Cleo always wanted to be that smart and diligent student—part of her hatred towards Valerie stemmed from that. 

The girl just knew how to make Cleo hate her harder by slapping her in the face with all her good grades and achievements. 

Daphne’s arrival placed an end to all the years of that torture and marked the beginning of a new one, completely different from what Cleo had endured in the past.

Daphne didn’t do all that Valerie did. She didn’t need to tell everyone her grades and achievements to prove a point. The way the teachers treated her was enough for her classmates to understand the type of student she was.

“Rhodes?” They’d call. She’d raise her hand, and they would read out her grade. If it hadn’t been for physics, the numbers would never go below 8.

“8. 9. 10” Those were numbers Cleo had gotten used to hearing whenever Daphne was called to retrieve her tests or following an oral test.

After doing it once, Cleo refused to ever be orally tested alongside Daphne because the girl was so good she unconsciously made everyone else look bad. 

She was very studious and the amount of books she’d read gave her enough knowledge to express herself so well.

She was the type of student teachers asked maybe just a question during oral tests because they knew she’d studied hard. After that singular question, they’d proceed with the other students, and, by the end of it, she’d return to her seat with a 9 sitting next to her surname on the teacher’s register.

Sometimes, she’d even be pissed when Daphne would claim to be anxious because, in her eyes, the girl was perfect and set only for success.

Cleo admired and envied her. Daphne left her wondering how she did it. 

Yes, she played volleyball, but she’d normally train once a week and only two or three times a week if a match was around the corner. She hung out as much as Daphne or even less given the recent events. This was connected to the other reason Cleo envied Daphne.

Readying herself, Cleo sped-walked through the last minute before taking off and jogging. 

Daphne hadn’t stayed there for six months yet and she already spiked someone’s interest—two people to be precise. One had never even talked to her yet—and she hoped he wouldn’t, while the other was Taehyung, Kim Taehyung, one of the rich and popular boys Cleo had talked to Daphne about before school began.

Furthermore, Taehyung was visibly interested in her, which meant a lot because he was known for only pursuing long-term relationships, so greater stability was in store for Daphne, and she didn’t even realise it yet.

Daphne was slacking in physics and then came Taehyung to her rescue right out of the blue. Moreover, he wasn’t a random dude. He was her crush.

Cleo couldn’t even have the faintest idea of how Daphne must have felt when he offered to help her with the subject. She just knew that if her crush had done the same to her, she’d probably combust right before him.

Then Daphne got sick. Taehyung went over to her place and continued helping her. The following Monday, she returned to school and their dynamics changed; it seemed they’d done everything except studying.

She didn’t even want to recall the Sunday she spent revising with them at Daphne’s place. Cleo literally felt out of place, an intruder in a well-established married couple—no exaggeration.

She wasn’t jealous of their relationship—God forbid—it just made her frustrated because she wished to be in Daphne’s shoes.

Cleo’d been living there since birth. She’d known Taehyung and all his friends before Daphne came along. Barely two months in, Daphne was minutes away from officially announcing her relationship with the boy, while she remained sitting in a corner hoping for who she liked to make a move.

It was even sadder when she realised that she wasn’t at fault that much. Daphne and Taehyung were where they were because they both put in the effort. Both. 

What was Jungkook waiting for?

Or, better, what were his true intentions?

She was tired of the riddles and the parables.

Sometimes, she’d wonder if he was aware of her emotions and purposely played with her feelings, but her brain wasn’t strong enough to muster enough energy to hate him because she liked him. A lot.

The last time she interacted with Jungkook and felt her blood rush to her face was two weeks ago, exactly when Daphne was sick. The day it began was a week before Daphne’s sick leave. 

—Now playing: Illicit Affairs by Taylor Swift ✫

Practice was over for everyone, and all the players headed to their respective changing rooms to get dressed and leave. 

Cleo was among the first girls to be ready, and she walked out of the rooms to wait for her friends by the gym doors. Minutes later, Jungkook entered the gym, clothes already changed.

He saw her and didn’t hesitate to approach her.

“Hey, there.” He slipped his hands in his pocket, almost waddling to her. “How you doing?”

Cleo’s face brightened up as she greeted him and answered his question. 

She was known for being very bubbly, but a part of her hoped Jungkook would see right through the glow in her eyes and understand that he had a great effect on her, one so strong a simple greeting from him would make her day.

He leaned against the wall, legs crossed, and hands still in the pocket of his jeans. As Cleo’s habit of yapping resurfaced, he watched her with his big doe eyes, unaware of how she really felt.

She loved his eyes and adored how they contrasted his overall looks. They were like white dots in a bed of pure black.

His slightly tucked-up sleeves revealed the tattoos on his arm and many more on his hands. His dark hair partially covered his eyes in soft bangs, while a mullet sat at the bottom of his neck. From his ears dangled a couple of silver piercings, matching the chain peeking out of his shirt and the rings on his hands.

He was the darker version of Taehyung. In fact, the three boys could be compared to chocolate; Jimin was white chocolate, Taehyung milk chocolate, and Jungkook was dark chocolate. 

Just like his friend, he preferred leather jackets. His was pure black and resting on his arm yet to be worn. His jeans were only a few shades lighter, and he wore big boots as a finishing touch. 

He had a bossier look, more intimidating, and he worked out a lot, making himself appear even bigger.

The cherry on top was his personality, one of the many reasons Cleo was head-over-heels for him.

He never failed to make her laugh. She didn’t even need to fake it.

and, luckily for her, they were both interested in sports, competitiveness as a trait they had in common.

That Wednesday all it took was a little challenge for them to be running after each other with a basketball as they waited for their friends.

He doubted she’d be good at the sport, and she wanted to prove him wrong. They abandoned their jackets and bags by the doors and grabbed a ball from the store.

It all began with a challenge, but minutes in, he was teaching her the moves and the tricks, telling her how to dodge incoming attacks, how to pass the ball, and other little but significant rules.

She feigned not needing his advice, and, after a few attempts, he stopped taking it easy with her, ready to show her why he was the captain of the school team.

Just one move he made caused her to squeal and beg him to calm down because she was just a beginner. He taunted her and soon enough gained the reaction he wanted; the more he teased, the more she wanted to prove him wrong.

He’d chuckle at some aggressive moves she’d pull and laugh when she’d fail to escape or block him.

A few rounds in, she became even more serious, focusing harder on stopping him from taking the ball from her.

Her right hand would bounce the ball on the floor while her left would shield her side, alongside her back, which remained hunched and in front of Jungkook.

But focusing was hard. Fuck, it really was.

The proximity wrapped her mind, body, and soul in Jungkook’s scent, one that time had led her to recognise anywhere.

She’d sometimes feel his breath, hear his deep chuckles, or feel his body caress hers.

His quick moves would remind her that she was in a competition, and she’d sprint away to the other hoop with the intention of scoring a point. But he’d be faster. He’d run before her, barely jumping to stop the ball with a hand before running the opposite side.

He did this a couple of times before she lost her patience and stopped caring about the rules.

She repeated the process, even stopping to wave the ball in the air and try to fool him, but right when she’d think she had him, he’d outsmart her and grab the ball mid-air.

“Oh, fuck you!” she exclaimed, running after him to the other hoop.

Her smile seemed permanent as she sprinted, and his laugh wouldn’t falter, increasing the more she tried to stop him.

He almost crashed to the floor in laughter when she grabbed his shirt and veered him, leaving the ball to roll away.

She’d take the opportunity and run after the ball as if it wasn’t foul play, but, again, he’d be faster.

Still laughing, he ran after her and, instead of going past her and to the ball, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her off the floor to place her behind him.

As Cleo ran on the usual route, she wondered what he meant with that exaggerated action. Didn’t he know the effects it had on her heart?

Her speed increased as she thought about it, feeling the frustration on her skin as if she were running into a dense forest filled with branches and thorns.

As previously said, that wasn’t the last time they interacted in that manner. The following week, she decided to teach him how to play volleyball.

He bragged about knowing a few things since it was the sport they practised during PE class, but she wanted to make him feel the same way she’d felt the previous week.

They first started by learning different ways to hit the ball. Then they played for a bit, running around to catch the ball—especially Cleo because Jungkook didn’t know how to measure his power and would always hit the ball too hard.

Objectively, this practice didn’t require them to be so close unless they wanted to hit each other’s faces, but Jungkook still found a way to reduce the distance and make her heart race.

Whenever neither caught the ball, leaving it to roll away, he’d sprint to catch it, especially if Cleo was already on her way to do so. 

If she caught the ball first, he’d tickle her, chuckling at her reaction. If he was first, he’d wink at her right before running past her at a close range. 

“For no fucking reason!” she yelled in her mind as she sped up even more, sprinting through her neighbourhood.

Jungkook would do all that only to go radio silent again, leaving her with a pile of questions.

But this wasn’t the only point Cleo’s frustration reached. It would increase when she’d think about Nick.

—Now playing: Perfectly Wrong by Shawn Mendes ✫

Things with Nick were more than complicated because she didn’t see him the same way she saw Jungkook—else it would’ve been even crazier.

What stood out the most about the boy was the true intention behind his actions. Cleo could tell.

Yes, he always behaved like that with all his friends, be you a girl, a boy, or a dog. But Cleo could still tell because he was slightly different around her, and the more time passed, the more she could see it—especially after Daphne talked to her about it.

The girl hadn’t been there for two months and could already see behind Nick’s brown eyes and innocent gestures.

The only thing was that Cleo refused to look too deeply into his actions because she wanted them to be platonic. She wasn’t as interested in him, so she believed the more she ignored his actions the better for their friendship.

This was the mindset she’d been keeping lately, but, seeing how Nick’s behaviour didn’t change, she had to live with the guilt.

Her speed reduced, returning to a simple jog. The soft rays of the morning hit the crown of sweat on her head.

Why couldn’t he understand? Why was he pushing her to hurt him? She didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t want to ruin their friendship.

When playing basketball on Wednesdays, it was a habit of his to celebrate every little victory by rushing over to her and lifting her off the ground. 

He’d been doing it since ninth grade. But as his behaviour gradually changed over the years, what used to be a fun and friendly interaction caused Cleo to feel bad whenever her feet stopped touching the floor and she’d look down to see his happy face.

There was a day at school when they had to watch a movie in class. The blinds were down and the lights were off.

Being close friends, Daphne and she moved their chairs next to the boys. Cleo was next to Nick.

At some point during the movie, she had placed her leg on Nick’s. No hard feelings, no strings attached. Just support and comfort. But then he placed his hand on her thigh and within minutes, he was rubbing the spot.

Her heart raced but for the wrong reasons.

It made her annoyed that the wrong person approached her. 

Jungkook was the person she wanted all to herself. He was the one she wanted to caress her thigh, the one she wanted to pick her up in celebration. He always treated her beyond nicely, but it wasn’t enough. 

Cleo feared that maybe he behaved completely platonically with her, and her infatuation blinded her from seeing the truth. That was why she wanted clear answers. White or black, no in-between, please.

After running at full speed for a few minutes, she slowed down and came to a halt, hands on her knees as she bent down to catch her breath. The panting left its traces in the cold morning air, blowing soft grey smoke from her mouth. 

She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked up where the sun peeked out from the horizon, the glow reflecting in her eyes.

To come down from the exercise, she walked back home, looking at ease to anyone who could see her. But truly, she wanted to stop in a corner and cry.

She hated feeling like this. She hated being torn between two sides. She hated insecurity. She couldn’t even tell Daphne the true depth of the situation because she didn’t want to feel vulnerable. She wanted to keep playing into that bubbly girl persona.

All she could tell Daphne made the situation seem unserious. She’d joke about it, calling the boys malfunctioning antennas, laughing as she said that she didn’t know what to do or feel.

She couldn’t even tell her father or brother about it because nothing gnawed at her harder than bothering them with stupidities like this—even though it included her feelings.

Whenever Cole called to check up on her, she’d always maintain that well-crafted smile, which fooled anyone who saw it—even herself sometimes.

She believed that, as long as she laughed in a moment of the day, everything would be fine and all the other moments of her life wouldn’t matter anymore. But she was wrong because the after-effects would remain, gradually moving from the back to the forefront of her mind.

—Now playing: Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran ✫

Saturday. Merely two days before December and just above a month until Taehyung’s birthday—of course, Daphne remembered.

The number thirty on her calendar was circled with a pink highlighter, along with a few other days prior, so she’d remember to get him a gift on time. Meanwhile, the highlighter feebly gleamed under the warm shades of the sunrise. 

As per routine, Daphne refrained from switching on the lights, relishing the rare winter occasion. She needed respite from the monotonous succession of blue mornings anyway.

Her thick blanket draped over her legs as she sat up, while her book was abandoned upside down on her bed for the device in her hands. On the other side of the screen, her sister was getting ready to leave her apartment.

If Daphne had the ability to hear Cleo’s thoughts and grievances, maybe she would’ve been able to refute most of them. 

She wasn’t effortlessly good—far from it. Her grades were the results of great hard work—afternoons spent burying her head deep into textbook pages. It would have been unjust for all that dedication to result in failure. It had happened before—with physics—and it had been devastating, a fear that had unsettled Cleo as well.

The girls were best friends now. No Margot. No underlying annoyance. Their contrasting personalities were the strings that attached them, Ying-yang.

But they had similarities such as keeping secrets from each other—Cleo avoided vulnerability, and Daphne refused to be a source of concern. She wasn’t keen to see their faces if she ever confessed that her anxiety felt like a grim human presence, lurking around her. That would freak anyone out—Dayanne as well—but, at the very least, Cleo would understand that Daphne’s academic excellence was anything but effortless.

While Cleo’s self-worth fluctuated depending on how much attention Jungkook would give her after avoiding her for weeks, Daphne’s was directly proportionate to her grades—the higher, the better. 

She enjoyed learning, but when it came to school, it wasn’t always fun because the topics weren’t hers to choose. Nothing was effortless about her academic performance.

As for her love life… There wasn’t much to discuss.

“I really want to get to know him. I want to see who’s driving my sister nuts.” Dayanne excitedly cheered.

Perhaps she was fortunate to be the object of her crush’s affections, but how often did such serendipity occur? She couldn’t fully blame it on pretty privilege. Despite how much some people want to believe it, looks aren’t everything. 

One’s personality reflects of their appearance—be you Henry Cavill but if you’re shitty, your face will get stained as well and you’ll never be able to get rid of the stench.

It was all a matter of coincidence. She didn’t know it yet, but one of the reasons Taehyung was able to pursue her at all was that he’d broken up with his girlfriend earlier that year. Daphne couldn’t even imagine how it would’ve unfolded had he still been in a relationship with someone else.

Dayanne’s words implied that her relationship with Taehyung progressed toward a point where their families would inevitably intertwine. Taehyung had already met Granny, Grandpa, and her parents. The only missing piece was Dayanne herself

If all went as Daphne wished, she would soon be acquainted with his family as well.

Her romantic life seemed to move seamlessly, effortlessly. Taehyung made the moves, and she followed suit, doing her best to match him and not step on his toes—exactly what Dayanne advised her against.

“You’ve got to do something yourself as well. Step out of your shell,” Dayanne had urged during their FaceTime conversation that Saturday morning while Cleo was out on her jog.

“Before Derek and I started dating, I used to organise what you would call ‘study dates’ for us. I had to keep the upper hand in the relationship somehow,” she explained, applying concealer.

“Oh, yeah. How is Derek doing? —”“Shut up. I know you’re trying to divert my attention. Not today honey.”

Taking a deep breath, she resumed, “Objectively, the dates were completely innocent. We’re two students studying the same major. He’s older than me, but I’m better than him, so he sought my help, and…” she capped the concealer, “ … I answered like a gracious and polite scholar—”

“Dayanne, yours is different—” Daphne had interjected, flustered by the implication of the story.

“How so?” The sister blended the concealer with slow and deliberate moves, waiting for a reply, which didn’t come. She was still unaware of Daphne’s insecurities surrounding Taehyung.

“You know it’s happened to me too many times that I mistake kindness for affection—”

“Bullshit! All those boys really fawned over you and you were not mistaken at all. If any of them made you believe so, they were probably bitter because you didn’t like them back.”

Daphne sighed, shoulders slumping as she slid under the covers to hide from the truth. Yes, the example she’d brought up was a different situation, but it had shaped her current hesitance. 

In the city, she had many so-called “friends,” whom her mother viewed as potential best friends but who were, in her eyes, barely more than casual acquaintances. Their kindness had never aroused suspicion until it did—until repeated instances of ambiguous comments, swiftly brushed off as jokes, made her wary.

One particular boy had overstepped, forcing her to establish clear boundaries. Yet, the mortification she felt when he dismissed her concerns and claimed he had never been interested in her was immeasurable. She had hoped he wouldn’t perceive her as naive, conceited, or self-absorbed.

Dayanne insisted he would’ve behaved otherwise if Daphne had flirted back, but her sister still shivered at the memory.

Now, with Taehyung, she feared coming across as delusional—not as much as the boy who wouldn’t quit texting her, but uncomfortably close. She was in those boys’ shoes now, but, instead of joking about it and crossing lines relentlessly, she overanalysed her actions.

“What more can I do? Kiss him?” she muttered, only for Dayanne to snort and burst into laughter. Confused, she pouted. Was she dumb or embarrassing herself? If kissing him was the only option, yes, it would be hard, but surely not displeasing.

“No, my darling. Body language,” she declared, hands moving in the air as she spoke. 

“The way you interact with him—the way you speak, look at him, touch him. That’s where your focus is going. Just intensify it a little bit. That’s the way you’ll send him the message. If he doesn’t get it then he’s probably blind.” 

Daphne had been dumbfounded by how nonchalantly her sister discussed it while she, on the other hand, felt like she was combusting from the inside.

“From what I hear, you’re nearly there. Ooh, soon Daphne will have a boyfriend—”

“Hey, don’t jinx it!”“There’s nothing to jinx. It’s fate.”

Ever faithful to Dayanne’s advice, Daphne thought about it throughout the weekend, steeling herself to finally make her intentions clear—to show Taehyung that her behaviour toward him was anything but ordinary. 

It was special treatment for a special person.

She believed she’d built the balls for it only to realise on Monday that she was the first of the three little pigs and had built her courage with hay; as she boarded the bus, her eyes caught him, and, like the wolf’s strong breath, the straw was blown away, leaving her exposed to the burning obsession of his eyes.

—Now playing: Je te laisserai de mots by Patrick Watson ✫

It was the first day of December, the beginning of a gruelling two-week stretch filled with exams. A true fresh start, though not the kind Daphne particularly enjoyed. Her agenda was crammed—many red markings stood for written or oral tests, battle scars on paper.

Yet, the day also held greater importance. She would finally receive the results of the first physics test. The anxiety settled on her skin like raindrops, seeping through the pores to sit unwelcome yet unavoidable in her system.

As she stepped into the classroom with her friends, the first bell rang. Taehyung and his group followed closely behind. Before they parted ways, he turned his head, winked at her, and wished her good luck as they waved at each other.

The most accurate reaction would’ve been screaming, grabbing Cleo’s shoulders and asking her if she’d seen what he did—if she had felt the same way rush of emotions. 

Of course, if it’d happened that Cleo felt the same way, Daphne’s enjoyment would’ve seized as fast as the lights going off. But it didn’t—her friend’s mind was all about another boy. 

Not that it mattered because the moment Mr Keeley stepped foot into the classroom, her joy evaporated anyway.

Like it was preset, the subsequent moments followed the same pattern as the first time she’d failed the exam—that day had been a disaster, along with all the events which led to it. 

Her emotions were heightened now. She perched at the edge of her chair, giving space for her leg to bounce anxiously. Her hands clasped together in a nervous grip. She’d pinned back her bangs, scared that even the smallest irritation would send her spiralling. 

The murmur of the class didn’t help her case either. It stirred a simmering frustration that made her want to slam their heads against the desks.

But soon enough, sudden silence. 

No more whispering, chattering, or rustling of papers or clothes. Just dead silence, giving space for Mr Keeley’s movements to be heard, catalyst of the students’ tension.

Daphne could hear Cleo’s measured breathing beside her and feel the weight of her presence and the pressure on her nerves. She wanted to reach over and squeeze her hand, to ground herself into something familiar. But she was unravelling inside, and she feared that if she held onto Cleo now, she might squeeze too hard.

Mr Keeley, ever the tormentor, took his time.

After settling the bureaucratic matters, the teacher retrieved a transparent file from his bag. All his students followed it with their eyes.

Daphne’s body seemed to vibrate from the constant movement of her leg just like other classmates of hers. Mr Keeley must have noticed—how could he not? Which teacher doesn’t know the anticipation that fills students before receiving the results of a test? But rather than putting them out of their misery, he stalled.

Instead of acting on it, his movements appeared to slow down.

Suddenly, his pencil case was nowhere to be found, his computer started having connection problems, and he had more bureaucratic issues to handle.

A cold bead of sweat slid down Daphne’s head as she thought about how agonising the wait would be—especially because her surname began with the letter ‘R’.

—Now playing: Crush by Jennifer Paige ✫

Two periods in and the bell rang, marking the beginning of the first ten-minute-long recess of the day.

Students rushed out of their classrooms like water overflowing from a vase. Some headed downstairs to buy something to eat, and others went to the bathroom after waiting for maybe an hour or more. and, at last, some students remained in the hallways, hanging out with their friends.

As Taehyung walked out of his classroom, flanked by Avyanna and Jimin. He’d finalised the last few things for the date. 

It was a gamble. RIsky. What if she didn’t want to go or had other plans that day? 

But his friends spurred him so much, assuring him Daphne reciprocated his feelings.

“From the way she looks at you,” Jimin reassured him, “unless she has a doctor’s appointment or something, she’s ready to postpone anything if you ask her out.”

Avyanna simply nodded, punctuating Jimin’s words with an emphatic, “Clock it!”

So, as Taehyung went to the usual spot by the window, Jimin and Avyanna kept reminding him he had to ask Daphne out that week. “There’s no other way around it!” Avyanna had insisted.

As much as he wanted to brush them off, another concern gnawed at him—Daphne hadn’t texted him.

Did the test go well?

If she failed, despite his help, it would destroy him. and her anxiety? He didn’t even want to imagine how bad it would get.

He scanned the hallway. Some of her classmates were already out. If she still hadn’t appeared, that probably wasn’t a good sign.

Maybe she was crying in the bathroom. Or maybe her friends were comforting her inside the classroom.

The thought unsettled him.

“Okay, guys. I think I need space.” He narrowed his eyes at Avyanna, sarcasm thick in his deep tone as he spoke, “Do you think I need space, Anna? No, I’m just asking ‘cause the other day you said you’re not the type to overstep—”

“Okay, Taehyung. We’ll leave. Oh, my God,” she laughed, hooking arms with Jimin as they left.

Relieved and already relishing in the much-needed solitude, he leaned against the windowsill, hands hesitant to slip into his pockets. Should he go to her classroom or wait for her from his spot? 

Some of her classmates were already in the hallway. If she still wasn’t out of the class, it probably didn’t mean good. Maybe it’d gone so bad that she went to cry in the bathroom or her friends were comforting her in class.

The thoughts fueled his worry, and slowly he moved away from the windowsill and walked towards her classroom.

He cleared his voice and mentally prepared himself to help her in case she was bawling her eyes out. But just a few feet away from his destination, her face popped out of the room, her smile peace-inducing. 

His mood brightened up—not fully though since he still wasn’t sure. 

“Guess what?” His eyes gleamed with anticipation, hands fully out of his pockets as he approached her. 

“Eight and a half!” 

Before he could fully process her words, she jumped into his arms for a hug. He welcomed the embrace and lifted off the ground to walk back to the windowsill.

“Wow. Eight and a half? That’s insane. I told you that you’d ace it.” 

His hands slid down her back, stopping at her waist, unwilling to move. 

She forced herself to withhold her reactions, but couldn’t help thinking whether he had a Dayanne of his own, someone coaching him to be more upfront. 

Mentally shaking herself back to her senses, she matched his energy, refusing to remove her hands from his shoulder. 

Just like that, the distance between them shrunk—and it wasn’t because they were in a crowded bus.

“Yeah, I know,” Her fingers slowly moved to caress his shoulders. “But I can’t help it—”  She was so subtle with the gesture that, if Taehyung hadn’t head-over-heels for her, he wouldn’t have noticed her touch.

“Yes, you can. You controlled it this time around and voilà—here’s the result.” 

Daphne smiled, not entirely convinced. Still she didn’t dwell on it.

Pulling away, she declared, “This calls for celebration. I’m buying you food.” 

Taehyung blinked multiple times. Firstly, because she’d grabbed his hand and pulled him to herself—you bet he meekly followed like an obedient puppy. Secondly, he refused to believe his ears.

“You? Buy me food? Fuck, no,” he scoffed. “I’m the one who does the spending. I even brought my wallet to buy you something in case the test didn’t go well—” 

His words were cut short when he accidentally bumped into Daphne, who had abruptly stopped in her tracks to glare at him. 

“You thought I would fail?”

Eyes bulging out, Taehyung raised his free hand to claim innocence. “No, no, absolutely. I have faith in you, but I couldn’t—”

“Tae, just shut up. I’m buying you food—”

“No, no, that’s not— Wait, you’re not buying me food. I’m buying you food.”

Daphne refused to pay him any mind, dragging him with her around the hallway and slithering through the crowd of students. 

—Now playing: Scar Tissue by Red Hot Chili Peppers ✫

They walked right past Cleo, who was finally exiting the classroom followed by Nick and James. 

Like clockwork, her eyes moved around the space to look for Jungkook, finding him by his classroom door next to Adrielle.

Her heart clenched. What was the handsome boy waiting for? 

Well, at least her envy towards Daphne was because of the smoothness of her relationship with Taehyung. It wasn’t ill-intended, just the fuel to her fire of frustration.

On the other hand, Adrielle had watched everything unfold before her eyes, coming down to the full realisation that that time of life had returned, a period—pretty long—where every day of her life would be buried in jealousy towards Taehyung’s love interest.

She didn’t even have to see them interact to feel uncomfortable and heavily inclined to leave the room and slam the door on her way out. The simple memory even kilometres away from either of them was enough, maybe even too much.

She’d spent the weekend drowning in work and switching between studying and organising projects for her school to play the role of the school representative she was.

Last Wednesday, she helped Avyanna plan the auditions for the cheerleading team. Then Jimin butted in to remind her they had clubs to open. He wanted to lead the cooking club. Was excited too.

Adrielle wasn’t the type to complain about working, especially if she’d brought it upon herself. Arranging for school projects, prom nights, and clubs wasn’t simply what she’d signed up for, it was what she’d promised the students, and she didn’t want to fail them. 

But working with the constant reminder of Taehyung’s relationship status made everything heavier on her, leaving her gasping for the same air she was single-handedly withholding from herself.

She couldn’t help it though. It was a chronic relapsing illness of hers, something she’d discovered from a very young age.

Yes, Taehyung preferred long-term relationships, but before he’d get there, he’d flirt with girls. This caused Adrielle to lose the count of how many times she had to live in concealed pain.

As she watched Daphne gradually become bolder and listened to how much Taehyung admitted to liking her, Adrielle’s illness slowly returned, heading for new peaks this time.

How long was the cool-off period anyway? How quickly did Taehyung move on from Willow? How strong was Daphne’s influence on him? Had he ever liked someone as much as he did with Daphne?

That day, Taehyung returned to class late after recess. He was smiling brightly with a chocolate croissant half-eaten in his hands.

Adrielle’s face remained stoic as usual, morphing into a little smile when the rest of their friends teased him about his crush. Just as she’d suspected, the reason for his late arrival, and slight scolding from the teacher, was Daphne.

Adrielle tried to keep out the naughty whispers from her friends, who kept imagining out loud what Taehyung could’ve done with Daphne. It ranged from an innocent hang-out by the stairs, as they now knew, to speculating they’d made out in a corner. 

Taehyung didn’t admit or deny anything, and Adrielle had to blink a couple of times to shield her mind from all the negative thoughts he caused her, but her eyes landed on his phone, the object he looked at with a growing smile as he typed a message.

Softly sighing, she moved her attention to the teacher, refusing to feel more hurt than she already did. She had to protect herself somehow, especially after her experience two days later on Wednesday. 

She’d never go to the practice matches anymore. It made her realise that leaving with Avyanna the previous Wednesday was the heavens trying to preserve her. 

Working seemed to be her only form of self-control. Her only escape from the dictatorial regime her life was, so, no, no more practice matches.

Late in the evening as usual. The brightness within the vehicle made it difficult to observe their surroundings outside the window—unless there were light sources. After a few metres, the bus would stop and slide its doors open to welcome new passengers.

The teenagers were concentrated at the back of the bus, leaving the front as the only area shielded from the loud chatter and the obnoxious laughter. Given the late hours, the bus was mildly free, with empty seats scattered around the place.

Adrielle stood in the little corridor leading to the back seats, facing directly at Avyanna and Jimin, who sat next to each other. She could hear Daphne and Taehyung on her right, and behind her were Jungkook, Cleo, and the trio of boys.

With Avyanna finally present, Jimin couldn’t talk about anything other than the forming couple at the back. Sometimes, he’d even turn to look at Adrielle, asking for her opinion or looking for a reaction, and all he always received was a well-crafted and practised expression—the one a friend is supposed to have in a situation like this.

He didn’t know how much it bothered her system, adding to the fire within her soul. The fuel was the sounds she heard from Taehyung and Daphne.

It almost seemed like a show purposely put up to watch Adrielle’s emotional downfall.

One moment, they were dragging onto a notebook. He overpowered her, but she refused to let go, following the motion and being dragged onto him with the journal. The lack of distance almost made Adrielle’s knees buckle. 

Hadn’t she lived so far away from school and close to Taehyung, she would’ve already gotten off the bus.

The next moment, they were simultaneously reading the notebook, heads almost touching in the process. Then they listened to music with the same earphones, only to start playing on the phone together minutes later.

Adrielle wanted to lean her head against the cool pole she held onto to ease the ache. Was she the only one annoyed by everything? Why were the two friend groups suddenly merging harder than ever? Why was everyone behaving like their interactions were perfectly fine? Why was she the only person noticing it? Oh, and the greatest question of all, what had been going on for things to have escalated this quickly?

It was only natural that Adrielle didn’t know. Nobody knew it yet. It had occurred just above twenty-four hours prior.

It was hard to rationally pinpoint the origin of their behaviour. ‘Rationally’ because they were so in denial that they didn’t want to acknowledge their feelings yet.

—Now playing: Into You by Ariana Grande ✫

It was Tuesday, a day before Daphne’s second physics test. 

After their first victory, they figured it was best for her to revise the topic properly one last time, so they headed to the library when the school day was dismissed. 

They didn’t know that the coup d’etat carried out by their hearts had thrown their minds in disarray, pushing them to act on their feelings no matter how much they tried to fight it.

They didn’t have lunch before going to the library, so, just like the first time, they got some pizza from a nearby store and ate on the stairs. This time around, they didn’t mind the cold, enjoying the warmth of each other’s company instead.

He finished eating his food before her and kept teasing her, elongating the lunch by feigning to take a bite off her meal. 

She’d giggle and move away before he attempted anything, but he wouldn’t retreat, going as far as stretching over her and tickling her to have her give up. 

“Thank your god I’m not that hungry.” She grumbled playfully before letting him take a bite. 

With two hands holding the packaging, she guided it to his mouth, watching as he bit a piece of it and rushed to clean the streak of tomato sauce close to his lips. He let her. Didn’t budge. 

The proximity made his heart beat faster. Unconsciously, almost as if it was muscle memory, his eyes darted to her lips, and, just as quickly, he’d returned them to hers, hoping she couldn’t see how he truly felt. 

How could she anyway? He had nothing to worry about. The confident look on his face, the passion in his eyes, and the smile on his lips were enough. Having so much control over her facial expressions was impossible Daphne, as her cheeks heated up when she looked up and her eyes met his.

She softly chuckled. He sat back down, leaning back on his arms to watch her as she finished eating. His unwavering attention made her nervous, but she masked it with giggles.

Later on, when they got on the elevator to head upstairs, Taehyug remained very close to Daphne despite the ample space. Their arms touched, and they could smell each other’s lingering perfume. Something so small weighed on both like a steamroller.

Probably to the eyes of the regular library-goers, Taehyung and Daphne looked like an official couple, especially when entering the study area as someone else was leaving. He stretched his hand behind him, searching for Daphne’s as they had to move aside. It was muscle memory almost, making sure he wouldn’t lose her. Daphne didn’t hesitate to catch his hand, and in that way, they walked to their usual spot, him still leading the way.

They immediately got to work, and once they sat down, bags and jackets were kept aside on a chair. He’d ask the questions and she would answer. 

The setting gave Taehyung an excuse to drag her chair closer to him. 

“I can’t quite hear you.” He murmured, which was a lie; they were in a library and a secluded area. He could perfectly hear her. He just needed her closer.

During the break, they left to go downstairs to the cafe. On their way there, they checked the vending machines and saw that only a couple of their favourite snack remained. Since they had another destination in mind, they didn’t bother to buy anything.

“They probably sell it downstairs anyway.” He smugly told her, pulling her away with him as they rushed down the stairs.

Eventually, after buying their drinks, they discovered the snack wasn’t being sold downstairs. Still, at first, it seemed neither minded about it, until they’d finished their drink.

As they returned upstairs, instead of taking the lift, they decided to climb the stairs. Midway through them, Daphne made a bet with Taehyung, claiming that the first to make it upstairs would get the remaining snacks.

He gladly joined the competition, resulting in them pulling each other to get upstairs faster. Chaos ensued. She pulled on his shirt. He tickled her to free himself, and she tried slowing him down by throwing her arms around him.

It worked only a couple of times before he changed his mind and decided to scoop her up as he went up the remaining stairs, arms just shy of the curve of her butt.

She didn’t complain about either; the touch was welcomed, and she believed he was giving her a lift, penalising himself in the process. 

Joke’s on her, when he’d made it to the top floor, he dropped her behind him to rush to the vending machines. He wasn’t quick enough; she grabbed his shirt again, hands unwilling to let go, but her body was not strong enough to avoid being pulled away with him.

He tried to shield the vending machine as he hurried to insert his coins and buy the snacks, and she tried pushing him away to no avail. Their giggles filled the air. 

Whenever they’d realised it, they’d shush each other only to return to the same activity the following split moment.

He bought both snacks, leaving none for anyone else as he sang in victory, smirking and laughing in her face. She smiled as she accepted defeat to the challenge she herself had put up before asking him to at least give her one of the snacks.

He feigned not hearing her, and she wouldn’t stop pulling on his shirt, hand or arm. Anything closest to her. He let her.

At last, she pulled on his hands, and he didn’t try to escape her grasp. Instead, he held onto her, pulling her closer to assure her he’d give her a snack regardless.

Both hearts beat faster, but not because of the rush and the little brawl for the vending machines. Neither of them was thinking about the snacks anymore.

—Now playing: Only by Lee Hi ✫

In each other's company, time flew, losing form, slipping away unnoticed. In the blink of an eye, closing hours were at the door and they had to pack up and leave.

Once out of the elevator, they waved at the receptionist before venturing into the biting cold outside. The chill was instant and unforgiving, seeping through their clothes, clawing at their skin, and numbing any exposed part of their bodies.

Howling, hissing and cussing from the chill, they headed to the stop, ready to catch the bus at the usual hour.

“This is the sole reason I hate winter,” Daphne complained, rubbing her hands together.

He chuckled, looking at her struggle in the weather. Then something flashed in his mind and he acted upon it. Reaching over, he pulled her hand and slipped it into his pocket to warm it up.

She smiled and accepted the gesture, even thanking him when it actually worked against the cold.

“Oh, my God. How is it so warm in your pockets?” She asked, glancing up at him with a grateful smile.

Without thinking twice, she moved behind him to slip her other hand into the other pocket, arms snuggly wrapped around his waist.

He was surprised but not less excited. He could hear her giggles, slightly muffled since she’d placed her cheek against his back. She made no move to let go, and he certainly wasn’t about to complain, so they basically waddled to the bus stop, careful to walk in sync and avoid tripping on the ground.

Once at their destination, they looked for another means to warm up, and, this time around, he was the instigator of the embrace. He pulled her in for a hug, which she reciprocated, and they hopped around, hoping the movement would warm them up and laughing at the ridiculousness.

At that moment, Taehyung wished he had a means to record the sound of her giggles, just in case he’d find himself in a chilling cold weather like this without her or something to warm up his heart.

She wouldn’t stop laughing—a mask, a cover-up—and he wouldn’t stop smiling as he looked down at her.

Had it not been for the icy wind, their breaths would’ve mingled in the small space between them.

To distract himself from a tempting thought his heart had moved to the forefront of his brain, he picked her up, laughing when hearing her squeal from the surprise.

“Oh, my God. Let me down. What are you doing?” Her protest was cut short by another scream of surprise when he started spinning around with her in his arms.

Daphne could feel her heart in her throat—and she wasn’t scared of heights. He feared he’d suffer from tachycardia—and he didn’t have any rare condition.

He finally dropped her and with that, also the light-spirited vibe of the atmosphere. She stopped giggling and the brightness of his smile faded off slightly.

Why was that? His mind was officially losing it. He didn’t know if to look at her eyes or down at her lips. The first was beautiful regardless, but the second…oh, the second.

She didn’t stop smiling, trying to hide her shyness, but her eyes gave it off, moving as well from his eyes to his lips. This time, she didn’t look elsewhere. The rest of the world melted away.

She didn’t want to break the hug, and he wanted to kiss her, hadn’t it been for the bus pulling up at that exact moment.

Taehyung didn’t know if to cry, scream at the driver for coming on time, or beg him to run him over.

Regardless, they boarded the vehicle, immediately feeling hot, but not because of the heating system. They were already boiling inside from the start.

Maybe it was exactly this that they needed right from the start. Heat. Something that would melt their denial away because it finally spurred Taehyung to do the right thing.

They both sat in their usual spots. Daphne was still on a mission to amplify the intensity of her actions as she’d been doing all day, and he was processing words in his head.

 Her leg draped over his, and his hand lay on her knee, becoming the focal point of warmth in her body.

They talked. He made her laugh, and she drove him crazy just by existing. The more he looked at her smile, the more his heart screamed at him to wake the fuck up.

Eventually, he did. Not like he had a choice. He was losing it.

—Now playing: My Kind Of Woman by Mac DeMarco ✫

“Hey, erm,” he cleared his voice and scratched the back of his head, “I’ve wanted to ask you this question for a long time now.”

Daphne turned to face him, fully attentive and smile ever-present, making his heart stumble over itself. Did she have any idea what she did to him?

“What’s that?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Taehyung swallowed the lump in his throat and sighed to encourage himself. “So, I placed a reservation at this cool restaurant I found this summer, and the amusement park has reopened recently, so I thought you could come with me.” He swallowed again.

Daphne’s smile broadened. “Really?”

“Yeah.” His hand rubbed her knee. “Would you go on a date with me?” 

Daphne had never heard Taehyung speak so fast in her life. Never saw him fidget so much. Usually, she was the one overtaken by nervousness and getting flustered. But she liked seeing that the tables had been turned. 

This couldn’t be the same dude, who nonchalantly asked for her number a month ago.

“Yeah.” She nodded her head. “I’d love to go on a date with you.” Voice light and teasing.

“Yeah?” His eyes widened slightly.

“Yeah.”

Exhaling as if he’d been in apnea the whole while, he said, “Oh, God. I thought you’d say no because—”

“Why?” Then her voice dimmed, shy and hesitant. “I like you.” 

Oh, if his eyes weren’t bulging out before, they surely were now. Taehyung’s ears refused to listen to his surroundings. The rumbling sounds of the bus and the soft murmur of the passengers faded into a blur as he replayed her words in his head.

“Wow.” he scoffed in disbelief. Yes, Jimin had told him multiple times that the Daphne he saw looked very interested in him, but Taehyung never thought this event would unfold so easily. “You… like me?” 

She nodded, hoping the driver would speed up r to fast-forward this moment before her confident facade fell off and he’d see the truth. 

She needed to rush home and scream into her pillow. Then she’d yap with Loki and Luke, before running to Cleo’s place.

“Oh,” he breathed. “‘Cause I really like you too. Like a lot.” 

Okay, well, fuck it. 

Just like that, her carefully maintained composure shattered into tiny, irreparable pieces.

Her cheeks burned. Her pulse raced. The bus suddenly felt ten times hotter, and she had no idea where to look.

Taehyung, on the other hand, was thriving.

His deep chuckle rumbled through his chest as he leaned in, eyes twinkling with mischief. He was back to being his usual confident, teasing self.

The tables had turned back to their original position.

Daphne tried to hide her face without being too obvious but eventually gave up when she remembered she’d told him she liked him. The damage was already done.

He leaned closer to look at her face as she tried to bend her head and hide her cheeks. “Oh, my God.” He threw his head back, grinning. “I can’t believe it. My crush likes me back—”

“Okay, are you trying to see if I’m Cinderella but would turn into a tomato at midnight or some?” she blurted, flustered. The speed of her words almost matched the one of her heartbeats.

He burst out laughing, the sound so deep and warm that she wanted to melt into her seat.

Her leg was still on his as he moved to pin both her hands down, preventing her from covering her face. 

Desperate to save her face, she dropped her gaze, squealing and giggling when he didn’t stop and leaned closer to look at her. “Taehyung, please,” she begged for mercy, wriggling in vain. She pushed back until she couldn’t anymore.

“What more do you want?!” she laughed and cried at the same time—body hotter than summer.

“Just want to see your face as you blush. Haven’t I told you already that you look cute when you blush—”

“Where’s all this confidence coming from?” she cried, eyes narrowing in disbelief. “You were stuttering two seconds ago!”

Taehyung? He just laughed harder, completely and hopelessly smitten. 

“I can’t anymore?” He bit his lip to withhold his smile, eyes fixed on hers.

She shrugged, pursing her lips. “Ain’t you the one telling me not to be anxious or nervous or—”

“Yeah, because you’re always like that. Especially when you don’t need to—”

“Well, you didn’t either. Isn’t it obvious that I’ve liked you all this while?” Taehyung’s face morphed in surprise and he became flustered. For the first time, he lost control, and his cheeks warmed up.

Gasping and smiling widely, Daphne leaned toward his retreating figure. “Oh, my God. You’re blushing!” she laughed, trying to get his hands off his face.

He wouldn’t back down, turning his head left and right, up and down, anywhere to save himself. 

“Come on, let me see,” she whined, trying to pull her hands from his grip so she could cup his face. “I need to confirm something.”

Furrowing his brows, he asked, “What?”

I’ve got to know how to describe you when I’ll write in my journal tonight. Gotta see if when you blush you’re cute or handsome or—”

“Now, where’s your confidence coming from?” Disbelief and frustration in his tone. “You know how to be bold when you want!” 

She burst into laughter, but he wasn’t done yet. His voice dipped lower, softer. “Daphne,” he pleaded, “please stop.”

“When’s the date?” She changed the topic to distract him. As infatuated as he was, he didn’t think it through and turned to face her.

“Saturday?” he sort of asked, hoping she didn’t have plans for that day.

Satisfied with the view before her eyes, Daphne didn’t hint at the obvious, proceeding with the new topic. “Ooh, you’ve already planned everything,” she giggled, even harder when he groaned because he’d blushed again.

She kept begging, and he kept refusing to show his face. The passengers could hear their giggles.

and then—checkmate.

To stop her, Taehyung returned his hand to her knee. This time around, he rubbed it more, moving to the middle of her thigh. 

As envisioned, she quit the fight. 

“I know what you’re trying to do—”

“I like this side of you.” He interrupted, smirking.

“What side of me?” Her voice almost shaky because of the excitement within her.

“You being this bold, not too shy—”

She immediately objected, “I’m not too shy.”

Eyebrows bouncing in amusement, he scoffed. “You’re not too shy?” She shook her head. “Even when I do this?”

Her eyes widened as the distance instantly shrunk. She had nowhere to go. Her back was already against the window and he didn’t stop, invading her space—not like she didn’t like it. 

She almost lost her senses, feeling the warmth of his body and his scent, but not as much as when he pecked her cheek. Fuck. She really was red now.

“Fuck you,” she mumbled, and he chuckled as he returned to his seat. “Really. Fuck you. You’re just trying to distract me from—”

“From what?” he rebutted, mischief flashing in his eyes.

Like muscle memory, she checked the panel hanging from the rooftop and noticed the next stop was hers.

“Damn, please can you request the stop while I grab my stuff?” He became serious for a split moment, stretching over to press the red button.

She put on her jacket and took her bag before getting up, waiting for Taehyung to move his legs out of the way. Ever the teasing freak, he didn’t budge, forcing her to push through the space.

“Move.” He didn’t.

He kept smiling as he watched her struggle to move his legs, which he purposely made rigid and unshakeable.

“Fuck you, Tae.” She tried to come off as serious, but her chuckle ruined it all. He laughed when she tripped and almost landed in his lap.

“Fuck you!” she yelped, clasping her mouth shut because of the volume and hitting his arm when he wouldn’t stop laughing.

Eventually, she made it out of the tight space and, holding onto the poles, she maintained her balance.

“See you tomorrow then,” he said, coming down from the laughter. 

She nodded and smiled, before asking him, “So… restaurant and amusement park, yeah?”

Smiling, he nodded in agreement.

Just metres away from her bus stop, she took a step back and leaned forward toward him.

Too close.

Taehyung’s entire body stiffened as she pressed a soft peck to his cheek.

Holy shit.

His brain shut down.

His entire system overheated.

Before he could react, she pulled away, voice dropping to a teasing whisper. “Text me how you want me to dress… and see you tomorrow.”

She stepped off the bus before he could even think of responding.

Taehyung sat frozen, heat rising up his neck as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

Daphne’s smile had always been ever-present. Constant. Alive. Like an evergreen tree. A laurel.

He just didn’t realize that, in that moment, he was the one blushing the hardest. and she had seen it all.

⤎ previous page | ❃ | next page ⤏

[mitskicain]

navi | m.list

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ the sun is not the brightest star—shoko x fem!reader

© mitskicain all rights reserved. the modification, translation, and plagiarism of my work is strictly prohibited.

synopsis: shoko’s world gets turned upside down when long time truths are disproven

content warning: none :)

word count: 1.1k

· · ─────── ·{ ✐ᝰ.ᐟ}· ─────── · ·

Astronomy tells us that within our Milky Way galaxy, there is only one Sun, and eight planets that revolve around it. This is grade school knowledge. Ask anyone, and they’ll know this. But in Shoko’s world, the sun rises twice. Which is odd, because Shoko is a woman of fact, and the science states that the sun rises once a day, from the east to the west, illuminates the moon, and brings light to the planet Earth. But no—in her world, the sun rises twice.

She remembers the first time it happened. Scary, but also fascinating. Like a car crash on the highway that you can’t look away from. She looked at the light reflecting into her bedroom, its golden rays intense and bouncing off her sheets, and thought—shit, well there goes everything I’ve ever believed in. There goes years of my career as an astronomer. Is this how Galileo felt? When he discovered that the Sun revolved around the Earth? What kind of fate awaits me now? Will I rot in prison too for my discovery? And she thought: no, I wouldn’t survive prison; so she kept it her little secret. Nobody else knows of the astronomical anomaly that existed only through her lens. Okay, she could live with that.

Two suns would mean the end of the fucking world. It would mean global temperatures rising and burning through our atmosphere, drying up oceans and crops—an international crisis, a disaster, a world class fuck up. And yet her world kept on spinning in its little orbit, days blurring into nights. The weeks passed, and there was no sign of the apocalypse—so okay, maybe two suns didn’t mean the end of the world. Maybe something new doesn’t always bring everything else to ruins. Okay, she could live with that.

The second sun was weird, because it didn’t sit in the sky; it was here on Earth, with everyone else, and it seemed like Shoko was the only one to realize that a celestial body existed amongst humankind. She never thought it possible, but then again, there’s two fucking suns. So maybe that wasn’t the weirdest thing. The second sun wasn’t always around. Sometimes it would blend in with the crowds inside buildings. Sometimes you could find it in the farmers market on Sundays. Sometimes in the park feeding the ducks in the pond. At first, it didn’t shine as harshly or as brightly as the Sun in the sky did. It was so much softer. A golden glow like a halo that illuminated each room and corner it was in. It didn’t demand to be seen or noticed like the other did. Instead, it draws you in, and the more and more you notice, the brighter and brighter it would seem, until slowly, it outshone the Sun. One upped every single ray and gave you ten fold of whatever the other could—but it was never blinding. Still, Shoko looked away when it was staring her in the face. Whatever it was emitting—sunlight, infrared, gamma radiation—it made her feel weak. Sick at times, the way you do before a presentation or a school play, but nonetheless weak.

When Shoko was in high school, she learned about the stars. She learned that the stars she saw in the night sky were millions of light years away and likely already dead. You just don’t know it yet because they’re so far away and the amount of time that it takes for that light to reach planet Earth is so long. The Sun is the only star in our galaxy, the center of the milky way, and quite literally, one of the few reasons why Earth can sustain life. It’s light allows for photosynthesis, for sight, for warmth. We need to thank the sun for the brilliant, amazing, and grand things it has allowed for us to do with our lives. The second sun was no different.

It brought light into Shoko’s world. Not the visible light and its color spectrum, but rather, lifted the darkness out of her world. Her apartment, once barren and empty, desolate of life, was now thriving with its golden rays and lush greenery. The more the second sun was around her, the lighter her feet felt, and the easier the days seemed. In odd, inexplicable ways, things were simply better with them around. She sang in the shower, swayed to the music–all the corny shit people do when they’re in love.

Yes, Shoko was once terrified, but now loved the second sun. Loved the softness of its rays, loved the tenderness of its warmth, loved the way it lit up rooms, the way it floated from one place to another. Most of all she loved the person she became around the second sun. Loved the lighter, happier person who didn’t have to hide behind all that bullshit she was putting up with. She was finally, finally happy again after god knows how long.

So now her mornings follow a specific routine. She would get up at 5.45 AM, just a little before the first sunrise. She’d wash her face and brush her teeth in the bathroom, and then slinked into the kitchen to brew her first pot of coffee. As the first sun rises above the horizon, she leans against the kitchen table, and watches the sky turn from grey to golden. She does not squint or look away. When she hears the soft rustling of her bedsheets, she knows that it’s almost time for the second sunrise. She makes her way to her bedroom door and watches, in awe, just like the first time she saw the second sunrise. Eyelids fluttering open, a yawn escaping a mouth, arms outstretched and the softest, most melodic voice. It never gets old. She could wake up to this forever. Watch the second sunrise forever.

“G’morning sunshine,” she says, and you beam. Shoko crawls back into bed, back into your open arms, and kisses the soft skin of your neck. This is how mornings are supposed to be spent.

She pulls back, fingers combing through and moving the hair out of your face, and is struck, by the thousandth time, with just how many things had to go right for this very moment to play. She thanks her lucky stars, Canopus and Ursa Major, for this–for you. Thank you for giving one of your celestial bodies to live on Earth with me. To love me. Love of my life. Light of my life–you. And then, for a moment, Shoko looks away, overwhelmed by it all. You giggle at her sentimentality, and press your lips onto hers, laughter echoing in your mouths. When Shoko thinks back on these moments—when Shoko thinks of you—all she can think about is how her high school astronomy teacher was wrong.

The sun is not the brightest star. You are.

· · ─────── ·{ ✐ᝰ.ᐟ}· ─────── · ·

author’s note: for my beloved @aozui @ghostwoke; like you said—you’re.. in lesbians with her? I hope this is lesbian enough for you :)

[slushyseals]

When Mount Ruang in Indonesia underwent multiple explosive eruptions last week, volcanic gases were flung so high they reached the atmosphere’s second layer, tens of thousands of feet above ground.

Ruang’s eruptions ejected a massive ash plume and sent some volcanic gases more than 65,000 feet into the air, according to satellite estimates – about 25,000 feet higher than a commercial airplane will typically fly.

The eruption’s potential impacts to weather and climate are starting to come into focus, even as the danger posed by the volcano persists and evacuations continue.

It’s possible for volcanoes to have a short-term impact on the climate – including global temperature cooling – due to the gases they inject high into the upper atmosphere. But Mount Ruang’s influence on the climate will likely be minimal, according to Greg Huey, the chair of Georgia Tech’s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

And the day-to-day weather conditions near Mount Ruang – things like temperature, clouds and rain – probably won’t be influenced by the volcano for long, Huey told CNN.

Mount Ruang, a 2,400-foot (725-meter) stratovolcano on Ruang Island in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province, has erupted at least seven times since Tuesday night, the country’s volcanology agency said. Stratovolcanoes can produce explosive eruptions because their cone shape allows gas to build up, according to volcanologists.

[project2028]

Indiana University Bloomington is eliminating and suspending over 100 academic programs in arts and humanities, science, education, public health, and more

These cuts were voted by a Board of Trustees majority that was appointed by Indiana Republican Governor Mike Braun.

“At least 43 undergraduate degree programs will be suspended with plans to eliminate or merge them, including the Bachelor of Arts in African American and African Diaspora Studies, Art History, Comparative Literature, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, French, Gender Studies, and Spanish.

Several Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Fine Arts programs are also impacted, including programs in Ballet, Cognitive Science, and Environmental Geoscience.

Also teaching education degrees in English, Journalism, Math and Social studies will be completely eliminated.”

When their enrollment dips and the school ends up in financial trouble like they already were, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves.

[verysanebsdfan]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟾: ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴡɴ ᴏғ ɪʀᴏɴ

The Perfect Equation: The dawn of iron

Ishigami Senku x fem!reader

masterlist tpe masterlist

<previous・・・・・ next>

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

"Oh, so we just gotta start with this iron thing! What's iron anyway? Tell me all about it!"

"So we're getting sorcery... I mean, science lessons from Senku sensei? I feel like I'll never quite understand this either way..." Kohaku says. "I won't blame you..." I respond.

・・・・・

"So, (Name), what exactly is the Mohs hardness scale you talked about?" Chrome questioned me.

I take a moment to think about an easy explanation. "As the name shows, it's a scale of hardness. Minerals, with number 1 being the softest, and number 10, if I recall correctly, is only Diamond. The hardest. The scale also qualifies scratch resistance, which basically is the hardness, since the tougher the mineral, the harder it is to scratch." I explain after a moment.

"Ohh!! I get it! And you mentioned the super tough mineral- Corundum, was it? Being number nine?" Chrome reacts and asks, to which I nod.

・・・・・

And similar lessons like that continued for hours on no end. It was already dark, I was admiring the stars. I love the space. Stargazing has been one of my favourite activities ever since I was young. It might have been one of the reasons that led me to astronomy. Besides Senku, of course.

"The Earth itself is spinning?! Baaad!" exclaims Chrome, standing above exhausted Senku, yet the brown haired male still wanted to learn more. I don't blame him. One thing is that it's just his character, and the other thing is, if you live in a primitive world your whole life, a discovery like this will leave you speechless.

"That seems odd. Why aren't I just flying off this branch, then?" Kohaku questions from her spot on a tall tree branch.

"Because of gravity! It pulls us toward the Earth's center. Also, thanks to Earth's atmosphere. We do not feel the spinning because air, water, and us are already spinning at the same speed along with Earth," I explain. "Or at least I think that's how it is. Anyway, if the Earth suddenly stopped spinning, we'd definitely feel it." I tell them, and Senku tiredly nods along.

"I actually thought it was weird how that one star never moves," Chrome says, gazing up in the sky.

"The north star. That really bright one over there." Senku points up to the sky, "There's a ten billion percent chance it points due north. Really handy to know. Try to remember it." Senku says.

"Wait, really?" Chrome questions, bringing out some container with water. "Looks as though it's shifted a bit from due north..." Kohaku stated.

"I also think it looks odd... I spent hours and hours looking at the stars, and this is definitely not it. I blamed it on my hazy memories, but now that you mention it..." I mumble. "Senku!" I shouted in realization, and he seemingly realized too.

"The Earth's axis shifted?!" His eyes widened. "The planet's been tilting little by little over these past 3700 years. So now, in the year 5739 A.D., it's different! The freaking north star!" He shouted, "heh, heh, heh.... any real scientist would be disgusted at my oversight... but you guys aren't hung up on any fixed notions, I'm hopeless." He groans lightly and puts his face into his hand.

"Senku... It's okay, most scientists are not high school students carrying the burden of restoring the whole world. It's okay to make an oversight." I say softly, putting my hand on his shoulder gently.

"Ha! I don't think you're hopeless at all, Senku." Kohaku says, looking down at us from her spot on the branch.

"Hah. I'm not down on myself. But even I, despite my cool head... Couldn't stop to conceive the sheer scale of what we're dealing with here. It only just hit me...how long that really is." Senku says in a soft voice. And then he pales, making a confused face. "Hong on. How'd you guys figure out the north star doesn't point due north anymore?" He questions the duo.

Chrome makes a face or- I don't even know what that face means. "Ohhh?! So, even the great Senku doesn't know about this stone? I just happened to find it on some barren hill. It's one baaad stone!" He exclaims and shows us the container with water in it, gently placing a leaf with a small stone on it. A magnet? "When you dangle it or make it float, it always points straight north. How baaad is that?!"

"A magnet..." Both Senku and I say, albeit he was much happier about it. "Heh, heh, heh... good work, Chrome! With this magnet, we can easily get our first item!" Senku said excitedly. "So hurry and go to sleep so you can all lend a hand tomorrow." He commands with a smirk.

"Ohh...where are we sleeping? In the storehouse?" I question.

"Yeah, where else?" Senku responds to my question and sticks his finger into his year. "Cmon (Name), I'll check on your wounds." And with that, we bid them goodnight and went off to our current accommodation.

・・・・・

After some time of Kohaku trying to help me make something resembling a swimsuit, I was finally ready for our iron sand search. The swimsuit isn't really the best, though; it's still some sort of animal skin. I hate this.

Both Kohaku and I jumped into the water, getting ready to work. I bend down and place the magnet that's in my hand near the ground. I look at it and see chunks of black sand.

"Ohhh, look how much I found," Kohaku exclaims excitedly. "Look at all this creepy black sand!"

"At last, the very first step on our road map to the kingdom of science, the curtain's rising on the iron age! Get excited!" Senku yells out.

Ahh, I wonder what awesome stuff we will make with iron. If we manage to melt it, that is.

"Hey, (Name)?" Kohaku calls out to me, and I turn to her and nod. "So, you and Senku?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows. My face flushes, and I pout a little.

"Again, there's nothing between us! We are best friends!" I tell her, and she sighs. "Really? I was excited for some 'girl talk, ' but still, if you do have some drama or romance." She grins. "I'm up to hearing it."

I smile. "I did have a boyfriend once!" I chuckle, and she perks up. "It was nothing serious, really. He just wanted me for my looks. And I didn't want him at all, but he just didn't let go. His constant confessions lasted for almost a year until I gave in! He seriously sucked tho!"

"So you were popular back then?" Kohaku asked while chuckling slightly.

"Not exactly. I mean people liked me, but I was far from popular." I smile slightly, reminiscing. I take another scoop of the iron sand and put it into my small bag.

Meanwhile, Kohaku overheard the guys talking and slacking off. "AGAIN, NOT A GORILLA!!" She shouted, really angry, and then proceeded to teach them a lesson for slacking off, let's say.

As we finally continue working, along with the guys, Senku suddenly notices a watermelon swimming downstream. Then, suddenly, a little child emerges from underwater, the watermelon serving as their mask. Chrome, Senku, and I get a little startled, and Chrome lets out a scared squeak since he was close to the little child.

"It's you, Suika. Why are you here?" Kohaku leaned down to pat the little girl's head. "Did you follow us all this way?" She proceeded to ask.

"The kid's name is Suika?" Senku asked.

"It's just a nickname, I think. It's because of that watermelon rind." Chrome explains, and I nod understandingly. Then he grabs the girl's piece of magnet. "Hey! What's the big idea, Suika? You can't just go stealing my magnets!"

The little girl, Suika, then bends over to try and collect more sand from the river bottom. "But... Suika just wants to help." She says softly, and my eyes soften. "Suika's always wearing this thing, so Suika can't really help out much. Even when Suika grows up someday..." She looks up at us, "So that's why if someone needs help, Suika just wants to-"

And then Senku interrupts her. "Got it! You made your point." He said, and Suika got scared. But then Senku's face softens. "I'm grateful, to be honest." he smiles at her; his smile is so handsome. "Our Science Kingdom needs all the help it can get. We are not gonna turn anyone away. "Besides, a little imp like you is about ten billion times more efficient at gathering iron sand." he hands the magnet back to her, and I take out another small bag to put the iron sand into. "Heh, heh, heh... Will you help us, Suika?" Senku questions her, and she clearly agrees. He then walks away to collect more sand, I think, at least.

"No one's ever not asked Suika why she wears this thing. He must've realized Suika just doesn't wanna show Suika's face and didn't bother Suika about it." Suika said happily.

"You obviously don't know Senku. That's giving him too much credit." Kohaku said, laughing nervously, and Chrome added: "He just doesn't give a crap about your face as long as you're an asset." Chrome said, frowning.

"Which is good. Back in our day, it was not unnatural to bully people for their appearance, some even took their life because of it." I state calmly. Well, that took a dark turn. Luckily, Suika didn't hear that since she was already swimming away to collect more sand.

"Are you Momotaro, or what?!" Chrome yells after Suika. "Don't drown out there!"

"Chrome, did you say Momotaro?" I question him.

"Dragon Quest and Monster Hunter are mysteries to you, but you know about Momotaro? Who taught you that?" Senku asked them in a serious tone as he put away the iron sand he had collected so far.

"Hey, you know Momotaro too? Ruri tells us all sorts of stories!" Chrome exclaims excitedly.

"Hey, gorillas too. How would you know about them? Are they out there, in the wild?" Senku said, startled.

"We've never seen one in person. But there's a gorilla who shows up in the tale of Momotaro." Chrome looks around at us.

"No, there is not!" Me and Senku exclaim.

"It's one of the animal buddies he recruits with dango treats, right?" Chrome says, his eyes twinkling, and then he goes on to talk about their version of Momotaro.

"With dango treats? Well...I'd be persuaded by that too, not going to lie."

"Since when was Momotaro so savage?!" Senku shouted.

"I've heard so many stories from my big sister. Oh, and Ruri also likes to use big, hard words." Kohaku says, smiling. She really does care about her sister. It's sweet.

"Suddenly, my interest in this Ruri has been piqued. Makes me even more determined to cure her." He said that, and I felt an odd feeling in my chest. Oh well. Allergies, I bet.

"You're interested in Ruri?" Chrome asked Senku, getting close to his face, very agitated. "What's that mean, Senku? You shouldn't say stuff like this in front of (Name)!" "What's that supposed to mean?" I think and continue watching the exchange.

"Psst..." Kohaku whispers and tells us that Chrome has a huge crush on Ruri but is oblivious. Yeah, that fits.

"Ohh... I see." I mumble.

"But Chrome's like an oblivious little kid about it. Totally not self aware." Kohaku tells us, and I giggle.

"What?! Who are you calling a kid?!" Chrome yells from behind us.

[stellanix]

something i saw once that has stuck with me ever since was a comment on a post about some scientific discovery made by the mars rover perseverance that said "why are we wasting time looking at rocks when we should be preparing for colonization?

another comment was on a post about the environmental issues surrounding the spacex launch site in southern texas, which said "human expansion to mars delayed to protect some turtles"

and comments like these perplexed me. space is a subject of science, and people interested in space are always talking about the wonders of the unknown, and how many fascinating and beautiful things are out there. so how could people interested in space be so fundamentally uncaring and incurious not only about the places they're supposedly interested in, but about nature in general?

it's not just random people in twitter replies who are like this. elon musk once posted this picture:

thing is, that's not mars, that's the moon during a lunar eclipse (when sunlight tinted red after passing through earth's atmosphere lights up the moon in earth's shadow). you'd think that someone known for wanting to bring people, himself included, to mars would care enough about mars to at least know what it looks like, but apparently not

he also rather infamously says he wants to nuke the ice caps of mars to warm the planet up. the ice caps of mars look like this, by the way (image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/Aster Cowart):

they are beautiful places, that hold an irreplaceable scientific record of the geologically recent martian climate, and are shaped by unique processes. there's no other place quite like them in our solar system. but elon musk thinks we should nuke them. again, no care, no curiosity

nothing has made me feel jaded and cynical about the entire enterprise of spaceflight quite like learning that the people ultimately in charge of it and funding it don't give a shit about space. it's not just elon musk. space nerds love quoting kennedy's "we choose to go the moon" speech as inspiration, but kennedy is also on record saying "I'm not that interested in space" in a conversation where he was arguing to the nasa administrator that they should prioritize beating the soviets to the moon over space science. no curiosity, only a desire for geopolitical showmanship and maintaining hegemony. it's the same thing when many modern politicians only seem to care about space exploration as a way of keeping a technological lead over china

this leaves the people who do genuinely love and care about space in an awkward position. they basically have two choices: A) become jaded and give up on space exploration, or at least parts of it (abandoning human spaceflight but maintaining interest in robotic science missions, for example) or B) give in. work with military contractors. spout the jingoistic rhetoric that the politicians writing the checks want to hear, even if you don't believe it. go along with the colonialist ideology, the hypercapitalism, and the extractivism. sell your soul for pictures of mars and let your passions be exploited for the ends of powerful people who don't care

the sad reality is that our society only values those things deemed useful or profitable. we hear it all the time. the idea that schools should only teach things useful for jobs, that people who try to make a living in fields like art, the humanities, or philosophy are all getting useless degrees and will inevitably end up stuck working retail, and of course, the idea that space exploration is a waste of time and money

space nerds are often deeply insecure about their greatest passion, because it's true, space exploration offers no immediate practical benefit. but they still love space and want to explore it

so they believe the lies. they repeat the colonialist ideology. they say there's money in mining asteroids, that we can terraform planets and let number go up forever. they let themselves be exploited by companies and governments that see everything in the universe and all the people in it as things to be used, and that will ultimately chew them up and spit them out if it's expedient to do so. and those who reject the ideology and keep their love for the cosmos pure often find themselves with no place in the project of space exploration

i don't know how to fix this, but i do hope that i will live to see the day when our curiosity and interest and love for the wider universe is valued for its own sake, and no longer shackled by colonialism, capitalism, and political ambitions

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fiction Free-for-All Book Bracket Tournament: Round 3

Book summaries below:

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.

Romance, contemporary, timeslip, science fiction, adult

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues—a bee, a key, and a sword—that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians—it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life.

Fantasy, portal fantasy, metatextual, atmospheric, adult

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20250627 Series 28 Episode 77

A link between Earth’s oxygen and its magnetic field

Scientists have discovered a link between Earth’s life giving oxygen atmosphere and the planet’s magnetic field.

Looking inside the planet Mercury

A new study suggests that the crust and internal structure of the planet Mercury are very different from anything seen on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system. 

The on going mystery of the Sun’s Corona

Despite all the science, all the research and endless observations there are still countless questions about the energy powering the Sun’s atmosphere the corona. So where are we at?

The Science Report

Earth’s seasonal rhythms are changing and that’s putting more and more species and ecosystems at risk.

People who walk for more than 100 minutes per day have a 23% lower risk of chronic lower back pain.

Humans may have adapted to live in a range of new environments before spreading out of Africa.

Skeptics guide to a UFO hovering off the coast of Chile.

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through your favourite podcast download provider or from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He was the dorky school kid who spent his weekends at the Australian Museum. Gary studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on a career in journalism and radio broadcasting. His radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. Gary’s first gigs were spent as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist, and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary was appointed Science Editor and quickly developed the StarStuff Astronomy show, which he wrote, produced, and hosted. The program proved extremely popular, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience -- based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. That compares to the ABC’s overall radio listenership of 5.6 per cent. The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times a week (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and it’s available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[pussydestroyer10110]

Jake x Avatar!Reader x Neytiri

1.25k words (not edited)

Chapter 1 - Context, arriving on Pandora

This is my first time writing avatar or anything like this so please bare with. I am writing this late at night so please be kind 🙏🙏🙏 also constructive criticism would be much appreciated

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You had arrived on Pandora after years floating in the abyss of space. The lack of gravity came as a shock after years asleep, making it feel as if you were still trapped in the never ending dream.

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You were a scientist and friend of Grace Augastine when she had been studying on earth, she first looked down at you with your lack of experience and youth but soon she recognised your passion and allowed the budding friendship to blossom. It was during your second year of studying under her that she was called to Pandora for a second time, afterall she had only returned to earth after the tragedy of the school and the RDA.

She had only ever briefly spoken about what happened that day but she still spoke of her students with love and kindness, holding them above almost everyone else she knew. Frequently she would tell you stories of the planet and how its buds would bloom with colours unseen by people on earth and how the animals were something out of fiction. It made you crave to go there.

When she had finally arrived on Pandora you were already deep in the field of environmental sciences, even studying samples of Pandora that she had collected herself, that's when she started sending you little messages with pictures of her avatar and the vibrant nature around her. For her she had seen you a mere few days ago but in reality it had been years.

Despite the time between last speaking to her the friendship remained strong and you opened each message with more curiosity than last.

She had told you about the marine 'Jake' that had joined them recently and how he was a complete moron with no respect for the world around him. Only weeks later she was singing his praises and telling you about how she had rejoined the clan she once and still loved.

You loved it all, you experienced it through her but that never seemed enough.

Then that one fateful day came, you had sat by your computer for months, checking and checking for new messages but nothing came. She had disappeared.

After a long while of waiting you had finally sent the dreaded message to the lab she was working at, asking of her where abouts, if she was okay. Nothing could've prepared you for the message you received, a message sent by one of her lab partners, Norm.

Now you knew of her death, it broke you in unimaginable ways. You felt your tie to the foreign world become severed within an instant, how could simple pixels on a screen completely twist your perception of reality?

So you threw yourself at your work, reading over notes only you had gotten thanks to Grace, you knew everything you could about this foreign world. That's why you were selected.

With the avatar programme under new management they decided they needed more hands to help repair the gaping wound left by the RDA and once Norm found your chat with Grace and heard about your work back on Earth he recruited you.

He had a team craft your own avatar for you.

When you saw it you cried. You felt a newfound connection to your old friend knowing she had experienced what you were going to.

Then you were placed on that flight which only about a dozen people were on to be shipped lightyears out into space.

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So here you were, your mouth dry, your body weak and tired despite your death like rest.

You were there in the outer atmosphere of Pandora. There was a large window carved into the far side of the ship, through it you could see the planet you had only heard about but dreamt of going to.

It felt new, fresh, it was a possibility of a new life as you literally had a new body to place yourself into.

A few hours later and you landed on Pandora, a mask clamped tightly around your face as you went from the shuttle to the base. Inside was sleek but more personalised than when the RDA had ran it, you felt yourself begin to feel slightly emotional once more knowing Grace had walked these same hallways were you were now.

It was a short walk to where the few humans of Pandora were, all of them were smiling and happy to greet you along with the team. To your knowledge they had picked a variety of skill sets, a few scientists, farmers and even a few family members.

You didn't know what to expect as you walked in but you knew you were the only one with an avatar.

The team had only enough materials to craft one more avatar due to the lack of government funding and it was gifted to you. You were waiting in this small room until a man entered, introducing himself as the 'Norm' you knew so much but so little about.

The others were soon chased off to do there duties, leaving you standing there, waiting for your own instructions. After a while Norm turned to you, a large smile on his face.

"Welcome, now you know we've given you an avatar because Grace had always spoken so highly of you"

You look at him with a soft smile, it was nice knowing your old friend had spoken fondly of you, he begins to walk through the hallways while spouting scientific facts about the lab around you, clearly wanting you to follow. Finally you reach a room with a thick metal door showing it was of higher security, from the gap between the door and the floor there was a soft blue glow.

"Now this is where we've kept your avatar for the time being, it's in with the link room as with you being the only avatar driver here we have to compact the space a bit more"

He says and he types a code and the door opens, inside a glowing blue tank and inside the tank the slender, hunched form of an avatar.

"She, well you, matured on the flight out"

As he says this you barely pay attention, instead choosing to walk up to the tank and gaze up at the otherworldly figure twitching slightly in the translucent substance. She looked like you but with her features sharper - not dissimilar to a cat - the whole thing enthralled you. Norm looked at you with a slight smile, he wasn't offended at the lack of focus you gave him as he reminded himself of the first time he'd seen his avatar.

"It's cool isn't it?"

He asks, momentarily breaking your train of focus, you turn to him with a sheepish smile knowing you've been preoccupied with your own thoughts.

"Yeah, it's a bit of a shock, Grace always told me about how it felt to be part of the Na'vi tribe, to look like one of them. I guess I'd never thought I'd experience it myself"

You state, it was obvious this whole experience felt surreal it almost wanted to make you pinch yourself to just assure yourself you weren't dreaming.

It was exciting, new and it hadn't even started yet.

[girlvinland]

Man. So I’m kind of at this weird turning point in my life where I like where I’m heading with job stuff, but I also really just want to learn more and embed myself more in my field.

I think I’ve talked about it on occasion, but a really big regret of mine was never finishing my geology stuff. It’s a long story that idc about telling rn, but ultimately where I ended up was kind of strange. I have a lot of bg work in geology, I ended up actually getting my master’s in library/information sci, I worked at a geological survey for I think a combined total of seven years, and then the location/work culture of that specific place was starting to wear on me a lot (a lot of turnover for lower level positions so I’d have to take on extra work when people left, dealt with sexual harassment from two of the older men, didn’t like living in that city after school).

I moved Elsewhere, got a graduate certificate in GIS, and that helped me get the job I have now, which is still in earth science but more on the climate side of things with some data and archival work thrown in. I thought for a long time about looking into studying earth system sci but idk I didn’t like how much it tied into atmospheric science bc that’s just not really my Thing or whatever. Thought about getting back into geology and did apply to a sort of dream school for it, got accepted to the program, but then so many of my old classes were not transferable bc they’re just run differently at the new place that it left me kind of like. I don’t want to retake these classes and waste time and whatever, and the classes weren’t all asynchronous so it was going to be rough logistically. I’ve kind of scrapped that idea, which was a legitimately difficult decision to make, but not the end of the world.

SO. I’m long-winded and apologize if you’re reading this but. I tried looking into other programs I might be interested in. Turns out that the place where I got the GIS cert lets you put that cert towards a GIS master’s if you want. They also offer a master’s program in renewable energy/sustainability, which I am very interested in (probably top interest after pure geology fields). So I’m kind of stuck between deciding on what I’d like, but also it’s like. Would it be pointless to do that second one with the way this administration is? Would I just be setting myself up for some sort of failure going that route bc all of those jobs are being eliminated? Will we ever be able to make a comeback with renewable energy sources (solar/wind/geothermal)? GIS is very useful in a wide range of fields, and it comes with a decent amount of programming work which I am never going to turn down, but I am very fascinated by renewable energy (my dad worked in solar and wind at one point and it used to really feel encouraging, but now I don’t know).

I really don’t know what the answer is. I do hate how uncertain and precarious climate and energy is right now. Have had to see a lot of awesome people fall victim to everything that is happening, and it’s really demoralizing and difficult to watch. Existential-crisis-what-effect-is-this-going-to-have-on-everyone-level demoralization. Well. I do at least know I’d sell my soul before I worked in anything defense or homeland security-adjacent, so guess there’s that.