#Herculean galaxy

[spacewonder19]

Hubble's Ring & Spiral: NGC 6028/UGC 11105

[worldofstoriesanddreams]

Isn't there an age limit?

The Justice League gathered in the meeting room to deal with yet another potential world ending threat. On the screen was a projection of an incoming alien armada. The invaders were as numerous as the stars. Each spaceship looked like a skull with many tentacles.

“These mechanical ships harvest a world’s resources, destroying all life, while terraforming the planet into servers which become part of Brainiac’s interstellar network,” Batman explained.

“We don’t have sufficient numbers to take them all down,” Martian Manhunter pointed out. “Is there a weakness we can target? Or do they have a leader we can capture to force the entire fleet into submission?”

“We need to locate Brainiac and infiltrate the ship he’s on.” While Batman spoke, a hush silence fell on the entire room. Everyone stared at the screen behind him, with mouths wide open.

Turning around, Batman stared in unbelief.

A massive sphere - a dead star, moved between Earth and the alien army. 

The cameras zoomed in on a red dot pushing it - Fawcett’s new local hero with the demeanour of a golden retriever - Captain Marvel. 

Gripping the titanic star like an oversized plastic ball, he swung it forward, hitting the incoming spaceships out of the galaxy.  

The Herculean man’s face lit with childish glee as he pumped his fist in the air. 

Grinning like an idiot, he carted the unimaginably heavy celestial object away, while whistling a ditty. 

How powerful was that man? 

More importantly, does he have any weakness in case he needs to be taken down?

“Phew,” Flash was the first to get his voice back. “The new guy took care of that. So can we go home now?”

“No,” Batman raised his hand. “Change of agenda. It’s time we expanded our membership.” Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. What better way to keep an eye on the new guy than to bring him into the fold.

Superman had a silly hopeful grin on his face. “I vote we invite Captain Marvel to join the League.”  The Last Son of Krypton must suspect that the new hero is a fellow Kryptonian.

“We don’t know anything about him,” Green Lantern cautioned.

“Better get him on our side than have him join our enemies,” Batman replied as the screen showed photos and articles about Captain Marvel gleaned from the internet for all to study.

“He’s clean.” Cyborg ran his checks on the man. “He’s a boy scout. Half of all the footage I have found — and I mean exactly half — shows him rescuing cats from trees or helping little old ladies cross the road while carrying groceries for them.”

“Cast your votes,” Batman ordered. “Do we want Captain Marvel to be a member of the Justice League?”

*

The decision was unanimous. Captain Marvel has a place in the Justice League, that is, if he wants it. With his power set, he would be a valuable asset to the team. All appearances of the new hero have shown that he is one of the good guys.

“I’ll ask him,” Superman volunteered. He was dying to meet the new guy. He had to be a fellow Kryptonian. Though he must have a chat with The Captain about Bat-paranoia, to hide how much Kryptonians can really do. Otherwise Bats might break out his Kryptonite stores to hit them both.

For example, while pushing a titanic star, for goodness sake, please make it look a lot more challenging.

According to Cyborg, Captain Marvel would appear in Fawcett right after a massive lightning strike from the clear, cloudless sky. The hero tended to patrol Fawcett for an hour before seven in the morning and for an hour after three in the afternoon on weekdays. His schedule was more unpredictable during the weekends. 

Clark was a reporter. 

Could The Captain be an elementary school teacher in his civilian identity?

It was a quarter past three on a Wednesday afternoon. Superman hovered four hundred feet above Fawcett’s busiest square, drawing a curious crowd while he waited for Captain Marvel to make his appearance.

Lightning struck an alley near a local elementary school.

“S-superman!” Captain Marvel hovered in front of him. 

The man’s brilliant blue eyes brimmed with excitement as he stared at Superman with an open-mouthed grin. 

“What brings you to Fawcett?” The Captain’s cheeks flushed as he stiffened, arms crossing his heavily muscled chest. If Superman didn’t know any better, he’d think Captain Marvel was starstruck.

“Captain Marvel,” Superman began, feeling a little self conscious.“I come on behalf of the Justice League. We’ve seen what you can do and want you to join our team.”

“You want me to join the Justice League?” The big guy was practically bouncing with excitement. If he were a golden retriever with a tail, he’d be wagging it.

Just as abruptly, he looked down, slouching as if trying to shrink his large frame. “But isn’t there an age limit to join the League?”

“We don’t discriminate against anyone based on their ages.” 

Superman whispered conspiratorially. “I don’t even know how old I was when my ship landed on earth. For all you know, it could have taken lightyears to get here.”

“Hmm,” Captain Marvel rubbed the back of his neck. “If you say so.”

“Take your time to think about it,” Superman handed him a League communicator. “This is for you. If you want to talk to us, just press this button,” he showed The Captain how to use the device.

“For me?” The guy looked as excited as a kid who had received a shiny new toy. 

“Yes, for you,” Superman replied. “Call us when you’ve decided.”

“I want in,” Captain looked up, grinning from ear to ear.

“Then, welcome to the Justice League!” Superman shook his hand. “Come with me to our headquarters.”

*

The flight to the Justice League’s Headquarters with Superman was fun. 

That giant satellite that Cap often flew past when he left earth’s atmosphere was the Justice League’s Watchtower -  a secret meeting place for Justice League members.

Billy was flying with Superman. 

Elated.

The SUPERMAN!

How cool was that?

His hero was a lot chattier in person. 

Superman talked about Krypton, his home world. His dad uploaded all Krypton’s history and knowledge into the A.I. of the spaceship that brought Kal-el to earth. 

Kal-el was Superman’s birth name.

“What’s your birth name?” Superman asked?

“William,” Cap replied.

“Wil-em,” Superman looked deep in thought. 

“The Ems — I think I know your bloodline.”

“You do?” The thought that Superman even cared about Billy’s family warmed him like a cup of hot chocolate. But as far as Billy knew, he was a Batson, not an Em. He was four when he lost his family. It’s been three years since. His memories of Daddy, Mummy and Mary were beginning to fade.

“Come with me to my Fortress of Solitude after your induction and I’ll show you Krypton’s records about the Ems,” Superman grinned as he tapped on the satellite.

A panel slid open.

“Where is it?” Cap asked as he flew into the airlock.

“In the Arctic,” he accompanied Cap in the dock.

“Are there polar bears?” Cap felt giddy with excitement.

“Plenty,” Superman laughed as he walked Cap through the massive hall. It was like nothing Billy had ever seen. 

“I can introduce you to a family of friendly bears,” Superman grinned.

“I would love that,” Billy’s heart did flip flops over the thought of getting to meet polar bears who were friends with Superman. Cap could speak all languages. He’d have a great time chatting with Superman’s bear buddies.

“Holy Moley,” Captain Marvel exclaimed as he walked through the security checkpoint. The doorway opened into futuristic corridor with interactive walls and holographic displays. 

Announcing the arrival of Superman and his guest Captain Marvel, a tinny voice rang out.

“Brace yourself,” Superman whispered. “The rest of the League is waiting for us in the meeting room.”

A metallic panel slid open revealing a grand meeting room. Batman sat at the head of the long table. Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg and Aquaman sat around it. There were two empty seats.

All eyes were on Captain Marvel.

“Holy Moley,” Cap whispered. He couldn’t help himself. It’s a bad habit he picked up from his late father.

“Guys,” Superman announced. “Captain Marvel has agreed to join the Justice League.”

The room broke into applause.

“Welcome to the team,” Flash whooped.

“Let’s celebrate,” Aquaman tilted a large bottle of whiskey, filled a glass and slid it across the table to Captain Marvel.

Cap looked at the glass in front of him and back at Aquaman. “Isn’t there an age limit?”

[mariacallous]

“America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter.

She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different.

“That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. … I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said.

...

Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization.

“People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,’'' she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. … The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.”

Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating.

“We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.”

Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women.

“It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. … My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.”

Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump.

“This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.”

Feeling betrayed by increased minority support for Trump, Black women say they’re stepping back

[brunossan]

So, lets go with part 2 of the resume of The Beniko Order in Sith resurgence

In the part before i talked about the origin of Beniko and their Curse, but now lets continue getting deeper on this star wars fanfic.

1-Darth Alora and The Clone Wars

Remembering what i said before about the Curse of the Force hating on Beniko clan, life was not easy for them, because their numbers were already small, but having the Force attempting to ruin your life all the time is basically a herculean task. The Beniko clan however managed to survive until the events of the prequel era, where we can talk about 2 sith that are referenced in the fic but were given more info outside of it.

The first one is Darth Safik, the greatgrandmother of Aliana, who was the Master and adoptive Mother of Darth Alora, who was Aliana's Grandmother. Safik and Alora lived normal lives, however Safik was killed by a Bounty Hunter, leaving Alora alone. The bounty Hunter is never specified or talked about by Lily, but knowing that she dislikes Mandalorians, i headcanon it was either Jango Fett, Cad Bane or Durge.

Mostly Jango because of personal spite

After that, Alora wanders around during the Clone Wars but eventually she went after the jedi after discovering Darth Sidious was a Sith Lord. However, they dismissed her and didnt cared about her warnings. So one day she invaded the Jedi Temple and copied at least 80% of all their archives. Alora then went hiding and decided to watch the Clone wars ending from afar, without getting involved. However, she eventually got found by Palpatine, who sent Darth Vader after her. After a long fight, Alora got killed by Vader, leaving behind her apprentice Darth Mayrik, also known as Tahleea Beniko.

Who swear revenge on Vader.

2-Darth Mayrik and the New Republic

After training by herself for years, Tahleea go after Vader and fights against him, almost winning until Starkiller (Yes, the events of Force Unleashed games are slightly canon in this fanfic, but lily never specified HOW MANY because in future Galen Marek becomes a senator who is on Aliana side) stopped her and made her retreat, eventually this failure making her give up on revenge and focusing on her being an ally from Rebellion while hiding her identity as a Sith Lord. Eventually, after the fall of the Empire, she joins the New Republic with an objective...

DECRIMINALIZE THE SITH

Tahleea believed that the Sith Creed got a bad reputation because of lots of Rotten Apples and the Jedi influence, and also believed that erasing the Sith history and regarding it as a Darkling Cult was erasure and historical genocide, so she tried using the New Republic to change the views of People about the Sith. However, it didnt ended well as even Mon Mothma, her friend, did not liked the sith neither saw the good side on preserving their history. So Tahleea decided to leave to the Outer Rim and as her ancestors did, not care about how route the Galaxy would go.

However before Tahleea left, she had a romance with a Senator from Dantooine named Yensin Tiralli, where their forbidden love generated the main character of this fanfic...

Aliana Beniko.

3-Today's Subject: Slavery

After Aliana was born, Tahleea realized that she needed money to raise her daughter well, so she went after a job. In Outer Rim you must be wary of what kind of job you want, specially if you want to be paid well. So the job she chose?

Slave Trafficking for the Hutt Cartels.

Yes, you read it right. Tahleea Beniko was a Slave Trafficker, but not the kind of capturing and enslaving ones. No no no she was just the one who drove the ship and took them to their places. Its not that bad, right?

That was a Lily excuse about People calling her out about it. But lets continue for the worst part about it.

Her job really paid her well, even if she disliked it and hated herself for doing what she did. However one day she "Lost" a slave in Jakku. A small Child who was sold by her parents.

Yes, in this fanfic that one ship we see in Rey's flashbacks is actually The Fury, the Ship used by The Beniko clan for at least 3.000 years, and is the one who left her in Jakku. How can a relic from such a far past still works? I dont know. But the fic sells it as being better than the Milenium Falcon anyways.

Detail is that Rey in the fic remembers feeling comfortable inside The Fury because of Aliana being there with her. And its because when she was sold and taken to The Fury she was ugly crying until Aliana comforted her. So the fic literally goes "awww you already knew eachother as children, you were made to be together". GAL, you were trafficking her.

Also Rey is implied as being the only one Tahleea left behind, wich means there were lots of People who got trafficked and no one saved them, while she was filling her pockets with dirty money. But the excuse its heard much is this.

"She needed to take care of her daughter."

Well, she took care of her. Until the Curse decided to act...

And a Skywalker ended their peace.

Thats it for now, part 3 is on its making and will focus more on the fic itself instead of its lore as its the route im going with this resumes.

Bye bye

[jays-rus]

Can I please request for Kylo Ren in which the reader is in a relationship with him and after returning to their shared quarters from a bad day, he mistakenly takes it out on her by snapping at her when he sees that she’s just been lounging while he was gone. What Kylo does not realize is that she wasn’t just being lazy, she was really sick and would later feel bad after learning of it. In the end, he takes care of her through recovery, maybe spoils her a little to try and make up for snapping, scaring her earlier?

Galactic Redemption

Kylo Ren, frustrated and unaware of your fever, accuses you of laziness. Later, guilt-ridden, he becomes a caring caretaker during your illness, showing unexpected tenderness. The experience strengthens your relationship, highlighting the importance of understanding and compassion amidst the chaos of the galaxy.

Kylo Ren strode into the dimly lit quarters, his cloak billowing behind him. The weight of the day's frustrations etched on his face. He expected solace in the shared space, but upon seeing you lounging, seemingly unfazed by his presence, a spark of irritation ignited within him.

"Why do you always have to be so lazy?" he snapped, his voice cutting through the room like a lightsaber. Unaware of your condition, Kylo failed to see the paleness in your face as you struggled to sit up.

You tried to explain that you weren't just idly lounging, but the words caught in your throat. Kylo, consumed by his own frustrations, stormed away without a second glance. Little did he know that you were battling a fever, each movement a Herculean effort.

As the evening wore on, your health deteriorated. When Kylo finally returned, his earlier words echoed in his mind as he found you shivering under the covers. Guilt washed over him like a wave. He had let his anger blind him to your well-being.

Silently, Kylo fetched a blanket and draped it over you, his demeanor softened. "I didn't know," he admitted quietly, remorse tainting his usually stern expression. Realizing the gravity of his mistake, he vowed to take care of you during your recovery.

In the following days, Kylo transformed into an unexpected caretaker. He prepared soothing teas, offered comforting words, and stayed by your side. Gone was the harshness, replaced by a gentle concern that surprised even him.

To make amends, Kylo went above and beyond, spoiling you with small gestures of affection. He brought your favorite meals, fetched anything you needed, and even attempted to tell lighthearted jokes to lift your spirits.

Despite the initial tension, the experience brought you closer. Kylo's genuine care and effort to make amends revealed a side of him seldom seen. As you recovered, he continued to be attentive, ensuring you felt cherished and valued.

In the end, the episode served as a turning point, teaching both of you the importance of understanding and compassion in a relationship that existed against the backdrop of the galaxy's chaos.

[newly-edgy-anon]

Invisible Limits

Aiden struggles with chronic fatigue, leading to being cooped up in his room the majority of the time.

In a small, nondescript town where the sidewalks whispered secrets to the willow trees, Aiden Clark, a young boy of twelve, lived a life of quiet solitude. His eyes, a mirror to the world's weariness, spoke volumes about his unseen battles. Chronic fatigue was his invisible shield, a silent sentinel that guarded him from the energetic chaos beyond his bedroom door.

Aiden's room was his sanctuary, a fortress of solace from the relentless demands of the outside. The walls were plastered with posters of galaxies and superheroes, their vivid colors stark against the stark white paint. Aiden often lay on his bed, staring up at them, lost in thought. His desk, cluttered with half-read comic books and untouched homework, was a monument to the time that slipped through his fingers like grains of sand.

"Aiden," his mother's voice called softly from the hallway, "time for dinner."

He sighed, the weight of his eyelids a constant reminder of his condition. "Coming, Mom," he murmured, his voice a gentle ripple in the sea of silence that filled the house.

Slowly, Aiden pushed himself up and shuffled over to the door. Each step was a deliberate act of will, as if he were wading through a river of molasses. The mere act of existing was a marathon, and he hadn't even left his room yet.

In the kitchen, the smell of chicken and potatoes filled the air, a comforting embrace that didn't quite reach his soul. His mother, a woman whose smile was the brightest light in the dreary world of their lives, placed a steaming plate in front of him.

"Thanks, Mom," he said, his voice a mere echo of its usual vibrancy.

She ruffled his hair, her eyes filled with a blend of concern and love. "You need to eat, sweetie. You're getting too thin."

Aiden managed a nod, his spoon hovering over the food. He knew she was right, but the effort of lifting the spoon felt like a Herculean task. He took a bite, chewing mechanically, the flavors barely registering.

The TV in the living room hummed with the latest sitcom laughter, a distant sound that didn't quite reach him. His father, a man of few words, sat in his armchair, eyes glued to the screen, a silent sentinel to his son's struggle.

After dinner, Aiden retreated back to his room, the sanctum of his solitude. He picked up his favorite comic book, the one with the hero who never gave up, despite the odds. As he turned the pages, the vibrant illustrations danced before his eyes, briefly coloring his world with the excitement he craved.

But the dance was short-lived. His eyelids grew heavy once more, and the book slipped from his grasp. He curled up under the covers, his body a prison to the boundless energy he longed for. The house grew quieter as the night deepened, the only sound the rhythmic tick of the clock, a metronome to his weary heartbeat.

In the stillness of the night, Aiden felt the weight of his condition more acutely than ever. The stars outside his window called to him, a silent testament to the adventures he yearned for but could never have.

The world continued to spin, uncaring of the battles fought in the confines of his four walls. And as sleep claimed him once more, Aiden dreamed of a life beyond the shackles of fatigue, where he could be the hero of his own story.

Word count: 577

[lotties-ashwagandha]

Okayy again I have never written a fanfic before, let alone smut, so it might be out of character or whatever... Also smut is like very light, not even that graphic so yeahhh. Some references to TLOU2. Angst ? Violence kinda ? Biblical references too so yipee

Anyway... There it is :

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter

Abby's thoughts dance to the rhythm of raindrops kissing the windowpane.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter

She reclines, her gaze tracing celestial maps in the ceiling's imperfections. One star. Two galaxies. Three universes.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter

She pirouettes on the bed's edge, a sigh escaping her lips like a reluctant butterfly.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter

"Darling, I’m bored."

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter

The rain, her only confidant, punctuates her lament with liquid whispers.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter

Another sigh, heavier than the last, propels her to her feet.

You, an island of tranquility, are lost in the pages of City of Thieves by David Benioff - her gift, a paper bridge between your souls. It's only when warmth encircles your shoulders that you surface from the sea of words.

"Mmh?" you murmur, still tethered to the story's shore.

"I said I’m bored," she breathes, her sigh a gust of wind that could topple empires, as if stillness for a mere ten minutes was a Herculean task.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter

The rain mocks her restlessness, each drop a staccato taunt against the glass.

And then-

"Babe!"

Abby sweeps you up, her arms a fortress of flesh and bone. The book tumbles, its pages unfurling like wings, words yearning for flight.

"Abby, let me go! We’re going to fall!" you exclaim, laughter gilding your protest. You feign struggle, but Abby stands resolute.

"Now that I finally have your attention…”

She deposits you on the bed, an offering to the altar of intimacy. The mattress molds to your form, a palimpsest of nights past. But it's Abby's hands that truly know your topography, fingers painting masterpieces on the canvas of your skin. The ceiling vanishes, replaced by Abby's visage, a smirk playing on her lips like the last notes of a sonata.

"I like this view," she purrs, her voice descending an octave, mirroring her fingers' southward journey. It begins tenderly, with kisses that linger like poetry on your jaw, while her hands claim your hips as their domain. She grasps them, eliciting a gentle start from you. Her lips continue their pilgrimage, determined to map every inch of your dermal landscape.

She pauses, her eyes seeking permission in yours, and when you nod, a smile blooms on her face. She traces your collarbone with her mouth, then your chest, each kiss a benediction, each touch a psalm of adoration. Her hands assume the role of lips, which venture further down, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. As shivers cascade through you, your lips trembling like leaves in an autumn breeze despite the rising heat, Abby halts abruptly.

"Honey," you breathe, your voice a plaintive melody bordering on a moan.

"Mmh? What troubles you?"

"Ah... Please?"

"Please what?"

"Just..."

"Just say what you want baby."

"Please, Abby... Make me feel good."

And like an incantation, your words animate Abby's tongue, which strives to fulfill your deepest yearnings.

Your body becomes a temple, and her lips offer prayers between your thighs, an apostle singing hymns to her goddess. Her name escapes your lips, a whisper so soft it could be mistaken for a breath, a moment of rapture that unlocks paradise for Abby.

When she ascends, her lips seeking yours like a pilgrim seeking salvation, your hands trace the sculpted terrain of her muscles before coming to rest on her abdomen. Your fingers caress her scar, tenderly, as if reading braille prophecies on her skin, foretelling a future where your happiness intertwines.

But just as you move to draw her closer, to merge your beings into one, she recoils sharply.

Abby feels the noose of guilt tightening, stealing her breath. Shadowy figures in obsidian robes loom, their faces etched with malevolence. She struggles against invisible bonds, but freedom eludes her.

"They are nested with sin."

She gazes at her quivering hands, now crimson canvases. Joel's life. Dina's essence. Ellie's spirit. Her father's legacy.

All those she's wounded. Slain. Abandoned to fate. She's no better than the demons that haunt her. Then she beholds you, supine on the bed, your arms outstretched like seraphic wings.

She deems herself unworthy of you, tainted by her transgressions. A sinner cannot commune with a saint. She fears contaminating you with the rust and vermilion of her past.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?"

She remains mute. She cannot speak. The noose of remorse still constricts her. And in this moment, redemption seems a distant dream.

"Abby, please just answer me."

And there you are, a vision of purity, interceding for her soul, now and at the hour of her spiritual demise.

She rises, averting her tarnished gaze from the miracle before her, and bows her head. From the depths of the earth, Belial beckons. But she refuses to sacrifice you, choosing instead to leave you at your altar, your shared bed, to preserve your sanctity.

She turns a deaf ear to your pleas and prayers as she departs, for she has lost faith in her own salvation.

THIS IS SO GOOD HELLO??? I love the way you describe the setting, you use the rain to help describe abby’s boredom and the Biblical references are really well done. I think it’s interesting seeing abby’s relationship with the things she’s done using those Biblical references and the complexities of it, how she sees herself as a sinner and reader as a saint. the way you write the physical intimacy to compliment the emotional intimacy is something I really love as well, you have a talent for writing abby and her relationship with reader is so sweet :)

this is beautiful, thank you for writing this and sending it to me!!! you should write more fics in the future and start posting them because they would do SO well. your writing is really poetic and I love it!! 😙 MWAH

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Panorama of our nearest large galactic neighbor unveils hundreds of millions of stars

In the decades following the launch of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have tallied over 1 trillion galaxies in the universe. But only one galaxy stands out as the most important nearby stellar island to our Milky Way — the Andromeda Galaxy. It can be seen with the naked eye on clear autumn nights as a faint oval object roughly the size of the moon.

A century ago, astronomer Edwin Hubble first established that this so-called "spiral nebula" was approximately 2.5 million light years away from our own Milky Way galaxy.

Now, the space telescope named after Hubble has accomplished the most comprehensive survey of this galaxy. The work yields new clues to the evolutionary history of Andromeda — and it looks markedly different from the Milky Way's history.

University of Washington astronomers presented the findings Jan. 16 in Maryland at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society, and in an accompanying paper published the same date in The Astrophysical Journal.

Without Andromeda as an example of a spiral galaxy, astronomers would know much less about the structure and evolution of our own Milky Way. That's because Earth is embedded inside the Milky Way. This is like trying to understand the layout of New York City by standing in the middle of Central Park.

"With Hubble we can get into enormous detail about what's happening on a holistic scale across the entire disk of the galaxy. You can't do that with any other large galaxy," said principal investigator Benjamin Williams, a UW research associate professor of astronomy.

Hubble's sharp imaging capabilities can resolve more than 200 million stars in the Andromeda galaxy, detecting only stars brighter than our Sun. They look like grains of sand across the beach. But the telescope can’t capture everything. Andromeda's total population is estimated to be 1 trillion stars, with many less massive stars falling below Hubble's sensitivity limit.

Photographing Andromeda was a Herculean task because the galaxy is a much bigger target in the sky than the galaxies Hubble routinely observes, which are often billions of light years away. The full mosaic was carried out under two Hubble programs. In total it required over 1,000 Hubble orbits, spanning more than a decade.

This panorama started about a decade ago with the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury program. Images were obtained at near-ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared wavelengths using instruments aboard Hubble to photograph the northern half of Andromeda.

This has now been followed by the newly published Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Southern Treasury. This phase added images of approximately 100 million stars in the southern half of Andromeda. This region is structurally unique and more sensitive to the galaxy's merger history than the northern disk mapped earlier.

Combined, the two programs collectively cover the entire disk of Andromeda, which is seen almost edge on — tilted by 77 degrees relative to the view we see from Earth. The galaxy is so large that the mosaic is assembled from approximately 600 separate fields of view. The mosaic image is made up of at least 2.5 billion pixels.

“The asymmetry between the two halves — now visually evident in this image — is incredibly intriguing,” said Zhuo Chen, a UW postdoctoral researcher in astronomy and lead author of the accompanying paper. “It’s fascinating to see the detailed structures of an external spiral galaxy mapped over such a large, contiguous area.”

The complementary Hubble survey programs provide information about the age, heavy-element abundance and stellar masses inside Andromeda. This will allow astronomers to distinguish between competing scenarios where Andromeda merged with one or more galaxies. Hubble's detailed measurements constrain models of Andromeda's merger history and disk evolution.

“This ambitious photography of the Andromeda galaxy sets a new benchmark for precision studies of large spiral galaxies,” Chen said.

Though the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies formed presumably around the same time many billions of years ago, observational evidence shows that they have very different evolutionary histories, despite growing up in the same cosmological neighborhood. Andromeda seems to be more highly populated with younger stars and unusual features like coherent streams of stars, researchers say. This implies it has a more active recent star formation and interaction history than the Milky Way.

"This detailed look at the resolved stars will help us to piece together the galaxy's past merger and interaction history," Williams said.

IMAGE: This is the largest photomosaic yet assembled from Hubble Space Telescope observations. It is a panoramic view of the Andromeda galaxy, located 2.5 million light years away from Earth. This mosaic took over 10 years to create, captures 200 million stars, still a fraction of Andromeda’s population, and contains about 2.5 billion pixels. This detailed look will help astronomers piece together the Andromeda galaxy’s past history, including mergers with smaller satellite galaxies.  Credit Science: NASA, ESA, Benjamin F. Williams and Zhuo Chen (University of Washington), L. Clifton Johnson (Northwestern). Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

[at-liberty-news]

Major Order Status: Days 31 + 32

After a brutal and efficient blitz campaign to retake Vernen Wells, Helldivers have saved the lives of 4311 citizens trapped in Super Citizen Anne's Hospital for Very Sick Children, including very many very sick children. Despite SEAF intelligence indicating that Terminid and Automaton numbers would drop across the board, this was one of the hardest-fought battles yet, and enemy forces now swarm across the surface of every planet they contest.

The children saved are now being transported to another hospital, Super Citizen Mary's Hospital for Tragically Ill Youths, where their care has been crowdfunded by many citizens inspired by the Helldivers' victory. Even though Super Earth goes out of its way to wage war with every other faction it can find, it forces its citizens to bear the weight. Additionally, many children have reportedly signed an MOD Form 11, a form that indicates an adolescent's desire to enlist when they become of age. Here's hoping this war doesn't last that long.

After securing Vernen Wells, High Command noticed the Automatons on Marfark had begun transporting the explosive materials necessary to create the MD-17 Anti-Tank mines off-world. With less than 24 estimated hours to stop them, more than half of all deployed Helldivers across the galaxy dived onto Marfark's surface in an endless barrage, desperate to secure it in due time. Despite the Diver's herculean efforts, the bots managed to move the majority of the cache away from the planet to some new, unknown location.

High Command has internally marked the entire major order as a failure, disregarding the thousands of lives saved. Lacking the necessary resources, Super Earth is shuttering all MD-17 Anti-Tank Mine factories and reassigning all workers to new, equally dangerous jobs.

Despite how much territory must still be reclaimed from the bots, High Command is already shifting focus back to the Terminids with a new major order. Unveiling the "Hive Breaker" drill, a nuclear device based on the designs of the tectonic drills used to destroy Meridia, Helldivers are to deploy them on every planet in the Mirin and Draco sectors. The device can supposedly strike at the heart of a planet's hives, killing millions of larvae before they can grow into the dangerous warriors we see on the surface. Officials hope it will be the last time these sectors must be taken, citing the toll on troopers and ammunition it costs to keep the bugs at bay and how desperately this space is needed.

That's all we have for you right now, but we still have plenty in the works, and we should have a more detailed report on how the Hive Breaker functions within the coming days! 

[nyctoaerah]

I can't find ur cock description, how big is that monstercock aerah?🤨🤨

TW: FACTS AND VERY EDUCATIONAL POST!!

Rude of you to forget, wife🙄

Well then, let me describe my giant, ginormous, grand, big, large, massive, monstrous, well endowed, enormous, gigantic, collosal, gargantuan, immense, monumental, towering, tremendous, supersized, herculean, pharaonic stupendous, prodigious, titanic, mountainous, cyclopean, planetary, mahoosive, gigantesque, cumbrous, humongous, hefty, hulking, leviathanic, brobdingnagian, Whalesize, Voluminous, Titan-sized, Bunyanesque, galactic, extraterrestrial monster cock. Another thing is that my cock is so strong that when someone grasps it, they feel like they’ve just grasped the iron grip of a medieval knight wielding a battle axe. It’s like a titan cock of legendary proportions, capable of crushing walnuts with just the tip touching it. my cock is so big and strong that it would make the Hulk look like a delicate flower petal fluttering in the wind

my cock was not just a mere flame burning in the vast darkness of the cosmos; it was a supernova, an explosion of balls and energy that illuminated the entire universe with its brilliance. my cock transcends the boundaries of time and space, weaving through the fabric of reality itself like a celestial dance of souls. People’s whisper about how big my balls and cock is echoed through the galaxies, resonating with the harmonies of the cosmos and filling the void with the symphony of my cock.

[paulagnewart]

Fantastic Voyage!

"Do you wanna come with me? 'Cos if you do then I should warn you.

You're gonna see all sorts of things. Ghosts from the past, aliens from the future, the day the Earth died in a ball of flame. It won't be quiet, it won't be safe, and it won't be calm.

But I'll tell you what it *will* be... the trip of a lifetime!"

Let's travel back to 21st May 2005. A Saturday, when Kylie Minogue was making headlines for all the dire reasons. Schapelle Corby's trial overshadowed by news of her father's own promiscuous past. Howard's government boasted heavy payouts for drought-stricken farmers. Will Smith booted off the music chart as quickly as he arrived, switched in favour of Black Eyed Peas. And everyone was flocking to cinemas itching to witness that long-awaited climactic duel between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

But the adventure of a galaxy far far away wasn't the only sci-fi classic making a grand return to the local scene.

They said it couldn't be done. They said it was culturally dead and buried, merely the stuff of stereotypical geek culture refusing to let nostalgia fade. They said it wouldn't stand a chance in an era of short-attention spans and rapid-hitting US action dramas. But all those critics, all those naysayers and doubters were about to be proven wrong. After taking the United Kingdom by storm, Australia scored its turn to welcome an old hero. Doctor Who was back, and it was about time!

But first we must meet Rose Tyler. At nineteen years old she's got a job, a boyfriend, plus sharing a cozy flat with her mother at London's Powell Estate. Making her way to work at Henrik's Department Store, never could she have foreseen what felt yet another day in an average uneventful life would be anything but. For one wayward lottery ticket and descent to the basement later, Rose found herself pulled into a whole new universe of terror, tragedy, triumph and an awful lot of running.

Over the course of 45 minutes, head writer and lifelong fan Russell T Davies was given the herculean task of bringing Doctor Who into the 21st century. Speculation had been rife ever since the official 40th anniversary magazine broke the news. Who could play the lead role? Will it continue weekly multi-part stories? Was it a complete reboot or would the past 26 seasons be respected and represented? But more importantly, should the BBC renegotiate with Terry Nation's estate to continue using the dreaded Daleks? And as the subsequent 17 months passed, fans got their wishes answered in spades.

Fresh from his role in Davies' prophetically-titled 'The Second Coming', BAFTA-nominated actor Christopher Ecclestone was announced as the Ninth Doctor. Casting choice for his companion went to Billie Piper, who had made quite a name for herself on the music scene with several chart-topping hits. Eight months of filming began with their rooftop chatter in fourth episode 'Aliens of London', and despite being beset of dramas, time crunches and multiple leaks, managed to deliver 13 episodes with 3 days to spare.

Armed with a bold new direction while retaining its quintessential British-ness, updated music and effects plus return of fan-favourite 1970's baddies The Autons, BBC's gamble was a roaring success. But what about here? The Doctor was most definitely 'in', with over 1.1 million Aussies switching on that fateful night. It was ABC's most-watched program for the day, effortlessly won its 7:30pm timeslot in every state (except Queensland who decided for whatever reason Inspector Linley was more important), plus set a ratings record for the show. A record which would remain unchallenged until June 2008's premiere of 'Voyage of the Damned'.

Fans loved it. Audiences loved it. Even critics loved it. "Can Dr Who be too sexy?" pondered The Age paper's Sophie Cunningham, who was "All in a lather" over Ecclestone being "So sexy it's scary". When interviewed for The Canberra Times, self-professed addict David Green ecstatically proclaimed "Dr Who is a hero, and the world needs heroes. He travels to any point in time and to anywhere in the universe, meeting alien beings and saving the universe from evil. There is endless scope for adventure!". A sentiment shared by Courier Mail, calling the new series "State-of-the-art magic", and guaranteed "Newcomers and nerds alike should be well pleased".

Suddenly the show was cool again. Each episode became the talk of offices and playgrounds the following Monday. Former stars Katy Manning, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy made appearances both on TV and as part of Tim Ferguson's stage show 'Inside The Tardis'. Ecclestone and Piper's faces were plastered over papers and websites. 612 ABC Brisbane's listeners scored exclusive preview clips and limited edition prizes. Purchasing all four volumes on DVD would net fans a free Dalek talking bottle opener, the first in a cavalcade of merchandising.

"Doctor Who on Channel Two!" was no longer the cheap punchline for a poor joke. A fantastic new era had begun, and would remain among ABC's flagship programs for over seventeen years.

[enkisstories]

A few days later, the New Republic corvette Snowtreader passes an asteroid field. A quite impressive exogorth is peeking out of a crater.

Trent: "Do you mind me turning on the light?"

There is no reply from the prisoner. He has spent the journey so far dormant like a droid in standby mode. Of the already small meals delivered to his cell he has eaten half at most, and everytime he had to use the toilet, he'd acted as if touching objects in the physical world was causing him discomfort. Washing is an exotic concept now, going to sleep means passing out and what even is hair?

The prisoner's boots are troubling him far more than his now unruly hair. Fitted perfectly to his feet, they nevertheless aren't made for wearing around the clock. But taking them off deems Hux such a herculean task, that he just cannot muster the willpower to commit himself to it.

Trent: "You can tell where we are just from paying attention to the asteroid fields, correct?"

Trent has tried kindness before to coax the prisoner into talking, knowing it had worked on Batuu, but to no avail. Acknowledgement of his conversation partner's keen mind, even if the assumption that a person could memorize the galaxy's topgraphy was so outrageous that it was easily identified as ego coddling, not fact, finally does the trick.

Hux clears his throat. He coughs twice, as if he'd still have trouble breathing.

Armitage: "I could, probably. But since I already know that we're going to Hoth, the landmarks merely serve to confirm it."

Trent: "I'm not sure how much the bailifs told you after you woke up, or how much of what you were told actually stuck. So here it is again:

There was no lasting damage. The gas you got subjected to wasn't smoke poisoning. Or anything potentially lethal, for that matter."

Except that the phantom of the knockout gas' smell is still lingering in Hux' nose days after the pretend-execution, and will perhaps do so forever.

Armitage: "Right. No lasting damage..."

[shinmothra13returns]

Goddesszilla♀️ (Titanus Mana Gojira/Kaiju queen of the monsters)

Godzilla♂️ (Titanus Chi Gojira/Kaiju king of the monsters)

Daniel Donovan♂️(Tyrannosaurus Rex/Job: Security Guard)

Megami Jira♀️ (Titanus Gojira of Chi & Mana/Kaiju daughter of Godzilla and Goddesszilla)

Wolfen Wildfang♂️(Herculean Wolf/Job: Traveling Olympian)

Megami Zilla♀️(Titanus Aurora Gojira/Goddesszilla's Sister)

Bill Tachyon♂️(Minotaur/Job: Gym Trainer)

Molly Marigold♀️(Sheep/Job: Farmer)

Druid Deer Bambi♂️(Last Druid Deer/Job: Adventurer)

Goddess Galaxy♀️(Universe Deity)

[nxelles]

❛ ✰ · » yandeh sallah,  cis female,  she/her «  i  wonder  where  noelle woodbury is  today  …  i  haven't  seen  them  around  but  i  bet  they're  idly doodling her day away  over  at  redwood park.  ah,  our  beloved  fervour  …  for  a  twenty-seven  year  old  they've  never  grown  out  of  being  so  impetuous.  don't  get  me  wrong,  though,  they're  also  so  captivating,  which  makes  up  for  it.  keep  an  eye  out,  anyway,  i'm  sure  they're  on  their  way.  you'll  know  it's  elle  coming  from  a  mile  away,  because  they're  the  walking  embodiment  of  candy  hearts  melting  on  the  tongue, doodling hearts in the margins of a well-loved notebook, galaxies twinkling behind wide, brown eyes, & blood-red kisses pressed onto the back of unsent envelopes.

full character dossier » pinterest » playlist

𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 —

a gust of wind floating through gossamer curtains  // lost in the throes of delusion // conversation hearts in their saccharine sweetness, melting on the tongue // the flirtatious flutter of long lashes // lipstick marks pressed to the backs of unsent envelopes // juliet, crying to the moon from the safety of her balcony // la vie en rose // tendrils of mist, ever-elusive as it slips right through your reach // mascara-stained cheeks and red-rimmed eyes // a raging hurricane, creeping towards shore // leaps of blind faith // endlessly in pursuit of a retreating back // losing yourself in sweet reveries // braids coyly twirled around a manicured finger // enduring faith in love at first sight // the back of a hand pressed to the forehead followed by heavy, dramatic sighs // who could ever leave me, darling, but who could stay?

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 —

full name  —  noelle evelyn woodbury nickname(s)  —  elle age  —  twenty-seven date of birth  —  3 March, 1998 star sign  —  pisces gender  —  cis female pronouns  —  she/her/hers orientation  —  pansexual & panromantic occupation  —  aspiring artist hairdresser religious affiliation  —  unlabelled, but effectively agnostic family  —  terrence woodbury (father — estranged); esther bartley ( mother ); a couple of younger half-siblings and stepmother from her father’s second marriage face claim  —  yandeh sallah

𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 —

there's a sweet sort of sadness in your earliest acts of self-sacrifice, a poignancy in the agonizing task of lighting yourself aflame time and time again in the name of keeping others warm. thus is the burden of the unwanted child — the save the marriage baby — desperate to fill in cracks and holes in the sinking ship that was your parents' marriage. yours is a constant dance on a precarious tightline, side-stepping landmines and tiptoeing on eggshells while you dazzle and distract; desperate to fulfill the herculean task of thawing the ice that'd long since settled on the eaves of your childhood home only to inevitably fall short of the mark every single time, there's a deep sense of inadequacy that sinks deep into your bones as the cold war continues to rage behind closed doors. it's never enough. why is it that you never manage to be enough? it's sometime around your eighth birthday that the bow breaks — an image you'll never be able to erase from your mind. your father storming out into the inky night, his back illuminated in the flickering porch light until the slam of the door behind him shakes the house to its foundation; there’s a finality about it that’s only further proven when the news of the divorce comes in a matter of days. with little time to devote to single fatherhood, the decision is made that he'd concede primary custody to your mother. you’re inconsolable — a wailing, pitiful mess for months to follow. and yet, you comply... a reluctant concession. life won't all roses in the seaside town she relocates to — her hometown — with your mother makes pennies on the dollar working as a seamstress, struggling and miserable while your father remarries and has two more kids that now occupy your childhood bedroom. He seems… content, nowadays, while the sharp tang of resentment fills the air around your mother like a storm cloud looming overhead. you try to ignore the sting of betrayal, the weight of being utterly replaceable, only break your own heart in the process. it's easier to exist in the far recesses in your mind, wrapping yourself in sweet reveries and dissociative bliss, than it is to accept the gaping wound that is your heart still furiously beating in your chest. Wishful thinking becomes reality as you straddle between the real world and the world of your own creation — a world where love conquers all and where there's someone out there that'll be willing to fill in your empty spaces, where good things come to good people and there's someone out there for everyone. there's a dreaminess about you, an intangibility in the distance in your eyes — the manic pixie dream girl with stars in her eyes and a heart given away too freely, an unpredictable rollercoaster of intoxicating highs and equally devastating lows, the romantic hero of your very own novel just waiting to be swept away in fate's grand design. romanticizing your life isn't just the whimsy most may see, but an act of survival. you're a magnetic force with a heart so occupied by everything that it's ready to burst at any second, feeling so deeply that all of it — the joy, the fury, the yearning — threatens to swallow you whole. it's no wonder why you find friends so easily, you enigmatic thing. it's no wonder that you never seem to stay single for long, wanting to be wanted so badly that you'll fall into whatever arms wait for you in the hopes that they'll be the one to finally complete you. it's no wonder how you turn to art as a means of expressing feelings too intense to put into words, choosing to expose them in broad splashes of color and ethereal imagery as if to afford others access into that dreamscape of your mind. your fire casts those around you in brilliant light, wrapping them in familiar warmth so long as they don't reach too close to touch. but fire devours, devastates, and you wonder how many flights of fancy and re-breaking of that raging heart it'll take until those flame leave you little more than ash and smoke, drifting in the wind.

𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 —

meet noelle! all emotion and passion, intensely romantic and desperately clinging to every bit of idealism she can hold onto, she admittedly has a reputation of being a little... well, much, from time to time.

As mentioned above, she wound up feeling very unwanted by her parents, which fueled a drive to carving a place out for herself among friends and peers. She has the tendency of being a clingy, needy friend and a serial dater, and will often go to great lengths in the name of keeping people in her life.

Quick to upset, quick to anger… quick to anything, really — she’s a hurricane, personified. The one thing she isn’t quick to is changing her mind — she’s got a stubborn streak a mile wide, and clings to her convictions like there’s no tomorrow. 

Most of her ‘good ideas’ end up being ridiculous and poorly thought out fever dreams — 10/10 do not recommend following along with her schemes unless you’re eager to clean up her messes or are looking for trouble.

She has a passion and talent for art and went so far make a career out of it out of school, but that lasted all of a couple of months until she realized she didn’t have the constitution for the ‘starving artist’ lifestyle. Hairdressing ended up being a compromise, but it’s not quite fulfilling enough for her. 

I've got tons of potential plot hooks listed at the bottom of her dossier (linked at the top of the post!) — feel free to take any and all if you're looking to get sucked up into her messiness!

[tiffanylilalayorlestron]

Mmm. So I've been watching a silent playthrough of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Sky while I work recently and it churned up an AU idea that I can't get out of my head. I'm sure it's been done before but the potential for a story will not leave me alone.

So, the human from PMD Sky, the one from the future, who jumps back in time w/ their partner Grovyle, gets batted around in that time storm and separated, right? Same old, same old.

HOWEVER.

Instead of getting transformed into a Pokemon and going on their adventure in the Mystery Dungeon world, Arceus (the old goof) senses an opportunity and plucks the human from their current place outside time and space claw machine style, and throws them head first into Hisui, right smack dab into the events of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Why pick a random qualified human from the real world when a different one has basically offered themselves up to the task?

Hero, who is still somewhat memory-less (and also, Arc Phone-less since I'm sure phones are rather hard to come by in Primal Dialgas apocalyptic time period), is now forced to play the confused and unknowing savior of Hisui at the behest of some mysterious unknown force, battling it out with crazed nobles and weaving their way through the ranks of Team Galaxy.

I like the idea that Hero IS qualified for it. They more than have the survival skills necessary to brave the Hisuian wilds, learned from a lifetime of navigating the harsh world of a post apocalypse, constantly on the run. Do you think they find it weird that Pokemon can't talk? What do they think of other people, other humans? They can't remember anything, but I'm sure they get feelings.

Imagine the uses the Dimensional Scream would give them. What does it feel like when the peak of Mt. Cornet opens and shrouds the entire sky in an undending red? Imagine their witnessing of a crazed Origin Form Dialga, the primal, unexplained fear that would well up within them upon witnessing the extreme power of the entity who threw their entire world into paralysis. Do you think being a part of Team Galaxy, of helping people in Hisui, of working towards a greater goal to help people would feel familiar? They may not remember working with the Planetary Exploration Team, but do you think when they talk to Adaman and Irida or Rei or Akari they get this warm, familiar feeling? That they're reminded of someone, but they can't quite remember who?

Do you think saving a different world, when so much of their life has been about saving their own, has any effect on them?

Who knows? But, finally, when it's all over, when all of Arceus' herculean tasks have been completed. and Origin Dialga has been calmed. The plates collected, Volo defeated and Giratina soothed at last. When the Pokedex is finally done, everything is back to relative peace and normalcy, and Hero ascends above the peak of Mt. Coronet, Arceus returns their memories and grants Hero's wish. It sends Hero back.

(Do you think, upon encountering Arceus and regaining their memories, they would beg the deity to save their own world?)

It sends Hero back to exactly the same moment it took them from. Amidst a roiling time storm, spiraling between fractals of whens and wheres with no idea where they'll come back.

For the second time in their life Hero, who is now a Pokemon, awakens on a beach confused and alarmed by an overwhelming sense of familiarity that they just. can't. place. Alongside this terrible sense that something is deeply, deeply wrong, that something incredibly important is missing. Like this exact thing has happened before. But they can't remember when. In fact, they can't remember anything!

Because wouldn't you know it!? Their memories are gone. Again.

Cue Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky!

There are so many similarities between PMD:S and Legends Arceus. Waking up with no memories on a beach outside an unfamiliar town by a stranger who recognizes your skills and asks you to join their team? Joining a community, tasked with exploring, learning and helping others who need it? Meeting different interesting folks and Pokemon across the world and befriending them? Time travel shenanigans? Meeting a helpful stranger who ends up betraying you and you find out they were, in fact, just the pawn of a much more powerful entity who was the true cause of the current state of the world? Like, besides Darkrai and Arceus in Sky and Legends respectively, even the legendary Pokemon that are focused on are the same too. < and I'm aware that's because PMD:S was a gen 4 game and Legends Arceus takes place in ancient Sinnoh, but like, still.

Do you think the Hero sees themselves in Grovyle at all? Someone in an unfortunate situation being accused of and punished for something they didn't do, and despite all that still striving to help? Do you think they're surprised by Dusknoir's betrayal? When the truth comes out on those stockades, do you think Hero takes it in stride? Do you think that Hero sees Rei and Akari in their partner? That nervousness slowly diminishing over time as the two work together? That need to be dependable?

Lots to think about.

Anyway, all this is because I like the idea that a Hero who put up with Kamado's shit would absolutely NOT put up with Chatots.

[magicalgirlagency]

You're brazilian, right? So you must know about a comic book franchise called Monica's Gang. I remember watching a video about two american youtubers learning about Brazil's Meme Culture, and Monica's Gang was mentioned at some point.

Well, duh. It's what got me into the hobby of drawing and designing, after all. You'd be hard-pressed to find a brazilian who hasn't heard of Monica's Gang/Monica & Friends.

To put it simply, Monica's Gang (now called Monica & Friends) is about the comedic adventures of an 7yo girl named Monica, and her friends Maggy (Magali), Jimmy Five (Cebolinha) and Smudge (Cascão). She's always seen with a blue bunny plush toy named Samson (Sansão), who's also her primary weapon against mean bullies who mock her.

Monica is charming, charismatic and energetic, but can also be quite feisty, stubborn and a tad bit bossy. She's also known for her herculean strength, which it warrants her a position of leadership with the other kids (referred in the series as "Dona da Rua", or "Ruler of the Neighborhood" if you don't know portuguese).

Also, here's a nice coincidence: Today, March 21st, is Monica's birthday!

There are many spinoffs, including the manga-styled Monica Teen (Turma da Mônica Jovem). If you know Rugrats: All Grown Up!, you'll get a grasp of this spinoff pretty quickly.

But one manga series in particular, Geração 12 (Generation 12), is worthy of this blog's attention:

Geração 12 is an AU where Monica and her friends are now 12 years old and is set in a distant future where earthlings have successfully achieved space travel, finding themselves in search of a new planet to inhabit, since Earth is dangerously close of becoming inhabitable; so the gang studies at a prestigious space academy where they learn about travelling and exploring the galaxy.

In the middle of all this, Monica stumbles across mysterious forces that grant her the power to transform into a magical girl, through Samson, her beloved plush bunny.

Which it's an insane coincidence, because Monica is voiced by Marli Bortoletto, the brazilian voice actor for the absolute pop culture legend Tsukino Usagi/Sailor Moon:

Heck, even Monica Teen has referenced Sailor Moon at some point:

[MONICA]: I want to be a magical warrior who fights for love and justice! And wear megacute clothes, of course!

[VANILLA (MINGAU)]: Ok! Passable...

[MONICA]: ...I am Sailor Monica! And shall punish evil in the name of the neighborhood!

[VANILLA]: I won't even comment how cheesy this is...

We came full circle, everyone.