#Spoiler alert beyond this point but

[grokebaby]

(thinking about Ngah) oh, yeah.. I hope she fucking. Hurts so bad. I hope she cries. I hope she breaks down after everything. After being an awful dictator leader and emotionally damaging both her kids I hope she fucking,

[abundantchewtoys]

Beyond Canon re: p666.5

Oh boy, I didn't expect this!

Seems like while Vriska was busy getting traumatized, Davepeta had a private conversation.

In a meta sense, it makes sense that they (Davepeta & Jasprose) are able to talk across the barrier of the Black Hole. For one, sprite magic. For another, both are currently in planes with a more 'flexible' set of physical rules.

So, time is indeed still passing outside the chamber. Meaning Vriska might end up being popped out at the most narratively satisfying moment! I mean, it could be Jane's invasion's in full swing by the time she gets out.

Because let's face it, Davepeta totally jinxed it and they're going to be stuck in there for another four years.

Didn't consider it before, but Candy Jane going through a parallel sort of development as Vriska is cause for circumstantial simultaneity! Although, in fact, Jane's in there with a lot more people. Even NPCs like Swifer Eggmop and her moirail! I wonder if the Midnight Crew/Problem Sleuth characters are going to hitch a ride back into canon? ... Is there a Felt in this version of Midnight City? Beyond Snowman, I mean?

And while it's "only" been one night... Yeah, in reality it's going to be at least 3 years, huh? Or however long the trip to Deltritus is going to take everyone else.

Man, but I wonder if Jane's crew, Vriska, and the Deltritus-bound crews are even all still going to be the same temporal ages? Aside from Aradia & potentially Terezi, I mean. Not that it matters a lot beyond for Calliope, Kanaya, Karkat and Terezi.

Blaperile had a good point, this was the first Dave/Rose conversation in Beyond Canon so far. And even they are not physically near one another.

I got to say, Jasprose seems to have calmed down from before, like GCATavrosprite she seems to have found a new equilibrium. Let's see where it goes! If she's more lucid, that would be nice. She with Roxy is currently the only person alive to remember the pre-retcon timeline. Well, it depends on how much Terezi saw with her powers, but you know what I mean.

Or wait no, Davepeta would remember it as well, being part pre-retcon Davesprite.

But a lucid Jasprosesprite^2 interacting with either current iteration of Rose seems like it would be gold. She, like Nannasprite, might not be the 'real' version anymore, but she certainly feels like the more 'true' one at this point. Which is kind of hilarious given what she was like, initially after fusing with Jaspersprite.

Love the fact that both sprites^2 are in separate types of planes though. Makes sense the Plot Point is a hyperconcentration of one of the three parts of a good alpha timeline. But Midnight City's deniability is funny as well, I guess it's due to its partial overlap between carapace post-apocalypse society and human detective fantasy novel. :p

And good for Jasprose, continually kicking the habit and staying sober! I misunderstood it at first, that she actually drank martinis, but no, she tries to order milk in martini bars, aggravating the bartenders, good on her! (I mean, "matronal ambrosia" could have referred to martinis, right? It was what Mom lugged around all the time, after all.)

I do wonder if Meat Jake is going to be able to speedrun the epiphanies he had in the Candy timeline, perhaps assisted by Brain Ghost Dirk. Not necessarily to reveal himself as a hero, as Jasprose seems to, ahum, hope.

"JR" as a nickname for Jasprose, I like that.

Nice of them to give a shortcut back to the prologue on the main screen.

Now if only I got the page working on the main page again, without entering private mode. Guess I should try that cache clearing at one point.

[jmdbjk]

Mental gymnastics...

I am flipping out. That's all. Just my brain doing cartwheels and whatever those things are called where you flip between those high bars and let go for a breathless second and then grab onto reality again. Or this...

Too much Olympics these past few weeks I guess... anyway.

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! I may or may not mention scenes in detail and their outcomes during these long rambling messy posts beginning with the next sentence.

Before I get into it... kudos to the staff for keeping up with these two and for suffering many extremely anxious moments as Jimin and Jungkook drove themselves through NYC, as Jungkook and then both Jimin and Jungkook rode the motorcycle through traffic, and the few heart stopping moments when JK flipped his kayak over and then they took off down the river alone before staff caught up with them. Not to mention probably looking up the nearest ER/urgent care facility in case Jimin got too dehydrated from his bout with the stomach bug.

Seriously though, their lives and global headlines had to flash before their eyes when JK disappeared underwater under that kayak... so big applause for the staff/production crew for not shitting THEIR pants thirteen times too.

So here are some of my thoughts. I'll begin with the first episode...

Episode 1:

In the opening scene, I'm assuming this is Antoya Korean BBQ restaurant. They were talking about JK's sore throat and that he had to visit a medical facility. Jimin kept on about it. It seemed like JK's "stop babying me" attitude bubbled up a little bit. Let them be them. As you can see, JK adjusted Jimin's beanie so he could see his eyes. They were fine.

Pause and reflect: they didn't know what to expect with this idea of a travel show. The moment above happened on Thursday evening, July 13. Both of them were working. Jimin was still working on his concepts, photos, MV and whatnot, planning to finish everything for Muse in the coming months. Jungkook had a full schedule for promoting Seven which was dropping the next day. He had to get up early for Good Morning America concert in the park.

I'm stating all this for point of reference. Nothing is static. JK was in work mode: he had a performance the next day and also not feeling well himself. Jimin had been on a plane for 14 hours. Just keep these things in mind before jumping to conclusions.

In the next scene (the next day) back at the hotel after JK's done with his performance and when he's packing to go on this trip he's all in and ready to go. Hurry up Jimin!

Jimin asked him how the live performance went. As we know, the GMA live performance was mostly rained out. Before the storm came through, they quickly pre-recorded the performances before it would have been time for the live broadcast and then shut it down. Jungkook had to be driven quickly to the studio to be interviewed to fill the leftover time in the program that more of his live performance would have taken up.

Hearing Jungkook say "this isn't my first rodeo" was never going to be on any bingo card in my lifetime.

I don't know what he was scribbling on that iPad but it looked geometric. He was focused. Maybe it was something for the next week's performance, maybe it was a sketch for music show staging, trying to recreate that flower archway they saw at Antoya the night before? maybe he was doodling in Canva... we don't know.

Me either, Jimin... (this was the first of all the hilarious gems that begin to shower down on us).

They are both known to be perfectionists when it comes to their work. And we know they've also both performed when feeling less than 100% on that stage. Jungkook realized there were circumstances beyond his control and he took it in stride.

FYI, in New York City, they stayed at the Loews Regency on E. 61st Street in Manhattan. It is between Madison Ave. and Park Avenue and not far from Central Park. Swanky. The suite looks like the 2-bedroom "Park Avenue Suite" and runs $2100 a night... gasp. Yes, its the same suite where JK did his live after his rained upon GMA appearance. During this live he mentioned being poked with needles, IV's and shots in the butt as well as teasing us with what would become Are You Sure:

No, I don't think Jimin stayed in this suite with JK. Jimin's room had a smaller bathroom and a shower curtain instead of a glass shower door. Staff with camera woke him up.

To be that beautiful when rolling out of bed... anyway, I digress...

It truly was unplanned and spontaneous as if they were doing this with the idea of "let's try it and see if it can be viable." Even Jimin wasn't sure if any of this could be aired.

Once they got in the Jeep they started to find their groove. Being alone, just them, was what they needed. They could focus on what was ahead of them. The driving moments were some of the best for me.

We eventually learn that Jimin wasn't feeling well and I'm certain this is what Jungkook was telling Yoongi during that episode of Suchwita, along with the elbowing in the nose.

Seems like Jimin's stomach trouble started when they were at the first restaurant, the burger place. The bathroom visits continued at the brewery and into the evening at the campsite.

Jimin had some sort of stomach bug that kept him on the toilet a lot and he ran a little bit of a temp. I am sad that he wasn't feeling 100% when they were on the yacht the next day but he still seemed to enjoy it enough to find the humor in his situation. He was a real trooper.

It sure didn't stop him from eating. My man was very brave in that regard. Me... no way I'd be stuffing my face with a big greasy burger when at any moment I might need to make a run for the toilet.

They get back on the road and these are the moments that I wait for:

After arguing in satoori about who is the worst driver between them, they start shopping at Dick's.

And get recognized...

After shopping excursion at Dick's, they finally head to High Nine Brewery...

Jimin's first sample wasn't to his taste (again). His taste buds were probably a little off since he had the stomach thing going on... but JK's eyebrows say that his sample was pretty good.

They finally settle on a hard seltzer and a pale ale and relax for a little bit. Jungkook is still wondering what would make good subject matter to film. They are truly making it up as they go...

Jimin proceeds to explain and an interaction happens and I am not sure what to think about it:

I am going to end this post here because they are now on their way to the kayaks and that segment deserves its own post and I have too many screen shots of it to fit in this post.

[These are all my own opinions about what I am seeing and hearing them say and from what I am observing from the video. It's ok if your opinion is different from mine.]

[autisminabox]

I’m going to be discussing spoilers from the new update, specifically entailing Eddie. Spoilers are below the cut, so, like. Spoiler alert

One thing that stuck out to me right before Eddie “goes to Toyland” (which is what’s implied to happen) is the anger he felt. To me it felt incredibly out of place. Out of place for what’s supposed to be a children’s show, and out of place for Eddie.

We’ve seen Eddie in situations substantially worse for his staying focused on the job than people not having any mail. We’ve seen people jump at him, get pressured into literally lifting other people (and possibly a fucking house), and was too nervous to speak up for himself. We’ve seen him take a lot of shit from both Howdy and Barnaby in the audios, and he more or less took it on the chin. Julie overwhelmed him with her business game, and instead of getting frustrated, he just kind of… curled up.

So this strikes me as particularly odd. There are two explanations I can think of to explain why it happened. The first is a theory I’ve seen floated around about the puppets slowly deviating from the in-universe writers’ design. We see this contrast between how everyone acts in the books and ads and how they act in the bug audios; Barnaby had a twinge of meanness, Julie had a personality beyond being ADHD incarnate, Frank expressed kindness. It’s not out of the question. The second theory is based off of a few observations from earlier on: Eddie is notably from out of town, and is loosely implied to have moved in last out of the main cast. It wouldn’t be absurd to say that this leads him to being “not with the program”, even if him being the newest addition is only in-universe for the show (as opposed to him being literally constructed and written last)

The second thing that was prominent to me was Home’s response to Eddie entering Toyland. This is quite plainly conspicuous and intentional, but I wanted to bring attention to it because of the interesting implications of it. First off, Home is pretty much confirmed to be sentient now. I’ll be damned if there’s any coherent counterargument that doesn’t boil down to going “nuh-uh”. Second, Home is at minimum recognizing that something is happening to Eddie. It’s not clear whether Home is aware of what specifically is happening to Eddie, or whether or not Home had a hand in setting off the incident, but the fact that home recognized that something was happening to Eddie nearly instantly solidifies how intelligent and aware Home actually is. This isn’t inherently surprising, since we’ve already gotten word-of-God confirmation that Home has repeatedly beaten Frank at chess, however, this is the most pointed and direct example that we’ve seen in the actual project.

Third, the fact that Eddie specifically had The Horrors™️ enacted upon him first specifically (at least, as far as we’re explicitly aware of; It’s unclear whether Wally counts as having experienced The Horrors™️ or if he is the arbitrator of them. More on that later) lends to some very interesting suggestions. Five possible explanations I can think of work as follows: One, he knew too much about either the nature of whatever specifically is weird about Home (town), whether that be Home (house), Wally, another character, the monsters of the night, something else about the night, or he knew too much about his nature as a fictional character. There is some speculative support for this; first, the aforementioned outsider angle that he’s been played with, and second, his parallels to the scrapped character Sunny. Sunny was the most recent to move in within the beta continuity, he was the love interest for Frank, he was smart and likely knew too much, and he disappeared first. Two, his outburst earlier in the day proved to be too out of character and thus a risk and liability to whoever was in control of what happened to him. Aside from my above breakdown of that scene, and from the fact that there’s very prominent examples of Playfellow and Marlo (or perhaps Wally, if for whatever reason Evil Wally ends up being true) blatantly straightwashing characters and possibly suppressing free will of the characters, assuming that’s what we’re meant to take away from the bug audios. Three, Eddie realized the actual absurdity of the Pea On A Plate and “woke up”, lucid dream style. I don’t really like this interpretation, since the fact that it’s in several promotional materials and companion merchandise suggests that it was an absurdist humor bit in-universe, which isn’t farfetched considering how children’s shows tend to be. Four, there’s another reason that’s yet to be revealed as to why Eddie got selected first. To be a total Devil’s advocate, we’re still relatively early in what’s looking to be a very slow-paced story. We’re not gonna have all the details, and red herrings are going to pop up, intentionally or otherwise. Five, Eddie was selected randomly or with no actual reason.

There’s also a few possibilities for who sent Eddie to Toyland, which is interesting to me. First, it could be Home. It wouldn’t be surprising considering its mysterious and noted uncanny nature, and its prominence during that scene. Second, it could be Wally. While I personally don’t find it to be the most reasonable, since something of this magnitude being perpetrated by a character we have a face to would likely involve that character, there’s enough evidence of Wally acting aware and generally odd where it isn’t completely absurd. Additionally, it’s entirely plausible that Wally’s conspicuous absence during the entire arc is indicative of some sort of guilt. Third, the show writers, someone at Playfellow, or another party along those lines somehow caused it, either by technological or supernatural means we don’t know about or by some accidental bout of supernatural fuckery, such as rewriting something and it having bizarre effects on the characters. It’s out there, but not out of the question considering the weird shit they’ve done. On top of that, it’s not impossible that another entity or force somehow caused this that either hasn’t been revealed or explained yet.

As to what Toyland actually entails, I’ve concocted a few theories. One, he literally got up and mentally teleported to a land of giant toys. Two, it’s full Star Trek mode and there’s Horrors™️ so mentally stimulating that the only way it could be perceived by either us or Eddie that that’s all it can be perceived as. Three, Going To Toyland is some sort of initiation, rite of passage, or method of psychologically controlling the cast that everyone else either doesn’t realize is happening or has their memories of it forcibly suppressed. This could be supported by the aforementioned “Eddie is an Outsider” and it’s possibly his first Homewarming since moving to the area. After all, a housewarming is a celebration that welcomes and initiates someone to the neighborhood; would it be that odd that Homewarming is a twisted version of that?

Anyways. Those are my observations and a bunch of interpretations. Part of why I love this project so much is how mysterious and unclear the exact details are, creating excellent suspense and a drive to theorize, and leading up to a truly gobsmacking reveal or conclusion. This update certainly delivered. Whatever the answer is for any of the branching paths I described, it’ll almost definitely reveal how truly fucked up the perpetrator is (or, alternatively, how utterly fucked up the situation is in general, if there ends up not being an instigator) for, y’know, doing that. Clown and Co., you’ve certainly outdone yourselves, and the wait was worth it; this speculative theorycrafting this update has provided is absolutely incredible.

[guywrestlingaddiction]

Everything Great About a Match: Mr.Joshua Goodman v Christian Taylor (bgeast.com)

Everything Great About a Match: +5

Mr.Joshua Goodman v Christian Taylor (bgeast.com)

SPOILER ALERT: I highly recommend viewing this match in its entirety before reading this post.

So let's begin:  +1: For Christian's debut match! Every great wrestler needs an origin story and Christian's story begins with big bad Joshua.  So can he win? Well of course not, this is Mr.Joshua we are talking about here but still enjoy these images of Christian before he was famous and suffered his first pro beatdown.

From Cocky ... To Crippled. 

Mr.Joshua: You, you don't know the rules.  Looks like I'm going to have to explain them to you. 

+1: Mr.Joshua brings the heat and does not hold back on our rookie.  If you were expecting some mercy being the new guy then you picked the wrong opponent because Mr.Joshua does no such thing.  The guy brutally dismantles our newbie and gives him the freshmen match to remember. 

+1: The humiliation.  Not only is our jobber destroyed but Mr.Joshua makes our jobber look as humbled as possible.  He thrashes him and even toys with the guy's head by slapping him to show him he's the man.  Christian is not only dominated but he's made to be humiliated, repeatedly, and with just a little something extra to claim the poor guy.  What a welcome to bgeast! I'm surprised Christian came back from this.  

+1: For this move.  I'm not sure what we're calling this - headlock with leg split variation but our wrestlers know each other's bodies enough to make this work.  How else do you combine Mr.Joshua's chisled muscular frame with Christian's long lanky body to produce a new wrestling outcome?  

+1: For the "Adjustment".  This will always get a point as Mr.Joshua's sexy signature move in my book.  The man knows it's what the fans want and knows how to work it into every match to not let us down!

------- Everything Great About this Match: +5

So there you have it.  This may very well be the toughest, vicious, most primal newbie match I have ever seen and I've seen a ton of matches.  Mr.Joshua goes balls to the walls all over Christian's poor lithe body ensuring that the rookie will never forget his place on the food chain.  In the end, Mr.Joshua takes this match to that extra special place beyond domination and poor Christian may never fully recover from the humiliation.  

[matan4il]

have you ever been able to have any Palestinian friends? I'm not asking this as a gotcha question at all, but sincerely (I know anons on here can be scary), I was wondering about it because an Israeli I follow on Instagram was asked about this a few days ago in his stories, and he said he was never able to have friends in Gaza, but he did have friends in the West Bank, and they've almost all cut him off completely following 10/7, and some really hurt him by showing support for the massacre. he said he's still got his Arab Israeli and Palestinian friends who are Israeli citizens, that they may disagree sometimes but haven't to a breaking point because they live in the nation together and want peace and are supportive of each other through differences, but those friendships in the West Bank are sadly over. he also said that he's had friends he's known for years from places all over the world who dropped him after the terror attack just because he's Israeli and Jewish, which I think is all too familiar for ALL of us because I don't know a single Jew who hasn't lost multiple friends, online and off, through all this and through no fault of their own, just existing as Jews. it makes me so sad. but knowing he was cut off because of support of the massacre from Palestinians was depressing to hear, you think people are your friends and then find out they approve your people's rape and slaughter? and until they stop deeply hating Jews to that point, how can there be peace? he seems like such a good person and centers humanity and does want peace, as I know most Israelis do, but one side can't achieve that alone.

sorry this is long. *hugs*

Hi Nonnie,

thank you for the ask, and I hope you're doing good! *hugs*

I have had Palestinian friends. True, not from Gaza. Israel left it in 2005, and there has been an internationally recognized border between us since. Ironically, I think the only Israelis who could have given you a different answer up until Oct 7 were the southern communities that Hamas attacked and massacred. They lived right on the border, most were left wing Israelis, many volunteered to help Palestinians in one capacity or another (such as driving them to get medical care inside Israel), or chose to employ Palestinians (despite how some might have warned them that it's a security risk), and that illusion of friendship was shattered when it became clear that it was exactly those Gazans who provided the intel on southern Israeli communities, that was needed to plan and carry out the massacre. Not every single Gazan, of course. But enough that this is a true betrayal in the worst sense of the word.

In my case, some of the Palestinians I've befriended over the years have been uni friends or colleagues, but the closest and longest lasting friendships have been with gay Palestinians who I share a community with. They can't be safely openly gay anywhere under Palestinian rule, so they would come to Israeli gay community centers, and were received warmly there. I also was in one fandom, where someone heard I'm from Jerusalem, and said they know another Israeli from Jerusalem. Turned out, it was a Palestinian girl from East Jerusalem, and while I'm no longer that active in said fandom, I'm still in touch with that girl.

I feel very lucky to say that I haven't lost these friendships since Oct 7. Ironic, because I've "lost" friendships (if that's what they ever were) with so many hypocritical foreigners who don't live this conflict, and aren't affected by it, beyond their need to show everyone they're "on the right side," but I haven't lost the people who are actually a part of it. It's almost like foreigners have no idea about the actual complicated reality of this conflict, nor a desire to learn about it, just a need to reduce it to "good" and "bad," taking whichever side social media tells them is the former. My Palestinian friends know me, they know how I treat other human beings (spoiler alert: as human beings!) and they also know my opinions, and that I see myself as being both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian. I guess they agree with me that my opinions are in favor of both groups, or I'm sure that they would have cut ties with me already.

There is one exception, though it predates Hamas' massacre. I've mentioned in my pride post that I've volunteered for the gay community in my city, at the Jerusalem Open House. In fact, there was a certain year where I won an award for being the organization's stand out volunteer. I mention this, because I have always seen myself as being there for everyone, and I feel like that award was an acknowledgement of that.

The very first Palestinian queer organization ever actually started out as "the Palestinian project" of the JOH, an attempt to create a safe space for, support and help queer Palestinians. One member of the group became very dominant and after a few years, she decided they should be an independent organization. The JOH gave its blessing, and agree to rent out one of its offices to her, and provide the physical space for the organization's activities (since obviously, they couldn't be openly held in Ramallah or Bethlehem, under the rule of the Palestinian Authority). I met her there, and we became friends. Not the closest, but def more than just acquaintances. I was very proud of her work for her community, and often told others about it.

One day, I was sitting in the JOH main space, talking to people about the problem of honor killings. It's widespread within Arab society (one researcher believes about 20,000 women are murdered for this around the world every year), and that includes Palestinians. I was specifically asked about it, and was answering the question out of a deep concern for Palestinian lives, mainly women and queers (including my own friends), threatened or murdered for the perception that they "violated" their family's honor. For the record, such a violation can be simply a guy kissing another one, a woman being raped, a biological male coming out and living as a trans woman, a mother getting a divorce and dating a new man, or a daughter defying her father's wishes and pursuing higher education. I have seen Palestinians (and Israeli Arabs) murdered for all of these reasons, and I HATE it and think more needs to be done to prevent such crimes. I also have queer Palestinian friends, who have tried to seek refuge in western countries because of a threat to their lives within their own society, sometimes from their own families. They were denied, and had to go deep into the closet. It's a miserable existence, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

She walked by while I was talking. IDK what exactly she heard, but she then went to the CEO of the JOH and complained that I was being racist. For caring about the lives of Palestinians. For comparison, I linked above to an Amnesty International piece about honor killings. Are they being racist for bringing up this problem, and speaking up for Arab women everywhere, too? The CEO called me in for a talk, was convinced that I wasn't being racist, and that was that. But it left me shook up. That was the first time I realized that this woman prioritized Palestinian society's appearance, over the actual well being of fellow Palestinian women and queers. I never talked to her again after that, nor did she ever speak to me.

I also started seeing her and her organization becoming openly anti-Israel, even when it harmed the community she was supposed to serve. In Sep 2021, there was even an article published about it, calling out the hypocrisy of attacking Israel, while this country's existence is what even enables that organization to operate, since they can't do so under Palestinian rule. And my friends who were seeking sanctuary from the threats to their lives from within their own society? They never got legal help in that pursuit from her organization, only from Israeli ones. I think that's a tragedy.

The last time her organization filed the needed reports to be officially recognized as an NGO in Israel was 2020. They obviously continued to be active after that, and still are (at least on social media, where they echo the anti-Israel narrative since the war started), but IDK if they're even doing anything real for queer Palestinians anymore, or whether she still heads it. Whenever I think about it, I'm just sad for all the people she should have helped, but who turned out to be less important to her than a nationalistic, antisemitic (that's what it is when she demands self determination for her people, but denies that right to Jews, as she does by supporting the BDS movement) and self-destructive (to her own community) struggle.

And yes, on a personal level, I felt betrayed by her, though I've also felt like her betrayal of her own people was way worse.

I think at the end of the day, for many Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, the question is what are they more attached to, that nationalistic, antisemitic struggle, or they (and their people's) well being. If you look at Mosab Hassan Youssef, I think what says it all, is that the son of a Hamas co-founder could end up on the side of Israel, initially not because of anything Israel did, but because he saw Palestinians in prison being tortured and killed by Hamas, and he gave a damn about his own people.

BTW, out of curiosity, who is the Israeli you're following, who got you wondering about this? And I really hope my reply was in some way helpful. Take good care! xoxox

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[mysticstronomy]

IS IT POSSIBLE TO STOP TIME??

Blog#437

Wednesday, September 18th, 2024.

Welcome back,

If you've ever watched an ice cube melt or stirred creamer into a pool of black coffee, you've witnessed a fundamental truth about the universe: The "arrow of time" always marches forward.

Time flows from past to future. What we call the present is a never-ending series of inflection points, where the collection of events that have already happened (the past) meets the collection of events that have yet to happen (the future). And while time doesn’t ever stop, it can slow down.

Einstein’s theory of special relativity gave us a completely new way to view the cosmos. Prior to Einstein, we had movement through space, and we had passage through time. Special relativity unties those theories into a single, unified framework called spacetime. In this new framework, it’s impossible to move through space or time separately; instead, every object in the universe is constantly moving through both simultaneously.

This means that it’s (theoretically) possible to slow down your progression into the future. The faster you move in space, the slower you move in time. So if you jump on a rocket ship and accelerate yourself to 99% of the speed of light, you’ll travel through time about 7 times slower than stationary observers. (Actually reaching that velocity, however, is another matter entirely.)

There’s a caveat here, though: You will never experience this time dilation yourself — your heart will beat at the same rate; your hairs will grey after the same amount of time; and your wristwatch will tick at the same speed as always.

But outside observers looking in will see you move and live in slow motion, seven times slower than they are.

It sounds like a contradiction, but this is what puts the relative in the special theory of relativity: Our perceptions of distance and time depend on our perspective, and no two observers are ever guaranteed to agree.

Relativity allows you to (again, theoretically) skip forward into the future, as well. If you travel fast enough, what may only be a handful of years to you can translate to hundreds, thousands, or even millions of years for everybody else.

By the time you came back to the Earth, it, or the people inhabiting it, could be completely unrecognizable — a major conceit in (spoiler alert) sci-fi films like Planet of the Apes and Interstellar.

Still, no matter what, you can’t stop time, because it's not possible to travel at 100% the speed of light. You’ll always move a tiny fraction below that ultimate speed limit, and so you’ll always experience at least some progression of time.

As for time ending, as far as we can tell time will have no end in the future. Our universe is expanding every day, and it appears that it will continue to do so for eternity. The future is wide open, and there will always be another tomorrow. Sure, in the far far future, all the stuff in our universe will be spread out to incomprehensibly thin dust, but time still won’t come to an end.

However, by the same token, it appears as if time does have a beginning. Our universe is expanding, which means that in the past it was smaller. In the distant past, billions of years ago, it was much smaller. In the extremely distant past, around 13.77 billion years ago, our universe was the size of a peach.

Beyond that point, all of our physics knowledge says that the universe started out in such a tiny space that it was a singularity, a point of infinite density. Strictly speaking, that’s also a point where time and space originate, meaning that time has an endpoint in our own past.

Nonetheless, our knowledge of the extremely early universe is rather hazy; we don’t really know what’s going on in those earliest moments, so we can’t say much about it with anything resembling confidence.

Originally published on https://www.discovermagazine.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, September 21st, 2024)

"WHAT HAPPENS TO A HUMAN BODY IN SPACE??"

[abundantchewtoys]

HS re: p615-625

It was great to see Karkat and Meenah interacting in earnest. It's really something to see them hit it off so well. I suppose the fact that Karkat is now older and a bit grittier has done worlds to Meenah's willingness to let him lead.

Also, as an aside: it's funny that Meenah's Jake handler in the resistance. She gets to boss an English around as cosmic retribution.

Great to get a better look at Karkat's inner turmoil too. Just to get confirmation he's still the same guy at heart. Leaving his mic open during heartfelt confessions is so on brand. It's fitting that that's what endears him to his followers. Seems close to how some of his most embarassing moments as leader of his session were easily forgiven by the other trolls + what ultimately served to help win the session.

I can't shake the feeling that all of the population of Earth C is just a wee bit too eager to follow their pantheon in everything unthinkingly. Devotion on par with carapaces unflinchingly following their royalty into war in the Medium, with a few notable exceptions.

Loving the Metal Gear Solid meets Suicide Squad asthetic that Karkat and his elite squad has going on there. I'm assuming of the trolls in the LOBsTERs, there's one highblood and one lowblood.

Sollux is, funnily enough, the best for Earth C in behaviour. Just minding his own, most of the time. His latest disability wouldn't be at all stopping him from being worshipped, if he at all wished it.

If it weren't for James' newspost, I would have figured the next page could already be a flash, but seems it might have to wait until Jane's army's arrived at the Meteor.

Still not sure what the effect of the Plot Point will be. We've got a few things up in the air.

It's going to make the Candy timeline relevant to the overal plot - which could mean a connection, portal or transportation effect to the Meat timeline. It might be connected to the machine underneath the curtain that Dirk's transporting.

If it's a Sburb game disc set, can you imagine the brawl that could play out over who gets to play? Then again, the way the Candy kids are a set of four, them connecting to Dirk & Rose's players might result in an eight-player session to mirror the B2 merged session.

Wild theory I came up with: what if it's Aradia's version of the Beat Mesa, an other version of the music crystals that Damara used to scratch the A1 session? Aka what if the Candy timeline has to be scratched to validate the Meat timeline as the 'true' timeline? In that case, there's probably a portal for the Candy kids to escape through, too. Assuming the Candy timeline would be erased by a scratch, it's not a session, after all. The only reason B1 Earth got evacuated by the carapacians were the imminent Red Miles - even though he was only out there to send them because he escaped the B1 session as it was being scratched, so, ehhhh.

Also, assuming Candy Universe C gets scratched, would that mean that in their version of Deltritus had Sburb portals opening up across the planet already, too, or not, you think? Probably not due to the effects of the black hole, but it’s fun to think about.

In any case, whatever's there, the implication is that the seed for it got carried over from the A2 session. Meaning Sburb/Sgrub has had this planned for a long, LONG time already.

[drdemonprince]

I just read your piece on mindfulness, I was really touched by your authenticity in sharing how much it just sucks to exist in the world as an autistic person. I relaize I had defensively rejected the idea of mindfulness without really stopping to learn what it's really about, and your article was so enlightening. Your honesty in sharing how rough a time you had really drove home the fact that mindfulness is really about completely immersing yourself the rawness of the human experience. Personally, I find joy easily and I find that I'm often mindful about the positive, appealing, beautiful aspects of the world. I have a much, much harder time dealing with discomfort and suffering (except in kink!). I have a tendancy to shut out everything uncomfortable, especially painful stimulation, "negative" feelings, and the people around me. Your piece inspired me to challenge myself to be mindful while overstimulated, triggered, and extremely anxious in a grocery store (aka hell on earth). Spoiler alert: it really really sucked. But, I definitely processed a lot more of what was going on in my mind, and my body. I noticed how tense I felt in my chest, and learned how it took hours for it to dissipate. I noticed how busy it was in the store, and how the narrow aisles and close proximity to other people made me agitated and scared. I know now what will happen if I go there again at that time of day, and can adjust my plans to shop there again accordingly. I noticed the ache of the trauma shrapnel in my mind, and I percepted that just beyond my reach parts of me were processing and feeling really difficult things. I know that if I listen enough I will learn what is going on, and be able to process it consciously. The last thing I noticed was at the check-out. At this point I was desperately trying to escape so I was practically flinging my items into my backpack. I was completely overwhelmed by the chaos I felt in my being. But when I paused to pay, my attention shifted outwards. I realized how kind the cashier had been to me. I knew from her body language and tone of voice that she understood that I was having a hard time. She was so empathetic and kind during such a short interaction, at the end of her shift, towards someone who could barely look at her. I was so touched, and have thought of her every day since. Thank you for your article. I can't wait to notice, and feel, and learn more, into perpetuity.

Wow. This is beautiful. This is exactly how I experienced embracing mindfulness to better understand my own sensory issues and overwhelm, after years of rejecting the idea as stupid, woo-woo, and unpleasant. Attending to all the ways in which your environment is disabling you is PAINFUL, but it really can generate a ton of insight. When we know exactly what is triggering us, and what is moving the needle up and down, we can self-regulate by making tiny adjustments that make the painful a little more bearable. And then we get to appreciate little oases of peace and grace, like the one you experienced with the cashier. So lovely. Thank you for sharing this with me. <3

Here is the piece, for those who didn't see it:

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC’s Lucien - Entangling Date - English Translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

[Warning]: The content of this date is currently the most explicit compared to other SSR dates and may not be suitable for individuals under the age of 17 (CN server). It is recommended that those who do not meet this age requirement refrain from proceeding beyond this point.

// ⚠️ cw v*re-ish theme, (not heavy) blood, dubious consent, (magic) bondage, strangulation you'll never guess who. Please proceed with caution if you are sensitive to these topics

[Translation Notes]

In here, both MC and Lucien are Snake Demons (蛇妖). Demons (妖 yāo) – (which is sometimes left untranslated as “Yao” or alternatively translated as Monsters) are born when an animal, plant, or even an inanimate object absorbs spiritual energy over a long period and then gains spiritual awareness. They're not necessarily evil and are different from 魔 (Mó)/Evil Spirits. Still, their identity as such beings in this AU is important to remember because it means that both MC and Lucien are indifferent to human standards of morality.

Also in this date, there's a concept of cultivation or "修炼" (xiūliàn), which is a central concept in many Chinese fantasy genres, particularly in xianxia (仙侠) literature. It involves the practice of refining one's body, mind, and spirit to achieve higher levels of power, enlightenment, or immortality. As for other terms… I'll add T/N if there are more specific terms ahah-

And, let me explain a bit about the v*re theme... So, in some Chinese fantasy literature and cultivation stories, consuming others can be a method of cultivation. This practice might involve eating parts of these beings to gain their powers or absorb their essence, which is believed to advance their cultivation level. Although I’m also kind of convinced with what Chuverall said that ‘hunger’ here is a metaphor for another kind of desire or Lucien just genuinely confuses lust with hunger😂

[Pre-evolve call - Wandering Ballpoint pen]

[Subbed Video]

I highly recommend watching the subbed video! I SWEAR I never heard him moan and pant so much on one date or heck, even in ASMR.

In case YouTube decides the date is too explicit, I also upload it on Twitter.

Also, to avoid the video getting deleted by youtube, I age-restricted it u.u

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Transcript Ver]

—[Part 1]—

I'm starving.

I swallow a pile of random 'food' expressionlessly, yet the intense emptiness and hunger are not satisfied in the slightest.

Immense power courses through my body, but it seems as if it is confined within an earthen jar, desperately trying to find an outlet, yet unable to find a way out.

I am well aware that, after four hundred years, I have once again encountered the opportunity to break through the Primordial Spirit stage.

Back then, I devoured the crocodile demon that had occupied the deep pool for hundreds of years, and only after digesting its entire Primordial Spirit did I successfully achieve the breakthrough.

[T/N: Primordial spirit or 元神 (yuán shén) is typically regarded as a higher, more refined level of consciousness or spiritual essence within a being. If cultivated enough, a primordial spirit can gain some consciousness and you can project yourself outward (important for the later part ;)]

[T/N: A breakthrough in cultivation refers to a significant leap in spiritual or martial progress, often leading to enhanced abilities or a higher level of power. It can happen several times.]

I feel the surge of power within me, and now I only crave for more.

Half a country's worth of humans is probably not enough. I still need to find a way to concentrate on cultivation, or perhaps consume another powerful being.

The harsh, blazing sunlight pierces through the cave entrance, casting a bright circle inside the cave.

I squint my eyes, lazily stretching my snake tail towards the patch of light.

The cautious tip of my snake tail ventures only an inch into the light but is instantly pierced by the scorching heat, causing it to shudder and quickly recoil back into the shadows.

MC: …So hot.

MC: I'll think about it later.

The chilly and damp stone cave dispels the scorching heat of the sun. I close my eyes and adjust my position for greater comfort, half my body submerged in the pool water.

There's no need to rush. After all, this scorching summer heat that could kill a demon is a mysterious demon-slaying technique in itself.

??: …

Suddenly, I sense something entering my cave.

It's just that the little creature's demonic power is too weak to stir even a sliver of my interest.

Perhaps because of my indifference, "it" seems to be growing bolder, venturing closer and even approaching my pool.

Slightly displeased, I open my eyes, only to meet with a pair of unfamiliar eyes—deep and brimming with smiles.

??: So hot. May I borrow a corner of your abode, My Lord?

The man's clothes hang loosely on his frame, barely concealing his broad, sculpted chest in a manner that seems almost deliberate as he leans casually against a nearby rock.

[T/N: The use of 欲盖弥彰 😂 This idiom literally means "trying to cover up but only making it more obvious." This implies that his attempt to ‘dress modestly’ is actually drawing more attention to his physique and carrying a subtle hint of deliberate seduction LOL]

Who is he?

Countless lesser monsters inhabit this mountain, and I never pay attention to those I can crush with half a finger.

But perhaps it's because I'm so bored, or perhaps because he carries the scent of my own kind, that I can't help but stare at him for a long while.

Lucien: My Lord, my name is Lucien.

Perhaps sensing the reason for my silence, he smiles gracefully and bows his head respectfully.

Lucien: I have been living in this mountain for many years, always relying on your protection, My Lord.

Lucien: I have expressed my gratitude to you many times before, My Lord, but it seems...

He pauses, his deep and bright eyes settling on me.

Lucien: ...those sentiments have not reached you.

Hearing him say this, I try to recall the countless memories I've accumulated over the years on this mountain, but I can't possibly remember the face of every insignificant lesser demon.

Seeing that I still show no reaction, the lesser demon's face seems to stiffen for a brief moment.

But a seductive curve quickly forms on his lips as he steps into the pool.

His body bends gracefully in the pool as water laps over his waist and abdomen, leaving him glistening wet.

He extends his arms into the pool, seemingly sensing and finding my tail as if guided by instinct.

His cold fingertips gently caress my scales, then encircle my tail and draw it towards his chest.

Water droplets run down his hair, trace the contours of his jaw and cascade onto his chest, mingling with the water dripping from the tip of my tail. Together, they seep through his semi-transparent garment, disappearing into the curve of his waist.

The uncomfortable warmth faintly spread over me, yet his audacious behavior piqued my curiosity. I wonder what intriguing actions this lesser demon can do.

But my somewhat arrogant and silent scrutiny doesn't seem to instill any fear in him.

He nuzzles my snake tail with his face, his lips gently pressing against my scales. After a moment of delicate caressing, he—

Suddenly bites down hard.

MC: …!

A tingling numbness quickly spreads from the tip of my tail. The venom is manageable, and it will take me less than a moment to neutralize it.

Yet, in that fleeting moment, a particularly hazy, green-colored figure forms in my mind.

MC: Are you that little green snake who bit my tail decades ago and then fainted?

—[Part 2]—

=Flashback start=

One autumn many years ago, the sunlight was still pleasant, and I was coiled idly in the mountain, feeling bored to death.

The autumn light stretches endlessly, the entire forest suffused with a lingering pleasant fragrance that makes me coil my body even more lazily.

My demonic aura permeates the entire mountain, utterly unrestrained. The lesser demons cower in corners, none foolish enough to dare disturb my tranquility.

Suddenly, a burst of very weak stings prickled the tip of my tail.

Puzzled, I lifted my tail, only to find a small green snake clinging to it.

It must have tried to feed on my energy but was overwhelmed by the backlash of my demonic power. The little snake has already fainted, but its tiny fangs are still tightly embedded in me.

It's natural for creatures to have a predatory instinct, but such a bold and greedy little thing might eventually develop even greater desires.

I observed it for a few more moments with interest before casually tossing it away.

=Flashback ends=

That blurry green shape in the daylight unexpectedly coalesces into the face of the person standing before me.

Turns out it really transformed into a demonic form.

My tail instantly coils around his entire body, tightening around his neck, and pulls him towards me.

MC: What did you say your name was?

Lucien: [his sexy gasps and breathless voice?#(#+-$(asdfghjkl] My Lord, my name is Lucien.

The venomous fangs in his mouth remain unretracted as if deliberately left exposed to provoke.

I grip his upper jaw, my fingertips sliding into his parted lips, caressing the delicate tips of his fangs.

As I gradually apply pressure, a pale yellow liquid slowly trickles down my fingertips.

A fascination stirs within my heart, and I drive the venom to flow uncontrollably until it overflows my palm.

The labored breath escaping his lips doesn't bring even a hint of fear to the face before me. Those eyes, like mysterious deep pools, draw me in completely.

MC: I remember you.

I lick the venom on my fingertips and then lightly lean toward his lips.

MC: Perhaps devouring you wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Lucien: [x2!] It would be my honor to become a part of you, My Lord.

Venom from his fangs spills to the corner of his lips, adding an inexplicable allure to his serene expression.

Lucien: [X3!!] However... to you, my lord, my demonic power is very weak. Even after appearing before you many times, I never caught your attention.

Lucien: [X4!!!] I'm afraid I can't help you achieve your breakthrough, my lord.

[T/N: Throughout this date, he used a "您" (nín) to address MC instead of the usual “你” (nǐ), which is the formal and polite way to say "you" in Chinese. It is used to show respect, deference, and admiration to the person being addressed.]

His face even bears a hint of hidden bitterness, as if silently reproaching me.

MC: How did you know I wanted to breakthrough?

Lucien: Because in my eyes... all I see is your figure.

Lucien: In the corners you never noticed, I've always been watching you.

Through those deep and unfathomable eyes, I see a reflection of a slender white figure, and her face is filled with disdain and inexplicable emotion.

Lucien: You've protected this place for many years, providing us with a safe haven. So, I also wish to contribute my humble efforts to your cause.

Lucien: I have found a group of remarkable humans who might be able to help you break through your cultivation, My Lord.

Half a country wouldn't even suffice.

I form this sentence in my mind but don't say it out loud.

Facing my silence, he gently smiles, as if he had expected it.

Lucien: What do you think, My Lord... about the 361 demon-slaying cultivators of the Qingping Sect, including the Sect Leader—what should be done with them?

His hushed whispers are carried on a breathy exhale and reach my lips. Sinking into the depths of his dark eyes, I curl my lips into a smile.

MC: Is there more to this than meets the eye?

Lucien: In the past two years, many demon hunters from this sect have repeatedly disturbed the peace in the mountain, and many lesser demons have fallen at their hands.

Lucien: My Lord, you have cast spells in this mountain, clearly not wishing to be disturbed. I merely volunteered to ease your worries.

MC: But those bugs always manage to get in, do you know why?

Lucien: A sophisticated formation like yours, My Lord, is naturally beyond the comprehension of a lowly demon like myself.

Lucien: The Qingping Sect is also a great sect with a hundred years of history; [chuckles] Perhaps there are some mysterious and powerful humans there.

Lucien smiles modestly and looks at me obediently.

I close my eyes, pondering his words over and over.

The Qingping Sect people have been coming to the mountain to hunt demons in summer and winter for the past few years. They must have observed my movements.

When I'm dormant, I'm usually too lazy to bother with such trivial matters. But if it's delivered to my doorstep, there's certainly no reason to refuse.

But with Lucien's cultivation level, it should be very difficult for him to handle such a large sect.

I think for a moment, then fling him away.

MC: So, in a place where the talented and powerful people hide, how are you going to offer them to me?

Lucien: I'm just using a few little tricks. You can inspect it now, My Lord.

His words barely leave his lips when the scene before me abruptly blurs. In a flash, I conceal my demonic form.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

An unfamiliar Taoist temple comes into view. We are already standing in the shadows of a corner.

I glance around, slightly raise my fingertips, and strangle Lucien's neck.

MC: Lucien, I don't like being controlled by anything else.

[T/N: MC actually called him 小许 (Xiao Xu) here which can be translated into ‘Little Lu' but that sounds odd in EN-]

Lucien: [gasping for breath and hoarsely says-] Perhaps… I was just too eager, hoping I could be of some help to you.

Lucien: [still with his hoarse voice-] I really long to see you happy.

His eyes curve into a gentle arc, showing a certain beauty that is both pleasing to the eye and delightful to the heart.

I let out a cold snort, dismissing him, and step out of the shadows, releasing my hold on his neck.

The scorching sun beats down mercilessly, making me irritable. Just as I'm about to turn around and warn that little creature to make it quick, I sense an unusually strange and mysterious Qi in the air.

In the shadows, Lucien stands still, his deep, dark eyes hiding a gleam.

Interesting.

A spark of interest ignites within me, and I swagger down the road.

Several demon hunters who look quite delicious pass by me. They appear numb, like puppets, and show no sign of panic in my presence.

??: Ah, it's Mr. Lucien!

Suddenly, a young Daoist Priest seems to regain his senses and runs towards me.

Lucien, who is already standing beside me, responds gently.

Lucien: Greetings, Daoist Priest.

Lucien's eyes shimmer with an emerald green light. As his voice trails off, several nearby demon hunters eagerly gather around, engaging him in conversation.

MC: "Do they know you?"

I glance at Lucien and use a spell to transmit the words directly into his mind.

But he merely smiles faintly, and under the gaze of those empty eyes, he leans down and whispers in my ear.

Lucien: [whispers] Some things are easier to erode from within.

Lucien: After all... I'm just a little green snake.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

—[Part 3]—

Abundant power surges within me. After absorbing and dissolving the last remnants of the primordial spirit, I open my eyes, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

While there's still a long way to go before my primordial spirit breaks through, I won't force it.

The blazing sun overhead reminds me of the day I parted ways with Lucien, leaving me to wonder how many days and nights have slipped by since.

The vastness of time has long since lost its meaning for me.

=Flashback start=

MC: Some of these are for you.

Lucien: …?

Upon hearing my words, he seemed to freeze for a moment, his eyes darkening slightly.

Lucien: If I wanted to keep it all for myself, I wouldn't have invited you, My Lord. All of this is my offering…

MC: You're so long-winded.

MC: Rewards are given for merit; take it if it's given to you. Those are my rules.

I was too lazy to listen to his long-winded speech, so I stood on the steps and looked down at him.

MC: Lucien, I have only one question for you right now.

MC: Aren't you hungry?

Lucien: ….

He stood in my shadow, deeply gazing up at me.

After a long pause, he curled his lips into a bewitching smile, his gaze locked intently on me. He extended his tongue, lightly licking his lips.

Lucien: [the long licking noises!??+$+*+$+] Very hungry, my lord.

=Flashback end=

I stand up and stretch, ready to take a stroll in the mountain and see how Lucien's cultivation is progressing.

He's very clever. In just a few decades, he's not only cultivated into a demon form but also amassed considerable power and even dealt with the entire Qingping Sect.

Perhaps in a few more decades, he could be the final piece I need for my breakthrough.

Just as I am about to leave the cave, I sense an extremely familiar pheromone nearby.

Its owner is cleverly masking their scent within my demonic aura, but it seems they're struggling to maintain the disguise, and faint traces are still leaking through.

I raise my head to gaze at the colossal Buddha statue before me, and then with a swift movement, I stand atop the entwining vines that encircle it. A quick glance reveals a familiar figure—

sexy bgm playing

Lucien: ...!

His dark green outer robe has slipped down to his arms, revealing a large expanse of his back. The slanting rays of the sun illuminate the faint snake scales on his skin.

Gold dust spills from the cracks in the Buddha statue, scattering around him. One of his hands, unable to contain the surging power, has fully transformed into its demonic form.

His broad and supple snake tail is fully exposed, writhing restlessly against the stone statue, creating a subtle rustling sound as it rubs against the surface.

Fine beads of sweat emerge on his forehead, gradually dampening his hair, which clings stickily to his flushed skin and trails downwards.

Lucien seems surprised by my arrival, turning around with a guarded look, his fingers reaching for his shoulder as if wanting to cover up more.

Lucien: [panting as if he's in a freaking heat] My Lord, how could you...?

MC: Lucien, you're really good at finding places, aren't you?

I examine the area around the Buddha's Hand. Lush bushes cover most of the cave entrance, providing him with ample shelter along with my demonic aura.

A small white snake then slithered into the opening of his clothing, making its way up to his face.

[T/N: Remember what I mentioned about how powerful cultivators can project themselves outward—so this white snake is indeed MC but she has projected her soul outward]

Lucien: [x2] I'm fortunate to have your protection.

He pants lightly, his eyes never leaving even for a moment, fixed firmly on my figure.

Lucien: I understand that you needed to focus on your cultivation and didn't want to be disturbed.

Lucien: [while slightly panting] But I haven't experienced many breakthroughs before. I need to focus all my energy on refining my spirit. Last time, I almost got eaten by other lesser demons…

Lucien: [with more panting and huskier voice] Being by your side, My Lord, I feel more at ease and can also help guard against potential dangers for you.

His husky voice sends tingling sensations through me, making me inexplicably feel a bit hungry.

Lucien: [man literally panting with each sentence?!$+($+$asdjfjdkd] I just didn't expect you to be so powerful, absorbing so many spirits in such a short time…

He furrows his brow in what seems like frustration, which looks a bit cute.

MC: Those are still far from enough, but your breakthrough speed is also faster than I thought.

Lucien: [still with the sus panting as if in heat] It's all… thanks to you, My Lord.

He forces a weak smile, seemingly still struggling to suppress the surging power within him.

I know that feeling, the unbearable heat from the inside out, the frantic surge of Qi sweeping through the body again and again, as the soul drifts between fullness and emptiness.

I've always been on my own, so it's quite interesting to witness someone else going through this for the first time.

Lucien's fingertips continue to tighten, revealing an attractive white color.

He seems to be waiting there, waiting for me to disappear. But I don't.

I wiggle my fingers, and the little white snake glides along his burning skin. Every inch closer elicits a heavier, instinctive gasp from the depths of his throat.

The increasingly prominent snake scales seem to be burning, and his long tail coils around the Buddha's hand over and over while continuously trembling.

MC: Is it hard to bear?

He knows she's laughing.

Through his hazy gaze, he sees the girl perched on a nearby branch, like a wisp of delicate white gauze, overlooking him completely.

He can feel the cold little snake mischievously exploring all over his body as if her fingertips were stroking him.

This makes him feel even more messed up.

The power surges within him, more violently than he anticipated, and it's taking longer than expected.

He overestimated her greed, and at the same time, underestimated his own.

A tremendous sense of emptiness drowns him in an instant, magnified infinitely under her wicked gaze.

At that moment, it's as if he forgets everything.

He instinctively follows that surge of intense force, returning to a darker place, where he finds some form of primitiveness and liberation.

A surge of heat courses through him from his chest to his lower body, carrying him from the heights of the clouds to the mist below.

He is obviously filled with a momentary sense of satisfaction, yet a greater emptiness is born. Amidst the lingering white mist, her eyes always remain clear.

Bright, vile, and charming.

As if shining into his greedy soul, allowing him to see the reflection of his face so clearly.

Lucien: [breathing heavily after some kind of ‘release’...but obviously haven't ‘satisfied’ yet-] ….

Suddenly, I see Lucien smile.

He leans against the Buddha's palm, his entire body sprawled out and clothes in a mess. It's as if he's completely submerged in water.

The tense snake's tail trembles as it lifts, gently and intimately coiling around my wrist.

People say snake demons are masters of seduction, but perhaps they are not even one ten-thousandth as good as the person before me.

Lucien: [panting, whispers hoarsely] Teach me... My Lord.

MC: Aren't you afraid that I'll really eat you?

I laugh and tease him. The moment my toes touch the Buddha's hand, a scorching hot snake's tail wraps tightly around my waist, coiling down to one of my ankles.

With a gentle tug, he pulls me into an even hotter embrace.

Lucien: [moans and pants as he whispers hoarsely] Then just eat me.

Lucien: [x2] From the very beginning, I didn't mind becoming one with you, My Lord.

His breath is hot, and so is his gaze. This kind of temperature, which usually makes me uncomfortable, fills me with some kind of pleasure now.

I gently caress his chest, feeling the surge of Qi within him, and can't help but smile even wider.

MC: If you want to be eaten by me... you're still too weak.

Infusing my power into my palm, I gather his power into one place.

At this moment, I realize that I might have left Lucien with too much force. It's no wonder he hasn't fully absorbed such a massive force. It's also fortunate that he has exceptional abilities.

If he were an ordinary demon, his meridians would have ruptured long ago.

[T/N: Meridians (经脉) are the channels through which Qi/vital energy flows in the body, if it ruptures it can lead to death]

MC: Luckily, you've been able to hold on until now.

MC: But... you still need to work harder.

I push my palm forward, dismantling that power and sending it into his primordial spirit.

I feel myself being hugged tightly, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. His snake fangs bite hard into my shoulder and release his venom with a force that feels like a torrent.

The venom he secreted is like sweet honey, devoid of any threat.

When he raises his head again, I see that his deep eyes have become even brighter, as if they have swallowed a thousand surging tides.

MC: How do you feel?

Lucien: [x3] My lord... your body is so cold and feels so good.

His tail coils tighter around me, and his scorching breath falls on my neck.

He seems to have coiled his entire body around me, enveloping me in his center.

Lucien: [x4] You... are very beautiful.

His wet tongue slides again and again across my throat and neck. I feel like his whole body is exuding a delicious scent.

I'm so hungry.

I can't resist the urge to bite his lips. His strong essence is absorbed into my body through our intertwined lips and tongues.

Lucien doesn't resist at all and just hugs me tightly as if devoutly offering his entire being to me.

In an instant, I push him away, meeting his gaze, which seems to hold an air of expectation.

Lucien: [gasping weakly] Are you not going to eat me anymore?

He looks a bit tired, but his lips still rest against mine, like the instinctive nuzzling of an animal.

I don't respond to him, only glancing at him for a moment before covering his captivating eyes with my hand.

MC: Go to sleep.

Just a little longer. If I wait a bit more, he'll be even more delicious, and it'll help me break through even further.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[T/N: Fun fact: In real life, snakes intertwine their tails and bite each other when they mate. Why do I mention this? Well you'll see :)]

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

—[Part 4]—

Over a month later, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the evening breeze brings a chill. I stretch and head down the mountain, holding up my skirt as I walk.

I quite enjoy human festivals. Every year, during these times, the lively and interesting rituals make this frail race seem a bit more endearing.

Bathed in the soft glow, a familiar figure dressed in green appears in my sight.

Lucien: My Lord, it seems quite lively down there. Is that the human "temple fair" they speak of?

MC: You've been in human form for decades, and you know quite a few demon hunters from the Qingping Sect. Haven't you ever been to a temple fair?

Lucien: I'm just a lowly demon, so I wouldn't dare.

Lucien: But if I go with you, I'm sure I'll be able to experience some of the fun.

MC: [smiles softly] Are you a fool?

With a grand sweep of my hand, I lead him into the warm and dazzling sea of lights.

I turn to face him, a smile playing on my lips as I tilt my chin up in a challenge.

MC: Since you're already a demon, you can afford to be even more bolder sometimes.

His pupils dilate sharply. The gently swaying lanterns cast a soft, flickering light as Lucien gazes deeply into my eyes. Then, in a surprising turn, he reaches out and takes my hand in his.

Lucien: I will certainly heed your teachings, My Lord.

We make our way through the bustling crowd. Though Lucien seems a little curious about everything around him, he still walks steadily by my side.

Suddenly, he stops in his tracks.

I turn back to see him carefully wiping a jade bracelet on one of the stalls.

The bracelet is a vibrant green throughout, its color rich and translucent, with a subtle, warm glow. At a glance, it's clearly a piece of exquisite jade.

I don't know why, but that captivating shade of green reminds me of his original appearance.

He quickly pays for it, and amidst the vibrant spectacle of festive lights, gently places the bracelet on my wrist.

MC: What are you doing?

Lucien: I saw that other humans seem to do this. Do you like it?

In that fleeting moment, he seems to be imbued with the essence of the human world. His eyes curve into gentle crescents as he smiles tenderly.

In the vast and endless expanse of time, I can no longer remember if the last person who smiled at me like this was also so soul-stirring.

Perhaps, there has never been such a person before.

MC: Though I can't say whether I like it or not...

MC: But you seem to have become even more delicious.

Lucien seems to smile even more happily. For some reason, I think I see the same emotion of mine reflected in his eyes.

But that's probably just my imagination. Despite his greed, he's ultimately just a weak lesser demon.

As we stroll along, the distant voice of a storyteller drifts towards us.

Storyteller: “Continuing from where we left off, the battle between the thousand-year-old white snake demon of Baihua Mountain and the crocodile demon has been at a standstill for a full hundred days…”

Groups of young boys and girls walk together, their faces flushed with shy smiles. An elderly woman calls out, advertising her steaming hot meat buns. Red firecrackers explode, welcoming a bride from some unknown family.

The festive atmosphere surrounds us. Perhaps influenced by the surroundings, I hear Lucien's curious voice.

Lucien: My Lord, are you also interested in human love?

MC: That's the most impermanent thing in this world.

I take a bite of the candied hawthorn he's holding and gaze at the ordinary faces around us.

MC: It might be interesting, but as demons, we live for far too long. So long that...

MC: Such fragile things can't nourish our parched and greedy souls.

MC: But if you're interested, you could always find a human and experience it a little.

I smile and playfully bop his nose.

MC: [teasingly] But be careful, don't let any bad woman trick you, Lucien.

Lucien: You worry too much. I have no interest in those.

Lucien: Because I've already encountered and tasted something far more delectable.

His dark inky eyes hold my reflection captive, as if drawing me into their hidden depths.

Lucien: Lord MC has taught me everything I wanted to know…

Lucien: As one of the same kind.

Later, Lucien takes the initiative to show me around several places. After we've explored the town extensively, fireworks illuminate the deep night sky.

Lucien: Do you know where we can enjoy the most beautiful fireworks?

MC: You've asked the right demon.

With a flick of my finger, I whisk him away to an ancient pagoda that's been sealed for many years.

The airtight walls keep the interior pitch black. The air is filled with the scent of sandalwood, and the faint sound of fireworks echoes like distant bells.

Lucien: It seems... we can't see any fireworks here.

MC: Just wait.

I turn my palm, and in the blink of an eye, the surrounding stone walls suddenly become transparent, as if they were never there.

I pull Lucien to sit at the center of the circular platform. Suddenly, a profusion of vibrant fireworks bursts forth all around us, their carefree beauty so close as if within reach.

The vibrant colors of the fireworks paint Lucien's figure, layer upon layer. For the first time, someone is here with me to enjoy the fireworks, and my heart can't help but fill with a touch of joy.

MC: Humans are so rigid. They think a tranquil place can't also be lively. What a waste of a good spot.

MC: Might as well let these Buddhas enjoy the show too.

Lucien: [softly] Indeed… incredibly beautiful.

As he speaks, it's hard to tell if his eyes are fixed on me or the fireworks behind me.

But beautiful scenery is always fleeting. Soon, the fireworks display comes to an end.

And as I try to stand up, I suddenly realize that I can't move.

Just as I'm about to summon my power, a piercing pain shoots through my entire body. It feels as though some invisible ropes in the air are binding me in place.

While I'm still puzzled, I hear Lucien's surprised voice—

Lucien: ...I didn't expect it to succeed on the first try.

I lift my head, and our gazes collide. His eyes are full of smiles.

His index and middle fingers pressed together, their tips shimmering with a faint light as he swiftly forms an intricate seal in the air.

The instant I see the strikingly familiar gesture, my eyes widen in shock.

MC: ...Why do you know a sealing spell used only by demon hunters?!

Lucien: Humans are rigid, thinking a tranquil place can't be lively. And you demons are just as rigid. Who says...

Lucien: ...a demon can't learn the arts of eliminating demons?

His lips form a triumphant and seductive curve as his cold fingertips caress my cheek.

Lucien: Don't worry, I know my own capabilities.

Lucien: The formation I've set up across the entire town, combined with the second layer of formation at the heart of it, will only restrain you for a short while.

Lucien: [whispers] However, this short time will be enough.

His voice softly weaves into my ears as he holds me tightly in his embrace.

MC: Those places you took me to earlier... were they all part of setting up this formation?

Lucien: That was merely just a test.

Lucien: [chuckles] It was you who said, I could be a bit bolder.

His delicate breath steadily brushes against my neck, making me feel lightheaded that maintaining my human form takes almost all of my strength.

MC: This… this is a Qingping Sect ancient text... You couldn't possibly have had the chance to…

A shockingly unbelievable thought suddenly pops into my mind. I clutch his lapel tightly, my whole body trembling.

MC: So it was you... You found the weakness in the mountain formation and led the Qingping Sect to hunt the demons.

Lucien: Yes, it was me.

All pretense vanishes from his eyes, revealing utterly raw and unbridled greed and desire.

Lucien: Those humans are so easily deceived. As long as I help them kill a few demons, they think I'm a talent worth cultivating.

Lucien: So I had the chance to plant the poison. In just over a decade, they would be completely under my control.

Lucien: And My Lord, you are my best reward.

Lucien: I finally found the opportunity to gain your trust. And with your help, I also obtained the ancient text.

[T/N: I think, her ‘help’ refers to her ‘eating’ the most Sect member which was his offering. Now that the whole sect was gone, he was able to gain access to the Sect's sacred ancient text, which allowed him to learn how to create this formation to trap her-]

His words are incredibly gentle, yet devoid of any warmth. He meticulously plans every step, taking small risks for greater gains. In the end, he uses the entire town as a formation, waiting for me to walk into the trap myself.

MC: Have you been wanting to eat me all along?

Lucien: [whispers hoarsely] I've never lied to you.

He smiles as he presses his cold lips against my brow and eyes, tenderly caressing my lips.

Lucien: [his whispers become increasingly obsessive-] I told you, from the moment you appeared in my life, in my eyes... all I see is your figure.

Lucien: [x2!] A snake wanting to eat another snake… that's normal, isn't it…?

Lucien: [x3!!] I've always, always... wanted to eat you.

*sexy bgm playing-*

Along with his voice, a slippery tail coils around the tip of my own.

As if fearing I might escape, it coils around me tightly from the start. Our scales rustle as they rub against each other, and I feel inexplicable suffocation.

Lucien lowers his gaze to look at me, his eyes filled with undisguised desire. He bares his fangs, teasingly grazing my skin before swiftly sinking them in with a sharp bite.

After a slight sting, a cold liquid is injected into the bite mark. My skin grows hotter and hotter, making the coldness even more alarming.

He probably knows that this bit of venom can't harm me, so he indulges in "tasting" me to his heart's content.

His sharp fangs expertly latch onto the easy-to-bite spots, biting down hard as if he really intends to devour me.

He leans toward me, pressing closer and closer. Our tails are already entwined inseparably; the tips of our hair and the sashes of our clothes are in complete disarray.

I can't summon any power to resist the venom's encroachment. I can only feel the burning heat spreading through my limbs and bones, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Lucien: [moaning and panting] I know I can't completely devour you yet, but it doesn't matter…

Lucien: [x2!] I will leave my mark inside your body, on every inch of your skin.

Lucien: [x3!!] Let our breaths entwine... until yours carries the essence of mine.

He bites my lip, his mouth devouring every bit of my moan and wet sounds. His tongue, laced with venom, forcefully swirls over mine, compelling me to swallow every drop.

Lucien: [hisses and groans] Until... the day I eat you.

My head is swimming, all I can feel is his snake tail coiling tighter around me, a tingling heat flowing through my body as something is being poured inside me again and again.

The feeling is too arousing, making me instinctively tighten my body, but also wrapping him even tighter.

The air is heavy with erotic scents, and the sound of our entwined scales rubbing against each other creates an ambiguous symphony of slick and moist noises, intensifying my hunger step by step.

MC: [laughs] The one who should be eaten... is you, isn't it?

MC: Given time, I will cleanse your weak poison completely.

MC: Great, you already look delicious.

Unfamiliar yet pleasurable waves surge rapidly within me, hitting me again and again, causing me to instinctively bite him back.

The cloyingly sweet blood, mixed with venom and clear bodily fluids, fills our mouths, necks, and entire bodies.

Lucien: [groans and breathlessly says] …Then let's see how this plays out.

Scalding sweat trickles down his jaw, blending into my clothes that are already soaked with sweat.

Lucien pushes deeper into me as if even the deepest part of my soul is being imbued with his essence.

Lucien: [moans and gasps] No matter the outcome… we will… become one.

———————Fin——-—————

[Lux's afterwords]

Not much analysis here, this date is pretty much just ‘fast food’ LOL. So, while his obsession towards MC definitely gets amped up in this AU, I do like how it still retains his core like his greediness, curiosity, and obsessiveness/stubbornness though 👀 and the details of them mirroring each other's desire are always so!!!

Although the ending is fairly predictable given his character, this date introduces a fresh element with its unique dynamic where the power balance shifts in favor of MC 😂 It conveys a similar dynamic of the ‘God x mortal’ trope, where the mortals yearn for the love of their God. And despite all the things he did, I really can't help but think that he really is just a hardworking yet stubborn/obsessive little snake HAHA.

His final line! I think… it's the biggest proof that he never really lied to her. His final line on this date reveals that his ultimate goal is to become one with her, whether through her eating him or vice versa, the method or outcome doesn't matter to him. Since he is much weaker than her, it's easier for him to be consumed (which is why he keeps asking her to eat him). However, in case she doesn’t want to eat him, he also has this backup plan. Whether he is to be consumed or to consume her, both scenarios require decades of deceiving humans to first gain her attention. While his methods may not be entirely honest, it is undeniable that he has worked very hard for her and it's a bit endearing🤧 or maybe it's time for me to admit that atp i'll forgive any shits he pulled *kicked*

[neddea]

Some days ago I made this post with some concept art, so here’s a little bit more info about my No Man’s Land! (Disclaimer about the details below the cut: I’m just an artist and in no way, shape or form a scientist, even less so an astrophysicist, so the chances of some of this info being wrong or dubious are very high lol)

Just as a little bit of context, Kepler-47 is an actual “solar system” with two host stars. We’ve been able to find three planets so far, and the outermost (47c) lies in the habitable zone. All three of them are gas giants (or rather “puffy giants” since they’re surprisingly not very dense and temperate).

I’m not gonna give too many details about the real 47c, I’ll leave that for the long post I’m working on (if I ever get to actually publish it, let’s be honest), but the only thing to keep in mind is that Nomans would be a moon orbiting this planet. Also, I decided that people would shorten “No Man’s Land” to “Nomans” overtime, which is the name I’m gonna be using. The question is: how do we call the people living there? Nomanians?

So here are the main points of my design!

-I’ve given 47c several other moons because I wanted it to match the canon as much as I could, and I think it might even help the stability of the orbits if they’re in a specific resonance? Idk, maybe an actual astrophysicist could give me some advice on this (please do)

-The interesting bit about trying to make it match the canon is that I had to make Nomans tidally locked to 47c just to have an excuse for why we never see the big planet on the sky. The idea would be that most of the Seeds ships crashed into the outer face of the moon, and since the other side, the one that’s always looking at 47c, has more extreme conditions precisely because of the influence of the host planet on it, not many people have ventured too much into these lands. At least until now…

-Speaking of the other moons, which one would be the best candidate for the Fifth Moon incident? (Spoiler alert for Maximum and ‘98: Knives forces Vash to use his Angel Arm and he ends up firing at the fifth moon, which leaves its surface marked with a big crater) We have two options: It could be one of the outer moons (the ones whose orbit is beyond that of Nomans) since those are the ones more likely to be present in the visible sky; or it could be Moon II, whose regolith would be launched into space from the blast and form the rings…

-The surface gravity is almost identical to ours here on Earth, although slightly lighter (9.66 m/s^2 compared to 9.8 m/s^2).

-Nomans is somewhat bigger than Mars but smaller than Earth.

-One day lasts for almost 27 hours, and one year would take almost 270 Nomanian days (I swear this was a coincidence). Also, a fun fact on which I’m basing the calendar system (still working on that): it takes 6.6 days for the two stars to orbit around each other. People probably noticed this and were like “Sure, that’s the seven days of the week if you ask me”, probably so that they didn’t have to figure out everything from scratch (I’d do the same). It would be fun to see different cities and places to develop their own weird and wonderful systems (not me spending several hours yesterday to understand all the Maya calendars and wondering what they would come up with in this alien planet moon…).

-And speaking about time, here’s a visual explanation on how the times of day work on the side facing 47c! I realized the other day that at noon the light would probably be tinted slightly red (or some other color, depending on the elements found on 47c’s atmosphere), just like it happens on our Moon when there’s a lunar eclipse. Please make as if you didn’t know this and let’s move on. Also, as a Spaniard I have the right to declare noon time in this part of the world the Sacred Siesta Period.

(Also, shout out to @norageonlypancakes because my main inspiration for these BGs is Chesley Bonestell, he was The Space Artist™️ of the 20th century and inspired so many people to become space nerds or even scientists!) (Also x2, thank you everyone for the lovely comments and tags on the previous post <3)

[hikaritakaishi]

Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning [My Movie Review]

♡ ! SPOILER ALERT! ♡

This review will contain spoilers of the movie, continue reading if you already saw the movie, or just don’t mind the spoiler! Enjoy & comment something if you want to share an opinion! ♡

After what seemed ages of waiting, Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning finally aired in Portugal, on May 16, 2024, several months after it’s national premiere in Japan, on October 27, 2023. I was worried that it wouldn't come to my country, but perhaps due to the huge acceptance of Digimon Adventure: LAST EVOLUTION KIZUNA, the distributor made the hearts of the DigiDestined from the most hidden corner of Europe warm again and brought us the sequel. Thank you remembering us once again! ♡

I really tried to keep my expectations as neutral as possible until the day I went to see the movie, which was pretty difficult, due to the fact that I was constantly being bombarded with online information about it, whether on Tumblr or Twitter, or through video recommendations on Youtube. I was so excited for the movie, that I had to control myself immensely not to go see the spoilers.

Initial considerations? I like it. In general. But let's go in parts!

This will be an analysis of what I consider to be the most important points of the movie and what caught my attention the most. A personal analysis, so don't take it too seriously if I don't talk about a certain point or a certain specific topic, I probably just missed that.

Firstly, I would like to comment on the initial dynamics of the movie.

Everything seems to happen much faster here than it did in Kizuna. Despite being two movies with practically the same time span, this one seemed to go by much faster. But it might just be me. [LAST EVOLUTION KIZUNA have 94 minutes, and The Beginning have 87 minutes total].

 We're introduced to the key plot problem pretty quickly too.

People's digital devices are glitching, and the same message is repeating itself on all of them, not just on the phones and televisions, but on computers and large digital screens in cities all around the world. And this all around the world is very important, because it not only brings us closer to what will be the future of humanity and it’s increasing contact with the Digimon and the Digital World, but it opens the path we take since 2012 [time of the movie] until to the epilogue of 02 (which the production team and Toei animation seem to insist on wanting to keep canon, despite all the script inconsistencies it can cause, or how different from the initial profile of each character it may be).

“May everyone have friends, may everyone have a partner Digimon”

It's the message. Meanwhile, we are told that a suspicious and unknown Digitama appeared in the sky of Tokyo, right above the Tokyo Tower, and it’s been there for a while. Taichi and Koushiro are showned to be trying to help resolve this issue as professionals in the field of diplomacy and technology respectively, but without major progress.

I think it's important to highlight that they are the only two characters from the first season of Adventure who appear in this movie, and even so, without any direct speech or great relevance, beyond contextualization, and later Taichi as well again for the context of “space- time”, in that frame we see in the trailer of the movie with Hikari, which we later discover is located in Hikarigaoka, where Rui also lived when he had his first contact with Ukkomon.

The focus is on the characters from 02, or at least, it should have been. But as in Digimon Adventure Tri, this focus is overshadowed by the introduction of another new character in the story: Rui Owhada [or Lui, in Japanese pronunciation].

Rui [or Lui] is a much more charismatic character than Meiko was in Digimon Adventure Tri. There is no doubt about that.

Meiko was a somewhat empty character. A static character without great charisma. The only pleasant scenes she had were driven by the other characters around her (namely Mimi).

Rui doesn't. Rui is a character on his own. With a much more aggressive personality and a much more interesting past. The only issue here is the length of the movie: This movie is too short; too short for us to get attached to this character and actually be able feel empathy for everything we are shown about him. So short, that it's difficult to develop both this new character and the others around him, which, by the way, is a shame.

I mostly went to see the movie in hopes to see more from the 02 cast, and not because, again, of a random character they created for this new script. Just like what happened in Tri.

And this is important because notice that one of the most complex and best-built characters in the Adventure universe is literally the character with the most screen time: Takeru.

Analyzing Takeru's character as a whole is extremely time-consuming, because he was in every season, and practically involved in all the main events of the plot, either by himself or through the relationships he establishes throughout the plot, which feed the character's emotional charge. Which makes him a very complex character.

There's no time for that here. There is no time to establish a relationship between Rui and the other characters, nor to establish a relationship between Rui… and the audience.

Rui's childhood is very shocking and once again, Digimon brings a very strong narrative based on a complex and deep family plot.

We had already had examples in Adventure of family issues with Takeru and Yamato, Koushiro, and in 02 with Iori and also Ken. To a certain extent, even with Miyako. But here we reach a higher level of complexity... and violence (remember that the age to see the movie is over 12 years old. I can totally understand why).

Rui is physically abused and neglected by his mother, who leaves him out in the cold, starving when he makes a childish mistake or does something she doesn't like... when he is only four years old. His father has a very serious illness and depends on his wife to survive. Rui is then shown as a sorrowful child, lonely and without any support network. We've never had anything in the Digimon Adventure series so… raw. The aura of the movie is deeply heavy and dark.

The evolutions and battles in this movie are far from being the focus, which probably frustrated many people who went to see the movie for this more dynamic side of the anime.

It is a film with a moral content and even touches on the philosophical, about the bonds we create with others and their nature, about how we should relate to others and learn about them every day we have them in our lives.

It's about healthy communication, and how it's okay to correct the people around us, as long as it's made based with pure intentions. Because love is not omissive. Love corrects, love draws the other's attention for what really matters, in the form of love. In the form of companionship. Nothing physical or superficial is worth the price of a real bond.

The movie really grew with it’s audience. It is not, at all, a movie targeted for new fans of the franchise, or for those who know little about the Adventure series universe. It's for those who know the characters, for those who grew up with them. If you don't know the characters, you will miss details and conversations that are important to really understand the plot as a whole.

Daisuke and Ken look on Rui’s past with him. They see the arrival of Ukkomon in his life, who should’ve bring peace and comfort, but it is only the beginning of all his problems.

Let's take a break from the movie's plot to talk about the characters of 02.

I'm going to divide them into groups, because it seems like they individually… don't have much progress or very memorable scenes, honestly. It doesn't even make sense to separate them, in my opinion, and you'll understand why.

♡ Daisuke & Iori

There is not much to talk about them here. Daisuke and Iori are the flattest characters in the movie. Iori much more than Daisuke, let's be honest. Iori barely speaks, and has very few relevant scenes.

Daisuke works at a ramen restaurant, as he always wanted, where he gathers his friends to talk about the problems they are facing right at the beginning of the movie.

His personality is practically the same, Daisuke from 02 is the same Daisuke from The Beginning, and even the same character as in Kizuna, he is just taller here and wears different clothes. He still aspires to have his own ramen business and is extremely focused on his career goals. Which was predictable, given the way he talks about his dream in 02.

Daisuke's only two relevant scenes are seconds long: the first when he convinces Rui that the bond of friendship he and his Digimon partner share is much more than something superficial; it's something that comes from the heart, and that no object makes a difference between them, namely the Digivice, (something we also expected to hear from Daisuke in 02, which justifies my opinion that in the meantime... he remains the same).

The other is a scene that had enormous potential, but is cut short by a comical moment in which Miyako pops up.

Daisuke is talking to Ken seriously about Rui, and how he and his Digimon could understand each other better if they just communicate more effectively and directly, and Ken comments that Daisuke's more serious side is very pleasant and rarely appears. However, Miyako speaks up and dismisses the subject. Sadly.

We could have had a conversation here that could tell us more about Daisuke’s presente self and way he sees life now.

*sigh* Anyway.

Iori, again, doesn't speak much. Seems to only have intermediary interventions, and serves as a “pair” for Daisuke and Rui in the snowball fight that we see at the end of the movie. A very beautiful scene, don't get me wrong, but only if we see it from the perspective of Ken and Miyako, and Hikari and Takeru. I'll talk about that now.

♡ Ken & Miyako

Ken and Miyako are two characters who seem to grow more together than apart within the movie's plot. Which is natural, given that we know at the end of 02 that they become in fact a couple, and that they build a family together in the future. Here we see the first steps towards their future as a couple.

As expected, nothing explicit or direct is given to us about the nature of their relationship, but we can understand that there is progress, especially by the end of the movie, before the snowball fight, when Miyako tells Ken something that seems extremely vague, but actually means something.

 “Let's do it together! "  What? I don't think they are aware yet. Ken also seemed very confused about it.

“ Keep thinking Ken, we have to find another solution. “ We also see Miyako trying to support Ken at that moment when they have to make a decision about the future of Ukkomon and the world.

Here comes what I said above: Love cannot be omissive. We cannot expect the least from those we love. If we know the potential of the person we have by our side, we have to support them. If we see that they are trying to go further, we must support their journey and be a source of advice and rest. Alone we can go faster, but with the right company we can certainly go further.

And I think this is where the movie touches on something really important.

It is in these small moments that we see that they really want to tell the audience something beyond, but we need to have a fine power of perception.

No conversation or comment is random, everything contributes to the story. Digimon Adventure has always been made up of metaphors and subjectivities, it is necessary to know how to interpret and be attentive.

In the midst of that dilemma of whether or not to defeat Ukkomon that we talked about a moment ago in relation to Ken and Miyako, we have another moment that I consider important between Takeru and Hikari, which for those who don't know the characters, can take it as a normal conversation of two people who know each other well. Too well, even.

♡ Takeru & Hikari

Keeping in mind their journey, and everything they went through together, is the key to understand the nature of the relationship they share now. But before that:

Much like Ken and Miyako, Takeru and Hikari do not exist separately in the plot. It's ridiculously difficult to separate them. If you talk about one, you have to talk about the other.

At the beginning we see them together in the city when the electronic devices break down, and this dynamic continues throughout the entire movie.

They practically always walk side by side, Hikari takes the front seat in Takeru's car, and even when they are talking to Rui and trying to understand what happened to him in his past, they were a nucleus apart from the others. Nothing new, really. More of the same. But it's in that conversation I spoke about earlier that we understand something that is even part of the main moral of the movie: the way they now communicate with each other now, is different.

Anyone who has followed Takeru and Hikari throughout the series knows that the main “problem” in their relationship has always been direct communication.

Exposing things to others as they are is scary. And none of them were good at doing that.

Deliberating about feelings, exposing what disturbs us, what distresses us, what we think of a certain attitude of the other person. That was always Takeru and Hikari's problem and what hindered the possible evolution of their friendship, into a real love relationship.

In Tri we discover that Hikari starts to look at Takeru differently. And we know that Takeru has concrete feelings for Hikari (Said by the actor who plays Takeru's voice) And then? It's done? Things… are much more complicated than that.

They first need to accept the situation in question (And I tell you this as someone who also developed a romantic relationship with a childhood friend. It's not easy. Trust me. It's far from easy!)

And far from being quick.

It requires a lot of deliberation mostly. Just accepting the fact that we see that person we grew up with differently, someone who has always been part of our life, and we can lose them. Just because we developed feelings. Is scary. There's a lot to lose. It's all or nothing. Especially when one side has trauma associated with romantic relationships. (remembering that Takeru's parents are divorced) it's even worse.

What seems to exist between them in The Beginning was the result of a long process. But effective, it seems to me. Whatever decision they made, it went… pretty well.

Takeru is completely against defeating Ukkomon, from the moment he realizes that this could also imply the disappearance of his Digimon partner.

He probably saw the suffering Taichi and Yamato went through when Agumon and Gabumon disappeared and the suffering he would go through if he lose Patamon... again. And he is extremely vocal and firm in what he says and what he thinks about all of that. Impulsive really.

Until Hikari intervenes. Which cuts through his catastrophic reasoning. She asks him to think, opening up a new perspective on the situation.

Here we have a conversation between them that is quite lengthy (compared to the fast action standard of the rest of the movie) in which Hikari tries her best to make Takeru use reason and not emotion in his deliberation on the situation.

Takeru who, remember, whenever “darkness” or “sacrifice” is mentioned, leaves his rationality aside, becomes blind with pain because of his past traumas.

Hikari's role here is almost the same as Miyako’s in Ken's case: calling to earth and calming Takeru, always in an understanding way, because you can see that she knows where that feeling comes from and that position initially adopted by him (and it is something which she can almost predict would happen, by the speed with which she responds) but she knows that he is better than those triggers that make him impulsively speak based on emotion and neglect reason.

It's about getting to know each other. Knowing how to talk to our person about the most difficult topics. Because it is necessary to strengthen your union. Predict reactions, and be there to calm them down, because you may even know that the person is not to blame for the feelings and traumas they carry, but believe that they are bigger than them. And expect the same from the other side.

The way Miyako knew that Ken could find a solution, he just needed to think a little more. Hikari understood perfectly where Takeru's impulsive reaction came from, but she knew that if she appeal to his racional side he would be able to think of a better alternative to the problem, which he thought would be the end of the world.

That's why I separated this analysis into groups (although the first one isn't... substantial) and decided to analyze the characters together, because that's what this movie is about.

It's about who you are with your people, and the bond you share with them. In a world so individualized, so selfish and so distant (largely because of technology, which distances us from each other), I found it a very necessary message.

And the role of adults? With children and more painful lives?

It is to understand that children are also humans. Who also think, and feel, and understand things. Just like them. Adults tend to forget that they were once children themselves.

We already saw this topic being developed in Adventure 02, but seeing Rui as an adult, reaching to his mother in the past, and drawing her attention to the fact that she neglects her son, is something very touching. Sometimes, we just need a wake-up call, and we can change the future. Ours, and our future with others.

 The DigiDestined of 02 encouraged Rui not to give up on someone he loved, Ukkomon, because after all, he only acted the way he acted because he thought it would make Rui happier, even though he failed. Several times.

Ukkomon basically gave Rui everything he thought he needed, everything he wanted. But this is not always ideal.

He acted with his partner's happiness in mind, and this blinded him to the risks he was putting him into. He idealized their entire relationship, and everyone's relationship with him. Instead of being, real. And real things are never perfect.

Rui wanted friends? He gave him friends. He even reprogrammed his parents. They became manufactured humans. And the movie is about reality and accepting it as imperfect as it is.

Do you know what that reminded me of? That whole fantasy created by Ukkomon of “perfect world where Rui is never sad and everything is wonderful?” The fantasies in which the characters from 02 cast were trapped in at the end of the series. That world created with the characters’ deepest desires.

Takeru wanted his family united. Iori wanted his father back and to be able to show him the Digital Word. Miyako wanted attention. Ken… wanted to redeem himself. Hikari wanted peace. It's exactly the same thing.

Think about it with me: For example, Takeru's parents could’ve stay together, they could never have divorced, but they would still have problems. They would argue, and there would be conflicts. Which doesn't mean that this wouldn't traumatize their children even more. Maybe the divorce was in fact the best option for all four of them.

Ken felt he deserved the same suffering he inflicted on others. Would that really be the answer to appease his soul?

But none of it was real.

Not even Hikari's utopia of a world constantly at peace is real. Not even the absence of siblings in Miyako's life would solve anything. Things are not black and white and really, what we want is not always what we need.

Rui just needed to talk to Ukkomon and be sincere.

Where is Mimi tho?!

I will end with a few quick notes that I think are worth highlighting: First, the music and animation in general. As expected, they are excellent.

Very well done visually, appealing scenes, and the last snowball fight scene is so simple… but so delightful.

Life is made up of beautiful moments as well as tragic moments, light and darkness.

Did you notice that part of the movie takes place in a much dark environment, and when the main action is resolved, the movie gains light? I believe that is not just because!

Visually it can be very strong because there is blood, there is violence, there are physical wounds, it conveys the affliction in a very literal way.

Another thing that was expected to happen, but that probably wasn't even thought of properly when the Epilogue of 02 was made, was the problematic of whether or not everyone deserves, has enough morals and ethics, to have a Digimon partner.

How do you maintain peace between humans when you give them free access to machines of war and mass destruction? How do we build the world we see bz the end of 02 where everyone lives in peace even under these circumstances? Which is the the role of the government?

We'll probably need one more movie to find out.

Honestly, I hope you enjoyed this short (not... that short in fact) and sincere review. If I were to give stars, I would give the film 4/5 stars.

It could’ve been better, sure, if there was at least another half hour of animation.

But I don't complain. Despite that, I liked it. I cried, I laughed, just like I cried and laughed when I saw Digimon in my childhood, and that's everything for me. I was surprised by the message of the movie and the way they chose to visually convey it to us. Either way, I hope there's one more movie. To finally conclude the arc of all these characters, and finally, reach the epilogue of 02 (but in a dignified way please).

♡ Thank you once again Digimon ♡

[mysecretlittlelibrary]

You Learn Something New Everyday... I Guess

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: none really, just Matt being a little self loathing

Genre: fluff? very very minor angst

Summary: You have a theory about your local vigilante that your friends think is silly (spoiler alert; it's literally not)

A/N: Because I refuse to believe no one has ever seen Daredevil and considered the fact that he is NEVER LOOKIN AT SHIT

***

You spin the straw in your drink while half listening to Foggy and Karen talk to each other about something you lost track of a little while ago. Something about a case last you were paying attention but they tend to spend so much time talking about work even on nights out you can't always keep track of it all.

"So what're your thoughts about the whole thing?" Karen asks as you stare into your glass.

"Y/n!" Foggy nudges you and your eyes snap up.

"Yes! Sorry. What was the question?" You ask.

"Daredevil, what're your thoughts on him?" Foggy nods towards the TV in the bar that's apparently playing a news story about Daredevil's latest escapades.

"He doesn't see." You shrug looking back at your drink.

"Doesn't see what?" Foggy frowns.

"Sorry, that's not quite what I meant to say; I meant he doesn't use his eyes to fight." You say looking up again.

"Wait what?" Karen shakes her head.

"I dunno, the eyes in his mask look opaque but also if you've ever watched him fight he doesn't really... look at things. The whole time his head does this twitchy thing like when dogs hear a sound but can't see it, as if he's trying to hear everything better." You explain.

"Are you- suggesting that Daredevil... is blind?" Karen asks.

"Well it's hard to know for sure if he's completely blind or not but I'd bet that he's probably at least visually impaired."

"You think a vigilante is visually impaired." Foggy scoffs.

"I know it sounds absurd but I mean before the fancy suit and the moniker he was the man in black, he wore like a black cloth that covered his eyes he's obviously not using them." You shrug.

"Maybe he could see through it." He says.

"No- for it to be sheer enough for him to see through it, especially at night it would also probably be sheer enough to see him through, at least in the light, and he's got like an airtight lock on his secret identity. Even before he had the suit." You shake your head. "Maybe that's why." You add with a hum.

"Maybe what's why?"

"If he's visually impaired as I suspect he is, nobody would believe he's Daredevil! I mean he takes on gangs singlehandedly in the shadows of Hell's Kitchen all the time there's no way you'd expect a blind man to be doing all that. It would make the perfect cover story, plus if he gets injured I mean- he's blind nobody would question him saying he bumped into something or fell or even someone threw something and he didn't know. It's kind of genius."

"Look who decided to join us!" Karen smiles excitedly and you turn to see Matt standing between you and Foggy.

"About time loser! Why are all of you so obsessed with work?" You scoff.

"Hi guys." He chuckles.

"Hey man, you'll never guess what theory y/n here has cooked up." Foggy says.

"Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm some tin foil hat looney alright." You point a finger at him.

"Even you admitted how absurd it sounded!" Foggy says.

"Sure but I provided ample evidence to support my claim it's not some baseless conclusion I'm jumping to!" You say.

"It's circumstantial at best." Foggy says.

"Well this isn't a court of law Nelson we're at Josie's and I don't have to be an expert witness to draw conclusions here I think I've more than proved my stance."

"Not beyond a shadow of a doubt!"

"Excuse me we aren't running a criminal trial there's no reason I should have to work to those standards I think- what's the other thing y'all use? A preponderance of the evidence, I think that's more than sufficient-"

"Is one of you going to tell me what this is about or are you going to keep throwing around legal jargon in a bar?" Matt cuts your arguing with Foggy short with a question while Karen gets up to grab him a seat at your table. "Honestly y/n you spend too much time with us, when did you pick up all those phrases anyway?" Matt muses.

"I dunno Foggy likes to throw them at me and I like to be able to fight back." You shrug.

"Y/n thinks Daredevil is blind." Karen tells Matt, returning to her own chair.

"You think Daredevil... like the vigilante is blind?" Matt chuckles.

"See what I mean?" Foggy gestures.

"I don't know that I'd go with totally blind but I think he's visually impaired at least." You nod.

"How do you figure that?" Matt asks.

"Something about his helmet." Foggy says.

"Well that one I can't verify but before he had the devil suit, when he was just the man in black he was basically fighting with a blindfold on. Why would someone with perfect vision handicap themselves that way? Especially taking on criminals severely outnumbered every time it doesn't make sense. Oh and he does this head twitch thing like he's seeing with his ears and not his eyes. Like an animal when locating a sound they turn their ears to it first. It's the perfect cover honestly." You shrug. "Kinda like that kid in Queens."

"What kid?" Foggy asks.

"Another masked hero type, red and blue suit, they call him Spiderman over there." You pull out your phone to find one of the several viral videos of Spiderman you've seen. "To clarify, I don't think he's also blind or anything like Daredevil but I'm pretty sure he's a teenager." You say once the video ends.

"You think that's a child?!" Foggy looks at you incredulously.

"I mean I've seen a few of these clips of him, and between his build and his voice, because he talks in some of these, and his movements- there's almost no way that's an adult, but he can stop a bus with his bare hands so no one is looking at him and assuming a high schooler is doing that. I just happen to know a little too much about anatomy and physiology and he looks like a teenager. Again, another perfect cover, the least likely person."

"So- you watched that guy, do that, and your first thought was 'he can't buy alcohol yet'. Seriously?" Foggy asks.

"Well no actually I didn't think much of it at first but after a few clips, I started to wonder. I mean it's just a guess since his suit covers him from head to toe but I'm pretty confident in it." You shrug.

"You're insane. For this and the Daredevil thing." Karen nods.

"Excuse me for daring to consider all options." You say dramatically and Matt chuckles beside you but doesn't offer much on the subject. From there your conversation pivots topics and you all spend another hour or two talking and drinking before eventually calling it a night and going your separate ways home.

~*~*~

"Y/n." The voice startles you as you walk into your apartment and you let out a scream, clutching your chest as you take in the intruder by your balcony.

"Okay. I know you're a vigilante so you work outside of the law kind of by default here but you better have a damn good reason for breaking into my apartment, as in someone better be on their way to kill me right now or I am going to be so pissed off." You say after a moment because why the hell is Daredevil standing in your apartment?!

"No one is coming to kill you." He shakes his head.

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" You cross your arms.

"I wanna know how you figured it out."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You figured out that I'm- I don't see when I fight. How did you know that?"

"Better question, how did you know that I knew that? Although, I didn't know for sure until you just said that, but how did you know I thought that?" You ask. Daredevil pulls off his helmet and you gasp. "Matt?"

"Don't act coy okay, we both know you knew it was me already." He rolls his eyes.

"No I didn't! If I knew it was you, or thought it was you, I would've said so the other night when we were talking about the whole thing. You know I've never been one to shy away from sharing what I'm thinking- oh my GOD you're daredevil!?" You shake your head as the information sinks in. You don't know which piece of this you're more interested in, the fact that you were right about Daredevil being blind or the fact that he's coincidentally also part of your friend group.

"Oh come on, you spent twenty minutes arguing that you think Daredevil is visually impaired are you telling me it didn't cross your mind for even a moment that it was me?"

"Okay first of all Matthew, you're not the only blind guy this side of the Hudson you know. Going from Daredevil may be visually impaired to Daredevil is the only blind man I know personally is quite a jump considering it was just a theory. Not to mention fair skinned man average height, average build, describes so many men in Hell's Kitchen not to mention the rest of New York. Hell, Tony Stark fits that description and if he wasn't already such an obnoxiously public superhero on the other side of the city I'd believe someone suspecting him of being Daredevil too."

"So you never once thought it was me?" Matt scoffs.

"I mean it crossed my mind once or twice but it's not like I could know for sure. That helmet covers like 80% of your face and you work almost exclusively at night it's not exactly cut and dry to ID you. I mean you've already had a copycat come around once." You explain.

"Why didn't you ask?"

"What?"

"At the bar, the other night, if you thought it was me why didn't you ask me?" He asks.

"Well if I asked and you told me the truth anyone at the bar could've heard and, I know Daredevil has quite a few enemies. If you lied to protect your identity because we were in public well, we both know I expect honesty from you so why risk that rift? And then of course there's the possibility that I was wrong in which case all of you would look at me like I'd grown three heads- not that the whole 'Daredevil is blind' theory didn't already have them looking at me funny but that's besides the point. There was no good outcome for me asking in public. Plus there wasn't even a reason for me to ask you really, I didn't know enough to say you, Matt, and any distinct similarities with you, Daredevil besides the way you react to sound." You shrug.

"What?"

"It was watching you- as Matthew- react to sound that made me piece together the Daredevil thing." You say.

"And you still didn't think it was me?"

"Again you aren't the only blind man around here, I figured reacting to sound that way was just a common trait for people who have to rely on senses other than sight."

"You got everything all figured out don't ya." He shakes his head.

"Well come on I am kind of known for it." You smile and Matt chuckles in spite of himself.

"You're taking this better than I expected. You're not mad."

"That you're a vigilante in your free time? Of course I'm not mad. I've always encouraged you and Foggy and Karen to have lives outside of your job and while your choice is a little... unorthodox, I think everyone should have a hobby. If this is yours I'm all for it. Although it does feel kind of work adjacent since you're like a lawyer but I'll let it go." You muse.

"Foggy and Karen had... very different reactions to the news."

"Wait- Karen and Foggy know?" 

"Yeah- yeah they know. But, I had to tell them because of extenuating circumstances. You, you just guessed it."

"I mean technically it was more of an inference than a guess, plus I didn't even guess that it was you just that the red devil didn't need his eyes for a fight." You shrug. "I can't believe they knew and had me feeling crazy at the table." You chuckle.

"It wasn't their secret to tell. I had to be the one to let you know, they were just keeping their promises-"

"I know. I'm not even mad about it. It's just funny." You shrug.

"You are being very chill about all of this." Matt says.

"So are you like- not fully blind? Because I was operating with the idea that Daredevil didn't have 20/20 vision or anything but like I definitely wasn't thinking total blindness which- I thought you had. So is that not the case? Like are you not fully blind?"

"I am. Kind of. It's hard to explain." He grimaces.

"Well have a seat and we'll discuss i- actually, is your suit clean or did you just get done vigilanteing because I do not want blood or mud on my couch so you'll have to clean up, I can go find one of your accidentally left here hoodies if you need to change." You offer.

"Tonight's battles were pretty clean I think I'm good." He says with his hands up.

"To be on the safe side sit at one of the kitchen stools."

"Yes ma'am." He nods and walks over to a chair to have a seat.

"So- are you totally blind? Yes or no?"

"Technically yes."

"Technically?"

"The entire world looks like it's engulfed in flames. I can see silhouettes sometimes but they're are angry reds and oranges. They do not paint a picture at all really." He explains.

"Interesting." You hum.

"But, I've learned to see in other ways. Sound is a big one. I can even hear people's hearts beating."

"You can hear hearts beating?!" You blink at him.

"Yes." He nods once.

"Can you hear mine?!"

"Yes." Another nod.

"Woah. What do you use that skill for?"

"Number of enemies in a fight, counting the people in a room before I enter it, seeing if someone's lying to me." Matt lists off.

"Have you ever used it on me?"

"You don't lie to me." He shrugs.

"So that's a yes."

"It's a no. Not intentionally anyway. You've never given me a reason to even suspect you of lying." He says.

"So how else do you see?"

"Smell kind of, touch when I can. Sound is the main one though."

"You're like a bat." You giggle.

"Ha ha." His laugh is dripping with sarcasm that only makes you want to giggle more.

"Wait so- if you can do all this shit I take it you don't really need your cane then, do you?"

"Not- not really no."

"It's part of the cover then- isn't it?"

"Correct." He says.

"Hm, I assume this is also why you don't date, right?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's just that I imagine this Daredevil thing takes quite a bit of time, between that and the job that you never take a break from you basically have negative 2 hours of free time both of which you spend with either me or your coworkers. Plus I'm sure this would be one hell of a secret to try and keep from a significant other because it's not like you can tell them on the first date right? You never know who's working with your opps so you need to vet people so having to hide it until you know it's safe, which would probably totally suck." You rattle off your explanation.

"Okay first of all I date." He scoffs.

"You don't. You hook up with people sure but you do not date.  I was honestly starting to think you were some level of aromantic and I guess you still could be and that's totally fine by the way but not having time because you're a part-time vigilante makes sense." You shrug.

"I'm not aromantic and me 'not dating' isn't because of the Daredevil thing."

"Of course it's not." You say.

"You're being sarcastic aren't you?"

"A little, but hey you don't have to explain your lack of romantic life to me. I was just being nosy."

"What about you? You don't date either." Matt crosses his arms.

"I do date actually and the reason you don't know that is because you never ask but if you don't wanna talk about your not dating that's fine." You say.

"I have my reasons."

"I'm sure you do Matty, you're entitled to them. No need to defend yourself to me."

"It's not related to being Daredevil." He says.

"Do you want to tell me about it or no? If so, great let's talk about it, if not I've had a long day and I'm a little tired babes. You can go back out the window I assume you came through or you can use the door-"

"You." He cuts off your last sentence with a single word.

"Excuse me?" You frown at him.

"You are the reason I don't date."

"What did I do?" You blink incredulously.

"Nothing. I have feelings for you so I don't date other people. I'm Daredevil so I don't tell you that I have feelings for you because it's dangerous, because it was a secret I couldn't tell you, because I don't get the girl."

"You don't get the girl? Do you think you're the antihero in a movie? It doesn't work that way Matt. If you liked me the proper course of action is to say something to me don't make it into some big dramatic story arc that's doomed from the start, everything with you is self sabotage mission. Do you really believe yourself that undeserving of good things, of things you want, of happiness?" This isn't the first time Matt has done something in direct conflict of his happiness so you're not surprised, but since the thing in question regards you, you can't help but feel exasperated.

"I-" Matt trails off with a frown that makes his entire face squeeze. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"Why tell me this now? If you 'don't get the girl' if you can't have a relationship because it's 'too dangerous' or whatever silly reason you have for hiding it in the first place. Why are you telling me now?"

"You asked and I'm tired of hiding it I guess."

"Tired of hiding it. You didn't have to hide it."

"I didn't- do you honestly think that if I told you like six months ago, that I'm Daredevil and that Hell's Kitchen's notorious vigilante has feelings for you, do you think you would've reacted well?"

"I like to think I would, yes, but who cares that's not what happened. You told me tonight so, now what?"

"Now what?" He blinks at you.

"You're Daredevil and you have feelings for me so what happens now? Do we- continue as we've been? Do we see where this goes? What do you want now?"

"See where this goes? You'd want that? With me? To see where it goes?" He asks, he looks so lost that you can't help but sigh.

"Yes that's why I asked. Is it so unbelievable that I could also have feelings for you?" You ask softly.

"Well you didn't exactly say that-"

"I'm saying now. So- ask me on a date, or go home."

"Ask you on a date?"

"That's what I said Matthew. For a fancy defense attorney who graduated from Columbia Law, you are lost in an extremely too easy to follow conversation."

"None of this has been easy to follow okay? I never thought I'd get the chance to-" Matt trails off and shakes his head remembering your instructions. "Would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"Yes I would. Eight o'clock. Don't be late." You say with a smile.

"Eight o'clock. I'll be here. See you tomorrow." Matt nods with an adorable grin on his face.

"Goodnight Matthew." You hum.

"Goodnight." He says putting his helmet back on and climbing out your window.

"He could've used the door." You mutter to yourself shaking your head. You still can't totally believe you were right about Daredevil being blind but more shocking is that it wasn't even the biggest reveal you got this evening. Life really does come at you fast.

***

[world0fmadness]

LOVE IN MY DARK HEART

bård “ faust ” eithun x reader

♡ general dating headcanons for faust!

୨୧ my dream man lolol! reader is referenced to be shorter than faust because i think a majority of people are but if you’re not, i’m sorry :( kind of throuple-y with ihsahn but not reallyyy <3

♡ related hc available here, here, here and here | view my metal masterlist here

reading music recommendations: the majesty of the night sky by emperor - the moors of death by urgehal - death to planet earth by craft

♡ faust really gives me the vibe of someone who would just be absolutely obsessed with his partner!

୨୧ like he’s just so obsessed with you and everything you do…

♡ applying your lipstick? he’s gazing at you with his usual blank eyes but if you look really closely, you can see love swirling around in there too!

୨୧ your freshly applied lipstick doesn’t last very long before he’s making a mess out of it with his own lips pressed against yours, most of it transfers onto his which makes you chuckle before grabbing a makeup wipe to help him clean it

“ get this shit off of me, please… love you ” ( he swears he hates your lipstick but whenever he’s making out with you in helvete and someone points out the residue on his lips, he smirks so big, wearing it almost like a mark of pride )

♡ painting your nails? he’s giving you his opinion on what colour to do them ( spoiler alert: it’s almost always black or crimson red )

୨୧ he just loves his girl so much :(

♡ some of his friends give him shit for being so smitten with you but he takes one look over at you and it’s like, why wouldn’t he be smitten with you?

୨୧ so he never lets those comments get to him, he knows you’re worth being smitten for

♡ he loves when you come to his band practices for emperor with him, almost always pulling you by the hands, making you sit on his lap and hold his can of coke whilst he plays the drums

୨୧ you become really close with ihsahn! the three of you going out to grab take out together after a concert, you wearing faust’s leather jacket, their corpse paint smudged beyond belief as you offer to fix it up for them whilst waiting on your food

♡ dare i say you and faust have even had a couple half drunk threesomes with ihsahn <3 he’s the only other person faust would trust to treat you right in bed

୨୧ but anyways… let’s move on from that…

♡ whenever you’re anywhere with faust, you’re almost always sitting on his lap, one of his hands drawing patterns on your back whilst the other rests on your thigh as he talks to his friends about upcoming concerts

୨୧ he’s not super into crazy pda but when in helvete, he’ll gladly make out with you! he’s a little more reserved when out and about on the streets of oslo but he’ll always have at least one hand somewhere on your body

♡ because he’s so much taller than you, you have to stand on your tippy toes to even be able kiss him properly

୨୧ which is why he prefers to make out with you in helvete because there, he can just pick you up and place you on the counter, making it less of a stretch for both you and him

♡ whenever euronymous sees this happening, he’s always pissed, feeling like he has to bat you both away with a broom because you’ll “ scare off his customers ”

୨୧ faust always just gives a small smirk in his direction before simply picking you up and moving you over to his little corner

♡ he’s VERY possessive of you! whenever you’re at a concert and he sees someone eyeing you a little too much for his liking, he’ll quickly make it known to them that you’re his

୨୧ usually he does this by getting very grabby with you or just tilting your face up to him by your chin and shoving his tongue into your mouth, sloppy open mouth making out right in their line of sight <3

♡ by the time you’re done and he looks up, he finds that the person is long gone, much to his pleasure!

୨୧ you guys have SO many pictures together taken in photo booths! they almost completely cover the fridge in your shared apartment

♡ most of them are sweet, sharing sloppy kisses and some of them are slightly risqué, him pulling your shirt up to flash your lacey bra to the camera just as it flashes with a smirk on his face whilst you giggle up a storm ( you briefly forget that they’re printed on the outside, where anyone walking by could see them )

୨୧ more often than not, you’re the one who paints his face for him!

♡ you’ll straddle his lap, forcing him to keep his hands on your hips because you don’t want to mess it up over him grabbing your ass…

୨୧ he’s always impressed by how much better it turns out when you do it and soon enough, ihsahn is asking you if you’d be able to do his before emperor concerts <3

♡ faust isn’t a super romantic person but for you, he really tries his best!

୨୧ he takes you on a date whenever he can afford it, usually just taking you shopping and then walking around a local cemetery before sitting on one of the benches as you smother him in kisses as a thank you

♡ he pretends to be irritated but anyone with eyes can see he’s loving it

“ okay… yes, i know, you’re welcome… your lipstick is all over my face, i know it… ” ( it is indeed all over his face )

୨୧ whenever you get really drunk at a party or concert, he’ll carry you home on his back whilst having to pause every now and again to let you off and hold your hair back as you vomit…

♡ you LOVE watching horror movies together! wether it’s cuddled up in his little corner in helvete or in bed at your shared apartment

୨୧ he’s really eerily quiet whilst watching them but his hand is usually playing with your hair, gently twirling it around his fingers which usually lulls you to sleep

♡ i just know he’s so loud in bed, not at all afraid to make his pleasure known… when you two first got together, he was definitely more on the shy side about it but after a while, he realised you like when he moans so he doesn’t hold back anymore…

୨୧ your neighbours hate you two so much and have absolutely filed a noise complaint due to the near constant blaring black metal and moaning ringing out through their walls whenever you’re home

♡ faust claims they’re just jealous and hey, he’s probably right…

[divineerdrick]

Homestuck: Beyond Canon Up8 for July 25 (?) 2024

Well that was fast!

I have to admit I started seeing spoilers to this alerting me it was up first, but I was one of the people that got bit by the bug where it wasn't updating. But I switched browsers and it seems to be working now.

Though we don't have a time update, this is obviously wearing on Vriska. I wonder just how long she's been doing this for.

"i, wANT,,,, tO PLAY A GAME"

We could argue Vriska was already doing that. In fact from the way the proceedings have been described that's exactly what she's been doing. But of course, we know what game Tavros wants to play.

Wait . . . does Vriska not even know that much about Tavros? Like, I knew given the chance he'd want to play fiduspawn. Does she really understand him that poorly? Wow.

Huh! It looks like they actually FLARPed. I would have thought for sure Tavros would have wanted to play fiduspawn instead. Maybe he was worried Vriska would rag on him for it? He also could have chosen FLARP because he knows Vriska likes it.

Oh wow! Is she going to realize it? Winning was never the point! Tavros had fun this time! It's obvious that she was so worried about beating him and the "session" making her do everything again, that she pulled her punches enough for him to enjoy himself. He got to actually enjoy the game he was so excited about!

And can I say, it's always nice to see Tavros happy.

By accident, Vriska ran the game in a way they could both enjoy. They could both have fun! Will she realize that's why things are going well though?

She's not grasping it. As Sally "thewertsearch" realized in her ongoing liveblog, winning is life or death to Vriska. It's impossible to be fine with losing, let alone happy about it. That's been beaten into her so badly, is she even capable of realizing there's another way?

"That is quite possi8ly the gayest thing I have ever heard someone say, Nitram." Wow! Is she using gay as a slur? Been hanging around Dave too long!

Yep! We can blame Dave for that one!

Hah! You catch on fast, Nitram! And just like that, Tavros has turned it against her.

Yeah, she's not getting it. Yes, Alternia is stacked hard against Tavros. And he can't seem to do anything about it. And nothing Vriska did ever helped him. And if it weren't for SGRUB, he'd probably be dead. So what? He's just supposed to mope and be angry and miserable all the time? He's not allowed to find joy or pleasure in things? And as we saw, he does feel down and depressed a lot. But that doesn't mean he's always going to be that way, especially if he just did something he enjoys doing.

Wow! There's a deep cut. That was like all of one panel where it showed Tavros struggling with getting into his recuperacoon and mentioned how he always had trouble sleeping. I don't think it ever got brought up again before now.

Yeah, this Tavros may be pretty accurate, but he's apparently still a construct. Of what, I'm still not sure. But again, the machine holding The Plot Point was created by Caliope and Roxy. I mentioned how strong that could be previously. So Tavros can tell Vriska the point, and still be unaware of what any of it means.

"I think if a certain uppity human was here, she'd call it 'projecting.'"

She did spend a lot of time around Rose. Man. There's some real potential for verbal sparring that we missed with the Retcon's time skip.

The Rufioh comparison is actually pretty apt. The "Tavros" Vriska is expecting or demands doesn't exist. She's never thought of him as anything but another goal, another game to win.

Man, that probably would have helped Tavros quite a bit to know she's always been a mess. Vriska has never had the positive self image she projects. It would have likely been quite a relief for him to understand just how fake her bravado often was.

I think Vriska might be starting to realize Tavros is right. Not only is he right, but what he's suggesting might actually be what this "scenario" demands of her.

And now Tavros is ribbing her about playing a blue blood. I've always guessed that Vriska bought into the hemospectrum more than she let on. If only because so much of her world view was shaped by Alternia's demands.

Vriska's turning this around again. Potentially quite viciously. But Tavros isn't rejecting it completely either.

Bam! There it is! Now I'd note I still don't think she's fully listening to him, but she actually did try this time. And yeah, her realization is true. But then Alternia is a crazy place.

Fucking Aradiabot jumpscare!

That legitimately threw me! I was not expecting that! Also, more God Tier art! Look how absolutely menacing and ominous she is!

Well Vriska should know this place well, but she's probably more surprised than I am.

"m0re accurately this is the b0ss fight t0 drive the p0int home"

And she's one hell of a boss!

Vriska really did get everything she wanted when Aradia killed her, or at least what she thought she wanted.

This feels familiar of some other, Homestuck adjacent media.

"y0ure n0t here t0 be redeemed vriska y0ure here to gr0w up"

That's a double slap to the face! Also appropriate and needed.

Everything has to have a purpose, a justification. Every tool has a use and every person a role. Vriska cannot conceive of a world where anyone is enough. And because of that, she can't conceive of a world where she is enough. She has to be saving everyone's butts, even if they hate her for it, because that's why she's here. If she's not doing that, then there's no reason for anyone to care about her.

Somewhat reminiscent of a certain Narrator and his goals . . .

"light players define themselves by their direct acti0ns and understanding"

Yes! More information on aspects! Someone knows there's still a bunch of us lore and theory nerds around!

Fucking. God. TIER!

And now we're in the Quest Cocoon, sans a traumatized Tavros.

We never really got much of seeing Team Charge together and happy. I absolutely love it.

Hah! Look at that fucking echeladder! "DANTE 8ASCO'S INFERNO" XD

And that's the end of that part of the VN!

That was so fucking good! I'm so excited and spun up now! And I have to go to bed! Settlers of Kalguur starts tomorrow and I still haven't settled on a build!

But who cares! I'm loving this so much! I hope you're all enjoying this too!

[nolongerapileofashprobably]

Ok so consider this, if Link already got all the Dragon’s Tears, and he does the regional phenomena quest, doesn’t it still make sense and is still in character for him to not tell the others the truth? Like think about it, that is his girl, even if he knows what happened to her already, he just doesn’t want to believe it. He knows, but he can’t help but to keep chasing after her because he still has even a sliver of hope that MAYBE this time it’s actually her. That, and I think he also doesn’t want to confuse the others even more because how exactly is he even supposed to explain all that? And wouldn’t it just hurt them even more?

Anyway, that got longer than I intended, but I feel like people don’t think about that when it comes to that quest line.

THISSSSS^^^^^^

Link keeping Zelda’s fate a secret from everyone is incredibly telling of how he is dealing with it himself. Spoiler alert, he isn’t.

To put it in perspective, let’s remember that not only did everyone think Zelda was still around, but they thought she was wreaking havoc or being controlled. Everyone was so confused because that wasn’t the girl they all came to know and love.

So Link is dealing with the whole Zelda Puppet storyline on TOP of the memories that show Zelda’s true fate. She’s been in Hyrule all this time, but as a dragon that is healing the Master Sword.

Imagine raising the hopes of everyone once he reveals that the Zelda causing so much trouble was just one of Ganon’s puppets and then tearing it straight down by telling everyone that Zelda is actually a dragon with no way of returning back to her original form. That would be DEVASTATING.

While Link has accepted Zelda’s choice, he does NOT plan on it remaining her fate. We see that through the Find Princess Zelda Quest not completing until she is back home, in his arms, and her nerdy self. Link would not have rested until he got Zelda back. It’s the whole point of the game. That was HIS motive.

And I do think there is some complexity in his emotions where he just can’t accept the futility of her fate— that YES, perhaps that is her being held by the Yiga or any of the other Princess Spotting Quests. He has this small sliver of hope and doubt that drives him to investigate each of these rumors and chase her throughout the halls of Hyrule Castle. He can’t help but react. Because all of Link’s choices this game are purely emotion driven. And I think that is so amazing considering we barely get to see how he feels regarding the storyline, beyond micro-expressions and what OTHER characters tells us about him.