#blazar is more like the shows before that time

[ultramantr1gger]

my only knowledge of ultraman is your posts, what one should i watch first

ermm a good one is ultraman z which is fully on youtube sub OR dub. and also the ongoing ultraman blazar which also has sub and dub. ultraman z gives you more of an impression of what many other ultraman shows are like (atleast 2013-2022) because blazar is a BIG break in tradition from what those are like. here

z sub dub

[gentaroukisaragi]

Ultraman Blazar's Salutations From Episodes 1-5 (ft. Bazanga, Leviera, and a sleeping Dorgo)

Episode 1 as well as the rest of the series can be found on youtube for free with eng subtitles and an eng audio track if that interests you

[Video description: Ultraman Blazar, a colossal grey humanoid alien with red and blue markings on his body, and blue markings on his face, performs his signature salutation in several different places and times. This salutation consists of raising his arms up to the sky in a circular motion, and bringing his knee up before stepping into a lunge and scooping his arms down and upward.

From episode 1, in a city at night, the camera watches from below, as Blazar performs his salutation and his markings flash red and blue. The shot cuts to a wider one, showing off the buildings and Blazar's opponent, Bazanga, a prawn-like Kaiju. After his salute, Blazar moves his hands into a guarded, fighting stance.

From Episode 2: Blazar stands against the bright blue day sky in a small fishing village, with much shorter buildings. He faces the camera directly as he does his salutation, and the camera zooms in on him as he does it and his markings flash red and blue once more.

From Episode 3: Blazar is framed in a head and shoulder shot and smothered in smoke as his colour time, a big round spot on his chest that is normally blue, flashes red. Once more he faces the camera as he does his salutation, before flying off, kicking up dirt in his takeoff.

From episode 4: The camera pans over a cityscape, with a highway at the front of the scene. Once more it is night time and Blazar faces off against a monster among many many buildings. The monster is Leviera, a sea-angel themed kaiju whose face is open to reveal flashing yellow lights as Blazar does his salutation from the side. Leviera is aggressively ready to go.

From episode 5: Blazar stands behind the sleeping kaiju, Dorgo, who looks mostly like a hill of dirt in this shot. He performs his salutation, and immediately begins to push the sleeping Kaiju back to its proper resting place. The shot switches to one of Blazar from behind, as he continues to push Dorgo back into place, among the green hills and mountains of the Japanese countryside. With a thump, Dorgo returns to his resting spot, and Blazar turns to face the camera as he jumps up into the air to fly away.

End video description.]

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (June 25-July 8, 2023)

I picked a bad time to skip a week lol

Ultraman Blazar, the 35th entry in the Ultra Series, has made the scene. Episode 1 throws us right into a battle between humanity and a space monster. Blazar's the pushy type, all but forcing Gento to transform, but he doesn't speak Japanese—just yowls. For now, that makes him the show's central mystery. The show's defense team, SKaRD, won't actually form until the next episode, at which point we should have a better sense of it. But I'm intrigued so far.

Free streaming TV service Pluto TV has added a Godzilla channel. It boasts, or should soon boast, all of the Japanese Godzilla films minus King Kong vs. Godzilla and Shin Godzilla, plus Rodan, all the Mothra movies, The War of the Gargantuas, Godzilla (1998), and Godzilla: The Series. A Blu-ray.com user has composed a detailed rundown of the versions of the films used—short version, nothing we haven't seen before apart from a few small changes.

I got to see Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken before its official June 30 release date thanks to Regal's Monday Mystery Movie series. I guess I didn't retain much memory of the trailer, because it surprised me how early in the film the title character first grew into a kaiju. I can't give it an especially enthusiastic recommendation—comparisons to Luca and Turning Red are inevitable and don't flatter Ruby at all. But I get a kick out of seeing kaiju in such alien territory as a hyperactive animated kids' movie, and they continue to show off their flexibility as metaphors (Ruby is plainly neurodivergent). 7 outta 10.

Nimona dropped on Netflix the same day, and that's one anyone reading this column should sprint to watch. It saves its kaiju for the third act, and I've held off on posting much about that part of the story yet, but trust me, Ishiro Honda would be proud.

After years of lackluster Gorgo home video releases, Vinegar Syndrome seems poised to finally do it right in 4K Ultra HD. (If you're like me and don't have a way to watch such discs yet, don't worry, it comes with a Blu-ray.) New scan, new audio commentary, special features both new and old, and a killer cover. For those unfamiliar with the company, note that this release is "only available on [the Vinegar Syndrome] website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them."

Every episode of Chibi Godzilla Raids Again is now subtitled, a fine excuse to get acquainted with one of the Reiwa era's biggest surprises. No stakes, no budget, just a bunch of Toho's biggest stars acting like a bunch of fools.

There's always more Godzilla toy news than this column can hope to cover, but a few highlights:

Bandai's ever-expanding Movie Monster Series will release Gamera 1965, Gyaos 1967, and Battra larva later this month. The defunct Daiei Kaiju Series last offered a Showa Gamera in 2006, and never covered any of his foes from that era; here's hoping Gyaos is the first of many.

Hiya Toys now has the license to produce figures from the Toho Godzilla films, not just the Monsterverse.

Super7 will be selling ReAction figures of Godzilla chomping some helpless people on a subway train at San Diego Comic Con. They just get it (and hopefully the many of us who aren't going will have some way of getting it that doesn't involve scalpers).

The new unit in Godzilla Battle Line is Monster X/Keizer Ghidorah. The former evolves into the latter after his first death. Keizer is a heavy hitter with a twist: he regains 20% of his health with every defeated foe. Great against swarms, but you don't see too many of those these days.

Believe it or not (many are still in denial), but Pacific Rim turns 10 on Wednesday. Thankfully, per this Tweet from director Guillermo del Toro, the effective start of the Kaiju Renaissance (and one of my all-time favorite films) won't go unrecognized on its first big anniversary. I'm guessing a cast reunion?

More translations from Noah Oskow await on Toho Kingdom, these a collection of synopses of early versions of Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, and Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla from the Toho DVDs. Much of this has been translated in greater detail already, but the later drafts are interesting.

[chernobog13]

I watched the first episode of Ultraman Blazar last night.

It was an unusual first episode for an Ultra series, but overall I liked it. Very happy that it is not another "New Generation" series, especially since the last two were re-treads of Tiga and Dyna.

Very much got a Nexus vibe off this episode, but not as dark and gritty as that series. Part of that might be Blazar's mostly grey and silver color scheme, which is evocative of Nexus, who also had red and blue costumes.

You can tell that the production team was also trying to emulate the style of Shin Ultraman (2022) and Shin Kamen Rider (2023), albeit on a much smaller scale.

I like the fact that Blazar's human counterpart, Captain Hiruma Gento, is actually in charge of the kaiju attack squad. That changes things up a bit, as he will have to work extra hard to mask his absences when joining with Blazar from the rest of his crew.

Gento is also an older, more mature protagonist than is usual for an Ultra series, which is a nice call back to the original Showa series. I know this a franchise aimed at kids, but I am sooooooooooo tired of the whiney kids with no idea about personal grooming that we've had a near-steady parade of as stars of the shows.

As for Blazar himself, he's a bit...different than previous Ultras.

For one thing, he WILL. NOT. STOP. GRUNTING! It is non-freakin'-stop. And it's not regular grunting that you hear from other Ultras as they fight kaiju; it's as if the actor is speaking some crazy, made-up language.

This was seriously distracting during the fight with Bazanga, the space kaiju du jour. I certainly hope that it doesn't continue for the rest of the season.

Something even more disconcerting were Blazar's antics during the battle. At one point he was doing rapid high-knee jumps like he was a little kid having a tantrum. That was disconcerting, to say the least.

I do like Blazar's main attack weapon, which is a spear made of energy that he summons. It was a little silly that he tossed it a Bazanga (I have to stop myself from typing Ba-Zinga), but it worked so I guess that's all that matters.

I tried to stay away from most promotional material before watching the episode, as I don't want to know everything about the characters and premise before hand. If the show does its job properly, that information will be conveyed through the story. A show/film shouldn't rely on supplemental material in other media for the audience to understand what's going on.

That said, I did read some articles and posts today that gave me some supplemental info.

On this Earth, humanity has been battling kaiju since 1966, which I think is a nice touch. Apparently, they've succeeded at doing so without the assistance of an Ultraman; at least until now.

Ultraman Blazar is not from M78. He is, instead, from M421, a blazar (Wikipedia: "an active galactic nucleus (AGN) with a relativistic jet (a jet composed of ionized matter traveling at nearly the speed of light) directed very nearly towards an observer. ") far, far away.

And, Blazar is reportedly a "more primitive" type of Ultraman, whatever that means. It might serve to explain his wild antics and why he was grunting/babbling the whole time. I haven't investigated this further because I want to see how this is explained in the show.

So now I guess I'll just wait until next Friday night to see how things progress.

[chipsncookies]

ngl I am kinda looking forward to the Ultraman guy thoughts compilation and a brief summary about him. You talking about Ultraman definitely sparked my curiousity. I saw Ultraman briefly mentioned in a few manga when I was young so I was aware of it before but now I'm getting curious but I'll wait a bit more. I don't even know where to start.

The results have been compiled here! Please take a look!

For you guys who want to know who this character is, he's Ultraman Blazar from the latest Ultraman series! He is a warrior of light who's taken the duty of protecting humanity from kaiju and alien attacks 💪

If you're unfamiliar with the Ultraman series, it's a science fiction tokusatsu, meaning they use live action special effects. Commenters who mentioned kamen rider and power rangers/super sentai got it close since those are also tokusatsu. Fans of one usually enjoy the others too.

Like i said, the basic premise is ultraman, an extraterrestrial being comes to earth to defend humans from kaiju or aliens. They usually disguise as humans when not fighting, or they have a human host who can call them out when the earth is in danger. When the time comes, they transform into Ultraman.

This series is very old, it started in 1960s. So it has so many entries, where fans have grouped them by the era they were released (showa ultramans, heisei, reiwa etc). Some of the entries are in similar continuity, while others not.

I grew up watching some of the series so I'm already familiar with it, but I've been out of the loop for years and just got back into it, and im already confused, so i understand how you feel when you said you don't know where to start.

However, I think if you're curious and want to start watching, it doesn't hurt to watch the original series, Ultraman. It's available on YouTube. The effects might look outdated (it was the 1960s after all) but a lot of fans think the story holds up to this day. It has 39 episodes. It's the foundation of the series, and many plot beats & kaijus/aliens that appear in it will reappear/remixed in later series, so if you watch this you'll recognise them.

If it's too long, you can watch Shin Ultraman, the movie that came out last year. It's based on the Ultraman series i mentioned above but condensed into 2 hours. I haven't watched it myself but fans seem to like it and i heard it did well in theatres. The only downside(?) is the ultraman and kaijus are cgi so you're missing the tokusatsu experience. If this is your preference that's great but this is the only entry that uses fully cgi ultraman

I mentioned these first because they're a fresh start of the ultraman experience. Other series especially recent ones tend to feature other ultras/characters as fanservice, and I don't want to overwhelm you, but if you're interested there's nothing wrong with checking them out. A lot of them are available on the official YouTube channel with subs and some with dubs unofficial means also available

I'm currently watching Ultraman Blazar, it only has 5 episodes as of now but I'm really enjoying it a lot. In my biased opinion i find the story so far enjoyable for adults and children.* Also I think the visuals are some of the best in recent entries.

*I forgot to tell, ultraman is a series directed to kids, so it can be silly goofy at times and heavy on the toy selling, but some entries can be more dark/mature than others. Shin ultraman is more mature for example.

So yeah!! Ultraman is a really old series and it has become a pop culture in Japan and many places in the world (but somehow not america?) i think if you watch this you'll start seeing its influence on other shows (yes, including pokemon!). If you're curious about other ultraman you can take a look at the list of ultraman here and see if there's any you like. This series is big so it can be overwhelming but I'm sure you will find something you like! I hope you'll enjoy it! 🫶🫶🫶💖💖

Edit:

[makiruz]

Blazar 14

AERIAL COMBAT!!!!

We're not likely to see this again because they were clearly relying on CG a lot for the aerial scenes; and I realized this team doesn't have planes, I don't know how I never noticed before, but planes are a core part of defense teams arsenal, episode 2 of Mebius is about them, and SKaRD doesn't have them, they have Earth Garon, guess the budget didn't go for both

And I love Deltandal, he looks like a Jet!

Also Conspiracy! Something Shady is going on and I wanna know what it is; and hey! Now we know what Emi was doing in episode 1!

Episode 15!

Now, this one I know, I know from the thumbnail; Gavadon! We love him, he's adorable and he doesn't do anything just sleeps and it's very big. This episode is essentially a remake of the Ultraman 66 one and I really liked it, it's got more pathos among the kids and they tweak the message a bit, in the original Gavadon doesn't do anything but they have get rid of him because he interrupts capitalism, in this one adults have a problem with Gavadon in general, and when the kids make him big they have to get rid of him because he interrupts capitalism, but this time it's more obvious that the authorities desire to get rid of the creature that's not doing anything is the problem, because 1. kids make original Gavadon stronger, here they just make him bigger, and 2. you can see the missiles bouncing uselessly against Gavadon and exploding around him causing more destruction that Gavadon does.

Also I didn't realize the kid who drew Gavadon was Gento's son until Gavadon came to life, but in my defense he's only showed up in one episode so far. This is another good thing about this version of the story, that one of the children involved is the actual child of the protagonist, and he gets almost squished by a building, good job government

[christine-ye]

Howdy!

I'm trying to get used to being on here but hi! I'm Christine, nice to meet you! 🎶 Basic info (more in my Strawpage in bio) 🎶 -She/her -20 (ADULT) -Ace/asexual -Autistic

🌺 Things I like 🌺 -Magical girls in general (mostly Sailor Moon and PreCure/Pretty Cure nowadays with some other titles sprinkled in like Magic Knight Rayearth, Tokyo Mew Mew, etc.) -Evangelion -Super Mario (and occasionally other Nintendo series like The Legend of Zelda) -Tokusatsu (mainly Kamen Rider and Super Sentai) -History and mythology (currently majoring in history with a classical humanities minor in college) -Music (mostly anime and video game music)

🌈 Favorite characters (💙 means main/current favorites) 🌈 -Shinji Ikari (Evangelion) 💙 -Hibiki Hojo/Cure Melody (Suite PreCure) 💙 -Kazuma Kenzaki/KR Blade (Kamen Rider Blade) 💙 -Misato Katsuragi (Evangelion) -Umi Ryuuzaki (Magic Knight Rayearth) -Luigi (Super Mario) -Hotaru Tomoe/Sailor Saturn (Sailor Moon)

♠ Media I'm currently watching (will update as I go, * for shows currently on hold) ♠ -Kamen Rider (1971): started 8/25/23* -Kamen Rider Hibiki: started 8/27/23* -Kamen Rider Ryuki: started 8/28/23* -Star Twinkle PreCure (rewatch): started 10/1/23* -Kamen Rider Geats: started 11/10/23* -Choujin Sentai Jetman: started 11/22/23* -Kamen Rider Fourze: started 1/19/24* -Kamen Rider Kiva: started 1/19/24* -Wonderful PreCure (latest PreCure): started 2/3/24 -Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger (latest Super Sentai): started 3/2/24 -My Adventures with Superman season 2: started 6/14/24 -Ultraman Arc: started 7/6/24* -Ultraman Blazar: started 7/6/24* --Kamen Rider Gavv: started 8/31/24

⚡️ Plan to watch (TBD, may change) ⚡️ -Hana no Ko Lunlun -Kamen Rider Kuuga (after I finish Fourze and Kiva, will watch alongside OOO) -Acro Trip (upcoming, 10/2/24) -Revolutionary Girl Utena (been wanting to start it for a while) -Kamen Rider Revice (next Reiwa KR series after I finish Geats, date unsure) -Kamen Rider OOO (after I finish Fourze and Kiva, will watch alongside Kuuga)

🍃 Tags (may add some if needed) 🍃 -#christine's ramblings of the day: for general talk and/or random thoughts -#christine watches/rewatches [show name]: for shows I'm currently watching/rewatching (not necessarily actual liveblogging) -#christine reviews stuff: for media reviews -#christine answers: for answering asks -#christine's rant/vent: for any time I vent/feel negative (I suggest muting it if you don't want to see me be pissy on main) -#shameless self reblog: for self-reblogs (don't use often) -#incorrect quotes: for any incorrect quote posts I come up with based on my interests

⚠ Important things to know ⚠ -I'm very sensitive and shy, so don't be too worried if I don't respond quickly, misunderstand a joke, or don't follow you back -Please DO NOT INTERACT if you're the following: bigots of any kind (racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc.), NSFW (or any weirdos in general), pr0sh1ppers, Zionists, and crypt0/EnEffTee/A.I. supporters. GET AWAY FROM MY BLOG OR GET THE BLOCK -If I interact with or follow someone/something problematic, please let me know -Ask me stuff! I don't mind answering asks :) (but I will delete certain asks that make me uncomfortable for any reason) -Yes, I am that idiot on Twitter (username is @/Christine__Ye if you want to follow idc) who won #1 Cure Melody fan back in October 2023 before you ask -You should watch Kamen Rider Blade actually please and thanks

I'm generally nice and trying my best (most of the time lol) so hello again and welcome! ✨

[thekaijudude]

It feels like the Ultra series has been in serious decline after Z, storywise imo.

My opinions sorta differ from you as what I covered in the annual series reviews

Personally Z was great as it raised the bar on the quality of fight scenes for later series but it had a very simple and self-contained plot and roughly had the same issues with Geed's plot. The keywords here is that the plot settings were very simple and self-contained

Trigger had a ton of potential to have an amazing plot (Trigger-Carmearra, Dark Giants interactions and history) but it was limited to being a kids show, so they weren't able to go into said mature and darker themes and storylines. Not to mention recall that 80% of Trigger's original script was changed due to covid or sth. My expectations for Trigger were through the roof as I had hoped it'll correct the same issues I had with Tiga, that being the expansion and in-depth exploration of the Dark Giants.

Decker as said before it even started, its harder to make a legacy series out of Dyna than it was for Tiga cause there are really no loose ends left from Dyna that Decker can expand upon. Therefore they were "forced" to create a new story based on the established plot points that Dyna had achieved. So I had low expectations for Decker to begin with and in the end, the series met it. Therefore I frequently mention that Decker was truly a mid series for me.

Blazar I don't even wanna talk about it too much at this point. There isn't even an overall story to talk about. Not to mention 2 of the main arcs were very obviously rushed and botched as a result (Brood Gevalka and Valaron arcs). I was literally rewatching other New Gen series while it was airing just cause it was just so uninteresting. My personal expectations was for Blazar to shed more light on his own character and origin rather than whatever the hell was going on since this was more or less a generic episodic series (everything gets concluded by the end of the epsiode with nothing interesting to carry forward and nothing to really look forward to)

Arc seems to be following more of X's route than Blazar's (since Arc is treated as an actual character based on the plot synopsis) so I at least hope we can get some interesting lore additions, dialogue from Arc and fight scenes out of this, especially since Tsujimoto is the main director this time around

Unless when the actual trailer drops and blows everyone's minds so there's a teeny tiny hope for that still left in me for now

[zombieweek-g]

thinking about ultraman blazar ep 1 in a non insane way

ok ive had like 20 hours to ruminate on the ep now and I think it's probably my favorite first ep of an ultra show i've seen so far. (though ive only seen the new gen shows and nexus so that could change when i eventually get to some of the showa stuff)

a lot of what I loved so much about it just had to do with how sort of sudden it felt? Like comparing it to the first eps of the last 3 shows it kind of didn't do any major worldbuilding at all for the new setting. It established the presence of kaiju and of a military response, then established that ultraman has been an urban legend for a few years but thats it. There's no time given to further exploring anything that couldn't be established with a few off hand comments about the situation.

I think the msot interesting part of the ep was actually just how it was so, straightforward? Like it feels like the events of the ep are happening in the same 25 minutes that the actual runtime takes, everything happens so quickly and at once that it makes it feel far more like an event we're seeing from a vouyeristic perspective. We're not getting any more than 2 perspectives either. It cuts between Gento and Nagura but thats it, it strictly stays between the perspective of the 2 skard members and never breaks that except to return to the members of Gento's team. for their reactions to what's happening.

I think the highlight of the ep was the actual fight itself though, completely putting aside that it takes up almost half of the ep's run time it feels like there's so much more going on than just being a fight. The character's reactions to it feel a lot more like, genuine compared to how first ultra appearences usually go. Like all the members of Gento's team jsut look baffled at what's happening, and the entire first half of the fight feels especially vouyeristic thanks to some of the angles used.

almost the entire firs half of the fight before the cm break is filmed form this specific angle, with any zoom in shots being from the same general perspective, and making the camera a lot more shaky, giving it the feeling of a video shakily recorded on someone's phone as they try to capture the absurdity of what's happening.

The 2nd half of the fight goes in for a lot more closeups and wide shots that leave this perspective but for it to have lingered here for so long just made the scale of the fight feel so much more real in the moment and on rewatches. Like in general I feel like this is the first time I've seen an ep that captured the absurdity of an ultra fight sow ell. It feels unreal in such an incredible way to see this fight unfold, and I mean that in the ebst way possible.

Im realizing just as I write this that the entire sequence feels sorta dreamlike, which is just reinforced by gento's moments of lucidity jsut before and after the fight where he seems to be recognizing himself as Blazar, only to presumably lose consciousness during the fight itself.

There's so much about this ep that just does like, nothing to explain the world, but I think that's one of the ebst parts. This whole ep felt like you were getting to peer into a random half hour in this setting, and by the end of the ep i had so many more questions about what was happening than I did going in. I can totally see why they would have shown ep 2 at all their pre release events instead of this one, since it feels so much mroe like an extended teaser of what's to come in the ebst possible way.

anyways tldr blazar is good as hell and I can't wait for next week

[glowinggator]

Infinity

Summary: You look at the stars with your boyfriend, Donatello. 

Pairing: Donatello/Reader

Content Warnings: None! Unless you get freaked out by the concept of infinity. It’s honestly just a lot of space talk <3 

Word Count: 1103

Infinity: It’s a concept that mortal minds can never truly grasp. The sheer size and quantity of infinity is incomprehensible, and for good reason. It’s a word that should not be applied lightly, considering how grand it is. So, when one considers our known universe and its nature to constantly and infinitely expand, one should have a healthy respect and admiration for it’s magnitude. Stars, living and dying in radiant throes billions of light-years away, litter the night sky like paint on a black canvas. How loving the stars must be, to share their light and love with us, so that we might admire their beauty from galaxies away. Do creatures from neighboring galaxies look up at their own night sky and see our sun? Do they value our star as much as we do theirs? Do they write myths and legends about the night sky with as much love as our ancestors once did? You smile to yourself. The universe is so vast, so uncountable, and… gorgeous. 

The chilly wind of New York bites at your exposed skin and you instinctively curl further into your lover’s side. Although, you grin to yourself, it probably benefits him more than it does you. You pull the thick woolen blanket up a bit higher as you allow your hand to dance over the scratches and grooves in his plastron. A scar here, a scar there, and countless natural faults and ridges. You wonder how many scars are from battle and how many are from accidents in the lab. He hums quietly to himself as he looks up at the infinite stretch of sky, and you feel a sense of wonder and love for the man beside you: you've never felt so at home. 

"See that little cluster, next to Draco? It has one really bright star, but the others may be harder to find." Donatello asks, pointing up at the sky. You search the sky for the cluster, gazing through his hand. You hum affirmatively when you find it: It sits just under Ursa Minor and next to Draco. Seven primary stars twinkle dimly in the constellation, making it somewhat hard to make out. One star, however, shines brighter than most every other in the sky, which makes it easier to find. 

Donnie traces little patterns on your shoulder as he starts to speak once more. “That’s Cepheus. It’s one of my favorites.” His voice is uncharacteristically soft, almost as though he were afraid of shattering the silence. 

“What’s the story behind it?”

“Well, the myth says that Cepheus was once the King of Aethiopia. He was married to Cassiopeia, which is to his left, and was the father of Andromeda, who is also immortalized as a modern-day constellation. I’ve always preferred the myth of Cassiopeia, but the stars in Cepheus are what makes it one of my favorites.” 

You smile: That’s your Donnie, alright. You look up at him with a grin and a twinkle in your eye. “Tell me about them, babe.” 

He chuckles, “I was really hoping you would say that. God, where do I even start?” He kisses your forehead quickly, thinking of what to say. “Alright,” he begins, “See the brightest star in Cepheus?” 

“Mmhm.” 

“That one’s called Alderamin, or Alpha Cephei.” “Sounds like a wizard name.” “I know, right?” He chuckles, “It’s about 49 light-years away, and it’s one of the brightest stars in the sky. It’s a white class A star currently evolving off the main sequence into a subgiant- probably on its way to becoming a red giant right about now. It’s much bigger and far brighter than our own sun, and it rotates incredibly fast. What I find most interesting about it is the fact that it’s a source of X-ray emissions, which indicates significant magnetic activity. And that’s not really typical for rapidly rotating stars. Oh, and in a few thousand years, it’ll be the new North Star.” 

“Our North Star changes?” He hums, “Yes, but not in our lifetime. The last time Alderamin was the North Star was… around 20 thousand years ago? Don’t quote me on that. But right now, it’s Polaris.”

“Oh, cool.” 

“Mmhm,” he yawns, blinking his eyes firmly. He rubs at his eyes with his free hand before putting it back behind his head. 

"Sleepy?" You whisper. 

"Nope," he says, popping the P. "I never sleep." 

You giggle, "Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that, D." 

"Shush. Anyways, the stuff inside Cepheus is even cooler: Alderamin is just an… important feature. NGC 188 is an open cluster, and it's the closest open cluster to the north celestial pole. One of the oldest-known open clusters, actually. But you know what the real 'star' of the show is?" 

You snicker. "Shut up. What?"

"S5 0014+81. It's a distant, compact, hyperluminous, broad-absorption-line quasar, or as I like to call it, a blazar.” He pulls his free hand out from under his head for a moment to wave it around - presumably for emphasis. He’s always been one to talk with his hands, after all. He continues, “In layman's terms, it's a supermassive black hole. It’s 40 billion times the weight of our sun, gives off light 25 thousand times brighter than every star in the Milky Way combined, and is undeniably one of the most powerful objects in the observable universe." He finishes his sentence with a quiet breath, leaving you with a sense of wonder.

You breathe a sigh of awe, staring intensely at the center of the constellation. The universe is… incredible. You absentmindedly trace patterns on your lover's chest as you let the information sink in, and unbeknownst to you, he takes the time to look down at your form, smiling at the way you subconsciously seek out contact with him. And in return, he traces his own patterns along your back, tracing a map of the universe in sensations along your spine. When you tear your eyes away from the cosmos to look at him, you smile. 

His face is lit by the light of the moon, casting an almost heavenly glow upon his features. His eyes shine beneath the all-consuming cosmos, as though they were lit by the light of an entire galaxy. Perhaps he’s descended from the stars themselves, you muse.

“Hey,” you whisper, “I love you.” 

“I love you too, hun.” 

And when your lips meet, you swear that you can understand the light given off by a supernova, and the radiance, light, and love that comes with it. For if there’s anything truly infinite on this small, infinitesimal planet, it is the love that binds you together.

[rorynorth]

Supervillains weren't supposed to pay for coffee.

In fact, Julian Godfrey had come into this very cafe last week—in full costume—to demand a free latte on his way home from holding some CEO hostage. He'd already forgotten the man's name, but the ransom money was going to fund some lavish apartment upgrades.

But today, Julian wasn't here for a drink. He was here to sit in the corner of the cafe and send emails and read and, of course, finalize his plan to take an entire city block hostage. Rather than his villainous costume, he wore the clothes he wore to his day job at the library: black pants, a dark purple button-up, and a black blazer.

He did still want his coffee, though.

Julian ran through tonight's plan as he stood in line. He'd been preparing for this for months, and it had taken a lot of training to be sure he'd be able to pull it off. This would be the biggest demonstration of his power yet.

Most importantly, he'd be doing this alone. He had to. If he succeeded, the city would see him as a real threat. He was already feared, but maybe they'd finally regard him with the same awe as they did Blazar.

Julian planned to relinquish his control of the apartment block in exchange for a considerable sum of cash—not particularly original, but money wasn't his real goal anyway. He was going to lure in the city's biggest hero and completely destroy him. Or at least, kick his ass hard enough to keep him out of commission for a few months.

One of the cashiers waved Julian over. "Next, please!"

"Macchiato. Sixteen ounce," he told her.

"Great, that'll be five ninety-five."

Julian opened his wallet and pulled out a single five dollar bill. Damn, he'd thought he had more cash. "Hold on, let me find my card—"

"You're a dollar short?" came a voice from his right.

Julian glanced up. The girl who'd spoken pulled a dollar from her own wallet and held it out to him. He briefly considered turning it down. He had plenty of money to burn, after all.

But why say no to convenience?

"Thank you," Julian said, quickly looking the girl over as he accepted the dollar. She was nearly a foot shorter than him, probably around five foot three. Her skin was light brown, her eyes were a few shades darker, she wore a white flannel over an oversized teal New Atlas University tee, and—

"Your hair's blue," he noted, lifting an eyebrow. Her curly hair, pulled back into a ponytail, was dark brown for a few inches at the roots. The rest of it was a faded turquoise.

She laughed. "Yeah, I get that a lot. And it's no trouble, really."

While Julian waited for the cashier to finish up his transaction, he watched the girl walk away out of the corner of his eye.

"Here's your change, your drink will be ready in a minute." The cashier dropped a nickel into his hand. "Next!"

Julian stood at the edge of the cafe, debating approaching the girl. It was surprising that someone would offer a stranger a dollar without being threatened, wasn't it? Yes, sure, some people were just nice, but he'd already been reaching for his credit card.

The girl grabbed her drink and left before Julian could make up his mind. An employee called his name a moment later. He grabbed his coffee and found a seat in a corner of the cafe.

You don't take a free drink from a restaurant because you can't afford it, Blazar had told him once. If you're after money, you rob a bank. You take the drink to remind people you could be anywhere, at any time. You take the drink to remind people that they're never really safe.

Julian sipped his coffee. The block of apartments he'd be attacking in a few hours was a short walk from here. He'd pass it on his way to the Complex. The area was familiar. A few times a week, for the past month, he'd spent hours generating stone beneath the streets. Still, it would be nice to take one last look at the layout. He had a lot of asphalt to break through.

He closed his free hand into a fist and formed a single stone. When he opened his hand, the small rock rested on his palm.

That was all he'd been able to do as a child. It took a lot of energy to form matter, after all. But even before he'd fully developed his geogenesis powers, he was at least able to manipulate his creations. Thank god for that. Blazar probably wouldn't have kept him around if all he could do was make pebbles.

Julian pulled out his phone. He responded to a few scheduling emails from other library employees. Checked the time. Skimmed the news. Checked the time again.

It was nearly five-thirty when he finished his coffee. As he rose to his feet, he ran a hand through his dark hair. He was really looking forward to tonight. He hadn't been this excited about a fight in a long time. During the walk to the Complex, he assessed the sidewalk beneath him, searching for the largest cracks, the weak spots he could pull the earth up through.

Storm Warning would have no choice but to show up, really. This was going to be the biggest threat the city had ever seen. Except, perhaps, for a few of Blazar's stunts. It was hard to compete with some of the fires he'd started.

Another five minutes of walking brought Julian to the alley hiding the Complex's entrance. The elevator he took could only be accessed with a key, and the only floor it went to was the top.

A text from Blazar came in halfway up the building. When are you returning to the COVE?

About to walk in, Julian replied. He'd never dare say it to Blazar's face, but he hated calling it the COVE. Not the word itself, but the overly complicated acronym Blazar had come up with. Complex of Villainous Entities. Why make it more complicated than it had to be?

The name didn't matter much, anyway. There were only four of them left now.

The elevator door opened, revealing the open living area. At the opposite end of the space were the doors to the balcony, and a hallway leading to the living quarters. To the left was the kitchen, and to the right were the couches and massive monitor that Damselfly was currently using to watch reality TV.

"Hey, Julian." Damselfly looked up from where she was draped across the couch. Her vibrant blue insect-like wings fluttered as she twisted herself around to watch him enter, glittering in the light from the kitchen. "How are your books?"

She didn't really care. The others took any opportunity they had to make a jab at Julian's job. "Library's doing great," he told her. "Is Blazar in?"

"Nope."

"What about Lord Saturn?"

"Haven't seen her, either." Damselfly's head tipped to the side. Her short, dark waves of jet black hair shifted. "What are you up to?"

"I'm getting into a fight tonight," Julian told her.

"Ooh, Storm Warning?"

"Hopefully." Storm Warning was easily the strongest hero in the city. And the most charismatic. And he was the most fun to fight.

The other heroes who popped up enough to be a household name hardly did anything beyond fighting common criminals in alleys. The minor villains they used to fight had been driven out of the city years ago, or killed. Julian ran into the smaller heroes from time to time, as did Damselfly and Lord Saturn. But Storm Warning was the only one who ever dared to fight Blazar.

"Well, if you're looking for the mask that only covers the top half of your face, it's in the sink," Damselfly said.

"Why is it in the sink?" Julian asked. He frowned. "And how did you know I was looking for that one?"

Damselfly shrugged. "You use the full mask for missions. Half mask is for big public shows. Like fighting Storm Warning." She lifted an eyebrow. "And we were out of dishes and I needed something to put my nachos on."

Julian sighed as he picked his mask out of the sink. "Did the other two say anything about when they'd be back?"

"Nope." Damselfly folded her arms over the top of the couch and rested her chin on them. "Why, you looking for backup tonight?"

"I don't need backup."

"All right, well, I'm here if you change your mind." Damselfly thought for a moment. Her wings twitched. "On second thought, there's a new episode of Haunted Weddings tonight, so I probably won't come out."

Julian rinsed off his mask and wiped it dry with a towel. "Glad I can count on you." He'd been the youngest villain at the Complex, until Damselfly showed up. While Blazar had succeeded at hammering responsibility into Julian, Damselfly hadn't been so keen on establishing herself. She preferred to tag along on whatever plans the others came up with.

"I don't get why this girl is having her wedding at her university," Damselfly said, her attention back on the TV. She tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth and continued speaking as she chewed. "I mean, I get there was a murder, but those buildings are hideous."

Julian considered asking what exactly the point of the show was, but he didn't have time to listen to another one of Damselfly's spiels.

"You gonna go to college, Julian?" she asked.

He'd considered it, but Blazar had turned him off the idea. You don't need it. You're powerful. You can take whatever you want. He'd tried to dissuade Julian from getting a job, too, but he and Saturn had day jobs. And Julian wanted something to occupy his time, even if he didn't need the money.

"I don't know," Julian finally answered. "I'm already twenty-four."

"That's young!"

Bold words, coming from a sixteen-year-old. "I guess," Julian replied. His mind jumped to the New Atlas University shirt that girl at the cafe had been wearing. He'd spent a fair amount of time looking at their website. Was she a student? Or did she just know someone at the school?

Julian shook off the thought. The sun was setting. It was time to get ready.

The pants and shirt of his super suit were a deep purple. And, like any decent suit, the material was sturdy enough to protect him from minor blows. Then there were the white gloves, white boots, and the collared gold cape that fastened at the neck. Julian liked it, despite Blazar's occasional jab—Still haven't gotten rid of the cape yet?—but he wasn't stupid. The fastener was easy to undo, so he could pull it off before any fight really got going.

The final piece was the metal mask, also gold in color, with slits for his green eyes to peer through. It was the most iconic part, too, the thing people thought of when they heard his name. There were five points at the top, the one in the middle being the tallest, that gave it the appearance of a crown.

Like Damselfly had mentioned, he had two: one that covered his entire face, and the one he'd be wearing tonight that left the bottom of his face exposed. It made conversation easier. And threatening people. A small device embedded in the bottom edge of the mask—designed by Lord Saturn—altered the sound waves of his voice as he spoke, deepening it just enough that only people who knew him well would be able to recognize it.

Julian left his room and returned to the living room.

"I'll watch you on the news!" Damselfly called as he headed for the door. "Well, when my show's on commercial, anyway."

Julian paused. "Don't we have every streaming service?"

"I don't think you know how TV works." Damselfly waved her tablet. "Besides, if I don't watch it live, I can't follow what's happening on social media."

"Blazar might want to use the monitor to watch me."

"I don't think he's coming by tonight."

"We'll see." Julian could worry about Blazar later. It was time to focus.

Right now, he was Citadel.

~

This is the first chapter of Villain Complex, which is available to read in full on my wattpad auroraanorth. It's also linked in my pinned post!

[spaceexp]

Event Horizon Telescope: Black hole produces twisting jet

Event Horizon Telescope logo. 8 April 2020 One year on from publishing the first ever image of a black hole, the team behind that historic breakthrough is back with a new picture. This time we're being shown the base of a colossal jet of excited gas, or plasma, screaming away from another black hole at near light-speed.

Image above: The right-hand image was captured with a less powerful telescope. It shows the jet streaming away to the lower-right. In the new EHT image on the left, scientists can now see detail where the jet connects to the accretion disc. The supermassive black hole will be somewhere at the disc's centre. Image Credits: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration . The scene was actually in the "background" of the original target. The scientists who operate the Event Horizon Telescope describe the jet in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. 3C 279 is what astronomers term a quasar - the extremely bright core of a very distant galaxy. This one is about 5.5 billion light-years from Earth. It is well known, and was used as the calibration target to align the performance of the EHT's eight individual radio telescopes when they simultaneously made their astonishing map of the supermassive black hole at the centre of Galaxy M87. The remarkable resolution achieved by the EHT - put to such great effect with M87 - pays dividends again with 3C 279, because we see previously unrecognised features.

Image above: M87's black hole is surrounded by a halo of bright gas pulled inwards by gravity. Image Credits: ESO/EHT Collaboration. 3C 279 also has a supermassive black hole at its heart. It's about one billion times the mass of our Sun and its gravity is pulling in and shredding any stars or gas that get too close. This material is likely being accreted on to a disc that winds around the hole, but some of it is being shot back out into space along two jets moving in opposite directions. In previous images of 3C 279, we've been able to detect the outline of the jet coming that moves towards us (the one moving in the opposite direction is not detected). But in the new EHT picture, we can resolve detail close to the point where this jet leaves the black hole. What's more, this base area seems twisted and somewhat offset from the main axis of the jet. "It's curious," said EHT Collaboration member Dr Ziri Younsi. "We're seeing a region that's actually pretty close to the black hole. It could be an interaction layer where the jet couples to the accretion disc and extracts all of its energy from the black hole. "We don't really understand how jets are powered by black holes. Black holes, when they rotate rapidly, are the most efficient liberators of energy in the Universe, but the mechanism by which the jet can extract that energy is unknown. There are a few ideas, but we're not sure yet which one is the right one," the University College London, UK, researcher told BBC News.

Image above: Artwork: Quasars like 3C 279 that point one of their jets in our direction are also called blazars. Image Credits: M.Weiss/CfA. The data in the images of M87 and 3C 279 was collected by the ENT's widely dispersed array of radio telescopes in 2017. The project has gone on to collect data on the supermassive black hole that exists at the centre of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. "We have that data - of a region we call Sagittarius A*," said Dr Younsi. "We are working on it right now and although we have some preliminary results, these can't be shared just yet. We hope to have something perhaps before the end of this year." The team finds itself in a position to concentrate on this analysis because the observational time it had booked on the EHT array for this year got cancelled in the coronavirus outbreak. A PDF of the A&A paper describing 3C 279 is available link bellow. Its lead author is Dr Jae-Young Kim from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany.

Image above: Early observations used eight radio telescopes but the EHT aims to get to a network of 12. Image Credit: BBC. The Event Horizon Telescope is a "virtual telescope" that links a large array of radio receivers - from the South Pole, to Hawaii, to the Americas and Europe. It uses a technique called very long baseline array interferometry (VLBI). This combines the observations from the dispersed network to mimic a telescope aperture that can produce the resolution necessary to perceive a pinprick on the sky. For the EHT, this pinprick is measured in microarcseconds. To convey such performance to the general public, EHT team-members talk about the sharpness of vision as being the equivalent of seeing from Earth something the size of a grapefruit on the surface of the Moon. Related links: The journal Astronomy & Astrophysics: https://www.aanda.org/component/article?access=doi&doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202037493 The Event Horizon Telescope: https://eventhorizontelescope.org/ Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration/BBC/Jonathan Amos. Greetings, Orbiter.ch Full article

[diabolicallyinlove]

Eternally Human (Chapter 2)

     You can find all my other works here!

        My arms burned from being pulled back at the uncomfortable angle that Reiji had set. The air felt cooler against my skin that normal. That tea he’d made had heightened my senses. Great. I’d never had this before. Reiji threatened time after time but had never followed through. It had to have been the lack of sleep and irritation of Yui being here that pushed him over the edge.

              Reiji opened the top drawer of his dressed and pulled out his favorite whip, the bullwhip. I’d only had the displeasure of being at the receiving end of it a handful of times. He saved it for special occasions. Apparently, this qualified. He kept it curled in his hand as he strode back over to me.

              “Tell me why I’m taking time out of my busy schedule to do this,” He said, setting the whip on the top of the chair. He unbuttoned the blazar and laid it carefully over the arm of the chair. Rolling his sleeves up to his elbows, he watched me, expectant of an answer.

              I am so fucked. “I didn’t uphold my responsibilities to prepare the prospective brides bedroom as it was expected of me,” I answered.

              Finally, he uncoiled the whip, holding it by the handle. The tip sliding across the floor with each step he took closer to me. The smirk on his face told me that I’d done one thing right. With a nod, Reiji replied, “I’ll accept that answer. How many lashes do you think you deserve?”

              Was that a trick question? “However many you deem appropriate?” It came out more as a question than a statement. He’d caught me off guard with it.

              The whip cracked, striking my thigh unexpectedly. I bit my tongue hard. “That was an avoidance of my question. I’ll decide for you then.”

              In the back of my mind, I knew whatever I’d chosen would have never been sufficient for him, but now I wished that I’d said something. Having no idea how many times he’d whip me, I tried to brace myself for the second strike. My thighs stung again as the whip cut into my skin this time. It was harder, making me cry out.

              “Quiet,” Reiji demanded, raising the whip again and flicking it around the back of my thighs, just under my butt.

              I raised up onto my tiptoes, the rope reminding me that I had nowhere to go. The books shifted behind me. With no time to recover, four quick, precise lashes hit my stomach. I clenched my teeth, water filling my eyes as I rocked back onto my heels.

              Reiji was toying with me now. His face remained unfazed by my pain but I knew he was enjoying it. Each time, he placed the whip in a new spot, causing more red marks and welts to appear. His harsh strength causing some to bleed.

              I twisted my arms, staying conscious of the books that threatened to fall off the shelf behind me. No escape to this pain in sight. I’d give up trying to keep quiet. Each lash hurt worse than the last. I cracked my eyes open when he stopped.

              “Three more. Not a sound or we’ll be here till you can’t stand. Where do you want them?” Reiji asked.

              I panted as I tried to process what he’d just said. My mind was foggy. Nowhere. I’d had enough. My legs were shaking so bad, I worried that soon my arms would be the only thing holding me up. But I had to answer. “Stomach,” I half whispered, my mouth dry.

              “Look at me and count.” Reiji lifted the whip, making sure that I was watching. The whip came down at an unreal speed.

              But I bit my tongue. “One.”

              Again, he took his time. He looked me over, either giving me time to rest or wanting the anticipation to raise my fear. The latter being what I felt.

              “Two.”

              The last came in quick recession. “Three.” I’d bit my tongue so hard that I had brought blood. I didn’t even have time to take a breath before Reiji had dropped the whip and had me up against the bookcase, his lips on mine.

              The slack on my arms gave little comfort to soothe the pain on my body. Each groan or twitch of pain only proved the Reiji enjoyed this. He continued to press his hips against mine while running his hands over the welts, making me groan into his lips.

              Over my time here, I’d learned that Reiji didn’t care for sex like Laito or any of the brothers, really. He rarely even spoke to me unless he had a job for me or wanted blood. But he wanted it now.

              “Your skin bruises so lovely,” Reiji commented, biting my shoulder. He ran his hand over the fabric between my legs. “For punishment, you seem to be enjoying this. I shouldn’t allow you to have it.”

              Reiji untucked his white shirt before letting his pants drop and ripping my underwear off. He didn’t warn me before he pushed into me, not taking his time. This was so unlike him… like he wanted to forget reason.

              My eyes rolled back none the less when he lifted my legs to get a better angle. His fangs sunk into my neck again, causing me to moan. “Oh, god.”

              “This once I’ll allow you to enjoy this too.” Reiji said, biting me for a third time. He drank my blood and kept his fast pace. He still felt the welts on my thighs, soaking up my pain. Shu had told me that Reiji could be considered a masochist but I’d never believed it until the first time he whipped me.

              As usual, he didn’t speak to me again or slow until he was finished. When he set my legs down to untie me, I had to lean against the bookcase to stay standing. Reiji was gone, leaving me to change. At least one thing remained the same: Sex with a vampire was never dull, but it did leave me feeling used. Especially since I know that’s all it is.

              Sorting myself out, I slowly got dressed. Every movement shot pain through my body. School would be dreadful. I’d like to skip but Reiji would never allow it. My skirt tightly pressed against the welts on my hips and stomach. With shaking hands, I tried to button my top again and again but failed every time.

              Reiji appeared in front of me, pushing my hands aside to do it himself. “You have made us unacceptably late for our departure for school this evening,” he said, straightening my bow.

              Like this was my fault. He was the one who decided to screw me for half an hour. Instead, I said, “I’m ready.”

              Reiji opened the door for me after I struggled to get my backpack on. The two of was walked soundlessly through the hallway, down the stairs, and out the door to where the limo waited. I ducked inside, opting to sit between Shu and Kanato… far away from Reiji.

              There was no comfortable way to sit down. Any adjustment made it worse. Yui stared at my legs where my skirt had come up. Horror crossed her features. I jerked the material down, embarrassed but angry. “Mind your own business.”

              “Should we ask her, Teddy?” Kanato said from beside me.  He reached down to touch one of the welts. “Does it hurt really bad? Teddy wants to know.”

              “Kanato, leave her be,” Reiji said without looking up from his book.

              Kanato’s eyes met mine and he gave me a disappointed look. I forced myself to smile and said, “Later, okay?” Thankfully, he dropped the subject. I went back to trying to uncover a way to sit comfortably. It wasn’t until Shu put his hand on my knee that I realized my fidgeting was bother him.

              Not wanting to make him mad, I stilled, biting my tongue to keep my mind off it. Ayato spoke up. “A penny for your thoughts, Pancake. What’s on your mind? Do you dare defy yours truly or will you finally learn to submit, like Kaori? Huh, Pancake?”

              Yui looked utterly annoyed at Ayato’s nickname. “I’d appreciate it if you’d stop calling me pancake. I have a name and it’s Yui Komori. So, don’t call me pancake.”

              “Shut your mouth. Your opinion is irrelevant to me so I’ll call you whatever I like. So, deal, Pancake.” Ayato started to lean down to bite Yui but Reiji closed his book in protest.

              “Ayato, how many times must I tell you, you will restrict such activities to your private room,” Reiji chastised.

              Yui’s eyes fell on me. “Kaori… I…”

              I rolled my eyes and cut her off with a scoff. “Don’t pretend like we’re friends,” I muttered and attempted to cross my legs. God that drink Reiji gave me still had my nerves racing.

              The look of hurt crossed her face. Not that I cared. Like Reiji went on to say, she was their prey. Getting involved with her would be stupid. I would end up hurt. Besides, she’s HIS daughter. I couldn’t forgive that, even if they weren’t blood.

              At the school, I had to wait around for Reiji to explain to Yui that she shouldn’t do anything stupid. My legs hurt from standing, but I really wasn’t looking forward to sitting in class either. Reiji instructed me to watcher after her. I wanted to roll my eyes but I didn’t.

              “Could we stop by a restroom on the way?” Yui asked, carrying her satchel with both hands.

              “Sure, I guess,” I answered and led her down to the nearest bathroom. The thought to leave her here crossed my mind but when I’d locked myself in a stall, the welts on my body shoved it away. No way did I want another whipping from Reiji and he’d have no problem giving me another one.

              “Um, Kaori? Are you alright?” Yui knocked on the stall door. I’d lost track of time.

              I straightened myself out before jerking the stall door open. “Why wouldn’t I be?” Fixing my hair in the mirror, I could see her staring at the floor as she contemplated how to speak.

              “It’s just… the marks…on your thighs…”

              “They’re from a bull whip. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll shut up and do what you’re told,” I said. That might seem like advice but really I didn’t want to get in any more trouble tonight. If I seemed helpful, maybe I’d be off Reiji’s radar for a while.

              With that, I walked out of the bathroom. Yui followed still asking questions. Annoyed, I gave short, vague answers. I wasn’t her walking vampire encyclopedia. No one helped me learn to survive with them. Why should I help her?

              I left her standing at the entrance of her classroom to go to my own. Barely making it on time, I slid into my seat at the back of the class. This was my free period. All I had to do was show up for attendance and announcements before I could go to the music room to see Shu.

              The teacher came in late and I continued to get more fidgety in my seat. So much so, that I began to draw unwanted attention. It wasn’t a secret that Shu and I were practically dating at this school. I couldn’t imagine what this behavior looked like. In the moment, it didn’t outweigh the pain that I felt.

              Finally, the teacher dismissed us and I almost ran to the music room. The lights were off so I closed the door, clicking the lock. I’d navigated this room in the dark so many times that I knew the layout by heart. The lamp above the cozy section flickered on. There were two chairs across from each other and a large couch that Shu was currently stretched out on with his eyes closed.

              “I’d appreciate it if you’d feel a little sorry for me,” I said, straddling his hips so that I could fall into the space between him and the couch cushions.

              Shu caught my wrists. “Why should I?” His blue eyes met my mint green ones.

              “Because I’m hurt.”

              Shu let go. “Let me see.”

              I shrugged my jacket off and unbuttoned my top, tossing it to the floor. The cold air felt good on the heated parts of my skin. The flash of anger that crossed his face when he looked over the damage Reiji had done was worse than I thought it would be. Bruises had started to come up in shades of blue, yellow, and purple.

              “Dammit, Reiji,” Shu muttered and flipped us over. He pulled my skirt off and growled. This side of Shu rarely showed… his possessive side. When it came to the sacrificial brides, he couldn’t be bothered. But me?

              “Shu, it’s alright—” I ran my hand through his hair.

              “No. I allow them to have you but this? You belong to me and this is unacceptable.”

              The thought crossed my mind that Reiji did this to get at Shu. It was usually hard for people to tell what emotions Shu had but I knew he was livid. He bit down into the skin right below my ear. Moving on, he bit my neck and then my shoulder… marking me. Shu growled as he thought about where to bite me next. “You are mine.”

[bandoms-are-fandoms]

Simple Love

I OWN BOYEONG AND HER AGENT, PLUS A FEW EXTRA CHARACTER NAMES IN THIS ONESHOT. please enjoy

Their relationship was anything, but extraordinary; Hyungwon and Boyeong had a simple love. Their feelings for each other were evident and, even though they did not do much together, it was pure bliss whenever they were together. There wasn’t anything hard about their relationship, it was just simple. No drama, no needless questions for each other, they just wanted each other.

To understand the simple love that Hyungwon and Boyeong share, history must be remembered when it comes to these. They met on a tv set they were both leads for called Yeon-In; their chemistry as co-stars were near perfect but off-screen, they did not quite get along at first. Boyeong did not appreciate how lazy Hyungwon could be and how he just fell asleep whenever he wanted. Hyungwon was often annoyed with Boyeong’s spunkiness and how she believed that she was god’s gift to acting. They would often butt heads about anything that could come to mind, but whenever the two of them were in full acting mode, many people could feel the love they held for each other (whether either one knew it or not).

The tv show lasted for about four seasons and there were many ups and downs between Boyeong and Hyungwon, but the time their characters had finally fallen in love and shared the long-awaited kiss, neither one could admit the butterflies they felt afterward or the fact that there were strange feelings starting to brew, but they never really came clean about their feelings and went about their lives - for a few months until the Hyungwon received a text from Boyeong asking him if he’d be her costar in a movie she’s been asked to be a part of; with the promise of working around his schedule, Hyungwon went to read for the director’s and was praised for his amazing acting skills as well as being able to draw so much emotion for Boyeong.

This time around, the air around the two was less tense and they even began to admire the traits they believed were annoying before. Hyungwon found out that Boyeong’s confidence was all a facade and that there was an underlying anxiety that she constantly carries. Boyeong became enthralled of Hyungwon’s tales of travel and how much he loves music and dancing. Before they had even realized it, they had fallen in love with one and another; often making excuses to see each other or taking the time to FaceTime with each other when they would go a few days without seeing each other.

Hyungwon was often teased by his bandmates about the blossoming love he has for the stubborn girl and Boyeong would often get interview questions about their relationship (which she would deny), but there was still something they could not pinpoint, why was it so hard to tell each other how they felt? Were they really scared?

It seemed to be weeks before Boyeong was beginning to give up on her meme boy; she decided that she was just going to go out with somebody else. When Hyungwon found out, he was furious with himself and decided that if he was going to win Boyeong over, he was going to have to crash her date. That’s exactly what he did; ending up soaking wet from the rain, Hyungwon waltzed inside and right up to Boyeong.

When Boyeong saw the lanky boy dripping in rain, she quickly stood, trying to dry his face as much as she could, “Are you so kind of idiot? You could catch a cold!” She scolded, taking her, now disregarded, date’s napkin to finish up drying his face. Hyungwon didn’t say anything, he just caught Boyeong’s wrist in his hand gently. Boyeong would blink and tilt her head to the side, “Hyungwon?”

Hyungwon steeled his nerves and brought the love of his life towards him, crashing his lips onto hers in a searing kiss that would make an angel sigh. Boyeong was shocked at first but ended up kissing him back, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. When he would pull away, he would stare deep into her eyes, “I couldn’t figure out the right way to tell you this, but I love you, Boyeong. I love everything about you. I love how your eyes scrunch up when you laugh or when your nose wrinkles when you’re angry. I love everything about you even if I love some parts more than others. I couldn’t let you go through this date until you had all the cards on the table.” He’d take a breathe, gently letting her go. The dampness of his clothes transferred over to her, causing her to shiver. Hyungwon would smile gently, placing his jacket onto her shoulders, “Think about it. I don’t need an answer now.” Turning away, he would head to the door of the restaurant and outside.

He’d walk back over to his car, only to be hit in the back of the head with something hard. Looking down, he’d notice a disregard black heel beside him. Frowning, he’d turn towards Boyeong, who was looking furious, “Yah! That hurt! Didn’t your mother ever teach you to not hit people?”

“You can’t just make a declaration like that and just up and leave!” Boyeong, ever the straightforward person she was, stated loudly, a deep frown on her pale lips, nose scrunched up in frustration.

“You’re going to catch a cold dressed like that!”

“Let me talk!”

“Boyeong-!”

“I love you too!” She’d interrupt him, moving towards him in many small strides, “I’ve loved you since the Yeon-In,” Admitting her feelings allowed was always so hard for Boyeong, she didn’t love using her own words, just the words she was trying to portray.

“...What’d you say?” Hyungwon would ask, a wide grin spreading across his lips.

“I’m not saying it again!” Boyeong huffed, adjusting the oversized, gray blazar around her shoulder.

“Then I’m leaving,” Hyungwon teased, opening his car door. Boyeong pushes his car door shut, grabbing his hand to turn him towards her, and kisses him with everything she has. Hyungwon, in his surprise, stumbles back into his car, staring at Boyeong in shock.

“I love you!” She huffs, walking down the road to her own car, leaving a dumbfounded (and absolutely exhilarated) Hyungwon to stare after her.

They’ve been together ever since, but not everything was all sunshine and rainbows, they are human and they get tired of each other easily. Even though they don’t fight often, when they do, they flat out ignore each other until one of them concedes and begins talking to the other. They’re both stubborn and they both think they’re right quite often, so at the worst time of their relationship, things didn’t seem like they were going to get better.

After two years of dating, Hyungwon and Boyeong announced that they were going to be married in the following April. Both were ecstatic with every new journey they were taking, they bought themselves a small apartment to share, they had their clothes all picked out, the venue, the honeymoon, the rings; everything was ready for the wedding when Hyungwon returned from touring. They just did not realize the barrage of problems that were about to start hailing down upon them.

While Hyungwon was touring, news began to spread of Boyeong having an affair with her talent agent, Kangmin. At first, it was just a rumor going around, but then pictures of Boyeong leaving Kangmin’s apartment surfaced, starting the fire that became the rage on Boyeong’s career. When word got to Hyungwon, he didn’t believe it at first, he couldn’t believe it. Here was this woman who he’s given everything of him to and she just turns around and flat out cheats on him? That can’t be right.

Pictures after pictures were being sent to him of Boyeong leaving the apartment, a tight black dress was on her body, her dark brown hair was cascading down her shoulders, she was wearing her strappy heels, and his engagement ring was nowhere to be found upon her left or right hands. He spent the next couple of days trying to figure out what was going on, completely ignoring Boyeong’s constant messages completely. He needed to finish the last leg of this tour before he could face the actual heartbreak that he knew was coming.

By the end of March, Hyungwon and the rest of Monsta X were on a plane home to Seoul, South Korea. While miles in the sky, Hyungwon’s friends surrounded him for each and every one of them to be in his line of sight. Each one wore comforting smiles as they sat down to talk to him about what was about to him. His friends were kind enough to not bring up the news while they were on the last leg of the tour, they even went as far as to take questions for him in interviews or redirecting the answer to a completely different question.

Shownu places a strong hand on his friend's lanky shoulder, giving it a nice squeeze. Weakly, Hyungwon returns the gesture with a smile, even if it was fake.

“What’re you going to do?” IM asks his hyung, unsure of where to even begin.

“Go home, I guess,” Hyungwon shrugs, trying to play off being indifferent.

“I don’t think she would betray you,” Minhyuk informs the tall boy, sitting down across from him, “Boyeong is a lot of things, but she never struck me as a cheater.”

“Yeah… Well, people can surprise you…” Hyungwon sighs, looking out the window.

“Why didn’t you just answer her? Get the answer you needed to hear?” Wonho asks, trying to get Hyungwon to look at him.

“Bad news is still bad even if it’s late in coming.”

“But what if it was good news?”

“She wouldn’t have blown up my phone constantly if she didn’t have anything to feel guilty over.”

“You don’t really think that,” IM states bluntly, “Or else it wouldn’t be eating you up too.”

“We’ll be landing soon,” Kihyun interrupts the tense silence that had begun to fill the plane, “Start thinking about what you’re going to face when you get home.” Hyungwon would just sigh and close his eyes, willing himself to fall into a restless sleep because he knew that what was waiting for him would probably be many sleepless nights.

When they arrived at the airport, Hyungwon’s small hope of just seeing Boyeong waiting for him was quickly crushed. She wasn’t there like she usually was. She wasn’t there to kiss him and welcome him back into the country. Hyungwon would shake his head and grab his luggage off of the rack and riding in the awaiting black SVU for him and a few of his bandmates. He wouldn’t admit that it hurt when he saw IM kiss Kaesi or how Kihyun was practically a child while he clung to Tara.

The car ride to his apartment was silent as the last four members got out at their homes. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the awaiting girlfriends. He missed her. He was furious, but he should’ve let her explain. Maybe… Maybe there was still time to let her explain. With this spark of hope, Hyungwon grabbed his luggage out of the car and hurried to his shared apartment.

“Boyeong!” He called but was met with a cold, dark apartment. It felt empty. Like nobody had been there in days. He’d frown, walking inside, “Maybe she had to work for a few days,” he’d whisper to himself, setting his bags down. Once the lights were on, he could see how big the apartment was when it was just him.

Hyungwon would try to ignore the festering anxiety he felt in the pit of his stomach and he made his way into his shared bedroom with his luggage. While he was unpacking his luggage, he saw a note left on top of Boyeong’s mirror dresser. Curiosity got the better of him and he had to know if this piece of white, leaf paper knew where Boyeong was. Taking a step closer, the note only had a few words on it,

Hyungwon,

Welcome home, I’m glad you made it home safely. There is food in the refrigerator for you. I’m sorry I can’t be home to greet you, but… I couldn’t bare to face you. I know all those pictures spiraling around must have upset you. That’s why you wouldn’t answer me. I’m sorry that they hurt you…”

He couldn’t finish the note. Shoving it down onto the dresser, Hyungwon bites his lip, seeing the sparkling silver band that was once Boyeong’s engagement ring. His heart began to rip through his chest as a searing pain settled in. He regretted not talking to her. He regretted ignoring her. He just… He just didn’t know what to do. Hyungwon began calling Boyeong frantically. She didn’t answer. He tried her mom, she hadn’t heard from her. He tried his bandmates' girlfriends, but they were of no help either. He tried so many people, trying to find her, but it was of no use.

Sinking down onto the bed, Hyungwon began to cry, unsure of what to do. Until he heard the familiar clicking sound of a key unlocking the door. Quickly standing on his feet, he ran to the front door to see if this little bit of hope was true. The front door slowly opens to reveal the familiar dark head and dark eyes of Boyeong; she was pale and looked exhausted, but that was definitely her.

“Boyeong!” Hyungwon cries, pulling her into his arms in a tight hug. Boyeong stiffens in shock, but quickly relaxes when she realized the familiar warmth and smell she was feeling was her fiance.

“Hyungwon?” She asks, pulling away to get a good look at him, “It is you!”

“That’s my line,” He’d grin as she reaches up to wipe a tear from his cheek.

“You’re crying?”

“I thought you were gone,” He’d whisper, pulling her back into his arms. Boyeong will pull away from him to get a good look at him, “What?”

“You didn’t answer any of my messages!” She scolds, swatting his arm earning her a pout.

“Well, can you blame me?” He sighs, “What even was that? Did you actually… Cheat?” The words were heavy, but he had to know the answer. No matter what it was, they could get through it. It’ll be hard, but they can.

“I didn’t.” Boyeong would tell him matter-of-factly causing Hyungwon to look at her in confusion.

“But those pictures?”

“...I was offered an acting job and my agent told me that I should come to practice at his house. I just didn’t realize it was all a rouse.”

“You were so dressed up though,” Hyungwon was still not following at all.

“I went to a bachelorette party before, but I believed my agent when he said that the audition was that night over the internet.” Boyeong would hang her head, “He was my agent for nearly fifteen years, and then he betrayed me so easily… Trying to get me into some kind of porno.”

“...Porn!?” Hyungwon’s eyes were wide as he tightens his grip on his fiancee, “And you auditioned for that!?”

“No, I didn’t,” Boyeong huffs, crossing her arms, “I hung up the audition immediately and gathered my things. My agent didn’t like my attitude and how I treated the audition, he was telling me how well I could do and how much money we could make from it. I told him that he’s fired, but he didn’t appreciate that all that much. He grabbed my arm, so I ended up decking him in the face,” After all the words left her mouth, the tension in Boyeong’s shoulders visibly relaxes. When she brought her gaze up to Hyungwon, she noticed there was a proud gleam in his eyes, “What?”

“I just didn’t realize you were so strong,” He teases, wrapping his arms around her one more time. The happy moment quickly diminishes when he realizes one little tidbit was not addressed, “Why were you not wearing your ring?”

Boyeong blinks, tilting her head, “Did you not read my note?”

“I got about halfway through… I thought you… Uh… Left me…” He clears his throat awkwardly, rubbing his neck. Boyeong once again smacks the tall man standing in front of her, “Ow! What was that for!?”

“You doubt me too much!” She huffs, “I was apologizing in the letter because I knew you’d freak out over me not wearing the engagement ring, but I couldn’t wear it!”

“Well, why not?” Hyungwon huffs, watching the miniature girl scuttle off into their bedroom, “Yah! What’re you doing!?”

“Come here, dummy!” She laughs, picking up the engagement ring off the dresser, holding it up to him. In all of his haste, Hyungwon did not notice that the diamond was missing from the ring, “When I punched Kangmin, I didn’t realize I punched him with my engagement ring on. I broke it,” She sighs, hanging her head, “I felt terrible because I knew you spent so much time and money on it…”

Hyungwon stares at the silver band for a long few moments before he sets it down on the dresser, starting to laugh, “That was it!?” Relief was beginning to flood his entire body, “We can get you another engagement ring!” He wipes a happy, laughter tear from his eyes, looking at the love of his life who was pouting.

“It’s not funny! I was seriously mad that I broke it!”

“I’m not,” Hyungwon wraps his arms around Boyeong.

“Why not?” She sighs, wrapping her arms around his neck, gazing into his loving brown eyes.

“Because you did the exact same thing I would have done,” He kisses her forehead, “Proved how much you love me.” He’d smile watching her crinkle her eyes to smile up at him, “Now, I’m going to give you a proper kiss.”

“You better!” She laughs, excitedly kissing her fiance back.

[sciencespies]

For the first time, we've detected a 'ghost particle' coming from a shredded star

https://sciencespies.com/space/for-the-first-time-weve-detected-a-ghost-particle-coming-from-a-shredded-star/

For the first time, we've detected a 'ghost particle' coming from a shredded star

A star completely torn apart when it ventured too close to a black hole has given science a rare gift. For the first time, scientists have detected a high-energy neutrino that was flung out into space during one of these violent events.

The tiny particle doesn’t just get us closer to figuring out where precisely the most energetic particles in the Universe are born; it shows that black hole tidal disruption events can produce powerful natural particle accelerators.

“The origin of cosmic high-energy neutrinos is unknown, primarily because they are notoriously hard to pin down,” said astrophysicist Sjoert van Velzen of Leiden University in the Netherlands.

“This result would be only the second time high-energy neutrinos have been traced back to their source.”

Catching the death of a star by way of a black hole is fairly rare, but we’ve seen it enough times to know roughly how this process happens. An errant star comes close enough to a black hole that it’s snared by the latter object’s gravity. The colossal tidal force of the black hole – the product of its gravitational field – first stretches and then pulls the star so hard that it’s torn apart.

This tidal disruption event (TDE) releases a brilliant flare of light, glowing brightly as half of the debris from the disintegrated star swirls around the black hole, producing immense heat before it’s pulled inexorably beyond the event horizon. The other half of the debris gets flung out into space.

It was just such a flare and glow that was observed on Earth on 9 April 2019.

The event, called AT2019dsg, was emitted by a supermassive black hole clocking in at 30 million times the mass of the Sun (our own Milky Way’s supermassive black hole’s mass is 4 million solar masses), from a distance of 750 million light-years away. It flared brilliantly in the optical and in X-ray spectra, and was later detected in the radio spectrum.

Just under six months later, on 1 October 2019, another detection was made at the IceCube neutrino detector in Antarctica: one of the highest energy neutrinos picked up yet. It was named IC191001A.

“It smashed into the Antarctic ice with a remarkable energy of more than 100 teraelectronvolts,” said astronomer Anna Franckowiak of the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) and the University of Bochum in Germany.

“For comparison, that’s at least ten times the maximum particle energy that can be achieved in the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider at the European particle physics lab CERN near Geneva.”

And it came from the direction of AT2019dsg.

Neutrinos are fascinating little things. Their mass is almost zero, they travel at near light-speed, and they don’t really interact with normal matter; to a neutrino, the Universe would be all but incorporeal. In fact, billions of neutrinos are zooming through you right now. This is why they have been nicknamed the ‘ghost particle’.

This doesn’t mean they can’t interact with matter, though, and this is how IceCube detects them. Every now and again, a neutrino can interact with the ice and create a flash of light. With detectors tunnelled deep into the darkness in the Antarctic ice, those flashes really stand out.

Based on characteristics such as how the light propagates, and how bright it is, scientists can work out how energetic the neutrino is, and the direction from whence it came. Previously, scientists traced an extragalactic high-energy neutrino back to a blazar galaxy, 4 billion light-years away.

When scientists analysed IC191001A, they found there was only a 0.2 percent chance that it was not associated with AT 2019dsg.

“This is the first neutrino linked to a tidal disruption event, and it brings us valuable evidence,” said astronomer Robert Stein of DESY.

“Tidal disruption events are not well understood. The detection of the neutrino points to the existence of a central, powerful engine near the accretion disc, spewing out fast particles. And the combined analysis of data from radio, optical and ultraviolet telescopes gives us additional evidence that the tidal disruption event acts as a gigantic particle accelerator.”

The most likely culprit, according to a second paper on the neutrino, are the relativistic jets of plasma that spew from the polar regions of an actively accreting black hole. How this happens is unclear, but astronomers think that material from the inner part of the accretion disc (but outside the event horizon) is channelled towards and launched from the poles via magnetic field lines around the outside of the black hole.

Recent simulations suggested that, when magnetic fields in these jets become tangled, they produce an electric field that can accelerate particles to relativistic – close to the speed of light – speeds. These jets can last for hundreds of days, which helps explain why the neutrino arrived six months after the initial detection.

It’s a magnificent result, and one that beautifully demonstrates what we can discover when we combine different ways of looking at the cosmos.

“The combined observations demonstrate the power of multi-messenger astronomy,” said astrophysicist Marek Kowalski of DESY and Humboldt University in Germany.

“Without the detection of the tidal disruption event, the neutrino would be just one of many. And without the neutrino, the observation of the tidal disruption event would be just one of many. Only through the combination could we find the accelerator and learn something new about the processes inside.”

The two papers have been published in Nature Astronomy here and here.

#Space

[chipsncookies]

If you haven't watched the OG Ultraman or Shin Ultraman I highly recommend them. I finished watching og then watched shin with my brother today and they were so gooood.

Aughhh i really want to!!! 😭😭😭 Also, im gonna ramble bc i have a lot of thoughts about ultraman please excuse me

Recently i just got into ultraman again after leaving it so long ago (i think the last series i watched was cosmos?) and I've been so. Overwhelmed (in a good way) with how much there is to catch up!! I initially saw the new ultraman blazar series and I've been watching it alongside pokemon horizons since they're released so close in time, and really liking blazar (this is me with him👇)

About Shin Ultraman, i was aware about its existence but i didn't really care for it before because i wasn't into ultraman back then.

I'm a pokemon fan first and foremost, but i didn't have nostalgia for it because i never played the games as a child, only watched some of the anime. But ultraman? As a kid I watched taro and 80 on my uncle's cd collection and i watched Tiga Dyna Gaia Max Cosmos on tv every weekend, I sang along to their opening and endings...

So rediscovering ultraman with my fully formed brain, coupled with childhood nostalgia, revisiting familiar and also new faces, watching the UGF series, finding out the lore and story of the ultras... My heart is full of appreciation for this series man

^just recently found out that this gif is from ultraman moebius iirc, despite having seen it floating the internet (since deviantart iirc). What ppl say is true your childhood interests really come back to you 🥹

M87 (the shin ultraman song) makes me emotional even though I haven't even watched the movie, i still remember when i first listened to it last year (i follow the singer), I didn't really like it back then just confused, i also didn't care for shin ultraman because i was unfamiliar with the original series (im more of a TDG fan) but now, with rekindled interest and more knowledge, my chest almost burst just from listening to the song 😭

I feel like watching shin ultraman will destroy me emotionally and physically (i heard it's more serious and diverged from the main story?) Luckily i dont have nostalgia for it, if i did id probably explode

That said, I'm really considering watching it sometime, some of my (non ultra) friend also showed interest in it, i hope we'll be able to arrange a suitable time for it!!! 🥹🥹 I'm not sure if I'll pick up the original series tho because I'm currently in the process of (re)watching Gaia and eps where my old favs return. I recently watched the episode with Moebius and 80 and it freaking DESTROYED me, i cried like a little baby, they gave a proper ending to 80 and his students, even brought the actor back. Seeing him being old makes me cry, time has passed so much 😭😭😭

Sorry for the long rambling i have so much feelings about ultraman!!!