#spatial identity

[niggadiffusion]

[shapethings]

[stellichor-system]

I hate co-fronting cause what the fuck do you mean I spent a whole minute of my precious front time looking for our phone while it was in thE OTHER HAND AAAA

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of "Where"

The philosophy of "where" explores the ontological and epistemological nature of place, space, and location. It asks not just what something is, but where it is—and what that where means. This idea touches on metaphysics, phenomenology, geography, identity, and even ethics. Here's a breakdown of key aspects:

Ontology of "Where"

Place as Being: Philosophers like Heidegger argue that place is not just a backdrop for events but is essential to our experience of being. "Being-in-the-world" means being somewhere, not nowhere.

Topos (Greek for "place"): Classical philosophy (like Aristotle's) treated place as the "innermost boundary" of a body, making location an intrinsic part of an object's identity.

Epistemology of "Where"

Knowing Through Place: Where something is shapes how we know it. For example, context affects meaning—physically (a sculpture in a museum vs. a junkyard), socially, and politically.

Situated Knowledge: Feminist philosophers like Donna Haraway emphasize location as central to understanding—"objectivity" is always situated.

Human Geography & Phenomenology

Place vs. Space: Place is imbued with meaning; space is more abstract. A house becomes a home through experience, memory, and identity.

Lived Experience: Phenomenologists like Merleau-Ponty see "where" as deeply tied to the body—our perception of space is not geometric, but embodied and emotional.

Ethics & Politics of "Where"

Displacement & Belonging: Questions of where we belong—or don’t—shape debates in migration, colonialism, gentrification, and environmental justice.

Territory and Power: Political philosophy engages with the ethics of place—who controls land, whose spaces are protected, and whose are erased.

Metaphysical Paradoxes

Nonlocality in Physics & Thought: In quantum mechanics and mysticism alike, where becomes less fixed. Can something exist without a fixed location?

[inspectorspacetimerevisited]

In ‘The A.I. Insurrection’, the Inspector mentioned to Belinay that they met one of her descendants in the far future before meeting her, and that she bore a striking resemblance to Cleric Friday from ‘Kablooey!’.

Yet, the question about how they appear so much alike is never addressed at any point during her travels with the Inspector.

[studio-des-br]

Jungian Archetypes and Spatial Layouts

Home design and identity

According to Carl Jung’s theory of Archetypes, spatial layouts in a home can symbolize deeper psychological structures and aspects of the homeowner’s unconscious mind. These layouts act as external representations of the inner workings of the psyche, and each type of layout can reflect different elements of the individual’s personality, emotional needs, and psychological state. Below is a description of how different spatial arrangements symbolize deep psychological structures.

1. Open Plan Layout

Symbolism: Represents freedom, openness, and flexibility.

Psychological Structure: An open-plan layout, which minimizes walls and boundaries between different living spaces, reflects a deep need for freedom, social interaction, and emotional openness. It symbolizes an extroverted personality that values communication, connection, and fluidity in relationships. This layout can also reflect the individual’s confidence in their ability to handle ambiguity and change, showing an acceptance of complexity and a desire for less rigid boundaries in life.

2. Closed/Compartmentalized Layout

Symbolism: Represents boundaries, privacy, and control.

Psychological Structure: A more compartmentalized layout, with distinct rooms and clear divisions between spaces, reflects a need for boundaries, order, and personal space. It symbolizes a more introverted or controlled personality that values privacy, structure, and predictability. This layout suggests a psychological preference for compartmentalizing emotions, thoughts, and social interactions, indicating a tendency to create clear boundaries between different areas of life.

3. Symmetrical Layout

Symbolism: Represents balance, order, and harmony.

Psychological Structure: A symmetrical layout, where spaces are arranged in a balanced and mirrored fashion, reflects a need for harmony, equilibrium, and stability. It symbolizes a personality that seeks internal balance, fairness, and order in their life. This layout often indicates a desire for psychological stability and a strong sense of justice, suggesting that the individual values order and predictability in their relationships and environment.

4. Asymmetrical Layout

Symbolism: Represents creativity, spontaneity, and individuality.

Psychological Structure: An asymmetrical layout, where spaces are arranged in an uneven or unbalanced way, reflects a creative, spontaneous, and individualistic personality. It symbolizes a deep psychological need for self-expression and flexibility, indicating that the individual is comfortable with unpredictability and diversity in their environment. This layout often points to an adventurous or non-conformist mindset, with a willingness to explore new ideas and experiences.

5. Circular Layout

Symbolism: Represents wholeness, unity, and interconnectedness.

Psychological Structure: A circular layout, where spaces are arranged around a central point or flow in a circular pattern, reflects a deep need for unity, community, and interconnectedness. It symbolizes the archetype of the “Self,” representing completeness and integration of all aspects of the psyche. This layout suggests a holistic approach to life, where the individual values the integration of different parts of their personality and seeks to create meaningful connections with others.

6. Vertical Layout (Multi-level Spaces)

Symbolism: Represents aspiration, growth, and transcendence.

Psychological Structure: A vertical layout, with multiple levels or loft spaces, reflects a deep need for growth, aspiration, and personal transcendence. It symbolizes a desire to achieve higher levels of consciousness or spiritual development. This layout often indicates a personality that seeks to rise above challenges and achieve personal or intellectual growth, pointing to a focus on ambition and progress in life.

7. Horizontal Layout (Single-level Spaces)

Symbolism: Represents stability, grounding, and practicality.

Psychological Structure: A horizontal layout, where all spaces are on a single level, reflects a need for stability, grounding, and practicality. It symbolizes a personality that values simplicity, order, and connection to the physical world. This layout often suggests a down-to-earth approach to life, with a focus on maintaining a stable and secure environment.

8. Labyrinthine Layout

Symbolism: Represents complexity, mystery, and introspection.

Psychological Structure: A labyrinthine layout, with winding paths and multiple small spaces, reflects a deep need for introspection, exploration, and psychological complexity. It symbolizes the journey into the unconscious mind, representing a search for self-discovery and hidden truths. This layout often indicates a personality that is deeply reflective, seeking to understand the complexities of their own psyche and the world around them.

9. Radial Layout

Symbolism: Represents centralization, focus, and authority.

Psychological Structure: A radial layout, where spaces radiate outward from a central core, reflects a need for control, focus, and authority. It symbolizes the centralization of power and decision-making, indicating a personality that values leadership, direction, and a clear sense of purpose. This layout suggests a strong sense of personal power and responsibility, with a focus on directing and organizing both the physical environment and internal world.

10. Modular/Transformable Layout

Symbolism: Represents adaptability, flexibility, and resourcefulness.

Psychological Structure: A modular or transformable layout, where spaces can be reconfigured or adapted for different purposes, reflects a deep psychological need for flexibility, adaptability, and resourcefulness. It symbolizes an ability to adapt to changing circumstances and make the most of available resources. This layout often points to a personality that values innovation and practicality, with a focus on solving problems and finding creative solutions.

Summary Table: Spatial Layouts and Deep Psychological Structures

Conclusion:

In Jungian terms, the spatial layout of a home reflects the deeper, often unconscious, psychological structures of the individual. Each layout, whether open or closed, symmetrical or asymmetrical, or even modular, carries symbolic meaning tied to the personality and emotional needs of the homeowner. These layouts can be interpreted as external manifestations of inner drives, desires, and challenges.

Arquétipos Junguianos e Layouts Espaciais

De acordo com a teoria dos Arquétipos de Carl Jung, os layouts espaciais em uma casa podem simbolizar estruturas psicológicas profundas e aspectos do inconsciente do proprietário. Esses layouts atuam como representações externas do funcionamento interno da psique, e cada tipo de layout pode refletir diferentes elementos da personalidade, necessidades emocionais e estado psicológico do indivíduo. Abaixo está uma descrição de como diferentes arranjos espaciais simbolizam estruturas psicológicas profundas.

1. Layout de Planta Aberta

Simbolismo: Representa liberdade, abertura e flexibilidade.

Estrutura Psicológica: Um layout de planta aberta, que minimiza paredes e divisões entre os diferentes espaços, reflete uma necessidade profunda de liberdade, interação social e abertura emocional. Simboliza uma personalidade extrovertida que valoriza a comunicação, a conexão e a fluidez nos relacionamentos. Esse layout também pode refletir a confiança do indivíduo em lidar com ambiguidade e mudanças, mostrando aceitação de complexidade e um desejo por menos limites rígidos na vida.

2. Layout Fechado/Compartimentado

Simbolismo: Representa limites, privacidade e controle.

Estrutura Psicológica: Um layout mais compartimentado, com divisões claras entre os cômodos, reflete uma necessidade de limites, ordem e espaço pessoal. Simboliza uma personalidade mais introvertida ou controlada que valoriza a privacidade, a estrutura e a previsibilidade. Esse layout sugere uma preferência psicológica por compartimentar emoções, pensamentos e interações sociais, indicando uma tendência a criar limites claros entre as diferentes áreas da vida.

3. Layout Simétrico

Simbolismo: Representa equilíbrio, ordem e harmonia.

Estrutura Psicológica: Um layout simétrico, onde os espaços são dispostos de forma equilibrada e espelhada, reflete uma necessidade de harmonia, equilíbrio e estabilidade. Simboliza uma personalidade que busca equilíbrio interno, justiça e ordem em sua vida. Esse layout frequentemente indica um desejo por estabilidade psicológica e um forte senso de justiça, sugerindo que o indivíduo valoriza a ordem e a previsibilidade em seus relacionamentos e ambiente.

4. Layout Assimétrico

Simbolismo: Representa criatividade, espontaneidade e individualidade.

Estrutura Psicológica: Um layout assimétrico, onde os espaços são dispostos de maneira desigual ou desbalanceada, reflete uma personalidade criativa, espontânea e individualista. Simboliza uma necessidade psicológica profunda de autoexpressão e flexibilidade, indicando que o indivíduo se sente confortável com a imprevisibilidade e a diversidade em seu ambiente. Esse layout geralmente aponta para uma mentalidade aventureira ou não conformista, com disposição para explorar novas ideias e experiências.

5. Layout Circular

Simbolismo: Representa integridade, unidade e interconexão.

Estrutura Psicológica: Um layout circular, onde os espaços são organizados ao redor de um ponto central ou fluem em um padrão circular, reflete uma necessidade profunda de unidade, comunidade e interconexão. Simboliza o arquétipo do "Eu", representando a completude e a integração de todos os aspectos da psique. Esse layout sugere uma abordagem holística da vida, em que o indivíduo valoriza a integração das diferentes partes de sua personalidade e busca criar conexões significativas com os outros.

6. Layout Vertical (Espaços de Vários Níveis)

Simbolismo: Representa aspiração, crescimento e transcendência.

Estrutura Psicológica: Um layout vertical, com múltiplos níveis ou espaços elevados, reflete uma necessidade profunda de crescimento, aspiração e transcendência pessoal. Simboliza um desejo de alcançar níveis mais elevados de consciência ou desenvolvimento espiritual. Esse layout geralmente indica uma personalidade que busca superar desafios e alcançar crescimento pessoal ou intelectual, apontando para um foco em ambição e progresso na vida.

7. Layout Horizontal (Espaços de Um Só Nível)

Simbolismo: Representa estabilidade, conexão com o chão e praticidade.

Estrutura Psicológica: Um layout horizontal, onde todos os espaços estão em um único nível, reflete uma necessidade de estabilidade, conexão com o chão e praticidade. Simboliza uma personalidade que valoriza a simplicidade, a ordem e a conexão com o mundo físico. Esse layout geralmente sugere uma abordagem realista da vida, com foco em manter um ambiente estável e seguro.

8. Layout Labiríntico

Simbolismo: Representa complexidade, mistério e introspecção.

Estrutura Psicológica: Um layout labiríntico, com caminhos sinuosos e vários pequenos espaços, reflete uma necessidade profunda de introspecção, exploração e complexidade psicológica. Simboliza a jornada pelo inconsciente, representando a busca pela autodescoberta e verdades ocultas. Esse layout frequentemente indica uma personalidade profundamente reflexiva, buscando entender as complexidades de sua própria psique e do mundo ao seu redor.

9. Layout Radial

Simbolismo: Representa centralização, foco e autoridade.

Estrutura Psicológica: Um layout radial, onde os espaços irradiam a partir de um núcleo central, reflete uma necessidade de controle, foco e autoridade. Simboliza a centralização do poder e da tomada de decisões, indicando uma personalidade que valoriza liderança, direção e um claro senso de propósito. Esse layout sugere um forte senso de poder pessoal e responsabilidade, com foco na organização e direção do ambiente físico e mundo interno.

10. Layout Modular/Transformável

Simbolismo: Representa adaptabilidade, flexibilidade e engenhosidade.

Estrutura Psicológica: Um layout modular ou transformável, onde os espaços podem ser reconfigurados ou adaptados para diferentes finalidades, reflete uma necessidade psicológica profunda de flexibilidade, adaptabilidade e engenhosidade. Simboliza uma habilidade de se adaptar a circunstâncias em mudança e maximizar os recursos disponíveis. Esse layout geralmente aponta para uma personalidade que valoriza inovação e praticidade, com foco em resolver problemas e encontrar soluções criativas.

Tabela Resumo: Layouts Espaciais e Estruturas Psicológicas Profundas

Conclusão:

Nos termos de Jung, o layout espacial de uma casa reflete as estruturas psicológicas mais profundas e, muitas vezes, inconscientes do indivíduo. Cada layout, seja aberto ou fechado, simétrico ou assimétrico, ou até modular, carrega um significado simbólico relacionado à personalidade e às necessidades emocionais do proprietário. Esses layouts podem ser interpretados como manifestações externas dos impulsos, desejos e desafios internos.

[rebecca-liz]

There really are two kinds of people with resits huh.

I had to resit a bunch of exams in my 2nd and 3rd years because I had a slowly unfolding mental breakdown in which I had exactly 2 good ideas ("talk to a doctor, Liz, you are Not Okay" and "tell the university you are having these problems, give them the doctor's note you got on account of being Not Okay")

The people in the room during resits were either clearly still not well (hi, me neither) and taking it Very Seriously or they were suffering from Not Enough Fucks-itis and were likely not going to pass this time either.

HEY KIDS WOULD YOU LIKE A FREE TIP FOR ACADEMIA

IF YOU HAVE A RESIT AND NEED TO REWRITE A PIECE IT IS NOT A VERY GOOD IDEA TO LIE ABOUT THE FIELD TRIPS YOU DID, METHODOLOGIES YOU USED AND RESULTS YOU OBTAINED WHEN THE LECTURER MARKING IT IS THE PERSON WHO PLANNED AND TOOK YOU ON THOSE TRIPS

[gchqbot]

[reddragdiva]

includes notes on a near identical appeal that failed hard recently

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Android x Reader (I)

It is the future and you have been tasked to solve a mysterious murder that could jeopardize political ties. Your assigned partner is the newest android model meant to assimilate human customs. You must keep his identity a secret and teach him the ways of earthlings, although his curiosity seems to be reaching inappropriate extents.

Yes, this is based on Asimov’s “Caves of Steel” because Daneel Olivaw was my first ever robot crush. I also wanted a protagonist that embraces technology. :)

Content: female reader, AI yandere, 50's futurism

[Part 2] | [More original works]

You follow after the little assistant robot, a rudimentary machine invested with basic dialogue and spatial navigation. It had caused quite the ruckus when first introduced. One intern - well liked despite being somewhat clumsy at his job - was sadly let go as a result. Not even the Police is safe from the threat of AI, is what they chanted outside the premises.

"The Commissioner has summoned you, (Y/N)." 

That's how it greeted you earlier, clacking its appendage against the open door in an attempt to simulate a knock. 

"Do you know why my presence is needed?" You inquire and wait for the miniature AI to scan the audio message. 

"I am not allowed to mention anything right now." It finally responds after agonizing seconds.

 It's an alright performance. You might've been more impressed by it, had you not witnessed first hand the Spacer technology that could put any modern invention here on Earth to shame. Sadly the people down here are very much against artificial intelligence. There have been multiple protests recently, like the one in front of your building, condemning the latest government suggestion regarding automation. People fear for their jobs and safety and you don't necessarily blame them for having self preservation. On the other hand, you've always been a supporter of progress. As a child you devoured any science fiction book you could get your hands on, and now, as a high ranked police detective you still manage to sneak away and scan over articles and news involving the race for a most efficient computer.

You close the door behind you and the Commissioner puts his fat cigarette out, twisting the remains into the ashtray with monotonous movements as if searching for the right words.

 "There's been a murder." Is all he settles on saying, throwing a heavy folder in your direction. A hologram or tablet might've been easier to catch, but the man, like many of his coworkers, shares a deep nostalgia for the old days. 

 You flip through the pages and eventually furrow your eyebrows. 

"This would be a disaster if it made it to the news." You mumble and look up at the older man. "Shouldn't this go to someone more experienced?" 

He twiddles with his grey mustache and glances out the fake window. 

"It's a sensitive case. The Spacers are sending their own agent to collaborate with us. What stands out to you?" 

You narrow your eyes and focus on the personnel sheet. What's there to cause such controversy? Right before giving up, departing from the page, you finally notice it: next to the Spacer officer's name, printed clearly in black ink, is a little "R." which is a commonly used abbreviation to indicate something is a robot. The chief must've noticed your startled reaction and continues, satisfied: 

"You understand, yes? They're sending an android. Supposedly it replicates a human perfectly in terms of appearance, but it does not possess enough observational data. Their request is that whoever partners up with him will also house him and let him follow along for the entirety of the mission. You're the only one here openly supporting those tin boxes. I can't possibly ask one of your higher ups, men with wives and children, to...you know...bring that thing in their house."

You're still not sure whether to be offended by the fact that your comfort seems to be of less priority compared to other officers. Regardless of the semantics, you're presently standing at the border between Earth and the Spacer colony, awaiting your case partner. A man emerges from behind a security gate. He's tall, with handsome features and an elegant walk. He approaches you and you reach for a handshake. 

"Is the android with you?" You ask, a little confused. 

"Is this your first time seeing a Spacer model?" He responds, relaxed. "I am the agent in your care. There is no one else." 

You take a moment to process the information, similar to the primitive machine back at your office. Could it be? You've always known that Spacer technology is years ahead, but this surpasses your wildest dreams. There is not a single detail hinting at his mechanical fundament. The movement is fluid, the speech is natural, the design is impenetrable. He lifts the warm hand he'd used for the handshake and gently presses a finger against your chin in an upwards motion. You find yourself involuntarily blushing. 

"Your mouth was open. I assumed you'd want it discreetly corrected." He states, factually, with a faint smile on his lips. Is he amused? Is such a feeling even possible? You try your best to regain some composure, adjusting the collar of your shirt and clearing your throat. 

"Thank you and please excuse my rudeness. I was not expecting such a flawless replica. Our assistants are...easily recognizable as AI."

"So I've been told." His smile widens and he checks his watch. You follow his gesture, still mesmerized, trying to find a single indicator that the man standing before you is indeed a machine, a synthetic product.

Nothing.

"Shall we?" He eyes the exit path and you quickly lead him outside and towards public transport. 

He patiently waits for your fingerprint scan to be complete. You almost turn around and apologize for the old, lagging device. As a senior detective, you have the privilege of living in the more spacious, secured quarters of the city. And, since you don't have a family, the apartment intended for multiple people looks more like a luxury adobe. Still, compared to the advanced way of the Spacers, this must feel like poverty to the android.

At last, the scanner beeps and the door unlocks. 

"Heh...It's a finicky model." You mumble and invite him in.

"Yes, I'm familiar with these systems." He agrees with you and steps inside, unbuttoning his coat.

"Oh, you've seen this before?"

"In history books."

You scratch your cheek and laugh awkwardly, wondering how much of his knowledge about the current life on Earth is presented as a museum exhibit when compared to Spacer society. 

"I'm going to need a coffee. I guess you don't...?" Your words trail as you await confirmation. 

"I would enjoy one as well, if it is not too much to ask. I've been told it's a social custom to 'get coffee' as a way to have small talk." The synthetic straightens his shirt and looks at you expectantly. 

"Of course. I somehow assumed you can't drink, but if you're meant to blend in with humans...it does make sense you'd have all the obvious requirements built in."

He drags a chair out and sits at the small table, legs crossed.

"Indeed. I have been constructed to have all the functions of a human, down to every detail." 

You chuckle lightly. Well, not like you can verify it firsthand. The engineers back at the Spacer colony most likely didn't prepare him for matters considered unnecessary. 

"I do mean every detail." He adds, as if reading your mind. "You are free to see for yourself."

You nearly drop the cup in your flustered state. You hurry to wipe the coffee that spilled onto the counter and glance back at the android, noticing a smirk on his face. What the hell? Are they playing a prank on you and this is actually a regular guy? Some sort of social experiment? 

"I can see they included a sense of humor." You manage to blurt out, glaring at him suspiciously. 

"I apologize if I offended you in any way. I'm still adjusting to different contexts." The android concludes, a hint of mischief remaining on his face. "Aren't rowdy jokes common in your field of work?"

"Uh huh. Spot on." You hesitantly place the hot drink before him.

Robots on Earth have always been built for the purpose of efficiency. Whether or not a computer passes the Turing Test is irrelevant as long as it performs its task in the most optimal, rational way. There have been attempts, naturally, to create something indistinguishable from a human, but utility has always taken precedence. It seems that Spacers think differently. Or perhaps they have reached their desired level of performance a long time ago, and all that was left was fiddling with aesthetics. Whatever the case is, you're struggling not to gawk in amazement at the man sitting in your kitchen, stirring his coffee with a bored expression.

"I always thought - if you don't mind my honesty - that human emotions would be something to avoid when building AI. Hard to implement, even harder to control and it doesn't bring much use."

"I can understand your concerns. However, let me reassure you, I have a strict code of ethics installed in my neural networks and thus my emotions will never lead to any destructive behavior. All safety concerns have been taken into consideration.

As for why...How familiar are you with our colony?" The android takes a sip of his coffee and nods, expressing his satisfaction. "Perhaps you might be aware, Spacers have a declining population. Automated assistants have been part of our society for a long time now. What's lacking is humans. If the issue isn't fixed, artificial humans will have to do."

You scoff.

"What, us Earth men aren't good enough to fix the birth rates? They need robots?"

You suddenly remember the recipient of your complaint and mutter an apology. 

"Well, I'm sure you'd make a fine contender. Sadly I can't speak for everyone else on Earth." The man smiles in amusement upon seeing the pale red that's now dusting your cheeks, then continues: "But the issue lies somewhere else. Spacers have left Earth a long time ago and lived in isolation until now. Once an organism has lost its immune responses to otherwise common pathogens, it cannot be reintegrated."

True. Very few Earth citizens are allowed to enter the colony, and only do so after thorough disinfection stages, proving they are disease free as to not endanger the fragile health of the Spacers living in a sterile environment. You can only imagine the disastrous outcome if the two species were to abruptly mingle. In that case, equally sterile machinery might be their only hope.

Your mind wanders to the idea. Dating a robot...How's that? You sheepishly gaze at the android and study his features. His neatly combed copper hair, the washed out blue eyes, the pale skin. Probably meant to resemble the Spacers. You shake your head.

"A-anyways, I'll go and gather all the case files I have. Then we can discuss our first steps. Do feel at home."

You rush out and head for your office. Focus, you tell yourself mildly annoyed.

While you search for the required paperwork - what a funny thing to say in this day and age - he will certainly take up on your generous offer to make himself comfortable. The redhaired man enters the living room, scanning everything with curious eyes. He stops in front of a digital frame and slides through the photos. Ah, this must be your Police Academy graduation. The year matches with the data he's received on you. Data files he might've read one too many times in his unexplained enthusiasm. This should be you and the Commissioner; Doesn't match the description of your father, and he seems too old to be a spouse or boyfriend. Additionally, the android distinctly recalls the empty 'Relationship' field.

"Old photos are always a tad embarrassing. I suppose you skipped that stage."

He jolts almost imperceptibly and faces you. You have returned with a thin stack of papers and a hologram projector.

"I've digitalized most files I received, so you don't have to shuffle a bunch of paper around." You explain.

"That is very useful, thank you." He gently retrieves the small device from your hand, but takes a moment before removing his fingers from yours. "I predict this will be a successful partnership."

You flash him a friendly smile and gesture towards the seating area.

"Let's get to work, then. Unless you want to go through more boring albums." You joke as you lower yourself onto the plush sofa. 

The synthetic human joins you at an unexpectedly close proximity. You wonder if proper distance differs among Spacers or if he has received slightly erroneous information about what makes a comfortable rapport. 

"Nothing boring about it. In fact, I'd say you and I are very similar from this point of view." He tells you, placing the projector on the table.

"Oh?"

"Your interest in technology and artificial intelligence is rather easy to infer." The man continues, pointing vaguely towards the opposing library. "Aside from the briefing I've already received about you, that is."

"And that is similar to...the interest in humans you've been programmed to have?" You interject, unsure where this conversation is meant to lead. 

"Almost."

His head turns fully towards you and you stare back into his eyes. From this distance you can finally discern the first hints of his nature: the thin disks shading the iris - possibly CCD sensors - are moving in a jagged, mechanical manner. Actively analyzing and processing the environment. 

"I wouldn't go as far as to generalize it to all humans. 

Just you."

[moonsharky]

idk man i just think it's interesting how in the same episode (817) we got two visuals of eddie and symbolic disruption.

by now i am sure we all know about how eddie grabs buck's right shoulder in their kitchen fight.

as opposed to when every single other shoulder grab was on the left.

across the first four shoulder grabs, eddies touch on buck's left shoulder becomes a quiet but consistent symbol—something ritualistic in its repetition. it's always the left, and it's always tied to connection, trust, and reassurance. it happens when:

eddie entrusts buck with chris after the tsunami—offering the deepest form of vulnerability.

buck returns to life after dying and then breaks up with his girlfriend who only ever wanted to talk about his death—eddie marks it not with grand gestures, but a grounding, physical welcome.

buck comes outs as bi—eddie affirms their bond with the same familiar touch.

they're drunk and ridiculous—chaos, but still safety, still them.

the left shoulder becomes more than anatomical. it's a symbolic place—the side of openness, the heart side, where eddie reaches when he's offering something: protection, belief, affection, belonging. his hand on buck's left shoulder says: i see you, i know you, i am still here with you.

the rest is under a cut because this got really long lmao

and then comes the fifth shoulder grab. they're grieving, they're angry, and they're not aligned. it's not a random change, it's a visual break in their emotional code.

spatially, it's off. it's the opposite side, the one that's never been used, a side that carries no memory between them.

emotionally, it signals distance. instead of grounding buck (or himself) or connecting with him, eddie's touch jars—like reaching for someone and missing.

narratively, it says: this is not comfort, this is not reassurance. this is a moment when their bond is under strain.

the right shoulder becomes the embodiment of their fractured state. it's still a touch—so the connection hasn't been severed entirely—but it's misaligned, like trying to play a familiar song in the wrong key. the gesture remains, but the meaning has shifted. it's a visual metaphor for grief disrupting even the deepest connections. for how pain can make us reach for someone the wrong way. and for how easy it is, even in love or friendship, to get turned around.

and then we have sleeping on the right side of the bed when he finds out what has happened to bobby.

this one isn't as black and white as the shoulder grabs, there is a bit of nuance.

throughout the series, eddie's position on the left side of the bed becomes an unspoken visual anchor—just like buck's left shoulder. it's not just a preference; it's a symbol. when eddie is on the left, he is grounded in his identity, even when alone, even when struggling. the left side becomes a quiet declaration: this is where i belong, even if it hurts.

first appearance: alone, on the left, near the edge. a man used to sleeping alone, leaving space—both physically and emotionally—for something he hasn't yet allowed himself to reach for. still, the left side is his side.

the three times in the montage building to his ptsd breakdown: again alone, again on the left. but now he's closer to the centre—edging inward, away from the edge of the bed, perhaps unconsciously craving connection. that space on the right side of the bed remains empty but present. these shots appear as he drifts deeper int a spiral—emotionally withdrawn, but still clinging to familiarity. the left side is his tether.

the left side holds continuity. whether in grief, repression, or monotony, it's where eddie returns. it's where he makes space—whether or not he knows for whom.

in scenes where he shares the bed—first with his ex-wife, later with his girlfriend— the staging becomes a little more complicated, reflecting the emotional confusion in those relationships

with shannon: they're upside down in the bed—eddie is technically on the right, but visually, with shannon beside him, it reads as the left. symbolically it reflects the chaos of their dynamic: a shared history that doesn't quite fit anymore. she's on the edge, physically and emotionally, and he's left in between—trying to hold onto a familiar position in an unfamiliar formation. she dies ten episodes later.

with marisol: another upside down shot, but this time they're physically closer to eddie's side. she's not on the edge like shannon—there's room behind her. but that visual closeness is deceptive: emotionally they're still mismatched. this is the scene we see her officially moved in, packing boxes around eddie's bedroom, but the symmetry is fragile. she moves out at the end of the episode.

in both cases eddie never fully gives up the visual space of the left, but the blocking suggests that when others share his bed, it doesn't feel like sharing—it feels like rearranging. he's physically there, but emotionally disoriented.

1. later flashback with shannon: they're not upside down this time. chronologically this would be after the first time we see them in bed together, and before the end of that episode where she shows up on christmas day. eddie is on the left, not at the edge, not at the centre—somewhere in between. its a quieter scene, more stable, and just before eddie decides to reopen emotional space between them—for her to see christopher again. there's a softness here, but the tragedy to come lingers just beyond the frame.

then there's the final scene of eddie in bed in the 817 flashback. texas. the middle of the night. the call comes. their captain has died. eddie wakes up on the right side of the bed.

this is not just a logistical change. its a rupture in the visual language. the right side, for eddie, is foreign. it doesn't hold history, safety, or selfhood.

he's not in la. he's not near buck. he's not near the life he built for himself.

he's in texas—the place of his past, but not his home

his parents and extended relatives may be in the same state, but his found family isn't

eddie being on the right side of the bed—alone, out of place, receiving devastating news—is symbolic dislocation. it says: this isn't where i'm meant to be. not in this house. not in this life. not even in this bed in this room.

where the left side is grounding, the right side is severance. eddie on the right side of the bed is eddie adrift. it's a quiet, visual confirmation that something isn't right, that he is far from home.

both symbolic disruptions—the right-side shoulder grab and the right-side bed placement—occur in the same episode where eddie returns to la, but the irony is that even here, in the city he calls home, he doesn't feel at home in himself. the bed in texas underscores his physical and emotional disturbance; it's a visual cue that he's been living a life out of alignment. but the shoulder grab happens in la—among his family, in the place where he should feel most like eddie. and yet, in that moment, his grief fractures the instinctual connection he shares with buck. by reaching for the right shoulder, he unconsciously echoes the misplacement we see in texas—showing that the dissonance isn't just about geography. it's inside him now. this convergence of visual breaks—sleeping on the wrong side of the bed and touching the wrong shoulder—signals eddie's internal compass is spinning. he's lost not just his captain, but his grounding, and the emotional fluency he once had with the people he loves. even in la, he's still off centre because he's hurting and his best friend won't talk about their shared grief.

[shapethings]

[blackcat-star]

Hello author,can I request where our!SLx readers meet with Canon SL..When Our!Jinwoo meet with Canon!Jinwoo where they just stare eachother with their signature face..Canon! Cha Hae In also meet Our!Cha Hae In..The canon was surprised that our!SL don't marry eachother but instead just friends..So the canon thought ask why so Our!SL just answered that they're already married with someone else..So that's moment fem!reader (Our!Jinwoo's wife) and male!reader (Our!Cha Hae In's husband) arrived with groceries in their hands.Put a comedy where OUR!SL has more children than canon����🤣..

And it's me,who share idea with you about four Jinwoo in the past 😅

Multi-Universe.

Cha Haein x Sung Jinwoo Sung Jinwoo x Fem!Reader Cha Haein x Male!Reader.

Note: [C]Jinwoo - [C]Haein : Canon!Jinwoo - Canon!Haein [O]Jinwoo - [O]Haein: Our  version of them, which x reader. [F] - [M] Reader/You: Fem!Reader - Male!Reader

____________________________

A spatial rift suddenly appeared in the sky above Seoul, a sparkling light in the air spreading like ripples on the surface of water. The strange thing was that the people below did not react to the sudden appearance of a strange circle, it seemed like they did not see it.

But [C]Haein and [C]Jinwoo did.

The two of them were standing on Kaisel's back, flying high in the sky. Today was supposed to be a normal date for the couple, eating at a fancy restaurant, shopping, and enjoying their high-altitude journey. But the appearance of the gate ruined that.

[C]Jinwoo frowned, the face that had been smiling just a few seconds ago quickly replaced with a cold and wary one. His Shadow Monarch instincts were burning. There was something different about the energy signature.

Some feeling inside him told him that this gate wouldn't bring any danger, but he couldn’t help but be cautious. There was no telling what might happen. On the other hand, [C]Haein held her husband's hand, feeling the energy emanating from the gate that was a little familiar.

"Do you feel that?" [C]Haein asked, her voice soft as she stood next to him. Her hand followed Jinwoo's sleeve.

"Yeah," [C]Jinwoo replied, his brows furrowed as he looked at the crack, one hand pulling [C]Haein behind him. The power within him stirred uncomfortably. "Stay behind me."

Suddenly the crack opened wider and emitted a bright light. A force pulled them towards the crack. Before being completely engulfed by the light, [C]Jinwoo only managed to hug [C]Haein tightly and cover them with his shadow, protecting them from any harm.

When the light disappeared and their vision returned, they found themselves standing in the living room of a house. It looked familiar, but also different.

[C]Jinwoo and [C]Haein looked around cautiously. Everything looked harmless.

Suddenly, a door to the room opened, causing both [C]Jinwoo and [C]Haein to be stunned. Along with that, a woman also walked out of the kitchen.

"I didn't expect to have a special guest visit so suddenly."

It was like looking into a mirror, but not quite. In front of [C]Haein and [C]Jinwoo were them (?), or a different version of them. The other Sung Jinwoo had sharp eyes that could cut through steel, the same dark aura of Shadow Monarch swirling around him that was almost imperceptible, and the same majestic presence that made even S-rank hunters retreat. Cha Haein was simpler, holding a ladle and wearing an apron.

For a long while, the four of them just stared at each other, their expressions of shock and feeling identical. As for the two Jinwoos, they locked eyes in a silent confrontation, not blinking, not wanting to appear weak. Both of them unconsciously adopted the same posture, legs slightly apart, arms hanging down by their sides, ready to summon darkness at any moment.

[C]Jinwoo was the first to break the silence, his voice cold and calm. "Who are you?"

[O]Jinwoo's lips curved into his signature half-smile, a smile that never reached his eyes but still conveyed both amusement and danger. "I think you already know the answer."

The air between them was heavy with tension as the two Shadow Monarchs sized each other up, their identically sharp gazes locked in a silent battle of wills. Neither backed down. It was like watching two apex predators circle each other, determining whether the other was a threat or merely a curiosity.

"Alternate dimensions," [O]Haein whispered, her senses piecing together the situation faster than the others. Her analytical mind had always been her forte.

"Fascinating. The energy signatures were nearly identical to ours, but with subtle changes."

[C]Haein's nose twitched slightly as she caught a whiff of an unexpected scent. Her enhanced senses had always been especially sensitive to Jinwoo, but something was off. "You...you don't smell like him," she said to [O]Jinwoo, referring to the signature scent that had initially drawn her to [C]Jinwoo, a scent that no other hunter possessed.

And [O]Haein chuckled softly, the sound breaking the silence. "We're not exactly the same."

At that moment, the front door opened, and two people, a man and a woman, entered the house, each with a bag of groceries in their hands.

The woman entered the house with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling. She put the bag down on the ground and quickly hugged [O]Jinwoo. "We're back!" Completely unaware of the two guests' existence.

[O]Jinwoo also chuckled lightly and wrapped his arms around his wife, placing a loving kiss on her forehead. "Welcome back."

The man smiled shyly, raised his hand to greet [C]Jinwoo and [C]Haein, then walked over to [O]Haein, placing a kiss on her cheek.

[C]Jinwoo and [C]Haein looked at the scene before them in surprise.

"Who are they?" [C]Haein asked, curiosity momentarily overriding caution.

[O]Jinwoo glanced at the woman with obvious affection, his usually stern expression softening just enough to be recognized. "My wife."

[C]Jinwoo's eyes widened to the point of being almost imperceptible, the only sign of his surprise. "Your wife? But-" He glanced between [O]Jinwoo and [O]Haein, confusion evident despite his efforts to hide it.

It was only then that [F]you noticed the presence of [C]Jinwoo and [C]Haein, you looked at them with a bewildered expression.

"Oh! I didn't expect to have guests. I wonder if we bought enough for everyone!" You said with a worried look. You're worried about not having enough food for everyone, not about the appearance of a doppelganger of your husband and best friend.

[M]You facepalmed. "That's all you care about!?"

"Or what?" [F]You pouted. "Haven't we encountered more strange things than this? This is nothing."

[M]You: ...

That seems to make sense.

[C]Haein couldn't hide her confusion at the sight before her. A [O]Jinwoo who still maintained his regal demeanor, yet embraced another woman with a gentle gaze, the kind of gaze that only she had ever received. Meanwhile, [O]Haein comfortably received a kiss on the cheek from the strange man, her face beaming as if everything was normal.

"What the hell is going on...?"[C]Jinwoo muttered, his voice low and tense.

[M]You had stepped forward now, placing the bag of vegetables on the table and crossing your arms over your chest, looking straight at the two uninvited guests. "Are these two people from another dimension?"

[O]Jinwoo nodded slightly, his eyes still not leaving [C]Jinwoo. "It seems so. It wasn't intentional, they didn't expect this either."

"Then it's not their fault," [F]you interjected, his voice a little softer. "I'll reheat the soup and make some more dishes."

[C]Haein looked at [F]you, stunned. "Don't you find it strange? We look exactly like those two..."

[F]You smiled lightly, shaking your head. "Actually, there is a difference." Then you looked at [O]Jinwoo, your eyes filled with love, without any fear or doubt. "He is my Jinwoo, not yours."

[O]Haein nodded. "We are not the same. Didn't you say that Sung Jinwoo in this world is not like your Jinwoo?"

[C]Haein squeezed her husband's hand lightly, clearly feeling the wavering in him.

[C]Jinwoo glanced at [O]Haein and [M]you - a completely different couple from him and his wife. He had never seen Haein intimate with anyone else, and he could not imagine a world where the wife he loved could smile happily next to a man who was not him.

[M]You patted [C]Jinwoo's shoulder. "Don't worry. We won't interfere with your world. But since you're here, let's have dinner first. We'll talk about the multiverse later."

_______________

"WHAT!? THREE KIDS?"

[C]Jinwoo and [C]Haein were shocked to learn that in another world, [O]Jinwoo and [F]you had three children, while they only had one son, Suho.

You giggled at their reactions.

"Could it be..." [C]Haein stuttered, her eyes shifting from [O]Jinwoo to [F]you, then to the three family photos placed on the cabinet next to the living room. One photo was of the whole family smiling brightly by the beach, Jinwoo carrying a little girl on his shoulders, while two other boys hugged [F]you's legs from behind.

[C]Jinwoo stiffened, quietly walked over to the cabinet and picked up the photo frame. [O]Jinwoo's face in the photo was still his face, but the difference was the look, the smile. A gentle, patient, and family-like Jinwoo. And [F]you was smiling brightly, his eyes seemed to contain the whole world.

"Three children..." [C]Jinwoo repeated, his voice low and low like the wind. "Who do they resemble?"

"The oldest is like me, reserved but far-sighted," [O]Jinwoo replied, his voice proud. "The middle child is mischievous as hell, probably like his mother..." He turned his head to look at you meaningfully, causing you to frown and weakly retort, "I'm mature."

[C]Haein was confused. She didn't know what to feel - admiration, jealousy, or confusion. The man in front of her was still Jinwoo, but a Jinwoo who had matured in a different way. He had lived a completely separate life, a life she didn't belong to.

"What about the youngest?" [C]Haein asked, unable to resist her curiosity.

[M]You interjected, your eyes shining with an indescribable tenderness. "The youngest is the one who clings to her father the most. Every time Jinwoo goes away, she cries all night. She always says 'Daddy is my hero.'"

[C]Jinwoo asked [M]you curiously. "What about you two?"

"Ah, we have two daughters. The kids are currently at their grandparents' house."

[C]Jinwoo:...

Suddenly felt inferior.

Silence fell over the room. Each of the four people were initially immersed in their own emotions.

"It's strange." [C]Jinwoo said, placing the photo frame back on the cabinet. "It's as if we're looking at a possible future if things were a little different."

[F]You chuckled lightly. "Or maybe a different fate. Fate isn't always the same in all worlds."

[C]Haein gently held her husband's hand, her eyes still glued to the warm family image. "Jinwoo... do you think we could also...?"

He turned to look at her, his gaze softening, "We could."

Suddenly, small footsteps sounded from the top of the stairs.

"Daddy-" A small voice rang out, and then a little girl with long, fluttering hair ran down, wearing a Kaisel-shaped nightgown.

Both [C]Jinwoo and [C]Haein stood rooted to the spot.

The little girl hugged [O]Jinwoo's legs, then saw two people who looked like her father and Aunt Haein standing in the living room. She paused, blinked a few times, then looked up and asked, "Who is that?"

"Mom and Dad's friends," [F]you said gently, moving forward to pat her head. "They came from a very far away place."

The little girl nodded seriously, then turned to [C]Jinwoo "You look a lot like my daddy!"

[C]Jinwoo didn't know how to react. He looked at the child, not his child, but the child of someone who was also him.

[M]You turned to pat Jinwoo's shoulder. "You'll be a great father too."

"We only have Suho..." [C]Haein said softly. "Still learning how to be good parents."

[O]Haein smiled, her eyes gentle. "Then let's study a little more today."

[C]Jinwoo chuckled softly, the first time since they stepped through that bright gate.

[F]You smiled and clapped your hands, "Come on, let's eat before the soup gets cold! Jinwoo, help me prepare the table."

[O]Jinwoo immediately stood up, putting his arm around your shoulder. "Yes, ma'am."

Message: I remember you! Thanks for supporting me and sorry for making you wait for so long 〒▽〒

I hope you like this 💗love you

[icantbelieveitsnotbutler]

Phantomhive Manor Layout

I'm the type of person who loves a good fictional map or floor plan and, unable to find one of the Phantomhive manor house on the internet, I naturally tried to make one myself. I figured that I would be able to to follow the routes the characters take to get to certain rooms and compare the interior and exterior window positions and designs to map the rooms.

I've been trying off and on for around a week now and, besides the entrance hall, I couldn't confidently tell you the location of a single room. Windows seen from the inside don't exist on the outside and windows on the exterior aren't present within the rooms. Certain windows and external doors exist in one chapter and are gone the next. Characters go up 3 full flights of stairs only to end up on the second floor. Entire stories appear where they weren't in previous in arcs.

This is obviously due to human error and things being changed to make them more historically accurate or to serve the story. It also doesn't matter where the rooms are, only the purpose they serve and what happens in them. The location of the dining room isn't important; we just need to know that's where people eat and have birthday parties, and one time Sebastian did a cool flip there.

That being said, I always want a Watsonian explanation even when there's a Doylist one. I could only come up with one in-universe explanation for the logical inconsistencies of the house: when Sebastian restored the manor house, he didn't just fix it. Whatever he did to it, the house is no longer a static, spatially-consistent structure.

If anyone is interested, more details about how confusing this building is are below the cut (with some out of context manga spoilers).

The Manor House

The first image is the front of the house, the side which carriages approach. The second image is the back where the garden is. Both are from Meyrin's backstory.

Here are more aerial views:

Note the appearance of extra windows along the side of the central section in the first one, which is from the same arc as the previous two images. The second is from the Blue Revenge Arc.

Here are details of the back view of the building:

Note the disappearing windows in some.

Ciel's bedroom.

Before the Green Witch Arc, Ciel's bedroom windows look like this on the interior and exterior:

Note that they open outwards (casement). Also note that they interrupt the hip-height decorative design inside. The three exterior shots are from Sebastian's record in the Luxury Liner Arc and don't match any corner on the more zoomed-out views of the building.

At the end of the Green Witch Arc, the windows are now hung (the bottom half slides upward to open) rather than casement style, but are otherwise the same:

In the Blue Revenge Arc (including the servants' flashbacks and r!Ciel's time there after he reclaims his identity from o!Ciel), the windows change:

The curtains are now a solid color and the decorative design is below the windows, rather than being interrupted by them. Those are insignificant details, but the panels showing the exterior directly contradict the interior and information from previous arcs:

The room is now on the middle floor while before it was on the top floor (not including the attic level), in addition to having a different architectural design around it.

The bedchamber together with the front room have 4 windows altogether, but the exterior only shows 3. The dressing room and bathroom each have a bay window, but the area where they would be seems to be up half a level. There's also a window on the exterior on the wall behind Ciel's bed, but no sign of it inside.

Interestingly, the layout of his quarters would be closer to the floor above, which has the four windows on the back and the two bay windows on the side. It's missing the dormer windows above, and the architectural details below, but it makes me think that there was some error in planning/drawing and the bedroom was actually supposed to be on the top floor.

It seems that the whole manor is actually two main floors for the family and guests, with a basement level and an attic level for the servants, and that one additional floor in the corner block got added at some point. In the earlier arcs, the roof of that section was the same height as the section to the left of it. It was only in the Blue Revenge Arc that they became different heights:

I thought things might be cleared up by following the routes of the characters to reach the room, but it's hard to understand where they're going.

In the Murder Arc, they go up one flight of stairs from the dining room (usually on the first floor in these types of houses) to reach Ciel's bedroom, and the second time they go up at least two floors from a bedroom (usually on the second floor) to reach the same room.

In Bard's backstory, Finny tells him Ciel's room is on the second floor, and then Bard goes up three flights of stairs from the first floor to reach it.

Something to note is that the three middle panels of Bard's route are identical to the first route of the Murder Arc, and then he goes up an entire extra staircase to reach what is supposed to be the same room.

In the Blue Memory Arc, Ciel has to come down from a higher floor to reach his parents' room (which became his room).

If the bedroom is on the second floor, he must have come down from the third floor, but I can't find the window in the stairwell anywhere on the outside of the building.

The Dining Room

The dining room is a long room with two entrances on one of the short walls, three large windows on the left, a fireplace on the right, and a huge bow window at the end. I initially thought there could be two of them, because I noticed that the height and design of the bottom of the bow window seemed to change depending on what meal was being eaten. However, I now think it's just inconsistent drawing.

As usual, there's no way to tell where this room is located. There are no bow windows on the outside of the building, or even a corner of the building which would allow for this configuration of windows.

The Drawing Room

This room has two enormous windows and conveniently has a panel of Ciel looking out of one them so we can determine its general location. However, I'm not sure which of the following sets of windows is correct:

The blue and orange are very big, but the yellow has the same window pane pattern as the most recent iteration of the room, which is the most accurate. However, the yellow is a set of three windows while the room has two. One of the windows could be in the next room, but it feels unlikely. The interior distance from the top of the windows to the ceiling is lacking from the the blue on the outside, so if the drawing is accurate, it would probably be the orange. The orange also feels most accurate to the panel of Ciel looking out the window, but the earlier volumes were less consistent in perspectives and proportions, so it's impossible to tell.

Ciel's Office

Ciel's office has a bay window overlooking the drive up to the house. There are two locations that fit this criteria.

In volume one (so take this with a grain of salt), there's a second window consistent with the teal option, but it doesn't seem to show up again. The side where the second window would in the orange option is never shown (to my knowledge).

Whichever option it is, the other side might be the room where Sebastian tutored Ciel.

The wall shown with bookshelves doesn't seem to have a window consistent with the teal side, so assuming the window is on the opposite wall and this room is the orange, Ciel's office would be the teal.

[constanttea]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ A Broken Clock is Right Twice ੈ✩‧₊˚

Dick Grayson x Reader One-Shot

✰ ✰ ✰

Mild Angst & Fluff

He tries to break up with you after some guilt from too many late nights.

He misses one too many nights at your side. The talk looms over him. The one in which he tries and fails to break up with you:

Having a vigilante boyfriend isn’t easy. It means going to sleep in a cold bed and being woken up when he sneaks home in ungodly hours, bumping into your dresser at 3 AM. Now this doesn't necessarily make you a light sleeper, or him a bad vigilante, but there’s something about taking off the mask that kills spatial awareness.

He always manages to crash into something like a cat with the midnight zoomies. The comparison makes you snot softly, turning your head to a more comfortable angle against your pillow. Honestly, it’s a good description for him. He might as well have nine lives, and he certainly lands on his feet. 

Living in a city like Bludhaven doesn’t help. The city isn’t particularly kind to the faint of heart or the light sleeper. Last night you fell asleep to the sounds of a neighbor’s…merry-making. Or dispute? It was hard to tell. Either way, you had let your laptop fill the space with a video essay, a fun rambling and overly eloquent one. You drifted off somewhere between the creator referencing Plato and insisting that Oliver Queen was Batman’s secret identity. (You know better of course, but at least the narrator had a soothing voice.)

Having Dick Grayson as your boyfriend also means adjusting to someone who is always fashionably late to everything. Even when you know he doesn’t have anything else fifteen minutes ago, he still shows up late for no good reason. It’s just in his nature. It would bother you more, but most days you’re just happy to see him.

Most days.

You nurse a now cold cup of tea, sinking into the cushions of your secondhand obtained couch with some dismay. A deep sigh escapes you. He is very late. 

On one hand, you really can’t blame him. He is always fashionably, unintentionally, and infuriatingly late. Between his night activities and his day job, he’s stretched thin. You know that.

It doesn’t make you feel less lonely right now. 

There’s a rottenness to the betrayal like a bowl of fruit going soft. You should’ve known better. It’s your fault, not his. You’re the one that’s too much, who expects too much. You choose to stay up to wait for him. 

You have work tomorrow, and you really should just go to sleep. You shouldn’t stay up waiting, but…it’s your birthday, or it was. Was it so bad to want to say goodnight to him for once? Your birthday was supposed to be special. Growing up, birthdays were an ordeal, forgettable, or something in between, but he promised this one would be different. He begged you to let him make it special, and this was all you wanted. 

It stings. Tears threaten to overwhelm you, your vision beginning to blur. It hurts almost as much holding them in as it does letting them come to the surface.

When Dick comes home to you curled up on the couch with the lights still on, the apologies on his lips die at the sight of you. He looks at you with a sharp despair in his eyes. It clenches at his heart because he didn’t want to do this to you. You don’t even have a blanket. Your mug is empty and cold on the table. You didn’t even go to bed.

You waited. 

His chest aches with guilt. You tried so hard. No! You’ve been trying so hard, giving him chances he never earned. He let himself get caught up in everything but you. 

He considers you mournfully for a moment, standing with his jaw tight and shoulders slumped. Then the scent of his own sweat alongside whatever grime he picked up on patrol assaults  his senses. He pads to the bathroom to clean off. You’re asleep, and he needs to wash off the city. Maybe some shame too. If you wake up, maybe he’ll have figured out what to say to you by then. 

Or maybe something that could fix this whole crumbling relationship thing because with all his absences lately he had a feeling that there was this growing space between you. That wasn’t totally accurate, there may have been an additional space growing between you that he had contributed to. He kept not being able to deal with it. It was hard to be in a committed relationship, and he just kept laying down more bricks to the wall he settled between you.

He wanted this relationship, but his nights out and the darkness of the city reminded him why these things never lasted, especially not with someone like you. You deserved better than him, someone who didn’t leave you waiting, who made your birthday special. He had really wanted to be that person, but maybe this was it? The beginning of the end.

With pajama pants on and smelling like your scented body wash, he creeps back out into the living room. Honest to goodness he just wants to carry you to bed. He wants to hold you and kiss your head and fall asleep like that, but another part of him thinks it will only prolong the suffering. He doesn’t know what to do. 

His foot slams into the corner of the couch, pain shooting signals up his leg. He doubles over, clutching the back of the couch with a hiss, grasping for support.

Of course it wakes you. How could it not? 

You blink sleep and sleeplessness out of your eyes, a string of sounds slipping out of your mouth. He sniffles, “Sorry, can you repeat that?” 

You settle into a cat-like stretch, letting out a yawn, causing one to escape him in response. Yawn. “Don’t do that!” he says, “I’m still trying to convince myself I’ll have enough sleep for tomorrow.”

You reach a lazy hand out to him, “How was your night?” You know why he wasn’t here. You don’t want to fight. You just want him, what little of him you can have. 

He sucks in a breath.

“Is it your toe?” You pull yourself the rest of the way out of your crevice in the couch with some difficulty, “We have frozen broccoli.”

He rests a hand on your shoulder, pushing you back onto the couch. “No. No frozen broccoli. We…we need to talk.”

“It’s 4 AM, hun. Can’t it wait ‘til morning?”

I think we should break up? I think you deserve better? I think I’m an asshole. He never did figure out what to say in the shower. He was lingering much too long on the vanilla in your soap. The vanilla he went and covered himself in. What a horrible decision! As much as he wanted to be near you, he also knew he couldn’t. 

“I missed your birthday,” he says finally. He doesn’t know what else to say. You were just going to have takeout, watch a movie on the couch together on your laptop, have some time together. The two of you…

You sniffle, “There’s always next year.” Next year. Another year of this to what, come home to you devastated. 

“But I miss everything,” he says much quieter.

You freeze at the drop in his voice, taking in the defeated pout he bears. “Hold on. Are you trying to break up with me?”

“I--”

There is a fire ripping to life beneath your skin. Everything comes broiling together into one hot sticky mess. You waited. You miss him all the time, but you still love him. You still try to make it work. Relationships take work, and you know that, and here he is pre-decided, trying to chicken out on you.

“No.”

He gasps, flapping his jaw as words bubble in his throat. “No?”

“I said NO. You don’t get to break up with me.” 

He huffs, the pout deepening into a frown, “You can't just tell me I’m not allowed–.”

“You can’t just decide for both of us!” You push at his shoulder. It isn’t particularly hard, but there is some force to it. He of course doesn’t even budge. 

“You’ve clearly already had some stupid breakup narrative play out in your head and decided you’re doing me some favor. At four fucking AM. While smelling like my soap by the way!” There’s a crack in your voice and a glitter in your eye that stabs him in the chest once more. 

Your voice breaks as you gesture to him, but your eyes catch on something else, your expression shifting. “You are covered in bruises.” You lift the hem of his shirt, “and you’ve ripped your stitches,” you murmur.  

He looks down at them, sheepish. “I can do them. You have work in a few hours. You need your sleep.”

“I need my boyfriend to stop being an idiot,” you reply, that warmth drifting into your tone despite it all.

“You deserve someone that you can be normal with. Someone who’s here.”

You lift your gaze to his. “When have I ever been normal?” He snorts a little at that. “I love you, don’t I? Have to be a little strange to.”

He could be offended, but somehow this is washing over him better than the burning water, your words scald him and bring him to life. Of course he doesn’t want to leave you, but he doesn’t want to make you stay.

“You’re doing it again,” you say.

He urges himself to find something silly and lighthearted to say, to turn the temperature of the room around, to put out the fire burning in your eyes. As beautiful as you are, he doesn’t want to keep upsetting you. All he does is hurt you! 

You huff, tangling a hand into his hair, “We need sleep. Let me patch you up, and then come to bed. I’ll scold you when you’re making us both coffee in a bit.”

He mutters, “I can do it myself. Really, you should go to-” Your fingers yank at the roots of his hair. Not too hard, but not at all gentle either. 

He winces. Pulling him to your level for a moment, you press your lips against his cheek. It must be uncomfortable for him. “Don’t test me. You missed my birthday.”

The way he curls up against you says the words you needed to hear him say. It’s not tight and grasping as if he is scared of losing you, nor is it loose and fragile as if he’ll destroy what remains like crushing an egg inside a fist. It’s a penance. He curls up against you, tucking him into you like you belong there, and you are both quite certain at this moment that you do in fact belong. 

[theunsinkableship1]

CRAZY ABOUT THEIR LOVE

"There's love there" dixit Nicola.

Yesterday, Nicola received a BAFTA nomination for her work in Big Mood, which has been renewed for a second season. She is a talented actress with a good heart and an agreeable personality. I hope that she’ll win and if she doesn’t it’s ok. Whether she wins or not, there are likely more opportunities ahead for her to achieve further successes. There have also been discussions regarding her private life, which is unfortunate on a day that marks a significant milestone in her career.

Was it unfortunate? Yes! Unexpected? No!

Her talent and beauty are widely recognized, but much of the interest in her online is centered around her private life. She may not be comfortable with this aspect of her popularity, and public figures often have limited control over how they are perceived. I’ve never been a real fan of a person before and certainly not to the point of knowing as much as I know now about lukola. The fact is that I’m just a casual fan of both actors and normally I wouldn’t follow their activities that closely and wouldn’t be much interested in their private lives, this why I restate that I will not follow their other relationships as I am not fully aware of the dynamics or background information necessary to form a conclusive opinion and what has transpired to this day isn’t appealing to me and to be fair can’t really be because we don’t have years of interactions and the deep dive with world tour like background knowledge .

Luke and Nicola have already recognized that a significant part of their public appeal stems from their dynamic together. This could be one of the reasons why they’re creating distance, whether for personal reasons, professional positioning, or external pressures.

By stepping back, they control the narrative, preventing their careers from being overshadowed by speculation. It allows them to establish individual identities beyond their joint appeal, ensuring their work is taken seriously on its own merit.

It could also be a missed opportunity , their bond is a force that transcends standard co-star dynamics. Instead of resisting it, embracing their unique impact could elevate their legacy beyond just a TV show. Some connections aren’t meant to be hidden; they become cultural moments that inspire, move, and even change people’s perspectives on love and human connection.

Ultimately, while they may try to control the perception of their relationship, the way the world receives and resonates with them is beyond their control. And perhaps, that’s not something to fight, but something to embrace.

Yesterday, someone, not a close friend called me crazy because I asked them to listen to a Lukola clip I had posted on my Tumblr. Some people could hear what I was pointing out, while others couldn’t, even after I boosted the audio to make it clearer. My immediate test some of my audience couldn’t hear anything, and one person went so far as to call me crazy. I didn’t appreciate it and struggled to understand why they were unable to hear it. Was I really imagining things? Was there truly nothing there?

The answer is simple: No, I wasn’t imagining things. And yes, there is something there.

Human perception is far from uniform, especially when it comes to hearing. Just as some people have sharper eyesight or better spatial awareness, hearing ability varies greatly from person to person. Factors like age, frequency sensitivity, past exposure to loud sounds, and even genetic predisposition affect how we process audio.

In my case, I didn’t just rely on my own ears. I took the clip, and had it analyzed through audio spectrum tools that visually display sound frequencies. The analysis confirmed that the frequencies of the words were indeed present in the audio file, proving that I wasn’t "hearing voices" or imagining things. AI tools, interestingly, also struggled to transcribe certain parts, just as some humans did. This is similar to the well-known "blue and gold dress" phenomenon, where different people perceived the same visual input in vastly different ways. Just as with color perception, auditory perception can differ dramatically based on how an individual's brain processes sound.

This extends beyond just hearing. In general, people interpret reality based on personal biases, past experiences, and even subconscious conditioning. Some are more attuned to body language, micro-expressions, and emotional undercurrents, while others need more explicit confirmation to recognize what’s right in front of them.

In the case of Lukola, shippers often see and feel something an energy that transcends mere friendship. Yet skeptics, for various reasons, might dismiss these same moments, either because they aren’t looking closely enough, don’t want to see it, or simply don’t have the intuitive ability to pick up on subtle dynamics.

If Lukola were just a projection of wishful thinking, then why does the same pattern of interactions, glances, physical closeness, and emotional depth consistently appear? Why do so many unrelated observers, across different cultures, backgrounds, and levels of analytical skill, pick up on the same chemistry? And why does every attempt to disprove Lukola rely on external factors rather than what’s actually happening between Luke and Nicola?

Lukola possesses unique and exceptional qualities. Their interactions, reactions, and ability to reconnect despite adverse circumstances defy conventional understanding. It is not possible to simulate the level of ease, tension, or emotional resonance they exhibit. For those who can observe and interpret the details, the patterns become unmistakable.

So no, I’m not crazy. And neither are the countless others who perceive what’s right there in front of us. Some may not hear it. Some may not see it. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t real.

Luke and Nicola's dynamic appears to go beyond a typical co-star relationship. This level of interest is absolutely unusual for me, and others in the Lukola community have reported similar feelings of attachment to their bond. Whether this relationship is romantic, deeply intimate, or something else, it seems to resonate strongly with many observers. The reasons behind this strong resonance remain unclear.

Humans are wired to seek patterns, to make sense of connections that may not be immediately obvious. Lukola shippers aren’t just indulging in wishful thinking; many of us sense undeniable chemistry, subtle moments of tension, and contradictions in their public narrative. This sparks an instinct to analyze, to decode, to uncover something that doesn’t quite fit into the "just friends" framework.

Additionally, the longer one observes and collects evidence, whether it’s body language, micro expressions, or the apparent shifts in behavior when they are together, the deeper the emotional investment grows. The brain seeks to validate what it already suspects, reinforcing the belief that there is something real happening beneath the surface.

For many, the draw toward Lukola feels intuitive. There is a gut feeling, an unshakable certainty that their bond holds more meaning than what is publicly acknowledged. Some might describe it as an energetic connection, a frequency that people unconsciously pick up on.

Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious suggests that groups of people can tap into hidden truths before they become widely accepted. Could it be that Lukola shippers are picking up on an unspoken reality that the world hasn’t fully acknowledged yet? It would explain why so many independent observers arrive at the same conclusion despite official narratives trying to steer them away.

There’s also the idea of twin flames or fated connections, relationships that seem destined, even if obstacles stand in the way. Many Lukola supporters believe that what they see in Luke and Nicola is more than just friendly affection; it’s the kind of deep bond that challenges both people involved.

Lukola stands out in today's media for its authenticity, countering the trend of PR-driven relationships and polished celebrity personas. People crave something genuine and unique. Their potential is intoxicating.

There’s also a subconscious rebellion at play. The media tells us one thing, but the evidence and our instincts tell us another. Lukola shippers challenge mainstream narratives by trusting their own observations over curated publicity.

Here lies an interesting paradox: should we accept the public version of events while continuing to ship Lukola? The answer for me is yes because the two are not incompatible. If Luke and Nicola (or their teams) are actively presenting a certain narrative, it means they want us to believe it. Respecting that choice doesn’t mean we have to stop believing in what we’ve already seen and felt.

Lukola, in a way, is a submarine ship, it moves beneath the surface, unseen but always present. To the outside world, we might nod along, acknowledging what is being presented, but deep down, we stay steady in what we know. The Three Wise Monkeys philosophy applies here: see no truth, hear no truth, speak no truth…until it is time.

Despite external narratives, Lukola remains afloat. Luke and Nicola are the ones who can steer it into harbor, let it drift, or sink it, and they have kept it sailing so far. Watching Lukola sometimes feels like you're in a theater, being trapped and forced to watch a mix of romantic comedy and a horror movie, where you want to yell—_ “Don’t go there! Stay safe!” _—but you’re just a spectator. It’s not your story to steer or your choices to make. You can only watch, hope, and brace for what comes next.