#t: pathways and connections

[asgardianhammer]

of pathways & connections

[ ϟ ]—– New York, the City, had a charm of its very own, the sort of bustling and lively atmosphere that either enticed you, or caused great annoyance.

New York the State however, was a different breed of beautiful scenery, incomparable to the city he had grown to appreciate, and far more calmer.

Within Letchworth State Park the markings on the ground had seemingly etched itself in the stone, the runes so oft touching down upon the soil they were impossible to remove no longer, and the god could not help but smile at the large pattern, boot scraping over the nearest line almost tenderly.

Midgard held a grand portion of his heart, this could not be denied, but home, home was always calling, beckoning the majority of that thudding organ in his being with each jolt of his pulse.

The man that approached was almost impossible to hear, only the faintest of rustles audible, and it made the Asgardian wonder if it was skill or sheer lack of weight on the archer's bones.

' Barton.'

A faint incline of golden head is offered as additional greeting, thunderer's smile a semi-crooked curl.

' So I see you have not changed your mind about this endeavor?'

( @eyesofthehawk )

[sugarcoatedcherry]

Reach Turiya (Void state) in sleep

Words used alternatively- Pure consciousness/Turiya/Void.

Reaching the Turiya state (the "fourth state of consciousness") through sleep is a profound spiritual practice rooted in many traditions, including Vedanta and Tantra. Turiya is a state of pure awareness beyond the three conventional states of waking (jagrat), dreaming (svapna), and deep sleep (sushupti). It represents transcendence and connection to universal consciousness—the formless, eternal aspect of reality.

Turiya is the underlying state of wakefulness, dream state and deep sleep. Experienced yogis and meditators find it easy to transition from wakefulness and Turiya. For the rest of us, transitioning from the other two states is easier.

In sleep, Turiya can be accessed by cultivating awareness during the transitional states of dreaming and deep sleep phases, where ordinary consciousness is dissolved but awareness remains. Here's a detailed explanation of how to use sleep as a pathway to Turiya:

Key Concepts of Turiya and Sleep

1. Waking, Dreaming, and Deep Sleep as Portals:

In waking (jagrat), the mind is tied to the external world. In dreaming (svapna), the mind is absorbed in internal projections. In deep sleep (sushupti), the ego and mind dissolve, but there is no awareness. Turiya exists as the witness behind all these states, observing without being bound by them.

2. Sleep as a Natural Entryway:

Sleep provides a fertile ground to access Turiya because the mental activity reduces significantly, and the ego temporarily dissolves. With training, awareness can be sustained during the transitional phases and deep sleep.

3. Awareness as the Key:

The critical difference between ordinary deep sleep and reaching Turiya is awareness. Normally, in deep sleep, consciousness is inactive. To experience Turiya, one must retain awareness as they transition into and through sleep.

Steps to Reach Turiya through Sleep

1. Preparation Before Sleep:

Meditation: Before lying down, meditate to calm the mind and detach from sensory distractions. Focus on your breath or a mantra to center your awareness.

Intention Setting (Sankalpa): Set a clear intention to remain aware as you fall asleep. A simple affirmation like, "I will remain aware as I drift into sleep and beyond" can help.

Body Relaxation: Practice body awareness or progressive muscle relaxation to ease tension. This creates the foundation for effortless transition into subtle states.

2. During the Hypnagogic State (Between Waking and Sleep):

Observe the shifting mental states as you fall asleep. Be a witness to the random images, thoughts, or sensations without becoming attached to them.

Focus on a mantra, breath, or inner sound (nada). This acts as an anchor for your awareness.

Stay relaxed but vigilant, avoiding active engagement with any arising mental content. The goal is to observe without being drawn into dreams.

3. Cultivating Awareness in Dreaming:

Practice lucid dreaming techniques. By becoming aware in your dreams, you begin to dissolve the boundaries between dream consciousness and the witnessing state of Turiya.

If you become aware that you are dreaming, remind yourself that you are the witness of the dream. This awareness is a step toward accessing Turiya. Follow one of these.

4. Maintaining Awareness in Deep Sleep:

In deep sleep, there are no thoughts, forms, or perceptions—only pure stillness. To reach Turiya, the goal is to remain aware during this formless state. When people say they "woke up" in void, this is what they mean.

5. Practice Witnessing the Transitions:

Pay attention to the gap between wakefulness and sleep, between dreams and deep sleep, and between sleep and wake fullness. These gaps are portals where the ego dissolves, and pure awareness/void can be glimpsed.

Challenges and Solutions

1. Falling Asleep Completely (Losing Awareness):

Solution: Strengthen your practice of mindfulness during the day. The more aware you are in daily life, the easier it becomes to retain awareness during sleep.

2. Restlessness or Overthinking:

Solution: Practice calming pranayama (like Nadi Shodhana) before sleep to quiet the mind. Or switch between direct and indirect techniques.

3. Difficulty Transitioning into Deep Sleep Awareness:

Solution: Focus on the witnessing state during meditation daily. This helps train your mind to maintain awareness even in non-ordinary states. Or use Lucid dreaming techniques instead.

Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra is an ancient Hindu scripture that reveals 112 techniques to enter the void state. Let me know if you want a post on that.

(this is not the guide/challenge I was talking about, this is only a informational post. The other one will be out by tomorrow)

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hello! Can I ask for an Dream BBQ Ena with a reader who is a genie? Like maybe Ena finds a new door and thinks that the genie can help her find the boss. Reader is the genie of the door and is just like "???" at this strange but kinda endearing humanoid. IDK, I just think Genie!Reader's redaction to Ena would be funny.

This reminds me of that one Door that's hidden in the Lost Village (there's a pathway in the top right corner of the area). It's like a mermaid

Makes me wonder if the door itself just got abandoned here, or if there's a world inside it that's still ran by a Genie. But anyways I'm gonna base Reader off of what I think this Genie would've been like!

........

'Huh..another Door.' Ena mused as she came face-to-face with another blue entity. This time, it was a mermaid-shaped figure with the head of a fish, being only connected by a spine or backbone of some sort.

She had the feeling that she definitely shouldn't be here, but after wandering and looking for clues as to which house in the Lost Village was the correct one to enter.....she just happened to stumble upon this Door.

Something told her to use the humanboard to cross over to it, and that's exactly what she did, determined to explore this new "ocean of opportunity". She was always one to venture into the unknown.

It was still part of her job, after all--it could lead her to the Genie who could clear that smoke away.

Stepping onto what little platform was holding up the door, she was teetering on the edge, not daring to look down into the abyss, knowing it'd be staring back up at her.

After recalling her trusted companion tool, she looked at the head in-between her hands for a brief moment, thinking..

Should she be here?

Shouldn't she be heeding the words of Sir Frank?

Regardless, her curiosity won over...and it may be her undoing.

There was a cracking sound, like bones snapping, and she glanced up to see that the Door reattached its own head. It stared at her with one blinking eye, almost as if it was expecting something out of her...

The moment she reached out to make contact with it, the creature suddenly grabbed her arm and yanked her closer, aggressively wrapping its limbs and tail around her in a crushing embrace, before dragging her downwards into the blue--like she was being pulled underwater.

For a few seconds she gasped, fighting its hold on her....but it didn't take long for her vision to go black.

Next thing she knew, she was falling and hit the ground hard.

She could breathe again, and after coming to her sense, she found herself in a new place: A large room that resembled an abandoned swimming pool area. She looked around, finding faded motivational posters, a deflated beach ball or two floating in the air, and of course....a lot of mannequins who have somehow found this Door, too.

Some lied dead in their lounge chairs, holding empty martini glasses, others were trapped at the bottom of the pool, and a few took turns hopping off the diving platform, only to respawn on the board as soon as they touched the water.

It seemed like a lot of fun, but she ignored it.

She allowed it to distract her once, and look where that brought her....

Now she knew she definitely wasn't any closer to finding the Bathroom. But what else could be done except continue on?

Surely, there had to be another way.

Up ahead, she spotted a decrepit canopy that piqued her interest. It just screams "Genie Hideout Here" with flashing neon signs and red arrows all pointing to its entrance.

So she pressed on, stepping into the pool and realizing that she didn't sink right away. She was able to walk on the water, but it didn't bother her as she marched onwards with newfound determination.

When she made it to the other side, she drew back the curtain, discovering the canopy to be much bigger on the inside--not to mention more glamorous, full of shiny things and strange fish in aquatic tanks on all sides of her: left, right, up, down, and diagonal.

At the very end, you were sitting there, meditating in the middle of it all. You looked like a rather important figure, so she did the only sensible thing and walk right up to you with her request.

"Excuse my intrusion, but perhaps you could help me?"

Hearing the footsteps of a newcomer, you opened your eyes and looked up to see that you indeed had a visitor. It's an ENA, much to your surprise, but you welcome it.

"Hello, my friend. I don't know how you found this place, but I must say...I'm impressed." You rise up, your cloak swishing around your form. "I am the Genie of this Door, although...what you've seen is all that remains of it. Time has passed so quickly, I've even forgotten what its purpose was." Your earfins fold downwards as your smile becomes forlorn, a sentimental feeling washing over you.

"A Door...within a Door?!" Ena's Meanie side huffs, taking out a megaphone and shouting into it. "I'm sick of all these conundrums! I just want to find the Bathroom!!!" She was so worked up, she didn't even realize there was no force overtaking her--no higher power that was making her say "Bathroom" instead of "Genie"--anymore.

"..Bathroom? Ah..you must mean Theodora." You sigh. "The fact that you winded up here means you were close to reaching it....but you've fallen short. You won't find her here. Only her remnants, which the village has been protecting for a long time. If forgiveness is what you seek, unfortunately I cannot give you that blessing, for I've lost the power to do so."

"Grrahh..then what services can you provide for me, fish fry?" She sneered, tapping her foot, hands on her hips as her disconnected head tilts to the side.

Normally, you wouldn't tolerate anybody speaking to you like this. But this was the first time you've really gotten to know an ENA who was...stable. Her emotions seemed balanced, united in search of a common goal, instead of being an aimless wanderer like many before her and one side having an extreme overreaction at the drop of a hat.

She wasn't annoying, but interesting. And it's been a while since anything or anyone interesting has come to see you. So you decided to entertain her.

"Well, it'd be cruel to let you leave emptyhanded. So I will grant you one aspiration. No more, no less."

Your response satisfied Ena's Salesperson side, as she grinned, knowingly exactly what she must aspire for. She didn't need a moment longer to think about it.

It's not about what she truly wanted deep down, as only one thing mattered right now.

"Dear Genie, our target today is your Boss. They've been giving us trouble, but the smoke is in the way of our work. If it's within your power, would you kindly eradicate it for us?" She clasped her hands together. "Pretty please?"

"Hmm...are you asking on someone's behalf? Or out of your own volition? Is this what you really want?" You ponder out loud, but when she doesn't answer, you continue. "Ah...very well. Just know that a time will come that you'll earn the freedom you desire in your heart. Liberation. Happiness. Unburdened by responsibility. You'll no longer be a cog in the machine."

Again, she said nothing, although you could see it in her eyes....that she liked the idea of that.

You then gestured behind you. "Dive into the code behind me. It's a shortcut to the answer to your prayers, and a way back to your physical form."

Ena looked past you, seeing a small pool of blue code, layered in realistic watery textures. Then she gazed back at you one more time, her Meanie side almost looking like she wanted to say something else...

But instead, she makes another snarky business joke. "Should I hold my breath? I'm already drowning in debt here."

"That's up to you. May you find peace with yourself someday, my friend. If we cross paths again...hopefully it's under better circumstances."

Without saying anything further, she walked behind you and jumped into the pool of code. No hesitation.

And as white greeted her vision, your voice echoed in her mind--from somewhere beyond:

"Remember, ƎNA: All it takes is a place and the right food"

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - June 8-14

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles!

1. This LGBTQ+ nonprofit just raised $285M to challenge legislative attacks on queer lives

“Launched three years ago in anticipation of escalating federal attacks, the campaign surpassed its goal by more than $100 million. […] Lambda is using the funds to expand its legal team by 42 percent [… and] support a significant scale-up of its public education programs and its LGBTQ+ legal help desk — the only one in the country staffed by attorneys.”

2. When a fox says ‘help’ in London, there’s often an ambulance on its way

“[The Fox Project has] grown from providing information on deterring foxes to rescuing 1,400 a year, including 400 cubs[…. They respond] to calls about injured or ill foxes or cubs that have lost their mothers. […] Cubs that recover are socialized in packs of five until they mature and are then released in a rural location while the adults are freed in the neighborhoods where they were found.”

3. Bills That Could Have Hurt Renewable Energy Die in Texas Legislature

“Renewables diversify the state’s grid and add capacity, renewable advocates said, making the grid more reliable. […] The answer was not to force fossil fuel purchases or connections [as these bills would have done], they said, but to look for more ways to bolster battery storage efforts. […] The Advanced Power Alliance, an advocacy group for clean energy, argued [another] bill would hurt development and competition, which conservative lawmakers should support.”

4. 'New pathway' to cure for HIV discovered using tech from COVID-19 vaccine

“Researchers have taken a giant leap in the search for an HIV cure by discovering a way to identify the virus even as it is camouflaged among other cells. […] By introducing mRNA to white blood cells, [this technology] can force the cells to reveal the virus[…], isolating the virus for potential treatment. [… I]n terms of specifically the field of HIV cure, we have never seen anything close to as good as what we are seeing [with this technology….]”

5. A Historic Milestone in Conservation: The Forêt Brière Is Now Protected

“Thanks to a tremendous collective effort and the generosity of our donors, the goal of raising over $1,000,000 in private funds has been reached, meaning this exceptional 540-hectare property in the heart of the Northern Green Mountains will be protected in perpetuity. […] The area is home to remarkable biodiversity, with over 250 species of flora and numerous at-risk species of fauna[, … and t]he area's habitats are extremely diverse.”

June 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[thebowieconstricker]

Hello! I saw you wanted requests for Lucifer, and I would love any sort of angst where Lucifer ends up comforting the reader, like maybe something happened to the reader, or the reader is just really stressed and just breaks down

Ease My Mind

(Lucifer Morningstar x reader)

masterlist link

AN: To this request: yes yes yes yes YES I just KNOW that he gives the best hugs and is so ready to comfort the people he loves. For this fic, I decided the angst is a little of everything, job struggles, moral dilemmas, and some self-doubt, so I hope I delivered. This isn’t proofread so please alert me to any errors! Thank you for your request! <333

Summary: You have a bad day at work and it triggers a breakdown. Luckily, your big bad boyfriend is here to help.

Tags: Gender neutral reader, could be read as platonic if you reeeeally squint but it’s implied romantic, heavy on the angst, a dash of fluff, Lucifer is trying his best, you guys are precious.

Warnings: Reader is afraid they’re being used by the people around them and they have lots of thoughts about being useless and others not liking them.

Also, the title is inspired by the song “Ease My Mind” by Ben Platt, go listen to it! Enjoy ya heathens!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You’ve been used by others for your entire life.

And now you were stuck in that same cycle in death.

As a young, naive, alive-person, you were desperate for some one to love you. Growing up in an environment where compassion was scare, you decided that the only way to get people to notice you was by offering to help them in some way. A favor, a ride, somewhere to crash, and, for one specific person, a place to hide the bodies. In life, you had gotten so deep into your desire to please others that you had latched onto the first person to give you the time of day. Unfortunately for you, that individual happened to have a thing for serial killing.

Looking back on it now as you miserably walked back to the hotel, tears threatening to fall down your face, you couldn’t think about anything other than how stupid and useless you were. It was your fault that they were found out, your fault that the innocents were dead in the first place, your fault you were stuck in hell and that fucker was still out there.

How much time had passed on Earth? How many more had they killed?

On most days, you could compartmentalize, putting the bad thoughts in a little box and shoving it in the back of your brain, but work had broken you today. You worked for the Vees, specifically Velvette, and it was no secret how they overworked and abused their staff. You were stuck picking up Velvette’s leftover energy drinks for as long as she had control of your soul.

And yet. You thought maybe someday, someday you might make a connection. You might impress her, or surprise her, or something, and maybe she would give you a break.

But no. Today you had been an hour late for the first time and Velvette had screeched at you, calling out all of your flaws and insecurities and bringing all of the horrible memories that you had oh-so-carefully stowed away to light. But you held back tears and did your fucking job, the emotions boiling all day and the hectic office space doing nothing to calm it.

You had needed this cry for a long time, and now there was no stopping it.

Walking along the brimstone pathways, you finally made your way to the rickety Hazbin Hotel. Its incomprehensible height only worsened your now growing headache as you walked up to the doors, grabbing the handles and swinging the heavy iron frame and red-stained glass open.

You immediately started towards your room, but you were blocked by the obnoxiously cheery Princess of Hell herself, Charlie.

Charlie’s not obnoxious, you’re so vile for thinking that.

Shit, the thoughts were getting worse and you could not do this right now.

Charlie, oblivious to your mood, smiled brightly. “There you are! How was work? I’ve got someone here who’s been waiting-“

You shoved past her, bumping her harshly.

“Not in the mood.”

Charlie frowned in confusion behind you.

“But, wait, hey-“ You ignored her pleas and- ah shit, now Angel’s in front of you.

“Hey, babe, you might wanna hang around for a sec-“

You shut your eyes tightly and moved your hands towards his chest, your fight or flight kicking in as you pushed him.

“ANGEL, leave me alone.”

Why would you yell at Angel like that? He’s just being nice.

Shut up shut up SHUT UP

Everything was only getting worse. You bolted to the grand staircase and raced up the steps. As you sped down the seemingly infinite hallways, the tears you had been fighting back for the last millennia finally fell. With a choked sob, you finally spotted your bedroom and lurched for the doorknob, swinging the door open and slamming it behind you as you bursted into your room. You ran to your bed and grabbed a pillow, hugging it tightly as you loudly cried.

Charlie only keeps you here because she needs the guests, you know. She hates you. They all hate you. They wish you weren’t here. You’re just lying there, crying, why would they want you?

The hateful thoughts were all you could hear in your mind. As you pulled your knees to your arms holding your pillow, you wanted nothing more than to disappear. To just pop out of existence and finally be free of the burden of yourself.

Then, suddenly, three knocks at the door.

“GO AWAY.” You screamed, throat on fire from your sobbing.

A voice came from outside. A smooth, relaxed, kind male voice.

“It’s me, hon.”

You froze, terrified. Quickly you climbed to the floor on the left side of your bed, blocking your body from the view of the door. You took several deep breaths, trying to steady your nerves.

“Come in.” You said shakily.

You heard the door creek open, then footsteps.

“Where ya hiding these days?” He awkwardly chuckled, clearly trying to lighten up the mood you were in.

“Just- stay over there.” You were still holding your pillow, and you gave it an extra squeeze.

“I’m a mess right now.” You sniffled.

He paused, like he was thinking. “Well, if that’s what you want, but I hope you know by now that I’m always happy to see you. Even when you’re a mess.”

You felt the bed shift. He was sitting on the opposite side.

Like a child looking for a secret, you turned around to look at the back of his head. His hat was gone, probably left downstairs, and all you saw was his sweep of blond hair.

He made a ‘hm’ sound. “Bad day?”

You nodded. Then, realizing he couldn’t see you. “Y-yeah.”

You watched him nod. “I’m sorry about that.” He fiddled with his cane, his hands tightening and loosening around it. “Would you… like to talk about it?”

You paused.

Lucifer had been a confidant of yours since you first arrived in Hell. He was the one to tell you what was going on right after you died, calming you down and offering you a place to stay. Sure, you didn’t know that he was literally the Devil, but everything about him made you feel at peace. Like you could deal with the hand you were dealt.

Secretly, though, you were waiting.

Waiting for the moment when he would reveal that he only kept you around because he needed you to do something for him.

No one was that kind, or caring, or wonderful.

He wants something from you. Why else would he keep coming back?

You had yet to answer his question. Lucifer sighed.

“You don’t have to tell me anything. I just want you to know that I’m here for you, okay?”

The voices were still wringing in your head, you were still crying, and you felt pathetic.

“I- I don’t- fuck, would you please stop acting like you care?” You knew your words were harsh but they were begging to be said.

His posture straightened in surprise.

“I do care! What makes you think I don’t care?” He sounded hurt.

Nice going, you hurt his feelings.

You bent forward, hands covering your face in frustration. A fresh wave of tears rises through your body and you loudly cried out, too scared and angry and sad to hide it anymore.

“Woah, woah, hey, it’s okay, hon.” Lucifer’s voice was nearing your form on the ground, and he was quickly at your side. You could feel his presence beside you.

He sighed in exhaustion. “Listen, I’m not- I’m not the greatest at this, but I’m gonna ask so I don’t upset you. Do you want a hug? Or a hand on your shoulder-“

Your arms were wrapped around him before he could finish his question, clinging to his waist and biting your face in his neck.

“WOAH there- well hey, sweetheart, there you are.” You could hear him smiling as he gently brought his hand to rub your back.

“I’m sorry. I- I’ve just had a shitty day at work and I’m worried about a lot of things and- I don’t want to take it out on you.” You were shaking, but he held you steadily.

“What kinda things are worrying you?” He asked.

And so you told him. In the comfort of his embrace you were able to somewhat coherently explain all the things that had been freaking you out. Velvette’s torture at work, your own moral dilemmas about your life on Earth, and you were just getting into your feelings about others using you when you felt Lucifer’s breath hitch.

He leaned away from you to look you in the eyes and gently put a finger to your chin.

“Honey, I want you to know that I know for a fact that the people here really care about you. Not because you’re an extra pair of hands, but because you’re you. You’re wonderful to be around. People like you.”

He looked at you with a warm smile and leaned towards you, giving you a small kiss on the forehead.

“I like you. I care about you because you’re worth caring about.”

You stared at him in awe, your mind finally at ease after such a chaotic day. Smiling, you leaned back into him to rest your head on his chest.

“Thank you, Luci.” You reached out and took one of his hands, holding it tightly in an effort to show him how grateful you truly were for his words of assurance.

He tightened his fingers around yours and grinned down at you.

“Always, love. Now, let’s get you on the bed, okay?”

You nodded and he gracefully picked you up, gently placing you on the bed. With a snap, you were in comfortable clothing with a warm blanket around you and plenty of soft pillows.

“You want me to hang out for a bit?” He looked at you through half-lidded eyes, clearly sleepy.

“If you don’t have anything else going on…” You offered, already half dozing off.

“Even if I did, I would love nothing more.” With an affectionate grin he curled up beside you, and you immediately went to lay your head back on his chest. As you drifted away, listening to the King of Hell’s heartbeat, you took a deep breath.

He was right. Things were gonna be okay.

You had friends.

You were loved.

[thegettingbyp2]

You Really Think I'd Say No

For months you kept convincing yourself that Austin was going to propose. Any time he’d take you somewhere fancy for date night, you thought he was going to propose. Whenever he’d offer to pay for you to get your nails done, you thought he was going to propose. It reached a point where you convinced yourself that you were going mad; just because the two of you were in a good place didn’t mean that he was going to propose to you.

However, Austin knew that a romantic proposal and a beautiful wedding were both things that you desperately wanted. You were a reader. You’d grown up with your nose buried in fairy tales and books where the main characters got their happy ending with the guy making some romantic gesture that meant something to the two of them alone; and Austin was determined he was going to give that to you.

He’d had the ring for just over a year now, never going anywhere without it, not wanting to risk you finding it before he was ready; he needed this proposal to be perfect and he wasn’t about to let you stumbling across the ring ruin anything.

You’d began to give up on guessing when Austin was going to propose, every time ended up being a dead end so, when Austin came home from filming one evening with a huge, excited grin on his face and a pep in his step that he never usually had after a day of filming, you didn’t think anything of it.

‘I think we should go out tonight,’ he said, throwing himself down on the sofa next to you and leaning in to press a quick kiss to your lips.

‘Aren’t you tired?’ you asked, curling your body into him and resting your head against his shoulder.

‘Not really, it was a good day, I think it’s the adrenaline still running through my system, I’ll crash out later but now, I just want to take my beautiful girlfriend out,’ he replied, kissing the top of your head and laying his hand on your thigh, squeezing lightly.

‘But I’m not dressed to go out anywhere, I’ve not got my make up on, I’m in my pyjama’s, Austin,’ you protested half-heartedly.

‘You don’t need any make-up, we don’t have to go to a restaurant or anything. Give me a second to get changed and we’ll head to the park. You stay here and I’ll be back in a second.’

‘Hang on, I need to get changed too!’

‘Nope,’ Austin said, gently pushing you back down onto the sofa, his arms caging you in, his scent mixed with how close he was making your eyes flutter closed. ‘It’s dark out, it’s late, there’s not going to be anyone there at this time of night,’ he said lowly, pressing his lips to yours in a deep but teasing kiss that had you wanting more.

‘Okay,’ you replied breathily, willing to agree with anything he said in that moment.

Austin smiled at you brightly before darting up the stairs and returning a couple of minutes later wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt. ‘Ready to go?’ he asked, holding his hand out to you.

‘I can’t believe we’re going out like this,’ you said, laughing lightly as you placed your hand in his and let him lead you out the front door.

Just as he’d said, the park was empty when you got there so you didn’t really mind wandering around, hand in hand while the two of you were just wearing your pyjamas; in fact, there was something freeing about it that had you secretly wishing that you could do it more. You wandered until he gently pulled you to a stop by one of the benches that lined the pathway.

‘I love this bench,’ you said, smiling at him as you sat down, pulling him with you. Austin chuckled when you spoke, throwing his arm around your shoulders and pulling you into him. This was the bench where Austin had kissed you for the first time. It was your fourth date and you both decided to keep it simple; going for a coffee and a wander around the park. You’d stopped at this bench to retie your shoelace and, when you stood back up, Austin’s hands cupped your face and his lips connected with yours. It was perfect.

‘How about we make another happy memory at this bench,’ he said, watching you as your eyes closed, content to be sitting with him in the warm summer night, his fingers tracing light circles on your shoulder.

‘What? Sitting here in our pyjamas?’ you teased, turning your head to smile at him.

‘I was thinking more along the lines of making this the place where you agreed to being my wife.’

Your whole body froze when he spoke, turning your whole body to face him. ‘What?’ you whispered, tears gathering in your eyes as you watched Austin move off of the bench to get down on one knee in front of you, reaching into his pocket to pull the most beautiful ring you’d ever seen out.

‘(Y/N), I love you. I love you so much, I never thought it was possible to love someone this much until you came into my life. I know that you’ve always dreamed of this perfect proposal and I’m sorry if this isn’t what you had in mind but all day, I’ve been thinking about how I want to make you my wife and, to me, this couldn’t be more perfect. Just the two of us, one of our favourite places without having to worry about how we look in case we’re spotted. (Y/N), will you please marry me, even if it’s just so I can wake up to and come home to you every day for the rest of our lives?’

You couldn’t speak. You couldn’t move. You were in complete shock at the proposal, it being the last thing that you’d think of when Austin suggested going out in your pyjamas earlier that night. ‘I,I,’ you began, not able to get words out.

‘I get if you say no,’ Austin was quick to reassure you. ‘I get it, this isn’t the big romantic proposal that you’ve always dreamed of but,’

‘It’s perfect.’ You cut Austin off, wrapping both of your hands around his, leaning down until your face was level with his. ‘I don’t care that it wasn’t some elaborate thing, I love how it’s just us, it’s our moment.’

Austin grinned at you before pressing a quick kiss to the back of your hand. ‘So, is that a yes?’

‘You really think I’d say no,’ you laughed lightly, leaning in to press your lips to his.

‘I’m gonna need to hear you say it baby,’ Austin mumbled against your lips, a smirk growing on his face.

‘Yes, Austin, I’ll marry you.’

[serpentface]

SPIRITUAL POLLUTION, THE GESTURES AGAINST EVIL, AND ABLUTION: A POST

The concepts of spiritual purity and pollution are central to the Faith of the Seven Faced God (and similar takes on the concept predate it throughout and beyond the immediate Wardi cultural sphere). There is no clean cut distinction between physical and spiritual health in this belief system (these concepts exist as a heavily overlapping venn diagram) and many methods intended to cleanse spiritual pollution address both realms.

The word for the concept referred to as spiritual pollution is 'mesechitse', which can translate to 'blockage' or 'severance' depending on the context (its underlying meaning is a pathway that has been stopped in some capacity).

At its core, spiritual pollution is a corruption of the living spirit (which is carried by/IS the blood). It causes both physical and spiritual problems. Polluted blood flows improperly and does not maintain the body’s natural stasis or integrity, causing or allowing disease or other bodily dysfunctions to occur. Many ailments are seen as wholly physical and internal in nature, occurring directly due to polluted blood flowing improperly and affecting key organs. Other diseases (particularly contagious or infectious disease) are known to be caused by dagi, which are harmful spirits that enter the body through orifices or wounds. A limited number of ailments (most notably pronounced schizophrenia-spectrum disorders or cognitive disabilities, unfortunately) are thought to be caused by possession by more powerful evil spirits.

At its worst, severe spiritual pollution is thought to impact or sever one's connection to God. Summarized very basically, severe pollution = blockage of flow between one's own living spirit and the greater spirit of God, which deprives a person of God's blessings and protection, severs them from the natural cycling of life and death (and prevents their necessary participation) and can put their afterlife in jeopardy.

Some degree of corruption to the living spirit is seen as completely inevitable and managed by the body, which physically expels some polluting agents via urine and feces, as well as menstruation (thus all of these substances are themselves dirty and polluting agents). It is reckoned as impossible for any living body to exist in a Completely spiritually pure state. The goal of cleansing (and broader practices revolving around spiritual integrity) is rather to maintain stasis of the body's natural cycling (and by extension a connection to God's living spirit) and to keep pollution contained and minimized.

If one's immortal soul successfully reaches the afterlife, it is then reborn into a spiritually pure existence incapable of being 'severed' from God in any capacity. God Itself is a spiritually pure being, but Its body and living spirit (the world and its cycles, manifested as Faces) is vulnerable. The purity of God's living spirit (and therefore the life-sustaining functions of the world that all beings depend upon) must be sustained, protected, and restored through right practice, which is what much what the public religion revolves around.

Spiritual pollution is a separate but overlapping concept with:

-Metaphysical vulnerability, the word for which is 'namne couyibase' (literally ‘lacking integrity of Being’). This is a state in which the body and living spirit is considered vulnerable to great change, for good or for bad. These states can have vital and positive uses (they are utilized in many rituals, and it is what allows for conception and birth), but must be entered with caution and intentionality. Uncontrolled namne couyibase can otherwise leave one open to forms of spiritual harm. -Curses, which are targeted infliction of harm (of all sorts- bad luck, evil spirits, etc) onto a person, place, or thing. A spiritually polluted body is has less resistance to curses, and curses can intensify this pollution. -Possession, which is when evil spirits attach themselves to or inhabit the body. In the vast majority of cases, possession does not mean an evil spirit is Controlling the body, merely harming it. A spiritually polluted body has less resistance to possession, and possession can intensify this pollution. -Ritual uncleanliness, which is a state of intensified spiritual pollution that requires complete prohibition from a person from entering sacred spaces or participating in certain rituals until they are made clean. The most common reasons for ritual uncleanliness are active menstruation, being in the mourning period, or having performed a known dirtying action without its required ablution (see below).

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Multiple levels of religious-medical practice are centered around maintaining the body's stasis and cleansing it of mesechitse whenever possible. The methods are both active and passive.

Passive methods include the wearing of protective objects/amulets or having the motifs on household items or as decoration (the most ubiquitous are charms like the pelatoche (lit: '(ocean) eye') or odatochent (lit. 'Gods eyes'), the skimmer woman, or phalluses, and the wearing of gull feathers), in addition to other beneficial/protective iconography (guardian lions are most common, though physical representations of each Face of God have beneficial functions).

Active methods cover a broad swath of rites and behaviors (which is even broader in non-doctrinal folk practices). I'll be focusing here on the two main everyday methods of protection/cleansing (rather than more specialized rites) that are supported by core doctrine and may be performed by anyone, rather than being restricted to priests.

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Gestures against evil

These are the absolute most basic protection methods, comprised of three core gestures.

Purity of intent: the hand is held with the palm facing upward, the pointer and pinky finger extended and the thumb and inner two fingers pressed together. This is the most directly ‘cleansing’ gesture, it attempts to bind uncleanliness within the body and thus to prevent inevitable background level spiritual pollution from the body infecting a pure environment or another person. You mostly perform this gesture while entering/leaving a protected or vulnerable space (literal or figurative).

Protection of spirit: the hand is held with the first two fingers pointed together, held upwards for generalized use or pointed for directed use. This is the simplest of apotropaic gestures, aiming to protect the body and spirit from outside harm. This is commonly used before or while entering contexts seen as physically and/or spiritually dangerous, or to un-aggressively counter an evil eye curse.

Dispelling of evil: The hand is held with the first two fingers pointing together, touched to the lips, and flicked away from the body. In practice, this is most commonly used to prevent attachment by malicious or otherwise harmful spirits that may have been evoked (you might perform this after you speak of someone believed to be an earthbound ghost or refer to an evil spirit directly, or immediately after touching a potentially contagious sick person (ideally followed by ablution)). This will not help you if evil spirits have fully Attached themselves to you, but can remove ones that have been attracted to you. Doing this gesture and flicking in the direction of another person is very rude.

These gestures have separate uses, but will often be performed in conjunction (usually in the order given) as a quick means of protecting oneself and the spaces around them. It is not considered a doctrinal replacement for ablution as it does not actually cleanse the spirit, but it attempts to reduce harm (both sustained and produced by the user).

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Ablutions:

Ablution is spiritually and physically cleansing the body with clean water. The metric for clean water is fairly expansive- ocean water, any flowing water, any clear lake, shallow water sources that are clear and free of (obvious) polluting elements such as animal corpses or unclean animal feces, any clear collected water.

The core requirement of an ablution is for the hands to be cleaned in all circumstances, and for other body parts to be cleansed in addition if the situation requires it. One must fully wet the hands/other affected areas and scrub thoroughly, and then use fresh water to rinse. If you have to clean other parts of your body, you save your hands for last (as they will be used for the cleaning).

It is appropriate to perform ablutions cooperatively, but the person assisting you should participate as well (ie- if you have someone washing your back, they should scrub and rinse their own hands after). Someone considered to be in a ritually unclean state that ablution will not immediately fix (the most common are actively menstruating or being in the midst of the mourning period) should not perform ablutions on others.

Note that there is no Hard distinction between bathing for spiritual cleanliness and bathing for physical cleanliness (there is a separate set of cultural standards for physical hygiene, but most hygiene expectations are Covered by ablution). In most circumstances, ablution is just a regular, sometimes tedious everyday activity rather than a solemn or special occasion.

The ritualized requirements denote that only the hands + any given affected body parts Must be washed, but ablutions will often be an aspect of a full-body bathing routine to meet other hygiene standards. (ie: someone performing ablution before making offerings or eating a meal is only Required to wash their hands, but will very often wash their whole bodies and clean their hair- offerings and a meal are (typically) daily activities, so this is a good time to just get a full bath in while you’re at it). It may additionally involve washing the skin with oil or soap, moisturizing the hair with oil, scraping away dead skin, and applying perfumes. This is not a ritual requirement and is performed because generally, people like to feel clean and smell nice.

The hard physicality of cleansing WITH WATER is KEY to this practice. Per core doctrine, there are no DIY cleansing methods that replace washing with water. If one does not have access to clean water for ablutions, they should not perform offerings whatsoever (but are allowed to pray) until they can be cleansed, and accept that they are receiving spiritual pollution by performing ablution-required tasks in the meantime. A blessing from a priest is the only doctrine-supported spiritually cleansing replacement for water ablutions. In practice many people will use the gestures against evil as a replacement (which is not supported by doctrine and is more common in folk religious practice), and virtually everyone will find ways to get physical contaminants off of their body either way (if you step in dog shit and don't have any water nearby, you're going to wipe it the hell off even if that doesn't make you ritually clean).

Times when such an ablution is generally considered a hard requirement:

Before bloodletting in prayer or making other offerings

Before meals

Before assisting in a birth

After menstruation ends

After receiving penetrative sex

After defecating

After urinating (this isn't as ubiquitously seen as a hard requirement, in a lot of cases people interpret it as 'only if you actually get pee on your hands')

After touching urine

After touching feces (many lines of thought make exceptions for the excrement of cattle and khait due to their clean and sacred status- this makes life a easier for the majority of people who have to use dry dung as fuel)

After touching a dead body (human or animal)

At the end of your mourning period for dead kin (traditionally as part of a larger ritual involving full body submergence in flowing water, rather than as a common ablution)

After touching someone else's blood (aside from rites that require it, in which the blood is expected to be clean and the cross-pollution of living spirit is intentional) (technically includes semen but this does not come up very often)

After touching most sick people (particularly with contagious diseases or any skin ailments)

After recovering from an illness (ablutions will be performed as an aspect of treatment as well)

Before entering most temple's inner shrines (and some temples altogether)

Also a requirement for participation in certain specific rites and/or festivals

The exact nuances on how hard these requirements are sometimes vary, particularly in instances revolving around touch. Official doctrine is that any unclean touch requires ablution, but in common practice this is sometimes reinterpreted as only a hard requirement when the touch occurs to the hands. Most practitioners do not perform an ablution immediately after an unclean touch occurs (if you're a field laborer and step in dung, you're probably going to wait to wash until you retire for the night), and not everyone performs ablutions every single time they 'should'.

Only drawing I have related to ablution under the cut (nudity)

This is one way to do it

[theambitiouswoman]

How To Spot Opportunities

Opportunities are all around us, waiting to be recognized and seized. In conversation, in something you see, even in your own thoughts. Learning how to spot opportunities can lead you to growth and success. People often tend to overlook them, believing that they only come to certain people. The truth is that opportunities are available to everyone. We just need to change our perspective and learn how to identify them.

The Mindset:

Openness to Possibilities: Adopt a mindset that looks for possibilities in any situation. Instead of focusing solely on obstacles, view every challenge as an opportunity to innovate and grow. This shift in perspective opens the door to potential breakthroughs.

Adaptability: Being flexible and adaptable is key to spotting opportunities. Embrace change and be willing to venture outside your comfort zone. Adaptability helps you see potential where others might only see disruptions.

Positive Attitude: A positive attitude can work wonders in identifying opportunities. When you maintain optimism, you're more likely to recognize the silver lining in challenging circumstances, leading to the discovery of new pathways.

Always Learning: Embrace a curious mindset. Continuing to learn exposes you to new ideas and helps you stay ahead in a rapidly changing world, enabling you to recognize emerging opportunities before others do.

Examples of Spotting Opportunities:

The Airbnb Story: In 2008, two struggling entrepreneurs, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, saw a unique opportunity in the midst of a sold-out conference in their city. With hotels fully booked, they decided to rent out air mattresses in their living room, turning their apartment into an "air bed and breakfast." This marked the inception of Airbnb, which has since become a multi-billion dollar global enterprise, disrupting the hospitality industry.

From Hobby to Empire: Many successful businesses have started as hobbies. For example, Dov Charney, the founder of American Apparel, began making simple t-shirts for himself. When people showed interest in his designs, he realized the opportunity to create a clothing brand that offered stylish basics, catapulting his hobby into a thriving fashion empire.

Turning Failure into Success: Walt Disney's first animation studio went bankrupt. While many would have given up, Disney saw an opportunity to learn from his mistakes and create a new, revolutionary entertainment venture. The result? The birth of Mickey Mouse and the eventual establishment of the global Disney empire.

Networking: Opportunities often lie within our social circles. A chance encounter at a networking event led to the founding of YouTube when Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim connected with early PayPal employees who provided funding for their video-sharing platform.

You can train yourself to spot opportunities in the most unexpected places. The examples shared above show that success often comes from recognizing potential in everyday situations.

How to train your mind to spot opportunities:

1. Actively Listen: Listen to what the other person is saying. Avoid interrupting or preoccupying your mind with what you will say next. Paying full attention allows you to pick up on cues, insights, and potential areas of mutual interest.

2. Identify Pain Points: While you are listening, look for challenges or frustrations the other person may mention.These pain points could represent opportunities for you to provide a solution or offer assistance.

3. Explore people's Interests: Discover the other person's passions and interests. You might find common ground, or their interests might spark ideas for potential collaborations or projects.

4. Ask Questions: Ask open-ended questions that encourage the other person to share more about themselves and their goals. Ask them about their aspirations and how they plan to achieve them. Seeing how people arrive from one point to another will better help you exercise your minds and use problem solving strategies as a way of looking at things moving forward.

5. Be Curious: Approach conversations with a curious and open mindset. Be receptive to new ideas and different perspectives.

6. Networking: Use conversations as an opportunity to network and build relationships. Meaningful connections often lead to new opportunities down the road, whether it's a job opportunity, collabs, or a chance to participate in new projects.

7. Body Language: Pay attention to non-verbal cues and body language. Sometimes, opportunities can be inferred from the other person's gestures, expressions, or tone of voice.

8. Problem-Solving and Offering Help: If the conversation veers towards a problem the other person is facing, think about how you might be able to help.

9. Be Proactive: Don't be afraid to share your own aspirations and ideas during the conversation. Sometimes, expressing your interests and goals can lead you to opportunities when the other person sees potential in working with you in some capacity.

10. Following-Up and Staying Connected: After a productive conversation, make an effort to follow up and stay connected. This can potentially lead to more opportunities as you continue to build a better relationship with the other person.

[punkpandapatrixk]

Full Cold Moon in Cancer ♦︎ Moon Magick Pick A Card

Happy New Year~!🍀It’s January already but, gosh, aren’t we all still preparing for the spring equinox this year🍓That’s when the real new year begins, aenergetically~🎍

The Full Cold Moon on 26th December carried a theme surrounding Home and Hearth. It touches on our IC (Imum Coeli) and 4th House in our natal chart. The IC tells us who we are when no one’s watching, and after we become super clear about that, it helps us realise what kinds of company are legitimately good for our sense of belonging in this mortal world.

Your IC can literally shed light unto the reasons you feel alone and separated from the people around. The Full Cold Moon in Cancer—ruler of the 4th House—invites us to take a look at our sense of familyship whilst being incarnate on Earth.

People on this Planet have been struggling with an immense sense of loneliness since the introduction of social media; isn’t that strange? How is it that the more people we’re able to connect with the more miserable we feel on the inside? Well, isn’t it clear that social media has helped us become more aware of what’s truly FAKE when it comes to human connections?💍

Our IC deeply craves real familial connections. Moving forward, wouldn’t you rather entertain soul-based friendships that really care about your wellbeing as a Human being? This Cold Full Moon in Cancer, you’re invited to once again die to everything and everyone that doesn’t make you feel seen, heard, respected, or wanted👻

Fake connections, whether online or offline, can go fuck ‘emselves🥢

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Pile 1 – The Choice to be Free Has Always Been Yours to Make

i d e n t i t y – Knight of Pentacles

Others may think you are mad, but you of all people know there is method to your madness. More than everybody else gives you credit for, you’re actually somebody who’s very strategizing. You are careful with your plans and you think very many things through before you execute your plan. Others simply do not understand this mechanism in your brain because you’re quite unique, quite unorthodox even. This Full Cold Moon, you are invited to ponder if the source of your misery is actually other people’s beliefs about you rather than your actual incapability.

Just because you’re following a strange path of your own doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. Weirdos throughout history have changed societies for the better. We should all be thankful to weirdos—and especially, WITCHES. Did you know that WAY TOO MANY of our advances in science and medicine were actually done by witches? They burnt and hanged the witches and took credit for all of their hard work. Tsk tsk tsk… I raise my cup to all y’all witches who’s working to blast open new pathways for the rest of Mankind🍸Keep doing you. Keep going because spring will surprise you with loads of delights~🍬

s e r e n i t y – Queen of Pentacles Rx

You’re a helpful soul, that much is apparent. But you’ve got to learn some discernment so that you don’t get taken advantage of very easily. What the Queen of Pentacles in reverse is trying to show you is that, unfortunately, too many people in this world don’t even deserve to be helped. Not by you, at least. Unless you’re getting paid for rehabbing messed up people, let them deal with their own mess and grow up from it. Ultimately the Queen of Pentacles Rx is cautioning you against letting messed up people in your inner circle because these types of people are gonna bring their mess into your Life.

You get to decide, with your skilled discernment, who’s worth helping, fighting for; who’s worth keeping because they give you just as much affection. If, in order to keep serenity in your world you must look like a stingy bitch, let it be. Be selective with who you give your time and money to. Make sure you aren’t sucked dry of spiritual aenergy yourself. Your Higher Self and team of Spirit Guides are saying, this whole winter you’ve got shit to manifest—big, big shit. Preserve your precious aenergy so you can manifest real, long-lasting results~!🌳

f a m i l y – 8 of Cups Rx

Having said all of that, this card is saying: don’t easily walk away from things and endeavours that you know from deep within your heart matter. I think you’re so dreamy and floaty that you could have a hard time being realistic when it comes to the physical manifestation of your real desires. You could think, since they’re unrealistic, you might as well give up and choose to focus on other more pragmatic pursuits. If you must leave, leave the people and environments that don’t support your heart’s desires—don’t leave the desires and end up becoming very unhappy with yourself! After all, with your already methodical mind, you actually have all the power in you to bridge your dreams to Reality.

That’s why, honey, the freedom to be free has always been in your mind. Now you’ve just got to make the right decision—what kind of freedom is real freedom to you? The freedom to choose to kowtow to societal expectations or the freedom to walk your own path no matter how lonely (at first)?

‘If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.’ – Frank Zappa

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Pile 2 – Art and Romanticism Have Always Been an Important Part of Your Heart

i d e n t i t y – 9 of Cups

You have many dreams, but if there’s one thing, you’ve always dreamt to be independent, doing your dreamy things in your dreamy space. I think you’re the kind of person who’d be considered a quiet eccentric. You have many interests and hobbies, and you’re quite sensitive about having your me-time uninterrupted. I think you could erupt if someone walks in on your serious activity and startle you or if someone in your family tells you to go and do something in the middle of your reading. That kinda vibe. You’re quite a loner, actually. You’re super weird tho XD Do you maybe identify as an autistic kid, fam?

Anyway, please know that this Full Cold Moon is inviting you to ponder more deeply about your place amongst Humans. I have a feeling you don’t really like Humans or at least, you find human interactions absolutely exhausting, for the most part. If you know this blog, you know already how much I prize individuality and being alone if it means peace of mind and faster manifestations LOL BUTT!! In this reading, I’m getting that many of you may want to ponder yet again how you interact with people, especially those closest to you because sometimes, there really are people who care about your wellbeing more than you realise.

s e r e n i t y – 10 of Cups Rx

Many of you choosing this Pile probably haven’t got a nice family background. Of course, there are a million scenarios for each person but for the most part, I sense that you’ve felt familial connections to be emotionally unsatisfying. That’s why you seek emotional fulfilment in this multitude of hobbies and interests. Clearly you’re a very intelligent person, that much I’d like to iterate. And so, this reading seeks to validate your feelings about your eccentricity.

Art and all those dramatic things have always been integral to your sense of identity. I really think you should indulge, as long as whatever dramatic things you enjoy aren’t detrimental to your mental or physical wellbeing. If you happen to be the type that’s already doing detrimental things in your pursuit of an emotional high, this card is suggesting you pause breathe and eat before you go after another round of pursuing that high.

f a m i l y – Page of Cups Rx

When you’re pausing, you can cry. Accepting our emotions and acknowledging that they make us Human usually comes with a sense of grieving for all the ways we’ve thought ourselves as being in the wrong. There’s not a thing fundamentally wrong with you, it’s the people around you that have made you feel like you can’t communicate with them with striking vulnerability. And if these experiences have caused you to bear a lot of dark thoughts or negative emotions, I’d like you to know it happens to the best of us.

You could literally turn your pains into art, if anything. If you’ve chosen this Pile as your main pile, know that the pain you’ve experienced through human connections could be turned into art and that your Art has the capacity to heal those who come into contact with its backstory. And this, totally will have a significant place on the world stage because, as you can see, human interactions in recent years have gotten weirder and weirder in some capacity. So many people are hurting from getting disappointed by the…government and celebrities? LOL

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Pile 3 – Princess Kaguya, Is That You?

i d e n t i t y – 2 of Cups Rx

At the core of your being, you’ve always been different in that your heart is a lot purer, your morality is criminally significantly higher, you’re compassionate and can empathise with people on a level that’s beyond the comprehension of most others. The way you’ve experienced this Human Reality is incomparable to what most others have known. Basically, you’re an alien! And that’s an incredibly modest thing to say about you.

What you genuinely wish to see manifest in this world is vastly more high-vibrational than most people would even care to think about. I hope you accept that you are genuinely such a good person when you’re in your best element. What’s really difficult to maintain is your faith in people, for the most part, because you haven’t really met anyone who’s capable of giving their heart to you as deeply as you’ve given yours. This whole experience has broken your spirit and faith in a lot of things.

s e r e n i t y – 9 of Pentacles

And thus, you’ve carved out a Life of your own, quite separate from most people you’ve ever known. I’m sure you’ve burnt a lot of bridges up until just recently, and I sense, many of you simply know there’s still a few more to burn going forward. This is your confirmation that you’ve done the right thing. In this Human world, too many people buy into the idea that to be good is to be social; but you’ve experienced firsthand that that’s often not the case. You know firsthand that many people’s demons get activated by some weird connections to other people’s demons. And you don’t like that.

So you made a decision to walk away from most aspects of social life and worked your butt off to polish your skills. Some of you have spent many years studying; some of you have spent very many months working on a glow-up; some of you have deepened your spiritual prowess and connected to higher realms; basically, you’ve died and become a ghost… Springtime will bring you the resurrection you deserve, bitch!🎍

f a m i l y – King of Cups

About your Soul Fam though, I feel that travel is highly indicated for you. Some of you, you could be meeting a Soul Fam member during travels, but for the majority of you, this aenergy is giving the idea that you’re literally meant to travel the world or live abroad, perhaps even for the rest of your lives. Highly advanced souls can often have a narrative in which they’re expected to die on a land different from the one they were born into. So, if you’ve been thinking of moving to a different country or state, this is your confirmation that it is indeed part of your soul scenario.

Thanks to modern travel, it’s so easy for highly advanced souls to connect with their true Family members from different countries and that’s something we’re glad about LOL If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re going to die alone and sad, that’s totally not the case. If anything, you have so many Soul Fam members who are going to be just as highly spiritual, profoundly dreamy and vastly empathetic as you are. You’re going to be very glad when the time comes for Soul Families to reunite in the upcoming couple of years~ YAY~!

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[skade32]

Inspired by ABBA’s “Slipping through my fingers” lyrics:

I read a fic on AO3 with these lyrics and I WISH I REMEMBERED THE NAME SO I COULD RECOMEND IT

I was inspired to like encapsulate some ‘childhood memories’ of the Fushiguro siblings that I like to imagine Gojo has reminders of in the form of drawings and objects and letters and photos in his office.

In my found family fantasies, Gojo would relate to these lyrics regarding Tsumiki (don’t come after me I know this is mostly copium idc) and her sudden disappearance from his life. Also a little bit for Megumi who is not so suddenly, but nonetheless moving farther away from him as he both becomes an adult and no longer needs Gojo as much as he once did.

This was not really planned to be a whole thing. I initially just drew the bottom panel for fun bc I’m extremely not normal about teenage-single-parent-gojo (again I’m aware of the copium please don’t burn me at the stake) and idk I just couldn’t tear myself away from working on it and the next thing I knew it built itself up to the whole page and I hope other people can enjoy it as much as I have.

Description:

A graph paper notebook page covered entirely with a graphite sketch of a quickly thrown together comic scene. Two panels are featured atop the background which appears to be a cluttered desk in the foreground with numerous kinds of papers strewn about from mission reports to a letter addressed to Tsumiki. Amongst the papers in the top right corner, just adjacent to the first featured panel, a traditional jar of ink supports a dark pen, gently resting at an angle against the ink well. The pen seems to have been carelessly put aside as ink still drips down into the well below. The small portion of the scene not taken up by the desk has the walls, covered entirely by nondescript talismans, loosely sketched so not to drive too much attention from the subjects of the piece.

Wax drips from long-neglected candles, leaving almost no remnants of the once smooth and unblemished form it must have held just hours earlier that day. The residues of the wax leave bulbous trails, stopping just before the edge of the candle-holder sitting just to the left of the first feature panel.

Within the first panel is a scene of a little girl, squatting down so her shorts sit just above the heels of her little rubber rain boots. She seems distracted, lost in thought, as the rain pelts her and the sidewalk beside her becomes more reminiscent of a canal rather than a pedestrian pathway. The overgrown garden of the small cottage she loiters by fades into the misty sky, dark leafy bushels obscured by the soft glow of a lamplight to her left shoulder which complains achingly to the deafened thoughts of Tsumiki’s mind, still lost pondering the butterfly that rests gently upon her outstretched fingers, lovingly sheltered from the oppression of each raindrop which could rip its fragile scales in an instant. Such danger seems to not affect Tsumiki as she endures the assault from the heavens to endure the butterfly gets not a drop on his fragile wings. Her left hand holds the umbrella at such an angle that tree butterfly’s safety is assured, her own soggy hair a small price to pay for preserving such a beautiful creature.

Connecting the edge of this panel’s bottom edge to the background, a small square with a slanted cursive script writes “Slipping through my fingers all the time…”

The second panel, shifted slightly to the right of the former, occupying the focus of the bottom half of the page, displays a simpler image. The bright smile of a certain white haired idiot grows brighter as black spikes hair brushes against his chin. His dimple’s grow deeper when he notices the camera flashing at him and his disgruntled child relenting finally to sleep against his collarbone— leaving no doubt to any onlooker that the smile reached his eyes, true glee racking the young man’s expression as he jokingly flaps a limp hand about in a greeting gesture towards the camera. Whether or not Megumi’s participation in this memory was unwitting or not, that was up for debate. Regardless, the boy was clearly exhausted. Likely from some kind of jujutsu training after a mission that day if his athletic shorts and Gojo’s uniform were any indication.

A text box yet again connects to the bottom left corner of this panel reading: “…I try to capture every minute…”

[sillyguystrawb]

Don't get your hopes up for a full story but I wrote this and absolutely needed to share it. This one's for all you Lyra Rogers fans, I love you.

TW: Death

A/N: Here's a short teaser of a creepypasta fanfic I want to write! I have no name for it yet aaaa idk I'll think of one. If I even continue this story lmfaoo anyway enjoy!

(Creepypasta Fanfiction Title Here)

. . .

“You’ve been gone a long time, human.”

“I know.”

“How long has it been, exactly?”

“Almost 14 years.”

“Your body has decayed by now, beyond even my assistance.”

“There’s no hope for going back, never was.”

“Bold assumption to make.”

“Nobody wakes from the dead.”

“Nobody you’re aware of, until now.”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s time for you to wake up.”

. . .

A chill ran up the woman’s spine, the cold snow beneath her body crunching as she sat up. She looked around, standing on her feet with a stumble, shivering and hugging her arms close to her chest. She was in a graveyard. The tombs around her had fresh snow, the pathway between rows of graves lit softly with garden lamps. She turned around to look at the grave she’d awoken above.

“Lyra Rogers. A daughter, a sister, a friend. 1985 - 2011.”

Her own grave stood almost indistinguishable from the others in its row, with the exception of the words alone to identify it. Lyra stared at it, wondering what the funeral had been like. Had her mother been able to go, with her grief? Had her father even wanted to? Had Toby been able to move on since? A crunch of the snow outside the graveyard alerted Lyra, and she ran over to the entrance and made her way toward it, to see a few young adults talking over cigarettes and a bottle of god knows what. She waved at the group and shouted.

“Hey, you guys!” She needed help. Her long sleeve shirt was torn in odd places, her jeans were just as beat, and all her clothing was covered in blood. Her own blood, she knew that much. The crash that killed her in the first place had done enough damage to destroy her body, she wouldn’t think they’d even consider an open casket funeral. So how was she even here?

The group of people didn’t even acknowledge her, and Lyra ran towards them, but still nobody looked. Nobody batted an eye. When Lyra reached out to touch the shoulder of the man closest to her, her hand only slipped through his body like it didn’t exist. The blonde woman’s eyes widened, and she looked behind her at the snow. No tracks, not even a dent in the snow where her feet had been. It was like she didn’t exist.

It didn’t take much longer for Lyra to give up on the group of people and walk down the street to a forested park, where she sat on a bench to think. The night was cold, she was cold, and her chattering teeth and shivering body didn’t help much to ease the freezing temperatures in her chest. The wind pushed against her as if she were real, a cruel joke considering living things couldn’t feel her it seemed, but the wind had the ability to make her colder. She turned her face away from the gust, and her eyes set on a circular graffiti mark, with an X in the middle. It was carved small into the bench, but not small enough to miss.

Lyra reached out to touch the mark, to feel it’s indent in the wood. But just as her fingers brushed onto it her vision went dark, stomach flipped, and mind went dizzy. Spinning and flipping like a rollercoaster and seasickness all in one, finally opening her eyes to a dirt path only very lightly covered with snow, and trees surrounding her like a fortress. The dizziness escaped her after about a minute, and she stood up, walking down the path in hopes of finding some kind of shelter. The questions formed in her mind, each one breeding new questions with no foreseeable answer as she walked nervously, shivering down the path.

After turning corners and making guesses as to which way to go, she eventually saw a light up ahead, a single flickering lantern on a porch connected to a very old, very large mansion. Fire meant warmth, and as Lyra sprinted over to the porch a man came into view sitting behind the lantern. She slowed to a walk as she got closer, stepping next to the first step of the porch and standing before the man and his lantern. He smoked a cigarette, a light tan jacket covering a plaid shirt, looking off into the distance.

“Never seen you before, you new here?” The man spoke, finally looking at Lyra. His calm, nonchalant expression and the way he gestured for her to sit next to the lantern felt strange. Not bad, but strange, how could he see her when the others hadn’t been able to? Why wasn’t he freaking out over the amount of blood on her clothes? Lyra sat next to the lantern, leaning close to it for warmth.

“You look cold and confused, how did you get here?” Lyra didn’t look at him, trying to calm her chattering teeth and shivering hands on the small fire. The man hesitated before sighing deeply.

“Not much of a talker. Or too in shock, that happens too.” He stood up slowly, and picked up the lantern, walking over to and pushing the front door open with a loud creak of the hinges. “Come on in, it’s a lot warmer here and I don’t feel like freezing you to death.”

“Th-thank you..” Lyra stuttered, following him inside. The wave of warmth that hit her stung at first, the temperature difference shocking her body slightly as he put out the lantern and lead her down hallways and into an open-plan room, one side with a kitchen and bar, the other side with what looked like a conference table. “Sit wherever you want, I’ll grab you a drink.” The man went into the kitchen portion of the odd room and grabbed two mugs, fixing Lyra up hot chocolate which he put on the counter for her before making himself a black coffee.

“Coffee hm? Isn’t it like.. Late?” Lyra spoke softly, nervously as she picked up the hot chocolate. The man put out his cigarette on an ashtray at the bar and chuckled at her remark.

“It’s 2am, but that hasn’t stopped me before.” Lyra smiled as she sipped her drink, and watched the man sit in front of the ashtray at the bar to drink his coffee.

“Thank you, again. What’s your name?” The blonde woman smiled warmly at the guy, who nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

“Tim. People here call me nicknames, but I prefer Tim.” Lyra sat at the bar next to him and her head tilted slightly. She was warming up for sure, the mansion seemed pretty warm for such an old building.

“Nice to meet you, Tim. I’m Lyra.” Tim’s eyebrows raised. He seemed surprised, like he’d expected anything except that. He chugged his coffee and turned to face her properly. He looked hard into her eyes for a moment, searching for an answer she didn’t know the question to. He finally outstretched his hand which she took, and they shook. His hand was calloused, but warm. Rough skin, but gentle touch.

“There are others that live here?” Lyra finally asked, to which Tim nodded. Lyra hummed before asking another question, tentatively, avoiding eye contact. “How can you see me? The others they.. couldn't.”

Tim’s reaction made her snap her head to look directly at him, as he laughed. “You’re not the first ghost I’ve ever seen, Lyra.” A few seconds went by, the man was smiling slightly, and Lyra took another sip of her hot cocoa.

“How..” She started to ask, before pausing in utter confusion. The blood didn’t faze him. The sight of a ghost didn’t faze him. The fact she came out of nowhere didn’t faze him.

“You’ll understand in time, it’s complicated. But everyone who comes here did so on purpose whether they knew it or not.” Tim’s answer stuck to her like a porcupine quill. He stood up again, and washed his cup, placing it in a drying rack. “Finish your drink, I have something to show you. Someone, more accurately.”

Lyra didn’t want to bombard Tim with questions, even though they were filling her to the brim, so instead she finished her hot chocolate and stood up. He beckoned for her to follow as he walked down a short hallway, and knocked on the last door on the left. On it, a sign reading “Do Not Disturb, I’m Sleeping.”

Tim pounded on the door hard, and yelled at the person inside. “Open up, you have a visitor!”

A familiar voice rang out from inside, clearly annoyed with Tim’s aggressive knock. “Tell them t-to leave me alone.”

“You’re not gonna want this one to leave you alone.” Tim replied, and a young man opened the door, glaring at Tim before setting eyes on Lyra. His face dropped from annoyance, and landed hard on disbelief. His hand twitched, and his eyes watered.

“Toby?” Lyra asked softly, looking into her brother’s pale face. “You look like shit.”

Toby only latched onto her, tears immediately falling from his eyes into the cloth on her shoulder as she held him close, barely paying mind to her surprise that she could touch him. He whimpered and wept, but there was joy under it all. After all that time, she had been dead and buried for almost 14 years. And now she was back, at 2 in the morning, New Year’s day.

[novankenn]

What If...

Pyrrha was also under the sway of Salem Cinder and Pyrrha love each other (Pompeii)

Scene : On the ethereal bridges between Atlas and Vacuo

==> @watcher-servant The next meeting when trying to get Penny...there is no where to run...no where to hide...the dark knight and the illusionist will reach their quarry. No escape no back up a final fight and even using their semblance will not help. Even scarier if she's seeing his form shift between him and a full armored knight

They had been so close. Pyrrha and Cinder were unstoppable. Her skill and Cinder's powers working concert to drive back Ruby's ragtag group of defenders. The Staff of Creation was just with in their reach, then they heard that single ominous phrase.

"Found you."

Then everything went to shit. Jaune supported by Neo were more than a force of nature. As Ruby and her allies scrambled to get more and more people through the gateways, jaune and Neo descended upon her and Cinder like Angels of Vengeance. Blood soaked, and remorseless angels.

Cinder and Pyrrha fought a delicate balance of skill and magic versus finesse and brute strength. What Jaune lacked in skills, Neo made up with her abilities. Pyrrha frantically fended off a flurry of slashes and stabs by Neo, using her shield and semblance to their upmost effect, but still the silent woman pressed her.

A cry of pain, proceed the image of Cinder being thrown backwards. Pyrrha new her lover was more skilled than Jaune, but it didn't matter. Jaune's strength, drive of will and complete lack of care was something they couldn't counter. A smart warrior would evade, deflect, or block attacks. Jaune just took them. Absorbing the punishment, and plowing forward.

"Cinder watch out!" Pyrrha screamed when Neo suddenly shattered before her as she drove Milo into her exposed chest. Drawing her arm back, and coating Akuno with her semblance she flung it with all her strength as Neo appeared behind Cinder.

The throw was perfect, and when it struck Pyrrha knew it would knock the little imp from the pathways, and that would mean she and Cinder could then coral Jaune. Beat him down and maybe she could salvage the connection she and Jaune once shared. The blurring projectile closed on Neo as she dueled with Cinder, only for a figure to step in its pathway.

In a shower of sparks and a grunts of exertions, Jaune intercepted Pyrrha's thrown shield. Putting his body and sword between his impromptu partner and the attack. Pyrrha staggered backwards as images flashed in her mind as Jaune stood there.

Standing tall, pristine armor gleaming in the sunlight. It was an inspiring image. He looked noble, strong, confident and determined. He was a symbol of hope, of a better time, of redemption.

Then is twisted. The gilded armor, was gone. The noble look vanished. The Jaune of this vision was a nightmare. Armor blacked with blood, and battered through countless battles. Eyes that once held hope, filled with cold smoldering vengeance, threats of reprisals, and utter condemnation of sins, known and unknown.

"Pyrrha!" Cinder screamed in pain and desperation. Pyrrha's emerald eyes watched wide in horror. Having blocked Pyrrha shield, Jaune spun about, slashing horizontally he caught the distracted Cinder across her gut. With a vicious pull her drew the keen edge of the stained blade, across her midsection. Jaune's blade swung upwards, a droplets of blood thrown from the blade.

Pyrrha scrambled grabbing Milo. She drew back her arm and threw it as hard as she could, using the rifle function and her own semblance to multiple the force and speed. She was too late. Jaune's blade slashed down Cinder's back, making her rear back screaming in rage and pain. A scream that became a choked gurgle as Neo appeared in front of her and thrust with her own blade.

"Cinder!!!!!" Pyrrha wailed as Neo's blade shattered what aura her lover had left, punching straight through her exposed throat.

Rage, sorrow and loss welled up inside Pyrrha, blinding her to everything but Cinder's body sinking limply to the pathway. Jaune was upon her moments later. She was unable to offer even a token of resistance, as he slammed the pommel of his longsword into her face, crushing her nose.

As she lay stunned, she noticed that Milo had landed true. It was just too little too late. The bladed head was protruding from Jaune's chest, a mortal wound, yet Jaune acted unaffected. He was a machine, a monster of rage and vengeance wrought by her own hand.

The sight of him flickered once again. The noble warrior looking down upon her with pity, forgiveness, and hope. Then twisted to that of the other. The black night, the monster, the herald of death.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha spoke tears welling up in her eyes, as Jaune stood above her, raising his sword above his head with both hands. "Jaune. I'm sorry..."

"Jaune is... dead." the demon wearing his face coldly spoke, before driving his blade home.

Pyrrha screamed in agony as the blade slick with the blood of her lover punched through what remained of her aura, and drove deep into her body just below her breasts. She could feel the cold, starting to seep into her limbs as she weakly clutched at the wound. Wrapping her fingers about the steel that pierced her body.

"For... for... forgive me..." Pyrrha choked out, blood starting to flood her throat, cutting off her voice.

Jaune said nothing, as his head drooped forward, and he collapsed to his knees. It was obvious to Pyrrha that Jaune had given everything of himself for this single moment. There was no one else, near them. The citizen's of Atlas having escaped to Vacuo. Cinder dead and gone.

Neo was no where to be seen, yet Pyrrha didn't care. This was the end. The final judgement of her actions. The reward for her sins. She turned her head as much as her weakening body could manage. Bringing the body of her lover into view while still viewing Jaune's dying form. Slowly her eyes began to close.

Pyrrha gasped in shock and pain. Lifting her head weakly she looked about herself. She was laying on a white sand beach. The cold waters of an ocean washing over her legs up to her thighs. Pain burned in her upper abdomen. She hacked and coughed, expelling water and clotting blood upon the sand beside her.

She died. She was sure of it. She was sure of it.

[imagines--galore]

||The Thread of Fate|| Part Thirty-Five

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Masterlist

A/N: EMBER ISLANDS!!!!! WOOHOOO!!!!!! FINALLY! I am so so so excited for the next chapters! And guy seriously if you have any scenarios or moments you might want to see between Zuko and Orora or even the whole Gaang or any interactions between any characters let me know!

The first night was spent out in the courtyard.

Katara had been so exhausted that the second she had laid down on her bed roll, she'd been asleep. The rest of them had tip-toed around her, going about their business of making and eating food. Sokka had quickly asked Orora to leave a bowl of food out for Katara. In case she woke up in the middle of the night and was hungry.

Orora watched as Sokka set the bowl beside his exhausted sister. She didn't even stir when Sokka adjusted her blanket to cover her properly.

"You know, she didn't mean what she said." The older girl glanced beside her at Toph, who was finishing off the last of her food. "That you're not a part of the family." The girl clarified, and though her words were meant to be comforting, Orora couldn't help but feel a twinge of ache inside her. Setting aside her half-finished bowl, the girl swallowed against the strange feeling that rose within her.

"I can pretend how much I want Toph." She said in a low voice. "But what she said is true. I'm not a part of their family." Playing around with her rice with her chopsticks, the Waterbender shrugged, giving a small teary smile. "But they are a part of my family." She nudged the girl sitting next to her. "Just like you."

Which was why Toph had been the first person she'd gone to after Katara and Zuko had ridden off on Appa. She'd ranted until she had no more words left. And once she was done, Toph had been the one to reassure her that Katara would be alright.

"She's a good person with a good heart Orora." The girl had said, finding it strange that, for once, she was the one comforting the older girl. "When the time comes, she'll make the right decision."

And she had.

Seems Orora had nothing to worry about.

Though given how much she tended to worry, Orora was beginning to wander if perhaps Yue had given her the patch of white hair so she wouldn't start growing actual white hair out of the worry and anxiety she felt all the time when it came to the people she cared about.

"So, this was like your vacation home when you were a kid?" Suki asked as they finished up their dinner. Zuko nodded, glancing around at the pathway that ran along the entire courtyard, leading away into the rooms. "That was a long time ago." The boy said. "The last time we came here was a year before my cousin and Uncle went to the war front. Since then, no one has been here."

Aang raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then why was the door kicked down when we came in?" He asked, lifting his bowl of food towards his mouth and taking a bite. Suddenly looking sheepish, Zuko's eyes darted towards Orora briefly before he explained. "I came here a couple months ago, when my father sent my sister and I out on a forced vacation." Toph snorted. "And what, you couldn't walk in like a random person?" She asked, her tone obviously mocking, one that had Sokka sniggering to himself.

Annoyed, Zuko pursed his lips. "I was working through some stuff." He grumbled. Sokka rolled his eyes. "You're always working through some stuff Zuko. Should we keep an eye on you? Make sure you don't kick down any more doors?" His eyes landed on Momo who was happily chomping away on a fruit. The boy grinned. "Maybe we should have Momo follow you around. Keep you from harming unsuspecting doors."

They were all laughing now, except for Zuko, who glanced at Momo. The flying-lemur glanced back at the human.

Before quickly gathering his fruit and dashing off to hide behind Orora.

"Ouch."

                                            ————————–

She had wanted to go to sleep, she really had. But there was something nagging her. At the back of her mind, something was pushing her to ask what she wanted to. She'd caught Zuko's eye while everyone had begun to lay down their sleeping bags. Motioning to the dark corridor that led to the inner rooms of the house, Orora stood from where she'd been adding logs to the fire to keep it going through the night.

Even though it was Summer, the wind coming in from the sea was chilling at night.

Zuko, dropping his sleeping mat on the floor, walked after the retreating form of his girlfriend. He found her waiting for him, leaning against the side of the many windows that ran along the corridor. She was gazing down to the beach, where the waves were crashing against the shore. The sound of the waves breaking was quite prominent even this far up.

It was calming.

"About Katara." She began, raising her eyes to Zuko. The girl had thought her questions about the younger girl's well being would be endless. But all that came out of her mouth was: "Is she really alright?"

Sighing, Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, pursing his lips before he spoke. "As well as she could ever be after the confrontation with the man who killed her mother." Orora tried not to wince at his bluntness, but her features twitched anyway. "She was quiet, the whole ride back, like I told you. And after that I went to get you guys, and then when she was speaking to Aang, she finally forgave me for all that I did."

Orora smiled, peace settling in her heart. Perhaps now Katara wouldn't be so opposed to her and Zuko being Soulmates.

But then she remembered the tiny detail Zuko had mentioned while he told them all of what had happened. "Did she......did she really use blood-bending? On that man?" She asked, her voice hoarse as she wrapped her arms around herself, as if her body could feel the phantom pain of how that felt.

To have someone take control of your body.

To make it do things that were out of your control.

She remembered how devastated Katara had been. How she had broken down after the run-in they had with Hama.

Zuko frowned, looking to the side, unable to fathom the fear in Orora's eyes at the mere mention of such a dangerous bending form. She had told him about it. He had never thought he would witness it.

"She did." He admitted. "She allowed her feelings of hatred and rage rule her, take over her completely." Closing his eyes, he sighed sadly, before lifting his head to look at Orora. "Anger is an ugly emotion Orora. It takes hold of you. Every fiber of your being is a slave to it, and there is nothing you can do about it. You loose your true self to it. But Katara was strong." He was quick to amend. "She was strong and though she made a few mistakes, she broke through."

He paused. "I know more then anyone how anger can take over your entire life. I almost let it ruin the best thing that could ever happen to me." His lips pulled in a small smile as he gazed at his Soulmate. "Katara fought against that rage, and she won."

Though there was a part of her that believed that speaking to Katara would reassure her fears, Orora couldn't help but feel her entire body relax at Zuko's reassurance. Her heart lightened, and new hope breathed into her.

A hope that made her believe that she had her sister back.

With one final sigh, she allowed her worries to rest completely. "I'm glad you helped her out Zuko." She admitted. "She wouldn't have allowed anyone else to help her, so I'm happy she had someone that I could trust to keep her safe."

The pride was obvious in Zuko's expression as he smiled at Orora. "Yeah, well, I had to get her to forgive me somehow. I mean I couldn't have your sister disapproving of me when I finally took you out on that date." He had laughter in his eyes, a sight she never got tired of seeing.

Humming, the girl shrugged. "She'll find some other reason to disapprove of us. Though it wouldn't be as bad as what was before." She teased, knowing it would only make Zuko nervous about the situation.

And it did.

His shoulders dropped, as did his smile.

Orora laughed softly to herself as she walked towards him. "So try to stay in her good graces now that you're there." She advised. Leaning up, she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Good night."

With that she walked away, leaving Zuko to stay back for a few moments longer, his mind working a mile a second as he thought of what he had to do to achieve something he'd been waiting a long time for.

And his mind kept racing with ideas until he fell asleep underneath the open sky with the stars twinkling down at him.

The reason behind his thoughts asleep just a foot or so away from him.

                                            ————————–

"I cannot believe I am spending my day cleaning your house."

"Technically it belongs to my Dad."

"I'm slaving away for the Fire Lord. That's even worse!"

"You know if you shut your mouth and focus on cleaning, we might get this done much faster."

"Oh no. If I'm gonna clean this place, I will be complaining every second of it."

Zuko resisted the urge to throw the already dirty rag at Sokka's face. But he didn't have to, since Katara walked by just then. "If you're done complaining Sokka, you missed a spot." She gestured to the roof which had several cobwebs hanging from the ceiling.

Since they would be staying in the house, Katara had suggested that they clean up some parts of it. Areas that would be in their use, and not have them sneeze and cough every time they went from outside and into the dust and sand covered rooms.

Muttering under his breath, Sokka lifted the long piece of wood that had a cloth wrapped around it, wiping away at the cobweb. Thinking that perhaps his sister's presence would keep him from complaining, Zuko turned back to his task. "How come Toph and Aang get to sit out?" Sokka bemoaned, finding yet another thing to complain about.

The Prince gritted his teeth, fighting with all his strength not to hit the water tribe boy over the head.

"They're not sitting out, they're training. Really Sokka, its not like you have to clean the whole house. Just the rooms we'll be sleeping in." Katara looked around. "Is Orora here?" She asked, her voice sounding just as tentative as she looked. Zuko glanced over at her, as Sokka responded. "She went to the other room with Suki." He said, oblivious to the turmoil his sister felt at the moment. Nodding, the young waterbender Master walked out. And no sooner had her steps receded, when Zuko was following her.

"Hey! Where're you going?" Sokka called out to his retreating back. "Katara's gonna go talk to Orora and I wanna hear it." Call him nosy, but he wanted to listen to what the two girls had to say. Especially since he would be one of the topics of the conversation. "You coming?" Glancing at the dusty, cobweb covered stick he was holding, Sokka allowed it to fall to the floor before following after Zuko.

                                            ————————–

Swinging her legs from where she sat atop the newly cleaned counter that ran along the length of the kitchen, Suki watched Orora as she bended water along the surface of the floor. "I feel bad that I'm not doing anything." She said, her eyes tracking how every last grain of sand and dust was taken away by the water Orora was moving to and fro.

"Well think of it this way, I'm practicing my bending by you not taking part in the cleaning." Orora said, lifting the water in the form of a bubble and throwing it out of the window and into the foliage that surrounded the house. "And with that we are done." The girl said, looking around at the recently clean kitchen with a proud grin. Suki nodded. "It looks good." She giggled. "The boys won't be happy with us for finishing our work so easily and with barely any effort."

Orora waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, let them inhale some dust clouds. Might do their egos some good." The two girls laughed, missing Katara as she stood at the entrance to the kitchen. The younger waterbender girl cleared her throat, catching their attention.

"Suki, I need you to bring the food and pots from the courtyard please." The girl said with barely a glance in the Suki's direction, before her eyes met Orora's.

Sensing the sudden shift in the air as the two Water Tribe girl continued to look at each other, Suki nodded. "Yeah sure Katara!" Jumping down from her seat, the girl began to retreat. "I'll just go!"

Though the moment she stepped outside the door, the girl flattened herself against the wall next to the kitchen and just about held her breath, waiting for the conversation to begin.

Her surprised eyes landed on Sokka and Zuko, who were pressed up against the wall opposite her. The three of them glanced at each other, before coming to a mutual agreement.

And continued to eavesdrop.

"Was there something you needed to say to me Katara?" Alright so maybe she was being a little cold towards the girl, but whatever Katara had been going through in that moment, what she had said hurt more then the other girl's rejection of her and Zuko's bond.

The younger girl bit her lower lip, guilt gnawing at her from within. "I....." She trailed off. "I have a lot of things to say, but I think I should start with, I'm sorry." She choked out, feeling the lump in her throat growing as tears burned behind her eyes.

"Orora I am so sorry about what- I was just so angry at the time, and I said some horrible things." Katara's gaze was pleading as she continued to look at Orora. "And I'm also sorry about the way I treated you and Zuko when you decided to give him another chance. I let my anger cloud my....well....my everything." Honestly, Katara was at a loss. She was usually so good when it came to voicing what she was feeling out loud, but in that moment, watching her older sister look at her with that strange expression on her face, words failed her.

A look that was a cross between endearment and sorrow.

Maybe she had rushed into it. Maybe she should've given Orora a little bit of distance before approaching her with an apology. Give them both some time. But, in truth, Katara didn't want to wait.

She missed her sister. She missed their talks, Orora's playful teasing, their waterbending sessions. Not to mention the knowledge that no matter what, Orora would always have her back.

Not that Katara had ever doubted it even when they weren't speaking to one another.

"I can't pretend that what you said didn't hurt." The older girl finally spoke, her voice soft and gentle, which only made Katara's heart twinge with guilt. "And that when you were against my decision to try to be with my Soulmate, I felt like I had been betrayed by my own sister."

Katara couldn't help the whispered apology that echoed in the otherwise empty room.

"But I'm not going to hold anything against you." Orora revealed, chuckling when she saw the obvious expression of shock shoot across Katara's face. "We've had too many bad and-and negative feelings cooped up inside us Katara." She continued. "And I just don't want to feel them anymore. I'm tired of being sad, or angry, or depressed all the time over something."

She sighed. "And I just want it to stop."

A moment of silence, where neither girl moved or said anything.

Before Katara shot forward and Orora raised her arms, gathering her younger sister in an embrace that was returned just as lovingly as it was given.

Just beyond the two hugging sisters, three heads floated, partially hidden behind the doorway.

Suki, with a smile on her lips, glad her friends had finally made peace. Zuko, with a look of satisfaction, ecstatic for his Soulmate to have her sister back.

And Sokka?

Well......

"That was beautiful!" He sobbed, stumbling to stand in the doorway, tears streaming down his cheeks. The two girls turned to look at him with identical expressions of bemusement. Orora raised an eyebrow. "Really Sokka, you're overreacting a little." She said, but her words were met with a comically loud sob as Sokka launched himself forward, wrapping an arm around each girl's shoulder and hugging them, or rather squishing them together.

Completely ignoring their protests as he pressed a rather messy kiss on each of their cheeks.

"Gross! Sokka get off!"

                                            ————————–

They were at the last stages of their clean up.

Aang and Toph had returned awhile ago, and Katara was having Aang airbend some of the cobwebs that were too far out of any of their reach. And since Orora was finished with sweeping the floor with water and collecting the dust and sand, she was quick to escape to the inner courtyard and settle herself down next to Toph.

"How was training?" She asked, watching Toph break some nuts open with a small swipe of a rock she was bending. "Twinkletoes still has a long way to go before he can call himself a Master." She revealed, smashing some nuts open and handing them out for Orora to take. The older girl muttered her thanks before popping them in her mouth.

"You really think stealing Aang's secret stash is gonna win you any points with him?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the small sack of walnuts she'd seen Aang sneak out and eat from on several occasions.

Toph grinned. "Nope. But maybe it'll teach him to hide his food better." She laughed, before finishing off the last of the nuts. Orora simply shook her head, making a mental note to buy Toph her own bag of nuts to snack on later. As well as a new bag for Aang, since Toph finished his. "So, how're you holding up?" The older girl asked, stretching her legs out in front of her, her hands resting against the floor behind her as she leaned back slightly. The younger girl frowned. "What do you mean? Am I supposed to be holding something up?" She asked, to which Orora shook her head, smiling softly though looking sad at the same time.

"I mean how're you holding up with The Duke not being around." She elaborated.

And her words were met with complete silence.

A silence that stretched on for a good few minutes before Toph was finally able to speak. The question had come so out of the blue that the girl was actually at a loss for words. A first for her, since she was always prepared with a snippy quip for anyone who happened to come her way.

"I haven't actually really allowed myself to think about that." She finally admitted, frowning slightly as she did. "Because when I do, I feel this really overwhelming feeling. And I don't like it." She admitted, crossing her arms over her chest defensively, as if she could shield herself from within from feeling what she was in that moment.

Orora nodded, reaching out to gently lay a hand on Toph's forearm. "Like you left a piece of yourself behind?" She asked, her voice soft and comforting as she shifted a little closer to the girl. Toph, sensing the shift, didn't hesitate to lay her head down against Orora's shoulder, drawing comfort from her older sister's presence. Feeling more then a little overwhelmed, and not trusting herself to speak, she simply nodded. Drawing her arm up to wrap around Toph's shoulders, Orora gave her a squeeze.

"I know it feels really difficult, and honestly, it does suck. But trust me when I say that when you meet him again, there is no other feeling like it."

Loud voices approaching had the waterbender looking up in the direction of the owners, namely Zuko and Aang who were now done with their tasks and walking towards the courtyard as well. "Believe me." Orora said, her ice blue gaze never wavering from the unaware Zuko. "I know."

Toph, sensing the two boys approaching shook her head. "Don't you go going all sappy with me, Ice Princess." She teased, glad to have spoken to Orora, and getting everything off her chest. She would still miss The Duke, but the promise of their meeting again had all her worries slowly disappearing.

Rolling her eyes, Orora gave the girl a playful shove, before pushing down the green headband she always wore. In response, Toph flicked her foot upwards, causing the earth underneath the wooden platform they were sitting on to shift and send Orora sprawling to the side.

"Toph!" She called out, rubbing the back of her head. The blind girl only grinned. "What're you complaining about?" She asked, sensing Zuko's steps rushing to where Orora had fallen and helping her sit up. "You have Firebug's arms around you now don't you?"

Orora pursed her lips, blue eyes shining with annoyance, despite the blush that painted her dark brown skin because yes, she didn't particularly mind the position she was in right then. Zuko chuckled under his breath, prompting Orora to punch his arm. "Don't encourage her." She admonished him.

Toph laughed loudly, standing up and throwing the now empty bag of walnuts in Aang's direction. "You're welcome!" She called over her shoulder as she walked away, leaving Aang to groan over the loss of his snack.

                                            ————————–

Once everything was clean, everyone had settled down for the night. There wasn't a shortage of rooms in the house, but for some reason, they'd all opted to sleep together in the living area of the house. It was large enough for all of them to fit in comfortably, and it opened up to the courtyard outside where Appa would sleep.

Inwardly, Orora was glad they weren't sleeping in separate rooms. She liked being near all of them, knowing everyone was safe and sound asleep.

Plus she'd kind of gotten used to sleeping with Zuko's face just a few feet away from her own. More then once she had fallen asleep while simply looking at his face. Then again, he had done the same every night since he'd gotten her back.

They'd all been much to exhausted to stay up long and chat that night.

Which was why they were all up bright and early the next morning. Aang and Zuko had gotten up even earlier to practice their firebending. Orora was just waking up when they returned. She was a little miffed about it, having wanted to see how Aang was progressing and to see Zuko use his firebending from a source that was other then anger and rage.

"We need to go into town." Katara stated as she surveyed a rather long piece of paper that she held. Everyone looked up from where they'd been finishing their breakfast. "We're almost out of food." The waterbender continued. "We need to get a few other supplies, and get Suki a new outfit." She added, glancing in the girl's direction who gave a nod of agreement. Sokka frowned. "Whats wrong with what she has on?" He asked, to which Suki, Katara and Orora all threw him a look.

"Sokka, do you really expect me to walk around in prison clothes?" His Soulmate asked, raising an eyebrow at him. The boy shrugged. Personally, he didn't think it mattered. They were just clothes. Then again, he did like his girlfriend in her Kiyoshi outfit more, so maybe it did matter.

Aang looked around at the group. Each of them supporting the colors of their Nation. "Well, if we're gonna go out and explore, its best we change into our Fire Nation disguises." He suggested. The new information had Zuko looking around. "Fire Nation disguises?" He asked, to which Toph nodded. "What we wore while we roamed around the Fire Nation before the Invasion. We really blend in rather well." She said, already standing up to get ready. Sokka grinned. "Maybe I can wear my beard again!" He stated gleefully, before racing off at a speed that left Orora thinking that he was maybe part Airbender.

"So wait, we're all going shopping?" Zuko asked, looking around as everyone dispersed, eager to change and get out of the dreary house. Katara rolled her eyes. "Of course we're all going Zuko." She smiled. "Its more fun to go as a group. And its been ages since we went out and just explored." With that she grabbed Orora's elbow, who grabbed Toph, and disappeared to the rooms where they had stored their supplies.

Leaving Suki and Zuko behind to clean up.

                                            ————————–

"No! Absolutely not!" Suki stated with a tone of finality in her voice.

"Awww but why?!"

"Sokka, it makes you look ridiculous."

"I thought you would think it made me look dignified."

"If you mean dignified-edly horrible, then yes, you're right."

Sokka pouted, though it was rather hard to see with the huge bushy beard he was wearing. Toph, who had been listening to the exchange while leaning against the broken door of the house, grinned. "I think you look dignified Sokka." She called out, prompting Zuko and Aang to snigger as Sokka turned to Toph with a hopeful look on his face.

"Thanks Toph! I knew I could-" He cut himself off, catching the wide grin on Toph's face. Scowling, he yanked at the beard, he pulled it off and tossed it aside, grumbling certain words under his breath that would have him earning two swats over the head by his sisters.

Who still hadn't appeared yet.

"Where are they?" Zuko asked impatiently, a little annoyed that he wasn't using the time to have Aang run through some fire drills again. While he was supporting a cloak with a hood to hide his face, Aang adjusted the tall hat he had found in the closets of the house, hiding his blue tattoos from sight. "Is this your first time waiting for a girl to get dressed Zuko?" He asked. The Prince's mind flashed back to the time when he had waited for Orora to come down from the apartment when they were supposed to go serve tea to the Earth King.

He remembered what his Uncle had said. “You should prepare yourself for such tardiness my nephew. A lady always takes her time. But it is always worth the wait.”

"Hey, I'm a girl and I got ready quicker then they did." Toph pointed out. Footsteps from within the house caught their attention, with Katara stepping out first. "That's because you opted to not take a bath after all that cleaning Toph, and Orora and I like to feel clean." Toph rolled her eyes as Orora stepped out as well.

"Its called a healthy coating of dust Sugar Queen." She argued, though the rest of whatever she said was barely heard by Zuko as his eyes found Orora and he stared at what he saw.

His Soulmate, in the clothes of his Nation.

Orora, wearing Fire Nation clothing.

The mere sight of her had his lips parting, and eyes widening in utter amazement. The bandeau top she wore just about covered her chest area, leaving the rest of her torso, namely her shoulders and navel completely bare. And though the bare navel did show the scar she now supported, that ran along her side, it was hardly noticeable against her dark brown skin. Her pants were cinched in just below her knees, and the skirt she'd wrapped around her hips only accentuated the curve of her body. A trait he had noticed before. Though now he could admire it more openly. Her shoes, funnily enough, were identical to the ones he wore, probably because they were the latest fashion.

The accents of gold along the edges of her clothing only enhanced the gorgeous color of her skin, as she pulled up the armbands that reached her elbows.

Her hair was completely down, the tips brushing her shoulder, settling in soft curls against her bare skin. Only a small portion of it pushed to the side to keep the hair from falling into her face. It was, of course, in place with the help of the blue comb he had returned to her.

His Uncle was right.

It was worth the wait.

There were only a handful of times Zuko had been struck speechless by someone.

And it seemed Orora had the honor of being the one to render him voiceless more times then anyone else.

Adjusting her armbands in place, Orora glanced up to see Zuko staring at her. She couldn't help but feel a blush crawling up her neck and blooming in her cheeks, the intensity of his gaze prompting her to suddenly feel shy and avert her eyes from him, brushing her hair behind her ear.

To say the both of them were as subtle as Appa in a china shop would be an understatement. Aang and Sokka were making faces at one another, identical expressions of playful disgust as they waited for the two Soulmates to break out of their little bubble. Toph had the honor of feeling both their heartbeats reach to a crescendo level. She couldn't help but grin though, already preparing a wide variety of teasing quips and jokes that she would be throwing at them both later. Suki, for all her tough warrior act, was a romantic at heart. And she could only exchange a happy smile with Katara, who had secretly planned the entire entrance because yes, she was going to help her older sister out by making Zuko see just how amazing she was.

Not that he didn't know that already.

"Are we waiting for anyone else?" Katara asked, still smiling as she finally broke the bubble the two Soulmates were happily encased in. Zuko's cheeks burned red as he quickly pulled up the hood of his cloak to try and hide his face. A little too late for that though.

"Yeah, we're just waiting for Zuko to pick up his jaw from the floor." Aang said, before bursting out into a laugh that had him leaning against Sokka for support, who wasn't any better, since he was laughing his head off just as hard as Aang was.

Suki grinned devilishly as she hooked her arm through Orora's and began to lead her down the steps. As she did, the two girls passed Zuko, and Orora's hand brushed against his.

By accident or on purpose.

Neither of them knew.

But what they did know, was that the small patch of skin where they had touched, seemed to zing with an electric charge that they both felt. One that had Orora nearly reaching out and taking his hand, just so she could feel more of that heart stopping sensation. And she would've done it too, if Suki hadn't been pulling her along.

Despite the fact that she could feel the cool sea air against her bare skin, Orora had never felt hotter before as she did under Zuko's gaze. Though this heat had nothing to do with the elements.

Oh no, this one seemed to come from inside her. And only wanted to burn brighter, engulf her entire body, mind and soul.

"Since I want my Soulmate to look at me like that as well." Suki declared, pulling Orora out of her mind as she pried her away away from Zuko's molten gold gaze. "I vote Orora to help me find the perfect outfit." She threw over her shoulder, grinning at the scowl on Zuko's face, knowing she had annoyed him by stealing Orora away.

As the rest of them moved to follow, Toph grinned. "I hope you're ready Firebug. Cuz none of us are gonna let you live this down."

Sighing, Zuko reminded himself that it was his choice to make friends with all of them. The added bonus? He was close to Orora.

So if he had to endure a little teasing as a price, then it was all worth it.

And despite what was to come, and knowing anyone could see him and tease him even more for it, his eyes never once left Orora's figure as she walked in front of him.

                                            ————————–

Tag List - @wavesofchaos​ @violet-potter​ @rennysketch​ @emma-andrea1 @lovesammikinzz @fuzzyfestcat @msrawog @notsaelty @lust-for-pan @aces-tattooartist @jinxxangel13 @lotr-got @bitterspoons @realrintaro @gatorgirl151 @inutheangel @heartfully10 @lucaaahhh @juniper-july19 @anuttellaa @gfksz @bussyvussy @punksnotdeadbutiam @ablofftoneverland-blog-blog @slut-for-menn @vyliie @army-moa75 @juwhls @aqlodun @lovelybaka @glowyruby @niktwazny303 @ladystrawberry

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 19, 2025

Individual-specific strategies inform category learning. Collina, J. S., Erdil, G., Xia, M., Angeloni, C. F., Wood, K. C., Sheth, J., Kording, K. P., Cohen, Y. E., & Geffen, M. N. (2025). Scientific Reports, 15, 2984.

Visual activity enhances neuronal excitability in thalamic relay neurons. Duménieu, M., Fronzaroli-Molinieres, L., Naudin, L., Iborra-Bonnaure, C., Wakade, A., Zanin, E., Aziz, A., Ankri, N., Incontro, S., Denis, D., Marquèze-Pouey, B., Brette, R., Debanne, D., & Russier, M. (2025). Science Advances, 11(4).

The functional role of oscillatory dynamics in neocortical circuits: A computational perspective. Effenberger, F., Carvalho, P., Dubinin, I., & Singer, W. (2025). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(4), e2412830122.

Expert navigators deploy rational complexity–based decision precaching for large-scale real-world planning. Fernandez Velasco, P., Griesbauer, E.-M., Brunec, I. K., Morley, J., Manley, E., McNamee, D. C., & Spiers, H. J. (2025). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(4), e2407814122.

Basal ganglia components have distinct computational roles in decision-making dynamics under conflict and uncertainty. Ging-Jehli, N. R., Cavanagh, J. F., Ahn, M., Segar, D. J., Asaad, W. F., & Frank, M. J. (2025). PLOS Biology, 23(1), e3002978.

Hippocampal Lesions in Male Rats Produce Retrograde Memory Loss for Over‐Trained Spatial Memory but Do Not Impact Appetitive‐Contextual Memory: Implications for Theories of Memory Organization in the Mammalian Brain. Hong, N. S., Lee, J. Q., Bonifacio, C. J. T., Gibb, M. J., Kent, M., Nixon, A., Panjwani, M., Robinson, D., Rusnak, V., Trudel, T., Vos, J., & McDonald, R. J. (2025). Journal of Neuroscience Research, 103(1).

Sensory experience controls dendritic structure and behavior by distinct pathways involving degenerins. Inberg, S., Iosilevskii, Y., Calatayud-Sanchez, A., Setty, H., Oren-Suissa, M., Krieg, M., & Podbilewicz, B. (2025). eLife, 14, e83973.

Distributed representations of temporally accumulated reward prediction errors in the mouse cortex. Makino, H., & Suhaimi, A. (2025). Science Advances, 11(4).

Adaptation optimizes sensory encoding for future stimuli. Mao, J., Rothkopf, C. A., & Stocker, A. A. (2025). PLOS Computational Biology, 21(1), e1012746.

Memory load influences our preparedness to act on visual representations in working memory without affecting their accessibility. Nasrawi, R., Mautner-Rohde, M., & van Ede, F. (2025). Progress in Neurobiology, 245, 102717.

Layer-specific control of inhibition by NDNF interneurons. Naumann, L. B., Hertäg, L., Müller, J., Letzkus, J. J., & Sprekeler, H. (2025). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(4), e2408966122.

Multisensory integration operates on correlated input from unimodal transient channels. Parise, C. V, & Ernst, M. O. (2025). eLife, 12, e90841.3.

Random noise promotes slow heterogeneous synaptic dynamics important for robust working memory computation. Rungratsameetaweemana, N., Kim, R., Chotibut, T., & Sejnowski, T. J. (2025). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(3), e2316745122.

Discriminating neural ensemble patterns through dendritic computations in randomly connected feedforward networks. Somashekar, B. P., & Bhalla, U. S. (2025). eLife, 13, e100664.4.

Effects of noise and metabolic cost on cortical task representations. Stroud, J. P., Wojcik, M., Jensen, K. T., Kusunoki, M., Kadohisa, M., Buckley, M. J., Duncan, J., Stokes, M. G., & Lengyel, M. (2025). eLife, 13, e94961.2.

Representational geometry explains puzzling error distributions in behavioral tasks. Wei, X.-X., & Woodford, M. (2025). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(4), e2407540122.

Deficiency of orexin receptor type 1 in dopaminergic neurons increases novelty-induced locomotion and exploration. Xiao, X., Yeghiazaryan, G., Eggersmann, F., Cremer, A. L., Backes, H., Kloppenburg, P., & Hausen, A. C. (2025). eLife, 12, e91716.4.

Endopiriform neurons projecting to ventral CA1 are a critical node for recognition memory. Yamawaki, N., Login, H., Feld-Jakobsen, S. Ø., Molnar, B. M., Kirkegaard, M. Z., Moltesen, M., Okrasa, A., Radulovic, J., & Tanimura, A. (2025). eLife, 13, e99642.4.

Cost-benefit tradeoff mediates the transition from rule-based to memory-based processing during practice. Yang, G., & Jiang, J. (2025). PLOS Biology, 23(1), e3002987.

Identification of the subventricular tegmental nucleus as brainstem reward center. Zichó, K., Balog, B. Z., Sebestény, R. Z., Brunner, J., Takács, V., Barth, A. M., Seng, C., Orosz, Á., Aliczki, M., Sebők, H., Mikics, E., Földy, C., Szabadics, J., & Nyiri, G. (2025). Science, 387(6732).

[seventeenlovesthree]

Digimon Adventure Reboot Sequel AU - Chapter 8: You Will Be On Your Own Then. And So Will I.

Summary: The Chosen Children finally learn the truth about their origins and why Taichi had always been a key figure in everything. Taichi himself is being confronted with the fate of the world(s) and has to make a final choice for the sake of the future - but thanks to a wishful encounter, he doesn't have to do it alone.

Chapter list: [Prologue] [0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Resources: [Concept] [Designs] [First Idea] [Playlist] [Ao3]

Word Count: 5902

The Chosen Children and their Digimon partners found themselves getting pulled into a dimension of white, reminiscent of the blinding lights that had engulfed them in Taichi’s room before.

“Where the heck are we?!” Once again, Jyou was the first who found his voice – it surely wasn’t the first time they had been thrusted into a space robbing them of their physical forms by a higher force. So floating around without direction - like they did in this very moment – didn’t exactly feel foreign to them.

“Is this… The network?”, Yamato tried to guess, but wasn’t sure whatsoever, as this place didn’t resemble the familiar digital highway, full of colourful pathways.

Instead, a sense of emptiness was surrounding them – if it wasn’t for the endlessly seeming number of bubbles looming above their heads.

“It’s… Quite different…”, Koushirou whispered, eyes glued to the bubbles and before he could even dare to ask what those were, Taichi’s voice drew their attention towards him.

Or rather - towards it.

“It’s the realm that bridges all parallel universes besides your own and the Digital World…”, Taichi said in a weirdly monotone tone, eyes half closed and shimmering in the same opal colour as before. Meanwhile, he was the only one who seemed to stand comfortably. “And now that the Child of Light has finally approached us, I shall introduce myself to you.”

A moment of sheer shock and silence, only interrupted by Mimi uttering:

“T-Taichi-san…?”

“That isn’t Onii-chan”, Hikari said firmly and everyone turned towards her. She seemed to have been the only one who had at least vaguely sensed what was going on before – but now, Koushirou quickly picked up the pieces as well:

“It’s another being speaking through him to us… Right?”

“Precisely. It’s been a while, Chosen Children.”

Sounds of disbelief could be heard, as they all tried to process that information.

“Who or what are you then?!”, Takeru was the first who hissed – and was already on his way to press forward, if it hadn’t been for Patamon holding him back. “And what have you done to Taichi-san?!”

“Takeru, be careful!”

All of the Digimon were hesitant, as if they couldn’t fully determine whether it was an enemy to be attacked – or not. Thus, they rather remained in a cautious pose, each of them close to their respective partner, with Agumon being the only remainder, who stared at his soulmate with absolute dread.

“Taichi…”

“My name is Homeostasis…”, the being continued talking through Taichi’s voice – but the longer it spoke, the more they could hear the robotic echo seeping through, indicating that it was definitely not their friend who was in control. “I am the one who desires balance, order and harmony – and I needed the Child of Courage to gather all of you once again.”

“Once… Again?”, Yamato repeated – just for the scenery around them to change just so slightly. Countless images of giant Digimon fighting against one another at different points in time, as Homeostasis started to elaborate:

“For as long as the Digital World existed, the balance between Light and Darkness had to be restored, over and over again. Said balance, in all worlds and universes, can only be achieved by utilizing the connection between humans and Digimon. Their bond had been tested by us before. And so we had found out that partnerships between humans and Digimon, their wishes and hopes, had the potential to cause unlimited evolution. They were the key to summon the Light to lock the power of Darkness away. And to ensure that this procedure would be maintained in the future… It’s our duty to scout the most suitable partnerships, the highest possible potential. But the search to find humans to partner with Digimon has become unfeasible. There are too many contenders in all the different universes, the scanning requires too much time, too much energy. In addition, most partnerships do not reach the same potential that we had once discovered… So we decided to emulate the potential instead. Through the course of time, the connection between the human world and the Digital World has continued to increase. By now, they are almost completely intertwined and thus, it became easy for us to just replicate the system that has already proven to be successful - and apply it to another universe.”

To underline the point, it made Taichi look up to the bubbles – indicating that those were the different universes it had been referring to. 

“We used the information we had already gathered through scanning all of your predecessors in Hikarigaoka, Japan, in 1995 of an alternate universe. We were in possession of all the data we needed. So we copied the baselines of your Digimon partners as well as the basis of the Crests that already existed. Courage, Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Sincerity, Reliability, Hope and Light. The power of the bonds between your predecessors and the Digimon had been successfully tested before. So we were convinced that, once we recreated the same partnerships between the Digimon and their specific human counterparts and give them their designated Crests as catalysts again, we would replicate the same successes.”

Another moment of silence followed. Eventually, Mimi was the one who tried to coherently summarize the information bomb that had just been thrown at them – thanks to her grandfather passing down just as much knowledge about the network as Koushirou usually rambled about:

“Wait… So you didn’t just replicate the Digimon and the Crests, but… Us too?! But we aren’t just characters in a computer made of data, are we?!”

Jyou wasn’t any less shocked at the revelation, touching his own head as if to soothe a rising headache: “Wh-what does that make us then? Are you saying that we’re… Reincarnations of people who have already existed before us?! Are these people dead then?!”

“They still exist in an alternate timeline, a parallel universe, Child of Reliability”, Homeostasis responded - and caused Jyou to shudder after getting directly addressed with that title. “But time there passes differently due to the timeflow of the Digital World. And those Chosen Children have lost their use to us a while ago. Thus, you were not reincarnated, you are-“

“We’re basically rebooted copies or clones, correct?”, Koushirou concluded in a high-pitched tone – only to be greeted by another emotionless reply:

“You may call it that, Child of Knowledge.”

But that aggravated Mimi even more, as she screeched “What the heck?!” out loud. Sora had floated to her’s and Koushirou’s side, intending to give them comfort, similarly to how Palmon and Tentomon tried to shield them – even though she had raised her shoulders and her voice was rather raspy as well:

“Does that mean that our universe itself is only a copy too?”

“No, every universe and every timeline therein is unique and completely accessible to us under normal circumstances. We just decided to insert the codes of your scanned selves into this world specifically, creating improved versions. However, everything in your world is real, including your families. Only your codebase is branched from your Source Tree in the other timeline. We generated and implemented your Crests into this universe from the very beginning, so it was then only a matter of time until your codes - and thus your selves - would get drawn into this version of the Digital World as well. However, we still needed to ensure that you would all meet each other again for maximum success. The Child of Light is aliased as the source of life, they would always be needed as the origin of these eight Chosen Children, in every timeline. Unfortunately, we did not have access to them in this one. They had denied us access for inexplicable reasons. But since the Child of Courage was related to them, we calculated that they were the best option for us.”

Despite everything, despite the full extent of a reality that had been unknown to them all along, that seemed so vast, so confusing, so completely overwhelming and dreadful… It was the last bit of information that hit a nerve in Sora specifically; she threw a glance at Hikari, who gazed at the corrupted version of her brother with tearful eyes, as if it had been her fault it had come down to this. Overcome by empathy and the spark of realization, Sora shouted just as loudly as Mimi before: “So you were possessing Taichi all this time?!”

“The Child of Courage has always been a formidable fighter, one of the most valuable soldiers… By accessing them in this timeline, we could ensure that their potential would intertwine with the potential of the other timeline’s self. Their Digimon partner would be capable of accessing evolution more easily as well. And the combined karmic power would enable them to gather all of you quickly as well. They were familiar with all of you already, they would subconsciously recognize all your basic traits and personalities and thus, they would be capable of approaching and attracting all of you naturally. That way, they helped all of you to access your potential even faster as well. Without realizing it.”

“That’s a nice way of saying that you used him and us without our knowledge or consent”, Yamato spouted sarcastically – which was not picked up by the being at all, as it simply continued to justify its actions:

“It was the most logical conclusion. The Child of Courage is the perfect catalyst. We soon realized that the memories of their other self would flow into their consciousness the more we interfered with them. A mere side effect, but a useful one: By entering their body and familiarizing them with all they had achieved before, we simultaneously enabled them to access the whole extent of their fighting prowess – which also improved their strategies and their overall usefulness in this universe. We could give them directions, send them wherever we needed them to be to have maximum impact. We could even alter or suppress their memories if necessary. We hoped that they would become the mightiest force. It may be possible for them to reach even higher evolution levels and settle the ongoing fight between Light and Darkness once and for all.”

“And if he fails…?”, Koushirou whispered after a while, barely coping with the idea that the meeting between him and his best friend had potentially been orchestrated…

“Then we will have to try again in another timeline.”

In contrast, existential dread had hit Jyou wholeheartedly, so he just sacked down, staring at the never-ending whiteness below him. “This… This is a nightmare.”

Gomamon gave him a saddened look – just like the humans, the Digimon exchanged helpless glances. It was as if that being, Homeostasis, had actively implemented a mechanism within them to prevent them from going for the attack – and there was nothing even the chattiest Digimon could say about it.

Takeru was at a loss for words as well and Mimi desperately tried to wipe her upcoming tears away.

“Was he just… A little doll in a game this entire time? Are we nothing but cattle to you?!”

“Oh Mimi…”, Palmon did her best to attempt to hug her grieving partner.

“Taichi was completely out of his mind, he even fainted during that last battle – and you are okay with that?!”, Yamato screamed, gritting his teeth, clenching his fists. All the puzzling things Taichi had said before… If all of this was true, he really must have been on the brink of going insane.

“It was indeed an unfortunate event… The Child of Courage wasn’t meant to get corrupted any further so quickly. The decrease of their mental stability may have been the cause for inconsistencies in the code and for Diablomon to enter your universe in the first place, which had not been calculated by us. But by taking over their body, we could act in their place and eliminate the threat immediately.”

“You’re a heartless monster!”

Now the tears kept running down Mimi’s cheeks without stopping. She genuinely had intended to make Taichi open up and confess all his worries and doubts, no matter the cost. Never would she have been able to imagine how big of a cost it all had been. Thinking about what exactly he had been going through made her feel nauseous.

“Let Onii-chan go!”, Hikari finally raised her voice, desperately pleading: “There is no need for you to torture him any longer now that he is ‘damaged’, isn’t that right?”

“Hikari-chan…” Once more, Sora felt her heart stinging just listening to and looking at Hikari. 

So when Agumon finally found his own courage, joining Hikari in her attempt to plead by screaming “TAICHI, WAKE UP!”... To hers and everybody’s surprise, it seemed to reach through to the real Taichi.

Not only did one of his eyes start to twitch, the opal glimmer vanished for a few seconds and a quiet “Nghh…” could be heard.

“H-he reacted, didn’t he?”, Takeru gasped excitedly. “What should we do?!”

“He… He is still in there, so there must be a way to get him back, force his consciousness to the forefront.” Koushirou’s mind was doing somersaults, looking to find a loophole that would fix everything, while ignoring the logical side of Homeostasis reasoning; it was acting as a cleaning software with the intention of keeping viruses and other disturbances away. And yet, the seed of guilt that had been growing in his chest told him that what was going on was wrong. If only he had been more adamant about making Taichi confess what was going on, maybe they could have found a solution much earlier. Interrogating him about multiverses instead must have made him feel so much worse…

“That sounds painful!” Mimi was still wiping at her eyes, not feeling any less guilty.

“We have no other choice but to try!”, Yamato said, but despite his urgency, mainly tried to convince himself. “This thing is playing God and that bullshit’s unacceptable!” There was a time when they already had thought Taichi had died in combat – so back then, they didn’t have any other choice but to push through either.

However… Had there ever been a reason to seriously worry? Yamato couldn’t allow himself to dwell on that thought any further; the fights against Algomon, MIlleniummon, Abbadomon… All the adventures they had gone through by gatehopping… Even the forming of Omegamon and as much as he had always relied on it… If it had all been tampered with behind the scenes to some degree… He loathed how much less significant it would have felt. 

How much less meaningful everything would have felt.

“I agree, but… How…?”, Jyou intervened. “Should we fight? Against him…? I mean… Who or what are we to interfere with the everlasting fight between Light and Darkness?”

Hearing that, Sora immediately jumped in: “We can’t give up here, Jyou-senpai! Chosen Children or not, he went through all of this, if we let it continue, then…” She paused after having glanced over to Taichi again - the glimpse of emotion had turned into a stoic face of stone again. It was a painful sight and she thoroughly hated the idea that it had probably never even been possible make him confess, prohibited by this higher being. “Taichi needs us, he heard Hikari-chan and Agumon! So maybe if we keep doing that, it’ll work! Even if… Even if we’re just copies…”

She couldn’t help but feel disheartened for a moment – just like Yamato did, just like Jyou did, just like they all did. It was all so surreal and they couldn’t possibly know if any of what they would attempt to do even mattered in the grand scheme of things. If it hadn’t already been decided for them, if their lives just had to be – indirectly – sacrificed…

“Sora!”, Piyomon squealed, ripping her partner out of her gloomy thoughts. She exchanged another quick glance with her fellow Digimon companions, tears glimmering in the corners of her eyes as well. Then, the small bird breathed in deeply, pulling herself together before continuing: “It doesn’t matter if any of you or any of us were just… Copies at some point! What matters is that we decided to go on together!”

Tentomon had jumped to her side as well - despite his expression not being the easiest to read, he waved his claws vigorously. “It’s true, we went through everything side by side, from the very beginning and… Even if some things we encountered were calculated or whatever, we still had agency! We made lotsa choices ourselves! Koushirou-han, the light that you shared with Taichi-han, Sora-han and Hikari-han - that couldn’t have been a copy, now, could it?!”

With that, Koushirou and Sora looked at each other, remembering the times they had combined their powers to support Taichi with the help of Hikari’s light in the past. And even if those powers had been just passed on to them, even if her Crest of Light had not belonged to her initially – and neither had theirs –, it still had to have some weight. Unexpectedly to them, Hikari gave them a nod as well – as if she was silently agreeing to it.

“You too, Yamato!” Gabumon floated to their side as well - they all seemed to have agreed not to let their partners falter like that. While neither of them truly knew what it meant to be copied or rebooted, it didn’t make a difference to them. “The hope that you shared with Takeru, Jyou and Mimi… It had to be real! You are our partners and there have been so many hardships, so many obstacles… Still, they were our own, we overcame all of them, we and nobody else. We won’t let these efforts go to waste!”

“And if we had to meet Jyou and everyone hundreds, thousands, millions of times again”, Gomamon said proudly, hitting Jyou’s leg in a supposedly encouraging manner, “Who the heck cares?!”

Palmon however chose a softer approach and gently smiled at her partner from below. folding her vine-like fingers into a prayer pose. “I would want to meet Mimi over and over again – and see each and every of her versions thrive!”

“Palmon…”

Those words were enough to stop Mimi’s tears and she returned the glance with a loving smile as well – just to turn around and face the aforementioned Jyou, Yamato and Takeru. 

“There may have been feelings of familiarity before, even if we couldn’t pinpoint why exactly that was the case, but… These feelings only helped our bonds to grow further.” As an Adult level Digimon, Tailmon had an easier time putting her thoughts into words as she stood next to Hikari. If a former version of Hikari really had been possessed by this being before, it may have helped her and Tailmon to intuitively grasp it. “Whatever may have happened in another universe, even if things were similar to some degree… And even if we were tasked to fulfill a certain mission, it doesn’t completely determine the paths we chose in this universe. The fact that you all react the way you do now is proof of that.”

“If anything, I’m sure all of this only made our connection stronger!”, Patamon cheered as well, as his partner beamed over to his brother and the others as well. “We evolved together and wrote our own stories!”

Either of them had their own thoughts and feelings on the matter – some more unsure, doubtful and hesitant than others. 

The first one who moved - was Agumon again. Facing the shell of his partner heads-on, aiming for his heart and soul to finally achieve what he had failed at so many times.

“Taichi… You have seen all these battles your other self fought… You saw all of your friends going through their own fights, over and over again, but you kept quiet for our sake… Even if you didn’t have to. You didn’t want to worry any of us. You suffered for years and years… I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner. But we are here now. And we’re going to put an end to this! TAICHI!”

“Taichi!”

“Taichi-san!”

“Onii-chan!”

Even if they couldn’t know if their next steps would be successful, even if they hadn’t saved Taichi yet – all they could do was try. And go forward. 

~

The shimmer of opal, surrounding his senses like static, had stopped like another slap to his face, allowing Taichi’s to witness, hear, sense the conversation. So far, he had been nothing but a mere spectator, as if his soul was watching himself act and talk from afar through a screen or mirror. Like a surreal out-of-body experience…

Nourished by the voices that had called out to him, he felt like he had regained at least the willpower to address the shapeless being:

‘Homeostasis…?’, Taichi asked internally – and even though he couldn’t see any responder, a voice clearly echoed inside his head, making him feel weirdly light with every single word.

‘Greetings, Child of Courage. We meet eventually.’

‘I heard it all…’, he said quietly, more to himself than anything else, feeling dizzy, as if somebody had shown him a summary video in fast-forward-mode. “And I understand it now. I think…’

‘We appreciate your cooperation up until now. You were needed for a higher purpose.’

‘Yeah, I believe I got the gist of that. The most valuable soldier, the perfect catalyst, huh…?’

Hearing himself say it like that, it made an awfully lot of sense, he had to admit. Based on everything they had heard back when they first entered the Digital World, the fight against Darkness, the maintaining of balance appeared to be a daunting, never-ending task. Thus, simplifying, optimizing the process really seemed to be the most logical thing to do.

‘Is that why I wasn’t afraid back then…? Why I couldn’t remember how I got to certain places, why there are so many blank spaces in my memory? Why… Everything fell into place so neatly? My bond with Agumon, meeting everyone… Fighting, evolving, succeeding…’

‘Indeed. And all your capabilities will be the key. You can end it all. For the sake of harmony.’

He hadn’t even questioned the smoothness of their battles for such a long time, quite the contrary – until the visions had begun to become more forward, he had actually enjoyed being so powerful, almost invincible. That he could have been a dependable beacon, the literal Chosen One, strategist, leader…

It – he – had been too perfect. Until he wasn’t anymore.

‘... It wasn’t all just a lie, was it? I’m still… Me, aren’t I?’

He couldn’t not ask all these questions himself – just like he had asked Agumon about whether he had met someone like him before; just like he had wanted to hear from Yamato about Omegamon and if he had ever wondered why it was so easy to achieve…

All these feelings he harboured – feelings of affection, kinship, adoration, love for each of his friends… Had they ever really been his own…? Had Tentomon and all the other Digimon been right, had the light, the connection to the others, their choices been genuine? Or had it all been fabricated from the very beginning for the sake of a greater good?

Panic rose inside of him - and resentment. Anger, frustration… Uselessness. How was he supposed to fix this? In any other situation, Taichi’s gut would have told him to jump, attack whatever it was that had possessed him, punch it, rip it out of his chest, his head, but… How?

Jyou had not been wrong, how did you attack a being without a physical shape, something that was inside of you for who knew how long? That had basically directed, guided you…? Most importantly… Who – and what – would he become without it…? He was afraid to consider the implications. And indeed, who was he to disagree with its plans? If he had really been deemed ‘the perfect choice’ to ensure a smooth outcome, if his self had the inherent “potential” to win an eternal battle that so many before him failed…? Even if it would mean the end of “himself”.

Taichi closed his eyes - internally. There had to be something. The net had always been a safe space for him, had helped him to stay grounded despite the chaos inside his mind… So he had to at least try to utilize that. Clear his mind – or maybe even force the headache to become so unbearable it would drive every external force out of himself?

He had no idea. Despite all those encouraging words, the familiar voices of his friends and all their partners, he didn’t know what to do.

Familiar voices that would have soothed him under any normal circumstances… Instead, the storm behind his eyes culminated in a colourful crescendo; faces he had known for years, mingling with those of “the other universe”, contrasting and complementing each other, merging and separating in frightening ways. 

Until Taichi saw him. Looking straight at him like a mirrored image of himself. The same face, the goggles… Fortunately, no bloody stains this time.

An image he had grown so accustomed to – that it naturally seemed to draw Taichi towards itself, unable to suppress the urge to reach out to him.

‘Is there any way to put an end to this…?’, he asked through his thoughts, gathering the a last glimpse of hope, courage even…

Thus, his heart started pounding again when he heard his own voice respond:

‘What do you think we could do?’

He barely saw his other self moving his lips… This was probably the wildest thing he had ever done, talking to himself like that. 

‘I’m not sure…’, Taichi said, trying not to succumb to his own despair. ‘I’m really not, but there has to be a way to change this. This can’t be our fate… I’d try anything!’

‘Then why don’t you wish for it?’

Hearing that suggestion, Taichi frowned. Was this a trap? Just another illusion to keep him trapped in this despair without any real solution?

‘We aren’t inside some kind of fairytale, are we?’, he asked, almost feeling a little mocked – although he didn’t hear his other self laughing. ‘If it was that easy, then… I would have done that ages ago. I can’t just wish for this nightmare to go away, that’s silly.’

‘Is it any less silly than the headache idea? Or any miracle we have ever achieved before?’ This time, Taichi at least assumed his other self to smile – encouragingly. Accompanied by the unexpected softness of a hand touching his shoulder. ‘Come on, humour me, little me.’

A switch flipped - memories were fusing and, once again, separating. He must have seen it all – must have experienced it the same way, Taichi simply knew. This was his – their – only option.

And his eyes - this time for real - snapped open.

 “Nghhhh, t-that’s enough…! Get out…!”, Taichi’s physical form screamed out for all the others to hear – while his inner voice added: ‘Please, just this once… Help me!’

~

The light had swallowed it all once again.

If he had to describe it, Taichi would have said that a sword had been cutting through reality. A giant sword, consisting of a ray of light just as white as their surroundings – only distinguishable by a faint orange glow. The materialization of his wish…

He couldn’t have said who exactly had used it though. Who of them had gone for the blow, separating bubble after bubble after bubble. 

His vision was still blurry. Old memories and current impressions were still running circles, images of WarGreymon, Omegamon, various other people – including himself – floating by.

But with every passing second, it became lighter. More quiet. Now he was all alone inside of his mind, hoping that everyone else had returned to the real world safely…

‘Hey…’

Taichi turned around. With his consciousness still surrounded by nothingness, engulfed by the light, all he could see was himself. His other self.

‘Y-you!’ He had no clue how else to call him – even if he was sure that they had talked before, this felt different. ‘It’s not a dream this time, right?!’

‘No, this is as real as it can get – inside your head, that is.’ The other Taichi grinned cheekily – and for the first time, it really felt like he was talking to a separate person. ‘Speaking of which, how is your headache?’

‘Still there, but it’s a lot better now.’ Truthfully, he could think more clearly. As if a rock had been lifted from his brain. ‘Did we… Manage to push it out?’

Taichi knew he didn’t have to specify, his other self just nodded.

‘Basically. It really was always up to us to settle it all. And you did well, I wouldn’t have been able to get here if you hadn’t broken through that barrier with your wish. Sorry for the teasing though.’

The apologetic glance made him blink. He remembered it now – earlier, when he hadn’t been sure if he was being tricked or not, his other self had honestly wanted to convince him to wish to be rescued…

‘So the wish-thing wasn’t just a fluke?’

‘No. This dimension, just like the Digital World itself, had always had wish fulfilling capabilities, reading the hearts of those that entered it. A neat little factor Homeostasis had been keeping from you, just like it hid itself. Sneaky…’

‘I… Really had no idea what was going on.’

‘Neither did I for a long time, but that was the point. And with this entire experiment, I wasn’t nearly as affected as you were. So… I’m sorry that I couldn’t help you sooner.’

Taichi couldn’t suppress the feeling of awe. His mind had intertwined with the one in front of him countless times - and yet, despite everything he thought he knew about his life, he seemed like a completely different person now. A sense of wiseness and maturity, hardened and even a little worn out by his own adventures and yet, he radiated warmth. He still had that aura of serene calmness that made him wonder what else had caused him to become this way…

‘... You went through all that suffering before me though. Right?’, Taichi asked in a sympathetic tone, making the other one chuckle. Despite the weariness, he still seemed to be an overall positive guy after all.

‘You saw it all, didn't you? Okay, not all of it… This appearance here is just a digital memory of my 17-year-old self speaking to you since you are 17 too. Like… A Hologram Ghost, so to speak, because everything beyond that probably would have made your head explode’, the other Taichi elaborated, pulling on the white shirt of his supposed school uniform as well as the mess of brown hair on top of his head. ‘At least that’s how Koushirou explained it to me, you know. So you can’t possibly know what happens going forward until… Well, until you’re close to 40 yet.’

‘40…?!’ Taichi’s eyes widened even more and his other self laughed loudly. 

‘I’m 38 years old in my own 2026 already, so it’s good you won’t have any knowledge of anything that happens till you reach that age!’

He absolutely hadn’t considered the time difference between their universes at any point before, since he hadn’t even been born in 1995 yet. But he was convinced that, if Koushirou had been involved – not matter the version –, he could have trusted in that information.

‘Either way, none of this should have happened. No matter how much it tries to convince you that all of this was done for the sake of ‘maintaining balance’, you didn’t deserve to be used like this. Homeostasis decided to act on its own and every time you went into the net, thanks to our consciousnesses merging, the barrier between the universes got more and more fragile. That’s how you got those dreams about my life and I started to have visions about yours. And that’s probably also what Homeostasis meant by saying that’s how Diablomon got into your universe. It was actually looking for me to get its revenge. Again….’

‘But now we’re going to end it for good?’, Taichi asked – and a smaller version of the sword appeared again. Two of them to be exact, one for each of them.

‘Yes, if we decide to cut it now, that'll be the end of the connection. Hikari already did it by herself, so we should be able to do it as well.’ 

Taichi swallowed. To think that his sister had been going through something similar before… Although it had been the other Hikari, it was soothing to know that she had successfully overcome it. 

‘You will be on your own then. And so will I’, the other Taichi continued – which made him grip around the sword more tightly.

‘Which... Is not a bad thing.’

‘No, it’s just a new beginning. There will have to be new, other Chosen Children and they will also be picked by Homeostasis again. Light and Darkness will always have to oppose each other. Even if we wish for it to end, this battle cannot ever be stopped. But history won’t repeat itself the same way, the universes will not interfere with each other’s fates anymore.’

It was an endless story without question. But no matter how frightening it all had been so far, Taichi felt a glimpse of excitement. Maybe it was a part of his inherent personality to be fearless after all…? This was something he would have to figure out.

‘I still want to thank you.’

This time, the other Taichi blinked.

‘For being a warning?’

‘No, for being different. We are similar, yeah... But not the same. And we'll keep changing... On our own, like you said. Even if… I have no idea what will happen when I get back. It’s… Scary as hell.’

Even without the connection intact, the nightmares would most likely not disappear immediately. The memories wouldn’t completely vanish for quite a while either, he would have to learn to distinguish between them. Would have to face everything and everyone with completely new eyes…

‘It is. We’re definitely not the same and that’s a good thing. Thanks, little me.’ The other Taichi grinned his trademark grin again – and raised the sword. ‘One more thing though.’

‘What?’

‘Let the others take care of you too. I promise… That’s the most important lesson you’ll ever learn. You gotta get your shit together, just like I do, sure. But you don’t have to do it alone. They’ll be waiting for you out there.’

Taichi found himself returning the grin – and raised his sword as well, ready to go for the final cut. It was true, that much he knew by now. Without them, he wouldn’t have regained consciousness. Without them, he wouldn’t have been able to make this wish. He wouldn’t have met his other self – just to part ways again. Forever.

Not all questions had been answered. He was pretty certain he would have to face new questions he had never asked – or been asked – before. Things wouldn’t be easy, but he wouldn’t shut them out again. Neither Agumon nor his friends. 

“... Thank you. For everything.”

Once he opened his eyes in his universe, the dream would end. And his own life would begin.

[jgroffdaily]

In the late 1950s, a wave of handsome, heavily Brylcreemed white men named Bobby became teen idols: Bobby Denton, Bobby Vee, Bobby Vinton. The most talented, by far, was Bobby Darin. Darin first burst onto the scene with “Splish Splash,” a teen-pop ode to bathtime, but soon, with his wryly smooth crooning style, he was rivaling Sinatra as the swingingest of swingin’ lovers. Later he reinvented himself as a folk singer, renaming himself Bob Darin in homage to Dylan.

It was a career marked by an overwhelming creative restlessness and success in diverse fields. He "could move with magical agility, he could do great impressions, he could rock, he was a swift and brilliant comedian, he could play seven instruments, he could write songs—167 of them," wrote biographer David Evanier. “He wanted to be a songwriter, actor, singer, and musician, and he became all of these.”

Tony winner Jonathan Groff first fell for Darin’s artistry while preparing to play him in the Lyrics & Lyricists series at the 92nd Street Y in 2018. “[Those performances were] so thrilling and so exciting,” he told Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek. An obsession was sparked. “I'm so grateful for YouTube. I started watching clips of him, and it's a hole I just keep going deeper and deeper into.”

Groff was speaking in a well-appointed ninth-floor room in the Brill Building—Darin’s former office—during a break from rehearsals for Just in Time, the Bobby Darin Broadway biomusical that evolved from the Lyrics & Lyricists show. From March 31 at the Circle in the Square Theatre, Groff will be channeling Darin in a show that’s part concert, part theater, setting out to capture Darin’s genre-spanning, shape-shifting brilliance

“I really connected with his ambition—pushing himself into different genres and styles, finding a connection to all of them musically,” Groff continued. “But most of all, I connect with his passion, his love for the audience, and his need to perform.”

Determined to push himself in his preparations for the role, Groff is taking drum and piano lessons and being put through his paces for what he says will be the most dance-heavy role of his career. All this less than a year after winning a Tony Award for his lead performance in Merrily We Roll Along: the very definition of not resting on laurels. "To feel those pathways in the brain grow and to feel that kind of expansion is so thrilling."

In fact, Groff will be in tech rehearsals for Just in Time during the week of his 40th birthday. “I'm such a specific person in that, if I could have anything for my 40th birthday, it would be teching a Broadway musical," he said. "I remember during Merrily, when we were doing the holiday Thanksgiving schedule—multiple shows, the whole schedule packed—I remember coming off stage, getting water from Hayley, who was dressing me, and saying, ‘I would so much rather be in the theater all day today than sitting on the couch.’ And she was like, ‘You're f**king crazy.’ But that's just who I am. I think I connect with Bobby Darin in that way. There’s a real, primal need to perform.”

Darin’s own momentum was fueled by a sense of urgency that likely stemmed from a weak heart, the result of a childhood illness. After a bout of rheumatic fever at eight, he overheard a doctor telling his mother he wouldn’t live past 16. “He was living on borrowed time,” Groff said. “And so he had this ambition to make it as fast as he possibly could and do as much as he possibly could before the clock ran out. It was constantly at the front of his brain.”

The show will cover the major beats of Darin’s life—his marriage to Sandra Dee, his relationship with Connie Francis, and a major family revelation (which won’t be spoiled here) that triggered a nervous breakdown and, later, what Groff calls a “truly spiritual awakening.”

That arc is reflected in the show’s musical journey—including Darin’s electrifying rendition of the Brecht-Weill classic “Mack the Knife”—all performed with a live band on stage. “It feels kind of like the Copacabana, but another essential purpose for having the band there is you feel the thrust of his life expressed through his musical journey. You really get the breadth of who he was as a person and an artist. Even just from listening to the music alone, that arc and that story are there.”

During the conversation, Groff also opened up about the late Gavin Creel, who passed away in 2024. “He changed my life,” said Groff. It was Creel, Groff shared, who inspired him to come out publicly. “We were dating, and he was so out. It was 2009. Coming out… it was sort of an unspoken or sometimes spoken thing that you were sacrificing something in your career if you did it. And I remember looking at him and thinking, I would rather feel this feeling than ever be on a TV show or in a movie. This is so much more meaningful to me. And so I owe him that.”

Ultimately, Groff said, there’s inspiration to be found in a life like Darin’s—or Creel’s—fully lived. “We're all here on borrowed time. This body is ours while we're here. And then it's not when we're gone. And so what I hope, and what I feel when I am inside of the material, is this deep, profound passion for life,” he said. “It makes me feel alive and makes me feel grateful to be alive.”