#Temporal Dimensions

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Parentheses

Parentheses, while commonly viewed as simple punctuation marks used to insert additional information or clarify text, hold a deeper philosophical significance. Their role in language, logic, mathematics, and communication invites us to explore how they shape our understanding and interaction with the world. This exploration delves into the multifaceted philosophy of parentheses, examining their function, symbolism, and impact across various fields.

Understanding Parentheses

Linguistic Function:

In language, parentheses are used to provide supplementary information, clarify meaning, or offer asides without disrupting the main flow of the text. They create a space for additional context, allowing writers to include more nuanced details or explanations.

Mathematical Significance:

In mathematics, parentheses play a crucial role in defining the order of operations. They indicate which operations should be performed first, ensuring that complex equations are solved correctly. This use underscores the importance of structure and hierarchy in mathematical reasoning.

Logical Clarity:

In logic and formal languages, parentheses are used to group expressions and clarify the relationships between different components. They help avoid ambiguity and ensure precise interpretation of logical statements.

Programming Syntax:

In computer programming, parentheses are essential for functions, method calls, and controlling the flow of code. They define the scope of operations and organize code into manageable sections, facilitating readability and debugging.

Philosophical Perspectives on Parentheses

Symbolism and Meaning:

Parentheses symbolize inclusion and exclusion. They create a boundary within the text, setting apart specific elements while still maintaining their connection to the main narrative. This duality of separation and integration reflects broader philosophical themes of identity and difference.

Temporal and Spatial Dimensions:

The use of parentheses can be seen as a temporal and spatial device. Temporally, they allow for digressions and interruptions that enrich the narrative without altering its primary trajectory. Spatially, they create visual distinctions that guide the reader’s attention and understanding.

Context and Interpretation:

Parentheses influence how information is interpreted by providing context. They enable readers to grasp the intended meaning more fully, highlighting the significance of context in shaping comprehension and interpretation. This aligns with hermeneutical philosophies that emphasize the importance of context in understanding texts.

Metaphysical Implications:

From a metaphysical standpoint, parentheses can be viewed as a metaphor for the boundaries and structures that define our perception of reality. They encapsulate the idea that reality is not a monolithic entity but a composition of interconnected elements, each contributing to the whole while retaining individual distinctiveness.

Key Themes and Debates

Inclusion vs. Exclusion:

The philosophical tension between inclusion and exclusion is embodied in the use of parentheses. They invite us to consider what is included within the boundaries of our understanding and what is left outside. This raises questions about the nature of boundaries and the criteria for inclusion.

Hierarchy and Order:

Parentheses impose a hierarchical order on information, whether in language, mathematics, or logic. This hierarchy reflects broader philosophical inquiries into the nature of order, structure, and the principles that govern our interpretation of complex systems.

Clarification vs. Ambiguity:

While parentheses are often used to clarify, they can also introduce ambiguity by adding layers of meaning. This dual potential prompts reflection on the balance between clarity and complexity in communication and understanding.

Integration and Segmentation:

The role of parentheses in integrating and segmenting information mirrors philosophical discussions on the relationship between parts and wholes. How do individual elements contribute to the overall meaning, and how does segmentation affect our perception of unity and coherence?

The philosophy of parentheses reveals the profound impact of these seemingly simple punctuation marks on our understanding of language, logic, mathematics, and reality. By examining their function, symbolism, and implications, we gain insight into the intricate interplay between inclusion and exclusion, hierarchy and order, and clarity and ambiguity. Parentheses, therefore, are not just tools of communication but also gateways to deeper philosophical reflections on how we structure and interpret the world.

[protectyouropacities]

How can this straight man so deeply understand and express the queer experience??

[bernie-buddy]

Was watching this video and I thought "How would a relationship go in this universe" and it's basically just two blobs where they're happy when they intersect and are sad when they're not.

[juniesfairies]

The contrasting Pete/Cody edit ideas I have are so funny it’s like

Pete: colorful! funky! stop the turnstile! low frame rate with stars and yellow!!! whimsical instrumentals mixed with fresh urbanism!!!

Cody: 2009.

[fragmentedblade]

Blade compared the relief from pain death brought him to the moments spent with his friends drinking together.

His desire for death as both a release from pain and from the condition of existence in which he finds himself now, so similar to that which he most hated (hated so much as to dedicate his entire life and self to fight, up to the point of crossing unthinkable barriers for shortlife species); but death also almost like a returning to the time that was, the joy and pride it brought him, and the friends and self he lost

[rastronomicals]

9:58 AM EDT March 16, 2024:

Mare Cognitum - "Occultated Temporal Dimensions" From the album Luminiferous Aether (September 16, 2016)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

File under: (Extra-)Atmospheric Black Metal

--

[naturegirl1999]

4d thoufhts

Help, I am trying to visualize what 4d shapes would look like, I am also trying to visualize what a cube would look like if a 4d creature saw it in 3d. Why am I trying to think of higher dimensional objects? I’m not a mathematician, I’ve seen two quatetnions videos and at most 3 topology ones. I haven’t passed Slgebra 2 and am learning things as my whims take me. What’s a 3d hole? What’s a 1d hole? We see 2d holes a lot I think, unless a crater’s a 3d one. I’m not a topologist. Please help, am I going crazy?

while adding tags, I thought of something else, what would it mean to have multiple temporal dimensions?

[ayaahh00]

Men assert themselves as the more rational sex, prioritizing science and data over emotions. However, when presented with factual data that challenges their misogynistic beliefs or false narratives that boost their fragile male ego, their commitment to data and facts tends to vanish. For instance, if confronted with statistics from a survey of 3000 men, anonymously revealing that 75% admitted they would engage in relationships with minors if they wouldn't get caught, men will resort to mental gymnastics to deny or rationalize the findings. Similarly, when shown scientific evidence demonstrating that the female human brain typically has larger prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, superior temporal cortex, lateral parietal cortex, insula, and hippocampus compared to males, the emphasis on rationality and data-driven arguments diminishes. Meanwhile, women leaders demonstrate significantly higher scores across all five Creative Dimensions, excelling in their ability to connect and build relationships with others, as well as in demonstrating authenticity and awareness of systems.

[darlingdaisyfarm]

feeling pretty low today, so i’m turning to these two old men for a little comfort

nsfw under the cut, fem!reader

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ Stan likes to call you:

sweetheart, honeybun, doll face and on occasion baby girl. when he’s feeling extra bold? princess — always with that unmistakable smirk

calls you “my good luck charm" if you help him out in the Shack, especially when he’s trying to swindle a tourist and you flash a pretty smile.

✦ “c’mere, darlin’. can’t let a fine gal like you walk around without her prince.”

✦ “ah, y’know, you’re the only reason I don’t go completely nuts in this crazy town. sometimes, doll, I think yer my only sane thought all day.” said so casually as if it’s not gonna hit you right in the heart

✦ if you get hurt (even the tiniest scratch), he’s going into dad mode: “who do I gotta knock some sense into, huh?” even if you’ll tell him it was just a clumsy accident, he’ll grumble, “well, now I’m the one hurt. bein’ all worried like that. you’re killin’ me, kid.” 

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ Ford likes to call you:

“dearest” when he’s feeling soft, sweetheart, darling, honey, baby

he’ll whisper “love” against your temple when he thinks you’re drifting to sleep, his voice quiet and reverent like it’s sacred to him

starlight – Ford’s been out in those other dimensions, faced down monsters and madness, but he says he’s never found anything so bright, so grounding. “c’mere, starlight, I’m not finished admiring you.”

༄ “don’t laugh, but. . . I’d chase you across universes, even if it took me another thirty years. no dimension is worth exploring without you by my side.”

༄ if you’re reading one of his journals, Ford’ll slide up behind you, his hands on your shoulders as he murmurs, “curious, are we? so, what do you think of my work?”

༄ he’s not a show-off, not by any means, but catch him fixing up a machine? he’ll lift his gaze to you, smiling. “I could teach you, you know. but you’d have to be a very attentive student.”

༄ oh, if Ford wrote about you in his journal, you know it’d be scrawled between notes on trans-dimensional theories and arcane symbols, the ink smudged in places where he hesitated, where his pen hovered just so before he let himself write the truth

“Strange anomalies detected….. not in the temporal or metaphysical sense, but in a far more personal dimension. Subject exhibits an inexplicable gravitational pull, distinct from any gravitational force I've previously documented. When I observe her, I feel an uncharacteristic deviation in my thought patterns, an accelerated heartbeat not caused by heightened blood pressure or adrenaline, but by… attraction. Confounding. She’s somehow eclipsing the most rational parts of my mind.”

And, because Ford’s words can’t capture the whole of it, there’d be tiny sketches of you, like half-finished thoughts.

nsfw

what Stan says during sex:

“Damn, honey, you’re makin’ an old man feel young again. Don’t stop.”

“You’re makin’ me wanna be a better man, but not right now, baby, not right now.”  

“Mmm, there it is— yeahh, keep doin’ that. . . feels so good, darlin’, you got no idea.”

“Makin’ all these pretty noises, huh? Lemme hear ‘em, baby. Don’t hold back on me.”

“You’re somethin’ else, y’know that? I’m gonna be thinkin’ ‘bout that pussy all week.”  

“Fuckin’ hell, don’t know if I’m gonna last much longer with you doin’ that.”  

“Look at ya, so needy for me, beggin’ to be filled. You got me so riled up, I can barely think— ah, f-fuck. . .”

 Ford:

“Ohh— sweetheart, you feel even better than I imagined, i’ve waited for this.”  

“I need you so much it scares me.”  

“You’re brilliant, utterly captivating. . . yesyesyes, keep moving like that, please.”  

“Tell me exactly what you want, darlin, I need to hear you say it.”  

“I never thought I’d feel this way again; you’ve woken something in me.”  

“God, I can’t— can’t believe you’re letting me have you. I need you so much, it hurts.”

“Mmm, god, yes. . . yes, you’re mine, all mine. . . can’t believe I get to have you like this.”

“O-oh god, you feel so tight around me, sweetheart, I can’t-can’t hold back!”

“Please, oh, please— just, just like that, don’t stop, keep. . . keep going. . .”

“I can’t help myself; I need you. I want to feel you around me.”

“You’re so fucking beautiful when you’re like this. I can’t take my eyes off you.”

“Oh gosh, I need you to take me deeper. Please, baby.”

“Tell me how good it feels; I want to hear it.”

“You feel incredible. I could stay buried inside you forever.”

[cypherscript]

Justice League Audit

The Flash honestly didn't know what to think about their current situation as the prime members of the Justice League, their biggest hitters, were just yanked from their homes and put into costume in a courtroom. A young man with white hair was halfway into a briefcase, legitimately halfway up to his waist in the briefcase, who pulls himself from it with multiple stacks of papers. "Good Evening, Justice League, or morning depending on when you came from. My name is Daniel but please call me Danny and I have been appointed to your case for simply the severity of the case."

"Severity? What are we being charged with," Batman grunts as he studies the room and the man.

"Charged? No no, you're not being charged with anything just yet if at all. I should specify why I'm here. My name is Danny and I head a recent addition of the Multiverse Auditing of Space and Time."

"MAST," Flash says in deadpan.

"An Audit," Batman's voice drops in tone, "Auditing us for what?"

"Excellent question, Mister... Batman," Danny says has he looks over his papers. "At MAST we monitor and maintain the spatial and temporal curve which is affected by choices made by the inhabitants of this dimension. This including but not limited to unsanctioned time travel, planetary destruction on a massive scale, large scale mental manipulation, cosmic entity manipulation, cosmic entity death, manipulation of the balance of life and death, supernatural tax evasion, unpaid child support and abandonment of duties in all forms."

Flash pulls on his collar uncomfortably as Danny mentions time travel, Batman ignores him as he continues, "And if this audit shows that we are in need of charging? What then?"

"It all depends on what is being charged but majority of them can simply be nullified by undoing what was done; paying your child support, making good on your deals and agreeing to exchange a number of your years as compensation for the death of the entity in question. In the event these terms cannot or will not be agreed to then the being in question will be black-marked as persona non grata and will be garnished for the rest of their natural life."

"That... seems rather lenient," Superman states as he's thinking over what was said.

"What is being garnished and what is persona non grata mean on a multiverse standpoint?"

"Until the black-marked individual reconciles their debt with MAST, no afterlife will accept them, no supernatural entity will make a deal with them, loss of any power used in the charge that gained them the black-mark."

He picks up a red folder and takes a seat on one side of the desk, "Now, Mister Flash, while you're not the most heavily audited on todays list you had unfortunately put more stress on one of our employees at MAST. I have here that you're being accused of 186 counts of unsanctioned time travel."

"186?!"

"BARRY!"

"What the crap?!"

[headspace-hotel]

current progress in theories of ecological succession!!!!!! This paper lists 19 different ecological succession theories and their perspectives and limitations

Before I knew its name, I knew succession....I still remember the exact moment of realizing the endless flow of change moving through the ecosystem around me. Looking at weeds, shrubby woods, gardens, and fields, I was seeing this unfolding and expanding web of trajectories and possibilities, and it was like peering into the secrets of the universe.

And ever since I've paid attention to it. Constantly observing the movement in ecosystems and its patterns.

All of these theories are partially correct but incomplete. How could we ever come up with a complete theory of succession? It's like studying the convergence of order and chaos itself. Some of the important tensions of succession brought up in this paper are:

Does the environment determine which plants survive, or do the plants that survive determine the environment? (both)

Does the plant community before disturbance determine post-disturbance regeneration, or does dispersal of new plants determine it? (both)

Are communities at different successional stages formed by whatever random assemblage of plants happens to exist at that stage, or are plant communities adapted to form certain stages of succession? (both)

Is succession a process of maturity of one big thing, or cycles of death and life of a bunch of smaller things? (both)

Do plants exclude other plants from niches as succession progresses or do they open up new niches? (both)

Is succession cyclical or linear? (both)

and like ok. this topic will get me sounding like some kind of deeply unscientific weirdo because I will be like Yes, The Weeds Taught Me The Secrets of Order and Chaos. but also this is a topic in science where all the literature written for non-layperson specialist audience makes Sense.

I was really excited reading this paper because this is like, the stuff I think about randomly all the time. like the other day I just basically blacked out and wrote like 2000 words about The Nature of Disturbance and Temporal and Spatial Dimensions of Ecosystem Change not even thinking about how I was writing about succession, and almost made my brain blow up.

like each successional theory developed so far has highlighted part of the big picture but there are several pieces of the puzzle that have barely been articulated yet. my questions:

Disturbance: What Does It Mean. When talking about something alive and changing, there is no stable state of being, so what does it mean to "disturb" an ecosystem? Every ecosystem is maintained by disturbance, like in an old-growth forest animals will graze and trample and trees will occasionally die and fall and there will be storms and fires and that is part of what a forest is. So like...where is the line between a disturbance that maintains an ecosystem at "climax," and a disturbance that makes the ecosystem no longer "climax."

disturbance, even the most severe and devastating disturbance with near 100% mortality of all plants, does not fully erase the previous plant community. so like, early-successional communities aren't a blank slate, but there is a such thing as an "early-successional community" in the sense that weed species not visible in the pre-disturbance community will pop up. Now, a lot of the theories assume that long-distance seed dispersal (and the availability of seed sources and dispersers) influences the arrival of weeds, but I think the soil seed bank is just as important if not MORE important. Do all soil seed banks have plenty of weeds? Do they have different weeds or the same weeds? Do those weeds match what was there the last time there was a weed community on that site?

disturbance is usually distributed over the land SUPER unevenly except in cases of lawns, logging and industrialized farming. at what spatial scale do edge effects irretrievably muddle the concept of discrete early-successional or late-successional communities. Like if you go into the forest and bulldoze a patch of forest down to bare dirt, that patch is fundamentally different from the bare dirt in a huge housing development, just because of being directly adjacent to a forest. Even completely disregarding seed dispersal- it's shaded, it is affected by the leaf litter and fine woody debris, etc.

I would tentatively state that linear processes of change occur in most man-made environments that are disturbed cyclically, for example, lawns- intensively managed monoculture lawns seem to persist in a lush state for a short time before the grass starts to die. most tilled agricultural fields are losing topsoil and fertility in a linear fashion. so like, the land has an accumulative legacy of tens or hundreds of disturbance cycles. Isn't this likely to be true on a much larger temporal scale? Like, is a forest ecosystem now affected by the fact that it was a prairie 1,500 years ago?

likewise, might this accumulative legacy be necessary for certain ecosystems to reach a "climax" state? e.g. prairie will overgrow into woodland in a few decades absent any disturbance, but cyclic disturbance by fire allows the cumulative progression of a larger successional process

[auckie]

There should be public pods, and mandatory time off, and moments of silence for different arranged groups of citizens dedicated to being afraid. If you are in sector 4 subset D category 133 third quadrant and select group 14.4B then your allotted moment is a four hour reprieve between 8am-12pm EST on April 2nd (dependent upon year) and if it is not your allotted time then you may use your STO (scared time off) and if you are out then you should find a FEAR POD to reside in until the terror passes. The pods are to be organically shaped, ergonomic and sound proof with harmonic egg technology which blasts soothing lights and beta theta binaural beats and the brown note. The seat is a recliner with stirrups suspended from the roof wherein the users feet will be raised. there is a built in toilet and feed trough providing wetted oats for sustenance and hydration, along with an automated tranquilizer which will dose you with lethal amounts of ketamine to soothe hysteria and induce a tranquil state of coma followed by death. the booth then sterilizes by heating to a sustained 220-1100C for an undisclosed amount of time, and then promptly vacuum packages your remains to be shipped off to next of kin or the dumping grounds. There will be one of these pods on every street corner and they will be powered by a potent mixture of solar, geothermal, wind, and nuclear energy which will shatter this nations infrastructure, economy, and ofc, power grid beyond repair, thus necessitating more booths to calm the scared masses. The dumping grounds will be so overrun with ashes that a new kind of weather phenomena occurs, like a mix between a dust storm and volcanic ash clouds, which produce a never before seen form of lighting known as ‘soul strikes’. These storms will create temporal rifts which allow djinn and ghouls and machine elves to break through the astral barrier into our dimension and wreak havoc by means of, you guess it, inducing mass hysteria. Thus, necessities the creation of more pods. We will hit a point of pod to person alignment, quickly followed by an excess of pods, and then a gradual over saturation of the market— but by then most industry will have already been dedicated to pod production and ash removal, at which point we will see more astral beasts than humans, and have no choice but to try and lure said beasts into the pods, thus. Say it with me. Necessitating the production and placement. Of. More. Pods.

[protectyouropacities]

“You fill yourself with the gift of time—the ticking of moments, the time you spent, the fact that you were always called a late bloomer. What is late? You are always on time.”

— Brennan Lee Mulligan, “Dimension 20: The Seven”

[elminster-big-naturals]

if you play as Astarion, you have the dialogue option of offering to look over Wyll's contract to see if you can find any loopholes, which is hilarious for several reasons including setting a president of Astarion using his magistrate background to help the gang with legal troubles.

imagine how busy he'd be once they all found out, he'd be rolling out his tent like "sorry Tav, can't go adventuring today, I've got to help settle a property dispute for Gale (a rival wizard built his fence over the property line of his favourite temporal pocket dimension), address accusations of willful fireraising for Karlach (she sneezed in the marketplace and accidentally incinerated a stall selling assorted decorative gourds), and provide defense councilling for Shadowheart (she was an active participant in a violent death cult for like half a century, which I am frankly not qualified to deal with but she says I owe her for all the Minor Restorations I cost her)" like...sure he's not a lawyer and he's also never been to law school but do they know anyone else who's even seen the inside of a courtroom??? he'll even do it pro bono if you let him chew on you first

[brittle-doughie]

2nd time I've sent this ask sorry if I seem impatient.

Hello! Can I have Y/n as Galacta knight?

Summary on what happens:

In the fight between pitaya and ananas against longan, timekeeper cookie(she lived)was bored and opens a big time rift; on the other side is the fight between the crk brave gang and dark enchantress cookie. Then deep below the earth is a crystal that's teleported to the surface. Everyone looks at the crystal with curiosity. Suddenly the crystal cracks, slowly but surely the crystal breaks. The being takes a deep breath of air. Everyone from crk looks on with curiosity, while the rest excluding timekeepr look on with fear. This being was in old written tablets, not from the witches or the wizards but from a race that existed before earthbread and had mysteriously vanished, The Ancients. The Ancients are an old civilisation that consisted of 2 groups, ones with advanced technology and ones with extraordinary magic. They've made strong artifacts that's laced with magic. Some of these are the Lor Starcutter, a floating ship that's able to traverse to different dimensions; the Galactic Novas, planet sized clockwork stars that can grant one wish when summoned and more artifacts they've made; they still exist but are difficult and dangerous for cookies to try to obtain the artifacts.

Then a being called Void Termina The Destroyer of Worlds, was brought into the world. The Ancients sent 4 warriors, one of them being Y/n, who's known as Galacta knight who holds the title "The strongest warrior in the galaxy" to defeat the dark being. After Void Termina's defeat The Ancients feared their power resulting their imprisonment but not without physical changes(they changed Y/n to look like a cookie not turned to an actual cookie)and has been sealed away since. The ovenbreak cookies, especially the dragons, have every right to fear them for the freed being was Y/n the Galacta knight. After a few seconds they look at their cookie-shaped body then their surroundings, they saw the brave gang and flew towards them at great speeds. As they landed the others braced themselves as Y/n approaches the group. They asked "What is the meaning of this? Why am I released to the world? Did you release me out of pity? Or to make a sad attempt to claim my title." They said the last line coldly laced with anger which sent shivers down every cookie’s back. Then it all clicked for Gingerbrave, Timekeeper cookie must’ve accidentally removed the spell of The Aeon hero's prison, so he explained the situation to the knight. Fortunately for everyone, Galacta knight understood what was told to them, then lotus dragon and snake fruit cookie arrived to the scene to see what happened and saw Y/n. They initially panicked with lotus prepared to fight for their life 'til gingerbrave and the other cookies(and surprisingly lychee; they were in the background)explained to them what happened.

After that chaos ensues as the other dragons and the cake witch are fighting each other. Lotus was about to join 'til Gingerbrave to everyone's surprise, asks the Temporal warrior for help against longan and the cake witch, they agreed with the condition from Gingerbrave to NOT kill longan dragon. Before the cake witch could strike again, it was parried with strong force from an unknown being. Every cookie looked towards the unknown person, much to the horror of the dragons and confusion of Dark enchantress cookie, it was Galacta knight. Before anyone could react they went after the cake witch; it was dealt in short time as after they tanked a few attacks, destroyed it in one strike. Dark enchantress cookie looks at what's once the cake witch in horror; Y/n immediately goes after Longan next. The other 2 where forced to retreat to the group who told them everything whilst Longan starts to dodge for their life as more time rifts appear in the background. As Y/n deals more damage to the dragon they, out of anger, sent a sword beam at Longan dragon who narrowly dodges it, the sword beam continues to travel entering a time rift and cuts an entire planet in half, much to the surprise and mainly fear of the cookies and dragons.

Shortly after Longan is defeated by Y/n and is forced to turn Earthbread back to normal and turn cookies back from stone.The time rifts are closed by croissant cookie(idk how she lived)who greets Gingerbrave. She also saw Y/n and starts to panic and is given a summary of what went down. After that Y/n roams Earthbread and is catching up with Gingerbrave on what happened after their imprisonment with help of other cookies.

Brittle I'm SO SORRY for how long this is. Can we get reactions of the ovenbreak characters involved in the events(crk characters reactions are optional, tho I'd appreciate it if you include crk!Dark Enchantress' reaction)and the aftermath of the ask.

Smol bonus: I like to think he's short tempered and protective to those who he's bonded with after his imprisonment and have long hair that fades from white to faded pink if he had a human form; these information is carried over to Y/n in this ask. Btw I would’ve included an image of Galacta knight's design but Tumblr won’t let me send the ask if I did, so it’s best if you searched up galacta knight and just imagine that he's in the shape of a cookie with armor in neon pink, yellow and white colors and the skin color is mainly grey cuz Y/n takes his role.

I know you’re sorry and I’m all for a bit of Kirby, but PLEASE keep requests short. This made my brain fart-

Who was this random knight, she thought. How could a cookie drop in and defeat the cake creature in short time with that blade in their hands. She’s annoyed, but intrigued at the same time with the arrival of this new contender to the fight.

Timekeeper didn’t regret a thing, she would’ve been bored with what she foresaw in the future that removing the spell actually brought her some joy that Y/N was able to make things interesting by their grand entrance into the fight! She’ll be watching them closely!

Longan didn’t understand, how could a mere knight match up to them in power? It was completely humiliating to have to undo all they have done under their watch, how could the other dragons look at them the same again after that display?

Lotus wasn’t going to lie, they and Snakefruit got a kick out of Longan being knocked down a peg or two. Seeing the once feared ivory dragon being defeated and forced to reverse the damage brought them a bit of gratification, especially to Snakefruit.

Gingerbrave and the others were glad to see that the Galacta Knight was able to vanquish the threats and bring peace to the land once more. It was really like what they were told about the knight, pretty cool in Croissant Cookie’s book!

They know the knight can’t stick around for long, but the group will wait for the day that they cross paths with the knight again!

[chasingstardustandmoonbeams]

Once More IV

A/N: I bet a lot of people thought it would never happen. But it happened. I finally finished the update in a way that satisfies me. I only anticipate one more update (total of 5 chapters). Hopefully you all find the update worth the wait. The final chapter will be out before the end of the year. I promise!

Word Count 2.9k

Warnings: None Masterlist

For the first time since the loop began, you did not wake up with a start. Instead, you lay there, eyes closed as you drifted back into existence. The overwhelming weight of your situation was not all consuming. At least, not as it had been before. The heavy weight no longer felt crushing, it was almost bearable. 

You decided to focus on all the things you could do instead. All of the possibilities seemed real now. For the first time in a long while, the days didn’t blur together as they had before. There was a clear distinction now, the panicked and frustrated time in the loop, and the carefree adventures with Spock. 

Adventures with Spock. You couldn’t help but laugh. That was never something you would have ever imagined in your wildest dreams, and now? Well, now you found yourself hopelessly replaying the previous loops with Spock. At the forefront of it all was your conversation with Uhura and Erica. They were sure about tension between you and Spock. To be more exact, tension and lingering looks. 

You supposed there had been glances between the two of you before the loops happened, and since…that was a revelation you weren’t prepared for yet. Your time in the loops had given you opportunities to get to know Spock in ways you hadn’t anticipated. It was unexpected, remarkable, and thrilling. There was no one word you could pinpoint for your situation, your developing bond with him. 

It wouldn’t be that bad being stuck in the loop with Spock for the foreseeable future. Each day a new start with no consequences. Just chances to know each other in ways that you’d never anticipated. A life free of everything. 

Everything. 

You paused. While being stuck in a world with no consequences seemed to be thrilling, you thought of your friends. In all your loops you hadn’t thought of anything outside of you and Spock. Were they also stuck in some type of frozen temporal loop, but unaware? Or worse, were you and Spock stuck in a pocket dimension where your time no longer ran parallel with that of your friends. Were they living their lives like normal - time moving forward, and you were stuck here?

You got dressed, your mind reeling with newfound anxiety. You’d been so caught up trying not to think of the loop that the repercussions hadn’t crossed your mind. You grabbed your data pad heading towards the door. 

Opening the door, you were met with Spock’s stoic gaze. You leaned back slightly, only somewhat surprised to see him standing in front of you. Enough loops had passed that his presence had become expected, wanted, needed. 

You looked at him, his uniform pressed neatly, his hair back to its usual pristine appearance. But his eyes, his eyes looked just as lost as yours. Spock’s humanity always betrayed him when it came to his gaze. 

“Good morning,” you smiled at Spock, trying your best to silently read him. Thoughts of the last loop flashed through your mind. Your newfound feelings bubbling within you. You might have stumbled upon new feelings for him, new desires for your time together, but that didn’t mean he felt the same. You tried to rapidly crush the newly festering fear of rejection creeping up inside of you. 

“Good morning,” Spock repeated, giving you a nod. He stayed by your doorway, his eyes taking in your face. 

You took a breath, emotions swirling around you hurricane,  “I was thinking-” 

“I believe I have discovered-” 

You both paused to look at the other. Your eyes locked on his. There was something there in his eyes, a fleeting look that you couldn’t quite place. 

“Excuse me, Lieutenant?” 

You both turned to look at Sigala, right on time with two cups of coffee in his hands. 

“Sigala,” you started. Your eyes blinking in delayed recognition. You watched as he wordlessly offered you the coffee. 

“May we speak in private?” Spock interjected, his eyes trailing from Sigala to yours. 

You blinked in surprise as both men glanced at each other and then you. “Uh, yeah. Thank you, Sigala, but I’m good. I’ll, uh, see you later?”

“Sure,” he nodded at you, “I’ll see you in engineering.” He spared one more curious look at Spock, offering you both a friendly smile, before making his way down the hall. 

You stepped aside to let Spock into your quarters. He walked past you, standing at the center of your room awkwardly. He tucked his hands behind his back, his posture rigid. 

“Spock, are you okay?”you asked softly, crossing your arms in front of your chest. 

“Okay is not a quantifiable term. I would not use okay to describe-”

“Spock, what is it?” 

“I have been to analyze the storm that is causing the anomaly, however, I have not found any new significant data to determine the likely cause. It would appear that there is no correlation between the storm and the anomaly, yet, there seems to be a close relationship between the two.” 

You swallowed, rubbing your face, before you sat on a nearby chair. 

“This is impossible, Spock,” you groaned, squeezing your eyes shut. You felt Spock standing in front of you. You opened your eyes to see him giving you an understanding gaze. 

“I thought,” you took a breath, looking away from him, “Yesterday, I actually thought maybe I would be okay with being stuck here in this loop. I mean, it hasn’t all been too bad. But this morning? All I could think about was everyone on board this ship, are they stuck in a frozen temporal loop? Or are we stuck in a pocket dimension where we are stuck here, and everyone else is moving forward? I just-” You hesitated, unsure of what you really wanted to say. 

You dared to look at Spock, his face was devoid of emotion. His head tilted to the side as he looked down at you. 

You felt your own eyebrows furrow the more he looked at you. “Spock?” you asked quietly, a frown appearing on your face. 

“Spock?” You tried again. 

“I had not thought of that,” he said simply. A curious expression formed on his face. 

You scoffed at his response, “Hadn’t thought of what? That I’m more selfish than I come across?” 

Spock shook his head once, “No, that everyone else is moving forward in time, and that we are stuck in place.” 

“What?” You said flatly. 

“We have always considered that we are stuck in a loop, however, we have gone under the assumption that everyone is stuck with us as well. What if we are the only ones truly stuck, and time has warped around us?” 

You stood up from your chair standing directly in front of Spock. “Are you saying that you think there might actually be a way to get us out of this loop?” 

“We will have to try to gather as much data of the anomaly as we can within the next few loops before we can determine a plan, but yes, I do believe we can.” 

You let out a shaky breath, almost unwilling to believe what Spock had just told you. Crossing your arms across your chest, you found your gaze shifting to the floor. 

“Do you truly believe that you are selfish?” 

You froze, your blood rushing in your ears. Swallowing thickly, you kept your gaze on the ground. “Yes,” you whispered. “How else would you explain not bothering to think of our friends once?” 

“On the contrary, you have thought of our friends at every turn. I recall the look of anguish on your face when Christine collapsed in medbay.” 

You fixed your eyes to Spock, he was looking at you softly, gently. 

“Why else would ensign Sigala bring you coffee everyday? You were the first to befriend and mentor him when he was assigned to the Enterprise.” 

“How-” 

“Ensign Uhura speaks very fondly of you. Lieutenant Ortegas as well.” 

You could feel tears beginning to form in your eyes, you tried your best to blink them away. 

“I also think very fondly of you.” 

You let out a watery laugh, before the tears began to fall freely. Spock stepped forward, tentatively he reached out, placing a hand on your arm. You leaned forward and hugged him. Spock was stiff to start, until slowly, he wrapped his arms around yours. 

He held you close for as long as you needed. You breathed deeply in his arms, comforted by the gentle thrumming of his heart. When you could manage, you slowly began to pull away, your hands pressed flat against his chest as you looked up at him. 

“I’m very fond of you too, Spock,” you said serenely. When your eyes met his you could swear as if everything around you had stilled. Nothing around you was real, nothing but the feeling of you pressed against him. 

The chirping of your data pad caused you to jump, clearing your throat you pulled away from Spock. 

You grabbed your data pad off the nearby table, eyes scanning over the newfound data. 

“The anomaly” you blurted out. “It was there for a second, the readings…if we could just get a better idea of the storm…” 

“I will report to the bridge and scan for data.” 

You gave Spock a nod, “Report back at lunch?” 

Spock gave you a nod in reply and walked out your door. You were left standing in the middle of your room staring at the door. 

What in the hell just happened?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

You tried your best to covertly pinpoint the anomaly. You’d been typing away at your station for the better part of the morning. You’d done your best to dodge questions about your late arrival. Engineering was usually too swamped with work to question anything further, most people shrugged off your excuses and got straight back to work. 

A blinking light caught your attention. The anomaly. You gave the board your full attention, fingers flying over the screen as you tried to find the exact location of the anomaly. Your eyes scanned the screen trying to retain as much information as you could before you would inevitably lose it. 

“Lieutenant L/N? Is everything alright here?” 

You glanced up at Commander Pelia. She was giving you an all knowing expression, one that left you more confused than ever. 

“Yes, I just-” your eyes flicked back towards the screen. It was gone again. 

“Stranger things have happened,” she shrugged. “I suppose you would know something about that.” 

“Commander -” 

“No matter, you should be getting off to lunch now.” Pelia smiled warmly at you. “I hear that a storm-like electrical field was converging around the time of your anomaly. Perhaps there is a pattern there.” 

With a final smile, Commander Pelia left you. She couldn’t, there was no way Pelia knew about the loop. Was there? She would tell you. Wouldn’t she?

You were getting ready to leave for lunch when Sigala found you. You nearly slammed into him when you rounded the corner. 

“I just wanted to say I’m happy for you,” he smiled at you. 

Your eyebrows furrowed, “What are you talking about?” 

“You and Spock, I always suspected he might have a thing for you. I’m glad it worked out.” 

“What? I don’t-” you stammered. 

“This morning - oh,” he paused, “Are we not telling anyone yet? Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.” Sigala just smiled at you before he walked back to his station. 

You stood nearly speechless before you turned to walk towards the mess hall. You tried not to think of the implications of what Sigala had told you. 

Was it really that obvious to everyone but you?

Rounding the corner to the mess hall, you made your way inside. It was loud, people laughing and eating without a care in the world. You envied it. 

Worrying your lip, your eyes searched for Spock. You found him sitting alone in the far corner of the room. A small bowl of soup in front of him. He was typing away on his data pad, paying no attention to the people around him. 

“I think I have a theory,” you said, taking a sit across from him. 

Spock tore his eyes away from his data pad to look at you. 

“I think the storm and the anomaly are acting together - or maybe one is causing the other to react leading to the loop. If we can track when each appears we might be able to figure out the relation to the other. And maybe we might be able to time something to help get us out of the loop. Like hitting a manual reset.” 

“I believe that might work. Provided we can recognize and record any potential patterns.” 

“I was thinking I might commandeer a shuttle and go into the storm,” you shrugged, “Worse that can happen is I die and we reset.” 

You could feel Spock’s eyes on you, but he said nothing. 

“Are you going to finish that soup? I’m starving,” you reached over and took the bowl in your hands. 

“No.” 

You dropped the spoon, “No, like you’re going to finish the soup or no-” 

“No, you will not be commandeering a shuttle.” 

“Why not? I mean, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Pelia actually might have given me the idea. That would be the best way-” 

“No.” 

“What do you mean, no?” 

“It is too dangerous.” Spock was giving you a hard look, one you were not accustomed to seeing on his face. 

“How? I’ll just reset-” 

“You are assuming that you will still reset far away from the Enterprise. There is no logic in assuming when it has not been done before.” 

“There’s no way to know unless we find out, and I’m willing to take the risk.” 

“I am not,” he said firmly. 

“Well it’s a good thing that I’ll be the one going then,” You shrugged.  

“No you will not,” he argued. 

“Spock-” 

“Do you not realize why?” 

“You’re my friend and you’re worried. You -” 

“Have you any idea what it has been like to watch you die and not be able to do anything about it? To be helpless while you die in my arms?” 

You stared at him, frozen in place. You’d never thought about it. Each loop flashed before you in your mind, Spock watching desperately as you gasped for breath or bleed to death in front of him. 

“I didn’t realize,” you said lamely. 

“When I said I was fond of you I do not believe you understood my true meaning.” 

“Spock,” you breathed out. 

“Each loop has brought me closer to you. Let me discover and understand you in ways I had not anticipated. What I am sure Ensign Uhura and Lieutenant Ortegas have implied is true. I had once believed it was illogical to pursue the growing feelings I was developing for you.” 

You watched him intently, he stood now, his body walking directly in front of you. You found yourself standing, watching as he took a steadying breath. 

“However, I now believe it would be illogical to hide from the truth. While I am Vulcan, I am also human. I can no longer deny the want - the need for your companionship. I care for you,” Spock tentatively reached for your hand. He paused, his fingers ghosting over your own. “More than I can adequately express with words or with logic.” 

You could feel eyes on you, no doubt the entirety of the mess hall was watching you both intensely. But the only person you could truly see was Spock. 

He was looking at you with a tenderness you had never dared to imagine. Your hand reached out for his, when your pointer finger brushed against his own, you watched as his eyes closed, his breath coming more quickly. 

You repeated the motion, stepping forward closing the distance between you both. Your other hand reached out to cup his cheek. Spock’s eyes opened slowly, his eyes boring into  yours. Gingerly, Spock leaned down pressing his forehead against yours before he captured your lips with his own. 

It is agonizingly but deliciously slow. You could hear murmurs of those around you, but none of that mattered to you. All that mattered was the feel of him against you, everything else didn’t matter. 

When you broke apart, Spock pressed his lips against your forehead taking slow steady breaths. 

“I think,” you breathed, “I know,” you smiled, “ I have fallen in love with you.” 

Spock pulled you close against him in an embrace. 

“We’ll figure out another way,” you whispered. “I know we will.” 

“Agreed,” he said hoarsely. 

You pulled back to look at him, giving him a soft smile. “You ready to start over? I think we gave them enough of a show.” 

“I believe I am,” you could see the faint twinge of a smile on his face. 

You turned to look at the audience in front of you, “Have I ever mentioned the time loop we’re stuck in? The endless Thursday?” 

A beat went by before alarms started to blare overhead. Spock took your hand in his. Your eyes were only on him as the crew in front of you started to panic. 

“I may have an idea on how to possibly terminate the loop,” Spock said. 

“Can’t wait to hear it,” you whispered, pulling your lips to his once more before the light consumed you both.

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