#around eight million objects

[etakeh]

Hey no stop laughing this is serious someone stole stuff from....um...the people who like...got most of their stuff through theft.

around eight million of them.

[obsessedwithceleste]

Fighting Fate (It’s a losing battle)

Theodore Nott x gn!reader

Inspired by, and dedicated to @musingsofahufflepuff

Summary: soulmate!au in which everyone sees in black and white until they meet their soulmate. Bold of fate to assume it can tell you what to do.

word count: 3.1k

©️ obsessedwithceleste. all works posted here belong to me and should not be reposted or copied in any way or form.

Ever since your first day at Hogwarts, you’d been told that you were lucky. A one in a million chance. Exceptional. Because as soon as you’d been sorted, and the sorting hat had been lifted up off of your head, your eyes had met his, and the world had burst into color.

It had been wildly disorientating at first- you almost fainted from the visual overload as the banners over each section of students burst into bright color. As you went to take your seat, you got strange looks from several students, but you never felt his eyes leave you.

You’d always thought it was rubbish. Even at the ripe old age of eleven. Your mother had first explained the idea of soulmates to you as a bedtime story. You remember her explaining how everything looked bland and colorless now because you hadn’t met your soulmate yet. But once you did, the world would come to life.

“When will I meet my soulmate?” You’d asked.

“Well, that’s the catch isn’t it? It’s different for everyone. Some meet their soulmate very young. At school even. But some, some will never meet their soulmate. They can be anywhere in the world, fate doesn’t discriminate.”

You’d scrunched your little nose up in distaste.

“That’s stupid. Why do I have to listen to fate?”

Your mother had only laughed, tucking you in and kissing your forehead goodnight. But the sentiment had remained as you grew up. How could someone really just be meant for you? Ridiculous.

Theo had known that you were going to be his soulmate before fate did. He’d watched silently from his seat on the train as you boarded, a nervous grin on your face as you waved goodbye to your family. You were perfect, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of you. At least until Mattheo swatted his arm.

“What’re you staring at, mate?” He’d asked loudly, gaining the attention of the other boys in the carriage.

“See them, there?” Theo asked, pointing to where you were boarding. “That’s going to be my soulmate.” He’d announced proudly.

“Yeah, okay mate,” the other boys had laughed, quickly moving on to the next topic.

But Theo didn’t take his eyes off of you until you disappeared through the train doors and off into some unknown compartment.

The next time he saw you was at the sorting ceremony. He watched as you confidently made your way up to the front, the smile never leaving your face as McGonagall lowered the hat onto your head. It only took a few moments of deliberation before the hat was being lifted off of your head and Theo’s eyes met yours.

It was like the wind was taken out of him as the room sprung to life, colors swirling around his vision as his eyes raced around the room in awe.

By the end of the night, all of Theo’s friends had been sorted into Slytherin with him. Mattheo, Enzo, Draco, Blaise. Even Crabbe and Goyle.

“I was right on the train. About them being my soulmate,” he’d announced proudly, pointing out different objects and describing the different colors to his friends who wondered in amazement.

You on the other hand, didn’t speak a word of it to anyone until you accidentally let it slip to your mother over break that you could see the pretty colored ornaments strung up on the tree.

She’d been thrilled of course, wanting to know every detail about this soulmate of yours. What did he look like? What house was he? Had the two of you spoken.

You answered each question with less enthusiasm than the one prior, and eventually she got the point and stopped asking.

As soon as the news slipped that Theodore Nott, a child of the sacred twenty-eight, and son of Tiberius Nott no less, could see in color however, it didn’t take long for people to start noticing you. Telling you how lucky you were to have found your soulmate. To be able to see color. As if you wanted a soulmate at eleven years old.

The first few years it was easy to avoid. Being only eleven or twelve, Theo was content admiring you from a far. Third year was when the boy finally got the courage to really try and talk to you for the first time. Sure he’d said hi a few times over the past couple years, but nothing you’d found particularly note worthy. Especially not for someone who was supposedly your soulmate.

“Are you any good at charms?” A voice asks, startling you as you look up from the essay you had been finishing up in the court yard. It was a warm, cloudy day, with only a light breeze, so you’d thought it would be the perfect day to take your studies outside.

You stare up in surprise at the brunette boy in front of you, watching silently as he takes a seat across from you.

In the past, you'd played the avoiding game, quickly scurrying off if you saw the boy or his friends approaching. This year, you hadn't been taking the same precautions, and it seemed Theodore was taking full advantage.

“I’m alright,” you reply hesitantly.

That was a lie. Charms was your best subject, but you were hoping the boy might go away. He didn’t.

"I know that you're top of the class," he responds, staring intently at you with a sly smirk.

That afternoon you begrudgingly helped Theodore with his charms homework, and he happily helped you with your DADA essay. There wasn’t a whole lot of interaction between the two of you, but he wasn’t horrible you supposed. At least he had brain cells to rub together.

After that he kept popping up sporadically throughout your third year.

At quidditch tryouts he'd insisted on partnering with you for several of the drills. You both were offered a place on the team. In the Great Hall he'd seek you out to ask about the homework assignment he'd missed after skiving off of class with Mattheo. The fact that you gave him your notes each time meant nothing. Obviously. And every so often, between the shelves of books in the library, you'd see a flash of soft brown hair, and intense eyes gazing at you before they disappeared as if you were imagining it.

With each increasing encounter, the both of you made idle conversation as you kept the boy at an arms length. It was nothing personal really. In fact the more you thought about it, he seemed perfectly alright. But something in your stubborn thirteen year old self just wanted to stick it to fate. So you continued to ice the boy out.

Theodore however, was nothing if not determined. He knew from the moment he saw you that he was meant to be yours, and he’d be damned if he let you slip through his fingers. Thirteen year old Theodore was a stubborn bastard and he knew he was willing to play the long game.

Things grew a bit more complicated in fourth year when you became friends with some of the Slytherin crowd.

It had been an accident really. You’d been reading down by the Black Lake when Daphne Greengrass had stumbled upon you, followed closely by Pansy Parkinson and Lorenzo Berkshire.

“Oh!” she’d said in delight, seeing the book in your hands, “I love that book!”

The two of you ended up talking enthusiastically about the novel for almost an entire hour with Pansy and Enzo butting in every so often to add their thoughts.

“Wait, you’re Theodore’s soulmate aren’t you?” Enzo asks, eventually recognizing you.

You eye the boy cautiously as you nod slowly, suddenly feeling self conscious.

Pansy just wrinkles her nose.

“Sorry you got stuck with such a tosser.” She says.

The four of you are quiet for a moment before your laughter breaks the silence, the other three following shortly after.

After that, you’re integrated into their little group seamlessly. You’d always been a bit of a loner. Sure people would wander up to you often enough to chatter about what it was like to see colors, but that was really all people wanted to know about you. Like it was some trivial party trick.

It was nice having your own friends to study with and wander about Hogsmeade with on the weekends. It was nice to have people who liked being around you simply for being you. Not because some magical force had decided to bind you to a whole other human and grant you the ability to see color.

It didn’t take long for Theo to notice you hanging about more frequently. How could he not? You were so pretty. So smart and witty. So perfect. He was just so happy to have you around more often. Even if it wasn’t to spend time with him specifically.

He reveled in any little morsel of information that he could scrape up from your friends. Your favorite color, your favorite sweets at Honeydukes, your class schedule. Theo was willing to admit the last one was a bit weird, but he was really just hungry to learn anything he could about his elusive soulmate.

Soon enough, it didn’t become unusual for Theodore and Mattheo to join the four of you on your little excursions. Popping up at the Black Lake, or meeting up with you at the Three Broomsticks. He was just always there. As if he was making a point of it. And begrudgingly you began to let him in.

A friend of your friends was okay you thought. Wouldn’t hurt to get to know him a bit. That wasn’t crossing any lines.

For Theo however, this was huge. He was finally getting somewhere. Even if you weren’t ready for any sort of romantic relationship, he was going to be the best damn friend you’d ever had.

By fifth year, there was simply no denying it. Theodore Nott was your best friend. You weren’t really sure how it had happened. The two of you just fit so well together. He had truly wormed his way into your life.

It had started with the study sessions.

"Remember when you helped me with charms in third year?" He'd asked. "I got top marks on that assignment."

As those became more frequent, it had turned into afternoons by the lake with both of you deep in your own novels, but sharing the comfortable silence.

Then it had morphed into weekends at Hogsmeade. Your friends thought they were being subtle when they consistently slipped away, leaving you and Theo to wander about the village. You couldn't find it in yourself to mind though.

You’d tried to keep him at an arms length. You really had. But Enzo couldn’t make you laugh as hard as you did with Theo. And Daphne just wasn’t the intellectual match that Theo was. And Pansy always made sure you let loose sure, but being around Theo was just- freeing.

You still weren’t sold on the whole soulmate thing though. Sure Theo was great. Perfect even. But you just couldn’t shake the icky feeling of blindly trusting fate to decide your life.

Then it happened. No one was expecting it. Especially not Pansy. But you and Pansy and Draco and Theo had all been working late on a potions assignment before dinner, and on your way back up from the dungeons, Pansy ran smack into a certain platinum haired Ravenclaw. You’d later find out that her name was Luna Lovegood. As soon as their eyes met, Pansy stumbled, leaning into you for support. You already knew what was happening as her eyes darted around wildly.

“Oh. I suppose we’re soulmates then aren’t we?” The girl said, a dreamy look overtaking her.

It all seemed too easy for them after that. It was like a flip had switched and the two were just mad for each other. A picture perfect example of what soulmates should be.

You found it to be slightly horrifying how blindly trusting fate could severely change a person and their relationship with an essential stranger.

Theo however, couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy. He had what? Almost five whole years on Pansy, and was lucky to get a friendly hug out of his soulmate. Yet Pansy and Luna were inseparable after only a few short weeks.

Not that Theo thought he was entitled to your affection necessarily. But it would be nice if you’d at least acknowledge the bond you two shared he thought.

“Why don’t you believe in soulmates?” Daphne asks one night.

It was one of those rare nights where it was only you, Daphne, Pansy, and Enzo huddled together wrapped in thick, warm blankets inside Daphne and Pansy’s dorm room. Salazar knows where Millicent was off spending her night. A bottle of shared fire whisky sat between you and packs of chocolate frogs littered the floor.

You blink in surprise at your friend’s question. You didn’t talk about soulmate stuff much.

“I do believe in them,” you say with a simple shrug.

“Yeah but you don’t really believe in them, ya know? Why?” She pushes.

You pause again, glancing at Pansy who was looking back at you intently.

“I don’t know. I guess I just don’t like the idea of someone deciding to be with me, just because they’re supposed to.” You say finally.

“I suppose I know what you mean.” Pansy murmurs after a moment.

You look at the girl in surprise and can tell the other two are shocked as well.

“Don’t get me wrong. I adore Luna. Really. I always tell her that I’m so glad that fate put us together. But then sometimes I wonder. If it weren’t for fate, would I have even given her a second glance that day I bumped into her in the corridor?”

There’s a silent lull as your group mulls over Pansy’s words before slowly drifting off to a new topic.

In another dorm, not so far off, Theo lay on his bed staring blankly up at the ceiling.

“Think they’ll come around soon?” Mattheo asks, sensing his roommate’s building tension.

“I dunno. But I’ll wait,” he replies, closing his eyes and letting images of you flood his mind. “They’re worth it.”

That night as you’re leaving to return to your dorm, Enzo catches your arm, pulling you off to the side.

“You can never tell Theo that I told you this, but the first time I met Theo, we were on the train waiting to leave for Hogwarts and he pointed out the window to a someone and said ‘they’re going to be my soulmate’. Then, at the sorting ceremony he got all dizzy all the sudden, and when we got to the common room, he said that he’d been right about who his soulmate would be. You. Just thought you should know.”

And with that, he’s gone.

It’s after that that you really begin to see Theo. You’d never really given him a fighting chance. But now, you kind of wanted to.

It’s the beginning of sixth year when Theo finally notices the shift. Notices you actually seeking him out on purpose, not flinching away when your hands brush, eyes hovering on his lips a bit too long for it to be accidental. And to say that he is ecstatic.

Meanwhile you were silently kicking yourself for taking so long to get over your petty bullshit with fate. Sure you still didn’t love the idea of it all, but after spending enough time with Theo, you could really, truly see the appeal.

After that night in fifth year, you began noticing how Theodore was one of the only students who could keep up with your academic prowess. He could always sense when you were tired, or stressed, or simply in a mood, and always did his best to subtly cheer you up. He was always there. Even after all the years you had put him through the wringer, he remained by your side. And that’s what really convinced you.

It’s also what landed you here, at the top of the astronomy tower, with your head in Theodore’s lap as his fingers raked gently through your hair.

It had become a usual meeting spot for the both of you. Theo had brought you up here a week into the school year starting. It was his safe place. His getaway when everything got to be too much, or when he just needed space to think. When those words had left his mouth you had melted. He trusted you. You had meant so much to him for so long, and you couldn't be bothered to give him the time of day.

“I’m sorry,” you mumble, eyes gazing out at the swirling navy sky that seemed to stretch on forever.

“For what, amore?”

“Dunno. Making you feel like you weren’t good enough, or makin you feel like a bad soulmate.”

Theo looks down at you, and you meet his steady gaze.

“I knew I was good enough, amore. We wouldn’t be soulmates if we weren’t perfect for each other.” He replies.

You perk up at this. “You think I’m perfect?” You ask, a dopey smile appearing on your face.

Theo just rolls his eyes, shaking his head as he laughs. He'd grown used to your antics. Just another piece of you that he'd grown fond of.

“I said that we’re perfect together. But you’re perfect too I suppose.”

It hadn’t taken nearly as long as you had expected to reach this point. It seemed that Theo had just been waiting for the word to switch on boyfriend mode. All it took was one spontaneous, heated make out session in his dorm room, and you had the boy wrapped around your finger. (He already had been for years, but you didn’t need to know that.)

“Alright. Wrap it up love birds. You better be fully clothed,” Pansy calls, head peeping up from the top of the staircase leading up to the tower. “You two have been up here for hours, and you can’t have them all to yourself Theodore. They were our friend first.”

“Yeah! Time’s up lover boy!” You hear Enzo call.

Theo groans, head falling back as he rises lazily, offering you a hand up.

“I waited five years for this, can’t you guys let me have my moment?” He calls back.

“No!” The chorus replies.

With a laugh, you grab onto Theo’s hand, tugging him towards the stairs.

“C’mon. If we get Mattheo and Enzo drunk enough, they won’t notice if I spend the night,” you say with a cheeky wink.

“I heard that!” Enzo’s voice rings out.

“You wouldn’t say no to me anyway,” you shout back.

With a smile, Theo follows you down the stairs after your rowdy friends, hand wrapped tightly around yours. It had taken him five long years, and he certainly wasn’t going to let go anytime soon.

I'm a sucker for soulmate aus

[drnikolatesla]

The Lifestyle of Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla was a very tall and skinny man, standing over six feet and weighing around one hundred and forty pounds. He had light blue-gray eyes, which was considered odd because he was of Serbian descent who were typically known to have darker eyes. Tesla, probably joking, said to a reporter that his eyes used to be dark, but using his mind so much had made them many shades lighter. The inventor was known to be very elegant, stylish, meticulous in his grooming, clothing, and regimented in his daily activities.

Tesla never married and remained a celibate and a bachelor his entire life. Tesla was solely committed to the principles of science above all else, and for this reason, he denied the love and companionship of a female counterpart. He chose to lead a solitary life, hoping only that this sacrifice to work would make his name live on through many centuries still to come.

One of his few hobbies other than work was feeding birds. Tesla’s respect for birds began when he was a child growing up in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He and his local friends made a sport out of catching live birds, and when Tesla himself caught a couple of keepers, he and his friend found themselves getting attacked by a murder of crows. The revolt forced the boys to release the birds and take cover. In America, he made it a specialty of his to treat sick pigeons, which seems odd because he was quite the germaphobe. He would feed them every day on his daily walks and would also take in wounded pigeons and nurse them back to health at his hotel in New York. He seemed to have had a better connection with birds than with most people. In 1917, he was awarded the Edison Medal, and upon receiving the award, the inventor could not be found. He was later found feeding pigeons near a local library and was persuaded back to the ceremony to give his speech.

Tesla suffered from an obsessive compulsive disorder, and because of this, he developed some very strange idiosyncrasies and phobias, such as having a strong dislike against earrings, pearls, peaches, and touching other people's hair. He counted the steps in his walks and calculated the cubical contents of soup plates, coffee cups, and pieces of food. All repeated acts or operations he performed had to be divisible by three.

While living in New York, Tesla kept his laboratories absolutely clean and pure, refused to touch other people, would wear gloves while shaking hands, and insisted upon personally cleaning his own plates and silverware at restaurants with his requested 18 napkins. This cleanliness was all intentional because, as a child, he almost died from cholera, which raged in the region of his hometown Lika due to contaminated water. Many found Tesla’s actions strange, but to him, it was a very important measure to protect his health.

In another way to keep his body clean and pure, Tesla invented an electrical apparatus that could give the human body a dry bath by passing millions of volts of electricity through it (similar to his demonstrations in the early 1890s where he passed electricity through his own body). His oscillator was a small, drum-like object about two feet long by one foot wide and could apply half a million volts of electricity through his body. The large amount of electricity would affect the germs without destroying the cells of the tissues of the body. Though his oscillator seemed like a fountain of youth, Tesla maintained his conventional ideas of health. He bathed daily, believed in plenty of exercise, and would walk eight or ten miles every day. He said that he never would take a cab or other conveyance and relied on his leg power for transportation.

His diet was a crucial part of his daily routine to remain healthy and to prolong the length of his life. He was very fussy and particular about his food: he ate very little, but what he did eat had to be the very best. He wasn’t a complete vegetarian; he ate meat, just not very occasionally (perhaps once or twice a year). He did believe though that humankind should move towards a vegetarian diet, not just because eating meat the way we do is “barbarous,” as he said, but because he believed the vegetarian diet is more beneficial to the human body.

In his later years, he never smoked, drank tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, or consumed any other stimulant. Since he saw life through the lens of his mechanistic theory of life, he took great care of his body as if it were a machine properly maintaining its best efficiency.

As for sleep, Tesla reported that he was a poor sleeper and had very unusual resting patterns. He claimed to only sleep a few hours each day and would oftentimes practice polyphasic sleep where he would take short naps for restoration instead of sleeping for a long period of time.

Unfortunately for Tesla and his clean and healthy lifestyle, in 1937, at the age of 81, he was hit by a taxicab during one of his regular walks. It is likely he was jaywalking because he admittedly was known to do so. He broke three ribs and seriously injured his back. Tesla would be bedridden for months while refusing to see a doctor, and on top of this would catch pneumonia, which would plague his health for the last 5 years of his life. I believe this accident and sickness would play a major role in the rapid decline of his health, both mentally and physically, and his goal of living past a century would never be realized.

Nikola Tesla had a unique and eccentric lifestyle and was known for his intense work habits, often spending long hours in his laboratory. So much so that his friends would seriously worry about his health. Financial difficulties were a recurring theme in his life, and he died in relative obscurity. Despite these challenges, Tesla's legacy is marked by his groundbreaking contributions to the field of electrical engineering.

[blueiscoool]

3,600-Year-Old Jewelry and Weapon Hoard Found Under Field in Czech Republic

Archaeologists used metal detectors to find the hoard, which includes several pieces of jewelry and weapons.

Archaeologists discovered a hoard of Bronze Age artifacts while doing routine survey work in a field in the Czech Republic.

The bronze objects — which include eight arm rings, two pins, eight axes and one spearhead — were found near Budyně nad Ohří, a town about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of Prague, Radio Prague International reported.

Researchers estimate that most of the items, which they found using metal detectors, date to around 1600 B.C.

"Most items are characteristic of the Middle Bronze Age, with only one ax belonging to the earlier period," Martin Trefný, an associate professor at the Museum of the Říp Region and the University of Jan Evangelista Purkyně and the curator of the hoard, said in an email. One ax is even older and dates to the Early Bronze Age.

"Axes could have been used as tools or weapons. The latter function also applies to the spearhead," Trefný said. "Bracelets were forearm ornaments, and pins served either to fasten clothing or, for example, to style women's hair."

Archaeologists remain unclear about why the hoard was buried, but they have proposed three possibilities.

"In the first case, the hoards are presumed to have a votive function, meaning they served as offerings to deities," Trefný said. "In the second case, we speak of an economic function, where hoards are interpreted as, for example, storage for manufacturers of the given items."

Alternatively, the buried items could reflect "a crisis situation, where it was necessary to hide the items, for example, from enemies," he said.

The treasure could be worth "millions of crowns," Trefný told Radio Prague International. (One million Czech crowns, or koruna, is about $42,500.)

"All the items testify to the technological advancement of bronze casters and processors in Central Europe 3,500 years ago," Trefný told Live Science. "The composition of the hoard also contributes to understanding the warfare, craft techniques and contemporary fashion of the time. Considering that hoards might have a ritual significance, they can also reveal a bit about the contemporary religion."

In the "near future," these found items will be on display at the Podřipské Museum, located about 30 miles (50 km) north of Prague, Radio Prague International reported.

By Jennifer Nalewicki.

[anghraine]

This isn't going to turn into All US Politics All The Time blog for four years (all going about as well as possible). And I don't begrudge anyone finding comfort where they can from the various state-level small victories—the GOP losing their incredibly corrupt supermajority in NC and failing to take the governor's seat, various state measures to protect or at least advance abortion rights, my candidate for governor winning in my own state, decent performances in a lot of House races, the predictable Senate disaster not being quite as bad as it might have been in this environment.

But for me, there is something discouraging about these as well, and something overlooked in the comparisons to the 2020 election. To me, the obvious point of comparison is less 2020 than 2016.

[This is not an even slightly positive post—putting most of it below the cut so you can skip if you don't want further doom 'n gloom.]

Trump's victory in 2016 was more shocking, yes, but it came with a lot of qualifications. Most obviously, the majority of people who voted in 2016 didn't vote for him, and while this didn't change the result of the election, it did affect the sense of what was going on nationally. Hillary Clinton, a flawed candidate under investigation during the election (however obviously politically motivated that investigation—and it was reopened right before Election Day) and the object of a 30-year misogynistic campaign of relentless, unabashed right-wing and journalistic hatred, and the leader of a campaign that made some clear tactical missteps, was preferable to Trump for the majority of voters even without certainty about what his administration would do. And people could and did lie to themselves about what a Trump administration would be like because he was a posturing blowhard who'd never held office. I always thought "Trump's just saying stuff, he's really going to outflank Hillary from the left!!!" was stupid as fuck, but it's a thing people convinced themselves of.

But in 2024, we know how bad the Trump administration would be (and there's no reason to think this one won't be worse—quite the opposite). We saw how his COVID response made a bad situation orders of magnitude worse to the point that morgues were overflowing with dead bodies. We know about how unethical he is because he's been found legally liable in relation to crimes of corruption and rape. He encouraged a coup to overthrow the last election. And Kamala Harris has far less political baggage than HRC did, is more progressive, ran a better campaign, had no October Surprise, and yet is losing the popular vote quite badly (right now, with 89% of the vote counted, Trump is ahead by about five million votes).

And seeing that people are voting to protect abortion rights in their state or ousting obviously corrupt state officials etc and then also voting for Trump is on one level—okay, so ordinary voters only sort of align with the cackling evil of GOP politicians' schemes and will at times vote to restrict their awful policies even in very red states. On a pragmatic level, that's better than being fully aligned with those policies. But on another level, I find it appalling. This loss isn't about any particular policy and I think you're fooling yourself if you think any One Magic Trick could have changed this result—that was possible in 2016, potentially, but not in this election. A lot of people are voting against specific Republican agendas and then voting for Donald Trump and JD fucking Vance.

Obviously racist misogyny (and misogynoir particularly) is likely a major culprit given that this disparity wasn't present even in far more unfavorable-on-paper conditions in 2016 against a profoundly unpopular white woman after an eight-year Democratic administration. There's the weird cult of personality around Trump. Etc. But I'm also thinking about how the most successful period for Democrats during this cycle was when they veered away from anything to do with actual policies and were like "these Republican politicians are the weird freaks with bad vibes actually." I'm thinking about how the vast majority of the country went significantly rightwards even in many places that Harris or Democrats won.

And it's like... maybe we won't become an autocracy, maybe he'll have another disastrously awful administration that isn't as much worse than the first as we fear, and public opinion will turn against him again and his sheer unpopularity will drive backlashes favoring Democrats in 2026 and 2028. But even that best case scenario isn't fixing what's wrong here.

[doodle-pops]

House of Feanor | Having A Human S/O

Request: Can i request a feanorian group headcannon about having a human lover? — @misfortunateleprechaun

A/N: I couldn’t resist including a short reader in the mix because I know most of us are tiny beside these elves :)

Fëanor

Curious to learn all there is about you. Whether you’re naturally short, how you age, your life span, your features, culture, linguistics, everything, you name it. And when he does, it pushes for him to become even more intrigued with YOU.

Wants to follow you around as much as possible. Just picture a short you and a giant elf nearly 8ft trailing behind you asking millions of questions or silently observing you in your natural world.

Understands that humans are delicate and much more breakable than elves, so he treats you with the same care as he does for his jewels. You are fragile and deserve the utmost protection and care.

With that being said, you are not spared from being blessed with the great riches he is endowed with. Showers upon showers of gifts bestowed to make your mortal lifespan enjoyable and full of luxuries.

An enjoyment of his would be your vast size difference, as would all the elves when you lie, sit or walk beside him. Even when he needs to make jewellery, he marvels at the sizes and concludes that you are no larger than an elfling.

He will keep to himself knowing how you react when being compared to an elf child…or he might mention it because he enjoys your responses and phrases unheard of to elven ears.

Feanor takes great pride in having you as his S/O and accepts no criticism from anyone. He adores you with every fibre of his being and will worship the ground you walk on.

Maedhros

“Why are you so tiny, unlike other mortals I have come across?” That would be words spoken to himself upon meeting you because he’s already a freaking giant. It’s worse when you must stand on objects to meet this over-eight-foot-tall figure.

Holds out his hand and watches as you wrap your entire hand around two of his fingers. He has to bite his lip to hold back the laughter, because you attempt to guide him, and it looks like a child leading him off to Eru knows where.

Prefers when you sleep on his chest while (awake) he reads or relaxes on the balcony. Never allows you to close when you’re sharing the same bed and he’s sleeping. Do you want to go flying through a window with one of his kicks? You’re fragile babes, sleep on the floor.

Deep down, he believes that you deserve a lover who doesn’t have to place a restrain on everything they’re doing to prevent hurting you…physically. Play fights are a thing that happens rarely because you once knocked your own hand on the bedpost, and he blamed himself for forgetting your fragility.

With that being said, he gets worried about you when you accidentally injure yourself because you’re a mortal…soft, squishy and delicate. Please, don’t make him wrap you in the duvets like a burrito for your safety.

Since your lifespan is shorter than his, Maedhros’ main goal is to in ensure as much peace can be granted in your life. Takes you to the most scenic places around Beleriand or just nearby Himring and keeps you far away from his brothers, minus Maglor. Gives you a Shetland pony to ride for the kicks of it and watches as you fold.

He doesn’t seem to understand how you joke so easily about ageing and grimaces every time you crack a joke about your soon-to-be wrinkled appearance or increased fragility. You’re set to give him the heart attack instead of you.

Loves to compare your size to an elfling and jokes about having to purchase ready-made clothes in the children’s section for you.

Maglor

Humoured by your size and delicacy, and equally motherly as Maedhros. Henning over every little accident with a read-to-scold expression on his face and incoherent words spilling out his mouth about needing to cover you from head to toe.

Maglor adores your compliments when he sings for you or writes sonnets or poems. He understands that his species differ greatly from humans, hence his voice would sound ethereal to your ears, sparking grand praises. It tickles his ego and spurs him into never-ending songs because he lives for your praises.

Adores carrying you around because you’re as light as a feather and he could lift you with his pinkie finger. Sit on his shoulders, piggyback rides, cling to his legs or chest as he walks around his fort and ignores all the strange looks his servants are giving him.

He’s someone who respects humans and mortal life, so at no point would he ever allow you to feel insignificant compared to his elven nature. Hates to hear you ill-speak your mortality or even condemn the relationship to failure because of your differences.

Still hesitant when it comes to playfighting and unlike a certain brother, he wouldn’t scold himself for your injury. However, he would still engage and quickly dissolve everything to cuddles or a nap.

Sleep atop his chest and he’ll fawn because you look so tiny and feel weightless. One time you both fell asleep, however, Maglor forgot you were sleeping on his chest (because you’re so light), so when he rolled, you fell right off the bed.

Surprisingly cool with your human ageing jokes, especially the wrinkly potato ones. Sometimes he’ll cruise in with an affectionate joke to make you swoon about being his favourite potato.

Celegorm

It takes a long time to get it into his head that you’re delicate because, in his mind, he saw you performing hundreds of daredevil stunts, why stop the fun for safety purposes. Wherever Tyelko is, you are curled up under his arm like a sleeping bag being carried around on his adventure.

If he’s riding a horse large enough to carry an elf, then so are you—doesn’t matter if you’re four or five feet. If you fit, you sit. However, you prefer to ride Huan because he understands your comfort and safety more than Tyelko does.

Playfighting to the roughness degree and be prepared to end up in the healer’s room sporting bruises or a sprained joint, he’ll even lie down on you. He has an affinity for challenging you to your limits, solely because it’s thrilling to him. “Try lifting me off the bed and walking to the door.” (you collapsed under his beefy body)

As big and scary as he appears, start coughing or having a fever and watch as he crumples like a left. Clingy and never leaves your side the entire duration you’re resting or in the healer’s room.

Acts as though you’re going to die in the blink of an eye from a single sneeze and the next thing you know, he’s praying that you survive your common cold when the healers have informed him that you’re alright.

In addition, he’s the perfect teddy bear for a cold night with all those muscles he has going on. The issue is his ability to cuddle to the highest degree. You cannot escape his cuddle grip, even if you need to pee.

Tyelko has confidence that’s out of this world, so no one can attempt to shun or berate your relationship, not even mock him for choosing a human to be his S/O over an elf. Celegorm makes it clear that you’re his choice and he’s proud to have you.

Caranthir

Someone who admires you day by day and how easily you overcome obstacles without lamenting the way his race does. For a human, you are quite fiery and able to keep up with his pace of living, though he prefers that you relax while he lavishes you.

Vocal about his appreciation towards you in private as you lay in his chambers on the sofa or bed, cuddling. Like his siblings, he prefers that you lay atop him, refusing to even displace an ounce of weight for fear of crushing you.

Spoils you, spoils you, spoils you more than you could even imagine because he wants your life to be filled with comfort and luxuries before your end. Complaining about how much he spoils you is like kicking a puppy.

The only thing you cannot do is tear this elf away from his duties when he’s locked away in his studies deciding who to conduct his next trade with. He’s married to his work and then you.

This brings me to you easily clinging to his body because you wish for him to stay in bed longer. All he does is roll his eyes at your antics and continue to walk around the room while you disguise yourself as a backpack.

Sneeze and there’s a deafening silence that follows before a grumpy Caranthir paces out of the room to call for the healers. You are not permitted to go anywhere, basically bedroom arrest. You want water, food, more blankets; he’s there. Want to go for a walk, sure; he’ll walk you around the room.

As much as he admires your resilience as a human being to the harsh reality of life, many of your natural occurrences terrify him due to rumours of terrible endings for others. So, expect the protectiveness to go up a few notches.

Curufin

Everyone was surprised that he had a human lover when he strolled into a ball with you decked out in jewellery from head to toe. Poor you were trying to breathe under the weight of the gemstones breaking your neck.

Curufin isn’t any different in my dating him headcanons with the addition of his protectiveness increasing. He loves to use it as an excuse to tag along with you anywhere when he really wants to spend time together (what a tsundere).

Finds himself confused at all your human terminologies because how can “Break a leg” or “Knock ‘em dead” mean best of luck. “You humans are strange with your words, why can’t you just say what you mean.” – Curufin

Finds your excitement and expressive manner endearing given elves’ lack of facial expressions and enjoys bestowing all sorts of gifts upon you just to witness your reactions. He finds them better than the simple use of words when accepting his creations.

Less inclined to school you like his father, but still peppers you with indirect questions to learn more about humans and their odd differences from elves. If you’re female, then be prepared to blow his mind with talks of your menstruation. He considers you a brave warrior for going through that every month.

Curufin doesn’t like talks of how your lifespan is short and you’re bound to die soon, and you tend to use this to your advantage when you want your way.  “But what if tomorrow doesn’t come, and I don’t get to eat chocolate cake? You should let me eat it now, so you don’t regret not letting me.”

 (Tries) Keeps you away from Tyelko because he’s a terrible influencer and causes the majority of your injuries which sends Curufin into cardiac arrest. If Curufin has never shown much emotion in his life, it was the moment he learnt that you were in the healing rooms.

Amrod

Excited because he has someone to love him, but heartbroken about your shortened lifespan, which means he’s going to cram all his years of adventure into your lifespan so it can be shared with you.

Every morning, he walks you up with a brilliant smile as warm as the sun before dragging you out of bed to go hiking or host a breakfast picnic while the sun rises (sorry if you hate waking up early).

You are not spared from his pranks or the confusion between him and his twin when Amras decides to trick you. Aware that you are human and more breakable than elves, but he’s still going to engage in roughhousing or lying half his body atop yours so you cannot go anywhere.

As I had mentioned before, he’s touch–starved being the youngest bunch in the family with less attention being directed. So when you entered the picture, as a human, it was natural for you to be overly affectionate which stunned him. Never before had Amrod believed that he was capable of receiving so much love.

He doesn’t care about the fact that elves aren’t physically affectionate, he accepts every hug, kiss and touch you gift him. He considers them your greatest gift, second to finding you.

Already protective of his younger brother, so it’s natural when you enter the picture. Prefers being your bodyguard so he can spend every second with you, never allowing for there to be a moment when you aren’t together.

I have mentioned that he’s into woodcarving, so you can expect figurines of you and him (more you) to appear before your door in beautifully wrapped boxes. You have a collection by now and can consider it a hobby thanks to Amrod.

Amras

Prefers to spend all his time with you in tranquillity and away from his nosy and noisy family, including his twin who doesn’t understand the concept of personal space and attempts to chaperone each date.

The realisation of you being human doesn’t sink in for a long while because he’s pleased that he has someone whom he can love. Amras will be spending his dates surrounded by nature.

Waterfalls, hiking trails, rivers, ponds lakes or fields of flowers, you have seen it all in your human lifespan. Places you didn’t believe existed or could be viewed by the naked eye would be revealed to you.

Amras is more open to receiving affection from you and enjoys the lavish amounts you shower him in. He is stunned by the volume that humans are capable of delivering and how dependent they are on physical touch.

Like his brothers, Amras will shower you with tons of gifts, especially handcrafted ones. He is skilled in crocheting and competes with his brother for who can make the best look-alikes of their family. In between, you can expect to receive stuffed animals or a miniature of yourself.

Reaches out to his elder brother, Maedhros and Maglor for advice on how to date a human since they’re more aware of mortal mannerisms than him. It’s a cute sight to witness as Amras practices learning your mannerisms and culture so he can help you feel at home.

His major concern is ensuring that your time spent with him was the best years you’ve ever had in your entire life, and he was able to fulfil many of your wishes in the short space of time granted to you.

Celebrimbor

Tyelpё would like to know what he has done to inherit a significant other in the first place. Forget that you’re human, he wants to know how you can choose a person like him after the history of bloodshed his family has left.

Like any normal relationship, he’s doing his best to control his temper and be as patient as possible. He would hate to make you go running for the hills with a terrible slip-up.

Eyes of a hawk at your every move, wanting to learn as much as possible with the stark differences between you in particular and him. He’s already aware of how indifferent elves and humans are, it’s just to learn your netiquettes and mannerisms.

Like his father, you will be gifted tons of jewellery—it’s his love language—with your neck breaking under the weight of the gems. Tyelpё adores seeing you decked out and looking like a disco ball; you’re his mannequin for his pieces.

As one who spent years in the forge, he’s far from small and will crush you under his weight. Thus, he’s cautious when cuddling or any form of play fighting. The last thing he needs to hear is that he injured you from his bulky muscles.

Please hold his hands and let him fawn over the size difference. You’re only able to hold two of his fingers when tugging him about the place when you’re eager to show him something.

Did someone say standing on chairs to meet his height? Yes, that is exactly what you would have to do because he’s a giant eight-foot elf. Or even parading around in his long robes pretending to be him? Yes.

Protective to a degree, but not as overprotective as his uncles since it’s the second age and let’s assume that our buddy hasn’t shown up yet to ruin the peace. Tyelpё will gladly allow you to roam freely without worrying about your safety tremendously and would even request that you return with treats.

Masterlist

Taglist: @ranhanabi777 @lilmelily @mysticmoomin @rain-on-my-umbrella @asianbutnotjapanese @batsyforyou @ladyenchanted @mcwentfandomtraveling @involuntaryspasms @stormchaser819 @a-tong @aconstructofamind @addaigio @lamemaster @hermaeuswhora

[mindblowingscience]

Scientists have directly imaged eight dim objects accompanying very bright stars within the Gaia data catalog, including so-called "failed stars," otherwise known as brown dwarfs.  The stars and their companions were originally identified from millions of stars in the Gaia catalog. They were considered ideal for follow-up investigations with the ground-based GRAVITY instrument, an advanced near-infrared interferometer located at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) on the peak of Cerro Paranal in Chile. By combining infrared light from multiple telescopes, a process called interferometry, GRAVITY has already achieved the first direct observation of an extrasolar planet, or "exoplanet." Following up on Gaia observations, GRAVITY directly spotted light signals from companions around the eight bright stars, seven of which were theorized objects, undiscovered until now.

Continue Reading.

[deep-space-netwerk]

Alright, so, black holes right?

Most people have probably seen this astOUNDING image of the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy - the first real picture of a black hole.

It may look like a blurry orange donut, but you gotta understand, this was and still is a hugely impressive achievement. At a black hole's event horizon, the escape velocity (or the speed at which something has to travel to escape the body's gravitational pull) is faster than the speed of light. By definition a black hole cannot be directly observed. Imaging the shadow of M87* required using eight ground-based radio telescopes all over the world, working together as an interferometer - or as though they were one single telescope the size of the entire planet.

So that's fucking cool in its own right, but how did we know that black holes existed before 2019 when we could actually "see" one? How do we detect something that reflects no light when we DON'T have a simulated telescope the size of Earth? The answer is gravity.

We think that most large galaxies have supermassive black holes at their centers, left over from their chaotic infancies when hundreds of thousands of early stars collided and then collapsed, and then kept colliding. To give you an idea of what we mean by "supermassive", the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A* (pronounced "A-star"), is about 4 million times the mass of our sun. And that's SMALL.

So while black holes aren't the horrible all-consuming reality-guzzling unmakers of creation that science fiction likes to paint them as - we aren't in any danger whatsoever from Sagittarius A*, now or ever - they CAN get big enough to really throw things around. So we looked for objects moving under the influence of . . . nothing.

This gif is a years-long timelapse of stars orbiting something in a seemingly-empty region of space the center of the Milky Way, the approximate location marked with a red plus sign.

That something is Sag A*. It's an invisible behemoth, made of the extraordinarily dense remains of the birth of our galaxy, juggling entire solar systems the way Jupiter flings asteroids. And for so long, we couldn't even see it.

This shit makes me go fucking crazy. Imagine what else is out there that we don't understand just because we don't have the tools to even know it exists! Not just in space, in any field of scientific study!

It wasn't until the 1990s that we started realizing trees talk to each other, and now we know there's fungal mycelium networks that connect trees across entire continents. Just THIS YEAR we discovered an entirely new ecosystem underneath the hydrothermal vents in the deepest parts of the ocean floor. For most of human history, the existence of planets around other stars was highly debated, and now we've confirmed over 5 thousand of them. We even know what some of their atmospheres are made of!

There's a saying that "the more you know, the more you know you'll never know", and I feel like there's never been a time in history when that's been more true. And it's almost comforting, y'know? The universe is so vast, it feels correct that we shouldn't be able to understand all of its intricacies.

Reality is stranger than fiction, and the reality is there's stuff out there that we don't even have the words to begin to describe. Until we do! And our reward is even more questions!

[euphoniumpets]

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM | CHAPTER TWO

Prompt: ''As long as I can rememer, I've been protecting Alina, it's always Alina who I will protect,'' You told him, looking at Nikolai. ''But who will protect you?''

Warnings: Violence, blood and gore.

Please don’t plagiarize my work - I spend a lot of my time writing, copying and pasting destroys that. 

Pairing: Nikolai Lantsov x Starkov! Reader

A/N: Nikolai is coming to interact with Y/N in this chapter!!! and in the next chapter we will see how their friendship banter will evolve.

Taglist: @lyria-skyfall @khaleesihavilliard @shine101 @waddlingwanderer @clqudias @ducks118 @xceafh @goldenpoison @ssprayberrythings @parabatai-winchester

prologue - one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - epilogue

‘’Alina, come on!’’ 

‘’I’m right behind you,’’ 

You huff, glancing to your right side when you see Alina struggling to keep up. It’s always been like that when you were children, somehow, you were always faster than Mal and Alina, always a step ahead of them. The two of you ran through the village, through the market as you tried not to bump into the crowd. 

The two of you kept running as you both stopped in your tracks. You saw an alleyway and grabbed Alina’s wrist and dragged her along with you through. You panted hard and you stopped in your tracks when you saw a familiar figure running past. 

You and Alina shared a confused expression when you recognized it was Mal and then the first Army running after him. The two of you followed after as you saw Mal fighting against them. You stepped forward and knocked one of the soldiers down on the ground before swinging your foot against one of the soldier’s stomachs. He stumbled down on the ground, and he was about to get up and beat you before Mal threw a punch. 

However, another soldier appeared and knocked Mal down before he turned to you. You widened your eyes with fear when you saw that he was bigger than you. You raised your fists to fight against him. ''I could take you,'' You spoke but before you could charge at him Alina caught up with you. ‘’Hey!’’ Alina shouted and you turned around. You stepped aside as she used her powers to knock the soldier down. You ran toward Mal as you helped him from his feet. 

‘’So much for nobody knowing who I am here,’’ Alina remarked, ‘’Very nice and subtle,’’ You commented as she approached you. ‘’Tell me about it,’’ Mal said as the two of you were about to walk to the gate behind you. Alina tried to open the locker with her powers. ‘’I knew you’d be traveling as a pair, let’s see your hands,’’ 

‘’Especially you, Starkov,’’ He said and pointed towards Alina. Alina raised her hands slightly as he approached closer. ‘’It’s time to turn you in,’’ You prepared yourself to fight again, and before you knew it the people of the village dragged their stuff to block the path in front of them, hiding the three of you. ‘’What is going on?’’ You murmured as you saw the sign they made. 

Of course, you thought, smiling to yourself. 

‘’This way,’’ A woman approached you and put her hood over Alina to cover her. She handed it to you as well before she headed to the gate, and you saw her using one of her Grisha powers. ‘’Adawesi, Sun summoner,’’ She spoke and unlocked the Locke.

‘’Thank you,’’ You responded as she sent you a small smile before the three of you headed out. 

-

‘’Only two ships in a harbor town? Something’s not right,’’ 

Mal stated as the three of you approached the docks and hid behind one of the objects. ‘’Maybe Bohdan ordered them away?’’ You replied with a frown. ‘’But the first Army doesn’t have the jurisdiction here,’’ Mal told you. 

‘’Perhaps the promise of 20 million Kruge is good enough to buy our access to the docks,’’ Alina remarked and showed the newspaper of her and Kirigian to Mal. ‘’I wish he was alive just so I could punch that face again,’’ Mal spoke. ‘’Thanks to him, the whole world sees me as a traitorous villain,’’ Alina replied as you sighed and grabbed the paper before you knuckled it down and tossed it away. 

‘’Yeah, well, they’re wrong,’’ You told her. ‘’Valiant of you, but I’m sure they printed more than one,’’ Alina said to you with a smile. ‘’Eh, whatever, it wasn’t a good use to us anyway,’’ You replied with a shrug. ‘’So, what now?’’ Alina asked and looked at you and Mal. 

You and Mal looked at each other before turning back to Alina. ‘’We find the Sea Whip,’’ You spoke, and you narrowed your eyes. ‘’Hang on,’’ You told them. ‘’That ship’s not flying any flag, it’s private,’’ You replied as Alina looked at you. 

‘’Which means, it can be chartered,’’ Alina said, and you nodded with hope. ‘’Okay, come on,’’ Alina urged and grabbed her bag. You stepped up from the ground and grabbed your bag, since you sat between Alina and Mal, you saw the corner of your eyes as Mal grabbed Alina by the cheek before kissing her lips. 

‘’Come on! Seriously? How many times do I have to deal with the two of you kissing each other’s faces?’’ You exclaimed as a groan left past by your lips. You ignored the looks you received from them and walked to the people on the docks that were preparing for tonight’s journey. 

‘’Hey, stop, we need a charter out of here immediately,’’ You spoke as Alina and Mal trailed behind. You saw one woman and one male standing in front of you with a sword behind your back. ‘’We can pay,’’ You told them as you gestured toward Mal, who handed you a golden pin. ‘’It’s gold,’’ You told her and handed the pin to the woman. 

‘’That’ll do,’’ She shrugged her shoulders and gave the pin to the man next to her. ‘’Come on then, hurry up, I’ll take you to the captain,’’ The man spoke as you nodded, glancing at Alina and Mal before following him to the ship. 

‘’Thank you,’’ You replied. 

‘’You, stop!’’ A voice spoke and the three of you turned around to see Bohdan approaching you. ‘’You want to fight, Ravka? Hey?’’ The woman commented as she brought her ax from behind. ‘’That man and that woman is a deserter of the First Army,’’ He scowled and pointed toward you and Mal. 

‘’They belong to our custody,’’ 

‘’Is that so? All right then,’’ The woman told him before she turned to the ship. ‘’Ravka wants a fight!’’ She shouted as she grabbed the other ax and the people began to show their weapons. You chuckled to yourself when you saw the reaction on Bohdan. ‘’I don’t want to escalate the fight with Shu Han,’’ He responded as he saw the male and you guessed it was the woman’s brother grabs his sword from behind and approached him. ‘’We’re not with Shu, we’re independent,’’ He commented. 

‘’Maybe save your bullets for the war, old man?’’ The woman questioned him. ‘’First Army needs to know its place,’’

-

‘’No point in denying it, Miss Starkov, your sister is the sun summoner,’’ You sighed, rolling your eyes at the blonde male in front of you. Tolya had led you to the captain and you didn’t like him because all he did was flirt with you the moment you arrived in his office. 

‘’You’re right, Alina?’’ You asked and looked at her. Alina raised her hands as she summoned the light. ‘’Impressive,’’ He whistled, shaking his head in approval. ‘’And it’s not that often that I say that,’’ He added. ‘’Well, I guess that not many people do impress you,’’ You remarked as he chuckled. 

‘’Well, love, you’re the only one who impressed me tonight with our beauty when you arrived at my office,’’ He smirked toward you. You glared at him, clenching your jaw as you felt a warmth forming on your cheeks. You saw him forming a smug smile on his face.  

‘’Let us go, or you’ll be out 20 million Kruge and a ship,’’ Alina said. ‘’While I’m well aware you could consign us all to the watery deep, you should consider how far away the docks we are,’’ He said as he walked over to a table and poured himself a glass of Whiskey. ‘’Besides, I’m not handing you over to the Fjerdans,’’ He said and turned around to walk towards his desk and faced you. 

‘’You’re not?’’ You questioned him and arched an eyebrow. ‘’Saints, no, I wouldn’t dream of it,’’ He told you. ‘’Sorry, is it offensive to say that in the presence of a living Saint?’’ He questioned and looked at Alina. 

‘’Okay,’’ You spoke as the three of you sat on the chairs in front of the desk. ‘’What do you want with us then?’’ Mal questioned him. ‘’With you? Nothing, honestly, I’m not even sure who you are,’’ He responded, making you roll your eyes at him. 

‘’You, however, you can keep your presence here with your beauty,’’ He remarked and looked at you with a smirk. ‘’Knock it off,’’ You scowled as he chuckled before he gestured toward your sister, who stood between you and Mal. ‘’But the Sun Summoner, well, you have to know you’re quite valuable,’’ He replied and took a sip of the alcohol. 

‘’You just said you wouldn’t turn her in for a bounty, pirate,’’ Mal replied. 

‘’Privateer,’’ He corrected as you rolled your eyes. ‘’As if there’s a difference,’’ You remarked and glared at him. ‘’There is,’’ He responded and looked at you. ‘’And what I said was I wouldn’t hand her over to the Fjerdans, I said nothing of the Kerch or Shu, I paid a small fortune to empty the dock and make sure you got into my ship, and frankly, I think the Fjerdans are severely undervaluing you,’’ He said and looked at Alina.

‘’You’re right, they are because you’ll be able to ask the King of Ravka for twice as much,’’ You replied and leaned closer to the desk. ‘’You know the king?’’ He asked with a smirk. ‘’My sister is the Sun summoner,’’ You responded. ‘’By all the accounts, the First Army have now turned their sights on Grisha, thanks to what you and your conspirator did in the Fold-’’

‘’The Darkling and I were not partners,’’ Alina cut him off. ‘’You may believe otherwise, but once I tear down the Fold and reunite Ravka, the world will see I am not his ally,’’ Alina told him with a firm voice. ‘’Help us, and you will be rewarded,’’ You spoke as you crossed your arms and leaned into the chair. 

‘’To tear down the Fold?’’

‘’And how do you plan on doing that exactly?’’ He scoffed. ‘’By hunting down Morozova’s Sea Whip,’’ You revealed. ‘’Y/N,’’ Mal warned you, and you held your hand out to stop him. ‘’I suppose if the stag existed, the Sea Whip and the Firebird might as well,’’ He replied and looked at you in disbelief. ‘’You couldn’t do it with one amplifier, but two,’’

‘’Unburdened by General Kirigan under my power,’’ Alina said. ‘’Will you help us or not?’’ You asked him with a frown. He stepped up from his desk with a thoughtful look on his face. ‘’There’s adventure, danger, money,’’ He spoke before he turned around with a grin on his face.

‘’Now you’re speaking my language!’’

-

let me know what you thought! reblogging always helps and the tag list are still open!

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

A recent study has revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the prevalence of myopia among children and teenagers globally with projections to exceed 740 million cases by 2050.

In Short -More than 1 in 3 children are affected by myopia or short-sightedness -Over 740 million children and teenagers will have myopia by 2050 -The increase in myopia cases has been notable after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic -The widespread occurrence of myopia has made it a public health concern, especially among researchers. While the escalation of its prevalence remains elusive, researchers of a recent study on myopia -note that there's a link between increasing cases of myopia and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Myopia or short-sightedness is an eye condition where a person cannot see objects far away clearly. This vision can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.

In their latest study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers from China's Sun Yat-Sen University and Henan Provincial People's Hospital, found that around one in three children and teenagers worldwide are short-sighted.

Prompting calls to discourage screen time and increase physical activity, they stated that the Covid lockdowns had a negative impact on eyesight in children, who spent more time on screens and less time outdoors.

"Based on our trend analysis, it has been observed that there has been a significant rise in the occurrence of myopia among children and adolescents globally over the past 30 years, with the prevalence increasing from 24.32% to 35.81%. This increase has been particularly notable after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic," the researchers wrote.

The study looked at research involving more than five million children and teenagers from 50 countries across all six continents. The highest rates are in Asia - 85% of children in Japan and 73% in South Korea are short-sighted with more than 40% affected in China and Russia.

Their analysis showed that the prevalence of short-sightedness has tripled from 1990 to 2023, reaching 36%. The study warns that myopia is an escalating global health issue, projected to exceed 740 million cases by 2050.

Myopia usually begins in school, which tends to worsen over time, until the eye has stopped growing, till 20 years of age.

Several factors increase the likelihood of developing short-sightedness, with living in East Asia being one of the most significant. Genetics, or the traits passed down from parents, play a role, but other influences exist as well.

In regions like Singapore and Hong Kong, children begin formal education as early as two years old. This early exposure to reading and screen time puts extra strain on their eyes, which research suggests can lead to myopia.

In contrast, myopia is seven times less common in Africa, where children typically start school at the age of six to eight years old.

The study further indicates that girls and young women may experience higher rates of myopia than boys, partly due to spending less time outdoors both at school and home as they grow up.

Additionally, girls often enter puberty earlier, which may lead to the onset of short-sightedness at a younger age.

"With the increase in enrolment pressure, students are experiencing a rise in learning pressure and burden. As a result, they are spending more time focusing on close-range activities with their eyes, which reduces the time they spend on outdoor sports and exercise.34 This constant strain on the ciliary muscles often leads to eye fatigue and myopia," the researchers wrote.

While Asia is projected to have the highest levels of myopia by 2050, with nearly 69% of the population affected, developing countries could also see rates as high as 40%, according to researchers.

The researchers added, "According to our projections, there is an anticipated 9% rise in the overall prevalence of myopia between 2023 and 2050, which will lead to a substantial burden of ocular disease, affecting more than 740 million children and adolescents."

The common signs and symptoms of myopia or short-sightedness include difficulty reading words from a distance, like reading the board at school, sitting close to the television or laptop or holding a tablet or phone too close to the eyes, getting frequent headaches, and rubbing the eyes a lot.

Study link: bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2024/08/14/bjo-2024-325427

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Found: first actively forming galaxy as lightweight as young Milky Way

For the first time, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has detected and ‘weighed’ a galaxy that not only existed around 600 million years after the Big Bang, but also has a mass that is similar to what our Milky Way galaxy’s mass might have been at the same stage of development. Other galaxies Webb has detected at this period in the history of the Universe are significantly more massive. Nicknamed the Firefly Sparkle, this galaxy is gleaming with star clusters — 10 in all — each of which researchers examined in great detail.

“I didn’t think it would be possible to resolve a galaxy that existed so early in the Universe into so many distinct components, let alone find that its mass is similar to our own galaxy’s when it was in the process of forming,” said Lamiya Mowla, co-lead author of the paper and an assistant professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. “There is so much going on inside this tiny galaxy, including so many different phases of star formation.”

Webb was able to image the galaxy in sufficient detail for two reasons. One is a benefit of the cosmos: a massive foreground galaxy cluster radically enhanced the distant galaxy’s appearance through a natural effect known as gravitational lensing. And when combined with the telescope’s specialisation in high-resolution imaging of infrared light, Webb delivered unprecedented new data about the galaxy’s contents.

“Without the benefit of this gravitational lens, we would not be able to resolve this galaxy,” said Kartheik Iyer, co-lead author and NASA Hubble Fellow at Columbia University in New York. “We knew to expect it based on current physics, but it’s surprising that we actually saw it.”

Mowla, who spotted the galaxy in Webb’s image, was drawn to its gleaming star clusters, because objects that sparkle typically indicate they are extremely clumpy and complicated. Since the galaxy looks like a ‘sparkle’ or swarm of fireflies on a warm summer night, they named it the Firefly Sparkle galaxy.

Reconstructing the galaxy’s appearance

The research team modelled what the galaxy might have looked like if its image weren’t stretched by gravitational lensing and discovered that it resembled an elongated raindrop. Suspended within it are two star clusters toward the top and eight toward the bottom. “Our reconstruction shows that clumps of actively forming stars are surrounded by diffuse light from other unresolved stars,” said Iyer. “This galaxy is literally in the process of assembling.”

Webb’s data show the Firefly Sparkle galaxy is on the smaller side, falling into the category of a low-mass galaxy. Billions of years will pass before it builds its full heft and a distinct shape. “Most of the other galaxies Webb has shown us aren’t magnified or stretched, and we are not able to see their ‘building blocks’ separately. With Firefly Sparkle, we are witnessing a galaxy being assembled brick by brick,” Mowla said.

Stretched out and shining, ready for close analysis

Since the image of the galaxy is warped into a long arc, the researchers easily picked out 10 distinct star clusters, which are emitting the bulk of the galaxy’s light. They are represented here in shades of pink, purple, and blue. Those colours in Webb’s images and its supporting spectra confirmed that star formation didn’t happen all at once in this galaxy, but was staggered in time.

“This galaxy has a diverse population of star clusters, and it is remarkable that we can see them separately at such an early age of the Universe,” said Chris Willott of the National Research Council Canada, a co-author and the observation programme’s principal investigator. “Each clump of stars is undergoing a different phase of formation or evolution.”

The galaxy’s projected shape shows that its stars haven’t settled into a central bulge or a thin, flattened disc, another piece of evidence that the galaxy is still forming.

‘Glowing’ companions

Researchers can’t predict how this disorganised galaxy will build up and take shape over billions of years, but there are two galaxies that the team confirmed are ‘hanging out’ within a tight perimeter and may influence how it builds mass over billions of years.

Firefly Sparkle is only 6500 light-years away from its first companion, and its second companion is separated by 42 000 light-years. For context, the fully formed Milky Way is about 100 000 light-years across — all three would fit inside it. Not only are its companions very close, the researchers also think that they are orbiting one another.

Each time one galaxy passes another, gas condenses and cools, allowing new stars to form in clumps, adding to the galaxies’ masses. “It has long been predicted that galaxies in the early Universe form through successive interactions and mergers with other tinier galaxies,” said Yoshihisa Asada, a co-author and doctoral student at Kyoto University in Japan. “We might be witnessing this process in action.”

“This is just the first of many such galaxies JWST will discover, as we are only starting to use these cosmic microscopes”, added team member Maruša Bradač of the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. “Just like microscopes let us see pollen grains from plants, the incredible resolution of Webb and the magnifying power of gravitational lensing let us see the small pieces inside galaxies. Our team is now analysing all early galaxies, and the results are all pointing in the same direction: we have yet to learn much more about how those early galaxies formed.”

The team’s research relied on data from Webb’s CAnadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey, which include near-infrared images from NIRCam (Near-InfraRed Camera) and spectra from the microshutter array aboard NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph). The CANUCS data intentionally covered a field that NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope imaged as part of its Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble programme.

This work was published on 12 December 2024 in the journal Nature.

More information

Webb is the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. Under an international collaboration agreement, ESA provided the telescope’s launch service, using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace. ESA also provided the workhorse spectrograph NIRSpec and 50% of the mid-infrared instrument MIRI, which was designed and built by a consortium of nationally funded European Institutes (The MIRI European Consortium) in partnership with JPL and the University of Arizona.

Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Willott (NRC-Canada), L. Mowla (Wellesley College), K. Iyer (Columbia)

TOP IMAGE: Thousands of glimmering galaxies are bound together by their own gravity, making up a massive cluster formally classified as MACS J1423.

The largest bright white oval is a supergiant elliptical galaxy that is the dominant member of this galaxy cluster. The galaxy cluster acts like a lens, magnifying and distorting the light from objects that lie well behind it, an effect known as gravitational lensing that has big research benefits. Astronomers can study lensed galaxies in detail, like the Firefly Sparkle galaxy.

This 2023 image is from the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-InfraRed Camera). Researchers used Webb to survey the same field that the Hubble Space Telescope imaged in 2010. Thanks to its specialisation in high-resolution near-infrared imagery, Webb was able to show researchers many more galaxies in far more detail.

[Image description: Thousands of overlapping objects at various distances are spread across this field, including galaxies in a massive galaxy cluster, and distorted background galaxies behind the galaxy cluster. The background of space is black.]Credit:

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Willott (NRC-Canada), L. Mowla (Wellesley College), K. Iyer (Columbia)

CENTRE IMAGE: For the first time, astronomers have identified a still-forming galaxy that weighs about the same as our Milky Way if we could wind back the clock to see our galaxy as it developed. The newly identified galaxy, the Firefly Sparkle, is in the process of assembling and forming stars, and existed about 600 million years after the Big Bang.

The image of the galaxy is stretched and warped by a natural effect known as gravitational lensing, which allowed researchers to glean far more information about its contents. (In some areas of Webb’s image, the galaxy is magnified over 40 times.)

While it took shape, the galaxy gleamed with star clusters in a range of infrared colours, which are scientifically meaningful. They indicate that the stars formed at different periods, not all at once.

Since the galaxy image is stretched into a long line in Webb’s observations, researchers were able to identify 10 distinct star clusters and study them individually, along with the cocoon of diffuse light from the additional, unresolved stars surrounding them. That’s not always possible for distant galaxies that aren’t lensed. Instead, in many cases researchers can only draw conclusions that apply to an entire galaxy. “Most of the other galaxies Webb has shown us aren’t magnified or stretched and we are not able to see the ‘building blocks’ separately. With Firefly Sparkle, we are witnessing a galaxy being assembled brick by brick,” explains astronomer Lamiya Mowla.

There are two companion galaxies ‘hovering’ close by, which may ultimately affect how this galaxy forms and builds mass over billions of years. Firefly Sparkle is only about 6500 light-years away from its first companion, and 42 000 light-years from its second companion. Let’s compare these figures to objects that are closer to home: the Sun is about 26 000 light-years from the centre of our Milky Way galaxy, and the Milky Way is about 100 000 light-years across. Not only are Firefly Sparkle’s companions very close, the researchers also suspect that they are orbiting one another.

[Image description: Horizontal split down the middle. At left, thousands of overlapping objects at various distances are spread across this galaxy cluster. A box at bottom right is enlarged on the right half. A central oval identifies the Firefly Sparkle galaxy, a line with 10 dots in various colours.]Credit:

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Willott (NRC-Canada), L. Mowla (Wellesley College), K. Iyer (Columbia)

LOWER IMAGE: Thousands of glimmering galaxies are bound together by their own gravity, making up a massive cluster formally classified as MACS J1423.

The largest bright white oval is a supergiant elliptical galaxy that is the dominant member of this galaxy cluster. The galaxy cluster acts like a lens, magnifying and distorting the light from objects that lie well behind it, an effect known as gravitational lensing that has big research benefits. Astronomers can study lensed galaxies in detail, like the Firefly Sparkle galaxy.

This 2023 image is from the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera). Researchers used Webb to survey the same field the Hubble Space Telescope imaged in 2010. Thanks to its specialisation in high-resolution near-infrared imagery, Webb was able to show researchers many more galaxies in far more detail.

The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky.

The scale bar is labelled in arcseconds, which is a measure of angular distance on the sky. One arcsecond is equal to an angular measurement of 1/3600 of one degree. There are 60 arcminutes in a degree and 60 arcseconds in an arcminute. (The full Moon has an angular diameter of about 30 arcminutes.) The actual size of an object that covers one arcsecond on the sky depends on its distance from the telescope.

This image shows invisible near-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colours. The colour key shows which NIRCam filters were used when collecting the light. The colour of each filter name is the visible light colour used to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter.

NIRCam filters from left to right: F115W and F150W are blue; F200W and F277W are green; F356W and F444W are red.

[Image description: A graphic labelled “James Webb Space Telescope; MACS J1423.8+2404.” A rectangular image shows thousands of galaxies of various shapes and colours on the black background of space.]Credit:

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Willott (NRC-Canada), L. Mowla (Wellesley College), K. Iyer (Columbia)

[comicaurora]

This is probably a weird question, but what are some tips you could give on character design? I've been trying to feel confident with my own designs, but they feel kind of bland... what kinds of things would you suggest to help make designs stand out more?

Hoo boy. Hm. I feel like I am not the right person to ask about this because objectively I do almost nothing you're "supposed" to, but if it's working I guess that means I might be onto something?

A lot of my design considerations are practical. I don't want to give anybody a design that's going to be a nightmare to draw over and over again. I've done enough commissions in my time to know when somebody is overdesigned and therefore hugely annoying to draw, and that's a no-no. So I tend to stick with simple patterns at most, not too many layers, no need for five million belts, no need for incredibly intricate hairstyles, etc. This is a practical consideration for the medium of comic art, but other mediums have different considerations - 3D-modeled art, for instance, can overdesign the characters as much as they want because they only need to model them once, and a lot of visual novel characters are limited to a very small handful of poses and some interchangeable expressions, meaning it isn't prohibitively complicated to make them a little Extra. The most time-consuming and frustrating commissions I've ever done were for characters who were frankly never designed to be drawn more than once. A quick sampling of highlights for the design features I swore to myself I would never deal with again-

So on a basic level, if you're designing a character to draw over and over again, it needs to be something you're willing and able to draw over again. Intricate patterns, a lot of interlocking plates, anything with lace - those are all things I try to avoid.

I've often seen the advice that character silhouettes should be super visually distinct, that characters should be very strongly shaped like different things. I think that's great if your style is that flexible, but if you kind of want everybody to be shaped like a human being with a skeleton, this advice is not very useful.

I think a diversity of body shapes is great, but the style I favor requires the anatomy to at least sort of makes sense, which means while there can still be a lot of variation in the distribution of muscle and fat, everyone's bones are gonna be in roughly the same place. I can't just draw a square and fill it with a dude. So instead I try and distinguish my character silhouettes in other ways.

Everyone's hair is different, and because most characters have big hair, this plays a large part in their silhouette. Falst and Erin both have short hair, but Falst's is a bristling mane while Erin's is usually more swept and soft-looking. Dainix and Kendal both have long hair, but even when Dainix's hair is loose it doesn't hang or flow the same way Kendal's does - it gets in the way, drapes in front of his face and overall doesn't move the same. Alinua's hair is bouncy curls. On top of that, everyone's outfits are fairly simple, but no two of them are exactly the same - Erin has a monopoly on poofy sleeves, Kendal has cuffed boots and the back-slung sword, Dainix has the poncho and the poofier pants, Alinua has the v-neck top with slightly pauldron-y shoulders and the slippers, Falst's clothing is ragged at the edges, etc. Even without getting into their distinct color palettes, everyone's at least a little bit distinct.

And this is another place where I purposefully try to avoid overdesigning. If everyone has too much going on it can circle around to being hard to tell the characters apart, because too much is happening. Who can pay attention to the fact that one character is sleeveless and one has asymmetrical boots and one has a mullet when everybody is wearing eight layers of embroidered fabric with four belts and half a breastplate on top?

Avoiding same-face is hard, and I'm not very good at it. But I do try to make sure everyone's face shape, nose and eyes are at least slightly different from everyone else's. It might not show from a distance and it might not be as extreme as a pixar design sheet, but it's something.

Ultimately the main consideration I keep in mind when designing characters is - perhaps a bit redundantly - their character. Who they are as people, and how that will impact the way they look. Everybody stands differently, and shifts their weight differently when a situation is changing.

Despite both being short, lightweight guys with short hair, Falst and Erin are wildly different people and are not going to dress the same, make the same facial expressions or hold themselves the same way. Despite both being tall, long-haired, generally friendly warrior badasses, Kendal and Dainix carry themselves very differently and react to things in very distinct ways. Tess and Erin have the exact same haircut and nobody noticed for ages because of everything else.

The designs aren't complicated, and compared to some, they aren't even that distinct. But I try to make sure that their personality is visible in every aspect of their design. Every "why?" in their design has an in-character answer, and since they're all quite different on the inside, keeping things simple means that starts showing through on the outside.

This is also how I can visually distinguish between Vash and Kendal, who have the exact same body and clothes.

we can never underestimate the importance of ✨body language✨

[allisonbaelfire]

Amethyst. - PART 6

After the obstacle course, we gathered for the next Test. The anticipation in the air was palpable as Ms. Midnight took the stage once more, her excitement infectious.

"Congratulations to everyone who made it through the first round!" she announced, her voice booming through the stadium. "Now, it's time for the second test: the Cavalry Battle!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, and my classmates and I exchanged excited glances. The rules of the Cavalry Battle appeared on the screen above us. Each team would consist of two to four members, and the objective was to collect headbands from other teams, each worth a certain number of points. The team with the most points at the end of the time limit would be the winner.

"But first," Ms. Midnight continued, "let's talk about the points each team will start with. The points are based on your performance in the obstacle race. The person who came in first place, Izuku Midoriya, will start with the highest points: ten million!"

A murmur of excitement and surprise rippled through the crowd as all eyes turned to Izuku, who looked terrified as every opponent looked at him.

"In second place, with eight million points, is Shoto Todoroki!" Ms. Midnight announced. Shoto's calm demeanor didn't change.

"Third place, and starting with seven million points, is Katsuki Bakugo!" she said, her voice carrying over the crowd. Bakugo stood with his usual confidence, looking like he didn’t care.

"And in fourth place, starting with six million points, is Y/N Todoroki!" Ms. Midnight finished. I felt a mixture of pride and anxiety as I glanced at the scoreboard.

As soon as the explanation ended, we had 15 minutes to form a team. A lot of students approached me, hoping to have me on their team. I was flattered but also overwhelmed by the attention. Denki, Eijiro, Mina, and others tried to persuade me, each with their own arguments.

"Y/N, with your Quirk, we could totally dominate!" Denki exclaimed, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, imagine the combination of your Ice Flames and my Hardening!" Eijiro added, grinning broadly.

Mina jumped in, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “You and I would make an amazing team, Y/N! We could freeze and melt our way to victory!”

I appreciated their offers, but my mind was already made up. I wanted to be on a team where I could support those who might need it the most while not being in Shoto’s way. My eyes scanned the crowd, landing on Izuku Midoriya, who seemed to be deep in thought, strategizing for the upcoming battle while being scared to death.

As I started walking toward Izuku, I noticed a scene unfolding around Bakugo. A swarm of students surrounded him, each one eager to join his team. They were all shouting their reasons why he should pick them, but Bakugo didn’t even listen to them, his eyes looking in a whole other direction. He was looking straight at me.

For a moment, our gazes locked. Bakugo's intense stare conveyed a clear message: he wanted me on his team. He didn't say a word, but his expression spoke volumes. It was almost as if he expected me to join him, confident that together we would win.

But I didn't want to be on one of the strongest students' teams. I still didn't want to win the festival, not at the cost of my relationship with Shoto or by proving Endeavor right.

I turned away from Bakugo's piercing gaze and made my way over to Izuku, who looked up in surprise as I approached.

"Hey, Midoriya," I greeted with a smile. "Mind if I join your team?"

His eyes widened in astonishment. "Y/N! Are you sure? I mean, I'd be honored, but there are so many other teams you could join..." He was close to tears.

I nodded firmly. "I'm sure. Besides, I think we can make a great team. We just need a solid strategy and I think, you’re perfect for that job."

Izuku's face lit up with determination. "Alright! Let's do this!"

We quickly gathered our teammates. Ochaco Uraraka and Fumikage Tokoyami joined us, each bringing their unique strengths to the table. With Izuku's tactical mind, Ochaco's Zero Gravity, Fumikage's Dark Shadow, and my Ice Flames, we had a well-rounded team.

As we huddled together to discuss our strategy, Izuku took the lead, explaining his plan with his usual detailed precision.

"Alright, so here's the plan," he began, his eyes sharp with focus. "Y/N, with your Ice Flames, you can create barriers to protect us and slow down our opponents. Ochaco, you can use your Quirk to make us lighter and more maneuverable. Tokoyami, Dark Shadow will be our main offensive force, while I'll stay on top and guide us."

We all nodded, agreeing with the plan. It was clear and well-thought-out, playing to each of our strengths.

As we finalized our strategy, a loud, familiar voice interrupted us.

“Frostburn, what the hell are you doing?!” Bakugo’s furious voice echoed across the stadium, drawing the attention of everyone around us. He stormed over, his face a mask of rage.

“Here we go,” I mumbled and turned to face him while trying to keep my composure. “Talking to my teammates, obviously.”

I hated it when he talked to me in that way, it reminded me of my father, whenever I didn’t do as he said.

His eyes blazed with anger. “Are you kidding me? You should be on my team! We could easily crush everyone else with your Quirk and my explosions!”

I met his gaze and tried to stay calm. “I made my decision, Bakugo. Midoriya’s team needs me, and I believe we can make a great team together.”

Bakugo’s fists clenched, and for a moment, I thought he might explode right there. “You want to hold yourself back just because you don’t want to piss off that half-and-half bastard brother of yours, isn’t it? You’re making a big mistake.”

I was taken aback by his outburst. After weeks of training together and him walking me home, I thought there was at least some mutual respect. I didn't expect us to be buddy-buddy, but I thought he'd keep our talks private.

Maybe, but it’s my mistake to make,” I replied, my voice growing sharper. I felt my anger rising, and I wasn't about to let him run over me.

Bakugo’s eyes narrowed, his voice dripping with contempt. “Don’t think for a second that I’m going to go easy on you. You better be ready for a fight.”

I took a step closer, meeting his glare with my own. “Bring it on, Bakugo. Just don’t cry when I leave you in the dust.”

Bakugo’s face twisted in fury, and for a moment, I thought he might actually attack me. But instead, he turned on his heel and stormed off, muttering curses under his breath. I felt a mix of relief and tension as I turned back to my team, frustration bubbling under the surface. Part of me wished things were different.

Izuku looked at me with a concerned expression. “Are you sure about this, Y/N? Bakugo’s not going to let this go easily.”

“I’m sure,” I replied firmly, though I was still fuming inside. “Let’s get ready. We have a battle to win.”

_____________

As the start signal blared, we quickly got into position. Ochaco activated her Quirk, making us lighter and faster. I formed some icy barriers around our team, giving us a momentary shield against incoming attacks. Tokoyami sent Dark Shadow out to fend off any immediate threats, while Izuku kept an eye out for opportunities to snatch headbands.

The arena was chaos, with teams clashing all around us. Explosions from Bakugo's Quirk echoed through the air, while Shoto's ice created obstacles for other teams. I focused on maintaining our barrier and creating ice platforms to help us navigate the battlefield more effectively.

"Incoming from the left!" Izuku shouted, spotting a team heading straight for us.

I quickly formed an icy ramp, allowing us to dodge the oncoming attack and gain some height. Dark Shadow lashed out, pushing the attackers back and creating an opening for us to move forward.

"Nice work, Tokoyami!" Izuku praised, his eyes scanning for our next target.

We spotted a team with a headband and made our move. Ochaco's Quirk made us swift, and with Izuku's guidance, we approached the target with precision. Dark Shadow and my ice worked in tandem, creating a path and fending off any defenders.

As we closed in on the target, with a final push, we reached the team and snatched their headband, adding it to our collection.

"Great job, everyone!" Izuku exclaimed, a wide grin on his face.

_____________

Suddenly, a wave of cold shot through the air. Shoto’s team was closing in on us, his ice rapidly forming barriers and obstacles. As soon as I noticed Shoto, I tried to transform my flames into a gaseous state, ready to freeze him if he wanted to engage. However, he surprised me with his speed, closing the distance much faster than I anticipated.

“Izuku Midoriya, you’re in my way,” Shoto declared, his voice like ice. He lunged forward, aiming to snatch our ten-million-point headband.

“Not if I can help it!” I shouted, stepping between them and forming a thick ice wall to block Shoto.

With a surge of power, I summoned my Ice Flames, the lilac flames flickering intensely as I reinforced the wall. The air around us crackled with energy, my flames meeting Shoto’s ice in a dazzling display.

But Shoto was relentless. Despite my ice being much colder, Shoto’s sheer force and the density of his ice allowed him to shatter through my barrier with an explosive force, sending shards flying everywhere. The structural integrity of his ice, combined with his precise control, overcame the temperature difference. His ice, though not as cold as mine, was thicker and more powerful due to his ability to concentrate its formation at a rapid pace.

“Better luck next time, sister,” Shoto said smirkingly, turning away as he secured the headband around himself.

As Shoto turned away, I caught a glimpse of our father, Endeavor, watching from the stands. His eyes were sharp, and his expression was one of fierce pride and expectation. He looked like a man who wanted nothing more than to see his children fight and prove their worth. My focus snapped back to the battlefield as Midoriya’s eyes filled with determination.

 “We need to get those points back! Y/N, Ochaco, Tokoyami—stay close!” he commanded, formulating a plan on the fly.

Shoto, however, was not about to back down. I watched, my heart pounding, expecting Midoriya to hit Shoto head-on. Shoto probably thought so too. His eyes narrowed, and he raised his right hand, flames flickering to life. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing—Shoto never used his flame side because he only wanted to rely on our mother’s ice to become a hero.

“Shoto… he’s using his flames?” I muttered, eyes wide in shock.

But Midoriya didn’t go for Shoto directly. Instead, he sliced through the air, aiming right for Shoto’s flames. And he did it—Midoriya pushed Shoto’s arm to the side, snuffing out the flames, and snatched a point band.

The move left Shoto momentarily stunned, his usually cool demeanor showing a hint of surprise as he realized what had just happened. Midoriya’s quick thinking and speed were impressive, taking out Shoto’s fire defense and grabbing the points in one smooth motion.

However, Shoto's team had tricked us; we didn’t get the ten million points.

“Tokoyami!” Izuku shouted, signaling Dark Shadow to attack Shoto’s team.

Shoto quickly understood the threat. “Kaminari!” he yelled.

Even though Dark Shadow stood no chance against Denki’s electricity, he bravely fought back.

Bakugo’s explosions echoed as he propelled his team towards us, his eyes locked onto our headbands. The intensity of his focus was palpable, and I knew we had to act fast.

“Watch out for Bakugo’s team!” Izuku warned, his eyes scanning the battlefield. “They’re coming in fast!”

Bakugo’s voice rang out, “I’m taking those headbands, Deku! Frostburn, you’re next!” His explosive entrance sent shockwaves through the ground, making it hard to keep our balance.

“Y/N, keep up the defenses!” Izuku commanded, his strategic mind racing to counter Bakugo’s aggressive approach.

Just as Bakugo was about to attack our team but then he noticed that Shoto had the ten million points.

“Damn it, Icy-Hot!” Bakugo shouted; his rage palpable. He immediately changed direction, pointing at Shoto. “That’s mine!”

Our team mirrored Bakugo’s move, both of us closing in on Shoto. Shoto Team stood his ground, ready to defend themselves against the dual assault, Shoto’s eyes steely with resolve.

It was a head-to-head clash, intense and unyielding, until out of nowhere, Present Mic’s voice boomed, “Time is up!”

_____________

The crowd erupted in cheers while Midoriya grunted in disappointment. He wanted to win, not just for himself, but for his teammates too. Bakugo fell angrily to the ground, his teammates quickly approaching to check on him. He was having a full-blown tantrum, pounding the ground in frustration, little explosions going off from his hands.

“Stupid… useless… argh!” Bakugo yelled, his face twisted in rage. Mina and Eijiro exchanged worried glances, not sure how to handle him.

Present Mic’s voice boomed over the stadium, announcing the winners. “In first place, we have Shoto’s team with Momo, Denki, and Tenya! Second place goes to Bakugo’s team with Mina, Eijiro, and Sero!”

Sero tried to lighten the mood. “At least we’re moving on, so it’s all good.”

Eijiro glanced at Bakugo, who was still fuming. “I don’t think our leader would agree with that.”

As if on cue, Bakugo screamed in anger, pounding the ground even harder. His face was a mix of fury and frustration. I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh; seeing Bakugo like that was a small comfort, despite knowing our team didn’t have enough points to continue in the festival.

“In third place, we have Team Shinso!” Present Mic continued.

Midoriya started apologizing to us for losing the race, his voice heavy with guilt. “I’m so sorry, everyone. I should have done better…”

I placed my hand on his shoulder and smiled. “At least it was fun.”

Ochaco and Fumikage started to grin, and that’s when Deku and I noticed that Dark Shadow was holding a point band. “While Shoto was distracted by your first attack, Midoriya, Dark Shadow managed to grab the points. Your efforts created the opening we needed,” Fumikage explained calmly.

Midoriya’s eyes widened in surprise. Ochaco and I cheered as Present Mic announced, “And in fourth place, Team Midoriya!”

We couldn’t contain our excitement as the realization hit us. We were moving on to the next round. Izuku’s face lit up with relief and joy, his earlier guilt melting away. We all exchanged high-fives, the tension from moments ago turning into pure exhilaration.

[stevebattle]

Robot Raiders, Video Expo Arcade, 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, TN. "Eight waist-high robots dashing around a ring zapping each other with light beams to the beat of rock music at the 1982 World's Fair have added a new dimension to electronic games. But the game, which costs $1.50 to play for about two minutes, may be just the "horse and buggy" of robot wars of tomorrow, its developers say. The game, called Robot Raiders, is played much like a video arcade game, except the action involves real robots, operated by remote control, in an octagonal ring. The eight humans at the controls fight their mini-war to the beat of hard rock music. As the lights flash and the music pounds, the robots race around firing light beams from their outstretched arms. The object is to hit an opponent in a a panel that registers the shot and transmits it by radio frequency to a scoreboard. "The guy says 'Go.' and everybody kind of comes up with lasers blazing," said Joe Stewardson, a photographer who says he played the game several times at the fair in Knoxville, Tenn. The robots, which are about about 3 feet tall, are "kind of your traditional robot," he said. The control stick moves left, right, forward and backward "just like a fighter pilot's," he said. While the game is getting its first public exposure at the fair, the gnome-sized warriors have been in the works for years at Sound Spectrum, an Orange County manufacturer. "What we wanted to do is extend the game beyond the cathode ray tube and develop a game that not only appealed to young people. but also adults as well…” said Gary Taylor, the head of Sound Spectrum. Dan Laughlin, another owner of the exhibit, said the players can visually track their hits by watching the light, which shows up something like a flashlight on the robot. "There are lights flashing on the floor, above and around the robots," Laughlin said. The show includes black lights and music with different frequency sounds that come from each of the robots as they shoot. Laughlin said the players, using remote-control "joy sticks," move the robots in an 18-foot radius from control podiums on the corners of the octagon. "They are inside what is almost like a cockpit of a fighter plane," he said. "They have a console where the hits are recorded, with a button on top their joy stick to shoot. While the game is popular, the owners concede it is expensive. But,” says Kail, "If a kid wants to play, he's going to pay the money. A lot of them are off on summer vacation, and have summer jobs." It's more of a main attraction, not for the average video parlor, more for theme parks and major shopping centers," he said." – Robot Raiders involves real, remote control robots, by Dolores Wood, Santa Ana, CA.

"They paid a quarter million for the world's first robot arcade game. There were eight robots but they did not work. We spent the last two months of the Fair engineering and building new robots. We had a few completed by the time the Fair closed." – Doug Dotson.

[blueiscoool]

Rome is Building an Eight-Story Underground Museum – But Treasures Keep Getting in the way

Rome, as it’s often said, wasn’t built in a day. And nowhere is that more evident than its state-of-the-art Metro Line C, an ambitious project meant to help relieve the Italian capital’s renowned traffic hellscape and celebrate its rich archeological history with a unique-in-the-world underground museum.

The €700 million line ($757.7 million) was originally envisioned for the Catholic Jubilee of 2000 as a vital link between Rome’s San Giovanni Cathedral and Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Basilica, making it easier for visiting pilgrims to collect indulgences by walking through the churches’ holy doors. Rome’s major basilicas open their holy doors only during Jubilee years, allowing Catholics from all over the world to make pilgrimages to the city to walk through them, symbolizing an openness to receive mercy and reconciliation.

But the 2000 dream never happened, thanks to a series of problems ranging from a corruption scandal in the city government and the sheer number of archeological objects – 40,000 in all, from petrified peach pits to pottery and vases and even the walls and mosaics of Emperor Hadrian’s 2,000-year-old military barracks – found with each shovel full of dirt during the initial preparations.

Now the hope is to have the line’s showcase Piazza Venezia stop, featuring an eight-story underground museum, ready in 10 years, according to engineer Andrea Sciotti, who is in charge of the metro museum complex. This will allow them to open around the Jubilee of 2033, which will mark 2,000 years since the death of Jesus Christ.

“It’s true, 10 years seems like a long time, but we aren’t just dealing with the engineering issues,” Sciotti said inside the construction site. “This station will be judged as the most beautiful in the world … we don’t have to rely on museum items being brought in, the museum station is in its original context in ancient Rome.”

Displayed where they were found:

During the initial phases of work carried out in the last five years, Sciotti said all of the artifacts were removed from the site for restoration. Each will be placed exactly where it was found inside the metro museum, which is being dug some 85 meters (280 feet) deep, encompassing eight stories below the modern city of Rome.

Over the millennia the modern city has been built over covered ruins. Only around 10% of ancient Rome has been excavated, with the rest still buried some nine meters (30 feet) below the current city, according to Rome’s tourist bureau. The city dates back to the stone age and construction work is notoriously hampered by the discovery of ruins that are too plentiful to even excavate and are often reburied to preserve them. Even simple infrastructure work, like sewage repairs, have to be attended by archeologists who have the power to stop the work if something is found.

There will be 27 escalators, six elevators and 66,000 square meters of archeological exhibit space. Ancient walls found during excavations will be placed “in situ” in the modern station and the ancient Via Flaminia that ran through the ancient city to the nearby Roman Forum and Colosseum.

The station’s three main entrances will connect the three museums around the square: the Vittoriano, the Palazzo Venezia and the outdoor ruins of the Roman Forum anchored by the Colosseum at the far end, which has its own metro station that will also feature museum and exhibit space.

Several of the archeological sites will have access points from inside the metro museum, meaning commuters and tourists alike can exit the station by rambling through historically significant ruins like Hadrian’s Auditorium, which was discovered when the initial archeological investigation into the project started and was meant to be the location of the station entrance. Since then, they moved the site and excavated the ruins, which are currently only visible looking down from street level.

‘Top down’ excavation system:

To secure the site as they dig, engineers are using a “top down” excavation system, which has never been used in Italy but was an integral part of the Jubilee line in London. Cross walls and diaphragms are being buried deep into the soil to form the perimeter of the underground complex, with the dirt taken out recycled and enhanced to be used in the building materials, Sciotti said.

The train tunnels themselves are not the issue since they will be more than 100 feet below ground.

The Venezia station museum stop is not the only treasure on the new line. In 2016, archeologists working on the site of the Porta Metronia (previously known as the Ambra Aradam) station found a 39-room complex that spanned more than 9,700 square feet that has been incorporated into the underground station, which will open by the end of 2024. In 2025, the new Colosseo-Fori station, complete with a four-level underground museum to showcase artifacts including 25 archaic wells unearthed when it was built, will also open after activation tests, meant to begin in October, are completed.

The entire 26-kilometer C-line will be Italy’s first fully automated driver-less subway system and will reduce road traffic by 400,000 vehicles a day, meaning CO2 emissions will be reduced by some 310,000 tonnes a year, according to the WeBuild group, which is the main contractor for the project.

The original plans from the 2000 Jubilee have been modified to eliminate several stations in the historical center that would have simply been too difficult to excavate.

By Barbie Nadeau.

[qwampopped]

Buckshot Roulette || fanfic(?) || OC x reader.(GN) (barely.)

|| In which, you go to an underground club your (sketchy)friend tells you about and leads you to, and end up in a modified, reality-warping game of Russian roulette against three other people. Difference is, it's a shotgun, and something ain't right. ||

── .✦ TW ; mentions of blood, guns, smoking(just a bit) !! LET ME KNOW IF THERE ARE MORE !!

𖦏 reader is referred to using you/your, I used dude and man but it was not meant in the pronoun way, if I suck or you see any mistakes; DO NOT HESITATE TO YELL AT ME FOR IT, I need bullying to improve or not, who knows.

𖦏I DID NOT PLAY THE ACTUAL BUCKSHOT GAME!! I got my entire info thru smii7y's videos and the Roblox games (I'm poor, don't sue me.)

𖦏this is OC x reader if you couldn't tell, might make multiple parts if it gets long, I changed a few things to make it go smoother and I don't overthink it.

𖦏slowest burns of slow fucking burns. I mean, there's barely any progress made between you and the OC. This is more of a prologue god.

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

The world spins. Your head hurts like a bitch with a pounding feeling and a slight ringing in your ears. Someone shoves at your right shoulder as you lift your head up and through your blurry vision, you see a worn green table and blink a few times before you can see clearly again. There's blood on your hands and you could swear you feel blood drip down your face but when you wiped at your forehead; there was nothing. That's when you look up properly and observe your surroundings.

Sat around a tennis table, you assume, three other people are sitting around you. A guy in front of you who's dressed in casual black clothes, a fancily dressed lady to your right, and a slightly older woman to your left. There are objects spread out between the four of you in boxes of eight; four on the right and left. One flickering light above you, just enough to light up the table and most of the people. A shotgun rests in the center, the butt pointed toward the older lady on your left.

Everyone looks grim, disgusted(or maybe disturbed) as they either look at you or strictly away from you. The woman to your right looks away from you, glancing once at you before cringing and shrinking in on herself, crinkling her fancy blouse with flowers on the collar. What. The. Fuck? You glance around hazily before everything comes back to you in an overwhelming rush that feels like you're being throttled by the neck.

"Trust me, dude, the place is lit as fuck." Dia says, leaning against the brick wall of the alleyway he had been smoking in a moment earlier, the cigarette butt discarded beneath Dia's boot. Your expression must be disbelieving because he shoots you a look that says 'Trust me'. You do not. Not in a million years. You weren't even sure how or why the hell you met this jerk or why you even bothered to listen to him.

Dia was going on about some club uptown that apparently was infamous as Dia had described it a few days earlier, he had been pushing you to go with him just once so "you could experience the vibe the club had." You had been persistent on NOT going but so had Dia on the exact opposite side. Sick of his mouth starting to open to talk again about how amazing the club was, you finally relented because how bad could a few hours at this club be? After all, it was a club uptown so it had to be at least fancy. Man, that was the worst decision you could've made in your entire life.

-----------

You had lost Dia a few minutes into the club, and walked towards the door you thought was the exit because the club itself was nice, just...weird and stuffy for you. The door led downstairs though and curiosity convinced you to walk down. A man scared the shit out of you at the bottom of the stairs and wordlessly guided you deeper into the room, that's when you saw the other three people walk out from the shadows, a lady looking wary while the other two only looked grim.

That's how you ended up in a game of Buckshot Roulette as the 'dealer' had called it, Russian roulette but with a shotgun and you get...supplies? Fuck, this was stupid but you'd rather sit down and play by the rules than deal with the six people in the shadows of the room you assumed were the designated guards. It had been Camilla's turn-- the woman on your right, you had learned early into the game was Camilla. You only found out because you had thought out loud, reading the name that showed who and how many chances, you guessed, they had. Or was it how many turns you get before you're out? What a bitch, she had a look on her face as one of the men whispered in her ear after she flicked open a phone, and then she looked at you, pointed the gun, and fucking fired.

This is a whole new level of stupidity. Even for you. Russian roulette but modified in the basement of a club you did no check on? How many brain cells have you fucking lost from hanging around Dia? Where even was Dia? You didn't have time to process anything as Camilla nudged you under the table, not looking at you but side-eyeing the bottle of pills next to you. The feeling of getting shot in the head and not dying still stuck to you and so did the distrust of Camilla. You glance around again before deciding to just take the pills like a shot, it's dry as you force it down your throat and you hear a ding! and the lighting bolt on the small, rectangular screen in front of you lit up one more, making it a total of up to five like everyone's else screen.

Apparently, it's your turn, you take the magnifying glass with a shaky hand, and someone--something-- whispers in your ear. "Blank." Creepy, you feel chills run down your body. You remember those are the ones that don't kill; you fire at yourself with a flinch. Still your turn. You have one more magnifying glass and you use it, "Live." You look at the older woman on your left, she's scowling at the man who sits in front of you and he is staring straight down at the table. You take the saw and cut through the barrel way too easily and fire it at the woman to your left with the shut of your eyes.

You open your eyes soon enough to catch the blood splatter on the wall that drips down before you turn your gaze away to the table. Out of your peripheral vision, the woman's head drops to the table with a loud thunk before she gets back up a few seconds later-- that's what must've happened to you as well. Your hands are still shaking as you force a swallow down so you don't choke on your own spit. Your eyes barely catch the ones of the man sitting opposite of you, they're dark brown and if it wasn't for the light hanging above you four, you wouldn't even have seen him looking at you after you shot that woman. Her blood soaking over the wall and spilling into a pool onto the table remains in your mind, buts of brain matter mixed in as the smell of copper attacks your senses, and you nearly throw up in your mouth.

The woman raises her head, blood spilling down from the bullet wound as you watch in horrified fascination as the entrance of the bullet closes like spider webs stitching the hole closed. You had no idea where the blood went but the smell and imagery were still vivid in your mind, how the red looked in contrast to the worn-down green. She has no pills to take, but instead chugs down a beer and safely ejects another live bullet before handing it to the man. A few more rounds are played, shots are fired, and bullets are ejected until it's just you and the man left at the table.

You're not sure how you've managed to survive to now, Camilla's body had been pulled away from the table as her screen went dark. The older lady had the same thing happen to her after she took a chance and shot herself with a live bullet. You have one life left, the man has three. It's his turn. You look at his screen and it says Nomen. You watch him flip open the phone and a man whispers in his ear, he looks at you and you know he looks at your name.

"Sorry 'bout this. Just know that it ain't personal." He says with a grim but determined expression before firing at you. The last thing you feel is your head hitting the table before everything goes quiet.

...

You wake up. In your bed. You have a horrible headache and the light coming in through the windows isn't helping it either. You roll over in your bed, facing the door as you reach onto your bedside table and feel around for your phone as you try to recall what happened last night. All that comes to your mind is a man named Nomen, the club, Dia, and the last round of Buckshot Roulette.