#it basically casts a shadow over the earth and blocks out the moon

[hes-danny-phantom]

OMFG THIS IS REALLY FREAKING GOOD WHAAAAAAAAA

Space ghosts -that just opens up a whole new world. (Assuming Danny makes it out of there alive- which, how would he, exactly? Johnny got away with being smacked down, but it’s actively after Danny now, and he wouldn’t lead it back to EARTH of all places. And ALIEN GHOSTS! What kind of portals does this open up, eh?)

Danny doesn’t move. Doesn’t shift even minutely as he floats stationary where he’s grabbed onto a handle at the console, doesn’t reach for his powers like he wanted to for fear of the terrifying ghost-creature-thing noticing and moving. He wouldn’t dare invite it to move.

But of course, that didn’t matter, because the radio was still on, and the cameras still rolling -and Danny wondered what NASA thought of the front-row seats to witnessing the first ever alien ghosts -and a breathy curse of awe caught the thing’s attention.

Danny watched as the ghost -it was a strange one, not green skinned but dark and shadowy, it’s body less a body and more an amorphous blob that was half-positioned through the entire ship -as it shifted and moved it’s mouth closer to the radio. The connection had thankfully gone silent, but it’s mass of teeth and singular eye -it was layered with a thin film of skin, entirely dry, and jerked about every fre moments -leered at the radio. Danny hoped it couldn’t reach through, like technus, hoped that this... this.... being wasn’t capable of moving through technology and wavelengths like Technus could.

It was thoroughly interested in staring down the radio, and Danny took that as his chance to slip around it, away, maybe leave it here and just fly back to base, because surely the ghosts of alien lifeforms weren’t on the list of things he was trained to deal with -no matter how many human and animal ghosts he fought on Earth.

Because it wasn’t just any ghost. Danny could feel it in his core, the presence exuded from this being, it’s hunger, a stomach that could devour stars... He decided that, should he make it out of here woth what was left of his life, he would see if this counted towards debunking black holes wholesale.

He moved his foot, naught but two inches from his body.

The ghosts roars.

It’s a siren, he vaguely realizes through the pain of his bleeding ears. The horrible screeching and, dare he say it, wailing, calls out into the void, out into the vastness of space, and Danny doesn’t hesitate to transform and book it.

The most frightening part, though, is when he looks back.

Millions and millions of miles away, stars start to dissapear.

And he wonders what new level of hell has descended upon them.

Danny did it. He managed to do it. Despite all the hardships and failures, he was able to do it.

He’s an astronaut, and he’s going into space.

[shinydelirium]

MLQC Season 2 Chapter 21 (Kiro) Part 2 [Chaotic Space] & [Tacit Agreement] Translation [CN]

***SPOILERS*** THIS POST CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS FOR CONTENT NOT YET RELEASED ON EN SERVER!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!***

For previous translations of chapter 21: Part 1

Enjoy~

[Chaotic Space]

We made our way to the hotel lobby.

Every waiter who passed by Helios only gave him a small glimpse. He continued to do his own thing as if he was already used to such behavior and just let it pass him by.

I tugged on his sleeve and motioned for him to come closer.

MC: Do you know something about their expressions?

Helios: No.

Helios: They only know that I’m a “special guest.”

A playful smile crept into his eyes but at this time the lobby manager stepped forward and stood in front of us, casting accusing eyes on Helios.

Manager: Sir, I hope you will not cause trouble to the other guests.

Faced with such a firm and awe-inspiring question, Helios smiled lazily and turned his head to look at me.

Helios: Are you troubled?

I shook my head, feeling the manager’s face darken a little bit, and Helios’ smile became more triumphant and mocking.

Manager: If you are threatened, you can tell me right away. This guest has a history of taking other people’s belongings.

Helios: So much rubbish.          

Helios: Step aside.

Helios stepped forward impatiently, took me towards the door and I looked at him with a snicker.

MC: You’re not stealing people’s cell phones to send text messages, are you?

Helios: I tried normal communication.

He said this nonchalantly, warning the waiters who were observing secretly.

Helios: They just want to keep me here as ordered and restrict my communication with the outside world.

Helios: On the other hand, as long as I don’t leave here, I can do as I please.

MC: But if that’s the case, you can walk straight out the exit, right? How can you not be able to leave?

Helios: That is what makes this hotel interesting.

As we talked, we arrived at a door and Helios pushed it away while I stared blankly.

A dazzling light shines through the crack of the door. As we moved forward, it instantly covers my entire vision—

An embellished blue is embellished in front of my eyes. The sound of waves rushes to my ears, sweeping away the fatigue and burden of this period in time.

In the distance, a few people were on surfboards riding and jumping over the waves and women in bikinis lay on the beach sunbathing.

I stared at Helios next to me in a daze and he seemed to be unsurprised as though he had seen this scene many times.

MC: Have we crossed?

Helios: ….

MC: Is this the work of an Evolver?

Helios didn’t seem to want to explain anything. He took a handful of sand from the ground and stuffed it into my hand.

Helios: Hold onto it tightly.

In the next second, he took my shoulder and walked to the other side of the beach.

Under the bright, hot sun, my forehead unknowingly oozes thin sweat.

I don’t know how long it has been until a door similar to the one before appeared.

Helios pushed open the door skillfully and pulled me in.

The sun behind him suddenly disappeared and was replaced by an endless field. Many stars covered the entire night sky.

Before I could marvel at the sight, Helios raised my hand to my eyes.

Helios: Open your hand.

I obeyed his words and opened my fingers gently and the dense, fine sand was scattered like smoke and dust under the starry sky, quietly falling down to the ground.

It’s so real that it sends chills down one’s spine.

Helios: Although it is not clear what the principle is, it should be the use of “doors” to connect many real spaces together.

MC: Do you mean this is actually Loveland City or somewhere on Earth?

Helios: No, all you see here are people who come to the hotel.

Helios: It should be some kind of different space.

He took me to walk in the star-shrouded wilderness. The crescent moon bends and the night wind swept over the weeds making a rustling sound.

Maybe because Helios is here, my heart is incredibly calm.

Helios: What’s wrong?

MC: Although I think it might not be a good time to say this kind of thing, don’t you think it’s beautiful here?

Helios: I brought you here because of the beauty. ***UWUWUWUWUWUWU!!! 🥺💕That is classic Kiro!!!***

Helios: Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken you away like this.

I was surprised. Helios’ expression was faint as if this the answer was obvious.

MC: Is there anything else that’s weird here?

Helios snorted and reached out his hand to count.

Helios: Volcano eruptions, Tyrannosaurus in Jurassic Park, valleys full of poisonous insects, tropical rain forests, deserts, polar regions….

MC: ….

MC: ….It seems that you have suffered a lot.

Helios: At least it gave me some fun.

Before we knew it, we came to another door again. After he opened it skillfully, he led me to step on the clouds.

I looked down and dizziness swept through me.

MC: …This is?

Helios: A rare and special place.

He pulled me to sit on the clouds, soft as velvet, and the pale pink sky seemed to be within reach.

MC: Do you remember where all these doors lead to?

Helios: Each space has a door with at least three doors and at most six doors and the space leading to it is basically fixed.

Helios: Try a few more times and you will know.

I looked back against the light. How long has he been trapped here and how many attempts has he made by himself?

MC: What does it mean “basically fixed”?

Helios: When I first arrived, I went through the doors several times and the space changed.

Helios: I was short on time so I haven’t found a pattern yet. This place is bigger than I thought.

MC: Wouldn’t it be dangerous if a guest ended up in the wrong place?

Helios: Not that dangerous.

He turned his head and half of his body was already out of the clouds.

I subconsciously wanted to catch him. The friction felt fleeting at my fingertips and I watched in horror as Helios gradually receded.

MC: ….!

Helios smiled calmly. In the next second, he squeezed my palm—

Gravity pulled me down quickly like a boulder. At the same time, his arm tightened and he took me into his arms.

I stared at his eyes blankly. My heart beat violently because of the weightlessness as light and shadow past behind me.

Helios: Don’t be afraid.

At the end of my field of vision, I saw a vast expanse of whiteness. We seem to have fallen into the end of the light.

Suddenly, we seem to have landed onto a very soft place and even bounced back a few times.

I opened my eyes, propped up, and found myself lying on a bed with Helios beside me looking at me with a smile.

Helios: Now you understand.

Helios: Someone in the hotel is secretly manipulating everything.

Helios: You can only appear where you “should” appear.

From a drawer, Helios pulled out a piece of paper with many weird graphics on it and pointed to one of them.

Helios: Like I said before, this here is a different special space just like this Rubik’s Cube…

MC: Wait a sec.

I looked at the distorted three-dimensional figure on the paper in confusion.

MC: ….I can’t tell that this is a Rubik’s Cube.

Helios: …..

***In case any of you don’t know, it’s a known fact that Kiro’s drawing skills suck😆. He ain’t no Piscasso but I still love him as Mr. Spicy Chips🥰🥰🥰 ***

Helios’ expression was a bit stiff. He took out a pen and drew a more distorted figure on a blank space.

I lay on the bed and couldn’t help laughing.

Helios: That funny, huh?

MC: No, it’s nothing.

I tried to suppress my laughter but seeing Helios’ expression, I couldn’t help but let it out.

I took the pen from his hand, turned over the paper, and drew a regular three-dimensional figure of a Rubik’s Cube.

MC: Rubik’s Cube…as you were saying.

Helios looked at the figure I drew in a daze. Finally, he turned his head and let out a faint chuckle.

He cleared his throat and pointed to the Rubik’s Cube. 

***I just absolutely love how these two interact with one another😂😂😂***

Helios: After my investigation, I suspected that every space in the hotel is like each square on a Rubik’s Cube.

Helios: Therefore, the number of doors will vary depending on the position of each block.

Helios: However, the space we have just experienced is the state of the Rubik’s Cube at rest.

Helios: But if the “Cube” is rotated, the space will change.

MC: Isn’t that troublesome?

Helios snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with disdain.

Helios: Even if it gets disrupted again, it can’t erase the “Rubik’s Cube” itself.

Helios: There will be no way out.

[Tacit Agreement]

For the rest of the time, I tried to digest what Helios said, but I kept finding it strange.

MC: Let us not mention for the time being whether the people who were taken away from the Wish Club were brought to the Wish Hotel.

MC: For this hotel alone, it serves Evolvers under the guise of storing Evol…

MC: Just to trap them here?

MC: If it’s that’s the case, what happened to that guest I saw leaving when I came here?

Helios: Nothing but a cover.

Helios casually grabbed a pillow, leaned on my side, and laid his arms on top.

Helios: Whether it’s “stored” or not, the Evol of the guests in the hotel is indeed gone.

MC: ?!

Helios: This hotel has equipment for detecting Evol energy.

Helios: I saw that were no Evol energy fluctuations in anyone.

Helios: After realizing this, I confirmed that every guest who leaves the hotel is the same.

MC: How did you do that….

Helios: Haven’t found it yet.

Helios: Customers who accept the Evol “storage” service should have a special “door”.

There was a cold glint in Helios’ eyes.

MC: But it feels that there are not a few guests here and there is no description of Wish Hotel from the outside world.

MC: Does it mean that these storage behaviors are voluntary?

Helios: That’s not important.

He turned his head and looked at me lazily. It might have been my imagination but his eyes seemed somewhat tired.

Helios: The important thing is that the Evol energy that originally existed was indeed “taken away”.

Helios: They won’t be taken away for no reason.

Suddenly, I thought of something and looked at Helios in front of me. I sat up abruptly.

MC: This strange hotel is also related to the foundation that should serve ordinary people.

MC: The foundation is doing things for GR again.

MC: Could there be GR members behind this hotel?

MC: Are they collecting Evol energy for research? Or looking for CORE?

Helios: You have quite the habit of asking a lot of questions.

Helios closed his eyes. His reaction didn’t seem surprising.

Helios: Find the person behind the hotel and then we will know everything.

Helios: Thinking more is a waste of brain power.

MC:…You’re right.

I mumbled and went back to the bed again, looking at the man with his eyes closed, my brain spinning constantly.

MC: That being the case, I have a good idea. Maybe I can find the person responsible.

Helios: No way.

Helios didn’t open his eyes as if he completely guessed what I was going to say.

MC: I haven’t said anything yet.

Helios: No way.

Helios opened his eyes with dissatisfied and the light outside the window fell on his distinct eyelashes through the soft gauze of the curtains.

Looking at the more vivid person in front of me, I couldn’t help but raise the corners of my mouth.

MC: I am now a “guest” of this hotel and it’s only reasonable to enjoy their special services.

MC: Since I’m here, even if I don’t ask for it, they will definitely achieve their goal in another way.

Helios: I have other options.

MC: Definitely not faster and more straightforward than mine.

MC: Besides, didn’t we also cooperate perfectly in that Hunter Game before?

I stared at him calmly and gently grabbed the corner of his sleeve.

MC: I believe you will protect me.

Helios’s eyes became turbulent.

Helios: No third time.

After speaking, he took out the wooden board on the side of the bed and in his hand was a microcomputer.

MC: How can you still have a microcomputer?

Helios: I dismantled several computers at the front desk.

Helios: There wasn’t enough time. Only set up the intranet.

Helios said casually and quickly started typing on the keyboard.

Helios: You’re in room 2176? ***It’s not a Kiro chapter without some numeric slang sprinkled in. MC is staying in “Love You Kiro” room🥺💕***

MC: Yeah, you found this out too?

Helios didn’t speak, only a soft hum was left in the air.

Then, he took out two small devices from another cassette and stuffed them into my hand.

Helios: Communication equipment. Put it in your ears.

MC: Where did you remove this from? You didn’t take apart the phones in the hotel too, did you?

Helios only raised the corners mouth slightly, set aside the satellite computer, grabbed my wrist and pulled me down.

Helios: So many questions.

He made no attempt to hide the fatigue in his voice. He sighed as if he could finally feel relieved.

Helios: I haven’t slept well these days. Let me rest for a while.

[End of Part 2]

[tipsycad147]

Beginner Witch Tips That You Won't Want to Miss

By Penelope Hughes

What are the Different Types of Witches and Which One Are You

There are many forms of witchcraft, and each one suits a different kind of person. Knowing which type of witch you are is essential. You will learn quicker and have a higher success rate if you lean towards your strengths and passion.

Hereditary Witchcraft

This type of witchcraft is passed down from generation to generation. When you were young, your family would have already trained you in their path. You would have learned family recipes with magickal ingredients and have a family grimoire. You will most likely have access to a Book of Shadows, which will give you an extensive advantage in your studies compared to other witches.

Green Witchcraft

A practitioner of green witchcraft works primarily with nature as their teacher and instrument. You will live in alignment with Earth and understand that everything living has a spirit. Your main tools will be plants and herbs. If you have a green thumb and enjoy working with herbs and plants, green witchcraft may be your calling.

The Faery Faith

This type of witchcraft works closely with the faeries (faery or fey). These are magickal beings such as undines, nymphs, pixies, or sylphs believed to live in the astral realm. The astral realm is parallel to ours. Practitioners of this craft will learn to work with the thirteen lunar months of the Celtic Tree calendar, and they will access different energies that each of the thirteen months holds. Green witches who work with the fey will often overlap their craft.

WICCA

WICCA is a religion that is neo-pagan and nature-based. Their beliefs are similar to the ancient Celts' religious beliefs. Wiccans do not have one single holy book, but they do follow two laws. The first law is the Rule of Three, which means "three times what thou givest returns to thee." The other law is the Wiccan Rede, which means "an ye harm none, do what ye will." There are many different sects of Wicca, and they all have separate traditions.

Kitchen Witchcraft

This type of witchcraft incorporates cooking into their spellcraft. The process of cooking and eating becomes a form of ritual. Consuming the food infused with magick kitchen witches release the energies from their food into themselves and the Universe. Kitchen Witchcraft is a calling for those who are skilled at cooking and enjoy working with food.

Chaos Magick

This type of witchcraft prefers to work with sigils and charged symbols. Chaos witches will learn how to enter a state of unconscious intention called a "gnostic state." They use breathing techniques, muscle relaxation, or intense emotions to enter a gnostic state to think and enact magick unknowingly.

Eclectic Witchcraft

This type of witchcraft is a combination of different practices that is unique to the witch. An Eclectic witch creates their path by drawing on their heritage, passions, and various types of magick. This type of witchcraft does not follow one single track.

Books for the Beginner Witch

One of the first things I will recommend to a new witch who wants to get started is to read lots of books. Knowledge is power, and you will not gain that knowledge by sitting idle and waiting for others to teach you.

I am always reading books and learning new things. I usually purchase my books, but you do not have to. If your short on cash or don't want to buy your books, check what resources your local library has. You might be surprised by the amount of information they have available.

The Book of Shadows: by Brittany Nightshade. This book is excellent for the new witch. Just understand it is not a real Book of Shadows. The book covers different types of magick and goes over how to cast simple spells. She does cover love spells in the book, and I would say love spells are very popular, but please be cautious with them and never cast a love spell with a particular person in mind.

The Green Witch: by Arin Murphy-Hiscock. I just finished this book and cannot praise it enough, especially if you are interested in Green Witchcraft. Arin does a beautiful job covering herbs, flowers, essential oils, and so much more than I expected. She has a handy index for a new witch at the back of the book that you can quickly flip to if you need information about a specific herb or plant.

The Wiccan Book of Shadows: by Ambrosia Hawthorn. If you are interested in learning about Wicca and its fundamentals and practices, I highly suggest the Wiccan Book of Shadows. Some books meant for beginner witches can be very biased or, on the other end, they do not offer much of a foundation. This book met in the middle for the perfect mix of a good and robust foundation. Another thing I love about this book is how gorgeous it is on display. When I got this book I knew at first glance it was not going to go on the bookshelf.  This is a beautiful piece of art that needs to be displayed.

The Door to Witchcraft: by Tonya Brown. This book covers the history of witchcraft through the ages and how it has evolved over time. You will learn about fundamental techniques, traditions, rituals, and ceremonies that every new witch should know. Our history is significant to know, do not forget that it was not so long ago we were burned at stake.

What The Colours Mean in Candle Magick

New witches will usually start with magick that they find most straightforward and the least complicated. Because candle magick is not as difficult or complicated as other types of magick, it makes sense that new witches would start with candle magick.

One thing you should remember when preparing to use candle magick is your candles need to be dressed. Dressing the candle is accomplished in two steps. The first step is exercising the candle of any negative energy or previous magickal energy. The second step is charging your candle. Neither step is complicated, but it will require a great deal of concentration and visualization skills.

Witchcraft Tools That You Should You Get First

The basic tools of spellcraft include the athame, wand, sword, cords, cauldron, chalice, and altar bell.

If you're a new witch with a small budget ( I know the feeling, I started in middle school), skip these tools and focus on candles, incense, oils, and herbs.

I would recommend forgoing the tools in the very beginning and encourage you to study. Join a coven, get some books from the library, join beginner witchcraft groups on Facebook (be safe when talking to people online, and meeting people from online groups could be dangerous).

The Athame: This is a ritual dagger with a double-edged blade. It will have a black or white handle that witches will paint or engrave runic names or magickal symbols on it. It is used for casting the circle, storing or directing energy during rituals, and stirring potions.

The Wand: The wand is the emblem of power, and it symbolizes the ancient element of air (some traditions believe it represents fire). Its traditional uses are to cast the circle, draw magickal symbols, invoke spirits, and stir cauldron brews. Wands are usually carved from the wood of the hazel, ask, rowan, or willow tree. Modern witches have had wands carved from crystal, ivory, and metal. I recommend sticking to wood but that's just my preference.

The Sword: If you are starting and new to witchcraft, you should not need to get this basic tool. Covens usually use it, and if you join one, they will most likely already have a sword for their rituals. The sword is used the same way as the athame, but it is considered more authoritative.

The Cord: Cords are used to store magickal energy for later use. A witch will tie nine knots into the cord to hold the magickal energy. When they are ready to release the power that has been stored, they untie the knots in the same order in which they were tied. Depending on the intent, you might untie one knot every night for nine days.

The Cauldron: The cauldron is made of iron and possesses great mystical power. It symbolizes the four ancient elements of air, fire, water, and earth. Its three legs represent the three phases of the moon (waxing, full, and waning.) Cauldrons are used for rituals, brewing potions, burning incense, and holding charcoal blocks, candles, amulets, talismans, and herbs. Be careful if you intend to buy a cauldron offline. A lot of times, they are a lot smaller than what the pictures make them look like.

The Chalice: A sacred goblet is a tool that represents the element of water. It is used for ritual mixing of salt and water, blending potions, and pouring libations (a drink poured out as an offering to a deity).

The Altar Bell: If you are interested in WICCA, they use a small bell to keep at their altar. It is rung three times to signal the start or close of a ritual. Other magick practitioners use altar bells to summon or banish spirits, dispel negative energy, and drive away mischievous fairies.

https://www.mysticalstudies.com/post/beginner-witch-tips-that-you-won-t-want-to-miss

[stmort]

The Dark Side of the Moon

Brian May x Reader

Warnings: none, it’s pure fluff!!

Words: 2,575

Summary: You and Brian are roommates and he has a little surprise planned for you on the night of a total lunar eclipse. 

Notes:  This came from an idea from @hammettallica-lover and was inspired by the total lunar eclipse that occurred last night. So thanks dearies!! The songs mentioned in this fic appear in this order: Money by Pink Floyd, Brain Damage by Pink Floyd, Your Song by Elton John, and Eclipse by Pink Floyd. For an immersive reading experience start listening to The Dark Side of the Moon album starting on the song Any Colour You Like, as you begin reading it. 

As soon as you hear the familiar scratching telling you that the side of the record is finished, you get up to put the tonearm back in its place. Making sure it clicks in position before you pick up the flimsy vinyl and flip it over to side b. You feel your heart leap as you hear the beginning of your favorite song on the album. Turning up the volume you start dancing around, waving your hips a bit, and singing along seductively with the voice calling out through the record.

Brian happens to walk inside the room just as you start dancing. He stops at the entrance and leans on the doorframe to watch you. He loves it when he walks in on you unexpectedly, you’re always either singing or dancing when you think no one’s around. A small smile comes to his lips as the lyrics come back and you dramatically raise your hand to your head and sink to the floor while singing. You slide back up, slowly, and flip your hair back. And that’s when Brian decides to say something. 

“I made us some hot chocolate...if you’re interested.” He says with a smirk. You look at him, completely startled and breathing a little heavy. A blush comes to your cheeks and he senses your embarrassment.

“Oh, and you might want to put on some more layers.” He changes the subject. “It’s very cold outside.” He walks back into the kitchen, and you suddenly notice what he is wearing. A sweater topped with a heavy coat and a scarf wrapped around his neck. You wonder to yourself what he has planned as you walk down the hallway to where your bedrooms are.

Brian’s room to the right, your’s directly across on the left, and the bathroom at the end of the hallway. You take a quick peek into Brian’s room like you’ve done so many times before when he leaves his door slightly ajar. But this time he is not in there for you to look at. It’s dark but the moonlight is shining through the open window so you can see more as your eyes adjust. You make out the poster of constellations on his dark blue wall and your eyes land on your favorite one, which is placed perfectly in the right spot to be caught in the moonlight. Ursa Major. It was one of the Greek myths that you knew all too well. One of Artemis’s maidens being seduced and turned into a bear for breaking her vow of virginity. You had always had a deep-seated interest in mythology. That and because Ursa Major happened to remind you of the first time you and Brian went stargazing together. It was the first constellation he had pointed out to you, and he absolutely adored that you knew the story behind it. You have always treasured the look on his face when you tell the stories behind his beloved constellations. He looks down at you with these heart eyes and his face breaks into a big, toothy, genuine smile.

You move out of the hallway and slip into your own room. As you get dressed you start to dwell on something you know you shouldn’t, but you can’t help but think about from time to time. You’ve been friends for a while now and you basically unintentionally moved in together. You went through a long period of staying over at his apartment so much that you slowly brought all of your things here until he told you that you could just take the spare bedroom. You had thought that afterward, he would ask you out, but he never brought it up. It’s now been months of living together and you’re happy, but still a little disappointed that nothing has changed in your relationship.

You sigh out loud and exit the room as you pull on your coat and button it up. You notice that the volume has been turned down since you had left, so the music is at a quiet lull. The brighter lights were turned off except for a small lamp and some candles Brian had lit. You began to question where he had gone until he came out from the kitchen again carrying two steaming cups of hot chocolate. He sat them down on a small table and came over to you, smiling.

“Where’s your scarf?”

“What scarf?” You laugh a little.

“I don’t want you to freeze, love.” He unwraps the scarf from his own neck and drapes it around yours. You shiver as his painted fingers lightly graze your cheek.

“See, you’re already shivering and we’re not even outside yet.”

“Well, I don't want you to be cold, Bri. Why are we going outside anyway?”

“You’ll see.” Is all he says as he reaches for your hand and leads you to the door to the back porch. You feel a gust of cold air caress your face as he opens the door and you take Brian’s scarf to hold over your nose and mouth. You instantly melt as you breathe in pure Brian. Not even realizing that you had closed your eyes until you heard a voice. His voice.

“Is it too cold? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” You open your eyes and finally see what he has done. There are what looks like Christmas lights strung about the railing of the porch and multiple candles lit in its corners. You look up at Brian, suddenly flooded with emotion.

“No, it’s perfect. This is-  Brian it’s… you’re perfect.”   

“Well, I don’t know about perfect...see I’ve forgotten our cocoas, silly me!” He scurries out of the door and back into the apartment. You take the moment to sit down in a chair seated nicely in the middle next to another one. You always sat in the one on the left. You feel the cold prickle your skin in an unforgiving manner, but that doesn’t matter much as you gaze up at the clear sky. The stars take your breath away as always but you finally understand the meaning of all of this when you find the moon.

“Oh, Bri come here, look at this!” He returns a few seconds after and smiles at the excitement showing on your face. He has grabbed two blankets and he hands you both of them before giving you the hot chocolate and sitting down. You then move the blankets so you can both be under them.

“Do you like it? I thought that you would. It’s a total lunar eclipse tonight. Not as rare as a total solar eclipse, but still good.”

“It’s beautiful, Bri. You know how much I love the moon.”

“I do.” He reaches over to wrap his arm around your shoulders, drawing you into the warmth of his chest. You relax and take a sip of the cocoa while looking up at the glowing full moon. You can hear the soft music lulling through the open door, just loud enough so you can make out the words. You feel as if you’re in a movie.

“So right now,” Brian whispers in a hushed voice near your ear. “The Earth is right between the moon and the sun perfectly lined up. The Earth’s shadow is completely blocking the sun’s light from reaching the moon, so it’s a total eclipse rather than a partial one.”

“Mmmhm.” You nod slowly as you nuzzle into his chest for more warmth. That scent of Brian comes flooding back into your nostrils and you feel as if you are high.  

“The Earth is casting two shadows on the moon actually, the umbra and the penumbra. And right now it looks like the moon is in the umbral shadow, so we came out at the right time.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, that’s when totality hits.”

“And what gives the moon color?”

“There’s sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere that is refracted and refocused back onto the moon. So it looks like it’s glowing. You know, if we were on the moon right now we’d be able to see Earth blocking the entire sun. And there would be a ring of light around the edges of it. That’s what’s reflecting on the moon right now.”

His tone of voice makes you want to curl up with him and fall asleep. You feel yourself start to drift off when he stops talking for a second, but you come back as he taps on your shoulder excitedly.  

“Darling, look! It’s Ursa Major.” You look up in the direction that he is pointing and smile as you see the Big Dipper sitting right next to the moon.

“I wonder if I can find...yep there it is. Do you see Ursa Minor right next to it? Right there?” He points again so you can find the Little Dipper.

“Do you ever think about how many people have looked up at the same stars? The same sky and moon? I mean the moon and Earth have been slowly moving away from each other and the Earth’s axis moves too so it is different, but relatively the same. I mean, we are looking at the same constellations as the people who named them. We can see the same things that Galileo saw! Well not really exactly the same of course but you know what I mean.”

You mumble another soft reassurance that you are still listening to him and pull the scarf over your face again. The two of you staying in silence for what must have been a long time but to you only minutes. You link your arms together and interlock your fingers with his. It’s something you two have done platonically a million times, no need to fear it coming across as something else. He hums softly and looks down to press his lips on your head tenderly, staying there to breathe in your scent. You slowly feel your mind slip away as you breathe in and out. The sound of Brian’s heart and the mellow record playing forms a lullaby, written for your ears only. The coldness of the evening has long been forgotten.

As soon as you had almost completely drifted off, you began to feel a vibration on the top of your head. You wake up slightly and realize that Brian is singing. Your heart leaps into your throat and you almost start crying because of how sweet he sounds. It takes a while but you focus in on the words and notice that he is singing along with the record.

And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear

You shout and no one seems to hear

And if the band you’re in starts playing different tunes

I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon

The song finishes off and he breathes out slowly.

“I would love to be able to write songs like that. So simple, yet so complex at the same time. Brain Damage and Eclipse just come together to finish off the album so beautifully. It’s poetic.”

“I just wish I could write music like that.” He sighs and shifts a little in his seat. Bull-shit, you think. You unravel yourself from his body in order to look at him so he can see the look of disbelief on your face.

“What?” He asks in confusion.

“Brian Harold May-”

“Ouch, what’s the middle name for?”

“ -you better be joking.”

“About what?” You scoff.

“I can’t believe you. You could sell a thousand records and do a million shows and you still wouldn’t believe in yourself.”

“It’s called being humble-”

“It’s called recognizing that you are unbelievably talented! And you don’t have to be arrogant to see that.” He stays silent.

“Bri. Brian, baby, look at me.” You cupped your hand against his cheek and moved his face so it met yours.

“What, y/n?”

“You are the most talented musician I have ever met. And I’m not just saying that because you’re my best friend. Your lyrics are the best I’ve ever heard and your voice is so sweet it makes me…” You trailed off not knowing exactly what to say.

“Your’s are the sweetest eyes, I’ve ever seen.” He sang in a murmur as he looked at you.

“What…”

“Oh, you just reminded me of that one Elton John song.” You look at him as he smiles sloppily at you and your heart starts racing. His face is so close to yours. You reach your free hand out and delicately trace your thumb over his smooth bottom lip. Thinking about something that has plagued your mind for ages, but you’ve never been able to act upon. He stops smiling then and you get scared, pulling your hand back down.

“Y/N.”

“Yeah?” You say innocently, in a slightly higher tone than you meant to. He stares into your eyes and you lose all train of thought. All common sense evacuates, and your body starts moving without you realizing it. You tilt your head to the side and part your lips as you move closer to his face. You stop right as your top lip brushes his. Moving your hand onto his chest you feel his rapid heart rate, and his panic calms you.

“Is this okay?” You whisper against his parted lips.

“Yes.”

You move to close the gap and nip at his lips tenderly with yours. He brings his hand up to cup your face and he deepens the kiss. He starts kissing you back and your lips move together as one. You take the first action again and slip your tongue into his mouth. You feel him moan, in response, against yours. Before the kiss becomes too heated you break away slowly and press one more peck to his swollen lips. You open your eyes to see that he still has his closed, along with his mouth hanging open. He looks frozen like you’re looking at a Polaroid instead of the real thing. You smile and press a soft kiss to his forehead.

“How was that?” You ask him in amusement. He opens his eyes, still in a daze, as he answers.

“Sweet. I mean- you um, you taste nice.”

“Thank you?” You laugh a little and he blushes in embarrassment.

“Why did it take us so long to do that?” He chuckles and scratches the back of his head nervously.

“Because we were both too scared.”

“I don’t know why.”

“I don’t either.”

He smiles at you lazily and starts to stand up, offering you a hand to help you out of your chair.

“We’re both falling asleep out here. It might be smart to move back inside where it’s warmer.” You suddenly realize that it had gotten drastically colder since you first came out here. You take his hand and stand up, bringing the blankets with you.

“Since it is so cold,” you say, looking down and toying nervously with a string hanging off of one of the blankets. “Maybe it would be smart for us to sleep in the same bed tonight. You know, for the extra warmth.”

“Of course, well that’s only logical.” He grinned and started leading you back into the apartment, where you could hear the ending of the last song on the album.

And all that is gone, and all that’s to come

And everything under the sun is in tune

But the sun is eclipsed by the moon  

I wanna tag you nice people in this: @moreinfinite @proskenion04 @antclottz @thesierradawn @kellypenac @gatsbynouvel

[kaiserdingus]

Night of the Vampire Robots - 1995 Cartoon Network Retrospective

Most anime fans in the US over the age of 25 will tell you they got hooked on anime through Cartoon Network’s Toonami block, which aired weekdays from 1997 to 2004. The block would introduce staples such as Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and Gundam to a national audience, as well as more obscure shows like Tenchi Muyo and Outlaw Star. Toonami was created by Williams Street, Cartoon Network’s in-house production studio responsible for Space Ghost Coast to Coast and Adult Swim.

Well before the launch of Toonami and its success as the premiere anime destination on cable TV in the early 2000’s, Cartoon Network broadcast three animated movies in a one-night event called Night of the Vampire Robots. The marathon aired on Saturday night, January 28th 1995, and featured three anime movies from Streamline Pictures: Robot Carnival, Vampire Hunter D, and Twilight of the Cockroaches. These movies weren’t new, they’d previously been released in theaters and had previously aired on the Sci-Fi Channel, as well as TBS and TNT.

Streamline Pictures were a small film distributor in the late 80’s and early 90’s who would release anime movies and OVAs to American theaters. Founded by Harmony Gold’s Carl Macek and animation historian Jerry Beck, Streamline’s goal was to introduce Japanese animation to American audiences beyond poorly dubbed Saturday morning cartoons. They dubbed and released several noteworthy anime films in the early 90’s, including Kiki's Delivery Service, Akira, and Fist of the North Star.

Anecdotes from viewers who tuned in detail the marathon as being heavily edited, which isn’t surprising considering the mature content in Vampire Hunter D alone. The format of the marathon was similar to that of the Cartoon Network retrospective series Toon Heads. During commercial breaks an announcer would talk over clips from the movies and explain the cultural relevance of Japanese animation.

For this retrospective I watched Twilight of the Cockroaches on Amazon Prime Video, I watched Robot Carnival and Vampire Hunter D on VRV. These versions differ from the ones that aired on Cartoon Network, being uncut and more faithful to the original Japanese releases. 

Robot Carnival

Robot Carnival is a package film that was released as a straight to video animated film in Japan, but received a brief theatrical release in the US. It features nine short films centered around robots, some of which are full of action, others can be sad and introspective, and some can be funny and over the top.

The first thing I noticed during this movie was the beautiful animation. Each of the nine shorts is a work of art that could never be produced today. Japan's economy was booming in the 1980′s, resulting in a wave of great animation. Among the animators who worked on the film are Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of Akira, and Yasuomi Umetsu, creator of the Kite series. Only two of the shorts feature spoken dialog, the rest rely on visual cues and the soundtrack to carry the narrative.

The central theme is robots, with each short being about robots in one way or another. One short is about a man who creates a robot who yearns for affection, exploring the idea of what it means to be alive, or to be human. Another segment is a parody of World War 2 era Japanese propaganda films, taking place during the 19th century and features a giant Japanese mechanical wooden robot fighting an invading Western robot.

Vampire Hunter D

Vampire Hunter D is the least obscure of the three movies, having been widely available on home video and given a sequel in 2001. Its based on the popular book series by Hideyuki Kikuchi, and is credited as the first horror anime for adults to feature graphic violence and sexual imagery. This was the movie you didn’t want your parents walking in on while its on the TV.

D is a dhampir, a half-human/half-vampire, with a giant cross sword and a parasitic left hand with a sassy mouth. When the evil Count Magnus Lee begins hunting a towns woman named Doris, D is hired to protect the woman. The movie takes place in a far off future that resembles the late 19th century. Guns are actually high powered laser rifles, and the horses are cybernetic. Its alluded to, but not explained, that the vampires are actually aliens from another world who’ve settled on Earth.

For much of the movie D is seen struggling with his identity, as his father was a vampire and his mother was a human. The humans live in fear of the vampires, and anyone bit by one is cast out of society. D recognizes the suffering vampires have brought upon humanity and vows to protect humans from them. 

Vampire Hunter D was a minor hit in the US, prompting the creator to allow a sequel to be made with the West in mind. A PlayStation game would launch in 2000, followed by the sequel Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust in 2001. The books would eventually be translated and released in the US starting in 2005, and there were plans for a licensed American comic book that were canceled at some point.

Twilight of the Cockroaches

Twilight of the Cockroaches is a movie that blends live-action with animation, similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The movie is about a colony of cockroaches who live in the apartment of a depressed man who can't be bothered to exterminate them. The cockroaches are depicted as cartoon characters with humanoid features, the humans are portrayed by live actors on a set.

The cockroach colony feeds off the unkempt nature of the man in the apartment. He orders take-out and leaves piles of uneaten meals on the counter tops and tables, creating a feast for the cockroaches he largely ignores. The younger cockroaches go out in the open without fear of being attacked, while the older cockroaches understand the need to stay in the shadows. The fears are eventually realized when the man starts dating a woman who isn't fond of cockroaches. In order to impress her, he agrees to clean the apartment and exterminate the roaches, leading to a war between the roaches and humans.

The story is an exploration of genocide from the perspective of the victims. It's true humans generally dislike cockroaches, but the movie presents them in a sympathetic light. The film is shown from the perspective of the cockroaches, showing the humans as larger than life figures. Common sounds the humans make, such as footsteps, boom with a loud intensity that help make the audience feel small.

Twilight of the Cockroaches was relatively obscure even in its time, though it did manage to influence later films. The 1996 MTV film Joe's Apartment was inspired by Twilight of the Cockroaches, boasting a similar plot about a society of cockroaches living in a man's apartment. Director John Payson has been open about taking inspiration from Twilight of the Cockroaches, and outside of the basic premise, the two are completely different movies.

Even though Night of the Vampire Robots was a one-night event, Cartoon Network aired the movies individually during the Summer of 1995. For three weeks in a row Cartoon Network would air each movie at 12:15 AM on Saturday night, during what they called Saturday Japanime. As far as anime for an adult audience is concerned, these would be the last until 2001 when Cowboy Bebop premiered along with the rest of the original Adult Swim line up.

Where to Buy

Robot Carnival (Amazon)

Vampire Hunter D (Amazon)

Twilight of the Cockroaches (Amazon)

Support Y2K FunZone on Patreon

[mimiplaysgames]

The Ocean On His Shoulders (1/2)

Pairing: Terra/Aqua Rating: T Word Count: 4,272

Summary: She’s been waiting for him for so many years. When he finally sees her, Terra realizes that instead of saving her from the Realm of Darkness, he must save her from herself.

A/N: THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS FIC - only things that were shown in trailers and my own ideas. So I got this prompt from @steadyknight that went something like this: “A semi-fixed Terra finally has his heart back... But now to save Aqua dearest, heartbroken from her ongoing Darkling transformation, he sees that the only way is to sacrifice that which he longed for so long.” Or in other words - “break his heart into pieces.” WHOOO there are some serious consequences in such a prompt, and I had to actually break this outline into two parts. This part addresses the prompt directly - the other half addresses its meaning. I do hope it’s enjoyable! Thank you for the prompt, it was quite a challenge to get a vision for it. I basically also had to make peace with how salty I am over how it seems that Sora will be saving her, LMAO.

Title taken from Gary Schyman’s piece for Bioshock.

Terra knew what he would be facing. They told him what to expect, where to find her, and how to get there. They told him to prepare himself. It was probably going to be painful to see her that way, and he retorted that saving her was his responsibility and his alone. The journey so far had been a never-ending war, and a nagging thought at the back of his mind wondered if this place was sentient enough to understand what he was trying to do. The hordes of Heartless he’d been bludgeoning the entire way were means to stop him from getting to her. 

And if the Realm of Darkness truly wanted to keep her, the kinds of monstrosities he fought were proof that it meant its threats. Which was part of the problem: she was now the Realm, and the Realm was her.

Put simply, she wasn’t waiting anymore. She was lurking.

Riku and the King had given him enough details so that he’d have a sense of what that meant. Yet, once the dirt he was stepping on finally gave way into sand, and he heard the crashing of waves, and the moon’s light illuminated the beach, he succumbed to what he knew was false hope. Maybe she would agree to go with him. Maybe she’d be comforted to finally see him again, instead of strangers. Maybe she would smile.

Heartless awaited him on that small beach, but they did not attack. They stared him down with those bright yellow eyes that served as their only means of expression on their otherwise impression-less faces: blank and feral. They simply acknowledged his existence as if it was the most important thing to them. And as though they had all shared the same thought, they slithered backward into the water, forsaking him.

Not once did they break their stare from him. They sank, their glowing eyes keeping watch on him until they faded from his sight, until the murky water eventually forced what little light they had through their sockets to disappear. He couldn’t shake the sense that they were still there observing him – he just couldn’t see them anymore.

She wasn’t here, though. He was alone on that beach, and he’d have the sense to start calling for her when a gripping feeling in his throat stopped him. The water. Something was wrong with the water.

The waves were alluring enough, but it was an invitation to suffocate. The rock formations that hugged along the shoreline twisted and stretched out unnaturally. It almost looked like they were meant to be something else, as though they had died the moment they were born.

And then his heart beat. She arrived.

The moonlight brightened the surface of the water enough for a shadow to grow, an open trapdoor to the depths below. Darkness swirled out of this opening like smoke. Two hands crept out, grabbing onto the water as if it was solid ground, and she pulled herself out.

She was merely a shadow, but he knew it was her. Call it hearts being connected: he knew who was walking toward him, the moon basking over a black silhouette of a woman walking on water, her steps sounding as if she was stepping on puddles.

The part that hurt the most was knowing he couldn’t hug her hello. He stepped forward as well, but stopped. He kept his feet on the sand, just inches short of where the water massaged the earth. Everything in his body screamed at him not to take another one further, as if the sea would swallow him in one gulp. Even with his entire suit of armor to protect him, Terra expected it would be torn to shreds once he was in.

It was only when she stood directly in front of him, her own feet never leaving the waterside, that the shadow dissipated and he finally looked upon her beautiful face. Scarred by golden eyes, hair that turned whiter the further away it grew from its roots, and skin that was so charred and so violet, she was clearly turning into something else. The darkness floated off of her as though her skin breathed it. She wasn’t human anymore, even if she looked it, and this precious girl he’d been in love with for years stood there with all the evidence that showed how much she rotted away for all this time waiting.

His nose burned and tears streamed down his face. His helmet was a blessing, hiding the guilt he wore on his face. He didn’t want to provoke her anger with such a pitiful look – he already knew well enough this was his fault. The least he could have done was have the strength to tell her not to follow him as he fell into darkness; he should have been the one to turn into a monster instead of her paying such a price.

Aqua, who once opened her bedroom door when he knocked late one night. He had hoped she was awake to talk away his worries about the upcoming Mark of Mastery Exam. And she welcomed him with a big smile on her face despite how tired she really was. And they talked. For hours. About anything. Until they fell asleep on her floor, dragging her blankets and pillows down with them, just like they did when they were children.  

Aqua now stood there with a look as if seeing him was the greatest offense she could have experienced.

“Terra,” she said with an anger so mute and a face as placid as it could get with such furrowed brows, it almost seemed as though she was trying to stop herself from ravaging him. “It’s been a long time.”

It was hot inside the armor, sweat dripping down the back of his neck. The mucus in his nose didn’t allow him to breathe, and he instead tried to do so through his teeth in order to calm himself. “A-Aqua,” he nearly sobbed. “I-”

“You’re very late.” She stressed that last word, as if to get across how long it had been since they’ve last seen each other.

He was a head taller than her, but he felt as small as a puppy shivering in fear. He hung his head. “I know. I know I am.”

“You know, but you never came.” Her jaw quivered, and she mustered every ounce of control to speak further. “You don’t actually know anything. You don’t know sadness. You don’t know loneliness. You don’t know what it feels like to find the comfort in surrendering to your fate.”

“Aqua,” he pleaded. “I can’t pretend to know anything about what you’ve been through and there is no apology that could ever make up for it. I could give you a million regrets and it wouldn’t change a thing and I’m sorry I can’t do more. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” His voice broke, and she had enough mercy to give him time to find it again. “But I’m here to at least do something. To help you.”

“Why do you think I’m like this? How dare you show up here? Now? The only reason I’m here was to give you a chance at freedom. You should have had my back.”

“I can take you home. I can take you back to the Realm of Light.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she raised her voice a notch, without losing her efforts to remain calm. “I’ve hurt myself for years misleading myself in faith. Believing that you or someone out there would take the time to find me.” Her face contorted into fury, her voice nearly growling. “You will rot here, and I’ll show you thirteen years’ worth of misery.”

With that, she lost her self-control. Shadows gripped him like whips, and with a swing of her arm and a yell, she propelled him out onto the water. He hit the surface with a crashing thud, rolling over.

He didn’t sink. It was as if there was hidden glass tucked itself just beneath. It must have been his armor that stopped him from descending, protecting him from whatever was down there waiting.

She summoned a Keyblade – a stolen one. And she skated across the water, closing the distance in between them in one graceful boost, using her momentum to land a sickening blow. He dodged, the water he was standing on bursting out like a geyser the moment she hit it.

“You have every right to be angry!” he called as he managed to get on his feet.

Her face contorted when she heard that. Anger, apologies, help, loneliness – all of these reminders exposed her pain, like jabbing at an open gash. And like a wounded animal desperately trying to survive, she immediately went after him.

He didn’t want to fight her. He didn’t want to touch a hair, or summon his Keyblade in defense. He didn’t come all the way down here just to harm her further than what she’s already been through. The unfairness of it all.

So he ran in circles, dodging her attacks in the hopes that she would get tired. But he was prey that kept getting caught by a predator who knew better. With every stumble, he cast a weak Cure just to keep himself going.

Aqua didn’t give him time to breathe, looming over him with that Keyblade raised.

“I can’t believe this,” he muttered to himself, summoning his own to block the attack.

She stumbled back from his counter, taking a moment of her own to collect herself. It wasn’t a powerful block, but it broke her patterns enough to snap her out of them.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Aqua,” he said, keeping his Keyblade in hand but lowering it as if to mitigate the threat.

Her glare was icy. “You already have,” she said calmly, right before a glowing shadow developed around her. In an instant, several copies of her paraded around the water.

All of them were phantoms and were untouchable when he swung. Yet they had a sustenance, throwing powerful shocks that would bring him down on his knees, again and again.

Then the real one lunged at him, and he barely dodged without getting smeared by her direct hit. She was swift, and picked herself up quickly after the miss to follow up on another strike - until Keyblades clashed and grinded against each other, him on his knees and her towering over him.

She wasn’t stronger than him, yet his weapon vibrated from her force. Magic. She relied on it to build up her stamina and control her technique. This was a method she always used against his sheer brawn, and even in darkness she was the same. However, if he continued this game of cat and mouse, he would lose soon. As much as he didn’t want to cause her pain, failing this fight wouldn’t help her either.

As if reading his mind, she said, “you will drown here with me.”

That was it.

“I will not!” He put muscle into it and pushed her off of him. He stood up tall. “You’re coming with me… even if I have to drag you out of here kicking and screaming.”

As a taller, bigger fighter, Terra’s methods were all about closing in on his opponent with the goal of striking them down, accompanied by such a long, massive Keyblade to support his approach. This was why Aqua developed to be such a nimble gymnast, relying on evading and magic to balance out where she was weak. She’d hit him where he was open, countering quickly enough so that he didn’t have the time to react. Using magic to cast finishing blows and to overwhelm him.

But that Aqua was of the past. This one had new tricks up her sleeve. She had her phantoms. She had control over the water as she commanded it to shift under his feet. She warped. The power the darkness gave to her spells tripled their robustness.

And yet, she wasn’t the only one to learn something new.

Years of struggling under Xehanort’s control gave Terra the time to really customize Master Eraqus’ expertise - chain whips, designed to enslave darkness and regain control of the battlefield. Advanced and powerful, Terra had normally struggled with such an ability, whereas Aqua learned it with ease. But if light was a part of the heart, and the Keyblade merely an extension of that, being separated from both taught Terra the true meaning of maintaining his own will amidst despair.

He now had the skill to control these chains with only his mind, and he summoned them. They spread over the surface of the water, illuminating everything in a warm, orange glow. Every phantom they passed through combusted in an instant. They rose when they reached the horizon, only to circle back and dome over the seashore. And they closed in on her, wrapping around her in a spiral.

He didn’t know if it was denial that made him refuse to accept what she had become: to see these chains of light trap her so easily, constricting over her body like she was darkness incarnate. Light hurt her too much.

To soften the blow, he used powers of nothingness instead. He stabbed the water with the tip of his Keyblade and left it to stand erect on its own. It glimmered, and orbs of light surrounded her. These were explosives, a warp within the fabric of space and time that Xemnas would pull out to power his attacks. A Nobody’s powers, left behind in his body.

When enough of them materialized, Terra slammed a fist to his palm, and the orbs shot at her like lasers, one after another. She yelled from the pain, and he nearly stopped the attack short from hearing it. But he told himself to have nerve. The darkness wouldn’t have her, and he needed to win this fight to make sure he saw that through.

She dropped to her knees, King Mickey’s Keyblade dissipating. She clutched at her side, and all was quiet enough to hear the rhythm of the waves.

With a choke, Terra ran to meet her at eye level. He removed his helmet to see her face to face. To see her with every color that made her who she was, without the tint of the visor. Water dripped from the strands of her hair, and she gazed into the depths of the sea, defeated.

“Aqua, I’m so sorry.” He wondered if this was yet another throwaway apology. Sorry for hurting her. Again.

She slowly raised her head and gazed at him, her golden eyes soothed by seeing his face. She didn’t speak at first, but merely studied him. “How did I do?” she asked.

How did I do? This was a question they asked each other after every spar. Every practice. Even after exams. This was their way of keeping up with their progress. To see where they could improve. To take their chances to praise the other. It was to help them both succeed and become Masters together. It was about making sure they could reach that shared dream without leaving the other behind.

How did I do? It was proof that Aqua was still in there, somewhere. That she remembered.

“You really had me sweating there,” he said, forcing a chuckle. “Only you can make the darkness look that scary.” He paused a bit, deciding to take the risk of teasing her, like he normally would when they used to be happy. “You could use some more light, though.”

He hoped it would make her smile. Please, please, make her smile.

Her eyes scattered around, as if to process what he said. “I’m so tired,” she replied with a breath, her voice low and sad.

“Then I’ll carry you back,” he said without missing a beat. “You can rest while I take you home.”

She slowly shook her head, as if disagreeing with what he said, and gazed into the moonlight that observed the two of them in the horizon beyond. Shadows from beneath her swirled upward, and they spread enough to make him gasp and step back.

“That’s not what I meant,” she said, and she fell over, splashing into the water until she sank.

“No, no, no, no.” He darted to where she stood, digging through the water but all he did was swipe at glass as he saw her body sink lower and lower until she started to fade away. The armor still protected him from sinking. “You can’t have her!”

He dismissed the armor and immediately dropped into the depths, swimming after her. At some point, it stopped existing as an ocean, and gradually changed into empty air, as though it was bottomless. And she sank, her eyes closed and her body relaxed.

It was hard.

He grabbed her and held her close with one firm grip before pivoting to swim back up. The moonlight from this point was so faint, it couldn’t give him any way to see what was down here.

He could join her in these depths. It was easier to give up and let it take over. This way he would still be with her for the rest of time. Sad or angry, it was a better existence than to be separated from her at all.

She was heavy.

These doubts were invasive. He should be fighting for the sake of setting her free. His thoughts betrayed her when he promised himself he’d rescue her, and he would find Ventus along with her. With every stroke upward, her weight doubled, trying to pull him back down. Until his shoulders ached. Until it was hard for him to breathe from all the energy spent in swimming up. To swim up. Swim up. Up.

She was in his arms and he could win her back if he just kept his chin up and his legs kicking. Almost there.

The surface. Something pulled at his ankles and tried to get him under again. He let it take him for a second just to gather energy to swim up. Repeat.

The shore. He crawled onto solid, reliable ground, her body carried by one arm. He could feel the waves hit his legs, but it was finally over.

She lay there, immobile, her eyes gently closed. She was breathing so quickly she panted like a dog. The violet on her skin spread, threatening to take her over.

He turned her over and wiped cold water and wet sand from her face. “Please wake up,” he said. “I know you still have light in there. It led me to you. I couldn’t find you without…” He fought back tears. “There has to be a way to fix this.”

She had no response, no movement. Just breathing like an animal.

“Please tell me what I can do to fix this.” Tears poured out from his eyes. “I wanted to make things right. I swear I did. I should have done it sooner, I should have found the strength to be there when you needed me. Please don’t go.”

He saw her continue to fall to darkness, the way the shadows took every inch of her. If she had any light left, it was going to disappear completely.

He had been on this same brink, many years before. Possession was a technique made possible by suppressing the light within someone’s heart, by destroying their connections with others and by giving them one option: to give up just to feel some ease.

Terra couldn’t save himself when it happened to him. What had saved him all these years - what kept him going and what helped him feel less alone - was the connection he had with his Master.

In death, a spiritual bond was made. A heart taking refuge inside another. Each time Xehanort came to convince Terra to snuff out the last bit of flame that kept his light ablaze, it was Eraqus who kept it burning. Eraqus who gave him the comfort and the encouragement to stay alive. To keep hoping for a chance to change things around.

Terra was alive because Eraqus’ heart was embedded in his own, proof that light shown brightest when he had support.

Aqua needed this, too.

The waves lapped over his ankles from behind. The shadows reached her neck, and were spreading over her chin.

Light was like a flame. It was warm, and with enough care and room to breathe, it would spread. It was cleansing, and without it, there would be no existence. Master Eraqus taught all of his early lessons on the Keyblade using stories that used fire as an analogy, with books that depicted colored sketches of flames, who would give to each other their own essence in case one of them started to flicker.

When one wielder stumbled in their path, the other would help them find their way again.

Terra had one choice. It was a forbidden act – never raise the Keyblade against the heart of another. Never threaten the heart of another. Never touch the heart of another. The heart was sacred and was the source of life. Unnamed damages could befall a person who would play with something so delicate and treasured.

If he attempted to release his own heart in order to place it in hers, he could very well turn into what she was. He could become corrupted beyond saving. The waves could grab him and drag him back down, to use him as a replacement.

Damn the consequences.

“I’m with you, Aqua.”

Terra raised his Keyblade and struck his own chest. The pain sheared at him: sharp and intense at first, a severe pull that tried to take his ribs out. He heard fabric tearing. But then he relaxed.

It was the most tempting, coaxing repose he could have asked for. His mind drifted into sleep, dreaming away his worries and fears. His body went limp and soft, every ache melting away. It was peaceful and cozy in the dark, where he didn’t have to remember a single thing or be aware that he had anything to do. He didn’t want it to end.

He woke up. The windows were incredibly tall, bordered by an intricate gold frame. So tall, that he figured he must be in a palace. Except he didn’t recognize where he was. Outside was a gathering of pine trees, rustling in the wind. It was sunny. But that didn’t give him a clue as to his location, either.

He was in a bed. The sheets were silky, the mattress luxuriously firm, the pillows soft as clouds. All of his muscles ached from too much sleep, and as much as he wanted to continue to doze off, he sat up. The room was enormous, fit for a prince, with furniture that showed off exquisite designs in bright colors with a fancy rug to match.

A girl sat on a chair next to him, her head resting on her arms as she leaned onto the mattress, sleeping away. Her hair was a vibrant blue color, so unique that he stared at her for a second. Which was weird. Normally, he didn’t pay mind to these sorts of details and preferred to keep his nose in business where it belonged. But with the way her bangs fell on her face, he just couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Heat rose to his cheeks. This was crazy, and he should get up. Except he wore nothing but a shirt and boxer briefs. Next to a sleeping, beautiful girl. He scrunched up his bedsheets around his hips to hide away his embarrassment.

She moved, grunting from her nap. Her eyes blinked open, revealing the color of a morning sky. They were large and bright, and he swore he could stare at them forever. Especially when she smiled. Now it was overwhelming.

“Terra, you’re awake!” She leaned forward, excited to see him. “Thank goodness.”

This was certainly the best compliment he could ever receive from someone like her.

“Y-yeah,” Terra said, trying his best not to look like a fool. “Where am I?”

“Disney Castle.” She was breathy when she spoke, her grin spreading even further. “Don’t worry, you’re perfectly safe.”

She reached out to touch him. He was half-naked under the sheets.

He scurried away from her, despite that he quite liked the idea if he was going to be honest with himself.

She frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” he said too quickly, then cleared his throat. He should try to sound in control of himself, try to make a good first impression. “I’m fine, I feel great. Um… who are you?”

It was an innocent enough question. Ask a pretty girl for her name. But her smile fell. Her eyes widened in shock, and the tears that poured out couldn’t be stopped. She gripped her heart with one hand and covered her mouth with the other as if to suppress a scream. Terra felt bad and a part of him ached to have hurt her this badly. How else could he feel when she acted as though she’d been told that her closest relative had died?

[hnd1bphoto-geraldmcmillan]

Seeing the Light

“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” - Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man.

Well that’s one way of looking at it, although arguably this is a re-working of that passage in The Book of Genesis when it reports that God said “Let there be light”, as previously there had been darkness upon the earth, and, by definition, darkness must have been there first.

The light that we see by, similar to the air that we breathe, is probably taken for granted by the majority of the people all over the world.  “Light” as a topic for study, can be as complicated or as simple as you want/need it to be. Most people will not be aware, I don’t believe, that visible light from the sun is part of the electro-magnetic spectrum that has wavelength of between about 380-700 nanometres.  What’s a nanometre? Well, it’s 1 x10^-9 of a metre, which doesn’t give me much of a handle as to how small that is, but a nanometre can also be described as a millionth of a millimetre.  That wavelength range covers what is described as white light, but as depicted very nicely by the cover of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon famous album of the 1970’s, all the colours of the rainbow are contained within that white light. White light is dispersed as it passes through a prism (or water droplets in the sky) into its 7 colour components by a process called refraction (in effect “bending”).  The shorter wavelength (violet-end) component of white light is refracted most when passing through the prism and the longest wavelength red light component is refracted least.  Proof of this is directly demonstrated by a rainbow – the inner and more curved colours of the rainbow arch are blue and violet and the outer colours are red and orange.

The three primary colours of visible light are often quoted to be red, green and blue. (Google it if you don’t believe me). However a contributor to the website Photography Stack Exchange comments that “There are no primary colors (sic) of light, in fact there is no color intrinsic in light at all (or any other wavelength of electromagnetic radiation). There are only colors in the perception of certain wavelengths of EMR by our eye/brain systems.”  (But what beauty lies within the range of our visual perceptions through our eye/brain systems interactions – for those of us lucky enough to have sight). Of course I don’t disagree with the above point of information; however it is possibly at a level of detail beyond the scope of this blog.  I’ve often thought it strange that we don’t actually see light, but only how it interacts with (e.g. is reflected from) other objects – or rather, only how we perceive how light interacts with other objects.  But stepping back from physiological and biological considerations, red green and blue light when combined also make white light. Objects appear coloured when they reflect preferentially the wavelength of the colour that we perceive. A green apple appears green because it reflects the wavelength of green light preferentially to other wavelengths of different colours. It is the same for other coloured objects. Furthermore an object appears white when all the colours of the spectrum are reflected and black when no colours are reflected.  

Without light, there would be no photography. There would also not be many other things - like life for example, but as this blog is about photography, I’ll stick with that. The blog brief asks the student to harness natural light to produce a variety of portraits, modifying the light as required by means of flags, reflectors and diffusers as required.  The brief overview also comments that natural daylight is not constant, which from a geographic/meteorological consideration applying to Scotland, has to make it a contender for understatement of the year. But in all seriousness, the quality of light is heavily dependent on the time of day, the season, the atmospheric conditions e.g. the degree of cloud cover etc., and this will affect the options to best photograph a chosen subject.   The quality of light in this context, according to John McIntire at Digital Photography School (website), “has nothing to do with whether light is good or bad. The word quality refers to the physical properties, traits, or characteristics of the light. These properties include the softness or hardness, the shape, the color, and the intensity of the light.”

In order to help optimise natural sunlight for photographic purposes, certain methods and tools are available. Some of these include:

Flag: A tool used to control light. At the most basic level, flags are anything that can used to block or cut light from anywhere it isn’t wanted. Closing a blind or a curtain to block glare from a television screen is an example of using a flag. Another example would be the sun visor in your car. (John McIntire at Digital Photography School).

Reflector: As the name suggests, quite simply a tool to reflect light. For portrait work in natural light, reflectors can be used to lighten heavy shadows which might be cast if the light is hard and to one side of the subject.  However, as John McIntire comments, “softness and hardness are affected by the apparent size of your light source. If you move your reflector closer to your subject, you get softer light. If you take it further back, you get harder light. The same applies to different sized reflectors. A larger reflector, at the same distance from the subject as a smaller one, will produce softer light, while the smaller one (in the same position) will produce harder light.”    

(The above website gives a very good example of the optimization of a small-scale photo-shoot setup using flags and reflectors.)

Diffuser: any medium that reduces the intensity or harshness of light and results in a softening effect. Soft light creates gentle illumination and softer shadows.  Cloud cover is a natural diffuser of sunlight that I truly believe we are all too familiar with in Scotland.  Artificial diffusers tend to be translucent rather than transparent in nature.

The website tips-and-hints section details how to use a 5-in-1 reflector set comprising of white/silver/ gold/black (flag) /diffuser media which I considered to be quite useful.

The class had a practical try-out on 10/09/19 of the use of reflectors in support of this brief, however, from a personal point of view, without much success, if I’m honest, as detailed below. (The light conditions weren’t ideal, I didn’t think, as there was constantly –changing levels of sunlight due to intermittent cloud cover.)

The above used a gold reflector which I thought gave an unflattering colour cast which I considered rendered the subject more than a little bit jaundiced!  There is also a noticeable drop-off of light (or a heavy shadow cast) on the left-hand side of the image, which as well as being undesirable aesthetically, makes it look as if the subject is about to be attacked! The inevitable conclusion is that the composition of the shot is poor.

A silver reflector next tried I thought rendered a washed-out effect. In my defence, I was using a college camera that I was unfamiliar with, but I did think I had the exposure correct, according to the camera metering. Also this was my second day of starting the HND course, I was still settling-in, becoming acquainted with my classmates and was not entirely at ease, so, even with my best intentions, it’s probably more than likely that my shots were a bit rushed and not properly thought through. (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!).  But, I accept 100% - “could do better”.

Going out on the street to shoot strangers was something that I thought I could do no problem, but it was much more difficult than I thought.  I probably missed the chance to perhaps photograph some interesting characters simply because I could not bring myself to ask.  But I did try, I did ask, and while I got mainly refusals, a few folk agreed.

The above photograph is of a workman, who was trying to get into a close to carry out some repair work for a tenant in the Govanhill area. The street was actually in shadow, but reflected sunlight from a window in the opposite row of tenements gave good (I think!) illumination.

The above two photographs were taken at Dumbreck railway station whilst waiting for a train! (A bit rushed!)

The above photograph was shot in natural light subjected to diffused transmission by semi-opaque glass roof.  Soft shadows were cast by roof beams acting like flags, partially blocking the transmitted light, and I positioned the model so that the light fell on her eyes.

(This blog still a soon-to-be-completed-work-in-progress!)

[jacqueline314]

D&D Character Origin

Around the mountain forest, a shadow was cast above it all. There, a bronze dragon has flown up to the heavens. A Wood Elf lies on the rooted earth. Its eyes heavily open, as if it slept for decades. It sees a bright ray of light, shining in its left view

The visual irritation caused it to move its body. No clothing to separate its bare self to the wilderness. The elf felt small, muti-pins moving on its shoulder. It flung it and saw the green worm flying across the tree as it sits up and scoots away from it.

Keeping its distance, the elf swiftly stands on its toes as it climbed the tree trunk. A spark of fear shivers in the elf's bones. It then steps forward, but stumbles face down when it let go of the bark. Its fave was covered in dirt and some bits of it were swallowed. The elf positioned its leg at a 90° angle and pushes the knee down to stand up again.

The elf wanders through the forest to find various things. The fruits that are sweet with every bite, birds, and critters scaring the elf, the rains that gave it the cold, and the nights spent under the stars. For many moons and suns has it been since. And then the elf stumbled upon a human.

It was badly injured. Some parts are white and brown, but the rest are red as blood, scratches that cut deep, the arm applying pressure to the wound, and bruises on its face, and the elf was terrified. It had never seen such injuries. It seen animals being killed by other animals, but up close would be traumatising to see. The human moved its arm to the elf, and then it crouched to its knees and cover its face.

Confused as to why nothing happened yet, the elf look at the human and it said "Are you lost? Would you like some help?" Still frightened, the elf can't understand what he said. It looked up and their eyes meet. Starting, the elf sees its eyes are calm and gentle.

Not sure what to do, the elf turns to its hand and slowly reaches out to it. It places its hand on the human's, gently. It then lifts its arm up for it to stand. "It's okay, my home is not too far from here." It walks ahead as it holds the elf's hand from behind while still applying pressure on the wound.

After a long time of walking, they arrived at a strange, tall, large tree made of stone, the leaves were color red, and the branches seem to be larger and flatter than the others in weird areas and directions. There are large ones that go through each other in multiple crosses, and there are flat ones that are on the stone areas of the tree and they're in a different crossing pattern than the large ones. There seems to be a couple of smaller ones, that look like it, sticking out as well.

The human takes the elf to a large rectangular, wooden part of the stone tree and uses its had, which was applying pressure, to pull it out. They entered the tree. The human lets go of the elf's hand while it looks around. The elf sees many different things in the tree it entered. It saw what a tree looked like at first, but nothing compares to what it sees.

There are orange lights around it, wood that's in different shapes and sizes, and a long shiny stone on the wooden wall. The elf hears a chirp, that's louder than a bird, from behind. The elf jumped as a spark of fear occurred in its bones, again. It turns in the direction of the chirp and sees the human.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that." It then hands out a round wooden container full of fruit and placed it on top of a wooden, rectangular block. The elf swiftly walks towards the fruit and eats them to the core. As it was eating, the elf noticed something different about the human.

Its colors are different and aren't red anymore. Its bruise and scratches are gone as well. The elf reaches over to touch where the red and violet spots are. The human got startled. It swiftly stepped away. Leaning backed to make sure the elf doesn't make any finger contact. "Hey... What are you doing?" Said the human. The elf then dropped the fruit and walk around the woodblock to get closer.

There was no escape, the elf caught the human face with its bare hands. It rubs the face with its thumb. The elf uses its other hand to feel the other locations where. It feels all over the human until it sees an opening in on its skin. It was found above the legs. The elf puts its hand in and feels a soft-yet hard spot. It feels a little bit hairy, but the elf doesn't have hair on the body.

The human shivers as the hand touch everything. Eventually, the hand finds another hole that leads to the human's head. The elf finds out that the first hole is bigger and goes around the body. Curious, the elf takes opposite ends of it and pulls up to see if it can be removed. Without hesitation, it strongly lifts it up and it is removable.

The human's arms were up above its head. "Why the hell did you do that for?!" It roared. The elf covers its nose and mouth with the removed skin. Then there was another sound, it came from above the left of the elf and sees, what seems to be, a smaller human. "Brother, you're back already-" its sound, which was higher than the one in front, was cut off as it sees the elf and other human. It roared a louder sound. The sound was so high that it felt like it was thinning.

After the tall human interacted with the smaller one, they do everything to teach the elf how to speak and understand them. Everything starts off small, from sounds to symbols, to words, to sentences. The elf learned to speak, read, count, and write within twenty-five days.

Throughout those twenty-five days, the elf doesn't have a name. It learned the humans' names from day four. And clothing at day six. The tall one is named Michael, and the little one is named Adrian. They only refer to the wood elf as 'Elf', but not a proper name. Adrian felt sad, so it asked Michael to come up with one. Michael was reading a book that was in a different language. It randomly picked one and it stumbled upon "Skógr" Adrian agreed and liked the name a lot.

"S-Sk-Skó-gr?" said the elf. "That will be your name from now on," said Michael with a smile. Skógr then smiled back and embraced Michel.

After several days, Skógr learned about gender, family, and age. Michael is the eldest child and is a male, while Adrian is the youngest child and is a female. "So..." Skógr speaks, "You're the brother" pointing at Michael, "and you're the sister" pointing at Adrian.

Being proud of Skógr, they clap together with a smile. "Hey brother, you've seen Skógr naked. Do you know what gender he is?" embarrassed, he shakes Adrian as punishment for asking that question. He was surprised to meet Skógr, but he brought the elf home without knowing anything about that.

Skógr looked down to the floor and said "Umm..., Actually, I want to be both male and female" Both were shocked, they didn't know anyone would want to be both. "What about Non-Binary?" asked Michael. "It's a third option. It also means you can be both male and female, by choice" Once again, Skógr hugs him for his kindness. "I love it!" They said.

Time goes on and Skógr learns a lot of things. The three of them live in a small library where adventures and others come to read books and study. Skógr is allowed to read any book since they live here, but they're not allowed to take other books from others unless they put them back or return them.

Adrian runs the library, making sure everything is clean and organized. Michael is a hunter and gatherer. He hunts and gathers food and materials in the wild, and sells them as a service provider. During nights, Skógr helps Michael with the food. With hunting extras for food, whatever they both make in the kitchen is delicious. Skógr made breakfast for everyone three times.

Whenever they weren't cooking, Skógr likes to go through books and learn more about his Wood Elf self. The two siblings told them what they know about Wood Elves, and they read books about Wood Elves. One day, when Michael told Skógr to get Adrian down for a meal, they don't find Adrian in her room.

What they did find, was a small wooden object with strings. Upon closer inspection, it seems that it has some kind of pins holding the strings in place in one end and stretches to the other. It was just hanging on Adrian's bedroom wall. It looks like it hasn't been touched for a while. It was just ther, gathering dust. Skógr takes if from the wall, brings it to Michael down stairs and asks what it is.

He said it is a Viol, it belonged to their father. Michael taught Skógr how to play and soon, Adrian taught them how to master it. Some nights, Skógr loved to play the Viol on top of trees. Sometimes Adrian and Michael could hear them playing, including other residents but they don't mind because it was such a beautiful tune.

Skógr got hired as a bard in one of the local taverns when the owner heard the sound that danced her heart out. They worked for day and night and earned good payments. Everyday, Skógr comes home with 90-180 copper peaces. Adrian and Michael were struggling a little bit to provide, but this is a great deal for them. With that, Skógr took multiple shifts of the week. From noon to night, from dusk to midnight, and from morning to dusk.

When Skógr left after the night shift, they arrived home with no one in the library. Candles and lanterns are still lit. Usually, Adrian waits for them on the desk, but no one is there. Perhaps she's at the back with Michael. Skógr locks the front door and blows out the flames. They went to the back and see no one at all. They start to worry about their disappearance. They check their rooms and there was nobody there. They last saw each other when Skógr left for the shift.

Skógr then used a spell that allows them to recite what happened in the past. They found out that the two of them went out with hunting gear. They only went out together when Michael got a large order or a valuable trade that cost a small fortune. The question is, why did the leave? Why did Adrian leave the candles lit? Why didn't they leave a note? And, why aren't they backed yet?

The next day, Skógr asked the locals if they've seen the two. Another day has gone by and they haven't come back. Ten days went by and the building is empty as ever. Adrian talked to Skógr about joining a party, but they refused because they have their family.

Skógr then made a sign for the front door and a note for the inside. The note says "I'm out looking for my family" and the front sign says "The library is shut down until the family is back home." They gathered equipment, leaves the note, locks the doors, hangs the sign, and heads out to find them.

[scifigeneration]

When the sun goes dark: 5 questions answered about the solar eclipse

by Shannon Schmoll

Editor’s note: A total solar eclipse will be visible across the U.S. on Monday, August 21. Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, explains why and how it happens, and what we can learn from an eclipse.

How do we know when an eclipse is going to happen? How do we know in advance where it will be visible?

Solar eclipses happen when our view of the sun is blocked by the moon. When the moon lines up between the sun and Earth, the moon will cast a shadow onto Earth. This is what we on the ground observe as a solar eclipse.

We know when they’ll happen because over centuries astronomers have measured very precisely the motions of the Earth, moon and sun, including their orbital shapes, how the orbits precess and other parameters. With those data about the moon – and similar information about the Earth’s orbit around the sun – we can make mathematical models of their movements in relation to each other. Using those equations, we can calculate tables of data that can predict what we will see on Earth, depending on location, during an eclipse as well as when they will happen and how long they last. (The next major solar eclipses over the U.S. will be in 2023 and 2024.)

The path of the eclipse on August 21. NASA

How often do eclipses happen?

A solar eclipse happens, on average, a couple times a year. The moon passes between the Earth and sun every 29 days, a time we call the “new moon” – when the moon is not visible in Earth’s nighttime sky. However, the moon’s orbit and the sun’s path in our sky don’t match up exactly, so at most of those new moon events, the moon appears above or below the sun.

The blue line shows the ecliptic, the path the sun appears to take in our sky as viewed from Earth. The white line shows the moon’s orbit. For eclipses to happen, both the sun and the moon need to be within the area marked with yellow brackets. John French, Abrams Planetarium, CC BY-ND

Twice a year, though, there is a period where the moon and the sun line up with Earth – astronomers call this an eclipse season. It lasts about 34 days, long enough for the moon to complete a full orbit (and then some) of the Earth. During each eclipse season, there are at least two eclipses visible from some parts of the Earth. At the full moon, there will be a lunar eclipse, when the moon passes directly behind the Earth, resulting in a darker, reddish-colored moon. And at the new moon, there will be a solar eclipse, when the sun is blocked by the moon.

Can we learn anything from eclipse events, or are they really just oddities that happen in nature?

We can definitely learn things from eclipses. The outermost layer of the sun, known as the corona, is difficult to study because it’s less bright than the rest of the sun – so we have trouble seeing it amid the rest of the sun’s brightness.

During an eclipse the sun’s corona becomes visible to observers on Earth. NASA

When the moon blocks the sun, we can see the corona, the famous visual of the halo of light around the dark disk of the moon. Currently astronomers study this by creating an artificial eclipse with a mask built into special instruments on telescopes called coronagraphs. This is great, but doesn’t allow the best pictures. Eclipses give scientists opportunities to get more data to study the corona in depth.

We can also learn about Earth itself. In an area affected by an eclipse, the darkening of the sun leads to a sudden drop in temperature. NASA-funded studies during this eclipse will look at the effects from the eclipse on our atmosphere as well as what happens on land. Previous studies observed animal behavior during an eclipse in 2001 and noted some animals went through their night routines as the sun disappeared while others became nervous.

And we can learn about the whole universe. Less than 100 years ago, an eclipse proved a prediction Albert Einstein had made about gravity. That success helped make him a household name. In his general theory of relativity, Einstein had predicted that gravity could bend the path of light. The effect he predicted was very slight, so it would best be viewed as the light passed a very large celestial body as part of its travels across a very long distance of space.

Sir Arthur Eddington, an astronomer who helped further the study of general relativity and whose work is a major piece of our modern understanding of stars and black holes, used the darkness provided by a solar eclipse to look at the position of the stars’ light during the day, when it passed the sun. He then compared those positions to their known positions at night. He saw that the gravity of the sun had bent the path – exactly as, and in the precise amount that, Einstein had predicted.

How weird is it that the moon can basically exactly block out the sun?

It is very unusual that the moon and the sun just happen to be at the right distances and sizes to appear to have the same size in our sky. This allows the moon to perfectly block the sun’s disk, while also showing us the corona. Venus and Mercury, for instance, can also pass in front of the sun from our perspective. However, they appear as small specks moving across the sun.

Venus appears as a small dot in the upper left as it passes between the sun and Earth in 2012. NASA

What would someone standing on the moon see happen on Earth? Would Earth get dark?

If you were on the moon, you would be able to see the effects of the solar eclipse on Earth only if you were standing on the moon’s night side, the side facing the Earth. You would see a round shadow cast onto the Earth. This particular eclipse will first hit the Pacific Ocean, then move into Oregon, cross the U.S. to South Carolina and end in the Atlantic Ocean. This path the shadow takes is called the path of totality.

Shannon Schmoll is the Director of the Abrams Planetarium in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

[astrogeoguy]

Solar Eclipse Special, and Plenty of Planets!

(Above: The Moon’s shadow darkens the sky around the eclipsed Sun. Look for a 360 degree sunset along the horizon during totality)

Stargazing News for this week (from August 20th) by Chris Vaughan. (Feel free to pass this along to friends and send me your comments, questions, and suggested topics.) I post these with photos at http://astrogeoguy.tumblr.com/ where the old editions are archived. You can also follow me on Twitter as @astrogeoguy! All times mentioned are in Eastern Standard Time. Please click this MailChimp link to subscribe to these emails. If you are a teacher or group leader interested in joining me in a guided field trip to the York University Observatory, visit www.astrogeo.ca.

(Above: Seconds before totality, the diamond ring effect appears. During totality the Sun’s large white corona appears and solar prominences will appear as pink/orange flashes around the Moon’s disk)

Solar Eclipse Basics

As viewed from the Earth’s surface, the Moon moves from west to east with respect to the distant background stars. In fact, over the course of an evening, it’s easy to observe the Moon traveling eastward compared to stars located near it in the sky. At one point in the Moon’s monthly orbit, it passes between the Earth and the Sun, becoming invisible due to the Sun’s glare. This is the definition of New Moon. 

If the Sun, Earth, and Moon were all orbiting in the same plane (imagine a model of them on a tabletop), every New Moon would temporarily block the Sun and cast a circular shadow on the Earth. At every Full Moon, the Earth would hide the Sun from the Moon as it passed through our shadow for a few hours, producing a Total Lunar Eclipse. So why do these events seem to be so rare? 

While the objects in the Solar System orbit the Sun in roughly the same plane, each body’s orbit is tilted by a small angle that carries it sometimes above and sometimes below the Solar System’s “tabletop”, like the rising and falling horses on a rotating carousel. The main reason eclipses occur infrequently is because the Moon’s orbit is tilted, or inclined, by about 5° from the Earth’s orbital plane. 

On infrequent, but predictable occasions, the moments of New Moon and Full Moon occur when the Moon is situated at the place where its orbit and the Earth’s orbit intersect, also known as a node. This is the geometry that creates eclipses. The Earth has a much larger diameter than the Moon, so an eclipse can still occur when the Moon is slightly below or above the node. That is why each eclipse is visible from a particular latitude on the Earth. When the Moon is near a node, it is either climbing slightly or descending slightly along the 5° slope. The effect of this is to add a slant to the eclipse track on the Earth. The Earth’s constant rotation during the eclipse serves to lengthen the eclipse track. That’s why the tracks of totality change in both latitude and longitude. 

For an unknown, but fortunate reason, the size of the Sun’s disk and the Moon’s disk observed from Earth are almost exactly the same, even though the Sun is about 400 times larger! If this were not so, we would not be treated to the splendor of a Total Solar Eclipse.

During a Total Solar Eclipse, the Moon’s round shadow sweeps across the Earth faster than the speediest fighter jet, completely blocking the Sun for observers along the track of the shadow for only a few minutes. The best eclipses have 250 km wide tracks and many minutes of totality. Along both sides of the track, observers see only part of the Sun obscured – the farther from the path of totality, the less of a “bite” is taken out of the Sun. This is called a Partial Solar Eclipse. 

Because the Moon’s orbit is elliptical, it is looms closer (perigee) and draws farther (apogee) from the Earth during every orbit, making the Moon subtend a slightly larger and smaller angle in the sky respectively. When the Moon is near apogee during a Total Solar Eclipse, it is too small to completely cover the Sun’s disk, and we observe an Annular Solar Eclipse. By the way, a solar eclipse is actually not an eclipse, but an occultation – when one body passes in front of, and obscures, the other. 

Astronomers use the term “contact” to describe the stages of a solar eclipse. First contact is said to occur when the leading edge of the Sun and Moon first touch. Only after this occurs, will one see the “bite” in the edge of the Sun. Fourth (or last) contact occurs at the end of the encounter, at the moment when the two disks separate, i.e., the “bite” disappears. 

Total Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017

On August 21, 2017, a Total Solar Eclipse will occur along a 114 km wide track running across the Continental USA from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. At most points along the track, totality will last more than two minutes, peaking at 2 minutes, 41.6 seconds just east of St. Louis, Missouri. Observers south and north of the track will see only a partial eclipse, the amount of sun covered varies depending on the distance north or south. Basically, northern South America and all of Central and North America will be treated to at least part of the eclipse. A nice annotated map is here. 

The time of totality, and the height of the Sun in the sky, depends on your longitude. The western states and provinces will see maximum eclipse around 10:18 am local time, and the Sun will be nicely positioned 40 degrees above the eastern horizon. In central Missouri, maximum eclipse occurs at 1:14 pm local time, with the Sun 63 degrees above the southern horizon. The eastern seaboard will see totality around 2:48 pm local time, with the Sun 61 degrees above the southwestern horizon. In each case, first contact occurs about 90 minutes earlier and last contact takes place 90 minutes later. The free Eclipse Safari app for iOS and Android can tell you when the eclipse will occur where you are, and when. It also includes live video streams from NASA and lots of tips about viewing the eclipse. I covered the app in detail in “How to Prep for Totality with New Eclipse Safari Mobile App” and I highly recommend it. 

Totality brings additional observing opportunities, but you’ll need to work quickly. The naked eye star Regulus, in Leo (the Lion), will be sitting less than one degree (about a finger’s width) to the upper left of the eclipsed Sun. Reddish Mars, though slightly dimmer at magnitude 1.77, will be 8 degrees (just under a fist diameter) to the right of the eclipse. Looking farther along the same line, very bright Venus will be located 34 degrees to the lower right (west) of the eclipse. Look 51 degrees in the opposite direction for bright Jupiter. For a challenge, you can hunt for Mercury, at visual magnitude 4.2, sitting only 10 degrees to the left of the eclipse. You can also look for a 360° sunset all around you – and the diamond ring and Baily’s Beads effects caused by sunlight sneaking past the moon’s limb. 

While a partial eclipse shape can be seen through thin cloud, clear skies are extremely important for enjoying totality during a solar eclipse. Be sure to check your local forecast the days and hours ahead, and be prepared to drive east or west along the track of totality to reach clear skies. Ensure that you don’t veer too far south or north. 

(Above: Safe viewing methods are necessary when ANY portion of the Sun’s disk is uncovered)

Observing the Solar Eclipse

It is NEVER safe to look at a Solar Eclipse without eye protection, with one exception. Observers during the few minutes of totality may turn their gaze upon the Moon-obscured Sun and see the glorious corona and red solar prominences that rise from the Sun’s photosphere. Outside of totality, part of the Sun’s disk is always exposed, and any amount of unprotected viewing is harmful to your eyes. Sunglasses are NOT enough to protect your eyes. They may make the sunlight dim enough to seem comfortable, but they do not filter out the harmful invisible ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation that damages eye tissue. Your retinas do not have pain receptors that will alert you to the damage you’re doing to them. 

Safe methods of observing solar eclipses include special eclipse glasses (commonly inserted into astronomy magazines published prior to major eclipses), #14 or darker welder’s glass, pinhole projection setups, and special telescope filters. NEVER pass unfiltered sunlight through a telescope or binoculars. Damage to vision will be instantaneous, the equipment will likely suffer damage, and there is risk of fire, too. 

Solar Eclipse Viewing Events

In the GTA, we will only see a partial solar eclipse, but about 76% of the sun will be covered at maximum eclipse. The local times for the eclipse are as follows: first contact at 1:10:33 pm, maximum coverage at 2:31:50 pm, and last contact at 3:48:52 pm.

(Above: For the Toronto area, the maximum partial eclipse will reach 76% coverage as shown here.)

Visit www.rascto.ca for a comprehensive list of solar eclipse viewing events all across the GTA.

The Ontario Science Centre, University of Toronto, York University, and McMaster, major libraries, and regional astronomy clubs are all hosting free public viewing sessions during eclipse time – many handing out eclipse glasses. 

Non-Eclipse Public Events

Taking advantage of dark moonless evening skies this week, the members of the RASC Toronto Centre will gather at Long Sault Conservation Area, north of Bowmanville on (only) the first clear evening from Monday to Thursday this week. You don’t need to be an RASC member, or own any equipment, to join them. Check here for details and watch the banner on their homepage or their Facebook page for the GO or NO-GO decision around 5 pm each day. 

Eastern GTA sky watchers are invited to join the RASC Toronto Centre and Durham Skies for stargazing at the edge of Lake Ontario in Millennium Square in Pickering on Friday evening, August 25th, from 6 pm to 11 pm. Details are here. Before heading out, check the RASCTC home page for a Go/No-Go call in case it's too cloudy to observe. 

Sun, Moon, and Planets

Tomorrow (Monday) the moon reaches its New Moon phase, triggering a total solar eclipse for North America! Meanwhile, after Monday’s eclipse, the Moon continues to journey eastward in its orbit – reappearing as a young crescent very low in the western sky after sunset on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday evening, and for the rest of the week, it rises later and waxes fuller, making it much easier to spot. 

On Thursday and Friday night, the still slim Moon will hop over Jupiter – sitting 8° to the planet’s right on Thursday and 5° to the upper left (and above the bright star Spica) the following evening. 

(Above: Jupiter at far right sets in the west in early evening, while Saturn at left lingers into the wee hours)

Jupiter is the very bright object low in the southwestern evening sky for two hours after sunset, setting about 10 pm local time. Looking south, Saturn is the medium-bright, yellowish object partway up the sky after the evening sky darkens. It sets in the west about 1 am local time. This summer, look for the easy to recognize star pattern called the Teapot sitting about two fist diameters to the lower left of Saturn. The stars of Scorpius (the Scorpion) flank Saturn on the lower right. The scorpion’s brightest star, reddish Antares is only a generous fist width to Saturn’s right (west). 

(Above: Uranus and Neptune are visible throughout the night, but finding them in the faint constellations of Pisces and Aquarius is a challenge)

Blue-green Uranus, in Pisces (the Fishes) rises shortly after 10 pm local time and is visible for the rest of the night in binoculars under a dark sky. Tiny blue Neptune, which is observable all night, is in the southeastern sky about two finger widths to the lower left of the medium-bright star Hydor in Aquarius (the Water-Bearer). After it rises in the eastern sky about 3:40 am local time, extremely bright Venus will catch your eye until dawn. This week, the planet continues to descend slowly sunwards. Sky charts for the visible planets are here. 

(Above: Venus continues to drop slowly sunward in the eastern pre-dawn sky, ending a long morning apparition)

Mercury and Mars are near the sun in solar conjunction, but may appear for observers in the path of totality during the total solar eclipse.

Keep looking up to enjoy the sky! I love getting questions so, if you have any, send me a note.

[yeats-infection]

good morning! i was going through my drabbles document and found this, which i think someone prompted me in the winter. obviously it’s unfinished but it probably won’t get any more finished, so i’m sharing it with you in its present state... a little bit of another weird artsy r/s western where they’re both basically different versions of our boy t.h. o’sullivan... 

-

In May 1867 Sirius Black left his employ at the Boston portrait studio owned by his father and went West to take photographs with the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel. You see he felt rather guilty, never having gone to war and having only seen the pictures, and he was beginning to hate Massachusetts, which seemed a sort of cage; after all it had been just less than two centuries since it had lost any sense of frontierness. In ’85 or so he had ridden with his father in a carriage two days Westward to Adams on the New York border to photograph the cotton mills recently erected there on the Hoosic River, and he had been shocked at the sight of the young girls and boys working and the fabric shards in the air and the speed with which they swapped the spindles inside the great hulking machines.

He was only twenty-two, and he had wanted to go West. But he was not altogether certain how much longer there would be a West.

-

The Blacks had emigrated to Beverly from Norfolk late in the 1600s and had been variously implicated in assorted histories on either side of the Salem Witch Trials. Sirius’s father had learned to photograph by Daguerrotype from Augustus Washington in Hartford in the ‘40s and had opened the portrait studio on Tileston Street not long thereafter. Already the war was beginning to brew. He had only ever known the war, he sometimes thought, inasmuch as anyone really knew the war in Boston. His father paid Sirius’s way out of the draft when it came about and his brother was too young and anyway would wind up in Danvers before the year was out.

When the war was over it did not so much feel over. He missed his brother. The broadsheets that had warned free black citizens of kidnap and enslavement slowly disappeared. He saw Timothy O’Sullivan’s photographs from Gettysburg and he saw images from the wreckage of Charleston and he cut them out and kept them in a portfolio out of a morbid fascination. He worked photographing the ladies and gentlemen of Boston, arranging feather boas and overlarge hats. He walked alone on the Rowes Wharf and around the North End smoking his father’s pipe and he walked on the banks of the Charles watching the scullers from out in Cambridge cut through the fog in the early morning.

Possessed at last by a rabid and consuming cold fear nothing would ever change he took the family’s carriage to Lexington and took photographs of the old battlegrounds there. These he sent to his father’s old friend Andrew Humphries, the war hero who had been named the chief of engineers, and as such after the secretary of war ordered the geological survey he was contacted by mail and instructed to meet the phalanx of engineers and cartographers and geologists and botanists, paleontologists, botanists, linguists, and yes, photographers, of which he would not be the only one, at Independence, Missouri in late May 1867, so that they might set out North and Westward along-above the fortieth parallel.

The other photographer was Lupin. He was from York, Pennsylvania and had been amongst the camps and the dead at Gettysburg and Antietam with his camera and Sirius had seen the wet-plate negatives printed in the Globe, and had thought they had been taken by someone very much older. Lupin couldn’t’ve been twenty-five, and he was tall and dressed poorly, thin about the face, and smoked a lot, and he didn’t talk very much at all.

Lupin had been in Independence, Missouri for about two weeks proceeding Sirius’s arrival and at first Sirius had thought him the town lush or an itinerant gambler, until he saw him cleaning glass sheets in preparation for the survey’s departure.

-

Death was in Lupin’s photographs like this animate being almost visible. It walked amongst them… the faces were open, shocked, mouths agape, grotesque pieta flies buzzed in. Still and muddied in the trenches. As though they had seen god. Young, clean faces, dusty boots strewn about in the garden with the bones. Kindling wreckage of artillery. Guns held with the action broken over their chests impotent and flaccid and around them in the pale sepia shadow the grass —

Lupin took the book from him and closed it.

-

He dreamed. They were making love. Lupin tasted like darkroom chemicals. His skin a shattering. Fucking slow, long slow strokes into him in the firelight lanternlight darkness.

He went outside naked for a cigarette and the night air bitter. Ear-ringing unsilence in the moon-black darkness. A wolf somewhere out of range.

Logically he knew that by taking pictures of it they were making it true, they were making it real. They were making it earth that could be touched. They were making it purchasable and divisible by sections or fragments or parcels that could be fenced like farms or ranches or like the sections of blocks down Tileston Street. They were making it printable on broadsheets and copiable by printing press and distributable to every reputable home in the East and they were making manifest whatever imagined landscape they had seen upon closing their eyes since even before they had landed on the beach at Plymouth —

He woke, cold sweat, gasping, alone. What will we do, he thought, what have we done?

-

The stone was carven and marked all over in images and text he could hardly read. The names and the sigils of the dead and the black oilstain of axel grease from wagons daubed and stark against the cold red rock. Lupin was setting up his camera and things and Sirius could smell the nitrate of silver. Above a cloud cut a corner through the sun casting a quick dark shade that threw sharp shadow into the inscriptions and made them seem very like text upon a gravestone.

“Hold on a second, Remus,” he said. He crouched and unfolded his penknife.

“What are you doing?”

He didn’t answer. Eventually Remus came and sat beside him and carefully brushed the dust from the furrows.

S&R — Sept. 1867

“Kind of you,” Remus said. His voice was warm. Sand under his broken fingernails. It won’t last, Sirius didn’t tell him, couldn’t bear to tell him; don’t you see, nothing will.

[cover2covermom]

One of my bookish goals for 2019 was to start writing mini-reviews for all the books I read this year, and leave full reviews for ARCs and review copy books.   This is my first batch of 2019 books!  I did notice that my “mini-reviews” turned out longer than I expected… I guess that’s what happens when you sit down & work on a review right after you finish the book…  Who knew?

*Books included in this mini review batch: The Stone Sky (Broken Earth #3),  The Thief (The Queen’s Theif #1), The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, and Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire

» The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth #3) by N.K. Jemisin

*No spoilers for the 3rd book, but possible mild spoilers for previous books in the series*

THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS… FOR THE LAST TIME.

The Moon will soon return. Whether this heralds the destruction of humankind or something worse will depend on two women.

Essun has inherited the power of Alabaster Tenring. With it, she hopes to find her daughter Nassun and forge a world in which every orogene child can grow up safe.

For Nassun, her mother’s mastery of the Obelisk Gate comes too late. She has seen the evil of the world, and accepted what her mother will not admit: that sometimes what is corrupt cannot be cleansed, only destroyed.

The remarkable conclusion to the post-apocalyptic and highly acclaimed trilogy that began with the multi-award-nominated The Fifth Season.

The Stone Sky was the perfect & heartbreaking conclusion to a series that quickly has become a new favorite.  If you have not started The Broken Earth series, you do not know what you are missing!   Jemisin’s writing is unlike any I’ve ever read.  I mean, she writes part of these books in second person and it works.  How?  No idea.  The series is also very cleverly constructed.

The Broken Earth series is a very unique take on post apocalyptic fiction.  The basic premise is that in the distant future, the earth is prone to environmental collapses which can last months or even years.  During these “seasons” the people on earth are in survival mode.  During this particular season, the earth has split the land causing ash to project into the sky & block out the sun.  Obviously this causes some major issues.  There are beings called orogenes that can manipulate energy & prevent or lessen seismic activity.  While you would think that orogenes would be revered for their abilities, they are in fact feared & hated among most people.  Basically orogenes are powerful beings that can both help humans, but also harm them very easily.  While humans and orogenes struggle to coexist, they are often forced together during seasons for survival needs.

In the first two books, we follow two orogenes,  Essun & her daughter Nassun, along their separate story lines over the course of 2 years.  In The Stone Sky, they will finally reunite.   Both mother and daughter have an agenda, but do they align?  Who will win the battle between these two strong women?  I really enjoyed how Jemisin wrapped up this series.  As a parent, the ending definitely tugged at my heart strings for many reasons.  I like that things were left a bit open-ended and some things were left to the readers imagination.

This series is very dense and I would consider them more challenging reads.  I am not ashamed to admit that aspects about this world were sometimes hard for me to wrap my mind around.  Also, since it is constructed in a very unique way, the story is not exactly linear.  You weave between past and present, and oftentimes this doesn’t exactly become clear until later.  Because of all this, these books took me longer than normal to get through, but the pay off was totally worth it.

I definitely want to read more of N.K. Jeminsin’s works.  Anyone have any recommendations?

» The Thief (The Queen’s Thief #1) by Megan Whalen Turner

The king’s scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king’s prison. The magus is interested only in the thief’s abilities.

What Gen is interested in is anyone’s guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

I was browsing books to see what my next audiobook would be, I came across The Thief.  I had heard good things about this series as a whole.  One of the things that I consistently hear is that the all the sequels are way better than The Thief.  

The premise behind this one is when a king’s adviser enlists the help from a gifted thief to help him steal an ancient artifact.  The Thief is the journey a small group of men take to retrieve this artifact.  Along the way the author begins building the world through the mythology & stories of the gods shared between these men.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the cast of characters.  Gen is not your typical protagonist.  He is proud, ill tempered, and a bit of a putz at times, BUT he is also clever and witty.  I highly enjoyed Gen’s character and his interactions with the others in his travel party.

I would consider The Thief to be “low fantasy,” with very few fantasy elements.   It is also a very slow paced novel.  While it is a journey story, not a lot of action takes place for the majority of the book.  Actually, I was all set to give this book a 3 star rating, but then the ending happened and totally took me by surprise.  The Thief probably has one of the best endings in a book that I’ve read in a while.

I am really looking forward to continuing on with this series.  If this first book is the weakest in the series, I cannot wait to see what the next book has in store for me.

» The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart–he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season’s first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone–but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

While researching “winter books” for a book to suggest for one of my book clubs, I came across The Snow Child.  I felt oddly drawn to this book after reading the book description.  Something was telling me that I needed to read this book.  I am 100% confident that you will see The Snow Child in my top books of 2019 post at the end of the year.

There was so much that I adored about this book: the beautiful writing, the characters, the plot inspired by Russian folklore, the magic realism elements, the frontier setting of 1920s Alaska…

The characters were wonderful.  They each had flaws, but they all felt very real.  It has been a while since I’ve felt this invested in fictional characters.  My heart ached for Jack & Mabel during their struggles, but also rejoiced in their triumphs.   The ups & downs of their relationship & marriage due to the heartache of infertility felt very realistic.  I also adored Esther’s character, she is definitely a new favorite side character.  Esther is one of those characters that is unapologetically herself, and will worm her way into your heart whether you want her there or not..  I enjoyed watching Mabel & Esther’s friendship develop and blossom over the years.

Of course I also have to mention Faina.  If you didn’t know, The Snow Child is inspired by the Russian folktale, Snegurochka.   There are many versions of this folktale, but in the most well known, a elderly couple build a child out of snow and the child comes to life.  Even though Faina is very much a mysterious character throughout The Snow Child, we learn to love her through those that love her best: Jack & Mabel.   Faina’s character & her character arc are absolutely brilliant.

With the 1920s Alaska setting, The Snow Child really is the perfect book to curl up with during the winter months.   Ivey painted a beautiful picture of the harsh & unforgiving terrain.  The Alaskan frontier setting was so well done, that I even enjoyed reading about the monotonous daily living tasks.  I enjoyed reading about the farming, hunting/trapping, and even the food preparations.  Historical context was definitely on point!

Since there is plenty of heartbreak in The Snow Child the overall tone is a bit melancholy.  If you are wanting a uplifting or joyous read, this is not it.  I would put a few content/trigger warnings on this one for infertility, depression, and suicide.

This book would make for the PERFECT winter book club selection!  One of the best aspects of this book, is that two people could read this book, but walk away with two completely different stories… one person could read this book as magic realism, while the other could read it as historical fiction. What do I mean by this?  You are just going to have to read it for yourself 🙂

» Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children No Solicitations No Visitors No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

I know I am in the minority here, but Every Heart a Doorway was just okay for me.  While the concept is brilliant: exploring what happens to the children that come back from their journeys into other worlds, I just could not fully connect to the story or the characters.   I know this book is a novella, coming in at 170 pages, but it was far too short to serve this story.  It made the story seem underdeveloped and abrupt both in regards to the character development and the plot.  Really the author could have added 75 to 100 pages and probably solved this.

A few things I appreciated about Every Heart a Doorway:  I thought the overall concept was brilliant!  I really enjoyed meeting the “children” and learning about what worlds they traveled to.  The logic vs nonsense, and virtue vs. wicked scales was a very interesting concept to me.  I also appreciated that this book included an asexual main character and a transgender secondary character.

This book was definitely on the morbid side and even felt a bit macabre.  Every Heart a Doorway includes a few graphic scenes.  I wouldn’t say it is excessive unless you are sensitive to violence in books.  This was not an issue for me, but it could put off some readers.

My biggest hangup with this book would be *highlight the area between arrows to see spoilers ⇒ the reaction of the students to the murders.  No one really seemed too upset that their classmate was brutally murdered.  Once Sumi was murdered, they all immediately box up her belongings after finding the body?   Also, students are dropping dead, but all they are told is to buddy up & not go anywhere alone?⇐

Every Heart a Doorway gave me Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children vibes.   If you are a fan of that series, you might want to give this one a go.

Despite the fact that I didn’t LOVE this book & it didn’t exactly live up to the hype, I will be giving the second book in the series a go.  Why?  Because these characters & the worlds they’ve traveled to are interesting enough to have piqued my interest.  The next book, Down Among the Sticks and Bones, follows two of the characters from this book BEFORE they came to the home for wayward children.

Have you read any of these books?  If so, what did you think?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

Today I am sharing a batch of #bookreviews on the blog! Have you #read any of these #books? #Review #BookReview #BookBlog #BookBlogger #Reading #Bookworm #Fantasy One of my bookish goals for 2019 was to start writing mini-reviews for all the books I read this year, and leave full reviews for ARCs and review copy books.   

[the-ebon-throne]

Deities and the Origin

Though Eloya has existed for many millennia, the Kindred were not always able to write down their history - this includes their beliefs in the entities that created the world. At an unknown point in time, the rituals and knowledge of the deities was recorded by the people, and through these texts, the modern traditions have originated and taken root in the various societies. Though traditions and exact beliefs vary between the nations, it is universally accepted that eight powerful entities created Eloya and the Kindred, and have since watched over the world from a distance.

No one quite knows how these entities came to exist, but modern day scholars have come up with theories that have gained ground in recent centuries; a deity is simply a mass of pure magical energy that has been bound together to form a sapient being, similar to how the inhabitants of Eloya themselves were created. They reside far beyond the heavens, where the aetherial flow is the strongest and forms an impenetrable barrier between the deities and the Eloyans. Maevira and Gahrisan are figures that do not appear until later in history, and though sources are few and far inbetween, they are considered to be creations of the deities who ascended to the heavens to join them after fulfilling their purpose.

The only proof of their existence is from the very few documents and ancient tablets that speak of events where they have manifested within the mortal realm. These have all taken place during times of great chaos, and it is therefore believed that the deities seek to uphold the balance in Eloya - and if they cannot do so indirectly, they will resort to greater measures.

The Origin

The original version of the Origin, author unknown In the beginning, there was a void, an empty space, save for six beings that existed in this emptiness. They desired a purpose  - They sought to create something, to nurture it and see it grow. With this, they first created a sphere of condensed aether - this became the shell of the world. To protect this from the often chaotic flow of magic surrounding it, they encapsulated it in a barrier, and thus the sky was made. To cast light unto the earth, they created a new, shining sphere; this became the sun, so great in size that no place on the world was cast in shadow.

The land itself was barren, made up of mountains, rocks and sand. They created living plants to decorate the wasteland, but without anything to help them grow, they remained stuck as sprouts. Thus, the life-giving waters were created, running through rivers and below the earth to give energy to what was above. However, with the warmth of the sun, some of these rivers quickly dried out. The steam rose to the skies and became clouds, and though they temporarily blocked out the sun, the deities realized they needed something else. They made the heavens shift, and split the sun into two new spheres. One kept its light, while the other dimmed, thus becoming the sun and moon respectively, ever coursing through the heavens opposite each other. With this, the cycle of day and night was introduced.

With the plants thriving, the deities next sought to create something to take advantage of the fruits the trees bore, and the berries growing upon the bushes. They created beings capable of moving around on their own, imbuing them with the most basic knowledge they needed; their instincts on how to survive in this new world. First came the herbivores, but when they grew too high in numbers, beings that would live by eating them were created - the carnivores. With this, a hierarchy and chain was made within nature. The resourceful animals would survive, while the weak would die and provide sustenance for others. The plants served as food for the herbivores, who in turn provided the carnivores with food.

[xenobicorn]

He told her about the War. He told her how he missed how the stars glittered up in that endless expanse of space. How the sun would rise over Earth and light its waters blue. He told her how the dropships would come down out of the sky like massive birds, their shape casting shadows over the red Martian dust. How Mars had been breathable because they'd started terraforming. How there were two moons. How the light fell dimmer and the shadows blacker. He told her all this, and she turned her eyes skyward and smiled. Detroit's smog blocked all the light of the stars, but she knew they were there. She knew they were there watching over her. Waiting for the day the ship by her design sent pilgrims to a distant star. And he watched her, and everything else that had been important to him prior to this moment — the war, his job — all of that slipped away. He watched her, and she was the universe. --- Heyeyeyeyeye! Here's Inktober the first on the second of October! So a few things. I'm drawing everything by pencil and then inking it coz I want to practice my drawing skills. Second, I'm going to try and base each one off my stories. Concept art basically! Third of all, they might be sloppy sometimes if I rush them (like this one hah), but I'm hoping I can find some time to put some more effort into them. I'm really excited for this!

[djgblogger-blog]

When the sun goes dark: 5 questions answered about the solar eclipse

http://bit.ly/2vJDXDf

NASA's projection of the August 21 solar eclipse. NASA

Editor’s note: A total solar eclipse will be visible across the U.S. on Monday, August 21. Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, explains why and how it happens, and what we can learn from an eclipse.

How do we know when an eclipse is going to happen? How do we know in advance where it will be visible?

Solar eclipses happen when our view of the sun is blocked by the moon. When the moon lines up between the sun and Earth, the moon will cast a shadow onto Earth. This is what we on the ground observe as a solar eclipse.

We know when they’ll happen because over centuries astronomers have measured very precisely the motions of the Earth, moon and sun, including their orbital shapes, how the orbits precess and other parameters. With those data about the moon – and similar information about the Earth’s orbit around the sun – we can make mathematical models of their movements in relation to each other. Using those equations, we can calculate tables of data that can predict what we will see on Earth, depending on location, during an eclipse as well as when they will happen and how long they last. (The next major solar eclipses over the U.S. will be in 2023 and 2024.)

The path of the eclipse on August 21. NASA

How often do eclipses happen?

A solar eclipse happens, on average, a couple times a year. The moon passes between the Earth and sun every 29 days, a time we call the “new moon” – when the moon is not visible in Earth’s nighttime sky. However, the moon’s orbit and the sun’s path in our sky don’t match up exactly, so at most of those new moon events, the moon appears above or below the sun.

The blue line shows the ecliptic, the path the sun appears to take in our sky as viewed from Earth. The white line shows the moon’s orbit. For eclipses to happen, both the sun and the moon need to be within the area marked with yellow brackets. John French, Abrams Planetarium, CC BY-ND

Twice a year, though, there is a period where the moon and the sun line up with Earth – astronomers call this an eclipse season. It lasts about 34 days, long enough for the moon to complete a full orbit (and then some) of the Earth. During each eclipse season, there are at least two eclipses visible from some parts of the Earth. At the full moon, there will be a lunar eclipse, when the moon passes directly behind the Earth, resulting in a darker, reddish-colored moon. And at the new moon, there will be a solar eclipse, when the sun is blocked by the moon.

Can we learn anything from eclipse events, or are they really just oddities that happen in nature?

We can definitely learn things from eclipses. The outermost layer of the sun, known as the corona, is difficult to study because it’s less bright than the rest of the sun – so we have trouble seeing it amid the rest of the sun’s brightness.

During an eclipse the sun’s corona becomes visible to observers on Earth. NASA

When the moon blocks the sun, we can see the corona, the famous visual of the halo of light around the dark disk of the moon. Currently astronomers study this by creating an artificial eclipse with a mask built into special instruments on telescopes called coronagraphs. This is great, but doesn’t allow the best pictures. Eclipses give scientists opportunities to get more data to study the corona in depth.

We can also learn about Earth itself. In an area affected by an eclipse, the darkening of the sun leads to a sudden drop in temperature. NASA-funded studies during this eclipse will look at the effects from the eclipse on our atmosphere as well as what happens on land. Previous studies observed animal behavior during an eclipse in 2001 and noted some animals went through their night routines as the sun disappeared while others became nervous.

And we can learn about the whole universe. Less than 100 years ago, an eclipse proved a prediction Albert Einstein had made about gravity. That success helped make him a household name. In his general theory of relativity, Einstein had predicted that gravity could bend the path of light. The effect he predicted was very slight, so it would best be viewed as the light passed a very large celestial body as part of its travels across a very long distance of space.

Sir Arthur Eddington, an astronomer who helped further the study of general relativity and whose work is a major piece of our modern understanding of stars and black holes, used the darkness provided by a solar eclipse to look at the position of the stars’ light during the day, when it passed the sun. He then compared those positions to their known positions at night. He saw that the gravity of the sun had bent the path – exactly as, and in the precise amount that, Einstein had predicted.

How weird is it that the moon can basically exactly block out the sun?

It is very unusual that the moon and the sun just happen to be at the right distances and sizes to appear to have the same size in our sky. This allows the moon to perfectly block the sun’s disk, while also showing us the corona. Venus and Mercury, for instance, can also pass in front of the sun from our perspective. However, they appear as small specks moving across the sun.

Venus appears as a small dot in the upper left as it passes between the sun and Earth in 2012. NASA

What would someone standing on the moon see happen on Earth? Would Earth get dark?

If you were on the moon, you would be able to see the effects of the solar eclipse on Earth only if you were standing on the moon’s night side, the side facing the Earth. You would see a round shadow cast onto the Earth. This particular eclipse will first hit the Pacific Ocean, then move into Oregon, cross the U.S. to South Carolina and end in the Atlantic Ocean. This path the shadow takes is called the path of totality.

Shannon Schmoll does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.

[kansascityhappenings]

Joe’s Solar Eclipse Blog: It’ll be EPIC(!!!)…we hope…[part 1]

Well it’s getting to the point that you can’t check the internet…or watch the news without hearing something about the eclipse…which is a good thing for us from Downtown KC (more on that specific location at the end of the blog) northwards especially. This really is going to be a once in a lifetime event. The problem with “once in a lifetime events” is that sometimes things can go “poof” on you…and what will create that “poof”…clouds (lots of them) and or rain. I’m writing this 9 days before the eclipse actually happens and I’m seeing meteorologists who should know better actually try and forecast the weather for a 5 minute to 2 hour period 9 days out…that’s a joke. There is little to no skill in forecasting that type of scenario. Sure I could say there may be “clouds around”…so what else is new? That though is an aside…the forecasts will get better a few days before the eclipse and hopefully, depending on the weather pattern that sets up, we should have a good idea the day beforehand. In reality though…if we can get a return back to more “typical” August weather…I like our chances…

That’s not why I started this blog…what I want to do with this blog is create something that you can easily share with your friends…relatives…students (hello teachers) and family about some of the basics that A) you may have forgotten from school and B) that you may not have thought about. So let’s get started…

1)  What is a total solar eclipse? That really should be a starting point right. There are different types of eclipses…lunar…annular…partial and total. Total solar eclipses happen virtually every year or so. To have one though come across your community though is a rare thing indeed. The last one for KC was back in 1806 I believe. Totality lasted for over 4 minutes in KC! Here is a map showing the 1806 path…

THIS IS FROM 1806!!!

So IF you miss this one…when is the next one…well it’s going to be a while…and I guarantee you WON’T see it…odds are your children won’t either. There is another one that will just barely graze KC…that will be in July of 2205!

Our next TOTAL solar eclipse will barely graze the northside of the KC Metro area…in 2205!

So I’m proving my point to you…total solar eclipses are rare for any one point in the world!

Again though what is a total solar eclipse?

Basically it occurs because of several factors that have to line up perfectly. I think we know about the sun already…it’s some 93 million miles from the earth. The earth orbits around the sun. In addition to that, about 240,000 miles away the moon orbits around the earth.

  Every so often, about every 18 months…the moon’s orbit get’s right between the earth and the sun in a perfect arrangement that a total solar eclipse can occur. Basically the sun’s light hits the far side of the moon…then a shadow is cast to the surface of the earth…where that shadow is maximized, in the case of the one coming on 8/21…you get a total solar eclipse. Keeping in mind that the earth’s orbit fluctuates and the moon’s orbit has slight variations every year…it takes a small miracle to get one in your community. Lo’ and behold though here we go.

2) Are there different eclipses? Yes! There is a lunar eclipse…when the earth blocks out the sun’s light and casts a shadow on the moon…there are partial solar eclipses…when part of the moon blocks out the light hitting the earth’s surface and then there is something called an annular eclipse. This occurs when the moon blocks out most of the sun’s light because the moon appears smaller than the sun.

via wikipedia

Again this though will be a TOTAL solar eclipse.

3) So IF I’m not in the path of TOTALITY…it will still be neat right? Well yes…and a bit now though. In a total solar eclipse TOTALITY means EVERYTHING. Areas just south of downtown KC will experience a partial eclipse. While more than 99% of the sun will be blocked…it’s NOT TOTAL. So yes…very cool but…

4) What’s the big deal about TOTALITY? I can’t stress this enough…some say it’s almost life changing…to see something that odds are you may never see again. From a safety standpoint…more on this later…it’s the ONLY time you can TAKE OFF the filtered glasses and watch what happens. From mere seconds to over 2 minutes and 35 seconds (depending on where you are in the area) you may see something like this…

That is the “money shot”. You get to see the sun’s corona…you may get to see some of the “prominences”. These are solar gases/filaments that erupt from the sun’s surface and typically loop back around. The material of a prominence is called plasma and because of magnetic fields on the sun…the appear tangled and twisted. IF you get to witness that (again ONLY without the filtered glasses) you’ll NEVER see that again in person probably…that’s the KEY about TOTALITY!

5) So that’s great…who are the lucky ones to have at least a chance to see something like this? Here is a NASA map showing the area that gets TOTALITY

The times represent the approximate time of totality…the lines within the shadow represent the length of time of TOTALITY. Notice metro KC is bisected really.

One other IMPORTANT note. There is a matter of the sun’s precise size as this moment approaches a particular area. This is where things get a bit messy perhaps for the far southern and northern edge (literally the apprx. 1 mile edge or so of this TOTALITY). The sun is never in a steady state…it’s constantly and subtly growing and shrinking. Not a lot mind you…but enough that some astronomers are saying that the far edge of TOTALITY could easily be OFF by 1/2 mile or so. With the far southern edge coming right into the Downtown KC area that is not good. We won’t know till it happens or not though for downtown KC.

Here is a map and it shows that IF the NASA track is off by just a small amount…1/2 mile-2 miles…parts of Downtown may just BARELY miss out.

The darker shading represents the area of TOTALITY. Again is there is a small and subtle change in the sun’s size at this time…totality may skirt a bit farther north

6) So how can I guarantee I see something amazing? Drive north into Platte County…or really north of the MO River…if you can go 5-10 miles farther north of the EDGE of the map above…good for you. Assuming the cloud cooperate of course.

OK that’s it for part 1…more to come as we get closer to the blog day.

Joe

    from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2017/08/12/joes-solar-eclipse-blog-itll-be-epic-we-hope-part-1/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2017/08/12/joes-solar-eclipse-blog-itll-be-epicwe-hopepart-1/