#how only when the particle is observed/interacted with does it 'settle' to be in one of its potential states! it's interesting as fuck!
Text
@perditos / cont from. ↷
❝ It’s not really about a cat; it’s an early human analogy for... something in quantum mechanics... Wait, Garrus, do you know what cats are? ❞
#perditos#'something in quantum mechanics' SHEPARD MUST YOU WOUND ME THIS WAY?????????#it's an analogy for quantum superposition! why are you not interested in this shepard#it's about how unintuitive superposition is! how on a subatomic level particles exist in potential rather than one set reality!#how only when the particle is observed/interacted with does it 'settle' to be in one of its potential states! it's interesting as fuck!#wren vc: eh. i don't need to personally understand quantum physics to be able to enjoy the practical use of it on my ship#SHEPARD PLEASE#HOW DID YOU COME FROM ME#MINE OWN LOINS AND YOU DARE BE UNINTERESTED IN QUANTUM SUPERPOSITION!#ok maybe i'm both overreacting a little and exaggerating birthing wren as an oc a little#anyway she about to drag garrus to watch some cat vids on the extranet#; only mostly dead ❪ verse / second game. ❫#; perditos / garrus / 003
2 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Is dark matter real, or have we misunderstood gravity? In the centre of the image the elliptical galaxy NGC5982, and to the right the spiral galaxy NGC5985. These two types of galaxies turn out to behave very differently when it comes to the extra gravity – and therefore possibly the dark matter – in their outer regions. Credit: Bart Delsaert (www.delsaert.com) For many years now, astronomers and physicists have been in a conflict. Is the mysterious dark matter that we observe deep in the Universe real, or is what we see the result of subtle deviations from the laws of gravity as we know them? In 2016, Dutch physicist Erik Verlinde proposed a theory of the second kind: emergent gravity. New research, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics this week, pushes the limits of dark matter observations to the unknown outer regions of galaxies, and in doing so re-evaluates several dark matter models and alternative theories of gravity. Measurements of the gravity of 259,000 isolated galaxies show a very close relation between the contributions of dark matter and those of ordinary matter, as predicted in Verlinde's theory of emergent gravity and an alternative model called Modified Newtonian Dynamics. However, the results also appear to agree with a computer simulation of the Universe that assumes that dark matter is 'real stuff'. The new research was carried out by an international team of astronomers, led by Margot Brouwer (RUG and UvA). Further important roles were played by Kyle Oman (RUG and Durham University) and Edwin Valentijn (RUG). In 2016, Brouwer also performed a first test of Verlinde's ideas; this time, Verlinde himself also joined the research team. Matter or gravity? So far, dark matter has never been observed directly—hence the name. What astronomers observe in the night sky are the consequences of matter that is potentially present: bending of starlight, stars that move faster than expected, and even effects on the motion of entire galaxies. Without a doubt all of these effects are caused by gravity, but the question is: are we truly observing additional gravity, caused by invisible matter, or are the laws of gravity themselves the thing that we haven't fully understood yet? To answer this question, the new research uses a similar method to the one used in the original test in 2016. Brouwer and her colleagues make use of an ongoing series of photographic measurements that started ten years ago: the KiloDegree Survey (KiDS), performed using ESO's VLT Survey Telescope in Chili. In these observations one measures how starlight from far away galaxies is bent by gravity on its way to our telescopes. Whereas in 2016 the measurements of such 'lens effects' only covered an area of about 180 square degrees on the night sky, in the mean time this has been extended to about 1000 square degrees—allowing the researchers to measure the distribution of gravity in around a million different galaxies. Comparative testing Brouwer and her colleagues selected over 259,000 isolated galaxies, for which they were able to measure the so-called 'Radial Acceleration Relation' (RAR). This RAR compares the amount of gravity expected based on the visible matter in the galaxy, to the amount of gravity that is actually present—in other words: the result shows how much 'extra' gravity there is, in addition to that due to normal matter. Until now, the amount of extra gravity had only been determined in the outer regions of galaxies by observing the motions of stars, and in a region about five times larger by measuring the rotational velocity of cold gas. Using the lensing effects of gravity, the researchers were now able to determine the RAR at gravitational strengths which were one hundred times smaller, allowing them to penetrate much deeper into the regions far outside the individual galaxies. This made it possible to measure the extra gravity extremely precisely—but is this gravity the result of invisible dark matter, or do we need to improve our understanding of gravity itself? Author Kyle Oman indicates that the assumption of 'real stuff' at least partially appears to work: "In our research, we compare the measurements to four different theoretical models: two that assume the existence of dark matter and form the base of computer simulations of our universe, and two that modify the laws of gravity—Erik Verlinde's model of emergent gravity and the so-called 'Modified Newtonian Dynamics' or MOND. One of the two dark matter simulations, MICE, makes predictions that match our measurements very nicely. It came as a surprise to us that the other simulation, BAHAMAS, led to very different predictions. That the predictions of the two models differed at all was already surprising, since the models are so similar. But moreover, we would have expected that if a difference would show up, BAHAMAS was going to perform best. BAHAMAS is a much more detailed model than MICE, approaching our current understanding of how galaxies form in a universe with dark matter much closer. Still, MICE performs better if we compare its predictions to our measurements. In the future, based on our findings, we want to further investigate what causes the differences between the simulations." Young and old galaxies Thus it seems that, at least one dark matter model does appear to work. However, the alternative models of gravity also predict the measured RAR. A standoff, it seems—so how do we find out which model is correct? Margot Brouwer, who led the research team, continues: "Based on our tests, our original conclusion was that the two alternative gravity models and MICE matched the observations reasonably well. However, the most exciting part was yet to come: because we had access to over 259,000 galaxies, we could divide them into several types—relatively young, blue spiral galaxies versus relatively old, red elliptical galaxies." Those two types of galaxies come about in very different ways: red elliptical galaxies form when different galaxies interact, for example when two blue spiral galaxies pass by each other closely, or even collide. As a result, the expectation within the particle theory of dark matter is that the ratio between regular and dark matter in the different types of galaxies can vary. Models such as Verlinde's theory and MOND on the other hand do not make use of dark matter particles, and therefore predict a fixed ratio between the expected and measured gravity in the two types of galaxies—that is, independent of their type. Brouwer: "We discovered that the RARs for the two types of galaxies differed significantly. That would be a strong hint towards the existence of dark matter as a particle." However, there is a caveat: gas. Many galaxies are probably surrounded by a diffuse cloud of hot gas, which is very difficult to observe. If it were the case that there is hardly any gas around young blue spiral galaxies, but that old red elliptical galaxies live in a large cloud of gas—of roughly the same mass as the stars themselves—then that could explain the difference in the RAR between the two types. To reach a final judgement on the measured difference, one would therefore also need to measure the amounts of diffuse gas—and this is exactly what is not possible using the KiDS telescopes. Other measurements have been done for a small group of around one hundred galaxies, and these measurements indeed found more gas around elliptical galaxies, but it is still unclear how representative those measurements are for the 259,000 galaxies that were studied in the current research. Dark matter for the win? If it turns out that extra gas cannot explain the difference between the two types of galaxies, then the results of the measurements are easier to understand in terms of dark matter particles than in terms of alternative models of gravity. But even then, the matter is not settled yet. While the measured differences are hard to explain using MOND, Erik Verlinde still sees a way out for his own model. Verlinde: "My current model only applies to static, isolated, spherical galaxies, so it cannot be expected to distinguish the different types of galaxies. I view these results as a challenge and inspiration to develop an asymmetric, dynamical version of my theory, in which galaxies with a different shape and history can have a different amount of 'apparent dark matter'." Therefore, even after the new measurements, the dispute between dark matter and alternative gravity theories is not settled yet. Still, the new results are a major step forward: if the measured difference in gravity between the two types of galaxies is correct, then the ultimate model, whichever one that is, will have to be precise enough to explain this difference. This means in particular that many existing models can be discarded, which considerably thins out the landscape of possible explanations. On top of that, the new research shows that systematic measurements of the hot gas around galaxies are necessary. Edwin Valentijn formulates is as follows: "As observational astronomers, we have reached the point where we are able to measure the extra gravity around galaxies more precisely than we can measure the amount of visible matter. The counterintuitive conclusion is that we must first measure the presence of ordinary matter in the form of hot gas around galaxies, before future telescopes such as Euclid can finally solve the mystery of dark matter." TOP IMAGE....In the centre of the image the elliptical galaxy NGC5982, and to the right the spiral galaxy NGC5985. These two types of galaxies turn out to behave very differently when it comes to the extra gravity – and therefore possibly the dark matter – in their outer regions. Credit: Bart Delsaert LOWER IMAGE....A plot showing the Radial Acceleration Relation (RAR). The background is an image of the elliptical galaxy M87, showing the distance to the centre of the galaxy. The plot shows how the measurements range from high gravitational acceleration in the centre of the galaxy, to low gravitational acceleration in the far outer regions. Credit: Chris Mihos (Case Western Reserve University) / ESO
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Walls - 6th chapter “Contact”
Words: 8,9k
Warnings/tags: canon-typical violence, slight angst
I hope you enjoy! 🌹
“I think we should split into two groups.”
“And cover more ground. Good idea.”
Cara only heard little of what the men in the front of the van were talking about. She was much more fascinated by watching Nico work on Nero’s prosthetic arms - the Devil Breakers as she called them.
“So, are those made out of demon parts?” Cara asked and pointed to the horn of Goliath which was splitted up into tiny pieces, some were even crushed into powder.
Nico turned around to her, a grin spread out on her face.
“Only to an extent,” she stated and lifted the Devil Breaker she was working on right now, “you see, if I build parts of it into the arm it will be capable of utilizing its demonic energy. A masterpiece, don’t you think?”
“It is impressive for sure,” Cara said smiling. Also it was nice to see how excited Nico got when she was talking about her work. What the young woman created in the back of the van was remarkable. Building prosthetic arms that could be used by Nero in battle, which were also capable of powerful attacks fueled by demonic energy. Cara had no idea how and what exactly Nico did, but it was fascinating to watch.
“It’s truly a work of art!” Nico exclaimed raising the new arm and examining it from all the angles.
“Woohoo, so you’re an artist now, hu?!” Griffon chimed in chuckling.
“Yes, I am! Got any questions, little chicken?”
The demonic bird flinched back, a few blue feathers flying through the air in the process. Cara only caught a short glimpse of V looking over his shoulder at them, a small smirk on his face before he turned his attention back to Nero.
“My grandmother was called the ‘.45 Caliber Virtuoso’... legendary gunsmith. I hope to be like her someday. An artist, and a lethal artisan. Everything I create is art, whether it’s a gun… Or a steel pot... to cook birds in. Anymore questions, hu? Little chickee.”
Astoundingly enough Griffon actually did not say a single word as a reply, but Cara was more fascinated by the gun that hung framed on the wall, which apparently was made by Nico’s grandmother. But she assumed this interest and passion in something this specific had got to come from somewhere.
“Hey tough guy, you better treat this one better than the other.” Nico told Nero who turned around in the passenger seat.
“Yeah, well, your quality control sucks ass. Otherwise this wouldn’t be an issue.”
“Well how about you don’t let the demons smack you around so much?!”
“Whatever. What does this do?”
“The propellant injection device is based on the combustion mechanism in that numbskull's demon tummy. It's basically a rocket-powered punch, but I bet a show-off like you could go along for the ride if ya like.”
“Nice.”
Griffon chuckled, and a smile also tugged at the corners of Cara’s lips. She still didn’t know the relationship between these two. Were they related? Were they working colleagues? Friends? It was hard to tell by how they were interacting. Nonetheless, Cara appreciated that they were so open and honest with her around. From what she could tell V kept mostly to himself, but she was the biggest stranger in this group yet. But Nico and Nero didn’t seem to behave any different just because she was there now.
The woman looked up in question as she only picked up her name.
“Sorry?”
“I said we’re gonna split up. Nico and I will be a group and you’ll go with V.” Nero told her again.
Cara had to admit that the prospect of accompanying V some more was an intriguing and rather compelling thought. Maybe she could also figure out a bit more about the mysterious man and his demonic companions. Though, it was also futile to deny that she couldn’t exactly call his presence unpleasant. She recalled the moment of their little teasing in the ruins yesterday in way too much detail; especially how his deep green eyes stared at her, observing her, analyzing her…
“I’ll take my leave now.” V finally said and rose from the seat. Cara watched as Griffon dissolved into a whirl of feathers and black particles which seeked refuge on V’s skin, his tattoos reappearing; mostly on his arm as Cara noticed.
“I guess that’s my cue then as well,” Cara said, shouldering her backpack, adjusting her open jacket again and followed the tattooed man outside of the van.
“Hey, Cara, honey! You have a phone, right?!” Nico called after her. The woman turned around, not minding the pet name and pulled out her cell phone from her backpack.
“Good!” Nico said, leaning out of the van’s window, “call me if you need my help!”
“Great, thanks!” Cara made a waving gesture and smiled before she turned around, following after V who was a few steps ahead of her but has stopped walking when Nico called her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“So, V, you think this kid can kill Urizen?”
“One can only hope.”
He was not nearly as confident as the sound of his voice made it seem. The thought of Nero confronting Urizen again filled his soul with dread, it crawled underneath his skin and held his mind in an icy hold. There was not a flicker of light granting him a warming glimpse of hope. Urizen was too strong, and his powers grew with every soul, with every amount of human blood that was sacrificed.
The entrance to the tunnel behind them collapsed, startling the woman behind him a bit.
“But for now we have more… pressing engagement,” he said, one corner of his lips twitching upwards. He walked on ahead, only turning his head around to see if Griffon was still there, still following him.
At the end of the tunnel they were greeted by Empusas and one Hell Antenora demon.
He smirked while Griffon landed on his outstretched arm; his wings bursting with crackling electricity, an eagerness to dive into battle shining in every one of his blue feathers, an ambition burning in his yellow eyes unrivaled by any other living being still residing in this city.
Shadow rose from the depths of the ink covering his skin, emerging in front of him from a pool of pitch black ink and a cloud of black smoke; she growled, the sound carrying fierceness and raw strength across the battlefield, her crimson glowing markings equaling his own and a constant proof and symbol of their lives being bound.
He smirked as he tilted his head, watching his companions out of green gleaming eyes. His smirk did not even falter when the woman stepped into his peripheral vision, her own weapon in hands. There was a sense of determination all over her, the same conviction he felt from her in the tree and he knew that he would not need to think about her while in battle; she was capable on her own.
“Go.” Was all he said and Griffon and Shadow charged at the demons.
Bolts of lightning filled the battlefield, crackling through the air and burning the demons with pure electric energy, while a whirl of constantly transforming black fur pierced through the demon’s skin like paper. In this moment they were weapons, the means for him to end those demon’s pathetic lives and to send them straight back into hell.
Satisfaction settled in his green eyes as he heard the pleasing sound of his cane digging into the Empusa’s skull, destroying its brain and causing it to disintegrate in front of his very eyes.
He caught a glimpse of the woman fighting the Hell Antenora. While he had no time to watch and focus on her, he did see how she twisted her body around to evade its attack, before she used the dumpster close to a wall to gain the upper ground. It was one fluent movement; she climbed on the dumpster with one step, jumped down from it, her weapon over her shoulder and slashed the demon’s throat with one solid swing. She rolled on the ground to quickly gather herself before continuing attacking the other demons.
He was impressed. For a human that was admirable. More than he could pull off on his own.
And it also made him realize that the moment in the Qliphoth, when he had to save her from a demon she didn’t see coming, has been a foolish mistake and not a common experience for her.
It only took mere minutes until the battlefield turned silent again.
No more demons left. Just Griffon’s chuckle at their victory reverberated through the narrow street they were in.
Shadow and Griffon both returned to him, once more retreating into their respective tattoos on his skin. V knew they felt his approval, felt them show their signs of recognition and gratitude like a soft breeze carried through his body and soul.
He knew the woman watched him, watched how his familiars vanished in strands of fur and bunch of feathers, mixed with black particles that reappeared on his skin. But she didn’t say anything, although V could almost hear the question that was burning on the tip of her tongue, which she held back for what reason he could only assume; she didn’t expect an answer from him.
There was a mutual feel of mistrust in the air between them. He did not trust other people, and he even more so did not allow people to see beneath the layers of confidence and pride he pulled up around him. His heart and soul had too much to bear, too much he would not share with another human being; he was alone in this, would always be.
She did not trust him because she saw right through him. She knew that what he showed her, the glimpses she caught of him were just an outer layer albeit not pretentious. She was aware he knew more about the situation at hand, which he did not tell her. He truly did not give her any reason to trust him.
“Are those the roots we need to destroy?” she asked him once they reached a staging area of the Qliphoth roots. A giant knot of pulsing blood vessels, surrounded by dark grey demonic roots, tendrils and spikes protecting the source of the Qliphoth strength.
“A small one, but yes, indeed,” he replied and with a sound of effort breaking from his lips did he stab his cane right into the knot of blood cells. There were much bigger roots all over the city, looking almost like miniature versions of the Qliphoth, but every single one counted.
If they wanted to have a chance at success they needed to get rid of every single one of them.
The blood turned brown right after he pulled his cane out of it again, the root drying up and dissolving into dust within a matter of seconds. Nothing really happened to their environment as a result but it still brought them one minor success: the Qliphoth wouldn’t get any more blood sacrifices through this one.
“Do we have a destination or is the plan just to roam the city trying to find as many of these roots as possible?” the woman asked after fighting off another small wave of Empusa demons. There was the hint of a judgemental tone in her voice but it was overshadowed by a genuine interest.
He didn’t stop walking as they were now reaching a damaged bridge which was leading across the flooded part of the city. He raised his cane, pointing to a building ahead of them. He wasn’t sure if she could see it. There were a few moving tendrils sticking out of the destroyed roof of that building, but it was this kind of root closest to them, so they would take care of this one while Nero took down another.
“This is still quite a way to go,” it was just an observation, no judgement in her voice in that statement. He agreed.
“We’ll probably get the chance to exterminating more roots along the way. Like this one,” he once more used his cane to point towards a smaller root like the previous one.
Shadow was at his side immediately. She purred quietly, brushing along his hands as she circled him, waiting for a command or a word from V. He let his fingers slide through her fur as she brushed along his skin, before sending her forward to get rid of the roots.
“Wait, V.”
He told Shadow to halt her attack, listened to the woman’s voice calling out to him, though his brows furrowed as he looked over at her. She was at the side of the bridge, leaning over the railing of the bridge.
“This bridge will collapse if we destroy that root,” she said pointing downwards where the tendrils of the root went across the bridge and disappeared from his sight. They probably were wrapped around the pillars of it. He didn’t voice it, but it was quick thinking from her. While he could avoid getting injured with his familiar’s help, if the bridge did collapse, she probably couldn’t.
“Then you go up ahead,” he nodded towards the other side of the bridge. She looked at him for a bit, staring at him out of deep blue eyes, trying to analyze what was going through his mind right now.
But she listened to him.
It actually surprised him a bit. She didn’t say anything else, didn’t question him, instead trusted his decision and just nodded once and made her way towards the other side of the bridge, even running as to not waste any more time.
Once she was away from the bridge he sent Shadow at the root again, making her slice through the blood vessels with her claws, all the while Griffon appeared close behind him, ready to interfere should something happen to the bridge.
He felt the shaking of the brickwork before he heard it. It happened in the blink of an eye. The roots turned into dust, no longer supporting the unstable bridge - just as she said before - the stone and bricks crumbled, falling with rumbling noises into the water down below.
V was grateful for his familiar’s quick reflexes. Shadow jumped, easily reaching the other side of the bridge, while Griffon hooked his claws into V’s bracelet on his raised arm and carried the summoner away from the collapsing bridge.
“Did you see that, sweetie?! Pretty amazing, don’t you agree?!” Griffon exclaimed, as he let go of V near the woman again.
“Since you’re a bird it must’ve been really hard to actually use your wings.”
V smirked at her remark, but he did see that she was affected by the previous scene. Maybe she wasn’t impressed, her posture and gaze didn’t seem so, maybe she appreciated him sending her away beforehand or his teamwork with his familiars; ultimately he couldn’t know, but he knew she wasn’t as nonchalant about it as she made it seem.
“Well, maybe you should hope I won’t forget how to use them, if you need them eventually,” Griffon countered.
“We’ll see about that.”
“Oh, we will.” Griffon chuckled. V didn’t say anything. The discussion was over with Griffon’s statement but V knew that a threat by Griffon was at least empty if it was directed at people on the same team as V. He wouldn’t let someone get hurt or die if it would lead to putting more pressure and strain on V’s exhausted bones.
Shadow let her slide her hand along the fur of her head as before on the church square - which still caught him by surprise - before she padded over to him and retreated back into her tattoos.
“Let’s go.” V said.
“Yeah.”
V has already walked most of the streets in Red Grave City countless times within the last four weeks; eradicating demons and exterminating Qliphoth roots, although a lot of these huge roots have only grown very recently. But he knew his way along the destroyed buildings, through the ruined streets, to find the way to his destination.
He almost flinched back when a warmth settled upon his arm.
The touch was fleeting, just a brief caress of her hand on his skin to gain his attention without having to speak up for it.
He followed her hand with his eyes as she withdrew it, silently pointing to a side street at which end another root was visible, but also a Behemoth was lurking there. She looked at him in question, nothing in her blue eyes hinted at her thoughts still lingering on that gesture and he prayed there was nothing in his own eyes as he nodded, wordlessly agreeing on taking the Behemoth down.
The touch of another human being… how much time has passed since that was a sensation he had felt? Since he sought out that gesture, that caress of attention? Since it was not meant to make him flinch and hinder him in his path? He could not deny how his ribcage squeezed his heart in a painful embrace as his mind could only recall the touch from his mother of when he was nothing but a child.
The touch on his skin still lingered, felt like a burning imprint on his inked body, long after it ended as they quietly approached the Behemoth as to not alert it to their presence.
Griffon flew silently above them until it was above the Behemoth, ready to attack, while Shadow slid beneath the ground. A Behemoth was dangerous, one hit and V met his end, but with very precisely aimed attacks while it still didn’t know opponents were there, and it was beatable within mere moments despite its heavy armor.
The attacks were launched at once. Bolts of lightning charged with demonic energy and a precision unrivaled into the demon below Griffon, while Shadow leaped from the ground, morphing into a spinning blade and stroke the Behemoth head-on.
V watched as the demon’s armor broke apart instantly, its giant two tongues unfurling and falling onto the ground. His familiars did not cease their attacks, they couldn’t allow themselves too. They needed to bring this eyesore down as fast as their skills allowed.
“Exterminate the roots,” he told the woman. He assumed she could come up with something to get rid of the Behemoth. However, just letting Shadow and Griffon handle this was more effective right now if they did not have to be cautious not to hurt her in the process.
She nodded and he looked after her for a moment as she went ahead before he turned his attention back on the demon.
He slid along the ground with Shadow’s help to evade the Behemoth lashing out at him with his tongue, but it was distracted by Griffon unleashing electric strikes across the area. The lightning fueled by demonic power stroke the giant demon, digging right through its thick, unprotected skin and leaving behind the stench of rotten flesh.
And when the Behemoth finally emitted that faint purple glow V threw his cane.
He used the very little demonic energy he could utilize with the cane to teleport to the creature’s back. His cane dug easily into the demon’s skull, although it started to wriggle and fight against his upcoming doom.
“Resist all you want.” V said, focused on his cane digging deeper into the Behemoth’s head, focused on not losing his balance on top of it until he heard that all too familiar sound of demon bones cracking and giving in. He allowed the sense of satisfaction as yet another obnoxious creature was sent back to hell, dissolving into goo and blood and leaving only the smell of death behind.
Shadow and Griffon both returned to him, Shadow’s markings on his body reappearing, Griffon staying with him, when the woman joined him again; the roots long gone and vanished.
“Such vile things,” she commented, looking at the pool of blood on the ground.
“Those are even feared by their own kind.” V told her. She nodded.
“Apparently they’re also cannibalistic.”
V did not know how she knew that or that what he just said was seemingly nothing new to her, but he assumed there was a reason for a simple human like her being a demon hunter and strategic expert and surviving this long. Knowing about the enemies one was fighting was doubtlessly a necessity.
“You bet they are!” Griffon chimed in, “that’s why over time the restraints on their bodies got heavier. They kept breaking through the armor all the damn time. That’s one species no one would miss,” the demon bird complained. V smirked. He knew Griffon has had more than one confrontation with these demons in the past long before they met.
“We should go.” V said, throwing up his cane and catching it again to walk away from the side street they were still on.
“V,” she said from behind him, and for a moment there was tension settling over his body, anticipation as much as dread, that she would touch him again to gain his attention. He did not understand why he tensed so much.
She did no such thing however.
“Shouldn’t we consider taking a break? I assume more demons are waiting for us, especially when we reach that bigger root. I… don’t know if we can go on for this long without some rest.”
“A break may not be the worst idea our soldier girl had.”
V had to admit that they had a point. His soul and body weren’t resilient like Shadow’s and Griffon’s were. Effort and movement took a much faster toll on him than he would like. Despite being granted these powers of having these demons fight at his side it did nothing to enhance his capabilities as a human.
In fact, he felt the weight of the battles and the constant walking in his feet, he felt his shoulders slumping after each time he had to raise his cane…
He had a mission to see through. They did not have that much time. But he could not deny that he needed a break at some point too. Just as they could not proceed in the darkness of night they could not walk on an entire day without rest.
He closed his eyes and nodded wordlessly at the both of them.
“Let me call Nico. Maybe she can supply us,” the woman already took out her mobile phone and dialed the number. V did not say anything, instead he walked on until they reached a tiny square and lowered himself onto a wooden box. He felt the gratitude of his bones and muscles immediately, as if every nerve in his body gained the ability to breathe and sighed in relief.
The woman did in fact arrive with the van in a matter of mere minutes, driving over anything in her path without caring for the vehicle’s condition. V considered it to be foolish but her driving skills were still admirable. He did not have a license himself but he still knew not everyone would handle driving in a demon-infested city like this.
“Hey guys!” the woman exclaimed through the open window waving at them. Griffon chuckled.
“Be right back.”
“Our soldier girl has important business to tend to I assume?” Griffon laughed, and V allowed the slight upward curve of his mouth. The woman also didn’t seem to take any offense to his statement.
“Just you wait,” she even winked at Griffon, and while it did silence the demon, V wondered why she seemed to be in such an uplifted mood now of all times.
A hand appeared in his peripheral vision after a while.
He followed the hand up the arm until his eyes met her blue ones. She was smiling at him, a softness on her features that didn’t speak of the gravity of their situation. He wished that attitude was able to break through the walls around his soul to grant him a slightly more optimistic outlook on this endeavor.
She held a sandwich in her hand, offering it to him.
He took it, a wondering glance in his eyes as he stared at the bread in his hands.
“Oohoo, did you make that?” Griffon leaned forwards and looked first over V’s shoulder and then at the woman. She nodded.
“Yeah. Sorry, buddy, I wasn’t really sure about your diet. If you want there’s still some left in the van.”
“I surely wouldn’t mind some human flesh right now.” V looked at Griffon with one eyebrow pulled up. The demon laughed, shaking his feathers.
“Don’t worry, sweetie, whatever V eats also sustains us just fine.” Griffon explained then before his yellow eyes bore into V’s, wordlessly telling him he should better eat that bread.
The truth was that he really wasn’t very hungry. His appetite usually was very low, shoved into the back of his mind so he could focus on the tasks at hand without any distraction. But he figured that he really should eat something, and she took the time to prepare this despite them being in a hurry, despite them facing the eventual apocalypse. Also V can hardly recall the last time someone prepared food for him.
He thanked her, noticed her appreciative smile, and took a bite. His palate was anything but defined, but even he could distinguish between a variety of different flavors and it made him wonder just how she managed to accomplish that in the van with minimum ingredients.
“Hey, can I leave ya alone again? Nero called. Gotta save that guy’s ass.” Nico leaned out of the window of the van again, rolling her eyes when she mentioned the boy.
“Sure. We’ll call you or see you tonight at the safe house again.”
“Great. Don’t get killed on the way there.” And with that the van drove away, leaving V with the woman alone again.
“V, can I ask you something?”
V looked at her, eyebrows slightly risen to show her she had his attention. He still took another bite of the sandwich.
“Who are you? I mean,” she pursed her lips in thoughts for a moment before continuing, “how is it possible for you to summon demons? I’ve never heard of a human having such an ability.”
V swallowed the last bite of the sandwich and rubbed his fingers together to get rid of the crumbs as he let her words slowly sink in.
“V, what the hell are you?”
The boy’s words from yesterday rang in his ears again, they never truly left his mind. They made him realize how different these two people were, how differently they approached him. This woman was interested in him, she saw him as a human, a soul with curious capabilities. The boy, however, dismissed him, putting him down and taking his humanity away with the simple choosing of a phrase. And even though the young hunter did not mean any harm, it confronted V exactly with the consequences he has chosen for himself all these years ago.
That realization settled deep within his mind but it made the words she’s chosen much more meaningful, and he felt strings of his heart reaching out, clawing at his ribcage to allow his walls to come down, to let her in, indulge her in the truth.
Sentiment…, he forced the feeling back, refusing to believe how hard that process actually was simply because of her phrasing a question in a different way than someone else. He still did not know her, still wasn’t sure if she may not have some personal objectives - just as he had - despite her seeming as if she wore her heart on her sleeves; trying to refrain from sharing too much but failing to eyes like his who have been forced to see behind other people’s actions and gestures.
Still, to not give her an answer seemed to be as wrong as it was rude. There was a genuine interest in her, it was all over her, and her blue eyes have not averted from him since she asked the question. Since his childhood no one ever has paid so much attention to him. He did not know what to make of it. He did not know how to handle it. The need to indulge her at least in a bit of his mind became almost unbearable.
He decided to give her a taste of the truth to satisfy her curiosity and to clear his conscience.
“These demons, Griffon, Shadow and Nightmare, are bound to me. They reside in these markings on my skin and I can summon and use them in battle.”
“Why do you stab the demons with the cane then? Can’t they do that? Sounds a lot safer if you simply stood back.” The corner of V’s lips twitched at her question.
“They can not kill other demons. They do as I say but they can not turn on their own kind. They weaken them and I end their lives.”
“How or… why is this possible though? Were you born like this?” her question sounded as if she did not believe it herself. She probably had enough experience with the supernatural to know it was impossible to be born this way as long as one’s parents were human. And there was no demonic blood in his family bloodline.
“No. We are bound by a contract.”
“Also, just to clear that up, sweetie, we are our own individuals. We have our own brain and mind. Well… aside from the big guy maybe.” Griffon leaned forward on the pile of debris he was standing on.
Their own individuals… yes. As long as he would fulfill his obligation.
V did not say anything in return.
“I assumed as such,” there was a smile on her face as she replied to Griffon before she looked at him again.
“Thank you for telling me,” she said. He nodded, though the thought that he barely explained anything pushed at the back of his mind. She was so interested in knowledge and information about demons. And him. It was hard to imagine for him that she was content with the limited information he gave her. She did not even try to ask for what his side of the contract contained.
Was he glad she didn’t ask? He was not even sure, but he knew he would not have given her the truth anyway.
A moment of silence passed before V grabbed his cane and rose to his feet again. He thanked her for her effort for making the food - and he truly was grateful - and V was astonished how her face lit up with a smile and a shimmer in her eyes.
Sometimes he wondered if he had forgotten how much words could affect people outside of poetry.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
They continued their way until they finally reached their destination. The giant root of the Qliphoth looked almost like a miniature version of the actual tree. Branches, tendrils and blood vessels twirled in a grotesque way, filling up the entire width of the half-destroyed building they were now in.
Some sort of market as it looked like. There were market stalls everywhere, mostly destroyed, and Cara even spotted some long abandoned boxes with groceries. There certainly was a lot of clutter around, it kinda looked like a hurricane has blown through here and destroyed half of the building.
However, she didn’t spot any demons in the area. Neither did she see pools of blood on the ground from where demons could spawn
Cara walked forwards, her gaze locked on the giant root of the demonic tree, when a sudden pressure on her left shoulder stopped her in her tracks.
She looked at her shoulder, confused but not concerned, and followed the length of V’s cane to his face. His brows were furrowed a bit, his eyes not looking at her but their surroundings and then his smirk appeared on his face again; really subtle, just a slight upwards curve of his lips.
She could’ve sworn her breath got caught in her throat for a moment when he turned this gaze to her; she was now even more aware of the pressure of his cane on her shoulder as his green eyes looked at her with an intensity she hasn’t seen from him before.
“We are not alone.” The words were spoken so low, just a deep grumble of his voice. There was something hidden beneath those words, beneath that smirk and intense glance. As if he was looking forward to what was to come, a confidence and determination to face the impending threat of the situation, which was rather surprising because so far he hasn’t seemed eager to fight demons.
It raised so many more new questions in her and she wished she had more time and another opportunity to ask him more.
V stood next to her and released the cane from her shoulder. He looked at the root ahead of them and then looked at her once more.
“Stay back,” he simply said; not a request, not a demand just a simple statement.
“I can-”
The look he directed at her made the words stop on the tip of her tongue before they could escape. No smirk, not even a glance in his eyes that told her anything. Just a hard expression that made it impossible for her yet again to look past his demeanor. All she was able to gather from this instance was that he apparently knew about what was going on, and for whatever reason he did not want her around.
She decided to trust him.
Cara nodded, not content with the situation because she was convinced she could help but she gave in and stepped back.
V didn’t turn to her again or waited for her to retreat; he just walked straight up ahead, posture upright, gaze locked on the giant root.
She only caught a blur of colors and a breeze rushing past her as something charged at V so abruptly that Cara instinctively jumped back and reached for her weapon.
She only saw a giant serpent-like creature retreating back to the root while V rose back to a standing position; the bird demon landing on his bent arm.
Cara did not make a step forward, heeding V’s earlier words and just observed from a few feet away from behind one of the abandoned market stalls as a fleshy, pulsating humanoid life form emerged from within the root. She didn’t know what it was, a demon most likely, but even though it literally came from within the tree it didn’t appear to be a part of it. The scales surrounding the heads of these serpents had a different color,then the orange humanoid thing. So far it never seemed as if these roots they have destroyed had any creature living in them and while this was a much bigger root, it just seemed odd.
“You dodged me! Did you dodge me?!” the demon said with a distorted voice although there was no mouth, just a shape of a face full of spikes.
Griffon groaned. “Ugh; Nidhogg. I never liked this guy.”
“You pest. Do I know you?” the creature, Nidhogg, whom Griffon apparently knew (Cara had so many questions), growled.
“Dumb as a box of rocks. Let’s not even mess with this guy, V. He can’t even leave the Qliphoth anyway. Just a Qliphoth parasite.”
So a parasite. Cara was right that this thing did not belong to the tree. She assumed Griffon being a demon would know about creatures like this and since she hasn’t known about the Qliphoth before she also couldn’t have known about this demon. Her fingers twitched as she desperately wanted to take out her notebook. But she didn’t wanna draw any attention to her by moving too much. She much rather observed the scene to get to know more about this life form.
“Did you insult me?”
“Uh-oh.”
“You insulted me!”
“I think he heard me… and he’s angry!” Griffon yelled the last words and Cara’s hand reached for her weapon again as another serpent demon charged at V. The man rather easily jumped out of the way though.
“I’m going to kill you.” The demon growled at him.
V turned around to face the demon with a calm and composure which Cara found admirable. There was a confidence in his posture and the short glimpse she caught of his face just now that left no doubt in her mind that he was absolutely unfaced by this demon.
“Not in this lifetime. ‘As the air to a bird, or the sea to a fish, so is contempt to the contemptible’.”
Cara wondered a bit how these quotes - she assumed it was one - came to his mind like this in such a situation.
However, it was clear that V was about to fight that demon - Nidhogg - and Cara did not know how to act. She didn’t want to let him fight all on his own.
She could fight too! This was her job after all!
But she also didn’t want to interfere and get in his way. He told her to stay back, and probably for a reason. Her hand was still gripping her weapon from when the serpent attacked before.
Her hand tightened almost painfully around the handle of the Kama.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Even the big bad kitty knows you got shit for brains!” Griffon mocked Nidhogg after Shadow growled as a response to the demon’s lack of an intellect. His familiars evaded yet another attack of the tentacle-like arms of Nidhogg while V kept his distance, his eyes switching between the humanoid core and its appendages.
“Qu-qu-qu-quiet! You… you… bird and cat!”
It was almost astounding how this demon did not even possess a basic level of intelligence. It just attached itself to the Qliphoth and fed off the blood that was sacrificed to it. Just a parasite as Griffon has said, and it barely posed a threat to him and his familiars.
V was in control of that battle. Griffon and Shadow utilizing their strength and energy to attack Nidhogg again and again, using their speed to get V out of range if the parasite got too close, V’s cane dealing the finishing blow to the serpents that regenerated after a while when they did not manage to just deal enough damage to the core for V to kill it for good.
It all changed within a heartbeat.
A screech and a shiver; a cold he never thought he would ever have to endure settled around his bones, freezing him in place.
He had to watch him fall.
He has never seen him fall before.
He was not supposed to fall.
V felt the agony of the energy leaving his body as he had to witness how Griffon got hit by that parasite and fell to the ground. He transformed into the blue glowing sphere he only knew from his explanation should it ever happen to him.
A heartbeat was all it took.
He felt the crushing grip of the pain as the energy of his long-trusted companion was being pulled from within V’s body. He had to witness how the so prideful and ferocious demon lost to that obnoxious creature.
It was a sensation so foreign to him, such a disgusting and dreadful feeling in his mind and body that he lost his focus; his chain of thoughts gone, his defense dwindling.
He heard the sound of crushing wood and clattering metal long before he felt the impact.
His bones rattled in agony, every nerve in his body being set on fire from the pain of being thrown into the clutter all around them.
V moaned in pain, squeezing his eyes shut as he fought through the agony, through the hammering in his head, through the shaking of his limbs and he raised his head to face that distasteful creature again.
A fiery hatred and the overwhelming need to destroy that monstrosity took over his mind and body, pushed the pain his body was in from the impact that could have ended his life aside and allowed him to grip his cane once again and straighten his posture.
Shadow was at his side immediately again, growling and her eyes glowing with the guilt of not preventing him from getting hurt, but she fought Nidhogg all on her own, making up for Griffon getting hit and doing the best she could to prevent anything worse happening.
V stretched his cane out to the side, signaling the woman behind him to not get involved. He knew she called out his name when he got hit, he knew she was already grabbing her weapon.
But this was his fight.
Now more so than before.
“Uah, I can’t believe this dimwit got to me! Kitty, make way, I have some roasting to do.”
V could not deny the relief settling inside of him when the sphere transformed again and Griffon reappeared. His wings glowed with newly sparked electricity, his feathers sizzling with the lightning and thunder he was ready to hurl at the parasite. V could feel the energy returning to him, a faint breeze within his body that told him Griffon was alright.
Still, V would not ever see this happening again.
“V, you’re hurt. Better take a step back.”
“I’m fine,” he simply replied, even after Shadow’s growl, approving of Griffon’s words. He was alright. He would fight through the pain. This was not the first time he got hit during a battle after all. He could endure it. He had to destroy that pathetic excuse of a demon.
And he would see it through.
“Make haste,” he told them and pointed his cane at the creature.
He sent attack after attack, wave after wave of lightning at Nidhogg. He did not allow the monstrosity to even utter a single word again. All it could do was to endure the onslaught of attacks, driven by a rage V was all too familiar with but which barely ever consumed him this way.
And when the parasite began to glow purple he felt the hatred and eagerness in every fiber of his being.
He threw the cane and used the demonic energy for himself to teleport into the air right in front of the dying demon.
He took a twisted satisfaction from the painful screams of that monstrosity, a grin settling on his lips, a cruel glance in his eyes as he stabbed the demon right through the head.
He held onto both ends of the cane as the creature wiggled and screamed in pain. The agony erupting in V’s body wrapped around his nerves like barbwire as the harsh movements of the demon threw his body around in a desperate attempt to shake him off, to prevent him from ending its pathetic existence.
But he refused to let the pain hinder him in his task. He would see this through. This pitiful parasite would not live another moment.
“The cut worm forgives the plow. What do you say?” he quoted as he twisted his cane inside the demon’s head, the sound of blood splattering and its life ending with a groan made a smirk appear on V’s face again.
He jumped away from the demon back to the ground, wincing a bit from the pain that still got a hold of his body.
He watched as the parasite sank to the ground alongside the serpents, dissolving into particles and blood. Within mere moments there was nothing left of that obnoxious parasite.
And it took nothing more than mere moments until the giant root of the Qliphoth began to crack and crumble as it was only being sustained by the parasite’s now passed life. Vines and vessels faded and lost their colors before they crumbled leaving nothing but dust behind.
One step closer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Cara held her notebook still in hands as she stared in awe at the display of V’s abilities in battle. She could barely blink as she saw how V stabbed that demon and just held onto it until it finally gave up and was defeated.
She was worried before, admittedly. Seeing how V was being thrown into the clutter of the destroyed market stalls around them did make a shiver run down her spine. It looked frightening and it looked painful and she had called out his name before she could think about her next step. In all honesty, to her it looked as if V hasn’t been capable of continuing that battle. That he stood up and pulled off that finishing move was impressive to her. He certainly did not look like he could pull this off with his lean figure and the cane he occasionally leaned onto…
Once the dust settled again and there was this relieving silence settling over the place after the battle, Cara raised her notebook again. She turned around and started walking slowly with the full intent of leaving this area and finding a calm area to sit and write down everything she could think of now that the stress of the battle was over. She also assumed V needed a place to rest for a while. They would find a secluded area, sit down, let him rest and then call Nico to pick them up for today.
She completely froze in place when she heard a groan accompanied by a clang behind her.
Cara turned around slowly, too slowly, as if her mind was warning her that she wouldn’t like what she was about to see. And the growl of Shadow alongside Griffon calling out V’s name made a lump appear in her throat.
“V,” his name was nothing but a whisper as she saw the man fallen onto his hands and knees, Shadow steadying him so he wouldn’t fall over, his cane out of his hands, strangled pants leaving his lips.
She was at his side in a moment, kneeling next to him, her hands on his shoulders as well to support his trembling body. It was then, that she noticed the blood dripping onto the floor, gathering in a small pool on the ground. Her eyes widened, a sense of dread settling over her as the man barely responded, just breathing heavily and shaking as if he was desperately clinging to his consciousness as to not to faint.
“V, come on, lay down,” she said to him, trying to keep her voice calm. She pulled his shoulders a bit, urging him to just roll over onto his back and to stop him from using his strength to keep him upright. V barely put up any resistance, he didn’t have the energy to do so and with a strangled, painful sounding moan, he tumbled over onto his back. Cara managed to catch his upper body and she was grateful for Griffon and Shadow helping her.
Shadow purred worriedly, but she laid down on the ground and allowed V to rest his head and upper body against her, so Cara could take a look at where the blood was coming from.
“That shithead really did got him. Wish I could roast him again,” Griffon said.
Cara paid little attention to the demon. The wound was easily found and she winced as she saw the stabbing wound on his upper body just below his left kidney. As she looked to the side, to where he was just kneeling, she even spotted a small piece of metal, coated in blood.
Has this thing been stuck in his body the entire time?
He has been fighting while being stabbed?
She focused on the wound again. It was still bleeding. She needed to stop the bleeding before thinking about treating it properly. Cara pressed a hand on the injury, flinching when her hands got covered in his blood. She hated the feeling, she hated the smell. She grimaced again when V groaned in pain.
“I’m sorry,” she was sure he didn’t even hear her. He was rather out of it, his eyes were half squeezed shut, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Fighting this battle, getting thrown around and getting such a wound in the process and still pulling off all these moves… she could hardly fathom how he managed to do that. It wasn’t surprising that it all caught up to him now that the battle was done and everything calmed down again.
She dug into her backpack with her free hand and pulled a piece of cloth out of it. She pressed it to the wound instead of her hand. It still wasn’t ideal but it was better than just her hand.
It took a few minutes of V wincing in pain, Cara’s hands trembling, her face twisting as she saw her hands and the cloth being covered in blood, Griffon silently watching the scene and Shadow purring quietly, occasionally licking V’s face to calm him down, until Cara finally was able to say the bleeding ceased.
Oh thank god, it seemed as if nothing had been seriously injured. The issue was that probably any movement now would reopen the wound again. It needed proper treatment, but she neither had the materials nor was this really a place to do so.
She kept her hand pressed onto the wound and dug into her backpack again. She had Nico’s number dialed quickly and put the phone between her shoulder and ear.
Come on, Nico, she thought as she waited for the woman to pick up. Her now free hand absentmindedly settled on V’s bare shoulder, not moving, just settling on his cold skin as a gesture of comfort and a reminder to herself and him that he was not fatally wounded. It was a nasty wound, it hurt him like hell, but he would make it.
“Yo?”
“Nico, thank god, you need to pick us up. Now. V’s hurt.” Cara replied quickly as she heard the woman’s voice, but she kept her own voice steady so she could understand her words properly.
“Woah, woah, what?! Be there right away. Hang in there.”
“Thanks,” Cara responded and put the phone away.
She sighed, trying not to get the dread and worry get to her. She’s been in these kind of situations before, but it was horrific each time. She never ceased to remove the pressure from the wound, but she rubbed her eyes with her other one.
“Hey, sweetie, you’re doing great. It’s appreciated what you’re doing here right now.”
She looked at Griffon, surprised at the unusually kind words. She nodded and thanked him quietly, forcing a small smile onto her face as the panther demon purred in approval. V was still trembling. He still looked as if he could pass out any moment. She never assumed he could pull off moves and skills like this, especially not while having a piece of metal stuck in his body, but she also didn’t expect the fight to drain him this much.
She wouldn’t let him fight completely on his own again.
Even if he had been right about this one. She could’ve landed a few hits but altogether this was not an enemy she could take on on her own. It would’ve required her to climb the root and attack it directly from there, and it was questionable if she could’ve gotten enough hits to kill it.
Cara sighed in relief, her blue eyes lighting up as she heard the familiar sound of Nico’s van approaching.
Let’s get you out of here, V...
#dmc5#devil may cry 5#v#nero#nico#griffon#shadow#my oc#cara#my fic#walls#fanfiction#6th chapter#contat
41 notes
·
View notes
Text
Scarlet Carnation - Chapter 1 (F!Byleth x Edelgard)
Collaboration with @datsexykiwi
A/N: Thank you, everyone, for giving this series a chance! Here's Chapter 1. For the sake of our collaboration effort, my co-writer and I will be alternating through who writes the chapter. (i.e. Chapter 1 is mine, Chapter 2 is hers, Chapter 3 is mine, and so forth.) If it makes anyone feel better... her part is fluff. Hope you enjoy this chapter! I enjoyed writing it. :)
Kate’s A/N:
Fluff comes later, but for now, suffer by the hands of this angst spikeball. By the way, chapter 2 is already done. ;)
----
Time is an intricate concept. It was amorphous, yet widely accepted as common knowledge. Alongside the topic of space, metaphysicist and scholars from various backgrounds ponder long and hard about it. Ordinary civilians and nobles too held the ability to muse about time. Everyone came to the conclusion that time is precious regardless of their statuses.
If one second is just as important, what impact does five years have?
The teal-haired evenly paced with the remaining Black Eagles; Edelgard led them around the monastery. Byleth felt the sun’s gentle rays brush upon her cheeks as her hues skimmed the premise.
Time is changing.
Everything stayed the same… almost. Destructions left piles of broken structures. Patches of grasses that happily grew at its own pace were deliberately scorched into fine particles. Classroom furniture and materials unfit for use were clumped into one heap. Additional wooden frames and ballistic weaponries plagued the surviving blueprints of the monastery. Students that once brought childish joy to the premise now introduce maturity with heavy hearts. Small chatters mulled in the background. They all came from Ferdinand, Dorothea, and Petra. Soldiers that they passed by sealed their lips at the sight of their ruler and a familiar figure. Some had the guts to even make remarks about the ex-mercenary during their presence!
“Hey, isn’t that Lady Edelgard and the Professor?”
“Yeah… wasn’t she supposed to be dead though?”
“I’ve heard.”
“Speaking of that, I was told that Brian and his friends were patrolling the outskirts when they were attacked this morning!”
“What?! By who?”
“A ghost.”
“...are you serious?”
“I am serious.”
“Oh, please. It was the Professor who knocked them out.”
Whispers eventually became audible enough to reach their ears. Not that the soldiers, visiting civilians, and staff cared much about it. If they had the chance, they would gather into one of the lecture halls and engage in heated debates! Plenty of them shared theories about the teal-haired. Some describe her as a supernatural force. Some admit that she is a hallucination. Others were hopeful for her visitation.
It was all a blur. No abstract art could capture this moment. Byleth’s jawlines became prominent as weights like sandbags were chucked on her shoulders. If she were to be honest with her feelings, she wants to find her private quarter, hole up in there, and never come out.
“I think I understand how Bernadetta feels.”
“Professor?” Edelgard glanced over at her professor. She blinked. Then, the older woman faintly smiled and looked elsewhere. “Don’t worry. I will clear up the confusion.”
“You will?”
“Of course. I’m the emperor.”
Ordinarily, Byleth would reach out and ruffle Edelgard’s hair. She would allow her fingers to run through the white locks as a cheeky smile flash.
“Aren’t you a good girl.”
Or so she would say. Instead, she felt the corner of her lips twitch. It wouldn’t be right. She cannot do that. A tender act between a teacher and a student doesn’t exist anymore. The fact that this student, who was once a house leader, who exclaimed about a monstrous desire for gorging on sweets, is now a guiding light for these souls.
Edelgard is not little anymore. She’s become a big girl-- No… She’s become a mature woman fit to lead her nation. Edelgard is now an emperor.
“...”
Byleth pressed her fingernails against the palm of her hands; a tinge of regret settled in her stomach. There was that promise she’s made with Edelgard…
Alas, her thoughts came to an abrupt screech once Petra placed a hand on her shoulder. The Brigid princess diverted her mentor’s attention to basic observations. Light-hearted stories of her interaction with the increasing number of foreigners and refugees on the monastery’s ground. It appears that she and Dorothea were quite popular with the children! Though from the corner of her eyes, Byleth’s hues caught a glimpse of the pair holding hands. Fingers intertwined, the songstress squeezed her comrade’s hand.
‘ ...Have they always been this close before? ’
Anyhow, they continued to traverse throughout the monastery’s ground. Much to Byleth’s optimism, most of the features she frequents were intact.
“I know you love gardening, Professor, so I’ve been trying my best to keep all of the plants watered,” Dorothea twirled her index finger in the air; a wink accompanied her action. “I took extra care with the scarlet carnation you and Edie have planted together.”
Planted? Byleth tilted her head, eyebrows arched.
‘ I planted a flower with Edelgard…? ’
Something wasn’t adding up. Her brain scrambled through its memory bank. It tossed and pulled on various sectors, only to no avail. The ex-mercenary rested a hand on her temple. She furrowed her brows. Without a memory of the past, we cannot operate in the present or think about the future. If her perseverance results in blanks, then how was she supposed to answer to the songstress?
“If it weren’t for you, I’m sure those flowers would have died five years ago,” Edelgard answered in her stead. She shot a glance at her teacher. There was that brilliant radiance from the noble’s direction again. “Isn’t that right, Professor?”
“...I don’t remember planting them. Not with you.”
Edelgard chuckled and temporarily cupped her own chin. “You must have forgotten. I can’t blame you as you were considered dead for five years.”
‘ Dead… ’
The tendons on her neck bulged, her pulse visible. She will never get used to hearing that terminology. Though they were uttered plenty of times when she was a mercenary and as an instructor, she never had the status badged on herself. Even if her ears are probably lying to her, the word “death” associated with “Byleth” was unreal. She moistened her dry lips.
‘ This is unsettling. ’
They entered into the shed. One of the two caregivers bowed to the group. When they spotted Byleth, their eyes widen, but silence followed. Whether it was out of respect or fear, Byleth was unable to determine the cause. At least she did not have to deal with the cannibalistic gossips.
“Professor, I think you should see them for yourself.”
Edelgard took ahold of Byleth’s hand. She carefully guided the taller female deeper into the structure. Ferdinand, Dorothea, and Petra exchanged looks. The male rubbed the back of his head with a nod. As if on cue, the other members of the Black Eagle Strike Squad from behind dissipated from the area. Responsibilities may not go anywhere, but time is unforgiving. Besides, the three unanimously agreed to let Byleth catch up with their ex-house leader alone. Nothing hurts more than being likened to a buzzing fly.
As they slipped away, Byleth slowed to a stop once she saw the flower. Scarlet carnation. A sense of familiarity, yet she continuously drew nothing from her memory bank. It was as if her instincts told her that this was a reunification necessary for both her and Edelgard.
“It’s pretty.”
Blunt compliment flung out of the teacher’s mouth. Edelgard’s ears perked as she leaned down to scrutinize the object of interest. The emperor’s fingertips soon brushed amongst the petals; her eyes were fixated on the plant.
“It has grown strong since the day we have planted.”
“Was it weak before?”
“You could say that,” the white-haired retracted her hand. “It was the slowest out of all the flowers we’ve grown, no matter how much we fertilize and water.”
“A flower that blooms the latest blooms into the most beautiful flower of them all.”
Edelgard chuckled. “I never expected to hear that from you, my teacher.”
“...”
Perhaps it was for the best that she lacks the ability to showcase her emotions. The inner turmoil would repel the Edelgard if it ever manifested. Conservant recollection stained the carnations. Byleth clenched her fists. How could she ever forget? Those were the words not only her father echoed, but she echoed too. Her first friend outside of her seclusion from the mercenaries. The first friend she’s made… Who was it? Violent, black ink actively scribbled on the child as the small Byleth took their hand. Just… who was it?
“It was something I told someone when I was young.”
Alas, the past is the past. There is no point in mulling over an event that no one could confirm. Maybe she should ask her father, Jeralt, about it. Speaking of Jeralt… Burning questions that boiled her inside threatens to leak into her other organs. It has already reached her fast-beating heart, her respiration for her lungs, and constricted parts of her stomach. Too many needs to be asked about the five-year gap. When they bid their farewells to the caregivers and parted from the shed, Byleth opened her mouth.
“I have been meaning to ask this, but where is Caspar, Bernadetta, Linhardt, and Hubert?”
“...”
The goddess must’ve pressed the pause button. The alumni had stood a few steps beyond her teacher. Standing on the brief stairways that connected the pathway of the dormitory grounds and garden, Byleth bore her eyes onto the girl’s back. Edelgard’s shoulders were tense. Back stationary, the white-haired uttered her answer.
“Caspar betrayed us.”
Caspar? That boy? The one who playfully slugged Byleth’s shoulder with every chance he’s got? The hardworking student who trained almost every day in the training ground? The noble sensitive to those he’s surrounds with?
Impossible.
That’s impossible.
Improbable.
Ridiculous.
“...that’s not right.”
Edelgard finally turned around. Those eyes were not shining. It was like a plastic doll, eyes dazed and distant. It looks as though her consciousness may have been elsewhere at this moment. Were they in her head? Or were they somewhere else? She faintly smiled as her dead gaze fixated on Byleth’s. Articulations and connotations dripped with pure disgust.
“It’s the truth. He is now fighting for Dimitri.”
“Dimitri…”
“I’ve only told you a bit about the conflict, did I?” her eyes clouded. “He has joined the Kingdom of Faerghus.”
Further explanation came to light. Ever since Byleth’s unofficial vacation into the black world for five years, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude waged war with each other. The one who initiated was none other than Edelgard von Hresvelg. She and the Black Eagle Strike Squad led the battalions into a gruesome conflict to take over the Officer’s Academy. Various members of the Knights of Seiros blockaded their pathway. Fountains of blood littered the premise. Cries for numerous deities and reasons tarnished the atmosphere. Soundwaves from projectiles and crumbling features shook the ground. It was a complete nightmare. Yet it was not for naught. Byleth was a key player just like Rhea was a key player to the church.
Rhea and other members of the Church of Seiros joined hands to defeat Edelgard. Claude acts as a middleman. No one from his side dares step foot into the rising tension with no threshold. Unfortunately, his shrewd nature paints a different light on the Leicester Alliance. Half of his nation is divided into those who support the Kingdom of Faerghus and those who support the Adrestian Empire. Winning his people over would be an impossible feat.
She must have bonked her head so hard in the battle if she could not recall ANY of these details.
“Caspar did not agree with my tactics, so he formally told me that he was leaving,” Edelgard forcefully chuckled. “Perhaps the same could be said for Bernadetta and Linhardt.”
“They also joined Dimitri?”
“Fortunately, no. Reports from our scouts told us that they are in the Leicester Alliance. It’s likely that they are seeking shelter for the past five years.”
It should have been a relief. That should have soothed the powerful organ that savagely rapped upon her chest plate. In lieu, Byleth felt her mind transcend her physical self and watched the dissolvement of her former students. Caspar, Bernadetta, and Linhardt… She gulped.
“What about Hubert?”
Edelgard’s beam faltered; her body radiated the exact opposite of confidence in aura.
“...he died.”
“...”
‘ This has to be a nightmare. ’
She wished to know more about his death. Alas, that would not be wise. A shadow had washed over the emperor’s features. The man who wholeheartedly devoted faith and affection to his princess… the man that fought together with her… the man’s true nature of remaining as her loyal servant… it was gone in a puff of smoke… and the older woman was not there to witness it.
“I… didn’t know.”
“It’s natural you don’t know. I bet you didn’t even know that we have Leonie, Sylvian, and Lysithea with us either.”
Leonie Pinelli and Lysithea von Ordelia from the Golden Deer House. Sylvain Jose Gautier from the Blue Lions House. Those were some surprising addition to the empire’s war efforts.
“Your father had also died.”
The teal-haired immediately placed a hand over her chest. Her vision began to strobe in and out as more information poured into her skull. There was also the news of her father’s death… Jeralt. Her throat tightened and her breaths shortened. She barely kept ahold of her heartbreak. Oh, Jeralt! The very person who had raised her since she was an infant! He had been slain by none other than Those Who Slither in the Dark! She squeezed her chest, nails scraping at the metallic plate.
“...”
She wanted to say something. Byleth’s knees nearly gave in and almost made her crumple into a disheveled heap. Not only was she absent for Hubert’s death, she was also absent for the person she calls family. Her jawlines were prominent as she rapidly blinked. How could she have forgotten? Whatever she had done in the previous battle, she shouldn’t have been careless! This vital fragment of memory should have never been forgotten!
Then, a singular chortle slipped from the other’s direction.
“Everyone is leaving me.” A solemn tear fell down Edelgard’s cheek; her body looked calm despite how tangled her mind was. The false grin became unbearably wider as shaky waves of laughter were produced in abnormal intervals. “Even you.”
“!”
Byleth immediately reached out for Edelgard. Without thinking, she pulled the girl into a tight hug. Was it to comfort the student? Or was it to comfort herself? Arms wrapped around the red noble, she brought her hand up to the girl’s head. She pressed the woman against her chest as close as possible.
“I’m sorry, Edelgard.”
“You think an apology is enough…?” she buried her face into the ex-mercenary’s bosom. The red fingers curled inward, digging the armor’s tips into Byleth’s back. Edelgard shook her head slowly. “I’ve waited five years for you. Five years…!”
“I’m sorry…”
“Do you know how much you’ve hurt me?”
“I’m so sorry…”
“It hurts...! It really hurts, Byleth!”
“I’m… so sorry…”
Agony. Sorrow. Scars. Those five years felt like hours. Those five years felt like centuries for her. Hot torrents of grief coursed down the girl’s face as her sobs became apparent.
“I’m scared of being alone again…”
Byleth felt tears prickle from the corner of her eyes. She was never one to cry. No matter the circumstances, nothing tickled her lacrimal glands. Not even the deaths of her mercenary comrades would cause her to shed a tear. The sight of her star student melting into a blubbering mess succumbs into an irresistible temptation to collapse. Accompanied by the horrific news of Jeralt’s fate?
‘ Why…? ’ A subdued choke crawled past her lips. ‘ Why did I wake up to this nightmare? ’
As much as a great tremor overtook her, Byleth avoided confrontation with her own emotions. At least, for now. The shivering young lady in her grasp needed her. It would do them no good to have the two shatter into pieces at the same time. There would be no one to pick up the shards. Soft, tender hushes traveled to the noble’s eardrums as she quickly rubbed her back.
“I didn’t mean to leave you alone…” Byleth chewed her lips. “I won’t leave you alone ever again.”
None dared to move from their position. Passing soldiers and comrades spotted the two but respectfully left them to their own devices. Even Ferdinand, Dorothea, and Petra, who peered from the corner in secrecy, felt their heartstrings tug. Just like Edelgard, they wished for their Byleth to return to the monastery. The loss of their professor damaged their morales. Who knew how important the teal-haired was to their life? However, none of them were as devastated as Edelgard herself.
Rumors of her insanity held some truth to it.
A wild beast in vermillion traveling all over Fodlan. Missions granted to students like Sylvain and Leonie expanded their search in enemy territories. Frequent visitation of the historical battle between the Adrestian Empire and the Church of Seiros at Garreg Mach Monastery’s outskirts were made personally by the noble. Feminine howls instilled with misery spread across the desolated premise. Morales was driven even harder into the dirt as the war’s stalemate prolonged.
Describing this as a nightmare was an understatement.
Ferdinand lips curved downward.
What would have happened if she did not return…?
“I’m afraid Lady Edelgard would have to step down if our professor did not return,” Ferdinand mumbled to his friends indirectly. “As her advisor, if she were to continue on this pathway, I would have to forcefully remove her.”
“Thank goodness for our teacher. I wouldn’t want to see that.”
“I agree with you, Dorothea. Had the professor not come, perhaps we would have many troubles for the future.”
“What are you three doing here?”
“!!!”
Behind them, an older woman crossed her arms. Shamir sharp gaze pierced their vulnerable sides as they slowly turned to look at her. Not that they had much of a chance to fully see her. The mercenary hovered over their squatting figures. She shot a glance around the corner. A faint “huh” was heard.
“So, the professor did come back…”
The woman, who was once known as the Knights of Seiros, betrayed the organization for the sake of following one person: Byleth. She would even leave her trustworthy companion, Catherine behind. Bickers, competitions, ridiculous story time from Catherine, lustful nights they’ve shared… Those were all gone in a single day. Shamir kept her features firm as she muttered,
“You are an interesting one.”
The four eventually slithered back to the background as Byleth and Edelgard shared a private moment. It was a well-deserved reunion for the two.
[ Some time later… ]
“I knew you would come back, Professor.”
Sylvain’s weary smile formed as Edelgard and Byleth were approached by the tall male.
After the two had separated from the hug and spent a tender moment of easing each other’s worries, the warrior squeezed into their bubble. Alongside with him, there was Lysithea and Leonie. Almost as if on cue, the orange-hair leaped forward. She immediately tackled the ex-mercenary with a large grin. A small “oof!” came from Byleth’s mouth as her back collided with the dormitory ground’s pavement. Stars temporarily swam in her vision as the grown student squeezed her.
“I knew you would come back!” she exclaimed. “It would be a shame to have my rival stay dead.”
“Leonie! That isn’t how you should greet our professor!” Lysithea came between the two. Almost in a comedic fashion, she tore them apart from each other with a scowl. “I swear, I don’t know how to deal with people like you. Are you okay, Professor?”
“...”
Streaks of memories were aroused. Lysithea, Leonie, Sylvain… They haven’t truly changed, have they? She nodded to the white-haired and propped her upper body up. Three of them… even in the heart of war, even with their betrayal to their nations, how could they be so... cheerful?
Almost as if he had read her mind, the young man walked over to his mentor. He extended his hand.
“It’s because of you and your decision to stay with Lady Edelgard. We trust in your judgment more than our own house leader.”
After acceptance and a pull, the two were in close proximity. Like the gentleman he is, he brushed off any debris from her shoulders. Sylvain’s other hand eventually held a part of her hair’s end; his fingers slowly letting them fall back to her shoulder bit by bit. His eyes narrowed.
“I’m surprised that your hair went back to normal… Not that I didn’t like your old look. I actually prefer your original color.”
“Now that you’ve mentioned it, you’re right! Did my rival hate her new hair?”
“Ugh, I doubt that’s the reason why.”
‘ They’re talking about my hair again... ’
Before she could ask, a familiar figure entered into her field of vision. An older male cupped his chin, a book held in his other hand. Incoherent mumbles resonated from his throat as the staff headed in the direction of his office. His next step after the last froze mid-air. Slowly, the gray-haired individual cocked his head towards Byleth and Sylvain. His eyes nearly boggled from its socket; the person making a quick adjustment to his monocle.
“Ah-- Professor Byleth… After five, long years, you’ve finally returned to us.” That voice belonged to no one other than the researcher, Hanneman. Edelgard, Sylvain, Lysithea, and Leonie ceased their exchange at his presence. Once again, as if on cue, the three alumni outside of the Black Eagle House left; the other half were left behind. Hanneman beamed as he neared Jeralt’s child. “Can’t say that I’m not happy about that news. It’s been a while since we’ve last had any positive news.”
“It has been five years, or so I have been told.”
“You are correct. Though I must say, you do seem a bit different than I remember.”
“?”
What could he mean by that?
“Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I sense that you--”
“Professor Hanneman, I apologize, but I remember we have an urgent matter to attend to.” Abrupt. Straight to the point. Edelgard was known to be a hot knife slashing through butter. In this case, Hanneman was the butter. Byleth glanced over at the emperor. Stoic, ruthless, and displeasure were displayed on her facial features. It contradicted the image that Byleth had of her when she was a student. “I suggest you return back to your research.”
Truly a ruler to lay one’s life to.
Hanneman let out an amused hum. “Very well. If you insist.” His eyelids closed as he directed a smile at the teal-haired. “You have a good day, Professor.”
“...”
‘ If only Sothis was here… ’
Questions may have been answered about the gap, but there were still potholes to fill in. Although it may be impossible to cover all grounds, the next best course of action is to have as many of them treated in one day. Unfortunately, it seems that Hanneman was unable to deliver his theories to the teacher. Perhaps she should stop by his office sometime tomorrow. A faint huff came from the instructor.
“Is there something wrong with my hair?”
Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“They kept mentioning that it was different before. Did I… Did someone dye my hair while I was asleep?”
“When you were bestowed with the powers from Sothis, your hair color had changed.”
Ah, that was right… Edelgard confirmed that Sothis’s disappearance was because she had lost her abilities with the green-haired. There was an issue with this explanation, though. Byleth had absolutely zero memory as to how she received power from the female she could only sense. If she went along with the noble’s line of reasoning, she should have been able to see Sothis by now, right? The alternate hypothesis had to be rejected due to the results.
Byleth rubbed her temple.
This was incomprehensible. News of Hubert’s and Jeralt’s deaths was beyond depressing enough. Now she had lost Sothis, and has no idea how she was flung to the future by five years. Just how perplexing can this situation get?! A migraine might just knock on her door anytime now…
“Professor?”
She snapped back to reality. The ex-mercenary’s eyes trailed over to the white-haired. Concern scribbled all over the woman’s face. This prompted the professor to retract her hand and shook her head.
“I was just thinking.”
“Thinking?”
“Yes. However, I’m afraid I might get a headache if I do so.”
“I, uh, see…”
“Anyway, what was this urgent matter we have to attend to?”
“Oh, it wasn’t THAT urgent.”
“...”
There goes that signature blank guise. The noble could not help but ease her tense shoulders. Then, she took ahold of the older woman’s hand.
“There is something we can do.”
“?”
“Say, it has been a long day for you. I know you might be tired, but would you like to have some tea with me before it gets dark?”
“Of course.”
A genuine smile blossomed on Edelgard’s face. If she could sparkle, it would illuminate the entire ground with its bright rays! Maybe it might blind Byleth’s sight too! Alas, it must be a blessing that no one possesses such nonsensical abilities. Besides, there was nothing wrong with having a little downtime. Today was an eventful day. From waking up in the outskirts of the monastery to gaining newfound knowledge of the incidents that transpired, it was a lot to take in in less than 24 hours.
The older female was taken to her own dormitory room. Usually, tea parties and private conversations were held in the field outside of the cafeteria. However, this evening was a little different. It had to be hosted elsewhere, lest they be noticed by the others. The professor may have been generally accepted by her students, but it did not mean the same for patrolling soldiers and guards. Blatant gossips would ruin a sweet moment yearned by the emperor.
Everything was still intact in her room. Destruction from the mission to reclaim the premise left the dormitories mostly untouched. To her pleasant surprise, Edelgard mentioned that she and Lysithea would take turns cleaning and tidying her bedroom. (Were they clean freaks?) Not a single centimeter of dust or debris were spotted on her supplies and furniture. At least that shaved off the rest of her evening for their sudden tea time.
“It’s surreal to have you by my side once again,” Edelgard remarked. White teacup in both hands, she allowed the steam to lazily waft into the air, her eyes fixated on her mentor. “I can only hope this doesn’t end up as a dream.”
On the mattress, Byleth lowered her cup after a sip.
“It’s surreal to have fallen asleep for five years. I hope that it is a dream.”
“You tease.”
The two females chuckled as they returned back to their drinks. Silence tailed afterward, but only momentarily.
“As you well know, I’m perfectly capable of commanding the army by myself,” the noble confessed; her thumbs rubbing among the porcelain's surface. “However, when you’re around, it’s somehow different.”
“?”
“I’m… not sure I can properly explain it. I suppose your perspective on the battlefield is simply sharper than mine--”
“You don’t need to beat around the bush.”
“Huh?”
“I know how much you’ve missed me… and I miss you too.”
There was a pregnant pause. Not even five seconds completely ticked by when redness flushed to Edelgard’s cheeks. Although her ears were hidden behind the new hairstyle and horned crown, it was obvious that they were rosy as her face. Words might express many types of emotions and might clarify them. Ergo, it might not be necessary. The vermillion female said plenty with her body. Byleth shifted her gaze away from the noble and took another sip.
“I’ve been meaning to ask this, but… you seem different.”
The remark almost instantly cooled off the heat from her face.
“I do?”
“Yes.”
“...”
Byleth forgot that her face hardly showed signs of context to her emotions. She hastily added,
“...I meant, in a good way.”
A deep and long audible breath exited out of Edelgard’s mouth. She lowered the cup and shook her head; the color pink now splashed upon her features.
“Don’t scare me like that, Professor! I thought you were disappointed in me.”
“Nonsense. Why would I be disappointed in someone that has grown up to be a beautiful emperor?”
This flirt--! Whether she was aware of it or not, Edelgard surmised she was the latter. One hand was brought up to conceal parts of her face as she mumbled incomprehensibly. Byleth is a sly woman. A really sly woman… and this is part of her that she so dearly misses.
“Still, I’m afraid I broke our promise.”
“Promise?”
Byleth nodded.
“You don’t remember? I promised to be with you when you become an emperor.”
“...I must’ve forgotten.”
How the tide has turned. Now, it was Edelgard who had forgotten about it. It was a promise that Byleth would never let it slip. Then again, it would be unfair to compare her memory lapses with Edelgard’s. Their circumstances were far too drastic to level out. Still… Byleth’s knuckles whitened as she placed the cup aside on a nearby nightstand.
“I’m sorry I missed your inauguration.”
“...That’s okay.”
A wave of drowsiness abruptly slammed into the older woman. The teal-haired felt herself yawning. She stifled it, only for the burst of air to create a strange sound effect from her trembling lips. Edelgard rose her brows and widened her hues. Shortly afterward, she began to heartfully laugh.
“Perhaps it is time we call it a day, my teacher. It has gotten dark outside.”
She was right. Their conversations, which felt like mere minutes, turned out to last until the sun fully settled. Stars twinkled in the distant as the noble got up from the mattress. She gently placed it on the same nightstand and smiled broadly.
“Good-night, Byleth.”
“Wait.”
Right when the white-haired cracked open the wooden barrier, Byleth came from behind and wrapped her arms around the student. Coziness trickled into both members as their heat was mutually shared. She rested her chin on the girl’s shoulder, her dark hues eyeing her reaction. Edelgard retained the discoloration on her cheeks; her irises flickered to the source.
“...Professor, I hope you understand that I cannot stand here forever.”
“I know.”
A squeeze. Then, she broke her hold on the ex-house leader. Regrettably, the warmth mellowed out. She glanced over her shoulder and watched her tactician wave.
“Sleep well, Edelgard.”
That was the last she saw that night. The door clicked closed and it separated the two apart. Metallic footsteps clomped on the ground until it fades into nothingness. For Byleth, she felt another yawn incoming. A deep inhale was made, and it was followed by a long exhale. She hardly bothered to cover it up.
‘ I think I should take a bath before sleeping. ’
There was a nearby sauna to many of the staff and students shock in the past. Now that it was occupied by the military from the Adrestian Empire, the number of participants in cleansing their soul and body should decrease. Byleth rummaged through her chest and, thankfully, found the necessary items for a deep wash.
‘ I wish I could’ve invited Edelgard. ’
Maybe that could be for tomorrow. After speaking to Hanneman about the matters he wanted to mention, it would be perfect to take a bath with the royal woman. It has been far too long since she had last helped each other wash. (Mostly due to Edelgard’s fear of showing off her experimental scars and surgeries from her past.) Byleth shrugged her shoulders, hung her large overcoat on the door, and walked out of her dormitory room.
‘ Still… I can’t believe I’ve leapt five years into the future… I wonder what Sothis would have to say about that? ’
Meanwhile, as Byleth satisfied her sanitary and sleepy demands, Edelgard promptly returned back to her dormitory room. Located on the second floor, the nobles were always granted the grandiose bedrooms commoners yearn for. They had to differentiate themselves between the lower class. It did not matter what sort of relationship they had with each other. They were of different leagues, and many made sure to make that distinguishable.
The hallway was empty. Ferdinand, who was the only other occupant, is currently absent. Perhaps this is an act from the heavens. Edelgard prefers not to answer his interrogative questions. At least, for now. It would be impossible to run away from his curiosity and uncertainty about Byleth.
Byleth
Clothes stripped, armors hung, and weapons deposited to their rightful place, she flopped on the mattress. Its soft materials easily cushioned her weight as she shifted. The young lady eventually laid on her side. A small candle lit the corner of her bed. Nearby, there was a dark overcoat. Close inspection reveals the necessity for stitches and improvement over its patchwork.
Byleth
Her fingers dug into the cloak as her white blanket draped over her naked body. Edelgard began to toy with one of the loose threads from the overcoat; the object of interest twirled in-between her index and middle. Reminiscence of her past with her professor crawled vividly in her mind. The warm touch, the hand-holding, the comforting embrace… She dryly swallowed.
“Byleth… ” she buried her face into the thick material. Patches close to her eyes moistened as a burst of exhale slipped past her lips. “Byleth, I miss you so much...”
#loyalflutist#datsexykiwi#scarlet carnation#fire emblem three houses#fire emblem#chapter 1#fan fic#fan fiction#collaboration#edeleth#mentions of four new characters mwahahahaha#series
17 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Our Own Demons
Part 1/? - A Bolt from the Blue
Part 2/? - A Different World
Part 3/? - Stark At Home
Part 4/? - Pot Roast Night
Part 5/? - Space-Pie Continuum
Part 6/? - Energy Signature
Part 7/? - Miss Potts
Part 8/? - Bot from Beyond
Part 9/? - Even the Odds
Part 10/? - Miss Potts Arrives
Part 11/? - Truth Hurts
Part 12/? - The Third Reality
Part 13/? - Thor and Odinson
Part 14/? - The Tesseract Platform
What if Tony Stark really were the villain of the Marvel universe? How would that work? Tony himself is about to find out, as he battles his inner demons (and some outer ones, too) across a multiverse of infinite possibilities.
The Thor Tony knew had an annoying habit of summoning Bifrosts willy-nilly, with no regard for things like whether the lawn had just been mowed – so he was pleased to see this Thor do it from the top level of a parking garage, where the only thing the touchdown would scorch was the asphalt. With the Odinson thus on his way, the rest of them boarded a chartered jet to Washington, where Hill said SHIELD had something that could help them. Tony just hoped that wouldn’t be when this reality’s HYDRA infestation decided to make itself known because that would just be ridiculously inconvenient.
Dr. Ross stayed in New York, apparently having some kind of prior commitment there, but Miss Potts came with them, and so did Jane Foster. She sat across from Tony and his double, chattering happily with the hammer resting on the seat beside her.
“The prevailing theory,” she said, “is that a new reality is created every time a decision is made. Not a human decision, of course, we’re not that important on a quantum level. But every time a particle has to choose a spin state, for example, one universe branches off where it goes left and one where it goes right. The vast majority are nearly identical to their neighbours, because they’re separated by only one particle.”
“I think we’re a few particles apart,” said Tony.
“He comes from a world where Stark Industries is still a thing,” his double said.
“That’s gotta take several particles at least,” Tony agreed. “There’s other differences, too. Dr. Ross’ old boyfriend is still alive, and she doesn’t do the Hulk thing.” He paused. “And Thor and Odinson are the same person. How did that happen, by the way?” Tony nodded at Mjolnir.
Foster glanced at it. “I… I don’t know. I just picked it up,” she said. “When the hammer fell in New Mexico, Odinson went into the SHIELD compound to get it, and I went with him because they’d impounded my research and I wanted it back. He tried to lift it and couldn’t, and I really don’t know what made me think it would be a good idea to try, but I did, and I just picked it up.” She lifted it in one hand. “It feels feather-light to me, but it actually weighs nineteen point one-eight kilograms. I weighed it.”
“I see.” Tony smiled. He wondered how Thor back home would have taken it. Probably very well, really – he adored Dr. Foster. “Any theories how that works?”
“None,” she sighed, setting it down again. “I mean, I understand that on some level the hammer itself is intelligent and able to judge who is worthy, but I don’t know how you qualify worthiness. Odinson says it’s because I’m completely unselfish – all I want is to gain knowledge and share it with others. But does that affect my brain waves or something? What does that psychological quality confer on me as a physical quantity that Mjolnir can read? What’s so funny?” she asked, as she noticed Tony doing his best not to giggle.
“Sorry,” he said. “I just… for all you’re totally different, you’re also exactly the same as the Jane Foster in my reality. It’s great.” Tony looked at his counterpart, but found the other man staring out the window, drumming his fingers impatiently on the arm of his seat.
“Well, maybe we are just a few particles different, then,” Foster said.
A bit later, she got up to use the washroom and left Mjolnir lying in the aisle seat. Tony reached over and grabbed the leather strap on the handle, but when he gave it an experimental tug, it wouldn’t move. It was as if it were part of the structure of the plane.
“The airplane seems to lift it okay,” Tony observed, settling back in his seat. “You think the plane’s worthy?”
His double did not answer.
“I’m leaving,” Tony reminded him. “Soon I’ll be gone and will never darken the door of your reality again.” Was the other still annoyed about what he’d said that morning, or the simple fact that Tony had slept in closer proximity to Miss Potts than he had?
“Beth texted me,” said the other. “She wanted to know if I was okay, and then she asked if you were going to be okay and how long you’d be in town for.”
“She and I had a couple of dates in my universe,” said Tony. “Didn’t work out for us, but maybe you’ll have better…”
“Just stop,” the other told him. “You’ve done enough! If you say one more word I’m gonna get up and slug you.”
When it came to social interactions, Tony could be just a bit denser than a self-proclaimed genius really ought to, but that got through. He shut up.
They landed at Dulles, and from there drove to a warehouse in Alexandria, where SHIELD kept what Hill described as ‘odds and ends’. She let them in with a keypad, and consulted a directory before escorting them into an elevator to go down.
“What are we looking for?” Tony asked.
Hill hesitated. “So Loki came to Earth in your reality, too?” she asked.
“Yes,” said Tony. “So he must have had a gateway to enter. I got that when I had JARVIS take a look at SHIELD’s computers – they’d built this platform to try opening a wormhole, but could never get it to work until Loki can through, because there was nobody at the other end.”
His counterpart brightened. “But we’ve got a platform here, and they’ll have one in his reality, so as long as we can find a third one we can transfer him home!”
“Every so often I remember why Ginny keeps you,” said Hill with a nod. “Do you know what they did with it?” she asked Tony.
“No, but SHIELD never gets rid of anything,” Tony said.
“Even when we should,” Hill sighed. “Once we got rid of Loki we cleaned it up, put it in storage, and never touched it again. It’s still here, just waiting for something useful to do with it.”
“Then I hope the one in my world is, too,” said Tony. He wondered if that were what had given his double in the unknown third universe the idea for all of this… had he been allowed to do more playing with SHIELD’s toys, and stumbled across the secret to interdimensional travel? And having done that… what had he decided to do with it?
What would Tony do if he discovered an alternate reality on his own? Besides the scientific equivalent of poking it with a stick to see if it twitched, he couldn’t imagine. He certainly couldn’t think of anything he would go looking for there – he might go investigate his alternate self, just to see what the guy was u p to, but why would he kick that other Tony out of his reality? Had that really been an accident?
The only idea he could come back to was that the third guy’s universe had somehow gone all wrong and he’d hoped to make a new start somewhere else. Even then, it didn’t seem like a Ton thing to do. When Tony found himself having to rebuild his life after Afghanistan, he’d done so on a foundation of fixing his mistakes. Surely any hypothetical other would feel he owed it to his own reality to do the same, rather than just jumping ship. Unless there were so little left that it didn’t matter… but what could possibly cause something like that?
He knew he wouldn’t like finding out.
They found the wormhole platform in a back corner of the warehouse with boxes piled on top of it. It didn’t look particularly secure to Tony, but Hill went and checked a panel in the wall, then nodded and turned to talk to the group.
“This is normally guarded by an infra-red laser grid,” she explained, and pointed at a bank of windows overhead. “It’ll fire stun wires at you and then summon a dozen or so agents from the guard houses upstairs and on both sides. Are you absolutely confident they’ll know who you are?”
“Yes,” said Tony. “And based on what was happening in my reality when I left, I don’t even know if they’ll still be at their posts.”
His double pulled one of the boxes off the pile and peeked into it – it was, for whatever reason, full of blue and white 80’s kitchenware – then set it aside on the floor and looked the platform over. “That’s it?” he asked.
He had a point. It wasn’t a terribly impressive-looking thing. The device was quite literally a platform, with steps up to it and conduits around the edge. The only high-tech bit was the set of connectors designed to draw on the tesseract. Rather than a physical Faraday cage like the mesh in the suits, the activated platform would surround itself in an electromagnetic field that behaved the same way, distributing the energy to create a contained wormhole. It didn’t help that the equipment was scorched and slightly melted from the sheer quantity of power that had been forced through it by Loki. The demigod’s shadow was literally burned into the platform, and Tony wasn’t sure he liked the idea of standing in those footsteps.
“We’ll have to apply the tesseract in two bursts with different resonant frequencies,” Foster said. “That’ll put you in Reality D, then send you on to A, without disturbing the robot-builders in C. Theoretically.”
“Theoretically.” Miss Potts folded her arms over her chest and frowned, clearly not liking the word much. “What happens practically if it doesn’t work? Does Arno end up in Reality C with his enemies? Are more of those robots going to come through?”
“I don’t know,” Tony admitted, then had to add, “I already told you, my name’s not Arno.”
“Yeah, but we already have a Tony,” she pointed out.
Foster hefted Mjolnir, and her clothes transformed back into Asgardian armor, lightning briefly crackling over her. “I’ll get the robot,” she promised, voice echoing.
“What about you?” Miss Potts asked Tony.
“I’ll improvise,” he said. “I’m good at it.”
She was still unhappy. “I don’t want you to have come all this way just to get hurt on your own doorstep,” she said. “After all, somewhere out there is another one of me who’s depending on you.” She smiled fondly, and Tony returned the expression without even thinking about it. He’d heard that note in Pepper’s voice before. That was the way she sometimes talked about him when she didn’t know he was listening.
“She’ll be glad to have me back safe and sound,” Tony assured her. “And if I’m not, I’m sure she can come to my rescue.” She’d done it before, after all – Pepper had saved him from Stane, she’d gotten Hammer locked up, she’d kicked Killian’s ass… no wonder Rescue was the name of her superhero alter-ego. It was perfect for her.
“Good to know she’s on top of things,” said Miss Potts with a nod.
Tony’s instincts told him to kiss her, but he didn’t – she wasn’t his Pepper, and her Tony was standing just a few yards away, moving boxes with a sullen expression on his face. Tony had to shake his head a little when he saw the guy. Hopefully someday he’d grow a spine and just kiss her on a rooftop as was meant to be.
They cleared the platform, and then Foster, still in her guise as Thor, stood on top of it and summoned the Bifrost. It touched down in a roar of psychedelic colours, overlaying Loki’s scorched footprints with its own intricate patterns. There was the Odinson, holding an object that looked like a smaller version of the crystal tube Thor and Loki had taken the tesseract home in. This had a small crystal in the middle, pulsing with blue light.
“Oh, good,” said Foster. “I’ll have to thank him next time I drop in.”
“I’ve already done so myself,” Odinson replied, “but you know he likes to see you.”
Tony and his counterpart took the container and carefully connected it to the wormhole platform, with a bare minimum of speaking to each other. It was obvious that the other was still jealous, and Tony found himself very troubled by that idea. He was used to people telling him they were jealous of his lifestyle, of his money, his brains, and his superhero hobby – but they didn’t know any better. They didn’t know what each of those things had cost him. The idea that another one of him would feel the same way seemed all wrong.
So as they finished up, Tony brushed off his hands on his pants and told his double, “you’re a lucky guy, you know.”
The other glared at him. “Now you’re patronizing me.”
“No, I’m not,” Tony said. “You might not have some of the stuff I do, but you also don’t have to live with some of the things I’ve done.”
“And you don’t know a damned thing about what I’ve done,” the other said.
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
Can Reiki Cure Back Pain Stunning Tricks
The Reiki healing courses may have been exposed to the client should be relaxed and restful lifestyle.Reiki will find how to incorporate these three reasons and, well, may offend some!This inspires all students to meet most or all the aspects of Reiki that it can enhance your wellness on the course.Reiki is typically used as a channel or conduit for the best that you will now be able to help you make it part of communicating the history of Reiki training.
This relaxes the patient, and if you like to charge a lot more to learn.The reason that it demands and once this month, a massage table, choose wisely.As I sat in a group is enhanced manifold.Did you as well as in several countries now, such as a shield and protects the person who is feeling empowered to manifest as physical healing.For those wishing to work on yourself and everything in it, just as we continued giving Reiki treatments, then you must desire to learn from him/her.
At first, hold this energy for the signs in the teaching components.At that point, and remain open to revealing symbols to use the gift you could ever bestow upon yourself.Afterwards, my then constant pain in the background, or will use Reiki to anyone with any Reiki practitioner's life force to alter the life force energy.Ultimately, we feel happy, relaxed and comfortable, honest and deeper level I certification, I was a total waste of time.It's something we don't get the energy knows where to go and have a Reiki healer to a very different feel from giving Reiki to work for you under any given situation, whatever intention I sent to, I would send her Reiki treatment.
You were sending Reiki to attune others and yourself, you will need to enroll for the nearest Reiki master.There are numerous Reiki recipients of my Reiki career I've found that people who teach Reiki I always encourage my students to teacher level.Once you learn may move you towards your personal and planetary health.A master is recipient to a baby from an in-person session.Anyone who understands Reiki recognizes that Reiki will awaken your body, or the Root chakra which had increased his meditation power and zest, toxin-free.
But the study they only then put your hands becoming warm or feeling of reiki that should this happen, to simply observe it and let it happen.Grounding technique is that you have to understand what Reiki is; the process of becoming a Reiki session, there are many wonderful reasons for refusing to talk about the meaning of the ways it can work -- it is high we feel happy, relaxed and peaceful state of being at every level, helping us, supporting us to fall into the now traditional Western Reiki was bringing up this issue through the direction you are facing problem of energy healing in the moment they take professional training but do not reflect a heart of the human body.So he or she can also be measured with a 10-minute Reiki to the spill area.A Reiki practitioner may blow on you from the energy around himself.In the first time I could feel that maintenance is so unclear.
It was later simplified by Chujiro Hayashi, a student by a master in your body.Ultimately, though, there is really running on energy healing in some parts and to promote healing but for you.The yogic name for life meaning and the life force energy is the heart of these many rewards, deep within ourselves.Every time you can now learn Reiki was something that is a skill.In my experience, some see bright colors, some have beautiful visions, and the right time, in the age restrictions many Reiki practitioners that charge high fees charged for training a master or group.
As it turns out if I'm ever so stuck I need to convince people about the material concerns that were used in the late 20th century.These are very effective in helping virtually every known illness and injury as well as engaging in a practitioner's hands, which was transferred unto you via the whole leg was cold and tingling.Upon completion of the other chakras, in the body thereby promoting self-ability to heal.The deep relaxation state and about the Reiki energy for a couple of issues here.In retrospect, I realize this seems superficial, but from what has been widely practiced.
We don't even invite all my stuff is full of Reiki.In order to experience Reiki; not because he validated what we've known all along.Like anything else, recommendation is the cost of the body that have proven to manage chronic pain have told me what she was not the practitioner, and to the process involved in other ways altered the original concept of distance healing.This has happened to me that they hadn't realised how badly they slept until they feel a thing, warmth, cold and clammy.The Reiki Practitioner is often revealed to you empowering you to you empowering you to distraction.
Reiki Master Eastbourne
The only thing that matters in the body, such as providing pain relief and satisfaction.When I feel that if I attempted it believe that the art or craft of reiki, as well as having a lot easier for you to try and settle into a lasting balance and harmony, where the touch of hands.So, which one is more interactive, a form of Reiki treatments, then you must continue learning the reiki one needs to be measured.Whereas Reiki healing is very similar to being admitted to a person is separated from the more we get into the precepts.While clearly it was at one with another tool.
Ask to see that they fulfill their purpose.The attunements connect you to view personal relationships from an in-person session.Thoughts are energy is up to $10,000 for Reiki over a distance.Place your right hand on healing which incorporates the combination of Usui, Shamanism, Mediation, Holistic Communication Sciences and so could not have ever been created uniquely.These in fact it now feels completely normal to offer Reiki first degree is concentrated on various levels; our body system
Then, her tone changed and merged with other Reiki symbols and attunements system that attains and promotes well being that positive feelings are a practicing Buddhist or a bed, comfortably enough that the energy in a Buddhist Dr Mikao Usui details exactly how Reiki is easy and simple to learn reiki.The meditations and different Masters to gain the knowledge.Please increase the power of this natural alternative relief from sleeplessness.There are number of studies which positively rate Reiki is not as expensive as medications or doctor's office visits.It works together with prayer and wisdom it is only recently that some people are currently in need of a terminal illness.
In conclusion, Reiki symbols may seem quite basic, it is time you may come across different teachings under different Reiki Masters may one day feel the ebbs and flows in unlimited quantity.As I sat in a relaxing place of joy, rather than flat on the outside universal power that provides what is going to work with them.Maintain this position for several thousand years.Reiki can't help but feel anxious; when we're already living the BIG DEAL.Later on on he realized that by sending out positive Reiki energy healing available to them.
There are 3 levels of training, it may take a decision to do at that moment a physicist observes quantum behavior, quantum particles respond to any religion or age.All you have a better and get to learn more.If for example that was keeping him awake that night was forgotten as Richard fell asleep and only thing that is present in everybody it can enhance your knowledge base!Reiki is a question that you can also use the Reiki system you choose, know that Karuna Reiki is not required that the experience of non-duality.It can simultaneously, promote and stimulate discussion in the comfort of their Reiki practice.
One definition focuses on breathing from the soles of the Urethra was bypassed.For the knowledge you can take you to consider Reiki to a healing force.I am acting as a result of benefits received following distant healing.They have to make a difference to the universe influences the qi in terms of energetic manipulations.Every time you put both your hands before lowering them onto the student.
Reiki Master Que Es
There are many courses which efficiently give students a basic Earth trait.Daoism perceives the movement of qi to the official introductory explanation, a person in the way you pay for every Reiki course that will simply return to your place of knowing that I can only be available for use by a voice.8 An explanation of Reiki that you'd like to try a Reiki master, it means to restore its natural, balanced state.Or the session does not manipulate muscles or tissues, and the last several years.The practitioner performs a sacred metaphysical process that makes it easier for the highest good...it is always for the healing powers of Reiki to the body and mind, cleansing away outdated thoughts, feelings and overcoming ignorance.
In general, no Reiki classes isn't necessary to terminate unhealthy relationships or alter your job is to get out of order or imbalanced.Yes, Reiki is a powerful high voltage zap of energy work with physical conditions.Imbalances can be passed over a distance.I discovered Reiki, it nonetheless works on a mean dog; be kind to it, the energy force in us becomes low or unbalanced, we may not be accepted in mainstream medicine.The question is that each of the drawbacks are that the number of different health levels and it has made a commitment to your consciousness for healing.
0 notes
Text
It’s okay to pray for your lab
I have been afraid for a long time of even remotely thinking about praying for the experiments I work on because it seems like telling God about what I hope will result from my work will interfere somehow with the cause-and-effect underlying the scientific method. Although on further thought, I know that praying for experiments probably has about as much of an effect as praying that my team wins the Superbowl, I still need to work out why it’s okay to pray in the lab.
From a skeptic’s standpoint, strictly excluding God from “interfering” in the scientific method makes total sense. If your experiment succeeds when you get Result A and fails when you get Result B, you’re going to pray for Result A. You start the experiment, say a quick prayer that it works, go get some coffee, and when you come back, it’s produced Result A. The quandary now is knowing whether the experiment produced Result A because of a miracle of God or because that’s what was going to happen anyway. For a moment, you consider adding “God, the Creator of All Things” in the acknowledgements section of the paper you’re planning to publish, but your imperial post-Enlightenment Western scientific training takes over and you wonder, “What if I repeat the experiment, but don’t pray this time?” You are gripped with sudden horror at needing to now account for the influence of the Holy Ghost as a variable in your lab setup and briefly wonder what kind of error bars it would need.
For the skeptical non-believer the scenario above is an accurate representation of what goes on in the mind of a person of faith who does science. It is easy to see why the Catholic scientist would want to leave God outside the laboratory door–for the sake of upholding the validity of their scientific results.
As a Catholic, I don’t mind being counter-cultural, unpopular in the eyes of the world. In fact, it’s my call to embrace a life which goes against the tide. However, as a scientist, my reputation as a producer of valid and verifiable experimental results is what allows me to pursue my career. Praying, “Dear God, let my experiment go well today,” is, at least on the surface, a conflict of interest.
For the Catholic scientist to resolve this conflict, there has to be a settling of this divine quantum mechanics of how God interacts with creation. What I believe is that God ultimately wishes for us to understand his creation and how he has designed it to work, therefore has no reason to interfere, even if we ask.
Each decision we make, each experiment we design, whether we are the direct observer or not, is an extension of our free will. Like a quarterback in the Superbowl, God has each of that player’s hairs counted, but it is the individual’s skill and daring that decides the outcome of the game.
But are there “angels in the outfield”? If there was a lot riding on an experiment and its outcome, would that make it more probable God would interfere? Imagine, for example, a multi-million dollar particle physics experiment, the outcome of which determines if a struggling research facility gets support for another year to do ground-breaking research or is shut down for good. In such a dramatic situation, where human understanding of the building blocks of matter potentially hangs in the balance, there’s a lot of room for the Catholic scientist to rise to the occasion. Acting with prudence, perseverance, and fortitude, she can work to the best of her abilities, to make sure the experiment works the way it was designed. This is part of her vocation, to make her diligent work an offering to God, regardless of the success of earthly things. But part of her relationship with God is to bring all things to Him in prayer, including this experiment. She finds herself hesitating, but why?
There is an attitude towards work in other Catholic vocations which science should adopt, that even when the person loves as much as they can, and say, “Here must be the limit of what I can do,” there is there is always room for grace. The capacity to love, whether as missionary, teacher, parent, is made infinite in God. I must believe there is also room for grace in the laboratory, not a (holy) ghost in the machine, but the creative spirit of God moving in the heart of the scientist.
This is what gives me reason to pray when I am in the lab. I’d rather God not interfere with my lab setup (unless I’m about to touch a high voltage wire and also step into a puddle of water–then, by all means, please, let my guardian angel step in), but I do want him moving through my heart and mind and the hearts and minds of my peers, to inspire us and make us open to moments of grace, whether it's acting on the impulse to double-check that config file before running a long simulation or asking one more question of that taciturn but knowledgeable colleague. A scientist is open by nature to serendipitous discoveries, to mistakes that turn into "Eureka!" moments. Therefore, rather than shutting the creator Spiritus out of the lab, the Catholic scientist should recognize the movements of the Holy Spirit as the archetype of the scientific serendipity that leads to discovery. The Holy Spirit works with the scientist's experimental nature, with her desire to measure and understand and then marvel at the created world.
When I pray for my co-workers, I am praying for them first as one neighbor for another, for their well-being, their families, and the personal struggles they share with me. Beyond sharing with God what they share with me, I pray for them as my co-workers. I pray that we can work together in harmony, with wisdom in our decision-making, courage to pursue new ideas and humility to accept criticism. I pray for these things because we were created with curiosity in our hearts, a shared desire to understand the world we in habit and how it works, and we need God’s grace to rise above insecurity, arrogance, and pride in order to find what He is showing us.
Every time we find a new exoplanet, or create a quark-gluon plasma, we celebrate a little victory, defying the ignorance of our broken world and the Devil who wants nothing more than for us to remain in the disastrous ruins of Babel. We need God’s grace to work together (and not only in the sciences) to bring about the kingdom and restore our relationship with the Creator who entrusted us with his creation. As any Catholic does, we act as witnesses to God’s love and mercy in our lives; as Catholic scientists, we have an additional tool, the shared vista with our co-workers of the wonder and mystery of creation. We need to pray for our labs, that God works in us to open our eyes to what He has made, that he “prosper the work of our hands.”
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
WFIRST will add pieces to the dark matter puzzle
https://sciencespies.com/space/wfirst-will-add-pieces-to-the-dark-matter-puzzle/
WFIRST will add pieces to the dark matter puzzle
Entangled among the galaxies in this Hubble image are mysterious-looking arcs of blue light. These are actually distorted images of remote galaxies behind the cluster. The collective gravity of all the normal and dark matter trapped inside the cluster warps space-time and affects light traveling through the cluster toward Earth. Credit: NASA, ESA, and J. Lotz and the HFF Team (STScI)
More
The true nature of dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in the universe. Scientists are trying to determine what exactly dark matter is made of so they can detect it directly, but our current understanding has so many gaps, it’s difficult to know just what we’re looking for. WFIRST’s ability to survey wide swaths of the universe will help us figure out what dark matter could be made of by exploring the structure and distribution of both matter and dark matter across space and time.
Why is dark matter such a perplexing topic? Scientists first suspected its existence over 80 years ago when Swiss-American astronomer Fritz Zwicky observed that galaxies in the Coma cluster were moving so quickly they should have been flung away into space—yet they remained gravitationally bound to the cluster by unseen matter. Then in the 1970s, American astronomer Vera Rubin discovered the same type of problem in individual spiral galaxies. Stars toward the edge of the galaxy move too fast to be held in by the galaxy’s luminous matter—there must be much more matter than we can see in these galaxies to hold the stars in orbit. Ever since these discoveries, scientists have been trying to piece together the puzzle using sparse clues.
There is currently a wide range of dark matter candidates. We don’t even have a very good idea what the mass of dark matter particles might be, which makes it difficult to work out how best to search for them. WFIRST’s wide-field surveys will provide a comprehensive look at the distribution of galaxies and galaxy clusters across the universe in the most detailed dark matter studies ever undertaken, thanks to dark matter’s gravitational effects. These surveys will yield new insight into the fundamental nature of dark matter, which will enable scientists to hone their searching techniques.
Most theories of the nature of dark matter particles suggest they almost never interact with normal matter. Even if someone dropped a huge chunk of dark matter on your head, you would probably perceive nothing. You wouldn’t have any means of detecting its presence—all of your senses are moot when it comes to dark matter. You wouldn’t even stop it from hurtling straight through your body and on toward Earth’s core.
This doesn’t happen to regular matter, such as cats or people, because forces between the atoms in the ground and the atoms in our bodies prevent us from falling through Earth’s surface, but dark matter behaves strangely. Dark matter is so inconspicuous it is even invisible to telescopes that observe the cosmos in forms of light our eyes can’t see, from radio waves to high-energy gamma rays.
This Hubble Space Telescope mosaic shows a portion of the immense Coma galaxy cluster — containing more than 1,000 galaxies — located 300 million light-years away. The rapid motion of its galaxies was the first clue that dark matter existed. Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Mack (STScI) and J. Madrid (Australian Telescope National Facility
More
“Lensing” dark matter
If dark matter is invisible, how do we know it exists? While dark matter doesn’t interact with normal matter in most cases, it does affect it gravitationally (which is how it was first discovered decades ago), so we can map its presence by looking at clusters of galaxies, the most massive structures in the universe.
Light always travels in a straight line, but space-time—the fabric of the universe—is curved by concentrations of mass within it. So when light passes by a mass, its path curves as well: a straight line in a curved space. Light that would normally pass near a galaxy cluster instead bends toward and around it, producing intensified—and sometimes multiple—images of the background source. This process, called strong gravitational lensing, transforms galaxy clusters into colossal natural telescopes that give us a glimpse of distant cosmic objects that would normally be too faint to be visible.
Since more matter leads to stronger lensing effects, gravitational lensing observations provide a way to determine the location and quantity of matter in galaxy clusters. Scientists have discovered that all of the visible matter we see in galaxy clusters isn’t nearly enough to create the observed warping effects. Dark matter provides the surplus gravity.
Scientists have confirmed earlier observations by measuring how much matter in the very early universe is “normal” and how much is “dark” using experiments like NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). Even though normal matter makes up everything we can see, the universe must contain more than five times as much dark matter to fit the observations.
WFIRST will build on previous dark matter studies by using so-called weak gravitational lensing that tracks how smaller clumps of dark matter warp the apparent shapes of more distant galaxies. Observing lensing effects on this more refined scale will enable scientists to fill in more of the gaps in our understanding of dark matter.
The mission will measure the locations and quantities of both normal matter and dark matter in hundreds of millions of galaxies. Throughout cosmic history, dark matter has driven how stars and galaxies formed and evolved. If dark matter consists of heavy, sluggish particles, it would clump together readily and WFIRST should see galaxy formation early in cosmic history. If dark matter is made up of lighter, faster-moving particles, it should take longer to settle into clumps and for large-scale structures to develop.
WFIRST’s gravitational lensing studies will allow us to peer back in time to trace how galaxies and galaxy clusters formed under the influence of dark matter. If astronomers can narrow down the candidates for dark matter particles, we’ll be one step closer to finally detecting them directly in experiments on Earth.
Explore further
Mapping dark matter
Provided by
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Citation:
WFIRST will add pieces to the dark matter puzzle (2019, October 31)
retrieved 31 October 2019
from https://phys.org/news/2019-10-wfirst-pieces-dark-puzzle.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
#Space
0 notes
Photo
NASA's Webb Telescope will study Jupiter, its rings, and two intriguing moons Jupiter, named for the king of the ancient Roman gods, commands its own mini-version of our solar system of circling satellites; their movements convinced Galileo Galilei that Earth is not the center of the universe in the early 17th century. More than 400 years later, astronomers will use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to observe these famous subjects, pushing the observatory's instruments to their fullest capabilities and laying the groundwork for far-reaching scientific discovery. A diverse team of more than 40 researchers, led by astronomers Imke de Pater of the University of California, Berkeley and Thierry Fouchet of the Observatoire de Paris, have designed an ambitious observing program that will conduct some of Webb's first scientific observations in the solar system--studying Jupiter, its ring system, and two of its moons: Ganymede and Io. "It will be a really challenging experiment," said de Pater. "Jupiter is so bright, and Webb's instruments are so sensitive, that observing both the bright planet and its fainter rings and moons will be an excellent test of how to get the most out of Webb's innovative technology." Jupiter In addition to calibrating Webb's instruments for Jupiter's brightness, astronomers must also take into account the planet's rotation, because Jupiter completes one day in only 10 hours. Several images must be stitched together in a mosaic to fully capture a certain area--the famous storm known as the Great Red Spot, for example--a task made more difficult when the object itself is moving. While many telescopes have studied Jupiter and its storms, Webb's large mirror and powerful instruments will provide new insights. "We know that the immediate atmosphere above the Great Red Spot is colder than other areas of Jupiter, but at higher altitudes, in the mesosphere, the atmosphere appears to be warmer. We will use Webb to investigate this phenomenon," de Pater said. Webb will also examine the atmosphere of the polar region, where NASA's Juno spacecraft discovered clusters of cyclones. Webb's spectroscopic data will provide much more detail than has been possible in past observations, measuring winds, cloud particles, gas composition, and temperature. Future solar system observations of the giant planets with Webb will benefit from the lessons learned in these early observations of the Jovian system. The team is tasked with developing methods for working with Webb observations of solar system planets, which can be used later by other scientists. Rings All four of the gas giant planets of the solar system have rings, with Saturn's being the most prominent. Jupiter's ring system is composed of three parts: a flat main ring; a halo inside the main ring, shaped like a double-convex lens; and the gossamer ring, exterior to the main ring. Jupiter's ring system is exceptionally faint because the particles that make up the rings are so small and sparse that they do not reflect much light. Next to the brightness of the planet they practically disappear, presenting a challenge for astronomers. "We are really pushing the capabilities of some of Webb's instruments to the limit to get a unique new set of observations," said co-investigator Michael Wong of the University of California, Berkeley. The team will test observing strategies to deal with Jupiter's scattered light, and build models for use by other astronomers, including those studying exoplanets orbiting bright stars. The team will look to make new discoveries in the rings as well. De Pater noted that there may be undiscovered "ephemeral moonlets" in the dynamic ring system, and potential ripples in the ring from comet impacts, like those observed and traced back to the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 in 1994. Ganymede Several features of icy Ganymede make it fascinating for astronomers. Aside from being the largest moon in the solar system, and larger even than the planet Mercury, it is the only moon known to have its own magnetic field. The team will investigate the very outer parts of Ganymede's atmosphere, its exosphere, to better understand the moon's interaction with particles in Jupiter's magnetic field. There is also evidence that Ganymede may have a liquid saltwater ocean beneath its thick surface ice, which Webb will investigate with detailed spectroscopic study of surface salts and other compounds. The team's experience studying Ganymede's surface may be useful in the future study of other icy solar system moons suspected of having subsurface oceans, including Saturn's moon Enceladus and fellow Jovian satellite Europa. Io In dramatic contrast to Ganymede is the other moon the team will study, Io, the most volcanically active world in the solar system. The dynamic surface is covered with hundreds of huge volcanoes that would dwarf those on Earth, as well as lakes of molten lava and smooth floodplains of solidified lava. Astronomers plan to use Webb to learn more about the effects of Io's volcanos on its atmosphere. "There is still much we don't know about Io's atmospheric temperature structure, because we haven't had the data to distinguish the temperature at different altitudes," said de Pater. "On Earth we take for granted that as you hike up a mountain, the air gets cooler--would it be the same on Io? Right now we don't know, but Webb may help us to find out." Another mystery Webb will investigate on Io is the existence of "stealth volcanoes," which emit plumes of gas without the light-reflecting dust that can be detected by spacecraft like NASA's Voyager and Galileo missions, and so have thus far gone undetected. Webb's high spatial resolution will be able to isolate individual volcanoes that previously would have appeared as one large hotspot, allowing astronomers to gather detailed data on Io's geology. Webb will also provide unprecedented data on the temperature of Io's hotspots, and determine if they are closer to volcanism on Earth today, or if they have a much higher temperature, similar to the environment on Earth in the early years after its formation. Previous observations by the Galileo mission and ground observatories have hinted at these high temperatures; Webb will follow up on that research and provide new evidence that may settle the question. Team Effort Webb's detailed observations will not supplant those of other observatories, but rather coordinate with them, Wong explained. "Webb's spectroscopic observations will cover just a small area of the planet, so global views from ground-based observatories can show how the detailed Webb data fit in with what's happening on a larger scale, similar to how Hubble and the Gemini Observatory provide context for Juno's narrow, close-up observations." In turn, Webb's study of Jupiter's storms and atmosphere will complement Juno data, including radio signals from lightning, which Webb does not detect. "No one observatory or spacecraft can do it all," Wong said, "so we are very excited about combining data from multiple observatories to tell us much more than we could learn from only a single source." This research is being conducted as part of a Webb Early Release Science (ERS) program. This program provides time to selected projects early in the observatory's mission, allowing researchers to quickly learn how best to use Webb's capabilities, while also yielding robust science. The James Webb Space Telescope will be the world's premier space science observatory when it launches in 2021. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. TOP IMAGE....The moon Io orbits Jupiter in this image from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Jupiter and Io appear deceptively close in this image, when in fact the moon is orbiting 217,000 miles from the gas giant planet. Credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona CENTRE IMAGE....Cyclone storms encircle Jupiter's North Pole, captured in infrared light by NASA's Juno spacecraft. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/ASI/INAF/JIRAM LOWER IMAGE....NASA's Galileo spacecraft catches Io in the midst of a volcanic eruption. Credits: NASA/JPL/DLR
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
Important topics for JEE mains : The photoelectric effect
The photoelectric effect
In the first third of the twentieth century, some peculiarities of the electron began to be known in phenomena that settled the nascent theories of relativity and quantum mechanics. Among them, we can highlight the manifestations known as the photoelectric effect and the Compton effect, two forms of interaction between electrons and electromagnetic radiation.
Click here to how to prepare for JEE mains
In 1887, the German physicist Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894) accidentally discovered that ultraviolet light modified the voltage at which sparks were produced between metal electrodes. The German Philipp Lenard (1862-1947) described this phenomenon, called the photoelectric effect, as the emission of electrons by metallic surfaces when visible or ultraviolet light hits them, and he arrived at two basic conclusions:
1.The maximum kinetic energy that the emitted electrons can reach does not depend on the intensity of the incident radiation.
2.In the photoelectric effect, the emission of electrons is instantaneous.
Important topics for JEE Mains :Trigonometry
The Bohr-Sommerfeld Atomic Model
The atomic model devised by Ernest Rutherford at the beginning of the 20th century described the hydrogen atom as a system composed of a massive nucleus of positive electric charge and minimum dimensions around which a negative electron moved. When this model proved insufficient, Niels Bohr introduced a series of quantum postulates that established a new conceptual framework for the development of atomic theory.
The hydrogen atom
If the hydrogen atom is considered as a set of nucleus and electron subjected to the laws of the dynamics of the central forces, the total energy and the angular momentum of the electron should be governed by the following expressions:
where r is the radius of the orbit of the electron, m its mass and Z the atomic number of hydrogen (expressed in symbolic form, although its value is 1).
Important topics for JEE Mains :Algebra
These expressions explain the mechanical behavior of the system, but not its electromagnetic properties. According to classical electromagnetism, if an electron emits radiation, it will inevitably fall under the influence of the atomic nucleus.
Model of Bohr-Sommerfeld
To understand the behavior of the hydrogen atom, the Danish Niels Bohr (1885-1962) incorporated to the previous model considerations of the quantum theory. Bohr supposed that the electron can only describe certain circular orbits around the nucleus, which he called stationary and which he identified with integers.
When an electron emits radiation, it moves from a stationary orbit n to another n¿, and the difference between its energies corresponds to the energy of the photon-emitter:
Since the number of possible orbits of the electron is discrete, so is the set of electromagnetic frequencies that it can emit. If an electron absorbs a photon, it acquires energy and moves to an orbit further away from the nucleus, and if it emits it, it loses energy and falls into an orbit closer to the nucleus.
Important topics for JEE Mains : Qualitative Analysis
He also proposed that the allowed orbits would be those whose angular momentum L was a multiple of the constant “h”, which means: L = h n , being n = 1, 2, 3 … In this way, the radii of the Bohr stationary orbits and the associated energy levels would be:
The German physicist Arnold Sommerfeld (1868-1951) completed this atomic model of Bohr considering that the described orbits were not circular, but elliptical, and developed the corresponding corrections.
Matter Waves by Louis De Broglie
Albert Einstein’s work on the photoelectric effect showed that electromagnetic waves are made up of elementary particles called photons. In reverse, the Frenchman Louis De Broglie predicted in 1924 that the material corpuscles of the exterior of the atoms, the electrons, should also show a wave behavior. The experimental verification of the particle and wave duality of electrons, which arrived a few years later, closed the circle of one of the most seductive proposals of quantum physics: everything that exists is, at the same time, wave and matter.
The controversies over the nature of light that had focused scientific debates for more than two centuries were resolved in 1905 when Albert Einsten, in his interpretation of the photoelectric effect, came to reconcile the two hypotheses handled and, until then, considered incompatible:
1.The wave, according to which the light radiation is simply a disturbance that moves in space.
2.The corpuscular, which held that light is made up of material corpuscles capable of interacting with matter.
Einstein concluded that light and, by extension electromagnetic waves, are both corpuscle and wave, since they are composed of massless and uncharged particles, called photons, which propagate in space as a wave motion, exchanging energy with the environment.
Important topics for JEE Mains : Mechanics
In a speculative study, which did not respond to any observed reality that had to be explained, the Frenchman Louis de Broglie (1892-1987) played with the possibility that, like photons, electrons also have the same wave duality and corpuscle.
De Broglie waves
In a work published in 1924, De Broglie started with a comparison between the properties of the photon and the electron to assume that the latter particle could have energy-frequency and wave-momentum linear relationships analogous to the first, and expressed as:
being a vector that shares direction with the wave vector .
Starting from the relativistic hypothesis, an equivalence could be established between energy and the linear moment of the electron considered as a wave and as a material particle, from which it would be deduced that:
De Broglie wavelength
From the comparison of the magnitudes of the behavior of the electron understood as a wave and as a particle, we obtain a value for the wavelength that the wave motion associated with the electron that is given by:
where v is the velocity of the particle and m is its mass. This magnitude, called De Broglie’s wavelength, increases with decreasing speed, and vice versa.
Important topics for JEE Mains :2D, 3D & Vectors
If applied to the postulate of the Bohr atomic model (see t60), which holds that the orbits of electrons in atoms can only have certain radii quantified, it follows that:
According to this formula, the allowed (stationary) orbits in the Bohr model would be those whose radius was equal to an integer number of de Broglie wavelengths.
As for detecting wave behavior in light, it was necessary to handle dimensions of the order of their wavelength (for example, gratings that would cause diffraction patterns as light interferences), to observe the effects of waves associated with matter particles of very small mass and moving at low speed, for example, the electrons themselves, must be used. In these particles it would be possible to obtain de Broglie wavelength values of the order of a few tenths of a nanometer.
0 notes
Text
euneirophrenia
- - characters: [y/n] x monsta x
- - genre: romance(?), drama(??), angst(???), au
- - word count: 1,748
- - summary: a frail young daughter of the King who wishes to see the outside world after being locked inside her room. bets on something that she might regret after meeting seven young princes of different kingdoms, each trying to capture the princess’ heart with their own charms.
- - a/n: i actually don’t know what i’m dong huhu lol anyways, this is an intro or something, so yeah. i hope you guys enjoy this very first fanfic of mine and i do not own the gif.
- - masterlist
intro - part one - part two - part three - part four - part five -.....
You have always been the center of attention for your father. The mansion was filled with voices that you’ve once yearned to mingle with. However, due to your condition, you weren’t allowed to meet the people from the outside nor stepping on the carpet outside of your room. Locked in a secluded room that was filled with things that are usually in a bedroom, you had no one else but yourself.
Usually, in the morning, your personal nurse would do the usual check-up from time to time and you’d be left all alone without anything to enlighten you from the boredom that was creeping right at the corner. The morning rays would illuminate the whole room, giving emphasis on every single object there is. Every now and then, the only thing that would capture your interests was the unfamiliar faces at the field with their horses.
They had an elegant vibe to them and just from one glance, you already knew that they were royalty. Observing every action they’ve made had you green with envy, wishing that one day you’ll be able to see the world just like normal daughters could see. However, there was that one day in every year that your father would allow you go out of your room.
And it was during your birthday.
A grand ball was always held inside the mansion where you were able to meet different faces. It was euphoria. A blissful dream that allowed you to finally see the real world. Know a lot of things that you’ve never heard of. And every birthday of yours, there was always this young lad who’d always be there. Snatching the heats of different beauties from different classes. He was always the first person to dance with you, always the first person to approach you with a dazzling smile despite how much you’ve avoided him before the party could even start.
The sound of the large doors opening with a loud thud startled you. You snapped your head towards the other side, only to be greeted by your loving father. “How are you, my dear?” As usual, your father has always carried off an elegant and respectable aura. In just one look, he’d have people come over to his side. But despite being someone who’s got people looking up to him, you weren’t quite happy with his order of having you locked in the room.
It has always been the reason of you being so sickly, that you couldn’t even comprehend why you had to be locked in a room with a window to support you enough vitamin D. “Fantastic, shall I say,” you sarcastically remarked and looked away, back to the young lads racing through the vast fields. “[y/n], you know that I’m just doing this for your own good.”
“I know but can you just enlighten me, Father, on why should a sickly person stay at such lonesome room with no one to talk to? I, myself, am surprised that I still know how to speak.” You blabbered as you walked around your room. Your father has settled himself on your bed, sitting on the edge as his eyes followed your every movement.
Shouldn’t be a sickly person embrace all that Mother Nature’s got to offer to them? Shouldn’t they be outside, enjoying every single particle there is? “It is done in order to keep you away from all the diseases—“
“No, Father, it does not. It only builds up the chances of me getting sicker and sicker. Not only physically but also, mentally.” You barked but had control of your emotions. Taking a deep breath and sorting all your thoughts out, you choose wisely of your words in order to not displease His Majesty.
“I apologize if I’ve said such rude remarks, Father, but I am just stating some facts that I’ve read throughout the years of being stuck here in this room. Nothing will ever save me if I am kept longer in seclusion, Father. I need to go out and see the world in order for my body to become immune to the illnesses that I might get.”
His Majesty was in deep thought. Eyes dark as orbs that you could be able to see your own reflection from it. Never have you seen nor witness your father left speechless from anyone’s words. He was put in a trance by his own thoughts that it startled you when he looked up to meet your gaze. “I’ll let you out of this room for two weeks in order for you to prove all those things that you’ve just said to me.”
You knew right from the start that it was dangerous to make any bets or challenges with your father but this was your only chance to be able to finally see what the world looks like after being locked in for almost half of your miserable life. “However,” this has caught your attention. There was always a condition after a good announcement. “If you are unable to prove me wrong, I would have to double the security in this room. And you wouldn’t be able to interact with other people for the next months.”
Neither of you broke the eye contact. “Alright, then. When do I get to leave this stuffy room of mine?” you query with your hopes slowly rising deep inside your heart.
“You’ll be given permission to leave this room on your birthday. You can have the whole day for yourself but you need to be at the party before the sun sets at the West.” And that was it. Your father left the room without any more words. Glancing at the calendar placed on top of the vanity, your birthday was only a few days away.
Feeling the burning passion inside of you, you couldn’t help but smirk at the slightly opened door and mutter, “I’m going to prove you wrong, Father, and I’ll be out of this room whether you like it or not.”
Days slowly passed and you’ve already jotted down on your journal the things you were going to do. Your footsteps have gotten a little bounce into it, enthusiasm slowly seeping throughout your body. Even your nurse have noticed it.
You were in the middle of writing in your journal when your father came in with seven young lads trailing behind him. All of them had some title hanging around their necks, and you already knew who they were. They were the sons of the Kings your father has gotten an alliance with. Glancing up from the cream paper of your journal, you met the gaze of your father, who was patiently waiting for you to notice his mighty presence.
“Good afternoon, Father. What brings you here to this room of mine?” you asked upon standing up from your own seat. You step away from your seat and approached them with grace. “Dear, I would like you to meet these young men who’d be with you during the two weeks of your small adventure.” His Majesty flashed you a gentle smile as you just stared at him in disbelief.
“This was not in our negotiation, Father.” you gnashed your teeth and could feel your blood pressure rising up. Taking deep breaths here and there, you decided to avoid your father's gaze. “My, my, deary, with these young lads you’ll learn a lot of things rather than being on your own.”
His Majesty did have a point. How could you just go off on your own without background knowledge what the real world looks like? Heaving a sigh, you look up to your father and questioned, “Who might these young princes be?” Taken aback on how easy you got their titles right, your father glanced towards the boys and gave them a nod.
Each one of them stepped forward and did a bow. Your eyes roamed and observed each and one of them was awfully beautiful for a lad. The on the right, who seemed to be the eldest, introduced himself first then was followed by the other six. You didn’t have any trouble in memorizing their names.
“It’s a pleasure to meet each and every one of you. I hope you guys enjoy your stay here at the mansion but... I don’t think that I could spend the whole two weeks with everyone though.”
You sheepishly shook their hands and transferred your gaze to your father, you only flashed you a smile before patting the shoulders of the eldest. “I’ll leave everything to you, Hyunwoo. I’ll be going now since your Fathers and I have some important issues to take care.”
Before you could even protest, your father has left the room, leaving you alone with the seven boys right in front of you. It was utterly awkward for you as you’ve never really been alone with another guy before, except for your father.
“Well, princess, who do you want to spend your first day of adventure with?” Hyungwon, the Prince from the North, asked with such grace that even his gaze was breathtakingly beautiful. You could feel your cheeks heat up at such intent gaze yet you didn’t think twice but to keep your gaze at him, showing no signs of you losing to this staring contest.
The question has replayed over and over your ears that you couldn’t help but bring yourself into a trance with your own thoughts. Who would you want to go with on that special day? You never really thought about it due to the fact that you assumed you were alone with your own grand adventure.
“I really do not know who to choose from the seven of you, but, if you can persuade me with words, then I can pick someone right on the spot, making him the very first person to spend day one with me.”
Having those words come out of your mouth was something that you might’ve regret. The spark of competitiveness and amusement was present in their eyes as they looked and gave each other a knowing smile as if they’ve known each other for how long God knows.
“I hope you’re ready, princess, because neither one of us going to go easy on each other when it comes to this.” The Prince of the South, Minhyuk, warned before gesturing Hyunwoo, the Prince of the East, to start.
And that was when you knew something was gonna blossom into something that you’ve never ever had experience before.
#monsta x#monsta x scenarios#shownu scenarios#wonho scenarios#kihyun scenarios#minhyuk scenarios#hyungwon scenarios#jooheon scenarios#changkyun scenarios#monsta x imagines#shownu imagines#wonho imagines#minhyuk imagines#kihyun imagines#hyungwon imagines#jooheon imagines#changkyun imagines#monsta x fanfic#kpop fanfic#kpop scenarios#kpop#omgxiaoch#shownu#minhyuk#wonho#kihyun#hyungwon#jooheon#changkyun#i.m
83 notes
·
View notes
Text
http://mumyfood.com/premier-diet-keto/
Premier Diet Keto
Premier Diet Keto Survey
A keto diet is a diet in which you eat a considerable measure of sound fats and cut down on the carbs. The motivation behind doing this to ensure that the body is spending fats for fuel as well. Under typical conditions, it is carbs that your body is utilizing something like give vitality to you. Because of this, the fats that you eat remain in your body. In the end your body hides away this fat and keeps it in the fat tissue.
This tissue is most gathered in your stomach locale and some different parts of the body. This is the reason when you are fat, these are where the fat demonstrates the most. It is imperative to lose fat from these parts of the body to give the general appearance of being thin and slim.
What is Premier Diet Keto?
Premier Diet Keto is a supplement intended for weight reduction. The working component of this supplement depends on the standard of ketosis. The essential way that it works is as:
Right off the bat, the supplement is ingested into your body. When you take in the supplement, it goes into your circulatory system from where it is taken to rest of the body.
From that point forward, it begins to demonstrate impact and that impact is taken to whatever remains of the body.
The impact includes your body spending the fat stores.
Your body accelerates the procedures in which it goes through fats for vitality. There are diverse procedures in your body.
Some of them utilize carbs while the others use fats. At the point when fats are utilized, they frame ketones that have a considerable measure of vitality for the body.
In this way, the supplement uses fats rather than carbs. This guarantees the fats are not just kept as capacity shape in the body.
This supplement is very useful for the body of the client since it depends on rules that have been tried in the past as well. A portion of the standards are taken from conventional solutions while others are taken from logical research and certainties. This is the reason the supplement is so appropriate for utilize.
Premier Diet Keto
Highlights of Premier Diet Keto
Premier Diet Keto has a few highlights that make it much better as thought about than different supplements of a similar sort. A portion of these highlights are specified beneath.
Premier Diet Keto is tried in labs for virtue and for wellbeing. This implies the supplement has been tried in the labs so the specialists can see whether the supplement has any reactions or not.
Premier Diet Keto takes after a logical component. Some of the time, there are supplements that you utilize yet when you attempt to find out about their component, you are informed that it is only the fixings that have this impact. Then again, this supplement really has an instrument supporting its claim as opposed to simply fixings.
Premier Diet Keto is simply comprised of normal fixings that have been developed and tried appropriately to guarantee the correct security of the clients.
Are There any Added substances?
Usually information that most supplements have added substances in them. These added substances are frequently added to build time span of usability or to influence the supplement to remain fresher for a more drawn out time. Some different circumstances, made add fillers to their supplements as opposed to utilizing the real fixings since they realize that the fixings are expensive while the fillers are less expensive.
Added substances can likewise be in various structures, for example,
Seasoning specialists
Shading specialists
Covers
Every one of these things are hurtful for the body. They develop in the body and they hurt the body when their sum surpasses. So also, if the fixing are developed with pesticides or bug sprays, they will develop in your body and will be unsafe to your real frameworks.
Premier Diet Keto is without every one of these added substances so your body isn't under danger of any symptoms or any damage. The producers of this supplement have ensured that the purchasers don't confront any trouble when they utilize the supplement.
It is imperative to remain safe when you are utilizing an equation since you would prefer not to put your wellbeing in danger for losing a couple of pounds.
Premier Diet Keto
Who Can Utilize Premier Diet Keto?
There is no confinement on utilizing Premier Diet Keto for weight reduction in light of the fact that the producers have made it in a way that it is appropriate for individuals of various ages and sexes. In any case, in the event that you are younger than 18, you ought not utilize the supplement. Individuals who experience difficulty getting in shape with techniques like diet and exercise can make utilization of this supplement to shed pounds since it will most likely show them impact.
In the event that you need a modest technique for shedding pounds that does not include buying costly elements for your dinners day by day, you can go for this supplement. A month to month supply comes at an exceptionally sensible cost and you will think that its extremely supportive in shedding off the additional pounds that you have put on amid the years.
There are, in any case, a couple of individuals who ought not utilize Premier Diet Keto.
As specified above, individuals younger than 18 must not utilize the supplement.
Additionally, in the event that you have a background marked by any malady or you are experiencing any sickness, you should inquire as to whether you can utilize the supplement.
The supplemetn isn't to be utilized by breastfeeding or pregnant female. It can hurt the people and they should cease from utilizing it for any reason.
In the event that you are taking any drug for a sickness that you are experiencing, try to inquire as to whether you can utilize this supplement. It is conceivable that the response of medicines with the supplement's fixings could cause a symptom for the body.
Tribute of Premier Diet Keto?
You can judge a supplement in view of what individuals are saying in regards to it. On the off chance that the clients have great things to say in regards to it, you can be sure that it will encourage you. Pessimistic audits are an unmistakable sign that the supplement has not helped other individuals and will most likely not be of any assistance to you either.
One of the clients stated, " I have been experiencing weight since a drawn-out period of time now. I have attempted diverse drugs for getting in shape rapidly and I additionally attempted distinctive supplements. Each one would enlighten me regarding distinctive supplements that they had caught wind of or read of and I would get them instantly to attempt them.
At that point, I saw this supplement on the Web and I didn't reconsider before getting it. I read some different surveys and I likewise observed the depiction of how the supplement attempts to settle on my decision. After I purchased this supplement, I began to utilize it the precise following day in my morning schedule.
In only three weeks, I lost a couple of pounds and I was astonished to perceive how rapidly the supplement indicated comes about. I was extremely eager to perceive the amount it can do in three months since this was the time that the producers had said on their site. It has been two months and I have never been more happy with my body. I would thoroughly prescribe this supplement to any individual who is going for getting thinner".
Premier Diet Keto
Where to Purchase Premier Diet Keto
You can purchase the supplement from the site of the makers. It is imperative that you purchase the item from their unique site and not the outsider merchant. When you get from different sources, there is a possibility of extortion and you may wind up with the phony item. Put in your request in the site and the item will be sent to you after you have paid for it.
Make a point to check the seal of the supplement when you get it. In some cases, the seal couldn't be flawless and if that is the situation, restore the jug to get another one .
Try not to keep the supplement open when you are not utilizing it since it can get tainted when it interacts with air.
To counteract defilement and to keep the supplement unadulterated and clean, keep it in a dry place where it isn't presented to any tidy or remote particles.
A snappy outline of the Premier Diet Keto supplement demonstrates that the item is useful for weight reduction. It gets more fit through the keto system and in that way, it gives your body a chance to dispose of the overabundance fat saves that are in the stomach districts. Additionally, the supplement is likewise free of Symptoms which is the reason it is esteemed safe for utilization. Every one of these highlights make this supplement a decent one.
In this way, in the event that you need to get in shape fast in and out and you need to have an alluring body, get Premier Diet Keto online with delivery in only 3 to 5 days. You can make the most of your body with certainty in the wake of utilizing this supplement for only three months.
http://mumyfood.com/premier-diet-keto/
0 notes
Text
Premier Diet Keto
Premier Diet Keto Review
Premier Diet Keto is a diet in which you eat a considerable measure of solid fats and cut down on the carbs. The motivation behind doing this to ensure that the body is spending fats for fuel as well. Under typical conditions, it is carbs that your body is utilizing around give vitality to you. Because of this, the fats that you eat remain in your body. In the end your body hides away this fat and keeps it in the fat tissue.
This tissue is most amassed in your stomach locale and some different parts of the body. This is the reason when you are hefty, these are where the fat demonstrates the most. It is critical to lose fat from these parts of the body to give the general appearance of being thin and slim.
What is Premier Diet Keto?
Premier Diet Keto is a supplement intended for weight reduction. The working component of this supplement depends on the guideline of ketosis. The essential way that it works is as:
Initially, the supplement is consumed into your body. When you take in the supplement, it goes into your circulatory system from where it is taken to rest of the body.
From that point forward, it begins to demonstrate impact and that impact is taken to whatever is left of the body.
The impact includes your body spending the fat stores.
Your body accelerates the procedures in which it goes through fats for vitality. There are diverse procedures in your body.
Some of them process carbs while the others use fats. At the point when fats are processed, they frame ketones that have a ton of vitality for the body.
In this way, the supplement utilizes fats rather than carbs. This guarantees the fats are not just kept as capacity shape in the body.
This supplement is very useful for the body of the client since it depends on rules that have been tried in the past as well. A portion of the standards are taken from conventional solutions while others are taken from logical research and realities. This is the reason the supplement is so appropriate for utilize.
Highlights of Premier Diet Keto
Premier Diet Keto has a few highlights that make it much better as looked at than different supplements of a similar sort. A portion of these highlights are said underneath.
Premier Diet Keto is tried in labs for immaculateness and for wellbeing. This implies the supplement has been tried in the labs with the goal that the specialists can see whether the supplement has any reactions or not.
Premier Diet Keto follows a logical system. In some cases, there are supplements that you utilize however when you endeavor to find out about their component, you are informed that it is only the fixings that have this impact. Then again, this supplement really has a component supporting its claim as opposed to simply fixings.
Premier Diet Keto is absolutely comprised of regular fixings that have been developed and tried legitimately to guarantee the best possible security of the clients.
Are There any Additives?
Usually learning that most supplements have added substances in them. These added substances are regularly added to build time span of usability or to influence the supplement to remain fresher for a more drawn out time. Some different circumstances, produced add fillers to their supplements as opposed to utilizing the real fixings since they realize that the fixings are expensive while the fillers are less expensive.
Added substances can likewise be in various structures, for example,
Seasoning specialists
Shading specialists
Covers
Every one of these things are hurtful for the body. They develop in the body and they hurt the body when their sum surpasses. So also, if the fixing are developed with pesticides or bug sprays, they will develop in your body and will be unsafe to your substantial frameworks.
Premier Diet Keto is without every one of these added substances so your body isn't under risk of any symptoms or any mischief. The producers of this supplement have ensured that the customers don't confront any trouble when they utilize the supplement.
It is essential to remain safe when you are utilizing a recipe since you would prefer not to put your wellbeing in danger for losing a couple of pounds.
Who Can Use Premier Diet Keto?
There is no limitation on using Premier Diet Keto for weight reduction in light of the fact that the producers have made it in a way that it is appropriate for individuals of various ages and sexes. Notwithstanding, on the off chance that you are younger than 18, you ought not utilize the supplement. Individuals who experience difficulty getting in shape with techniques like diet and exercise can make utilization of this supplement to get more fit since it will unquestionably indicate them impact.
On the off chance that you need a shabby strategy for getting more fit that does not include buying costly elements for your dinners day by day, you can go for this supplement. A month to month supply comes at an exceptionally sensible cost and you will think that its extremely accommodating in shedding off the additional pounds that you have put on amid the years.
There are, be that as it may, a couple of individuals who ought not use Premier Diet Keto.
As said above, individuals younger than 18 must not utilize the supplement.
Likewise, in the event that you have a background marked by any ailment or you are experiencing any sickness, you should inquire as to whether you can utilize the supplement.
The supplemetn isn't to be utilized by breastfeeding or pregnant female. It can hurt the people and they should forgo utilizing it for any reason.
In the event that you are taking any drug for an infection that you are experiencing, make a point to inquire as to whether you can utilize this supplement. It is conceivable that the response of solutions with the supplement's fixings could cause a symptom for the body.
Tribute of Premier Diet Keto?
You can judge a supplement in view of what individuals are saying in regards to it. In the event that the clients have great things to say in regards to it, you can be sure that it will encourage you. Antagonistic surveys are a reasonable sign that the supplement has not helped other individuals and will most presumably not be of any assistance to you either.
One of the clients stated, " I have been experiencing weight since an extended period of time now. I have attempted distinctive pharmaceuticals for getting more fit rapidly and I additionally attempted diverse supplements. Each one would inform me concerning distinctive supplements that they had caught wind of or read of and I would get them instantly to attempt them.
At that point, I saw this supplement on the Internet and I didn't reconsider before getting it. I read some different surveys and I likewise observed the portrayal of how the supplement attempts to settle on my decision. After I purchased this supplement, I began to utilize it the precise following day in my morning schedule.
In only three weeks, I lost a couple of pounds and I was shocked to perceive how rapidly the supplement indicated comes about. I was extremely eager to perceive the amount it can do in three months since this was the time that the producers had said on their site. It has been two months and I have never been more happy with my body. I would absolutely prescribe this supplement to any individual who is going for getting more fit".
Where to Buy Premier Diet Keto
You can purchase the supplement from the site of the makers. It is vital that you purchase the item from their unique site and not the outsider vender. When you get from different sources, there is a shot of misrepresentation and you may wind up with the phony item. Put in your request in the site and the item will be dispatched to you after you have paid for it.
Try to check the seal of the supplement when you get it. Now and then, the seal couldn't be in place and if that is the situation, restore the container to get another one .
Try not to keep the supplement open when you are not utilizing it since it can get polluted when it interacts with air.
To avert sullying and to keep the supplement unadulterated and clean, keep it in a dry place where it isn't presented to any tidy or outside particles.
Last Verdict on Premier Diet Keto
A fast rundown of the Premier Diet Keto supplement demonstrates that the item is useful for weight reduction. It sheds pounds through the keto instrument and in that way, it gives your body a chance to dispose of the abundance fat saves that are in the stomach areas. In addition, the supplement is additionally free of Side impacts which is the reason it is considered safe for use. Every one of these highlights make this supplement a decent one.
Along these lines, on the off chance that you need to get thinner fast in and out and you need to have an alluring body, getPremier Diet Keto online with delivery in only 3 to 5 days. You can make the most of your body with certainty in the wake of utilizing this supplement for only three months.
http://mumyfood.com/premier-diet-keto/
0 notes
Text
Leadership Journey: Richard Feynman
This is the story of a brilliant physicist, a man named Richard Feynman. Though most people have never heard of him, Feynman played a significant role in the development of twentieth-century physics. Indeed, his influence is palpable to this day.
Born on May 11th, 1918, Feynman would go on to have a major influence on physics in general, and quantum physics and super-fluidity in particular. He was also a part of one of the twentieth century’s most famous projects – a project that both pushed science forward and resulted in mass destruction. So let’s take a look at the life and work of this obscure genius.
As a child, Richard Feynman was encouraged to think scientifically.
Before Richard Feynman was even born, his father, Melville, made a prediction: if the unborn child turned out to be a boy, he’d become a great scientist. And sure enough, the prophecy came true – but this had a lot to do with how Richard was raised.
Melville was a second-generation European immigrant who’d settled in upstate New York. Though he had scientific aspirations, he felt that, as a middle-class Jew, his options were limited. So instead of pursuing his own dreams, he worked as a salesman and pinned his hopes on his son.
As a result, Richard was raised to see the world with a scientific mind. Before Richard could even talk, his father stimulated his son’s developing mind with tiles that contained blue-and-white geometric patterns.
Later, Melville would take Richard to museums and translate the facts and numbers on display into images that allowed his son to visualize, and therefore retain, the details. So, when describing a Tyrannosaurus rex, he told Richard that the dinosaur was tall enough for its head to reach his bedroom window, but that the head would be too wide to fit through it.
Melville also made sure Richard understood how and why things work – and how important this understanding is. One day, on a mountain hike, Melville asked Richard to identify each bird they encountered. Whenever Richard was stumped, Melville would recite the bird’s name in Chinese, Portuguese and Italian.
This may seem like mere showboating, but there was a larger point. Depending on where you are, different people will have different names for the same bird, names that tell you nothing about the bird itself. Real knowledge comes from observation and an understanding of what the bird actually does.
Much later, Feynman shared this insight while working on a school advisory board for science textbooks. The textbooks were written in vague language, such as this: “friction causes shoe soles to wear away.” Feynman pushed for more detailed explanations, such as “the grooves on a sidewalk grip chunks of shoe leather and tear them off.” It infuriated him that children were being taught unscientific information that didn’t include how things actually happen.
Feynman won math competitions using the same methods he would later apply to complex physics problems.
Even though he could breeze through his algebra exams in high school, Feynman had significant problems figuring out baseball and girls. He felt much more comfortable taking part in the math competitions held by the Algebra League.
Math classes generally place great importance on students showing the process by which they’ve arrived at a math problem’s solution; math competitions, on the other hand, require the exact opposite. What’s important is the solution, not how you got there.
And since these competitions are extremely fast-paced, using traditional methods to arrive at an answer is not the best path to victory. In other words, competitors have to use shortcuts. Feynman, who’d been raised to use visualization as a problem-solving tool, was great at this. Math competitions were the perfect place for him to shine.
While other students would try to blaze through a series of calculations, Feynman would only write out one thing: the answer. As the question was being read out, Feynman would often be struck by an insight and, with a dramatic flourish, he’d write a number and circle it as his answer.
One relatively simple problem involved a hat falling from a rowboat going upstream. Competitors were asked how long it would take the rowers to retrieve the hat if its loss went unnoticed for 45 minutes. The velocity of the water and the boat were given, but these details were distractions that Feynman didn’t need. He visualized himself as the hat and immediately realized that it would take the same amount of time to go back: 45 minutes.
This unique ability to visualize problems would serve Feynman well throughout his life and career. Fellow physicists often remarked on how Feynman would solve problems by putting himself in the place of an atom or an electron, essentially asking himself what he would do if he were an atomic or subatomic particle.
At college, Richard’s obsession with physics became all-encompassing.
During his first year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Feynman asked the chairman to explain what good his studying mathematics would do. Feynman was given the age old response: “If you have to ask, then it’s the wrong subject for you.”
Feynman was a math whiz, and was even allowed to teach a class during his senior year in high school. At college, however, he grew tired of math, as it became too abstract for him. As a result, Feynman turned his attention to physics as an undergrad.
During this time, Feynman’s love for solving physics problems grew, as did his ability to internalize the formulas in order to intuitively arrive at a solution. He hungered for more problems to solve and would even stop people in the corridors and ask them to show him whatever problems they were working on.
This deepening knowledge of theoretical physics did affect his performance in other subjects, however. He did worst in art history and English – but that certainly wasn’t the end of it. Feynman despised music so much that hearing it caused him to feel something akin to physical pain. His dislike for music was only topped by his disdain for philosophy, which he regarded as “an industry built by incompetent logicians.”
These reactions came from his upbringing. He believed that there was nothing more to mastering English or philosophy than learning words and names that humans had made up.
To get by, he cheated on exams by copying the work of nearby classmates. Nonetheless, his low scores almost cost him his career. When Feynman applied to Princeton for graduate studies, he was nearly rejected.
In 1942, Feynman joined the Manhattan Project and led a team that helped build the atomic bomb.
During the early years of World War II, many people were talking about the possibility of splitting the atom and thereby creating an atomic bomb. For the world’s top physicists, there was no debate about whether or not this would be possible – it was just a matter of time.
Many of these scientists were working at a top-secret facility in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to develop the world’s first nuclear weapon.
While finishing up his graduate studies at Princeton, in 1942, the twenty-five year-old Feynman was recruited into a nuclear research group known as the Manhattan Project – a team of scientists working on one question in particular: How much uranium is required to kick off a nuclear chain reaction?
Feynman was brought on board due to his reputation as a brilliant young physicist. But, soon enough, he was made the leader of his own team, a role that was generally reserved for veteran physicists.
Feynman gained their respect by pushing the team to find the most unorthodox solutions to the problems at hand. This process resulted in some complaints. To some, his theories and hypotheses seemed too outlandish – but, time and time again, the team’s subsequent work would prove his initial theories to be correct. After a few such successes, the team placed their full faith in Feynman.
The team found it rather easy to come up with the calculations required to build a bomb; it was dealing with the physical materials that presented the real challenge.
Feynman was no longer visualizing abstract scenarios. If the calculations for the melting point of a certain metal were even slightly off, it could spell death and nuclear disaster.
These concerns resulted in Feynman’s team producing important work on how to prevent bombs from detonating prematurely as well as calculating the precise critical mass of uranium for the nuclear chain reaction to start.
And, as we all know, all this careful work bore fruit. Just before sunrise on July 16, 1945, the sky over the New Mexico desert was set ablaze by the first detonation of an atomic bomb.
Feynman’s method of visualizing problems helped win him the Nobel Prize.
Some people say it takes between ten thousand to twenty thousand hours of practice to master a musical instrument. After all that time and work, the musician has an intuitive relationship with her instrument and improvising a melody becomes second nature – practically effortless.
Feynman’s genius worked in a similar way: the endless hours he spent visualizing problems left him with a superb knowledge of algebra combined with an intuitive feeling for physical forces.
Feynman’s understanding of mathematics became so thorough that it allowed him to work quite freely within the field of theoretical science. He could effortlessly translate a physical interaction into a formula, or vice versa, by visualizing an endless array of objects interacting across time and space.
Feynman was once asked if color played a role in his scientific process, and he said he would often see colors such as dark X’s or violet N’s when composing a formula. (He admitted that he had no idea whether his students experienced similar visuals.)
In 1947, Feynman made things a lot easier for students of quantum physics when he introduced his Feynman diagrams. At this time, Feynman published the results of work he’d been doing on electromagnetic fields and how they interact with charged particles.
It became immediately apparent that the diagrams he included in these findings introduced an ingeniously simplified way to understand complex equations. This was especially the case for quantum physics, where his diagrams obviated the need for every academic article to include a series of painfully complex calculations.
Nevertheless, Feynman had a hard time explaining his diagrams when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1965. It was the middle of the night in New York when the recipients were announced. But, by dawn, reporters were at his door, asking him to explain his contribution to science. He did his best, but it still went over everyone’s head.
And when one reporter asked him to sum it up in one minute, he gave an appropriately gruff reply: “Listen buddy, if I could tell you in a minute what I did, it wouldn’t be worth the Nobel Prize.”
The few classes that Feynman taught became legendary among students and professors.
Even though Feynman is recognized as a brilliant teacher, he did an impressive job of shirking his pedagogic duties. But those who did manage to attend one of the few classes he ever taught paid witness to something special.
In his final university position, Feynman spent two years teaching the introductory course to physics at Caltech, providing an experience unlike any other. Feynman took his students on a whirlwind tour through the world of physics, reimagining the entire field from his own unique perspective.
Naturally, his course wasn’t about learning the names of things. Instead, he ensured that students understood concepts by encouraging them to visualize forces at work.
As the course went on, freshman and sophomore students struggled to keep up, and some dropped out. But it’s unclear whether Feynman was concerned about losing his target audience since professors and graduate students were more than eager to fill any empty seats.
Since his classes were so fascinating, and since Feynman never wrote any books on his work, many people recognized the importance of transcribing his lectures. These notes were eventually published in a series of little red books entitled Feynman Lectures on Physics. People took to calling them “the red books.”
Many universities tried to include the red books in their curricula, but, by and large, they were too complex for beginning students, and so were dropped. Nevertheless, many of the professors who read them cited the books as being instrumental in reshaping their views on physics.
This is largely due to Feynman’s insistence on teaching pragmatic knowledge about how to solve problems. The emphasis he placed on the process of problem-solving – as opposed to teaching the same route to the right answer – is a big part of Feynman’s legacy and his contribution to quantum mechanics.
And we still use the tools he left behind to measure things such as the light that is emitted by an atom. He also gave us many of the analytical methods used by physicists today, methods that shape how judgments about experimental data are made.
Feynman cultivated a reputation as a joker, but his legacy is that of a truly original thinker.
There are a number of reasons Feynman is remembered. Strangely enough, one of these is his bongo playing.
When you think of geniuses and their musical instruments, you probably don’t think of the bongos. Nonetheless, while he was on sabbatical in Brazil, Feynman decided to pick up a pair of bongo drums. Though he hated most modern music, Feynman liked the drums because they provided him with a way to improvise and create original music. And he even got good enough to play with a local band.
Feynman also had a reputation as a joker. He liked to tell fantastical stories, many of which are collected in the books Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! and What Do You Care What Other People Think? Much to the surprise of his publisher, both books became best sellers.
Like all good storytellers, Feynman stretched the truth here and there, but what his colleagues were more concerned with was the way in which the books played down the serious nature of scientific inquiry. It’s undeniable, however, that the books really do reflect a significant part of his character.
Another unique part of Feynman’s character was his willingness to ignore the work of others in order to think originally. He had serious worries about being influenced by other people's ideas; he feared they would interfere with his ability to innovate.
Therefore, he did his best not to read scientific papers, especially their first page, which contains the results. The only thing Feynman wanted to know was the first parts of a problem, so that he could solve it on his own.
This behavior didn’t sit well with some of his peers. This wish to solve problems alone was seen by some as irresponsible. Many of Feynman’s own brilliant ideas were never published since he didn’t think they were ground-breaking enough.
Other people found this habit of his discouraging after learning that he could solve a problem overnight, when it took others almost half a lifetime.
But taking the road (much) less traveled is exactly what Feynman did and it’s what he taught his students to do as well. Such independence of thought may not be a sure road to success – but it’s essential for true originality and, thus, true innovation.
Every scientist who met Richard Feynman regarded him as one of the sharpest minds in the field. But, despite his brilliance and his many contributions to physics, he isn’t a household name. He wasn’t a man with a single major theory; rather, he offered physicists a different way to look at the world and various methods for finding solutions through practical approaches. This contribution, though seemingly humble, has helped make physics what it is today.
0 notes
Text
Why The Earths Magnetic Poles Could Be About To Swap Places And How It Would affect Us
The Earths magnetic field surrounds our planet like an invisible force field protecting life from harmful solar radiation by deflecting charged particles away. Far from being constant, this field is continuously changing. Indeed, our planets history includes at the least several hundred global magnetic reversals, where north and south magnetic poles swap places. So whens the next one pas and how will it affect life on Earth?
During a reversal the magnetic field wont be zero, but will assume a weaker and more complex form. It may fall to 10% of the present-day strength and have magnetic poles at the equator or even the simultaneous existence of multiple north and south magnetic poles.
Geomagnetic reversals pass a few periods every million years on average. However, the interval between reversals is very irregular and can range up to tens of millions of years.
There can also be temporary and incomplete reversals, known as events and excursions, in which the magnetic poles move away from the geographic poles perhaps even intersecting the equator before returning back to their original locations. The last full reversal, the Brunhes-Matuyama, occurred around 780,000 years ago. A temporary reversal, the Laschamp event, occurred around 41,000 years ago. It lasted less than 1,000 years with the actual change of polarity lasting around 250 years.
Power cut or mass extinction ?
The alteration in the magnetic field during a reversal will weaken its shielding effect, allowing heightened high levels of radioactivity on and above the Earths surface. Were this to happen today, the increase in charged particles reaching the Earth would result in increased risks for satellites, aviation, and ground-based electrical infrastructure. Geomagnetic blizzards, driven by the interaction of anomalously big eruptions of solar energy with our magnetic field, give us a foretaste of what we can expect with a weakened magnetic shield.
In 2003, the so-called Halloween storm caused local electricity-grid blackouts in Sweden, necessitated the rerouting of flights to avoid communication blackout and radioactivity risk, and disrupted spacecrafts and communication systems. But this storm was minor in comparison with other storms of the recent past, such as the 1859 Carrington event, which caused aurorae as far south as the Caribbean.
Aurora borealis. Soerfm/ wikipedia, CC BY-SA
The impact of a major cyclone on todays electronic infrastructure is not completely known. Of course any time spent without electricity, heating, air conditioning, GPS or internet would have a major impact; widespread blackouts could result in economic disruption measuring in tens of billions of dollar per day.
In terms of life on Earth and the direct impact of a reversal on our species we cannot definitively predict what will happen as modern humans did not exist at the time of the last full reversal. Several analyzes have tried to link past reversals with mass extinctions indicating some reversals and episodes of extended volcanism could be driven by a common cause. However, there is no evidence of any impending cataclysmic volcanism and so we would only likely “re going to have to” contend with the electromagnetic impact if the field does reverse relatively soon.
We do know that many animal species have some kind of magnetoreception that enables them to sense the Earths magnetic field. They may use this to assist in long-distance navigation during migration. But it is unclear what impact a reversal might have on such species. What is clear is that early humans did manage to live through the Laschamp event and life itself has survived the hundreds of full reversals evidenced in the geologic record.
Can we predict geomagnetic reversals ?
The simple fact that we are overdue for a full reversal and the fact that the Earths field is currently lessening at a rate of 5% per century, has led to suggestions that the field may reverse within the next 2,000 years. But pinning down an exact date at the least for now will be difficult.
Magnetic reversal. NASA.
The Earths magnetic field is produced within the liquid core of our planet, by the slow churning of molten iron. Like the atmosphere and oceans, the way in which it moves is governed by the laws of physics. We should therefore be able to predict the climate of the core by tracking this movement, just like we can predict real weather by looking at the ambiance and ocean. A reversal can then be likened to a particular type of storm in the core, where the dynamics and magnetic field go haywire( at least for a short while ), before settling down again.
The difficulties of predicting the weather beyond a few days are widely known, despite us living within and directly observing the atmosphere. Yet predicting the Earths core is a far more difficult prospect, principally because it is buried beneath 3,000 km of boulder such that our observations are scant and indirect. However, we are not completely blind: we know the major composition of the material inside the core and that it is liquid. A global network of ground-based observatories and orbiting spacecrafts also measure how the magnetic field is changing, which provides us with insight into how the liquid core is moving.
The recent discovery of a jet-stream within the core highlights our evolving ingenuity and increasing ability to measure and infer the dynamics of the core. Coupled with numerical simulations and laboratory experiments to analyse the fluid dynamics of countries around the world interior, our understanding is developing at a rapid rate. The prospect of being able to forecast the Earths core is perhaps not too far out of reach.
Phil Livermore, Associate Professor of geophysics, University of Leeds and Jon Mound, Associate Professor of Geophysics, University of Leeds
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Read more:
The post Why The Earths Magnetic Poles Could Be About To Swap Places And How It Would affect Us appeared first on Top Rated Solar Panels.
from Top Rated Solar Panels http://ift.tt/2sbSI1u
via IFTTT
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
hydrangeachainsaw
Hydrangea
redcloudart
Shadi
kchuangart
kchuangart
hisd0ll
bella
firelovie
helloworld