#and I'm like vibrating in sheepdog because MUST HERD HIM UNDER THE TABLE BARK BARK

[pastafossa]

There was an earthquake were I live and I felt so dizzy and that got me thinking, what do you think earthquakes feel like to Matt? I can imagine him stumbling around in his apartment and maybe a little disoriented.

*slams fist down* ok so as someone who grew up in Los Angeles and experienced earthquakes, and as someone who has also repeatedly, jokingly shouted "MATT GET UNDER YOUR FUCKING TABLE" about the Defenders earthquake scene, LET ME TELL YOU.

I cannot foresee a way an earthquake wouldn't be incredibly disorienting to him.

So we know earthquakes are generally formed of two forms of body waves: p waves and s waves. P waves generally come first and you're less likely to feel those. S waves usually come after, and that's usually when the "real" shaking starts. A lot of animals, however, can feel/hear/sense P waves. And I think Matt would feel that, too, (which they had in the Defenders earthquake scene, which was REALLY cool - he picks up on the change at the same time as the dogs and birds outside, before the typical shaky part of the earthquake starts). I'm told it usually feels like a jolt, which would be startling enough. But then add in the rest of the sensory stimuli.

The biggest thing that would throw him is that earthquakes are loud. It's not always the ground, necessarily, but rather everything else moving that generally isn't supposed to move: walls, floors, cars bouncing and their alarms, frames on the wall swinging, glass rattling or shattering, wood creaking or breaking, shit falling. Add to that the general reaction of human beings to freak the fuck out when the ground starts moving in a way it shouldn't, and now Matt's got so much noise that I have to imagine he can't clearly figure out where he stands in a room, much less in the building. In my head, this is why he just kind of winds up on the floor in the center of his apartment in the earthquake scene. When everything's that loud, he literally can't figure out where things are because his most basic form of navigation is being overwhelmed by noise.

And yeah, earthquakes can make you dizzy and nauseous/motion sick, as you experienced! It totally fucks with your equilibrium. And the reaction gets more likely the higher up you are, where buildings begin to sway or shake more. If Matt's up in his apartment (or if he were somewhere else, say on a rooftop), you can damn well bet he's getting swayed around (and he's acknowledged he can get the spins). And while he might not get overwhelmed by that surge of panic when the ground starts moving, him getting dizzy or nauseous? Getting the world's worst case of vertigo? Not out of the question. I feel like a lot of Matt's navigation, his ability to move and orient, even his leaping and jumping around, all rely on - the ground is here, it's not moving. It gives him something to hone in on. Take that away? And it's a nightmare. And I'm not entirely sure how fast that feeling would go away afterwards.

Basically I'm torn between my desire to drag Matt physically under his kitchen table since he probably doesn't know where it is and also hover over him afterwards because I am pretty damn sure it'd be a bit before he knew which way was up. Earthquakes would be hell for him, even small ones.

(also HOLY SHIT, sorry about the earthquake near you! I hope you're ok, I knew folks who'd get the spins afterwards and it was fucking miserable)

#ask response #matt murdock #daredevil #earthquakes #you have no idea how much I was clawing at the couch during the earthquake scene #because Get Under The Table was a formative part of my life #we did DRILLS people #REGULARLY #so Matt not Getting Under The Table #is ACTIVELY STRESSFUL TO ME #and I'm like vibrating in sheepdog because MUST HERD HIM UNDER THE TABLE BARK BARK #but I also acknowledge that to him this would be disorienting as hell and I'm not sure he even knows where the table IS #earthquakes are SO loud #and there is no describing having a thing that Should Not Move start to move #which is all the more reason I wish to HERD HIM UNDER THE TABLE #I am FROTHING AT THE MOUTH TO HERD HIM #every time I see that gd scene #anyway earthquakes are dizzying #I hope the shaking wasn't too bad wherever you are!