#…he now owns a mini Yamato

[danizmomota]

Guess he accidentally bought the wrong “Yam” seeds!

just a silly story I came up with :]

[hohuios]

Tag drop: 2/2

[kaiser1ns]

#. HUG ME ? BRING IT IN !

featuring 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝘅 𝗳𝗲𝗺!𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 ıllı. kaji ren, takiishi chika, togame jo, umemiya hajime, endo yamato

fluff. you were supposed to give all of your attention to him, rather than hugging the cute stuffed toy.

KAJI REN

Before getting a boyfriend, you had no problem falling asleep alone. It was you, the blanket, and the cute stuffed plushie who kept you company. But after you started dating and having sleepovers with Kaji Ren, you realized how you couldn't sleep without hugging something. First, it was one plushie, then two, then three, and you begged for a fourth, a fifth—the saga never-ending. Most were gifts from him, and that's why you held them so close to your heart, hugging them when you couldn't hug your boyfriend.

It was early afternoon when Kaji decided to stop by your place just to see you. Your mother greeted him, telling him you were in your room. When he reached your safe haven, he was left dumbfounded. There you were, hugging that damn pink bunny. Its left triangle eyebrow was thick while the right was thin—he hated it. It was like the plushie was mocking him, telling him it got you first.

Kaji frowned, clicking his tongue as he removed his headphones, placing them on the desk where your pictures were framed and … Why do you have a picture with the stuffed toy?

If you weren't asleep right now, you'd laugh at him for being so silly, but also so cute with his dark gray eyes intensely watching the plushie, and his pouty lips just waiting to be kissed. Acting on impulse once again, Kaji removed the pink bunny from your arms, threw it on the ground, and left your arms empty. He watched you breathe calmly, your chest rising and falling.

When he bent down to lay next to you, you snapped your eyes open and screamed, making him flinch and fall out of the bed, landing next to the plushie that seemed to mock him once more.

"Ren?" you said, sleepily peering over the edge of the bed.

He groaned, sitting up and glaring at the pink bunny. "Why do you always choose this thing over me?" You laughed softly, reaching out to help him up. "I didn't choose it over you. It's just... sometimes I need something to cuddle with when you're not here."

He sighed, sitting on the bed and pulling you into his arms. You smiled, resting your head on his chest. This time he needed something to hug to make him calm down. Nothing could get in the way of this moment, so peaceful and beautiful, with no worries, just him and you.

“I also ordered new plushies.” He thinks you should have stayed asleep because if he hears the word plushie one more time, he will go crazy. "For us to match when you can't fall asleep when I'm not with you.” That was, his breaking point, but it's okay because he is crazy in love with you despite your plushie obsession, but he won't tell you how much money he spent on limited edition stuffed toys for your upcoming birthday. Some things are better kept hidden, but a soft smile made its way visible on his face, betraying the mask of his annoyance.

TAKIISHI CHIKA

It was getting late and you still waited for your boyfriend to visit, after he said he would, but he probably got in another fight to pass the time. You loved him but sometimes you thought he loved fights more than you, in some way he did, but that didn't stop when Takiishi fought his way to you with the many plushies you owned when he got to your apartment and saw you asleep on the couch, hugging the stuffed lion plushie.

He remembered how you couldn’t stop looking at the stand with stuffed toys at the fair, and how, after much begging, he won it for you. You had laughed and said it looked just like him — your mini Takiishi. The big and fierce predator is just one little cute kitten. But there could only be one Takiishi Chika in your life.

He wishes he was as soft and squishy as it, hinting that he wants more physical affection. Since you started dating, he found himself wanting to be closer to you, to feel your warmth, and to know that you were always by his side. It was a vulnerability he wasn't used to, and it often led him to seek extra hugs and kisses for reassurance.

As if sensing his thoughts, you stirred awake, blinking sleepily up at him. A soft smile spread across your face, and you reached out for him with one hand, the other still holding onto the toy. "Baby, you are here." Your voice was a soothing melody in the quiet room.

Chika reached down, his larger hand gently pulling you up. The toy slipped from your grasp as you instinctively wrapped your legs around his waist, hugging him just as you had hugged the stuffed lion moments before. Your fingers tangled in his long hair, and he couldn't help but sigh, feeling your warmth against him.

"You were hugging that thing," he murmured, in a calm soothing voice, though the jealousy was still there. You chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to his neck. "Well, it reminds me of you. But nothing compares to the real deal." Your words were a balm to his insecurities, and he held you tighter, burying his face in your hair.

"Is that so?" he asked, his breath warm against your ear. You nodded, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes, his hands holding your legs more firmly.

"Absolutely. The plushie is cute, but it can't hold me like you do." You smiled, tracing your fingers along his jawline. He relaxed, but at the same time wanted to pull away from the affection. You laughed softly, leaning in to capture his lips in a gentle kiss. "Just so you know, you're my favorite."

But instead he pulled you into a deeper embrace, you felt the tension in his muscles ease. You knew he’d fight the world to be with you, but right now, all he needed was the reassurance of your love. And you were more than happy to give it to him.

TOGAME JO

Togame was enjoying his time listening to you tell the latest gossip as you moved around the room, his eyes following your every step. He sat on the edge of your bed, a tender smile playing on his lips as you recounted the latest drama among your friends. In your hands, you clutched a cute turtle plushie, and the sight of you so animated and engaged made his heart swell.

"And then you won't believe what she said, Kame-chan!" you exclaimed, pulling the plushie close to your face as if it could somehow share in your excitement.

Togame’s smile widened, and he couldn’t resist answering, his voice soft yet teasing. "What did she say, love?"

You froze, a look of confusion crossing your features as you turned to face him. "Wait, I thought you left?" you asked, your brow furrowing slightly as you tried to recall when you last saw him heading out for some business.

His eyes twinkled as he leaned back slightly, making himself more comfortable on the bed. "Why would I?" he responded, feigning innocence. His gaze flickered to the plushie in your hands, and he chuckled softly. "Besides, how could I miss out on hearing what she said?"

Your eyes widened as you realized what had happened. "Oh my gosh, you heard that?" A blush crept up your cheeks, and you hugged the plushie tighter, as if it could somehow shield you from the embarrassment.

Togame stood up and walked over to you, gently taking the turtle plushie from your hands and examining it with a mock-serious expression. "So, this is Kame-chan, huh? You named him after me?"

You nodded shyly, face in your hands to hide your red face. "I thought it was cute."

He chuckled, placing the plushie back into your hands before pulling you by the waist sitting on the bed again, as he sat you on his lap, wrapping his arms around your body. "I'm flattered, really," he murmured, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "But you know, the real Togame is right here, and he loves you just as much as Kame-chan does."

UMEMIYA HAJIME

You clutch the Cinnamoroll plushie tightly, its soft fur pressing against your cheek as you glance at Umemiya. The plushie, a recent gift from him, has quickly become your favorite, and you can't stop talking about how much it reminds you of him. The white hair, the blue eyes, the insatiable appetite, and that pure-hearted nature—Cinnamoroll is practically Umemiya's spirit animal. Every time you hug it, you feel a rush of warmth, as if you're holding a little piece of him close to your heart.

"Isn't it just the cutest?" you gush for the umpteenth time, eyes shining with joy. "It's just like you, Hajime! Always happy, always there when someone needs you. If you were an animal, you'd definitely be a puppy, just like Cinnamoroll."

Umemiya gives you a small smile, but there's something behind it, a hint of something you can't quite place. As the day goes on, you notice he seems quieter than usual. You catch him glancing at you and the plushie with a look that almost seems…jealous? It was rare to see him looking anything other than cheerful, and it tugged at your heartstrings.

Finally, during a quiet moment on your date, you catch him pouting slightly. Curiosity gets the better of you, and you ask, "Hajime, what's wrong? You've been a bit off today."

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's just…you've been hugging that plushie all day, and I haven't gotten a single hug."

You blink in surprise, then burst into laughter, feeling a bit guilty. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize." Setting Cinnamoroll down gently, you step forward and wrap your arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. "You know you're the best, right? Not even the cutest plushie could ever replace you."

He relaxes into your embrace, a contented smile spreading across his face. "I guess I can share you with Cinnamoroll," he murmurs, hugging you back even tighter. You chuckle softly, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "As long as I still get my daily doze of your love."

ENDO YAMATO

The night was perfect for a cozy movie date, as you had planned it for weeks, and now you were finally together, nestled on the couch. "Face mask time!" you announced with a playful grin, holding up two colorful packets. Endo raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest, instead he just smiled with that charming smile of his and leaned back, letting you apply the mask on his face. You took your time, smoothing the cool gel over his skin, "Mmm, it feels nice." he murmured, eyes closed in relaxation.

As the movie continued, you snuggled up with your favorite dinosaur plushie, he, however, didn't like the fact that you hadn't snuggled into him. With a quick move, he grabbed the plushie out of your arms and got up. "Yamato!" you protested, pouting playfully, as the tattooed boy held the plushie high above his head, his height giving him an unfair advantage. But you were smarter, as you stepped on his foot, gently without as much power, catching him off guard. He wobbled, just enough for you to grab your plushie back.

He chuckled, pulling you close again. "Alright, alright, you win," he said, his voice warm and teasing. You nestled back into his side, plushie securely in your arms, feeling his arm wrap around you protectively. "Thought you would have made me go extinct like this little guy with that stomp of yours." he teased, as you rested your head against his shoulder. "I guess you'll have to share me with the dino."

Endo sighed dramatically, but his eyes were soft as he looked at you, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to your cheek. "As long as I get most of the snuggles~"

©2024 kaiser1ns do not copy, repost or modify my work

[voidcat]

— the maker, far away and the muse, ardent

characters: endo yamato, you

notes: this is more in the style of my typical dazai content so iykyk. artist!reader, gender neutral pronouns used. small picture of dorian gray reference. a mini post explaining my vision for this fic basically

Drawing Endo Yamato is a tricky feat.

Despite his simple looks, you realize there are more details to him that meets the eye. Sharp edges and curves, eyes and lashes that cut through, wavy locks of hair that fall with an order to itself.

It is difficult but so is to create. That’s the thing with art, and that’s what you love about it until the very end.

No matter how hard, how detailed something is, no matter how long it’ll take you to reach that level of skill required to make it, it is never impossible.

And so you sit back and keep observing him, smoothing out the page before you, you sharpen your pencil.

Despite the numerous pages adorned with his face, you’ve never spoken with Endo Yamato, not even once. Nor did you feel the need to.

Does god often seek an audience with their followers, does a nature artist eat the apple even after days of mold has accumulated— does everyone kill the thing they love? Or do they just leave it be, to their happiness or misery.

To you he is nothing more than a pretty face, beautiful features and an impressive body, one he uses as his own canvas, recording his life and feelings onto his skin permanently.

Endo Yamato never sits still, as if offering a challenge to you. Another thing that helps you in the long run, your pen begins to hasten, your sketch line improves and you begin to remember and transfer every small detail of a millisecond to paper without breaking a sweat.

It begins piece by piece, part by part. When one thing proves difficult to grasp, you have no choice but to dissect it one by one.

You begin with his structure, how he carries himself and his body. You have confidence in your figure drawing but it takes something extra to show off his pride and nose high up attitude in his posture. You don’t know Endo Yamato all that much but you know enough that you don’t like him or his kind at all.

Then comes the face, the edge of his jaw and the softness to his cheeks despite coming off as thin. It’s the details that prove the real challenge. When drawn apart, be it his eyes or the hooked nose, you’re good. Yet the way they have been placed on his face, you have to remake the dough figurine over and over again. His hair proves a great distraction, you’d suppose it is the real source of your problems. It hides everything characteristic to him, every small detail, the arch of his brows, the wrinkles on his face when he smiles or furrows them, the angle of his nose and how the bridge comes down, the light in his eyes though they are absent majority of the time.

You sketch over and over, the pencil glides off the pages. You change the materials but the subject remains the same. Noticeable changes begin to appear after some time. You’ve lost for how long you’ve been drawing, but it comes natural now.

So you switch up the medium, and try the process from the start with watercolors. The uncontrollable nature of the medium met with the difficult subject growing familiar on your muscles perfectly.

Too perfectly in fact, as you are lost in the thrill of it, that you don’t even notice how time passes nor the shift in scenery unless it contradicts your paintings— and you’re slouching over the papers once more, face contracting in focus as shadows disturb your view and lighting.

When you steal a glance above, you’re met with not a cloud but none other than Endo Yamato himself.

Hands shoved deep in his pockets and his confident yet relaxed posture, he glances down at you and the papers, wearing a smug smile the whole time.

You wait for a moment of breath then divert your attention back to the work before you, adding shadows currently.

You hear him let out a slight grunt, and maybe you’d see his expression shift into something of surprise too, were you to be carefully watching.

“It’s sublime knowing I have a fan.” He says, still not stepping one step to the side, adamant on blocking the light apparently.

His words register far too late for you, you let out a hum at first, “hmm… oh?” The sound fades into surprise on your end, “ah, no, you see-���

You dip the brush into water and to the shades of blue and purple, mixing and lightening the amount of paint on the brush. 

A tapping of feet brings you down to earth and reminds you for once you are not alone in your leisure time of painting.

“Ah… sorry.” You say more as an apology for forgetting he was right there up until a second, “it’s nothing like that.”

Your words take him out like a chain of inconveniences following one after another, building up until you’ve lost your temper.

You don’t notice this either, focus solely on perfecting the shading, calling it another painting done and complete.

To Endo, your nonchalance is odd to say the least. Here he stands, the subject of your attention for many a while now, from what he has seen, and you don’t seem to care one bit. Or is it the paper that is holier than him? Or is this another, albeit looser case of Takiishi, not caring for the people but for their reflections, their end products, what comes out of them and the hand that crafts them into something bigger, brighter.

Along the lines Endo Yamato says to you, you do catch something like ‘having the real thing before you already.’ An enlightenment perhaps, a revelation you didn’t need nor asked for.

So he is a charmer, you think, or tries to be. Considering the things at hand it’s the former most likely— walking up to you without a care in the world as if you’ve interacted before. It takes some sort of confidence, as most charmers carry with them. He is just not trying it to the fullest with you, but is it because he thinks he already holds a part of you in his hand, you’re unsure.

In the short timeframe of thinking over a man you couldn’t care any less, you notice your brush staggering, slowing down. Any more and the drops of water will be too much for the paper, ruining all your hard work on this completely.

“So… listen,” you begin, cutting off whatever he was saying. “If you don’t have anything important to say, would you mind-“ 

You wait and wait for him to catch on. Instead met with empty eyes looking at you with not a single clue inside that brain of his, you let out a sigh.

“The light at this hour is very good and you’re making me lose it minute by minute right now.”

Endo looks at you, in disbelief again. Not the reaction he was expecting and definitely not the words he expected to hear. And compared to how quiet and just shy you sounded up until the last sentence— that last demand, all that timid nature of you dispelled within a second. 

Deflated, he admits his defeat for the time being and leaves, stealing one last glance at the paper.

As the man leaves, you watch his back for a bit, waiting for your brush to dry.

Odd, you think. 

What did he really expect you to do or say? 

You may not know Endo Yamato but all you’ve observed is more than enough to deem him as weird. You are somewhat aware he is filled with burning passion down to his very being but that’s just not who you are as an artist.

The views people have on you, and by extension, on artists has always been far fetched from what you’ve seen.

Must art always be loud and intense, waging war upon any heart that gazes at it? Should you too be destructive and heavy— not all artists see their subject like Basil to Dorian, not all art is an all consuming fire, an endless devotion, a declaration of war. Art can be natural and gentle, like a breeze, like a stream of river.  Love can be accepting and gentle, unifying and kind with the familiarity it brings, the comfort hidden in the routine, as he fails to see.

By the time the painting has come to an end, darkness has fallen. Endo Yamato has already left, and the sunlight soon after him. The sky begins to darken, purple spreads of paint among the clouds. You turn the page and leave today in the past, crossing another thing off the list and moving on.

[ayyyez]

Headcanons on shisui, minato, and Yamato on how they'd react to their s/o (civilian shinobi or otherwise:)) getting attacked and almost dying? 😭 need the agnst in my life rn I love ur work ur iconic uwu

A/N: the angsssst! but it's okay I love angst it's what I do haha but mostly as long as it has a happy ending because we deserve that as a treat as do they. And aw thanks sm!

TAGS: angst, reader attacked/almost dies, sad characters, mini scenarios rather than headcanons, mentions of hospitals, mentions of wounds, mentions of being impaled, no graphic injuries, characters blaming themselves, long post under cut

CHARACTERS: Shisui Uchiha, Minato Namikaze, Yamato

SHISUI UCHIHA

Shisui is usually the calm and collected one no matter the situation. He can take out any enemy. Always has a plan and can lighten any situation with a lighthearted quip should it call for it.

But this, oh god nothing can prepare him for this.

You're not supposed to be able to get hit. Your entire jutsu is supposed to be impenetrable. More so than that, he's supposed to be your eyes in case things go wrong, your back up.

The enemy found a weak spot though—pulled a thread in the seam everything falls apart right in front of him.

Shisui feels so powerless as he calls your name.

'I've got you.' He says, catching you just before you hit the ground.

He ducks for cover as kunai come at him from all sides. The rest of the squad focus on the guy who got you. Taking down the rest of the enemies is a sinch in comparison. He can't even think about anything else except getting you out and alive.

When he makes it through the thick of the trees he feels you tremble in his arms.

'Shisui.' You call his name, same as you have a thousand times before but this time it's so quiet, almost ghostly.

Shisui is terried to look down but he has to. He can't let you down by betraying his fears. He needs to make you feel safe.

'H-hey.' He doesn't mean to let his voice slip and tremble as he sees how you don't look so good. 'It's going to be alright. We're almost there.'

You manage a nod.

By the time he makes it to the medics you begin to fade and he panics. They take you off his hands and into the tent to tend to your wounds.

Shisui spends the whole time pacing outside pale as a ghost.

He can't sit or stand still. He's a jolting mess. He can barely accept the water or food offered to him by his comrades.

It's the longest wait of his life waiting for you to wake up.

'Shisui.' Is the first thing you say as you come to.

He cries he's so overcome with emotion. Takes your hand and drops his face against it. Poor Shisui is so exhausted and has been so scared he just loves you so much.

MINATO NAMIKAZE

Guilt overwhelms Minato as he sits in the hospital room waiting for you to wake up.

He wasn't there when you had been injured because he held so much faith in your ability to hold your own and now he can't help but blame himself for being so carless. He should have been there. He should have been with you.

It's not that now he believes you can't handle yourself, it's that he should have been there anyway. Anyone can slip up. Anything can happen. This is proof of that and he knows that now.

If he could go back and do things differently— 

No it's too late for that. He would do right and better by you now.

He stays by your side each day waiting for you to wake up. He speaks to you, tells you little things about each day that are trivial but also deep things like how much he cares for you.

'I'm sorry.' He whispers, stroking your hand. 'I love you, I'll be here when you wake up.'

He lets go of your hand and walks over to the window to look out onto the village below.

Everything seems smaller, holds less meaning without you here awake beside him. It's like something is missing. He's no longer quite whole.

There's a stiring behind him and Minato turns wide eyed to find you coming to.

He can't quite believe it when your eyes flutter open.

'Mmm.' You groan. 'Damn that hurts.'

A soft chuckle escapes him and then a few tears too. Just a flood of relief hits at the signs of you being there.

Then you turn to him, a little more awake.

'Hey.' You say. 'What are you doing all the way over there, huh?'

And that's all it takes for him to just crowd you in the tightest (but also careful) hug.

'I'm so glad you're awake.' He whispers. 'I'm so sorry.'

'Don't be sorry.' You assure him. 'I'm glad you're here though.'

He pulls away and looks you deep in the eyes. 'I love you.'

It's enough to take your breath away. 'I love you, too.'

YAMATO

The image of you jumping in front of him to protect him is something Yamato will never forget. He's not sure he can forgive you for it either if you don't wake up.

He knows neither of you had a choice but— 

Seeing you there impaled is just not something he can ever forgive.

You should have let it hit him. Village be damned he'd rather—okay he would not rather hundreds of other people die instead of you getting injured but that's besides the point! He should never of had to see you that way. If you didn't worm your way into his life and make him care then— 

Oh who is he kidding.

Yamato could never be mad at you.

He's mad at himself. He should never have agreed to put you in this situation in the first place. There should have been a better strategy. He should have thought up a better strategy.

'It was an impossible situation, stop beating yourself up over it and just be there instead.'

Yamato lifts his head.

'Kakashi.' He balls his fists against his pants then sighs unfurling them. 'I know it's just—'

'Just that you think you could have strategised yourself out of an impossible situation now that it's over.'

'This is different.'

'It's always different with the people we care about.' He gives him a knowing expression. 'With the people we love.'

'I don't need a pep talk right now.'

'No but you also don't need to sit here waiting for someone to scold you like you've done something wrong.'

Yamato gives him a doubtful look.

'You both did your duty and what you wanted to do so now you ought to both be together for the waking up part.' Kakashi sighs. 'Neither of you are dying today.'

Yamato takes a deep breath letting it settle in his lungs before he exhales again. Kakashi was right. He needs to be by your side.

'Okay.' Is all he says before he stands and heads to your room, leaving his senpai behind.

The tension is palpable as he enters your room. The machines beeping and your assisted breathing fill his ears. He sits beside you timid as he shifts closer.

'Sorry, I took so long.' Is all he whispers as he wakes for you to wake.

Your eyes flicker open a few moments later as if to let him know it's alright. He's not mad anymore, only relieved. Loved.

[mari-lair]

Tumblr user mari-lair I know you have moved on to other (equally beautiful) things aside from the occasional quality post about terkaneaoi BUT can I ASK!! Did you have any ocs of your own for tbhk?? I'm makin my own and I'm pretty scared of interacting with the large-scale fandom but I was just thinking wow I wonder if my favorite tbhk-poster has any thoughts on this,,

Good luck with your OCs! I don't engage much with OC fandom but I do like it. It's a nice and creative way to be self-indulgent/project onto a character/just have fun with new powers/mysteries/comcepts and let everyone know what it's all about from the get go, no canon characterization must be harmed for it either, is a win win. Or it can be an exercise to try to create something that would 'fit' the canon world, the OC possibilities are endless.

I have a few TBHK OCs. At first I only created them to have a role in Your Clock Is Ticking , since we know nothing of teru's classmates and i didn't want to use canon characters as tools with minor roles for my fics, but by now most of my OCs are fleshed out and I love them dearly.

Sugawa Rita was my first proper oc, so she got the honors of having an art

She is 17, a normal girl with no special blood, loves to bake, loves yellow, acts pretty open but is very closed off about her insecurities. She is considered pretty but not 'most hot in school!' type of pretty. She is the love interest of my full supernatural Akane (the name is Aka), since he is dead in the fic, she has no idea.

She is aroace (believes she is pan though), so even if Aka was alive in the fic he would have had no chance.

Shunji is someone I created to get a crush on Teru, but it was so fun to write him that I got attached, to the point I will give him a mini arc in the background where he get a good bf. (rockytye79 made an art of him!!! CHECK IT OUT: HERE )

Tsurai Yamato is an OC I made to be Aoi's dad, because I needed to give the Akane of the fic (who died 30 years before canon so most of the current manga characters weren't even born) a crush. He is a self-destructive mess in every sense of the word, I gave him way more depth than he needs for his role. Made him indeed a pure OC, for I have zero belief canon Aoi's dad would be anything like Yamato.

[utapri-translations-uuuu]

Special Mini Story:

A match to determine the strongest member of the Shinsengumi? - Translation (新選組最強決定戦？)

Please do not repost/retranslate without permission.

A PDF version is also available.

Key

Hijikata Toshizo - Otori Eiichi

Nagakura Shinpachi - Sumeragi Kira

Todo Heisuke - Mikado Nagi

Okita Soji - Otori Eiji

Kondo Isami - Kiryuin Van

Harada Sanosuke - Hyuga Yamato

Saito Hajime - Amakusa Shion

Harada: Hey, if we’re talking about who is the strongest among us, I wonder who it would be.

Todo: What is this all of a sudden? What’s the matter?

Harada: I just got a little curious. The Shinsengumi is known as a group of strong guys, right? I thought it might be interesting to see who’s the strongest among us.

Okita: If that’s the case, may I nominate myself? I think I have a good chance.

Nagakura: Feel free to nominate yourself. However, I will not yield the title of the strongest. Your swordsmanship may be clean, but mine is better suited for real combat.

Todo: If we’re talking about actual combat, it will require being able to adapt and prepare for unexpected attacks. In that case, wouldn’t I, being the intellectual type, have an overwhelming advantage?

Saito: Hm...

Todo: Hey, don’t just stand back and watch from afar. Come and join in!

Saito: No, I’m not really...

Nagakura: Heisuke is right. Without you, it would be an incomplete match, Saito.

Saito: ... I see. I personally don’t think my skills are that great, but thank you both.

Harada: I know you guys are strong, but I can use not only swords but also spears. Spears have a longer reach than swords. In actual combat, it’s clear that I have the advantage.

Hijikata: What on earth are you all doing? I can hear your voices from far away. Even though I’m off duty and I can overlook things to some extent, you’re being far too noisy.

Kondo: Deciding who is the strongest seems fun, doesn’t it? Who is in the lead right now?

Okita: Perfect timing, Kondo-san. The other day, you said you wanted to make me your successor, right? That means you think I’m the strongest one among all of us, doesn’t it?

Hijikata: It seems like you’re going ahead with your own agenda and leaving me out, Kondo-san. And you too, Soji. Is it enough for you to be recognized just by Kondo-san?

Okita: Of course, that’s not the case. But it’s true that Kondo-san said that. Right?

Kondo: Well, that’s still, you know... It’s just a hope of mine. I intended to properly consult with Toshi once the discussion becomes a bit more formal, of course. Besides, a successor is someone you entrust with the future, right? Before we talk about skills, it’s better if they are younger...

Okita: Eh, is my only redeeming quality that I’m young? That’s terrible. If that's the case, I can’t rely on Kondo-san. My only ally is Hijikata-san after all.

Hijikata: … I’m sorry for not being young.

Kondo: No, that’s not what I meant… sorry…

Todo: … Somehow, it feels like it’s turned into a contest to determine who is the strongest at wheedling rather than a discussion about martial arts… Unlike those three, I don’t take part in such childish things, but for now, Soji seems to be the strongest.

Nagakura: If it's not about competing in martial arts, then I’ll withdraw as well. I can’t really say I’m skilled at talking, and even if I were to win, I wouldn’t be particularly happy about it.

Harada: You’d be better off writing. Or rather, if that’s the case, let’s have a fair fight with spears.

Saito: No, please wait a moment. There was something about what Harada-san just said that I found hard to accept.

Harada: Hm? Which part?

Saito: It’s about who is good at writing. When it comes to writing, both Kondo-san and Hijikata-san are also exceptional.

Nagakura: … Sounds like this is going to be a long story.

Saito: Kondo-san’s writing is always filled with passionate feelings. For example, the letter he recently sent to his hometown was not just a simple report; it contained many extraordinarily astute opinions. It was a splendid piece of work...

Kondo: I don’t remember showing the letter to Saito-kun, but maybe it’s just my imagination...?

Saito: Hijikata-san surreptitiously has a refined hobby of composing haiku that reflect the four seasons. Many of his haiku touch upon the mundane aspects of daily life with a gentle gaze, which I also appreciate. One passage I especially like is...

Hijikata: Ah, enough already. If you’re going to keep doing pointless things, you must have a lot of energy left. From now on, everyone will forgo their break to train.

Kondo: Haha. Everyone seems to be having a hard time, but this is all for the Shinsengumi. Keeping that in mind, please do your best.

Hijikata: What are you talking about? You will naturally be participating too.

Kondo: Eh, me too...? I’m in trouble...

Okita: … If it’s a competition for the strongest at taking charge, then Hijikata-san is the best. I can’t win against him.

[boonsmoon]

Split in Two

Vergil ver. A mini-series inspired by a post that I can no longer find! Basically, what if what happened to Vergil (DMC5) happened to reader? Would DMC characters pursue reader after becoming whole again? Background info: You've got a high position in the mafia

Request Chungus ML Other Media ML Mini-Series ML Vergil x m!reader Genres: Headcanons|Angst|Romantic

THE MEETING/GETTING TO KNOW

You actually know how you got split

An old member of the mafia who quit came back for revenge after obtaining some kind of magic

This you could still hustle for sure, just now for money or food and not lives

You and Vergil met when you tried to bargain with him for the Yamato

Half of you almost died that day

From then on you decided he'd make a great bodyguard until you were whole again, you may or may not have conned him into letting you stick around indefinitely

At first it was very clearly a give and take relationship, but over time he kinda opened up and started to care for you

At least as much as he can after overcoming trauma hurdles first

That was okay with you, if anything opening up was the last thing on your mind

Everyone thought y'all were cute and tried several times to set up dates, record confessions to send to the other, Nero was your biggest supporter btw

But you both never got further, Vergil being guarded for his own safety, and you because of the priority of being yourself again

Occasionally you'd have sweet moments that made you both consider making exceptions

Until one day he got hustled again but you were with him to turn the tables, turns out the other "you" returned back to the mafia after pretending to get a make over and become more ruthless

Vergil turned out to be familiar with this magic, seeing it quite a bit in Hell

So you both turned up and mashed the two halves together

This brought a new problem, however, you are no longer the you he knew

WOULD THEY PURSUE?

I don't think Vergil would chase you after becoming whole again, if anything you'd have to chase HIM

He's dealt with too much emotional pain and betrayal to put hope into thinking he could love someone based on weird circumstances

And if you get too caught up with business or making up for lost time, don't expect him to seek you out

You're basically starting from square one with Vergil and have to put in your 100%

If he truly likes you and acknowledges your effort he'll start putting in his 100% too

i appear to have been in a writing mood these past few days

hope you enjoy this series as it goes on, im hoping to finish it all before i move on to anything else (reqs being an exception ofc)

[the-enzyme]

My December 2024 toy haul got here a few days ago. It was expensive like the dickens to ship, but slow as all h3ll to get here. I loathe paying so much for s/h only for it to take forever! It makes me rethink about purchasing straight from Japan, but then it's not like getting these things from here will be any less expensive (probably a lot more than even including s/h from Japan!). DX

I am super happy with the new Sasuke Grandista, I am hoping I can get a second one to unbox. I own all of the OG Grandista, except the Dimensions child version. I am still hoping to get that one day... he's so freaking expensive considering I got this one for less than 15USD. I already own a box of the Ochatomo Konoha's Break Time Set re-release from 2018, I believe. I wanted to unbox a Sasuke and Itachi figure each. However, this box is different from the OG/Re-release versions (the box's design). Now, I am not sure I want to unbox them... I know, nuts hoarder collector ways of thinking...

From top left, to bottom right: BanDai NARUTO NARUTOP99 Itachi Uchiha Figure (Game-prize) Non-Scale Figure; Ensky TV Anime "Black Butler: Public School Arc" Chimikemo Mascot 1. Sebastian Michaelis; MegaHouse Ochatomo Series - NARUTO Shippuden: Konoha's Break Time -Kai!- 8Pack BOX; Asuka Model Asobikumi Cinnamoroll Plastic Model Non-Scale; BanDai NARUTO Shippuden Grandista -UCHIHA SASUKE- (Game-prize) Non-Scale Figure; Good Smile Company POP UP PARADE NieR:Automata Ver1.1a 9S (YoRHa No.9 Type S) Complete (Non-Scale) Figure; Sega Shin Evangelion Movie Luminasta "Kaworu Nagisa" Commander Outfit Ver.2 (Game-prize) Non-Scale Figure; Sega TV Anime "NieR:Automata Ver1.1a" Tiny Melties Mini Figure Vol.1 9S (Game-prize) Non-Scale Figure; MegaHouse LookUp Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Giyu Tomioka Kyoton ver. Complete Figure; Movic Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom Athrun Zala & Cagalli Yula Athha + Kira Yamato & Lacus Clyne Clear Files; BanDai NARUTO Shippuden My Chopsticks Collection 02 Sasuke Uchiha; BanDai NARUTO Shippuden Acrylic Keychain 04 Sasuke Uchiha B.; Asuka Model Asobikumi Pom Pom Purin Plastic Model Non-Scale.

[thekaijudude]

Okay, still going on the Orb topic, but now this is a question or few kn the Dark Ring.

Firstly do you have any theories or Headcanon’s on that thing?

Second, considering we’ve CLEARLY seen it has the power to do so, why didn’t Juggler experiment more with fusion options? Especially considering he clearly had all the Maga Kaiju at his disposal and all. Personally I’m surprised he didn’t experiment more with those things to see what he could make (also if we want to fully set the 8 heads thing for the whole Orchi business, what Kaiju would you say fits the missing spots for the 7th and 8th heads of Lightning and Poison respectively of the Yamato no Orochi reference and all).

And third, remembering a previous conversation long ago, what would you say would be fitting combinations with the Dark Ring in terms of Fusion-Up forms that Juggler could’ve potentially used to counter each of Gai’s forms. Considering you pointed out Zeppandon would be perfect for countering Thunder Breaster.

Oh yes I talked about it before some years ago, basically it's linked to the previous ask that I posted as we've seen Saki had the potential to gain an Ultra form thereafter, which was realized through Asahi. This means that while JJ, Saki and Gerg was not deem "worthy" by the VoL to gain an Ultra form, they still gained the majin/kaiju abilities, which I suspect is the VoL's way of still acknowledging their potential to one day become worthy, which will convert their power to become an Ultra one day once they've "resolved the darkness in their hearts"

For your second question, JJ probably didn't touch the Maga Beasts cause he needed to use them to summon Maga Orochi and probably didn't wanna mess up anything by using them in a fusion or something (it's likely just plot fr tho lol)

For your 3rd question, ngl the kaiju I immediately thought of for Lightining was Raibassar but then I realized Maga Bassar exists already. If not probably Goro Thunder. As for poison, probably Segmegel. There's definitely more options available in the Heisei/Showa Era but ngl I don't even rmb their names anymore at this point.

For your last question, I rmb I made that comment when I didnt really understood how the Orb Ring works compared to the Z Riser. Zeppandon back in Orb is far stronger than in Z because JJ used the actual tail of Maga Orochi instead of an Ultra Card/Medal for the fusion, an actual tail would no doubt contain far more power than the latter, so it wasn't really a matter of hard countering TB, but it's just far too strong for any of his forms to handle in general due to the usage of Maga Orochi's tail, if not an actual Zeppandon should probably only tie with TB. As for potential forms he could use to actually hard counter each of Orb's forms in the series:

1. Zetton x Super COV to counter SZ

I'm looking mainly at Zetton's Zetton Shutter to shield from Sperion Ray while using COV's Flash COV Shot's AOE to exploit SZ's inability to use something to counter said AOE (he has the mini shurikens but he needed to physically launch it)

2. Bokurag x Red King to counter BM

Bokurag is mainly needed for his water element and ability to regen due to his water affinity to counter BM's fire-based attacks while Red King is needed for his strength to hold the fusion's own against BM

3. Hyper Zetton x Renki to counter HS

To clarify, I'm talking about the normal, unamped Hyper Zetton, which is mainly needed for his speed and teleportation, while Renki is needed for his swordsmanship to counter the Orb Slugger Lance

4. EX Gomora x EX Red King to counter TB

Honestly, any fusion of 2 mid tier 2 or series mid bosses would suffice because all this fusion needs is overwhelming power, because that's what TB is.

Thanks for the question!

[matcheadz]

Host of Seraphim Chapter 11: Don't Ruin It

Secret update! Hopefully it makes up for the absence a little bit. I had some extra time on a flight during a mini-vacation so I figure I might as well. We're getting to the juice now, amico mio. ;)

Chapter 11 is called Don't Ruin it. In this one, Vergil grips onto the present. Dante's dream comes true. Nero is exposed. There are no real warnings for this one, just know that Vergil sort of struggles with keeping a small flashback at bay, and his IS jumpscared by a mini one that Dante accidentally gives him.

Here's a small spoiler-free snippet!

"Okay, but if Infernal, Daedric and Abyssal are all languages of demons, why don’t we know all of them instinctually?” Nero huffed, sliding backward into the rubble. Vergil hummed, his eyes narrowing as he watched Dante swoop in with a hoot. His arm extended in some flurry of blows where Nero once was, before tricking out of the way of Nero’s responding cry for blood. Dante shattered his stance with a swift hit with the butt-end of Devil Sword Dante. Nero landed with a rough exhalation and the shattering of stone. “As I’ve said before, think of Abyssal as a root language. Infernal and Daedric, while useful in spellcasting, are more like dialects. They were created by demons with certain specialties.” Vergil brushed the rock from his coat. “Your over-reliance on your left hand is making your follow-through unpredictable. Fix your grip, or your defense will suffer.��� Nero growled in frustration, kicking the remnants of his kiss with his grandfather’s abandoned visage off his boots. “You think your old man would be okay with this?” Nero commented half-heartedly, throwing a free thumb over his shoulder. Vergil smirked. Dante hollered loudly, rolling his shoulders out as he planted his feet in preparation for a Drive. “Okay with it? He’d be rooting you on right now!” That was just the right thing for Nero to hear, apparently. He smirked, leaned into the oncoming red waves and twisted into the air. He disappeared and reappeared in flashes of black smoke; every appearance slightly closer to his target. As Dante swung his last Drive, he braced as Nero reappeared above him in a spinning flurry of metal. It pushed him backward, grunting as he lost his balance and stumbled. Nero landed with the edge of Yamato slicing into the dirt, before he pirouetted backward into a slice at his uncle’s sternum. Nero’s reach wasn’t quite enough, however, and he merely whiffed the air in front of his chest. He growled in frustration as Dante whistled at him like he would a dog, patting his thighs and clapping. “You don’t need to account for the weight of your own sword. Put your concentration into maintaining your footing on the backspin.” “I am!” Nero barked, shaking his head in frustration, and kicking out his feet. “I’m pointing my feet forward I just can’t reach him with in backspin.” “Yes, you can,” Vergil returned flatly, “You cannot be fearful of the centripetal force. Use your core for balance, fix your footing and continue the momentum into more than one arc.” “I still think abjuration isn’t entirely useless in this situation.”

Vergil grunted disapprovingly. “C’mon Nero! I want the bull! Where are the horns?” Dante lunged.

[legendheroes]

Ok i'll be honest and say i don't like how the fans reduce characters into a single joke and keep using it nonstop, especially if it is about Masaru and Taiki -- it sometimes makes me uncomfortable because it feels like awful misconceptions about their whole character arcs, personalities and reasons for their own acts/behaviors.

I think i feel this wary because of other fanbases reducing characters into an ugly joke and then mocking official stuff or even complaining about official stuff not playing with those exaggerated fanon interpretations. (yes, if you know what i'm talking about, if not... Knuckles and Amy apparently.)

Like, i love everyone enjoys the joke of Masaru enjoying to punch digimon and things and cause a fuss, fight everything with his own fists. But turns out none of those make sense to me, and it makes me uncomfortable. Masaru punched digimon not because he likes to fist fight others -- it's because this is the only way he can use Digisoul. Also, he has a whole honor code and is not the kind to cause problems ON PURPOSE. This is the constrast he had with Kouki, who's indeed a troublemaker and an asshole working for Kurata. Masaru is noble and only fights for the RIGHT things. He's the kind to punch a guy harassing a woman in streets because he cannot allow someone disrespect a lady, for example. He fought rival gangs in an episode because they kept messing things up, if i remember correctly? It's all about protecting others and doing the right thing.

As for Taiki... I know he's the only DigiAni protagonist who's more strategist oriented, and perhaps some sort of smartass... But don't forget he is also prone to commit mistakes and take reckless decisions -- some of the issues he had in XW anime was because he definitely jumped right into the "I CAN'T ABANDON THEM!!" motto and then something bad happened. He is always needing assistance from Akari because he definitely passes out of energy due to spending most of the time HELPING others. And i think this is Taiki's flaws and i love that he may be a quick learner and can do multiple things due to that ability, but he's not totally flawless.

"Ok Ni but why the ramen thing don't bother y--"

Look, i know people will yell at me for saying this -- But if we're going to argue about Daisuke and ramen in the recent stuff, please remember that before 02 final episode EVERYTHING else labelled and had a heavy fixation of portraying Daisuke as a SOCCER BOY. Even before Kizuna there was one merch during 2015 to 2018 where V-mon was holding a soccer ball. The Dai-Vee duet is about soccer too. Two drama CDs had briefly references to Soccer. There was even an "Original Stories" mini-dialogue in which Daisuke and Ken were playing a soccer match! And you know how many episodes about Soccer was in 02? Just one. And even so, i didn't see people complaining about it.

The ramen thing is the same imo, and even, i think it works with Daisuke being the one to have a tunnel vision because he's straightforward and simple-minded. He's not going to move mountains like Taichi because his portrayal was to keep him a humble person who priorizes sharing joy with others than being idk, the pioneer of something like Yamato or Jou, for example. He chose something based on his style. His style? He likes to make others happy and smile. He likes to have fun with others. This was also shown with Soccer too.

And I think they're not dropping this as the ONLY thing he does -- he still is shown having other abilities, and when he mentions ramen or does something related to ramen it's not in a very reductive way imo. I know where those concerns come from, and i understand it (sadly, i can't see Agumon talking about food without having CONCERNS now) -- but trust me when i say it's tamed and still not the only thing he does or says.

02TB has only THREE scenes where he makes a reference to ramen, and in my opinion they did not mischaracterize him, they had sense and also had the "Daisuke way of expressing things" -- something i used to believe it was the thing, because that kid has a dramatic blood! He's the same person who had a small meltdown because Hikari said "I hate people who bad talk about their siblings!" and he assumed she was saying she hated him instead. And also Natsu e no Tobira he dramatically narrates the reason he's in New York in the most dramatic way as possible too. Not to mention him trying to act cool in front of Mimi when they met.

Ramen for Daisuke means sharing a moment, having fun, and making people smile, and if that's not a Daisuke-branded thing, I don't know what is then.

I'd be more concerned about people reducing Daisuke's crush on Hikari into something obsessive and unhealthy, creepy and him antagonizing Takeru to high levels. I don't like any of the jokes which forgets Daisuke is not just the idiot who has a crush on Hikari, or keeping the whole one-sided rivalry happening when it ended immediately after Odaiba Memorial episode in 02.

[digitalgate02]

Mini-post (meta?) on Daisuke's Weakness

You know, a lot of people had complained for AGES that Daisuke had no weak points, that he was "invincible" and had no flaws. But that's not true. Daisuke has flaws and weaknesses.

On today's Daisuke Tuesday post, we will talk about Motomiya Daisuke's weaknesses. No, this is not a negative post and it's most to show how complex this kid is despite Daisuke himself saying he's easy to understand.

So, first thing you have to know is that Daisuke is not that smart but also not that stupid -- i always thought he was on the middle of those two edges, in which he's smart for some scenarios but stupid most of the time when he's not focused on a goal.

Daisuke is a pragmatic type, which means he does not overthink on unnecessary things like Miyako, but he has an issue of struggling with things his mind cannot comprehend. Things like a Vending Machine in the middle of the jungle, or a manhole in an Edo period city were things Daisuke himself questioned when going to the Digital World, things which in his opinion shouldn't be the places to have those no matter what.

Where am I going with this? Well, on this "interview" he describes he cannot understand ghosts. This sounds familiar when you remember the Original Stories ~Spring 2003~ drama CD track focused on Daisuke's backstory as one of the victims of Vamdemon attack back in August 3rd 1999. Daisuke talks about it briefly in the anime too, on ep 14, when the kids are discussing about what digimon event made them become Chosen years later.

Knowing this, you might get the gist. Daisuke's weakness is what he cannot understand. And more.

On ep 8 and 11 we witness Daisuke being under pressure and not working well with it. The Kaiser psychologically tortures Daisuke for his own amusement, forcing Daisuke to obey every word and request given in order to save his friends. In the end, the Kaiser says he will only let one of them be freed, but Daisuke refuses and goes into despair. Then, once the time is up... Daisuke himself jumps into the conclusion he is the one who should be eaten by Deltamon. The Kaiser accepts the offer, but thankfully the real 02 kids appear and save Daisuke from death.

Now, on ep 11 Daisuke is again pressured by the events: He cannot understand what Taichi and Yamato meant about fighting your friends and how this makes them understand each other, so he feels the Digimental of Friendship is not his. He gets in conflict with Takeru all again when the Kaiser captures Patamon, who is saved by Garurumon. Daisuke cannot understand why Takeru would sacrifice himself for Patamon, or understand how Taichi felt regarding Agumon. In the middle of the battle he's really falling in despair because there's no other solution to save Agumon from the Evil Spiral, until he manages to get the glimpse of what the others were telling him this whole time, admits his stupidity and the Digimental comes directly to him.

Okay, but why those two episodes are important here? Because other weakness he has is not working well under pressure. If you torture him psychologically to the point he starts getting confused and uncertain of what to do, he will break. This connects to the fact he fears what he cannot understand, like ghosts and stuff.

Thus you have this formula to beat this kiddo.

Have fun breaking Daisuke's mind in your stuff for fun and profit!! (?)

[noctisfishing]

Draw Me Closer

Characters: Yamato x Taichi (w/ Mimi, best supporting actress <3)

Summary: A club with bright lights and a flashy theme. Butterflies, idols, and dance pop. Yamato was suckered into setting foot in this scene, but whether he realized it or not, he knew there was only one reason to be drawn to it.

Notes: Dedicated to @pan-kuzu. This art. And this song. I was compelled.

Hope y'all enjoy this li'l slice of Taiyama~ <3

Once again, Yamato found himself in a place he least expected to be in on a Saturday night. He stepped into the lobby in his black button up shirt and dark jeans and observed nothing out of the ordinary from the staff and other guests, though he was mentally prepared for whatever it was that would come next.

It came to him as no surprise when he turned toward Mimi when she called for him. Her outfit was simple, a light spaghetti strapped tank top and a mini skirt and she let her long, wavy tresses flow down. The only thing added was a pair of white embroidered gloves on her hands that were cut to reveal her fingers. When she twirled in excitement and gave him a big smile, Yamato couldn’t help but be reminded of a spritely fairy. If only Mimi had a headband and a pair of wings.

Except the wings in this case were attached behind the ears of the headphones. Mimi held two of them on her wrist, and a pair of black fingerless gloves in her other hand. 

Yamato blinked at her, reluctant. What in the world did she talk him into this time? How silly was he going to look in this get up?

The staff called to them, signaling that the event was about to begin. Mimi glared at Yamato now, holding out her hands towards him. In the pressure of the moment, Yamato grabbed his pairs of headphones and gloves and put them on, then followed quickly behind Mimi as they went through the doors and into the darkened room.

Lights of blue, purple, and pink surrounded the room, where Yamato observed a large group of people wearing butterfly headphones of different colors and the same gloves on their hands. A young, female voice that he recognized announced her introduction as the night’s main performer and disc jockey through his headphones, and when he looked up towards the large screens elevated above he saw the virtual figure wearing her sleeveless collared top and mini skirt, her long twin tails of teal hanging on either side. The cheers from the crowd surrounded him as the music began to play.

So Mimi brought him to a Hatsune Miku-themed event. Yamato looked around for a few moments as he listened to the upbeat music in his ears and everyone around him began to dance, their butterfly headphones bobbing and waving around to the music. He had never been to a “silent disco” before, and he was intrigued at seeing dancing as they heard the same song in their ears.

Then, Miku gave a shout out to the dancers listening to the other station, to which there were less cheers. Curious, Yamato felt around the ear of his headphone to find a switch. When it clicked, a song of a different beat filled his ears along with the soaring sounds of an electric guitar. He dug this station already. 

Mimi’s cheers were louder than the song in his headphones, and Yamato saw that she was dancing with Jou and Sora, whom he had expected to see, especially with Mimi’s talent to convince their circle of friends to go anywhere she asked. Yamato waved at the three of them and walked on, bobbing his head to the music. He also passed Koushiro who was sitting by himself, but Koushiro was paying no mind to anyone else as he listened to the music on his own. 

When the next rock song began to play, Yamato recognized it and began to sing along. He continued to pass people by, scouring through the faces of the people dancing as a couple or in groups, hoping to find the face he was hoping to see. Yamato was surprised that this face had yet to show himself, especially when his hair was so easily spotted even in the densest crowd.

The music transitioned into a different song, though Yamato continued to sing. But the crowd of people seemed to part in front of him, and that was when his eyes caught onto a gaze of chocolate brown, his lips singing along to the same song.

Yamato stopped in his tracks, his lips parted in surprise. Taichi had stopped singing along, his expression appearing to match Yamato’s. Little did he know, Yamato found himself and Taichi making their way towards each other, and the flashing lights and surrounding people seemed to fade from view. 

The butterfly earphones looked sillier on Taichi than Yamato thought they did on himself. Taichi even wore a disproportionately small top hat on the side of his head, which he admitted was not Mimi’s idea as Yamato had thought - Taichi thought it would fit the theme of the night.

Still, Taichi wore the black on blue shirt and jeans to complement. Taichi even wore a nice tie to go with it. The whole outfit worked too well. One of the things Yamato loved about Taichi was that he found a way to make himself look good even in offbeat situations, and Yamato found himself breathless. 

When they stood face to face, eyes still locked on one another, Taichi smiled, singing to the lyrics sounding in Yamato’s ears. Yamato felt a chill on the back of his neck. That was another one of the things he loved about Taichi; aside from some pop songs that Yamato would kick him out of the room the moment he sang them, Taichi had the same taste in music as Yamato did, and he found it endearing to learn that Taichi sang along to a lot of the songs he did.

The more Taichi’s lips moved as he sang, the more Yamato yearned to be closer to him.

Yamato grabbed Taichi by the wrist and began to move for his new search. He waded his way through the sea of people with Taichi following closely behind, his eyes scanning for an ideal spot. In an area where the dancing crowd loosened, he spotted a place to go, and there he headed.

Turning a corner a few feet from the dance floor, Yamato found a small space where the strobing lights didn’t hit, away from the wandering eyes of his friends and from anyone else. He wasn’t in the mood to dance, anyway. It was a space for only him and Taichi, who stayed close behind Yamato the whole time. When Yamato turned around to face Taichi again, there was little space between him and the wall behind him. Taichi reached toward Yamato’s headphones and clicked the switch, changing the station back to Hatsune’s music. It was the type of music that Taichi annoyed Yamato to death with, but Yamato felt like he could tolerate this song, its pop beats with the piano playing the background. What was the song called? “Magnet”? Yamato didn’t want to bother with asking Taichi, not when their gazes remained fixed on each other.

Taichi wore a smirk this time, looking as though he knew exactly what Yamato wanted. Yamato moved closer, the rhythm of the bass and drums bumping in his ears, the beat of his heart pounding in his chest. He met Taichi’s fingers at the tips with one hand, and held Taichi’s chin with his thumb and forefinger of the other, their noses nearly touching. 

Taichi had taught him not to frustrate himself with what drew them to each other. How they could clash in disagreements yet Yamato still wanted him around. How in one moment Yamato couldn’t stand him, but in the next he wanted to feel his touch. Yamato had learned to run with what he felt he wanted to do, and at that moment with the music swelling and feeling Taichi’s warm breath soft, Yamato closed his eyes and gently pressed his lips against Taichi.

Gawd, he loved those lips that kissed back. Those lips that kissed him so deliciously urging him to come back for more. Yamato kissed Taichi slowly, savoring the feeling of Taichi’s soft touch, his tongue brushing his own. 

When Yamato let himself pull away, he only drew back to Taichi’s lips. Then, when he broke off the kiss, Taichi gave them only a few seconds to catch their breaths before he leaned in once again. They succumbed to each other, their arms wrapped around one another and holding each other tight with their bodies pressed together, like two magnets that were never meant to be apart.

[shihalyfie]

The difference between the Adventure group’s and the 02 group’s respective relationships with their Digimon

Kizuna very prominently depicts a difference between the older six Adventure group members (Taichi, Yamato, Sora, Koushirou, Mimi, Jou) and the younger six 02 group members (Takeru, Hikari, Daisuke, Ken, Miyako, Iori) in terms of how they interact with their partners, and part of it is because of the strange relationship between Kizuna and 02′s themes, but, in fact, there had always been a rather subtle difference between said dynamics even since all the way back in 02, just exacerbated by the 02 group being the only ones to be able to open Digital Gates via their D-3s and the fact that the circumstances of the plot were a bit engineered to make the 02 group a bit more functional during its duration.

The image of “every human-Digimon partner pair hanging together all of the time even through mundane daily life events” is certainly romantic, but, in fact, the older Adventure group is not portrayed as a group that necessarily longs for such an arrangement, and the 02 group doing so is something they specifically do because of their own personalities. This is something very tied to the distinction between the Adventure and 02 groups’ respective ways of life and internal dynamics, and what it says about each individual group’s preferences of independence vs. mutual support.

Once Adventure’s finale hit and the Adventure group had their first bout of “separation” from their partners, thus began the “two-and-a-half year break”, in which the Adventure group had to suddenly accept separation from their partners after (what had been to them) months of being together all of the time. It’s an understandable feeling of loss! You “took something for granted” when it’d been with you all of the time, you made an incredible, important friend and suddenly had to part. That said, there are some nuances to this that need to be taken into account here:

Takeru and Hikari (who turn out to later become involved with the 02 group and take on their mentality) are the two most confident about their parting on the note of “we’ll definitely meet again, don’t worry about it, it’ll be okay,” which is a pretty obvious meta hint at 02 airing one week later, but also does say a bit that they’re the ones most hung up on the possible reunion.

The two-and-a-half year break is characterized not so much by a permanent and unbroken separation as much as the lack of ability for Taichi and his friends to meet up with Agumon and the other partners on a regular, controlled basis. They weren’t completely cut off from contact -- Taichi receiving a message from Agumon in the above-linked drama CD, Koushirou keeping in contact with Gennai regularly, the entire events of Our War Game!, the Adventure mini dramas (yes, those are canon), the 15th anniversary drama CD, and the reunion depicted in 02 episode 27′s flashback. Moreover, the way Koushirou approaches the Digital Gates in the early episodes of 02, along with Two-and-a-Half Break itself, makes it clear that the gates still did open sporadically, it’s just that, since there was no real rhyme or reason to them opening, meetups with partners weren’t something that could be coordinated smoothly. Given that, it’s not that surprising that Taichi met up with Agumon without altogether too much fanfare in 02 episode 1 -- it certainly wasn’t something he could have done often, but the two had met up a handful of times during the last two and a half years, so it’s understandable that it doesn’t necessarily merit a massively dramatic reunion, especially when there’s a crisis going on at the exact moment.

Once the events of 02 kicked off, the Adventure kids started having some touching reunions with their respective partners now that the 02 kids’ D-3s could provide reliable standbys for going in and out of the Digital World, and, of course, it’s natural that they’d be a bit emotional after their contact had been so disjointed (even though, as with Taichi, it’s not actually nearly as dramatic as one might expect), but once that’s out of the way...

Practicality suggests that the Adventure kids’ Digimon partners would choose to spend most of their time in the Digital World for the duration of 02...but, in fact, even that considered, the older Adventure kids really don’t seem that bothered to not get to see their partners every day of their lives. Granted, they of course presumably don’t want to constantly bother their juniors all of the time to open the gate for them, but Sora demonstrates in 02 episode 12 that she will grab them and go in if it’s urgent, so there’s no reason to believe they wouldn’t recruit the kids to open the gate for them if they wanted or needed it that badly. Moreover, the juniors being able to consistently open and close the gate means that constant communication and occasional meetups with their Digimon partners are more than possible -- recruiting one of their partners to do something on the other end isn't too hard anymore, given the events of 02 episode 32 or such -- and so, the “inconsistent, fleeting contact” that spanned the “two-and-a-half year break” is no longer a problem.

All things considered, if the older kids really wanted to create some kind of pipeline or arrangement so they could hang out with their partners on the daily like the 02 kids do, you’d think they (especially Koushirou) would try a little harder, but they don’t actually seem to treat it with much more urgency than having a really good friend who might be a bit of a slightly inconvenient bus ride away. The fact that they actually have reasonably consistent methods of access to see each other if they really want to is comfort in itself. Of course, when Christmas comes and the juniors arrange a situation for all of their seniors to see their partners again, it really is a Christmas gift, because of course there’s the joy of getting to see an incredibly treasured friend you don’t normally get to see in a while!...but even then, Taichi says that Agumon should at least stay for the holiday, with a completely casual tone that suggests he has absolutely no qualms or emotional hangups about the idea that Agumon’s going to have to return to the Digital World soon and they won’t have day-to-day contact anymore (it’ll just be nice if Agumon can stay for the rice cake soup).

In the end, this is actually...probably a pretty normal thing to expect. Digimon partners are “best friends” in ways that are a bit unusually beyond your average so-called “best friend”, in that they’re somewhat psychologically linked to their human partners and thus “get” them in ways an average human friend wouldn’t, but nevertheless, it’s not like everyone constantly wants to have their best friend with them every single moment of every single day; boundaries and independence are a thing, and even Miyako felt that it was appropriate to leave Poromon with Koushirou for the duration of her Kyoto trip in 02 episode 33. (In fact, if you squint carefully, there are times when even the 02 kids’ Digimon occasionally don’t accompany their partners; Patamon and Tailmon didn’t attend the soccer game in 02 episode 8.) Or, if you want to take this all the way back to Adventure, “needing space” from one’s own partner once in a while was lightly addressed when Tentomon deliberately recused himself from Koushirou having a heart-to-heart with his parents, because he understood Koushirou needed catharsis on his own terms (and we see Hawkmon and Tailmon even do the same for Miyako and Hikari in 02 episode 31). So when those best friends were placed in dubious places of contact and it became difficult to tell when they’d ever meet again, it was emotionally difficult in the same way being forcibly cut off from a treasured friend and not being allowed to see them regularly would hurt -- but once some degree of regular, guaranteed contact was established, and it was understood that they could meet up when they needed to, they could schedule that easily (and in fact there’s no evidence that the older Adventure group never made use of that during days in the year that weren’t depicted in 02 proper).

Not only that, the Digital World is also treated as having its own “will” and letting Chosen in as needed in 02 episode 22, thus implying that, even without the 02 kids’ D-3s as a fail-safe, it was getting more receptive to open gates in general; Koushirou had been keeping track of them and alerting other Chosen to whenever they opened naturally (including Mimi in 02 episode 14), allowing contact to continue on a more regular basis.

So why are the 02 kids and their Digimon so different? Since the incidents depicted in 02 didn’t impact the real world itself until late in the series, why didn’t they make an arrangement like their seniors where the kids would meet up with their partners in the Digital World after school, thus avoiding the trouble of having to hide them in school and pass them off as plushies everywhere? Well, the thing is, they almost had that kind of arrangement...and it lasted only one episode. It was made a prominent point in 02 episode 2 that even after meeting V-mon and barely getting to know him, Daisuke couldn’t get him out of his mind. Then, Miyako and Iori met their own partners, and when they all emerged, the 02 group’s partners themselves came out with them, with Tentomon and Piyomon being the ones to say that they’d rather stay behind for the time being. In other words, it wasn’t a question of practicality surrounding the territory war with the Kaiser -- the 02 group’s Digimon and humans themselves actually wanted to stick to each other this badly, even if it meant that the Digimon would be staying in in an unfamiliar world long-term (after all, the Digital World is still every Digimon’s natural home, so it’s possible that the older kids’ Digimon aren’t too enthused about the idea of staying in the real world for so long themselves).

In the end, the real reason the 02 group and their Digimon stick to each other so constantly through any and all situations has to do with their mentality. In the case of the Adventure group, while being trapped in another world gave them a sense of necessity in sticking together all of the time and thus created a bit of extra shock when sudden separation occurred, either way, said older group was a bit more independent-minded and was ultimately able to mentally adjust to returning to a status quo where they couldn’t expect to see their partners all of the time, and managed to build proper lives around that assumption. Even when their partners were regularly accessible, they were able to live their lives somewhat independently from each other (especially due to the difficulty of integrating Digimon into the real world at this stage), with the understanding that they still could meet each other whenever necessary for anything ranging from a dangerous incident to simply just wanting to get together and have a nice heart-to-heart. The 02 group, on the other hand, consisted of a group of slight misfits with some degree of socialization problems prior to the start of the series, who have mentalities based on “their relationship with others” moreso than independence; their group dynamic was based on a slight amount of dependence on mutual support rather than necessarily being able to sustain themselves on their own, and it thus follows that they and their like-minded partners would be a bit clingier as a result, because they’re more in need of that emotional support and company on a day-to-day basis.

Look at Daisuke, whose entire character has a lot to do with his need for validation and support from others; it’s very easy to imagine that prolonged separation from V-mon might outright cause them separation anxiety before long (remember Daisuke’s reaction to getting briefly separated from V-mon after only knowing him for less than a day in 02 episode 2!). Or Takeru and Hikari, who still are parsing a lot of really unresolved issues that weren’t actually properly addressed in Adventure (remember: they’re the ones who were only able to accept the idea of parting if they had certainty that they’d meet again, and Tailmon especially associates Hikari specifically with a life she couldn’t initially have). These kids dislike being separated from each other for too long, so it stands to reason that they’re going to dislike separation from their respective partners even less. 02 being a story about relationships means it’s a series about how people who have difficulty finding their answers by themselves find it through the support of others, and so, more latently, it’s only natural that it’ll extend to their partners, and that their partners, being somewhat like-minded, would reflect that by willingly choosing to leave the Digital World to cling to their partners, even in an unfamiliar world.

Of course, you could potentially chalk this up to sheer practicality, in that the 02 group had access to D-3s and were simply making use of their time together, or that the nature of the Digital World territory war eventually getting brought out into the real world guided their actions this way...but, in fact, Kizuna continues to double down on there being a distinct difference between these two.

Because Kizuna only gives us very “limited context” by showing us limited snippets of a few days instead of the whole eight months 02 spanned over, we’re forced to extract from only a very small “sample size” of interactions, but one thing the movie does make clear is that the Adventure and 02 groups are both roughly in the same boat in regards to what they can and can’t do regarding their partners and the Digital World. The “advantage” the 02 group had over their seniors in that they could easily open gates is no longer in play, because travel can happen at leisure even with the older group thanks to the smartphone terminals Koushirou’s made (the deluxe Blu-ray booklet confirms that it’s the smartphones doing it, so it’s not like Yamato’s referring to the ability to grab one of the 02 group members here). On top of that, Digimon have some degree of recognition in society, so it’s not too much of a big deal to have them in real life, and all of the Digimon partners are probably much more used to going back and forth and being familiar with both parts of society. And yet, despite that, there is a difference.

The main reason I so often urge people not to take the question of “who has partners present in the credits and who doesn’t” as a definitive statement of who’s lost their partners like Taichi, Yamato, and Sora have is that the opening does the same thing -- none of the Adventure group’s partners are depicted in the respective characters’ vicinity, even though we know at this point that none of them have full-on disappeared yet. Rather, when you think about it, it’s more that the point being made is that their partners aren’t with them all of the time -- just because the gates are easily opened by anyone in this cast now doesn’t mean that the Adventure characters decided to bring them home to live with them the way the 02 group did. Tentomon is not shown to be in the proximity of Koushirou in the movie’s initial scenes, nor in the opening, nor during his company negotiations, and it’s only during later events when he’s seen in the office. Palmon not being on the plane with Mimi may well mean that she’s not actually with her all of the time, mainly just working alongside her every so often, and Jou’s memorial short indicates that there’s a certain degree of partners acting independently now (especially now that they can operate in the real world without too much issue). Obviously, said Digimon partners are still hanging around and reasonably well-involved in their lives, but they’re not always next to them, and may be hanging around elsewhere in the real world or killing time in the Digital World -- but meanwhile, the number of times any of the 02 group is physically seen in the movie or To Sora without their partner totals at zero.

In the end, the distinction between the older Adventure group’s and the 02 group’s respective behavior may have been somewhat exacerbated by the gate-opening issue at first, but even when that was taken away, the 02 group’s tendency to cling to their partners and vice versa was just something endemic to themselves.

Again, since Kizuna gives us a very limited frame of reference, it’s not to say that the 02 group is always stuck to their partners for every breathing moment of their lives; remember, even all the way back in 02 episode 33, Miyako was willing to leave Poromon with Koushirou for the duration of her Kyoto trip, and the memorial shorts also depict V-mon hanging out with Gabumon in a setting that we assume doesn’t involve Daisuke in the vicinity, and photos of Takeru and Hikari without their partners are seen on Imura’s board, and there certainly must be instances of need for privacy or busy moments of adulthood that couldn’t be depicted in the limited range of the movie -- but the point is made, and there is a massive contrast between the Adventure group living independent lives, and the 02 group playing around and doing mundane things and actively involving their partners in their conversations and interactions in ways far beyond that of their seniors. And, by extension, the fact that the drama CD depicts them going out of their way to meet up with each other in a setting where their seniors aren’t doing anything of the sort; the 02 group’s mentality, shaped by the events of their series, involves treasuring their personal relationships and gaining emotional support from each other as a bigger priority over individual ambition, and it’s applying even to eight years later in Kizuna to the point where it takes very little to recreate the aura of yet another average 02 episode.

Fundamentally speaking, neither group is in the wrong, and the “difference in mentality” between the two groups is reflected all the way into the 02 epilogue, so this is not a narrative that praises or condemns people for aligning more with being independent-minded and ambitious and not necessarily needing company most of the time, versus being the kind who needs company and emotional support from others and excelling better at giving that kind of support in return. Kizuna’s narrative doesn’t cast the more ostensibly distant (less so “distant” and more “more capable of independent action”) relationship the Adventure group has with their partners in a particularly negative light. I’m sure many reading this post will probably identify more with one group or the other here in terms of their way of living life and maintaining relationships. However, it does cast the concept of “abandoning one’s partner” as the reason for partnership dissolution -- not physical abandonment, but rather, emotional abandonment.

The timing of the partnership dissolution is the key, because the movie puts a huge spotlight on it not happening to Koushirou and Takeru for the time being, which means we’re obligated to look at Taichi and Yamato to see why it’s happening to them and them specifically, and what they have in common. Well, one day prior, they’d dumped their partners on their siblings with very few words, and then, over dinner, had outright scoffed at the idea of bringing their partners to school with them. Again, it’s not the issue of bringing them or not when even Koushirou doesn’t seem to be hanging out with Tentomon all of the time, but rather that they have such a condescending and cold attitude about it, as if their partners are “in the way” of their adult lives. Taichi doesn’t necessarily have to have Agumon live with him as a roommate, but he’s portrayed as horribly lonely and yet hadn’t even let Agumon visit once because he was so willing to shut him out. In other words, Taichi and Yamato had taken their partners so much for granted that they were basically yanking them out once in a while whenever they needed them for Digimon battles, and then tossing them aside flippantly to get back to whatever their lives were, rather than working on maintaining their relationships or allowing for emotional support. For the early duration of the movie, their conversations are not quite there, and are a bit stilted. Partner or not, it’s a cold way to treat a friend who just really wants to be there to support you.

And when you look at Sora, or Menoa (who’s revealed in the novel to have also been emotionally drifting from Morphomon for the sake of her studies), their abandonment of their partners was hardly physical -- Piyomon was there to watch Sora’s flower arrangement work, it’s just that Sora was coldly turning her away and snapping at her for the sake of her work, and Menoa was most likely still living in the same house as Morphomon back when she was studying in Colorado, but nevertheless, she hadn’t been talking to her anymore. Meanwhile, on the other hand, while Koushirou doesn’t seem to be with Tentomon all of the time, he still has a proper heart-to-heart with him in a way that wouldn’t be completely out of place in Adventure, so you can see why he’s not nearly in trouble as Taichi, Yamato, and Sora are at the time of the movie.

So, the take-home is that it’s not necessarily a requirement to be with your partner every single breathing moment of the day like the 02 group is; of course, them being more on the clingy (for lack of a better way to put it) side means that being emotionally in-tune with them is just a fact of life, but Koushirou, Mimi, and Jou all seem to have figured out comfortable ways of interaction and boundaries with their own partners even despite occasional distance, and that’s why they’re not in danger of losing their partners at the time of the movie, despite all of them technically being adults and Jou being a year older. (Well, there’s also the secondary metaphorical meaning of a partner meaning one’s own personal dreams and aspirations and how that factors into Taichi, Yamato, Sora, and Menoa’s actions, but we’ll leave that as a separate topic for the time being.)

One interesting thing about the epilogue is that, because the meeting depicted takes place in the Digital World and we have a very limited amount of information, we don’t really have evidence that most of the adult Chosen actually live with their Digimon partners on a day-to-day basis -- the only thing concrete we have is a strong implication that Hawkmon lives at home with Miyako’s family, which is reasonably par for the course with Miyako and Hawkmon’s respective characterizations (and although it’s not shown, you can also imagine that the very clingy Wormmon would likely prefer living with “Ken-chan” and his family). Otherwise, the only other “home” scene we get to see is that of Takeru and his son, but their partners aren’t shown in the real world.

The Character Complete File does add some implications depending on how you want to read certain ones, and Armadimon’s lack of presence in Iori’s attorney scene could conversely mean that he’s more likely to be a presence in Iori’s home life than he is in his work (which is also reasonably consistent with their characters), but either way, the take-home is that the nature of each Digimon partner’s involvement in each adult’s day-to-day life is ambiguous. So you can really make any kind of extrapolation about whose partners are involved in their lives to what degree; it’s been 17 years since Kizuna, relationships and day-to-day life needs have changed, and things like “career partner” and “family member” (or both) don’t necessarily have to entail a Digimon partner constantly clinging to their head and witnessing every moment of their life, as long as the understanding is still there that everyone still has a clear amount of emotional involvement and connection in each other’s lives to some degree.

It’s also interesting to note that the epilogue actually picks a slightly unusual way of phrasing the Digimon partnership phenomenon spreading globally: “a Digimon partner exists for everyone in the world.” In terms of sheer technical meaning, it’s not altogether that different from “everyone has a Digimon partner,” but such oblique wording brings more to mind the idea that, even now, not everyone may have met their Digimon partner yet, or may be living separately from them between worlds, or, with retroactive Kizuna context, being in a bit of an existential crisis or loss of self and having your partner not currently manifested for the time being -- but that doesn’t preclude you from having a partner, as long as you’re capable of maintaining some kind of relationship with them.

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1051 - Initial Thoughts

So the battle is over, now the fallout begins

Wano doesn't know it yet, but their plight is over, a new era has begun So let us see how it unfolds

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release also!

And Germa had to do the rule of cool escape, cool people walk away from explosions...something tells me however that this isn't all there is to it, at least I hope not

And Kin'emon is alive! Good! I know people were set on him dying but since he was the person who kickstarted this whole Wano-based saga I thought it was fitting he survived

Naturally, the people of Wano are shocked

Kiku's also alive! So Usopp's actions and Izo's sacrifice wasn't for naught. Sadly it does imply that Izo's dead though which is sad. Also brief Shinobu appearance

Surprised Raizo's there though, I feel like a full bodied burn would take more than a bandage to the head

Mini Onimaru appearance too, feel like he could've been used in the main fight

And the crew finally meet Yamato, and are of course on guard because they're Kaido's son

So, this is what people were going crazy about? Yamato insisting they're going to be sailing with the crew? It's not exactly confirmation I'm with Jinbe on this

Also someone really needs to tell Brook and Sanji...

Also also Tama's face is priceless

Chopper's hard at work healing Luffy and Zoro, we still need to know about Zoro though but if he's being treated he's clearly still alive

Kaido's men are doing a runner though, despite Yamato's protests

Huh, so Tama's DF does have a time limit, after a month the animals can return to the wild if they choose

And Speed is gonna stay tamed, Tama even wants her to be the new mother

It's cute, but I feel like this came out of nowhere a little, maybe if we had more time establishing Speed being protective and motherly towards Tama. Tama calling her Horselina-chan doesn't help either

Nami also shocked, maybe she wanted to be the mother

Momo slowly comes out of the smoke now too, making a good speech

Aw mini Komachiyo, and of course sad Tama past; her parents died working in the mines, and Hitetsu took her in to keep her spirits up. Strong kid for sure, but the tears can come - embracing Nami rather than her new 'mother'

Oh crack a smile boys, Kid you weren't there for the alliance but you did your part, Law just let people be grateful to you

Carrot appearance finally too

Almost faltered at the end but thanks to some telepathic encouragement from Kin'emon he lands on his feet

The age up did Momo good, long hair's definitely a keeper. Glad he's not exactly like Oden too, he's his own manchild

He also gets to reunite with his sister at last (would've been funny as hell if she dropkicked him)

And Oda telling us off the bat that he'll be one of Wano's greatest leaders, so Wano's going to be all right

I liked this chapter, it is the cooldown period of the post-raid stuff. I can see a lot of people not liking things because it didn't go their way though:

I know a lot of people were set on Hiyori becoming Shogun, using this as a reason to put Momo in the crew, but frankly I never saw it. It's the Sansa Stark problem, if you're familiar with Game of Thrones (and if you aren't you must've avoided it with intent to not see it) you know Sansa Stark suffered a lot of shit through the series, but when it came to the final season I always felt like she didn't deserve to be 'Queen of the North' simply because she suffered a lot. Enduring torment doesn't equate to being a good leader; Hiyori may've suffered, but she also lived pretty cosy in Denjiro's Yakuza-protected Flower Capital-endorsed brothel, she was a national celebrity and all she really had to do was play coy on Orochi's advances and fleece a bunch of sickos out of their money. Nothing from this arc has demonstrated that Hiyori had any ambitions or qualities of being a leader, in contrast to Momo who is making decisions and declared that he would become Shogun even when beaten and about to be executed.

I'm happy to see Kiku and Kin'emon alive too, but I understand that people wanted them to die so we had a higher death count. We still lost Ashura, and likely Izo, and we've yet to see Drake or Hyou either. I will say though I did expect one of the mink leaders to die though, mainly because we've not actually seen someone peter out from Su Long, and Raizo, but I'm content with Oda not killing people off for the sake of it either.

So then we get to Yamato. I'm probably gonna get a lot of heat for this but I don't think they should join the crew. Now, put those pitchforks down please and let me explain! I really like Yamato as a character, and yes I'd enjoy seeing more of them, but there's a but I cannot shake and it's that normally prospective Straw Hats go through a process, it's not just 'Befriend Luffy, claim to join', if it were then what stopped Bartolomeo? Most Straw Hats fulfill certain things Yamato's yet to cover; a role on the ship, a rapport with another Non-Luffy Straw Hat (Zoro and Usopp didn't have this granted but that's because the options were slim, also Robin really became a Straw Hat after Enies Lobby), and Luffy calling them by their actual name. Meanwhile, Carrot achieves all these things; like Yamato she has ambitions of seeing the world, has a unique transformation, a powerful fighting style, has suffered loss, and is slightly naive, but unlike Yamato she's fulfills the role of the crow's nest, she has rapport with Chopper, Sanji and Nami, Luffy calls her by her name. I know Carrot hasn't featured a lot in Wano, but she's been with us for 3 arcs now, so I find it slightly unfair that Yamato can just strut in ahead of her without doing some of the key things Carrot has achieved during her time. In addition to this, Luffy doesn't need a 'Kozuki Oden', Oden was on Roger's crew because he could read Poneglyphs, Luffy has Robin for that. I know Yamato fans are on a high and this sounds like trampling, but I feel like until Luffy says it, it's not happening, he's the captain after all it's his decision. Of course if Yamato does join the crew I'll get over it but I'll be sad that Carrot missed out despite doing everything right, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Luffy told Yamato to either go out on their own - since the fleeing Beast Pirates implied to Yamato that some didn't want to work for them - as a Grand Fleet member or fulfill Oden's promise to Whitebeard - about returning to him after his voyage with Roger - by going with Marco.

Right, now that's done lemme pull out one or two pitchforks from my stomach and talk about Tama. Tama was a strange one because I did like she got payoff and that her DF has limits, but the Speed stuff is also something that felt like it needed more fleshing out. It's nice for her to have a new family though, I could easily see her and some tamed Gifters becoming Momo's Oniwabanshu with Raizo and Shinobu, but I also could've seen her becoming a pirate. Not with Luffy, but like how the Tontattas became 'pirates' but mainly operate in Dressrosa. She is the Queen of Beasts after all.

And finally Momo, I think we still have much more left of Wano, Luffy and Momo are likely to say goodbye to one another once he awakens and of course there's the whole Zoro thing we've left unchecked for AGES LIKE GODDAMN ODA! Like I said before I like that Momo looks different to Oden, he still has the eyebrows but his character arc has been about not being his father; Oden didn't want to become Shogun, he wanted Wano's borders open, and he often tried to do things himself, but Momo has become his own identity by acting against his Father's intentions, and that's what will make him a great leader. I understand people will worry because he's still 8 years old, but he's matured a lot and he has a lot of intelligent people around him with good intentions.

The fallout will continue of course, but for now we can close the book on Toki's Prophecy, a new day begins in Wano.