#I sort of got a different impression than I did initially

[quibbs126]

Alright, so I just made up this character this morning basically right after waking up, and I thought I’d draw her and show her to you. As I said in the image, this is Ruby Cacao Cookie, and she’s supposed to be Dark Cacao’s older sister (not by that much though)

I got her name because a few weeks ago, I was looking up ruby chocolate to see what exactly it was, and apparently ruby chocolate is made from a new species of cacao bean called ruby cacao. She was originally just going to be a character named Ruby Choco that Dark Cacao used to know, but then I remembered that ruby chocolate came from ruby cacao, so I thought “ooh maybe they could be siblings if she were Ruby Cacao” and so yeah

Also, as you might be able to guess, she’s supposed to be where Dark Choco gets his red eyes from, since while I like Dark Cacao ships (mainly Jujube/Cacao and Pure Vanilla/Dark Cacao/White Lily (does that have a ship name? I’m calling it purecacaolily)), I’m pretty sure in canon, Dark Choco’s only supposed to have one parent, that being Dark Cacao. So why not say he got it from another family member?

I made her hair a different color so she stood out from Dark Cacao and Choco, so I colored it after the ruby cacao pods I saw online. But I still kept the white streaks to show the connection

To be honest, I was struggling today with both her design and backstory (which was also my revision of my take on Dark Cacao’s backstory, since I’ve changed what I thought about it), mainly since I have two tests today, one of which I still need to take, and this morning my brain was split between doing physics problems in recitation, reading the books/notes for my Literature test in like an hour, listening to the discussions going on at the table, and coming up with stuff for her. Then after that I was just mentally exhausted from the Literature exam. Only in the past few hours have I been able to come up with something

Aight, so. The backstory. Note, the main character in this story will be Dark Cacao, since this also serves as my retcon of his old backstory

So Dark Cacao came from the Cacao Tribe, a place that at the time, was barely holding on. The people were starving and struggling to find enough food, the beasts in the area had grown more vicious, and their best warriors had all now crumbled away. Because of this, the people of the tribe had basically lost all hope, and were just waiting for their inevitable demise. Any concept of happiness or laughter were nothing but a pipe dream; it was a truly miserable place. Dark Cacao lived there with his sister, Ruby Cacao. They didn’t understand why the adults had all just given in to despair, and wanted to speak out against it, but they were just children, and so no one would listen to them.

One day, the tribe’s demise came in the form of a particularly devastating attack on their village (I haven’t decided what). Dark Cacao and Ruby Cacao were just barely able to escape, and they, like any of the other survivors, fled into the mountains.

They wondered why things had gotten so bad in their tribe, and eventually figured that maybe if they had chosen to keep trying and help each other instead of always being hopeless, they could have saved themselves. So the two (it was technically Ruby’s idea, but Dark quickly agreed with it) decided that they won’t make that mistake, and that they would try and help Cookies in need.

They did this for a while, this giving them a drive which helped them thrive in the wilderness, up until one particular day when they found a group of Cookies being attacked by some monsters, and they fought them off (they can probably fight and use swords at this time, though it’s a bit rudimentary), but in the process Ruby Cacao got a pretty nasty wound. At the time, she shrugged it off, but on the journey back to the Cookies’s village, it quickly grew worse and she all but collapsed. They were eventually able to get to the village and find a healer, but by the time they did, it was too late, and unfortunately her wound would be fatal, due to internal bleeding. Soon, Ruby Cacao succumbed to her wound, but not before making Dark Cacao promise that he would continue to help other Cookies in need, and then crumbling in front of him

Edit: okay, so after more thought, I’m changing the backstory from when the Cacao Tribe was destroyed to when Ruby Cacao crumbles (everything I italicized) because I don’t like it. In my defense, what I wrote here was kind of literally my first draft that I had only come up with in a few hours. I’ll keep the original just for posterity, but just note, it’s not going to be part of it

So they managed on their own for a bit. While it was more difficult now that they didn’t have others to rely on, regardless of how helpful they were, but they found a way. However, one day they got attacked by a hungry beast, and while they were eventually able to drive it off, in the process Ruby Cacao got seriously injured.

Dark Cacao tried to help, but he could only do so much, and so he tried to find someone to help her. He was able to find other travelers or tribes, but when he asked for help, they turned him away, as they had to look out for themselves. By the time he was able to find a doctor that would actually try to help, it was too late, and soon Ruby Cacao ended up crumbling in front of him

After this, Dark Cacao was left in a daze, unable to process her death, and finding himself climbing the mountains in a blizzard, as if to join her. Thankfully, he was saved by a certain pair of twins. After this, he took some time to process it all, and told himself that he had to make sure that no one else goes through what he did by helping those in need. And so, he became a wandering warrior, helping where he could

During this time, he was very lonely, and desired companionship again, but at the same time, didn’t let himself be close to another person both because he didn’t want to lose someone again, and because he felt finding someone new would be a betrayal to Ruby Cacao, as if he was just replacing her. But most notably, his experiences had led him to have a rather cynical outlook on the world and other Cookies. He had learned that in this world, Cookies tended to only look out for themselves or the people they cared about, and that compassion for anyone else was scarce. He’d help others, sure, but he wouldn’t trust them, at least not to the extent that he could rely on them. So even if he wanted to be around others, just didn’t see a reason to risk it.

He dealt with those feelings for a long time, until he met the other Ancients and went along with them on their travels, eventually coming to the realization that there is good in this world, and he can allow himself to open his heart to others and be with them, even if Ruby Cacao was still gone

Over the years, Ruby Cacao is something he’s kept close to his heart, but also something he doesn’t like talking about (only the other Ancients know about her). Though, for a while, he was starting to feel as if he was forgetting her, as it had been so long since he saw her face. But when Dark Choco was born, and he saw those red eyes, he felt that painful pang of familiarity as he remembered once more

But yeah, that’s Ruby Cacao. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a Calc test to take

Edit: I just realized that I didn’t really mention anything about her actual personality. To be honest, I haven’t really thought about that much, but I’ll work on it

[russellsppttemplates]

Uh oh, I'm falling in love (Lando Norris)

Y/N and Lando both have jobs that require good sight and attention to detail and yet they're oblivious to their feelings for eachother

Note: english is not my first language. I'm in a very fluffy mood, so I got really excited when I got this request! This also makes my expectations even higher and calls me single in about seventeen different languages at once...

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

my masterlist

Tw: mentions a needle (for sewing)

Tag list: @myloverjk-blog

"Hey guys! How's everyone?", Max said to the camera as you made sure the set up was right, the screen showing his and Lando's faces on one screen and the table on the other like it was supposed to.

"As per your many, many requests, we have brought our graphic designer at Quadrant, Y/N", Lando announced as you appeared on camera, sending a very awkward first wave to the camera, "today's stream is little different than our usual programming, but it was the only way she agreed to be in one! You guys really wanted to see her, so we had to be creative!", Max said as he moved the friendship bracelets making kit into view on the table.

"Hey, Queen Taylor said we should make the friendship bracelets, so we're just following her!", you chuckled, looking at all the coloured threads and colourful beads, sorting them out and grabbing a pen and paper so you could draw your ideas.

"Since you guys wanted to get to know Y/N, can I tell them to send in questions?", Lando questioned you, "sure, I'll answer them to the best of mu ability", you smiled.

You were picking the letters you needed for the bracelet you were making when Max spoke up, "first one: how did you start working with Quadrant? I'd love to work on the team when I finish my degree!".

"I saw the job offer, and I must admit at first I didn't really know much about the company. I looked it up, looked cool enough and I sent my CV and portfolio in. So keep your eyes peeled for any offers, I guess? We have them now on the website, which was my doing, so you can check them out there if you want to be part of the team", you offered.

"I need help, guys", Lando said as he fiddled with his bracelet, the orange and grey beads with his initials sliding on the elasticated material, I can't do the closing knot on my own", he pouted as you placed your bracelet down.

"You have to flip it like this, here. Just put it on your wrist and I'll do the rest", you ushered him, your fingertips gingerly touching his hand and wrist as you quietly laced it, "this way we don't get frilly bits out and it looks pretty, see? Pretty!", you smiled, modelling his wrist for the camera.

Pretty, that's what he often thought about you. Not only pretty, but it was one of the first physical traits that came to mind.

"We should all have matching ones!", Max said as he completed his bracelet, impressively on his own, revealing the colourful beads with Quadrant spelled in white round beads with black letters, "I'll make one for each of you", he said as he watched you show your own, pink beads and a lyric he assumed was from a Taylor Swift song.

"I'll make Y/N's, she helped me after all", Lando said as one brave fan sent a comment into the chat.

He's so giddy to make Y/N a bracelet, it's a shame it will snap because of his lack of skills

Am I delusional if I say that they'd make a great couple?

If you're delusional, then what do I call myself? I still think they're making heart eyes at eachother whenever they catch the slightest glimpse!

We're joining forces, I think it's a noble pursuit!

He's a dork, Y/N, but you should give him a chance

Have you always known you wanted to be a graphic designer?

"I thought about different careers before I settled on this one, for now at least", you explained, "engineering was in the running up, but then I figured out that I was curious about how things worked, but that didn't mean that I wanted to be the one working on it. And this was a way to express my creativity, my strategy planning as well, and at the moment it's been quite good", you smiled as Lando grabbed your wrist softly, "I need to make sure this fits", he interrupted, "and it won't snap because I've learnt how to do it, thank you very much", he blushed. So he, too, was reading the comments, choosing not to dwell in them.

"Look, this way you always have a lucky charm with you everywhere you go, even if we're not together. We're eachothers lucky charms!", Lando announced as Max mafe a fake gagging noise.

.

"Are you all ready?", you said as you and Tara walked inside the room, clasping your watch on your wrist and hoping to find the boys ready.

Quadrant had been invited to a gala dinner that celebrated the companies in the same line of business, inviting five people to take part in the meal. After some team members politely declining the invitation since they had things booked already, the group ended up being Lando, Max, Callum, Tara and yourself.

The dress required everyone to up their usual style, hence the long dress you were wearing. Even though it was far from your usual everyday attire, you felt beautiful in the dress you ended up with after browsing the online shops for a while. The cut was simple, the skirt widening from your waist down and complimenting your curves as the sheen from the midnight blue fabric looked soft and sweet against your skin.

Lando seemed to think the same, trying his best to not let his mouth hang open when you and Tara walked inside their room, heels clicking on the wooden floor as you hurried them, "does it really take that long to put on a suit? I had to help Tara with the laces on her back and we still got ready faster than the three of you?", you asked, shaking your wrist to check if the dainty watch wasn't going to fall and that it wasn't too tight either.

Looking up to meet Lando's eyes, you were sure you physically and audibly gulped. No one should look that good in a plain white shirt. The cuffs were still unbuttoned, but the shirt itself was tucked in his black pants. He didn't have any jewellery, so his tanned skin caught your eye as it contrasted with his clothes.

"Lando has a problem with his shirt and we are trying to solve it", Max said, a little bit too antsy given that, at the naked eye, there didn't seem to be a big issue with the piece of clothing you had been inspecting quite closely.

"There was a loose button, and I tried to fix it, but I made it worse", Lando said as he pointed to the button on his hand, the slight movement showing you the place where it was supposed to he holding the piece together and closed.

"Three people in this room and no one thought about grabbing the sewing kit from the amenities?", Tara suggested, looking for it in the box that was the same as it was in your room, "see? Simple as that! Can you sew it, Y/N? My hand isn't fully healed yet, I can't quite grasp something that small yet".

Tara had injured herself earlier on in the week, prompting her to ask to tag out of the gala until you pleaded her to go so you wouldn't be alone, so she couldn't do it. None of the other guys seemed to even know how to pull the thread through the needle, so you grabbed the kit from Tara's hand, "sure, I'll do it", you said, "if that's okay with you, that is", you looked over at Lando.

"Sure, anything to solve this. Do I keep it on or should I take it off?", he questioned, wanting to slap himself straight after at his offer. Why would he volunteer to be shirtless in front of you? It certainly wasn't the way to go, shoving himself like that.

"On should be fine", you muttered, missing the snickers going on behind you as you wet the thread with your tongue, careful to not transfer any of the lipstick on it and ruining the piece without point of return for good, easily looping it through and adjusting the size of the ends.

"Button", you put your hand out so Lando could place it in your fingers, "I will do my best not to poke you, let me know if I do so accidentally", you mumbled at the closeness to him you found yourself in. It was the third button from the top, and as much as you loved the sight of the shirt slightly undone, the dinner required his shirt to be done up. Looping the thread on the button a few times, you moved to pierce the crisp white fabric so it would be secure, your hands dangerously close to his skin as you could hear his laboured breath. Lando still remembered and thought constantly about your fingers touching his hand and wrist when you did the friendship bracelets video for the YouTube channel, and right now, it only added to his predicament.

"It's done, all good!", you exclaimed, looking up as you cut the thread and seeing Lando's eyes on you. The intensity nearly threw you off of your balance as you stood the tiniest bit crouched down on your high heels.

Scrambling to further the distance between your bodies, you smoothed out the non existent wrinkles on your dress, storing the supplies back in the kit as Lando managed to utter out a thank you, too stunned and intoxicated by your scent to say anything else.

"I sewed a button as neither of you look any more ready that you were when we got here? We're going to be late!", you hurried, sitting next to Tara and ignoring her smirk as you scrolled through your phone.

.

"That shoot will have to wait since Lando won't be back here soon, then", you said, moving things around in the online shared calendar, "when did you say you could again? I'm sorry", you asked, rubbing your forehead and squeezing your eyes, adjusting your glasses and looking at him through the screen.

"The first weekend of the next month", Lando assured, "are you okay, Y/N?", he asked. The bags under your eyes didn't fool anyone and you looked tired. And sick, he guessed by the layers of clothing you had on.

"I had a pretty shit day, actually", you admitted, "I had to go with the guys from storage because there was an issue. The supplier sent the samples and we wanted to get things moving so I could have some ideas for the description and the social media team also wanted to prep the draft for the whole story telling, but it all went under. I also think I caught some bug, so it's been a fun day", you exaggeratingly smiled, mocking your own misery.

"You look like you need a hug, Y/N. Do you need a hug?", Lando asked as you nodded, "Actually, that would be pretty good, but I live alone. The neighbours would think I'm pretty weird if I went around like this asking for one, too", you reasoned.

Even though he wasn't next to you, Lando still managed to pull a smile out of you as he got up from the chair he was sitting in, hugging his laptop, "did you feel that hug?", he loudly wondered, "it's full of Get well soon fairy dust!", he smiled charmingly.

"Fairy dust, mate?", Callum wondered, reminding you of his presence in the videocall, "you try and spend more than a few hours with a little girl and you let me know. Mila has taught me all about fairy dust and princess magic", Lando added.

.

"How will we get out of here?", you wondered, starting to regret joining Lando, Max and Pietra when they said they were going to watch a football game. You loved the sport and you figured it would be a nice distraction after a work loaded week, but now, things were looking less than a distraction.

"We will let them space out once the game finishes, free up the roads as well because getting out of here will be a pain, too", Lando suggested.

The game granted your team a win and three points in the championship, the crowd going wild as they clapped, whistled and waved their scarfs, slowly leaving the stadium.

"Should we make a run for it now?", Pietra said, holding her boyfriend's hand as she allowed him to pull her away.

You followed Lando, thanking his choice of a colourful hoodie to wear today as it made it easier for you to spot him, "go in front of me, I'll back you up", he switched positions. You weren't having too much trouble until you were met with a ramp, people carelessly shoving others as they tried to leave as quick as they could, all with the same intent of avoiding traffic and crowded roads.

"Here, Y/N", you heard Lando as he grabbed your hand, lacing your fingers in his and pulling you along, excusing you two as you approached Max and Pietra again, "we're here", you tapped the blonde woman's shoulder with your free hand.

"Goodness, that was and adventure", she said once you reached the stadium car park, the crowd clearing up significantly as there was maybe another ten people headed the same way as you were now, "is everyone alright? I think someone stepped on my foot quite a few times, or many people stepped on it at various different times", you reasoned, walking alongside Lando still.

"Don't we need to hand the bracelets back?", Max said as he looked at the sign, taking his bracelet off and depositing it in the box in the booth, Pietra doing the same as you seemed distracted.

"Are you okay, Y/N?", Max asked, seeing you and Lando were still holding hands and, because of that, not taking off your bracelets.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?", you scrunched your eyebrows, "we need to hand the bracelets back in, so I kind of need to have yours, too", he teased, looking at your hand still entwined with Lando's.

Removing your hand from Lando's as if it har started burning all of a sudden, you removed the bracelet, apologising quietly to the stadium employee as you thanked him, "shall we go now?".

"Dinner out?", Lando gulped, getting into the driver's seat, "Good idea, yes", Max added, sitting in the passenger's seat as you and Pietra sat in the back, your hand rubbing your other hand that had been laced with Lando's own one for a long time. Uh oh, you were falling in love.

.

The launch was finally over after an amazing response from the fans, leaving your heart happy and warm with a sense of mission accomplished.

"Is everything packed into the van?", you asked Tara, "yes, it's just this box. It has fragile things, so do you think you guys can take it in the car with you? It probably only fits at the front, so you'll have to squeeze in with the boys on the back", she smiled apologetically, "it's fine, we'll keep eachother warm like penguins do", you chuckled, holding the door open as she set the box safely.

Saying goodbye to her and the rest of the team, Max and Lando joined you, "You sit in the middle seat", Max pointed at you, opening the door ao you could scoot closer to Lando and he could get in.

"Could you tell me how long we have until get back?", Lando asked the driver, "with traffic at this hour, I'd say around 90 minutes", he smiled, turning on the blinker so he could leave the car park.

"Plenty of time for me to catch up on sleep, then!", you cheered, making yourself comfortable in the space you had, folding your scarf into an impromptu travel pillow, closing your eyes.

"Are you a snorer?", Max asked, making you blindly swat his thigh, "only when I'm sick, and lucky for you, I'm in presteen health, no blocked nose", you grumbled.

It didn't take you long to fall asleep. In the last week, all of the nights combined, you probably slept less than thirty hours, so your body was indeed in need of rest.

"And there it goes", Max said as your pillow undid itself, Lando lifting his shoulder in reflex so your head wouldn't drop drastically, landing on top of him, "Good thing she isn't our engineer, hm?", he chuckled, looking at how his bestfriend was looking at you like you hung the stars and the moon.

"I think I'm in love with Y/N", Lando whispered after he took your appearance in. You had forgone wearing make-up today, so he could see all your moles and scars, your pouty lips and the darkened skin under your eyes. It took everything in him to not bend down and kiss your forehead.

"Congrats on being the last one to find out, mate", Max added, shaking his head, "I genuinely thought you had some issue processing information, I'm glad to find out you don't.

"Now you just have to act on it, which is going to take you, what? Two, three more months?".

[seasidefae]

daylight (and other magical phenomenons) oscar/carlos | 1.8k words

Oscar was at the library, casting a spell on the copy of Spellman’s Syllabary to levitate back to the shelf where he got it, when he felt a wisp of magic behind him.

It’s funny. There is magic around the Hogwarts Library that nobody really notices unless you really look for it. A shield pulsing strongly around the Restricted Section is different from the gentle vibrations of the newly returned books by students floating around the floor, looking for its home.

This one is different. Stronger but more pleasant. Lighter. It leaves a trail of light blue, a tinkling bell echoing with it. The magic coats the area with happy feelings that immediately eases Oscar’s initial weariness from pulling yet another all-nighter.

They finally discussed Patronus charms in D.A.D.A. class a couple of days ago. Professor Hamilton told them the basics of the spell, as some sort of preview for next week’s full lesson. In just one quick Expecto Patronum, out comes a snow leopard from the Professor’s wand.

There were a few demonstrations, like Max with his lion that upset the actual Gryffindors, George and the horse he swore looked like the one he had back home, and Franco conjured a falcon.

The others tried in class and tried again in their free period. Oscar sat at The Quad while his friends tried to conjure, at the very least, a ball of light to ward off potential dementors. George tried to help, but the Ravenclaw’s clipped replies didn’t really do much.

Oscar didn’t want to try in front of them. Besides, he and Lando had some homework to catch up on.

The corporeal patronus in the library ran in circles, its mouth open and laughing. Oscar knows whose this Wirehaired Pointer was. It was the thin and tall dog that bounded over the lake in between Sparrow Hall and Wren Manor, and greeted Oscar with a happy bark from way across it every time they met.

That bark was usually followed with a snarky remark from his owner, which would then begin a spar of some kind. A back and forth of insults about the other’s flying skills and horrible taste in Quidditch teams. They were never serious enough to hurt, really. Oscar had a good laugh every time Carlos’ nose scrunched in that displeased, disgusted way. Carlos seemed to have his fun, too, when Oscar stared at him deadpan. It was the highlight of those first few summers Oscar had spent here.

Patronus Piñon stopped at Oscar’s feet like it was waiting for a good petting. Oscar laughed to himself. Whatever it was, Carlos still did it.

The dog barked once before Carlos’ voice overtook it.

Impressed? I even got an eighth year to teach me a few tricks to do with it, like send it to you with voice message. ¿Que? Oh, Max says hello. Unless this isn’t Oscar Piastri, Mr Slytherin Prefect, then fuck off and stop listening. If you are, then HA! I did it first, vida. I can teach you tomorrow morning before our morning ride.

And then Max’s voice interrupted him, It’s literally as simple as thinking of your happiest moment. That is lesson one and done. Just ask him to sneak into the tower to make out like a norma—OW FUCK!

After a quick spin and a jump, the patronus evaporates, leaving glowing particles that disappear before they hit the wooden floors.

Oscar did his rounds that night, thinking of morning and a surprise disruption from their usual morning broom ride. They were both going to be Quidditch captains next year; extra training wouldn’t hurt.

When morning finally came, and he was the first one in their room of four to rise, he washed in haste and changed into a nondescript grey sweater and pants, briskly walked back to his desk to grab a few papers, and ran to the main door of the dungeon. He almost collided with Carlos in the hallway.

A smiley Carlos was a sight for sore eyes in the morning. Oscar pushed him gently, more so to stop himself from kissing him than anything.

“Are you ready for your patronus lesson?” Carlos said. He had a satchel with him, white like his hoodie, and he hitched it up on his shoulders as they walked.

“That depends. Do I get to beat your record first?”

“Would we have time before Charms? This lesson might take hours with you.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Oscar chuckled, punching Carlos lightly on the arm. “I bet I can think of a happier memory than yours. What is it, anyway?”

Carlos’ laugh reverberated against the stone walls of the stairwell.

“Think of something nice and we will work from there.”

“Something nice.” Deadpan must be Carlos’ favourite brand of Oscar. “Like chocolate?”

“Just think, Oscar.”

This could be one, Oscar thought, as the first splashes of dawn cast an orange glow around the Quidditch pitch. Carlos, dead centre on the field, his broom and satchel discarded on the grass beside him and his wand at his side. Carlos worked with his wand in a cool, almost detached demeanour, like the pureblood didn’t need it. Oscar knew Carlos practised wandless magic with Professor Alonso on weekends. But even the most powerful wizard needed a wand to cast a patronus.

“Focus and think of nothing else. Do not get distracted,” Carlos said, pointing his wand at Oscar.

“I’ll try,” Oscar quipped, winking and failing.

“Shh. Behave,” said Carlos in between huffs of laughter. “Bueno. I will give it a go now.”

Patronus Piñon returns briefly, running and jumping around again. Carlos howled and cheered, reaching for Piñon before realising what he was doing, and retracted his hand. It was magical. Oscar still marvelled at all displays of magic but he liked seeing Carlos excel at it, satisfaction obvious in the way Carlos cheered every time any spell worked.

The patronus looked different in the daylight. It glowed golden, not blue, like it reflected the light the sun offered. Piñon bounded towards Oscar like the real one would by the lake or that first time Oscar finally tore the invisible barriers of Wren Manor down and was invited inside.

Carlos then nodded at Oscar, as Piñon disappeared into the sun, signalling his turn.

He tried to think about the first time Oscar stepped into Carlos’ house. Christmas, 4th year. Carlos’ mum Reyes offered him seconds and his sisters were there on their break, too, from Beauxbatons. He tried to ignore the dark side of that memory, of the snide remarks from their other relatives, questioning how a muggleborn wormed (ha) its way to Slytherin house.

Oscar said the incantation, willing it to be enough. A trail of gold flowed out of the tip of his wand, but that was it. He sighed, expecting Carlos to tut and tease.

“Good try. Do it again,” Carlos said instead.

That gentle smile could make Oscar move mountains for him.

So, he thought of another memory. The first time Mark brought him to Diagon Alley, getting his first wand, and the train ride to the castle. But then the sorting hat ceremony followed that, the isolation from the other Slytherins because of his status, and how he didn’t have any real friends until 1st year Charms when Lando had asked for his help on a spell and by lunch time he had one Slytherin friend, a handful of Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and even a few Gryffindors at his side. That included Carlos, who had initially ignored Oscar that whole first week of classes.

Oscar felt a hand wrapping around his knuckles. He felt another easing his shoulders down.

“It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be real, really, but it needs to be positive. And you shouldn’t feel ashamed of it.”

So close to his ear. So gentle, like the breeze.

“Now it looks like you’re teaching me archery,” Oscar whispered back.

Carlos dropped his hands, but the warm feeling they left behind stayed with him.

“It looks like you are preparing for a battle. You are not fighting anyone here.”

Oscar dropped his arm to the side and turned to ask, “So what did you think about?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Carlos replied as quickly as a snitch would be passing in front of him.

But Oscar’s a seeker, in every which way. “If it helped you do what some think is impossible, then yes, it matters, Carlos.”

Carlos glanced away, following a singular cloud at the sky. He heaved a heavy breath, sighed, and—

They were standing so close, Oscar could count Carlos’ eyelashes and knew he would lose count at a hundred. He moved away, not so far, but enough to give them space. It gave Oscar a minute to breathe.

But Carlos pulled him back in, closed the distance with a kiss that tasted of mint and Carlos, a familiar taste, and told him against his lips, “What’s nice is the thought of you, right now. That I get to have the privilege of being your friend, and more, and staying by your side. That’s what I think about.”

His heart pounded but he had never felt more at ease as soon as Carlos squeezed Oscar’s neck.

Words failed Oscar a lot of the time, so he did what he does best.

He swished his wand, thinking of winning the final Quidditch game last year against Gryffindor and seeing Carlos wearing Oscar’s green scarf in the viewing area where most of the Ravenclaws are wearing green in support of them. He thought of faintly hearing Carlos cheer for him as if he was using a sonorous charm, but he knew it was all in his head and his heart swelled with it anyway.

“Expecto patronum,” Oscar said with confidence and out of his wand, following a trail of gold, came an Ocicat.

Oh.

They blinked at each other.

Huh.

It sat there, polite, waiting. The patronus cat glanced between Oscar and Carlos before moving towards the Ravenclaw, purring between Carlos’ legs.

“Jesus Christ,” Oscar grumbled, pleased and disgruntled at the same time. He found his inner companion, his given light in the dark, and it’s a freaking cat.

Carlos was so pleased. If he could pick the cat up and cuddle with it, he would.

“Oscar! It’s just like you,” he cooed.

“No, she isn’t.”

“She is a she? Perhaps you know that best, of course.” Carlos dropped the teasing when the cat disappeared and so did Oscar’s initial excitement at having done something. “It was incredible, vida.”

“I guess it was,” Oscar admitted, scrunching his nose. He searched himself and found that: yes, he felt good. “I mean, it wasn’t a snow leopard.”

Carlos grinned, running to get his broom. “No, but you can still prove you are just as fast as one,” he called, just as Oscar caught up and grabbed his own.

[dogsosoy]

i am thinking about stalking aki. no devils au also (gn)reader is an obsessive freakkk and loser ; things get a little physically violent ^__^

as per usual, you were following the local grocery store clerk home after his shift.

he was a pretty unassuming guy, despite his height, but something about him was different from all the other NPCs you had to encounter in your shitty city.

a few weeks ago, for the first time in your life, someone wasn’t outright disgusted with your presence. on top of that, that person was downright gorgeous too. exactly your type. a lot like the guys you went for in your dating sims: tall, long hair, and an unbothered attitude. aki had an air about him that screamed “i don’t really care,” which made you weak in the knees. you were shaking when you approached his checkout line.

you expected him to be like everyone else. throw you a hardly-concealed glare and make your interaction as swift as possible. you’ve never been that great with social interaction. or social cues. but somehow, in your delusional mind, you believed that you were quite charming the day you met aki.

he had initially caught you off guard. aki recognized the game on your shirt, and commented on it as he was checking out (and trying hard not to judge) your groceries (seriously, when was the last time you ate a meal that wasn’t full of MSG?). immediately getting even more flustered and nervous than you already were, you told him a fun fact about the game—that only you found fun—and flashed him an awkward, stressed out smile. more fearful looking than anything. more animalistic than human.

but he smiled back, so clearly that meant you did a good job, right? you surely impressed him with your knowledge and the submissive air about you! he must’ve thought you were charming in a “kicked dog” sort of way.

aki totally wasn’t thinking ‘will this quivering little freak get out of my line already?’ eyeing your shaky hands and figure. you were most definitely overstaying your welcome in the check-out area to stutter at this poor clerk. at least he’s good at staying composed. most of the time.

overall, he was disgusted by you. you looked like you got hit by a bus two weeks ago and hadn’t showered since. your clothes were dirty and way too big, like a child trying on something from their parent’s closet. you had a minecraft wallet that would’ve been a cute little trait if you weren’t so fucking off-putting. your hair was in your eyes. probably to hide your face, he thought. you don’t seem to like being perceived.

aki had a lot of thoughts about you in that moment—some of them more intrusive than others. he thought about scowling at you, yelling at you to move along, maybe shoving your shitty groceries into your hands so you’d get the idea that he really didn’t like your vibe. or face. or anything about you. then, aki thought about strangling you. you just had a face for it. you looked easy to beat up and aki kind of liked that. it crossed his mind that maybe he could kick the shit out of you after his shift. get some anger out. hell, he could’ve taken five and done it right then.

you know, normal minimum wage job thoughts.

but of course, he didn’t do any of that. didn’t even really entertain the thought (although he really would’ve liked to). at his core, aki isn’t a bad person. he’s not the best, don’t get him wrong, but he wouldn’t harm a random person he doesn’t know. even if that person was giving him a million reasons to, just by existing. even if they look like they would make such a good punching bag. or stress ball. or chew toy?

aki doesn’t necessarily enjoy hurting people. he’ll admit, he does find some sort of sick satisfaction in it, but it’s not something he actively seeks out. or even something that regularly crosses his mind. aki is reliable and intelligent. that’s what anyone you ask would say about him. sure, maybe he’s a hardass most of the time, but he really does seem to have a thing for helping others.

he looked at you, really looked at you, his eyes filled with pity as you were turning to walk out of the store. he imagined what it would be like to have everyone you come across have these sorts of thoughts about you. how could you live your life normally when everything about you invokes violent and anger in the people around you?

it was pathetic. he thought you were pathetic.

maybe he could help you.

your eyes caught his only for a moment as you cautiously glanced back at him, trying to sneak in one more glimpse at this angel before you went home, not to return for weeks. then you saw it. you saw that look. something in his eyes, but it wasn’t anger or annoyance or disgust. your face heated up, and your eyes widened with how flustered you felt. your palms suddenly felt sweaty, and it was too hot. for once, someone looked at you and felt something more for you, and it felt like a fire was lit inside your chest.

this man… (squints to read name tag) aki… he was different.

and aki knew from that split second that you were definitely a total hopeless case and complete freak.

your obsession with him snowballed from there.

you followed behind him after every shift, making sure to stay hidden from the light and as far away as possible. you just wanted to make sure the love of your life got home safe! plus, it wasn’t hard to keep an eye on him. maybe keeping up with him was a little difficult due to the height difference, but good thing you’re amazing at masking your presence! thank you, fear of being perceived.

even from this distance, your heart was in your throat. you could barely make out the way his shoulders moved as he walked, or how he lazily puffed on a cigarette (mevius brand, your brain supplied). it was still enough to get you panting like a freaky little creep. your whole body was on fire. the physical reaction you had to aki was apparent, and it had only gotten worse by the day. during your first interaction, you were a complete mess. now? you’d be lucky to get a single word out if he was any closer than twenty feet, and your legs would surely give out from the anxiety. it would be like meeting god.

aki had decided earlier, during his shift, that he had had enough of this game of cat and mouse.

of course he could feel the eyes on his back during his walk to his apartment. although you think you’re quite slick and sneaky, aki has known since the first day you followed him home. you may be quiet, but your hiding skills are a bit rusty. on top of that, aki trained in the police force. he knows when someone is tailing him. he had to hand it to you though, it took him longer than normal to notice you.

every day you got a bit closer—he had picked up on that by the fifth night. he picked up on you breaking into his apartment by the second week, which irked him. not because he necessarily cared about you stealing his stuff—he didn’t have much of value anyway—he just didn’t want your dirty hands touching everything. he started cleaning more after that.

then slowly he started… leaving things out for you. like someone leaving milk out for a stray cat. a half eaten bar of chocolate on his kitchen counter, an old shirt on his bed. things he thought you’d think he wouldn’t miss. he left some healthier food out too, with a few bites taken out of it, so you’d think he was done eating and take it for yourself.

he wondered if it felt like sharing a meal to you, too.

he had caught a glimpse of you in a shop window as he turned the corner onto his street. you were wearing his shirt. he never saw you without one of his shirts on, not since you started stealing them.

instead of continuing all the way to his apartment, aki stopped short and took a quick right to duck into a nearby alleyway.

your heart sped up. what was he doing? was he meeting with someone else? going to someone else’s place? maybe just taking a leak? despite your worryingly amazing stalking skills, you lacked a lot of… basic intellect. street smarts.

common sense.

you approached the alley cautiously, peering in. no sign of aki. your heart sunk, had you lost him? your foot steps rang out in quiet thuds on the concrete. your thoughts were running a mile a minute.

aki thinks you should be more aware of your surroundings. it becomes another bullet on his mental list of things you need to work on. this list is uncomfortably long.

you pass by an unassuming dumpster, not looking at or even near it. it didn’t cross your mind that the object of your deepest desire could be crouched beside it. why would he be? why would he be staring at you? why would he be getting ready to pounce on you, like a predator on prey?

the moment you had just barely cleared the threshold into his vision, aki pounced.

your back hit the concrete wall before you could even grasp what could be happening. the smell of cigarette smoke flooded your sinuses. someone’s forearm was pressed to your neck—their hand carefully balancing a mevius cigarette between two fingers—affectively holding your weaker body in place and somewhat choking you. your voice cried out in a pathetic yelp, which caused another large hand to be placed rather roughly over your mouth. he didn’t want you to make any unnecessary noise. or, god forbid, any dumb comments.

his figure was even more imposing at this distance—or lack there of. fuck, is he going to kill you? beat the shit out of you? why is that thought kinda hot? your heart was beating so fast you felt like you were going to have a heart attack. aki, ever composed, casually leaned over your trembling body, looking deep into your scared eyes with his intense gaze. he was so calm, but he was also scary. imposing. like a parent looking down at a child who has misbehaved. your knees felt weak.

you have misbehaved.

his face was inches from yours as he spoke softly, condescendingly, “i would say you’re dumber than you look but,” his eyes raked over your figure slowly, rolling the cigarette between his fingers. he removed his forearm from your neck and took a drag and blew the smoke into your face as he continued, “you’re not.”

quick note: having a hand over your mouth, somewhat covering your nose, smoke blown into your face, and having previously been choked by a forearm to the neck does NOT pair amazingly with what was likely an incoming panic attack. or maybe it was a meltdown. aki didn’t think you could tremble this much. widen your eyes this much. make him feel so in control this much. he would’ve rather thrown out his brand new pack of meviuses than admit that you have such a way of making him feel. he continued rolling his cigarette between his fingers, staring at your face, thinking. then he backed off a little. looked down his nose at you.

his gaze was filled with disgust… and an impossible amount of want. want for you. to own you. control you. maybe he just wanted to have some sort of control over anything in his life. unfortunately, you didn’t have a whole lot of time to react to this sudden realization about aki, as you cried out, muffled by his palm. the bastard had put his cigarette out on your neck.

“don’t worry,” he spoke softly, in an ever condescending tone, “you’ll probably still be able to walk when i’m done.”

[batwritings]

Kinktober Day 12 - Hand Job

Horangi's turn! I really tried to do justice to him finding the balance of that inner peace. Enjoy!~

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

It wasn’t exactly a secret amongst the KorTac group; you were defacto “mom teammate”. You made sure everyone had what they needed in regards to their care on the field before heading out. Sure, colonels like König could manage the technical and equipment side of things. The work you did was more from the mental headspace aspect.

Now, all this being said, you weren’t often seen showing the same amount of care to yourself. This fact certainly didn’t go unnoticed by Horangi. Having been in your position himself once upon a time, he made it his mission to get you to start to care for yourself. And that started in the form of a self care day.

This man had the works laid out for you. Different options upon options that were slightly overwhelming to see all at once that had your mind wondering if all those stereotypes about “Korean beauty standards” were a real thing. Thankfully for you, you weren’t going to be doing all of this at once.

The man starts with simple things, effectively having you be his guinea pig of sorts. He’d have you sit still for him to put certain things on, starting with your face and hands. It smelled…interesting, felt even stranger, and you were a bit relieved when it was removed.

“Feel your skin now,” Horangi instructed you, watching you intently for your reaction. You let your fingers run over your hands and face with a glimmer in your eyes. Never in your life had your skin felt so…well, nothing short of perfect.

“Never took you for one for the whole ‘beauty standard’ thing,” you admitted, looking over each bit that he’d paid attention to. You could see the self-satisfied smirk in your peripheral vision. Curious, you tilted your head. “What? Were you also previously a k-pop star?”

Horangi chuckled and shook his head. “Thankfully no,” he told you, a slight sadness in his voice. “What they have to go through to meet the standards of their managers is…” The man sat for a while, trying to choose the right words before he shook his head. “Anyway, no, I was never involved in the entertainment industry back home.”

You continued to watch his relaxed posture as he sat back against the head of your bed. “But it wasn’t just looks that got me allowed into places I probably shouldn’t have been,” he admits. You see his hand move and cover the slight bump in his sweatpants and instantly understand.

A smirk comes to your face now, slowly adjusting yourself to lay between his legs. “Really now?” you ask, voice seductive and amused all at once. “Why don’t you show me proof then?” 

There were a lot of things Hong-jin was, now that he had spent time in the military and especially with KorTac. Strong, courageous, selfless even; but he was also no stranger to feeding the beast inside him to keep it in line. Lightly calloused hands slide down the waistband of his sweats, pulling his member free. It was more impressive than you had initially thought, making your eyes widen just a bit. 

Instinct immediately told you “put your lips on it”, but you’re stopped almost as quickly as the thought came to you. “Use your hands only,” Horangi tells you softly. He sits back to keep his hands away and watch

You blink a bit, confused before you do as he asks. Your freshly cared for hand comes up to wrap around his member as you start a slow pace of stroking him. His pleased rumble sounds more akin to a purr, further attributing to his call sign. Part of you wants to give him grief, but you decide that can wait. 

You go with the motions for a while; up and down, up and down. You watched the man in front of you intently for every reaction. He seemed to particularly enjoy it when you ran your thumb over the tip, catching the pre-cum there as you went. 

“Ah…씨발,” Horangi huffs, hands fisting in the thin blanket of his cot. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’d done this before.” He tries to chuckle, but your roll your thumb and twist your hand just right and those pretty brown eyes are rolling back in pleasure.

You laugh a little at this. “Just a time or ten,” you tell him. Your other hand comes up to join the other, working his cock in a solid grip. You switch it up almost immediately, one hand continuing to love on the Korean man’s member while the other moved to fondle his tight balls.

The extra stimulation was more than enough for your caretaker of the day. Horangi came with a low groan, hips bucking up into your touch. He watched through half-lidded eyes at the mess he made across your hands, not wanting to leave the softness of your skin. Yet the telltale sensations of overstimulation began to rise, causing him to writhe in your grip.

You let go immediately, hopping up to find a tissue or washcloth to clean the two of you up with. “Looks like you may have to redo my hands,” you tease lightly as you clear both your skin and his of the mess. Horangi chuckles softly as he tucks himself away.

“Any time for you, 내 사랑.”

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x54 - A New World / The Fate of Two Worlds

Previously on Digimon Adventure: The true horror disrupting the Digital World was revealed. An eldritch thing of madness, beyond comprehension. Well, initial comprehension. The kids were having a hard time, so Apocalymon put them in the time-out corner until they could get their heads on straight.

Now they're back and ready to do this. This time's for real.

This episode's off to a bit of a different start. Instead of the typical recap followed by title card, we open straight into a fast-forward of the evolution sequences from the end of the previous. Along with Show Me Your Brave Heart kicking us off right from the get-go.

From there, Taichi and the others reconstitute themselves and we pick right up.

Apocalymon: What!? Taichi: WE WON'T LET YOU HAVE YOUR WAY!!! Apocalymon: That's impossible! You can't evolve without your Crests! Yamato: Don't underestimate the Chosen Children! Taichi: You got that right! Come on! Let's go, team! Team: YEAH!!!

Taichi raises his fist, and the other seven raise their fists in unison. The time for the final battle has come.

An interesting note is that Apocalymon sincerely believed the kids needed their Crests to evolve their Digimon. They did not understand the lore behind how the Crests work. Which sort of implies that the Original Five did not screw up as hard as our team did. XD

In the dub:

Izzy: We're back! Apocalymon: What!? Tai: You're dealing with the new and improved DigiDestined! Apocalymon: That's impossible! How did you Digivolve without your Crests!? Matt: Nothing's impossible. At least not when you've got your friends helping you! Tai: You said it, Matt! Now! Time to fight! Team: YEAH!!!

Minor differences with Matt's line but nothing noteworthy.

From here, it's go time. The Children are done discussing Apocalymon's background lore. They're ready to kill this thing. The Chosen Children ride their Partner Digimon into battle.

Which results in some... unintended hilarity.

Most of them fly through the void, but for some reason MetalGarurumon decides to run despite being flight-capable. It's not clear what his heavy tromping footsteps are running on, nor how he is casting a shadow on it, but there he is.

WarGreymon, AtlurKabuterimon, Lilimon, and the angel pair all fly.

Zudomon offers no indication of how he is moving. He remains entirely stationary and rockets forward through the void, squatting his way through space.

Meanwhile, for their part, Apocalymon remains motionless and lets the children come at them. The only movement comes from their cape flapping in the wind. ...kinda drafty in the void, I guess.

The dub adds no dialogue here and lets the silence do all the talking. The only difference is that, as usual, they didn't notice the sound effects so MetalGarurumon's footsteps and Apocalymon's flapping cape make no noise. No real loss there. Those things are confusing anyway.

Once the children get close enough, Apocalymon attacks.

Apocalymon: DIE!!!

Apocalymon thrusts one of their DNA chain claws forward to attack, but before they can do anything, Zudomon blows it off with Hammer Spark.

Jou: We'll handle the tentacles! Mimi: Let's join in, Lilimon! Lilimon: Sure!

Mimi hasn't quite realized the logistics of how their handholding flight is going to work in combat, but Lilimon has. Without warning, she grabs Mimi's wrist with both hands and flings her past the tentacle, to free up her arms for Flower Cannon.

Mimi: Huh, what are--UAAAAAGH!!!

She catches Mimi after she's destroyed the tentacle, but her Partner Child is not impressed.

Mimi: (whining) AWWW YOU'RE AWFUL!!! Lilimon: (smugly) Well, I am your Digimon, Mimi. Mimi: (grumbling) And just what is that supposed to mean?

And so this adventure concludes the way it began: In ways that are extremely upsetting for Mimi-chan. XD

Obviously, Apocalymon does not tell the children to die in the dub. In fact, he mutters to himself rather than addressing them.

Apocalymon: They're doomed.

This is the dub's segue to the first commercial break. Upon return, he calls an attack.

Apocalymon: So you wanna fight!? DEATH CLAW!!!

He can't tell them to die but he can still use the name Death Claw. Weird.

This creates some ambiguity for the previous episode's renaming of Touch of Evil to its original name Death Claw. Zudomon destroys his claw before it can do anything so... Are they indicating he was going to conjure Devimon to use Death Claw like he did last episode?

Or did the dub team forget about Touch of Evil, and think that "Death Claw" is a unique Apocalymon signature move, signifying attacking with his DNA chain claws?

Or is it like Clown Trick and Trump Sword where they call the one name for a bunch of different attacks, many of which have nothing to do with the original move?

IDK.

(Zudomon destroys the claw with Vulcan's Hammer) Joe: Alright! Your hammer nailed it! Mimi: We can help out too, right, Lillymon? Lillymon: Hang on! Mimi: Hang on for wha--AHHHHHHHHH!!! (Lillymon throws Mimi and destroys a claw with Flower Cannon, then catches Mimi) Mimi: Next time, Lillymon, can you use someone else as a boomerang!? Lillymon: Sorry, but I wanted to make sure you came back to me.

The dub plays this as surprisingly heartwarming rather than funny. One whole D'awww! Very different, but valid.

While Mimi and Lilimon are having it out, Zudomon destroys another chain-claw.

Jou: The rest of you, use this opening to attack the main body! Taichi: Got it--AH!!!

Apocalymon's had enough of this shit. While Jou and Mimi's backs are turned to the enemy so they can address the group, Apocalymon capitalizes by sending a claw straight for them.

Sora: JOU-SENPAI, MIMI-CHAN, LOOK OUT!!!

Jou and Mimi whip around, but it's too late.

Jou & Mimi: AHHHHH!!!

HolyAngemon opens Heaven's Gate all of a sudden. Then Angewomon destroys the claw with Holy Arrow. It is not clear what, if anything, Heaven's Gate contributed to this.

Takeru: Hikari-chan and I will protect you! Hikari: Could you please destroy the other tentacles? Mimi: Thank you! Jou: You saved us!

(Hikari wrenches one of Apocalymon's goddamn limbs off and then turns around and is the most polite and adorable thing ever to be born. The duality of Yagami Hikari. XD)

In the dub:

Joe: Tai! Now's your chance to go for his body! Tai: Alright! Huh!? (Apocalymon attacks Joe and Mimi from behind) Sora: Joe! Mimi! Look out behind you! Joe & Mimi: HUH!?!? (MangaAngemon unhelpfully creates Gate of Destiny) (Angewomon destroys the claw) T.K.: Don't worry about it, guys! We're here to protect you! Kari: We'll go for the other claws too! Mimi: Thanks, Kari! Joe: We owe you one!

A bit different. Joe only tells Tai to attack the main body while Jou instructs the rest of the team to do it. Similarly, Mimi (arguably correctly) only thanks Kari.

Kari's line is totally different. The plan is that Jou and Mimi will attack the claws while Takeru and Hikari watch their backs. T.K. gets this right, but then Kari suggests that T.K. and Kari will be attacking claws side-by-side with Joe and Mimi instead.

As agreed, Taichi and Yamato charge Apocalymon.

Taichi: Alright, Yamato! Full speed ahead! Yamato: Yeah! Taichi: CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!

WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon go straight down the center. In the process, we sort of get a glimpse of what MetalGarurumon's running on? A "floor" made out of waves of darkness seems to be emanating from Apocalymon. This raises further questions.

Apocalymon sends a claw their way to fend them off. However, an offscreen Flower Cannon obliterates it. Mimi and Jou are doing their jobs.

(Poor Mimi probably got tossed again.)

Sora and Koushiro join the charge on Garudamon and AtlurKabuterimon.

Sora: Koushiro-kun and I will assist Taichi and Yamato! Koushiro: Please, the two of you just focus on attacking the enemy! Yamato: Got it! Apocalymon: YOU LITTLE-- PLUG BOMB!!!

Furiously changing tactics, Apocalymon fires off Nanomon's signature Plug Bomb, machine-gunning the tiny explosives in every direction at once.

(I think that answers the question of whether Apocalymon has the moves of every Digimon or just the Big Bad Evil Guy Digimon.)

Garudamon: AtlurKabuterimon! Take Sora, please! AtlurKabuterimon: Right!

Garudamon has the same problem Lilimon has. Her Shadow Wing starts by engulfing her entire body in phoenix fire. Can't exactly do that with a rider. XD There was a critical flaw in this "Let's ride our Digimon into the fight" plan.

Garudamon deposits Sora on AtlurKabuterimon, then fires. Her phoenix-shaped projectile flies ahead of them, obliterating the Plug Bombs in their path. Once the path is clear, Sora returns to Garudamon's shoulder.

Sora: Thank you, Garudamon!

In the dub, Tai and Matt seem to be having fun with this.

Tai: Matt, this is better than any video game! Matt: I'll say! Apocalymon: DEATH CLAW!!! Lillymon: (offscreen) FLOWER CANNON!!! (Lillymon destroys the claw)

...okay, yes, I think we can confidently say that the dub does think Death Claw is an Apocalymon signature move.

Sora: Hey, why should you guys have all the fun? Save some for me and Izzy! Izzy: We'll distract Apocalymon while Matt and Tai concentrate on attacking. Matt: Watch our backs! Apocalymon: Let's end this. VIRUS GRENADES!!!

Cannot say with certainty whether they caught that "Virus Grenades" is supposed to be Nanomon's move or not. They never gave Plug Bomb a name way back when. So. Maybe they remember and are finally naming it or maybe they think this is an Apocalymon move too.

Garudamon: MegaKabuterimon, protect Sora! MegaKabuterimon: Got it. Garudamon: WING BLADE!!! (Garudamon destroys the bombs) Sora: Thanks, guys!

Most of this is pretty close to the original. The one point of contention is that Izzy volunteers to "distract" Apocalymon. That is. Not what they're doing. You don't distract the enemy by charging in right alongside the main attack force.

But we're used to Izzy being wrong about stuff. Matt gets it right when he tells them to "Watch our backs". Sora and Izzy are providing cover for Tai and Matt, just like T.K. and Kari are doing for Joe and Mimi.

As Taichi and Yamato close in, Apocalymon fires off one last shot.

Morphing one of their claws into Mugendramon and letting off Mugen Cannon.

AtlurKabuterimon: Now it's my turn! HORN BUSTER!!!

AtlurKabuterimon's there to provide covering fire and destroys it with Horn Buster.

Taichi: LET'S FINISH IT!!! Yamato: TAKE THIS!!!

Once the boys get into attack range, they unload. Cocytus Breath and Gaia Forge plunge together into Apocalymon, oblitering them. The main body of Apocalymon disintegrates into pixel dust, and it seems to be over. Most of their outer shell goes with them, leaving behind only the featureless dodecahedron that Apocalymon originally emerged as.

Apocalymon: HUAAAAAAAAAGH!!! Yamato: We did it! Jou: We disposed of the tentacles, too! Taichi: How do you like that!? Give up! Apocalymon: Hehe, you think you've won? Yamato: There's no point in acting tough! Apocalymon: Isn't there? We will perish. But we won't just perish. You smug little shits and this world will all be caught up in it too! Taichi: What!? Apocalymon: Just watch. Our ultimate special attack!

Oh, this is it! Remember, the rundown warned us of this. Apocalymon does have a signature move all their own: Darkness Zone, which reduces all things to nothingne--

Apocalymon: GRAND DEATH BIG BOMB!!!

...or that. I guess it could be that.

Apocalymon's dodecahedron collapses into a single point. This is followed by a sudden flash of light. Then an explosion, expanding outwards in every direction. An effect that looks remarkably and alarmingly like a supernova going off.

In the dub:

MegaKabuterimon: Now it's my turn! HORN BUSTER!!! (MegaKabuterimon destroys the final defense) Tai: ATTACK!!! Matt: NOW!!! (The boys destroy Apocalymon's main body) Matt: We did it! Joe: We destroyed all of his claws! Tai: Still think you're so tough!? Apocalymon: Ehehehe... Is that your best shot? Matt: You know you're beaten! Face it like a 'mon! Apocalymon: You think so, huh? Well, I may be beaten but I won't go down that easily. I'll take you and both worlds with me! Tai: What!? Apocalymon: You still haven't seen my ultimate attack: TOTAL ANNIHILATION!!!

An interesting note is that in the original, Apocalymon doesn't threaten the human world. He only says this will destroy 貴様 kisama, which is a rude way of saying "you" with the implicit meaning that the person you're speaking to thinks they're better than you, and この世界 kono sekai, which is "this world".

This is the second time Apocalymon has angrily dropped a 貴様 kisama into conversation. It's almost as if they're insecure about something. I wonder what.

So, Apocalymon only threatens to collapse the Digital World. However, it has long been established that the collapse of the Digital World would have catastrophic knock-on effects for the human world. There is, right at this moment, a tear in the fabric of reality in the sky of the human world above all places at once, where people are seeing this happen.

So even if Apocalymon doesn't directly threaten to destroy the human world, their actions will do that if allowed.

The dub cuts out the implied threat and instead makes Apocalymon fully aware of both worlds, and actively trying to destroy them both. This meshes with the previous episode, when they added dialogue of him threatening to "start [reducing all things to nothingness] with Earth".

Original Apocalymon wants to destroy the Digital World, which will consequently destroy the human world, while dub Apocalymon wants to destroy them both. No idea what his beef is with the humans. We've never successfully Digivolved either.

Well, not in Adventure continuity, anyway. I see you over there, Biomerge Digivolutions.

Anyway, where were we at? Oh, yeah. Being killed by a supernova.

As the supernova approaches, we flash from child to child, hearing their thoughts while their Crest symbols float over them.

Yamato: They self-destructed! Jou: Is this the end for us!? Mimi: IT CAN'T BE!!! Takeru: It's not the end! Koushiro: This can't be the end. Yamato: I won't let this be the end. Taichi: Like hell this is the end! Jou: NEVER!!! Sora: Because.... Hikari: We all have.... Team: TOMORROW WAITING FOR US!!!

As the children refuse to relent, their Digivices activate. Each taking a different point around the supernova, they form the eight points of a cube, made from the children's holy light. The cube suppresses and contains the supernova, until it detonates harmlessly in the void. The final trace of Apocalymon's wrath is gone.

In the dub:

Matt: He's gonna destroy everything! Joe: I should have made out my will! Mimi: I'm too good-looking to go! T.K.: I want my mommy! Izzy: There must be a solution! Matt: We won't give up! Tai: We're stronger than he is! Joe: We're a team! Sora: It's destiny! Kari: After all! Team: WE'RE THE DIGIDESTINED!!!

A bit different. Mostly lateral changes, but I don't like that they stopped T.K. from being the first one to retain hope and made it Izzy instead. Refusing to lay down and die in the face of the unwinnable is literally his Crest virtue but the dub's only ever seen "littlest kid" in him.

As the blast dissipates, the children unpack. They aren't quite sure what just happened there.

WarGreymon: What.... MetalGarurumon: ...was that? Takeru: What happened to the explosion? Koushiro: It must have been contained through the power of our Digivices. Taichi: So, does that mean we won? Yamato: Seems like. Jou: Then the destruction of the world.... Sora: It means we stopped it! Hikari: Yeah! Ogremon: HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!

Ogremon runs on into the void, waving his club. He's followed by Andromon, who is carrying Elecmon.

Ogremon: You did it? HolyAngemon: Yeah, we did! Ogremon: You punks are really something else! Mimi: (pleased) Is that so? Andromon: Thank you very much. Koushiro: (embarrassed) Uh, there's no need to thank us!

Meanwhile, in the human world, those weird otherworldly Digimon that had been silently rampaging freeze up and disintegrate. The void vanishes from the sky, and the people of Earth look up at a bright beautiful sky.

Shin (Jou's Brother): You all did so well (ganbatte).

Now, at the very end of the final battle, the title card for "A New World" appears.

In the dub:

WarGreymon: What was that!? MetalGarurumon: I'm not sure! T.K.: What happened to the explosion!? Izzy: It was completely contained by the power of our Digivices! Tai: Then it's over! We actually won! Matt: Looks that way! Joe: Excuse me while I throw up. Sora: I guess we saved the world. Kari: Mhm! Ogremon: HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!! Elecmon: You did it! Ogremon: You're amazing! Remind me to call you the next time I have trouble with my landlord. Mimi: It was nothing! Andromon: Thanks for everything! Izzy: Well, I did have some help, you know. (Meanwhile the human world returns to normal) Jim: Great, bro! I'm proud of you.

Ogremon suggests unleashing unrelenting violence upon landlords and I approve this message.

Once the title card is past us, there are more visitors to Apocalymon's void.

Gennai and Centarumon show up.

Gennai: It looks like your world has been saved too. Kids: Yes! Takeru: What will happen to the Digimon World? Centarumon: Look carefully under your feet.

The children look below them and see the darkness peel away, revealing File Island in the distance.

Takeru: An island? Garudamon: It's File Island! Centarumon: The prophecy in the ancient ruins concluded with these words: "The first to return to life will be the island. From the island will come new skies, seas, and land. Mimi: So, what does that mean? Centarumon: It means the Digital World is being created anew.

A linguistic note: When Centarumon says the Digital World is created, he uses the word 天地創造 tenchisouzou. This is a composite of 創造 souzou which means to create something and 天地 tenchi or heaven. Heavenly creation.

He's saying that the Digital World is being "created" anew in a Biblical sense.

Then the kids notice black and white pixels fluttering around File Island.

Taichi: What's that down there? Gennai: The Digimon may also be reborn right alongside this world. Kids: REALLY!?!? Taichi: Let's go, guys! Kids: YEAH!!!

So, it seems the Digital World was destroyed utterly once Apocalymon's void emerged. That's probably why we all suddenly fell into the void. When the void erupted and spread down across the wireframe of Spiral Mountain, I guess it didn't stop there.

But with Apocalymon's destruction, the void is giving way for a new Digital World to take its place. And, of course, the Village of Beginnings lives again.

In the dub:

Gennai: Sorry I'm late. Forgot to set my alarm. Is it over? Kids: Yeah! T.K.: So what's gonna happen to the Digital World now? Centarumon: See for yourselves. Look down. Kids: Huh!? (The kids see File Island emerge) Tai: It's File Island! Centarumon: The ancient prophecy said that after the great darkness is over, the first thing to be reborn will be the island. And from that island will come the land and the seas. Mimi: Yeah, but what does that mean? Centarumon: It means that the Digi-World will start over from the beginning. Izzy: What's happening down there? Gennai: The Digi-World is being reborn as are all the Digimon from the past. We're gonna need a lot of diapers! Kids: Huh!? Tai: Alright! Let's go! Kids: Right!

Pretty much the same. "The Digi-World will start over from the beginning" is a pretty solid pragmatic translation of "The Digimon World is undergoing heavenly creation again."

The children and their cohort return to Primary Village, where Elecmon's ecstatic to see it alive and vibrant again.

Elecmon: The village is back to normal!

A shower of Digitama from all the Digimon who died since Spiral Mountain was erected rain down across the village.

Takeru: IT'S FULL OF DIGITAMA!!! Patamon: YAY!!!

Takeru and Patamon race into the village, eager to start rubbing some eggs.

Elecmon: HEY, WAIT FOR ME!!!

The three set to work, rubbing the shit out of those eggs. Hikari, a bit lost about what's happening here, approaches them.

All Three: (singsong) Rub-rub! Rub-rub! Hikari: What are you guys doing? Patamon: We're hatching the Digitama. (A Digitama rolls to Hikari's foot. She picks it up.) Hikari: Are you going to hatch all of them? Elecmon: That's right! A lot of Digimon will be born from these Digitama. The future of the Digimon World begins right here!

Hikari looks up to the sky and sees the Digitama continuing to rain into the village. She smiles brightly, now understanding.

Takeru: You should join us, Hikari-chan. Hikari: Okay! (rubs and sings) Rub-Rub! Group: Rub-rub!

In the dub, Sora kicks us off with a reminder of what this place is.

Sora: It's the Primary Village! Elecmon: And everything's back to normal. Joe: Looks like it's starting to rain. T.K.: (excited) Whoa! A Digi-Egg storm! (T.K. and Patamon race into the village) Elecmon: Wait, those eggs are my responsibility! (The boys start rubbing eggs) T.K.: Are you gonna count them all? Elecmon: Are you crazy? You never count your Digi-Eggs before they hatch. Kari: What are you doing? Patamon: Helping these Digi-Eggs hatch. (A Digi-Egg rolls to Kari's feet. She picks it up.) Kari: Are you going to hatch them all? Elecmon: What do you suggest? We make an omelet? Of course we're going to hatch them all! The future of the Digi-World depends on it! Kari: Yay! Patamon: You can help! Just rub them gently.... (Kari starts rubbing Digi-Eggs) Kari: This is fun! Elecmon: We should be done in about sixty years.

Some decent laugh lines added but otherwise pretty similar. The omelet crack and "sixty years" got me. XD

Though the tonal difference between "The future of the Digimon World begins here" and "The future of the Digi-World depends on this!" is a bit eyerolling. Americans gotta have everything fierce.

The rest of the group watches, unhelpfully opting not to join in the hatching spree.

Ogremon: Now Leomon will be born again. Mimi: Really!? Does that mean Piccolomon, Whamon, and the others will be too? Gennai: Uhhh, eventually.

Gennai, your tone of voice is really bringing the mood down. Do not shit in our pancakes right now. We earned these pancakes.

Andromon: What do you think, everyone? Should we take a photo to commemorate the occasion? Taichi: A photo!? Let's do it! Sora: Good idea! Yamato: I'm in! Koushiro: I'll grab Takeru-kun and the others. (Koushiro exits) Gennai: A photo, huh? (excited) Yehhhhh!

Gennai fusses with what passes for his hair, and we cut to everyone lined up for the picture. Hikari even brings over the little yellow Digitama she's been rubbing. The gang's all here, except Andromon because he's taking the photo.

Taichi: Alright, go ahead! Andromon: Hai, chizu! Digitama: (wiggle wiggle) Hikari: Huh? Takeru: What's wrong?

It's falling a bit out of style since smartphones have replaced cameras and the entire culture of picture-taking is different. But the phrase "Hai, chizu!" has a long history with Japanese photography.

It translates to "Okay, cheese!" So it's similar to the western custom of saying cheese, but it has a different purpose. In the west, it's the people having their photos taken are supposed to say cheese because the mouth movement to enunciate the word stretches their mouths into a wide smile. But in Japan, it's the picture-taker who says cheese.

The phrase "Hai, chizu" is spoken at a rhythmic cadence, with the understanding that the photo will be snapped on the syllable "zu". So Japan uses this sing-songy phrase as a metronomic countdown. It's so everyone's on the same page, holding still, and looking their best when the picture-taker hits zu.

Youth culture has changed a lot in the twenty years since this show came out and I don't think this is in style anymore. But it was when the show was made.

So Andromon counts down and snaps the picture. However, right as we hit zu, the Digitama in Hikari's hands suddenly hatches. The resulting photo captures the shocked and startled reactions from the group around her.

(It's a Botamon like how Hikari's first Digitama was a Botamon! Ending where we began!)

Absolutely nobody cares about the picture anymore; All eyes are on the newborn Botamon in Hikari's hands.

Tailmon: What happened!? Elecmon: It hatched! Patamon: So cute!

In the dub:

Ogremon: This means Leomon will be reborn. Mimi: That's right! And Piximon, Whamon, and Wizardmon too! Gennai: Yes, someday. Andromon: We should take a picture to commemorate this special occasion! Tai: A picture! Good idea. Sora: Sure, let's do it. Matt: Yeah, I'm in. Izzy: Great, I'll go get T.K. and Kari then. Gennai: Gotta shine my head! (Gennai fusses with his hair and everyone gathers) Tai: Alright, we're ready! Andromon: Say "cheese"! Digi-Egg: (wiggle wiggle) Kari: Huh? T.K.: What's wrong? (Digi-Egg hatches right as picture is taken) Gatomon: What is it? Elecmon: Look, it hatched! Patamon: It's so cute!

This is almost exactly word-for-word. In fact, it skews so close to original script that they don't even westernize the photo-taking. Not one of the kids says "cheese" after Andromon tells them to.

There is one subtle difference that stands out to me, though. Mimi. Uh. Mimi shouldn't hold her breath for Wizardmon.

...

(˙ ◠ ˙)

...

Welp, time to hit the ol' Digi-Trail. Ogremon, pulling a sandogasa and cloak straight out of his asshole, says his farewells.

Ogremon: Well then.... Kids: Huh? Mimi: (confused) What are you wearing? Ogremon: I'm not hanging around here anymore. I'm going traveling! Palmon: Why!? Stay with us! Ogremon: Not happening! A proud Virus-type like my glorious self doesn't hang out with Data and Vaccines like you punks! Ha! Later!

After once again very pretentiously referring to himself as ore-sama using a super-respectful honorific meant for venerating respected superiors and elders, Ogremon overdramatically vanishes into the distance.

To answer Mimi's question, the traveling cloak and straw hat are stereotypical Japanese wanderer attire, popularized by people who lived their lives on the road during medieval Japanese history. A common look for ronin or masterless samurai types, but also worn by merchants and other kinds of travelers.

Piyomon: He left. Gomamon: He just can't be honest with himself about his feelings. Tentomon: I just can't get my head around those Virus-type jerks. Gennai: Now, don't say that. When Agumon became SkullGreymon through Dark Evolution, I said that it was the wrong evolution. However, what I meant was that it was wrong for your purposes. There is no right or wrong way to evolve. Agumon: (unconvinced) Hmm. Maybe next time, I'll evolve into a Virus-type then. Other Partner Digimon: NO ANYTHING BUT THAT!!!

This is a joke about the fact that MetalGreymon, prior to the anime retconning the species and changing their color scheme from blue to red, was a Virus Digimon. MetalGreymon (Blue) still exists as a separate species but doesn't come up in games and stuff nearly as much.

In the dub:

Ogremon: I'm outta here! Kids: Huh!? Mimi: What do you mean, you're leaving? Ogremon: It's time to hit the road. Take a hike. Make like a tree and leaf. Palmon: But Ogremon, why not stay here with us? Ogremon: Look, I'm a Virus-type Digimon. You guys are Data and Vaccine types. If I hang around here too long, I'll get sick to my stomach! Catch you later! (Ogremon teleports away) Biyomon: He vanished!

Presumably for purposes of animation budget, as Ogremon leaves, his animation cel just sort fades, becoming increasingly transparent until he disappears completely. Easy shorthand for him disappearing into the distance.

For some reason, the dub decides to take this super literally. They add a warping sound effect to him fading away, which Biyomon then reacts to. Canonizing for their continuity that Ogremon's been sitting on the ability to teleport this entire time.

(What a dick! Really would have come in handy when we needed to transport Mimi's army up to the Dark Masters' base.)

Gomamon: He just can't face the fact that he likes us. Tentomon: Hmph, I've never heard of a Virus giving someone a cold shoulder! Gennai: Don't say that! Do you remember the day that Agumon first Digivolved into SkullGreymon? At the time, I said it was the wrong thing to do but the truth is, when it comes to Digivolving, there's no right or wrong. A Digimon's destiny cannot be changed. That day was a real eye-opener for me! Of course, I haven't been able to open them since. Agumon: Well! If that's the case then next time I'll just Digivolve myself into the next Dark Master! Other Partner Digimon: OH NO!!! / DON'T!!! / WHATEVER YOU DO, NO!!!

In the original, Gennai clarifies his original statement about SkullGreymon to mean that this evolutionary path wouldn't work for the Chosen Children's purposes, not that it was inherently wrong for a Greymon to evolve that way. What he said was true; He just realizes now that perhaps he didn't communicate his meaning clearly.

In the dub, Gennai corrects himself and renounces his original statement. He's changed his mind since then and decided that SkullGreymon's Dark Evolution was fine, actually. Then he ends on a joke about his character design.

From here, the children leave the Village of Beginnings. They return to Seadramon's lake, with that out-of-place trolley still sitting on its own little island a short distance out.

Sora: Isn't this nostalgic? This is where we spent our first night in this world. Koushiro: That's right. Gabumon evolved into Garurumon and fought Seadramon here. Jou: Well! It all ended on a happy note, anyways. We can return to our world with our heads held high! Maybe they'll treat us like heroes! They'll make us do tons of interviews. What do you guys think? Gomamon: ...Jou....

It's only at that moment that Jou takes a vibe check and realizes this is not a triumphant moment for the rest of the group. The other children seem dour, as do their Partners. Takeru may even be crying.

Jou: Oh no, I may have misspoken. Hey, even after we go home, we can always come back! Gomamon: (more forceful) Jou.... Jou: (mutters) Right, that won't work out even if we do come back. The flow of time is different between this world and our world, so we don't even know if we'll live to see each other again. (to the others) I'm sorry.

Well, there he is. Jou's all caught up to where everyone else is. After these many months in the Digital World growing into a proud nakama, the time has come to finally part ways. Time to send the children back to their own world while the Digimon remain in this one.

In the dub:

Sora: This sure brings back memories! This is the exact spot where we spent our first night here in the Digi-World. Izzy: That's right! This is where Gabumon first Digivolved into Garurumon and fought Seadramon! Joe: Yeah! And this is the place where I fainted for the first time! Well, the first time in the Digi-World, anyway. Boy, it sure is great strolling down memory lane, isn't it? Hey, do you think when we all get back, we'll be some kind of heroes? Haha, And-and win a whole bunch of awards like an Emmy or something. Gomamon: (despondent) Joe.... Joe: Sorry! Old dopey me. Open mouth, insert foot. I mean, we can always come back, right, guys? ...right? Gomamon: ...Joe.... Joe: Oh. Heh. I forgot. Faux pas. Time passes differently here than in our world. You guys will probably be long gone! Whoops... there goes the other foot.

They play this for comedy, but still in a really sad way. Like, it almost feels like Joe's rambling incoherently to stave off a panic attack, which works pretty well for the vibe of the scene.

Suddenly, Yamato has an idea.

Yamato: Hey! Sora: What? Yamato: We still have a lot of time left in summer vacation, right? I'm thinking of staying in this world until the holiday's over. Jou: Ah! That's a great idea! Takeru: If Onii-chan is staying then I am too! Hikari: So am I! Is that okay, Onii-chan? Taichi: Yeah! Koushiro: Maybe I should too. Mimi: Me too! Sora: And me too! We have plenty of time! Koushiro: That's right. If we consider one day in this world to be the equivalent of one minute in our world and we have four weeks of vacation.... Jou: Let me do the mental math.

The sound of a cash register ringing up items plays while Jou's calculating in his head. His eyelids flicker in tune to it.

Jou: Let's see... 40,320 days... (ka-ching) That's 110 years! Mimi: Really!? Yamato: Great! Let's go on a brand new adventure! Taichi: SWEET!!! LET'S GO!!! TO A NEW ADVENTURE!!! Kids: LET'S GO!!!

(These children are gone a few days and then their parents finally get them back and they're ninety.)

In the dub:

Matt: Hey! You know, we've still got a lot of summer left. I was thinking maybe we could stay here until our vacation's over. Joe: Yeah! That's a great idea! T.K.: If Matt's staying, I'm staying too! Kari: Me too! Is that okay, Tai? Tai: Sure! Mimi: I'm staying too! Sora: Me too! Izzy: We might as well. We've got plenty of time. Since an entire day in the Digital World is equal to just one minute in the real world and we've still got four weeks left of summer vacation.... Joe: Then we can stay here in the Digital World for up to... let's see... carry the four, divide by three... a really, really long time. Izzy: To be precise, it's 40,320 days. That's about 110 years! Tai: ALRIGHT, WE'RE STAYING!!! Kids: YAY!!!

I guess the dub didn't like Jou scooping Koushiro on the Smart Boy moment. They also didn't catch the cash register visual gag, as is usual with sound effects.

It made perfect sense to me. Koushiro has a lot of practical knowledge because he's a very curious boy. However, Jou is two grades higher than him and attends classes at a private cram school to prepare him for entry into a highly-accredited middle school.

So I do buy that Jou, rather than Koushiro, is the one who can suddenly pop off mathematic calculations off the top of his head. Koushiro is smart in an "I read the entire Wikipedia front to back because I wanted to know why frogs are that color" sort of way, but Jou-senpai is the most formally educated.

Unfortunately, as much as the kids may want to stay, it's not going to be that simple. Agumon notices a shadow passing over the sun.

Agumon: Huh?

The kids all look up to see the shadow. While they're doing that, Gennai and Centarumon slip into their midst with sick ninja skills. Very impressive, especially considering Centarumon has hooves.

Koushiro: That's a solar eclipse, isn't it? Gennai: Children, I have something I must tell you. Mimi: Something to tell us? Is it good news or bad news? Gennai: It's probably... bad news.... Kids: (collective groan)

And he'll be right here to deliver the new new dire news about their predicament RIGHT AFTER THESE MESSAGES.

(Apocalymon's big sister EvenMoreApocalymon just showed up and is trying to eat the sun! She's Hyper-Evolved to a stage beyond even Ultimate Evolution! In these next fourteen episodes we will--)

In the dub:

Agumon: Hey, look! (Everyone looks at the eclipse) Izzy: It's an eclipse! Gennai: Yes, it is. And there's something very important you should know about it, children. Mimi: I know! You're not supposed to look directly into it! Gennai: True! But that's not all. This eclipse could cost you your lives....

Gennai plays this even scarier than the original does.

I love his reaction to Mimi trying to guess about his impending topic. She isn't right but she's not wrong, and he validates her for that.

The dub also takes their second commercial break here. Then we return from commercial to unpack this new development.

Koushiro: Isn't this just an eclipse? Centarumon: That part that's in shadow is the gate that connects us to your world. The eclipse will end in two hours. Yamato: So what? We'll just wait for the next time a gate opens. Mimi: That's right! We still have 110 years of summer vacation left. Gennai: Actually, the arrival of Apocalymon has caused the flow of time between your world and the Digital World to align. Taichi: WHAT!?!? Yamato: B-But what would happen if we stayed anyway!? Jou: (wincing) Yamato.... Gennai: This world may recognize your data as a foreign contamination and delete it. Yamato: Then... Gennai: I'm sorry.

THAT'S BEEN A THING THAT COULD HAPPEN THIS WHOLE TIME AND YOU NEVER THOUGHT TO MENTION IT!?!? JIJI!!! I don't think we're gonna be able to Warp Evolve our way out of this one, guys.

Not super clear from Gennai's phrasing if the reason time aligned is because Apocalymon was causing the time distortion and died, or if the alignment of time is one last distortion from the road.

Gennai says it was caused by Apocalymon arriving, not Apocalymon's defeat. Sure enough, people back in the human world did seem to be watching the Apocalymon battle take place in real-time instead of ultra fast-forward.

The subs here say it brought the flow of time "back into alignment". But the line he delivers is that Apocalymon's appearance made "時間の流れが同じになったのじゃ Jikan no nagare ga onaji ni natta no ja" between the two worlds. Which translates to "the flow of time became the same." No indication that this is how it was originally.

So I think the Digital World moving much more quickly through time than the human world was how it was originally, and this was one last distortion caused by the final battle with the reality-breaking Apocalymon.

In the dub:

Izzy: You mean it's not an ordinary eclipse? Centarumon: That shadow is the gate that connects your world to the Digital World. I'm afraid the eclipse will only last for two more hours. Matt: That's not a problem. We'll just wait until it opens up again. Mimi: Yeah! After all, we still have over a hundred years of summer vacation left! Gennai: Actually, when Apocalymon appeared, the flow of time here and in your world became synchronized. Mimi: So then we still have four weeks left, right? Matt: That's plenty of time to have fun! Gennai: Well. Actually, you only have the two hours because once the portal is closed, it's closed forever. Matt: But.... Gennai: Sorry. It's time to say goodbye.

The dub merely says the flow of time "became synchronized", which lines up with the original Japanese line.

Gennai having to reassert the two hour time limit when Mimi still refuses to accept the urgency is a good bit. XD

Though, notably, the dub only threatens that they'll be trapped in this world forever. Gennai leaves out the scary part where the Digital World will fucking delete them for being invalid data.

Homeostasis may have brought them here but they aren't welcome. The Digital World considers Homeostasis's whole "We should do an isekai" thing to be that "That's just, like, your opinion, man" meme. These kids were kidnapped, smuggled here in the back of a truck, and then made to work but now the job's done so they can get the fuck out.

It's honestly pretty rude. For a reality created by human data they have some problematic societal structures. Humans would never treat people this way!

...

...

>.< Fuck me, they learned it from watching us, didn't they?

Now on a time limit, it really is time to say goodbye.

Piyomon: When you get back to your world, say hi to your mom for me. Sora: Mhm... I want to thank you for that, Piyomon. There's always been a misunderstanding between me and my mom. But you stepped in and fixed it. I think my mom and I will get along fine from now on. Piyomon: Really. Sora: Hehe, really. Piyomon: If that's true, then I'm really glad! I thought you always spoiled me because I was constantly bothering you.

With tears in her eyes, Sora hugs Piyomon.

Sora: That's not true. It was never true, Piyomon. Piyomon: (crying) Sora! Sora: (crying) Piyomon!

I mean, it was kinda true for like one episode, but Sora was still really freaked out about every single part of being plunged into an unfamiliar wilderness to fend for herself.

In the dub:

Biyomon: I'm sure gonna miss you, Sora. Say hi to your mom for me when you get back. Sora: Sure. ...I want to thank you, Biyomon. Before I met you, I didn't get along with my mom very well. We argued. She would never let me do anything! But thanks to you, I understand her a lot better! You showed me how much my mom really loves me. Biyomon: You mean it? Sora: Hehe, of course! Biyomon: That makes me so happy to hear you say that! Sometimes I thought I was just bothering you and getting in your way all the time. (Sora hugs Biyomon and cries) Sora: Don't be silly! You weren't a bother! You're my best friend! Oh, Biyomon, I'm gonna miss you so much! (sobs)

Some minor changes but the dub hits the key points: Sora never considered Biyomon to be a nuisance and Sora's grateful to Biyomon for helping her appreciate her mother more.

Jou's turn next.

We find Jou sitting with Gomamon on the edge of Seadramon's lake, throwing rocks into the water.

Jou: You and I might not have been a good pairing, but I had a lot of fun. Gomamon: (somber) I did too. (suddenly cheerful) A-Anyways, when you get back to your world, work hard (ganbare) on your studies! Jou: Yeah....

Jou holds out his hand to Gomamon.

Gomamon: What? Jou: Let's shake hands. Gomamon: Huh? Okay.

Gomamon places his flipper in Jou's hand.

Jou: Huh? Gomamon: What? Jou: That was a hand after all!

With tears forming in their eyes, the boys laugh and gently shake hands; In the process, paying off their long-running gag about Gomamon's "hands".

In the dub:

Joe: I know it's gonna be hard to find a friend as great as I am, Gomamon, but you'll have to try. Gomamon: Not a problem. I took an ad out in the personals. I've got five interviews lined up for next week. Joe: (unconvinced) Hmm. Gomamon: What!? Joe: At least let's shake hands. Gomamon: Okay. For luck. (Gomamon puts his flipper in Joe's hand) Joe: Wow! Gomamon: What? Joe: For someone without a hand, you've got a pretty strong grip.

The hand joke is different but it's fairly close to original. However, the brief heart-to-heart talk at the start is replaced by more gags.

Next up, it's Koushiro's turn. Koushiro is with Gennai and his Mekanorimon suit at the trolley, working on something. We see Gennai welding something on the undercarriage, while Koushiro and Tentomon are in the driver's compartment.

Koushiro: Tentomon. Tentomon: (already half-crying) Koushiro-han.... Koushiro: Really... You're....

Socially awkward as ever, Koushiro trips over his own words. Finally, he falls back on old habits and gives Tentomon a polite bow.

Koushiro: Thank you very much for taking care of me.

It's a memorized gesture he's falling back on because he can't find the words to say. お世話になりました osewa ni narimashita is one of those stock Japanese phrases for being polite. Its purpose is to show gratitude for someone letting you stay at their house overnight or putting you up while you're in town or somesuch.

He's doing what he always does with people and reciting memorized politeness because he doesn't know how to express himself.

Tentomon's so startled by Koushiro's reaction that he stumbles back and falls over himself. Panicking, Koushiro jumps to his feet and rushes over to Tentomon. He's so concerned for Tentomon, he doesn't even notice he accidentally smacked his laptop off the dashboard.

All this commotion causes the windshield wipers to turn on, which silently squeegee the windshield in the foreground through the rest of the scene.

Koushiro picks up Tentomon off the floor, holding him in his hands.

Tentomon: Even right up to the very end, you still speak so formally to me. Koushiro: I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But what would be the right thing to say at a time like this? Tentomon: Hmm... That's a hard question. I don't think you need to force yourself to find the right words. Maybe it's okay to stick with formalities. Some day, your words will flow more naturally. Koushiro: You think so? I'd like that too.

Abandoning words, Koushiro pulls Tentomon in for a hug, and the boys cry quietly together.

The dub has the unfortunate task of needing to make this scene work with an Izzy they have not been writing as endlessly formal, polite, and socially awkward. Their plan is to drown the scene out in ob

Izzy: Tentomon. Tentomon: Yes, Izzy? Izzy: There's something I need to tell you before we part ways. Okay? (Izzy bows politely) Izzy: I love you. (Tentomon freaks out and falls over; Izzy rushes to pick him up)

When Izzy picks up Tentomon, the dub gives the windshield wipers a loud, obnoxious squeegeeing sound that's a little louder than the dialogue and very annoying.

Izzy: TENTOMON!!! Are you okay? Tentomon: Yes, I'm fine. But I was a little taken aback by your sudden display of emotion. Izzy: You're right. Sorry about that. I don't usually get emotional but this was a unique occasion. Tentomon: I understand. You don't have to say it. I know how much our friendship has meant to us and, in the name of our friendship, I need to ask you one last favor. Izzy: Yeah, what is it? Tentomon: WOULD YOU PLEASE TURN OFF THOSE WINDSHIELD WIPERS!?!? Izzy: Sure thing, pal. Anything for you. Give me a hug. (Izzy pulls Tentomon in for a hug) Tentomon: ACK! ACK! YOU'RE CHOKING ME!!!

The wipers continue loudly squeegeeing while Izzy hugs Tentomon.

So, for the dub's version, Izzy's just... suddenly overcome with a huge surge of affection and emotion he's rarely shown before. To be fair, this is a super emotional situation to be in.

Next up, Takeru. Takeru and Patamon are standing side-by-side bawling their eyes out in a field of flowers.

Patamon: (bawling) Takeru, don't cry! Takeru: (bawling) But... But... We're never gonna see each other again! Patamon: (bawling) You're wrong! The flow of time between your world and my world is the same now, so I'm sure we'll meet again someday!

Takeru's tears dry up and he looks down at Patamon with renewed hope.

Takeru: Really? Patamon: We met again after Devimon, didn't we? Takeru: Yeah... Because, at the time, I believed we would meet again. Patamon: Then believe that now! Takeru: Okay. Then let's meet again! Promise? Patamon: Promise!

Takeru shakes Patamon's little paw as the two boys put their faith in what the future holds for them. A faith that will be rewarded through the power of franchise expansion, woo!

In the dub:

Patamon: (bawling) T.K., please stop crying because you're making me cry! T.K.: (bawling) I was just crying 'cause you were crying! Patamon: (bawling) Well if you're crying because I'm crying and I'm crying because you're crying then neither one of us needs to be crying, do we? (T.K. stops crying) T.K.: Oh. Oh, yeah. Patamon: Besides, I'm sure we're gonna see each other again one day. T.K.: Yeah! Just like we saw each other again after that thing with Devimon. Patamon: That's right! We did! T.K.: Let's make a pact. We'll see each other again! Promise? Patamon: Promise!

T.K. is a lot easier to pacify than Takeru is. He's even the one who brings up Patamon's death and reincarnation in the Devimon fight, rather than Patamon having to remind him of it.

Next on the list is Yamato. (Wait, really? I figured Yamato and Taichi would go last. Huh.) Yamato sits in the grass with Gabumon at the top of a hill.

For a moment, neither of them say anything. They sit there in silence, eyes watering. Gabumon is the first to speak.

Gabumon: Hey... Yamato.... Yamato: Hm? Gabumon: Could I hear it again? Your harmonica? Yamato: (smiling, faintly) Yeah....

Yamato takes out his harmonica and plays.

The dub lets the quiet moment sit.

Gabumon: ...that says it all. Matt: Hm? Gabumon: I wouldn't mind hearing you play your harmonica one last time. Matt: Glad to.

This is perfect. The "one last time" in particular adds a heartbreaking touch.

We move from there to Taichi. Taichi can hear Yamato's harmonica playing, and the tears well in his eyes.

Taichi: Ugh. Yamato, you jerk.... Agumon: What's wrong? Taichi: (frantically wipes his eyes) Nothing! Agumon: (unconvinced) Mm.

Moving along, Agumon calls Taichi's attention to the area behind him. They're on the little island with the trolley.

Agumon: Taichi, this is it, right? This is where I torched the firewood with my Baby Flame. Taichi: Yeah, that's right. Then the flames from our bonfire burned Seadramon's tail and made him mad. Agumon: (realizing) Whuh? ...that was my fault!? Taichi: Huh? Nah. I'm the one who stuck his tail in the bonfire. Hahahaha! Agumon: TAICHI!!!

It doesn't take Agumon long for Taichi's jubilation to become infectious, and soon he's laughing too.

AT LONG LAST, EXONERATION FOR SEADRAMON. Y'all have been painting that poor sea serpent with the "evil Digimon" brush for SO LONG.

(I did not realize they were actually going to talk about this. But I've been banging this gong for so long that I'm pleased to see it come full circle.)

In the dub:

Tai: Stupid Matt and his harmonica. Agumon: What's the matter? Tai: Nothing. Agumon: (unconvinced) Yeah. Sure. (Agumon draws attention to the area) Agumon: Hey, come over here and look at this! This is the spot where I first made my Pepper Breath, remember? Tai: Remember? How could I ever forget. That's where you burned Seadramon's tail and he attacked us. And your aim hasn't gotten much better since then either! Agumon: Hey! You don't really believe that, do you? Tai: Mmmm... Well, look at the bright side. Your aim hasn't gotten any worse! Hahahahahaha! Agumon: (disappointed) Come on, Tai....

Agumon does not join Tai in laughing at his expense. This is absolutely terrible. Tai's final words to Agumon are to mock him for being a poor shot, so that already sucks.

But also, they reminisce like in the original but they do it so badly. According to the dub, Agumon used Pepper Breath for the very first time in episode 3, when he fired off a shot that hit Seadramon's tail by accident. What was he supposed to be shooting at? No idea.

This is wildly incorrect for multiple reasons. Dub team. Dub team, you dubbed that episode already. Be better.

In the woods, Hikari takes off her whistle. The whistle she's had since she was a baby, that was such a huge part of her character in the OVA.

Tailmon: For me? Hikari: Yeah.

Hikari puts the lanyard around Tailmon's neck.

Tailmon: Thank you. Hikari: It looks good on you. Tailmon: Does it? Well... Take care of yourself, Hikari. Hikari: Yeah. Until next time. Tailmon: Next time? Hikari: Yeah! Next time! Tailmon: (blink blink)

Tailmon blinks, surprised by Hikari's words, but she does not elaborate.

Very little is directly said here, and yet this brief exchange carries so much weight. Hikari encourages Tailmon to believe they'll meet again the same way Patamon encouraged Takeru. So there's a symmetry there.

But moreover, Tailmon spent years of her life alone and abandoned. So Hikari gives her something really important to her. A physical memento she can keep close to her chest and always remember Hikari by.

In the dub:

Gatomon: For me? Kari: Uh-huh! Here, let me put it on you. It doubles as a flea collar! (Kari puts the lanyard around Gatomon's neck) Gatomon: Thanks, Kari. Kari: It looks good on you! Gatomon: Gee, thanks! Oh, wow... I guess this is... goodbye.... Kari: Yeah. 'Til next time. Gatomon: Next time? Kari: Yup! That's right! Gatomon: Huh...?

It doubles as a flea collar? I have questions for Yuuko and Susumu.

This one's perfect. No notes.

Well, that's everyone. It's time to head out-- Wait, what do you mean there's one left? Who hasn't said goodbye yet?

Mimi: (distraught) PALMON!!! PALMON!!!

Mimi wanders through the woods, frantically calling out for her Partner. Some of the Gekomon notice her.

Gekomon: Huh? Mimi, what are you doing geko? Mimi: Palmon isn't here. Have you seen her? Gekomon: We haven't seen her geko. Mimi: Oh. Where could Palmon have gone? There's so little time left. (Mimi resumes her search) Mimi: PALMON!!! PALMON!!!

As Mimi disappears into the woods, Palmon pops out from the underbrush with tears in her eyes.

Palmon: Mimi....

She isn't lost. She just... can't face this moment with Mimi.

In the dub:

Mimi: PALMON!!! WHERE YOU ARE!? I WANT TO SAY GOODBYE!!! Gekomon: Huh!? Princess Mimi, what are you doing? Mimi: Palmon's disappeared. Have you seen her? Gekomon: Not recently. Sorry. Mimi: I don't understand how she could leave at a time like this. There's only a few minutes left. (Mimi resumes her search) Mimi: PALMON!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?!? I'M LEAVING SOON!!! (Palmon watches Mimi go) Palmon: Mimi....

The dub is still calling her Princess Mimi.

Soon, the time has come. The children return to the trolley, where Gennai and Koushiro are waiting for them.

Gennai: Have you all said your goodbyes? We've finished preparing for your departure. Once you get on this trolley, it will take you back to your world.

Well, the kids aren't entirely ready to go. The kids look at Mimi, who's leaning on Sora and crying her eyes out.

Taichi: You see.... Sora: Can we have a little more time? Just a little bit? Gennai: You can't just stick around. The Gate won't wait for you. Sora: But- Gennai: What's wrong? Agumon: Palmon's gone. Mimi: (bawling) STUPID, STUPID, STUPID PALMON!!!

T_T Mimi.... Palmon no baka indeed.

In the dub:

Gennai: Have you all finished saying your goodbyes? You can take this cable car home on one condition: You have to promise to bring it back to San Francisco where I borrowed it from. Tai: Well... um.... Sora: Can't we just have a little more time? Please, Gennai, do something. Gennai: I'm sorry, Sora. The gate won't wait any longer. What's the problem? Agumon: Palmon seems to have disappeared. Mimi: (bawling) Why would she run away!? Why!?

"You have to promise to bring it back to San Francisco where I borrowed it from." XD Goddammit, that was good. Raises so many logistical questions that can never and will never be answered.

I accept your premise that Gennai is probably wanted in the U.S. for grand theft auto, and that the only explanation anyone will ever receive from him is "You don't know my life."

While Mimi cries her eyes out, we cut to Palmon sitting by herself in the woods. The two Gekomon Mimi spoke with earlier find her there.

Palmon: (crying) Mimi.... Gekomon 1: Oh, here you are geko. Gekomon 2: Mimi was searching for you geko. Palmon: I know... But I don't want to see her.... Gekomon 1: Why geko? Palmon: Because it hurts too much to say goodbye. So it's better if I don't see her.... Gekomon 1: Are you okay with that geko? Gekomon 2: Are you sure you're okay with that geko? Gekomon 1: Will you regret it geko? Palmon: ...Mimi....

The Gekomon recognize how important this is, and pressure Palmon not to make a mistake that will haunt both her and Mimi for the rest of their lives next three years or so.

In the dub:

Palmon: (crying wordlessly) Gekomon 1: Palmon! So that's where you're hiding. Gekomon 2: Mimi's been looking for you! Palmon: Yes, I know. But I don't want to see her. Gekomon 1: I don't understand. Palmon: It's simple. If I don't see her, then she can never say goodbye to me. Gekomon 1: Is that what you really want? Gekomon 2: I'm afraid you'll regret it one day. Palmon: It's too painful to say goodbye....

Pretty solid. Covers everything.

When we return to the trolley, the kids are gathered outside of it while Gennai watches the sun. Which sort of implies that they did manage to convince him to give them a couple extra minutes.

Gennai: It's time. Mimi: (cries louder) Gennai: Everyone, board the trolley. Taichi: Okay....

The children sadly board the train, leaving their Partner Digimon behind on the island outside. They open the windows so they can see their Partners one last time.

Taichi: Well, guys... Take care of yourselves. Agumon: You too.

In the dub, it's Sora who kicks this off.

Sora: I'm sorry, Mimi. We can't wait for Palmon any longer. Gennai: It's time. Get on the cable car, everyone. Tai: Come on. Let's go. (Everyone boards the trolley) Tai: Well, guys, this is it. What can I say? Agumon: (gently) Try "goodbye".

Sora's line makes the implication that they got their extra time a bit more explicit.

But now, it's time to go.

A sign on the front of the trolley changes to reflect their destination. Starting with 竜の目の湖 Ryuu no Me no Mizuumi or Dragon's Eye Lake, it changes to 光が丘 Hikarigaoka and then over to お台場 Odaiba. A neat reference to the fact that Hikarigaoka is where the first rift between realities was torn.

Tailmon blows the whistle Hikari gave her, and the nearby power poles surge electricity into the trolley through invisible cables. The trolley comes to life, floating into the air and moving away along a nonexistent track.

Digimon: BYE-BYE!!! Children: GOODBYE!!!

The children hang out the windows, waving their final farewell to the Partners they have to leave behind.

The dub cuts the footage of the changing trolley sign. I guess that's fine; American kids aren't going to be able to spot the Hikarigaoka reference anyway.

Digimon: Bye everyone! / Take care! / Goodbye! Joe: Bye everyone! Tai: Don't let anyone push you around! Sora: Make sure you dress warm! Izzy: Take it easy! Matt: Bye!

I think T.K. and Kari say something as well but it's hard to make out in the cacophony of voices.

Inside the trolley, however, Mimi is still crying.

Suddenly, Mimi looks up at the faint sound of Palmon's footsteps. That. She can somehow hear over the trolley moving and everyone shouting.

Sora: Mimi-chan! Mimi: (nods, excitement noises)

Palmon runs along the shore, waving her arms frantically.

Palmon: MIMI!!! MIMI!!! Mimi: (leans out window) PALMON!!! Palmon: MIMI!!! I'M SORRY!!! Mimi: IT'S OKAY!!! IT'S OKAY, PALMON!!! GOODBYE!!! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! Palmon: GOODBYE MIMI--AUGH!!!

Palmon trips suddenly. The shock of which somehow causes Mimi's iconic pink cowboy hat to go flying off her head and sets off one last reprise of the series opening theme Butterfly.

In the dub, they add Palmon calling out to Mimi to better explain how she heard her approach from here.

Palmon: (faintly) MIMI!!! Mimi: (gasp) Sora: Mimi, look! Mimi: (nods, silently smiling) (Palmon runs along the shore) Palmon: MIMI!!! MIMI!!! Mimi: PALMON!!! Palmon: MIMI!!! I'M SORRY!!! Mimi: IT'S OKAY!!! DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!!! GOODBYE PALMON!!! AND THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!! I LOVE YOU!!! Palmon: GOODBYE MIMI--WHOA!!!

For the dub, it's... sigh... "Hey Digimon" that kicks up here. They do their own version of the dramatic musical reprise but their song sucks.

The other Digimon join Palmon in racing across the shore, waving goodbye to the trolley as it disappears.

Digimon: GOODBYE!!!

An interesting creative choice is that as the trolley goes, we, the audience, remain in the Digital World. The trolley fades into the distance, rising at the very end and slipping through the gateway back to the human world just before it closes.

Then it's gone. The children are finally home, and that's the last we see of it.

The final shot is of the enigmatic train crossing that Takeru came upon when he was separated from the others, before reaching the Village of Beginnings. The one that came on but had no train that crossed. Once the trolley leaves, the crossing stops ringing and opens its gate.

Narrator: The eight children's summer vacation adventure is over. However, that does not mean the gate will remain closed. That's because this is neither the beginning nor the end of the Chosen Children's adventures. The Gate to the Digimon World will surely open again as long as we never forget the Digimon.

Mimi's cowboy hat tumbles on the wind, rolling across the sky.

Narrator: So long as you wish for it, then in your heart... no... maybe....

He was about to say that we'll carry our friends in our hearts. But then it's as if the narrator suddenly realizes that his words mean something else. As the screen goes to black, we hear the faint sound of a Digivice activating. Then the final credits roll.

All of which is a very flowery and poetic way, but also incredibly dry way of saying SEE YOU ALL IN SEASON TWO MOTHERFUCKERS!!!

In the dub, Tai takes over for the closing narration.

Digimon: GOODBYE!!! (The Children depart and we stay behind) Tai: Our adventure in the Digital World might be over for now, but that gate won't stay closed forever! I have a feeling that this won't be the last time we see our pals the Digimon! You wait and see. One day that portal will open up again and we'll return to the Digital World! (Mimi's hat tumbles by) Tai: I wonder if Agumon will remember me? I know I'll never forget him. Or the rest of the Digimon! None of us will!

As usual, there is no Digivice activation sound effect following Tai's statement. Which makes sense because his final line doesn't dramatically queue it up.

Tai puts a lot more heart into this and his parting words click right up through "We'll return to the Digital World". But after that it just sounds like he's vamping, and can't end as strongly as the beeping Digivice.

Assessment: Holy shit, we made it. The very last episode of the very first series of Digimon Adventure, and yes the departure did make me cry again. Apocalymon ate shit and died, the distortion of the Digital World was finally eradicated, and the now battle-hardened but still fun-loving children are finally going home to their terrified parents.

One thing I learned going through this is how much I did not remember or remembered incorrectly about the original series. There were a lot of surprises to be had here, even right up to the end.

Like. I could have sworn Apocalymon was, like, the resentment of species in the real world that had gone extinct. But that is never suggested in either version. In fact, Apocalymon seems blissfully unaware that the human world even exists. Their beef is solely with the Digimon.

Man, what a trip. Now I have to figure out how I'm going to tackle Our War Game before we can move on to 02.

Probably going to take it the way I did the Dragon Ball movies when I was covering that series for another site and cut it into however many chunks I need to fit episode-lengths into. Should only be two or three.

Looking forward to seeing the 02 kids again. See all-a-y'all next series.

[h-c-u]

Mystery of the traveling bruises.

Summary: You always bruised easily, but lately it was becoming excessive. And honestly couldn't trace half of them to anything specific, until one night, the solution to your mystery hits you. 

Pairing: Tom "Iceman" Kazansky x fem!reader

W/C: 1.3k

Rating: PG, size difference

TWs: none

A/N: Ice is a giant, strong af teddy bear, who definitely could split logs in half Captain America style, and he just loves the reader so much. Like seriously. It's tooth-rotting <3

Masterlist | List of tags

Ice moved in his sleep. A lot. 

It didn't bother you, since you could have slept through the apocalypse. Besides, something else wasn't letting you fall asleep so easily lately. 

Even more bruises started magically appearing on different parts of your body. They weren't even that bad and almost never hurt, and since you basically bruised when you stared at a single fragment of skin for too long, you kind of brushed it off. But usually, you were able to trace most of them to a specific moment when they were created, but lately... Well... They were just appearing out of nowhere. 

It took you a good four weeks to solve that mystery, and the solution fell into your lap as surprisingly as possible, in a form of a rough wake-up, when you were literally elbowed off the bed. But after the initial shock of such a sudden wake-up disappeared, you just burst into laughter, because the solution to your mystery hit you. Literally. And when you started laughing, Ice also started waking up. 

At first, he thought you were crying and got really scared, waking up in an instant, but he quickly realized that you were fine. 

- It was you! - you couldn't stop laughing, and it was really hard to accuse someone of such a heinous crime when you couldn't even keep your face straight, still sitting on the floor.

- What...? - even though he was currently fully woken up, his voice was still raspy and sleepy. 

- I was trying... - you just couldn't stop laughing at the whole situation, because you were honestly starting to suspect you were getting abducted by aliens who were running some sort of psychological experiment on you. You hid your head in between your knees, trying your best to calm down, but the tears started to appear in the corners of your eyes, and that made you laugh even harder. - I thought it was aliens! Or fairies! Or goblins! Or gods know what! BUT IT WAS YOU!!! - another wave of ugly laughter hit you with such force, that you toppled to the floor. Of course, you didn't really believe that, but the thought crossed your mind. 

- What...? - he evidently couldn't grasp what was happening. Did he miss something? Did you lose your mind? 

- YOU WERE GIVING ME THE BRUISES!!! - you finally got it out and started laughing even more, if that was possible. Ice was staring at you and blinking like crazy, trying to process exactly what happened, and his brain finally started catching up. He of course noticed the additional bruises because he kissed every single one of them diligently every evening. But since you recently came back to sculpting in stone, and considering the fact that you recently got a dog, he thought that it was because of that... He didn't even think that he might be the source of them. But the reality started to sink in, and his face finally made you sober up and calm down quicker than ever. 

- No, no, no, no, no...! It's not your fault, it's ok, I don't blame you! They don't even hurt, you know that! - the speed at which the words were leaving your mouth was at least a little bit impressive. 

- But... I hurt you.... - he was still processing that, but when everything clicked, he was next to you in a second. - I'm so, so sorry... - he instantly pulled you into the softest of hugs. 

- Tom, I'm fine, it's fine... - you let him lift you from the floor, wrapping your legs around his hips, while one of his arms was supporting your ass and the other landed between your shoulder blades. You loved that he could just do that as if you weren't heavier than a kitten. - I was just analyzing the shit out of them for the last four weeks, and the mystery is finally solved. I'm honestly ok. - you tried to convince him as best as you could, but you just knew that there was a siren howling in his brain, that he somehow hurt you. 

- I'm sorry... - he repeated himself, hiding his face in the nook of your neck. - I'm really fucking sorry... I didn't mean to... - his arms were holding you so tenderly, yet you still could feel his tense muscles under his skin. 

- I don't accept your apology, because there is nothing to apologize for, Ice. As you've said, you didn't mean it, and it's not like you can control your body in your sleep. We're just gonna have to come up with something. - you smiled. - And before you even say it - if you'll suggest sleeping on the couch, you better mean both of us, together. - you warned him because you could see on his face where his thoughts went. 

- Fine... - he was obviously not happy that you were not giving up - or in his mind - you were exposing yourself to more pain. If his colleagues could see him now... Mr. Ice-cold-no-mistakes almost broken by few bruises. - So what do you have in mind...? - he finally asked, and you already had a possible solution in mind. 

Since you usually slept on your stomach and you didn't want to change positions... 

- I'm gonna be your weighted blanket for now, and we'll go from there... - he smiled, but the concern was still present in his eyes. 

- You want to...? - the thought apparently more pleasurable than he thought at first. 

- Sleep on top of you, yes. - you didn't even ask him for permission, but you honestly doubted that he would have said no, especially right now. 

He only hummed in agreement and you could feel his chest vibrating against your body. 

Without letting you go, he climbed back to bed and laid down in his usual spot, but this time with some additional weight on his body. 

- Are you comfortable...? - he asked when he covered you both with a duvet. 

- Hmmm... Not yet, give me a moment... - right now you were feeling more like a frog doing the splits around his abdomen, so you started adjusting. 

First, you've straightened your right leg and placed it in between his, which under different circumstances could have led to something else. Right now though, you were both calming down, and slowly getting sleepy again, so there was no chance for any... additional activities. But who could say what will happen in the future...? You hooked your left leg high over his hip, so you were basically straddling his right side, and that alone was already enough to relieve the pressure on the lower part of your spine, and you couldn't help but stretch a little to give into that feeling. Your left arm fell along his side to the mattress, and you pressed your fingertips just a little bit under his ribs; not enough to cut circulation, but enough to feel a tiny bit of pressure grounding you in that position. 

- Your neck is not supported, it will hurt in the morning... - he was the one who noticed that first, and honestly - you were comfortable enough to slip right back into the soft nothingness of sleep. He tried putting a small pillow under your head, but it was too high and would strain your neck even more. And when that didn't work, he placed his forearm there, and your right hand slithered under it, in the open space around his elbow, and both of you hummed in agreement at the same time, apparently finding a perfect position.

- Good night, Ice... - you mumbled against his skin. 

- Good night, love... - he whispered and placed a soft kiss on the top of your head. - I'm sorry... - he apologized again, and you gave him a warning growl because you were too far gone for words. 

It didn't take either of you long to fall asleep, and what was even more important, you woke up without any additional bruises on your body. But after the night of such comfortable sleep, how the hell you were supposed to sleep when he wasn't home...?

[tagidearte]

"Pongo, the Imp Clown. Some say he used to be a Star, others say that's just his delusional ramblings." -Original Character for a (so far) unnamed Original Story.

I'm still in the early stages of designing him and his "friend" Pinga. However, I decided to share these initial drafts regardless! This way someone other than me can join in on the character design journey! Let's see how much he changes until the final design! Thoughts below.

Concept Log #1 - Pongo

Aka I want to ramble and my friends don't care robot clowns. Really big rambly rant below.

Also no, this is not a d/ca oc. Trust me, making a robot clown/jester is like walking into a laser trap when you've been obsessing over those two for the past three years. The only d/ca inspiration here was making Pongo warm coloured and Pinga cool coloured. If anything, this was more inspired by the Funtimes.

For now, I hate all the outfits. They don't fit his vibe, his personality, his whole persona. He's an imp clown, but he has... Delusions of grandeur. I need to make him more princely, perhaps? I'll attempt that next time. I already have the chibi base, so it'll be relatively quick.

I also want to make his casing... Different. Either paler with pink shadows, or a darker, more solid pink. He's meant to have only warm colours, contrasting with Pinga (you'll see him some other time) who only has cold ones, so no blues or greens... But I must say. Darker pink will probably win. When I painted his face white it looked too much like a Slay Button En/nard. In fact, I added all that eye and lip makeup to make him look less like En/nard.

The coil torso is the most important part. On a final drawing I'll make it have more loops, which should give the impression the thing is stronger and capable of more powerful bounces (which can hurt you if he decides to launch) - but for these concepts I merely half assed it. The star shaped hat with the back cone coming out is my favourite part!

Hope you enjoy his star shaped nipple coverings as much as I did coming up with them! Originally (not pictured here) he was going to have a big star on his chest, to mimic what I see in a lot of jack in a box's boxes. But the nipple coverings were so raunchy and funny, yet still appropriate for younger audiences (in world), that I left them in. Him being a reformed villain (in the media he's built after, inside the world) allows for messing around with the makeup and eccentricity, but we can't go to far - he needs to look PG while being predominantly adult/teen entertainment as an amusement park bot.

For context... Ever since I got into FN4F I've wanted to do something similar - with a location and mascots -, but instead of an USA animal band, I wanted it to be based on a cartoon set in a magical forest (like Noddy from my childhood - with a city of living toys and two imps that lived in the eViL wOoDs-, but funny for all ages rather than so 5 year old centric). Overtime, the thought of sentient robots forced to work - objects that were given a soul, trapped in a synthetic shell that is their body, dependent on humanity and property to it despite technically being alive, easy to manipulate via some changes in code - wormed itself in.

But I never really had the proper setting or characters for it. That, and I have another original story that has plagued my dreams ever since I was 12/13.

Until now.

I won't go into setting details yet. Let me just say Pinga and Pongo are a ping pong pun, because they both bob up and down with coils - Pongo on his torso, which makes him kind of like a jack in a box; and Pinga on his legs, which allows him to jump really high. They are based on cartoon characters that exist in world, from a movies series that ended up with a cartoon too, sort of like disney stuff but... Not disney. The entire mythos of that company's content takes place in one single world/franchise, it just explores different parts of it with each new series/movie/game.

Pongo is an egomaniac, programmed the be flirty to adults, who struggles on the line between property and self. He used to give a lot of trouble to the park, because his AI allowed him to learn new tricks rather quickly... and most weren't really all that safe or appropriate. So, time and time again, he got sent back to fix it. Having his "brain" messed with has made him deeply afraid of not behaving like a machine, which clashes with how self pleasing he is - you just don't realize it at first, because he's programmed to be a flirty little demon with an attitude. It's just that his real attitude is much more... intense.

Let's see if posting this online makes me not put the project aside too quickly lmao.

[coraniaid]

You said a few days ago that you would have liked if season 7 went more in the direction of Help rather than the direction of the First. I know you're not a big fan of the First but I was wondering what you meant by that specifically, and what kind of direction you might have preferred season 7 go in overall?

I don’t have any good reason to think it actually happened, but I always get the impression from watching or thinking about Season 7 that the early plans for the season changed pretty significantly at some point after most of the first few episodes had already been written.  (Perhaps when they decided that it would also be the last season?  I’ve heard conflicting accounts of when that decision was made.)

If you go back and look at the then-contemporary discussions of the show, the whole season was initially marketed as something of a ‘year zero’: a return to the show’s high school era roots, to something much more upbeat than Season 6, to the original Scooby Gang as the focus of the show.  

And just to be clear, I rather like Season 6 – it doesn’t always work, and I think some of the subplots are pretty dreadfully executed, and sometimes I respect the episodes more than I enjoy watching them – but it inarguably has a clear vision for the story it’s trying to tell, one that builds on and recontextualizes what came before it.  But for the payoff for that season to land, we needed Season 7 to be different.  To be less cynical, more hopeful.  It needed to show us that Buffy was right to promise Dawn in Grave that things were going to get better.  

And that sort of reset is what we got … for about half a dozen episodes.  Then, of course, it goes rather horribly wrong.

I like Help in particular because it is, for me, the closest the show ever gets to delivering on that promise of a return to the high school era.  It’s not quite a regression or a soft reboot: Buffy is still an adult with a job, even if she’s suddenly unexpectedly back in high school.  Her more mundane responsibilities haven’t suddenly gone away. But now the job she has isn’t something she hates but has to do – it’s something that she actually has a calling for, almost literally, something that harks back to her getting the Class Protector award back in Season 3.   In Help Buffy’s inhabiting the same world she did in the first three seasons, she’s still trying to save people, but this time with a new, more experienced perspective. 

The episode feels very aware of the show’s history, too.  There are nods to Lie To Me (a teenager Buffy knows is going to die because of illness, not anything supernatural Buffy can stop) and Reptile Boy (the cult trying to sacrifice a teenage girl to a demon for material riches) and Beauty and the Beasts (with Buffy herself taking on the role of Mr Platt, worried that Mike is going to turn out to be another Pete), and of course the whole episode is a callback to Prophecy Girl.  Because Cassie – probably the show’s last great one-episode character (and yes, the actor comes back later but the person doesn’t) – isn’t just somebody Buffy is trying to save, she is Buffy: a Season 1 Buffy who struggles to make friends and has a supernatural gift she doesn’t like to talk about and knows she’s going to die heartbreakingly young.  I don’t think it’s merely chance that Cassie’s big speech to Buffy about her destiny (“You think I want this?  You think I don’t care?”) echoes Buffy’s own words to her mother in Becoming either (“You think I choose to be like this?”).

Plus, while the episode ties into the wider story arc – with Spike in the basement and hints that Principal Wood might be up to something and our first appearance of future Potential Amanda – the whole thing still tells a coherent, self-contained story.  It stands on its own right; it makes sense on its own terms.  it’s not just another installment in the long running saga of General Buffy and the friends she never talks to who later kick her out of the house she owns.

And I think there was a lot more ground there to explore, in the same vein as Help.  At least a full season’s worth.  There was so much more the show could have tried to do in terms of going back and revisiting some of the classic moments of the first three seasons from a more mature and more grown-up perspective, instead of summarily kicking Buffy out of her new job and then blowing the school up (again).  If this season is about the future – about new Slayers being called, one way or another – then what does that mean?  How else are Buffy and Willow and Xander engaged in the challenge of trying to pass on what they’ve learned about life on the Hellmouth to a new generation?  

At its best, Buffy has always been in conversation with its past, building on ideas that were touched on in one season and asking the audience to think about them again from a different angle.  And the beginning of Season 7 sets up the perfect stage to try to do more of that.

I’d have loved to have seen a whole season of Buffy trying to keep her students alive while also preparing them to go out and live in the world.  Of Dawn making new friends and finding value in being herself, not just the Slayer’s sister or the mystical Key.  Of Buffy and Willow and Xander really getting to know each other again, and having a chance to talk about everything that happened to them last year.  A whole season of, in a way, seeing the show from the very beginning, but this time from the perspective of people like Giles or Jenny or Joyce.

But instead we got a lot of boring wank about an impossibly old super-god who can’t actually touch anything (but one who Buffy would definitely let Dawn die to defeat because this godlike being is so much more impressive and scary than Glory, trust us guys, please, we swear) and her army of interchangeable and personality-free super vampires (and of course Caleb, who’s somehow even more mind-numbingly boring than they are).  Instead we get a second half of the season in which Andrew Wells has more screen time than Willow or Xander or Anya or Giles or Dawn.  Instead we get to wonder whether Giles is the First and try to pretend to care that Spike has been hypnotized.  Instead we get Lies My Parents Told Me.

Oh well.  At least Faith shows up near the end.

[aeternallis]

Kim's Place in the Mafia: Novel vs Show

The one thing I can say without a doubt in my mind is that from the crumbs we get of Kim and Chay from the book and show, these two are obsessively in love with each other. So I'll say that now and get that squared away.

And I know, most of the fandom detest the book due to its problematic authors and will never read it, and that's completely valid. Furthermore, I will say now that the book is trash and hardly coherent at times. But as my favorite English scholar for Ancient Rome, Mary Beard, once said: "It's trash...but it's very valuable trash."

For what it's worth, reading the book at least once can provide a more nuanced understanding of why the showrunners made the changes they did in the show. The changes in and of themselves makes for a more cohesive story (SOO MUCH MORE COHESIVE), but it also goes without saying that a lot of the events in the show remain faithful to the novel, so in that regard, there is some merit to be had.

Finally, when I say the novel is "trash", I mean the narrative itself, not necessarily the translation (although it's not perfect by any means). If anything, I'm grateful for the translators who took the time to translate this novel into English, since translation is a thankless job most times in fandom (lookin' at you, MDZS). As I speak no Thai whatsoever, I can’t give an informed opinion on DAEMI's technical writing abilities, since I'm not a native speaker, nor am I the book's target audience.

But, I digress.

The more I reread the book (in all its trash glory), the more I find myself questioning Kim's views in regards to how he sees himself as part of a mafia family. 🤔

In the book, Kim is a lot more accepting of his place within the mafia, despite his initial tendencies of disappearing on his guards and staying away from the main house. In fact, that pretty much changes once Chay enters the picture.

Gotta love a Kinn who's curious about his little bro's love life. XD

Kim is firmly settled into the fold of the family business (if that scene in the secret warehouse is anything to go by) and there’s a scene in the beginning of the book where Korn obligates all 3 sons to dress up in some fancy suits and visit their chocolate factory, since he’s particularly keen on getting it off the ground. This shows that although Kinn is set to inherit (in public, at least) the other two sons still have their duties to the family.

In fact, I will say that one of the most interesting things about reading the book is finding out that Kim's sleuthing is actually canon. Lol Granted, it's sleuthing more in regards to finding the mole and not really about Korn's game plan, but sleuthing nonetheless.

But in the show, his role within the family business and how he views it are a little bit more foggy because he has his musical career to keep him occupied, besides his sleuthing into Korn’s affairs. He’s not active in the way one would typically expect a member of the mafia to be (and who knows, this may be due to limited time constraints on the part of the showrunners), but he’s active within that sphere nonetheless.

And because of this, contrary to the general fandom consensus, I never really got the impression that Kim wanted to be out of the mafia, yknow? Personally, I think it’s too big of a leap to say him moving out = him not wanting to be in the mafia. Having that sort of character motivation wouldn't really make sense either, because then we would have had stronger hints of it, I think?

At the very least, by the end of the show, Kim--just like Chay--has more reasons to stay than not. The way I see it, Kim wanting to be out of the mafia would actually somewhat contradict his actions in the show.

Despite his effort in staying away from the mansion his father and brothers live in (and later on, Chay), Kim benefits from being a Theerapanyakul. We see this in a lot of different ways: the penthouse he lives in, the cars he drives (he gets his own set of the Maserati fleet, yo), his private studio, the freedom of movement he has in being able to easily get information (although this may be debatable), using Big as a gopher.

I highly doubt his career as a young musician is maintaining his luxurious lifestyle (perhaps only a part of it, like the fame); imo, there’s a calculated reason why BOC chose to keep the level of his fame as vague as possible. The way I see it, Kim moved out and pursued music simply because, due to his unique position of being the youngest son (aka the spare), he just had the luxury to do so.

If he truly wanted out of the mafia, I'm firmly on the camp that he could have done so already. We've seen in both the show and the book that unlike Kinn who's constrained by his duties, Kim does have the freedom to disappear, even to the point that it's to his detriment at times. Lol

Maybe I can go even further, and suggest that perhaps the reason he chose to move out is to get a better vantage point of the circumstances surrounding his father's schemes and the ongoing tides of power. Kinda like, he has to move away from the trees, in order to see the entire forest.

I wouldn't go so far as to say he wants power for himself (although this idea would be fun to entertain, especially within the context that he now has Chay in his life to protect), but again, being a member (a high-ranking one, at that) of the Theerapanyakul family benefits him in a lot of different ways.

In one of BOC's interviews and then in Jeff's goodbye message during the last KPWT, he mentioned something about Pond changing up Kim's character in order to make Jeff Satur shine. Idk about y'all, but that's quite a touching gesture, and one I definitely approve of, whilst I get a better understanding of the similarities and differences between novel!Kim and show!Kim. It's obvious from the show that besides changing Kim's maturity level and changing his image from a fuck boi to a cool prince, giving him a passion for music definitely humanized him and served as a way to balance out the other two love stories.

But be that as it may, although we the audience don't know as to what extent Pond changed Kim's character to better fit the story, at the very least maintaining Kim's position as a legitimate contender in the politics of the mafia world remains consistent in both the book and show.

Whether that observation lines up with the idea that he wants out of the mafia though, is entirely up to you. XD

[rurilamb]

NaRuLamb thoughts

{Disclaimer of sorts: I read a post with a very similar plot to the following musings, just with a different fandom. It made quite the impression on me. I thought it fit quite well for NaRuLamb, so I sort of adopted it and adapted it to better fit within the CotL universe/relationships}

Imagine a scenario based around the three of them, and its got a lot of yearning and one-sided attraction (for a while). A big slow-burn. Narinder hangs around Lamb and Ruri, and romantic attraction slowly begins to occur. But Narinder becomes closer to Ruri, while Lamb is left trying to win Narinder over himself. Narinder is not used to affection or most personal relationships, but he has more respect for Ruri than he does for Lamb (because of usurping him).

Narinder is still so bitter and upset, he finds it hard to allow Lamb the chance to win him over, but at the same time, he's developing an interest in Ruri, who's already married to Lamb. Lamb and Ruri are both happily together, but they have no problem allowing Narinder into their lives. But Lamb feels left out, and he feels hurt and guilty because Narinder needs extra time to warm up to him after the things he did. So Lamb tries his best to work on himself, and allow Narinder to open up to him naturally, but he goes through various moments of loneliness and confusion because he's doing what he can to show Narinder he truly cares about him... but Narinder struggles to show his own affections. Even with Ruri, Narinder finds it very difficult, but at least they're on friendly terms. They can maintain polite greetings and conversations with each other.

Lamb finds himself seeking out Narinder’s attention. Narinder does not normally come to him, like he does with Ruri. Lamb longs for that, he wants to know the man who he's so smitten with, and who's grown to love his wife, but not him. Lamb can tell that Narinder avoids him unless close interaction is necessary, or Narinder wants to ruffle his wool a bit in his typical rude and creepy fashion. He realizes that Narinder’s feelings towards him are much more complicated than he initially anticipated, even if Narinder eventually accepts his life in the cult, he can’t forget Lamb’s betrayal.

Narinder is distant and quiet. He's introverted and not sociable. His body language screams, "I need space," and “Don’t talk to me.” Like a shy animal who doesn't trust easily (which is essentially what he is). Ruri supports and comforts Lamb.

She knows he’s sad and wants to have Narinder’s love. What Narinder can’t (yet) give to Lamb, She tries to give to him instead. And Lamb loves her deeply. He loves and cherishes her. He simply wants Narinder to be a part of their lives too.

[max1u3]

Blackwatch timeline

Ok, so, bear with me, this is going to take a lot of little points for me to peace together to make the bigger picture here.

So, we know that Gabriel Reyes worked as a police officer and was know for arresting lots of criminals, but then he didn't find his work having any sort of impact of the criminal rate and figured that to destroy crime he had to cut it off at the source, correct?

And he was born in 2018, making his 58 in the current (Overwatch) year of 2076. We also know the Omnic crisis started exactly 30 years ago, when he was 28.

Then (If we're going with the earliest years possible for everything) Overwatch was founded a year later and he was put in charge of Overwatch as Strike Commander when he was 29.

If we're approximating that the Omnic Crisis lasted about 3 ish years, then he was 32 when it ended and his Command was switched to Blackwatch.

He was 32 when Blackwatch was created!

The sting operation that resulted in Jesse McCree (or Cole Cassidy whatever you want to call him) joining Blackwatch took place when McCree was 17. Which leads me to the question of who was Gabriel Reyes even working with on missions before hand? Did he have a strike squad before he picked up Jesse McCree?

We also know there's about ten years age difference between Gabriel Reyes and Jesse McCree, which means McCree was 12 when Blackwatch was formed.

And Genji joined Blackwatch in 2066, which is only 10 years prior. Making Gabriel Reyes 48 and Jesse McCree 38. That is a huge age gap and what do we even know about what happened during that time?

Roughly a year or so later we know that Gabriel Reyes invites Moira into Blackwatch and she starts her experiments on him? But like, we know nothing about these experiments, only what they did. And if the short story 'Code of Violence' is being added into the mix, then we're led to believe that the initial experiments that Moira conducted on him did not have as dramatic effect. I don't really know what that entails, but it could mean that he could mist and move around a little bit, but was otherwise a full man. In the 'Code of Violence' short story it's mentioned that Moira is the one to find Gabriel Reyes after the explosion of the Overwatch facility, and to 'save' his life she pumped him full of the chemicals she used in her prior experiments, the results being Reaper. It meant his body became more mist like and he had to concentrate on being a full man almost every moment of the day, it also meant he was in constant pain and his anger was harder and harder to control. He also started to find gratification in the more gruelling and cruel acts. Or at least that was the impression I got from the story. But my point is, the most we have referencing the experiments Moira conducted on Gabriel Reyes are this picture:

And a paragraph or two in the story 'Code of Violence' which more focuses on his internal struggles immediately after the incident.

Then, (getting back on track, that was a bit of rant sorry) we know the Venice incident took place 8 years ago, when Gabriel Reyes kills Antonio Bartalotti and reveals Blackwatch to the world, and putting it under the investigation of Jack Morrison, Gérard Lacroix and Ana Amari. As seen in the end scenes of Retribution and in the photo below:

We also know that somewhere in between the next two years Genji moves from the Blackwatch divison to the Overwatch strike team including Tracer, Mercy and Winston. We also know that his cybernetics have been updated in this time. But, I'm not entirly confident on the idea that he was moved to Overwatch from Blackwatch, there's nothing that we know (or I've found) that supports that idea, other than him appearing in the Overwatch strike team during the Storm Rising archives mission and his updated cybernetics.

Then, 6 years ago the Overwatch Swiss HQ is blown up and Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison are presumed dead. The Petras act is ratified and Overwatch is disbanded.

A lot of investigation is put into Overwatch and Blackwatch's activities between the time period of the Retribution achieves mission and the Petras act's ratification. Which is a time period of roughly 2 years.

My point is, there are huge gaps in the timeline and not all the information is concrete, a lot of it is inferred from what we have. (Blizzard I beg give us more lore).

There's the 5 years between Blackwatch being founded and McCree being bought into the organisation, where we know next to nothing.

Then there's 21 years between McCree and Genji joining Blackwatch. What happened in those 21 years? Surely there are some important events to note in 21 years?

The later years of Blackwatch are less murky, but there's still no solid dates or years being handed to us by Blizzard and it's been 7 years! I mean come on! All the dates and ages I used in this are drawn from the Overwatch Timeline on the fandom Wiki, and those are only approximations that make sense with the ages we've been given for the current game.

Anyway, I just wanted to complain about this because I feel like I don't hear enough people complaining about it. It's probably the same for Overwatch, but at least we have more of an idea what the Overwatch organisation was like. We roughly know that there were a lot more foot soldiers than Blackwatch had, at least that's what I thought was implied every time it was bought up or featured. It's easier to fill in the gaps between the years as general peace keeping, but Blackwatch was supposed to handle the more rogue missions (Can't really think of a better word for it). There's only so much guessing and filling in we can do Blizzard!

If you read this far thank you, you're a real one.

[imtrashraccoon]

Gah! You guys were so awesome on my previous two posts. It was a huge surprise to wake up to this morning! So here is the next one, enjoy!

First Day, Previous Day, & Next Day

Day 3: Scarfs

Frisk seemed to really like Doomfanger. As the days went by, you often woke up to find the cat had somehow squished herself between you and Frisk on the couch. Her purring was what woke you up every time as a result of Frisk just drenching her with attention. It was a good thing you weren't allergic to cats but getting all of her fur off your clothes was nigh impossible.

Today had been no different and after breakfast, Frisk had gone hunting for her again. They'd found a piece of string somewhere and got her to chase it across the living room. You couldn't help but chuckle watching their combined antics. Deciding to leave them alone for a bit, you wandered into the kitchen to get a drink of water.

Papyrus was washing up the breakfast dishes and by the look of his uniform, he was probably heading out on patrol as soon as he was done. Rather than continue on your initial quest, you hesitated for a moment in the entryway of the kitchen, silently watching him work.

You had slightly mixed feelings about him, well, you felt that way about both brothers actually. While neither brother had been openly hostile towards you or Frisk, they had been rather passive or cold at best. This was pretty normal though, considering how rocky your first meeting had gone and how different their personalities were from your own.

Yet, you couldn't help but wonder if there was something between you and Papyrus. While it was hard to tell what he was thinking or feeling since he didn't exactly have conventional facial expressions like humans did, he had been much kinder than you expected. He checked to make sure both you and Frisk were doing alright, as well as acting like a good host, making you feel welcome in his home, even if he was still a bit distant.

Papyrus must've sensed you watching him because he suddenly turned halfway around and spotted you. "Is Everything Alright?" he asked quietly.

You felt your cheeks grow warm with embarrassment and glanced away. "Yeah, we're alright. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare at you like that..." You rubbed the back of your neck and chewed your lower lip slightly.

"Apology Accepted." Papyrus returned to his current task, apparently unbothered.

You entered the kitchen and got a glass out of the cupboard. Quickly filling it from the tap, you leaned up against the counter and sipped at it.

"I do really like your uniform by the way. It legitimately looks really cool on you, especially your scarf," you commented, focusing on the remaining water in your glass while you spoke.

Out of the corner of your eye, you thought Papyrus smiled slightly at that. He didn't say anything for a moment, but you hadn't really been looking for a conversation and had just wanted to clear the air.

"I Made It Myself," he finally said as he finished washing the last pan.

"Really? That's pretty impressive," you responded and glanced over at him again.

Papyrus dried his hands and pulled his long gloves back on. "Well, Mostly By Myself. I Bought The Materials And Then Put It All Together."

"Can I touch it?"

Papyrus studied you before nodding. "Go For It."

Setting your glass on the counter, you moved closer to him and lightly ran your fingers over the tattered edges of the end of his scarf. It was way softer than you'd expected, almost like cotton, but thicker than any similar garments you'd felt before.

"It's sort of like the texture of cotton, but not? What's it made from?" you asked curiously.

Papyrus tilted his skull thoughtfully. "I Am Not Familiar With Cotton, Since We Do Not Get A Lot Of Human Clothing Down Here. We Make Our Own Textiles From Various Materials Like Plant Fibers, Fur, Or Hair. There Is Also Spider Silk, Although It Is Rather Pricey So Most Are Not Able To Afford It."

He chuckled and added, "However, I Am Not Most People And As You Can See, I Spared No Expense. Besides The Obvious Softness, Cloth Made From Spider Silk Is Much More Durable Than Other Materials."

Your eyes widened with surprise and you examined his scarf slightly closer. "No way... That's so cool! I would love to have something made from spider silk, but it just isn't feasible on the surface."

Papyrus smiled at your enthusiasm. "I Imagine It Is Not, Considering There Are Only A Few Spiders That Supply Silk For The Entire Underground."

He left for work not long after the conversation ended, although the it seemed to have put him in a good mood which made you happy. You were genuinely impressed that spider silk could be that soft and a small part of you was really tempted to "temporarily borrow" his scarf at some point to try it out for yourself.

(Edit: Second last one I swear! @scrambledmeggys )

[dandelionterminal]

when they have a plus size s/o pt. 3

where Heizou falls in love with your brain and Tighnari can't seem to get enough of you. tags: plus size, fluff, hurt/comfort, insecure reader, jealousy, not beta read pronouns: they/them once in Tighnari's, 3rd person characters: Shikanoin Heizou, Tighnari (separate)

begins below cut

~you braved the storm, welcome to Inazuma~

Heizou: where the flirtatious detective proves his love beyond a reasonable doubt. Heizou is a known flirt, but with you it is different. You work with him on a case and you expect it to end there, but he keeps coming to your work and even gets jealous and protective of you. 

Total words: 1011

Heizou is known to flirt with people in order to achieve his ends and you figured it was the same for his flirting with you

You agree to help him with a case and expect him to disappear once the case is solved, but he keeps coming around

He is intrigued by you and your ability to see through lies 

He falls in love with your mind and intellect before your body

He does not see why you would be insecure, he adores you

Once you start dating, he loves to initiate PDA, much to your dismay

Loves embarrassing you, he lives for reactions

When you first came to Inazuma City, you wandered a bit before finding a home at the restaurant by a big sakura tree. Kiminami restaurant was known for its strange pizza delicacy that the traveler had introduced the owner to. After working there for a while you earned a reputation as the sweet, plump person who had a dazzling smile. 

When Heizou first came to Kiminami he was there to get details for a case. A customer who had eaten there had gone missing under suspicious circumstances and he wanted to dig details out of you. He sat down on a stool and began to chat you up. He ordered a glass of water and a bowl of soba noodles, all the while talking to you about nothing and everything. As you tended to your other customers he began to pry into you. 

“So what sort of people come here? Other than myself of course,” Heizou asked. You raised an eyebrow at him. He was suspicious, in your eyes. People came to the restaurant for small talk, but not this much small talk. The small talk was usually brief, they got their food, and then they would go quiet and then leave. This guy would not shut his trap. It was like he could talk to a wall. 

“Um… anyone and everyone come to eat here. What are you trying to find out?” you asked. You were perceptive to his strange, leading questions. 

Heizou didn’t show it, but he was impressed by your perception skills. Most people, especially customer service workers, in his experience would be distracted by work and just give up any information that he wanted. But you were not lost in the trance of routine and work, you were awake and clever. 

“Oh nothing, my dear. I’m just making conversation,” he answered with a smile, his eyes closed. “Can’t a guy ask a question?” 

You shrugged. “You can ask all you like, but that does not mean that I am going to give you the answer you are digging for. At least not without something in return,” you answer. 

Heizou was intrigued by this. “Oh my. So forward of you,” he said with a wink and shine in his eyes. 

You blushed faintly. “Not forward, mister, just know my worth.”

“Well, that is an intriguing trait. What did you have in mind, for the return of course,” he asked

“Nothing much,” you said, “maybe some mora. But most importantly I want to know why you want this info you are seeking.”

Heizou chuckled, “so you’re interested in my work, hm? Fine. Give me my info, I’ll tell you what I am working on.”

You hummed, tapping your chin dramatically as if thinking hard about your next move. “How about instead we trade back and forth?” you suggested, “that way neither of us is cheated.” 

“Oh you are clever,” he said. “Fine, sit down then.” He gestured to the empty seat next to him. You took a seat, ready to learn all there was to know about this strange man.

-

After you agreed to help Heizou on his case, living for the thrill of it, Heizou would come by each day around lunch to ask more questions about his suspect. It became a routine and you both became fond of each other. Despite your better judgment you began to have feelings for the squirrelly doushin. You let yourself have a faint spark of hope that maybe he liked you back as well. I mean, he did keep coming back didn't he? And the two of you talked about more than just the case. He would ask you how you feeling, if you had eaten, what your favorite things were… How could someone not fall for that kind of person? He was flirtatious but had a good heart deep inside. 

But then his case ended. He’d caught the perp, which meant he would stop coming by.

Or so you thought. He kept coming. He kept showing up at the same time every day. You were surprised, but you didn’t tell him that. 

“You won’t believe it y/n,” he said one day as he came into the restaurant. You looked up from where you were wiping a table for a customer who had spilled their drink. Your outfit sagged off your shoulder as you did so. 

“Oh Shikanoin, welcome in,” you said as you finished cleaning, turning to your patron and smiling at them. “There you go sir, I’ll get you a fresh drink,” you said and turned to get a new drink for the man. 

Heizou glowered at the man and followed you. “Y/n,” he said, “that man is drooling over you.”

You stopped him as he tried to walk into the back of the shop. “Shikanoin we’ve talked about this. You can’t come into the back of the shop,” you said, holding up your hand to his chest. “And he so is not into me,” you defended, tugging your sleeve to cover your shoulder. “No one would be.”

“There you go again,” he said. “How can you not see how dreamy you are?” 

“And there you go again. Archons, if you think I’m so dreamy why don’t you date me?” you asked in exasperation. 

“I would but you’re out of my league,” he said in a deadpan tone. 

That gave you pause. You stopped pouring the man’s sake and turned to Heizou. “Don’t joke like that, it’s cruel,” you said, trying to keep the tears out of your eyes. 

“Why would I joke about that with you?” he said, stepping towards you. He put a hand on your chin to tilt your head to meet his eyes. “I know how you look at me, did you think I wouldn’t notice?” With each word his lips got closer to yours, “And you’re smart enough to know how I look at you,” he said, a breath away from your lips. He waited for you to close the gap. 

And when you did, the greatest mystery of all was solved. 

~Sumeru, don't forget to dream~

Tighnari: where foxes mate for life and he wants to have you all his life. When you first come to Avidya forest as a researcher you don’t expect to fall for the fox man who runs the place. But you do. When you go on your first trek and end up injured and sick, Tighnari nurses you back to health over several weeks. 

Starting off he thinks you’re lazy and clumsy

He doesn’t think you’re stupid like most of the Akademia, but you are annoying to him

But after spending time with you he starts to like you

Your comedy is on par with Cyno’s and he doesn’t like that so much but he can overlook it

He likes to hold you in his arms 

Forehead kisses if you’re shorter than him

He is a tease so be prepared for that

Total words: 1361

Avidya forest was hot and humid. And it was always like that. It was like an eternal hot spring. And it was not easy on the human body. But it is where mushrooms thrived. You trudged through the rainforest, a flask of water sloshing on your waist, a notepad and pencil jingling on the other side, and a heavy backpack clanking on your back. You didn’t know whose bright idea it was to send the least athletic of the dormant fungi researchers into the forest but here you were, climbing hills and swatting bugs off your skin. You were on your way to the village of Gandharva Ville where you were told a former scholar lived. You sighed as you settled to rest on a set of stairs at the foot of a large tree house. From above you, you heard a crude and indignant voice shout down at you. 

“Um, excuse me? That is where people walk, you laze about,” the voice said. You looked up to see a man with fox ears on the top of his head. A large bushy tail swished behind him as his bicolored eyes glared down at you. You stood up frantically, hands clasped in front of yourself. 

“I-I’m sorry,” you stuttered out, intimidated by the confident fox man in front of you, “I’m a researcher from Amurta,” you explained. “I’m looking for a master Tighnari, I was told to find him to get my research mission approved.” 

He raised an eyebrow at you. “You’re y/n? I was told you would be coming. Come up here, laze about, show me this research.” 

You followed him up the stairs and into a cabin. He gestured for you to sit. You pulled your backpack off your back and pulled out a file folder of papers and materials and meticulously sorted. “I’m here to research the Rukkha­sha­va mushroom and its potential spiritual connections. I think the layers of the mushroom hold the potential to heal spiritual and mental ailments,” you explained. 

He hummed as he skimmed over your research. “Quite whimsical,” he said, “but the chemical makeup you break down here does make sense. You can stay here while you research. But don’t wander into a withering zone, and do not eat any wild mushrooms.”

You blinked at him. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” you asked. He sounded like he was talking to a toddler. 

“You would be surprised by the idiocy of some of the Akademia scholars I have encountered,” he replied. He stood and offered his hand. 

You squinted at him. “I don’t doubt it but I am not stupid promise,” you take his offered hand, stand, and sling your bag back on your shoulders. You continue to give him quizzical eyes and head off into the forest. The sun was still high in the sky, the day was young, and you could spend the time finding a spot in the forest and setting up camp. 

You set out to a spot deep in the forest, where no human influence could be seen. You had made it far away from the village, so far only the sound of fungi dancing in the moonlight could be heard. You shucked off your pack and set up a tent on some level ground and began stoking a fire. Come daylight you would head to higher ground to inspect some trees to see if the mushrooms were prevalent at lower elevations. 

-

Tighnari was restless. That researcher from Amurta hadn’t come back yet. It had been three days. Sure, some treks into the forests were long and arduous, but this was unusual. Maybe he had offended you horribly by calling you a laze about. He was about to organize a search party when Collei burst through the door. “Master Tighnari!” she shouted, panting and out of breath. 

“Collei what is wrong? Slow down and breathe!” He lightly scolded. 

“There isn’t time! Y/n came back… and they’re bleeding!” she shouted. Tighnari rushed out, calling out orders to Collei and he ran. 

When he reached you he saw you were practically unconscious, a large gash on your arm that you had haphazardly wrapped a shirt around. The shirt was soaked in crimson and your lips were pale. That wasn’t the only injury. There was a large cut to your head that you had clearly hit. 

“What happened?” He hastily asked you as he began to quickly wrap you in blankets that Collei brought to him. 

You chuckled dryly and coughed. “I was climbing up a tree to reach a mushroom-” you choked out. 

“How high up?” He asked. 

You grimaced. “High.” 

He sighed loudly. “Alright,” he said, standing to his full height. “Collei, I need some water and a stretcher,” he shouted over his shoulder. “We need to start cleaning the wounds.”

And with that the village went to work, rushing around you like a hoard of ants. 

-

That day went by in a blur. People rushing in and out, Tighnari shoveling tonics and concoctions in you to help you recover, Tighnari cleaning and wrapping your wounds and mending your bones, the day turned to night and you drifted in and out of consciousness. 

You woke up the next morning to Tighnari at your bedside redressing the wound on your arm. He looked up, sensing the shift in your breathing, and squinted at you. “More lucid this morning?” he asked. 

You squinted back at him. “I assume so,” you said. “What’s the verdict, doc? Am I not long for this world?” you joked. 

He scoffed. “Your sense of humor is on par with Cyno’s,” he said. “No, but you broke your arm and lost a lot of blood. And we don’t have a healer out here, so you’re stuck under my care until you are well.” 

You frowned. “I guess it could be worse,” you replied. “Sorry to be a burden.” “Don’t climb trees next time,” he scolded. He stood. “Don’t be such a lummox,” and with that, he left, tail swaying behind him. 

-

Over the next few weeks you got into a routine. You would wake, have a light breakfast, and Tighnari would come redress your wounds. During that time you two would talk about anything and everything. It started out lightly. He would ask how you’re feeling and you would reciprocate, asking how he was. Then it shifted as he noticed things about you. He would ask about your other hobbies outside of the Akademia. You would indulge him in his. You would joke with him and dig information out of him. He became gentler with you over time. And you started to look forward to seeing him. You would take all his time away, talking nonstop about anything. One time he even kissed your forehead. Before long your arm was healed and you were set to go back to the Akademia. 

You were putting you backpack on your shoulders when he came in. Just like any other day he came in with a bowl of clean water and fresh bandages. He stopped when he saw you, freezing in his tracks. 

“Oh,” he said. “That’s right. You’re meant to go home today.”

You smiled. “Yep. I overstayed my welcome as it is,” you said. 

He frowned at that. “You’re welcome here anytime, laze about.” 

Your heart skipped a beat and you flushed. You shook your head at him. “Nope I need to get going before people get the wrong idea about us. I stayed too long, I’ve been well enough to travel for a while now.”

His frown deepened. “Wrong idea how?”

You laughed. “You know… I know there is no way you could be attracted to me, I mean I’m annoying and oversized, but other people don’t know that. They just see someone staying and occupying all of your time.” 

He sighed. “Y/n, you’re not annoying. I like spending time with you.” He stepped closer. “And don’t you know… my kind mate for life.”

You frowned. “I’m not your mate though.”

“Oh, but you can be,” he said, setting down his supplies and taking you in his arms. “All you have to do is stay.”

[joeyquinndrabz]

Inked- Joseph Quinn x Reader

TW: none im trying to give you guys a break from the angst I have in my drafts 😭

Being a tattoo artist was a dream you’d had since you were a kid. Your friends would laugh and tell you to ‘get real’ but you knew it’s what you wanted to do and so you did. Your grandfather was a tattoo artist in London and became highly respected by the whole city, everyone wanted a tattoo from your grandfather and so did you. When you were 18, he gave you your first tattoo after years of pestering. His talent was impeccable and his art was your inspiration. You soon began an apprenticeship at his shop and , it must be in the genes, because you’re very good at it too. Of course you were aware of the privilege you had due to your grandads high status, but it didn’t mean you didn’t have to work hard. It took years of practice to get to the level you’re at now, but being 28 and working alongside your 68 year old grandad was the gift that kept on giving. His guidance was still so important to you and your relationship was unbreakable. He wasn’t your stereotypical elder male tattoo artist, his style was still the same as it had been in the 70s. Checkered button ups, flares, docs and a very impressive moustache. He was ridiculously cool, your grandma was the same. A stylish woman with a blue rinse on her grey hair and she was always sporting a pair of new glasses. She worked on the front desk, greeting each client with a smile and being the first point of contact to ease that anxiety many of them had. It was a family run business and a great one at that.

It’d been a busy day, it was a Saturday and you’d tattooed a lot of people and a lot of different things. You were getting ready to pack up when your Grandfather could be heard chuckling out in the corridor. There were two different male voices that followed and curiosity killed the cat, you wanted to find out more.

“Ahh this is my wonderful granddaughter I’ve been talking about. She’ll enjoy this one lads.” He chuckled at the two mystery men as he pulled you in for a side hug. “Enjoy what?” You questioned, smiling at the two strangers. “It’s slightly embarrassing but we got very drunk and stick and picked out initials onto each others feet but they’re not looking the best.” One of them told you, you noticed the curtains he was sporting and the slight permanent smirk that was stuck on his face. “Yeah not our brightest idea.” The other man laughed, you noticed something different with this one. He was looking directly at you, admiring your tattoos with each passing of his eyes. It was cute. He was cute.

“Let’s get you lads sorted, I’ll do yours Wesley and Y/N can do Joe’s. I won’t make you do them both kiddo you’ve been here since 6.” Your grandad aimed the last bit at you, you smiled and nodded before taking Joe into your part of the studio.

“I’m really sorry about this, I didn’t know you’d been here that long. I’m more than happy to get it fixed another day.” The man who you now knew as Joe was rambling and you couldn’t help but chuckle. “Honestly it’s fine, if you were coming in for a back piece then I would’ve said otherwise but I’m sure we can fix this in no time.” You smiled at him as you handed him the consent forms. “Do people genuinely come in last minute for things like that?” He asked whilst signing all the needed paperwork. “You’d be surprised, we don’t actually do walk ins but my grandads had a rule that if he likes your ‘vibe’ then he’ll allow it in some cases.” This caught Joes attention, looking up at you from the clipboard to give you a massive smile that you could only assume was because he’d realised he met your grandads criteria. “He’s a cool man.” Joe continued to smile as he handed you the papers back. “He’s my favourite discussion point, the man’s a walking, talking 70s masterpiece.” You laughed and soon heard him joining in with you. “I’d kill to have him as my grandad, you’re very lucky.” Joe was admiring the art on the walls, walking closer to his favourites then standing back with a tilted head to take it all in. “I’m forever grateful for him, he’s the reason I do what I do.” You smiled to yourself, getting ready to fix the drunken scribble on his foot. “Looks like you’re pretty bloody good at it too, love.” He turned to face you, admiration on his face. “Thank you, I really appreciate it.” You shyly smiled back before asking him all the boring questions required.

Joe was now sat on the tattoo bed, showing you the tattoo in all its glory. “I mean.” You tried to find the words but struggled with a chuckle.

“Yeah I know I think Wes was shaking a little bit.” Joe grimaced before laughing with you. “It’s an easy fix don’t worry, are you okay for me to start?” You asked, in a weird way hoping he’d say no so you had more time to talk to him and hear more about his life. But he was ready, he told you he was more than ready and watched you as you got to work.

“You ok?” Looking up from the W and to Joe, you’d expected him to flinch or say something about the pain but he didn’t. Instead his face was plastered with a picture perfect smile. “Peachy keen darlin’.”

You were aware of the blush spreading on your face so got back to fixing the W and soon you had finished, wiping it down and wrapping it up.

“There we are, all finished.” You beamed and watched as Joe admired it in the mirror. “It’s perfect, thank you so much.” He mirrored your expression, happy there was now some symmetry to his drunken decision. “You’re more than welcome, grandad will sort out the payment and everything when Wesley’s finished.” You explained as you began cleaning up your station.

Soon the pair were at the front desk, paying for their tattoos and laughing with your grandad. You were still cleaning up so hadn’t realised they’d left due to your fixation on making the studio ready for you tomorrow morning.

“Knock,knock.” Your grandad announced his presence and walked in with a massive grin on his face. “What’s got you smiling so wide?” You laughed at his animated demeanour as he slowly approached you with his hands behind his back. He sat on the bench and smirked, before pulling his hands from his back to reveal a piece of paper and five £20 notes. “You got a big tip and a new admirer.” He laughed before handing you the money and the note. “But it was a tiny tattoo?” You were in shock, complete and utter shock.

“Read the note.” Your grandad pressed, leaning forward in anticipation. “Grandad!” You exclaimed,laughing at his eagerness. “Oh Cmon kiddo I’m dying over here.” He laughed back.

You opened the note and scanned the page with your eyes, a smile growing after each letter.

I’m sorry if this is totally inappropriate and i completely understand if you rip this up but just wanted to say I really enjoyed getting tattooed by you today and I’d love to get to know you more. Here’s my number, again I’m sorry if this isn’t appropriate I just think you’re pretty incredible and I’d love to get to know you more.

The tip is because you’re a brilliant artist and I hope you treat yourself with it and get something to help ease the stress of today.

All the best,

Joe

XXX

You grabbed your phone and copied the number into your phone immediately, passing your grandad the note before going outside to ring Joe.

“Hello?” He answered, anxiety evident in his voice.

“I’m leaving here in 10 minutes, fancy sharing a couple glasses of wine with that tip?” You had no idea where this confidence had emerged from but nether the less you were extremely thankful for it.

“Darlin’ that’d be a dream.”

[brighterdaysarebeforeus]

This went…slightly off the rails, I think. I really only wanted to put a quick reference to the whole Mumbatten scene and ended up…rewriting it. Again. (>.<) god, that’s embarrassing. Anyway, enjoy!

Part 1 here

The whole ‘canon events must happen to all Spiders’ debacle that Miguel set off lasted a lot longer than Miles was expecting. Time stretched differently across the multiverse, which he hadn’t known or been expecting,and which had thrown him off of his semi-regular cycle. All this to say that when he finally went back home, it was the nearly four months from his initial leave date (the day of the block party and his dad’s promotion), he was still battered and bruised from several different fights (starting with O’Hara and, ironically, ending with O’Hara), he still actually had to fight the Spot (who had landed back in regular 1610 New York approximately two minutes before Miles did, that was kinda lucky, right?), and the cherry to top it all off, he’d missed his rut and could already feel it —

Wait, wait wait wait. Wait. Let’s back up.

So Gwen finally found a way to visit, and showed up the day before his dad’s official promotion. They hung out for a bit, and then Miles realized that she’d had an ulterior motive for coming to his dimension. Which, weirdly enough, had to do more with the Spot than him. When she pulled up communication with an unfamiliar woman who’d sent her to a different dimension to catch the Spot, Miles made a split second decision to go after her.

Finding himself in Mumbatten was…an experience. He thought that having different dimension Spiders in his New York would be as different as things could get, but he was…very wrong.

Mumbatten was loud. Yes, New York could also get loud, but not this way. There were people everywhere talking in Indian. Scooters with more people on them than they were designed to hold, Indian music playing nearly everywhere. Traffic was similar enough, surprisingly, but there were more clotheslines than Miles had been expecting, and the buildings were shaped differently. It was an entirely different sort of beauty than Miles knew from his own New York, but it was still breathtakingly beautiful, and the Spider who protected it was no different.

Pavitr was bright and funny, and Miles liked him almost instantly. He didn’t particularly care for how fast he clocked his crush on Gwen, and Gwen clearly hadn’t expected the younger Spider to point it out so blatantly. Still, Miles was down for helping Pavitr as much as he could, considering how long the kid had been Spider Man for (seriously, six months and the kid got a watch?? Miles thought he’d been doing a great job at being Spider Man, he’d been doing it for over a year on his own, why couldn’t he get one?) and considering the Spot had initially come from his universe anyway.

Also, and Miles in no way ever wanted Pavitr to figure this out, his alpha instincts kicked in around him almost immediately. He wanted to protect this (apparently beta) Spider he barely knew, keep bad things from happening to him and his world. And, honestly, that meant following both him and Gwen to Mumbatten AlcheMax, despite his sporadic glitching, to help stop the Spot. He’d tried to show off, tried to display to Gwen and Pavitr a new trick he was working on, and though he’d just nearly had it working —

Omega pinged on his senses, and before Miles could even try to figure out what was going on, there was an additional Spider.

He was tall and thin, and Miles felt himself going haywire in the rush to protectprotectprotectprotect this brand new person he didn’t even know, this omega who quite literally came out of nowhere. He turned to Gwen instead, slightly indignant when she clearly knew this new Spider, and feeling his instincts to impress flare up when Pavitr thanked this new Spider for breaking the barrier he’d been trying to break. Not only that, but then! Then, this new Spider gave Miles advice on how to do better next time, and also implied that Gwen, an alpha, spent the night at his, the omega’s, place recently.

It was a lot. It was a lot for Miles, especially in the middle of a fight, and a fight with the Spot to boot. He tried to show off where he could, but it wasn’t working like he hoped it would. Because of Spot, of course, not because of anything else. Miles wasn’t even sure who he was trying to impress at this point; on the one hand, there was Gwen, who he’d had a crush on since she’d introduced herself as ‘Gwanda’ and he’d stuck his hand to her hair on accident (the way she’d physically snapped her compact mirror shut and later verbally snapped at him about her new haircut had made his blood boil in the best way).

And on the other hand…

Look, Miles had been focused on Gwen, kind of. Hung up on her, on one of the only other people his age he’d known who would understand the dangers and risks and rewards of being a Spider. He never really cared to make overtures at others in his universe, omega or otherwise. As far as he’d been concerned, Gwen had been the be-all, end-all.

But now Hobie. Hobie, with his spiked mask, his vest, with his pink outline every time Miles got close, with his guitar and his boots and that super enticing omega scent he kept catching whiffs of…Miles found himself trying to show off for him even as he tried to poke holes in the other Spider’s logic (“I don’t believe in teamwork!” “Aren’t you in a band?” “I don’t believe in consistency!”). He was failing, miserably.

And then when the Spot got away, and Mumbatten’s AlcheMax started falling apart. Pavitr looked to them, and so did a bright pink Hobie, and Miles automatically gave out the orders to get things done quickly to save the civilians. He’d felt a burst of pride that was quickly popped when Hobie agreed to do what he said even as he pointedly mentioned it wasn’t because Miles specifically wanted him to, and he and Pavitr worked to get civilians to safety as quickly as possible. In this, they worked together much more seamlessly than they had fighting the Spot, and by the time Hobie and Gwen had dropped the AlcheMax building, everything was almost peachy.

And then Pavitr had to save the bus, and couldn’t save the Inspector in time, and Miles saw his opportunity. He could help Pavitr, he could get noticed by the Spider Society Gwen was a part of and get himself an inter-dimensional watch to see Peni and Peter and Noir and Ham again, he could prove himself as a viable alpha to Hobie Gwen, prove himself to Gwen.

She tried to stop him, clearly worried about him, and he reassured her as best as he could before jumping into the fray after Pavitr. And he did it, he saved the Inspector, he saved the little girl, and though Gwen was the one who pulled the rubble off of the three of them, Miles found himself looking for Hobie in spite of himself.

He was still caught off guard when the Spider himself grabbed him from behind, shaking him and crowing praise in his ear like he couldn’t help himself. Miles felt warm all over, smiling up at his bright pink outline as best as he could even though it wasn’t clearly visible through the mask; though he’d stopped tensing up when Gwen appeared to be all right, Miles found himself relaxing even more now that Hobie was for sure ok. He’d barely even registered the people cheering for them all, the way that all four of them were waving back and Pavitr was almost bouncing on his feet. Hobie still had his arm around Miles, and though he wasn’t quite sure of what was proper or not, Miles found himself wanting to wrap himself around Hobie in return.

And, honestly? That was an entire can of worms he did not feel like opening. Ever.