#If they were staggered maybe he'd do better

[coldloaves]

Basil's family is probably the biggest plot point that will never get explained.

Really sad omori headcanon I have (small spoilers) (Basil thing)

So, it’s never said which side of the family basils grandmother was on, but in my head she was basils maternal grandmother (as in his mom’s mom) and while this was something I just arbitrarily decided one day and didn’t give a lot of thought to…. Thinking of it now I can’t help but imagine that towards the end of her life Basils grandmother began to mistake Basil for her daughter,

And Basil wouldn’t correct her, wouldn’t tell her how she was mistaken and he was not his mother, he would let her believe that her daughter was there for her, that she had not abandoned them both … because not only did Basils parents leave him in the darkest days of his life, but they left Basils grandmother in the dying days of hers

Basils mother left her son to take her place, to let his hair grow out more then usual, to let his grandmother call him “daughter” when her real daughter had left them both behind :(

(We may not know much about Basils family but where there is potential I will FIND the angst and I will share it with everyone I can to make you all sad too)

[ssahotchnerr]

I hope you meant it to be dropped here 🥺

So, about jealous Y/n: I had been thinking about this after seeing the episode where Beth (that runner-woman?) appears. I thought about the scene, with "y/n" either getting to know he was handed a paper with a number

Or maybe Aaron and "y/n" had been running together and Beth approaches without any care and reader just is like: 🤨 watching the interaction, lol

knowing you

🤭 cw; JEALOUS fem bau!reader, teasing banter (hehe r and aaron are sooo in love), suggestion/sex allusions (i'm blushing), based off of aaron and beth's first interaction in 7x10 wc; 1.3k

"Okay, okay." You panted, coming to a stop. You directed your voice forward, loud enough for Aaron to hear you, a few feet ahead. You resumed walking, slowly, hands on your hips. "Let's take a breather, yeah?"

"What's wrong?" Aaron asked as he met you halfway, a teasing smirk growing on his face. "Can't keep up?"

"I can keep up jus' fine." You insisted, still catching your breath. The afternoon breeze blew into your face, cooling the sheer layer of sweat that had collected. "Just... not for a prolonged amount of time. There's a," Another staggered breath, "difference."

"Is there?" He asked humorously. His chest rose up and down, regulating his own breathing as well. "I can easily go another mile or two.

"Fantastic. I'm so happy for you." You quipped sarcastically, causing him to laugh and a smile of your own pulling at your lips. "And that's why you're the one participating in the triathlon. Not me."

"You know..." He began proposing in a light tone of voice, eyebrows raised wittingly. "There's still time for you to sign up."

"You know, you're funny." You bantered back, a pained expression pulling onto your face at the mere thought. You shook your head, "I think my time is better spent cheering you on from the sidelines, along with the others. And then reviving you afterwards."

"Oh yeah?" He chuckled, a fondness in his eyes. All banter aside, he switched tactics, softening to a sweet sincereness. "I appreciate you accompanying me. Seriously. You know you don't have to run with me, although you do inspire me to persistent. Gotta impress you, keep you interested."

"Please, as if there's anything you could do to cause me to become uninterested." You poked a finger at his chest. "And if running means I get to spend an extra hour with you, I'll gladly accept. Besides, there's something in it for me too. Makes it all worth it."

"And what's that?"

You looked around, spotting a park vendor supplying drinks, playfully brushing his question aside. "Want a water?"

The warm glint in his eyes lingered, admirably amused. One that read: you were the most difficult person he'd ever met, but he wouldn't have it any other way. "Sure, sweetheart."

"I'll grab it," you began walking, "You stay here. Catch your breath."

Aaron grabbed your hand the moment you had stepped a foot away, smoothly drawing you back with just an equally suave grin. Once in reach, he placed his lips onto yours, interrupting your growing smile.

Your nose scrunched when the two of you parted, "You're all sweaty."

"That's never been a problem before." His smirk returned, the wet cowlicks draped over his forehead bringing a multitude of images to come to mind.

This is why you ran with him. You'd never deprive yourself the hot visual, one you'd never get tired of. The overexertion, the sweat, the defined athletic wear clinging onto his body, the heavy breathing too.

You playfully rolled your eyes, granting him another kiss before you trailed off. You steadied your breathing again, in attempt to slow your heart rate a second time.

Retrieving the waters couldn't have taken you more than five minutes: waiting in a small line, supplying cash, issuing a thank you. But when you turned back towards Aaron, your feet already moving to their own accord, you stopped short - suddenly. As he wasn't alone.

He was talking to some woman - brunette, in workout clothes of her own. Her backside was facing you, so you couldn't see any specific features; to determine who she was, a familiar face or not.

You tried to ignore the uncomfortable sensation of jealousy filling your body, drawing the conclusion that she wasn't an old friend rather quickly. It started from the bottom of your stomach, crawling up your spine, spreading widely to your limbs.

Could it be harmless? Sure, that's what you were telling yourself, until the woman in question handed him a small piece of paper. She began to retreat - finally - causing a breath of relief to escape you, until Aaron calls after her.

When she turns, you're able to see her face. She’s cute, all smiles and outwardly confident. She responds to whatever he said, follows it with a laugh, before continuing her jog. 

You bit your lip, returning to Aaron with a bit more urgency, your ponytail gliding swiftly between your shoulder blades.

"Here," You handed Aaron his water, your gaze moving past him and continuing to watch her leave. As if she can feel your stare, she looks back. Your eyes may have been playing tricks on you, but you could've sworn she gave you a cunning smirk.

Your jaw clenched, nothing but that red-hot jealousy overtaking you. It blocks out all of your surroundings - Aaron's going on about something, but you don't hear him. He's muted, fuzzy, far away. You don't realize he's talking to you until he says your name, with a tad more volume.

You startle, blinking, "Sorry, what?"

"I said, do you want to go again? Or we can take a slow, evenly-paced walk back." His lips turned upwards humorously, taking a drink. "More your speed."

He's attempting to resume the ongoing, fun banter to draw your focus elsewhere, knowing you.

"Who was that?"

"Oh, nobody." He shrugged, securing the cap. "She just, er, handed me this." He explained carefully, holding up a small piece of paper.

He did it quickly; again, making it as nonchalant as possible. But even at the heightened speed you're able to see her number scrawled across the surface.

You immediately impede forward-

"Sweetheart," Just as he expected - he grabs your arm, holding you back from any impending confrontation you were set on.

"She gave you her number?" You looked at him, perplexed. The audacity. "Did you see the way she looked at me? She probably saw us kiss and yet-"

"I know, I know." He comforted, his voice a deep contrast compared to yours, hardening the more you spoke. He can practically feel you vibrating in fury. "Hey, it's okay. I'm discarding it, of course." He crumbled it in his fist, "Have zero need for it."

"But that doesn't excuse what she just did." You try to look past him again, but he uses his body to shield your view. "And I don't like it. Not at all."

"You're right, it doesn't, but it's okay." Aaron presses a kiss to your forehead, muttering his next sentence into your skin. "I'm yours. Nothing changes that."

"Damn right you are," you huffed, crossing your arms. Despite the distance (she's almost long gone by now), you're at the ready to grab Aaron, to kiss him fiercely if she ever so lightly takes a peek back.

"Forget about it, and I don't mean that in a dismissive way. Look at me when I say this," He tossed the paper in the nearby trash, grabbing ahold of your shoulders instead. "I'm uninterested. Unfazed. Utterly in love with you and greatly anticipating showing you how much once we're in the privacy of home. Preferably in the shower, and then again in bed afterwards."

He manages to pry a smile out of you, a blush forming at your cheeks, although it doesn't dissolve your pout just yet. "But..."

"But what?" He asked gently as he releases his hold, swiping his thumb across your cheek soothingly.

"What if she can run faster than me." You mumbled pitifully. You said so half jokingly, half seriously.

Aaron laughed warmly, spanning an arm over your shoulders and pulling you directly to his chest. "I highly doubt that."

"You promise?"

"With every ounce of me."

[candylix]

a functioning member of society | han jisung

Pairing • Jisung x GN!Reader

A/N • This takes place during the events of another series called one little lie. This can be read as a stand-alone fic, but some parts will make more sense with the context of one little lie. (The reader is not the same person as in oll!)

Summary • Jisung is sick at home... or at least, that's what he tells his boss. Really, he just wants to sleep in and hang out with his cute neighbor across the hall. However, less time working means more time fighting the thoughts in his brain.

Genre • smut (with feelings!)

WC • 3k

Content • no pronouns used but the reader does have a vagina, making out, fingering, oral (reader receiving), jisung has issues

Jisung shot up from his bed. He looked at the digital clock on his bedside table; it was 12:54.

He was late.

He had everything planned for today. He woke up early and called in sick to work, just so he could stay home. He was going to sleep in until 11, eat breakfast, make himself look good, and then pay his neighbor a visit across the hall. You invited him over to 'hang out' at noon, and he didn't want to miss it. Unfortunately, he forgot to set his alarm, and he hoped you wouldn't think he's the worst fling ever.

He scrambled to change out of his pajamas.

He might kill himself if he ruined this, like he'd done so many times with so many people in the past. There's only so much a dumb joke and a cute smile can resolve.

You moved in a few months ago, and ever since then, he'd been looking for excuses to see you more. You were gorgeous, fun, smart, and to be honest, way out of his league. He didn't know how he did it, but his boyish charm captivated you enough to have a one night stand. Which turned into a two night stand, and then you just started having casual sex every once in a while.

Maybe one day he'd want something more, and he could certainly see himself falling for you in the future. You were, quite honestly, a perfect match for him. You actually liked his personality instead of just tolerating it, and you were respectful of his boundaries when he avoided more personal questions. The sex was good, but your friendship was better, and for now, this was enough. Whether or not his feelings would grow, he liked to live in the moment- and in this particular moment, he was very late.

He knocked on your door, and when you didn't answer fast enough, he knocked again. Were you ignoring him? Did you get tired of waiting and leave?

He finally heard the door unlocking, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He stood leaning one hand against the door frame, trying his best to look cool, calm, and collected. Unbeknownst to him, his messy hair stood up on end and his shirt was half-buttoned and half-collared, and when you finally opened the door, he gave the impression that he just woke up.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," you said, and your fingers combed through his hair, smoothing it down to look more presentable.

"I wasn't sleeping... I was just sick." He faked a cough, a purposefully unconvincing performance.

"Ew, go home then," you laughed. You lightly shoved him, and he dramatically staggered back.

"How dare you! Do you know how hard it was for me to get here?" he asked, knowing full well his door was three feet behind him. "I had to climb uphill, both ways, in the snow, barefoot, just to see you."

You looked down. He was wearing pink fuzzy slippers.

"Just get in here," you said, and opened the door wider to let him in.

You barely had time to close the door before he pulled your face towards his own. His lips met yours, and he pressed himself into your body. He couldn't keep his hands to himself, and you felt the ghost of his fingertips all over your back, until they finally found purchase in your hair. His tongue slipped over your soft lips, asking for entrance, and you gladly parted them for him.

Your back met the door as he pinned you against it. You cupped his cheeks, melting deeper into the kiss, and soft moans passed between his lips. He rolled his hips into yours, hungry for as much contact as possible.

Suddenly, you heard something. It sounded like... creepy carnival music.

He pulled away from the kiss.

"Sorry, that's my phone. My friend is calling me," he said, no attempt to turn it off or indication of how ridiculous this situation was. Knowing him, this was probably in his top 10 most normal things to happen while making out.

"What... why is that that ringtone?"

"One day he pissed me off and I changed his ringtone, and then I just never put it back," he explained. "He hates it, but I kind of find it endearing now, like my nightmare clown friend is calling."

The music continued to play, creepy music box melody haunting the room while sinister laughter faded in and out. You couldn't believe this is the man you invited over.

"Aren't you gonna pick up?"

He took his phone out of his pocket, and threw it across the room, landing on your couch and bouncing across the cushions.

"But it's so far..." he said, weakly raising his arm out towards the couch, as if the phone was barely out of reach.

He cupped your face, and went in for another kiss, but you struggled to kiss back. The music completely killed the vibe. You tried to get back into the mood, your hand finding its way into his hair, but his phone was too distracting.

It's only when his hand reached between your thighs that you're finally able to forget about it. You don't know when it stopped, because your mind was consumed with his tongue in your mouth and his hand on your cunt. It clouded over with thoughts of Jisung and his body, and it wasn't until he picked you up and carried you half way to your room that you came back to reality.

His mouth was still pressed against yours when he laid you down on your bed. Your legs were wrapped around his waist, not wanting him to go. You were too addicted to the taste of his tongue, and when he broke away for air, you chased his lips back onto your own. You could tell he felt it too, with the way the hard bulge in his pants pressed against you when he leaned further in.

He was finally able to part from you, and he peppered kisses over your nose, cheeks, chin, where ever he could reach. He lowered himself down your body, kissing you over your clothing, until his head reached your crotch. He wasted no time pulling down your pants. He licked your core over the wet spot in your underwear, savoring the taste of your arousal for him.

Maybe you would've been like this for just anybody, wet and excited for a touch, but he wanted to think this was especially for him. He didn't care if you fucked other people- that would be hypocritical, considering he'd fuck anyone that asked- but he did look forward to seeing you the most, and he hoped you at least felt that way too.

He nestled deeper into your clothed cunt, nose pressed into you, just to stall until you couldn't take it anymore. You whimpered his name, asking for him to do anything, to please touch you, and the sound of you begging for him was like a sweet melody that he never wanted to stop listening to. You liked him, you wanted him, you needed him.

"You're that desperate for me, huh?"

He finally gave in, and pulled your underwear down your legs, stuffing it into his pocket.

If there was one thing Jisung liked, it was the way you reacted when he licked up your folds, lapping up your juices and seeing you squirm. Both his heart and his dick throbbed seeing you get this worked up because of him.

Words could be deceitful. He was painfully aware of this. His thoughts haunted him when he was alone.

But when your fingers combed through his hair, pushing his face closer to your core, those thoughts vanished. He knew, at least right now, you wanted him here. Words could deceive, but actions under the influence of pure pleasure didn't lie.

He inserted one finger, slowly pumping in and out while his tongue flicked over your clit. He licked and sucked, tongue poking down into your hole, savoring the way his name spilled out of your lips. You rocked into his face, needing every inch of him on your pussy, and he happily obliged. He licked a long stripe up your cunt, making you gasp, and he pulled out his finger to tease your entrance. You were soaking wet, and by the way you clenched around the empty space where he once was, he could tell you were desperate for more.

He pushed his finger back into you, a second finger joining this time. His thrusts were faster, and he loved the way you moaned in pleasure when he curled his fingers. Your bucking became more frantic, and he met your desire by sucking on your clit.

You could feel your orgasm building up as his fingers rubbed into you harder. He forced them into you, completely filling you up until he reached his knuckles, before pulling them out and pushing them back in again. You twitched wildly in pleasure, and he had to hold you down with his free arm just to keep licking your folds and circling your clit.

You were trapped under him, unable to grind into his face at the extreme pleasure you were feeling, and he gave you no respite either. He inserted a third finger into you, stretching your walls while he kept pumping into you, and when he pressed a sensitive bundle of nerves, you could feel your climax coming quicker. You barely had time to think before it came gushing out of you, a loud moan of Jisung's name being the only warning he got before his fingers were drenched in your cum.

He pulled out his fingers and replaced them with his tongue, lapping up your juices from inside and out. Not a single drop went to waste.

All he wanted was to pleasure you. Maybe if he made you feel good every time he came over, you'd keep calling him. Maybe you wouldn't get tired of him, like so many others did when they stopped finding his jokes charming for seemingly no reason at all. At least with you, he knew how you liked to be touched.

He didn't want to feel like his friendship was transactional, but how could he not. Everyone found him annoying eventually. It was inevitable.

He didn't want this to end. He was scared. When you caught your breath, would you expect him to go?

"Jisung," you called, snapping him out of a spiral you didn't know he was having. You patted the bed next to you, and he hesitantly climbed in.

Why was it that the more time he spent with you, the worse his thoughts became? It was like his brain couldn't accept a reality where you enjoyed his company, even though you were the one that invited him over in the first place. It made up excuses to explain how this could be happening; you probably just liked sex and he was the only one available, or you just felt sorry for him and somehow this was all you could think of.

You cupped his cheek, looking into his eyes to bring him back to earth. He pushed those thoughts aside as best as he could, and snuggled into your arms.

"Are you alright?" you asked. "You looked a bit distracted right now."

"Oh, uh, just thinking about how sexy you are.

He wanted you to smile, forget about your concern, but a look he can't quite place flashed across your face. It went away just as quickly, but he can't help but read into it.

Was that pity? Disappointment? Worry?

Was there a difference?

He wished he could open up to you, especially after something as vulnerable as sex, but he didn't know how to break down that barrier that kept his anxieties to himself.

"How was I?" he asked softly, and as if he was afraid of being genuine, he added "Was that the best sex you've ever had or what?"

"You were amazing," you said, and a bit of tension eased up in Jisung's body.

"Avoiding the second question, I see."

"Maybe if you used this," you said, and your fingers move to trace the bulge in his pants.

A sudden rush of nerves washed over his body, and he realized just how hard he was. He was so distracted by his own turmoil that he didn't even notice the way his cock throbbed in his boxers.

"I will if you promise to invite me over again," he said, winking at you.

"Of course I will, you don't even have ask," you said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. It wasn't obvious to him.

His heart beat in his chest. Maybe, just this once, he'd believe it.

His body reacts on its own, leaning in to kiss you. It was soft and sweet, an unspoken 'thank you' that he wasn't prepared for.

It's over just as quickly as it began, breaking away to snuggle into your chest.

And then his stomach growled. He didn't eat breakfast because he slept in, and he didn't eat lunch because he was late. He hoped you didn't hear it, but he knew you had to have. Maybe you had some granola bars he could snack on. He could check in the fridge, maybe you could eat together in the living room, make a fun moment out of it...

The living room. Where his phone was. Because he threw it there when he got a call.

He should probably see what Minho needed... but he was so warm and cozy. He didn't want to leave the bed, and he definitely didn't want to leave you. But he really should.

"Hey, remember when my clown friend called?"

You winced, remembering the creepy music that almost completely ruined the mood.

"No, I don't remember. I'm choosing not to."

"You don't remember this?" he asked, before singing the ringtone, followed by menacing laughter, cut off when you covered his mouth to get him to stop.

His creepy laughter turned into giggles as he tried to pry your hands off his face.

He finally did, holding both your wrists in his hands.

"Should I go call him back? The circus might be in trouble..." he said, and then sunk his head deeper into the mattress, "but it's so nice here..."

"You probably should," you replied, and Jisung groaned.

"Ugh, fine."

He pushed himself up, leaving the comfort of your bed and the warmth of your body. He walked out of your room, turning his head repeatedly to give you his sad puppy dog eyes. You shooed him away, and he finally left for the living room. His phone was still on the couch, face down and waiting for him to rescue it.

One new voicemail. Press 1 to play.

"Jisung, call me back ASAP. It's an emergency."

"Oh, shit."

He called Minho back, and he immediately picked up.

"Oh thank god," Minho sighed.

"What happened!?"

"Ok... don't laugh."

Of course, as soon as he heard what Minho had done, Jisung erupted into a full body laugh.

He hadn't noticed you enter the living room, but you couldn't help but be curious after what you heard.

"Yeah, I'll be there as soon as I can," Jisung said, and he heard Minho sigh in relief. "But I wouldn't worry about her. Trust me, I've known her waaaaay longer than you. She'll be fine."

The conversation didn't last much longer, Jisung promising to be there 'as soon as he finished some important documents', and hanging up.

"Are you leaving?" you ask. "I was going to get you some food."

The way you looked at him, sad to see him possibly go... maybe he should've felt his heart break seeing you like that, but instead his heart swelled. You didn't want him to leave, you didn't just want him for sex and nothing else.

"Well... if you're offering food..." he said, and your face lit up. You body language was expressive, and he noticed it every time.

He knew words could be deceiving, but your actions always told the truth. He would always have thoughts about how people perceive him, if they really liked him or not, if they would leave if he became 'too much'... but with you, he wanted to trust you. He chose to trust you, even if his brain screamed the opposite.

"Nah, I'd stay regardless," he said, "he thinks I'm at work anyway, so I can spend more time here, if you want."

"That's why I invited you over, isn't it?"

If only he could express the warm tingly sensation that ran through his body when he heard those words. He felt butterflies in his stomach, something he hadn't experienced since high school.

He was going to ignore what that could possibly mean for him.

Time passed, you enjoyed your time together, but he thought it was finally time to go rescue his friends. You walked him to the door, and hugged him goodbye.

You pulled away, and that's when you see it.

"Is that my underwear in your pocket?"

"Huh?" he looked to his pocket, and sure enough, white fabric was spilling out. "Oh... whoops! How did that get there? Must've crawled in when I wasn't looking." He pulled it out and shoved it into your hand.

"You know what? Keep it. You obviously want it more than me," you said, stuffing it right back into his pocket.

He was definitely going to use that later.

"If you say so," he said. He turned to leave, but you grabbed his arm to say one more thing.

"Just... when you're done, please wash it and give it back."

He gasped, and his hand clasped his chest in mock offense.

"I would never do something so uncouth-"

"Jisung. Wash it. It was expensive and I want it back."

"Ok, ok, I will," he said, and smirked. "You want me back here that bad, huh?"

You roll your eyes.

"You're lucky you're cute."

He finally left your apartment, and when the door closed behind him, he felt twice as light as when he came in.

taglist: (using the same taglist as one little lie since it's a spinoff, hope you all don't mind!)

@loeyscock @0325tiny @5starlee @miupow @mapofthemazeinthemirror @sadrosessing @luminouskalopsia @minghaosimp @curiousgworge @azuna-sz @piscesrising01 @g-bbzz @extrhotjne @nabi-tokoshi@kpopsstuffs

@weareapackofstrays @jabmastersupriseee @neko-squidblog @lurking-coconut @kiaralynn3838

@chanssmiles @linos-kitten @jehhskz @stanskzot8 @imperfectlyperfectprincess1 @ell0thebell

@hinalara @kaicreech @lazybean246 @idoughnutreadsmut @aeliuss

@the-ninth-moon @poody1608

[eclipseberrycake]

Shutout (Twisted! Glisten x Reader)

An: I'm pretty sure it's the same person requesting the Glisten things, and you know what? I love that for you, marketable plush anon. I LOVE Glisten so much but not very many people seem to want him to love them back :( So you me anon, we're changing the Dandy's world x Reader tag piece by piece.

This was a request!

They asked would would've happened if Reader hadn't made it to the elevator, and that's such a fun idea?

-> Part One

Warnings: Depictions of being turned into a twisted, Ichor being used as blood, unhealthy mindsets.

Writer does not condone the relationship depicted by Twisted! Glisten. It is written as unhealthy and dependent for a reason. Take it with a grain of salt. If this is triggering to you, please Do Not Read.

☁ It wasn't you're finest moment when your foot caught the capsule, sending you to the ground, but it's even worse when you realize it has seen you and is coming right at you.

☁ The ground came at you hard and fast, too fast for you to do anything but brace yourself. It's footsteps were much closer now, which became clearer when the room stopped spinning.

☁ You scramble to get up, tears already bulbing in your eyes as you stagger, your hip crying out in pain at the sudden bruise inflicted upon it. Glancing over your shoulder, you screech at how close it now is, moving much quicker as if to make up for the precious seconds lost.

☁ It makes no difference when put up against it's speed though, and you know it.

☁ The elevator is just in reach though, and a foolish, hopeful part of your brain convinces that you could make it. Just as your foot brushes the lip of the elevator, you're quickly reminded that hope has no place down here.

☁ It's fingers curl around your scruff and yank, making you stumble back with hands outstretched, just as Brightney reached for your own hand. Your fingers brush and Goob is just the second too late when the Elevator slams shut and you're left in the desolate room with it.

☁ It acts like it had gotten some big prize. It's garbled words cheer happily as it's other hand wraps around you, it's sharp edges pricking your flesh every single move of it's head.

☁ It makes your break waver and shudder as you try not to think about what's going to happen to you. You're going to turn into a twisted. There's no question about it. But you've never heard of anyone being turned by Glisten's Twisted.

☁ Would it toy with you like Bobette's twisted did? Would it make it quick, but no less painful, like Pebbles? Maybe it would be like Scraps or Goob's twisted, that let you think they lost focus before striking from a distance.

☁ You just hoped it was quick.

☁ Your heart stops and sinks for a moment. Speaking of, Glisten. He'd be heartbroken. He was adamant on you waiting until he was healed to go on this run, but your ability was needed. You promised you'd come back.

☁ Standing here, you prayed he'd forgive you some day.

☁ On the other hand, he was ecstatic. He had you in his hands. You had tried to get away. You had put up such a fight, but he was sure it was just because you were scared!

☁ That was it! You had to be so scared of his new form! He knew it was scary himself, especially since he couldn't go find his shattered pieces right now, but you'd grow to love it in time! He knows you would!

☁ Better yet, you could join him! You and him for all of this blasted eternity. He wouldn't let you go back to his regular form.

☁ Why would he do that. That would be foolish. Not when he has something he knows the other version of him would do anything to get back.

☁ While twisted didn't understand feelings, to a degree, he knew that if nothing else, keeping you with him would hurt the other version. And that's truly what he wanted.

☁ He never wanted you to leave. You were his, his, his. And he would make sure you knew it.

☁ Clawed fingers ran up your side before digging into the flesh of your hips, making you cry out as the first drops of infected ichor drilled itself into your bloodline. You shake and cry out, elbow immediately flying back out of instinct alone.

☁ It cracks the largest remaining shard and makes it reel back, giving you the opportunity to take off. You don't have anywhere to run, not really, especially not with the elevator shut down like it is, but perhaps there were supports left laying around that your team hadn't picked up. Anything to give you the upper hand, even as you struggle to ignore the ache in your side.

☁ It lets out a screech behind you, immediately taking off in the same direction you did. You sob pathetically at it, taking a harsh turn and hiding behind a metal shelf that had toppled over. You pray to anything and everything that its enough to throw it off your trail.

☁ It works as you watch the twisted run right past you, and you have to clap a hand over your mouth to muffle the cries that threaten to break free. You have no time to cry.

☁ You need to plan. Find a way to survive until a rescue group comes to find you.

☁...They would come. You tell yourself. they had to, right?

☁ Shaking your head free of doubt, you wipe your tears and carefully begin your search, picking up tapes and ornaments as you go. They have no use for you now other than useful ammo for you to throw somewhere else and throw it off your trail.

☁ There wasn't anything much really, aside from a few gumballs you were chewing on mindlessly and a can of pop you were keeping for and emergency. It makes you huff from your hiding place under a table. It wasn't the best, but it was all you could do without making a mass amount of noises.

☁ You can still hear it's steps. It had picked up it's shattered pieces by now, but ichor tears are still dripping down it's cheeks as it wanders, groans begging for your attention.

☁ The infected ichor in your system almost yearns to go to it, just for some semblance of security.

☁ But you don't want that. You Don't.

☁ Your head leans onto your knees as your eyes nearly close every time you think you have a moment of peace. You lost track of the time long ago, the slow realization that there was no one coming for you settling in.

☁ It makes your chest ache as you try not to dwell on it. Did they tell Glisten yet? You wonder how he reacted.

☁ (Somewhere back in the lobby there's a crash with screams of anger, a slighted mirror making his war path bloody and known. He demands to go back down, regardless of his own injuries, and demands to retrieve his jewel. He demands vengence for a wrong done, even if it was by no fault of the other toons. He's livid, spitting insults to those who weren't fast enough. To the distractor who didn't ensure everyone was in the elevator. To anyone close enough to be a part of his meltdown. He's had to be stopped three times from going by himself, making the situation worse. He's hurting and angry, and making sure everyone knows it.)

☁ You only doze off for a second, you swear, when a hand claps around your ankle and pulls. You try and grab out for anything to stop this, knuckles banging against the large center leg of the table before you wrap your arms around it. You hold on for dear life, and as the claws dig into your ankle and more infected ichor sinks into your bloodstream. It burns as it does, and you can feel every single inch of your bloodstream sizzle as it happens. You cry out at both the feeling and being pulled again.

☁ Your grip slips for mere second, but that's all it takes as your suddenly assaulted by the fluorescent lights.

☁ He happily babbles at the sight of you. He had found you! He should've known you were tired! He's never been a regular toon, but he knows that they need things like food, water and sleep. You were like a pet!

☁ He hadn't gotten his claws on you long enough to fully transform you, but seeing the black veins crawling up your neck gives him hope that your close!

☁ It makes his innards churn with excitement as he catches your flailing limbs, watching as your chest heaves and your cheeks sheen with tears. You'd be so pretty on the other side. He knows it.

☁ And soon you will too. He grins, or tries too, with his claws pricking into your forearms. His own infected ichor quickly streams into the open wounds and you cry out as your body quivers and shakes.

☁ He steps back if only to bask in his own work, watching in glee as your roll onto your stomach. Your eyes bleed into a shiny crimson as Ichor drips down your cheeks, your feet trailing it as you stumble to your feet.

☁ You're a glorious sight to behold and his lack of heart positively thrums as he pulls you close again.

☁ You moan, in agony or desperation, he's unsure, but he gives you his attention nonetheless.

☁ You'd follow him from this point on, he'd ensure it.

☁ And he'd make damn sure his other half knew it too, grinning at the sounds of the elevator dinging behind him.

[allouttaink]

. ݁₊ ݁˖ . let me make it up to you . ݁₊ ⊹ .˖ .

this is a superbat fic based on season 2 episode 2 of the 2000 series “Justice League”. ◡̈

They fight.. make up… and then make out. NSFW!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

“That’s the last time I ever let you be in charge of any important decision.” Batman spat at Superman, sending him reeling him forwards with a shove.

Superman staggered but easily caught his footing.

S: “You don’t know what it’s like Batman. You don’t know what Darkseid did to me, to my family, to my planet.”

B: “Were you even thinking? Logic is essential in these situations, what the hell could’ve prompted you to endanger everyone else’s lives? You’re getting sloppy Superman.”

Superman approached him with large and steady footsteps, grabbing him by the collar of his suit and lifting him off the ground, meeting him eye to eye. His voice shook as he tried to maintain his last shred of self control.

S: “Logic isn’t everything Batman. Some days, I feel like I have more humanity than you could ever.”

He released his grip on Batman’s suit when he started to hear a piece of mesh fabric tear. He ran his hand through his now tousled hair and opened the hangar.

Before flying out, he looked over his shoulder.

S: "You know... you aren't always right."

Superman was too headstrong for his own good sometimes, but he seemed genuinely affected by what Batman had said. It was a momentary analysis Batman made, but he couldn't retort because by the time he'd blinked Superman was already gone.

He adjusted his cowl and huffed bitterly, flicking off a piece of meteorite debris from his shoulder. Un-fucking-believable. He drags himself to the main foyer where the rest of the JL was waiting.

W: "Great Hera... are you both alright? Where's Superman?"

B: "Tsk, we're both fine."

Everyone looked around the room and shared confused glances. They checked it off as Batman being hurt or annoyed that the mission didn't go according to plan. In times like these they knew it was better not to pry, especially when the Bat's ego was at stake.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

When there weren't petty crimes to stop, the league would relax at the watch tower. It'd been a week since Batman and Superman's little disagreement, but it felt like it'd been dragging on for months. Both parties were irritated and the entirety of the team felt like they were walking on eggshells around them. There had been numerous incidents where Batman would walk into a room and Superman would stop his current conversation to excuse himself.

A few days later, the league had been searching for an Arkham escapee. There was an uncomfortable tension lingering in the air as they were determining the best way to catch the convict.

GL: "I say we split up, I'll go with Hawkgirl. Diana, take Flash. Jonn, you should be able to cover more than enough ground on your own. That leaves.. Superman and Batman."

S: "I think it'd be best if we went separately."

Things simultaneously clicked, and the source of the tension was now understood. The JL looked around, unsure of what to say. Flash leaned against a streetlight, whistling and avoiding eye contact with the two. Wonder Woman finally decided to speak up, scoffing as she approached them.

W: "You better squash whatever it is going on between the two of you. People's lives are at stake in case you forgot."

GL: "..Maybe it'd be best if we changed the pairings. I wouldn't mind going with Super–"

W: "No, we have a job to do, and teams will stay as they are. You'll both patrol the outskirts of the city. The longer we wait this out the more room there is for disaster. I don't want to hear it from either of you."

Wonder Woman crossed her arms and made sure they both left together. Batman's expression was unreadable and the only way you could measure Superman's annoyance was by the slight furrow in his brows.

When they were gone, Wonder Woman addressed the rest of the team.

W: "Hera help us.. at least if they fight it'll make for easy damage control."

Hawkgirl chuckled as she spun her mace.

H: "Smart."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Superman flew ahead of Batman, leaving the city lights behind as they entered the outskirts. Surrounded by dense foliage he sighed.

If there was someone here, it'd take forever to find them, no matter how good his x-ray vision was.

When Batman caught up to him, he didn't make his presence known. He stared at his back for a few minutes, contemplating what he wanted to say.

B: "Superma–"

S: "Don't."

B: "Can we-"

Superman cut him off once more, already frustrated with the grueling task of creating an opening into the forest.

S: "This isn't the place for that. Just help me clear out these branches so we can do our job," he managed to grit out.

Batman rolled his eyes before grabbing a blade from his utility belt. He made easy work of reducing the surrounding greenery to shreds.

B: "Now can we talk?"

Superman walked past him with an intentional shove to his shoulder. Every man had his limits, and Batman had just about reached his. He took Superman by the back of his shoulder and reeled him around, pressing a finger into the center of his chest.

B: "Enough of this petty bullshit, you're being unreasonable."

Superman's eyes snapped down to meet Batman's through his cowl. He shoved him backward, knocking the wind out of him as his back pressed against a tree. With one hand he held Batman's neck, using the other to force him to look up at him.

S: "I'm unreasonable? Where'd this attitude come from? What were your words a few days ago... I'm getting sloppy?"

He leaned in closer to the other man's face, who breathed heavily against him.

S: "Don't be a hypocrite Batman, it's not in your character."

B: "Yeah?" He hissed.

Batman's gaze moved to Superman's lips, then back up to his eyes.

B: "Do you want this?" (<- You ALWAYS ask for consent.)

S: "Fuck you."

Superman's lips locked onto his in a bruising kiss. He nipped at his lower lip, drawing blood as Batman granted him access to the rest of his mouth. The metallic taste mixed with their saliva as he hummed into the kiss. He moved his knee in-between Superman's thighs, causing the other to start rutting against him.

S: "Mm... hahh.. fuck you..," he grunted, burying his face in the crook of the other mans neck. Batman moved his hand down, palming his erection.

B: "'Wanna make it up to you, wanted to.. apologize."

Superman still had his hand wrapped around his neck, but the pressure felt so nice he didn't want him to stop. He was so lightheaded that when Superman flipped him around, even his cheek pressing into the bark felt good. He arched against Superman’s bulge, begging him to do something.

B: “Please… I need it.. need you..” He wasn’t one to beg, but who’d hear him in this desolate place?

From behind, Superman shoved two fingers into his mouth, inhaling sharply at the lewd way Batman was sucking on them.

S: “This all I have to do to get you to behave?” He chuckled.

Superman withdrew his fingers and made quick work of tearing the bottom of Batman’s suit. He hastily lifted Batman’s hips as he entered two fingers. Batman hissed at the sudden stretch, but after a few minutes his eyes were rolling to the back of his head.

B: “Super…man… pleashehh..” He slurred.

S: “If you’re that touch starved you just had to say so.”

In one fell swoop Superman entered him, bottoming out. With one hand on the small of his back and the other gripping his hip with bruising strength, he began thrusting into the other male. Batman was a personal fan of this method of stress relief.

B: “Yo…u…shitll.. mad?” He said between thrusts, struggling to catch his breath.

S: “Mm.. no.. shit, don’t.. do.. that.. again.”

A few minutes later Superman could no longer ignore the burning heat in his core. As he moved to pull out he felt two hands grab at his.

B: “Inside.”

Superman’s breathing picked up and he finished inside him with a growl in his ear. He kissed down the others neck, wrapping his hand around his dick. When Batman finished, his vision turned white momentarily and his legs went weak. Superman held him up and turned him back around to kiss him. There was something different about this one, it was sweet and passionate, evident that the bitterness from an hour ago had dissipated.

As Superman allowed him to catch his breath, he wiped the sweat off the bottom half of his face, taking a moment to appreciate his dazed expression.

B: “I really am sorry.” His voice came out more hoarse than expected.

S: “I’m sorry I had to take you here. I’m not one for quickies. I’ll make it up to you on a real bed, yeah?” He kissed his jaw.

It definitely seemed like Batman was forgiven.

[fantasyandshit]

Something is wrong

type: Oneshot

Pairing:Azriel x reader

Masterlist

"where are you going?"

"Oh, Az!" Yn turns as her wings unfurl- "Im headed to Windhaven to check on things up there for Rhys- When did you get back? I thought you were still in Day?" "I-I returned last night. I'm sorry, you said your going to WindHaven?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Rhysand asked me to? What's the issue with that?"

The shadowsinger notes the females face contorting into one of confusion, "Well it's just- Myself, Cassian, or Rhys are the ones that usually go up?"

Now the confusion morphs to anger and annoyance as she speaks, "Oh? Am I not capable shadowsinger?"

"No No! It's just that they are dangerous as they are- and well, your a female far more powerful than any of them-who knows what they may try to do to you?" The words fly out of Azriels mouth in a blur.

"Your right, i am more powerful than them-If I must I will fight them-inf act I'll do it in front of the whole of the camp as a lesson." the Illyrian females eight, bright green, siphons flare like green flames licking within the small gem shapes.

"Just-just be careful ok?" Azriel knew he couldn't fight the female-couldn't convince her to stay, and he knew she was very capable, powerful, but deep down he couldn't' help the gut feeling that something was going to go wrong- that she would be hurt.

"Always shadowsinger." She smirked as she dropped backwards off the balcony railing, falling for a moment before her wings flared open and she soared for the mountains- always with the dramatic exit.

-----

As I make my way through the frigid night to the cabin I am staying in I hear footsteps- ten separate sets of them trailing through the snow-following me. I whirl around only to be caught off guard by a punch to the face, I stagger back- quickly kicking my attacker in his kidney. The male lets out a groan, kneeling to the floor before before i kick him again, this time in the face. As I use my power, effectively killing the brute; another male comes up from behind, pulling my head and exposing my neck, just before I'm able to fling him off I feel a needle in the side of my neck. Shit.

I feel my body start to go numb, my knees giving out as the male behind me catches me. I barely get another glimpse before my eyes are rolling back as I go limp in his arms.

-----

"I'm telling you Rhys- its been five days, you said she'd be back in three. There has been no warning of a longer stay and no-"

"Azriel! Stop it! Yn is capable- you know that better than anyone, she will be fine!" A sigh, "If she doesn't come back within two days-we will go after her. ok?"

Knowing he wouldn't win this, Azriel bows his head before stalking out.

-----

The next day the doors to Rhysand's office were thrown open, the Shadowsinger storming in. He knew something was off with yn and he was not going to sit around any longer. He just, he just knew she wasn't ok and the fact no one seemed to care made him blind with rage. He didn't understand this feeling, he'd never been nearly this mad at his family before but he couldn't shake the fire burning underneath his skin.

"Im leaving and you're either coming with me or staying out of my way." Azriel didn't need ti explain, everyone in the room knew what he was talking about- well more like seething like a wild animal, his hair tousled as he glared ahead.

The high lord lets out an exasperated sight, "Az- we talked about this, if sh-"

"No! No! What of it were Mor? What if it where Feyre, or Nesta?"

"That's different-"

"No its fucking. Not. Now are you coming with me or no?"

As he turns to leave the room, Cassian moves to him,p placing a hand on his shoulder as he tries to reason, "Maybe-"

"Let. Me. Go."

"Az-"

"Let him go Cass."

The Illyrian let's his brother go sighing as he does so.

-----

Azriels shadows are in a frenzy as he lands in the camp- hurt- experiments-torture-ten-hurt-help-help!- Help her! Now! Faster!

The male sprints, running faster than he ever has as his shadowsa lead him deep into the woods where one lone cabin stands.

'basement- ten males-she's hurt-save her'

As the door is pushed open a man jumps for Azriel, he waist no time, sending his shadows down the mans eyes and strangles him as he slumps to the floor, the next males ends with a dagger in his head, the one after with a slit throat, choking and spluttering on his own blood, the fifth with shadows circling his body, pooling into the open whiles they find. The next is thrown from the house with Azriel's power, the next just obliterated, the eighth and ninth are thrown into each other, going on conscious before being stabbed in the throat. The final tenth one stands at the top of the stairs, thrown down and ending with a sickening crunch.

Azriel stomps down the stairs, being met with a sight that nearly makes him throw up as he rushes to the female. Yn lays naked and strapped to a cold metal table, her body covered in blood, vomit, piss, and puss that oozes from concerning wounds, her body is also littered in bruises, slices, and what look to be needle injection sights. And her wings, gods her wings were shredded, hooks tethering them to the ground. As he moves to her he notices a journal lying open...

they were using her as a fucking experiment- they had pushed who know what into her body, torturing her slowly.

"Az?" Her usual strong, sassy voice replaced with a weak whimper.

"Hey, hey I'm here." He brushes her hair behind her ear softly, his face softening immediately as he stares at her. she looks tired, so tired.

"You came for me?"

"Yes, I always will. Ok sweet girl, I need to release your wings ok? It's going to hurt."

She says nothing as she stares forward, Azriel grabbing the first hook and ripping it out- a small cry leaves her lips but she's out of energy, screaming far to much these past few days. Azriel moves to the next wing, pulling the second hook out, her wings drooping as he moves to unbind her. He slowly pulls her up and into his arms, cringing at the whimpers and squeaks she releases. "Oh sweetheart. I am so so sorry."

Azriel knows he can't transport her in this condition so he quickly calls for Rhys.

'Rhysand!' his panicked voice rings down to the other males mind

'Azriel? What is it?'

'It's Yn, bring Madja-quick.'

'I'm on my way now.'

"Az?"

"Yes?"

"Come here."

The shadowsinger leans his head down- surprised as Yn surges forward ever so slightly, pressing their lips together, molding them to each other like they were made for each other. Before any more can happen, Feyre, Rhysand, Cassian, and Madja appear in the room.

-----

Azriel watches as Yn's chest rises and falls slowly. She'd been out nearly three days now and Azriel couldn't leave her side, nor could he stand to look his family in the eye. They were part of the reason they were in this position right now, why Yn still lay on her bed, deep in sleep.

-----

The next morning Azriel is woken up by a soft voice. "Az?"

"Yn. hey, your awake." The male rushes to her side as he helps her sit up slowly. As the two make eye contact Azriel feels it, and judging by the gasp she lets out, Yn does too."

"Mate?" They speak at the same time. Smiling like two kids in a candy shop as they simply look into each others eyes for a moment. Unable to help himself, Azriel leans in, kissing he mate softly.

-------

Sooooo, hey guys! I felt like writing a feral Az but also wanted some sweetness sooooo here you go. Some of this did get inspired by the lovely work of @afandomangel but it was original work of mine, I've wanted to write feral Az for a while now. I want to leave this saying- Guys PLEASE send in requests, part of the reason I haven't been posting as much is because I a having serious writers block and my inbox has been open-and empty- for...well since In opened it and I needdddddd you guys to send in requests, I write everything and I write for a lotttttttt of fandoms, not just acotar so please please send in requests. Anywt\ay love you guys and I hope you enjoyed

[13rurururi]

Hello!! May I ask for a Regonku Kyojuro x reader?

Where Kyojuro survives but his body is covered in scars from the battle, even his face, and he feels a tad bit insecure about it but reader is there to make sure he feels loved, kissing his scars and overall showering the Flame Hashira in love and care

Even the Brightest Flames Flicker [Rengoku Kyoujurou x gn!Reader]

Pairing: Rengoku Kyoujurou x gender neutral! Reader (SFW)

Synopsis: After the arduous and intensive battle against the Upper Moon, it was a staggering miracle that the Flame Hashira even survived to see another day. However, his survival came with the consequence of lifelong physical and emotional scars. Perhaps, you — his lover — can help in setting his heart ablaze once more.

I. When flames nearly shrivel, we only grow colder. Please, let the warmth last longer.

"Rengoku Kyoujurou is on the brink of death after an encounter with Upper Moon 3!"

Your Kasugai crow's loud squawks painfully tore through your ears; simultaneously, you felt pure dread weigh down on your shoulders — heavy, hot, and suffocating. Bile rose up your throat, but you forced your legs to run towards the direction of the gliding crow.

Kyoujurou. Kyoujurou. Kyoujurou.

Your mind was numb, and the only comprehensive thought was the bright smile of your lover. Oh, god. The thought of the life draining from his eyes sent a tsunami of tears to fall from your face, carried away by the wind as your legs burnt from your unending sprint.

Panting, gasping, and silently sobbing, you reached the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters and hurriedly stumbled towards the medical wing where you vehemently hoped you would find your lover alive. Before you could burst through the room dedicated for intensive care, a Kakushi grasped your shoulder and gently called your name,

"Rengoku-san is alive, but he's still in critical condition; we need to let the doctors ensure his survival. Please, sit down for a moment."

As if the comforting hand on your shoulder brought you back to Earth, you were unable to do anything but fall to the floor and sob.

Kyoujurou, please don't leave me.

II. There will always be those that stomp on flames to keep them from setting ablaze.

Two months — Kyoujurou was enveloped in a deep coma for two torturous months. You never missed a single day visiting his room, carrying flowers that inevitably withered by his bedside table. Occasionally, you'd bring him a variety of his favorite foods: beef bento boxes, udon noodles, and whatnot. You deeply hoped that the scent could awake him from his vegetative state, so he could once again eat meals he would call "Delicious!" with every bite. Eating alone never felt so painfully quiet before.

Senjurou, his younger brother, also diligently visited alongside you. Both of you shared lighthearted stories about Kyoujurou with unshed tears. Their father, on the other hand, remained in their abode, drowning his anger (and worries) with alcohol.

"That weak brat! He's incapacitated and done for in the world of Demon Hunters! Maybe once he wakes up and looks in the mirror, he'd understand just how incompetent he is. He better quit!"

You knew, deep in your heart, that his father didn't mean such harsh words; however, your hot tears and sorrowful heart only led to a nearly-violent argument with the former Flame Hashira. Thank goodness for Senjurou, who led you away from the man you tried to bring with you to visit his unconscious son.

After two months of your hazy routine veiled by a dissipating hope, Kyoujurou opened his eyes.

"He's awake! The Flame Hashira is awake!"

A Kakushi intercepted you on your way to his room, and the news was enough to shake you to your core, resulting in a discarded bento box left lying on the floor. You ran with a newfound hope burning in your heart. He's awake — he's alive!

"Kyoujurou! Kyoujurou!" You choked out nearly incomprehensible cries of his name, rushing to his bedside where he was miraculously sitting up. You tried to urge him to lie back down, but he gently refused, placing a cold hand on your tear-stained cheek. His hands were so uncharacteristically cold. You fought back a new wave of tears when you recalled the many times you snuggled into him for warmth; now, you hoped you could provide him a sliver of the sunshine he gifted you.

"I'm alright," he croaked out; his normally booming voice was reduced to a broken tune, making you melt into him further, enveloping him in an embrace. Your sobs were broken yet relieved, and you were thankful for the survival of your beloved Kyoujurou. Little did you know, flames can't instantly recover from being nearly extinguished.

III. We can keep the flame burning by basking in its warmth.

Kyoujurou's smiles didn't feel the same after he rose from his coma; he still had a wide grin plastered on his face, and he jovially praised each bite of his meals — just like old times. However, there's a subtle tension that weighed on your shoulders, and you couldn't pinpoint the source of such worries until you saw Kyoujurou staring at his reflection on a hand mirror.

You watched him, unnoticed, from the doorway as he dragged a calloused finger across the left side of his face, tracing the wound that rendered his eye useless. The twitch of his eyebrows and the slight shiver of his fingers could have been missed by anyone, but not you.

You are his lover, after all, and you would adore him no matter what state he found himself in. You knew he felt the same for you, and that's what made your love special and strong: it was undeniably unconditional.

You were going to help him set his heart ablaze once again. He was only human, after all. While your lover had impeccable emotional resilience and an amazing outlook on what makes life worth it, you knew he had ups-and-downs, just like any other human being fighting in this cursed war.

You were going to show him that all parts of him — the bright, the bubbly, the scarred — deserve the love you were going to pour out of your soul.

IV. No one can ever stop you from setting your heart ablaze.

Rengoku called out to you, a quizzical look on his face. For the past few days, he sensed a slight difference in your behavior towards him. Somehow, you'd grown to be more gentle, more caring, and more loving than ever (which he didn't think was possible, since you were — in his eyes — the epitome of overflowing compassion). Somehow, he felt guilty for keeping you busy with tending to his daily needs.

"Is there something going on?" He asked you with his unwavering, piercing gaze. You didn't feel the need to put on a cloak of secrecy and decided that it was time to properly communicate with your lover. You sat on a chair next to his bed and said,

"I love you so much."

"I — I love you, too! So much," Kyoujurou answered abruptly with a lopsided smile and a slightly bewildered gaze at your sudden declaration. "But, darling, is something bothering you? Am I becoming a burden—"

"Hold that thought! Rengoku Kyoujurou, you will never, ever, be even a minuscule annoyance to me. I love you so much, and it's just that I noticed how you recently look sadder." You trailed off at the end of your sentence, grabbing his hand as you rubbed his palm with your thumb.

You explained to him that you caught him staring at the reflection of his wound across his face; sometimes, you also caught him holding a shaky palm to his stomach where a massive scar was bound to develop. You told him with absolute certainty that each and every injury was a sign of his strength and resolve to protect all the innocent people that rode the Mugen Train.

"They all survived!" You would drill it into his head until he understood how loved and appreciated he is. "Tanjiro and his friends have sent countless letters asking about you, telling me that they wouldn't have survived without you. You are amazing."

With each word you spoke came a kiss that gently fluttered on Kyoujurou's bandaged wounds. Your grip on his scarred hands were so tight, you felt blood pump at the tips of your fingers. You only wished that your lover could feel just how impactful and eternal his flames are.

Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.

Each tender movement from you felt like heaven's caress, and Kyoujurou felt tears silently pour out of his eye. You moved to place your lips on his wounded face, gently whispering an 'I love you.' He may have been the Flame Hashira, but you were the pure embodiment of a comforting fire, set ablaze to light his path towards happiness and strength once again. Slowly, the flickering sparks in his heart grew hotter.

Before you could kiss his injured eye once again, he moved his head to place his lips on yours, initiating a soft, loving kiss that made you shed tears of overwhelming emotion.

He moved his head to gaze at you with the most gentle, loving expression you had ever seen. You stopped yourself from falling into incoherent sobbing once more and declared to him,

"Kyoujurou, you've been living your entire life to protect the weak. For once, please let us protect you while you rest and recover. The people you have touched with your flame will embark on this journey with you — with us."

You placed your lips against his forehead ever-so-gently, your hand rubbing light circles on his wounded back.

"Your flames have branded themselves into the souls of those you have saved. So please, for once, save yourself first."

Your touches, your soothing voice, and your heartfelt words moved Rengoku Kyoujurou's entire soul. Perhaps, with you, he can conquer any battle and any scar that is etched onto his being. After all, you are the center of his heart that burned with unconditional love for you.

You truly were the spark that helped set his heart ablaze.

A/N: Here's my first Rengoku fanfic (first angst here on my blog, too). Boy, do I miss him a lot, and I just finished reading the KNY manga this afternoon. Anyway, thanks for the request! I hope you guys enjoyed some angst-to-comfort.

My requests are still open for anyone interested. (Yes, I will be writing about Haganezuka next; I miss him already).

[rivalswrites]

Tuesday

Before you read, please be warned that I'm writing based on my impressions of them not only in the game (though it's the biggest inspiration), but some of them with the movies/shows in mind too.

Reader(you) is referred to as ‘Chef’, no appearance mentioned.

Restaurant masterlist

Characters: Steven Grant (Moon Knight), Doctor Strange, Namor, Squirrel Girl

Ah yes, the second- or third depending on who you ask- day of the week, how exciting. It's another shorter day from the rest of the week, but there's still plenty to do. Knowing the regulars that come in, the day won't require too much stress. So with a yawn, you flip the door sign to ‘open’ and get to work.

Again, the day is roughly spent doing some chores; cleaning, dusting, prepping ingredients. You also decided to make a warm soup base, mostly just for fun, maybe you'll make it a special edition to the menu for the day- yeah, that sounds good. Taking a deep inhale of the steam releasing from the pot of simmering soup, it spreads throughout the kitchen and makes the atmosphere even better.

‘ding’ the door rings as it opens, and you put the lid back on the pot to let it continue to cook and stay warm. Ladle in hand, you walk out and greet your first customer- not expecting who to see. He wasn't not a regular, but always welcome in the walls of the restaurant. His bright white suit a stark contrast to the darker colors of the walls.

“Hey you! Whichever one it is.. take a seat buddy” gesturing around to the empty place, the hero(?) nods and takes the space of a booth to himself. The hood is brought down and his mask follows, a smile sat on his face.

“Hey yourself- oh it smells good, what are you making?” He asks, leaning forward like it'll give him a better smell. “Oh, that's just a soup base, I'm not sure what to do with it yet” you replied, waving a menu in front of him as an offering but he refuses.

“Just my regular Tofu please- and some of that soup if you don't mind!” He leans on his hand, still a bright smile on his face. “You got it Steven. It'll be a minute, I wasn't expecting you today”.

“You never do” he calls out as you walk away, his comment makes the both of you give out a chuckle. He was right.

Steven sat quietly, tapping his hand on the table as he hummed along to the random song playing. It was catchy, most certainly, he'd have to ask for the playlist you've got later- he always forgets to.

Your claims of it taking long were a lie, it doesn't take long to cook tofu, vegetables, and rice. The tray is sat on the table as you set the plate of food in front of him, along with a bowl full of soup that steamed and has chunks of potatoes floating in it. “Enjoy, Steven”, to which he responded with “you know I will, chef” with a nod as he grabbed the spoon to try the soup first.

Before you even got the chance to go back to the kitchen, another customer entered the store, a regular of the day this time.

“Ah, Chef! It is a grace to be in my presence” he says, holding out a largely wrapped item to them “prepare my usual with this, it is fresh so take good care of it.”

“Right…” you say, eyeing the wrapped item before grabbing it, “you always know how to flatter me, Namor…”

The wrap is lifted slightly just to come eye to eye with a fish, it's dead eye looking… somewhere? Steven leans forward to see, and so you give him the satisfaction of seeing it by lifting the cloth more and gesturing it towards him. He staggers back into the seat with a quiet “eugh” and it gives you a good laugh.

Namor sits in one of the bigger booths in the corner, it's supposed to sit a party of 10 but when you tried telling him that the first time he came he claimed he was a king and deserved such seating. Fighting him on it was useless, he was relentless on his choice so eventually you just gave up on it, not like you got large parties anyways.

Carrying the big fish that might've been a trout into the back you debate on how you'll prepare it. He never tells you how he wants it, and usually he doesn't complain whatever you do with it which is nice. Something basic for today will do.

Steven keeps glancing at Namor from across the restaurant, trying to focus on his food.

“You keep looking at me, is it because I am a king?” Namor calls out, smirking as he leans forward on the table, “of course it is! You humans always are befuddled with beautiful royalty like me” he boasts, the proudest look on his face.

“Well… Not really” Steven muttered in reply, swirling the soup around with his spoon.

“Excuse me? Then why do you stare? Do you not like my presence? All you humans are the same” Namor scoffed, his fists laying on the table as he flared over at Steven.

“What? No! It's not that, it's-!” Steven stammers, trying to save himself from this hole. “It's nothing like that Namor, give poor Steven a break” you butt in, holding a large platter in your hands. “He's a vegan, he doesn't eat any animal products, that's all.” You set down the platter full of assorted sushi in front of Namor, “he doesn't find it okay to do such things to animals, but he doesn't mean anything insulting and he won't argue with you.”

“Ah… I did not know humans were so dumb” Namor responded, grabbing a piece of sushi and eating it without complaint. “Watch it buddy, I'm a human too- and last time I checked I'm the one making your food” with a playful glare you turn around and shoot a smile at Steven, who has a hand on his chest and taking deep breaths- he gives a really awkward smile in return.

Sanitizing the kitchen doesn't take long, but the smell of fish lingers around it. A small bowl is picked out and filled with soup, some soy sauce and basil added to it specially. You figured you'd try and appeal to Namor’s tastes while he's here, being nice got you a big tip with him, and who doesn't like money? He looks at the bowl before looking up at you, “what is this?”

“Soup”

“I did not order this”

“I know, it's uh…” shoot, you can't tell him it's because you need to get rid of it! “Complimentary, to my favorite King of the Sea!”

Imaginary sweat fell down your brow and he raised a brow at that, but the feeling went away quickly as he smiled with pride. Idiot.

“Of course I am! Everyone should love me as much as you do” he says, picking up the bowl and downing it. “Delicious, give me more” he demanded, holding out the bowl for you to take.

“You got it, your majesty…” sometimes you forget how bossy he was, you complain to yourself as you take the bowl from his hands.

Steven stands up and adjusts the armor on his chest, “right, I've got to get going.” He pulls out a $20 and waves it in your direction, “this,” he nods to the bill “is for today.” He sets it down on the table. “And this,” he pulls out another $20 “is for next time, because I know someone will forget to pay again.”

Both of you laugh at that, because it was absolutely a true statement. “I appreciate it Steven, say hello to your God for me... I always forget his name, is that rude?” You mutter the end part, walking into the back to grab more soup.

Steven chooses not to comment on the last part, simply waving as he opens the door and walks out. Namor pays no mind to anything going on, enjoying his extremely fresh sushi with as much joy as a man like him can have.

It's quiet for a while, other than the sound of you messing around in the kitchen. Getting a refill for the soup was easy, and you even switched out the bowl for something of regular size, he's a man with a large stomach- somehow, his waist is so small and yet he eats so much. You ponder on his workout routine as you walk out to give the bowl to him. No comment about your thoughts are made.

Another customer enters before you get the chance to go busy yourself with something in the kitchen, but he doesn't use the door as others do. Instead he walks through a portal of orange that appeared near the bar area and takes a seat, waving you over gently.

“Doctor, a pleasure to see you. I hear a lot has been going on with you recently” you place a hand on his shoulder as a comfort. He looks at you from over his shoulder and offers a smile.

“There has, but I'll be alright in the end. The sorcerer supreme will always prevail” he signs, resting his hands on the bar counter. “My usual please, and a pot of tea.”

“Any specific kind? I've got a large variety.”

“Any is fine, I'm not particular about it.”

You let out a quiet hum and left him be, opting to pick up the dishes Steven had used. With the plate and bowl on your hands you walk back to the kitchen and place them in the sink rather roughly, they were fine, your dishes were the best of the best- that minimum wage could buy.

Setting a kettle on the stove, you check to see if there's water. Once confirmed there's water, you turn on the stove and go rummage through a cabinet, grabbing a bunch of tea boxes and looking at the favores. With a few in your arms you work out and set them down next to the Doctor, “I can't pick…” you mutter and look away. Strange just chuckles and picks up the boxes to take a look himself.

“Why would anyone want to change anything about water, it is great on its own” Namor says, raising his voice so he knows that both you and Steven heard him.

Steven pays no mind, simply holding up two boxes of tea and comparing the two. You, on the other hand, take the time to make conversation.

“Many people make tea, sometimes it's just because it tastes good and sometimes it's because it can have medicinal values. Y'know, like when you've got a sore throat ‘n stuff.” you said all matter-a-factly. Namor stares at you like you're crazy before scoffing and going back to his food.

“This one, please” Steven said, holding out a box of Rooibos tea to show off the winner. “You got it, Doc” you point finger guns at him with a wink- which gets a ghost of a laugh from him- and take all the boxes and leave.

While waiting for the water to boil you prepare his sandwich. Cutting slices of cheese and laying meats gently on before busting out a pan.

“How is it on your end, in New York? Obviously it's not as great as being underwater, but I've heard many people talk of the…” Namor pauses in thought, “the big apple.” Steven barked out a laugh at that, hearing such a closed off from the outside world person say ‘big apple’ in such a hesitant way.

“It's stressful, that's for sure. My question is why someone like you is asking that.” Strange turns around to look at Namor while they talk. “What do you mean ‘someone like you’? I can ask questions and be a.. considerate person like anyone else. I am simply curious about how everyone else is handling the mess that is the universe collapsing.” Namor lifts his head in arrogance, his tone was borderline threatening near the beginning but leveled out quickly.

They both just stared at each other, almost like they were challenging one another to say something. The tension was thick- and mostly came from Namor, but it was there nonetheless.

“Here you go, Strange!...” You said, walking out of the kitchen. Pausing and looking from side to side at them both, awkward - possibly sexual - tension? Placing his Philly cheesesteak in front of him along with a cup of tea, you pat his shoulder and awkwardly walk backwards- hitting the counter on the way back to the kitchen.

It didn't take love for Strange to turn back around, his level headedness showing as he calmingly proceeds to eat his sandwich and drink his tea. There's still tension, but it lessens as the two men continue to eat and think their own thoughts.

“Hey-o! Squirrel in the house!” The door bursts open, Doreen’s arms are up in the air as Tippy Toe sits on her head. Namor shows distaste in the loud arrival with an annoyed look on his face, but he doesn't say anything and just grubles into his bowl of soup (which he was thoroughly enjoying beforehand).

She takes a look around the restaurant before huffing and putting her hands down, “tough crowd, huh Tippy?” the tiny squirrel chitters back at her in reply and moved to her shoulder, further away from everyone else. “It's whatever, I just want some dinner- oh hey Steven! Fancy seeing you here pal” she says, walking over to the doctor and patting a hand on his back (more like slapped, he definitely lurched forward a bit from the impact- but he makes no comment on it).

“Doreen, a pleasure to see you again” Strange replies, taking a swig of his tea after he does. “Likewise, Doctor Sorcerer! I didn't know you enjoyed chowing down at this place,” she says, turning so her back leans on the bar counter “yeah, this place is pretty underground if I do say so myself. I'm definitely the number one patron” the bragging begins, but it's all in good fun.

“I'm sorry to say missy, but you aren't exactly number one…” you say, walking out with a hot bowl of soup, “how about something warm while you wait? Your usual, yeah?” Doreen sighs, and takes a seat at a table, “yes please! I'm starved, so is Tippy.”

“I bet,” you say, setting the bowl down and reaching to bet the little squirrel “you are just the cutest thing, every time I see you. Yes you are” you baby the little critter, rubbing it's cheeks and scratching behind the ears. “Man, I'm kinda jealous with how much you fawn over him” Doreen jokes, leaning on the table with a smirk, “no praise for little ol’ me?”

You let out a chuckle and look down at her, “If you really want it, I can provide” letting go of Tippy Toe you boop her nose and turn to go into the kitchen.

“You humans never cease to amaze me, such joy about nothing” Namor says, standing up and pushing hair strands out of his face. He sets the empty bowl on top of the equally empty plate and then pulls out a leather pouch that was hooked on his pants. He doesn't even bother to open it and just slams the pouch on the table, glancing at Doreen before smirking as he knows she's amazed and possibly thinking he's the number one patron (which he obviously is, in his mind).

Neither Doreen or Steven say a thing as Namor walks out of the establishment, chest up in pride.

“What a vibe killer” Doreen sighs, sipping at the soup with a spoon. Strange hums in agreement and gets up himself. “It appears it's my time to go as well- enjoy your meal, Doreen Green” he bids farewell, taking out a $20 and setting it between the counter and a plate. “Bye bye” she waves, leaning back in her seat and laying her head back to look up at the ceiling.

Tippy Toe sat curled around the bowl of soup, enjoying the warmth like he was a dog next to a fireplace. Doreen hummed along to the music in the background, tapping her finger along on the table and rocking her leg from side to side. Waiting came easy to her- while she was eccentric by nature, she knew how to be calm.

“Here you go Doreen,” you come out and place a plate in front of her “warm Pad Thai for my favorite queen of critters.”

“Queen of critters? Wow you know how to make a girl blush.” Doreen smiles, thanking you before digging in.

While she eats, you go around and pick up the dishes and sweet, sweet coin that was left by your generous customers. Thinking about it, you don't think Namor knew how much he was actually giving you- and Steven wasn't really fussy with money, or maybe they both knew and just didn't care.

“So,” Doreen starts, pausing to swallow her food first “if I'm not your number one customer, who is?” a valid question with an easy answer. “Easy, a special guy in a white suit stops by more than everyone else.”

“Wilson Fisk??” Her voice raises, concern etched on her face.

“What? Uh- no, the moon guy”

“Oh… Oh, him! Wait more than everyone else? I thought doors only opened once a week” she questioned, continuing to eat.

“Oh yeah, that's how it should work, I've got no idea how he does it.” You ponder about it for a moment before shrugging and sitting across from her.

“Makes sense for a guy like him” she says, picking her food meticulously to get a perfect bite. The two of you sit in silence like that, her eating her food while you pet and play with Tippy. Until eventually she's all done.

“Amazing as always, chef, thank you” Doreen smiles, standing up and offering up a $20 just like Strange did. “Thank you Doreen, I'm always happy to serve you.”

Tippy Toe chitters at you and then runs over to Doreen, climbing up her arm and onto her shoulder. “Tippy Toe loves coming here too, a big fan he is” she smiles and waves bye, Tippy seems to do the same.

With her gone that marks the end of the day, pocketing the money she gave you and picking up her dishes. You've got a sink full of dishes that needed to be done, so you've got some time to think about what you'll do for the rest of the day.

[megjameswrites]

my brother's keeper

CW: child abuse, alcohol abuse, drug abuse

Summary: The night before the world ends, Daryl rescues Merle from himself and wrestles with his perpetual role as his brother's keeper.

*characterization piece to get into Daryl's headspace

Some days, Daryl wished Merle would lose his damn number. Other days, he didn't know what he'd do without the asshole grinning at him, high as a kite, and suggesting they go get into trouble.

The thing was, Daryl'd been his brother's keeper his whole life. Merle would have said it was the other way around; that he'd protected Daryl from their daddy when they were kids, but Merle was a dick and he was wrong. Daryl'd been the one left behind at home, first when Merle would pull stents in juvie and then later, when Merle lit out at eighteen for the Army and didn't come back till Daryl was grown and their daddy was dead in a ditch on the side of the road, killed by a hit-and-run while he was drunk out of his mind and staggering home from the bar.

Merle came back in a biker vest with a club cut and holding two shovels. "Dig 'im a whole out back, little brother, and hit the road with me," he'd said with a wink and a grin.

They'd done a bit better than a hole in the backyard- legality and all that shit- but not by much. Either way, they'd left the ass end of nowhere town behind them and moved on to bigger'n'better things- or so Merle claimed.

Daryl didn't see what was so much better about cleaning up after his drugged-up brother instead of cleaning up after his drunk-ass daddy, but at least Merle didn't swing at him. All that often.

And there was just enough fun in there to keep him close. Merle might have been a racist, sexist asshole, and the Army sure hadn't beaten that shit out of him- but he had a wicked humor and a taste for adventure that landed them in jail, in bar fights, or in the pool halls making bank hustling the college kids with family money who wanted a taste of adventure.

Daryl hated to admit he liked those nights as much as he did. He'd follow along behind Merle like they were kids again, Daryl seven to Merle's twelve, included in the older kids' adventures by right of being Merle's little brother.

Worse were the days the drugs- or the club, or the PTSD- made his brother mean. Merle could cut him down like no one could, Daryl thought as he scowled at the beer in front of him while his phone vibrated against the bar for the third time in a row. And he often did. It was those times Daryl wished he had the spine to leave, or that Merle would ditch him again the way he did when Daryl was thirteen.

But it was his brother. And it always came back to that.

"What?" he snapped into the phone, finally answering it as Merle called for the fourth time in a row. "The fuck ya want, man?"

"Heyyyyy, lil bro!" Merle drug the word out, giving it a shit ton more vowels than it had, his voice too bright, words too quick, barely understandable. "Whatcha think 'bout an adventure? You'n'me, brother, headin' out into the wide world to make our mark?"

Daryl snorted. "Only mark ya gonna make is puke on the wall tonight. Where ya at? I'll come get ya."

He drained the beer, tossed money on the counter, and hung up with a roll of his eyes when he'd gotten a location out of his toasted-ass brother. He hopped into the pickup and headed to the club's hangout bar, wondering if he'd be regretting picking up.

Merle puked on his shoes before they made it to the truck.

Daryl, ever his brother's keeper, got him in and got him home, putting him to bed with water, painkillers, and a puke bowl beside the bed. He collapsed onto the couch and rubbed at his eyes, wishing once more that his big brother wouldn't send so much shit up his nose he forgot his own name.

The next morning, a dead motherfucker showed up on his door and tried to eat his face, and Daryl decided maybe Merle wasn't doing so bad after all.

| masterlist |

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x43 - A Dangerous Game! Pinocchimon / Playing Games

Previously on Digimon Adventure: After an arduous battle, WarGreymon finally defeated MetalSeadramon. Whamon only scored an Assist despite doing a ridiculous amount of work to make that happen, which really goes to show how unfairly competitive PVP games incentivize toxic play over support and teamwork.

Due to the staggering of episode breaks, the original picks up fresh where we left off while the dub keeps on going 'cause we're two minutes into the new one. The children watch the ocean ribbon around Spiral Mountain withdraw back into the world below.

Takeru: Spiral Mountain's ocean is returning to normal! Hikari: Why? Gomamon: It must be because we defeated its ruler MetalSeadramon! Koushiro: So the dark powers controlling it disappeared! Taichi: Our win cleaned out some of the darkness in this world! Jou: Let's keep this pace up and defeat the rest of the Dark Masters! Tailmon: And then peace will return to Earth! Taichi: YES!!! LET'S GO!!! Jou, Tailmon, & Piyomon: YEAH!!!

MetalSeadramon ate shit and now we're 1/4 of the way to purifying the two worlds. The kids share a moment of excitement and jubilation.

...I mean, Yamato seems to be much more interested in whatever Mimi's doing than in this conversation but you can barely notice them; I'm sure it's not important.

The reversion of MetalSeadramon's domain is a fascinating plot point because it speaks to how corrupt and artificial Spiral Mountain truly is. They didn't just change the landscape, like building an artificial island out of dirt in a bay; The powers of darkness are actively forcing reality to be like this, against its nature. The Digital World is straining to return to its natural state, and will do so as soon as the obstruction is removed.

Like two north ends of a magnet being forced to touch each other by a Dark Master holding them together.

In the dub:

T.K.: Spiral Mountain's ocean is almost completely gone! Kari: But why? Gomamon: Maybe because we kicked its Dark Master's butt! Izzy: Quite interesting, but does this affect us? Tai: Absolutely! It changes everything; If we're going to get any surfing in, we'd better hurry! Joe: Those wimpy Dark Masters are no threat to Super Joe! Gatomon: That's the digi-tude I like to hear from you humans! Tai: ALRIGHT, LET'S GO!!! Joe, Gatomon, & Biyomon: YEAH!!!

The dub follows the script up through Gomamon's line, then decides that's all the exposition we really need to understand what the rules are and what our plan needs to be from here.

To be fair, they're not wrong. The original dialogue is a bit dry and over-explains things. "We defeated the Dark Master so his domain was purified," doesn't actually need three lines to comprehend.

Though it's amazing how erroneously unimpressed Izzy is. "Okay but does this really affect us?" asks the dub's pseudo-intellectual version of the character who routinely uses big words to explain the lore incorrectly, about a cornerstone victory in our mission.

Rallied up and ready to go fight the other Dark Masters, the kids--

Mimi: Wait!

Taichi: What are you doing? Yamato: Can't you tell? They're making graves. Taichi: Huh? Graves? Mimi: (points to far right grave) That's Whamon's grave. (Next to it) That one's Piccolomon's. (far left) That one's Chuumon's. (lays hands on the one she's building) And this one is for Wizarmon. Sora: (solemnly) All of them were destroyed while trying to help us. Tailmon: They all died. You could say they were sacrifices to our cause. Taichi: Then we need to ganbaru for their sakes too!

Taichi tries to use ganbaru, the Japanese cultural value of perseverance through great hardship via hard work and diligence, to revive the gung-ho atmosphere he'd had going a moment ago. But his eagerness to rally the troops causes Mimi's boiling emotions to escalate.

Taichi: We must completely and utterly destroy our enemy! Mimi: I won't. Taichi: (surprised) What did you say? Mimi: I WON'T DO THIS ANYMORE!!! WHY DO WE HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING!?!? Taichi: What are you talking about!? We have to avenge their deaths! Mimi: STOP IT!!!

Mimi has never wanted to be part of this. She's never been comfortable with the lengths they've had to go to for survival, and she's never liked all the violence. From the beginning of them being "chosen", all she's ever wanted was to go home.

Now, in the middle of grieving for their dead, Taichi starts talking about how we need to kick in the door and go shoot up our enemies, damn the consequences, and Mimi breaks completely.

The dub can't exactly disguise what Mimi's doing. It's pretty obvious what she's making. There's no talking around that.

Mimi: Wait! We're not through here yet. Tai: Mimi? What are you doing? Matt: In case you haven't noticed, some of our friends are gone. Tai: Oh. ...sorry. Mimi: (points to far right grave) That one is to remember Wizardmon. (Next to it) The one next to it is for Piximon. (far left) That one's Chuumon. (lays hands on the one she's building) And this one here is for Whamon. Sora: Mimi, they're not dead. It's more like they've been downloaded to a different computer. Gatomon: That's right. We're digital. Our information just gets reconfigured.

They can, however, deny that the character deaths are in any way meaningful and browbeat Mimi for overreacting. Thanks, I hate it.

Interesting choice to swap Whamon and WIzardmon's graves, though. They probably wanted Whamon's to be the one closest to Mimi, that she rests her hands on and later cries over, given how fresh that wound is. I agree with that change.

Tai: What better reason do we need to get the Dark Masters? Payback for making our friends leave! Mimi: I'm not going! Tai: Huh!? What did you say!? Mimi: I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!! EVERY TIME WE FIGHT, WE WIND UP LOSING ANOTHER FRIEND!!! Tai: This is war, Mimi, and sometimes people we like get hurt, so DEAL WITH IT!!! Mimi: STOP IT, TAI!!!

:-O

Gonna be honest, based on how previous episodes have handled Taichi's flaws, I fully expected them to dial back Tai's unhelpful aggressiveness here. Nope! He legit tells Mimi "People die in war; Fucking deal with it!" Holy shit. Holy shit.

While Mimi's breaking down, Yamato cuts in on her behalf.

Yamato: TAICHI!!! Try to consider other people's feelings for a change! Taichi: Huh? What do you mean? Yamato: What you said is right, I'll give you that. Taichi: ... (confused) Yamato: But just because it's right, that doesn't mean we can all shove our feelings down and just do it! Taichi: (small gasp) ... Takeru: Onii-chan! Yamato: We all know that we need to keep moving forward! (Voice breaks, getting emotional) But there are times when you have to stop and remember what we've lost, aren't there?

We cut to a wide shot of the group, with Mimi both visibly and audibly crying for the entire rest of this conversation.

Mimi: (crying) Taichi: If we're always stopping to do that then we won't have time to save the world! Yamato: WE KNOW THAT!!! But... Sora: Hey, can we stop this? Everybody's upset. Palmon: (hugs Mimi) Don't cry, Mimi. Jou: We're too exposed out here. Let's move somewhere safer.

Sora steps in to be the peacemaker as usual, and bottle back up the boiling tensions that have been growing between Taichi and Yamato for months. Then Jou steps up to be the senpai and get everyone moving out of the open, and all of this hostility and intense emotion is pushed aside.

For now.

In the dub:

Matt: Enough! Why don't you stop and think about other people's feelings for a change! Tai: Huh!? What are you talking about!? Matt: We all know you're right, Tai, but just give us a little space! Tai: Huh? Matt: We miss our friends who fought alongside of us! Not everyone has ice running through their veins like you do! Tai: Wha--? T.K.: Calm down! Matt: You're so busy looking forward that you never take time to look back! We've lost some good friends here, Tai, and it's nice to remember them once in a while! Tai: If we always stop to do that, we'll never have enough time to save the world! Matt: You still don't get it! I know you hear me, but you're not listening! Mimi: (starts crying) Sora: STOP IT!!! You're making everyone upset! You two are supposed to be friends! Palmon: Don't cry, Mimi! Joe: We're sitting ducks out here. Let's find someplace a little less out in the open.

A while back, I talked about how Japanese aggressive language tends to attack someone's actions or words while English prefers to attack the person directly. We see a good example of that here.

Yamato: "Your words are correct but are spoken without consideration for others' feelings!" Matt: "You have ice in your veins!"

These are the same sentiment but expressed differently. Yamato attacks the thoughtless words that Taichi's been speaking while Matt attacks Tai personally.

In any case, I do think Yamato's in the right here. Taichi is correct in the big picture that defeating the remaining Dark Masters must be the goal. However, the kids are not mindless soldier drones; They're real people, children even, with real feelings that they need time to process. They have to be able to stop for a moment to breathe, and to mourn their fallen.

Also, Taichi made my kid cry so off the cliff he goes. Koushiro can relate.

The dub's take on this argument is... complicated. On the one hand, they made a point that nobody died and Mimi's overreacting, which weakens Matt's position. But the subtext is nonetheless clear, and Tai yelled at Mimi to suck it up and deal with wartime casualties so his thoughtlessness is still on full display.

The kids make their way into what is clearly Vamdemon's woods, or was once upon a time before Spiral Mountain.

They walk in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Taichi: (thinking) Could I have been wrong? Yamato: (thinking) Do we really have no choice but to keep moving like this? Without ever stopping to rest? Takeru: (thinking) Onii-chan, why are you acting like this? Koushiro: (thinking) If this keeps up, our loyalty to each other will break down. I have to do something. Jou: (thinking) I need to find a place where we can stop and take a break. Sora: (thinking) Everybody's tired. Hikari: Onii-chan? Taichi: ...

Even when Hikari speaks up, calling out to Taichi, he walks on in silence and ignores her. This team is at its breaking point.

Mimi doesn't share any thoughts, but group shots show her walking with a hand over her eye. We can't hear her anymore, but she still seems to be crying.

In the dub:

Tai: (thinking) I'm not as cold as Matt thinks, am I? Matt: (thinking) Maybe I was a little too rough on Tai, but he's gotta respect our feelings! T.K.: (thinking) I've never seen Matt so upset before. Izzy: (thinking) This is terrible. We should be concentrating on fighting our enemies, not each other. Joe: (thinking) I just know they're all thinking about me! That's why no one's talking! Sora: (thinking) Everyone's so tired and cranky. Hikari: You okay? Tai: ....

Matt softens up a bit in the dub, though he still doubles down on his position like Yamato does all the same.

Jou, meanwhile, has another senpai moment turn into a laugh line about what a tool Joe is. Joe, what possible reason could you have for thinking that any of this is about you? You had one line in the argument and it was "We should get moving."

Suddenly, Hikari notices something. She stops walking, looking around the twisted woods around them.

Hikari: ... (Hikari hangs back) Tailmon: What's wrong, Hikari? Hikari: Did you hear something just now? Tailmon: Like what? Hikari: You didn't hear something like a voice? Tailmon: Like a voice? No, I didn't. Hikari: Oh.... Tailmon: We should catch up before we lose sight of the others! Hikari: Okay!

We're given no audio cues of any kind to indicate what Hikari heard. There is a sound, but it's a sharp SUSPENSE tone that plays when something startling or unexpected occurs.

We hear nothing in the dub either, though she has a bigger reaction to it. They replace the suspense tone with Kari herself making startled mouth noises.

Kari: Whuh!? (Kari hangs back) Gatomon: Why'd you stop, Kari? Kari: Did you hear a noise just now? Gatomon: What kind of noise? Kari: You mean you didn't hear someone speaking just a second ago? Gatomon: You mean a voice? No, I didn't hear anything at all. Kari: Weird. Gatomon: Come on, let's get back to the others. There's safety in numbers. Kari: (affirmative) Hm.

All in all, a pretty faithful translation.

Hikari hurries to catch up but, unbeknownst to the group, they're being monitored.

Taichi: (angry) Where did you go!? Hikari: I thought I heard something, but it was just my imagination. Taichi: It's dangerous, so don't wander off on your own! Hikari: Mm, okay.

While Taichi's scolding Hikari, we pan out to see that they're being monitored on a security screen.

Pinocchimon: They need to hurry up and get here! I'm getting tired of waiting for them.... Kiwimon: Well, they are human children. Pinocchimon: Ugh, honestly, they're so slow!

Pinocchimon presses a button on a remote in his hand, causing a conveyor belt beneath the children's feet to activate. It rushes them on ahead, startling everyone.

Taichi: Huh? What the...? Hikari: The scenery's rushing past us. Kids: EHHHHH!?!? Jou: WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?!? Koushiro: The ground we're standing on is moving forward! Pinochimon: (in his room) There! I'm such a good host!

Nothing suspicious or dangerous about this whatsoever!

...maybe we could have stood to take our rest back at the graves.

In the dub:

Tai: (angry) Where were you two!? Kari: I thought I heard something but it was just my imagination. Tai: It's dangerous out here, so stay with the group. Kari: Okay, I'm sorry. (Pan out through security monitor into Puppetmon's place) Puppetmon: If these kids take any longer to get here, I will develop wood rot! Kiwimon: Have patience; Rome wasn't built in a day. Puppetmon: Yeah, but I was, and I'm tired of waiting! (Remote beep; Ground starts moving for the kids) Tai: Huh!? What's this!? Kari: Why are the trees running so fast!? Kids: AHHHHHHHHH!!! Joe: WHAT IS GOING ONE!?!? Izzy: THINGS AREN'T MOVING FASTER; WE ARE!!! THE GROUND WE'RE STANDING ON IS ACCELERATING!!! Puppetmon: This is more fun than the time I was fumigated for termites!

The dub's having a lot of fun making wood jokes with Puppetmon. Though the second one doesn't really make sense in context; Puppetmon was not built in a day. He's a Mega Digimon; It took a long time and a lot of hard work to become a Puppetmon.

Kiwimon's original voice performance is young and boyish, similar to Pinocchimon's. Dub Kiwimon is a stuffy old English butler, like Puppetmon's very own Alfred.

Now that the Chosen Children are on their way at turbo speed, it's time to figure out what sort of games Pinocchimon's going to play with them.

Pinocchimon: When those kids get here, what should we play with? Let's see....

Pinocchimon digs through his toy box before pulling out a revolver.

Pinocchimon: Aha! Check this out! A .44 Magnum. It's really destructive! (holds up a bullet) And this is a dumdum bullet! (loads it) When you shoot someone with this, you can see right through their stomach!

Demonstrating zero muzzle discipline whatsoever, Pinocchimon levels the gun straight at Kiwimon with his finger on the trigger.

"Dumdum bullet" is a way of saying it's an expanding bullet; One that's designed to expand on impact and create a much larger wound than a normal bullet would. Hollow points are a well-known type of dumdum bullet.

In the dub:

Puppetmon: (digging through toy box) Now, where did I put those dolls? I haven't seen some of these toys since I was a sapling!

That's it. That's all you're getting. He makes another wood joke and then we cut the fuck out of there before he finds what he's looking for. You can feel the censors screaming "ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!"

I have no doubts that this episode made at least a couple people on the dub team cry.

Incidentally, as a Wind Guardian, Puppetmon's "In-Training" form would have been a Yokomon. So he was, indeed, a sapling at one point. That joke checks out.

Meanwhile, the children try jumping off the track they're on to avoid whatever's waiting up ahead.

Taichi: Jump off to the side!

They jump off into the grass to their side, but then that grass starts moving instead of the conveyor. There's no getting out of this.

Koushiro: NOW THIS ONE'S MOVING!!! Sora: Hey, where do you think this is taking us? Yamato: Where else? The enemy must be waiting up ahead! Takeru: Oh no! Jou: We can't just let ourselves fall into the enemy's hands! Taichi: You're right....

Meanwhile, Pinocchimon's still digging through his toy chest. He takes out a long-range grabbing toy.

Pinocchimon: They still aren't here yet!?

Pinocchimon extends the toy, grabbing Kiwimon's head. Kiwimon pays it no mind.

Kiwimon: Pinocchimon-sama, there's no sign of the children anywhere. Pinocchimon: WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!?

Pinocchimon yanks Kiwimon offscreen, with comical crashing sound effect, then rushes over to see the monitor himself. Sure enough, the children are gone.

Pinocchimon: HUH!?!? W-WHY!?!?

Panicking Pinocchimon pulls out his remote and flips frantically through surveillance feeds, but can't find the children on any of them. We don't see for ourselves but, from audio, it seems that at some point he starts swapping through actual Japanese television channels rather than his security feeds.

Cutting back to the Children, we see they're actually still where we left them, right next to the edge where the currently moving grass chunk connects to the conveyor walkway. But they've climbed the trees and gotten out of sight.

Sora: I wonder if one of the Dark Masters is here. Koushiro: That seems likely. Jou: We were walking straight towards the enemy this whole time! Taichi: But we have to face them at some point anyway. It's the same result either way! Yamato: (angry) We all know that! You didn't have to say it, you know! Takeru: Onii-chan! Don't start fighting! Yamato: (softens) Takeru....

We may have had a momentary ceasefire, but things still aren't settled between Taichi and Yamato.

In the dub:

Tai: We've gotta jump off! (The kids jump, only for that chunk to start moving) Izzy: Now this part's moving! Sora: Obviously, someone's trying to get us somewhere and in a big hurry. Matt: I bet you're right. Why do I get the feeling that someone's not too friendly? T.K.: Oh no! Joe: This is the first time I've ever been carsick without a car! Tai: I've got a plan!

Joe's participation in this conversation is reduced to him whining about his poor constitution again, and the dub credits Tai for single-handedly coming up with the tree-climb escape.

Puppetmon: This one's always good for a few laughs. (Puppetmon long-range grabs Kiwimon) Kiwimon: Master!? Yes, that's very entertaining, Lord Puppetmon, but there's no sign of the children. (Puppetmon yanks Kiwimon offscreen and replaces him) Puppetmon: WHAT!?!? They were here a second ago! Where are they!? (beep) Not here... (beep) Not here! I need a new cable company!

Despite "I need a new cable company" being a perfect setup for the TV channel gag, it doesn't happen in this version. All we hear is the beeps from his remote while he flicks through the feeds.

Sora: I have a hunch that one of the Dark Masters is behind all this. Izzy: I bet you're right. Joe: We have to do something! I say we either keep going or we build a nest! Tai: Well, I say we have to fight whoever it is sooner or later, so let's get to it! Matt: Oh, come on! Again with the fighting? Why don't you just go to a neutral corner or something! T.K.: Come on, Matt; Please stop fighting. Matt: You keep out of this!

Yamato's problem is that Taichi's vocal eagerness to fight is insensitive to everybody else's feelings. He doesn't disagree that we do have to fight them but he doesn't like the blunt way Taichi expresses it; He doesn't like that Taichi seems almost excited to be walking into a trap, seeing it not as any kind of danger but as an opportunity to throw hands with the next Dark Master.

Taichi's position right now is basically Guardians 3 Star-Lord. "It's not a trap if you know the trapper's trying to trap you; Then it's a face off!"

Matt in this scene seems to be disagreeing with even fighting the Dark Masters at all? That's a sentiment Mimi expressed when she was breaking down, but that's not Yamato's position. Also, he snaps at T.K. to shut up, which is a pretty significant dialogue change to make him look even worse than his altered argument does.

Yamato backs off at Takeru's behest, but Taichi keeps pushing.

Taichi: If we stay in hiding, we'll end up getting slaughtered. We should go straight to where the enemy is! Yamato: Hold on a second! Takeru: Onii-chan!

Suddenly, Taichi flickers out of existence, as if teleported.

Yamato: Taichi disappeared! Hikari: Onii-chan! Koromon: TAICHI!!! Jou: Where did he go!? (vanishing sound effect; pan over to the others) Sora: Mimi-chan disappeared too! Palmon: Mimi, where are you!? (Sora and Koushiro disappear) Piyomon: Sora!? Tentomon: Ah, Koushiro-han is gone too! (Jou and Hikari vanish) Gomamon: Jou!? Tailmon: Hikari! Takeru: Everyone disappeared!

Suddenly and without warning, Takeru and Yamato are the only ones left in the tree. Well, them and all of the Digimon.

In the dub:

Tai: Alright, Matt, let's try it your way. We'll stay up here and wait for the enemy to get us! Matt: That's not what I meant! T.K.: Stop it, Matt! (Tai vanishes) Matt: Where'd Tai go!? He disappeared! Kari: Did he fall!? Koromon: Oh no! Joe: He vanished into thin air! (vanishing sound effect; pan over to the others) Sora: Look! Now Mimi's gone! Palmon: Mimi, come back! (Sora and Izzy disappear) Piyomon: Sora!? Tentomon: Maybe their screensavers are on sleep! (Joe and Kari vanish) Gomamon: Joe! Tailmon: Kari! T.K.: Everybody's disappeared but us!

Not sure what Tentomon's joke here is supposed to mean, but otherwise pretty faithful.

The kids re-emerge in pairs throughout the forest, in the order they disappeared.

Taichi and Mimi appear together.

Taichi: What the--!? Mimi: EHHH!?!?

Sora and Koushiro appear together, with Koushiro standing on a log.

Sora: W-What just happened? Koushiro: The enemy must be behind this.

Jou and Hikari appear together, with Jou appearing in a pool of mud which splashes all over him. Because fate is unkind to our poor put-upon senpai.

Jou: WAAAUGH!!! It's cold.... Hikari: ...Tailmon?

While Yamato and Takeru remain in the tree, untransported.

Yamato: They're gone! Takeru: Why? How did this happen? Yamato: I don't know. The enemy must have done something to them.

In the dub:

(Tai and Mimi appear) Tai: Ah! What's going on!? Mimi: OH!?!? (Sora and Izzy appear) Sora: Huh!? How'd we get over here!? Izzy: We've been transported! (Joe and Kari appear) Joe: WAAAUGH!!! I hate mud. Kari: GATOMON!!! (Matt and T.K. remain) Matt: I think it's over! T.K.: But now we're separated from everyone else! Matt: Don't worry; We'll be alright without the others. Especially Tai!

Two separate characters speculating that the Dark Masters are doing this have their lines changed. This hits Matt the hardest, as his replacement line is incredibly spiteful.

Unsure of what's going on, Yamato turns his attention to what matters most to him.

Yamato: Takeru. Takeru: What? Yamato: I'll do whatever it takes to protect you, so stay close to me. Takeru: Onii-chan, we only made it this far by working as a team. So why do you keep giving me special treatment? Yamato: ...Takeru...? Takeru: (hurt) I've been fighting right there beside the rest of you this whole time! Haven't I? Am I just a burden to you? Onii-chan, are you saying you'll protect me because you see me as unreliable? Yamato: Takeru, that's not what I meant... I... What I wanted to say was.... Takeru: What? Yamato: (thinking) I... I....

This has been a long-time coming, since all the way back on File Island. It has its roots all the way back in the Seadramon episode, when Yamato wanted to remove the bones from Takeru's fish but Taichi taught Takeru to do it himself. Takeru feels infantilized by Yamato's treatment, and is finally confronting Yamato about it.

In the dub, this comes on the heels of Matt saying they're better off on their own and to screw the others, so the vibe is different.

Matt: T.K.? T.K.: Yeah? Matt: Just stick close to me and I'll protect you no matter what happens! T.K.: Listen, Matt. The only reason we got this far is because we worked as a team. Each one of us has played a part along the way in keeping us together, including Tai! Matt: But I...! T.K.: (angry) And I don't need you to protect me all the time, neither! If you haven't noticed, I've grown up a lot! I've fought alongside you guys since the beginning and I've always held my own! Matt: T.K., that's not what I meant. What I... What I wanted to say was.... T.K.: What? Matt: (thinking) I'm pushing everyone away!

This is meant to be a close, personal moment about the long-running wedge that's been growing between the brothers. The dub makes it about Matt failing to appreciate the contributions of Tai and the rest of their group, including T.K.'s.

It still makes time for T.K. to bring up Matt's behavior, but that's not the focus of the scene. And T.K. furiously yells at Matt about it, rather than the more sensitive and wounded tone he takes during the original confrontation.

Cut to Pinocchimon in his room. He's laid out a crudely drawn forest map, using dolls of the kids for the teleportation trick. Those are the dolls he was looking for in the dub, before they cut the parts with the gun.

Pinocchimon: (singing) One, two, and three have disappeared~! Pinocchimon: Hey, Kiwimon! This is taking too long. I should just kill them all. Kiwimon: Then you won't have anyone left to play with. Pinocchimon: I guess you're right.

Taking aim with his slingshot, Pinocchimon shoots Jou's doll in the stomach, knocking it over. The real Jou grabs his stomach and screams in agony, falling into the mud from the force of Pinocchimon's shot.

Hikari: JOU-SAN!!! Pinocchimon: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Watching through the monitor, Pinocchimon cracks up laughing at Jou's agony.

Hikari: Jou-san, are you okay? Jou: My stomach suddenly.... Hikari: Does your stomach hurt? Jou: I've been shot in the stomach! Hikari: EHHH!?!?

The dub changes up Puppetmon's sing-song to something that will better rhyme in English.

Puppetmon: (singing) One, two, three, you're still in the tree~! Puppetmon: ...y'know, Kiwimon, this isn't as much fun as I thought it would be. I should just destroy them all. Kiwimon: Then you won't have anyone left to play with. Puppetmon: Good point! (Puppetmon shoots Joe, who falls down screaming) Kari: JOE!!! Puppetmon: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Kari: Joe, are you alright!? Joe: My stomach...! Kari: What's wrong? Does it hurt? Joe: No! I'm just doing this 'cause it's fun! Kari: JOE!!!

Even with a slingshot, they seem reluctant to let Joe state he's been shot. Joe sarcastically quips instead. Solid sarcastic quip, though. Perfectly suits the tone.

Pinocchimon has some more ideas to play around with the children.

Pinocchimon: I think I'll try this next... Take this... And this... And do this!

Pinocchimon swaps Taichi and Jou's dolls, causing them to teleport into each other's places.

Hikari: (Taichi appears) Onii-chan! Mimi: (Jou appears) What's going on!? Pinocchimon: Then I do this.... (Pinocchimon swaps Hikari for Sora) Taichi: Hikari! Again!? Koushiro: (sees Hikari appear) Hikari-san! Hikari: Koushiro-san! Where am I? Pinocchimon: And when I do this....

Pinocchimon turns Taichi's doll upside-down and bops his head on the ground. The same happens to Taichi.

Sora: T-Taichi!? Taichi: AUGH!!!

He swaps Yamato in the tree for Koushiro, then swaps Takeru for Mimi.

Koushiro: Mimi-san!

Then he picks up Takeru's doll and tickles him in the belly.

Pinocchimon: TICKLE TICKLE TICKLE TICKLE TICKLE!!! Takeru: (laughing hysterically and flailing in midair) (Takeru's set back down on the ground) Jou: Are you okay, Takeru-ku--WAUGH!!! (Jou vanishes, replaced by Yamato) Takeru: Onii-chan! Yamato: Takeru! (hug)

In the dub:

Puppetmon: I've got a new game I want to play! Come here! You too! (Puppetmon swaps Tai and Joe) Kari: (Tai appears; sarcastic) Oh, brother. Mimi: (Joe appears) AHH!!! STOP MOVING!!! Puppetmon: This is like playing chess with the DigiDestined! Tai: Kari! Kari: HELP!!! (vanishes, replaced by Sora) Izzy: (Kari appears) Fascinating! Kari: Maybe for you! Where are we? Puppetmon: We've reached the turning point! (turns Tai upside-down and bops him) Sora: Impossible! Tai: Ugh! (Matt and T.K. exchanged for Izzy and Mimi) Izzy: (Mimi appears) Welcome back! Puppetmon: (tickles T.K.) Coochie-coochie-coo! T.K.: (laughing hysterically and flailing in midair) (T.K.'s set back down on the ground) Joe: I don't know what's so funny but this is no laughing ma-- (Joe vanishes, replaced by Matt) T.K.: Matt, you're back! Matt: T.K.! (hug)

Most of this scene is the kids flailing and yelling each other's names so it'd be hard to get wrong. The dub has some good bits in it. I like Izzy's "Fascinating...." when he sees Kari pop up, and having Joe cut off mid-complaint was also pretty fun.

While the children are being teleported around left and right, the Digimon remain up in the tree.

Piyomon: Where did everybody go? Tailmon: We're no help up here. Let's go search for them! Patamon: Got it! I'll go find Takeru! Mimi: (quietly) ...I'm going to wait here.... Koromon: Koushiro! You stay here with Mimi! Koushiro: Understood. Please find everyone else. Digimon: ON IT!!!

The Digimon leap down from the tree, heading into the forest to find their Partners.

Meanwhile, in Pinocchimon's room, he's making choices. On the surveillance monitor, he's zoomed in on Takeru.

Pinocchimon: I think I'll play with this one first. He looks fun to pick on! Kiwimon: Shall I retrieve him? Pinocchimon: Nah. I'll go get him myself.

Pinocchimon slides down the fireman's pole in his room to the ground floor, then sprints out the front door, eager to acquire his new toy.

In the dub:

Biyomon: You know, I'm getting tired of doing nothing. Gatomon: I won't be some cat stuck in a tree! Let's go look for them. Patamon: Good idea. I'll start by looking for T.K.! Mimi: Oh, this is awful! Koromon: You said it! How could it get any worse? (Cracking sound) Izzy: I'll tell you how! The branches are starting to crack! Digimon: AHHHHH!!! (leap down from the tree) Patamon: They should learn to fly.

A small change: Tailmon takes charge of the Digimon in this scene, demonstrating her maturity and headstrong confidence. The dub lets Biyomon be the one to broach the topic of taking action, though Gatomon's still the one who cements it into a plan.

The more glaring change is Mimi and Koushiro. Mimi refuses to leave the tree, finally delivering the first significant line she's had since she broke down crying at the graves of Whamon and the others. It's a reminder that she is, at this point, utterly traumatized into inaction.

Which the Digimon accept without question, charging Koushiro to watch over her while they go into the fray.

The dub swaps that out for a more generic "This is awful", offering no reason why Mimi and Izzy would remain in the tree - especially after adding in that the branches are all about to break? Weird-ass choice.

Puppetmon: I think I found a new toy to play with. He looks very easy to scare. Kiwimon: You want me to get him for you? Puppetmon: No! I'll get this one myself!

That part's pretty faithful.

We go to a commercial break from here and come back to Yamato checking on Takeru.

Yamato: Takeru, are you okay? Takeru: Uh, I think so, but I suddenly felt something tickling me and I couldn't stop laughing. Maybe something's wrong with me. Yamato: Are you sure you're not hurt? Takeru: Hey, stop worrying about me so much! I can take care of myself now! Yamato: Takeru.... Pinocchimon: (singing in the distance) Let's play~!

Yamato stands up quickly. He and Takeru frantically scan the woods around them.

Takeru: Who's that? Pinocchimon: (slightly closer) Let's play~! Yamato: Takeru, be careful! Pinocchimon: (very close) Let's play~! Takeru: (thinking) The voice is getting closer....

Suddenly, Pinocchimon claps his hands over Takeru's eyes from behind. Takeru reacts quickly, grabbing the hands and shoving them away, then sprinting forward and whipping around as soon as he's free from Pinocchimon's grasp.

Pinocchimon backflips away from Takeru, landing a short distance away and raising his hands.

Pinocchimon: Let's play! Takeru: You're....

Before Takeru can finish that thought, Yamato steps between them.

Yamato: Just try and lay a finger on Takeru again! I'll make you regret it!

In the dub:

Matt: T.K., are you alright? T.K.: I guess so! But I felt like something was tickling me and I couldn't stop laughing! I wonder if there's something wrong with me? Matt: Are you sure you're not hurt? T.K.: Hey! Stop being so worried about me! I told you before that I know how to take care of myself! Matt: (startled) Okay! Puppetmon: (singing in the distance) Hey T.K.! (slightly closer) Whaddya sa~ay! Matt: T.K., stay close. Puppetmon: (Very close) Time to pla~ay? T.K.: (thinking) Sounds like the voice is getting closer! (Puppetmon puts his hands over T.K.'s eyes; T.K. forces him off) Puppetmon: TIME TO PLAY!!! T.K.: It's you! Matt: (steps between) Keep your hands off my brother, Puppetmon, or I'll chop you into firewood!

I like Puppetmon's sing-song here. Good creepy rhyming scheme. Pinocchimon's steady repetition of the same singsong notes getting closer and closer also works for creepiness factor. They both handled that well.

Matt's "chop you into firewood" crack is my favorite of the wood jokes thus far.

Despite Yamato's attempt to intervene, Pinocchimon isn't interested in him. He continues to address Takeru directly.

Pinocchimon: So your name is Takeru. Hey, join me in a game of war. Takeru: A game? Like... just pretend? Pinocchimon: That's right. Here, I'll let you use this.

Pinocchimon holds up an uzi, then tosses it over to Takeru. Takeru catches it with both hands.

Takeru: I-It's heavy....

He drops the gun causing it to misfire and let off a few rounds. Takeru screams, flailing to stay out of its firing line until it stops.

Takeru: TH-THIS IS A REAL GUN!!! I'D DIE IF I PLAYED WITH THIS THING!!! Pinocchimon: OF COURSE!!! Dying for real is what makes the game fun! But don't worry, I won't let you die that easily. It'd be pretty boring if you died right away.

Natsuko has educated her son well about the dangers of being reckless around firearms.

Fucking viruses, y'all.

In the dub, Puppetmon talks to Matt instead of ignoring him and addressing T.K. directly.

Puppetmon: Aww, come on. All I wanted to do was play a little game of War with T.K.! T.K.: Oh? Play? You mean, like, pretend?

Then they cut the entire bit with the uzi and skip to Pinocchimon's response to Takeru's outrage.

Puppetmon: BUT OF COURSE!!! At least, in the beginning, it will be make-believe anyway! But then it's BYE-BYE!!! And it will be time to destroy you for real. If I got rid of you now, I'd have no fun!

So, obviously, the key difference between versions here is that Takeru did not accidentally misfire a machine gun.

As a small characterization note, Puppetmon doesn't quite grasp the idea that playing and killing are the same; He draws a clear line between the two.

Obviously, Yamato has some concerns about all of this.

Yamato: Takeru! Don't listen to him! Pinocchimon: YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!!!

Pinocchimon throws a red ball at Yamato, which explodes into ribbons to bind him.

Yamato: This...! Takeru: ONII-CHAN!!!

He tries to remain on his feet, but topples over after a second and falls forward into the dirt.

Takeru: ONII-CHAAAAN!!! Pinocchimon: Now, let's get going! Takeru: NO!!! Pinocchimon: You refuse? Hmm... It won't be any fun if you won't come, so... (points at Yamato) Maybe I'll just kill him instead. Takeru: Ah! Pinocchimon: Well...? Takeru: You can't! Pinocchimon: Then you're coming? Yamato: TAKERU!!! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!!! Pinocchimon: Shut up!!!

Pinocchimon summons some extra ribbons to bind Yamato's mouth, so he can no longer participate in this conversation he wasn't invited to.

Pinocchimon: So, what do you say?

Takeru kneels down and picks up the discarded uzi from the ground.

Takeru: I'll go. I just have to come with you, right? Pinocchimon: That's what I wanted to hear!

Pinocchimon leads the way, while Yamato strains against his bonds and tries to talk through the muffling ribbons.

In the dub:

Matt: T.K., he's just trying to scare you! Don't listen to him! Puppetmon: DON'T LIE TO HIM OR YOUR NOSE WILL GROW!!! (Puppetmon ties Matt up in ribbons) Matt: I CAN'T MOVE NOW!!! T.K.: Are you okay!? (Matt falls down) T.K.: MATT!!! Puppetmon: Now, shall we get going? T.K.: Forget it! Puppetmon: You don't want to? Hmm... Well, if you don't come with me, it's no fun! (points at Matt) Maybe instead I'll destroooooy... your brother! Whaddya say? T.K.: Okay, I'll come! Puppetmon: That's a good boy! Matt: T.K., it's a trap! Run away now while you still can! Puppetmon: Shut up! (Puppetmon gags Matt) Puppetmon: So, is it a deal?

Unsurprisingly, they cut the shot of Takeru picking up the uzi and have Puppetmon keep speaking.

Puppetmon: We'll have lots of fun! Hehehehehe.... (walks off)

"Don't lie or your nose will grow" is a solid reference to Puppetmon's inspiration. I like that line.

Though the original "Stay out of this!" bit speaks to the core of this scene; Emphasizing that this is strictly between Takeru and Pinocchimon, and that Yamato's participation is unwelcome. This plays to the conflict between Yamato and Takeru.

Super weird delivery on "I'll destroy your brother," as sometimes happens when English lines have to shore up to lip flaps that were originally delivering Japanese dialogue.

Matt yelling "It's a trap" is hilarious. OH REALLY? Evil Pinocchio saying "Come play a game with me and I'll kill you when it's done" is a trap? You think so? I dunno. I like the cut of his jib.

Matt is yelling the blindingly obvious, but that works for me because it conveys his lack of trust in T.K. Pinocchimon's standing there with a neon sign that says "COME ENJOY MY TRAP" and Matt doesn't think T.K. can tell that the trap is, in fact, a trap.

Takeru follows Pinocchimon to his mansion, and playtime begins.

In a clear reference to the James Bond franchise, we look down the barrel of Pinocchimon's revolver while he sweeps it around the room, passing Takeru first but then going back for him. Takeru sets the uzi down helplessly on the ground when he realizes he's been made.

Pinocchimon: There you are! BANG!!!

Takeru flinches as if he'd been shot.

Pinocchimon: Hurry up and run; This is getting boring. Takeru: O-Okay!

Leaving the uzi behind, Takeru runs off deeper into the house.

Most of this does not make it into the dub. We hear Puppetmon's voice overlaid against an exterior shot of his house.

Puppetmon: Now you hide and I'll seek and destroy!

Followed by T.K. running for his life down the hallway. They also cut a shot from later of T.K. running up the stairs back in the foyer, with some direct editing done to paint over the revolver in Puppetmon's hand.

Puppetmon: That's good! Keep running! You make the game interesting!

Sprinting down the hall of Pinocchimon's mansion, Takeru looks for a place to hide.

Inside the room down the hall, Mushroomon and Blossomon can hear Takeru's footsteps.

Blossomon: Someone's coming. Mushroomon: Wonder who it is? Blossomon: Must be Pinocchimon-sama's new toy.

Takeru throws open the door and hides inside the room with them. Seeing the two Digimon inside, he doesn't really know what to say.

Takeru: U-Um....

He ignores them and then races around behind a shelf before peeking out.

Takeru: H-Hey, don't tell anyone I'm hiding here, okay?

Before the pair can even say anything, the door opens again. Pinocchimon enters the room.

Pinocchimon: Hey, did Takeru come in here? Blossomon: Takeru? Oh, if you mean that human boy, he's hiding behind the shelves. Pinocchimon: Really? Great!

Pinocchimon runs around to the shelves, then levels his gun at the gap, but Takeru is nowhere to be found.

Pinocchimon: Hands up! ...huh? He's not here? Mushroomon: WHAT!? THAT CAN'T BE!!! WE JUST SAW HIM!!!

Mushroomon and Blossomon run forward to see for themselves. Behind them, in the background, Takeru can be seen creeping around the wall to take cover behind the door.

Pinocchimon: LIARS!!!

Pinocchimon furiously lets out two shots, executing them both. Mushroomon and Blossomon disintegrate into pixels.

(Blossomon was a Perfect so, y'know, holy shit. Hollow-point ammunition is no joke.)

Pinocchimon: They make me so mad! (Takeru suddenly sprints out the door) Pinocchimon: Ah! There you are!

Then we get the shot the dub already used, of Takeru running up the stairs from the foyer.

Pinocchimon: (pursuing) Heading upstairs?

Takeru demonstrating how capable he is in this scene. Not only evading Pinocchimon in this closed room, but even outwitting two henchmon that would have spoiled his escape.

In the dub:

Blossomon: Hey, someone's coming! Mushroomon: Who could it be? Blossomon: Sounds to me like Lord Puppetmon has found a new play toy! (T.K. enters the room) T.K.: Oh, hi there! ...bye! (T.K. hides behind the shelf) T.K.: By the way, I'm hiding back here so don't say anything, 'kay? Mushroomon: No problem. (Puppetmon enters with his gun painted over) Puppetmon: Hey, you guys; You didn't happen to see a little kid run back here, did ya? He's got a green hat and a backpack. Blossomon: No, we didn't see anything like that, boss. Mushroomon: All we saw was a kid wearing a backpack and a green hat. He's hiding over there. Puppetmon: LOSERS!!!

They cut up the footage on Mushroomon and Blossomon's lines, so they can show as little of Puppetmon holding gun-shaped air as possible. They splice in close-ups of Mushroomon and Blossomon's faces for their lines.

Then, on "LOSERS", a super close-up of Puppetmon running through the hall edited to only show him from shoulders up replaces the actual footage of him jogging across the room and trying to ambush Takeru.

We rejoin the real footage at the shot of the empty space behind the shelves, since Pinocchimon's facing away for that and the gun is out-of-frame.

Puppetmon: Come out, come out wherever you are! Especially if you're behind the door. (Takeru runs out the door) Puppetmon: Aha!

Once he finds the space behind the shelf empty, the rest of this scene is cut. Blossomon and Mushroomon simply cease existing between shots and we go straight to Takeru running out the door.

Out in the woods, Patamon discovers Pinocchimon's mansion.

Patamon: What's a building doing out here? Maybe Takeru is in there!

Patamon goes in to investigate.

Inside the house, Takeru slips into Pinocchimon's playroom, looking for a place to hide. He unknowingly steps on Pinocchimon's remote, turning on the moving walkways and bringing all the children outside to a centralized location; Even the tree Mimi and Koushiro are in.

Jou: What's going on here!?

The Digimon cheerfully run up, joining the group.

Digimon/Piyomon: (miscellaneous vocalizing of cheers) / Sora! Gabumon: (alarmed) Yamato!

Gabumon slashes open Yamato's bindings with his claws.

Yamato: Takeru! Pinocchimon got Takeru! Taichi: What!? Hikari: That's terrible! Sora: We have to save him! Taichi: Where did Pinocchimon take Takeru? Yamato: (voice breaks, grabs his head despondently) I don't know.... Taichi: PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, YAMATO!!! Koushiro: I'm sure the moving walkway we were on before must lead to Pinocchimon. Jou: Yeah, that's right! Koromon: LET'S GO LOOK FOR THAT WALKWAY!!! Taichi: Yes! Let's go, everyone!

Back at the graves was not the time for Taichi. But now is the time for Taichi. Bold and immediate action is demanded of this situation.

In the dub:

Patamon: Hey, look! A house in the middle of the forest! I wonder if anyone inside has seen T.K.? (T.K. accidentally brings everyone together outside) Joe: What's going on around here!? Digimon: (run up) YAY!!! Gabumon: (alarmed) Matt! (Gabumon cuts Matt loose) Matt: T.K.! T.K. was taken prisoner by Puppetmon! Tai: Puppetmon!? Kari: Oh no! Sora: We have to help him! Tai: Where'd that creepy little toothpick take T.K.!? Matt: (voice breaks, grabs his head despondently) I don't know...! Tai: GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, MATT!!! Izzy: It shouldn't be that difficult to find them. I'm sure that first road we were on leads directly to Puppetmon. Joe: Then we'll all be trapped! Koromon: It's worth it to save T.K.! Tai: I agree! Let's go get 'em!

Joe's last line is changed to make him look cowardly and reluctant, when he was agreeing with this plan in the original.

"Creepy little toothpick". They are not letting up with the wood jokes but, again, that's a good one. Nicely personalized insult for Evil Pinocchio.

I like it when writers come up with inhuman insults for inhuman characters.

With a plan made, Taichi and Koromon rally the team. But before they can set out, they're interrupted by a new contestant.

Taichi: What the--? Kiwimon: Pinocchimon-sama is enjoying his playtime. Please do not interfere.

Kiwimon is an Adult-stage Data-type Ancient Bird Digimon from the Wind Guardians lineup, evolved from a Floramon that's been well-cared for but poorly trained.

I. Um. I need us all to try and be very mature (snerk) about their special attack name. Okay? Can we be grown-ups about this? (haha)

Narrator: Kiwimon. An ancient Digimon who was once believed to be extinct. Despite being a bird-type Digimon, their wings have degenerated so they cannot fly. Their special attack is Little Pecker. Kiwimon: LITTLE PECKER!!!

Look, when they were giving the move its fancy exotic English Words name, they probably didn't know. It makes sense in context. But holy shit, that is not making it across the pond intact. XD

Little Pecker is one of those attacks that spawn mini-me's, like Dokugumon's itty-bitty mini-Dokugumon drones. Kiwimon spits a gatling gun of chibi Kiwimon bullets.

In the dub:

Tai: Who are you!? Kiwimon: No one may interfere with Master Puppetmon's playtime. You're all staying right here. Tentomon: (rundown) OH NO, IT'S KIWIMON!!! An ancient Digimon that was said to be extinct! Although he's a bird-type Digimon, his wings have degenerated so he can't fly! Kiwimon: PUMMEL PECK!!!

Between Bullet Hammer/Puppet Pummel and Little Pecker/Pummel Peck, "pummel" is becoming the go-to word for sweeping uncomfortable attack names under the rug.

Tentomon does a fantastic job with the diegetic rundown. Covers everything.

Koromon evolves to Agumon and the Digimon take turns firing off their attacks; Each shot destroying one of Kiwimon's Little Peckers. Meanwhile, Patamon enters Pinocchimon's estate through the window, entering his playroom.

Patamon: What's this? (picks up Pinocchimon's remote) What are these dolls for?

Patamon prods Jou's doll, causing it to fall over. Then he hears a loud yelp from the monitor displaying the Chosen Children.

Jou: WAUGH-OW!!! Gomamon: What's wrong, Jou? Jou: Someone pushed me out of nowhere! Hikari: (gasp) Are you okay, Jou-san!? Patamon: This is... Then this would be....

Patamon starts pushing buttons on Pinocchimon's remote, watching the walkways move on the screen.

Patamon: Ah! I have to tell Takeru about this!

In the dub, Patamon says nothing when he picks up the remote; His lip flaps simply move in silence. Then he moves on to the dolls.

Patamon: I wonder what these dolls are for? (Patamon pokes Joe) Patamon: This one looks like Joe.

Joe's offscreen reaction when Patamon pokes the doll is weirdly reserved and quiet.

Joe: Agh. Oof. Gomamon: Joe, what happened!? Joe: Why does this stuff always happen to me? Gomamon: What!? Kari: Weird. I didn't see anyone push you. Patamon: Joe's on TV!? Let's see what else is one. (pokes buttons) (The walkways start moving in response to Patamon) Patamon: Ohhh! Hm... Now that's what I call a remote control!

An invisible force suddenly shoves Joe to the ground and his in-the-moment kneejerk reaction is "Yeah, I guess this might as well happen." Poor Joe. What have we done to this boy's self-confidence?

Elsewhere in the mansion, Hide and Go Shoot is not going well for Takeru.

Takeru runs for a staircase to take him downstairs, but Pinocchimon cuts him off, coming up those same stairs.

Pinocchimon: Found you!

Pinocchimon starts shooting, each bullet striking the floor by Takeru's feet and forcing him to jump until finally he loses his balance and falls on his butt.

Pinocchimon: Hehe! I think I'll start with your legs. Revolver: Click. Pinocchimon: ...h-huh? Revolver: Click. Click. Pinocchimon: I'm out of bullets. Got to put in some new ones.

Calling a timeout on Takeru's impending torturous execution, Pinocchimon rifles through his pockets. Then, one by one, he slowly pulls each bullet out individually and loads it into the revolver's chamber.

Pinocchimon's glacially slow reloading buys Takeru an opportunity to think things through and try to figure out a game plan.

Takeru: (thinking) At this rate, he's going to kill me. I have to do something. Something....

The dub edits the gun out of Puppetmon's hand as he comes up the stairs, but they missed a frame. For one single frame you can see the gun flicker in and out of existence. It's super subtle and flashes by quick, though, so it can easily be mistaken for one of Puppetmon's miscellaneous doodads moving around as he's running.

Pretty much all of this scene is cut after he reaches the top. They splice in footage from the next scene, where Puppetmon and Takeru are standing and talking with his gun safely hanging by his side off-camera.

The only part they keep is Pinocchimon rifling through his pocket for bullets, which gets recontextualized.

Puppetmon: There you are! I found you! The game's over! T.K.: Ohhh. Puppetmon: (rifling) I'm gonna destroy you in a minute, but first I have to scratch my legs! T.K.: Hmm. Puppetmon: I guess that's what I get for having a leg made of poison oak! T.K.: (thinking) I can outsmart him!

They stand there and chat, and then T.K. realizes, "Oh, he's dumb. Neat." Moving along.

Thinking about everything he's learned about Pinocchimon, Takeru executes his master plan before Pinocchimon can finish reloading.

Takeru: (whining) Awww... This isn't any fun at all.

Pinocchimon stops reloading, letting out a surprised and self-conscious gasp. Rook takes bishop.

Pinocchimon: What was that!? Takeru: I'm sick of doing the same thing over and over. I wasn't expecting you to be such a boring person. Pinocchimon: No one's ever said that to me before! Takeru: Really? That's probably because you don't have any friends, huh?

Direct hit. Pinocchimon flinches as if struck, then sheepishly looks off to the side.

Pinocchimon: ...I-I have friends.... Takeru: Then why haven't I met any of them? Pinocchimon: ...I'll introduce you at some point-- Takeru: (jogs over to Pinocchimon) Not "at some point". Do it now! Pinocchimon: Now... isn't a good time.... Takeru: Ehh? (leans in) Sounds like you don't have any real friends at all! Pinocchimon: I do too! I'll go get one right now, so wait here!

Desperate to prove himself, Pinocchimon completely forgets that he was about to execute Takeru and sprints downstairs to find a friend he can show off.

As soon as he's gone, Patamon flies up with the remote in hand.

Patamon: Takeru! Takeru: Patamon!

Someone's not going to have to look far to find a friend.

The dub picks up from T.K. casually deciding he can outsmart Puppetmon. They have to do a lot of painting over in this scene to erase the gun from wide shots as well as the bullet holes in the floor. Though they also try to minimize how many shots they use that require that.

T.K.: How boring! I'm not having any fun at all! Puppetmon: Whaaaat!? I'm the life of the party! I put the fun in fungus! T.K.: Ha! You just play the same game over and over again! Boring! Puppetmon: (flinches, sheepish) ...I'm not boring.... T.K.: Well, if that's true, how come you don't have any real friends?

They play that shot of a skeptical bean-mouthed Takeru pressing the advantage twice, so they can use the second one to replace a wide shot of him crossing the hall and closing distance with Puppetmon.

So he bean-mouths a second time, then offscreen teleports to lean in close to Puppetmon.

Puppetmon: I-I've got friends.... Takeru: (leans in) Yeah? Then how come I haven't met these so-called friends of yours? Puppetmon: Alright! Then I'll get them and introduce you right now! (Puppetmon runs off; Patamon approaches) Patamon: T.K.! T.K.: Patamon!

Honestly, the game has been pretty boring in the dub. Because the majority of what they're actually doing had to be cut, Puppetmon and T.K. run around the house playing an ordinary game of hide and go seek.

And since they're still needing to cut footage to hurry us along past the gun as fast as possible, Puppetmon caves to less pressure than it took to get Pinocchimon to fuck off too. Takeru had to work harder to walk Pinocchimon into that emotional mousetrap than T.K. did.

SuckerPinocchimon goes downstairs to a storage closet, picking out parts. He selects a football.

Pinocchimon: This will work....

Unbeknownst to him, Patamon and Takeru are in his playroom going to work.

Takeru rips up the map Pinocchimon was using for his teleport shenanigans. Then he takes a hammer and smashes Pinocchimon's remote to pieces.

Meanwhile, out in the woods, the children are still dealing with Kiwimon. With their numeric advantage, they easily shoot Kiwimon's Little Peckers out of the air.

Yamato: Hey! Where's Takeru? Kiwimon: Hnhnhnhnnn.... Yamato: ANSWER ME!!! Taichi: Yamato! Let's just focus on destroying them. Yamato: (angry) Like you understand how I feel! Taichi: If we don't destroy them, we won't be able to go rescue Takeru! Yamato: No! We should find out where Takeru is before we destroy them! GABUMON!!! Gabumon: Got it. Gabumon, WARP-SHINKAAAAAA!!!

Gabumon says the words, but nothing occurs. Yamato's Digivice and Crest are still and silent.

Yamato: (lightly shaking, shocked) ...It won't glow.... Gabumon: What's wrong, Yamato? I can't evolve. Kiwimon: LITTLE PECKER!!!

YOU and your inappropriately named attack stay out of this! We are having a moment here!

They're both kinda right here. Kiwimon can't tell us anything when they're pixel dust. We do need to go through Kiwimon to get to where we think Takeru is but we're only assuming we know where Pinocchimon took him.

Taichi wants to blow through Kiwimon and go straight for where we think Pinocchimon's lair is, while Yamato wants to stop and interrogate Kiwimon which takes time we might not have. Both of these positions have their pros and cons.

But Yamato is also so emotionally compromised by Takeru being in peril that he tried to burn an Ultimate evolution against an Adult-stage Digimon. That's overkill of the highest order. He is not thinking straight.

He straight up says to Taichi's face that Taichi can't understand what he's going through. We just had an entire arc about Taichi's little sister being hunted for assassination, so that's an unfair accusation to make.

Yamato is doing what he correctly accused Taichi of before. Neither Taichi nor Yamato is wrong, but they are both being unfair and refusing to take other people's feelings into account.

In the dub:

Puppetmon: I like to make friends! (T.K. destroys Puppetmon's stuff and we cut to the woods) Matt: Hey! Where are you keeping T.K.!? Kiwimon: Ohohohohohohohoho.... Matt: ANSWER ME!!! Tai: I know how you feel, Matt, but first we have to destroy Kiwimon! Matt: How can you understand how I feel!? Tai: I understand that if we don't beat him first, we won't be able to find T.K.! Matt: NO!!! FIRST, WE'LL FIND T.K., THEN WE'LL FIGHT YOUR WAR!!! Gabumon: Right, Matt! Gabumon, Warp-Digivolve to.... Huh? (Digivice and Crest make weird out-of-service beeping noises) Matt: (lightly shaking, shocked) It won't glow! Gabumon: What's going on here, Matt!? How come I can't Digivolve? Kiwimon: PUMMEL PECK!!!

"First we'll find T.K., then we'll fight your war" goes hard and I love it. They're still treating Matt's position as if he's against fighting the Dark Masters at all, but as a single verbal slap in the face, it still works as an assessment of Taichi's attitude towards fighting.

I don't like that they have the Digivice start beeping like haywire. Beeping like haywire is what it does when it's working; The point here is that it's not doing anything. The silence of the original is far more effective at conveying the idea that the Digivice won't activate.

Back at the mansion, Pinocchimon finishes construction on his new bestie.

Pinocchimon: All done! No matter how you look at this thing, it's a friend!

Takeru finishes destroying everything in the playroom and sprints downstairs from the top floor, as Pinocchimon comes up the opposite staircase.

Pinocchimon: I brought my friend! Look! Nobody: ... Pinocchimon: (kinda hurt) ...huh?

Takeru doesn't stop running. With Patamon flying beside him, He sprints out the front door and races off into the woods, leaving this wretched mansion behind. He doesn't notice Floramon and Delumon as he passes.

Floramon: It's Pinocchimon-sama's new toy.... Delumon: We shouldn't get involved in this. Floramon: Let's pretend we didn't see him. Delumon: Good idea.

The pair turn around and go back to... being hedges, I guess?

(Probably a good idea not to get involved. Look what happened to Blossomon and Mushroomon.)

In the dub:

Puppetmon: There! Done! I said I like to make friends, and I made one! (T.K. leaves the top floor right as Puppetmon arrives) Puppetmon: I brought my friend! Look! Huh? Nobody: ... Puppetmon: (kinda hurt) T.K....? (T.K. escapes out the front door) Floramon: It's Lord Puppetmon's new toy! Deramon: Where's he goin'? We're going to play charades. Floramon: Maybe he doesn't know how to play. Deramon: Yeah, that's it.

The dub does the "make friends" pun again. In case you didn't catch it the first time, I guess.

Floramon and Deramon don't seem as passively afraid of Puppetmon as their Japanese counterparts.

Puppetmon, however, still has that edge of bewildered sadness in his voice when he realizes he's been played. Good job there.

Back in the woods, while the kids are still discussing what to do with Kiwimon, Kiwimon's Little Peckers go for Sora.

Terrible mistake. Kiwimon was harmless enough that we could tolerate standing around and talking about this. But as soon as they go for Sora, Birdramon evolves and shuts that shit right down.

Blocking the Little Peckers with her wing, Birdramon counters with a Meteor Wing that vaporizes Kiwimon. Kiwimon lets out a high-pitched death cry, then they're gone.

Sora: Thank you, Birdramon! Piyomon: (evolves back) Sora! Sora: Piyomon!

In the dub, Kiwimon lets out this posh upper-class noble giggle when he's killed. His chortle then takes on an echoing ghostly quality and fades as the smoke clears to reveal he's gone. An odd choice for a death cry.

(Might be trying to imply that he ran off in the smoke or something? I don't know. It's weird.)

Sora: Birdramon! Thanks a lot! Biyomon: (evolves back) You're welcome. Sora: Biyomon!

Unfortunately, one person is not very happy with Sora's win.

Yamato: Takeru... What about Takeru!? (Yamato gets up in Sora's face) Yamato: You destroyed them!? NOW WE CAN'T FIND OUT WHERE TAKERU IS!!!

Taichi runs over, grabbing Yamato's arm and pulling him back from Sora.

Taichi: Hey! Watch it, Yamato! Takeru: (distant) HEY!!! Sora: (gasp) Takeru-kun!

The whole group turns to see Takeru running across the grass to rejoin them.

Takeru: HEY GUYS!!! Yamato: (relieved) Takeru!

I've made enough "Sora will remember this" cracks about Taichi being shitty to her and Yamato being more mature that I'd be remiss not to point out what a dick Yamato's being right now. Understandably so, he's having an emotional breakdown about Takeru, but still.

In the dub:

Matt: Biyomon, what did you do!? (Matt gets up in Sora's face) Matt: Look what your Digimon did! Without Kiwimon, we'll never find T.K.! (Tai grabs Matt's arm and pulls him back) Tai: Calm down, Matt! T.K.: (distant) HEY!!! Sora: It's T.K.! (T.K. approaches) T.K.: Hey everybody! Hi! I'm back! Matt: (relieved) T.K.!!!

The team meets Takeru, eager to hear what happened.

Takeru: I was able to protect myself all on my own this time! Hikari: That's incredible! Taichi: That's awesome, Takeru! Congrats! Yamato: (face falls) Mimi: We were so worried about you! Jou: You sure have grown up, without any of us realizing.

Though initially relieved, Yamato's face darkens the more they praise Takeru. Jou's line is his breaking point. He turns and walks away from the group.

Takeru: Hehehehe, stop it! You're embarrasing me! Gabumon: Yamato! (follows) Jou: (turns) Oh?

Gabumon follows Yamato. Jou notices them go, but doesn't say anything.

In the dub:

T.K.: See, everybody! I told you I could do it! I can take care of myself just fine! Kari: You're the man! Tai: Nice going, T.K.! Great job, buddy! Matt: (face falls) Mimi: We were worried about you! Joe: Boy, for a little kid, that was a pretty big escape. (Matt turns and leaves) T.K.: Ahahaha, stop it, guys! You're embarrassing me! Gabumon: What's wrong, Matt? (follows) Joe: (turns) Huh?

Mostly faithful but I have issues with Joe's line. Jou's remark that Takeru grew up without anyone noticing is a significant point for Yamato and Takeru's arc.

Again, this goes all the way back to Yamato wanting to debone Takeru's fish for him and Taichi teaching Takeru to do it himself. Being chased down by a mad puppet with a revolver is a pretty extreme situation for it, but the point nonetheless is that Takeru doesn't need to rely on Yamato to do everything for him.

The fantasy elements are fantasy elements but the point is that Takeru is getting older and becoming more self-sufficient. He's not dependent on Yamato anymore. Yamato isn't ready to confront a reality where his little brother doesn't need him to debone his fish.

The new line for Joe congratulates T.K. for the win, but still keeps him firmly within the boundaries of "little kid". Joe calls this out as an exceptional outlier and not a product of T.K.'s growth and maturity, which is a problem when that's the thing Matt's supposed to be upset about.

Oblivious to Yamato's departure, Takeru continues.

Takeru: I smashed up the weird gadgets that were making the ground move too! Jou: Really? That's amazing! Takeru: Everything's going to be okay. Pinocchimon was manipulating us with these dolls.

He sets down his backpack, showing off the dolls he looted while he was wrecking the playroom.

The kids all pick up their dolls out of the bag, checking them out.

Taichi: (cheerful) This is supposed to be me? I don't look anything like it! Sora: Mimi-chan's looks pretty cute. Mimi: Liar! I am not this ugly! ...but I'll keep it as a souvenir anyway. Sora: Ha! (The girls giggle cheerfully) Piyomon & Palmon: (grabby hands) Show me! Show me! Takeru: Hey, where's Onii-chan? Jou: I just saw Yamato head off over... There.... Huh?

Jou points in the direction Yamato went, but there's only dark and twisted woods over there. No sign of Yamato or Gabumon.

That's not a question that will be answered this episode. For our final scene, we cut back to Pinocchimon briefly, looking around his destroyed playroom. He sadly picks up the smashed remote and stares at it for a few seconds.

Pinocchimon: So he doesn't like playing with me, huh? Alright. I get it.

We leave off there, with that ambiguous yet ominous sentiment.

In the dub:

T.K.: I also smashed the remote control that was making the ground move underneath us! Joe: That's terrific, T.K.! Izzy: Prodigious! T.K.: Everything's gonna be alright now! Puppetmon was using these dolls to control us! That's why all those weird things were happening! (T.K. sets down his backpack and everyone grabs their doll) Tai: (cheerful) Is this me!? I don't look anything like this! Ha! Sora: Wow, Mimi, your doll is really pretty! Mimi: What? No way! I would never wear rags like this! ...oh! I could take her to the mall for some new clothes! (The girls giggle cheerfully) Biyomon & Palmon: (grabby hands) Alright! You go!

In one last bit of slicing and dicing footage, the dub moves Pinocchimon's lament here, interrupting the kids.

Puppetmon: So he didn't want to play with me, huh? T.K.... You'll pay for this....

While the original leaves what Pinocchimon's feeling ambiguous and ominous, Puppetmon directly swears revenge.

Then we cut back to the woods to finish up the other scene.

T.K.: Anybody see where Matt went? Joe: He's right over there. T.K.: Huh? (Joe points to the dark and twisted woods) Kids: HUH!?!? Joe: I don't get it! He and Gabumon were there a second ago! They vanished! Here we go again! Narrator: Will Puppetmon take revenge on T.K.? Is he behind Matt's disappearance? Find out on the next Digimon: Digital Monsters.

They moved the scenes so they could imply that Puppetmon kidnapped Matt for that spicy cliffhanger. Find out the answer to these questions... RIGHT NOW.

Uh. No. That's not anywhere close to what happened here. Pinocchimon is distraught in his playroom and has no time or emotional space to go gallivanting around the woods right now.

...

DUN DUNNNNNN.

Assessment: Holy shit, can you imagine what it must have been like to be working on the dub and have this episode cross your desk? Guns! Actual guns! Guns everywhere! Children playing with guns! Evil Pinocchio kills Digimon with guns!

Pokemon had an episode where Suddenly Guns too but that was a one-off episodic adventure where Ash goes to Safari Zone and gets to see a Dratini. He did catch a herd of Tauros there that goes without explanation in the American version, but nonetheless, it's not super important. They were able to deal with the guns there by carving the episode out of the lineup and simply never broadcasting it.

But you can't do that here because Digimon is a serialized adventure. This episode is kind of fucking important, like most episodes are, and can't simply be deleted from the lineup. So we. Just. Have to deal with the guns. Somehow.

We were tooling along with a cartoon adventure about fighting monsters and then suddenly there were guns and Little Peckers all over the place.

This is the episode that made the censors cry, and it shows in the absolute butchery they had to make of it in order to get it onto television.

(But they also managed to screw up important characterization scenes too while they were at it.)

[mychoombatheroomba]

Idle Fantasies

Between the Bones (Leon x GN! Reader) - Chapter 26

Maybe it was stupid to dream, but you let yourself do it anyway.

(Cross-posted from Ao3)

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Chapter Index

"You asked me once what I'd do, if I hadn't enlisted," you began one night, as you circled Leon in the training yard, listening to the music Krauser subjected you both to. The topic was brought up after days of you thinking about that brief discussion you'd had with Leon. The grim turn of focus after you'd given each other a few moments of respite. 

Did you choose this? STRATCOM. This training.

The question - and Leon's answer - had taken up much of your thoughts these last few days. And it had all culminated in one way. One thought that you had promised never to entertain: what if? 

What if things had never gone wrong? 

What if your world hadn't been altered so completely? 

Hell, what if you'd never enlisted in the first place? 

"Think I have an answer for you." 

Leon's eyebrows rose in surprise, and not just because of the knife you swung at his stomach. One he dodged easily - and one that he punished with a near-miss swing at your attacking arm. You tried to hold Krauser’s lessons in mind. Tried to treat the practice blade as real. The threat of it made you both more cautious.

The trouble was that even having been with each other, even knowing each other so intimately, sparring was still very much a dance between the two of you. A language the two of you had perfected over the months, one that got your heart beating fast for more than just the danger of it. "Oh yeah?" He breathed and went after you with a quick slash to the chest. Almost had you there, too. "What would you do, then?" 

You swiped at him again, circling around him and bringing your unarmed hand towards his blade, trying to push it out of the way. It led to a brief but lightning fast exchange of hands and blades swinging at each other, neither of you gaining much ground before you both retreated back. 

He was smiling at you proudly. Better luck next time, he said without words, his eyes roaming your body for just a moment.

You couldn't help but smile back and do the same.  

"Think I'd make a pretty good DJ," you shrugged, nodding towards the open window of Krauser's office. Bluegrass was back, unfortunately. "Better than whoever he's listening to." You raised your voice a little, like you were hoping Krauser heard the jab. You didn't get any response from the Major, but Leon laughed. It was good to see him in better spirits. Good to know that letting him slot his head between your thighs made him feel better. Or maybe it was just the fact that the two of you had the night to yourselves again, since your new training partners had decided to take the evening off.

Even if you and Leon had agreed to prioritize practice over sex tonight, it was an opportunity for the two of you to be together, one way or another. 

"You would only ever play the Spice Girls," Leon teased, and you nodded shamelessly. 

"Damn right. And the world would be a better place for it." You were mostly joking. Mostly. Another exchange went by, and you landed a slash on Leon's arm as he stabbed at you. He wasted no time switching hands and going for your side with his left. You counter-cut to avoid, but he ended up nicking your leg with his blade anyway. 

"Stupid songs that make you happy," he nodded as you both backed away again, repeating the words you'd spoken to him so long ago. "I'd listen to that radio station." 

"Maybe I'd play some Green Day for you. If you're lucky."

His smile widened, and you had to admit that confidence looked absolutely staggering on him. 

But however good he looked now, however proud you were of how far he'd come, you still had every intention of winning. 

So, you were ready when he came at you, knife aiming high for the well between your shoulder and clavicle. You blocked with all the certainty of a soldier who'd lived for months with a knife in your hand. Trouble was, when you countered with a stab at Leon's belly, he knocked your hand away with the same level of confidence. You were quick to attack again, bringing your knife up and over to stab at his chest. 

You'd taught him well how to defend against that. A block and another counter cut nearly caught your arm, and you exhaled sharply at the quick follow up he delivered. 

Another near miss.

Too many of those as the gap between your skill levels shrank. 

Or maybe some buried part of you just wanted to feel him on top of you for a while. 

You realized things might be dire for you as you went for a high attack, only to be blocked, and answered with a knife thrust straight at your heart. 

You smacked Leon's attack away in time. 

Unfortunately, you weren't fast enough to stop the hard side kick he delivered to your stomach  that sent you stumbling backwards. You let out a grunt at the pain just before you righted your stance.

He was becoming very fond of those kicks. 

"Not bad, pretty boy," you praised, your voice low so Krauser couldn't overhear. 

"Not too hard?" He asked, and you knew that he did it because he was trying to be mindful of your old wounds. The scars on your belly and ribs, and the trouble that the tissue underneath sometimes gave you. 

You appreciated the concern, but with how your blood was pounding in your veins, you couldn't help but feel it was misplaced, right now. 

"You're fine," you shook your head, and then you rushed him. Your strikes and defenses happened almost simultaneously, you going high and Leon going low. You were the one a step ahead this time, though, and you hooked his leg and brought him down. You saw surprise cross his face, but only for a moment before you were struggling against each other on the ground, bodies pressed against each other. "Besides . . ." you managed through gritted teeth, just as the two of you finished your grapple with you narrowly coming out on top. Your knife slid into place, held in a reverse grip at his neck. He was getting damn good . . . but you were still better. You grinned down at Leon, pinned to the ground beneath you, and spoke quietly to finish your thought, ". . . I don't mind it rough." 

His face went bright red, and then he smiled after a moment. However much of a hardened soldier he was becoming, you took special joy in knowing that you could still make him blush.  "Is that right?" he asked. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he promised with a hushed voice, and you got your second victory out of his flustered state. 

So, taking in the sight, you climbed off of him and offered him a hand up. 

He smiled up at you as you pulled him from the ground, and he dusted himself off. "So, a DJ, huh?" Leon didn't seem to quite believe you, but the idea seemed to make him happy all the same. 

"Ah, probably not," you admitted. "Just the first thing off the top of my head."

"I could see it," Leon said, and then went on after a moment. "Or, you know, an MMA fighter." 

You snorted, nodding. "Or that." You rolled your shoulders back, taking a breath and asking him the question that had been on your mind for days now. "What about you?" 

Leon looked at you then, and you could tell he was trying to deflect as he raised a brow. "Do I like it rough? Or . . ." 

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head. "What would you do? If you could go anywhere? Be anything?" It was a big question. The kind that middle schoolers asked of each other, when the whole world seemed like it was laid before them. Before most saw the railroad tracks their lives were angled down. It was the kind of question you didn't concern yourself with often, because why worry about something that would never be? With Leon, though . . . you wanted to know what shape his life might have taken if not for all he'd suffered. What he would choose now, knowing what he did. 

And you found yourself unsure of what to think when Leon looked at you and shrugged after a long moment. "Honestly? I . . . I guess I don't know, either." His words were quiet, betraying how much the thought bothered him. "I mean, I thought about being a cop somewhere else. After Raccoon City. But . . . I just couldn't shake it. What happened there." You knew all too well the meaning behind those words. "Not that I had long after it all happened before they 'asked' me to join." 

"If they'd given you a choice?" You found yourself asking, hating the world for even needing to pose choice in this as a hypothetical. "Would you have joined?" You weren't quite sure why you were asking. 

Maybe, perhaps because some part of you wondered if his choice would involve the life you had chosen for yourself. Not the idle fantasies, but the real one. The one you both were in now.

Leon pressed his lips into a thin line, and again, shrugged. "I don't know. I mean . . . I've always wanted to help people. I think . . . I know there's a chance for us to do that. It's just . . ." 

"Not how you pictured doing it." You finished the thought for him, and he nodded. 

"Yeah." 

You could sympathize. You hadn't joined the Army with any grand ambitions. It had been an escape. A desperate one, from a life that would have gone nowhere otherwise. You'd never planned on becoming a Sergeant, initially. And you'd never planned on becoming an agent for a classified program. You'd never had the imagination to predict any of this. 

But here you both were. The two of you, your lives taken and twisted into something you hadn't been meant to live. At the whim of something you couldn't control. 

Cogs in a machine. 

And even if you felt like it was a machine you belonged in, there was, perhaps, a part of you that wanted something else. 

"Maybe not a DJ for me," you said, after a long pause between you and Leon. "Maybe just . . . a house away from everything. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere green." 

You watched as the words made his face shift, and he looked at you with that soft, beautiful smile of his. "That sounds nice. Maybe in the mountains somewhere-" he said it like it was something he thought about, too. Like it wasn’t just your stupid little pipe dream, but his as well. 

Suddenly, you felt more vulnerable than you were comfortable with, so you shrugged. Played it off as nothing. Waved away a mosquito that got too close - a herald of the summer on the way. "Probably not in the cards, though." 

"Maybe not now . . ." Leon stepped closer, and you realized that you were entertaining too much hope, ". . . but some day-" 

"Think you're being optimistic again there, Kennedy." 

"You started the conversation," Leon pointed out. You had to give him that. 

"I did." Because some part of you was awake, now. A part of you that you didn’t want, but every moment you spent with Leon, it stirred more and more. A foolish, impossible longing for something that you could never have, because there would never be anything normal about your life ever again. 

But you imagined it, anyway. 

You hadn’t used to. Not before Leon. 

“But seriously,” Leon went on, and you wished he would drop it, “that’s a good dream.” 

“It’s an unlikely one.” 

“You’re not asking to go to the moon, you know,” he chuckled. “You’ll have to live somewhere.” 

“I’ve lived on a base since I enlisted,” you shook your head. “Don’t know if I’d know what to do with myself out of one.” It was spoken with an air of realization, because you hadn’t really thought about it before now. You’d just accepted that as your reality. But when you were done with training, when you were sent out into the world, would that change? You almost couldn’t imagine it. 

“Maybe we’ll have to find out, then,” Leon said, and you just looked at him. Wondered if you should shoot down the idea. 

You wondered too little and too late, though, because you found yourself nodding. Because you wanted to entertain something happy. Not just for him, but for the both of you. “Maybe we will.” It was too much of an allowance of hope, though, so even as you watched Leon’s smile brighten, you shrugged again. Backpedaling. “No sense thinking about it much now, though. Not like we’re leaving this base any time soon.” 

And, because fate liked to make you the butt of so many jokes, you were proven very much wrong the next morning. 

⧫⧫⧫

The sound of tires scraping against gravel. The distant growl of heavy engines. 

The morning run was interrupted the next day by the sounds of vehicles. Leon had enough sense not to let the sound distract him too much, but once breakfast came around, the whispers had well and truly spread through the base. 

It was Alenko who voiced those whispers, his eyes alight with a more genuine excitement than Leon had ever seen from him.

"Did you see the monsters they drove in?" he asked, sitting down at the table with an energy that didn't match how utterly bruised he was. 

"Heard them," you nodded, taking a bite of the rice and meat they'd served that day. "Sounded heavy duty." 

"A bunch of Humvees, APV's, they even brought an M1117," Alenko exclaimed with such genuine glee, and Leon had to smile. 

“It’s a Christmas miracle,” Leon held up his hands in celebration, earning him a side-eye from you. 

“It’s May.” Your deadpan just made him laugh. 

“Ah, you’re no fun.” 

You gave him a look at his response, shaking your head and returning to your meal. But he saw the little smile curving the corners of your mouth. He would never tire of that smile. Not after the sun and all the stars burned out. 

“You’ve probably never seen any of those heavy vehicles up close, have you, rookie?” Valeria asked, raising an eyebrow in Leon’s direction. 

His focus recentered, Leon studied the dark-eyed soldier then, wondering where she was going with this, because Valeria seemed to always be going somewhere with everything she said. “No,” he admitted, and he felt your eyes on him again. 

“Oh, you’ll be in for a treat then,” Valeria said the words with a smile.

Leon learned soon that she was right, because Krauser, it seemed, had called in more than just the APV’s and Humvees. An officer accompanied the vehicles, and several technicians. Mechanics. People who specialized in keeping the machines running. It became clear that the Major intended you all to learn your way around the machines, but the greatest surprise came the day after the vehicles arrived. 

Because as the squad formed up for morning drills, the Major made an announcement. 

“I’ll be leaving you all for a few weeks,” he began, and Leon was sure that, were they not all standing at attention, there would have been murmurs throughout the squad. He could see your eyes widen, clearly taken by surprise. “Got a report I need to make to Command. If all goes well, I’ll have some new things for you when I get back. New lessons.” Leon knew what he meant, then. He knew that he was going to speak to Command about the bioweapons. He was going to try to do as Leon asked, going about it the careful way. 

Leon hadn’t pegged Krauser as one to cleave to what his superiors ordered all the time, but he supposed that if this was his life, if the Army and STRATCOM were all he had, then he understood that caution. 

And if this let them all keep their instructor, then Leon was more than accepting of this happening the “right” way. 

He couldn’t believe he was actually rooting for this path so he could go on being taught by an asshole who had woken him up with tear gas. Who’d done so much to break him and you and everyone else down. But he was understanding now what you had known all along. That Krauser, despite it all, was doing his best to make sure that you would all survive everything. That you would all have as many tools at your disposal as possible. 

And that included APV’s, apparently. 

APV’s . . . but that wasn’t where things were going to end, it seemed, because Krauser went on as a more lithe but no less stern man stepped up beside him. “This is Commander Cortez. He’ll be taking you all on a little field trip up to Fort Benning. It’s past time you all got some experience behind the wheel.” 

And Leon had seen the way your eyes widened as Krauser gave the location. You and all the rest of your squad. Alenko looked like he was about to jump out of his skin, he was so excited. 

He asked you later why you’d balked like that. 

“Fort Benning,” you began to answer, “it’s where the Armor School is. They train cavalry scouts there and-”

Alenko cut you off, his smile making him seem years younger. “And tanks, man,” he said, and Leon felt his eyes widen. “That’s where you learn how to drive tanks.” 

Leon went quiet for a moment, looking over at you, then nodding. “Huh. Well, shit.” 

It seemed the two of you would be getting some time off-base after all.

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Chapter Index

A/N: Just a cute lil chill chapter for Valentine's Day!

[ssahotchnerr]

Hiya Katie! How about domestic Aaron pampering her when he find out she's pregnant and jack makes her a get well soon card because he thinks she's sick but she tells him he's going to be a big brother and jacks ecstatic and Aaron is just like all smiley and happy about being a father again and maybe hoping for a girl because hotch is such a girl dad like 🤭🤭 also I love your work so much! It makes my day! Your an amazing writer ❤

newest addition

thank you so much & ughh that's the sweetest <3333 cw; fem!reader, jack calls reader mom, pregnancy, reference to vomiting wc; 1.1k

"buddy, what are you doing?"

you've been awake for awhile now, unwilling to part from the comfort of bed. your eyes are still closed, and in curiosity, you keep them that way.

"i made mom a get-well card." jack's voice is closer than aaron's, and you can hear him shuffling at your bedside. you hear a soft crinkle of a paper, a quick stagger of your water glass, as he sets the paper against it. "i heard her throwing up this morning, so i wanted to make her feel better."

morning sickness has been your worst enemy so far during your pregnancy. it was what made you question if you were pregnant at the very start, and has been frequently reoccurring throughout your first trimester. it feels like the majority of your time these days is either spent in the bathroom, or in bed absolutely overwhelmed with nausea.

if permitting - when you're leant over the toilet, aaron is always seated on the bathroom floor beside you; rubbing your back in soothing circles, holding back your hair when necessary, whispering an apology or words of encouragement. you insist he doesn't need to be present, the sounds and visual of you retching surely disgusting nonetheless. but he insists he remain put, joking it's rather romantic actually, there's no place he'd rather be.

but in all seriousness, he claims it's the least he could do, and wants to support you in all and any way he can.

even this morning at promptly five am, you had made a mad dash to the bathroom. aaron, never the light sleeper, accompanied you in the bathroom just as quickly as you had entered it.

his tenderness doesn't stop there; he'll grab your ginger ale, crackers, pretzels, anything to relieve your queasiness and keep it at bay. he even joked (but did consider) with the idea of buying you a mini fridge to keep in your bedroom - for even easier access. or if he's not home, you don't have to search far.

the two of you have known about your new littlest addition for a few weeks, and couldn't be more ecstatic. jack - not just yet. but you figure that's a case that will soon be remedied.

you can hear a soft chuckle escape from aaron, and you can easily picture the smile you know is on his face. "that's real nice of you bud, i know she'll love it. but in the meantime, c'mon, let's let her sleep, yeah?"

you hear jack's sock-covered feet pad away on the carpet, the sound of the door softly shutting following soon after.

you fall back asleep without meaning to, exhaustion reigning over your body. but an hour later, and after tearfully looking at jack's card, his scribbly print wishing you well and a doodle of yourself and him, you find the two of them in the living room; jack's on the carpet, busied by legos, while aaron's on the couch, watching some show on the television.

aaron notices you before jack does, raising an eyebrow slightly in question - silently seeking confirmation on how you are feeling now.

you give him a nod, and he seems to relax more against the back of the couch. as you join him, jack's eyes lift.

"c'mere," you pat the empty spot between you and aaron, and soon enough, jack's sandwiched between the two of you, curled more so into your side. aaron grabs the remote, clicking off the tv.

"thank you so much for the card." you place a kiss on the top of his head, your arm going around his shoulders and giving him a squeeze. "you're the sweetest, have i ever told you that?"

"all the time." jack says, his emphasis making you laugh gently. but concern quickly fills his face, his eyes a bit troubled. "are you sick?"

you shake your head, brushing some hair away from his forehead. "nope."

the concern is now replaced by confusion. his eyebrows furrow, making him look extremely like this father. "why'd you throwed up?"

"well..." you exchange a look with aaron, glancing at him overtop jack's head. there's a smile tugging at his lips, a small sparkle in his eyes. "sometimes... it happens. when you're going to have a baby."

it takes jack a few seconds to internalize what you've just told him. but his head whips up to look at you, and then aaron, and then back to you. his eyes are wide. "a baby?"

"a baby." aaron confirms, arching an eyebrow in question. "any objections to being a big brother?"

"no!" jack vigorously shakes his head, his face lighting up even more, grinning from ear to ear. "really?!"

you grin right back. "really."

jack nearly jumps right onto you in excitement, aaron's hands flying out to catch him so the fall isn't as forceful. his gentle warning of careful, is barely audible over jack's next inquiry.

"is it a girl?!"

"we don't know yet," aaron answers, his voice catching slightly which prompts your gaze to switch to him. there's tears threatening his eyes, pooling at his waterline. you swear, you've never seen him so happy.

you help him, adding on, "we'll find out in a few more weeks."

jack nods at this information, still buzzing. "i really really want a sister. but a brother would be super cool too."

aaron nudges jack with his elbow, lips quirking into a smile. "i really, really do too. but more than anything, a healthy baby is what we want."

"a healthy baby." jack agrees, with a small nod of his head. his arms wrap around yourself, burying his face slightly into your abdomen. "that's so cool! i can't wait."

now it's your turn to look at aaron, tearful.

somehow, now that jack is aware, your family feels more complete. you and aaron have talked about growing your family, have discussed it with jack, for as long as you can remember - what it'll be like, having another little hotchner running around and causing havoc, potential names have been tossed around, jack wants to teach his expertises, legos and soccer. you’re eager to see a newborn in aaron’s arms, the new-dad-to-another glow present in him. at the time, it was distant; all memories to hopefully be made someday.

that time, that someday, has finally arrived. and if jack's reaction is anything to go by, you just know, the two of them will the absolute best of friends.

you can’t wait, either.

[narfin-frood]

Managed to make it to yesterday's stream. I had fun and I love the new layout. I look forward to future streams.

Anyway here's a question: how would "the bounty" go, considering the ep is a peepers-centric one and gives us a glimpse at his insecurities? Also are the bounty hunters in that episode swapped with anyone?

i'm glad you like my layout! i look forward to streaming more frequently this year! (this is an older ask from a stream a while ago!)

i think the bounty could easily be sylvia-centric, as a foil to peepers. maybe sylvia is trying to prove to wander that she CAN in fact convince meteor to join, all on her own, and that he's too incompetent to possibly get the better of her. and wander would be reluctant to take him by force, but he also decides that he'd be alright with sylvia giving it a shot, if only for the chance to "invite mr meteor over"

so it would be a lot of meteor accidentally torching or crushing or collaterally damaging sylvia in one way or another as she tries to pursue him and peepers. kinda having it play out more like the prisoner makes the most sense to me, because, like a lot of side characters, i don't have anybody specific to swap the bounty hunters with, just roles i can invert, so it would be easier if it were just sylvia doing the hunting. i imagine it would end with sylvia staggering defeated into planet yonder like "dude. i can't. he got me good wander. he got me good."

but meteor walks in right behind her of his own volition so wander is thrilled about it anyway

[nonranghaes]

heads up: depiction of anxiety attack (hyperventilating, anxiety, a loss of control/out of body feeling) + mentions of vomiting (fic primarily under readmore as a result)

from the moment you left your apartment, you knew something was wrong.

living with your own personal concoction of mental bullshit sucks. your family knows about it, your friends know a little less, and your long-term boyfriend knows... probably the most of any of those people, since you opened up to minho easier in a weird way. he texted you maybe ten minutes ago that he'd be there in thirty minutes, and you'd realized that you were out of drinks and the store was only a short walk away... so what was the harm in making a quick run?

except something just... set you off in a weird way. maybe it was a text from someone else that you decided to answer later, or it was the person walking down the street in a jacket that you felt you'd seen somewhere else, or maybe it was something about the news article you read that morning that slithered under your skin and stayed there. but the moment you stepped outside, you felt... off.

and now you're really feeling it now that you're safe at home again, already shut into your bedroom as you pace and try to swallow these feelings whole. minho will be here in a few minutes, you tell yourself: push back. you can try to smash the ugly panic rising in your chest if you just try hard enough, can't you? except it doesn't work that way. you've been able to stave off these moments of hyperventilation and sobbing until you were able to get out, but that's not how it works at home. home is out. home is safe for you to come undone, and your brain seems to refuse to let you breathe now.

a swear bubbles up and tumbles from your lips as you decide you have to ride this out. you can't fight it, and minho will be there soon, and you can't let him see you as a mess. he'll let himself in: you know he will, because he always does nowadays. he practically lives there now. and that means he'll see you and he'll worry and you can't have minho worry more than he already does.

you practically collapse onto your bed, curling in on yourself as your breathing grows more frantic, more uneven, more fucked up as everything feels like its closing in on you. you fumble for your phone, desperate to find some sort of help. a video to help you breathe. something. but your hands shake too much to type, and you abandon it, pulling a pillow into your arms to grapple with as your body fights against you.

if you could just stagger your stupid breathing, you could be better. you would be fine. but your body and your mind feel at odds with one another now. all you want is for it to be over. you sob into the pillow you're clutching, just trying to find some way of stopping yourself.

the door opens. you think minho says your name as he hurries over, asking if he can touch you now. he's seen your anxiety attacks before, he's helped you through them, and yet he still asks to be careful. to make sure that he's not overstepping. he pulls the empty trashcan from beside your desk over to the bed, and he sits, reaching for you. you shift so that your head is in his lap, still holding the pillow to your chest as he finds your hand.

"can you count with me?"

you don't think you can do anything more than sob and breathe frantically. you don't think you can do anything at all, really. your body feels like its out of your control, and it makes you nauseous. minho holds your hand securely, murmuring that he's here. he's with you.

and he begins to count, slowly.

one... you feel your stomach turn. you haven't eaten today. is that good? is that bad? he'll scold you. but you feel sick. you're going to be sick.

two... minho's watching you carefully. does he pity you? does he wish he was dating someone else? why is he with you? why doesn't he just leave? you don't want him to leave. please. don't leave.

three... what does he see in you? what does anyone see in you? lots of things, you manage to think: people like you for a reason, even if you struggle to see them.

four--

you swear loudly, lunging for the trashcan as you vomit into the bag. minho's already there with you, though, hand rubbing your back as he supports you through this. it isn't much, but your throat burns nonetheless and you wipe your mouth on your sleeve before burying your face into minho's shoulder. he slowly sets the can down, holding you as your breathing finally evens out. your eyes are still wet. minho's saying something you don't quite hear.

"did something happen?" finally pushes through your foggy mind, and you shrug. you don't know what happened, specifically. all it took was one perceived threat somewhere along the way for you to get so upset. funny thing, anxiety.

"it's okay," he says a moment later, still rubbing your back. "you can always call me if you start feeling anxious."

you know you can. you nod. "i know," you finally manage to say. just so he knows, too: you trust him, even though you hate him seeing you like this. you hate anyone seeing you like this, really.

minho presses a tiny kiss against the side of your head. "i'm going to get you some water, okay?" he waits until your draw back, and he takes your face into his hands. "okay?"

you nod. "okay. thank you, honey."

a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth: he'll only rarely admit it, but he loves when you call him things like honey. it makes him feel loved, the same way you feel when he looks at you. "we can cuddle when i come back, if you want to stay here a little longer." he tucks a strand of your hair back from your face. "i was going to ask if you wanted to go out, but..."

"maybe in a bit," you say, and you watch him get up after pressing a quick kiss to your forehead. getting out with minho feels... possible, if you take care of yourself first. the water, maybe a little snack... and cuddling with him for a bit, just to help you feel safe again. "min?"

he looks up from where he's tucking your trashcan away. "yes?"

"i love you."

he does smile this time. "i love you, too. i'll be back in a moment."

(and he is, quietly pressing a thing of plastic-wrapped crackers into your hand too. just to say how well he knows you.)

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Bruised Figure

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason aspires to become a figure skater despite obstacles in his personal life.

Chapters: 3/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Catherine Todd, Willis Todd, Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain

Additional Tags: Figure Skater AU, Chronically Ill Jason Todd, Hurt/Comfort

Chapter Three: Coach

Jason was twelve when Catherine passed away. During this time, he spent most of his hours skating. He continued to break into ice rinks all over Gotham, even well into the summer, and when he couldn't, he would rollerblade around Gotham, searching for empty lots to practice his turns and leaps. Jason spent most of his days skating and nights trying to live alone in his parents' abandoned apartment. One night, in particular, he left the rink feeling as if he were being followed, and he heard a boy call him a name in the alley. He'd been called worse, but Jason knew better than to keep his back turned to the voice. He turned around, and the boy smiled at him. "Hey, Ice Princess!" the boy yelled. Jason held out his arms. "Wanna make somethin' of it?" Jason asked. The older boy laughed, and Jason knew why. Jason was smaller than most of the kids his age, and because of that, he was a target for teasing. He was used to it. The boy lunged forward, and Jason punched him in the stomach and face in quick succession. The boy hunched over, coughing while taking a fighting stance. "Come on. I thought you wanted to fight? Fight!" Jason yelled as he stood back, waiting for the other boy to get up. The older boy got up and swung on Jason and missed before Jason punched him in the face a second time. The boy hit Jason once and busted his lip. Jason watched as the boy staggered back, and he punched him once more in the stomach. "Come on!" Jason yelled, and the boy shook his head dizzily. Jason stood straight, his back to the alley wall as the older boy scurried off. Once the boy was gone, he relaxed his shoulders. A phone rang at the end of the alley, and Jason jumped. The man held up a hand as he approached. "I don't want to fight. I actually wanted to see if we could talk-." Jason swung his arm to strike the man before realizing who he was. "You're Bruce Wayne," Jason whispered. Bruce nodded. "What do you wanna talk to me for?"

"Do you have a minute to talk about the Olympics?" Bruce asked. Jason wrinkled his forehead as he raised his eyebrows. "Or maybe we can talk to your parents about how you've been breaking into my rink?" Jason wiped his bottom lip with his sleeve. "My parents are dead... What's all this about the Olympics? I'm nobody," Jason replied. Bruce stared at him and shook his head. "Let's go inside... You like pizza?" Bruce questioned. Jason nodded and followed him back inside. Jason sat at a table as all the other kids exited the now-closed ice rink. Bruce went to the kitchen and came back with half a pizza. "Who are you staying with?" "Nobody," Jason whispered, "Now, what's all this about the Olympics?" "Well, that changes the nature of the conversation, doesn't it? Maybe I should ask if you're interested in the Olympics or competitive figure skating," Bruce replied. Jason nodded as he started eating. "Actually, scratch that, would you like to come and live with me?" Jason finished chewing and looked at Bruce with big eyes. "You don't even know my name, and you want me to come live with you?" Jason asked. Bruce nodded. "I'd like to know your name at some point, though," Bruce whispered, "I'd be a tough coach, but you'd have your own room." Jason hesitated.

"I'm Jason... Why are you interested in me?" Jason asked. Bruce's eyes widened. "You've got a wonderful gift," Bruce answered, "But you need coaching." Jason ate another slice of pizza. "Okay," Jason answered. "It wouldn't be easy. You get up at four, and you're in bed by eight. You give me two hours in the morning and three at night," Bruce replied, "Off-ice, on-ice, school, on-ice, ballet, and off-ice again..." "How long would I get to be on the ice?" Jason asked. "About three hours, maybe four," Bruce replied as he ate a slice of pizza. "Jason." "I love the ice," Jason whispered, "If I can compete, I will." "And if you decide not to compete, I'll still continue to be your guardian," Bruce reassured, "And you wouldn't have to fight anyone on your way home." Jason chuckled and nodded. "Deal," Jason replied as he ate his third and last slice of pizza. "Mr. Wayne?" "Yes, Jason?" Bruce whispered. Jason wiped his hands on a napkin and looked up at Bruce. "I'm not one to quit. Even if I'm not the best, I'll just keep trying. I'll never give up," Jason whispered. Bruce cleaned up the table, and he went to the kitchen. Jason waited for a few minutes for Bruce to return before going on the ice. Jason thought that maybe Bruce wanted to change his mind, but that didn't matter. He knew he was good enough. "Tighten up your core!" Bruce yelled. Jason smiled without thinking and straightened his posture. "I wanna see a little more bend in those knees!" Jason concealed his smile and made the corrections as Bruce made them. Something about Bruce Wayne's way of barking commands made Jason feel encouraged. The lights flickered after thirty minutes, and Bruce got Jason off the ice. "I'm terrible, right?" Jason joked. Bruce chuckled. "I've never seen an athlete that liked being yelled at," Bruce laughed. Jason shrugged. "Maybe it's how you yelled, Coach," Jason whispered. Bruce led him through the alley to the car. Jason sat in the backseat and curled up. It wasn't long before he fell asleep. Bruce carried him upstairs to a vacant bedroom, where he dressed Jason in pajamas and tucked him into bed. It was the deepest and most tranquil sleep Jason had experienced since Catherine died. He slept on his back with one hand on his chest and another over his face. His breathing was deep, and his dreams were comforting. Bruce, however, did not sleep. He kept watch over the child's dreams.

[deliverred]

she can't unsee the bodies. faces frozen and glassy-eyed, limbs twisted and crushed in ways unimaginable. in the end, the blood-soaked ground had been painted as vibrantly as the banner they marched under, and long after the sighting of that odd light and the quakes it sent through the goddess' throat, it still felt as though the dirt beneath their feet trembled.

or maybe that was just her. it didn't matter.

the sight of him is enough for dorothea to stifle a small sob, just enough to call out, "lukas," before rushing to him. and there, rocking on her heels, she does her best to keep herself from sweeping him into a hug, afraid it might be the last thing he'd want. "you're alive."

the back of her hand instinctively rises to wipe something damp from her eyes. "i should've known better than to think otherwise," i know you're strong. i know you're capable, "but when we saw that thing in the sky, i wasn't sure if you'd—"

her lips press together, attempting a smile and trying to stave off additional grief, though they twist in a way that only seems to prove the point. "i'm so glad you're okay."

The sound of her voice, heavy emotions close to the surface -- even among the quiet din of people talking, moving about, having reunions and searching for those still missing -- draws his attention instantly, and Lukas drops the lance he'd been checking over in the aftermath of the assault.

"Dorothea--!" He searches for a brief moment before he catches sight of her, shuffling through several groups of people with quick and muttered apologies to meet her.

He had hoped that the Black Eagle students that had left would escape the fighting, but as he lays eyes on her, he knows that isn't the case. It isn't just the injuries he can see, but the mortal fear on her face; that she has seen such horrors, possibly barely escaped and now left staggering in the brief breath before the plunge back into conflict.

It makes something smolder dark in his chest, the grief of a loss he cannot name and so it does little more than rattle against his ribs like a caged thing.

She should not have had to endure this-- none of these children should have to be put through what's happened and what is likely to come.

She looks as if she wishes to rush forward til the last, but she holds back and Lukas respects the small distance between them.

"I'm thankful to see you here, though I wish you were in far safer places," he breathes out, eyes sweeping over her, looking for wounds, how severe. "Have you been seen to yet? There are some healers among us--"

But then he sees tears shine on her face, her hand coming up to brush them away, and Lukas takes the initiative to close the gap.

His touch is gentle but steady; he leaves her room to easily rebuff him if she isn't comfortable with this, but guides her to his side in an embrace all the same. "You'll have to forgive me, I'm still no expert at these things," he offers up, a lilt to his tone that could be a whisper of a tease, doing what he can to act as her shield in this moment. "I'm here, I'm fine-- I'm...I cannot express how grateful I am that you are here, alive and mostly unharmed."

He's aware that his armor isn't the most comforting thing, but it's reassuring to have her here -- physical, tangible, whole despite the situation she's been thrust into.

Lukas finds himself leaning on something Forsyth had often done to him, his forehead coming to press lightly against Dorothea's.

"I am sorry...that we could not prevent this from happening to you all, but I will do whatever I must to make sure you remain safe and go on to live and thrive beyond this dark moment. I swear it to you." Lukas may not have many passions to set his heart to, but he was loyal to his choices -- even if the road ahead didn't go all the way for himself.

He pulls back, just enough to catch her eye.

"It's okay to cry, Dorothea. I am here, I have you, and you are safe to feel what you feel right now. You don't have to be anything else in this moment."