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tobiasdrake · 5 months ago

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Digimon Adventure 01x26 - Radiant Wings! Garudamon / Sora's Crest of Love

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Mimi buried herself in an escapist fantasy to get away from it all, at the expense of the people living there. But then she watched WandaVision, declared "She just like me fr", and undid it all. To apologize, she hosted karaoke night for everyone.

Both groups have found their Digivice radar blip, so it's time to meet back up with everyone.

Something about this return trip across the lake, hard to say what, seems a bit more difficult for Taichi and Jou. The swan boat's moving slow enough that Mimi and Palmon can comfortably sit up on top of it, where Agumon had to drape himself across the roof before.

Not sure why. I guess the boys are just getting tired. Plus it was visibly damaged in the TonosamaGekomon fight so that might also be a factor. Yeah, that's definitely it.

(In seriousness, she's up there because it's a two-seater. Jou's the responsible senpai, Mimi's the youngest, and Taichi's an experienced athlete. This is the correct way to divvy up the available positions on the swan.)

But with time and pedaling, the kids make it to the far shore.

Taichi: Hey, we're here! Jou: (sits back and sighs) So tired....

Taichi disembarks the boat and holds up his arms to help Her Majesty down from the roof.

Taichi: Come on, Princess. Mimi: Ugh, don't call me Princess! Taichi: Just joking around!

Though there are practical reasons for them to have divvied up the positions like this, the irony of the situation is not lost on Taichi.

Would it surprise you to know that the dub rewrote this exchange so they'd have an opportunity to be mean to Mimi about it? Because it didn't surprise me.

Tai: Come on, Mimi, get off your throne! Mimi: (scoff) I wouldn't exactly call this a throne! Tai: Yeah, well, I wouldn't call you a princess!

It starts off about the same, then Mimi's given a shallow response to provoke a comical retaliation. The punchline is Tai directly insulting her for being entitled, out of an exchange that was originally Taichi gently ribbing Mimi for the past episode's behavior and Mimi getting embarrassed and flustered about it.

Yamato's group arrives to meet the swan boat team and the two teams reunite.

Palmon: You've gotten smaller since last I saw you. Tsunomon, Motimon, & Koromon: Cut it out!

Palmon, you were there when this happened to Koromon. XD She's just being a dick.

In the dub:

Palmon: It's been so long since I've seen you! My, you've... shrunk. Tsunomon, Motimon, & Koromon: Don't rub it in!

It's a long walk to that punchline but I get where they were going with this. Palmon's quoting what was basically a stock phrase among distant relatives that kids in the target demographic have heard a thousand times. If you were twelve years old in the U.S in the 90's, this was hilarious.

I am no longer twelve years old so I don't know what they're saying now.

While Palmon savagely teases the other Partners for the consequences of Perfect-stage evolution, conversation turns to the one member of the nakama still missing: Sora, who's been floating around offering small bits of aid in each episode.

Except Koushiro's for continuity's sake, because Sora was across the lake helping Mimi while Koushiro's episode was taking place. Koushiro and Tentomon are the only pair that managed to unstick themselves from their situation without anyone's help.

Taichi: Where's Sora? Yamato: We didn't see her. Taichi: I see.... Where could she have gone? Mimi: I... I might have seen Sora-san. Group: Huh? Taichi: Where? Mimi: The Gekomon castle. But that might have been a dream....

Mimi flashes back on Sora's visit to Mimi's bedside, prompting discussion of Sora's eerie hit-and-run assistance.

Jou: So that's what happened. Koromon: Come to think of it, the voice that told me not to eat the mushrooms... I feel like it sounded a lot like Sora's. Taichi: Are you sure? Takeru: But if that's true, then why hasn't Sora-san come back to us? Yamato: It's no use thinking about it. We aren't Sora.

Yamato, Taichi, and Koushiro check their Digivices to see a new signal beeping in the distance.

Yamato: We'll have to catch her first. Taichi: This is like playing hide and seek. Koushiro: It's coming from this direction.

Taking point, the three lead the way, following their Digivices towards Sora.

In the dub, Joe is bafflingly clueless about the context of this conversation.

Joe: I think you're right. It must have been a dream. Koromon: Actually, I forgot that when I was just about to eat one of those Mushrooms of Forgetfulness when I was Agumon, I heard a voice that sounded a lot like Sora's! Tai: That's real weird! T.K.: But then, if Sora's actually close to where we are, why doesn't she come out and tell us? Matt: Maybe Sora just doesn't want to. Even worse, maybe she just can't. (Digivice signals beep) Matt: All I know is, we've gotta find her quick! Tai: It's almost like we're playing tag with her! Izzy: Come on, the signal points this way!

Original Koromon can be excused for this oversight because he's just realizing right now that the voice he heard was Sora's. Dub Agumon pegged her as Sora back at the moment it was happening, so it's kinda weird he waited this long to mention her.

Meanwhile, at Vamdemon's castle, PicoDevimon is getting the worst punishment yet. We don't even see it; We only hear four straight seconds of bloodcurdling scream before coming in on PicoDevimon falling down a flight of stairs, visibly bruised and beaten.

At last, Vamdemon emerges from silhouette.

(Oh my god, I always forget that he's blond. Why is he blond? XD I love the guy but Blond Dracula looks goofy as shit.)

Vamdemon's emergence prompts him to finally receive a rundown too. Vamdemon is a Perfect-stage Virus-type Undead Digimon. He debuted in Nightmare Soldiers, the same V-Pet that gave us Devimon, as the Perfect-stage evolution of Devimon and Bakemon.

In fact, many of the Digimon we're going to see associated with him are also Nightmare Soldiers. This arc is basically "The Chosen Children throw hands with that one specific V-Pet release."

I don't remember if I mentioned this before but his name, Vamdemon, is a portmanteau of "Vampire" and "Demon". Meanwhile, his English name Myotismon comes from the myotis genus of bats.

Vamdemon: I've grown tired of your incompetence. Narrator: Vamdemon. An exceptionally brutal and cunning Undead Digimon. His special attacks are Night Raid and Bloody Stream.

This is one of the less helpful rundowns. Thank you for just reading the attack names that were printed onscreen for me. This told me nothing.

The dub retains PicoDevimon's tortured scream, but they cut it down to about three seconds and also dial the volume way the hell down so it's easy to miss under the background music.

DemiDevimon handles Myotismon's intro.

Myotismon: Because of your stupidity, all of my evil plans have failed! DemiDevimon: Oh boy, Myotismon! How'd I ever get stuck working for this guy? And he's got all those bats! I hate bats!

The dub makes a judgment call that Vamdemon was the one coming up with all the schemes, which isn't quite the impression I've gotten. It's felt to me like Vamdemon gave PicoDevimon a task - Steal the Crests and prevent them from activating - and then set him loose to go figure out how to make that happen for himself.

The forgetfulness mushrooms demonstrated quite a bit of personal initiative. Bribing Digitamamon to drag Yamato into Jou's plight also seems unlikely to have been premeditated too far in advance, since it was a reaction to Yamato showing up like ten minutes ago. And with Vademon, he didn't so much bungle a plan as the plan was just bad from the outset.

PicoDevimon's schemes have featured a lot of improvisation and rapid adjustment to changing circumstances. So I think Myotismon owes credit where credit is due: Because of DemiDevimon's stupidity, all of his own plans have failed!

PicoDevimon: Please forgive me, Vamdemon-sama! Vamdemon: Courage. Hope. Friendship. The children's Crests have regained their light once after another. PicoDevimon: I-I'm ashamed! B-but, Vamdemon-sama, not all of the Crests have activated yet!

PicoDevimon scries up footage of Sora and Piyomon, sitting along on grass.

PicoDevimon: Like this kid. Her Crest of Love will never glow. Truth is, that's because I gave her some advice. The other six should be coming to her shortly. If we strike there-- Vamdemon: When the time comes, contact me. I will send those children straight to Hell. PicoDevimon: YES, SIR!!!

This time it's Vamdemon's turn to be unfair. My guy, the Crest of Courage was shining before PicoDevimon was even involved in this. Absolutely unfair to pin that one on him. Go take it up with Etemon.

This is, of course, case in point: PicoDevimon's having to explain the situation with Sora to Vamdemon because Vamdemon has no idea what PicoDevimon did to her. He's not involved in the "how"; He cares only that the task gets done.

In the dub:

DemiDevimon: Forgive my mistakes, Master Myotismon! I beg you! Myotismon: Courage. Hope. Friendship. The children's Crests are beginning to glow one by one! DemiDevimon: Everyone makes mistakes! Remember disco? Besides, sir, not all the children's Crests have begun to glow yet! (DemiDevimon conjures the scrying portal) DemiDevimon: That girl has the Crest of Love and it's still not glowing thanks to me! Anyway, according to my schedule, she'll be meeting up with the other children very soon! And when she does, Master Myotismon, when they are all together, that's when I'll get 'em! Myotismon: You think you can!? If you fail me again, my bats will have a new chew toy: YOU!!! DemiDevimon: Ehehehehe... I hate bats.

Goddammit, I forgot what a punching bag disco was back in the 90's. XD That got me. I know he's speaking in a broad sense about people as a whole but the way he uses it sort of implies to me that Myotismon had a disco phase. And I refuse to let that mental image go.

He was a young Devimon with parachute pants and roller skates once like, "I'm going to invent a NEW evolution all on my own, and it will be DISCODEVIMON!!!" Years later, Myotismon is just like, "We do not speak of DiscoDevimon."

Obviously, "I will send the children to Hell" wasn't making it past the censors. Though it's a bit of an odd choice to remove Vamdemon's instructions entirely, and instead assert that DemiDevimon's going to go take them all out by himself.

Also, "according to my schedule". XD He is trying so hard to sound like he still has control of things.

Meanwhile, the kids continue their search for Sora.

Wandering through the jungle as the sun begins to set.

Taichi: HEY!!! SORA!!! Koushiro: SORA-SAN!!! Jou: Hey, let's stop here for today and find a place to rest. It's too dangerous to wander around in the dark. Mimi: (collapses to her knees) I'm tired.... Yamato: But she should be somewhere around here.

Yamato checks his Digivice to confirm, and Sora's blip is practically right next to his own.

Would it surprise you to learn that the dub rewrote Jou's line so that he's just being a weenie instead of a responsible senpai? Yeah, they picked on Mimi earlier so now it's time to pick on Joe.

Tai: Soraaaaa! Izzy: SORA!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?!? Joe: Why don't we find a spot to rest for the night? Or better yet, for the next couple of weeks. My feet are killing me! Not to mention every other part of my body! Mimi: (collapses to her knees) I can't go another inch.... Matt: Hold it! I'm getting a reading on my Digivice. T.K.: Really? Well, what is it?

Matt doesn't even dignify Joe's whining with a response, instead announcing the radar blip as it it just appeared for the first time.

Also, T.K., you know what the blip is. It's been explained to you. Multiple times. What the fuck, T.K.?

Suddenly, Patamon's ears perk up.

Patamon: Huh!? Takeru: What's wrong? Patamon: I can hear something! Takeru: Eh? Maybe it's Sora-san! (low buzzing starts getting louder)

Only Patamon's giant ears can pick up the sound at first, but then it comes into focus, getting louder and louder as it approaches.

The dub doesn't really change the dialogue but they do change the timing of the buzzing, and the results are hilarious.

Patamon: Oh! What's that buzzing? (low audible buzzing starts getting louder) T.K.: I wonder if it's Sora!

Okay, T.K. ate the poison berries shortly before this scene started. XD

You know how Sora would sometimes open her mouth and the sound of a million angry hornets would emerge to signal that the end times are upon us? Or that she's just hangry? Yeah, that's probably what we're hearing.

Nope, actually, we're under attack.

Sora's really let herself go.

This hornet digimon erupts from the woods and attacks. Koromon identifies him as Flymon. The kids run for cover as Flymon makes a strafing run, raining projectile stingers down on them as he passes by.

Koushiro pops open his laptop and opens up the Digimon Analyzer, giving us the first diegetic rundown of the original.

Koushiro: I can bring up his status using the Digimon Analyzer that Gennai sent me! (Koushiro pulls up the DIgimon Analyzer screen on his laptop) Koushiro: Here it is. Flymon. An Insect Digimon. Adult-stage. He's a Virus-type. His special attack, Deadly Sting, sprays poisonous stingers. POISONOUS STINGERS!?!?

Flymon is something of a distant cousin to the Gazimon from the Etemon arc. He evolves from Gizamon, Pagumon's other branch.

Though the original just makes insect buzzing noises, Dub Flymon talks. They also cut "Deadly Sting" for obvious reasons.

Flymon: (firing) Brown Stingers! EEEEYOW!!! Izzy: Maybe this Digimon Analyzer that Gennai gave me could help us out. (Izzy pulls up the Digimon Analyzer screen on his laptop) Izzy: Here he is! Flymon. Classified as an Insect Digimon. A Virus-type. And I think we already know what his attack is - and it's not very pleasant! AND HERE HE COMES NOW!!!

No mention of his stingers being poisoned in the original. To be fair, given that they're the size of Taichi's torso and he's shooting them, we're probably in more danger of being impaled than poisoned.

Koromon and Tsunomon evolve back to their Child-stages, and the kids unload on Flymon. He's too fast for them, however, weaving around the Child-stage Digimon's attacks before coming in for another strafing run.

Out of nowhere, Birdramon appears, firing down at Flymon with Meteor Wing.

Flymon can dodge some of Birdramon's fireballs but not all of them at once. A direct hit sends his smoldering body plummeting into the forest.

Recognizing that Birdramon's presence means Sora's nearby, Taichi and Yamato bolt into the woods to give chase - With Takeru following along behind them.

Splitting up from Yamato, Taichi impressively manages to get ahead of Sora offscreen so he can emerge from the underbrush and cut her off.

This whole chase goes by for a good 20-30 seconds without any silence-destroying dialogue or jokes added by the dub.

Caught between Taichi in front and Yamato behind Sora has nowhere to run.

Taichi: Sora! Yamato: Why are you running away? Taichi: Explain yourself, Sora! Sora: ... Yamato: Sora...?

Finally, Takeru shows up with Agumon and Gabumon. None of them could keep up with even Yamato's sprint, let alone Taichi's. Takeru's gasping for breath, but he has an important question to ask.

Takeru: Sora-san, do you... hate us? Sora: Nnngh... That's not it! Piyomon: (arriving from the sky) Sora, why don't you tell them?

Fittingly, Takeru is the one who finally gets her to open up and speak, just a little. Taichi and Yamato were just being met with stone-faced silence, but she couldn't let Takeru believe something so cruel.

In the dub, Tai sounds inexplicably surprised to see her.

Tai: Sora! It's you! Matt: So why were you running away!? Tai: Enough running! Tell us what's going on! Sora: (groaning) ...mrrrr.... Matt: Sora...? T.K.: (arrives) Sora? Does this mean that... you don't like us anymore? Sora: No... Of course not. T.K.: Then what's wrong? Biyomon: (arriving from the sky) Sora, why don't you tell them?

It's a very small change but she seems a bit more conflicted in the dub. Her stone-faced silence is replaced with a vocalized groan, as if biting her tongue and wracked with indecision.

At Piyomon's urging, Sora finally comes clean about what's going on with her - And, in the process, finally explains this "Crest of Courage, Crest of Friendship" thing that PicoDevimon and Vamdemon have been talking about to the kids themselves.

She starts off choking out her words as if even trying to have this conversation is painful for her.

Sora: When Piyomon and I... left that night to look for Taichi... I... saw them... I saw PicoDevimon talking to someone. Takeru: What were they talking about? Sora: They were talking about our Crests. Taichi: The Crests? Sora: Yes. Each of our Crests has a different meaning. For instance, Taichi has the Crest of Courage. Taichi: Crest of Courage?

Taichi flashes back on Etemon's pyramid, when he found his nerve again and braved the firewall.

Taichi: Oh. That's why my Crest glowed back then! Sora: Yamato-kun has the Crest of Friendship. Yamato: Friendship? Takeru: What about mine? Sora: Takeru-kun has the Crest of Hope. Takeru: (happy) Eh!? The Crest of Hope! Sora: Koushiro-kun has the Crest of Knowledge. Jou-senpai has the Crest of Sincerity. Mimi-chan has the Crest of Purity. (sadly) And mine... is the Crest of Love. Taichi: Heh, Love fits you perfectly, Sora!

While Sora goes over these last three Crests, we see Koushiro, Jou, and Mimi crossing a creek that we had to chase Sora across earlier, trying to catch up to everyone. It's devoid of dialogue, but Koushiro hops across the stepping stones Sora used, Jou tries but slips and falls in, and Palmon pulls Mimi across on her vines to skip the creek entirely.

We've talked about most of these Crests as they came up. This is the first we're hearing of Jou's, however, since he shared his episode with Yamato.

Jou's Crest is 誠実の紋章 Seijitsu no Monshou, translated as the Crest of Sincerity. We talked last episode about Mimi's Purity, what that means from a Japanese perspective, and how it maps onto "Sincerity" in English. Now, here we are again encountering Sincerity from the opposite side.

This is not the last time that the English and Japanese scripts will use the same word for different things. So Mimi's sincere and Jou's sincere. Is this a redundancy?

I think it's easiest to grasp this distinction by thinking of it like honesty. Mimi and Jou's virtues are both forms of honesty, but they are not the same. Mimi is honest in the sense that she is true to herself, forthcoming with her feelings and thoughts and intentions. She doesn't lie or misrepresent herself; She says what she thinks and she thinks what she feels. With her, what you see is what you get.

Jou is honest in the sense of being forthright and dependable. He has a strong moral center, adheres to societal obligations, and earnestly strives to do what is expected of him. He abides by social contracts and behaves ethically within those boundaries.

Mimi is honest in her words and expression of her self, while Jou is honest in his actions and expression of social standards.

I would probably go with something like Crest of Responsibility or something than Reliability, though. The latter sounds like he's. Like. Generally successful at doing the things you need from him, when the results of his attempts to uphold his obligations aren't really the point. He doesn't always succeed in being the voice of reason or shepherding these kids in his care to safety, but he always tries.

Over in the dub, Sora for some reason feels the need to vividly describe DemiDevimon as if we all haven't met him already.

Sora: Okay. It happened the night that Biyomon and I left camp to try and find Tai. I saw a strange Digimon. He looked like a bowling ball with wings and he was talking to something in a giant bubble! T.K.: So, could you hear what he was saying? Sora: Yeah, I heard him talking about our Crests. Tai: What about them? Sora: He was saying that each of our Crests has its own special meaning. For example, Tai, yours is the Crest of Courage. Tai: The Crest of Courage? Oh! (flashback) That's right! And then the Crest started to glow! Sora: And the Crest you have, Matt, is the Crest of Friendship. Matt: Friendship.... T.K.: And mine? Sora: Yours is special, T.K. It's the Crest of Hope. T.K.: Alright! I hope we can get back home! Sora: Izzy's Crest is the Crest of Knowledge. Joe's is the Crest of Reliability.

The dub gives Gomamon a line after Joe splashes helplessly into the water during their creek crossing.

Gomamon: Thanks for being there, Joe! Sora: And Mimi's is the Crest of Sincerity. And finally, mine? Mine is the Crest of Love. Tai: Wow, the Crest of Love? That's just perfect for you, Sora.

I have no idea what Gomamon is thanking Joe for. I guess he's just trying to cheer him up.

The exposition here is mostly the same. She does call out T.K.'s Crest as special, but doesn't elaborate on what that means.

In any case, Sora fucking explodes over that last remark from Taichi, full-throated screaming at him at the top of her lungs. However, her voice sounds wounded and scared more than angry.

Sora: NO, IT DOESN'T!!! IT DOESN'T FIT ME AT ALL!!! Taichi: B-but you're always thinking about everyone-- Sora: I DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM!!! YOU DON'T... YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M LIKE SO STOP PRETENDING THAT YOU DO!!! Taichi: (stunned) .... Sora: (gasp) I'm sorry.... Taichi: Wh... What's wrong? Sora: My Crest. It won't glow. Because I don't have any love.

Just because she's been out there helping everyone, that doesn't mean she isn't going through some shit too.

From an English perspective, Sora's last line and her emotional crisis there might sound a bit unclear. We're often taught to think of love in the specific terms of the relationship between two people.

Sora! Calm down! You're 11! It's okay that you haven't found love yet! Your mind has been poisoned by children's cartoons about finding your soulmate at age 6!

But that's not what she's on about. No, we're going much deeper than that today. Her Crest is 愛情の紋章 Aijou no Monshou. Aijou is the expression of care for others. It represents tangible, demonstrable, quantifiable displays of affection, for people or animals or things.

When you snuggle your favorite stuffy on the bed, you are expressing aijou. When you pet your cat in your lap, you're expressing aijou. When you give a friend a hug because you haven't seen them in weeks, that's aijou.

Sora is saying that she is incapable of expressing affection for others. And that's just fucking tragic. It calls all the way back to her very first focus episode on File Island, when she had internal strife over how readily Mimi gave Palmon her hat. Mimi's expression of aijou freaked Sora out.

Sora has love in her heart. But she isn't comfortable showing it. This episode is going to talk about that.

The dub plays this scene verbatim.

In the original, we go to commercial here and come back to follow up on what those ominous words from Sora meant, after a brief misogyny break. The dub skips that commercial break because they have a different spot in mind. Remember that they could have put it here.

Takeru: What did you mean about not having any love? Taichi: I don't get this at all! Women are such a hassle! Yamato: (sternly) Don't make fun of her, Taichi. Taichi: I'm joking.

[Sora will Remember This]

Taichi's last line is delivered with all the dismissive emotion of "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Seriously, Taichi. She is clearly torn up about having to talk about something that is affecting her on an intense and personal level. Now was not the time for "Ugh women amirite high five!" Complete with It Was Just A Joke disclaimer when pushed back on.

I hope Mimi gets here soon.

The dub makes no significant changes but elaborates a bit on Taichi's unhelpful misogyny.

T.K.: You love us, don't you, Sora? Tai: I don't get it. Why is it that girls always have to get so emotional when it comes to love!? Matt: (sternly) Leave her alone, Tai. Tai: I was just joking around!

"Women amirite high five!" is now "Women and their feelings amirite high five!"

Once Taichi's finished forming another memory for Sora that will haunt him if he ever asks why she went for Yamato instead, Sora recounts her confrontation with PicoDevimon.

Sora: PicoDevimon told me. (flashback) Sora: Who are you!? PicoDevimon: Well, well. You saw something that you weren't meant to see. Did you hear about the Crests? Sora: I did! PicoDevimon: You're Sora-san, aren't you? Ehehehe... The Crest of Love, eh? Sora: What's so funny about that!? PicoDevimon: I feel bad for you. You were raised without knowing any real love, so your Crest of Love will never glow.

In the dub, Sora and DemiDevimon's confrontation almost sounds like they're gossiping.

Sora: (bitterly) The Digimon thought I was funny too. (flashback) Sora: Is your name, by any chance, DemiDevimon? DemiDevimon: It sure is! And you're one of those kids, the DigiDestined. Tell me something, did you hear about the Crests? Sora: Yes. In fact, I did. DemiDevimon: Oh yeah! You're that kid Sora! Heehee heehee... (sneering) The Crest of Love! Sora: And why are you laughing about that? DemiDevimon: You just think you're so hot! But guess what! You'll never be able to make the Crest glow! NEVER!!!

Sora was walking through the woods one day, eavesdropping on vampires as you do, when suddenly DemiDevimon showed up and did some mild bullying. And that's what she's been so freaked out about this whole time.

Sora's bitter retort to Taichi goes so hard and I love it but then the actual flashback is just... Wow.

Back in the present, Sora explains what PicoDevimon meant and why it affected her so badly with another flashback.

Taichi: Don't be stupid! PicoDevimon just told you a lie. Sora: No. It wasn't a lie. It happened back when I was in Girls' Soccer Club... I was their ace striker....

Sora flashes back on a confrontation with her mom.

Sora: Please understand, mom! I have to be there! Toshiko: Please lower your voice or the flowers will wilt. Sora: Today is a really important match! Toshiko: And how do you intend to play on that leg of yours? Sora: This is....

The camera pans down to show that Sora's left leg is bandaged up.

Sora: It's nothing! Toshiko: Sit down.

Sora's soccer injury makes it difficult for her; She flinches as she folds her legs under her to bend into the traditional seiza position, kneeling down with her heels under her.

Toshiko: You can't even sit correctly because of soccer. You should quit. Sora: NO!!! I like soccer more than flowers! Toshiko: Sora! How are you even my daughter?

Sora flinches as if she's been struck. She sits there, eyes filling with tears, soaking in the hurt for a moment, before standing up, screaming, and running off.

Sora: WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND!?!?

Sora sprints on her bad leg to the soccer field while the kids in the present discuss her story. Onscreen, we see that her team lost 6-3.

Taichi: Sora, your family is famous for kado, right? Sora: Yes. We're iemoto. Takeru: What does iemoto mean? Yamato: It means her mother is a master who teaches flower arranging.

Let's all thank Yamato for explaining both of those important Japanese words so that I don't have to.

Meanwhile, in the flashback, Sora arrives too late.

Sora: In the end, we lost that game. I couldn't stay in that club anymore. My mom doesn't see me as anything more than the daughter of a kado school. She thinks our reputation as iemoto is more important than I am! That's who she is!

This flashback is fucking powerful. Holy shit, there is so much going on here.

Note the careful shot composition in Sora's memory of Toshiko. Toshiko is shot in such a way as to obscure her face and instead draw attention to the flowers she's arranging. As if Sora was raised by the concept of floral arrangement, and not by a three-dimensional person.

That Sora's mother is iemoto lends a lot of important context to their argument. Sora is an only child, and it's traditional in an iemoto family for the iemoto to pass their skills and knowledge down to a child as their successor. Sora was obligated from the moment of her birth to become the next grandmaster to the Takenouchi school of floral arrangement, or whatever their school is called.

But she wants to play soccer instead. It's what she enjoys, as a three-dimensional person and not just Toshiko's Successor.

Presumably, she joined the soccer club that Taichi and Koushiro were in after losing the big game forced her to leave the girls' soccer club in disgrace.

So here we have another plot point that is thoroughly baked in Japanese culture. Good luck with this one, dub team.

Tai: That's it!? I thought it was something serious, like they were gonna stop making those stuffed bean bag animals. Besides, DemiDevimon is a liar. Sora: (silently flaps her lips for three seconds) It's true. It started back when I was on a girls' soccer team. My family owned a flower shop. It was my mom's whole life. (flashback) Sora: Please, mom! I gotta go to the soccer match! The girls are counting on me! Toshiko: Don't talk so loud, dear. The flowers are very sensitive. Sora: But this match is to win the title! Toshiko: Sora, you can't go with your knee injured like that. Sora: But mooooom! My leg's fine.... Toshiko: I'm sorry but you can't go. Sit down, we need to talk. (Sora drops into seiza, flinching in pain as she does) Toshiko: I want you to stop playing soccer and come to work at the flower shop after school. Sora: Do WHAT!? I won't stop playing to work with smelly old flowers! Toshiko: I can't believe a daughter of mine would act this way! My decision is final! Sora: (recoils, tears forming) ... WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?!? (stands up and runs off) Sora V.O.: I walked around for hours. I found myself at the soccer field. The game had just finished. Taichi V.O.: What happened? Sora V.O.: We lost the game 6-3. My teammates were so depressed that they didn't even notice me when they walked by me. I felt like I let them all down. Like it was all my fault. (back to present) Sora: My mom said I had to be part of the family business. No questions. That's how she is. It's like it's the only thing that's important to her. She doesn't understand.

Okay. Yeah. I have. Uh. I have notes.

First off, this hits way different when Toshiko is a small business owner wanting to bilk her daughter for free child labor, instead of the grandmaster of a long and storied art form trying to pass down her talents and knowledge to her next of kin.

They tried, but we just don't have the same culture of ancient disciplines and centuries-long generational inheritance. Kado and ikebana can trace their roots farther back than the concept of colonizing the Americas.

They had absolutely nothing to put in place of the iemoto discussion so Sora vamps over the footage and we end up with "I wandered aimlessly for hours and then arrived at the soccer field by happenstance." Why would she do that? Why wouldn't she go to the game straightaway?

Oh, and Tai continues to be even more of a condescending misogynistic prick in this version than the original.

Still, while the nuance of Toshiko's position is inevitably and unsurprisingly lost, the heart of this scene - How Sora's falling out with Toshiko made her feel - comes through intact. We still grasp the central idea: That Sora believes she's incapable of affection because she, herself, has been unloved throughout her childhood.

Sora, in a fit of total emotional breakdown, pulls back her arm to hurl her useless Crest into the woods. Taichi, at this moment, finally steps up to help.

Or. Uh. Tries to, at least.

Sora: So... I was raised without love, AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT!!! (Taichi grabs Sora's arm to stop her from throwing the Crest) Taichi: STOP IT, SORA!!! Sora: LET ME GO!!! Taichi: Whether it's true or not, you shouldn't believe anything PicoDevimon said.

Sora lowers her arm and doesn't throw the Crest. Instead, she breaks down completely, opening the floodgates and bawling out her emotions right there on the spot.

(Sora is so emotionally closed off that this cry is probably something she's needed for a long time.)

Taichi is, of course, completely useless in the face of Sora's raw, exposed pain.

Taichi: Hey, don't cry! Sora: (continues loudly crying) Taichi: H-Hey, Yamato, what should I do here? Yamato: If she needs to cry, then let her. Agumon: Yamato is so mature! Gabumon: Much more than Taichi, at least.

I shouldn't laugh while Sora's exposing her rawest nerves, but Agumon and Gabumon fucking taking turns dancing on the grave of Taichi's dignity got me. XD Eat shit, Goggle Boy.

In the dub, Sora quotes DemiDevimon for things he never said in this version.

Sora: That's why I know he wasn't lying when he said I grew up not knowing what love is. RAAAARGH!!! (Sora attempts to throw the Crest but Tai stops her) Tai: SORA, STOP IT!!! Sora: LET GO!!! Tai: Even if what you said is true, you shouldn't believe a word from that loser DemiDevimon! He's just a creep that's trying to hurt you! (Sora's arms fall limp and she starts bawling) Tai: Wait! Wait, don't cry, Sora!

HEY KIDS ENOUGH ABOUT THAT DO YOU WANT TO GO EAT AT MCDONALDS!?!?

Yeah, remember that commercial break we put a pin in? The dub slides it in right here. Let's talk about how cool Hot Wheels are instead of Sora's mom not loving her. They go all the way around the big wheel in the track somehow!

Have you ever had a nice, hot Toaster Strudel fresh out of the oven? Oh boy, I sure do love Toaster Strudel.

Oh, and be sure not to miss the new episode of Beast Machines. Yeah, we're gonna be airing some new Beast Machines. We all love Beast Machines, right?

Okay, back to Sora's traumatized heart shattering into a million pieces on the ground of this alien jungle we're stranded in.

Tai: Don't cry, Sora! Matt, help me out; I don't know what to do with her when she starts blubbering. Matt: Just let her go, Tai. She'll be okay. Agumon: Boy, Matt's like a real grown-up. Gabumon: Now if only he would cut his hair.

Sora, he didn't say you grew up not knowing what love is. That was the original Japanese script. In this version, he just said "Your Crest won't glow NEENER NEENER!" Sometimes I swear Sora binge-watched the subs in preparation for appearing in the dub.

Full disclosure: The second Tai opened his mouth again after the commercial, I wanted to go back to Toaster Strudel.

Agumon still gets to puff up Matt but Gabumon sinking the shot on Taichi's face is replaced by a quip about Matt's unruly hair. As if Tai's any better on that front.

Once Sora's crying has begun to slow and she's gotten out what she needed to - and once Taichi's brain has fully melted down into an ineffectual blue screen - Takeru approaches her.

Takeru: Sora-san? Thank you.

The gradual slowing of Sora's crying now halts, as she opens her eyes and looks down at Takeru.

Takeru: You're the one who told us not to eat the mushrooms, aren't you? Piyomon: We knew PicoDevimon was plotting something, so we followed him in secret. Also, when Yamato and Jou were working in Digitamamon's restaurant.... (Flashback to Sora replacing the stolen brick) Yamato: I didn't know. Taichi: You didn't have to hide from us. Piyomon: Sora wanted to be alone. But she couldn't abandon the rest of you either. Please understand. Takeru: I love you, Sora. (Platonic daisuki) Sora: Eh...? Takeru: So don't leave us again, okay? i don't like when my family-- (Takeru stops himself abruptly and is silent for a second, trying to find his words again) Takeru: ...I mean, when everyone separates. Sora: Takeru-kun... Okay. I'm sorry.

Hahaha Sora triggered Takeru's divorce trauma ISN'T THIS EPISODE SO HAPPY AND FUN? T_T We're doing character drama through the roof today.

The dub plays this scene almost entirely straight, but cuts the reference to T.K.'s parents being divorced. Though they replace his divorce trauma with stranded child trauma.

T.K.: Sora? I like you. Sora: Huh? T.K.: So please don't go away again. I don't like being away from you. (T.K. pauses for a second for no particular reason) T.K.: Haha, when you're around, I don't miss my mom as much! Sora: T.K... (voice breaking up) I'm so, so sorry!

Oh wow, that's heartbreaking in a completely different way. ISN'T THIS EPISODE SO HAPPY AND FUN? T_T I know we've all been having a great time talking about how unloved Sora is but did you know that that Takeru is 8 with divorced parents and he's been lost in hostile wilderness for months?

Maybe shows need a maximum age rating too because I have been at full-throttle WON'T SOMEBODY HELP THESE CHILDREN since the moment Sora started sharing.

Finally, the slowpokes arrive. At long last, the kids are finally all together again.

Jou: HEY!!! Taichi: (cheerful again, back in his element) Hey! What took you so long? Mimi: Jou-senpai took his time after falling in the river. Jou: Mimi-kun, you kept sitting down and complaining about how tired and hungry you were!

Unbeknownst to them, however, a stalker has been observing them from the bushes while this whole trauma unpack has been going on.

PicoDevimon: They're all here. I must inform Vamdemon right away!

No change in the dub.

Once night falls, Vamdemon's carriage emerges from his castle, carted across the sky by a wicked beast. Devidramon specifically, but we aren't introduced to them yet. At the same time, PicoDevimon decides he wants to begin the slaughter early.

PicoDevimon: Hehehe, they're all fast asleep.

He pulls out one of his Pico Darts, brandishing it at the sleeping children.

(They've been apart for so long, they forgot to set a night watch rotation. Complacency is the bane of survival.)

PicoDevimon: I'll pick off a few of them before Vamdemon arrives.

Piyomon wakes up just in time to see PicoDevimon preparing to throw his Pico Dart. She dives on top of Sora, shrieking for Sora to wake up. The syringe jabs into Piyomon's back right as Sora wakes, and she falls limp in Sora's arms.

The last time we saw DemiDevimon fight was in T.K.'s amusement park episode. There, the dub cut all footage of the Pico Darts, presumably due to obviously being syringes. So you might be wondering how they can play this scene without showing the Darts.

And the answer is they can't. DemiDevimon debuts his version of Pico Darts here, calling them Demi Darts, and most of the footage of them makes it in.

They do cut one part, and it's the moment the Dart strikes Biyomon. Instead of seeing the needle sink into her flesh, they cut away to DemiDevimon's grinning face while we hear it strike her offscreen. However, there's also a closeup shot of Sora pulling the needle out of Biyomon's back that makes it into the dub unedited.

Sora's shrieking about Piyomon wakes the rest of the kids. PicoDevimon cowers away, afraid to have to fight them all at once. But then he arrives with fucking dramatic flair.

His coffin air-dropped from his carriage, just so he can burst out of it mid-descent.

He didn't have to do it that way. He did that for the aesthetic. It's a show of intimidation. He doesn't just want the kids thinking a vampire has shown up; He wants them to know that Maximum Dracula is here for their blood.

As he touches down on the grass, he speaks in his booming yet quiet and reserved voice.

Vamdemon: Chosen Children. Sora: THAT GUY!!! That's the guy PicoDevimon was talking to! PicoDevimon: Not "that guy"! This is Vamdemon-sama! Taichi: Vamdemon? PicoDevimon: No, Vamdemon-sama! Vamdemon: Hahahahahaha... Your journey ends here. Night Raid!

Even Vamdemon's laugh is a quiet and reserved chortle. I went back and forth on how to spell it because it's closer to Hnhnhnhnhnhn but that doesn't look right as an onomatopoeia.

Taichi, at least show some proper respect to his honorific before you die. :P Notably, Taichi has an issue with that in general. It's something I've noticed but haven't talked about: Taichi doesn't use a lot of honorifics when talking to the others. Fitting his personality, he is inappropriately casual with his language choices.

A fact that is now pissing off PicoDevimon.

Vamdemon himself is a man of few words. He just shows up like, "Hey kids, killing you now," and opens fire. This is what Etemon wanted to do for his entire arc.

Meanwhile, in the dub, Myotismon is chewing scenery with his more boisterous persona.

Myotismon: MUWAHAHAHAHA!!! DIGIDESTINED!!! Your journey ends here. Sora: That's it! That's the thing DemiDevimon was talking to! DemiDevimon: He's not a thing! He's Lord Myotismon! Tai: Myotismon? DemiDevimon: That's Lord Myotismon! Myotismon: WUHUHUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! These DigiDestined are making me feel a little... batty! Grisly Wing!

Sora calling Myotismon "THAT THING" gives me life. XD

Taking bickering over the -sama honorific and turning it into bickering over a Lordship title is pretty standard for anime dubs.

Vamdemon fires off his Night Raid, finally showing us the thing that he's been torturing PicoDevimon with.

It's a wave of pure darkness and bats.

Mochimon evolves to join the other Child-stage Digimon, and they put up an initial front line. Firing on the bats to hold back the assault. But it's not enough, and the bats breach the line, reaching the kids behind.

Seeing Mimi harassed by bats, Palmon evolves to answer quantity with quantity. Dub Palmon drops a one-liner:

Palmon: Let me try to get my point across! Needle Spray!

A million needles answer a million bats, buying the kids a moment to breathe and return fire. Specifically, a moment for Artillery Cannon Ikkakumon to return fire, sending out six Harpoon Vulcans to converge on Vamdemon.

The missiles explode on impact, obscuring Vamdemon in smoke like this is Dragon Ball. Then he emerges, seemingly unscathed, launching himself into the air.

Throwing himself into the fight for real, Vamdemon unveils his other technique: Bloody Stream.

A pair of whips, presumably made of blood, which he lashes out at the Partner Digimon. The dub calls it Crimson Lightning for obvious reasons.

(I wonder if this is a Castlevania reference? Associating Dracula with whips makes me immediately think Castlevania.)

While savaging the Digimon, Vamdemon gives off the most monotone and robotic evil laugh I've ever heard, and it's the scariest fucking thing.

Vamdemon: Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.

While Myotismon is having the time of his life.

Myotismon: Ahh HAHA Ahahahahaha!!!

As he hits the ground, Agumon declares:

Agumon: Taichi... He's strong....

But. Uh. Yeah, you're Child-stage and he's Perfect, that is not a fair assessment. The only Digimon we have that can Super-Evolve just recovered enough for Child-stage today, so we're up shit creek right now.

Once Vamdemon's finished taking apart the Partners, he advances on the children. In the back of the group, the last Digimon struggles to break free from Sora and fight.

Piyomon: I have to go... I'm the only one left.... Sora: You can't! How do you intend to fight him with your injuries!? Piyomon: Please understand, Sora. I have to go! (Piyomon starts trying to wriggle out of Sora's grasp) Sora: YOU CAN'T!!! Piyomon: LET GO!!! Sora: YOU CAN'T GO!!! Piyomon: WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND!?!?

Just like that, the shoe is on the other foot. Sora's stunned by Piyomon echoing the same words she'd said to Toshiko in her flashback.

Sora: Mom... It was really about me... She was worried about me!

Whatever ambiguous injury fucked up Sora's leg, that's what the argument had really been about. Toshiko didn't want Sora playing on an injured leg, and she didn't want Sora playing at all if it was going to push her so hard that she thought playing on an injured leg was okay.

It wasn't about the fucking kado school. Sora made an ass out of u and mption. Poor mption didn't deserve that.

Over in the dub:

Biyomon: I've gotta do something to help them... Sora: Huh? Biyomon: I'm the only one left to fight Myotismon.... Sora: It's no use! You can't do anything in your condition. Biyomon: Please understand... I have to go! (Biyomon starts trying to wriggle out of Sora's grasp) Sora: No, Biyomon, you can't! You'll get hurt! I WON'T LET YOU!!! MY DECISION IS FINAL!!! Biyomon: SORA, WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND!?!?!? (flashback) Sora: I always thought my mom was thinking about her flower shop, but she was really worried about me getting hurt....

Hey look, they added "My decision is final" to the flashback earlier so they could echo it here. For a dash of extra "Sora has become her mom" symbolism. I like that she absorbed that language from her mom without even realizing she was adding it to her lexicon.

Because people do that. You are the influences you surround yourself with, especially during childhood.

It's worth noting that Dub Toshiko was pushier about the flowers, though. In the original, it was Sora who brought "I don't want to flowers" into the argument. Go back and check!

What Toshiko said was "How do you intend to play on that leg of yours?" and "You can't even sit correctly because of soccer. You should quit." She never made it about kado. That was an assumption Sora leapt to. With the new context Sora provides here, it's clear that she really was just freaked out by Sora's leg injury.

(Though Sora's kneejerk assumption does imply that the pressure to become the next iemoto has been a point of contention between her and Toshiko in the past, it does not mean that Toshiko doesn't love her daughter.)

In the dub, she gave Sora the "We need to talk" and then followed up with "I want you to stop playing soccer and come to work at the flower shop after school." So it's not exactly Sora's fault that she assumed this was about the flower shop. Toshiko said as much.

This schism isn't so bad that it undercuts Sora's realization here, I think. But the difference in Toshiko's tone does affect how she comes across as a parent nonetheless, which is kind of important to the whole "Was Sora unloved?" thing.

Original Toshiko was trying to have a conversation with her daughter, only for Sora to get the wrong idea and unexpectedly explode on her. To which Toshiko reacted badly and said some shit she shouldn't have said.

Dub Toshiko was laying down commands from on high for her child to obey. Her intentions weren't so bad, turns out, but she still kinda sucks. Like. In general. Making sweeping life decisions for your child without so much as consulting them and then doubling down when they get upset about it is not good parenting. Dub Sora still isn't unloved, but her mom seems pretty domineering.

While Sora's having revelations about her mother, Piyomon breaks free and evolves into Birdramon. And then Sora gets to see her fears realized.

Birdramon's Meteor Wing glances harmlessly off of Vamdemon's cape. He retaliates, sinking his Bloody Stream into Birdramon's gut and knocking her from the air with a single shot.

Sora runs for her, screaming in sheer terror.

Sora: BIRDRAMON!!! BIRDRAMOOOOOOOOOON!!!

The dub makes this a little more on the nose.

Sora: Birdramon! Birdramon, no! I love you!

Now that she's over her internalized emotional blockage, Sora's feelings erupt and her Crest activates. Birdramon CHOU-SHINKAAAAAA!!!

Birdramon Super-Evolves into her Perfect-stage Garudamon. And then immediately ignores Vamdemon while he shits himself over his exposure to the sacred power of the holy device and Crest, now glowing inside Garudamon.

Vamdemon: W-What is that light!?

Garudamon ignores him to pick up Sora and talk to her instead. That's fair.

Garudamon: Sora, your love... I felt so much of it.Sora: (crying tears of relief) Piyomon... So cool....

While they have this moment, the narrator cuts in for the rundown. Garudamon is a Perfect-stage Vaccine-type Bird Person Digimon. Her name is a reference to the god Garuda, the king of birds in Hindu mythology.

That she's been promoted from a bird dragon to a male humanoid god who governs the domain of birds is why she looks like that.

Narrator: Garudamon. A Bird Person Digimon that evolves from Birdramon. Through justice and order, she is the guardian deity of the natural environment. Her special attack is Shadow Wing.

In the dub, Myotismon seems even more confused than Vamdemon.

Myotismon: What!? Where is that glow coming from!? (Garudamon picks up Sora) Garudamon: (growly beast voice) SOOOOORA! I CAN FEEL YOUR LOOOOOOOVE! It's making me strong! Sora: (crying tears of relief) My Crest... It glows.... Tentomon: (here now) Garudamon is the Ultimate form of Birdramon. She commands the sky and protects the earth. Her attack is a flaming bird called Wing Blade.

Sora's more interested in her Crest than Garudamon. Which is fair because Dub Garudamon became fucking terrifying holy shit. That was a choice and a half. I'd be trying to focus on literally anything else too.

Now that she's properly introduced, Garudamon turns her attention on Vamdemon.

Vamdemon: Rrgh, the Crest of Love just had to activate at the most crucial moment! Garudamon: I will protect Sora! Shadow Wing!

Her Shadow Wing takes the form of a flaming bird. Vamdemon matches with his Night Raid, resulting in a momentary tug-of-war between their dueling attacks.

But Night Raid roots Vamdemon in place while he fires it, while Shadow Wing is self-sustaining. While Vamdemon is rooted in that spot, Garudamon snatches up the kids and Partners and takes flight, leaving him behind.

In the dub, "Hey Digimon" fires up as Garudamon lets off her Wing Blade, and its upbeat positivity is absolutely tone-destroying. Like we are actively fleeing for our lives from Dracula to the tune of Don't Worry Be Happy.

When their attacks collide, the dub gives Myotismon the line:

Myotismon: I did not anticipate such strength!

Did... Did you not? You've been pretty upset each time a new Crest glowed.

Garudamon carries the kids to safety, and they unpack Sora's realization by a nice river the next morning.

Taichi: See? There was nothing to worry about. Your Crest glowed just fine. Sora: Before I knew what I was doing, I started acting like my mom. Pyokomon: Sora.... Sora: That's when I understood. My mom loved me all along. Pyokomon: I felt it too! I felt your love! Sora: I'm sorry about before. Pyokomon: I'm just glad you're back to normal! Taichi: Aww, I want Sora's love too! Jou: Taichi, you moron! Do you realize what you're saying!? Takeru: Huh? Jou-san, your face is beet red! Mimi: Jou-senpai, would you like some of my love? Jou: Huh!?

Mimi deposits various seeds into Jou's hands. I honestly can't explain this one. It's clearly meant to be a visual pun but fuck if I know what it is. The other kids clearly get it, though, and they all have a good laugh at Jou's expense.

Jou: (tired) Mimi-kun... okay.... Group: (laughs hysterically) Narrator: The children accepted Sora back into their group and their unity was stronger than ever before. However....

In the dub:

Tai: All you had to do is stop worrying about it, Sora, and you got your Crest to work! Sora: When Biyomon was in danger of getting hurt, I realized that I was acting just like my mom. Know what I realized? My mom loved me all along. Yokomon: And it was your love that helped me Digivolve, Sora. Sora: I'm glad. Yokomon: You see? You are capable of love after all. Tai: I felt something. I guess it was your love shining through! Joe: I felt something too. It made me feel uncomfortable. T.K.: Love shouldn't make you feel like that! Mimi: That's right, T.K.! I know why you felt uncomfortable, Joe. Joe: Hmm? Why? Mimi: (deposits the seeds in his hands) These were in your pocket! Joe: Oh, I guess it wasn't love. Group: (laughs hysterically) Matt V.O.: Sora joined up with us again and we were closer than ever. We finally thought things were going our way. And then....

Okay when and why was Mimi rifling through Joe's pockets? I do not understand the Japanese joke but I somehow manage to understand the English one even less.

Tai's bit here is also notably different. In the original, he's whining because he wants to feel Sora's love too - with Jou-senpai immediately calling him out on how flirtatious that sounded. Either he's intentionally hitting on Sora or he's innocently saying something that sounds like hitting on Sora. Either way, senpai doesn't like it.

In the dub, he's celebrating the fact that he did feel Sora's love shining through a similar metaphysical connection to the one she has with Piyomon. Implying exactly the sort of relationship between them that Taichi may or may not want to have with her, depending on if he's started thinking about that yet.

Suddenly, the sky darkens. Black clouds fill the air and Vamdemon's eerie "Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha." laugh emerges from them. We close this episode out on the dire words of our new villain.

Sora: That voice! Vamdemon: Chosen Children. With only seven of you, you won't be able to defeat our evil power.

Uh. Cool. Thanks for dropping by to tell us that. He's hinting at the existence of the Eighth Child, which is going to become important to this arc going forward. Not sure why he's showing up to do that, though. This cliffhanger could have been an email.

The dub overlooks the importance of the number and instead plays it as a general gloat.

Sora: I know that laugh! Myotismon: You foolish DigiDestined! The seven of you are no match for my powers! Prepare for your ultimate destruction! MUWUHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

So, no foreshadowing here. Just a more aggressive cliffhanger to really get you biting your nails about his impending attack.

Which. Uh. There is no impending attack. We'll start next episode with the kids hanging out at this river, perfectly safe. He can't attack in broad daylight like this. He really was just coming by to say "LOL No Eighth Child? Scrubs."

You salty, bro?

Assessment: Well that was an emotional fucking roller coaster. I did not remember this episode very well and for that I am ashamed, because this was fucking good. Toshiko and Sora's drama tore my heartstrings right in fucking half.

The dub certainly made some questionable choices but on the whole I'd say that this is one of their better ones. Sora's character arc is preserved as intact as they could get it despite the untranslatable cultural elements to it, and that's the heart of the episode more than anything else.

Now I'm going to go get some McDonalds and process paralyzing adult fears for a while.

#digimon #digimon adventure #revisiting digimon #revisiting digimon adventure

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lusthurts · 1 year ago

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**SPOILER WARNING FOR THE RED WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE MOVIE**

This movie was very entertaining. It hit all the beats of a great rom-com. I personally enjoyed the music a lot, even if it was at times very different from the music in the book. Nicholas Galitzine was a standout of the main cast for me - he really made me feel Henry’s angst just like the book did, and I think this is a character that the film truly did justice. My personal favorite character from the movie though was Zahra - Sarah Shahi was absolutely incredible. She had fantastic comedic timing and her dynamic with Alex, Henry, Shaan, and Ellen. I really enjoyed Bea, Nora, & Pez as well, although I think they were severely underused and I kinda hated how the Nora/Pez dynamic worked without June. I think the romance was beautiful - I particularly enjoyed the polo scene, the karaoke scene, the Texas stuff, and the V&A museum.

I also laughed out loud a ton during the movie. Zahra’s scenes were hilarious, and the royal wedding/cake debacle was handled perfectly. I miss June here a bit, but I generally was very satisfied with how it all went down. Also, despite many fans early fears of a lack of chemistry between Nick and Taylor, I thought their chemistry was fantastic. Maybe not the best I’ve ever seen, but it was definitely believable, entertaining, and one of the most compelling parts of the story.

I also liked that we got more of Henry’s POV than we did in the book. It didn’t add a ton in my opinion, but I do think it allowed Nicholas Galitzine to show off his acting chops. I think the heart of the book remains, and after the press/everything I’d heard about the movie going into it, I was pleasantly surprised with how the political stuff was handled. Alex’s arc with Texas in particular was beautiful, and I think the end of the movie left me with a similar feeling to the book.

As for things I didn’t love, and I will say there were kind of a lot of small things, I’ve made a list that I’m sure no one cares much to read.

I missed June a lot. I identify a lot with her character, and although I totally understand why she was cut out (I do think in the book she serves less plot purpose than Nora), I actually think the choice to exclude her made even less sense after seeing the movie than before seeing it. Nora and Alex’s relationship felt very underdeveloped in the movie, and none of the romantic elements that I thought made their relationship important to the book ended up mattering at all in the movie. He kisses a different girl on New Year’s, there’s no mention of a sexual history between them, there’s no fake dating setup to detract from Alex/Henry, and Nora’s just generally absent. I feel like June would’ve served that purpose fine if not better.

The romance felt kind of rushed. The whole Christmas phone call that imo is so crucial to Henry & Alex’s relationship and character development doesn’t happen at all (probably because his parents are still together), and I didn’t have like a timer or clock or anything but it felt like the 100 or so pages leading up to the NYE kiss was like less than 20 minutes.

I hated that Alex’s parents were happily married, and I think it massively takes away from his character development. His arc honestly fell very short for me which is disappointing since he’s a character I identify so closely with. I don’t feel like they do his like major anxiety justice, and I think he goes from kinda being an idealist, reckless dummy to being a heartfelt, romantic, ready for a big commitment guy in the span of a few minutes.

I honestly could’ve done without the sex scenes. They were good, and I could tell the intimacy coordinator slayed with this one, but they were more explicit than the book imo (especially the one in Paris), and while I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, I would’ve much rather had more fade to black so as to save screen time to develop the romance more at the beginning.

I didn’t enjoy the Miguel character at all. He has no character development, and I do not at all understand how this character is the Luna/Liam blend he was promoted as. He functions as a ruthless journalist who despite being queer himself decides to out Henry and Alex to the entire world, and we NEVER get an explanation for why. It’s alluded to that maybe Miguel had feelings for Alex and did it because he resented Alex for not feeling the same? But like, he literally outed two prominent figures to the entire world at risk of benefitting a homophobic predator running for office. And he never apologizes? Or faces any repercussions???? Like this is just kind of there?? And that is NOT AT ALL Rafael Luna or Liam who are both generally speaking positive forces in Alex’s life. I just don’t get it at all.

This is a personal issue I had that most probably don’t care about, but I’m from Minnesota, and seeing Minnesota red in the movie was infuriating. MN is not a swing state, never really has been, and was basically the only state in the upper midwest to stay blue in the 2016 election. I’m biased because this is my home state, but MN would NEVER vote red and I’m kinda just annoyed at the implication that it did instead of them just choosing to blame it on all the actual swing states.

Okay those are my thoughts. I doubt anyone cares that much, but I needed to get it out of my system. I will say I really enjoyed the movie, and I can see why the bulk of reviews are positive. I think anyone who didn’t read the book won’t feel like anything is missing, and fans of the book will for the most part still really enjoy it. I will definitely be rewatching when it comes out officially on Amazon Prime tomorrow, and I can see myself rewatching hundreds more times in the future. But it sort of needs to exist independent of the book for me, I guess. And that’s okay! I think everyone involved did a great job with the adaptation, and I look forward to watching it again.

#red white and royal blue #rwrb #firstprince #red white and royal blue movie #red white and royal blue review

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emilybahu · 7 months ago

Text

Just a culmination of thoughts I had and moments I liked during 7x06:

This ended up being MUCH longer than an expected, I just kept adding things to it! So you totally don’t need read the whole thing just skim through if you want…

1. Maddie about a minute away from a panic attack, but still looking stunning✨

2. Hen looks like she’s gonna go all angry mom mode on Buck and Eddie, who are looking ROUGH… she gives them a look that should put the fear of god into anyone!

3. You know, I just wanted them to have one major milestone that didn’t involve one or both of them being in danger, but NOOOO! We don’t even know where Chimney is and Buck and Eddie are a complete hit mess! Evan “✨it’s complicated✨” Buckley.

4. Oh my god I love Buck and Eddie and their shared brain cell so much! Their bickering is hilarious! Buck slapping Eddie’s hand away from the sliders and later Eddie saying, “reach for them and you’ll be pulling back a bloody stump!” 🤣🤣🤣

5. RAVI WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DO YOU WANT TO DIE!? 🤣

6. “Wholesome 80s themed karaoke” and Eddie proposing that he and Buck go as Crockett and Tubbs.

7. I kinda figured Chimney wouldn’t show seeing as HE DIDN’T WANT A PARTY. Then everyone leaves and it’s JUST Buck and Eddie, because of course!

8. And back to Buck and Tommy again… Tommy has to go and put out a LITERAL fire and we get a second Buck/Tommy hug in the span of like 3 minutes! I’m getting FED they are so cute and soft, and Tommy really doesn’t want to leave but has no choice… the soft hug and “be safe” I’m sorry my heart is melting! 🫠❤️

9. Buck and Eddie are just having A TIME with all these random people, and of course being the touch starved boys they are, you get a little (a lot) of alcohol in em they obviously need to have physical contact at all times! 🤣

10. Drunk Buck being like “we don’t have a key🥺” and Drunk Eddie “you don’t need a key,” (hand on shoulder, thumb on pulse point) “we’re fire fighters👨‍🚒😈” continues to kick in the door!

11. CHAOS ENTERS THE BUILDING, I couldn’t stop laughing! Honestly I didn’t realize Buck and Eddie could party this hard! Buck wakes up on the floor, Eddie’s in the bath tub (a shirt? What’s that? Never heard of it) and Chimney is FUCKING NO WHERE TO BE FOUND! 😬

12. Cut to Maddie desperately trying to get ahold of Chimney and track him down, but he’s somewhere in his car dazed, confused and clearly UNWELL! And his car gets freaking stolen!

13. The dinner celebrating Kevin’s life 🥲

14. Gosh dang it, everyone in the room together worried about Chimney, god my heart! I hope they find him soon!

15. Maddie showing up at the dispatch center in her wedding dress! The woman means business! SHE GONNA FIND HER MAN!

16. Doug, DOUG!? What are you doing torturing Chimney in his subconscious!? No one wants you here!

17. Seeing Maddie’s reaction to Chimney in this state is heartbreaking! She just wants to make sure he’s ok, but he’s clearly not!😢

18. Bruh, we keep getting jump scared by Doug, I’m so DONE with that guy!

19. Time jump to two weeks earlier… “telling Buck ‘no’ is like telling a dog not to jump your leg” just more proof that Buck is a man with the soul of a golden retriever puppy…🤣

20. Bobby saying “well evidently our two love birds over there were enjoying some sexy time, when they heard some weeping” had me wheezing! 😂

21. When they figured out what was wrong with Chimney I got so scared, even though I knew he’d likely be fine. Never know what might happen though…

22. When Chimney’s paramedic skills kicked back in it gave me hope, then he saw Doug again… and still didn’t remember that he’s actually a paramedic.

23. He knows he needs to be somewhere and he hears Buck calling for him, Chimney knows they’re looking for him, then freaking Doug makes him almost give up fighting! 🥲

24. NO DOUG🙄 MADDIE DIDN’T FUCKING LIKE BEING ABUSED!

25. KEVIN🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 Kevin telling Chimney he NEEDS to get up and get help!

26. Maddie in the hospital with Chimney, thinking he doesn’t remember her then him saying “I’m sorry I missed our wedding” GOD MY HEART!

27. Jee running in yelling “daddy!” 🥹

28. “We always get back to each other somehow” please! My heart can’t handle this! They’re meant to be!!🥹😭

29. “I know Kevin is smiling right now” “yeah he is” I can’t breathe! I’m shocked I didn’t cry!

30. Just the whole ceremony, Bobby officiating! Everyone so happy for them together after this day they’ve had! I’m just gonna melt into a puddle of pure emotion! 🥹��

31. I love them. I love them! I LOVE THEM!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

32. Buck looking down at his phone to see that Tommy told him he’s there 🤭🤭

33. I made a whole post about this kiss, ahhhhhh!! (My reaction remains the same every time I watch it, I lose control of my limbs, my voice gets all high and squeaky, and I lose the ability to form actual words) The damn 10 second scene still has me SHOOK! 😆🫨

34. Buck pulling Tommy into the room, Tommy apologizing for missing the ceremony and Chimney looking up at him and over to Buck and saying “Thanks tommy, looks like you were… busy” (I didn’t even think about how long Buck was gone before, but since they had time to cut and serve cake to everyone Buck had to be just in another world with Tommy for at least 20 minutes…)

35. Hen’s face when she realizes that Buck and Tommy totally were just making out! And Eddie being the supportive king of a bff that the is!

36. The Buckley parents faces… I’ll be ready to throw hands in a second if they say something homophobic later on!

37. Hen saying “well it’s about damn time” to Karen!! Ahhhhhh! Girlllll!!! Are telling me you could see Buck’s raging bisexuality THE WHOLE TIME!? 😆😆😆😆 She so CLOCKED HIM!

38. Chimney feels right at home anywhere if he and Maddie are together!! ❤️🫠🥹

39. Not them mentioning the cruise ship!! Too soon, too soon! 🫠 But I also laughed!😂

40. “So, were Buck and Tommy a thing before my amnesia?” “Um yeah, actually they were.” (Still trying to figure out how much time there was between the coffee date and the wedding… I have no clue. [Please can someone tell me!?])

41. “Why do they call me Chimney?” And cut to black…. Really, REALLY!? That was cruel, so rude. They’re never gonna tell us why they call him Chimney are they?

And that’s the end!

#911 abc #9-1-1 #evan buckley #eddie diaz #tommy kinard #maddie buckley #chimney han #hen wilson #madney wedding #911 7x06 #911 spoilers #just my thoughts

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siriusly-parker · 6 months ago

Note

(this is for a jjk oc of mine if that is okay!!) her name is inayah nasri (her friends at tokyo jujutsu call her ‘ina’ or ‘naya’). she is egyptian! she has red eyes, dark skin, and long black hair with blonde highlights. she is a 5’10 libra ESFP!! she is studying at tokyo jujutsu because she got in trouble back at home for her curse technique lol. ANYWAY, she loves karaoke, romantic comedies, sanrio, cats, fashion, pottery, and romance books!! she really wants to make friends but she doesn’t want to intrude on the already formed trios/ friendships :( but when you know her, she’s a huge extrovert that wants to do anything and everything with the people she loves!! thank you so much can’t wait to see who you choose! <3

Okok hear me out 😭😭🙏 i feel like she’d be distrusting of the first years because of the way she was treated back home. They seemed like a great trio!! She just didn’t want to barge in their little party.

Being a crazy extrovert, i feel like she’d try (key word TRY) to tone it down. People often thought she was too much, so she needed to give a good first impression and not mess it up. She ends up having small outbursts like raising her hand in class for something stupid or laughing a little too loud or interrupting a conversation. She’d just shut down every time though. Melting on her school chair or just turning her back to the group of friends talking.

The first years thought she was a little weird, sure, but she was nice! Clearly she was just nervous!! One day though, after running away from a pretty embarrassing joke she made (which really wasn’t embarrassing, everyone thought it was hilarious, and Yuuji peed his pants a little ngl), you bump into Yuuta (little harsher than a bump though, quite literally he has to hold you so you don’t fall).

“Are you okay?”

And that’s where the unlikely friendship started. You started hanging out with him more and opening up to everyone. After that, it was easy to just be yourself. You got along well with the other three in your class, but you had to admit, you often opted to hang out with the older group. Maybe it was because of a certain special grade, but who am i to go around telling other people’s secret crushes?

(shy boyfriend x extroverted girlfriend!!! Yuuta would actually be the one forcing you to hang out with the others in the beginning tho. But after it’s all settled, you’d be dragging him along any adventure of yours)

Yuuta is my baby and i love him 😫🙏💗💗💗

#—𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬! ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚💌°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*#jjk #jjk x y/n #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen fluff #jjk yuta #yuta okkotsu x reader #yuuta okkotsu #yuuta okkotsu x reader #yuta okkotsu #jjk yuuta #yuta okkotsu x you #x y/n #fanfic #fluff #x reader #imagine #x you #headcanons

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steddieasitgoes · 1 year ago

Text

@steddiemas Day 11 Prompt: Pop/Alt Holiday Songs

Tags: Alcohol Consumption, Established Relationship, Santa Con, Karaoke, Steve Harrington Is A Tease

wc: 1596 | Rating: T

Read on ao3 | ao3 collection

Eddie’s had his fair share of wild nights bar hopping in Seattle. Sometimes with Steve, sometimes with the Corroded Coffin boys, sometimes alone desperate to break out of the deep-seated loneness that overtakes him every few years.

But he’s never experienced anything quite like this.

After a night of endless hopping, they find themselves at a karaoke bar in the heart of Downtown Boston packed with college students and young adults all dressed in their best Santa suits like them. Miraculously, they find an empty booth in the corner and stake their claim.

Robin and Nancy collapse into each other, shedding their red coats over the worn edge as they do so. Jonathan and Argyle aren’t far behind, though Argyle stays fully in costume. (“I really think I should grow a beard, my dude,” he slurs for the hundredth time of the night as he shuffles across the cracking vinyl.) Steve goes next, sliding in next to Robin and then Eddie follows, nearly missing the seat entirely as the opening chords of Wham’s “Last Christmas” rips through the small bar from the stage across the room. A pair of best friends laugh their way through the opening words, absolutely massacring the song.

“Oh god,” Steve groans. “They’re disrespecting Wham!”

“That’s the point!” Robin giggles, moving to rest her head on his shoulder. “No one is supposed to sing good at karaoke! S’why we’re all here!”

“We are not singing karaoke!”

“You better turn that Grinch face of yours around because we absolutely are! Nance and I signed us all up weeks ago.”

“You devious lesbians,” Eddie laughs before leaning around Steve to place a slobbery kiss on Robin’s head. “I owe you so much for this one.”

“Buy us drinks and we’ll call it even!”

It’s a fair deal as far as Eddie’s concerned so he quickly gets himself back on his feet and wades through the hoards of Santas until he gets to the bar. It’s just like any other dive bar he’s been in. Sticky countertops, shelves, and shelves of liquor, charming but overworked bartenders working and flirting their asses off for tips. He knows exactly what it’s like bartending and he doesn’t miss it.

Though maybe he would have had more fun if the places he worked had events like this. At least he’d have people to make fun of beyond the sad drunks that became his regulars.

Eddie returns five minutes later with a tray of mixed drinks and shots. If he’s being totally straight with himself, he’s not sure what he ordered. They look pretty though and judging by the puckered face on Robin and Jonathan’s faces, they must be mixed well. Lightweights the both of them.

Needing the least bit of persuading, Eddie takes the stage first, serenading the crowd in a rock and roll rendition of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas” that goes off the rails given he sings it at double the speed. Argyle drags Jonathan up next, the two stumbling their way through “Feliz Navidad” — Argyle carries the Spanish sections while Jonathan squints at the teleprompter during the English bits. It’s a hilarious disaster that has the entire bar cheering them on.

Nancy and Robin’s rendition of “Last Christmas” gets everyone going and suddenly a complimentary round of drinks ends up on their table as they belt out the final line. A few groups of strangers take the stage next. They’re decent but nowhere as entertaining as any of them. They’re only half watching at this point, too engrossed with their own conversations and carry-over argument over who the best-dressed Santa of the bunch is.

(“Obviously s’not Eddie,” Nancy giggles.

“You wound me, Wheeler,” Eddie gasps, clutching a hand over his jet-black fur coat. “Gothic Santa would have killed it in Seattle. You Bostonians don’t understand culture.”)

Another round of drinks materializes on their table and then they’re back in the karaoke rotation again. By the time Steve’s name is being called by the poor bar employee tasked with keeping things running smoothly, he’s the perfect amount of drunk that he doesn’t protest Eddie’s careful tugging. He doesn’t go willingly, but he’s sporting that crooked smile of his that tells Eddie he’s not exactly mad about the events transpiring in front of him.

“See sweetheart,” Eddie croons, leaning into his space as he passes him the mic. “Just needed a little liquid courage. Now show the world how great of a singer you are.”

“S’gonna be a disaster.”

“Oh, definitely,” Eddie smiles, pecking his cheek. “But that’s the point!”

Eddie doesn’t give Steve time to reach out and instead retreats to the booth. He slides in next to a giddy Robin as they both wait with bated breath for Steve to choose a song. A minute or two of silence passes before Steve looks up from the machine. The old stage lights cast a beautiful shadow over him. Eyes sparkling in the harsh fluorescents. Usually, Steve would be complaining about the godawful lights, but right now he’s winking at Eddie and practically skipping to the center of the stage.

Another moment of silence passes before the bright cheery guitar of Britney Spears’s My Only Wish (This Year) floods the place. Steve starts rocking his hips to the beat, hand gripping the microphone tight enough that Eddie can see his knuckles turning white. The nerves evaporate from his body the minute he starts singing, though. If Eddie didn’t know better, he’d think Steve has been possessed by the spirit of the Princess of Pop.

“I signed my letter that I sealed with a kiss,” Steve sings, throwing a hand over his lips before blowing a sloppy kiss in Eddie’s direction. And then he’s moving again, skipping around the stage as his Santa coat glides around behind him.

By the time the second verse hits, Steve’s shimming out of the coat, putting on a show for the group of girls sitting at the front tables. Eddie wants to scream. Wants to stalk over to the girls and tell them to back the fuck up, but he’s held steady in his seat by Jonathan’s comforting hand and Steve’s unwavering gaze as he locks eyes with him across the hoards of people.

“I want my baby, baby,” Steve scream sings, already losing the beat as his hips continue to sway.

“Someone to love me, someone to hold!” Eddie shouts along with him as the rest of the table eggs him on.

It’s chaos after that. Steve throws his Santa hat into the crowd, Robin’s on the table filming the entire thing on her ancient iPhone. “That’s your man, Munson,” Nancy wheezes, nudging Eddie’s ribs every time Steve turns to shake his ass for the excited crowd.

Eddie’s absolutely captivated by the performance. When he first met Steve years ago he was uptight and reserved. It didn’t matter how much effort Eddie put into his conversations, it was like trying to pry open a bank vault. But when he finally cracked the code, Steve sparkled in a way Eddie couldn’t even dream about.

Steve’s better now, more open with himself and who is he. Fully embraces the fun that life has to offer, but Eddie can tell there are moments when he retreats to that small boy who never got the attention he deserved. It’s what makes moments like this so much more amazing. Seeing Steve shine and live his best life, free from judgment is the best gift Eddie’s ever received. And he’s not about to miss a damn minute of it.

When the bridge drops, Steve prances around the stage like one of Santa’s reindeer. He’s sporting a reindeer headband that someone threw up there and there are a handful of dollar bills crumpled up on the edge of the stage. Somehow it’s gone from a karaoke show to some erotic dance number as Steve shimmies around and tries to keep up with the words.

Eddie’s never been more in love in his entire life.

“Santa, that’s my only wish this year,” Steve sings the final line, holding out the note like he’s the Princess of Pop herself instead of some high school teacher.

A standing ovation follows, but Eddie doesn’t have time to bask in the affection being thrown at his boyfriend because he’s moving through the crowd faster than he’s ever moved in his life. When he gets to the end of the stage, Steve practically dives into his arms. He wraps himself around Eddie, legs around his waist, arms around his neck and smiles that perfect, beautiful smile of his. His cheeks are flushed pink from the performance and the amount of liquor coursing through his veins and his eyes are big and bright.

“What’d think? S’Santa gonna grant my wish?” Steve asks.

“Sweetheart,” Eddie coos, ducking his head to get his lips on Steve’s. “You know I’ll be waiting for you under the tree in a big red bow.”

#steddiemas #steddie #steddie fic #steddie ficlet #steddie fan fic #steve harrington #steve harrington fic #eddie munson #eddie munson fic #dani writes

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musewrangler · 2 years ago

Note

I was thinking about this at work, and I must know:

If your Empire Reimagined characters were in the modern world, what would some of their favorite bands/artists/songs be? (My theory is, Piett would like Simon & Garfunkel, but that's just me)

First we need to establish that you are wonderful for thinking about this at work. ;D I love it.

And it is now your fault that I can't do anything else until I answer this hilarious plunge down the imagination. So. Cracks knuckles. Here we go:

Contrary to what you might think, it is Anakin who likes Simon and Garfunkle. They strike the right note of melancholy for him, without being too dark and angsty. He's trying not to allow outside stimuli to drag him to darkness again. Luke likes this too and Leia rolls her eyes at both of them and refuses to allow it to play in her house.

Han is a classic 80s band guy. U2, Bon Jovi, Journey, ACDC, Wham, Queen, Blondie---he loves it all. Leia likes some songs from some of these artists and they can be seen dancing together to these pieces. There was one legendary night at Sola and Firmus's place when they'd enjoyed a good dinner and good wine that Han and Leia did karaoke for 'Don't Stop Believin', belting it at the top of their lungs to the point that the neighbors commed to complain about noise, but Firmus let Luke talk to them and they came over and had wine and were fine about it. Even requested 'Hungry Like the Wolf'.

Veers also likes ACDC if only for 'Back in Black' as it reminds him of his tank divisions in the Middle East and the camraderie of his men who picked this song as their anthem. He doesn't mind most of Han's music---it hits the right notes literally, though he's not a big Hughie Lewis and the News fan in spite of Back to the Future.

While we're on Veers, he REALLY likes Queen, and the early 2000s hard rock. He also is a dork about the Beatles---something Firmus really loves to give him a hard time about----and Leia and he have trivia battles regularly about this as she likes them too. [Myra loved the Beatles, and so while Firmus likes to tease Max, he also has every single song on his playlist ready if requested.]

Luke is a Maroon Five, Plain White T's, Coldplay, Greenday, The Fray sort of guy, but if you want to see him air guitar [and he has and Han recorded it] watch him with the Black Eyed Peas. I know. No one called that, but it's awesome. He genuinely likes most of the other music his friends and family do, and Leia shares his love of Coldplay.

Piett is quite eclectic in taste. He and Veers can be found nodding their heads and looking very satisfied when CCR is playing, especially Fortunate Son. His favorites to tend toward the 70s rock, so the Eagles, The Dooby Brothers, Moody Blues, and Styx are favorites. However, Firmus LOVES good jazz and swing music. So he can equally be found playing Sinatra, Crosby, Bobby Darin, Big Fat Voodoo Daddy and Nat King Cole. He and Sola are really good dance partners by now and Leia loves capturing sweet moments in their kitchen when they're making dinner for the family and the Admiral takes Sola by the waist to spin her round the island impressively to the King of Swing.

He also loves great classical pieces like Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G major or Handel or Beethoven. This is good because his adopted son in all but name is a classical freak.

Scraps is KEEN. Matthew is all things classical and is an utter NERD about this. He knows ridiculous amounts and can name a piece after just the first five notes.

He also plays the cello himself and does so beautifully though none of them knew this until four years into knowing him.

Leia, as mentioned, loves Coldplay and some of the 80s bands Han does. She refuses to listen to music she has deemed 'boring and slow' [pointed look to Anakin and Luke] though she seems to enjoy Piett's jazz and it is rarely fast paced so.

Leia has a country streak though she is picky here as well. She adores Cash, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, and ZZ Top. [There are pitched discussions over whether that last is properly country, but Han takes her side---shocker---mostly because he likes the song 'Well Dressed Man'] She has a hilarious affection for 'Ice Ice Baby' which many of her friends find strange since she doesn't like cold typically, but she will bop to this any time any where. Han tried putting it on during an argument once and she managed to carry on yelling for another minute before she broke.

It only worked once though.

Thank you @accidental-spice! This was really fun!

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livinglifeonpause · 2 months ago

Text

BP Intros

Okay, watching the 90 second intros before watching anything else.

......................................................................................................................

Grouping these into PASS:

K - HAN SEO BIN (18, 5'8")/P - ? - okay, this one was fine. lets see more of this kid plz. reporter.

K - JANG JI HO (20, 5'8")/P - ? - his cute is cringy. pass. idefk.

K - PARK GWAN YOUNG (23, 5'7")/P - ? - cutie. cutie with cute energy. 4 seasons.

K - OH SUNG MIN (23, 5'11")/P - ? - ohhhhh, I hate it. but he’s really cute. dressed as a damn dog. ((This is another OnePact kid!))

K - KIM MIN HYUK (25, 5'11")/P - ? - good at doing what he’s here to do. karaoke

K - JANG MIN SEO (18, 5'8")/P - ? - weird intro, but good guitar skills ***ohhhh, he left before the show due to an injury

K - HONG KEON HEE (19, 6'2")/P - ? - that was many things. but i wanna see more things.

K - LEE HOE TAEK (31, 5'7")/P - ? - Hui! I never understood why he was on this show. like, this ain’t it for him bro.

K - CHOI WOO JIN (19, 5'7")/P - ? - cutieeeeeee, i hope he makes it. protect him.

K - SUNG HAN BIN (23, 5'10")/P - ? - he seems talented despite the schtick

K - PARK GUN WOOK (19, 6'0")/P - ? - Jellyfish - i think he’s handsome, but?? whys he so dramatic?

K - LEE SEUNG HWAN (24, 5'10")/P - ? - why didnt he just sing normally bro?? he’s got a real nice voice!

K - JEONG I CHAN (23, 5'10")/P - ? - is he a Sim?? That’s creative! and his voice! here for him.

K - KIM MIN SEOUNG (20, 5'8")/P - ? - omfg, i was kinda on board, but him being so awkward at the end sold me

K - KIM JI WOONG (25, 5'10)/P - ? - what a weirdo vampire schtick. but i think he’s handsome.

G - CHEN YU GENG (26, 6'0")/P - ? - i mean, he’s pretty! ***WHY THEY CALL HIM “CRAYON”

G - CHEN JIAN YU (26, 5'10")/P - ? - i’m cackling! do they not explain it for these kids? this one is cute, im here for him.

G - ZHANG SHUAI BO (22, 6'0")/P - ? - i hate it. but he’s cute so meh.

G - CONG (23, 5'8")/P - ? - he’s endearing and I want good things for him

G - KRYSTIAN (24, 5'10")/P - ? - weird, but the awkward ending was endearing

G - YUKI (22, 5'8")/P - ? - he’s v cute but v awkward

G - JAY CHANG (23, 5'9")/P - ? - (i mean he is the whole reason I’m watching this show) - i get why ppl think he’s corny though

G - SEOK MATTHEW (22 5'7")/P - INDEPEN - he brought a picture of his familyyyyyy, you have to support him!

G - MIN (24, 5'9")/P - ? - bitch had a whole ass oxygen mask! hahaha!

G - FENG JUN LAN (25, 5'10")/P - ? - this bitch dgaf. i like that. plus he already said he’s gonna suck, sooooo

G - WUMUTI (25, 5'9")/P - ? - (forgot this bitch was on here…) - oof his makeup. he do have a pretty ass voice though…

........................................................................................................... And FAIL:

K - LIM JUN SEO (19, 5'10")/F - 143 - omfg are they all this chaotic? i caaaaan’t.

K - JUNG MIN GYU (24, 6'1")/F - ? - bitch has a whole ass powerpoint? again, I can’t. he got a square ass jaw.

K - CHOI JI HO (20, 6'0")/F - ? - mr dj did not utilize his time well

K - JUNG SE YUN (16, 5'8")/F - oh come on, he’s 12. don’t put him on this show maannnn.

K - KIM TAE RAE (22, 5'8")/F - WakeOne - weird forum for an acoustic bop bro

K - BAK DO HA (21, 5'11")/F - WakeOne - ew. but maybe he’s cute.

K - LEE DONG GUN (19, 5'10")/F - ? - homie wont stop movinggggg

K - JEON HO YOUNG (19, 5'10")/F - ? - he too random????

K - KUM JUN HYEON (22, 5'11")/F - ? - his jaw is octagon. radio dj.

K - JANG YEO JUN (19, 5'10")/F - ? - look at his fucking flair. i dont really want to talk about his flair.

K - JUNG HWAN ROK (22, 5'9")/F - ? - isn’t harry potter dead yet? he didn’t need that schtick **oh this kid ends up leaving before it starts

K - LEE JEONG HYEON (22, 6'1")/F - WakeOne - wouldn’t it be hilarious if he couldn’t do the rubix cube??

K - CHOI SEUNG HUN (16, 5'7")/F - ? - nahhhhh, he too baby.

K - CHA WOONG KI (22, 5'8")/F - ? - what?

K - SEO WON (23 5'7")/F - ? - bruh, just sing. or dance. or something. or keep showing them veeneers.

K - JUNG HO JIN (21, 6'0")/F - ? - eyebrowsssssss. he go by “Dien??”

K - PARK HYUN BEEN (19, 5'10")/F - ? - woah. carrying costume

K - PARK HAN BIN (22, 5'9")/F - WakeOne - do other thiiiiings

K - JEON WOO SEOK (21, 5'8")/F - ? - i don’t understand what this was?

K - LEE DONG YEOL (25, 5'9")/F - ? - naurrrrrrrr

K - HAN YU JIN (17, 5'10")/F - ? - um, he awkward

K - KIM GYU VIN (20, 6'0")/F - ? - Jellyfish - um, he boring

K - HAN YU SEOP (20, 5'8")/F - ? - I’m not sureeeee. like the dumb ending though!

K - PARK MIN SEOK (22, 6'0")/F - WakeOne - meh voice, meh presentation

K - LEE YE DAM (21, 5'5")/F - ? - why he talking like that? I do want to see him dance more though…

K - PARK JI HOO (18, 5'9")/F - ? - naurrrrrr cutie, naurrrrr

K - YOON JONG WOO (24, 5'9")/F - ? - i just. dont have anything to say ((oh, he’s from OnePact))

K - MUN JUNG HYUN (19, 6'0")/F - Wake One - but he didn’t do any facial expressions??

K - JI YUN SEO (19, 6'0")/F - ? - tiny ass head

K - YOO SEUNG EON (20, 5'10")/F - ? - no, he doing too much, pretty pretty princess

K - LEE DA EUL (20 5'7")/F - ? - 143 - he’s wittle!

K - LEE HWAN HEE (26, 5'9")/F - ? - he faked that

G - OSUKE (21, 5'4")/F - ? - oh god, the face paint. brooooo.

G - CHEN REN YOU (20, 6'0")/F - ? - he honest didn’t know why the door was closing! hahaha!

G - TOUI (21, 5'11")/F - ? - oh, he’s even speaking japanese!

G - RICKY (20, 6'0")/F - ? - shrug. pass.

G - CHEN KUAN JUI (23, 5'9")/F - ? - flexible huh?

G - WANG ZI HAO (23, 5'10)/F - ? - he did the whole ass dance, but like meh

G - NA KAMDEN (23, 6'0")/F - ? - that was alot

G - WEN YE CHEN (24, 6'0")/F - ? - that was creative at least

G - NICE (24, 5'11")/F - ? - oh bless his little cookie heart. naur.

G - KEI (18 5'7")/F - ? - kei, i kinda wanna punch you

G - WINNIE (25 5'7")/F - ? - he needs a new hair color and new pants

G - ANTHONNY (20, 5'8")/F - ? - the nasallllly voice

G - DONG DONG (23, 5'9")/F - ? - why he put the bandaid on his nose though??

G - YUTO (19 5'7")/F - ? - his head wayyyy too big for his body

G - OUJU (20, 5'7")/F - ? - like what?

G - YUTAKA (25 5'7")/F - ? - he does not have a beautiful choice

G - HIROTO (22, 5'9")/F - ? - naur sweetie, naur

G - QIU SHENG YANG (23, 5'10")/F - ? - puppy in a monkey costume, oh sure sure

G - HYO (22, 5'8")/F - ? - noooooo, he’s 12

G - TAKUTO (16, 5'5")/F - ? - oh noooooooo, he’s 11!

G - WANG YAN HONG (25, 5'10")/F - ? - his face was -_- the whole time he was dancing, omfg *WHY HE CALLED DALE

G - OLLIE (18, 6'0")/F - ? - willy wonkNO

G - ICHIKA (31, 6'0")/F - ? - i got nothing

G - LIN SHI YUAN (25, 6'0")/F - ? - he didn’t even move!!

G - ZHANG HAO (24, 5'11")/F - ? - is that a tv screen??

G - CHEN LIANG (24, 6'1")/F - ? - the “singing” while dancing sent me (aka “Felix”)

G - RIKU (19, 5'11")/F - ? - cute concept for a skinny baby

G - ITSUKI (18 5'7")/F - ? - sir, go back to theatre

G - HARUTO (19, 5'7")/F - ? - that was alot. of nothing.

G - DANG HONG HAI (20, 5'11")/F - ? - why his face look like that tho

G - CAI JIN XIN (20, 6'2")/F - ? - okay.

G - YANG JUN (25, 5'9")/F - ? - he should just be an actor…

G - XUAN HAO (28, 5'11")/F - ? - he had a kazooooo

G - KEITA (23, 5'5")/F - ? - what even was that? he has cute eyes though.

G - BRIAN (22, 6'1")/F - ? - he cant really sing tho, can he?

G - HARU (18, 5'6")/F - ? - he got alot of eye makeup on

G - MA JING XIANG (20, 6'2")/F - ? - concept? round face? hair?

………………………………………………………………………………………

okay, there were 95 videos. i’m not trying to search for the other 3. on to episode 1!

Oh, they left before it even started… wait, how many fucking left?

? - JO EUN WOO (19, 5'8")

? - YEOM TAE GYUN (21, 5'9")

? - TAO YAUN (24, 6'0")

#Boys Planet #BP1 #_bp #_boysplanet

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daquanshell · 2 months ago

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The Continual Build

Last night I went out to one of my favorite monthly events, where a small group of people I actually like meet up for Karaoke. The event was quite entertaining, with the crowd being made up of mostly older women, and an older gentleman who also happens to be a writer, such as myself. I sang two songs: “Again”, by Doris Day, and “Blinding Lights”, by Abel Tesfaye, also known as The Weeknd.

The conversation was varied and extremely interesting, primarily thanks to a woman named Nancy, who arrived early and commented on a piece of jewelry I was wearing. What followed was a discussion on travel, friendship, religion, and military service, ending with a blessing for my future campaigns. Lately, I’ve been a lot more picky about the social events I attend, and I’m glad I chose this one. I could genuinely use more people like her in my life.

Jews in the Wild

One thing that was pretty funny about Jewish people in the wild (aka outside of an established religious service or in an environment where Jewish people are a minority) is how they approach you once they find out that you are Jewish. They usually do one of two things, both of which I genuinely find hilarious.

The first is that they say a random phrase in Hebrew. Usually something that is neither a proper greeting, relevant to the situation, nor about future plans, but they particularly like to ask about your upbringing, which in my opinion, is a rather strange thing to ask a person you just met, but it happens so often that its more surprising that I’m not usually prepared for it.

In all honesty, I have been slacking on my Hebrew studies lately. It’s been hard to make the time between school, work, furnishing my new apartment, looking for my future wife and trying to have a social life, but I feel as though my encounter last night was a friendly reminder to both take my studies more seriously, while also working on my social skills. It’s bad enough that I’m largely illiterate and don’t have many friends, but my current situation is no excuse for continuing my education nor actively working to improve my social standing.

Regarding my Upbringing

I had a uniquely African American upbringing, more so than a Jewish one. I didn’t actually find my Jewish Identity until I left my childhood home, after recovering from a near-death encounter. I will spare you the gory details, but the encounter left me bedridden for awhile, with a foggy memory and absolutely no idea how to survive, let alone thrive as both an Adult Male, an African American, and member of the Jewish Community with no real education or connections.

To make matters worse, I was extremely poor, and I was not the kind of person who considered himself a charity case, rather I was the kind of person who believed that all problems could be solved through a combination of intelligence and diligent effort.

Of course, I understood luck to be an ingredient as well, but I’ve never been a fan of luck due to its unreliability. Having no idea what to do, I left my home and went into the wilderness for a while, and it was there that I found my answer. I was called to something significantly larger and more important to me.

I was in recruit training when I first had my first real exposure to Torah. I had spent years studying it, reading it from my phone, and reading English versions of the Chumash, but there was something completely otherworldly about the real thing.

It was like the difference between looking out the window and being outside, one gives you the impression of the air and the elements, while the other allows you to feel it for yourself, for better or worse. Being called to Torah is a wonderful thing, similar to being called to military service, and it fills my heart with pride and joying knowing that my decision to join the military lead me closer to Torah.

I sometimes feel bad I can’t dedicate more time to study. I have to spend so much time exercising, cooking, cleaning, working, traveling, socializing, resting, and relaxing, that sometimes I feel like I’m neglecting my studies, despite always keeping Torah with me (shoutout to the Sefaria app).

Speaking of the Sefaria app, they recently sent me something to my home in New York. I really should visit there, both for the opportunity to see my mom, explore my place of birth, and see what the community there is like. It’s no secret that a majority of Jewish people live in either New York or Israel, and even at the Chabad in Baltimore, all anyone does is talk about how “Baltimore is not New York”, which really discounts the charm of this wonderful city.

Yes, Baltimore is dangerous and Democratic, but it’s also full of beautiful art and magnificent people. Moving forward, I’ll definitely try to capture the beauty of Baltimore more in addition to traveling, but in the meantime I have a lot of housekeeping to do, online and offline.

The offline housekeeping is boring stuff like laundry, dishes, and carpet cleaning, but the online stuff is pretty cool. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be revamping my social media to establish a continuity that is ideally easy to follow, so that anyone I meet in person or online can dive into the rabbit hole that is my persona and my writings.

Hopefully the social media revamp leads to this blog evolving into a full blown website, but it’s still too early to tell.

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drifterthorn · 4 months ago

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Aggretsuko Reflection

I have never watch Aggretsuko though I do know about it. I am so excited that I got to watch this. It is one of those show that I wanted to watch but never got around to. I love the animation and the music in the anime. The show is about a 25-year-old red panda that has a job in accounting firm in Tokyo.

I fell in love with Retsuko the switch from singing death metal to being super cute is hilarious to me. Of course, she the singing is her way of coping with constant harassment from her other co-workers both male and female and her own boss Director Ton. Who is appropriately shown as a pig. Director Ton in the first episode makes it very clear he enjoys having power over other people special woman. He specials gets a kick out of targeting Retsuko because Ton believes she is an incompetent woman. He is only “kind” to the people that suck up to him. Haida the hyena a male co-worker of Retsuko even says that let is standard office politics.

I think it is funny that Tsubone the Komodo Dragon is picking on Retsuko just as bad as Ton does even though she is a woman herself. Because Tsubone is close friends with Ton she gets away with picking on Retsuko and adding her work to Retsuko already big pile. On the other hand, I love that the top woman of the place are a gorilla and a secretary bird called Gori and Washimi. Retsuko, Gori, and Washimi meet at yoga class and become friends. They discover Retsuko hidden secret of loving Karaoke and singing death metal. Even though this was something Retsuko worried about it turn into a good thing because Washimi and Gori love Karaoke and wanted to learn to sing death metal.

I highly recommend this show if you have not watch it yet. It is so funny and good. I definitely wish I had watch it earlier. While I have had shitty boss, I was in a position where I could leave and fine work somewhere else. Thankfully the job I have never has amazing boss and I have great co-workers.

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marinaers · 1 year ago

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@sentinaels : tell me more about pradeep and ann chief

thank u thank u i never want to shut up abt them actually but i'm gonna have to pick the highlights or i'll be here all night

they are best friends. i said this in their intro post but i'll say it again. best! friends!

it's hilarious that ann and ravi dislike each other so much because they are the same person in different fonts. pradeep befriended both of them for the same reason and they would both have an aneurysm if he told them that.

the reason being that he saw two people who would fully rather die than admit to having An Emotion, lonely and homesick and missing the people they love, and dealing with it by isolating themselves and being insufferable, and decided someone had to do something about it.

pradeep is the youngest of three ( an older brother and sister ) and ann is the oldest of five ( four sisters ).

pradeep loves his siblings very much, but he'd be lying if he said part of the appeal of the job wasn't getting out from under their shadow a little. he may not be the first one to get a phd ( his brother, archaeology of the lunar colonies ) or to leave their home planet ( his sister, political correspondent for an up-and-coming martian news site ), but he's damn well gonna be the first one to travel beyond the known galaxies and document the microbiology of previously-unexplored planets. not that he's competing.

ann and her sisters were brought up by their grandparents. by the time she leaves, her grandfather's been dead for a few years and her grandma is already very old; it's a very real concern for ann whether her grandma will still be alive when she gets back, especially since nobody can contact her during the mission.

ann's little slice of life vlogs for her sisters? pradeep is usually the cameraman.

never mind your watch, you can set the ship's entire calendar by pradeep mishra. he knows the major holidays people are likely to celebrate and makes sure they're always observed — decorations, food, music, whatever it calls for — but he also finds out the little things that are important to people, too. lesser-known holidays, cultural traditions, variations that spread among human planetary colonies. he believes everyone should have some connection to home if they want it.

pradeep vc: i would follow ravi into hell i just wish he'd stop going there

ann's role as a paramedic means she gets to go planetside a lot in case anything goes wrong on expeditions, and it's unequivocally her favourite part of the job. sometimes someone will get hurt, but often it's just research teams collecting data and she gets to chill. take photos of the places they explore. record some more vidoes to take home. sit there and experience the wonder of being on a planet so far from home they don't even know its name. she fucking loves it.

i repeat: they're best friends and they love each other SO much.

team karaoke nights? the two of them always duet.

look, was ann wrong to be concerned about pradeep falling for ravi? not really, she loves her friend and doesn't want to see him get hurt by someone who's seemingly made it their mission to ruin any ounce of good will extended to them. but pradeep is very capable of taking care of himself, more than people would assume from how chill and nice he is usually. he will not take anyone's shit, he won't let himself be treated like shit, and he's not afraid to be vocal about it.

even though pradeep and ravi were kind of, sort of, together, if things in general hadn't gone so horrifically wrong, i think pradeep would have broken things off. not in a forever way, but in a find me when you're really ready for this because i deserve better rn way.

ann farthing vs the utter inability to truly leave someone alone when they're struggling because she's a GOOD PERSON and she was RAISED BETTER THAN THAT but jesus christ some people test her patience and she can hold a grudge like nobody's business so yes she once spent twenty minutes muttering angrily to herself in the kitchen at 2 am ship time as she made a grilled cheese ( it didn't take that long but she needed the extra time to finish her angry little soliloquy ) so she could bring it to ravi because nobody should be crying alone in a deserted common area in the middle of the night. but she's gotta keep some sense of normalcy so she also flipped him the bird on her way out.

insatiable gossips. both of them.

when everyone is dead, and ravi finally brings himself to move the bodies so they're not just sitting where they died, he puts the two of them next to each other.

#sentinaels #answered.#re : pradeep mishra.#re : ann farthing.#love that i was like i'm gonna give u the highlights #then wrote such a long post it had to go under a read more #i have even more to say i had to stop myself!!!

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landhoehoehoe · 2 years ago

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blur the line - Logan Sargeant

Wow, when I started writing this in August I never would have thought that this story would torture me so much but it's finally here! (At least Part 1 of 3 lol) but dw, Part 2 is pretty much finished already and Part 3 just needs a little more fixing :)

Posting this today in honor of Logan's FP1 outing 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

Song rec for this fic: Electric Love by BØRNS

Warnings: none, this part of the story is cute fluff with only a little bit of spice

Logan Sargeant x reader; As an F2 rookie you quickly get along with a specific American driver

“Y/n! Y/n, look here!”,

You were followed closely by the countless photographers as you made your way to the grid on the first race day of a new season.

But today wasn’t just the first race day of the season, it was also your very first race day in Formula 2 as Prema had signed you for this season, making you the only female driver in F2 currently.

Of course your excitement was over the roof, but you’d already prepared yourself for the scrutiny you’d be under.

It would be crucial where you’d finish, not only for the team but for your own mentality as well.

You wanted to show everyone out there that you were the best, that you deserved your seat in F2.

So naturally next to the excitement there was also a certain nervousness flowing through you as you walked over to your car for the first feature race of the season.

“Y/n!”, someone suddenly called out behind you. You turned around to see Logan Sargeant running towards you, his helmet already on his head.

You didn’t particularly know the Carlin driver that well, but he had been one of the first to welcome you to F2, introducing you to all the new faces you didn’t know.

“Good luck out there, you’re going to crush it.”, he smiled reassuringly, making you smile, too.

Something about his tone made you believe that he wasn’t just saying the words to make you feel better.

You just knew that he actually meant what he’d said and you immediately felt better. Because if Logan believed in you, that was one more person rooting for you.

“Thanks, good luck to you, too.”, you grinned, reaching out for his hand to give him a handshake.

As he walked away, you shouted after him:

“I’ll see you when I overtake you!”

He laughed, winking at you before turning around again.

“We’ll see about that!”

The interaction left you with a comfortable, warm feeling in your stomach.

Somehow Logan had managed to take away half your nerves and half your fears that something bad might happen.

You could climb into your car with more confidence now, the excitement and thrill of racing taking over as your hands gripped the wheel.

Leaving the pits, your teammate Dennis sent you another reassuring smile and soon enough your car stood lined up at P12. Not a bad qualifying result for your first time in F2, yet still not good enough to be able to play in the big leagues.

———

“Shut up, Fred! You try remembering that night first!”, Dennis laughed as he retold the hilarious events of a wild party night.

You sat next to Dennis, opposite Logan and Frederik.

The three of them had asked you to join their little Prema reunion dinner before the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix.

Even though you had only signed with Prema this year you’d immediately felt the strong bond between the boys so you had decided to go out with them.

However you were still glad that you could sit next to Dennis because you knew him the best out of all of them since he was your teammate.

Sometimes you could become rather shy, especially around such extroverted people like Dennis and Fred, who argued and laughed about everything.

When Dennis started describing Fred’s karaoke performance from one of their drunk nights, all of you laughed at Fred’s frown, him being the only one who couldn’t laugh about the story.

“You know I’ve actually once heard that-”, you started, but got cut off quickly by an annoyed Fred who reached out to slap Dennis’ head.

“Shut up, Dennis! Or do you want me to tell them about your bathroom incident?”, apparently Fred hadn’t heard you saying anything because his whole focus laid on Dennis, who crossed his arms in a challenging way now.

You shut your mouth again, unsure about whether to keep talking and boring them with your story.

“If you want to go there, please do. But then I can’t promise to keep your street-sign-stealing incident a secret anymore!”, Dennis shot right back at Fred with a wicked grin on his face.

The two of them were so caught up in their argument that you decided to look elsewhere, until suddenly you noticed Logan’s gaze resting on you.

When your eyes met he sent you a shy smile.

“Keep talking, y/n. I’m listening.”, he encouraged softly, completely ignoring the other two drivers at your table.

A smile crept onto your face. Logan had listened to you.

Once again it evoked a sudden warm, comforting feeling in you.

You leaned forward towards him so that he could actually hear you over the other’s bickering and he did the same, leaning in on his elbows.

His eyes were curious, showing you genuine interest, which made you stupidly happy for some odd reason.

“Well um.. I was saying that I’ve heard that when you’re drunk, your hidden talents come out.. so maybe Fred’s is singing karaoke.”

Logan’s smile grew wider until he broke out in a laugh, his soft eyes still fixated on you.

“But do you really believe that? I mean… I’ve heard Fred sing before and… it’s not pretty.”

Now you had to laugh, too, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

Logan watched your movement carefully, his eyes following your hand.

“You’ve never heard him singing when he was drunk though, right?”, you retorted, making him frown in contemplation.

He thought about it for a second. The two brawlers next to you were now completely ignored by the both of you.

“That’s a good point. So what would you say is your drunk talent?”, he asked, leaning forward again.

Now it was your turn to think.

As your eyes wandered to the ceiling to think, you could feel his gaze resting on you, making you shift in your seat nervously.

“Definitely not dancing.”, you laughed as one specific incident came to your mind.

“Maybe cooking?”

Logan tilted his head as he gave you an intrigued look.

“I can make the best grilled cheese sandwiches when I’m drunk, I swear.”, you explained, pulling a laugh from him yet again.

“But not when you’re sober?”, he asked, still smiling.

“Hell no, keep me away from the kitchen for your own safety!”, you immediately replied, letting out another laugh.

“But if you ever need a grilled cheese at 3am, call me.”

Logan nodded, something inexplainable now lying in his eyes.

“I might have to take you up on that offer soon.”, he winked, smiling at you.

Your smile also grew wider, feeling as comfortable as ever around Logan.

Only then did you notice that Dennis and Fred had seemingly forgotten about their fight again, the two of them listening to you intently.

“What do you want?”, you asked Fred, an amused expression on your face.

“Nothing, I’m just observing you two love birds.”, Fred immediately grinned, wiggling with his eyebrows suggestively while Dennis joined in on his laughter.

You rolled your eyes, exchanging a shy glance with Logan who couldn’t help but smile.

“At least he listens to me when I talk.”, you replied with an accusatory look towards Dennis.

———

Come the next races, Logan and you grew more and more comfortable around each other, always magically finding each other in the paddock before races, which resulted in the pair of you becoming a beloved duo amongst the photographers.

“Hey, shorty, how are you doing on this fine day?”, Logan approached you from the side as you were walking through the paddock at the Austrian Grand Prix.

He was wearing a fancy pair of sunglasses and a blue Carlin shirt.

Of course, he looked as attractive as ever.

Immediately your face lit up at the sight of him.

No matter how nervous you were before a race, Logan somehow had the magical ability to take all the nerves away.

“Not everyone can be as tall as you, Slender Man. And I’m doing fine, what about you?”

Logan laughed at your remark and casually laid an arm around your shoulder to walk besides you. It caused a sudden electric wave to surge through your body.

“I’m really looking forward to this track. Spielberg will be my race, I guarantee you.”, he replied, angling his face towards the sun to enjoy the warmth with a confident grin on his face.

“Not if I overtake you.”, you were quick to respond, making him face you again, his arm still resting around your shoulders.

Just as he was about to reply, however, he saw something behind you and his whole body stiffed up instantly.

His arm fell from your shoulder as he cursed lowly under his breath.

Confused, you turned around to see the reason for Logan’s mood change: Photographers had spotted the two of you. Not again…

You sighed as you saw the Prema garage a few steps away.

“Well, good luck out there.”, you smiled at him softly.

“Thanks. You, too.”, he returned your smile, then started walking towards the Carlin garage before the photographers reached you.

Before you could enter your garage though, you heard your name being called.

“Y/n!”

You turned to where the voice had come from, only to see Logan standing in front of his own garage, already looking at you.

“I’ll see you when I overtake you!”, he shouted over the buzzing of the paddock with a cheeky smile on his face.

You couldn’t help but smile widely.

He’d used the tagline you usually used when you saw him.

“We’ll see about that!”, you shouted back, making both of you grin like little children.

The Austrian Grand Prix had been good. Very good.

So good that you almost couldn’t believe it was real when your race engineer shouted “P3!” into your ear over the radio.

This was your first time on the podium in F2.

As soon as you stepped out of the car, someone called your name.

“Y/n!”, you recognized his voice immediately.

Before you could even run to your team, Logan had already gained your full attention.

Simply by calling out your name he’d evoked the strong urge to hug him inside of you.

So you let the emotions overcome you and ran towards him.

He gripped you tightly when you fell into his arms and lifted you off the ground to spin you around.

You squealed, ecstatic laughter escaping your lips.

“That was a mega mega drive, y/n, holy shit!”, Logan exclaimed, his excitement levelling your own.

You sighed heavily when he put you back down after squeezing your waist once. A comforting warm feeling spread from where his hands had been touching you.

Only slowly did the realization sink in that you’d just driven into the Top 3.

The moment felt so unreal, you were almost certain you had to be dreaming.

“Thanks, you didn’t do so bad yourself, Sargeant.”, you winked at him, to which he replied with a confident smirk.

“Next time I’ll be overtaking you for P1, though.”, you added teasingly, earning yourself an amused eye roll from him.

“You wish…Still got a lot to learn, little one.”, he gracefully dodged your punch to the shoulder and excused himself to celebrate with his team, so you also went to where your team was waiting for you, with the biggest smile on your face.

Every interaction with Logan was just so comfortable and easy.

Later on the podium you couldn’t stop smiling.

The grin literally couldn’t be wiped off your face during the whole ceremony, but the part you were most looking forward to was still ahead of you: The champagne spraying.

Once the time had come, everyone on the podium steps popped their bottles open and tried spraying each other without getting too wet themselves.

“This is for calling me little!”, you shouted, taking joy in aiming the champagne right at Logan’s face.

Logan screwed his eyes shut and blindly sprayed his champagne everywhere.

“Oh you are so done.”, his voice sounded threatening, which made you gulp before you decided it would be the smarter move to make a run for it.

You squealed hysterically when he started chasing you around the podium, but couldn’t hold back your laughter at the same time.

The people standing below the podium simply enjoyed watching the wild goose chase.

Once again, you forgot about all the people watching the two of you, because all that mattered in this moment was Logan:

Logan, whose messy hair always fell right into his eyes.

Logan, whose beautiful green eyes got you lost so easily.

Logan, who made you laugh effortlessly to the point where you could forget about the rest of the world momentarily.

When he’d almost caught up to you, you saw the others leaving the podium from the corner of your eye and it gave you an idea.

Surely he wouldn’t dare spray the champagne if you were behind the podium where many other innocent people were around.

Quickly you bolted off the podium and already stopped running because you thought you’d be safe, but there was not a single soul behind the podium.

You heard Logan’s heavy breathing behind you.

“Got you, little one.”, he smirked while he came closer, holding his champagne bottle high in the air over your head.

“Where is everyone?”, you panted, still not believing that your plan hadn’t worked.

The corners of Logan’s mouth twitched.

“Right. I forgot this is your first podium. It’s normal that everyone leaves because otherwise they risk getting sprayed.”, he explained, a devilish grin on his face as he explained.

Your shoulders slumped. So much for your genius plan.

“Are you ready for the shower of your life?”, Logan stepped even closer to you, hovering the bottle above your head.

You looked from Logan to the bottle and back to Logan, before you finally accepted your fate with a shrug.

“Do it.”, you kept the eye contact with him as you said so.

That’s when you saw something else flare up in Logan’s eyes: a sudden change of heart perhaps?

His eyes got darker, causing you to gulp, not able to get another word out.

When had the atmosphere changed so drastically?

“Open your mouth.”, he ordered in a low voice, his eyes falling to your lips.

Confused, you furrowed your brows.

“What?”

“You heard me.”, his voice was raspy when he lowered the champagne bottle so that it no longer hovered above you.

Instead, it was now at the height of your mouth.

With one last look at him you hesitantly opened your mouth.

Keeping eye contact with you, one of Logan’s hands came up to tilt your chin slightly upwards.

Then he poured the champagne into your mouth and you swallowed it immediately.

You could basically feel his eyes burning into you and you felt slightly uncomfortable under his intense stare, but it also made him so incredibly attractive.

His hand under your chin, his eyes switching between your lips and your eyes.

God, you have never wanted to kiss a person so badly.

Logan softly pulled your chin towards him, making you fear you might faint right then and there.

Your heart was beating out of your chest so loudly by now that you were sure Logan could hear it, too.

Once you were close enough to feel his hot breath on your skin you didn’t dare breathe, a tingling feeling building in your stomach in anticipation.

“Finally! There you are! We wanna go celebrate, come on guys!”, Fred called out from behind you, ultimately destroying the moment.

Immediately Logan and you drove apart.

You almost wanted to sigh in disappointment when he quickly pulled his hand away from your chin as if he’d burned himself.

“We’re coming, we’re coming, relax!”, Logan shouted back, waving his friend off.

Then he returned his attention back to you, who was still processing what had just happened between the two of you.

In complete contrast to how he’d just devoured you with his eyes, he now gave you a shy smile.

“I’ll see you at the club, then?”, one of his hands nervously came up to the back of his neck while he tilted his head at you.

You could only nod.

“Sure. See you later.”, with a fogged up mind you walked away from Logan, who was trying to catch up to Fred.

“Since when is it important for you to be on time?”, you heard him ask the Danish driver.

“Since we all got points and Y/n got her first podium and you won another race?!”, Fred replied in a matter-of-fact tone before they disappeared out of your sight.

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rhysismydaddy · 3 years ago

Text

Prisoner's Game Pt. 1 (Rowaelin)

Synopsis: Aelin Galathynius never thought of herself as a vengeful woman. Until her boyfriend not only testifies, but leads a case against her that lands her in prison for the rest of her life. Post I-Love-You's. He didn't believe her, and she's about to show him that not only is she innocent, he made the worst mistake of his life betting against her. To a woman with nothing but time, life's just a game, after all.

The cinderblock wall dug into her back uncomfortably as she reclined against it, the air in the room was stale, and she hadn't showered in two days. By any measurement, Aelin Galathynius was far from her best.

And yet she somehow managed to look perfectly at ease--happy even--as she lounged in her cell, toying with the ends of her too-long hair.

It was a ruse, of course, just a little trick to piss off the man currently stomping into her space. By the flare of Rowan Whitehorn's eyes, it worked.

"Hello, Rowan," she greeted pleasantly, giving him a little smile and acting like it wasn't taking everything in her not to use the makeshift knife under her pillow to gut him like the spineless coward he was.

She could tell, even across her 8x12 cell, that he was gritting his teeth and fighting a similar action.

The heel of his expensive Italian loafers clicked as he walked across the space to the small table and took a seat at the steel chair in front of it. He tried to push it out further, but stopped when he realized it was bolted to the floor.

"Aelin," he said back, none of the so-obvious anger he was feeling present in his voice. "Been a long time."

Eight years, six months, three weeks, two days, and thirteen hours.

Not that she was counting or anything.

She nodded her agreement, reclining further on the bed and crossing her legs as if she was in the finest dress she owned, not a faded orange jumpsuit.

"What brings you to my side of town, Rowan? Here to finally switch sides and represent me?"

Dressed in a two-thousand dollar suit and tie, hair perfectly gelled back, he looked like he was successful a lawyer meeting with a wealthy client, but they both knew the last thing he'd ever do was work for her.

"You know why I'm here."

She did indeed, but she still said, "I must be exceptionally smart to know why you've come all the way here-"

"Cut the shit," he snapped, finally losing a bit of his cool. He regained it quickly, though, and continued, "I want to know how you did it."

She frowned at her split ends. "Did what?"

Rowan waited until she looked at him to respond. "You know what."

Sighing so deeply it should've rattled the walls, she said, "I can't believe I've spent the last eight years thinking you underestimated my intelligence. You clearly think I'm some sort of oracle genius."

Rowan mimicked her sigh, and she bit her lip to stifle a laugh.

Probably trying to stall, he spent a moment looking at her cell, at the completely bare walls and lack of photographs. All she had was the tally marks drawn in pencil on one wall and a dusty chess set sitting on the table.

When he'd taken inventory of those two things, he sat and just looked at her.

It was clear she wouldn't admit to knowing exactly why he sat in front of her, and he was simply putting off being the one to fold.

Predictable, proud little man.

Eventually, he took his loss and said, "I want to know how you managed to rob me from inside the most secure prison in Rifthold."

She smiled, a full, undulated smile she hadn't used in a long time.

She'd been planning this moment since the day the bars had locked behind her, and it felt damn good to finally see it come to fruition.

According to what she'd heard, definitely not what she knew from personal experience, the private vault in Rowan's apartment had been broken into. Apparently, only one thing was missing: an antique dagger that had been handed down in the family and was now worth over a million bucks.

"Why do you think it was me?" she asked, still smiling.

He gritted his teeth some more, and she internally snickered at the idea he'd have permanent tooth damage because of her. Something else to remember her by.

Green eyes spitting flames at her, he growled, "You left a goddamn business card."

Aelin forced her eyes up to the empty bed above her head, trying her hardest not to laugh. "Maybe I'm being framed?"

"Your fingerprints were on it."

She did laugh then, then laughed some more when his eyes narrowed. He looked like he was about to strangle her. "Rowan, in case you haven't noticed, I'm incarcerated."

She gestured around them to her cell to prove her point.

The bastard just smiled.

Of course he knows that, she thought bitterly, forcing her hand back to her lap and away from where it'd started to creep toward the pillow.

"So how would I rob you?" she asked, getting her mind back on track.

"That's what you're going to tell me," he demanded angrily. "I want to know how you got out of here, got all the way across Rifthold, broke into my apartment, and stole from me without any surveillance camera picking it up."

Aelin ran a hand through her hair, fluffing it just right. When she caught sight of the impatience on his face, she fluffed it some more and readjusted the thin jacket on her shoulders.

It was always too damn cold in this place. She hadn't been warm in almost nine years.

Because of him.

Just for that, she fluffed her hair some more.

Then she said simply, "I didn't."

"Stop lying!" he shouted at her, eyes flashing.

She wasn't, but that was besides the point.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes like he'd won. "I got my cousin to-"

"Aedion spent the night in Wendlyn. His travel is verified, and there are at least a hundred eye witnesses that witnessed him singing karaoke all night. Stop. Fucking. Lying."

Once again, she wasn't lying.

Aedion sure as hell hadn't been in Wendlyn last night. She'd just wanted to make sure his alibi was air-tight as planned.

Sighing again, she asked, "Rowan, even if I did do it, why the hell would I tell you about it?"

His jaw worked for a moment, and she could tell whatever he was about to say was difficult for him. "I'll get time off your sentence if you tell me what you've done with it."

She tried not to laugh, but she couldn't help it.

It burst out of her, full and uncontrollable, and she flopped over on the dirty mattress and howled for a good few minutes.

He glared at her, looking for all the world like he was experiencing a portion of the rage she was made of, but regardless of the threat in his eyes, she took her time composing herself.

"I'm serving ten consecutive life sentences, you idiot."

One for each and every one of her "victims."

"I'll make it nine," he offered generously.

"Even if I was a cat, that'd still leave me dying in a prison cell. Offer me something else."

He just glared at her, unwilling to give her anything she could actually use or want. Just like she'd expected.

"That's what I thought. So no, Rowan Whitehorn, I'm not accepting your little deal. You can think I robbed you all you want; hell, you can even know, in your famous gut, that I did it." She tilted her head, a cruel smile filling her lips. "But it isn't about what you believe, it's about what you can prove. Isn't that right?"

His eyes shuttered at the words, and just like that, they were sucked into the memory of all those years ago.

~Eight years ago~

~Rowan~

Rowan rolled over, edging away from the woman next to him carefully as to not wake her.

Her hair was spread out on his chest, her soft hand was on his stomach, and her leg was draped over his. By all accounts, she was all over him.

And it felt so fucking good.

He'd never met anyone like Aelin before. Anyone so full of life, so hilariously open.

It was like she was constantly on fire, flitting from one place to the next with endless energy and jabs about him being too old and slow.

"What are you going?" she murmured, nails digging in slightly to keep him where he was.

"To get some water. Go back to sleep."

He leaned down and kissed her brow, and she sighed happily and rolled over. Like a total cliché, he watched her sleep for a moment, trying to get his feelings under control.

They'd been seeing each other for less than a year, but he couldn't imagine his life without her. He was in love with her, and if the way she acted and smiled around him was any indication, she loved him, too.

He ran a thumb over her cheekbone, smiling when she tilted her face into his touch.

He was whipped, and he didn't even care.

Rowan shook his head at himself, pulled on a pair of boxers, padded to the kitchen, and held a glass under the faucet.

Then frowned as it sputtered.

He figured he'd at least make himself useful, knowing damn well she would never agree to call the plumber when she could "figure out how to fix it herself on Youtube."

So he knelt down in her kitchen and opened the cabinet door, trying to see what the problem with the pipe was.

Except he never got that far.

His eyes got stuck on the piece of paper sticking out under a false piece of wood covering the back panel.

Knowing it was wrong to pry but somehow unable to stop himself, he tugged the paper loose.

Then fell backwards to his ass, heart hammering and brain spinning as he read it over and over again.

The list of names wasn't long, but all ten of the people on it were highly distinguished members of society.

And they were all dead.

He wouldn't know that, since the death of the last person on the list wasn't even public record yet, but he was the attorney working with the police to find the killer.

Why did she have this list?

And what did the numbers next to the names mean?

One way or another, he knew he had to find out. He also knew he couldn't ask her. He was in too deep, too unbiased to know whether or not she was lying.

He didn't trust himself with her, so he'd have to go the traditional route.

He took a picture of the paper quickly, tucking it back where he'd found it. He snuck back in the room to get dressed, leaving her a note he had to go to work.

He thought he was going to be sick as he left her apartment, a feeling suspiciously similar to dread coiling in his stomach.

There was only one way she could know that last name, only one explanation that made sense.

But he had to know for sure. Had to know if he'd been an idiot this past year; an idiot who'd spent almost every night sleeping next to the killer he'd been searching for.

So he started investigating his girlfriend.

Six days later, he found the security deposit boxes and the murder weapons inside, still covered in dried blood that would be matched to the victims. All with Aelin's prints on them.

Two days after that, the woman he'd thought was the love of his life was arrested on ten counts of murder.

Despite the tears she shed, despite the promises she made to him, despite the love she claimed to have for him, Rowan told the cops everything.

Even though he couldn't imagine her killing anyone.

"It doesn't matter what I believe, it matters what I can prove."

That was the last thing he'd said to her, right as she was being dragged out of the court room and yelling at him to believe her.

The truth of the matter was that when it came down to it, he didn't trust her enough. The facts were against her, everyone on the jury had been against her, and in the end, Rowan was too.

~Present~

~Aelin~

Rowan shook his head, almost like he needed to clear it from the memory they'd obviously both been immersed in, and she smiled.

She hoped what happened all those years ago still haunted him, hoped he went to sleep at night thinking about her and the betrayal he'd served to her on a silver platter.

The first year of her sentence, she was so lost in emotion--in the rage and confusion and deep, deep hurt--that she couldn't bring herself to do anything.

He hadn't even bothered to ask her first. That's what had hurt the worst.

He'd seen that stupid, stupid list and had jumped to the first conclusion possible.

She knew it had looked bad, had looked like she was guilty, but she'd thought that if the worst happened, he'd at least ask her to explain before slapping the cuffs on her.

But he hadn't. She'd gone to prison, and his career had exploded into stardom from the success of the case.

"See, Rowan, when you refused to accept any other explanation other than the easy one, you made a mistake. Because I didn't kill those people."

He rolled his eyes. "Aelin-"

"And I'm not only going to prove it," she continued as if he hadn't spoken, "I'm going to ruin your precious little life while I do it. Just like you did mine."

She stood, put a hand on the steel table, and leaned over him.

"If you want it to stop, all you have to do is drop these bullshit murder charges and issue a public apology for locking me up in the first place."

He stood too, so close his loafers brushed the toe of her dusty, prison issued sneakers.

"That's never going to happen," he promised, voice uncompromising and angry.

Aelin smiled, having predicted his reaction down to the facial expression.

His pride, she'd decided, would be the first thing to go.

She reached around him to slide the pawn on the chess board forward, leaned in even further, and whispered, "Let the game begin, then."

~~~~~~~~~~

Part 2

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