#anomalys mailbox

[linoone]

When u say linoone do u mean

thats the one !

[a-scary-lack-of-common-sense]

I need to make Ford into a goddamn Disney Princess that can communicate with animals except he just has a special connection with the supernatural. Do you understand when I say that I need him to have a BOND with the strange creatures and anomalies of the nature in Gravity Falls. DO YOU SEE MY VISION WHEN I SAY THAT THE FOREST ITSELF IS FRIENDS WITH HIM. DO YOU GET WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY THAT THE MYSTERIOUS MAILBOX WOULD SOMETIMES GIVE HIM WARNINGS; AND HOW STEVE THE TREE GIANT WOULD SOMETIMES SCOOCH THINGS OVER SO HE DOESN'T TRIP WHILE HE HAS HIS FACE BURIED INSIDE HIS JOURNAL; OR HOW ALL THE CREATURES WITHIN GRAVITY FALLS JUST UNANIMOUSLY IS COOL WITH STANFORD WHILE HE HIMSELF HAS NO IDEA. HE IS SPIRITUALLY CONNECTED WITH THE FOREST IN SOME ELDRITCH MANNER BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW. DO YOU SEE MY VISION??

[ask-stan-and-ford]

Wowza! We’re hitting these so quickly! We couldn’t have done it without all of you! Thank you so much for your support! Because we have such a big following now, there are just some things Sixer and I wanted to talk about.

For starters, we really do appreciate all of you immensely. You are all crucial to this blog and we really couldn’t have been here or reached these milestones without all of your devotion, and patience. On the topic of patience, please understand that we are getting many asks everyday, and that we cannot answer them as quickly as we get them. Both Stanley and I are very busy anomaly hunting and caring for Mabel and Dipper.

Sending us a ton of asks at once won’t get them answered faster, it’s just fills up the ol’ mailbox, ya know?

We love getting your questions, we just need time to get to them! We also try to answer in order as much as we can.

Sometimes we get an ask that’s hard for us to answer. Like oc asks.

What’s an “oc”?

Original character

Why do you know that?

Anyway, we love your characters and enjoy engaging with them, but sometimes they are a little too in depth for us to freely talk to. We don’t know your characters, or you, like you do. We don’t know the storyline, and we aren’t ones for stories that much either. We like ocs asks but we’re trying our best to stay an ask blog and focus less on the role playing aspect, we want everyone to be able to see our questions and enjoy our content without focusing on one person too much.

Stanley, how do you know that term?

Don’t worry about it.

(We will discuss this later) Lastly, we really just want to thank you all. Please keep asking, and we hope you enjoy talking to us as much as we enjoy talking to you. Thank you.

Thanks!

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x09 - Clash! The Freezing Digimon / Subzero Ice Punch

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Devimon proved himself to be a remarkably talented centrist, working between the aisles to bring both parties together for a single goal. What goal? Doesn't matter. What matters is that he achieved unity, and isn't that what's really important here?

With File Island broken up, things seem awfully dire for our kids.

We open on Devimon's home gradually descending from dark clouds onto the top of Infinity Mountain. Surprisingly Greco-Roman in architecture, but this is Digimon World. Dub Tai calls this his "castle" but it lacks the defining qualities of a castle. It's more of a megaron or possibly a temple.

But Taichi has bigger things to worry about right now than a lesson in historical architecture.

Inside, Devimon announces his intentions to the audience: The Chosen Children are still alive, but they're isolated. He'll be able to pick them off while they're stranded out there. Devimon conjures up more Black Gears, sending them off into the scattered fragments of the island.

He's stranded on a frozen shard of what used to be File Island and will shortly die of hypothermia. Dub Tai comically exclaims, "Okay, so Mom was right; I should have worn a sweater!" which doesn't make much sense contextually. They can't all be winners.

By pure coincidence, all of his clothes happen to be on this shard, which he finds immediately. This is a bit of a plot contrivance, but one I'm sure we will all accept without question because it means Taichi doesn't have to spend the rest of this arc in his underwear.

His clothes are frozen solid, but Agumon thaws them out with a couple precision shots of Baby Flame. His shirt comes out great, but Agumon gets overzealous with the shorts and singes them.

Standing in front of another Digimon World anomaly, a long line of post boxes, Taichi takes out his telescope and scouts the surrounding area. While he scouts, he takes a moment to chat with Agumon and reflect on how bad this situation is.

Taichi: (examining Infinity Mountain) We're getting steadily farther from Infinity Mountain. I wonder what happened to Leomon? ...oh, and everyone else. (scans other island fragments) Everyone else is gone; We've all been separated. Agumon: Hey, Taichi? Where do you think we're headed? Taichi: How should I know? Agumon: (nervously) I don't know anything outside of File Island. Taichi: What about the other side of the ocean, that Devimon was talking about? Agumon: I know nothing about it. Taichi: (gazing across the ocean) The world on the other side....

This is the worst it's ever been. The kids are alone and crossing the ocean in every direction as Devimon's planned invasion of the rest of the world gets underway.

Taichi doesn't mention the post boxes. But in the dub, Tai's pretty interested in them.

Tai: What? Mailboxes? Agumon, maybe people really lived here at one time! I wish we could mail ourselves home... (examining Infinity Mountain) ...but it looks like the only way we'll ever leave Freeze Land is to take a real long, cold swim back to Infinity Mountain!And I have a feeling that... (scans other island fragments) ...if the mountain is drifting farther and farther away, then our friends are too! They must all be out there on those other islands! Agumon: Where will we end up if we just keep on drifting around like this, Tai? Tai: Why would I know that? Agumon: Because you're from another world, Tai; I've never left File Island! Tai: But Agumon, I've never left my world either! Agumon: Well, I guess it could be worse. There could be evil Digimon attacking us; It's too quiet here!

Dub Tai never mentions Leomon and is instead more concerned with the fate of his friends. Which. Y'know what? Fair. He met that guy this afternoon. He's known the others for at least five days!

But there's also a tone difference in how they talk about their separation; Taichi describes it passively, while Tai sounds determined and motivated to find them.

The dub also snips all the conversation about the other side of the world. They keep in Agumon's trepidation surrounding leaving File Island but snip out the talk of their destination.

All of this serves to distract from the important context of this dialogue: Tai's worried about his friends but more interested in seeing the other side of the ocean. This is vital context for what will become the plot of this episode.

Suddenly, Dub Agumon's tempting of fate conjures a new menace to the both of them.

Yukidarumon bursts out of the ground, roaring his own name like a Pokemon. Identifying him as an Adult-stage Vaccine-type Digimon, the narrator gives us his rundown.

Narrator: Yukidarumon. A freezing Digimon made up of icy snow. His special attack, Zettai Reido Punch, can freeze anything!

His name is derived from "yukidaruma", the Japanese term for "snowman". Meanwhile, "Zettai Reido" is the Japanese term for Absolute Zero, the theoretical coldest possible temperature. So that's an intimidating attack name.

The dub calls him Frigimon, based off the word "frigid", and has Agumon take over his rundown.

Agumon: Frigimon is a food-friendly snowman. But don't worry, Tai; He's a good Digimon!

What the hell does "food-friendly" mean? Weird. Though I appreciate the dub this time getting in on the "He's a good Digimon OH GOD HE'S ATTACKING" bit this time around.

Yukidarumon hurls a giant snowball at the boys, forcing them to slide down the ledge they were scouting from. As they slide, Agumon exclaims in confusion that Frigimon's a peaceful Digimon; He doesn't know why this is happening! The dub cuts that line because they already took care of that bit in the rundown.

As they slide past Yukidarumon, the problem quickly comes into view.

Yeah, that makes sense.

Yukidarumon turns on them, throwing his Zettai Reido Punch. The dub calls it Subzero Ice Punch, which is slightly underselling the coldness but nonetheless works. The boys dodge, causing his attack to hit one of the post boxes and demonstrating its power.

Let's not get punched by that.

Confidently insisting on taking care of this problem, Agumon lets out a Baby Flame. Yukidarumon blocks it easily.

(I don't know what he expected to happen there. Got a little cocky, Agumon.)

Plan B: The boys run for their lives and try to avoid being punched. Taichi asks Agumon to evolve, but as with last episode, Agumon's still tired and starving. He doesn't have the energy for evolution.

(At least he was able to put out a Baby Flame. The last one he tried petered out.)

Typical of corrupted Digimon, Yukidarumon's dialogue isn't sensible. All he says is his name. "Yukidarumon!" as he attacks. "Yukidarumon!" as he blocks Agumon's Baby Flame. Chanting "Yuki Yuki Yuki" as he chases them.

Yukidarumon corners Taichi and Agumon against a wall. At that point, they have no choice but to fight. Agumon has a plan: He wants Taichi to throw him so that he lands on Yukidarumon's back. Then he can destroy the Black Gear with a point-blank Baby Flame. Problem is, he's too heavy to lift.

Surprisingly, it goes pretty well, as Taichi and Agumon end up sliding between Yukidarumon's legs and avoid another icy fate. Yukidarumon's fist slams into the ice wall that had been behind them, burying himself in an avalanche.

While they have a moment to breathe, Taichi modifies the plan. He instructs Agumon to curl into a ball. Once Yukidarumon emerges from the snow, Taichi declares, "I'll show you the miracle kick of an ace striker!!!" and shoots.

Perfect shot. Agumon flies over Yukidarumon's head and manages to come down on his back. Just as planned, he vaporizes the Black Gear with his Baby Flame and frees the Digimon from its corruption.

With Yukidarumon released, he sits up and reveals his much more polite persona.

Yukidarumon: Huh? Why was I acting so violent? Agumon: Devimon was controlling you with his Black Gear. Yukidarumon: And you got rid of it for me? (bows) Thank you. You're not hurt, are you? Taichi: We're fine. We don't have a scratch on us.

The dialogue in the dub is mostly the same, but... uh... Except for this one thing....

Frigimon: Ugh, what am I doing laying here? What happened? Agumon: A Black Gear was on you and you almost turned us into ice sculptures! Frigimon: Oh, I'm so sorry! I just hate when I do that! But... (bows) Thank you for destroying the Gear. I'm glad you're both alright.

Hey. Uh. Hey, localization team? What the fuck is "I hate when I do that" supposed to mean? XD Apparently, murdering travelers with Subzero Ice Punch by mistake is a regular occurrence for Frigimon. We may need to review his Vaccine-type certification.

Moving along, the good news is that Yukidarumon saw another one of the kids land nearby. A boy with a Gabumon. The bad news is that he landed over there.

Ehh, we can walk, it's no biggie!

That is, in fact, how we get over there. As thanks for saving him from the Black Gear, Yukidarumon offers to use his Zettai Reido Punch to freeze the surface of the ocean as they walk, forming a path they can cross to get to the other island.

Meanwhile, on the other island, Yamato's not doing so well. His island's caught up in a blizzard, but he's exposing himself to the elements in desperation. Freezing cold, weak, and coughing, Yamato has only one thing on his mind.

He keeps going until his legs give out and he tumbles into the snow. Gabumon pleads with him to find shelter and points out a nearby cave. Yamato springs to his feet and races to it, screaming Takeru's name as he enters with hope in his heart. But the cave is empty.

Gabumon makes a small campfire using some kindling and his Petit Fire, and urges Yamato to stay here and get warm. He's already starting to come down with a cold. But Yamato insists that he's fine and wants to go back out to look for Takeru.

As a compromise, Gabumon volunteers to go look for Takeru in his place, explaining that his fur coat can insulate him from the cold. Yamato relents and stays behind, staring silently into the flames. But after several seconds, his anxiety gets the better of him; Shrieking Takeru's name, he abandons the fire and goes back outside.

The dub adds a bit of internal monologue to break up the long span of silence.

Matt (V.O.): Poor little T.K. It's just not right! He's my little brother. I should be the one out there looking for him!

Meanwhile, we check back in with Taichi, Agumon, and Yukidarumon. It's still a long way to Yamato's island, and the boys are getting tired. Taichi and Agumon want to stop for a break, but Yukidarumon points out how counterproductive that would be: The island's moving, so it will get farther and farther away the longer they linger.

Taichi laments that Agumon can't fly, with Tai in the dub directly comparing him to Birdramon. Agumon takes offense to that, forcing him to backpedal in the original.

Taichi: It's just a joke! Don't succumb to an inferiority complex. Agumon: I don't have an inferiority complex!

While in the dub, he tries to puff up Agumon to make him feel better.

Tai: Birdramon probably can't fly in the cold anyway. No one toasts my clothes like you! Come on, laugh! Agumon: No way!

They both try and fail, but American Tai makes the better attempt. Nobody has ever been made to feel better by being told they're having a complex or episode or what have you.

Yukidarumon has a solution for this whole thing. Picking up Taichi and Agumon, he rests them on his shoulders and gives them a ride for the rest of the ice march.

(Uh, be careful with that, American guys; Sometimes Frigimon murders people by accident.)

Yukidarumon walks in silence, but Frigimon has an anecdote for the boys. "Did I ever tell you about the party I went to that the Numemon crashed?" he starts as we shift focus back to Gabumon.

Back on Yamato's island, Gabumon laments his inability to find Takeru. But as he heads back to the cave, he comes upon exactly what he didn't want to find out here. Yamato unconscious and half-buried in the snow.

Gabumon brings Yamato back inside the cave and sets him up on a bed of leaves, but it's not enough. Though he's reluctant, Gabumon recognizes that extreme circumstances call for extreme measures and takes off his fur pelt, giving it to Yamato to keep him warm before curling up with him to share body heat.

Then Gabumon lays down to rest beside Yamato and we zoom out, lingering for a moment on a shadowy Digimon watching the cave from outside.

By the time Taichi's group finally arrives on Yamato's island, the sun's already come up. The boys seem to have gotten some cold but otherwise fairly restful sleep, riding on Yukidarumon's shoulders.

(Dawn of the Sixth Day)

In the dub, Frigimon is still telling the Numemon story.

Frigimon: This one Numemon kept following my sister but I handled it. A little Subzero Ice Punch show and tell! Hey, you two, wake up! We're here!

I'm not sure how much sleeping they got to do given that he's apparently been telling this story all night. He does tell them to wake up, but the shot of the boys yawning and stretching is reframed to them shouting "HOORAY!"

Yukidarumon directs them to the forest in the center of the island, which is where he thinks he saw Yamato and Gabumon land. It doesn't take them long to find Yamato's discarded bed.

Taichi and Agumon set to work, calling out for Yamato and Gabumon.

Meanwhile, back in the cave, Yamato finally wakes up. As soon as he stirs, Gabumon takes his fur coat back and flees around a corner, putting it back on as quick as he can. Recognizing what Gabumon did for him and that Gabumon caught his cold doing it, Yamato expresses his sincere gratitude.

He's so grateful that the art bugs out and accidentally gives him a thousand-yard-stare during his bow.

Those were not the correct eyes for this moment. XD That expression is not, "Thank you for saving my life." That expression is "Yamato has seen what must not be seen and he will never be the same again."

Clearly, Gabumon was not fast enough in retrieving his fur coat.

Suddenly, they hear Taichi calling their names and race out into the daylight.

Taichi explains that he found Yamato thanks to guidance from Yukidarumon. Yamato asks if Yukidarumon saw anyone else, but he insists that Taichi and Yamato were the only ones who fell on these islands. He speculates that their friends would have landed on other islands.

Gabumon sneezes, revealing his cold to the new arrivals. This gives Yukidarumon an idea, and he stomps off without explaining himself.

It takes these boys no time at all to start bickering again.

Gabumon: (sneezes) Taichi: (playfully) Oh, so even Digimon can catch colds! Yamato: (grabs Taichi by the arm) Stop making fun of him! Gabumon was-- Taichi: Oh come on, I was joking! Why are you getting all worked up!?

This harkens back to Taichi threatening to steal Gabumon's fur way back in the Seadramon episode. Taichi's a jerk to Gabumon sometimes.

Though the dub takes his side over Yamato's.

Gabumon: (sneezes) Tai: How'd you get sick? You're the one with the fur around here! Matt: Stop making fun of him! Leave him alone, Tai! Tai: Hey, why don't you chill out, Matt!? I was only trying to see how we could help him!

Instead of Tai acknowledging that he's being a dick here, the scene is painted to make Matt look like the unreasonable one. Tai's trying to check up on Gabumon's condition and Matt flies off the handle for no reason.

Agumon takes Gabumon into the cave to rest while Taichi and Yamato discuss next steps.

Taichi: Now then, what should we do? Yamato: Isn't it obvious? We're going to look for the others. Taichi: Okay but how are we going to look for them? I'm sure everyone's separated and they're all on different islands now. How can we look if we can't fly? Yamato: I'll swim if I have to! Taichi: You idiot, this place is like the North Pole. We'll die of heart failure within a minute. Yamato: Then I'll build a raft from the trees, okay!? Taichi: Yamato, calm down. Everyone is fine! I'm sure everybody's getting along fine even though we're separated. More importantly, aren't you concerned with where this island is heading? Yamato: "More importantly"? Taichi: I think it's heading to the other side of the world, just like Devimon said. Yamato: What do you mean, "more importantly"!?!? (shoves Taichi) Is there anything more important than looking for the others!? What's all this talk about "the other side of the world"!? You can go there yourself; I'm going to save Takeru! And the others!

Taichi's curiosity about the other side of the world crops up here again, in the worst possible way. He slips up, revealing priorities that Yamato violently disagrees with. No sooner are they reunited than the boys are fractured once more, as Yamato bails on Taichi to go figure out a plan for himself.

The dub translates all of this almost completely faithfully, with only one significant difference: The part about Yamato wanting to swim and Taichi pointing out they'll freeze to death is removed and replaced with a different option.

Matt: So I guess we'll ask Frigimon for help. Tai: Weren't you listening to me!? He said they're scattered all over the place. He only has two arms; He's not an octopus!

The delivery here's a bit off. Matt's line is delivered in a sarcastic tone, with a jealous sneer as he says Frigimon's name. He says this like he's being passive-aggressive about Tai's new bestie. But from the context of the conversation, he's clearly supposed to be proposing this idea sincerely; Yamato/Matt's desperately grasping at straws to find any possible way to reach the other islands.

Additionally, when Tai blows off the wellbeing of the others with his whole "Ehh they're probably fine it's fine" bit, his dialogue is written to be more sympathetic.

Tai: Matt, calm down! Wow, what's eating you, dude? I'm on your side; I'll help you get off this island if we have to build surfboards, okay? Look, the others will be fine without us for now; We gotta focus on the real deal.

The core sentiment, that Taichi is more interested in riding this island to its destination than in going to look for the others, still gets expressed. But his flippant dismissal of them is replaced by an expression of concern and solidarity for Matt.

This tonal difference in their argument continues into the next scene.

Putting those soccer legs to work, Taichi runs Yamato down and tackles him into the snow.

Taichi: If we go to the other side of the world, we might find a way to see the others again! I understand how you're feeling but-- Yamato: Like hell you understand how I'm feeling! (punches Tai in the face, knocking him off) Your insensitivity is pissing me off! Taichi: What did you say!?

Tensions explode from there as the boys' argument devolves into a full-blown bare-knuckle brawl. The dub censors out multiple shots of Taichi and Yamato punching each other in the face.

Dialogue-wise, the dub version is basically the same, but Tai gets to talk more which weakens Matt's side of the argument.

Tai: Nobody runs away when I'm still talking; Now listen! Maybe there's something across the ocean to help us find the others! Why do you have to get so bent out of shape!? I know how you feel, Matt. Matt: (punches Tai in the face, knocking him off) You haven't got a clue how I feel, Tai; You're acting like such a jerk! Tai: Who are you calling a jerk, jerk!?

It's a bit more unfocused, again pulling the attention away from Tai's insensitivity, as Yamato put it, to instead focus on Tai and Matt here in the moment.

Watching their fight in the original Japanese, Taichi comes across like a complete asshole in this argument. Yamato may be a little too gung-ho about finding everyone; He almost died last night because of it. But it's super easy to take his side over Taichi, who's ready to abandon the rest of the group to their fates in order to satisfy his curiosity.

But in the English version, it's Matt who comes off like a total dick. Tai's the one who now seems like he's grasping for ideas to solve this problem, with "the other side of the world" being more sincerely expressed as an idea to save their friends. Meanwhile, Matt comes across like he's just freaking out, too overcome by his anxieties to think straight for five minutes and see Tai's point of view.

Either way, it all comes to a head when their fight nearly takes them off a cliff, and Yamato opens up.

Once Taichi sees this, he understands and relents. The fights ends on a softer note, as Yamato expresses his feelings about Takeru. Feelings that are slightly different between versions.

Yamato: Takeru... he can't do anything on his own!

Again, this harkens back to the Seadramon episode. Remember that moment with the cooked fish, when Yamato wanted to de-bone it for Takeru but then Taichi taught him how to eat it instead? This is part of Yamato and Takeru's arc through the series.

In the dub, we get:

Matt: It's T.K. He's out there on some strange island and he's all alone!

We get Matt's concern for T.K., the love and terror that's driving this moment, but we don't get the signaling to Yamato's chief character flaw with regard to his relationship with Takeru. It's a purely sympathetic moment, missing that little nugget of poison buried in the original.

And then the ledge gives out and they go off the cliff anyway.

Taichi catches Yamato and hangs on to a branch, swearing to hang on.

Taichi: I won't let go, even if we both end up dying!

That's a little dark for the dub, so they go with:

Tai: Whatever you do, just don't let go of my hand!

Notably, Matt can't let go; Tai's holding him by the back of his wrist. Yamato has no control over this situation.

Agumon and Gabumon climb down to try and help, but there's little they can do. They're both still hungry. Fortunately, backup arrives to make things much worse.

Oh good, it's that guy that was watching the cave earlier. He's an Adult-stage Vaccine-type Digimon. The narrator gives us his rundown.

Narrator: Mojamon. He's an elusive rare animal Digimon said to live deep in the snowy mountains. Normally, he has a quiet personality and does not pick fights.

For the diegetic rundown, Agumon skips the part about Mojamon's elusive nature and goes straight to the Good Digimon gag.

Agumon: Mojamon is a peaceful mountain Digimon that doesn't like fighting! Gabumon: You'd better tell him that! He doesn't look very peaceful right now!

Seizing a perfect opportunity to kill the children, Mojamon strikes with his Icicle Rod, destroying the ledge and sending them all tumbling to their intended deaths.

The dub calls this Ice Cloud, presumably to pull attention away from the gigantic icicle spear he uses for it.

By purest of luck, the kids land directly on top of Yukidarumon, breaking their fall on his big floofy snow body. He's on his way back from foraging for food as well as herbs for Gabumon's cold.

In the dub, Frigimon quips, "It's raining kids and Digimon again; I'm going to have to start carrying an umbrella." XD That's a good one.

(If he had a nickel for every time children plunged from the sky these last couple days, he'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.)

Gabumon eats the herbs while Agumon finally satisfies his hunger. But the fight isn't over yet; Mojamon descends the cliff to finish the job. While the kids run for cover, Yukidarumon steps up to fight Mojamon.

He tries his best, and briefly knocks Mojamon back into the cliffside hard enough to expose the Black Gears moving the island.

But Mojamon quickly overpowers him nonetheless, slamming him into the ground in front of the kids with a shoulder throw. Mojamon then reveals his other signature move, Hone Hone Boomerang; "Hone" being the Japanese word for "Bone", as previously seen in Ogremon's Hone Konbou. It's a curved bone that he throws in a curved arc, returning to his hand.

The dub calls it "Boomerang Bone", which flows better in English than Bone Bone Boomerang.

The kids and Yukidarumon narrowly avoid the boomerang, and then it's Agumon and Gabumon's turns. Finally getting their strength back up, they evolve to Greymon and Garurumon, the latter of whom shows Mojamon exactly what he thinks of Hone Hone Boomerang.

With Mojamon disarmed, Greymon lets off a Mega Flame. But Mojamon's too nimble to hit; He dodges the blast and kicks Greymon in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Creeping up behind Mojamon, Yukidarumon has a solution for this problem.

The full nelson. If it's good enough for Raditz, it's good enough for Mojamon. Yukidarumon holds him in place while Greymon lets off another Mega Flame, nailing the Black Gear and sending them both hurtling back into the wall. The impact exposes even more of the Black Gears responsible for the island shard's motion.

Garurumon lets off a Fox Fire to take care of those too.

No longer corrupted by the Black Gear, Mojamon shrinks down to about half his previous size. The Digimon explain the situation to him, while Taichi and Yamato revisit their argument.

Yamato still wants to go out and find Takeru, but before they can talk about it, the damaged Black Gears suddenly throw into reverse. Their island piece begins moving back towards Infinity Mountain, returning them to Devimon.

Recognizing that they have bigger problems right now then their previous difference of opinion, Taichi and Yamato agree to focus on this. Taichi offers Yamato some reassurance of his main concern.

Taichi: I'm sure Takeru is doing his best. Yamato: Yeah. He is my little brother after all.

While in the dub, the boys ignore T.K. and instead just agree that they're very cool.

Tai: Hahaha! No stinkin' Gears are gonna stop us! Matt: Yeah! Together, we're gonna be allllright!

Glad to see you boys are gung-ho about this.

Then we close on the boys waiting at the shore with their Partners, as well as Yukidarumon and Mojamon. Waiting in silence for their island shard to return to Infinity Mountain, and for the battle ahead.

As it often does, the dub fills this space with dialogue.

Matt (V.O.): And now I know my little brother will be alright because he has Patamon to take care of him when I can't be there. And I think, as long as we can all trust each other, together it's a sure bet that we'll be able to fight and beat Devimon!

...he says "I know T.K. will be fine because he has Patamon" like that's a valuable lesson he learned over the course of this episode? But. Like. The only place he could possibly have learned that was when Gabumon took care of him, and that was before the big fight with Tai.

Probably should have just stuck with "He'll be fine because he's my brother," which isn't so much a lesson learned as it is Yamato trying to reassure himself because he has no other options.

Assessment: Yeah, like the Meramon episode, this is another one that the dub butchers. They screw up the core argument between Tai and Matt which serves as the episode's emotional core. Taichi wants to see what lies beyond the ocean and Yamato wants to go save their friends.

Taichi's kind of a dick in this one, but that's okay. He's a flawed character. They're all flawed characters. Taichi's defining characteristic is his courage; He takes bold action and assumes everything will work out for the best. In this bitter fight with Yamato, we see the dark side of those assumptions.

But we also see the dark side of Yamato's overprotectiveness towards Takeru and to an extent the rest of the group. The way he nearly kills himself because he can't bring himself to just be still even when he's dying of hypothermia. Not if Takeru's in danger. Yamato is the kind of person that those airplane "Put your own mask on and then help your child with theirs" notifications are for.

We get that in this episode for Matt. We see plenty of Matt's rough edges on display here. But the dub of this episode sands off a lot of Tai's, resulting in an asymmetrical conflict that leaves Matt looking bad - sympathetically so, but still the sole aggressor - and Tai looking good.

[alice-after-dark]

Rosie Bennett's Finishing School for Young Ladies - Got a Secret, Can You Keep It?

Inspired by @hiemaldesirae's fem!RadioStatic content and his Hazbin Institution for Homicide Practitioners AU (at least the idea of these two in a school setting).

This is the inspiration for the school uniform.

Takes place during the late 1920s.

As usual, when Vivian wakes, Alison is already gone, her bed neatly made and nightgown folded delicately and placed atop the covers. She is an anomaly among the students, a lower class outcast and yet by far one of the most prim and proper ladies Vivian has met since arriving at the school. She's even rumored to be close with the headmistress. Despite being roommates, she's never really spoken to the woman...not until...

It has been a week since that terrible night. Thus far they've heard no stirrings as to Adam's disappearance, but Vivian knows it's only a matter of time. Eventually people will notice and then the search will begin. What if they find the body? What if her father-

Vivian shakes her head, clearing the invasive thoughts away. No. Alison had assured her that even if they find the body, they'd never know it was her. They'd never assume a young lady capable of such a thing anyways. The odd woman had told her this with such assurance and conviction that Vivian had believed her in the spot. There is something utterly captivating about her that makes Vivian hang on her every word. She delights in the brunette's attention and company and wants more endlessly. She blushes thinking about it, pressing a hand to her warm cheek. Vivian knows she's always craved attention, to have every eye on her, but there's something different about the smiling woman (Vivian has never seen her without one). Something mysterious and alluring. It was part of why she hesitated to interact with her in the first place, that and the damage it could do to her image should she be seen being to friendly with the school's resident social pariah.

She finishes dressing and makes her way to the dining hall for breakfast. Numerous students greet her with stars in their eyes as she walks and she basks in their admiration. She works hard for it, after all. Never one to be satisfied with riding someone else's coattails, she has done everything she can to make a name for herself independent of her father. It they're nearly through the first semester of her attendance at the school and already she has dazzled them as Juliette in this semester's stage performance with the men's college, established herself as one of the school's top students both academics and the arts, and won them the women's swim competition with intention to join the tennis team in the spring. She is brilliant, beautiful, and talented, and she knows it. She doesn't need her father's name or money to get what wants and she intends to prove it.

After arriving at the dining hall and collecting her breakfast, she spies a familiar brown bob. She frowns when she catches sight of who is also at the table.

Mimzy...now there is a woman who needs to be here. She regularly smokes and drinks and has been known to flirt (and Vivian suspects more) with the students of the men's college. How Alison considers such a loose woman her friend is beyond Vivian's understanding.

Niffty is far less of a concern. Though a bit boy-crazy and solidly fixated on finding a husband, she is a relatively sweet and energetic young lady. Vivian's biggest concern is the redhead's penchant for swooning over the...less than gentlemanly types.

Vivian's friends wave her over and she joins them at their table, listening to their gossip as they chatter meaninglessly. She smiles and chimes in at all the right places, shows interest and care when necessary, and files every scrap of useful information away in her mind. Every socialite knows that knowledge is the most effective weapon one can have in their arsenal.

When Vivian returns to the dorms that afternoon, she finds a letter in their mailbox. A thrill races through her when she sees her name on the front and her home address in the return corner. She grabs it and races to her room, shutting the door behind her almost too fast. She tears into the letter and rips it out of its confines, eagerly scanning the words written in her mother's elegant script.

My Dearest Daughter,

We are so pleased to hear of your accomplishments are Mrs. Bennett's institution. It is no surprise at all to me and your father that you have excelled. We expected nothing less from our shining star. We deeply regret being unable to attend the school play, but the newsletter we received spoke so highly of your performance. We are very proud.

Your father and I have been discussing matters and believe that it would be beneficial for your studies if you were to remain at Mrs. Bennett's institution for the duration of the winter break. It breaks our hearts as we miss you dearly, but we must do what is best for your education. We love you so much and believe that this is the right choice for your future.

She doesn't read the rest. Instead she sinks down to sit on her bed, staring down at the words.

They don't want her to come home. They don't want to see her. Her jaw clenches. This isn't right. This can't be right. They were supposed to believe her. They were supposed to trust her. She reads the rest of the letter, but it changes nothing. They do not want her to come home. She makes a sound of rage and crumples the paper in her delicate hands. How dare they. How dare they! How could they not trust her?! She told them she didn't do it!

She hears the door unlock and quickly schools her expression, shoving the letter into the pocket of her skirt and leaning down to unlace her boots. Alison says nothing when she enters, simply goes about putting her books away. When Vivian raises her head, however, brown eyes are on her. She jumps in surprise. Alison hardly gives her a chance to recover.

"How are you holding up?"

The heiress freezes. She knows immediately what she means. It's the first time they've even alluded to that night since it happened. She fidgets.

"Fine...I guess. It doesn't feel real."

Bastard deserved it.

"Like a bad dream."

Who did he think he was, threatening her like that?

"What about you?"

Alison shrugs. "You get used to...difficult situations when you grow up the way I did." She resumes putting her books into their proper places, organized by the order of her classes. "I'm just looking forward to winter break. It will be nice not to have so many people around here."

"You're...not going home for break?" Vivian fights to keep her voice even, innocently inquisitive.

The brunette shakes her head. "Never have. No reason to. Rosie lives on campus and otherwise I'd just be alone in my mother's house. Might as well spend the holidays here."

"Oh. I'm staying too," Vivian says before she can stop herself, earning a confused look from her roommate. "I...want to focus on my studies."

The brunette blinks at her. "And your parents were okay with that?"

"Oh, they were upset and I do miss them, but I don't want to waste my chance here!"

Alison is quiet for a time. When she turns her back to her, Vivian pulls the paper ball from her pocket and lets it fall to the floor, kicking it under the bed with her heel.

"I'm a little surprised you don't want to get off campus as fast as possible."

The heiress bites her lip. "I...you said everything would be fine. I trust you. I'm not going to run away."

Alison locks eyes with her and Vivian fights not to look away. The part about running away might be a lie, but everything else is the complete truth. She does trust her. She chose to trust her that night the moment Alison sent her back to the dorm and she obeyed. She still has no idea what the brunette did with the body, just that it was taken care of. She could have turned her in then, gotten Rosie and let the police corner Vivian in their dorm. But she hadn't. Instead, she'd come back and acted like nothing happened. She sworn to keep her secret. Their secret.

After a long while, Alison nods and looks away.

"Alright then. I suppose we'll be spending some quality time together over break then."

[master-ray5]

The King's (Chibi) Crisis

While I plan on posting something bigger tomorrow for Usamamo Week 2024 (run by @random-mailbox and @lilliebellfanfics), I decided to use the prompt for "Free Day" to finally post something I have had in mind for a while. I'm putting in my "Innocent Royal Affairs" series but the prompt helped me finally get it down on paper. Links first but then I'll post the whole fic underneath:

     “ACHOO!” 

     Mamoru’s eyes went wide and he jumped out of bed as the sound came over the baby monitor. He glanced back over his shoulder to make sure his wife was safe before he ran out the room, across the hall, and into the nursery. Mamoru was by the crib of Princess Chiba-Usa in record time. He opened a drawer, pulled out digital medical gloves, and ran a complete diagnosis by scanning his daughter. 

HR: Normal

BP: 95/58

Temp: 100.1

    “Dear lord,” Mamoru gasped as he read the results. “Computer, open a channel to the family of wisdom.” 

     “Boss,” Zoisite grumbled as he answered the call, slowly rousing. “It’s late. What’s wrong?” 

     “Chibi-Usa is ill,” Mamoru reported firmly. 

     “What’s her symptoms,” Ami asked, as she sat up in bed next to Zoisite when she heard Mamoru’s words. “What’s wrong with the little princess?” 

     “She has a 100.1 fever and is sniffling,” Mamoru explained, his eyes darting from the results to his daughter and back multiple times. “She’s sleeping peacefully now.” 

     “So let me get this straight?” Zoisite groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She has her first cold?”

     “Yes! I want a full workout to make sure it's not magic related,” Mamoru ordered, a plan forming in his head. “I want you to run a comparison on the database of all known youmas, droids, and known monster types. I need to make sure she hasn’t been poisoned in someway” 

     Zoisite exchanged a look with his wife before he responded. “I’m hanging up now.” 

     “What?” Mamoru grunted, his body becoming tense at his friend’s response. “My daughter is sick. She needs a complete diagnosis.” 

     “Mamoru,” Ami sighed as she laid her head down on her pillow. “You are a former doctor, so you are blessed with an abundance of information. You need to get a handle on it or it will consume you.” 

     “That being said my wife needs her own sleep for the baby she’s carrying,” Zoisite sighed as his hand reached out and caressed Ami’s stomach. “Just get a washcloth, dab her head, and try to get some rest.”

     “What about,” Mamoru countered but the line went dead. “Hello? Damn it! Computer, dial the family of strength.” 

     “Mmmhuhm,” Nephrite grumbled as the call connected. “Wuh, wuzzup?” 

     “My daughter is displaying a low grade fever,” Mamoru reported, his eyes locked on Chibi-Usa’s vitals. “Have there been any anomalies sighted in the area in the last few days?” 

     “Numh, Mumuh,” Makoto replied in something between a snort, yawn, and a groan. “Mmm.” 

     “I want you to get to the control room and do a full city wide search to make sure there are no disturbances,” Mamoru commanded. “If you run every scan possible it should only take like…5 hours.” 

     A loud crunching sound came through the speaker which Mamoru could only assume was Nephrite destroying his communicator again. The replacement he received would be the 4th one this year alone. Mamoru intended on making sure they came out of his paycheck. 

     Chibi-usa grumbled and began to roll in her sleep causing Mamoru’s heart to clench. She was uncomfortable he could tell and he wanted to make sure everything was fine with her. He immediately dialed the next group in his contact. 

     "Jadeite,” Mamoru called when his general picked up. “I need you to hit the library. I want you to look through all the research materials and see if a minor fever may be related to any known curse."

     “I’ve got a curse I can show him,” Rei hissed before turning over and pulling a pillow over her head. 

     “Boss, you need to calm down,” Jadeite insisted, picking up his communicator to talk into it properly. His other hand reached over and stroked his wife’s back affectionately. “Zoisite already messaged everyone and let us know you are freaking out and overreacting. I’m going to turn off my communicator now and nothing short of a Class Five, world ending disaster is going to turn it back on.” 

     “I am not freaking out or overreacting,” Mamoru stated firmly. “Now come make sure my baby hasn’t been cursed by a demon or I will banish you to the frigid depths of space.” 

     “Good night Mamoru,” Jadeite replied before ending the call. Mamoru felt his entire body tense from the lack of respect he was receiving. 

     "What the hell? Call the family of leaders,” Mamoru ordered the computer. “Kunzite I want…"

    “Damn it Mamoru!” Minako roared. Not through the communicator but instead her voice carried from her and Kunzite’s wing of the castle. “It’s three in the morning! Some of us are trying to have sex!” 

     “Blast it all,” Mamoru roared as he turned towards the door and began to head towards pulling all of his generals out of bed by their hair. “I swear when I get a hold of them….” 

     Mamoru stopped as the door to the nursery opened and his wife came in with a sleepy look in her eyes. 

     “I can hear you through the baby monitor.” Usagi yawned as she moved past her husband and towards the cradle. “You‘re freaking everyone out.”

     “But Usa…,” Mamoru stumbled, his mind still going a mile a minute. “Chibi-Usa could have been poisoned by a demon, cursed by a youma, or…” 

     “Or maybe she caught a cold when we took her out for a ride in the stroller,” Usagi suggested as she placed the washcloth she had brought in against her daughter’s warm head. She picked up her tiny daughter and sat in the rocking chair close by. “She’s going to be fine Mamo. Calm down.” 

     “But…,,” Mamoru struggled, his mind overwhelmed with all the possibilities of everything terrible fate which could befall his baby. “She’s…”

     “It’s okay little one,” Usagi sang to her daughter as she began rocking her. With her hair down nursing their daughter back to health and wearing her white nightgown, Mamoru thought his wife looked like an angel. He often thought of her as such but moments like this made it even harder for him to think she was absolutely sent from heaven. “Daddy is just being silly.”

     “I’m just…,” Mamoru stopped as he watched how Chibi-Usa stopped fusing as she was rocked back to sleep. His gaze dropped to the med gloves he was still wearing and a smile formed on his face as he realized just how foolish he had been acting. “You’re right…daddy is just being silly.”

O.O.O

Come back tomorrow when my first Non-Senshi AU story finally drops. It's a nice light read clocking in at...11k!!

[sylvies-chen]

*UPDATED*

Of Sun And Stone chapter 9: Dawn of the Desolate Souls

There’s an almost lifelike quality to the rubble Lucy sees before her.

At first the sheer disaster of it distracts from its strangeness. All there is to see is a house collapsed, its remnants dusty and lifeless. Its destruction, however, is remarkably contained to the house itself. As Lucy’s eyes trail from detail to detail, she notices the abrupt and proverbial line in the sand drawn right before the driveway. The mess ends right before the wheels of Tim’s truck, which she recognizes only vaguely from having ridden in once late at night. It remains parked on the side of the road and miraculously intact, as does every other house on the block. No cracks in their roads, no felled trees, no open powerlines. Lucy checks each house and finds not even so much as a scratch on their mailboxes, nevermind any evidence of a real earthquake. Whatever happened here is an anomaly.

read on ao3

[convex-sex]

Dear enthusiasts and fellow academics in the convex sex field of research,

We would like to make a formal apology to those who have submitted convex anomalies to our formal feedback in the past 2 months.

It has come to our attention, that we have missed a few submissions as we were on a research trip in Antarctica, studying the effect malus domestica (common name apple trees) have on aptenodytes forsteri's (common name: emperor penguin) psyche.

Most of the recent research papers and sightings have been running on an automatic system. We've tried our best to keep up to date with fellow independent researchers, but due to our busy schedules, some have slipped through the cracks of bureaucracy.

We deeply apologize for this delay, the sightings shall be published within the next week. Hopefully, they will be up to your expectations.

Feel free to take direct contact with us through our mailbox to enquirer about any additional information. We strive to avoid any such issues in the future and hope to continue to be a reliable source of convex related data for years to come.

Best regards, the mod team of @convex-sex

[monstercampus]

miss ellie I have a question about the lore. can the human reader go back into human society or are we shunned?

hehe what a spicy question!!!

In truth, it depends--partly on your attitude towards monsters and partly towards the circumstances that may or may not happen during your stay at MC. It would be quite easy for you to graduate, go home, and say "yeah monsters suck lol" forget about it all and go back to your human life. People would probably still give you odd looks at first knowing your situation, but leaning into your humanity hard means you're not gonna rock the boat too much and you'll largely get to go unscathed.

But the moment you start showing compassion for them, especially for the monster species that people consider "gross" or less palatable than werewolves or vampires, you'll encounter pushback. People in the human circles of society won't want to hire you. They'll think you're weird, that you have something wrong with you, and if you're with another monster romantically then you'll find people are openly hostile towards you and your love. Your mailbox might get smashed or your house broken into. People will send you hateful letters and emails online. Post your address. Move, and they'll find it again, and then you'll move again. The feeling of being exposed and unsafe in your own home will creep higher and higher until it gets to be too much to bear, and even if you desperately want to keep living in human society there will come a point where you just simply can't.

Because as many as there are people in the world that wish to close the gap between humans and monsters, as many politicians you see on tv advocating for monster-human connection, and celebrities posting about their support for monster-human advancement in society, those kind words won't help you in the face of people who just can't handle their lives being invaded by something they don't understand. Everyone in your society has a "well this monster killed my cousin" or "this monster is okay but those monsters are evil" story, and regardless of how you feel or how patient your monster friends and lovers may be, there will undoubtedly come a point where you're forced to accept that human society just doesn't want you there anymore. If you're too much like them, the bogeymen in all their human ghost stories and fairytales, then you just don't belong.

So to say you're "shunned" from your fellow humans might be too much and also not enough to describe it. Especially because although most humans will believe (or choose to believe) for a variety of reasons why MC's admissions chose you as a non-monster, there will be some that remain suspicious as to your real heritage. I'll be honest, many humans won't care too much about a little monster blood in your veins, so long as you look, sound, and act the part of human. But some take it seriously, some take it to a near heinous extent, and will crave the knowledge of your strange blood and what lies within it that even experts at the top monster colleges in the world have failed to identify. Because in their eyes, what in the world could make you so special that you're not only an anomaly in the human world, but also an anomaly in the world of monsters where everything is anomalous?

As scary and hostile as that all sounds, however, it's worth it to note that this is only one side of society in the world at large, and compared to the population that does accept you it's actually rather small, though the hostilities certainly make it feel rather isolating and dooming. While the place you might've grown up in or the cities and areas you're used to may turn their backs on you, there will always be safe haven for you and for monsters as a collective. Monster-exclusive conclaves exist but in much smaller array than their human counterparts; for the most part, monster cities are incredibly welcoming to humans, mixed human-monster species, and mixed families and couples of all species.

One such area is Rünerhea, one of the largest monster-built cities on this side of the sea, and home to thousands upon thousands of monsters, humans, and everyone you can find between. The city itself has survived countless invasions, sieges, plagues, and famine, and is one of the only capital cities in the world to be entirely monster-driven for the entirety of its existence. Not far from Monster Campus itself, it's one of the safest and most pragmatic places to settle into an integrated life, where you will never fear judgement, prejudice, or harm from the greater human body. The people are lively, the jobs are plentiful, the food and ale are to die for, and whether you settle into a cozy two-story home on Lilac Street with your lover or a single room in The Drunken Druid while you wander to find an apartment with a view you like, Rünerhea feels like home from the moment you open your eyes in the morning to the second your head hits the pillow at night. No soul in their right mind would come to Rünerhea to protest their freedom of monster-human contact, not in a solo venture nor as an army, because despite humans far outnumbering monsters on this earth there is no denying the strength the latter has when on a united front. The Rünerhea guard are themselves trained to a terrifyingly strict discipline, but despite even their builds and the weapons they carry there are few things more frightening than an angry tiefling defending their half-human children, or a group of pixies retaliating when the family of their human neighbor try to drag them back home. Even when the rest of the world turns their back on you, the city of Rünerhea, its citizens, and others all over the continent will welcome you with open arms, and never again will you have to look over your shoulder out of fear that someone will take their hatred of monsterkind out on you.

[shmowder]

Hi, could I request anything Yulia Lyuricheva x reader fluff, please? I've only played P2 if that makes a difference ♡

Hell yeah! I'll base this off P2 Yulia mostly in this case. Honestly she deserves so much love.

Yulia x reader fluffy headcanons

[Fluff, Romance, hurt/Comfort, gn reader]

"A smart person crosses the stream where it's shallowest. But I'm not smart."

Yulia senses fate, or at least she attempts to. The strings of destiny aren't that different from chalked numbers on a board, find the common factors, and fill in the unknown variables.

The rules of probability are absurdly simple, an impossible event equates to zero, a certain event is one, therefore the sum of all probabilities for all possible events is equal to one.

That's why she foresaw your importance in her life upon the first time she's laid eyes on you.

She didn't know why yet, but as she inhaled the burning smoke deep into her lungs to smother the sound of turning gears in her brain, she felt all the possible factors shift in her world.

Not one to swim against the current, she picked her cane as she got up from the chair to walk across the room to you.

The introduction was brief, and her hand grasped yours loosely in a handshake before the grip grew more stable.

Oh.

She understands now why you were presented an anomaly.

Your hand fit perfectly into hers, your touch standing out amongst all of her other senses.

The outside world would quiet down as you spoke.

The fates have decided for her to fall in love that day. Apparently, her turn has finally arrived.

And who was she to resist the turning spindle of fate's thread?

The roads of the town, makings of her own design, seemed to lead her to cross paths with you throughout out the next couple weeks.

The conversations were politely short, but as days progresses, each word exchanged between you two started being weighted with implications of affectionate.

This slow dance was agonising to her.

Yulia wanted to progress things faster, to rush the flow of water so she may arrive at the foreseen destination sooner than later.

Her smoking increased during that period, her restlessness spiking as she spent various nights pacing around the bookshelves in the trammel.

Never one to think with her heart, she failed to grasp on anything but skeptical rationality to act as her aid in these trying times.

Did you not feel the same? Did you not sense the way her posture improved around you? The lingering of her eyes upon your own, lips and neck?

What about the tremble of her fingers? The way her lips pronounce your name with care and precision, not rushing a single letter nor skimming on any of the vowels.

It's easy to predict the future as a bystander when it came to other people, but it was much harder to see the forest for the trees when you were the rat running lost through these seemingly convoluted wooden mazes.

Without her usual deduction to relay on, Yulia felt at her wits end as she wrote you a letter, pouring out the contents of her brain on the off-white pages.

From rushed handwriting and smuged ink, to dents where the metalic tip of the fountain pen was pressed too hard against the fragile paper.

From incomprehensible paranoid theories on why you weren't receptive to outright helpless confessions of yearning for you, of sleepless nights under the cruel apathetic empty vacuum of space above.

She sends it before she changes her mind. If you were meant to leave, you would've done it eventually. Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong, Murphy's law.

So she might as well show you the inner workings of her cursed mind early on.

As she leaves the letter in the mailbox to be delivered, her chest feels stuffed with cotton, her arms ragdoll against her side, her heart aches.

The inevitable sunrise arrives to proclaim the start of a new day.

Yulia is leaning against the wall that faces the front door to the trammel. Her coat was thrown on the clothes hanger, and the ribbon on her grey cardigan is untied.

The ticking of the wooden clock nearby is getting on her nerves. She considers the logistics of getting away with throwing it in a dumpster bin outside before setting the whole thing ablaze.

...Too unlikely, the Saburovs live a mere bridge away, and Alexander might not let arson slide.

A faint sound of footsteps brings her out of drifting through the abyss of her mind, just behind the door.

Someone's rummaging through their bag, the sound of papers being flipped.

Envelopes to be precise, the mailman no doubt.

Yulia moves closer, catching the letter sliding through the opening in the door before it hits the ground.

Your name is at the top in the sender's box.

And at the bottom, hers is addressed.

Hesitation sinks in the bottom of her stomach before she closes her eyes and forces her hands to move. Opening the letter carefully, unfolding the paper inside.

She takes a deep breath, the fresh air stings her lungs.

The second she opens her eyes, she immediately scans the page whole. Searching through the polite sentences for any hint of rejection, skimming through the pleasantries part to get to the main topic.

Numbers are shifting again, the strings of fate are being stretched thin. Roads are deconstructed and new connections are built.

The letter falls from her hand.

All she can hear is the loud contrasting and release of her heart against her ribcage.

You return her feelings.

It was foretold. She reminds herself, it was written.

But that does nothing to quell the waves of relief washing over her, the adrenaline swimming through her blood fizzling out into ambrosia making her stumble forward as she picks up the letter, head light and filled with stars.

She immediately goes for her hanged coat, picking her cane and walking out the door with little care to the unkept hairstyle she woke up with this morning.

Going straight to your house.

For all the roads in the town will take her there.

That day marks the start of your flourshing relationship.

It's not perfect. It has its ups and downs. Through thick and thin, the two of you make it work.

Yulia picks up her old hobby of playing the cello more and more with you around, enjoying an audience of one as you sit nearby and indulge in a book or a craft.

Romantic words aren't her forte, but physical affectionate is what she can't get enough of.

Cuddling on a warm, lazy afternoon, laying her head on your lap, intertwining your fingers together outside while drinking in the pub or getting lunch.

Especially enjoys buring her face against your neck, the feathery press of her lips against your pulse point. The way her hand rests against your thigh.

Her ideas of dates are usually things she would've enjoyed doing alone and wants to share them with you.

Surprisingly, she prefers having you do the planning and making the chocies when it comes to date nights.

She is fascinated by your mind, why you do the things you do, why do you like the things you like.

You offer her a peak into your world each time you indulge her and prepare for the date or keep a conversation going yourself.

Yulia is very content in observing you being yourself. It's one of her highest forms of entertainment.

Another way she shows love is how she always repairs something in your house whenever you have her over.

Or well, whenever she invites herself over unannounced because she was feeling lonely but wants plausible deniability of having a heart.

Fixing that wobbling chair that's giving you trouble, installing the new faucet for the sink you've been putting off.

Even sewing the holes in your favourite clothes in her spare time.

Of course, every action has an equal and opposite reaction, which is why she lays on your lap afterwards, expecting compliments, praise, and for you to play with her hair.

Your hands are her favourite part of you. The way she can hold them, kiss your knuckles and press her cheek against the palm.

The way your fingers move through the strands of her hair eases the pain of her migraines. Yulia usually isolates herself in a room in those days, even something as simple as sunlight feels like razors rattling inside her skull. The slightest sound painful on her aching mind.

She is the most difficult to deal with on those days, where the abyss starts whispering back to her on how doom is inevitable.

All things will end, so what's the point of trying? Everything and everyone is finite.

Even the love you two share.

Be patient with her. That's all she asks of you.

Her nerves can't take much more cruelty.

And you are. Waiting for your beloved each time with open arms for her to fall into. Gently reassuring her that you do return her feelings, that the love will still be worth it even if it turns sour in the future.

That she is worth trying for. Fighting fate for. The world will have to rip her out of the safety of your arms for you to give her up.

And Yulia believes you. having blind faith in someone else's words for the first time in her life.

The two of you would go to bed afterwards, where her body slots perfectly behind yours. Cuddling you close to her chest, arms wrapping around you to keep you close.

Her breathing slows down, her world isn't going to end just yet.

Yulia finds her respite amidst the veins of your heart, curling on herself inside them and shutting the door. Proclaiming the delicate organ for her own, careful to mend, and repair every broken shattered part as you hold her whole in the safety of your chest.

"I'm not crying, my eyes are just watering."

[random-mailbox]

Random-Mailbox's Favorite Sailor Moon Fics - Week 36 - Sex Pollen

Sex Pollen as a trope is also not as big in this fandom as one would imagine. @lilliebellfanfics has suggested I try to put something together because "it’s spring and pollen season", which seems like an amazing idea until I realized how many of the Sex Pollen trope stories went into the Potions post around Halloween. Thankfully, I have more for you to explore! 

As always, my apologies in advance for spoiling some of these for you (Fic Titles are linked to either FFN or AO3 entries).

The Armour That We Wear - @sailoreuterpe

In this one-shot Usagi and Mamoru start to deal with implications of their anime-inspired break-up after a sex-bubble causes their inhibitions to fall.

La Douleur Exquise - @floraone

This story ties into "4 authors 1 prompt series", parts of which are in the Potions post linked above. In this two-shot, Usagi and Mamoru are working through co-existing within their civilian and superhero lives, while trying to stop people from getting hurt. I loved that this take causes changes in the timeline and forces Black Moon clan and Chibiusa to become anomalies. 

All's Fun with Love and Orbs - @irritablevowel

This is another addition to the "4 authors 1 prompt series" with a focus on Dead Moon Circus arc. In a non-traditional take, meddling from Amazones Quartet causes everyone to argue instead of being unable to keep their hands off each other.

Happy Hump Day!: Chapter 1: Lunar on a Hot Tin Roof - @shnuggletea

With Tokyo experiencing a crazy heatwave, Usagi cannot seem to be able to cool down. Mamoru is the only person who can bring down her fever, even if it might not be in the most conventional way. This is the first chapter of a collection of unrelated lemons if you want to keep exploring.

One story that became part of the Reveals series but might make more sense here is Impulse by @areptiledysfunction1107 , where mysterious fog from a youma is to blame for Tuxedo Mask's inability to see straight when it comes to a certain blonde.

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That's it for this week. Next week are Psychometry stories! Some have definitely made their way into other posts but I hope I will introduce you all to a few more!

Here are the links to the previous Tumblr posts in these series to explore more amazing works based on different themes - make sure to check them out if you haven't had a chance! (Click on title name to go to the post) - I will keep updating the list every week as new posts come up:

Week 1 - Groundhog Day

Week 2 - Established Relationships

Week 3 - Sex Positivity

Week 4 - Unfinished Stories

Week 5 - Darker Stories

Week 6 - Potions 🧪

Week 7 - Reveals

Week 8 - 👻Halloween🎃

Week 9 - Wrong Perceptions

Week 10 - Non-Senshi AU

Week 11 - In-Progress Fics

Week 12 - Mutual Pining

Week 13 - Enemies to Lovers

Week 14 - Slow Burn

Week 15 - Christmas Part 1 - Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Santa!

Week 16 - Christmas Part 2

Week 17 - New Years

Week 18 - High School AU

Week 19 - Slice of Life

Week 20 - Coffee shop AU

Week 21 - Huddle for Warmth

Week 22 - Friends to Lovers

Week 23 - ❤️Valentines Day❤️

Week 24 - Do a Grouch a Favour Day (or Cheer Up Fics)

Week 25 - Soulmate AU

Week 26 - Amnesia Fics (and resources)

Week 27 - 🍀St Patrick's Day🍀

Week 28 - Fix it Fics

Week 29 - Prompt: Mug

Week 30 - Flowers

Week 31 - Traditions

Week 32 - Dreams

Week 33 - Friends

Week 34 - Body-Swap

Week 35 - Medical Assistance

[linoone]

ATHENA GOES GORP

[hexalianrebel-blackfeathers]

Navigation Desk!

Ugggh, I guess it’s about time I had one of these. >w< I’m gonna level with you, I’m mostly making this for me because navigating this mess on the app is becoming increasingly difficult.

Welcome, nerds, to Panda’s Tree. I hope you like all my weird bookshelves and that none of you are allergic to bamboo. My uniformed guests have asked that you please report any sightings of uncontained black fluid directly to them. Thank you. >w<

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Commissions—Yes, they are always open. Panda is broke… Be aware that if you’re going to pay for 4000 words of story, you need to give me 4000 words worth of an idea. I do reserve the right to take liberties if the only thing you give me is [lee!x, ler!y; in the pool house with the candlestick]. Appreciate the money you have and be smart with it. >w< And also, thank you so much in advance for liking my work.

Alternatively, you could help me open this Cookie Jar. >w<

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Panda’s Mailbox—Send an idea; make a request; pay respects to our Goddess; tell me the lottery numbers; report the latest anomaly; or just drop by to chat. Panda loves you!

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Masterlist—I guess I had to make this eventually too. >-< Here’s a fairly long list of most* of the things I’ve written over my many old bear years. I’m restricting the Masterlist to Ao3 and Tumblr. If you want to go back to my deviantArt or Fanfiction.net days (Or, frankly, ANYTHING prior to 2017), mind the Time Travel Disclaimer, and godspeed. >w<

*There’s a separate list that’s exclusively my original work.

**Also, here’s my Writing Tag and the secret Archives, just in case you really want to know all the nonsense I’ve made with my keyboard.

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To Those Seeking Something Greater, Know That The King Lives On-- …Uh… I don’t know what this is. D-Did someone lose this paper? There’s no address…

I’ve also been finding these documents in the old rooms; they have the same symbol as that paper.

[the-coolest-man-ever]

Take pictures of time-related anomalies and bring the evidence to the gas station. Leave the photos under the mailbox. That's all it takes.

— 🔲

…that’s all? what precise anomaly you need? “time-related” it’s quite vague

[yourgoodfriendjh]

Love is stored in the hockey bleachers

Leningrad, 1956

Despite what one might have assumed about a hardened military officer, Svetlana kept her mostly empty flat very warm, and Valery loved her a lot for that. The first night he had come to her, ten years ago, she had piled his bed with spare blankets and gave him the iron glare she usually saved for her younger siblings or the underling soldiers in her unit when he said she made him look like a baby. On the nights when she was home, they sat together at the tiny dining room table by the window that looked out over the street, watching the snow fall or listening to the radio. Every spring Svetlana would complain about how all the new recruits were wimps-- she would have to work twice as hard to pound some common sense into them, she swore they’re even more pansies than last year-- while Valery laughed and poured some more vodka because by the fall, she would say what good officers she had, always bringing her little gifts and handsome bottles of Stolichnaya. 

He had wondered about asking her to marry him before, for the sake of convenience, after a decade of occasionally confusedly kissing behind closet doors in primary school and then deciding neither of them were meant for that. Now she took his hand in hers, very gently, and put one of her rings on his left hand, though he could tell every fiber of her stalwart self hated this plan, even hated him. Part of him didn’t believe for a second she would ever report him, but the bigger part knew she was too noble to go back on her word. She was still holding his hand.

He pulled away, wanting to go to bed and pretend he didn’t notice her studying him with that terrible look in her eyes. 

The man with the cigarette was still there. The snow on the windowpane caught and magnified the orange ashes falling from the tip, gray specks by the time they blew away. 

She caught him again. “Valery.”

He went still. “Svetla.” 

She just put her arms around him, too tight, and pulled him to the couch. Valery melted into her, grateful down to his bones that she would do this for him, and buried his face in her neck. She laughed a little and rested her head on his. 

At some point they fell asleep, still in their dayclothes but wrapped up in each other, and all was quiet. 

Durham, 1965

Shenkov didn’t think he would ever understand English weather, how it could be so miserably chilly and wet but never achieve any substantial amount of snow. Last night it had flurried, and he and Valery had stayed up listening to the radio with mugs of coffee to watch. He had never done that before, but snow was starting to feel like an anomaly. He missed it. Now, at midmorning, it was warm enough for the rain to turn the snow into gray slush that mingled with the crusty salt on the roads. 

 It was Saturday, but Valery had gone into the lab early to finish something up, and Shenkov was on his way out for his English class at the local university. There was never anything in the mailbox but spam advertisements and bills, but today a yellowed envelope fell out when he opened the latch. He caught it before it could spiral down into a puddle- it was light as a feather, Shenkov almost thought it was empty. It was addressed to Valery--not really Valery but his new name--written in shaky, almost childlike handwriting. Like someone who couldn’t write English, just copied foreign symbols. There was no return address, and the stamp was Soviet. His heart thrashed in his chest before he realized that there was no way any mail from the Soviet Union could get through to them without someone in the program that had placed them here approving it. Before he could think more about it, (was it Anna? A researcher at the lighthouse? One of the villagers?) he shoved the envelope in his coat pocket and pulled the collar up high, hoping the rain would stop soon. 

The English teacher thought his accent was endlessly fascinating and always gave him lists of words to just pronounce so she could hear more of it. He thought it was funny at first. Trying to politely fend off her flirting--which Valery had witnessed once when they ran into each other at the grocers and found actually hilarious, saying Shenkov was simply irresistible to any human--made him forget the letter until he was at home hanging up his wet coat. He loved Saturdays because he and Valery got to the street corner at nearly the exact same time and they could walk in together. Valery noticed when the envelope fell out of his pocket and held it up for Shenkov. He must have actually looked at it then, because his whole face closed down. 

“What’s this?”

“I have no idea. It’s addressed to you, you should open it.” He swallowed and dared to ask, “Who in the Soviet Union would be sending you mail?”

Valery didn’t say anything, just read and reread the label. He slid his thumbnail under the flap. “I hope it’s who I think it is.”

His held his face very still but his eyes changed when he took the contents out. Terribly, Shenkov remembered the night in Moscow and the matching look in Valery’s eyes when he said he was married. 

It was a narrow photograph, one of the polaroids that teenagers stick with tacks onto their bedroom walls. Valery tilted an inch closer so Shenkov could see. There were two people in the frame, arms around each other and faces smashed together in a sloppy hug. For a second, Shenkov’s brain short-circuited and he thought one of them was Anna, but the blonde woman in the photograph looked nothing like her. This one had an infectiously wide gap-toothed smile and dark eyes that caught the light sparkled. She was wearing full military uniform, elegant from head to toe, the medals pinned to her chest and the hammer and sickle insignia on her beret gleaming. 

And the other was Valery, twenty-five years younger, but so clearly him Shenkov’s heart clenched. His cheeks were rosy and he was smiling so hard his eyes crinkled, the left one smushed shut against the woman’s face. His mussed hair was even curlier than now, plastered to his forehead. There was a helmet and half a hockey stick at his feet. He looked broader than he really was with the long jersey and padding, the skates made him only a hair shorter than the woman. Svetlana. 

Valery was laughing, so softly it sounded like crying. His hands shook and Shenkov saw he was crying, but the smile didn’t disappear. 

“Jesus Christ. She’s a force of nature,” he pushed a hand over his eyes, laughing again. 

“Svetlana?”

“It was some championship game, for my university. She showed up in the stands in full uniform to intimidate the other team. I said she’s why we won and she said we needed a picture,” he explained. “One of my teammates brought his camera. I didn’t know she still had the picture after so long. I don’t know how she sent it here-- the all-powerful nameless stamp of approval,” he said with the air of quoting someone. 

Shenkov couldn’t stand it anymore and pulled Valery into his chest. He tilted his head back and kissed Shenkov’s mouth, his cheek, his forehead, his collarbone. Shenkov wanted desperately to never let him go. 

Shenkov had hazy memories of going to church, once, when he was maybe ten. By the time his family had moved to Moscow most of the churches had already been shut down, and he wasn’t Christian before. It was the only time he could remember praying. He wasn’t sure he knew how anymore, but it couldn’t have been too complicated. He didn’t clasp his hands or bow his head, but thought very hard about the smiling young woman in the photographed and desperately wished that she was alright, that one day Valery would see her again and smile. 

[deniisu-sims]

Get to Know Me - Sims Edition

Tagged by @puffkins2000 and several others!

What’s your favorite Sims death? Never thought very well about the death types but I'll go for Time Anomaly because the ghost actually looks kinda creepy!

Alpha CC or Maxis Match? MM clothing, semi-realistic Asian-made skins, ALPHA HAIR ONLY. Furniture is a mix, really, but I can't stand MM hair in TS3 AT ALL.

Do you cheat your sims weight? Not at all - if I want to change their weight, they'll go to the gym! Now, for other physical features (read: getting rid off EAxis cartoonishness) Edit in CAS is my best friend :P

Do you move objects? But of course?????? XD

Favorite Mod? The NRaas suite in general + Lazy Duchess ones, but if I need to choose JUST ONE I'll go with DebugEnabler just for the item spawn function and the shifting up/down walls without Decorator's Best Friend (which I like a lot too)

First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack? I... found this game in the seven seas so I got them all at the same time...

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing? The former - never figured out people considered the "live" from "live mode" as a verb until NOW.

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? Melody Hills, the cute Black girl with natural hair I often put on my previews (she's the youthful one often with protective hairstyles). Minato Hawthorne (half-Japanese guy with glasses and blue eyes that often goes for my more... twinky stuff) and Lise Béranger (the one with the really pretty long curly hair) are close runner-ups.

Have you made a simself? Yeah, but I ended up not liking it (not a case of self-consciousness) and deleted her x_x

Which is your favorite EA hair color? Eeeeh the dark brown is useable I guess...

Favorite EA hair? NONE, I HATE THEM ALL

Favorite life stage? I readily admit that I'm part of the Millennial Party Simulator school of playing and 90% of my Sims are Young Adults.

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? I don't BUILD per se, all my lots are downloaded, some build tools are still a bit intimidating, but I rotate between (re-)decorating and playing.

Are you a CC creator? A converter, actually XD Quite balanced between objects and CAS.

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad? I'm closer-ish with the Brazilian TS3 Simblr guys and EAxis 4t3 converters but to call it a squad is a tad too much! But I'm on friendly terms with the folks from the Creator's Cave server, yes.

Do you have any sims merch? / A Youtube for sims? Nope and I don't intend to.

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing? I actually find very difficult to let go of my powerplaying and shift to a more roleplayer style :P THAT SAID, in my decorating I finally found a balance between bare and overcluttered!

Who’s your favorite CC creator? it's a secret to no one that @joojconverts and I have very similar styles and we often suggest and beta test stuff for each other, and @bellakenobi and I are friendly outside Simblr too, but to say I have a Favorite CC creator wouldn't do justice to my 28GB CC folder 8D

How long have you had Simblr? I actually wanted to make a simblr for TS2 first but it never went forward (at the time I only did some mailbox recolors that I never released), so it's older than I believe, but I started getting active in TS3 around 2017-2018 I believe?

How do you edit your pictures? I cut, resize and add text ONLY. I have no patience for extra editing.

What expansion/ gamepack is your favorite? Can't choose between Ambitions and Supernatural XD

I tag everyone!