#he's just naturally all dat huh

[aquaquadrant]

grbbrgrr. scurries toward you. I offer thee pathbubs fluff, fresh from my mind fortress.

Patho. falling asleep with dbubs’s clock to his ear.

gives you a cupcake skitters away

(offering received, considered, and accepted. however, i have substituted your fluff for angst. i hope this is satisfactory.)

~*~

"watch this!" dbubs shouts, before leaping off the cliff into the water below.

<player>dat -7063fdce-39ac-4a12-d836-a990c45b2bb0

patho leans back just enough to avoid being splashed. the water in this jungle lagoon is clear and blue, brighter than most bodies of water he comes across. tall, thick trees surround them on all sides, creating a natural barrier from the mobs of the jungle. it’s a beautiful place, and one of his favorites to visit when he’s here.

155 fps t: inf fancy-clouds b: 15x15 3 tx 3 rx c: 695/41672 (s) d: 16, pc: 000, pu: 00, ab: 42 e: 17/109, b: 0, sd: 9 p: 28 t: 109 error fc:0 xyz: -12,683.952 / 39.11563 / 253,589.263 block: -12,683 39 253,589 chunk: -791 15 7,849 facing: south (towards positive z)(1.5/5) client light: 6 (0 sky, 6 block) biome: error:crimson jungle local difficulty: 6.75//0.00 (day error404 not found) sounds: 16/247 + 0/8

dbubs surfaces with a gasp, his wet bangs plastered to his forehead. “did you see that?” he crows. “that was- i must’ve done a- a complete 360 spin about five- no, ten times! world record, first try!”

“oh, yeah,” patho agrees with a smile he doesn’t feel. “yeah, that was very impressive.”

they’re almost out of time.

patho has known this since he woke to find a little weeping vine attempting to burrow into his arm, right at the seam where flesh meets metal. this is an event that only happens when he’s overstayed his welcome, and the jungle can no longer tolerate his presence without trying to claim him. that vine was easily removed, putting off the inevitable for a few more days. but he can’t ignore the sudden restlessness that overtakes him now, a buzzing in his very core that fills his mind with static and his limbs- organic and mechanical alike- with the powerful urge to move.

it’s hard to explain, his need to wander. it’s like every moment he’s not traveling, he can almost feel the infinite borders of hels expanding, spreading into new horizons, and the thought of staying put is unbearable. it doesn’t matter if he actually goes beyond the loaded chunks or not- a feat that’d take years, to be sure. just getting on the move again is enough to quiet the itch.

(it didn’t use to be this way. it didn’t start until after he built his communicator into his new arm, fusing himself with it- but he’ll never admit this, never confront the possibility that it might’ve been a mistake. it’s easier just to leave.)

besides, he still enjoys the various business he gets up to with the other denizens of hels. his services as a redstoner and a data analyst are in high demand, and he has a reputation to uphold. he can’t throw all that away to stay here. that just wouldn’t make sense. it wouldn’t be logical.

patho reaches for the clock at his hip. it was the first gift dbubs gave him. early into patho’s first stay, dbubs decided he needed a clock of his own, so he’d always know when it was time for them to sleep. based on its position, nightfall is only a couple hours away.

“well, c’mon!” dbubs pesters him, his haughty voice echoing off the smooth walls of the cliffside. “what’re you- what, are ya scared of a lil water? huh? just- you just try and beat my record, you- i bet you can’t!”

“alright, alright,” patho chuckles, shrugging his jacket off. “you asked for it…”

won’t be long, now.

~*~

that night, patho leaves his eye on.

dbubs, curled beside him, notices this immediately, and deep down, he knows what it means. it took a while- how long, he isn’t sure- for patho to grow comfortable enough to turn his cybernetic eye off while they slept. but ever since then, he does it every night… up until the last night. every last night, like clockwork.

already, dbubs can feel the familiar weight of sleep trying to take him. caught in the jungle’s day-night cycle, he has little choice in the matter; he sleeps every night without fail. but he fights it anyway, biting back a yawn.

“tomorrow,” dbubs starts quietly, “uh, do you wanna- i- i had this idea for a new build, a perfect build, of course, and i’m gonna need a- a super smelter, for- uh, for all the terracotta-“

“dbubs.” that solitary red eye gazes out from the dark. “you know i’m not made for staying.”

dbubs shies away from the words like an insect from sudden light. “and- and so i was thinking,” he continues, as if patho hadn’t spoken, “we could do a uh, you know, maybe a bamboo farm? for the- for the fuel? i- my perfect redstone prowess could make this easy- easily, of course, but um… i uh- euugh, you- you know they always say, sure enough, that two brains- uh, two geniuses, genii, are better’n one.”

“yeah?” patho breathes a soft, empty laugh. “is that what they say?”

“and- well, yes! yes, of course!” darkness creeps in from the edges of dbubs’s vision; he clings tighter to patho. “and… and uh… n’you can learn all ‘bout my new… new dbubs redstone clock… pat- patented design, a‘course…”

“of course.” patho’s lips brush across his forehead. “better get some rest, then.”

dbubs struggles to keep his eyes open, but it’s as if his lashes are lined with iron. he presses his face in the crook of patho’s neck, breathing him in, that redstone-and-gunpowder scent; bitter and metallic.

“don’t,” he murmurs, consciousness escaping him quickly. “please…?”

“night, dbubs.”

the jungle sleeps.

~*~

far from the jungle, patho lays down in a shallow cave carved from netherrack.

168 fps t: inf fancy-clouds b: 15x15 3 tx 3 rx c: 695/41672 (s) d: 16, pc: 000, pu: 00, ab: 42 e: 15/109, b: 0, sd: 9 p: 27 t: 109 error fc:0 xyz: -11, 987.629 / 30.91778 / 252,896.204 block: -11,987 30 252,896 chunk: -780 15 7,835 facing: east (towards positive x)(1.5/5) client light: 2 (0 sky, 2 block) biome: error:nether waste local difficulty: 6.75//0.00 (day error404 not found) sounds: 5/247 + 0/8

he’s put enough distance between himself and the jungle that he’s confident he can sleep for a few hours before setting off again. the surrounding biome is one he’s well familiar with; barren and empty. with a wall put up to shelter him from mobs, he’s finally safe enough to turn his eye off.

that won’t be the case anymore, once he gets closer to the more populated chunks. the risk of being caught with one eye nonfunctional is too high. it’s just something he has to deal with.

(of course, he could’ve built a cybernetic replacement that simply functioned like the eye he lost, but he thought himself clever and built in a data processor to provide him with valuable information, giving him an advantage over anyone else in his field. so this is the price he pays for it.)

he reaches for his clock. there’s only a couple hours left before the sun will rise, unseen beyond the bedrock ceiling, and dbubs will wake to an empty bed.

but for now, patho tucks the clock to his ear and closes his eyes, letting the steadfast ticking finally lull him to sleep.

~*~

[thewhiskersonkittens]

Drive In

Pairing: Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Present Day) x Female Reader.

Summary: After unsuccessfully navigating the crazy world of online dating apps, you meet Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and agree to go to a drive-in and perhaps you have finally met your perfect match.

Warnings: Fluff, romantic, some profanity, toxic dating app horror stories.

A/N: This was requested by Anon. Hope y’all enjoy! :)

Back in the day, Maverick considered himself to be quite the Casanova. It used to be so easy, come so naturally. Maybe because thirty years ago he was a lot younger and his jet black hair wasn't fading. His body was still firm and taunt, in his line of work it was a major priority to keep in shape, but his face had become worn, the skin around his green eyes now had wrinkles.

"You're still a very good looking man," Phoenix told him when she, Coyote, Payback, Bob, and Rooster was helping him make his dating app profile.

All eyes were on her when the aviator quickly added, embarrassed:

"Respectfully speaking, of course, sir!"

The guys chuckled while Maverick tried to hold back his amusement.

Coyote let out a low whistle.

"Ooo, Phoenix got the hots for Captain." He teased.

"I do not!" Phoenix defended. "And I swear to God, if this gets back to Hangman, I'll kill you."

She shot a death glare at Coyote, that made him straighten up quick. She shot the look to all the guys meaning business.

Maverick patted Phoenix on her shoulder to assure her it was OK.

"Thank you, Phoenix. I appreciate the compliment."

He held up his phone and returned his attention back to the profile.

"Are you guys sure this is the right thing to do?"

He wrinkled his brow. The whole process seemed so unnatural to him.

"If you filled out all the questions honestly the algorithm will try to bring you the best possible matches." Bob commented.

"But the algorithm doesn't get it right 100% of the time." Payback added, looking at Maverick. 

"What do you mean?" Maverick asked.

"He means there might be a dud or two," Coyote answered.

"But still the odds are in your favor." Phoenix encouraged.

Maverick sighed as he closed the app and pocketed his phone. He was tired of thinking about it for now.

"There used to be a point in time when I could just sing to a woman in a club as a way of flirting."

"Sounds lame," Rooster finally chimed in.

Maverick gave him a pointed look.

"Lame, huh?” Maverick chuckled, the memories coming back to him. It all seemed just like yesterday but also a lifetime ago.  “Guess who was my wingman?"

***

You were two seconds away from throwing your phone across the room. You'd do it, too, not caring if it broke, the only thing was you knew how much you needed the damn thing.

Stupid dating apps. After trying a month without them, you were having zero luck dating out there "in the wild" so, reluctantly, you downloaded the toxic app again, damn well knowing it would all still be the same old bullshit. If it wasn't some fake bot, it was just the same losers over and over you matched with. You were going to pull your hair out if another dude sent "wyd?" at 11 am on a Wednesday.

You wanna know "what I'm doing?", Chad?! You thought. I'm at work at this time, that's where I am! Why aren't you doing the same?!

You didn't even want to think about how you basically had the same conversation over and over with these guys.

"Hello, beautiful baby gurrl. Good mornin!'"

"Hi, there. Good morning."

"How you sleep last night?"

"Just fine, thanks. HBU?"

"It could have been better. I'd rather be waking up next to you, babyyy."

" ... "

"Send me a pic?"

"No."

"Why not? You shy?"

"..."

" Hello?!"

*incoming unsolicited dick pic*

"You like dat? You like what you see? ;)"

" ... "

"Dat could be alll yours and more! You wanna come over later?"

"I don't think so."

"Why not? It's not like I'm gonna kill you..lol"

"...."

"Sooo...you gonna come over or...I could come over there?!"

"No. I don't even know you! I just met you five minutes ago."

"Don't waste my time! Ya know, a lot of girls like what I got. You're lucky I'm even giving you the time of day!"

"..."

"..."

"K. Go text one of them then."

" ... "

"Man, fuck you, bitch. Your loss! I didn't want your ugly ass anyway. LOL."

You sighed. Why was trying to find your person so physically and mentally taxing? Some of your friends actually had good luck on the dating apps but it was just not working out for you. You thought about all your options: keep trying the apps, try in person again, hell maybe even switch teams?! The best option was the idea of becoming an old, single, crazy cat lady. At this point, it sounded like the most peaceful choice.

You were laying on your back on your bed with one arm slung over your eyes, trying to block out all your frustrations.

Your phone next to you vibrated, signaling you had a notification.

Oh great, You thought. Can't wait to see what this one's got to say.

You picked up your phone, punched in your pass code, and opened the app.

Pleasantly surprised was an understatement! You had matched with the most handsome man you'd ever seen on any app ever.

He was definitely older, much older you were sure of it, but the age gap didn't bother you. He only had a few pictures but you saw he had dark hair, green eyes, perfectly chiseled nose and jawline.

Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, USN.

As good as he looked, you couldn't help but have reservations. Living in San Diego, you had been on a few dates with military men before. They could be just as shady as the civilian Joe Blows, if not even more. Plus, he was way too fine looking to still be single. You tried not to judge. Divorced? Widowed? Perhaps he was looking for a last minute fling before his next naval cruise?

Your phone vibrated again and you saw he sent you a message.

"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Pete Mitchell. But everyone calls me Maverick or "Mav".

"Nice to meet you! I'm Y/N." You typed back. "Cruise to any where fun lately, sailor?"

"What gave it away? The picture of me in my dress whites?"

"Not a bad picture, I must say." It was true. Technically he was old enough to be your father but he was still a smoke show. Silver fox, indeed.

"Ha, ha! Thanks. Ah, no fun cruises. I was recently called back to North Island for work."

You told him what you did for a living and you found out he was career military. A naval aviator for over thirty years. You kept chatting back and forth for the next two days and exchanged numbers. On Friday night Maverick called you.

"Look, I'll be honest with you, Y/N." Maverick explained. "This dating app thing...it's not really my style. My kids put me up to it. They said I needed to get out more and this is the way people do it nowadays. I just don't know..."

"Kids?" You repeated, slightly surprised he never mentioned it before. "You have kids?"

Maverick chuckled. "I'm sorry, I guess I should rephrase that. They're actually a squadron of Top Gun graduates I train. I call 'em my kids even though they're all about thirty-something years old."

You exhaled a sigh of relief. "Oh, I see."

"Anyway," Maverick went on. "How would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?"

You were pleasantly surprised again. Most guys you encountered on the apps were either one extreme or another. Some wanted to come over right away and others it was like pulling teeth to get them to actually take you on a real date.

"Is that OK with you?" Maverick asked.

"Oh, yeah!" You said. "Yes, that would be great! Dinner and a movie?"

"You read my mind," Maverick confirmed. "I was thinking I take you to the drive-in. They're doing an 80's movie theme night."

"Drive-in?" You repeated. You hadn't been there in ages. Maverick must have misunderstood your tone because he went to explain:

"Yeah, it's where they have a big outdoor projection screen and you pull up in your car..."

You burst out laughing.

"Pete," You started. "Come on. I know I'm younger than you but I do know what a drive-in is!"

Maverick laughed at himself.

"Sorry. Of course you do."

"That sounds like fun, Pete. Let's do it."

***

You knew you were breaking your own rules by allowing Maverick to pick you up but you felt like you could trust this man. Your jaw dropped when you saw the forest green vintage race car pull up in your driveway.

"She's a '56," Maverick explained as he helped you into the car. "She can go from zero to one seventy in about six seconds."

"Wow," You said, resting the bouquet he just gifted you in your lap. Out of curiosity, you ran your fingers along the dashboard. You'd never been in a car like this before.

Maverick started the car and began backing out.

"I usually just ride my motorcycle but this seemed more appropriate for the occasion."

You smiled. "I guess you have the need speed on the ground as well as in the air."

Maverick turned to look at you then as he shifted the car into drive and you weren't exactly sure how to describe it. It was like a mixture of surprise, curiousity, and a touch of sadness.

"Did I say something wrong?" You asked, concerned.

Maverick shook his head.

"No," He assured you. "It's just...so funny and...kind of weird you said that. 'The need for speed'. I haven't heard that in a long time. I had a friend I used to say that to. A long time ago. It was like...oh, what do you call it? Something that you and one other person knows?"

"An inside joke?" You suggested.

Maverick smiled. "Yeah," He agreed. "An inside joke."

"You don't talk to that friend anymore?" You asked.

"Oh, I do." Maverick replied. "I sure do. It's just...he's not here with us...physically anymore."

"Oh..." You realized and you felt a twinge of gulit in your stomach. This wasn't the best way to start off a date.

As if reading your mind, Maverick took one hand off the wheel and softly brushed the side of your cheek with the back of his hand. His hand felt callous, the result of decades of working on all sorts of aircraft, but it also felt strangely comforting. The feeling guilt in your stomach dissolved and felt something like butterflies replace it.

"It's OK, sweetheart," Maverick said and he really meant it.

After dinner, you two drove in the drive-in. A triple feature of John Hughes movies were playing. You and Maverick laughed when Kelly LeBrock turned Bill Paxton into a talking blob in Weird Science and cheered as Judd Nelson pumped his fist in the air at the end of The Breakfast Club. The final movie was Sixteen Candles and you couldn't help but sigh when Molly Ringwald finally got to kiss her dream guy.

"This is one of my favorite movies," You said.

"You like the romantic stuff, huh?" Maverick teased and you laughed.

"Yeah, I know it's cliche," You said. "But I can't help it. I'm such a sucker for it."

"Nothing wrong with that," Maverick told you. "Just between you and me...I'm a romantic myself."

He leaned in and kissed you and you couldn't help but smile against his lips.

When the two of you parted, your eyes fluttered open and you said:

"I know we just met but I feel so lucky to have found you. I was about ready to give up. The apps were driving me crazy."

Maverick rolled his eyes at the mention of the dating apps.

"I don't get them either," He said. "But I saw your picture and...I don't know. I just...thought you were really beautiful and I'm glad I met you, too."

You felt Maverick take your hand in his.

"If it's OK with you, would you see me again?"

You smiled and answered by kissing him again.

"Sure, I'd really love that."

[yakuzacanons]

Hello lovely human! Can I request some headcanons of the guys comforting their s/o after a particularly bad nightmare? 🥺👉👈 (you bet your ass I woke up in cold sweat about half an hour ago and my immediate thought was "damn, this would make for an awesome prompt)

FINALLY I have gotten to ur ask, my apologies for the wait. You are the very last on my list of quite old backlog so I'm glad to be caught up and I appreciate your patience. Headcanons below dat cut.

Kazuma Kiryu

Would just hold you, rubbing his hands on your back or shoulders to soothe you. Wouldn't ask you to talk about it but would listen if you wanted to talk about it. Mostly would just tell you to breathe and hold you gently.

Majima Goro

If you wake up in cold sweat and sit up suddenly or make a loud noise, you might honestly scare him awake too. He might think a threat is nearby at first and be like "Huh?? Wha happened?", nearly springing out of bed. Honestly, that reaction alone might just get a laugh out of you enough so to forget about the nightmare. Otherwise, he'd just hold you while lying down and stroking your hair.

Saejima Taiga

Two words: bear hug. You are getting a bear hug. You are having a bear hug until you feel better or until you fall asleep again. Hell, use his chest as a pillow if you want too while you're at it. That's it, that's all there is to it. Certified Saejima strategy.

Akiyama Shun

Bless his sleepy ass but he is half asleep while trying to comfort you. Rubbing his eyes sleepily while hearing you out. Just drapes his arms around you and leans his head on your shoulder until you both pass out again.

Tanimura Masayoshi

Would ask if you want to talk about it. Either that or he'd volunteer to go get you some water or tea to calm your nerves. Would sit up and hear you out while holding his pillow against his chest.

Ryuji Goda

Honestly, he'd probably try to make you laugh or take your mind off of things. Might say something dumb like "Next time, just make sure I'm in yer dream. And I'll fight all the bad guys for ya." He might not have much to offer in words but he'll find some way to make you smile before the night is through.

Nishikiyama Akira

Actually he's also prone to nightmares so he gets it. Pretty good at soothing you. Would help you slow down or monitor your breathing if it's a particularly intense one.

Daigo Dojima

The second he knows what's happening, he's sitting up in bed, holding you against his chest tightly in his arms. You can talk about it if you want but Daigo also perfectly understands that sometimes you just need to be close to someone and weather the storm. Also one of the boys who'd run his fingers through your hair a lot.

Mine Yoshitaka

He'll sit by the edge of your bed, holding your cheek in his hand or gently stroking your hair. He wouldn't go back to sleep until you felt comfortable again or until you start sleeping again. Mine doesn't really sleep much and is a light sleeper anyways.

Tatsuo Shinada

Similar reaction to Majima except his dumbass would fall right off the bed and onto the floor. His tumbling antics might just make you burst out laughing. Man's a natural slapstick comedian. He'd immediately ask if there's anything you need or that he can do to help. Would also apologize for falling over, as if that's something he'd need to be really sorry about in the first place.

Ichiban Kasuga

Goofy fluffy head is tucking you right back in bed and snuggling you up tight. Would say something like "I'll protect you from the nightmares, don't worry!". He'd also just nuzzle you with affection until you felt better. He wouldn't get surprised to the level of Majima or Shinada but he would at first be like "uhhHH what do I do, what's going on??"

Tianyou Zhao

Like Akiyama, he's a sleepy head. He'll sit up, eyes half open and hair all mussed up. He'd hear you out while leaning his head against the wall or he'd bring you a glass of water and extra pillow for added comfiness. Don't judge him too hard, he's just a heavy sleeper.

Joon-Gi Han

Also prone to nightmares, probably the most out of all the boys. Honestly doesn't sleep much so he might already be awake when you wake from your nightmare. Might even notice you're having one and wake you up for you. Would lay next to you and hold your hand or drape his arm over you until you fell asleep again. Unfortunately not great at offering words of reassurance.

[danganronpafan777]

Teruya Otori x Reader Comfort

A/n: Things haven’t been going great, and I had a pretty shitty day. Decided to write this since Teruya is my favorite character, and I wish I could help brighten someone else’s day. Idk, I hate how this turned out and might delete it later.

Welcome to part 4 of ideas that no one asked for; under the cut for depressing themes

"...Y/n?"

At the sound of your name, you approached the door. It was a tiring day. Every day just felt like an opportunity to prove your worth by being useful, and every day, you failed. A part of you yearned for company, while another just wanted to be left alone with your thoughts. 

They knocked at the door. You were snapped out of your thoughts and opened the door. 

You recognized the voice of course, he was your boyfriend after all. 

"Yeah, Teruya?"

Teruya held his hand behind his back and looked up at you with his green eyes that never failed to make you swoon. However, his mouth seemed to twitch, and his eyes seemed to scan you before he finally spoke,

"...Is everything okay?"

"...?"

Everything was fine. That's what you told yourself. That's how you got through every day. That's how you got through the tears and the stress. That's how you got past your sob story that no one would care to hear.

"I'm fine."

Teruya continued to stare at you. He blinked a few times before asking again,

"..A-Are ya sure? Ya seemed a lil'... off today." 

Huh... no one else seemed to have cared. So why did he? Why would someone as kind as him ever like you?

"I'm alright, what about you?"

"...I wanna talk 'bout you." 

"What about me?"

You were beginning to feel irritated. Why was he wasting his time with you? Teruya was the heir to a giant company, and loved his job just as much as he loved his friends. Why was he throwing it away for you?

Teruya was hesitant in his response, instead using his hand to open the door a bit more. Now the two of you were completely face to face. 

"..."

"..."

"Y/n, can I hold your hand?"

You were confused, but slowly held your hand out. Teruya took it, curling his fingers around your hand.

"What's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong, Teruya."

"...You're not happy right now. And I want you to be happy Y/n."

"It's not that simple."

"I-I know...but... whenever I was sad, my pops would always stay with me and bring me som' candy, and it always made meh feel betta. So I wanna do the same fo' you!"

You couldn't help but chuckle at his expense as he brought out your favorite treats, placing them on a nearby table. He was sweet. It was only natural that he'd pity someone like you.

"I don' pity yah! I love you, Y/n!" He cried. Did you say that out loud? How stupid were-

Your thoughts were interrupted as your boyfriend threw his arms around you. Teruya nuzzled into your shoulder, the same way you would nuzzle his neck whenever you teased him. 

Was he crying too? You'd never forgive yourself if you made him cry.

"I love ya, Y/n... and I'm here for you. I jus' wan' ya to know dat..."

"....why?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you here for me? Don't you have better things to do?"

"...There's nothing more importan' than you, Y/n."

What isn't more important than you? What did he even see in you? Couldn't he see that..

"...I'm worthless." The words slipped out. You didn't even bother to stop them. It was like you wanted to say it but hated yourself for it after. Just like every other goddamn thing you did in your life.

"N-No! You're.. you're not worthless, Y/n... Why would you think that?? I- I love ya! S-So much! I think about ya every day and I don' kno' wha'd I'd do without ya!" Teruya cried, looking back up at you and holding you tighter. His words made you feel nothing but numb.

"..."

"...Y/n... have I evah told you how proud I am of ya? I'm thankful for every day I spend with ya, and our whole class wouldn't be happy without ya! W-We all love you, Y/n. I know it's hard righ' now, but I kno' you'll get through it! I'm here for you. Every step of the way." Teruya's fingers fiddled a bit with your own. He kept eye contact, even as his face was coated in a light blush.

Your eyes burned a bit with tears, but you just held him and didn't let go. The two of you sat like that for a while, and you began to tell him about your day. He stayed quiet through your rant, rubbing your back and giving your hand a small squeeze every few minutes.

Whether you knew it or not, you were everything to him. Even if you thought the world was against you, he was always by your side. Even if the world thought of you as one person, to him you were the world.

Art by @hydrabeebers on Pinterest

[angelictwitch]

Yes, the first years in the church were amazing and the role as “The Reverend” suited me’s better and better as time passed. At the same time the list of names I’s left a mark on grew longer and longer… It was hard for most people to resist my charm anyway, so I’s came to the point, that I’s didn't hold back anymore. But somehow the more people I’s made scream my name in one way or the other, the less I’s could stand my the thoughts in my own head. At some point it got so bad I’s tried some pills against it, since the alcohol didn’t completely work anymore… I’s thought it couldn’t get any further downward at this point… Naive thinking.

It was another Saturday night, that meant prime time in the church of Lush. The queue outside was as long as every weekend and the great hall was filled with shouting and cheering in the process. Meanwhile in the backstage area, the band got ready in their own ways: “Alright everything is ready… except one thing” Michael looked around sighing, it wasn’t the first time that their front man was the last to show up, even though he was literally living the closest to the place: ‘Twitchy boy is late again! Fucking fantastic!’ Frank complained loudly while trying out his drumsticks on the table in the room: “I should give him a call maybe…” the moment the tall one pulled out his mobile, the door to the backstage room flung open: °Hey guys~ soooorry for dat I’s lost track of time…*hic* again…° Twitch held on to the doorframe, his sunglasses on his nose like it was the middle of the day still: “You are wasted already… Strych you can’t play like that!” - °Oh no no - I’s MUST play like dat hehe° the blonde one chuckled pulling out a little bag out of his coats pocket: °Y’know I’s can always adjust my’s mood a little into every direction with the help of this and dat~ ° - “...whatever floats your boat dude…” - ‘Enough chit-chat! Let’s go already!’ the drummer rushed past the intoxicated frontman onto the stage that was still in the dark followed by Michael who turned to Twitch: “Just be careful with the man… there is always another way, okay?” the bassist put his hand shortly on the blonde's shoulder before leaving as well: °…Sure thing Mikey boy …° Twitch waited a moment before swallowing one of the pills he had shown before and let the rest slip back into the pocket, after that he joined the rest on the stage in the first row were he belonged for some years now. °Showtime…° he stepped to the mic stand taking a deep breath: °Weeeeeelcome to this nights mess my’s little lambs~ are you ready to let your sins be forgiven by your Reverend??° as the lights turned on the crowd went wild with excitement, the next thing that followed was the voice of the drummer counting the band in starting off the party just right.

Mhm those were the good nights yes… at least in my’s memories of it huh… it was mostly the same but always so unique to the people in the crowd. They all came to see us play, to have a good time with drinks and friends, to see me’s doing the best I’s could. I’s was so happy with that or at least I’s thought so for some time.

The good thing about the place where the many rooms in it with plenty of space to crash in after a alcohol filled night, people could rest easy knowing they had a bed to crash in and some other had the luck not crashing alone there. Even others had the chance to end up being a “trophy” to a certain angel searching for his fix after the show in the king size bed, which was located in the big office on the upper floor. People sure had the time of their lives coming to the “holy messes” everyone did… and mostly the Reverend himself - at least that was what everybody was thinking, seeing him all natural wrapping the masses around his finger in every show. In reality it was just another way to make himself get distracted from what was lurking inside.

Twitch was woken up by a ray of sunshine stealing itself through the curtains onto his face: °…Oh shit my’s head…° the angel growled sitting up: °Morning again -rise and fucking shine Twitch-° he faked a sarcastic smile to himself since his two roommates for the night were still asleep right next to him. He sighed putting the covers over the two naked trophies still resting from what happened last night, then got up and got dressed followed by a quick check in a little book on the big wooden working table in the same room, since his own memory wasn’t to be trusted anymore, he kept track of his appointments in written form for some time now. °Let’s see… sunday…that’s today?° the blonde one bit his lips before closing the book again: °…I’s need to shower…and a drink… or something stronger.° he whispered to himself before going to the bathroom to get somehow ready for the outside world, he got dressed but this time in a somewhat normal looking outfit for his standards. Twitch quickly left the place only taking a pair of sunglasses and his wallet with him, he only stopped by a small flower shop before making his way to the town’s graveyard. It was still pretty early for his normal wake up times, so there were not many people around by now. He couldn’t stand being alone but this time was just different. The angel stopped in front of a marble tombstone putting the flowers in front of it and sat down a bit further in front of it with a tired smile: °Hey mom… long time not talked haha…° he had forgotten about this anniversary, he liked to make himself forget things on purpose, but he couldn’t get rid of those memories: °I’s had another show last night! The people sure love me’s still , it's amazing! … Well that’s at least what I’s think is the case…° the angel felt his eyes getting watery and he was glad being alone this time: °I’s feel so fuckin’ lost, mom… what should I’s d-do i-it’s so hard. N-nobody really knows what’s going on inside me’s…° in this moment the sunny boy lost all of this charm and kindness, only leaving behind a tired looking man without a real clue what to do with himself in this world: °Everyday’s the same I’s can't even tell which day of the week we have anymore… Nothing really matters to me’s anymore… I’s so tired of all this bullshit.° Twitch held his face in his hands trying to calm himself somehow but failed: °I’s miss you’s so bad… I’s need your help down here… at least some guidance!° - “I am sorry that, I couldn’t give you that Strych…” The angel looked up and shocked, he hadn't expected an answer to that. °H-Huh?° - “Up here baby bro…” Wilhelm was standing behind him, wearing all black and sunglasses, holding on to a bouquet of flowers as well, after he put those down he pulled up his angel counterpart up into a hug just remaining silent for sometime until the weeping angel was alright to leave again.

[brooklynislandgirl]

@southern-belle-outcasts {{xx}}

"Closest t' one I evah came to knowin' one? Went to da bayous one time for vacation, and made da acquaintance of one Mokole…uhm…reptile shifter. We came to a reasonable parting, still got my limbs attach. But I guess dey not like alla Dungeons an' Dragons manuals tell you dey are, huh?" Beth is both playful but curious. Sometimes the varying experiences they have make them seem like they are on opposite ends of an unfathomable spectrum. "Only because ya nevah try f' celebrate wi' me," she grins cheekily, that inner cockiness so very foreign to her most times that it becomes obvious she's just messing with him and that she won't really force him to do something he has no intention to do. Mostly. She might make him eat a cupcake with her if for no other reason than she brought them and coffee over. "Yeah, I suppose I get it. But we're taught t' accept what lies beyond. Cycles of nature, of life an' deat' is all a part of it. Have a gift for dealin' wi' da restless dead. Help dem move on an' rest. So if ya evah got a ghost problem, I'm ya witch." The last bit she means with utter sincerity. Beth knows exactly where her gifts lie; she has yet to find a wound or disease that she cannot treat and cure, and sometimes need only take basic nursing care with nothing else to do so, it is the same mana that would allow her ~were she that way inclined~ to completely destroy any living thing. She finds that she can speak with and interact with all sorts of spirits, regardless of their nature, she has an uncanny luck and sense of weakness and decay both physical and moral. And of course the elements dance with her when she offers her hand. There are other magicks as old as her arts though that completely mystify her and Harry makes look easy. The dichotomy is fascinating. She cranes her head to one side and upward as she stands on the threshold of the shop, enveloped by warmth and the aroma of coffee that is as effective a lure for her as chum is to her kin. She half blinks and dampens her lower lip as she tries to figure out how to answer that last question. Beth doesn't lie. Doing so would only harm her and her soul in the long run and ultimately, there's no real benefit to doing it. On the other hand, answering him truthfully would only sound pathetic. She opts for something in between. "I jus'….Figure someone like you would have a million different options an' mebbe I t'ink ya sweet for pickin' me. Should I be surprise dat you need to aks?"

[atozphantomsquadron]

Chapter Nine: Goddesses

May 20th, continued

     I’m aware of my two male companions.  None of us can talk, since we’re all surrounded by water.  Gabe is stoic as ever, but William appears to be panicking.  I reach an arm through the coursing liquid to stroke his cheek, to reassure him.  In the distorted light of the wall of water I see him … then feel him … clutch my hand in his own and press it closer.  His features instantly relax at the touch.

     I don’t know how much time has passed, but I can sense the waters thinning.  Earth comes up underneath our feet.  The waters start to recede from above our heads as we stand on the new ground, but my hand hasn’t left William’s cheek.  I feel the dryness of the air as the water continues to recede, until we emerge ...

     … on a beach covered in black sand.  I’m unsure if we have reached our destination, but Gabe seems sure of it.  William returns my hand to my side.  I want to speak, but I’m afraid to, still afraid I’ll drown.  As it is, I feel slightly waterlogged as I take a deep breath.

     “My friends, you have arrived.  This is as far as I can take you.  You must walk from here.”  The Lady reaches a hand out to me, which I take gently and feel the dampness that’s her nature.  She suddenly pulls me into a soggy embrace and kisses me on the forehead.  “Good fortune and good voyage to you, Alanna Sharpe.  Save our world.”

     “Save our world?”  What does that mean?  I gather myself and return to the sandy shore, taking William’s hand in mine, as the Lady recedes into what I’m guessing by the smell is the ocean.  My attention is immediately on Gabe.  “Where are we?”

     He seems to be looking around away from where the waves are crashing against the beach.  “If I’m not mistaken, we should be in Hawaii.”

     Okay, it looks suitably tropical.  That would explain the black sand, too, if we’re on an island with volcanoes …

     Oh my God, is that how I’m going to get to Hell?

     William gets Gabe’s attention before I can vocalize my thoughts.  “What are you looking for?”

     Gabe smirks.  “Not what exactly, but ‘who.’”  He raises his hands to his mouth.  “Hi’iaka!  Come out!”

     Rustling comes from high up on the shoreline.  Very loud rustling, and it mostly disturbs a big patch of ferns, next to a pair of very large rocks.  We keep our eyes on the ferns, which eventually start moving in a patch toward us.

     Okay, plants that move on their own.  Nothing out of the ordinary there.

     The patch of ferns slithers over to where we stand, just in front of us.  Before any of us are truly aware of what’s happening, they fly up, revealing underneath them that they are actually someone’s hair.  The woman who stands before us now looks almost my age, maybe a little younger.  She kind of reminds me of Michi, actually, but her features and skin tone are decidedly Polynesian.  The tanned body is wrapped in more of the ferns, which form a bra and a skirt for her, giving her the appearance of a hula dancer.

     “Gabe Francis, wat da big idea? I’m undah covah here, brah!”  The speech coming out of this woman doesn’t seem to match the body.

     Gabe seems unfazed, though.  “We need to see Madam Pele, Hi’iaka. I know you can take us to her.”

     She harrumphs and crosses her arms.  “All da time, you haoles come trampin’ on da beach, messin’ up da environment, makin’ da place a mess, and whose okole gets reamed for it?  Mine, dat’s who!  How you figgah I should take you guys see Big Sis Pele?”

     “It’s an urgent matter.  It affects you and her as well.”

     The scowl that’s crossed Hi’iaka’s face softens slightly.  “Who da wahine, Gabe?”

     Gabe motions me forward.  “This is Alanna Sharpe, the Guardsman of this generation.  That’s William White Bear, the latest wendigo warrior.  We need Madam Pele to take us to the gateway.”

     “No way!”  She approaches me and scans me too tightly.  “Guardsman, huh?  Now what do da Guardsman need wit’ da door to da Inferno?”

     My chest tightens.  “Gabe, the door’s here?”

     “Not exactly, it’s a little lower, but we need Hi’iaka’s sister to take you there.”  He turns back to our confronter.  “Now please, we have very little time and a lot to discuss.  Please take us to Madam Pele.”

     Hi’iaka reaches for the Sword, but recoils slightly before she touches it.  She shrugs finally.  “Okay.  Dis way, folks, an’ try keep up, I walk fast.”  As the words leave her mouth, she sinks back down into the sand as quickly as she rose out of it, leaving only the ferns on the surface, and slithers further away from the shoreline.  With one questioning glance between us, we all quickly jog behind the plants to keep up.

     Hi’iaka’s route takes us through some dense tropical forests, then into a field covered with the types of ferns that make up her hair and clothing.  Every once in a while, so that we don’t lose her, she pops her head up so that we can find which ferns belong to her specifically; once we see her head, we can watch the rustling of that particular patch and keep following.  This continues for two hours, until we finally reach the entrance of a dormant lava tube, forming a deep cave in the island’s forest.

     The goddess motions into the tube.  “Right dis way, folks.  When you get to da end of da tunnel, hang a left and keep walkin’ until you hit da uddah side of da caldera.  You can’t miss it.”

     Gabe nods.  “Thank you, young goddess.”  He walks into the tube, leading the group of us.  William is immediately behind Gabe, and then I follow. 

     To my surprise, Hi’iaka actually comes up behind me and follows us into the darkness.  I look back at her briefly.  “I didn’t think you were coming with us.”

     “You gonna need somebody talk to Big Sis Pele for you, and it bettah be somebody Big Sis Pele trusts.  She got a history wit’ Gabe that ain’t too cool.”

     Why am I not surprised?  “Okay, stick with us.” 

     We continue down into the ominous lava tube.  In the middle, we encounter a wide puddle where rainwater’s collected.  We get dunked about mid-calf deep into the water, but we continue moving forward, feeling our shoes squish as we continue.  Hi’iaka has no such trouble, since she’s barefoot, which tells me that she’s definitely a goddess since she’s not complaining at all about the volcanic floor of this tube.

     I’m certainly glad I’m not claustrophobic, since as we continue deeper into the tube, the walls start to get closer together.  We reach the end of the tube together; there’s not another branch off.

     “How do we hang a left?” I ask.

     “Feel on da wall.  You’ll find it.”

      Gabe taps the wall gently with the palm of his hand.  We can’t quite see him, but eventually I hear a crack, followed by his voice.  “Got it.  Through here.”  I hear an impact, followed by shattering.  A piece of the wall flies toward me, taps against my chest, and falls into my hand.  It’s sharp, almost like glass.

     Gabe turns back toward us.  “It looks really tight through here, so we’re probably going to have to crawl.  You ready?”

     William looks at me.  “You can do this.”

     I smile back.  “So can you.”  I turn behind me to look for Hi’iaka, only to see that she’s dropped back down into the ground, with only her ferny hair sticking up giving us any idea that she’s still with the group.  Gabe has already started crawling through the branch.  William climbs in behind him, and once I see the ferns start travelling, I finally climb in.

     I’m going to be amazed if William gets through.  It’s hot, it’s tight, and every once in a while I scrape my butt on the ceiling of the tube.  There’s no indication we’re even making forward progress … at times it gets pitch black and we can’t see anything. 

     Then the glow starts.  The hot, ominous glow of volcanic power surrounds us.  I can see dark shapes ahead of me that can only be Gabe and William.  I’m sweating so much that I think my clothes are saturated.

     Better get used to it … I’m going someplace even hotter.

     “We’re almost there, guys.  I feel fresh air.”  Gabe calls back to us, but even his voice sounds a little rough.  I’m panting from the heat.  How are we going to even survive getting to the entrance?

     One shape in front of me disappears.  The end of the tunnel is close!  I can feel a breeze … I’ve never been so happy to feel wind on my face. 

     The giant shape that I know is William drops.  I can see the end, see the light, the glow that’s not coming directly from the rocks I’m crawling through.  The air feels fresher, but still smells like sulfur.

     “Hurry up!  Big Sis Pele ain’t got all day!”  Hi’iaka’s admonition spurs me forward.  My head clears the tunnel, and the rest of me staggers through.  Immediately, William’s hands are wrapped around my arms to help me to my feet.  I lean into his body, thankful that we’ve both made it, and only when I feel his head on mine do I look around.

     We’re in another volcanic chamber, this one illuminated from a central cone.  The heat is not as bad here as it was in the tunnel, but it’s still a little oppressive; I’m sure I’m not going to stop sweating anytime soon.  Strangely, though, the rest of the room is sparsely furnished, with small tables and mats.  There’s no other door we can see, though, other than the tunnel we came through.

    Hi’iaka seems unfazed.  “Big Sis Pele!  We got company!”  She addresses her yell to the center of the room, which starts shaking immediately afterward.  I clutch to William, but Gabe looks like he’s done this before.

     A shape rises out of the cone in the floor, much like the Lady emerged from the lake in Avalon.  This shape is also female, but it’s human-sized and composed of fire.  It’s in fact another beautiful woman in a regal-looking ankle length gown; a dress that almost looks ancient Greek except the material’s much rougher than cotton.  She stands before us, dark-skinned, dark-haired, and radiant, and steps down from the cone to face Gabe.

     “I see.  Hi’iakaikapoliopele, did I not tell you this man is not allowed in my home?”  The woman’s language is much more formal than Hi’iaka’s, and what’s up with that long tongue-twister of a name she used?

     “I’m sorry, Big Sis Pele, dese mortals need get to da gate of da Inferno.”

     So this is Pele, this regal woman.  Her eyes glow red, with anger … or annoyance … or some sort of negative emotion.  Her mouth parts to show her gritted teeth.  “How dare you, sister.  You have been told no mortals may enter my presence.  You know what happens.”

     Hi’iaka is cringing.  “I’m sorry!  I know, I’m sorry, please don’t punish me …”

     Pele points at the tunnel.  “Go, sister.  Go.  Leave me.  And this time, when I ask you to keep watch, actually do what I tell you to do!”

     The goddess has kept her voice controlled, but the bitter rage virtually boils behind the words.  Hi’iaka drops her head and shuffles slowly over to where me and William stand, near the tunnel.  She places a hand on my shoulder.  “Aloha and good luck, Guardsman.”

     Pele’s ears perk up when she hears Hi’iaka’s farewell.  She turns around to face us for the first time, as Hi’iaka drops into the earth again, her ferns scurrying into the tunnel once more.  Pele approaches us, narrowing her eyes.

     “Did she just say you are a Guardsman?”  She looks at William.  “You don’t look like a Sharpe.”

     “He’s not.  I am.”  My heart’s in my throat, but I have to say something.  I clutch the Sword tighter to me.  Pele finally turns her gaze to me, and it chills me as her eyes, glowing with otherworldly fire, seem to pierce right through my soul.  Surrounded by a nearly perfect face, the clear appearance of supernatural royalty, Pele scrutinizes me.

     “Yes … yes, I see it.  What is your name, child?”

     I take a deep, nervous breath.  “Alanna Sharpe.”  I bow my head slightly … is that the right thing to do?  “I am the Guardsman, as my father was before me.”

     Pele chuckles.  “You know, I was just talking about you … I didn’t think I’d have the chance to actually meet you.”

     This catches me aback.  “Talking about me?  With whom?”

     I hear laughing coming from the shadows … cheerful laughter.  “With me, Alanna.” 

     That voice … My heart jumps with the familiarity.  I hear her footsteps, and soon from a shadow emerges someone I’ve missed for a long time.

     “Durga!”  I rush up to the Hindu goddess and hug her, an embrace she returns with four arms.  She’s still laughing even as we’re reunited.  “I haven’t seen you for so long, where have you been?”

     She releases the hug gently to look me in my eyes.  “I’ve been traveling around in supernatural circles, warning about the New Empire.  Marshaling forces for you, you know.”

     I smile for the first time here.  After last year, after storming off from my responsibility out of my anger with Gabe, I was so afraid she had abandoned me, but now I know she’s been helping me the whole time.

     Gabe and William approach Durga as well.  “We’re happy to see you,” Gabe intones, “but why are you here?  Did you know we were coming?”

     Durga simply smiles.  “Pele is a close friend of mine.  Us warrior goddesses need to stick together, after all.”

     “Speak for yourself,” Pele chirps with the slightest hint of a laugh.  “I’m no warrior.”

     Durga chuckles.  “I would not call your situation a temper problem, Pele.  You’re a warrior, you just do not realize it.  I know a warrior when I see one.”

     Pele punches Durga playfully on her shoulder.  Gabe finally clears his throat.  “Ladies, while this is all well and good we have a mission that we’re on and we need Madam Pele’s help.”

      Pele nods.  “So my sister has told me, you need to get to the door of the Inferno.”  She turns toward Durga.  “Is everything you’ve told me about this girl to be believed, my friend?”

     “That and more, Pele.  As long as she maintains control over her powers and herself, there’s no reason why she can’t handle anything thrown at her.”

     Pele strokes her chin thoughtfully, turning her gaze toward me.  “Come to me, child.”

     I slowly approach the goddesses, clutching the Sword tighter to my hip.  This close to her, I can feel that Pele emits immense heat from all over her body, almost like standing next to the heart of a volcano.  Which I suppose is pretty close to the truth, since realistically she is the heart of this volcano.

     “Such strength … such power, I can feel it in you, child.”  Pele’s face comes uncomfortably close, scrutinizing every hair, every line, every single little thing about me.  “Show it to me.”

     Pele reaches a hand out and touches my cheek.  Without thinking, my wings unfurl and spring out of my back.  This seems to catch Pele by surprise as well, and she steps back slightly.

     “Ah, I see, dragon wings.”  She turns to Durga.  “I wasn’t sure if I believed you about those.”

     Durga smirks.  “Would I lie about something like that?  She is the real thing, Pele.”

     Pele nods.  “Are you the one wishing to cross into the Inferno?”

     I take a deep breath.  “I am.  There’s someone there I need to find and rescue … someone that I love, someone dear to me.  He doesn’t deserve punishment, yet he’s trapped there, and I need to get him out.”

     Pele reaches out and lifts one of my wings, shaking it gently.  “Seems sturdy enough, I guess.  How well do these work?”

     “I’d say very well.”  I puff my chest out slightly.  Maybe I shouldn’t be so vain, but I’m proud of my dragon nature and don’t see a reason why I shouldn’t be.

     Pele nods.  “Very well, then.  I’ll take you there.  Steel your soul, child, because the journey is going to test your spiritual mettle.”  She motions to the room we’re standing in.  “Stay the night with me, all of you.  In the morning, I will take you.”

[dreamwritesimagines]

Burn The Witch 6 - The First Date [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback my loves ! ❤ Here’s a surprise chapter to celebrate TFATWS starting, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤

Warnings: Enemies to lovers, fake dating, mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language, guns, knives.

Summary: First dates can end in strange ways.

Series Masterlist

Every agent in your division knew the Winter Soldier, the unstoppable assassin, the infamous ghost story, the man who had been fighting for over 80 years. He was a legend, and meeting him was something you were all taught to avoid ever since the espionage world had found out about his existence.

The last time, a whole team of heavily armed soldiers were sent to take him down and he had managed to disarm every single one of them without even needing a weapon. So theoretically if you were to send an agent to meet him, you would probably make sure that agent carried about a thousand weapons and preferably went there in a bulletproof vehicle.

Instead, you were told to wear a cute dress for the first date.

Lovely.

“How come I can’t wear any of my clothes?” you asked, pressing the phone to your ear as you took a look at all the dresses lying on your bed.

“Not that your sniper outfits aren’t hot, but wearing them to your first date with the Winter Soldier might not be the brightest idea.”

You heaved a sigh, “I still can’t believe you changed my whole wardrobe when I was outside, Chloe. What was wrong with my usual clothes?”

“They’re not what your cover would wear.”

“Uh huh.”

“Pick the one with those small flowers on it,” Chloe said, “Mini dress, chiffon. Cream colored.”

You hummed and grabbed the hanger, then held it over your body.

“Are we sure?”

“Trust me. Perfect for the first date.”

“Did mini dresses exist back in his time?” Keith’s voice reached you, making you frown, “Or was he born in those times with those giant dresses?”

“Excuse me, why am I on speaker?” you asked, “Also Keith, what are you doing in the headquarters? I need you and the team ready to interfere anytime.”

“I’m not in the headquarters, I was grabbing coffee and Chloe wanted to come with me. No worries though, we’re around your area.”

“Are you insane?” you snapped, “You brought her to the field?”

“We’re just getting coffee—“

“Chloe, get back to the headquarters,” you insisted, “Now.”

“No! You have a date, Keith gets to relax at this new café, and three of us can barely spend time together nowadays!” Chloe said, “It’s always you guys who have the fun.”

“Honey I’m on a date with the Winter Soldier so that I can gather intel, Keith is going to be at that café because he and the team needs to be nearby in case my cover is blown,” you said patiently, getting into the dress,  “It’s not like we’re hanging out without you.”

“Detail.”

“It’s not just a detail-“

“No I mean the security detail is ready.” Chloe cut you off, “I got my laptop with me, I hacked into the café’s wifi.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose, “You did what?”

“Yeah I figured I could use a change of scenery and Keith said yes.”

“Keith, I need you to listen to me carefully,” you said, “I’m going to kill you.”

“Y/N!”

“You can’t kill me.”

“Can’t I though?”

“Yeah you have a date, remember?”

You checked your wristwatch and cussed under your breath, rushing to put your shoes on.

“I put a small gadget into your wristwatch,” Chloe said, “I figured he’d recognize the ring if he saw it again. If you press the button there, the team will be called to your location shortly.”

“And if things get exciting, make sure to take the watch off,” Keith let out a laugh, “You don’t want us to interrupt your fun over an accident.”

“It’s just the first date, idiot.”

“Yeah and I’m—I’m sure there’s a rule against killing on the first date.” Chloe said, “Right?”

“Nah I killed a target on the first date before,” you mumbled, “But I wasn’t told to get into a relationship back then so… It’ll be different this time.”

“Try not to give the guy whiplash though, will you?” Keith said and you frowned.

“What does that mean?”

“It means dating etiquette changed since 1940s.”

“Oh don’t worry, I got that covered,” you said but your head shot up when you heard the doorbell ring. “I have to go.”

“Okay, but—“

“No time Keith,” you murmured, walking to the door. Your heart was pacing against your chest for some reason as if it was a real first date, and you swung the door open to reveal Bucky waiting for you at your doorstep. He put his hands into his leather jacket, taking in your appearance.

“You know what to do if you get in trouble.” Keith said and you hung up quickly to push your phone into your purse, smiling wide at Bucky.

“Hi!” you said, “Shall we?”

                                                         ***

Now to think of it,  the last time you had been on a date without carrying any weapons had to be ten years ago if not more. But you had clear orders for this one, your superiors were convinced that carrying any kind of gun or a dagger would alert him, even if you thought it was invisible to outsider eye.

After all, he was an assassin and looking for weapons on a person from miles away was second nature for assassins.

You would know.

“So you moved here a month ago and you just know one place?” he asked as you waited for the barista to prepare your coffee, “A coffee shop? That’s it?”

“I know a milkshake shop too.”

He tilted his head, “You mean where you work?”

“That still counts,” you defended yourself “But if you insist, I might let you show me around next time.”

“Please do,” he said, “Just a heads up though, there’s a huge possibility that most of the places I know has been closed down years ago.”

“Oh that’s okay,” you told him as the barista put your coffees in front of you. “We can explore the new sights together then.”

A smile graced his lips while he led you to the table furthest from the window facing the door and you had to suppress your grin.

You weren’t the only one who was scanning the cafe for possible emergency exits and safest spots after all. Sitting by the window was a civilian mistake because in case of a shooting, you’d be in the clear sight for the shooter.

You had a feeling not many people considered that possibility on a first date.

“That sounds good,” he pulled your chair for you and you paused only for a moment before taking your seat.

Right. Born in a different era.

He took off his leather jacket and your gaze wandered off to his vibranium arm before snapping back to his eyes. He was watching you with his brows slightly raised, as if waiting to see your reaction.

“Sorry!” You said quickly, “I’m sorry, I just…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Bucky—“

“Really,” he assured you, “Don’t worry.”

You took a deep breath, pushing your behind your ear.

“So, it’s good to meet in a place that looks like it belongs to 21st century isn’t it?”

He hissed in a breath, a mischievous light glimmering in his blue eyes “Do you want me to be honest?”

“Brutally honest.”

“I would be lying if I said I don’t miss the uniform.”

Your jaw dropped before a smile spread over your lips, “Look at that,” you said, “Told you you weren’t rusty.”

He chuckled, “I’d hope not.”

“And hey, if you miss how it was back then, some things aren’t that different than 40s,” you said, cradling the warm cup in your hands. He tilted his head.

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

“Like what?”

“You know, I’m glad you asked because I actually did research in case it came up.”

He lowered his cup, “You did what?”

“Um… do you promise not to be intimidated if I am brutally honest?”

He leaned in, eyes locked to yours, “Cross my heart.”

“I did research,” you nodded, making him let out a small laugh. “No wait, listen— I just… I didn’t google you or stalk you over Instagram so I had to prepare myself in a different way.”

“I know some of those words,” he pointed out and you took a deep breath.

“It means I didn’t look you up.” you said, “When I was sixteen, I promised myself I wouldn’t look anyone up before the first date but that rule doesn’t extend to doing general research.”

“You didn’t look me up?” he asked and you shook your head.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I like getting to know people on my own,” you said, “I’m not really interested in people’s pasts, does that make sense?”

He stared at you for a couple of seconds, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Maybe not,” you admitted, “But I’ll do it anyway. Trusting people is kind of my thing, past or not. I’d rather be mistaken than prejudiced.”

A silence fell upon him as if he was astounded and you rested your chin on your fist, keeping your eyes on him.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said after a beat, “Nothing at all.”

“So—anyways, some things aren’t that different,” you said, leaning back, “Some details, that is. People still— we still go to movie theatres, that was a big thing back then too right?”

“Oh absolutely,” he said, “For first dates too.”

“We still wear hats sometimes,” you counted with your fingers, “Some people still prefer to call their partners daddy—in a different context, don’t google that— and we still have jello.”

“I heard about that,” he mused, a playful smile on his lips, “The jello, that is.”  

You grinned, scrunching up your nose.

“So yeah. There’s your crash course.”

“I appreciate it,” he said with a chuckle, “And hey, if it makes you feel any better I didn’t google you either.”

“Because you don’t know how?”

“Because I don’t know how,” he admitted, “I should probably start making a list, I keep asking Sam about some pretty common information.”

“Really?”

“Yeah I mean—for example, I don’t know if it’s still acceptable to bring a gal-a girl,” he corrected himself and cleared his throat, “Flowers for the first date.”

“You were going to bring me flowers?”

“Yeah! Yeah . I was going to actually, then Sam said it was old fashioned. Sharon said it was a good idea, but…”

You furrowed your brows, “Okay let me get this straight, you listened to your friend who’s a guy and not your other friend who’s a girl. About what girls like on the first date.”

A look of realization dawned on his face, “That might not have been the brightest idea now that you mentioned it.”

“No disrespect to Captain America but he might need to work on his romance skills,” you pointed out and took a sip of your coffee.

“How about you?” he asked, “What’s your story?”

I was recruited at the age of 16, just last year I took down a whole team of bad guys all by myself, I could probably kill someone in 5 different ways using this coffee cup and spoon alone.

Or not.

You had been over this. You had a full file back at home filled with details of your new identity, designed to look unsuspicious.

“There’s not much to tell I’m afraid,” you muttered, “I grew up in a small town. Everyone knew each other, and I thought it was nice, until my grandmother passed away. Then there were way too many people asking me if I was okay. In the grocery store, on my way to work… I just wanted to get away.”

“I know the feeling,” he said softly and you nodded.

Of course he did. This whole identity was fabricated for him after all.

“So I figured I could move away,” you said, “There was nothing to keep me there after all. I lost my parents when I was little, that was the reason why my grandmother took me in.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh don’t be,” you said quickly, “Really. They just….”

My mom died in a car crash when I was 5, and one day I came home from school and my father was nowhere to be found.

Neither was his suitcase.

You had to give it to him, he had bothered to write you a note. If you could call that a note.

The infamous genius scientist had nothing to say other than he was sorry. You had burned that note that night, along with every picture in the family album.

“There was a car accident,” you tried to smile, ignoring the bitter taste at the back of your throat, “Drunk driver, came out of nowhere. They both died on impact, that’s what everyone says. I don’t remember them much.”

A silence fell upon you for a moment and you took a deep breath.

“Anyways,” you managed to say, “Enough about me. What about you?”

He paused before turning the cup between his hands, “That’s kind of a long story,” he said, making you arch a brow to shoot him a look.

“Well as it happens, my milkshake making schedule just cleared out.” you stated, making him smile, “We have unlimited coffee and time. Bring it on.”

                                               ***

Well, you didn’t know what you had expected but it wasn’t this. Considering he was under the impression that you were a civilian, of course he didn’t tell you any gory or top secret details but he didn’t try to make himself look innocent either, or any different than he was.

He was as sincere as an ex-assassin could be.

Cover or not, this was probably the best date you had ever been. In fact, after the first half an hour you almost forgot that it was fake, that you were supposed to dig for information instead of enjoying yourself.

You were still playing your part but it didn’t exactly feel like work.

“So no to motorcycles?” Bucky asked as you turned around to look at him better while you walked backwards.

“No to motorcycles!” you exclaimed, “Those things are deathtraps.”

“So when you said you couldn’t get on it because of your dress….”

“It wasn’t a complete lie,” you motioned at your dress, “Half because of the dress, half because I don’t want to die.”

“Do you seriously believe I’d let that happen?”

“Maybe.”

“Mmm and what was it you said earlier?” he taunted you, “About trusting people?”

“I trust people,” you insisted, “I don’t trust death machines, there’s a difference.”

Well, he didn’t need to know you had a motorcycle in Chloe’s garage.

“Here we are,” you pointed at the building standing a couple of feet away from you, “My apartment. See, I told you it was close. No reason for putting our lives in danger when we can just walk.”

“Does that mean I can’t show you around the city the next time?”

“On a motorcycle?”

“Mm hm.”

“I don’t—that’s a terrible….” You heaved a dramatic sigh, “Hypothetically speaking, what would I get in return?”

His smile was calm, almost amused, “What do you want to get in return?”

You crossed your arms, looking up at the sky as if you were deep in thought, completely aware of his gaze on you.

“Flowers,” you said after a beat, “I didn’t even know they were an option but now that I know, I want flowers.”

“Is that it?” he asked, “It’s ‘a death machine’, but flowers are enough to convince you?”

“Depends,” you mused silkily, a complete opposite of the wide-eyed look in your eyes as you batted your lashes, “What else do you want me to want?”

A shadow moved behind his gaze only for a moment before it disappeared again but it was more than enough time for you to see it, and that was when you realized that there was a reason why Chloe had sent you that file.

Bucky Barnes wasn’t completely a stammering love-struck puppy when it came to flirting. While it was true that he could be a little rusty –you didn’t know how he was back in the 40s-, he also knew when to stop talking to see how far you would go in this game.

He was letting you play and think you were in control before making his move.

Patience of a sniper.

“Um- thank- thank you for tonight,” you said, averting your glances as if you were embarrassed under his gaze, playing it coy, “I had so much fun.”

“Me too,” he said, “The next one will include flowers, I promise.”

You let out a nervous giggle and stepped closer to him before you stood on your tiptoes and pressed a kiss on his cheek. He inhaled your scent deeply, probably not even aware of what he was doing but you tried to hide your smile.

It was on the file Chloe had prepared about him. Bucky Barnes liked the scent of vanilla.

“Be careful riding that death machine,” you told him, biting on your lip before you made your way to the building. You hopped on the stairs to push the exterior door to get into the building, and pressed a hand on your chest, closing your eyes.

Why were you so giddy all of a sudden?

You threw your shoulders back and got into the elevator to press on the button to your floor. As soon as the elevator started to move, your reflection in the mirror caught your attention and you tilted your head.

Chloe had a point, it was a nice dress.

The elevator made a small noise and the doors slid open for you to pass, but when you entered the hall you stopped dead on your tracks. There were four agents waiting on your doorstep and before you could question what was happening, one of the doors in the hallways opened and Keith stepped out.

“Be careful riding that death machine?” he asked, “I could tell you the same thing but you didn’t invite him up here.”

“I wasn’t wearing a wire, how did you-?”

“We had a car around the corner just in case,” he said “You’d be surprised how far we can hear with these new gadgets.”

“I told everyone we can’t—“ you stopped yourself, taking a deep breath. “What are you doing here and why are there agents at my doorstep?”

He grinned at you, “How do you feel about being neighbors?”

“I feel fuck no about it, and why are there agents—“

“General is waiting for you in your apartment.”

Your heart dropped to your stomach, “What?” you asked as you walked past him and opened the door to your apartment, then stepped in.

“General?” you rasped out as you walked into the living room to find him there, sitting by himself.

“Shrike,” he greeted you, “Good evening.”

You tried to smile, “Good evening sir.”

“I wanted to see how the mission was going,” he said, “Your team says it’s been very successful so far.”

“It’s going according to plan sir, yes.”

“This was what, your first date?”

You licked your dry lips, commanding yourself to be calm. “Yes.”

He hummed and stood up, running a hand over his gray beard, his eyes darting around the room.

“Y/N,” he murmured, making your head shot up at hearing your name instead of your alias. “It’s possible that the last time we talked face to face about your mission, I came across a little…uncaring. I want you to know that it’s not easy for me either.”

You stared at him, completely dumbfounded.

“You’re like a daughter to me,” he said, “For me, putting you on this mission was no different than sending Chloe into Barnes’s bed. Granted you have an edge and proper training for field missions like these unlike her, but…”

Right. Manipulation of Enemy.

A.k.a the seduction class.

Your superior had almost failed you in that class.

“But all your superiors in the division is aware of your success so far,” he said, “There has been no hiccups, nothing to alert him which is a surprise. You’re playing your role well, and we will keep that in mind after this mission is over. You’re at the top of our list for possible handlers.”

For the first time in your life, that didn’t make you fill with excitement for some reason. You frowned at yourself and plastered a smile on your face.

“Thank you sir.”

“Anything you would like to report so far?”

“I’m going slowly in order to make sure I gain his trust,” you said, “But sir, there’s a reason why I didn’t even wear my earpiece tonight. Barnes is a pro, anything could make him suspicious and putting agents in cars to listen to us… That could go wrong.”

“You want to be completely alone on this mission?”

“I still want to have my team, but I want them to be completely invisible. I already have a tracker and an emergency signal on my wristwatch, but unless I specifically call for them, they need to be away. I can’t risk anyone compromising my cover, even if it’s unintentional by my team.”

He thought for a moment, “I see,” he said, “You make a good point. I’ll make the necessary adjustments.”

“Thank you General.”

He squeezed your upper arm as if trying to assure you and walked to the door, then turned around.

“Shrike?”

“Yes sir?”

“You’ve heard what happened to Marco, right?” he asked, “He was one of our best agents but got too involved in his seduction mission.”

You swallowed thickly, “I heard he’s missing.”

A small smile pulled at his lips, “That’s right. He was removed from his mission, then went missing.”

Killed.

He was killed by the agency when he fell for his target and both of you knew that.

“That’s unfortunate,” you managed to say and he nodded.

“It is,” he said, “Don’t make the same mistake. Actions have consequences.”

With that, he left your apartment and you let out a breath as you fell back to sit on the couch, your hands shaking.

“Yeah,” you muttered to yourself, “Yeah they do.”

Chapter 7 

[commentaryvorg]

Digimon Savers Commentary Episode 45 - A One-on-One Fight Between Men! Masaru VS Suguru

In this episode, as the group reaches Yggdrasil’s tree, the others stay back to deal with its security systems so that Masaru can face his father alone. In his fight to get through to him, we get deeper into Masaru’s dad complex than ever.

After a just-slightly-longer-than-necessary recap (it’s impressive how I can sense when they’re longer than they need to be without actually checking if it’s gone over the usual minimum of thirty seconds), we open at the top of Yggdrasil’s tree. It’s floating there in its borrowed human body, getting flashes of memory of Suguru’s past with Masaru.

Yggdrasil: (Everything… should have been thrown away. Why are the memories returning now?) [it chuckles] “It can’t be…”

To be frank, this is super misleading. It’s trying to trick viewers into thinking that Yggdrasil really is Suguru, having changed and become genocidal and (mostly) forgotten about his family. That is not at all the case. Given that that is not the case, it’s weird that Yggdrasil getting these flashes of memory is something that can even happen?

Suguru’s consciousness is hitching a ride with BanchouLeomon, while Yggdrasil’s consciousness is inhabiting the empty shell of Suguru’s body. You’d think that would mean that all of Suguru’s memories would be with his consciousness, in BanchouLeomon. It’s really weird that some of them just got somehow left there in his empty soulless body. But, heck, I guess that’s what’s happening, apparently. Yggdrasil must be pretty annoyed by this irrelevant information flowing through its mind because of where it’s chosen to hang out.

Yggdrasil’s floating crystals signal to it – without words, but it understands what they mean anyway, because hey it’s a god – that intruders are approaching the tree.

Yggdrasil:  “So Craniummon has forsaken me.”

Interesting that its first assumption for why Craniummon let intruders past is not that he was defeated, but that he chose to let them through. Perhaps Yggdrasil always suspected he had a chance of changing his mind about all this.

(It makes sense that it would be aware of the possibility that the Royal Knights might disagree with this genocide of humanity, given that it went to such lengths to manipulate them into feeling that this is absolutely necessary.)

Yggdrasil: “But that calculation error can still be corrected.”

It’s very telling that Yggdrasil thinks of such a misjudgement of one of its underlings’ characters as a calculation error. I like this. And of course it’s going to insist that it’s still in control of things anyway.

In lieu of any Royal Knight servants left on the Digital World to help it out, Yggdrasil directs its crystals to go and deal with the intruders. Must be easier with them, since they’re effectively just machines and don’t think for themselves, huh, Yggdrasil?

I believed in it! It’s my soul

Nimbly I will soar above

And with that, it’s an unusually early opening! Once again, I really want to highlight my favourite lyric in it which is totally 100% about Masaru’s dad complex, since that will be quite the big topic of this episode. Conveniently, this lyric actually appears twice in the song’s chorus, so I get to do this again while technically not covering any of the same lyrics more than once. Masaru believed in his dad so much that it’s his soul. This is very, very important.

After the opening, we catch up with the DATS crew plus Gotsumon as they make it to the foot of the giant tree, which sure would have been quicker and easier if the Digimon partners hadn’t devolved for no reason at the end of last episode, but then this episode would go by too quickly if the partners could just fly them right to the top of the tree.

Masaru:  “Dad is at the top of this tree…”

Of course that’s on Masaru’s mind enough that he has to voice it, even though it’s pretty obvious.

Naturally, he and Agumon immediately take the most straightforward approach and literally just start climbing up the outside of the tree. It’s way, way too wide for them to grab onto the trunk, but there’s vines and things for them to hold onto. Tohma cuts that approach short by having Gaomon break the vines, which apparently wasn’t even because he disapproved of them climbing that way so much as he wanted to test a theory.

The broken vines are shining with light on the inside – they’re actually all optical cables.

Tohma:  “Just as I’d thought. This tree must be the main server that administers the Digital World.”

The Digital World really is digital! And if its god lives inside this tree that’s actually the server that runs the Digital World, then, hm. Maybe there’s a reason why it has such godlike abilities.

Agumon:  “Aniki. What’s a ‘server’?”

Masaru:  “It’s that tasty thing you boil with miso sauce.”

Yoshino:  “That’s a ‘saba’.”

Saba is the Japanese for mackerel. Agumon didn’t even ask “is it tasty?” this time, but Masaru just confidently told him that a server is food, because he does not do computers.

(Also, it’s cute that Agumon asked Masaru what the word meant, and not Tohma, who’d just used the word and obviously would have been able to explain it. His aniki knows everything, right?)

Tohma:  “The God, Yggdrasil, controls everything in the Digital World… Since we humans don’t act as he pleases, we must appear like a virus to him.”

Tohma has, perhaps unknowingly, hit the nail right on the head. That’s exactly why Yggdrasil doesn’t like humans and has always wanted them gone, even before this crisis gave it an excuse to act on that. It’s neat that we get a little hint of this way of viewing Yggdrasil, a while before anything of that nature becomes overtly apparent in the narrative.

Ikuto finds an opening that leads inside the tree into a cave-like space, which’ll probably be an easier and safer way to climb it than grabbing onto flimsy vine-cables on the outside.

Meanwhile, a close-up shot importantly reminds us that Gaomon has ears, as they twitch in response to him hearing Yggdrasil’s guard crystals approaching. The crystals fire lasers which… turn the ground to what looks like quicksand, apparently? It’s a weird effect in this one instance that’s never going to be seen again or matter even right now, even though there could have been neat things done with that.

Masaru:  “Do they work for Yggdrasil?”

Tohma:  “It may be more accurate to call them this tree’s security system!”

Tohma’s got into the swing of thinking of everything as part of a big computer. He’s really not wrong.

Probably thinking that these piddly little crystals are no match for him even at Child-level, Agumon shoots a Baby Flame at one… and it absorbs it before firing it right back at him. He runs around in a panic with his tail on fire for a bit, because I guess being a fire-using Digimon doesn’t actually make him fireproof.

Falcomon and Lalamon then utterly fail to learn from Agumon’s mishap and also fire their attacks at the crystals, resulting in the same outcome of having the attacks absorbed and reflected back. Come on, guys, what did you think would happen. It makes for a clever security system, I suppose: offence-wise these crystals will always be exactly as powerful as what’s fighting them, while defensively they can absorb any attacks they’re hit by.

Tohma declares that he’ll stay out here to hold the crystals off while the others go on ahead into the tree’s interior. He doesn’t say so, but I suspect he’s thought through the logistics enough to realise that there won’t be enough room for MirageGaogamon inside the tree, and so if he’s going to stay behind to hold the enemy off at any point, it has to be out here.

Masaru:  “Tohma. Don’t push yourself.”

Tohma:  “Who do you think I am?”

Tohma delivers this line very dramatically as Masaru stops to show concern. Really, Masaru, come on. Of course he’s got this. And also, who are you to be telling somebody not to push themselves, you dork.

Tohma:  “Let’s show them our hidden power.”

Gaomon:  “Yes, Master.”

…Tohma, they’re just inanimate crystals. You don’t need to be so fancy about it.

Inside the tree’s catacombs, we get a fun visual gag of the adult-height people – that is, Masaru and Yoshino – having to duck to walk through a narrow tunnel, while the Digimon and Ikuto are just the right height for it.

They pop their heads out of the tunnel into a wider space, only to find more crystals approaching. Masaru immediately leaps into action to deliver a punch to one of them to activate his Digisoul. Yoshino, climbing out of the tunnel behind him, switches quickly to alarm at how gung-ho he’s being. Masaru goes for a Digisoul Charge, and…

…Yoshino has to literally stick her hand between his Digisoul and the Digivice, mid-stock-animation, to stop him.

Yoshino:  “If you evolve here…”

Lalamon:  “There won’t be any space left to move around!”

Masaru:  “Oh… right.”

Because oh my god you doofus, ShineGreymon is way too big to fit inside this tree. I love how that didn’t even occur to Masaru, and it did occur to Yoshino, because she is always focusing on the practical problems.

As they run and hide from the crystals’ lasers, Ikuto points out a path they can use to climb up higher and then offers to stay behind to fight the crystals while Masaru goes on ahead. Masaru does not approve, because he still does not enjoy other people risking themselves for his sake!

Ikuto:  “You’re the only one who can stop your father, Masaru!”

Aww. In this assumption they’re all buying into in which Yggdrasil literally is Suguru, yes, that would be the case. Ikuto’s probably still thinking about how he related this to his own experiences in talking to Mercurimon about difficult stuff.

Yoshino:  “Musashiya’s strawberry mille-feuille and Yokonami’s coffee jelly.”

Masaru:  “Huh?”

Yoshino:  “Buy me those later and we’ll call it even.”

Yoshino has also decided to stay behind with Ikuto to help fend off the crystals, but she expresses it in a delightfully Yoshino way. If Masaru’s gonna get all huffy about them risking themselves for him out of sheer selfless friendship, she can make seem like a transaction instead to make him less uptight about it, and take that stubbornness of his as an opportunity to get some free food while she’s at it. I love how this is a thing she keeps doing. It’s so her.

Yoshino:  “But remember to keep this in mind: Even if we defeat Professor Daimon, we still need to figure out how to stop the collision.”

And, as ever, Yoshino is still the only one thinking about the practical matter at hand! Remember how this is about more than just Masaru getting through to his dad, and is actually about finding a way to stop both worlds from ending? Apparently only Yoshino’s kept that in mind the whole time. Masaru certainly hasn’t.

Gotsumon:  “What… What devoted friendship! I feel so inspired!”

This isn’t even that inspiring as far as shows of friendship in this series go, Gotsumon. You must have been living a pretty sheltered life if you’ve never seen anybody being willing to work together with a friend and fight for somebody other than themselves before, gasp.

Masaru and Agumon climb up the path that leads higher, with Gotsumon still tagging along even though he doesn’t really need to be here any more. Down below, Yoshino and Ikuto evolve their partners, because evidently they realised that their Ultimate-levels are small enough to fight inside the tree and so they can do so where Masaru and ShineGreymon couldn’t.

Just in case anyone hadn’t noticed that this is another one of those episodes in that overtly-detailed and also Definitely A Straight Dude art style, Rosemon has a completely unnecessary boob jiggle as she poses dramatically after evolving. Why. No. Ugh.

Masaru:  (Tohma. Yoshino. Ikuto. Don’t any of you dare die on me!)

Masaru is still not thrilled about his friends staying behind to risk themselves for his sake while he goes on ahead without helping them! He’s never been a fan of that, has he. At least now he’s able to actually let it happen and does not need to be physically dragged away, even if he still hates it.

Over in the human world – and actually in the building that used to be Kurata’s base of operations, if you’ve been paying attention to establishing shots – Satsuma is checking in on the Noguchi couple’s progress. Being the only Digital Gate experts we have, they’re the only ones who can really make any attempt to try and reverse the barrier’s collapse and put things back to normal.

It seems they might have set up here in Kurata’s headquarters in order to access his data on the space-time bombs, because Kenji explains that he’s trying to learn from the principles of how they work in order to figure out how to reverse the damage they did. Though those bombs must have been a Noguchi invention in the first place, back during the original expedition, evidently the couple never touched one again after that and Kurata took over experimenting on them.

Misuzu doesn’t have any lines in this brief cutaway, but she is also there, busily working at a computer with her baby daughter beside her, which I appreciate.

Satsuma no longer has a weaselscarf around his neck like he should do, since Kudamon sacrificed himself. It is very sad.

Satsuma:  “If we can circumvent the collision between the human world and Digital World, I’m sure it will convince Professor Daimon to change his way of thinking.”

Satsuma is still completely sold on the assumption that Yggdrasil is Suguru. And neither has he questioned the idea that Yggdrasil is only trying to annihilate humanity because the two worlds are going to collide. Haha, no, even if the Noguchis did manage to fix the barrier right now, we would still have the very large problem of a very genocidal god on our hands.

Miki calls up Satsuma on his DATS earpiece to inform him of another Royal Knight appearing over the city. (Not that Satsuma himself can actually do anything about it without Kudamon, but.)

It’s Craniummon, who has headed over to this world since last episode. Chika, Sayuri, Piyomon, and the babies they’re still sheltering watch in fear as he floats near their neighbourhood. They have no idea that Craniummon’s opinion of humanity was recently changed for the better by a certain unstoppable punchy spirit, and only see him as yet another Royal Knight threatening their safety.

Piyomon stares up at Craniummon’s distant figure with great determination, telling the others to run away, and flies up there after him. He said he would protect this place, after all! He is not going to let something insignificant like the fact that he’s only a puny Child-level stop him doing that.

Piyomon:  “Wait! This is the humans’ world. Get out right now!”

Piyomon flies to confront Craniummon in the sky and fiercely yells at him, despite being a tiny pink bird next to this giant armoured warrior. You’ve got to admire this bird’s guts. No wonder he’s partner to a Daimon.

Craniummon: “Are you another Digimon who supports the humans?”

This probably reads to Piyomon like he’s scoffing at the idea, like every other Royal Knight who’s attacked the planet has done. But no, actually – Craniummon’s interested. Seems like he really was right to believe in humanity’s potential, if multiple Digimon are willing to stand up and fight for them.

Piyomon:  “That’s right! If you won’t leave… I’ll fight you!”

Craniummon:  “I don’t have time for this right now.”

Oh, Piyomon. He really is displaying some brazenly Masaru-grade disregard for evolution levels. But Craniummon apparently has better things to do than explain to Piyomon that he’s actually on humanity’s side now and they don’t need to fight. Bro, seriously, it wouldn’t take you that long to say that, come on. Someone’s still a bit pompous despite his change of heart.

So instead, he casually backhands Piyomon away as the bird rushes at him, sending him careening down into the city. Harsh, for someone who’s technically on his side.

Chika has already rushed out of the house after Piyomon and makes it to the park he crash-landed in.

Piyomon:  “I’m okay… I can… still fight…”

Piyomon is clearly not okay, heavily bruised and battered from the fall. But having been severely beaten up has never dampened his determination before, has it?

Chika:  “You can’t, Piyomon! You’ll die!”

Aww, Chika. She knows this is a risk, because she’s seen it happen to him before. Her Piyomon keeps getting himself beaten up and (in some sense) killed for her sake, and she can’t stand it.

Piyomon:  “I won’t die! I promised… I promised I’d protect you!”

Piyomon forces himself to his feet and stares fervently at Chika with this declaration. Chika breaks into tears at hearing it. It’s ambiguous whether this is literally him remembering his past life – he did also promise to protect her in this life, in episode 43, so it may not be. But either way, this promise is something that was such a big deal to their friendship the first time around. Chika must finally feel like this is really her Piyomon again.

Piyomon:  “Besides… If I give up just from this, my manliness will rot!”

Remember episode 13, the one with Piyomon’s rampage? This was more or less something Masaru said in that episode! Which… I went out of my way to point out at the time that actually there’s no way Aquilamon would have been in earshot to hear those words of his, even if he’d have somehow been able to register them properly through his rampage. So this isn’t Piyomon literally remembering Masaru saying that and choosing to quote him; it can’t be.

But nonetheless, and perhaps only on a subconscious level, it seems like Piyomon’s beginning to faintly remember a sense of that fervently determined manliness that Masaru displayed at him during their fight in his past life (the one where he was lucid, in episode 12). Which is pretty fun. It’s great how Savers’ narrative can instantly evoke a connection to Masaru just by having any other character mention manliness in the same way he would. What a dork.

Chika gets even more emotional at hearing Piyomon sounding so much like her brother – perhaps thinking this means he does remember? it’s still ambiguous – and dives in to give him a big hug.

Chika:  “Okay then. In that case… I’ll fight with you!”

Chika really means that, because she flares up right then with a familiar orange Digisoul. All these emotions of hers about her lost and re-forged friendship with Piyomon sure seem like they’d be powerful enough to fuel that.

Sayuri – who’d desperately chased after her daughter as she ran out into danger, of course she did – reaches the park only to see Piyomon and Chika rising into the air together from the power of her Digisoul. They nod to each other, and Piyomon evolves right there, without a Digivice. Chika Daimon is so badass she doesn’t even need one, apparently.

(Which is fair enough – the Digivice is just a device Suguru made to channel the natural phenomenon of Digimon being powered up from a human’s Digisoul, to facilitate the process and make it easier to trigger. It should still be possible, just harder, to evolve a Digimon without one.)

Poor Sayuri screams Chika’s name as she watches this happen. This is just about her worst nightmare. Not only is her son off in the Digital World risking his life to deal with whatever the hell’s going on with her husband right now, but now her daughter is also putting her safety on the line to fight. And there’s nothing Sayuri can do but helplessly watch this happen to her family. She’s so goddamn brave to be able to deal with all of this at all.

Garudamon, with Chika on his shoulder, rises back up to face Craniummon again, ready to fight him. …Craniummon, you really ought to just tell them that you’re actually on their side already, come on.

In the Digital World, Masaru’s made it to the top of the tree. He stares up at Yggdrasil’s huge podium, which was already big from Craniummon’s perspective but is absolutely massive to him. As if being hit by the gravity of the situation, he pauses for a moment, his usual eager enthusiasm nowhere to be seen, before he speaks.

Masaru:  “Dad, you’re there, aren’t you? Your son, Daimon Masaru, is here to have a good talk with you.”

It’s almost sad how Masaru’s dad’s apparent god complex has made Masaru feel like he has to introduce this so formally, while also making sure to bring up the fact that he’s his son, to try and remind him.

Yggdrasil appears from glowing orbs of light, because it can just do that even when it’s wearing somebody else’s physical body.

“Suguru”:  “This is God’s dwelling. It’s not a place for the likes of you to step in.”

Yggdrasil, for its part, completely ignores this meaningless talk of fathers and sons – who is this “Dad” that Masaru’s addressing, that’s irrelevant nonsense – and simply sees Masaru as an insignificant pest who shouldn’t be here.

Masaru, though, must be hearing this as yet another reminder of how little of a damn his dad seems to give about him any more. But he doesn’t let himself falter.

Masaru:  “Dad! Explain to me why you want to destroy the human world!”

“Suguru”:  “I have a duty to protect the Digital World. Erasing the human world is only a natural outcome.”

As ever, Yggdrasil presents this as being about protecting the Digital World, without even citing the whole imminent collision as its excuse. Almost as if it believes that destroying the human world is the obvious best way to protect the Digital World anyway, collision or not.

Masaru:  “Then… What about Mom?! And Chika?! Don’t you care what happens to them?!”

Interesting how Masaru doesn’t even add “what about me?” to these protests! Perhaps on some level he wants to detach himself from this and not think about how much it’s hurting him that his dad’s doing this. Or perhaps it’s also to do with the way he’s tried to be the replacement father figure for the family himself, so he’s thinking of this in terms of his dad doing a bad job of being that same protective figure to the family, and therefore that has less connection in his mind with his dad not protecting him.

There’s also the part where Masaru desperately wants to believe his dad wouldn’t make anyone suffer, never mind if it was specifically his family or not. And yet in his desperation to get through to him, he’s effectively having to take the angle of “okay so maybe you’ll kill all those other humans, but surely at least these people most important to you would make you have second thoughts???” Ouch.

“Suguru”:  “Have you forgotten? It was you humans who first brought this calamity on yourselves.”

Yggdrasil has absolutely no idea why this random human is mentioning two other random humans like they’re supposed to be relevant. It just jumps into its usual spiel about how humanity totally deserves this. I love the dissonance of how Yggdrasil completely does not get the effect its choice of body is having on Masaru.

Masaru:  “But Dad… But Dad…! You’re human, too!”

This would be a good argument to make, if the person Masaru was appealing to were actually human! But, of course…

“Suguru”:  “Don’t talk nonsense. I am God.”

Yggdrasil literally isn’t human. What nonsense, for this human to suggest it is.

Yet, for Masaru, this must seem like a sign of just how utterly his father’s lost himself to this apparent god-complex, that he actually believes he’s no longer human. Aaagh. That’s got to be agonising.

Masaru looks down at his pendant and clutches at it desperately (featuring a shot of his face in anguish that I wish was better but alas we have the overly detailed and sometimes less expressive art style this episode). He flashes back to his memories of his dad, when they played catch one last time before he left.

Masaru:  “Dad… have you really changed?”

Really, Masaru already knew (‘knew’) this, based on his previous encounter and what Satsuma told him. But it still hurts to be here in front of his father again, getting yet more confirmation of this fact that he so desperately doesn’t want to be true.

(Also, here’s a close-up shot of Masaru’s anguish that I do like, so let’s appreciate that.)

He remembers his father giving him the pendant, how thrilled he was to get such an important gift, to hear that his dad believed he was a grown man. He grimaces in agony at the thought that his father’s no longer that person.

Masaru:  “In that case… I’ll… I’ll… I’ll just have to open your eyes!”

With this declaration, Masaru rushes in to punch his father. But he’s hesitant and needs to forcibly talk himself up to his usual flightiness before he can do so, and it says a lot that he needed that. Even though he knew full well that he was coming here to communicate with his dad through punching! That was always the plan here!

But there must be – of course there is – a part of Masaru that hates the idea that he needs to fight his dad at all. No matter how much he’s talked about it, actually doing so now that he’s here in the moment is still difficult for him to work up to.

(And perhaps another part of his hesitance comes from a deeply-buried inability to believe that he even can.)

“Suguru”:  “I’ve already told you. I am God.”

As Masaru launches himself to the full height of the podium through the power of anime physics, Yggdrasil is unimpressed that this tiny human seems to think he can just punch out a god, and it erects a glowing barrier around itself effortlessly. Masaru, shocked at the sudden obstacle he wasn’t expecting, nonetheless still tries to punch it – and the moment his fist connects, he’s sent flying backwards and crashing into the ground.

Like, really fast, too. I appreciate just how fast the animation makes it look, because it helps get across that, ouch, that must have hurt.

Agumon, who’s been silent up until how, calls out to his aniki in desperate concern at seeing him get hurt, and rushes to his side.

Masaru:  “Damn it… I can’t even get close enough… for us to talk with our fists!”

Masaru lies there where he landed, grimacing, but the physical pain’s not nearly as bad as the fact that he can’t even reach his father.

Agumon:  “Aniki…”

Aww, poor worried Agumon. He’s trying to be supportive, but Aniki’s insisted on making this fight a one-on-one where Agumon can’t help, and he doesn’t properly get why this is all getting to his aniki so much!

Masaru:  “Damn it… Damn it…! DAMN IT!!!”

Masaru’s curses at his own powerlessness grow to such a crescendo that the last one echoes outside the entire tree. His frustration and pain at not being strong enough to get anywhere close to his father is coming from somewhere very, very deep inside him.

Meanwhile, outside the tree, MirageGaogamon is having the same problem of the crystals absorbing and reflecting his attacks as the Child-levels had.

Tohma:  “Don’t rely on your attacks! Use physical blows!”

Tohma’s got the right idea – it seems the crystals only reflect proper Named Digimon Attacks and have no defence against bog-standard melee blows. Though, since it’s been a while since we’ve seen Tohma and he’s implicitly been fighting offscreen all this time, it does read a little weirdly like it took him this long to figure that out. Maybe we can pretend this is somewhat chronologically wonky and this actually happened a bit earlier.

Inside the tree, Rosemon and Ravemon have also figured out that they need to just physically attack the crystals without any fancy special techniques. Rosemon kicks one to smithereens but then is too busy posing sexily from that to be able to dodge a laser from another crystal and needs to be shielded by Ravemon, why. At least then Ravemon gets blasted through the wall of the tree to the outside, and Rosemon saves him from flying too far by catching him with her whip, so it’s equal-opportunity bailing each other out here.

Ikuto also helps deal with some more of the crystals with his boomerang, which works a treat. Hey, that’s not a Digimon special attack, so they can’t absorb and reflect it!

Yoshino:  “We’ve gotten over plenty of situations like this before!”

Yoshino has actually had a few lines like this during dangerous fights in a number of recent episodes, almost all of which I think I glossed over for the commentary because they seemed to me at the time like pretty generic shounen talk. But at this point I’m realising – it’s always been Yoshino who keeps bringing up this sentiment of “we’ve gotten through things like this before”. So I think it actually is rather meaningful that she keeps repeating this in particular, like she’s using this as a mantra to herself, to combat her fear and tell herself that things will work out okay, because they always somehow do.

In the human world, Garudamon fires an attack (one which cloaks his entire body in what looks like fire as he charges it up, but I guess that doesn’t hurt Chika on his shoulder because… friendship) at Craniummon. Naturally, Craniummon is completely nonplussed, because there’s an evolution level gap here.

Craniummon: “Sorry, but I have no time to be playing with you.”

Craniummon still apparently cannot spare the ten seconds it would take to explain that he’s on humanity’s side. Instead, he super-speeds away towards Mount Fuji, and Garudamon chases after him only a little less speedily.

BanchouLeomon’s still there, holding the two worlds apart inside his mass of solidified Digisoul.

Craniummon: “You wish to save the human world even if it means cutting short your own life… What a fool you are.”

This could still ambiguously read like Craniummon is scoffing at the idea that the human world is even worth saving. But given that we know about his change of heart, what he’s really thinking is that he doesn’t like how BanchouLeomon – and Suguru – are so willing to sacrifice themselves.

Garudamon and Chika show up, fiercely telling him to get away from BanchouLeomon. From their perspective, they’re probably afraid that Craniummon’s about to break BanchouLeomon’s hold on the worlds purely to restart the collision and bring about the end sooner.

Craniummon:  “My friend’s life is draining away. I cannot stand by and watch him die.”

Apparently Craniummon considers BanchouLeomon and/or Suguru to be a friend of his! This sure wasn’t a feeling he acted on until Masaru punched some sense into him by breaking his shield, but he would have always had that as a thing on his mind this whole time. We’ll learn more next episode about how this friendship might have come about.

Chika and Garudamon react to this with surprise. Seems like they weren’t expecting something like a declaration of friendship from one of those Royal Knights who’ve otherwise been doing nothing but attacking the human world.

Back at the top of the tree, Masaru flings himself into Yggdrasil’s – his dad’s – impenetrable barrier again. The implication is that he’s been doing this multiple times in the interim. Yet again, he completely fails to get through and is sent flying painfully back down to the ground. Yet again, he forces himself to his feet.

Agumon:  “Aniki!”

Masaru:  “Stay back! This fight is between me and my Dad!”

Agumon wants to help, of course he does. But Masaru, of course, has completely forgotten about the fate of both worlds and that this is supposed to be about more than just him and his dad right now. Nothing else matters but that.

Masaru:  “Even if my arms break off, I’ll never give up until I’ve exchanged fists with him!”

Being Masaru, he is still utterly determined to never ever give up even if it destroys him. This time of all times is by far the most Masaru of any of the times he’s ever refused to give up.

Ignoring Agumon’s protests, Masaru throws himself back up towards his dad again and is smacked back down once more.

Gotsumon:  “Impossible! It’s impossible! You’re up against the God of the Digital World! You can’t win against him!”

Gotsumon is also here, flailing about how impossible this is, much like he was with Craniummon last episode. You’d almost think he’s completely extraneous in this scene and didn’t even really need to be tagging along once they reached the tree. But no, actually – Gotsumon’s presence here, his insistence that this is impossible like that’s just an obvious fact, is actually extremely important.

Masaru:  “I know… I know that!”

Because, for the first and only time in his life, Masaru agrees. Measuring up to his dad and being on the same level as him? Of course that’s impossible. It’s always been impossible.

Masaru:  (My Dad’s back is big and warm. When you’re a kid, you can’t out-distance your father’s back.)

Masaru flashes back to waving goodbye to his dad outside his house on the day he left. Suguru waves too, and then turns his back to Masaru as he walks away. It’s adorable and heartbreaking that Masaru frames his feelings about his father in terms of the part of him he would have seen as he was leaving, guh.

And of course his feelings about his dad are of him being the bestest warmest greatest most impossibly strong person ever. He was four; kids that young think the world of their parents like that. And then Suguru left, meaning Masaru never had any opportunity for that image of his dad as this impossibly perfect being to change, so it stayed that way. He still thinks of his dad in the same way even now that he’s a teenager. Measuring up to him is simply impossible; that’s just the natural course of things, when Masaru’s his son.

Masaru also said something similar to this in episode 11 – “Children grow up watching their parents’ backs!” – and that was very much alluding to the same ideas of Masaru’s dad complex that we’re exploring in more detail here. The writers there absolutely knew what they were doing.

Halfway through Masaru having this thought, his flashback shifts from the one of his dad leaving, to a different one, one of his street fighter days, as he stands on a river bank surrounded by a huge group of street punks, ready to take them all on. This is what all of his street fighting has always been about.

Masaru:  (But I wanted to reach it and get close to it! As close as I could!)

Measuring up to his dad was always going to be impossible for him, but he wanted so badly to manage it anyway and get as close to that goal as he could manage that it was never going to stop Masaru from trying. All of the street fighting to become the greatest in Japan, and yet still that never felt like enough; joining DATS so he could fight even stronger foes in Digimon – all of it was in an endless, fervent, impossible attempt to grow strong enough to feel like he was matching up to the infinite perfect strength and awesomeness of his father.

(Like maybe, if he grew strong enough, got close enough, he might actually be able to reach him again and bring him home.)

The Masaru in the flashback grins to himself as he gets ready to start that fight, while the Masaru in the present mentally narrates about wanting to get as close as he could – like he’s realising that this is why he always enjoyed those fights so much. Every time he felt himself getting stronger, proving his strength, it was like on some deep subconscious level he could feel himself growing closer to his dad, and he wanted that more than anything else in the world. He still does, now more than ever.

In the present, Masaru gets to his feet and throws himself desperately at his father again, breaking into tears from the sheer emotion of how badly he’s always wanted this. I love the way this run is animated.

Masaru:  (That’s why… That’s why…) “I’ve always done my best!”

That’s why Masaru’s always fought so hard. That’s why he’s never, ever given up, in any fight, ever. Nothing could be more impossible than matching up to his dad, and yet he’s never stopped trying at that for every single day of his life. If he never gives up on that despite how completely impossible it is, then of course he’s also never gonna give up on any other challenge that’s significantly less impossible.

(Also, subbing nuance note – though the subs have him repeat the phrase “that’s why” because that’s the first part of how the sentence is structured in English, the actual word in Japanese that Masaru’s repeating here is “always”. I really love that and wanted to highlight it. He’s always, always done his best. Always.)

Everything about Masaru’s stubborn, recklessly-determined fighty nature comes directly from his dad complex and his sheer adorable desperation to measure up to the impossible amazingness of his absent dad. I love Masaru so much. No wonder seeing apparent proof that his dad isn’t actually the person he thought he was completely broke him, until he managed to convince himself it might not be true.

And the thing is, I think this moment is more than just Masaru finally admitting this for the first time. I think this might be the first time Masaru has even realised on a conscious level that this has always been what drives him. Right at the beginning of the series, some of the episodes that went into Masaru’s issues back then gave a distinct sense that he didn’t know what was driving him to constantly make himself stronger. He didn’t know why he joined DATS other than to “fight strong guys”; he didn’t understand why feeling inferior to Tohma, or being told he couldn’t fight Digimon on his own, got to him so much. If he’d understood that it was about being strong enough to measure up to his dad, he wouldn’t have been quite so frustrated by that, but he didn’t.

Masaru is not the greatest at self-reflection, after all. And back then, before he even learned that his dad disappeared in the Digital World, he probably never really consciously thought about him that often, because he’d got used to having to live with him being gone. But then this arc threw his dad being a literal god right in his face and forced him to process that and confront his father despite it. That’s let Masaru realise on a more conscious level than ever before that, yes, of course measuring up to his dad is impossible to him, and yet, of course he’s always, always going to want to try and do so anyway, and that’s always been what it was all for.

(Like I said, Gotsumon flailing about this being impossible? Actually extremely important.)

Anyway, in this emotionally climactic moment of Masaru having just desperately given us the thesis statement of his entire character, he flings himself at his dad once more. Yggdrasil has had enough of this random human’s hopeless stubbornness, and it blasts Masaru all the way out of the tree.

As he falls all the way down from the treetop, having failed more thoroughly than ever at getting close to his dad, Masaru kind of gets lost in his own head, thinking about everyone who matters to him.

Masaru:  (I believed in you… Dad…)

Of course he did! (Past tense. (It’s his soul.))

Ikuto and Yoshino and their partners, partway up the tree, with a hole blasted in the trunk from the fighting so they can see outside, see Masaru fall past them and call out to him in alarm.

Masaru:  (Mom… Chika… I’m sorry… My fists couldn’t reach him.)

Of course they couldn’t; Masaru must have always subconsciously known, even as his promised his mom and Chika that he’d get through to his dad and bring him back, that he wouldn’t be able to manage that. It’s always been impossible. It’s his dad.

Masaru:  (Tohma… Yoshino… Ikuto… I failed. I wasn’t even a match for him.)

Of course he wasn’t. Of course he couldn’t even get close to his dad’s level. This is the only thing in the world on which Masaru would ever admit defeat.

Tohma sees Masaru falling towards the ground where he is and calls out to him, too. His friends are all worried about him! But Masaru doesn’t even seem to hear them.

Masaru:  (Am I… going to die?)

“The moment you get scared of dying is the moment you’ve lost the fight.” Masaru said this back in episode 1 and always seemed to live by it, refusing to show any kind of fear or acknowledgement of the fact that his life might be on the line in any of these fights, so that he could keep fighting and never give up. But now, he’s actually facing that possibility. He’s actually given up. The only time in the world he ever would.

(And only because of this self-reflection that’s made him realise and admit to just how impossible overcoming his dad has always been.)

Agumon:  “ANIKI!”

The last and by far the loudest and most desperate of Masaru’s friends calling out to him is Agumon, of course.

Masaru:  (Agumon…)

Perhaps Masaru actually hears him, despite not hearing the others? Or perhaps he just thinks of Agumon last after all of this anyway because Agumon’s his best friend. Or because he feels especially guilty towards his partner for having given up, when Agumon of all people always believed the most strongly that his aniki never, ever would.

Suguru:  (Don’t give up.)

Masaru:  (This voice…)

Suddenly, Suguru – actually Suguru – is speaking in Masaru’s mind. I’m not entirely sure how this is possible, but go with it, it’s adorable, it’s exactly what Masaru needed to hear in this moment: that his dad is still his dad and does believe in him after all.

Suguru:  (I’ve already told you. The Digisoul is the power of your emotions.)

Masaru:  (The power… of my emotions…?)

Masaru is definitely not in any state right now to piece together what it means that Suguru is the one who told him that, heh.

Suguru: ��(The power of emotions will give anyone infinite potential. Burn your Digisoul! Burn those passionate feelings within you until they explode!)

Masaru sure has so many emotions right now that he can use to do that! Suddenly emboldened by the realisation that there’s still a chance, that he can still maybe do this (and his dad is still definitely in there somewhere!), Masaru does exactly that and flares his entire body up with Digisoul. Another time he’s managed to do that without a punch! He’s getting better at this.

And as he does so, a certain song kicks in as triumphant BGM. It’s not Believer for once – it’s the second opening song!

Tohma:  “MirageGaogamon! Shoot at Masaru!”

MirageGaogamon: “But, Master…!”

Tohma:  “Do it now!”

Tohma knows what’s up, though it seems MirageGaogamon doesn’t quite get it and has to choose to trust his master’s judgement anyway. Masaru’s Digisoul has been seen acting as a physical shield against attacks a few times before, like when he punched Craniummon’s spear without getting hurt. Tohma must have realised that he can count on that continuing to be the case and use that to their advantage.

Indeed, MirageGaogamon’s laser blast doesn’t hurt Masaru, cloaked in Digisoul as he is; it simply catches him in his fall and reverses his momentum, sending him shooting upwards back towards the top of the tree.

My injured wings

Will awaken a miracle

And I’ll flutter once again

Not only does the unique use of the second opening as an insert song give this moment more impact simply because we never usually hear it, the lyrics are also pretty fitting! All those lyrics about flying despite being hurt are really rather appropriate for this moment in particular.

Ravemon grabs Masaru’s hand as he ascends to help fling him higher; Rosemon gives him another boost with one of her own attacks.

Tohma:  “Go, Masaru!”

Yoshino:  “Your feelings…”

Ikuto:  “Send them to your father!”

All of his friends are helping him out! They all care about him being able to get through to his dad!

Masaru:  (That’s right! This isn’t just between me and my dad any more. My friends who believe in me and push me forward are with me! I have to stand firm and face him for their sakes, too!)

It never was just between you and your dad, Masaru, you single-minded dork. But it’s cute that this moment of feeling like he’s failed everyone and then having his friends help him bounce back has let him realise that he was getting way too tunnel-visioned into the dad situation here.

Masaru flies all the way right back up to the top of the tree, into Yggdrasil’s dwelling, and falls towards his “father”. Yggdrasil, who recently blasted this pesky human out of the tree, was certainly not expecting him to suddenly come flying back in out of nowhere, and is too shocked to raise its barrier in time. Masaru finally gets close enough to land a big solid punch right in his dad’s face, just like he’s been trying to all this time.

Suguru’s body goes crashing to the ground, and Masaru lands safely, much to Gotsumon’s amazement and Agumon’s relief. Masaru stares at the fist that he finally just managed to connect with his dad with.

Masaru:  “I heard my dad’s voice!”

Agumon:  “Your dad’s?”

Masaru:  “I’m sure of it. Dad hasn’t completely forgotten about us. I’m sure that deep inside… he still remembers the past we shared together!”

Masaru’s still sticking to the most straightforward answer that his dad is Yggdrasil, because that looks like his dad, and so the father he knew must just be buried somewhere in there, right. It doesn’t occur to him that whatever telepathy thing just happened with his actual dad could possibly have come from anywhere else. Why would it?

Masaru:  “But… why? Dad never told me about the Digisoul…”

Even with this actual bit of evidence, he doesn’t piece it together. Of course he doesn’t; he’s Masaru.

(I bet Tohma would be joining the dots if he’d heard this, though.)

“Suguru”:  “Unforgivable… How dare you harm the body of the God of the Digital World!”

Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil, bro. Literally not your body, though.

Also, come on, are you really that mad about just getting punched. Have you not met Masaru.

Masaru:  “Dad… Dad… My fist didn’t reach him…?!”

Awww, Masaru! He was really desperately hoping and telling himself that if he just managed to connect with a punch, surely that would get through to his dad and bring out his real self that’d been buried somewhere inside there. His punches always get through to others when it counts!

But of course, it won’t work that way if he genuinely isn’t in there at all, because Masaru’s not actually punching the person he thinks he’s punching.

The art style’s having some fun with some very creepy evil Suguru faces here, man.

“Suguru”:  “This is the end.”

Masaru watches in helpless horror as the thing he believes is his dad still lost in a god complex prepares to deliver a finishing blow and probably straight up kill him, all because he didn’t manage to get through to him well enough.

But then BanchouLeomon shows up, leaping down from above to deliver a much bigger punch to Suguru’s body, powerful enough that it shakes the entire top of the tree and covers Yggdrasil in rubble.

(Presumably, the fact that BanchouLeomon was somewhere nearby has something to do with how Suguru could do the inexplicable telepathy at Masaru just now. Perhaps telepathy’s a perk he gets because he’s a consciousness riding in someone else’s mind? Or it was just a father-son connection thing, mumble mumble handwave Digisoul magic, I don’t know. At least it’s more plausible than it happening while Suguru was still trapped at the top of Mount Fuji.)

(…You know, Masaru did also have that moment of inexplicable telepathy with ShineGreymon that one time, when they went Burst Mode. Perhaps it is a Digisoul thing, in some way.)

Masaru asks why BanchouLeomon’s here, and he explains that Craniummon took over holding the worlds apart in his place. Craniummon wasn’t going there to restart the interdimensional collision, but just to set his slowly-dying friend free so that BanchouLeomon (and Suguru) could come over here and help! I guess Craniummon realised they’d probably have more luck dealing with Yggdrasil than he would.

We get a shot of Craniummon fighting to hold the worlds apart as Garudamon and Chika watch on. Note how the glowy power he’s using to do so distinctly does not look like Digisoul, unlike how it was for BanchouLeomon. Because Digimon don’t have Digisoul! They never did! Another little hint at the truth just a moment before the reveal.

Suguru’s body stirs from under the rubble, and Masaru unthinkingly calls out to his dad and tries to rush past BanchouLeomon to go help him. Aaaa. Even when he’s convinced that his dad’s gone all wildly genocidal, Masaru still can’t help but worry when he sees what seems on the surface like his dad being hurt.

BanchouLeomon: “You can’t go! Do you still not understand? That is your father, but at the same time, he is not!”

I mean, Suguru, what did you expect. This is Masaru. Surely you know enough about him to know how ridiculously straightforward he’d be about this. Of course he’d never figure it out unless you straight-up told him.

BanchouLeomon: “Your father, Daimon Suguru… is me!”

Gasp, bombshell! That… isn’t a bombshell at all in this commentary because I needed to spoil it to talk about this all along, heh. And also because I feel like the clues are strong enough that it’s reasonably easy to guess it on your first time through anyway. Was anyone genuinely surprised by this? I’m curious.

(You know, other than Masaru. At least it’s a bombshell for him.)

Also, one thing to note is that here in Japanese, for the first time, we hear BanchouLeomon using the “I” pronoun watashi, aka the one that Suguru uses. Helps drive home, for the Japanese viewers who know how this stuff works, that this is a different person from the one they’ve been hearing using ore a bunch of times. Even when he was in control before, Suguru always deliberately avoided using an “I” pronoun for himself so as not to give himself away, until now.

Overall thoughts

Admittedly, the first half of this episode is pretty uninteresting, just filling in time until Masaru gets to the top of the tree (though it does come with some decent comedy and some fun bits of Yoshino being the most pragmatic). But I can’t help but think of this among my favourite episodes in the series anyway, because the dad complex, yo. Everything else in the episode was just leading up to that part, and it’s fantastic. It really is the thesis statement on Masaru’s entire character. I love Masaru and his dad complex so much.

And I love that the narrative found a way to bring this aspect of Masaru front and centre and make it explicit and have it matter. On my first watch of the series, I’d always been getting this sense from Masaru that his absent dad was the reason for most of the way he was – but it was so delightfully rewarding to see this arc really explore it and learn just how right I was. The writers didn’t have to make this arc focus so much on Masaru’s dad complex! Nothing would have seemed amiss if they hadn’t! But they did it anyway and I love that they wanted to.

In other neat parts of the episode, I really enjoy the way Yggdrasil completely Does Not Get It about the effect that its choice of body is having on Masaru and just glosses totally over any mentions of family because they’re irrelevant. It’s good to see Craniummon actually do something and continue to affect the narrative after his change of heart last episode, and Piyomon continues to be the most determined in fiercely trying to take on a Royal Knight at Child-level, can you tell he is a Daimon’s partner.

[phoenixblack89]

Secret Crushes III: Cinemas, Love Notes & Cuddling

Hallo again my lovelies!

Here's part three for ya.

Part 1 Part 2

Tags: @fandomsaremykryponite @autocon23 @lilythemadqueen @writingdeadangel @boondoctorwho @darylsgirl @browneyes528

You were stressed out and panicking. 

After your sister's outburst the other day in the woods, Murphy had been avoiding you somewhat. It seemed her threat had made him back off. It rattled you to the core that maybe she was right. Maybe Murphy was an asshole. 

You sighed and flopped down on your bed and groaned. 

The weekend was dragging like crazy, as had the week at school watching her and Connor suck face while you'd glance  towards Murphy hoping to catch his eye but he was always looking away.  

You felt so alone.  

Like you'd made the biggest mistake of your life by giving the darker haired twin something so special, your virginity, allowing him to use his mouth on you like that... But he had said such sweet things... Made you believe him when he called you beautiful.... 

"Y/N!" 

Your father's loud and slightly angry voice called from the hall. You groaned again and padded out of your room and leaned over the bannister rail. Your eyes took in the form of your dad's broad and tense shoulders and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.  Your sister was hugging your father happily, which was odd, considering she'd been in a foul mood since they had returned and grounded her for the month following last week's party. 

"Y/N! Get ye butt down 'ere now!" Your dad's Irish accent thick with annoyance. You sighed and walked down the stairs slowly, eyes widening as you took in the sight before you. 

Smirking brightly, the elder MacManus twin nudged his brother, glancing you up and down. An act your father and sister thankfully missed. You flushed, realising you had yet to change out of your pajamas - a pair of short, bright green shorts and a tight spaghetti strapped top that left little to the imagination. 

Your father sighed at you as your eyes flickered to Murphy, whose eyes were focused on your chest as you folded your arms. You blushed under his glare and turned to your father. 

"Go get dressed." He growled. 

"Why daddy?" 

"This gentleman wants t' take ye sister t' the cinemas" He gestured towards Connor, "however, as she is still grounded fer dat ridiculous party," your sister lowered her head in mock shame, barely able to hide her smirk. "You are going t' go wit' her. You will stick t' yer sister like glue. Yer both must be together when yer come home."

"Oh..." you reply, feeling eyes run over you once more. You glanced at Murphy, but his eyes were firmly fixed on his shoes, your head turned slightly to Connor, who licked his lips as his eyes ran down you. "Erm... I... I.... I better get dressed then."

"Go. I need t' talk t' these boys and set some firm ground rules." Your dad all but growled, which made Connor and Murphy flinch. 

You ran to your room, your sister quickly following and closing your door quietly behind you. You sighed and grabbed some clothes out of your closet, which your sister threw to the floor. 

"I need you to distract Murphy tonight." She whispered, pulling clothes out your closet and pushing them into your arms. 

"Sara... Thought you said he wasn't good enough for me and has to keep his hands off your baby sister? Huh?" Your replied, your voice muffled as you dressed. 

"Look... I'm sorry. I was kinda jealous... And it is my job as big sister to try and protect you. I'm sorry." She wrapped her arms around you and rested her head against yours softly. "Besides.... I do owe you one. For not squealing on me about the whole barn thing."

"Get off me woman! Fine... I'll try. Though I doubt it'll do any good.... He took ya warning pretty seriously." You sighed, as your sister slumped more of her weight into you. You shove her off and start putting a little make up on. Just enough to highlight y/e/c eyes but still look natural. She smiled and took it from you and quickly applied just the right amount. You glance in your mirror and smiled. 

Your sister should be a make up artist you mussed, she'd added more than you usually wore but she had brought out your features perfectly.  

You actually felt pretty for once. 

She grabbed your hand after you finished getting dressed and pulled you downstairs to the lounge where the MacManus boys sat quietly on one sofa as your dad glared at them from the armchair. He rose and gave you both a hug and shooed you all out of the house with a quiet warning to the twins to have you both home by 11pm.

Your sister laughed as Connor's hand once more left the stirring wheel to run along her thigh. You rolled your eyes as Murphy scowled at his brother. 

"Keep ye fuckin' eyes on the road man!" He growled and crossed his arms over his broad chest. You ducked your head and bit your lip, eyes raking down his shirt which strained tightly against his chest. The buttons seemingly ready to pop open at the slightest expansion of his breathing. Murphy gave you a nudge and flicked his hand towards you, a simple, white folded piece of paper between his fingers. You crossed your eyebrows in confusion as he nodded to his hand again. You gently slipped your hand across the seats and took it from him and lay it in your lap.  You gave him another look and he nodded at the note, twirling a pencil in his fingers absentmindly. 

You unfolded the note and gave Murphy a quick glance to catch his eye but he was looking out the window. 

Do ye forgive me? 

You smiled as Murphy's hand came into your view, holding the pencil between two of the slender digits. You bit your lip and took the pencil, scrawling a reply. 

For? 

Ignoring ye the last week

Why did you do that? 

Ye sister is fuckin' scary. 

Haha not as scary as dad

Aye. So do ye?

Depends... 

On? 

If you earn it...

Murphy smirked at you as his eyes scanned the note. He shifted his body slightly as the car rounded a corner, using the turn as an excuse to get closer to you. Sara glanced in the rearview mirror and caught your eyes. She nodded her towards Murphy and wiggled her eyebrow before smiling widely as Murphy's hand landed on your knee. You smirked at her and glanced back at Murphy as his other hand cupped your cheek softly. 

He leaned in and brushed your lips with his, not noticing his brother glancing at you in the mirror as well.  

Murphy's tongue flicked at your bottom lip for access, which you granted and gave a little moan as he ran his tongue around yours. His hand gripping your hip gently and sliding under your shirt to run his thumb across your hip bone. His grip tightening as you kissed him deeply. You parted breathlessly, his forehead resting against yours. 

"Have I earned ye forgiveness then?" He whispered against your lips. You bit your bottom lip and nodded before kissing him once more. 

"Fuck!" Connor yelled as the car swerved to the right wildly before he regained control of the car. Murphy being pushed across the seat to land with his face in your lap. You blushed bright red as he straightened and licked his lip. You both glanced towards thee front of the car and paled. Your sister's body was laid across the seats with her head dipping up and down into Connor's lap. The slurping sounds turned your stomach and you blushed in embarrassment. "Oh god...." 

"Jesus Fuckin' Christ! Could ye nat wait til we weren't wit' ya? Fuckin' hell man!" Murphy complained, covering his eyes and yours. Connor continued to moan and pant for several more minutes, the volume increasing steadily until he braked suddenly and gave a deep gutteral groan. Murphy gave a gag of disgust at his brother and his hand over your eyes tighten slightly. 

"Ye fucking idiot! Could've killed us all! Carrying on like that!" Murphy whined as he uncovered his eyes then yours, once sure your sister had resumed her seat. Sara smirked at your red face in the rear view mirror as she wiped her mouth, winking at Murphy who scoffed and folded his arms.

"Hey Murphy..." 

"Aye?"

"If you're lucky maybe my sweet baby sister will give you one once we get to the cinema." Sara laughed, watching your face and Murphy's change colour several times.

You gave a nervous laugh and buried your face into your shoulder, leaning your too warm face against the cool glass of the window. 

Fuck.... Would he expect me to? You panicked, blocking out all sound inside the car. I can't do that! I don't know how! Oh my god... What if he does and I can't get him to cum? Oh my god... Oh my god... Oh my god! 

The internal panic didn't fade at all during the rest of the car ride, nor did it as you got to the cinema or when you were buying your snacks or even entering the theatre. It was still there as you and Murphy separated from your sister and his twin. You were nervous to say the least. 

Murphy smiled at you and wrapped his arm around your shoulders, settling comfortably close as you sat in your chosen seats at the back of the theatre. You gulped as you stared at the big blank screen. 

"Ye alright beautiful? Ye tense as hell." Murphy whispered into your ear as the screen lit up and his hand ran along your arm softly. You nodded and bit your lip, nerves fired beyond relief.

"I'm fine... Its just... Never mind." You were thankful that the room was near darkness as your face turned bright red. 

"What? Tell me" 

"It's stupid..."

"If somethin' bothering ye, ye can tell me. I promise I won't laugh." He whispered, brushing your ear lightly with his lips as his hand gently kneaded your thigh. "Is it what Sara said? Cos I wouldn't ever force ye t' do summit ye ain't willing t'..." 

You nod and turn to face him slightly, your eyes not meeting his. Murphy chuckles lowly and runs his hand from behind your head to cup your cheek bringing your lips to his gently. You sigh into the kiss as his other hand trails along your thigh and cups your core gently. You pull away and glance around nervously. Thankful everyone's attention is on the screen in front of you. 

"Relax beautiful. No one's lookin' at us. Let me really earn ye forgiveness..." 

Your teeth sunk into your bottom lip harshly as Murphy's talented fingers slip under your underwear and begin to stroke your heated pussy softly, teasingly. You gasp as one briefly grazes your clit and his lip begin to suck and nip at the delicate skin of your neck. You subconsciously shift your hips to grant him more access as his fingers dip between your slicken folds. You give a little whine as his fingers explore your inner walls slowly, feeling him smirk against your neck which was sure to be a lovely shade of purple from his constant attention. You'd definitely need to wear a high collared shirt tomorrow.

Your fingers scrambled to his wrist as his thumb begins to circle your clit in time to his thrusting digits. Your other hand finds his hair and pulls him to your mouth, sealing his mouth to yours hungrily. Your toes curl in your shoes as you suddenly orgasm around his hand and nearly shriek. Luckily the loud explosion on the screen covers your shriek of unexpected pleasure. Murphy laughs as he massages you down from your leg shaking orgasm. 

"Murphy... Wow.... Fuck..." You pant, smiling softly against his chest as he pulls you into a tight hug, kissing you gently once more. 

"Ferget what ye sister said. I ain't gonna ask ye t' do that. Unless ye ready." He smiles as you snuggle against his chest and begin watching the movie, despite having missed the first 35 minutes of it due to Murphy's wonderful hands. 

It was truly a perfect date you smiled to yourself, feeling Murphy press his lips to your head once more. 

And you couldn't wait to see what else the night had in store. 

[jiminrings]

Can I request a drabble, hobi is kinda like a band singer and Y/N is like his old time friend and they like had a falling out bc he got super successful but years after they're like together again? IS IT TOO SPECIFIC UHM :")

parallel

pairing: hoseok x y/n

wordcount: 4k

glimpse: hobi’s kind of an asshole and is vERY much emotionally repressed, y/n’s serotonin is dependent on wearing bridesmaid gowns, the dwindling one-sided pining anD the everlasting question of where the fuck was hoseok when you needed him :D // gif is from pinterest!

notes: this drabble really hits close to home and tysm for the request babe!! even if i’m a month late yeesh :O

you can’t believe yourself either when you say it

but holy shit — weddings are definitely your thing!

there’s something about the union of marriage that gets your head into overdrive but in a gOOD way

there’s just something so pulling about last-minute changes and family drama and awkward trips to the restroom that make your mind mHMMMM THIS IS IT CHIEF

yea granted that not every wedding you go and participate in isn’t exactly straight out of a rom-com

lmao sometimes it’s so obvious that the bride doesn’T love the groom but hey!!! who’s keeping tabs :D

you love wedding environments so much that here you are, two years out of uni and a couple of gigs later — couples are LITERALLY fighting over you

heh not to brag but uh

you weren’t recognized as best wedding planner for two years in a row and have your face in multiple covers of bridal magazines and such

time magazine recognized you as one of the most influential people in the scene last year but hey !!!!! no big deal lads

“i am asking you for just one minute, y/n!! stop being a wedding planner and start being my maid of honor!!”

nayeon exasperates and tugs you by your sleeve, having already noticed your second nature of taking charge the moment you entered the hall

after all, this is just cake tasting! that’s why she’s brought her maid of honor to help her out, nOT immediately go fishing for a clipboard

“well if the planner you hired wasn’t so sloppy-...” it’s a fact! he relies too much on his tablet and doesn’t even have any paper with him, and even if he’s already using a tablet, he doesn’t even use different colors to mark out!

apparently nayeon can’t handle the truth because she’s stamping her hand to your mouth that’s already a frown, about to suffocate you if only you didn’t bite it

>:|

y/n - 1 | jisoo’s hand - 0

you’re just a lil bit cranky alright

the last wedding you’ve catered to was just three days ago, and well you’re thankful for your job!!! really!!! bc not everyone is as booked as you nor sought-for

but there’s something about her wedding that puts you off :((

she’s very kindly yet firmly told you that no, you would absolutely not be her wedding planner and coordinator

“b-but i-“

“i want you to relax! and it’s-...”

“we said-“

“we said when we were kids that we’d plan each other’s wedding, but we didn’t swear on it! and i want you to-...”

“y-you told-“

“i told you that we didn’t have a wedding planner yet so you’d intentionally clear your schedule for me! and here we are-...”

“i’ll cry-“

“aww you big baby, save it for the wedding! i told you, just relax, m’kay? let yoongi handle the planning, and you do the unwinding.”

goddamn yoongi

yoongi who’s a wedding planner in his sPARE time could fuck right off

you don’t care if he’s very persuasive and firm and happened to book nayeon’s wedding even it was peak season :((

you don’t wanna admit it, but being a wedding planner has basically been your personality trait for the past years and it’s hard to cope when your job is to not.... plan and worry

anyways besides that

you’re a little iffy because nayeon’s wedding is your wake-up call

you’ve been planning weddings.... but uh when the FUCK is yours

u are so tempted to put a sock over your head and just yell gIVE ME A RING!!! PUT IT IN THE BAG

unfortunately, you don’t even have someone in your life to readily propose to you

you would have had someone, actually —

if only hoseok didn’t wake up one day and decide to remove you from his life

if only your childhood friend didn’t suddenly decide that you’re not worthy of his attention and time!!!

god he thinks he’s a bigshot

and well yea ok he IS a bigshot

who doesn’t know jung hoseok at this point :((

you’ve always figured that he’d be successful at whatever path he chooses and for a moment, you feel sorry for him that he’s stuck in such a state of mundaneness

he’s stuck between home and school and since he has no choice — you

your each other’s day one!!! the moment your mom went home from the hospital, her first instinct was to knock on hoseok’s mom’s door and then iMMEDIATELY present you to her

the two of them are absolute best friends and why not make our babies the same way ya know????

the two of you were apparently so close as babies that when one was crying, the other would comfort

and you weren’t even a year old then????

you’ve shared cribs and milk bottles and clothes and everything in between with hobi

so why is it that when you’re just almost at the peak of your life with graduation, he just suddenly decides to drop you?

he’s suddenly too cool for you as if he hasn’t spent countless nights crying on your shoulder for any inconveniece that gets brought up

he can’t even meet your eyes :(((

that’s why graduation is the blandest and emptiest day you could recall

hoseok is over there with his bandmates looking the absolute hAPPIEST and you’re there by the corner.,.,. alone by yourself feeling like your cap has the words dropped by jung hoseok :D all over it

he’s at his peak and at the top of his life performing and touring, whenever and wherever

he’s happy

but without you in it :(

the irrational (and probably rational) part in your head is beyond infuriated at him because atleast offer an explanation!!! if you did wrong at one point, then he should tell you!!!

not suddenly pretend that you were nEVER in his life

even his mom feels guilty and ashamed over his son’s actions so she orders flowers from the shop signed underneath your company, then send it back to you

for awhile she tried to pretend that it was hoseok but no :((( that man will physically convulse if he doesn’t add (atleast) three hearts after his name

you hate him so much that you still religiously visit his instagram and wonder if he could see your likes despite a couple other million liking the same posts

you hate him so much that he’s number one on every single thing in your spotify wrapped 

you hate him sO much that you wonder who’s behind the songs his band plays and how you’d wish that you’d be the one he’s writing about

“is the cake that... perfect?”

nayeon gently places a hand on your shoulder to which you flinch and she backs off because christ i’m nOT taking the cake away from you!!!

oh my god why are you tearing up

“yeah, yeah! it’s so good. you should try it nayeon!” you’re scrambling to scrape up your plate, almost shoving the fork into her mouth as she squeals with the sudden attack

yoongi has ???? hovering around his head but this is nOT about you my man

he sneaks a look to the bride’s plate and uh-huh... yup..... she has the same moist chocolate fudge cake with coffee ganache on her alright

the topic of hoseok that you bring up to yourself, one that no one knows (not even nayeon!!!), is just something that never seems to vacate your mind fully

it’s been two years and you’re still so touchy and you dON’T KNOW WHY

he probably doesn’t even think about you when he’s drunk and bored

“this champagne must be so... nice?”

nayeon thinks out loud as you’re once again crying into doing your maid of honor duties

she’s a lil worried if she’s being honest but you always whisk her away when she’s about to ask

like right now :D

“are you-...”

“i just can’t believe you’re getting married!! wow, you’re so cool. with the love of your life. then the two of you could be cool together after the wedding. you aren’t gonna forget me once you’re married, are you? nayeon do you think that i would ever be married-...”

you should just accept it now :((

you’re a little bit of a mess and a half underneath your pantsuits and walkie-talkies and the special pride you’d carry whenever the couple mentions you in their wedding speeches

absolutely WHY in the hell do you think about hoseok when it comes to weddings???

it’s almost a pavlovian response when you instruct the people to open the doors and the bride to start walking and your mind would iNSTANTLY think about him

it’s sometimes awkward when the couple would ask ah !!!! ms. y/n u are such a world-renowned wedding planner !!!! your own wedding must’ve been magnificent :D

aha actually about dat.,.,

you get tons of gifts of gratitude from just a single client alone and you don’t have hoseok and his stupidly powerful arms to help carry boxes back to your car

you don’t have him to give untouched and left-over flowers to

you don’t have him to remind you when you’re getting a little ahead of yourself over just talking to sponsors and trying to squeeze in as much as you could for an initial budge

you don’t have hoseok, in all his glory, to put his hand on the small of your back when you’re talking to how you need the fireworks to start the moment the band starts playing ice ice baby and the vendor does nOT need to know why it’s the song chosen by the couple

it’s what he’d do when you’re trying to fit two semesters’ worth of notes into a pricey A3 notebook that you’ve bought 

and just how many weddings do you plan and coordinate, even within just a span of two week?

:)

a lot.

often.

you think about hoseok a lot. often. oftenly a lot.

but aha nOT TODAY!!!

today’s nayeon’s wedding and you’re not gonna ruin it for her by projecting your yearning into your best friend’s wedding that clearly isn’t yours

10/10 she’d probably stop reciting her vows to ask you why you’re sniffling

your only source of distraction is your gown!!!

your maid of honor is the absolute pRETTIEST and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t feel gorgeous in it

it’s floor-length silk!!! fLOOR-LENGTH !! SILK !! GOWN

it’s in a deep mauve with an off-shoulder situation and a little risqué bit of cleavage!!! cinches right at the top of your waist and poofs a little and oh my god mayhaps you aRE pretty

god hoseok may have not written you a song, but sean kingston dEFINITELY did

nayeon knew you’d be catching everyone’s attention as much as her wedding dress would and she’s absolutely happy and fine with it!! 

in fact she’s strategically practiced her throws for her bouquet so you’d catch it and your gown would nOt go to waste

having a wedding happen right where you are, but being in it as a guest instead of a planner, is just so much... calmer

you’re not fixing the chaos but you’re just watching it!!! if you feel a little more bubbly then you’re gonna partake in it hee-hee

yoongi’s actually not so bad

he could just be a little too lax which ends up with him being lost and distraught 

you could see so much of you in him when you were just starting out and it’s endearing actually

(( nayeon’s told you in passing that she once told yoongi that you were her best friend and he looked both intimidated and awed at the same time ))

the only thing you help yoongi with is sending him a thumbs-up every now and then and he perks uP because that’s the signal that he’s doing a good job and not fucking up

nayeon looks so beautiful and you’re already tearing up fixing her veil :((

you know how wedding photographers and videographers LOVE people crying???? they r probably eating your shit up so quick that you won’t be surprised if you take up atleast half of the same-day edit of their wedding film

there’s something so serene about the hecticness everyone’s indulged themselves in

you’re grinning when you walk down the aisle because you realize that omg you haven’t doNE this in a long time!!! 

the last time you did was testing out the aisle for a client that wanted it ala crazy rich asians and you had to walk back and forth cOLD-ASS water with damp rolled-up pant cuffs before they got the temperature and the levels right

nah you should definitely know how it’d be because after all :D you aRE the consultant for that scene in crazy rich asians :D no biggie :D

it’s such a serene blast to see everyone happy and in their element

you’re sitting the reception out bc yoongi very kindly pleaded to please give him notes and promising that he’d never tell it to anyone else

the whole planning process for nayeon and not oNCE did he bring a notebook..,., but he just hAPPENS to have one when you’re telling him how to say no to your client

“listen, you have to tell them in the sincerest way possible, that you tried everything. it gets them going when you tell them that you even pleaded with the vendors, but don’t go too low on your knees, alright? and then after that, you say a strict no. no, because their choice of flowers is absolutely sHIT for their tie-dye theme they’re so adamant about!”

yoongi has never listened so intently

not even when his roommate lists out their grocery checklist

“mhmm. and if they still push, should i give them an ultimatum? or tell them about a wedding that totally happened that did exactly what they were planning, and how much the guests hated it?”

okay nOW he’s talking

“what you do is...”

the buzz of the reception never really dies down because it’s barely even starting!! the couple’s still finishing up on their pictorial which gives everyone time to get to the venue and freshen up or get last-minute gifts lmao

you know that it’s starting when the band or the dj starts doing polished mic checks

mic check! one, two, three! sKRRRRRRRRRRRRRRA

no, no 

there’s something definitely wrong

the rolling and the lull of routine words just seem so familiar

mic check! J-A-Y! H-O-P-E! J-HOPE! jung-...

oh

my

fucking

gOD

that’s hoseok.

that is most dEFINITELY hoseok

you turn your back to see the stage set-up and god...... fuck

it’s someone you haven’t seen in the flesh for two years yet spent the years of your life with before that 

he looks sickening in his black mandarin-collared suit with thick white lining on it wITH his hair styled up and parted to the site

it’s even more sickening for you because you don’t actually know if you can mANAGE to be here

you’re standing up abruptly and yoongi squawks at that because he is the furthesT thing from being finished about asking how to make the guests arrive on time without holding a field trip assembly-like type of line with the megaphone

the fastest way out was dashing through the front part and you must have forgotten that hoseok has a knack for catching things with his perfectly good eyesight

“y/n?” 

ok what now

he mumbles your name to the mic, his eyebrows furrowing as his eyes trail the speed-walking speck of mauve from in front of him 

his little question to himself must have gotten people more than curious

they’re already mORE than curious because it’s his goddamn band that’s playing!!!! and the fees are not cheap and it’s practically impossible to book them!!!

but jungkook, their drummer, was a close friend of the groom’s and alright.,.,. okay maybe we CAN play at weddings now

ok hoseok’s mind is probably just playing tricks on him and he should finish setting up before the lights dim again for what they insist is the 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓬𝓴 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻

but then he can’t help but look oNE last time

then he sees the watch he’s gifted you on his wrist — one that he was supposed to give you at graduation but later made his mom give it to you instead and not say that it was from him

...

....

whew he might need his inhaler for this one and he doesn’t even hAVE asthma

oh my god what the hELL is hoseok doing here????

you haven’t seen him for two years, and the moment you do, it’s in your best friend’s wedding with no date present??

you’re clearly panicking and the only form of caffeine you’ve gotten is the pre-game of getting a few bites from the coffee ganache in nayeon’s wedding cake that she was munching on while getting her makeup done

you know what!! it’s fine

it’s totally fine :D

hoseok is just hoseok and you’re not gonna be intimated by the man you’ve been loving in the sidelines from practically your whole life :D

it’s not a big deal!

besides, people are looking for you bc you’re supposed to give the opening toast to welcome nayeon and her groom in

you’re walking, you’re talking, aaaaaaaand-

yeah this is not nOT a big deal

you’re crumbling from the inside out because seeing hoseok is just too painful after two years of wondering where you could’ve went wrong and what could’ve happened if the two of you didn’t fall out

you feel especially bitter when hoseok starts singing their famous song about love and everything in between

everyone’s sWOONING and on their feet and you’re literally just there vibrating with how furious you are

you keep downing the good champagne as iF it’s gonna get you drunk

yoongi has a clue that the server must be a little dizzy having to go and back forth to your table so he just offers his portion to you

you’re so goddamn busy and absorbed with loathing him that you don’t even turn your back to notice that his eyes keep flickering to you

even at the cheesiest lyric, hobi expects that you’d atleast LOOK at him for that one but nOOOO your champagne flute and the blondie beside you is just much more interesting

you’re buzzing with anger that you aren’t enjoying this reception At All

you fail to even recognize that nayeon’s intentionally had your favorite food to be served!!! and you have an extra portion delivered to your table!!!

you just want your suffering to eND wow absolutely how much longer could this go

you’re so busy with cussing the whole ordeal in your head that you didn’t even notice how the band isn’t playing anymore and instead everyone’s swooning over the cake

it’s lost in you that hoseok’s shooed yoongi from his chair, sitting right beside you and even scooting closer until his knees bump to your own

and that’s when it sinks in

hobi doesn’t even have time to tell you how beautiful you look because you’ve gone straight to seething him

“for the record, i want you to know that i hate you.”

...

:O

okay hoseok didn’t expect that

for all he knows, the two of you even vOWED to never say the h word even if it’s meant jokingly!!

it’s a lethal word and the two of you collectively agreed to never play with it in regards to saying to one another

but well here you are

you’re saying it as if you’ve never been more sure of anything in your whole life

you feel actually relieved to say it to him right to his face, a miniscule weight lifted from your shoulders while your arms are crossed just by looking at him

hoseok does you one better with a timid chuckle, looking down on his rings that he’s fiddling with nervously

“yeah. i hate me too.”

.... oh

you’re perplexed at his reply so much so that you’re speechless

you’ve been keeping to yourself what you should say to him the moment you see him for two years and now that he agrees to what you’ve just said.,.,.,

oh fuck that

“i hate you so much, hoseok! i don’t even know what i did wrong and i asked even your own mother what’s wrong with me! did you know that you are, without a doubt, so fucking selfish???”

you exclaim as quietly as you could but that doesn’t stop people from glancing because the two most-known people in the room, besides the bride and groom, are having what seems to be an... intimate conversation with how close the two of you are??

“did you even try once to consider how painful it was for me to wonder why i just am the way that i am? or is that even too big of an inconveniece for you to think about because you’re so busy?”

“did you suddenly get too big for me, huh?” you ask straightly without malice, not even thinking about the double meaning because clearly, you’re too PRESSED lightly jabbing your finger to his chest

right he deserves that

hoseok’s fucked up big-time, that much he knows

his eyes are actually stinging right now and he would ask you for your handkerchief that you used to always carry for him but uH he thinks he doesn’t deserve any of that

“why couldn’t you just tell me what was in your mind? you know that nothing would change whatever it was that-”

“i love you, okay?”

hoseok interrupts you with his mumble before he sets his eyes down once again on your watch

you’re speechless for long this time

“..... w-what?”

okay maybe he fucked up even more

“listen i-...”

“if you love me, a single text wouldn’t have hurt, hobi!!”

your chest doesn’t hurt anymore but it iS constricting with the amount of emotions and scenarios you’re trying to process

he’s kinda lost because oh my god you aren’t mAD anymore!!

and you don’t look fazed that he just declared his love for you

“i dropped you because i-i — i don’t want the people i love seeing me fuck up, y’know? i finished uni for the sake of it, and i didn’t even know if the band thing would work out!!”

“but baby it dID work out!!!!”

jesus christ hoseok may be a fucking iDIOT

you’re shaking him by the shoulders and he actually has to stand up so he wouldn’t fall by your ministrations

you feel so happy because your processing was just about to be finished, equal parts relieved and happy and maybe a tiny bit confused still

“it did work out because look at you now!! hobi, you could’ve just called me and i would’ve accepted the call before it even rings!!” you’re happily frustrated with him that you push him until the two of you are in the dance floor, his mouth curving up both in disbelief and giddiness

“i didn’t because i thought-...”

he’s interrupted by a swift and tight hug to his middle, his arms moving on their own to envelope you in his warmth

the top of your head still smells the same :D

his purpose is lost before he gathers his bearings once again, freezing in his stance before weakly attempting to push you off

“... you were married.”

the harsh sQUINT of your eyes you’re giving him prompt him to explain

why is he so nervous

“i-i go to your instagram? and well you uh, you posted this pic of you in the middle of the aisle???? you had your back turned and your silhouette’s seen then you were holding a bouquet!!! then after that, i-i never opened your account. jesus christ, is your husband here with you, y/n? what am i supposed to-...”

the realization’s starting to sink into hoseok because it’s something he’s shoved to the back of his head and now he’s seeing it straight-on

you’re throwing your head back laughing at him :D

great

now he’s both heartbroken AND a fool

there’s a gentle kiss on his cheek, one he didn’t expect and one he doesn’t hate

“i’m a wedding planner.”

god now this is just so fucking funny

the two of you fell out and remained distanced because of just a series of unprecedented miscommunications!!! 

the whole thing is so ridiculous that it actually feels light and relieving to talk about

“you’re.... a wedding planner,” he mumbles once again for confirmation, his loose arms around your waist now tightening

oh my god

hoseok starts chuckling to himself out of delight, turning to full-on cackles with you at how much the two of you have just been beside each other like parallel lines

“i need to make up the past two years to you.”

he declares seriously as a promise, pressing a tender wet kiss to your cheek that gets you giggling

“only if you write me a song,” you do him one better, kissing him on the corner of his mouth 

“don’t you know that most of them are about you? anyways, you should plan our wedding once it happens,” he’s forward with his words, having waited long enough that he nuzzles his nose to yours

:D

you’re gonna do him one even better

you’re gonna go right for the kill, the truth spilling out of you before you kiss him longingly, for the first time that it feels that it’s been something you’ve always yearned for

“don’t you know that you’re in my mind for every single one?”

[tsuki-sennin]

Aight, fuck it, I'll watch the Hyper Battle DVD.

Uhhhh, I heard that this was pretty cringe, but also it has a Build-based form. Kamen Rider Build is one of my all time favorite TV shows in general so I feel obligated by my fanboy nature to watch it, I like kangaroos, I don't particularly feel like doing anything else, so I say why not?

Spoilers, I guess...

-IKKI, WHO DAT

-Auntie Vice, what the fuck is happening?

-Terebi-kun~!

-Giraffe! Looks... weirdly familiar. ...and uh, I know that Vice disliked the original design of the Jackal Genome, but this looks even lamer. Kinda makes Vice look like a Rokurokubi. Or Lesser Dog from Undertale.

-Chicken? Pyo-pyo?

-Ahhhh, there it is. Kangaroo. I... heard a lot of unkind things about this form. Revi looks cool but... why tho.

-Wow, George continues to get his revenge for Vice's criticisms of his design sense by proving him right.

-DUNG BEETLE!? Oh, that's just cruel.

-Ok, I hear this takes place between Episode 16 and 21? That's quite the nebulous period for Hyper Battle Time, huh?

-Kenta, buddy, we gotta

-Kicked out for being cringe. ...I suspect I'm gonna have to boo pretty loudly at one point.

-Hi Sakura~!

-Koalas are very lazy sons of bitches. They don't even get off their eucalyptus trees to eat other plants! They've been on them for so long that they evolved to basically only eat those leaves!

-Whoop that bitch.

-Muteki~!

-You're welcome~!

-"Thanks :D ...who dat?"

-Ikki, do not disrespect Commander Kadota like that >:O

-Ikki feels very strongly about these weddings.

-Vice, your ships are pretty wack.

-...I do appreciate your fashion sense, though.

-Oooooh, a suit! ...for Aguilera, perhaps?

-Aw, boooo! Not AgiSaku! And on a lesser note, that dress does not look for you Vice. Also WHAT WHAT THE HELL MAN

-Why is goddamn Amazing Grace play at this wedding? This song is for wakes and memorial services

-Father George seems very horny for this fake wedding.

-This special is way too weird, man

-Ohhhhh! Dai-chan! Now you're slaying in that dress!

-Oiiii, Sakura, please.

-...I... am quite uncomfroatble.

-GEORGE STOP

-HEY DEADMAN WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU

-KOALA FINALLY

-OK! I think the worst of it is finally over!

-Y'know, George, I think that's a fourth wall break, but I don't think the higher-ups were against this for the reason you're assuming.

-...no, I'm not bringing up Makoto and Kanon, fuck you.

-BRUUUGH HWHYYYYYYYY

-This was a terrible idea, why the fuck did I do this.

-Oh yeah, because I wanna boost engagement

-GEORGE SHUT THE FUCK UP

-KAGERO THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE

-You got 'im!

-DUDE TOOK THE DRIVER

-Where Deadman at?

-OH THAT'S THE DEADMAN

-A babby. It's actually pretty cute looking!

-...oh god.

-Aaaaaand, off he goes!

-Kabedon...

-I think

-Kan-Kan-Kangaroo~!

-Ahhhh, Vice does Fleming's right-hand rule~! That's adorable~!

-...this babby Vice Kangaroo Genome would be too, but uh... we've truly reached our lowest point in Revice so far.

-Best Match~!

-Oh, this looks like the Zenkai Bean Theater. That's a cute touch I guess.

-Australian hell.

-I wonder. When Subaru Kimura and Kentaro Maeda were doing the ADR for these scenes. Did they hear the synopsis before what I assume was the table reading? Did they rehearse it a lot? Did they think this was comedy gold?

-Wow, I am so glad that this guy's wedding business magically repaired itself after Sakura killed that Koala guy the first time and nothing else happened in the past ten minutes of runtime~!

-VICE WHYYYY

-...that "Kobu" oozes contempt.

-Yes! I saw everything! And I feel very bad about it~!

-Kuzu!

-Oh, if that's the case, then Aguilera absolutely will be kicking your ass soon enough~!

-Oh, Dai-chan.

-Oh my god, Kirin, Niwatori, and... Funkorogashi(?) are Grease, Cross-Z, and Rogue! ...that feels like a slap in the balls.

-Well, this Hyper Battle Special had everything about it that I loved about Build! It had very silly and fun comedy in between scenes that made me feel almost overwhelming despair, it featured unusually matched abilities used to great effect, it was very gay, and it will likely make me very sad every time I think about it~!

-Okay, I'd like to extend my deepest apologies to Ms. Ayumi Shimo, she usually does way better than this, I assume Toei handed her an outline of what she had to do for this episode and she had to do the best she could with it. Her work on Kasouken no Onna and Lupin III Part 6 is fantastic, please go check those out if you haven't, I promise that this isn't a reflection of her work.

Oh, and I know I don't use images or gifs or anything like that in these posts, but...

[brooklynislandgirl]

S: SWEETHEART. did your muse have a childhood sweetheart? / M: MOONLIGHT. what is your muse’s ideal date?

Valentine ABCs || -

The look on Ben's face is dubious. Has been since she invited him to climb into the water with her. She wonders if it's the self-awareness that comes with being watched as he starts to undress with grudging slowness. The twitch of his corner of his mouth and the quaint way he looks and then looks away when she rises from the water in full Botticelli radiance. The bubbles help preserve her modesty and his. His bones melt seemingly in the same fashion as his resolve and he sinks down, down, down. Becomes her bedrock sand and she layers herself against him. The oversized antique tub accommodates them both and the water retains surprising heat. Like magick. As is so often the case when Ben doesn't know what to do with himself, he begins conversations mid-thought. Pathways of imagination she doesn't always follow whether because she missed half of what he said or because he arrives at them in a round about way as so often artists and madmen do. Sometimes she's not sure which he is, sometimes she think he's both, and either way, he's beautiful. "Da shark," she answers. She doesn't have to explain which one. Ben is now so familiar with her that he understands the kapu she places on her scar and from there it's easy to extrapolate the villain of the piece."Didn' know den what it meant t' be wanted to da point of consumption. What hunger and need makes of us. Dat it was all gonna be a stark contrast f' da rest of my life, ya know? Den, I only understood how fast it had been, how sleek, an' how kinda sad I nevah got t' really...interact wi' it." She winds her fingers through his.

"Andy use t' say I was stupid, no can have shark sweetheart. I t'ought he was stupid for t'inking you could only love human kine. Our old ways teach dat aut'ority is based on seniority from da major gods to da youngest child, an' dat an elder braddah's aut'ority over da younger could be challenged only when da elder acted wi' unwarranted cruelty or against cultural norms of acceptable behaviour. We used t' disagree a lot, but mos'ly about dat. I guess mebbe he was da first one to realise I was-" Broken. "-Different. Older I got...I nevah really branched out dat way. I had a couple friends ~boys an' girls~ I was pretty close to, but mos' people in my life were Andy's friends an' I jus' kind of tag along. An' mebbe da reason I should be apologisin' to you, huh?" ~*~ She drains some of the water using only her toes to lift the stopper then put it back in place. Same thing she does with the taps to refill the tub and to revive the bubbles. Monkey-toes, Andy used to say when they were little. Beth would counter that it made her good at surfing. Ben doesn't really need to know that, though. Those days are too lost to a time and place she can never go back to, and dwelling in them are meant for private moments where she doesn't have to worry about maintaining appearances.

"Probably sometime in April or September. When dere's enough light and warm in da air ya probably not gonna die of hypot'ermia, but is still softness, da promise of rain in da air an' nature's offerin' her first flowers or last fruits." She knows it's an old joke but there's truth in it even if she hopes to make him smile. "Sometimes I...I just like mindlessly ridin' traisn wi' you. No destination or purpose. Riddem of da rails beneath us, sometimes sharin' music on eiddah side of a single pair headphones. Like goin' t museums an' zoos, too. An' sometimes... okay, mos' times...jus' like curl up on an' around you. Feel your skin on mine. Lissen t' what your body says when you're head is too too full. Sounds creepy when I say it aloud, yeah?" The truth is that Beth doesn't really need much; in some ways she's like a human succulent. A little light, a little water in those few and far between moments, and she's grateful, satisfied with what she is given. "I'm hones'ly happy jus' bein' in your orbit, ya know?" The slightest pause. "Do you....wish I was different?" Better.

[trashboatprince]

Since I’m still in a sci-fi mood (along with, like, monsters and romance stuff too, but that’s always there), and I haven’t been able to really... make any new written content recently, I decided to rework an old one-shot I wrote for the space pirate au with how my Henry, Hugo, met Bendy in it.

I honestly don’t remember if I ever posted it here, I know I posted it on discord for my friends to read, but I’m posting up a better version here. Plus, rewriting an old drabble might help me get back into the swing of things when it comes to writing! Especially since I’ve got a zine entry to work on. 

As always, Hugo is a half human/half alien (Asterian), and he’s fourteen in this. Bendy is a being from another universe or dimension, it’s unclear where Bendy’s from, but he’s a demon.

Asterians are a race of aliens that have the ability to travel through the vacuum of space with no need to breathe and have bioluminescent skin, but because Hugo is part human, he can’t last as long in space as he should.

On with the fic!

--

Hugo had lost count of how long he had been left on this stupid hunk of space rock, but he knew that he would probably be dead in due time. 

He considered that he’s probably got about an hour or two left, and knowing the Butcher Gang, they’ll either show up last minute to watch him suffer before putting him back on the ship, or they’ll just let him perish. They’re real jackasses like that.

At least he took his sketchbook with him after they threw him off the ship for their own enjoyment, but still, not much to draw when all around him was just inky darkness and a weak light source from a distant star. 

He sighed, soundless, his skin gently flashing a neon green, starting from his face down to his fingertips.

“Dat’s a real fancy trick ya can do, kid.”

Hugo’s eyes widened and he turned, shocked to have heard a voice, when he normally couldn’t hear anything in the vacuum of space. He was surprised to see something moving in the darkness of space around him. Something shifted, specks of lights moving around in front of him, before something formed. It looked like a wide, cartoon-ish smile, and from there a whiteness started to spread, forming an odd shape. Then two black, nearly full ovals, with little cuts in them, appeared in the white. It was a face!

“Hiya!” The face greeted in a childish voice, though clearly accented. The shape got closer and as it stepped onto the rock with Hugo, the half-human saw a shape form.

The darkness of space took on legs, oddly shaped, along with a long tail, them a small body that was sorta shaped like a bean. Arms with clawed hands followed, and the face seemed to have more of a head shape to it, though clearly shaped like a strange crescent form. The blackness of the body was covered in what looked like stars, twinkling and flashing, a variety of colors.

“What?” The strange creature asked. “Ya not gonna greet me?”

Hugo frowned, gesturing to his throat and then opened his mouth before shaking his head, his skin flashing involuntarily.

“Ah, right,” The creature nodded, frowning, “ya guys in dis universe can’t talk in da vacuum of space. Hold on.” 

He snapped his fingers, the snap actually made a sound, and a bubble surrounded the whole rock. Hugo let out a surprised laugh, before slapping a hand over his mouth, blinking. “W-what?”

“Just a li’l trick, super easy to do!” A grin formed on the other’s face. “It’s made outta natural gases dat drift around us, can’t just make it all, ya know, willy-nilly, but it’s super simple! So, what’s yours dat mine’s Bendy!”

Hugo had to take a moment to register what this guy, Bendy, has said. “It’s, uh, it’s Hugo.” He replied, coughing, trying to sound deeper than he naturally was. 

“Hugo, huh?” Bendy grinned brightly. “Nice to meet’cha! So, whatcha doin’ out here in an asteroid belt? Not really a social spot fer ya... what are you?”

“I dunno.” Hugo shrugged. “Human and somethin’ else, I reckon. What exactly are you?”

“Demon!”

“Demon? You mean, like, those human monsters?”

Bendy snorted loudly at this. “Pah-lease! Nonononononono- weeeellll... yes? No? Maybe so! Hard to tell, I mean, demons an’ angels aren’t technically natural to dis dimension, but we exist! We’ve been to Earth! I’ve been there, a number of times, really nice, an’ kinda bad, but it’s got lots of fun stuff there! Ya ever been?”

Hugo shook his head. “No, never really been in that area of the galaxy. Been, uh, stuck in situations were I don’t get to pick where I go.”

The grin slipped on Bendy’s face, as if he was reading the situation and figured out what Hugo was referring to. “Ah, I getcha. Still, maybe you’ll get to see it! It’s pretty neat!” The grin returned and cosmic eyes glanced to the sketchbook resting next to Hugo. “Oh! Ya draw?”

There was a nod, and Bendy asked to see. Hugo let him and Bendy started to look at the sketches and drawings Hugo’s done over the past few months. He seemed rather excited and giddy about them, chatting and pointing out what he loved, or pointed out what was good but could use some improvement.

It was... kinda nice, Hugo thought as he sat there, listening to Bendy ramble on and on. He hadn’t really had anyone to talk to in ages, not since his escape from his previous life and being cabin boy on the Butcher Gang’s ship didn’t give him much respect from anyone onboard, so having a strange being this excited to talk to him was like a breath of fresh air.

“So, why are ya sittin’ on this floatin’ rock, Hugo?” Bendy asked after a while, when their conversation had turned into small talk and such.

“I got left behind for no good reason by the Butcher Gang, they’re the pirates I ‘work’ for.” Hugo stuck out his tongue, making a face. “They’re a bunch of lowlife bastards, is what they are! I bet I could be a better pirate than them any day!” 

“You wanna be a pirate?”

“Yeah!” Hugo got to his feet, grinning. “I wanted to be a ranger when I was a kid, but I think a pirate would be cooler! Better! I can make a name for myself, I can rule the skies in my own ship! One day, I’ll have my name known across the galaxy! People will fear the name Hugo, no more lookin’ down on me and thinkin’ I’m just some freak or useless mutt!”

Bendy stared at him for a moment, quietly, and Hugo suddenly felt self conscious, before Bendy’s grin grew even bigger than it had before, nearly face splitting. His eyes sparkled with stars, brightly, it was so strange. “That... SOUNDS AMAZIN’! Can I join!? Can I be part of yer crew, Hugo!?”

Hugo was a bit caught off-guard by this. “You... you wanna be part of my crew? Why?”

“Cause dat sounds like so much fun! Look, I’m a drifter, I explore wherever I drift to, but dat gets so borin’ after so long! An’ bein’ a space pirate sounds like a blast! I’ll help you escape, an’ you an’ I can go on a bajillion adventures together!”

Bendy shoved his hand out at Hugo, smiling. “I’ll make yer dreams come true, Hugo. If ya want mah help.”

“...” Hugo looked at the offered hand. “What do you get outta this? No offense, but from what I know about demons, they like to make deals.”

“None taken.” Bendy shrugged, casually. “I getcha, not easy to trust a demon, we do have a rep fer deals an’ da like, kinda ruins it fer the honest demons like me. But listen, all I want outta this is a fun life! An’ I think yer just da guy to make dat happen.” He winked and Hugo chuckled.

“Alright, you’ve got a deal, Bendy!” Hugo took the offered hand with manic glee.

--

“Wait, you just... took the deal? Just like that?” Harrison asked, raising an eyebrow. “Did you not consider that it could have been a trick?”

“Honestly?” Hugo shrugged. “I considered that, yeah, but Bendy sounded honest, and somethin’ about him screamed ‘he’ll be the most important friend you’ll ever have’. And I was right.”

Hugo chuckled, rubbing at his right palm, where black mark was in his skin, like a tattoo. It was Bendy’s mark, meant for protection and connection. Harrison had asked about it, had asked how Hugo had even met Bendy, and the pirate decided to tell him.

“Do you regret it?” Harrison asked as he looked at the mark.

“Nope, never have, never will. Bendy and I are friends till the end.”

“I see... wait, how the heck did you two become father and son then?”

“Oh, see, now that’s a really funny story! So, when I was fifteen...”

--

It had been a slip from Bendy, by the way, he has accidentally called Hugo ‘dad’ and then it sorta just stuck around. Hugo has embraced the role of dad with his whole being, especially since he can get away with dad jokes now.

But yeah, here’s how these two met in this au! 

Harrison is my friend inkspottie’s Henry, by the way. 

[vixenpen]

Homie, Lover, Friend (Bakugo x Black! (F)Reader x Deku)

Pt. 1

(This is the second part in a series. Reader-Chan is black and hood coded)

The walk to the cafe had given you time to clear your head. Unfortunately, your body hadn’t quite gotten the memo. Because the way Bakugo had looked at you...the way he touched you... It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make you see your friend in a different light.

It wasn’t as if you didn’t find Bakugo cute. Hell, since he’d grown up, developed his style, and started getting piercings, you had to admit your bestie was a whole ass snack. It also wasn’t lost on you that he may have had a slight crush on you. Hell, you’d seen the way he looked at you when he thought you weren’t paying attention. You may have had a teensie little crush back even, but you always thought it was just innocent. Just a surface level attraction that would never go beyond light flirting.

Was he seriously trying to make a play for your hand? If the predatory way he had stared at your lips was any indication...whew. You had to calm the hell down. You had a date with Izuku, another little cutie that you’d been crushing on for years.

In fact, said cutie was waving at you from the sidewalk as you made your way towards the line of shops and restaurants.

“Hey, y/n!”

“Wassup Zuzu?”

He pulled you into a hug that had you pressed into his hard chest.

Ok, Zuzu...

You thought as you felt his pecs flexing against you. You couldn’t believe the once shy little green haired kid had grown into this confident, fit, and frankly fine as hell, fledgling hero.

“Okay, Zuzu! I see you, boo. All fine and shit.”

He blushed, scratching his green curls. That was more like the Izuku you had grown up with.

“Haha, thanks, y/n. I could say the same about you. You look really pretty.”

You gave him an appreciative smile.

He held open the door to the cafe “After you.”

The two of you settled into a cushiony booth in the back of the shop and placed your orders.

“So, Mr. Big Shot Hero, I ain’t heard from you in a while,” you nudged his leg under the table with your foot. “Wassup? Too busy being famous to hit a bitch up now?”

“I would hardly call myself a hero! I’m just a sidekick, but yeah, I guess it does keep me busy.”

“Clearly,” you pouted. “Too busy for little old me.”

“N-no! Never, y/n. I-I’ve been wanting to reach out to you.” He grabbed your hand across the table. “I’ve missed you a lot, but that’s not an excuse.”

“Zuzu, chill, I’m just playin! I know you’re busy living your best life as a hero,”

Izuku started to correct you, but you cut him off.

“You’re a hero in my book, Deku, so get used to the title.”

He chuckled. “If you say so, y/n.”

“Anyway, boo, I’m just glad we’re finally hangin out-“

“On a date.” Izuku corrected you with a smile.

“On a date.” You smiled back. “See?” You reaches across the table to smack his forearm. “Why can’t you say that you’re a hero with that same confidence?”

“Because,” Deku grabbed your hand, gently, “I’m still working on the hero thing.”

He brushed his thumb along your knuckles.

“But I already succeeded on getting a date with you.”

He kissed your knuckles gently.

Lord Jesus...

Since when did sweet little Deku, get so much big dick energy? And better yet, could he back it up?

You tried to think of a cheeky response, but much like with Bakugo earlier, your mind was failing you.

Thankfully, your cherub cheeked waitress appeared with your order.

“Here you are, you two. The high tea!”

She announced, sitting down a 3-tiered platter piled high with mini sandwiches, cheeses, and tartlets in front of them. A second waitress followed suit with a cup of rose tea for you and chai tea for Deku.

“Oooh! This is so cuuute!” You squealed whipping out your phone. You snapped a quick aesthetic pic for the gram and then another of yourself much to Deku’s amusement.

“Got the shot?” He asked.

“Yessir. Angles n awl uh dat!”

He chuckled.

“So,” He started, “hows your work under Midnight going?”

“It’s been pretty dope actually! Midnight has been training me on how to kick ass and on the art of seduction.” You wiggled your brows.

“Well, you don’t need help on that.”

Apparently not, since I got you and Boombastic thirsting over me...

“No, but it doesn’t hurt to refine my skills. Not to mention, Midnight is way more kick ass than I originally realized. Like, if she wanted to rank higher, she totally could, you can tell she’s just coasting.”

Izuku predictably perked up at the hero talk, his green eyes brightening a little more.

“Oh yeah, Midnight is amazing. She’s much more skilled than people give her credit for, but she’s underestimated due to the nature of her quirk and the way she dresses.”

“I know right!” You exclaimed. “Like, I dead ass saw her take out eight villains even when her quirk wasn’t functioning properly.”

“Aw man, I would have loved to see that!”

“It was so dope. I’ve definitely upped my fighting skills learning from her.”

“Well, from what I’ve seen and heard, you’re doing amazing. I don’t think you could have chosen a better mentor.”

“Says you, Mr. I-work-for-the-number-one-hero.”

“Hey, who better to learn from if I’m gonna be the number one hero one day?“

You cocked a brow at Izuku’s bold declaration, and A blush rose on his freckled cheeks. He scratched his head.

“Oh jeez, I sound like Kacchan, don’t I?”

“Yeah, you do.”

“Speaking of, Kacchan, does he uh...know about us?”

You chuckled nervously. “Well, now he does.”

“How did he take it?” Izuku inquired as he munched in a sandwich.

“He asked me to cancel it and threatened to kill you.”

“Sounds about right.” Izuku snorted.

“And that was before he figured out who I was going out with.”

“Yikes. Guess I’ll get started on my will. Anything you want y/n?”

You giggled.

“Don’t worry, I told him he doesn’t own me and I can go out with who ever I want.”

“Trust me, y/n, I’m not worried about someone whose not in my position right now.”

“Damn Zuzu, it’s like that?”

“Hey,” he shrugged, “it is what it is. Now are you gonna eat that strawberry tartlet?

You and Deku spent the remainder of your date feeding each other the little tarts, laughing, and joking.

By the time you guys left the cafe and made it back to your apartment hand in hand, it was nightfall.

“I’m glad we went out tonight, Zuzu, this was hella fun.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, y/n.” Izuku smiled down at you.

“I almost forgot how much fun you are—ya know, since you turned into a stranger and all.” You gave him a playful nudge.

“Well, You let this stranger take you on a date and walk you home. So, I’m guessing you like him, huh?” He nudged you, playfully.

“Well...he kinda cute or whateva, so I guess I’ll keep him around for now.”

“Good.” Deku replied.

As The two of you stopped in front of your front door, he pulled you into him, arms around your waist.

“I’m gonna work on making that ‘forever.’”

Before you could think up a reply, his lips landed on yours; soft and sweet and warm.

Your eyes fluttered close at the gentleness of his touch. You melted into the kiss, returning it hungrily. Just as you began to lose yourself in the moment, Deku pulled back.

He gazed down at you for a beat before finally kissing your nose.

“Night baby.”

Baby?????

“G-goodnight, Izuku.” You whispered.

With that, he left.

[emiefaunwrites]

Hey there! Kazuichi x Fuyuhiko is such an adorable ship and I feel like I don’t really see enough of it. I gotta know how they ended up together! I wonder if maybe Taka or Leon helped as well haha! Or if you don’t wanna do a first date one yet, how about their first meeting? Gaaaah they’re so cute together!

Heyyy!

Ahhhh I know right? I read some fics back in the day and just thought they were super cute! And it's nice to write about different ships for a change! (Brain has fixated on Byakuya x Hiro at the moment ahhhhh)

So yeah! Happy to delve into this pairing some more! Expand my horizon, after all! Thank you for the ask! Hope you enjoy!

***********************

• Kazuichi Soda is a guy that falls in love fast.

• He's got zero self esteem but plays it off as if he does.

• (Leon vibes much?)

• He flies through crushes, taking each rejection hard but bouncing back as soon as he can.

• But thers's just one he can't quite shake.

• Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu.

• He has NO idea what it is about this guy that he likes.

• Maybe its because he's tough and brash and rude.

• Maybe it's because he just wants to pick him up and cuddle him tight.

• Or maybe it's because he smiled at him one day and it gave Kaz butterflies.

• Either way, he's crushing hard on the little yakuza and has NO idea what to do.

• Fuyuhiko's quite obviously straight - always hanging around with that Peko girl (who straight up frightens Kaz, if he's totally honest).

• And even though he's not ACTUALLY been rejected, he can't bounce back the way he used to.

• Especially not when Fuyuhiko asks him to a friendly coffee in a totally, no-homo way.

• WHAT IS KAZ GONNA DO?!

• It's really freaking tough to deal with - and so.he often has to go sob in the boy's toilets.

• Which is where he bumps into his underclassman and friend, Leon Kuwata and ends up sobbing pathetically about his lame crush that he can't get rid of.

• Now Leon, a little high off his own happy relationship, is desperate to see his friend happy.

• You see he's in the know that the yakuza has a little bit of a sweet spot for his friend.

• Good old Mondo, the gossipy bastard!

• So they set about concoting a plan. A plan that is sure not to fail.

• They'll BOTH arrange to meet their respective friend at the same place, the same time.

• And they'll BOTH pull out with some lame excuse and let the sparks fly!

• Well, it fails.

• Without actually being at the place to make sure they ended up at the EXACT same place, Kaz and Fuyuhiko didn't spot each other and went home grumpy.

• Okay - Plan B.

• ACTUALLY meet them there and THEN bail.

• Nope. Didn't work.

• Kaz got food poisoning so didn't show up so the three of them just hung out instead.

• Leon and Mondo were getting SUPER frustrated by this point - wondering why they can't get these idiots together.

• And in the end, it all happens naturally.

• While Mondo and Leon grumble in secret around a table at lunchtime, they entirely miss the fact that Fuyuhiko has shown up at Kaz's table, face bright red.

• 'Go out with me.'

• Everyone goes quiet (apart from Mondo and Leon, who are still concocting a plan) and waits for Kaz to answer.

• The poor boy's brain has melted.

• 'Huh?'

• 'Go out with me, dumbass.'

• '...Me?'

• 'Well I'm looking at YOU, aren't I?'

• 'You...you wanna go out...with ME?!'

• 'Fucking forget it...'

• If only Mondo and Leon had been paying attention, they would have seen Fuyuhiko stomp away, Gundham PUSH Kaz up and out of the chair and heard the squeal of W-WAIT as Kaz finally runs after him.

• But no. They see none of this. Instead hatch another genius plan.

• What they'll do lock them in a cleaning closet until they make out.

• Foolproof.

• Until Leon sees them walking hand in hand in the hallway later that dat - making him stop dead (to Taka's confusion).

• 'When did that happen?!'

• 'At lunch.'

• 'WHAT?!'

• 'You were right in front of them! How didn't you see?!'