#he's no more pure evil than daisuke is pure good

[dnangelic]

one thing unchanging ideal did right was make dark sound absolutely terrifying sometimes. not that it'll do anything to daisuke because it's daisuke but still, good stuff

[solradguy]

Please at some point if you can write about how those 2 panels in beginning and what they mean to you the begin content is always so good and also really enjoy how rough the drawings where for it UGH

Yess god I love Begin so much. Honestly, it's like a 7/10 star scifi novel at best; it's a pretty standard "guy gets monsterified by evil science" plot. But Sol/Frederick means so much to me and that book did more for his characterization than almost any other piece of GG media has before or since, imo.

I picked this thing apart like a carcass so readmore because it goes on for miles. A thorough dump of my thoughts on what I have labeled as "begin pic 12" in my GG Begin scans folder. Vague suicide mention warning for when I start talking about the personal stuff near the middle.

What I love about those two panels is that it's the first time we get to see Sol after he gets turned into a Gear and it's a downtime moment. It's 6 months after Asuka betrayed him and he just finished whatever mechanical process was required to complete the first Gear cell suppressor headband. He's actually unplugging it in the second panel on the left. There's a third panel below these where he's picking up the headband and there's a strong focus on how monstrous and gross his hand is as an effect of the Gear cells, but it's not quite as interesting as the first panel here.

It's so small. This is the only time we ever see or hear a (canon) description of what Sol's personal living space looks like. They DO show him at some kind of house at the end of Strive, but it's barely fleshed out. There aren't that many details or strong hints in that scene like there are here.

I've talked about this potted plant in the window a lot, it's my favorite detail in this illustration.

It's not clear what kind of plant it is though. Maybe some kind of succulent with how stiff and solid the leaves look? Something Sol doesn't have to worry too much about taking care of—low effort in case he has to leave for a long time or forgets to water it. But like... Where did he get this plant? The building he's living in is described as a rusty shack out in the middle of nowhere, so I doubt the plant was there when he moved in. He must've picked it up somewhere and brought it back. Why?

Sol calls himself a monster multiple times throughout Begin and it's pretty clear how keenly aware he is of his rapidly vanishing humanity. He knows his time is running out and he's trying to slow it down by making the limiter headband but that's only a temporary fix. Asuka betrayed him, Aria might be dead (or worse), he can't even blend in with normal humans anymore, and the only animals that are like him are mindless war machines. Sol is completely and absolutely alone.

Except he's got that plant.

The plant doesn't have feelings, it can't judge him. If he goes mad and becomes a rampaging animal like the bear Gear at the end of Begin, the plant won't know or care. Sol got that plant from somewhere and whether he takes care of it or not, it's something else for him to think about. A single purely organic thing in his rusty, machine-littered, shack. If he can't bring himself to do anything else on a given day, if the Gear cells are screaming too loudly and he just wants to say fuck it all and rip everything apart, he's got that tiny little potted thing that only needs sunlight and water. Daisuke probably didn't even think about it that hard when he was designing this scene, but I have hahah I appreciate this little plant. There is a lot of thought put into the layout of the things on Sol's desk though, so perhaps Daisuke did have a motive putting the plant there too.

Sol's desk space is about what you'd expect. A tiny toolbox under the light, notes, wires, balled up scrapped papers, books (likely on magic and software engineering, probably something on wiring), the corkboard up above that has a map with marked out locations that are implied to be locations of places Asuka might have gone since the research lab him, Sol, and Aria worked at exploded (referenced in the epilogue). The rolled tubes on the right may be maps or computer schematics for Sol to reference for making the suppressor.

Based on the position of his hands in the other panels, that thing near his elbow must be whatever was compiling something onto the suppressor headband. I don't know what those are directly in front of him by that dark tower. They look sort of like computer chips/boards? Too low detail to know for sure.

The rest of the scene around his desk are just cabinets and drawers without much unique/outstanding detail. Nothing unique or outstanding enough to base anything off of, just set pieces.

For purely personal reasons, I love this illustration because I spend a lot of time sitting at my own cluttered, dimly lit, desk working on projects that keep me sane haha. Sol's arc through Begin is relatable too, in a way, with regards to gender and body stuff. It's easy to read a lot of the Gear things as an allegory for transitioning for people that didn't have a very smooth transition or that took a long time to accept that's what they are. I fell into that latter category for a long time. Once puberty hit, I realized that I didn't want to be like a woman, but being trans was bad? All depictions of trans people that I knew were jokes or were things like drag, and none of them were women into men. I didn't know a single depiction of a trans man until I went looking for it myself as an adult. They were all tomboys that rescinded their masculinity and became petite girls in pastels. Or they were villains that died and were made fun of.

So. I just didn't know you could do it. I thought that maybe there were just never any women that felt like men or that they were something other than a woman. There was no one to talk to about it, no resources to look up, I hated myself over it because it was a bad thing meant to be kept to yourself. I grew my hair really long to cover my chest and only wore baggy/layered clothes to smooth out my unfortunately curvy waist. On top of this, I have also been 6'5" since I was about 14. I didn't fit in with the women at school because they saw me as a man and I didn't fit in with the men because, biologically, I was a woman. Through all of this, I had to move with my mom across the country to live with a literal nazi because I knew if I didn't, she'd do something stupid (I was right in that she didn't want to because I was there). My friends wanted me to stay and live with my dad but I didn't know how to tell them that I couldn't. I didn't tell them when I was leaving and just left.

I had no friends, no one else was physically like me, there was nothing for me to relate to or find inspiration in. I don't know what kept me going, in hindsight. Everything pissed me off all of the time. All I had was my sick cat, metal playlists, and art. Man, did I have art though.

My art teacher let me skip Art 2 to go from Art 1 directly into Advanced Placement Art (AP Art) because I was graduating that year and she saw potential in me. For our AP Art final portfolios, we had to do a certain set of pieces with fixed themes (portrait, abstract, specific mediums, life study, etc) and then another set of something like 12 that were wholly original illustrations connected through a single, personal, theme. The theme for my original pieces was that monsters have no friends because they're big and scary and no one else is like them, but that they still need love because they're just trying to find their place in the world. Lol. I wish I still had the short essay I wrote about it, but it was so long ago...

I don't really know what was keeping Sol going at the end of Begin either, when he's living in that shack so far from his own home, alone. But I get it though. Sometimes something activates in the human spirit when shit's got it out bad for you that makes you want to keep going. It ended up working out for me. My mom's still alive, I have friends again and I know who I am now despite being a weird biological anomaly. It's working out pretty well for Sol now too, it seems, despite it all.

[spatio-rift]

basically i just dont like the orpheus etc plot and like kids working to bring out the good in kageyama, saying that hed actually been manipulated by a bigger evil for 40 years and then killing him so hes only remembered as a good guy. HOWEVER if it had to go that way then i like the way the game goes about it better bc it just involves more people that are connected go kageyama.

like not only does it explain better WHY fideo would try so hard to help even though kageyama hurt his teammates and he knows abt him from what kidou told him (his father was similarly destroyed by soccer so he understands how kageyama feels abt soccer somewhat), but it also involves kidou who is the only kid kageyama used that actually had some good moments with him bc he was raised by the man. so when fideo says they can make kageyama face his feelings for soccer kidou decides to help bc. yeah. dudes been wishing for it deep down since he first separated from kageyama. and its not gonna fix everything but itd be nice you know?

BUT EVEN MORE RHAN THAT AHHH i like that it also involves hibiki and daisuke.... who knew him as a kid before garshield put his claws in him. when onigawaras asking who was behind everything, who helped him commit his crimes etc, kageyama initially doesnt say anything but when he turns around and sees daisuke staring at him he confesses everything. i just like that u can tell hes feeling guilty about everything that happened to daisuke, his coach, that he still clearly respects him etc. very short moment but man i liked it so much.

and hibikis comments all throughout the match like, he cant forgive him for everything he did and he cant forgive him for hurting these kids. but clearly he had a high opinion of him as a kid when they played together and hes like kidou in that way. it wont fix everything but he wishes to see kageyama change. go back to what he once was. the way he talks about it is so... in ie2 before any of the garshield stuff is revealed, hibiki says to his face that he pities him. going so far, committing so many crimes because of his hatred of soccer, because hes still stuck in the past and cant face his feelings. and in ie3 when fideo and kidou are fighting to change him hes right there encouraging them bc he wants to see that player he liked so much when they were 14. a 'warrior' who fights for 'true victory' ok hibiki .... anyways.

and i like that other than the scene where kidou is told kageyama died we see him like dealing with the loss for essentially the rest of the game (in the anime theres nothing :( ). very quiet the few days after and only joining the conversation when its about finding evidence to incriminate garshield. then when they confront him at his mansion its like. this man is pure evil and everyone there hates him but kidou has a Personal grudge against him for everything hes done to kageyama (hes in mourning so hes mostly remembering the good times <- thats how im justifying in my head that hes like this abt kageyama now). also of course the illusion garshield shows him abt a world where he can be in peace and happy being that kageyama is alive and they can play soccer together again. ouch man.

and i like that daisuke also mentions kageyama when he says that its time they put an end to the 40 years of trying to catch each other. saying that he took kageyama, someone he trained, and made him his puppet, in his little speech about how unforgivable everything garshields done is. AHH I DUNNO I LIKED THAT EVERYONE CONNECTED TO KAGEYAMA HAD SOME STUFF TO SAY.

[shihalyfie]

🤔 What would've happened if someone else was the villain with a persona and not Ken? Like, i had this same talk with two different people in different years that the Kaiser was something only Ken made and no one else would've created it, that each character would have their own "original character". So I wonder what would've happened if either of the other five were the villains in the first cour while Ken were one of the new allies for Taichi.

(sorry, more If-scenario/AU questions haha 💦)

Like I said, I love these kinds of questions a lot because it's really fun to be able to do more speculative stuff, so please keep sending them!

I think the thing is that the entire existence of the Kaiser depends heavily on the context of Ichijouji Ken and his background -- the whole thing about having a "persona" in the first place ties heavily into his own hatred of his "true self" (note that he wasn't all that fazed about his identity being revealed as much as he legitimately wanted to replace the idea of "Ken-chan" with the "Digimon Kaiser"), his desire to do a world takeover ties into his lashing out and wanting control due to a perceived lack of it in his life, his ability to override his own empathy being based on his perception that nothing in the Digital World was “real”, and so on and so forth. Beyond the fact that their own respective "personas" wouldn't resemble the Kaiser much, it's difficult to even say whether potential villainous versions of the other Chosen would even pose threats in the same way even if you did similar Dark Seed-esque stuff in there. You might have to brainwash them entirely, but at that point that's just cheating.

Daisuke: It probably just wouldn't even happen! Even putting aside his pure-heartedness making it hard to imagine him getting to this point -- see Armor Evolution to the Unknown making it clear he can't really hide much about himself even if he wanted to, and Kiuchi herself saying that someone who lives like Daisuke probably could never become the Kaiser -- early-series Daisuke is just too wishy-washy and deferential to ever really succeed in trying to dominate anything. He'd probably shrink as soon as his opposition got threatening-looking enough, and any plans would end on the spot. You'd arguably do a better job trying to trick him into becoming someone else's minion than a head villain.

Miyako: Miyako's the kind of person whose excessive selflessness and empathy comes from the idea of how useful she is to others or how much of a burden she puts on them, so it's hard to imagine her turning villainous just because she tends to put all of that hatred on herself instead of lashing out. Much like Daisuke, you'd probably have to convince her to join a villainous side by convincing her that she's doing something to help.

Iori: Maybe if you wait a few years. Iori believes so much in societal propriety that he'll follow what others do as long as they seem respectable and older (note that while he believes in proper principles, he never forces nor expects his elders to completely adhere to them). You'd basically have to dull his sense of humility and curiosity about the world, then convince him to start imposing his will on others...and even if he did adopt a "persona", it'd purely be for the purpose of pragmatically hiding his identity than anything.

Takeru: Maybe the one you should be really scared of because of the fact it might actually be the easiest to make happen -- he's prone to lack of emotional control and is suffering his own form of trauma (I like to point this out a lot, but that infamous scene in 02 episode 19 embodies Takeru and Ken really doing the same thing: venting their trauma in unproductive, violent ways). Thing is, said trauma comes from his experiences in Adventure and his journey in the Digital World three years prior, so the desire to protect everything put him on the opposite side as the Kaiser. Maybe if you wiped his memories but somehow left the trauma? If he did adopt a "persona", it'd probably be somewhere between pragmatically trying to hide his identity and having something akin to a work-life balance; he's not the kind who has personal identity issues the way Ken did.

Hikari: The easiest way I could imagine is if you convinced her that everything is "for the greater good", and she'd basically be like one of those JRPG misguided evil clerics who think they're "saving" everyone. Of course, you'd have to flatten out her empathy for everything around her, which is hard to do, and like Takeru, she was on the adventure three years prior, so you'd have to wipe out her memories of that too. If she really believes in it, she'll stick to her stance, but while she's charismatic, she may not be the best at tactical planning or anything of the sort -- and especially when, in this theoretical situation, her own older brother, who is very good at tactical planning, would be on the other side -- so it's hard to say.

[digitalworldbound]

unexpected

pairing: takeru x hikari (college age)

summary: She had been ignoring the symptoms for weeks. Even now, as Hikari dry heaved into the toilet bowl, there was a logical explanation.

author's note: slight cursing and adult themes

She had been ignoring the symptoms for weeks. When her blouse fit snugly around her chest, she chastised herself for putting it in the dryer. Miso soup had always been one of her favorites, so she disregarded her brother’s raised eyebrows as she went back for seconds, and later, thirds.

Even now, as Hikari dry heaved into the toilet bowl, there was a logical explanation. The few Smirnoff’s she had been able to stomach swirled away. A pitiful groan escaped her lips; she hated to waste food. Heavy bass thumped from outside the door, Mimi’s “little get together” in full swing. Initially, Hikari had been happy to escape into the bathroom. Twelve fully-grown bodies practically filled the small apartment to capacity. The taste of sweat and alcohol lingered in the air, the heat sweltering.

“Hey, you good in there?” Takeru’s voice called out. Her headache thumped in time with the music. Oh god, it’s Takeru. The bile in her stomach swirled with dread; he of all people would see right through her. Hikari didn’t trust herself to speak, opting to flush the toilet again. Quickly, she washed her hands and splashed her face with cool water, washing all the evidence of her escapade down the drain. The thought of facing him made her stomach clench harder.

“Yeah, I’m fine! Just had to use the bathroom.” With the door open, the air was more stifling than before; she was smothering. Hikari put on her best smile and willed herself to act more drunk than she was. Perhaps even under Takeru’s trained eyes she would appear more like the reckless college students she was supposed to be.

He just laughed and guided her back to the epicenter of the party. Takeru’s arm was tight against her waist, pulling her body closer to his. Hikari didn’t miss the way his eyebrows knit together in worry. He knew something was up, but would wait until they were alone. She did her best to detangle herself and get lost in the music, to giggle with Miyako and dance with Sora. Every time her eyes would catch Takeru’s, she would feel nausea burn in her throat.

-

Three days after her expected period, Hikari fingers turned white around her cellphone.

“Miyako.” It was not a greeting so much as a demand. Her face was wet with shame, the tears scorching her cheeks on their descent. “Please.”

Takeru’s schedule blessed Hikari with a day to herself in their miniscule apartment. They had long ago given up any pretense of sleeping in separate rooms, their clothes, sheets, bodies mingling together. Traces of him lingered everywhere. Hikari’s amber eyes were unfocused around his toothbrush when Miyako found her.

Her face had a healthy flush, bangs sticking to the perspiration on her forehead. “You know, I ran all the way here. The least you could have done was open the front door.” Crinkly plastic was ensnared in her hands, the bag hanging limp.

Despite the gusto Miyako brought to every social interaction, the only thing to draw Hikari from her stupor was the shiny red logo that dangled from Miyako’s fingers.

“Does your family know?” Her voice was hoarse in the aftermath of her suspicion. The thought of her friend buying something so grotesque from her family’s store nearly sent Hikari back over the rim of the toilet.

Miyako had to bite back her laugher. “Of all the things to be worried about, this is what you choose?” Hikari narrowed her eyes, their puffiness and red rims diminishing their intended effect. “If you must know,” Miyako continued, sinking onto her knees beside the brunette, “My sister and I have a no-questions policy. I don’t ask where she sneaks off to at night, and she doesn’t ask why I buy pregnancy tests at noon on a Tuesday.”

If the logo didn’t set Hikari off, the sheer magnitude of the situation did. Her lunch had already been flushed down the drain, bile burning her throat. “Damn, you really are sick. How long has this been going on?”

The older girl ran her hand down Hikari’s rumpled shirt. Once her trembling hands flushed the remnants of her stomach, she listlessly held up two fingers. Loose strands of her bangs shielded her eyes from Miyako, shame deepening the blush on her cheeks.

“I remember being twelve and our only concern being the flavor of lip gloss we wore. When did everything get so messy?” Hikari’s voice broke, forehead leaning against the toilet rim. She could feel herself shrinking against Miyako’s scrutinizing gaze. She let the silence settle, leaning against the bathroom cabinets. “Hikari, growing up is the messiest thing I’ve ever done.”

Hikari's tears were hot and raw, dripping off her chin. Her laughs were shallow, shoulders trembling in the effort to hold herself together. Slowly, as if Hikari was a dove, Miyako wrapped her arms across her middle. She gently tucked her frail frame into her chest, murmuring hollow encouragements into her ear. Miyako let Hikari soak her shoulder in tears, allowing herself to be baptized in her best friend’s pain. There was nothing she could say to make this better, no evil monster she could destroy to make this all go away.

Miyako’s knees grew numb against the linoleum, the plastic bag discarded beside her. A glance at her watch told her that Takeru would be home soon.

Her heart ached at the sight of Hikari. She laid limp in Miyako’s arms, lips swollen and eyes puffy. There was nothing she could do. “Hikari, it’s time.” Her words seemed to stir the girl into action. As Miyako pried the box open and read the instructions out loud, Hikari splashed her face with cool water. Silently, she prayed to whichever deity would hear her case. Please, let it be negative.

“I’ll be right outside if you need anything.” Miyako gripped her shoulders lightly, bending her neck down to meet her eyes. Hikari gripped the plastic handle with a ferocity the rivaled Daisuke’s. Wordlessly, she shut the door to the bathroom.

Once she was finished, the test laid discarded on the lid of the waste bin.

Three minutes.

Hikari’s earliest memory was of her brother. Their parents had been away at work, entrusting Taichi to take care of the both of them. He was practically a baby, barely able to reach the countertops in the kitchen. They decorated the walls in their bedroom with markers, childish dragons and princesses stretching across the baseboards.

Hikari was only nineteen, more of a baby now than she ever had been.

Two minutes.

She was fourteen the first time Takeru made her blush. It was innocent, mere child’s play compared to the predicament she was in now. They had been walking home together, chatting mindlessly about anything and nothing and all things in between. She remembered the way that the late afternoon sunlight reflected in his golden locks, an ethereal halo highlighting his rosy cheeks. Hikari had never seen him like that, beautiful and raw with a smile just for her.

How had things gotten so out of control?

One minute.

No, that was wrong. Hikari’s love for Takeru could not be construed into anything negative. Their love was pure and all consuming, stretching into every aspect of their lives. It was in the way she leaned into him whenever he was near, unconsciously seeking his comfort. Their love gathered itself in the clothes Takeru meticulously folded the way Hikari taught him when they had just moved in, all those months ago. This love – gentle, warm, and pure - could never be out of control.

But it could have consequences.

Thirty seconds.

Her stomach clenched. This couldn’t be happening. Hikari had given up her childhood to save the world; she didn’t deserve this. The universe was constantly bending her to its will, no matter how cruel the circumstances. She had tried to take control of her own destiny, enrolling into college with dreams of becoming a teacher. How could she expect herself to teach children when she had so much left to learn? And Takeru? Would he have to give up his dreams for her? For them?

.

.

.

Positive

If Hikari were a dove, her wings had been clipped.

[guiltygearofficial]

are you affiliated with pear-groject? do you know if hes good?

I believe categorizing yourself on a black and white, good and evil scale is a fruitless endeavour that only serves to simplify complicated moral and philosophical questions, for good people can very well do bad things if they believe it to be the right thing and bad people can do good things if it serves them in the moment. Even the most moral of men will have situations in which they do something that may not be the most morally or just course of action, due to the circumstances they find themselves in. Similarly, even the most vile of villains may do good things, if not doing so would harm them as well, or perhabs if they see some kind of reward in doing good. In the end, how do you truly define evil or good? With so many different cultures and value systems around the world and throughout history that frown upon certain actions while considering other actions just, which, again, may be considered unjust by others. In the end, society choses what it defines as evil and what it defines as good. Just because society labels a person as evil, does that make everything they do wrong? With such a worldview, that whatever society considers to be evil, to be evil, any minority viewpoint could easily be considered one of evil, since by definition, they cannot be the majority of society, which decides what is just and what is unjust. Not being part of the majority of society would inheretly make one evil, if we chose to label people with such simplistic concepts as good and evil, because all it would state, is wether the world around them agrees with them or if it disagrees. So I do believe that in the end, it is impossible to truly categorize a person as pure good or pure evil, since “Good” and “Evil” in the end, boil down to not much more than popularity contests. Someones action may be viewed as wrong by some, while others may see them as righteous. Morality inherently lies within the eye of the beholder. It is not for me to judge whether pear-groject is good or not.

Anyways no I got no idea who that dude is but they seem pretty cool

-Daisuke Ishiwatari

[jippy-kandi]

Digimon Adventure 02 Blood Types (+ Astrology)

The Chosen Children (DigiDestined) in Digimon Adventure and 02 do not have official birthdays. However, Toei Animation officially gave Miyako the star sign Gemini and the blood type AB. But I’ve always focused on the astrology aspect of their source of inspiration -- and completely disregarded their blood types.

That was wrong of me. Their blood types are almost as important as their Western zodiac signs, no matter how ridiculous I think the idea is.

Taichi ‘Tai Kamiya’ Yagami: Aries Sun, Blood Type O

Hikari ‘Kari Kamiya’ Yagami: Taurus Sun, Blood Type A

Miyako ‘Yolei’ Inoue: Gemini Sun, Blood Type AB

Mimi Tachikawa: Cancer Sun, Blood Type B

Daisuke ‘Davis’ Motomiya: Leo Sun, Blood Type O

Jou ‘Joe’ Kido: Virgo Sun, Blood Type A

Ken Ichijouji: Libra Sun, Blood Type AB

Sora Takenouchi: Scorpio Sun, Blood Type O

Takeru ‘T.K.’ Takaishi: Sagittarius Sun, Blood Type B

Iori ‘Cody’ Hida: Capricorn Sun, Blood Type A

Koushirou ‘Izzy’ Izumi: Aquarius Sun, Blood Type AB

Yamato ‘Matt’ Ishida: Pisces Sun, Blood Type AB

Blood types are even more popular than astrology in Japan. And, more importantly, every single anime character with an official birthday is always listed with both their star sign and their blood type. Because it matters. The blood type is there to either offset or complement the Sun sign.

I’ve recently fallen into a bit of a Sailor Moon hole (nostalgia at its finest!), and noticed that the main character, Serena (Usagi), was officially a Cancer with blood type O.

So I actually decided to look up what blood type O meant -- and it gave Serena an outgoing, friendly disposition with leadership skills.

Ah. That’s cheating! XD;

So, yeah, it only took me 20 years to really acknowledge that Miyako was given an official blood type, and that it might actually mean something, lol.

Apparently, only around 30% of people in the US know their blood types, whereas at least 90% of people in Japan know their blood types.

Yeah. Blood types are a MASSIVE DEAL in Japan (and South Korea and Taiwan . . .). Even bigger than astrology, apparently.

I still find the whole thing utterly ridiculous, but I forced myself to read up on it because I’m interested in the “origins” of the Chosen Children (character trivia is interesting to me!). Because, as Sailor Moon showed me, their blood types should either complement or offset their Sun signs.

I’ve also never thought about the “impact” of their blood types because I’ve never had an issue with identifying a character’s Sun sign. Whether an anime character with a Sun sign was introverted or extroverted was never an issue to me because, well, if you’re really knowledgeable in astrology, it’s really easy to see “through” that and see the “core” of their character anyway.

Mimi being an extroverted Cancer, for example, was never a barrier to me -- because all Sun signs can be introverted or extroverted, especially in an anime series created by writers who can do whatever they want with their characters. It’s the “skeleton” of the character that lets you know exactly which Sun sign inspired them. So I’ve always just accepted, “oh, the writer wanted to create an extroverted Cancer”, for example.

I just didn’t know that the writers actually gave a reason for their characters’ extroversion or introversion -- via their blood types.

It’s been in front of me this whole time . . . but I just ignored Miyako’s blood type because I personally think the whole blood type thing is ridiculous. I still think it is, but it was wrong of me to ignore it -- and I think anyone who is actually interested in figuring out the origin of the characters would be wrong to keep ignoring their blood types, too. It goes hand-in-hand with astrology.

Fortunately, there are only four blood types, so reading up on it was pretty easy. But, as there are only four, it’s a lot more restrictive than astrology -- and a lot of traits are contradictory, especially when you give one character a blood type, as parts of it will fit and parts of it won’t.

(This blood type system is just as bad as the Hogwarts Houses. Honestly, I never understood its popularity -- it never made sense to me and is such a terrible system. Hermione is a Gryffindor because she’s brave? So . . . all Ravenclaws are cowardly intellectuals? And not one Slytherin stayed to fight in the final battle, so all Slytherins are pure evil? OK, I’ll stop. I’ve just been disappointed in JK Rowling recently.)

Here’s one summary of the four blood types (note: there are tonnes . . . so I recommend googling for some more to get a better idea!):

Type A -- “The Farmer” Best traits: Warmest, reserved, sensible, patient, responsible, perfectionists, wise, and cautious. Worst traits: Fastidious, over-earnest, obsessive, stubborn, the least temperate, inconsiderate, jealous, cold, angry.

Type B -- “The Hunter” Best traits: Passionate, active, creative, animal-loving, flexible, cheerful, friendly and optimistic, vocalizing personality Worst traits: Irresponsible, forgetful, selfish, lazy, impatient, unreliable and "going own way".

Type AB -- “The Humanist” Best traits: Creative, calm, rational, sociable, intelligent and adaptable. Worst traits: Critical, indecisive, unforgiving, aloof and not trustable

Type O -- “The Warrior” Best traits: Confident, self-determined, ambitious, strong-willed, intuitive, agreeable, competitive and athletic. Worst traits: Unpredictable, spiteful, self-centered, cold, aggressive, arrogant, envious and ruthless.

(Source: Wikipedia)

The Japanese population consists of approximately 40% blood type As, 30% Os, 20% Bs and 10% ABs. This is actually important because the As and Os are considered the more “popular” (”socially accepted”) blood types, whereas people really consider the minority, ABs, as “weird” . . .

The associated traits are also kind of all over the place, depending on which source you’re reading. And there are a lot of them . . . so it can get pretty confusing! But I found it a lot easier and simpler to break them down into groups of introverts and extroverts:

Type A: Introverted

Type B: Extroverted

Type AB: Introverted or Extroverted (AB is A + B combined, hence, AB!)

Type O: Extroverted

I also read some anecdotal descriptions from Japanese people or people who have lived in Japan -- and what their Japanese peers think of the blood types (so a “real world” impression of them). Because it gives me a better idea of the “general opinion” from actual people (therefore a reflection of “common knowledge”), which gives me more context and understanding than just reading a set of traits.

For example, guys with blood type B are considered playboys -- so a lot of women (who believe in this crazy blood type personality indicator) generally avoid dating them. Blood Type As are considered the “stereotypical” quiet Japanese personality, blood type Os are considered the best people in general to be around, and blood type ABs are considered “weird” and social outcasts.

I even read someone saying that they’ve never seen people in Japan being discriminated against due to their star sign, but that they have seen people being discriminated against due to their blood type (usually AB). Apparently ABs don’t “play well with others” to the extent that some Japanese companies avoid hiring them. Some Japanese politician even exploded angrily at work, subsequently resigned, and his apology was, “Sorry, I’m blood type AB” . . .

Yeah. Crazy. But it gives me a really good idea of what the blood types “mean” (no, I do not believe in blood types -- I’m just seeing what the “rules” about it says!).

Because I like to be thorough, I also wanted to see the blood types “in practice” -- with Sun signs, too. So I looked up the Sun signs and blood types of some official anime examples to give me a better idea and understanding of how anime creators/writers use and execute star signs and blood types together. I think these characters are popular enough that most people would be familiar with a few of them, too.

Sailor Moon: Cancer Sun, Blood Type O

Sailor Mercury: Virgo Sun, Blood Type A

Sailor Mars: Aries Sun, Blood Type AB

Sailor Jupiter: Sagittarius Sun, Blood Type O

Sailor Venus: Libra Sun, Blood Type B

Tuxedo Mask: Leo Sun, Blood Type A

One Piece’s Luffy: Taurus Sun, Blood Type B

One Piece’s Usopp: Aries Sun, Blood Type O

One Piece’s Nami: Cancer Sun, Blood Type A

One Piece’s Zoro: Scorpio Sun, Blood Type AB

One Piece’s Sanji: Pisces Sun, Blood Type O

Naruto’s Naruto: Libra Sun, Blood Type O

Naruto’s Sasuke: Leo Sun, Blood Type AB

Naruto’s Sakura: Aries Sun, Blood Type O

Gravitation’s Yuki: Pisces Sun, Blood Type AB

Gravitation’s Shuichi: Aries Sun, Blood Type AB

I definitely understand it a lot better now. But it’s clear that they do “cheat” and just take certain aspects of a blood type to go with a zodiac sign. For example, while Sanji is an outgoing, silly Pisces, he’s not the leader of the Straw Hats.

Also, most of the ABs are the typical “dark” characters with tragic pasts . . . so social outcast is spot on.

Now let’s finally get to the Digimon characters!

I want to be clear that I am not trying to “assign” blood types to the Digimon characters. This is about determining what the Digimon Adventure/02 staff actually used as a blueprint for the characters.

For example, if I were to “assign” a blood type to Yamato in Digimon Adventure tri., I would definitely give him blood type O (for leadership abilities -- while ignoring the outgoing aspect . . . I guess his Pisces Sun “dims” it!).

But I don’t think the original staff for Adventure/02 “used” that blood type for him. I really don’t see Adventure/02 Yamato as a capable leader (but I do in tri., where he is 1000% the better leader for most of the series, over tri. Taichi).

This is about the actual source of inspiration for Yamato’s character by the original Adventure/02 staff, and not the tri. staff (who I don’t think knew that the characters were based on signs/blood types), so tri. Yamato’s personality is irrelevant to this particular discussion.

Because Toei Animation gave Miyako both a star sign and blood type (as do the majority of anime writers for their characters), and it’s 100% clear they gave star signs to all the Chosen, then they gave all the characters blood types, too. Because star signs and blood types go hand-in-hand in Japanese anime.

Taichi ‘Tai Kamiya’ Yagami: Aries Sun, Blood Type O

I think they kept it super simple with Taichi, their main character and protagonist of the entire series. Aries Sun for leadership, blood type O for leadership as well. I don’t think his Aries Sun needed to be “offset” -- he’s an outgoing person and a “warrior”, and blood type O just complements that.

Hikari ‘Kari Kamiya’ Yagami: Taurus Sun, Blood Type A

I think blood type A for her because it just complements her Taurus Sun. Type A is really the Earth equivalent in astrology, and there’s nothing about Hikari that suggests to me that she’s more than Earth (well, except when she’s taken over . . . which I think has nothing to do with her).

Miyako ‘Yolei’ Inoue: Gemini Sun, Blood Type AB

Official. Note that the blood type here just complements her Sun sign as well. Blood type AB is actually considered the equivalent to Gemini in its duality . . . so the writers here just doubled down on her duality. She’s also the more extroverted version of an AB, where they can be both.

Mimi Tachikawa: Cancer Sun, Blood Type B

She needs an extroverted blood type to offset her introverted Cancer Sun, like Sailor Moon, who is a Cancer Sun with blood type O. So B or O for Mimi -- I lean more towards B, because Mimi doesn’t have leadership qualities. And I think of her outgoing, cheerful nature as more similar to that of Takeru, rather than Taichi.

Daisuke ‘Davis’ Motomiya: Leo Sun, Blood Type O

Like Taichi, I think they went super simple with him and just gave him the leadership blood type. There’s nothing about his personality that sways away from being a stereotypical Leo -- this includes the fact that quite a few anime makes the Leo the “mean” character. Daisuke is not that mean, but compared to the others, he’s definitely the most “obnoxious, jerk”-type amongst them. (Examples of mean Leos: Sasuke in Naruto, Tuxedo Mask in Sailor Moon.)

Jou ‘Joe’ Kido: Virgo Sun, Blood Type A

I just think all the Earth signs are blood type A, lol. It just complements their boring Earth sign . . . again, I am not insulting Earth signs, it’s just textbook astrology! (I swear. I’m a boring Earth sign . . . lol) Jou is such a Virgo to me that I think his personality is the Earth equivalent in blood types.

Ken Ichijouji: Libra Sun, Blood Type AB

I’m the most confident with Ken’s blood type. AB can give you an introverted, social outcast character -- which offsets his Libra Sun’s extroversion. Done. (Sasuke in Naruto, for example, is a Leo Sun who should be outgoing -- instead, he’s an introverted, social outcast because he’s blood type AB. Also, I just noticed that Ken and Daisuke are Naruto and Sasuke, but with swapped blood types. Neat.)

Sora Takenouchi: Scorpio Sun, Blood Type O

I view Sora as an “extroverted introvert”. She’s definitely an introvert, but she plays well at being an extrovert. Because her Scorpio Sun is introverted, I think her blood type offsets it to make her a little bit more extroverted than usual for a Scorpio. So I think O or B both works for her -- I lean towards O, because it’s called “The Warrior” and she has that meaning in her surname. Plus, O would make her the same blood type as Taichi, giving exactly the same “connection” as being Mars-ruled does. (The exact same connection . . . competitiveness, sports, etc.)

Takeru ‘T.K.’ Takaishi: Sagittarius Sun, Blood Type B

This also just complements his Sun. Also, I know I’m supposed to disregard his tri. personality, but I do also think that Adventure/02 Takeru has the ingredients to grow up to be a charming playboy, so . . . lol. Blood type B it is!

Iori ‘Cody’ Hida: Capricorn Sun, Blood Type A

Again, this blood type just complements his Sun. I think the blood type is complementary when the character is so like their Sun sign -- and Iori is incredibly Capricorn. So much so talking about him bores me, lol. (I don’t hate him! I swear! He’s just SO MUCH Capricorn!)

Koushirou ‘Izzy’ Izumi: Aquarius Sun, Blood Type AB

Blood type AB are said to be “geniuses” or “talented”. Koushirou is Adventure’s genius, seen as a bit of an outsider just because of his intellect. I think AB is being expressed in a similar way to Miyako’s AB here; the more positive aspects of it (”genius”), as opposed to the negative aspects of it in Ken and Yamato (social outcast). I also view Koushirou as an “introverted extrovert” -- I think he’s actually an extrovert; if you put him in a room full of intellectuals, he’d stay there forever talking to everyone.

Yamato ‘Matt’ Ishida: Pisces Sun, Blood Type AB

Similar reasoning to Ken -- I think the writers set out to make Yamato the “social outcast”-type character in Adventure (when Ken didn’t exist). I consider Yamato the blueprint for Ken’s character in a lot of ways, actually. They used Yamato to be the “outsider” (troublemaker, doesn’t really fit in) in Adventure, to turn against his friends -- and then upped it a few hundred notches for Ken in 02, who also has blood type AB. ABs are also blood types A and B combined (who are opposites); see the contradiction? Yamato can be both shy and confident; he can be cool, calm and collected one minute, then off-the-rails emotionally the next. AB! Actually, I’m just as confident about his as I am Ken’s. ABs are the easiest to spot in anime! They just turn every Sun sign dark, lol.

And that’s my current list!

The blood types are subject to change, as I’m not an expert on them by any means. I literally just looked the whole thing up a few days ago, so my knowledge on it is very, very basic compared to the years I spent reading about astrology from multiple different sources (and thus why I’m 100% certain on those).

This was a lot harder than their Sun signs. With astrology, I could fact-check myself with their character designs, Crests, digimon partners, name meanings and roles in the plot -- but with blood types? Nope.

This is just me guessing with what I think was being done with their Sun signs (to complement or offset) -- where most of them do seem to just complement their signs. But I can’t grasp on to any “evidence” like I can with astrology, unfortunately. I’m pretty confident with Ken and Yamato’s blood types, though.

What do you guys think? What blood types do you think the kids were given in Adventure/02? Please disregard anything you saw in tri., as that’s an entirely different staff (who interpreted and expressed the characters as they saw fit). Just focus on the characterisations from Adventure/02.

[ladyanatui]

Save Me *A Daiken Fic*

Daisuke thought they had lost everything, and they almost had. He had failed his team, and when he fell, the others followed. But nothing hurt as much as the realization that he had failed Ken, that he had almost lost Ken.

AKA

Daisuke suffers from PTSD/depression after the events of Digimon tri., and Ken is here to help!

AO3 | FF.Net

Ken stood on my doorstep. Perfect Ken with his silky black hair tucked behind one ear and his intense, blue-violet eyes searching my face with worry.

"Can I come in?"

Hell, even his voice is perfect—smooth and lilting like a song I need to learn the words to.

"Motomiya?"

But I just stand there, staring at him, unable to do anything but watch Ken's Adam's apple bob with an apprehensive swallow.

Ken clears his throat. "Dai…Daisuke? Let me in."

It's still a request, but the words, barely a whisper, are firm, commanding.

Finally, I step to the side, and Ken slips inside the apartment with a perfect grace no one should be allowed to possess. The door creaks shut behind his lithe form.

The apartment is eerily silent.

Ken, ever the observant one, notices immediately while he slips off his shoes. "Where is everyone? It's so…"

"Empty," I supply, speaking for the first time.

Ken studies me with those intense eyes, tearing down my walls, tearing down my very foundation with nothing more than his gaze.

I cough uncomfortably and move away from the front door. "My parents are having a date night, and Jun is hanging out with her crazy friends. They'll probably all be out late." I pause in the kitchen, but I can't think of anything I want to eat or drink and I don't know why I bothered to come in here. "Uh, you want a drink or something?"

When I glance up, Ken pauses next to the peninsula, blocking me in the kitchen. "They left you alone?"

I frown. "I asked them to."

He arches a perfectly sleek eyebrow.

"Okay, I told them to go have fun. They don't need to worry about me right now."

We four Chosen Children weren't the only ones whose lives were put on hold while we were comatose in the Digital World after all. Our families went through the ringer too, and as much as they dote on me after I got out of the hospital, my parents—hell, even Jun—deserve a nice relaxing night out. And I definitely enjoy not getting pestered or fretted over constantly.

Ken knows that just as well. His mom wouldn't stop crying in the hospital. Probably still hasn't stopped crying, knowing Mrs. Ichijouji.

To be fair, Ken was the last to wake up.

Apparently, getting your energy sucked from your body so an evil digital false Gennai can impersonate you as the Digimon Kaiser is exhausting.

His mother, tears streaming down her cheeks as she begged Ken not to leave again, never abandoned his side. And once I was allowed to walk short distances, neither did I.

"Hmm," Ken murmurs. "My mom barely let me come here tonight. She's scared."

I release a long sigh. Mrs. Ichijouji isn't the only one scared.

The minute Ken opened his eyes and saw two of his favorite people in his hospital room, he cried. I almost broke down at the sight, relieved and happy, worried and overwhelmed, but mostly so incredibly glad to have him back, to know he would be okay. Mrs. Ichijouji did break down.

Instead, I slipped from the room to give them privacy, and I didn't return.

Aside from a few short texts—including the one that pleased me most: Ken's announcement when he was released from the hospital, more than a week after my own release—we haven't spoken. Hell, this is the first I've seen Ken since the day he woke up.

Ken unbuttons his jacket, and the fabric slides down his shoulders and arms at a torturously slow pace—I can't keep my eyes off the garment and the pale skin its removal reveals. Ken's wearing a loose graphic tee with gold lettering underneath, and the way it hangs off his narrow frame, I'm almost certain it's a woman's shirt. With one short glance and that same intense eye contact, he moves to hang the jacket by the door.

I can only watch him.

Because Ken moves in soft steady steps, so light you can't hear, so smooth you can see the individual leg muscles move underneath his skin-tight jeans.

"I'm staying the night," he says as he twists around—I nearly strain my neck in an attempt to keep watching those perfectly lean muscles.

Then, I realize my eyes are glued to Ken's, ahem, package.

And Ken knows exactly where I'm looking.

And it's not because I was ogling Ken's ass while he was turned. That definitely didn't happen. I was simply admiring the toned muscles of a fellow athlete.

Body stiff, I look away. Look at anything else really.

Wait.

What did Ken say?

My eyes dart back to my best friend's face, where two beautifully sculpted eyebrows arch skeptically. "Huh?"

"I'm staying the night," Ken says again, not at all intimidated by the definitely-not-ass-ogling. "I already told my parents, and we both know yours won't mind."

No, of course. My parents adore Ken, have always adored Ken, probably wouldn't mind adopting him in place of me really—or at least, that's what I used to think. Either way, they'd be happy to know I'm not at home alone right now.

I swallow, trying to understand. "You didn't bring a bag. What about a toothbrush? A comb?" I hesitate, then practically whisper, "A change of clothes?"

"I decided on the way over," Ken admits with a secretive smile. "Called my mom before I got off at the Odaiba stop. She offered to drive me over some things, but I figured…you wouldn't mind sharing."

I laugh.

No, I don't mind sharing anything with Ken.

I nod slowly. Mostly because I don't know what else to do.

"Watch a movie?" Ken suggests in a soft voice. "In your room?"

I nod again.

And Ken turns down the hallway without another word, without waiting for me, and all I can do is stare, dumbfounded, in his wake.

Alone again, I move to the bathroom.

After washing up, I spend a long time staring at my pallid face in the mirror. My eyes look empty, hollow, and I can't smile like I want to. Like I'm supposed to.

I've always been the one keeping morale up, even if only with dumb jokes and (usually) good-natured teasing. No matter how insane or intense or dark things got, I brought the team back to earth, to ground them and encourage them so we could keep going.

Now, I'm not certain I can keep going.

Knock, knock.

"Dai? Everything okay?"

I turn on the faucet and splash cold water on my face before venturing to answer. "Y-yeah, just a sec." Then, I twist the water off and study my eyes again.

That water didn't make one lick of difference.

When I open the bathroom door a moment later, Ken leans against the opposite wall in bedclothes. I'm almost sad to see the skinny jeans go, until it registers Ken is wearing a pair of my own gym shorts, bright blue and white like V-mon, barely clinging to his hips. And still in his loose obviously-a-woman's-shirt, the low-hanging shorts show off a strip of smooth, alabaster midriff.

There's something positively sinful about the way Ken looks in just a pair of oversize gym shorts.

No, in my gym shorts.

"I can wear this, right?"

I nod, eyes sliding along that delightful strip of skin the way I want to slide my fingers and my tongue along there.

"Come on…"

Ken leads the way to my bedroom, and I follow only a few steps behind, gaze focused on the sashaying hips and pert ass beneath my gym shorts.

"What d'you wanna watch?" I ask as my bedroom door clicks into place behind us, and we're officially shut alone together in my bedroom.

Ken shrugs. "Anything you want, Dai." He sends me a small smile over his shoulder—I barely catch the friendly gesture, but it's definitely not because I'm staring at that beautifully pert ass in my gym shorts as he leans forward and grabs his phone from my nightstand. "I'm going to call my mom really quick to let her know I'm here and everything is alright."

He doesn't leave the room to make the call, only drops onto my rumpled bed and lies flat against the mattress, the shirt riding up to his belly button, his ebony hair splaying like a halo around his head. Then, he presses his phone to his ear. "Mama? Hey…"

I turn to the small TV and flip through our options. I don't particularly care what we watch; I probably won't pay attention anyway. I grab the nearest DVD without even registering what it is and tear open the box to slide the disk in, but I make sure not to turn on the TV until Ken concludes his phone call a minute later.

"Sorry about that." Ken offers an unnecessarily apologetic smile as he pushes up onto his elbows. "So what did you choose?"

I drop onto the bed beside him with a shrug, shoulders slumping forward. I really wasn't paying attention to which movie I put in. I have no idea what it is.

Instead of answering, I grab the remote and power on the TV. It's already on the menu, and I press play without a glance.

"Will you turn off the light?" Ken asks.

Here, I hesitate.

Not because it's an unreasonable request—it isn't—but there's a part of me that thinks lying on my bed in the dark with Ken isn't the smartest idea, no matter how many times we've shared a bed in the past three and a half years.

Of course, when have I ever listened to my instincts when Ken makes such a reasonable request?

Never.

I rise from the bed, and as I cross the room to the light switch, I tear my sweaty shirt over my head and drop it on the floor. Ken may have gotten dressed for bed, but I'm still wearing the day clothes I put on purely for my family's benefit. It's not like I went anywhere today. Or considered going anywhere today.

The room darkens dramatically once I flip the switch, and then, I tug at the button and zipper of my cargo shorts and shake them off by the door.

Then, wearing nothing but ratty socks and green and violet boxers, I pause.

We're almost fifteen now—Ken's birthday was technically while we were comatose, trapped in pods, barely fucking alive—and I typically sleep in just this these days. But even though we're older, we still do sleepovers, and I generally have the decency to wear an oversize T-shirt and pajama bottoms on those occasions.

I really don't want to bother with that now.

I don't want to bother with anything.

At the same time, the tension doesn't need amped up to twenty.

The closet is back by the bed, and I cross his field of vision to reach it and pull out a T-shirt at least.

"Your goggles…"

The words are quiet in the dark, but they make me freeze with the shirt only halfway down my torso.

I glance back toward the desk, where the goggles have been lying since I before I was released from the hospital. One of the lenses is cracked, and Mom had to clean a little blood off. I haven't had the heart to touch them in the weeks since we've been back.

"Senpai's goggles," I whisper.

But the movie's barely made a sound so far and Ken's hearing is superb. "No," he says, shaking his head firmly. "Taichi-san gave them to you for a reason, Dai. They're yours now."

I scoff.

I don't know what that reason was anymore.

"Besides," he adds, "Koushiro-san built him a new pair while we were…away."

My teeth grit at the ridiculous euphemism, and I tug the shirt down the rest of the way, but any words I might say are drowned out when the movie finally makes more than a quiet hum.

I glance at the TV. It's some sci-fi flick. I don't look long enough to register more than that.

"Oh," Ken says thoughtfully, his voice higher, musical and whimsical again, lightening the mood. "Good choice." He pats the bed next to him and flashes me a smile. "Come sit, Dai."

I didn't grab pajama pants like I meant to, but I swallow down any hesitation and slide onto the mattress next to him. Our arms brush, his knuckles grazing my clenched fist, and my breath hitches.

It's the most contact we've had since the day he woke up.

Hell, aside from my mom's vigorous hugs, it's the most physical contact I've experienced at all since that day.

It's been a few weeks now—I'm honestly not sure how many—but I've barely gone anywhere, barely seen anyone, haven't attended school. Mom and Dad haven't pushed the matter. Even Jun has been uncomfortably kind given the circumstances.

The other Chosen have stopped by. Hikari and Takeru, of course. A big group of everyone sometimes. Even Miyako came by once she was feeling up to it.

Taichi-senpai's visited the most, Yamato-san hovering close by every time. I watch as they exchange looks, communicating with no more than a silent glance, their bodies tilting and twisting toward each other no matter where they stand or what they do, their hands very much like this—grazing, just on the edge of consciousness, but never making full contact, toying with the idea of holding hands.

Yes, everyone has been so kind and understanding. It's unnerving, confusing. It's more than I deserve.

And it doesn't erase the never-ending apathy.

My eyes linger on Ken's pale hand, toying with the idea of threading our fingers together, with the idea of, for once, being the one who needs the contact instead of the one providing it.

But there's a reason I've kept my distance—from him and from everyone else.

When I woke up, it was slow. My brain was mush. It took a while to register where I was and who I was and what the hell happened to lead me to a hospital bed this time. But once I remembered, that one minuscule thought was all it took to remind me of our failure.

No, my failure.

We almost died.

I was the first to fall, and we almost died.

It was my fault.

I wasn't strong enough. How did I not know I wasn't strong enough? How could I have been so reckless, so goddamn arrogant?

We should have waited. We should have gotten Senpai and the others once we knew the full extent of the infection, once we realized how dangerous the situation was.

I should have asked for help.

I failed them.

Failed as a leader. As their captain. As the one who wears the fucking goggles.

I pull my hand away to pinch the bridge of my nose and struggle to breathe properly. Struggle to breathe period.

Then, Ken's cold, nimble fingers slide down the underside of my wrist, across my palm, and push their way between mine, forcing me to hold his hand. Forcing me to touch him.

I failed him.

I don't deserve to touch him.

My hand clutches his anyway, clinging to him, desperate for the contact.

His body presses against my side, chest against my arm, thigh against thigh, and he rests his forehead against my temple. His free hand lands on my abdomen, then inches up to lay his palm directly over my heart.

A silent sob racks my body, and I gasp for air.

His fingers grab a fistful of my shirt, and he nuzzles his nose against my cheekbone, the tip gathering some of the hot wet tears spilling from my clenched eyes.

"We're in this together," he murmurs. "We always will be, you know. You don't get to carry the burden all by yourself." He pauses, flattening his hand over my heart again, then he presses my hand over his. "I won't let you."

"I thought I lost you," I choke out. "You just—you were out for so long. You wouldn't wake up."

"Feel my heartbeat, Dai," he says, and I concentrate on the unsteady rhythm under my hand, somehow still in sync with the spastic thump inside my chest. "I'm right here. You won't lose me."

"Ken…"

His name is a plea. A prayer.

I realize I'm begging, but I don't know what I'm begging for.

"I'm here." He squeezes the hand still clasped in his. "And I'm not going anywhere. Not without you."

At last, I open my eyes and turn toward him, ready to say something. Anything that means something.

My words fail the moment I register how close we are, the moment I see his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

I swallow thickly and reach my free hand to cup his cheek, thumb stroking velvety skin. "Ken."

"Daisuke," he whispers, his breath grazing my skin, fogging my senses, shortening my breath.

His gaze falls to my mouth, and I wet my chapped lips.

Then, he closes the distance between us, and I am lost in the soft caress of his mouth on mine. My fingers thread through his silky hair and hold the nape of his neck, drawing him closer, and he opens his mouth with a soft sigh. His tongue traces the seam of my lips, and I accept him wholly, groaning when we meet in the middle as one.

Ken releases my hand, only to clutch my shirt and cling to me. A little whimper escapes his mouth—sends a jolt of electricity through my body.

He pulls back just enough to speak. "I don't want to lose you either," he murmurs before drawing me into another kiss, short though it may be. "You can't hide like this again."

"I know." I wrap an arm around his waist and gather him on top of me with ease.

Then, we're kissing again, soft and sensual and hot and wet everywhere. His legs spread over my core, straddle my hips, pin me to the mattress—and draw way too much attention to the point where our bodies meet. The gym shorts can't hide what's underneath, and fuck, my boxers can't either.

I drop back from the kiss, head bumping the wall, and hiss as his stiffening hard-on rubs against mine, even through layers of clothing. My body reacts immediately, cock at full attention now, and I clamp my eyes shut and jut up against him, unable to contain myself, desperate to be close to him.

But Ken doesn't miss a beat.

He rocks his hips, drawing an eager moan from my lips, and scrapes his fingers down my sides. When he finds the bottom hem, he shoves the shirt up and palms my abs, then gasps when I thrust again.

This time, when he says my name, he moans it. His head is thrown back, facing the ceiling, black hair disheveled, and his eyes are shut, mouth half open, breath coming in gasps. And he is the most beautiful person I've ever met. The most beautiful person in the world.

"Daisuke," he moans again, bucking against me, but this time, there's the Ichijouji determination hiding behind his arousal. He gathers himself together and casts his gaze down to meet my eyes, and his rocking slows but doesn't stop. "You can't keep things like this from me again. No secrets, understand?"

His eyes are bright violet with lust, and I can't think.

Fuck, I don't want to think.

I hate thinking, and I've done far too much of it lately.

Besides, he's too goddamn sexy riding me. Why would I ever want to think of anything else? Except, you know, doing this without the stupid clothing in the way.

But wait.

What was he saying again?

Ken's panting, but the intensity in his eyes is more than just lust, though he's still rocking his hips, the pace slower now so I can focus. "This wasn't your fault. You can't carry the blame, Daisuke. At least, you can't carry it alone, you hear me?"

I take his hand in mine and kiss the knuckles. "I hear you."

He takes a shaky breath, bucks against my cock a final time, and leans down, close enough to wipe the sweat and tears from my cheek. "You've saved me countless times," he whispers, then plants an affectionate kiss to my lips. "I wouldn't be who I am today without you. I'd probably be dead without you."

My hand tightens around his, and I shake my head, ready to tell him, Don't say that. Don't think like that. It'd never happen, dammit.

But he covers my mouth with another kiss and rests his forehead on mine. "Please, let me save you this time."

My eyes sting again, and I surge forward to capture his lips. Our mouths move together, eager, demanding, desperate, as if we've done this every day of our lives. And I know, without a doubt, I want to keep doing this for the foreseeable future. Fuck, beyond the foreseeable future. Maybe forever.

"Okay," I say when we break apart to gasp for air. "Yes, okay, save me."

As long as I can kiss him and touch him and hold him and just be with him, he can save me as much as he wants.

[polar-stars]

Hey I’m back to ruin everyone’s day (aka. more Hunger Games)

I’m sick and I don’t know what to do with my life

As usual, it has OCs of @polar-star-dorks and @yourmoontothenightsky

As the tributes stand on their podiums, the horn sounds.

Takashi runs away from the Cornucopia.

Hikaru scares Daiki away from the cornucopia.

Tamaki and Sachi fight for a bag. Sachi gives up and retreats. [But you‘re like technically sibs]

Keiko rips a mace out of Ichiro's hands. [A good thing to happen]

Kei grabs a shovel.

Sayaka breaks Soren's nose for a basket of bread. [Ah the bread fights they are back]

Noboru runs away from the Cornucopia.

Hiroshi gathers as much food as he can.

Hideyoshi throws a knife into Himari's chest. [omg! Hideyoshi!]

Kazuo M. accidently steps on a landmine. [...//sighs]

Masashi runs away from the Cornucopia.

Hiraku runs away from the Cornucopia.

Michiko runs away from the Cornucopia.

Yoko scares Yasu away from the cornucopia.

Nana catches Tori off guard and kills her. [OMG NANA! What have the IsshiNene daughters done to y’all??!]

Akio clutches a first aid kit and runs away. [Yay]

Chieko runs away from the Cornucopia.

Koji runs away from the Cornucopia.

Kimiko grabs a sword.

Riku runs away from the Cornucopia.

Manami runs away from the Cornucopia.

Kiyoko grabs a backpack and retreats.

Moe grabs a jar of fishing bait while Shigeo gets fishing gear. [Wohh, they work together]

Takara breaks Rutna's nose for a basket of bread. [Y‘all really need to chill]

Lola runs away from the Cornucopia.

Daisuke takes a sickle from inside the cornucopia.

Kazuo K. runs into the cornucopia and hides.

Kaori runs away from the Cornucopia.

Killian runs away from the Cornucopia.

Ran takes a spear from inside the cornucopia.

Suzume finds a bag full of explosives. [Damn. Why do I feel she‘s going to blow up some Eizans?]

Tsubaki runs away from the Cornucopia.

Ayano runs away from the Cornucopia.

Hiro grabs a shovel.

Toshio grabs a shield leaning on the cornucopia.

Mona runs away from the Cornucopia.

Mika runs away from the Cornucopia.

Hibiki finds a bag full of explosives. [Keep it away from the Eizans]

Takayuki runs away from the Cornucopia.

-

Takayuki picks flowers. [Okay what?]

Daisuke searches for firewood.

Kaori chases Mona. [Why?]

Takara sprains her ankle while running away from Ichiro. [Omg, Ichiro stop!]

Kazuo K. poisons Hiro's drink. He drinks it and dies. [AAAH! NOT HIRO]

Koji receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

Chieko fishes.

Hikaru, Tamaki, Rutna, Hibiki, and Riku hunt for other tributes. [What a Team Up]

Hideyoshi goes hunting.

Ayano, Yasu, Michiko, and Soren track down and kill Killian. [Omg what has the poor dude done to y‘all?]

Akio picks flowers. [Smiling through the pain]

Sachi constructs a shack.

Ran steals from Kei while he isn't looking. [Ran I expected better off you. So disappoint.]

Hiraku hunts for other tributes.

Masashi camouflauges himself in the bushes.

Manami camouflauges herself in the bushes.

Lola tends to Kimiko's wounds. [Yay! Cousins]

Keiko receives fresh food from an unknown sponsor.

Hiroshi dies of dysentery. [Ahh no! Both Hiros are gone :U]

Sayaka hunts for other tributes.

Moe and Shigeo work together for the day. [These two are still together, yay!]

Nana searches for firewood.

Yoko strangles Mika with a rope. [Omg! It‘s technically your cousin!!!]

Tsubaki overhears Toshio and Daiki talking in the distance.

Suzume is pricked by thorns while picking berries.

Noboru searches for firewood.

Takashi defeats Kiyoko in a fight, but spares her life. [Good Boy Takashi]

-

Hideyoshi convinces Akio to snuggle with him. [Okay what?]

Soren ambushes Moe and kills her. [NOO MOE MY BBY! She was having such a good time DD: Soren!]

Kimiko climbs a tree to rest.

Sachi cooks her food before putting her fire out.

Rutna sees a fire, but stays hidden.

Yoko passes out from exhaustion.

Keiko defeats Tsubaki in a fight, but spares her life.

Takayuki tries to sing himself to sleep. [Takayuki are you okay? First the flowers now this? Oh my god! He misses Kazuo!]

Ran, Hiraku, and Mona discuss the games and what might happen in the morning.

Sayaka dies of dysentery. [Aw no Sayaka D:]

Riku sees a fire, but stays hidden.

Daiki tries to treat his infection.

Kazuo K. climbs a tree to rest.

Koji starts a fire.

Nana defeats Takashi in a fight, but spares his life. [Takashi‘s Karma protected him]

Noboru is unable to start a fire and sleeps without warmth. [seriously Noboru?]

Michiko dies trying to escape the arena. [Oh no Michiko! Why would you do that??]

Takara climbs a tree to rest.

Chieko cannot handle the circumstances and commits suicide. [AAAAAH!]

Ayano, Kei, and Lola cheerfully sing songs together. [Kei having a good time for once]

Hibiki tends to his wounds. [A MEDIC!]

Kaori, Manami, Toshio, Suzume, and Daisuke sleep in shifts.

Kiyoko sees a fire, but stays hidden.

Shigeo tends to Masashi's wounds. [Well, actually makes sense]

Yasu receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

Ichiro questions his sanity. [Same]

Hikaru defeats Tamaki in a fight, but spares his life. [Hikaru is the MVP]

-

Ayano practices her archery.

Nana diverts Hikaru's attention and runs away. [But he‘s a good boy D:]

Tsubaki sees smoke rising in the distance, but decides not to investigate.

Lola tries to sleep through the entire day. [She took advice from Mona]

Suzume scares Rutna off.

Ran and Kiyoko split up to search for resources. [The 3rd Year Elite Ten Ladies Bonding Time]

Mona runs away from Daiki.

Riku receives fresh food from an unknown sponsor.

Kimiko and Koji work together for the day. [Aw, that‘s somehow cute]

Tamaki pushes Masashi off a cliff during a knife fight. [Well bye Masashi]

Kei sets an explosive off, killing Keiko. [OMG KEI! I thought you were better than your brothers!! But seems like we can‘t even trust you with these damn explosives! Poor Keiko!! D:]

Takara explores the arena.

Noboru chases Yoko. [Noboru u okay?]

Ichiro unknowingly eats toxic berries. [...moron]

Daisuke and Sachi work together for the day.

Kazuo K. receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor.

Hibiki, Manami, Hiraku, Soren, and Takayuki hunt for other tributes.

Takashi overhears Shigeo and Hideyoshi talking in the distance.

Toshio severely injures Yasu and leaves him to die. [TOSHIO WHY??!]

Kaori tends to Akio's wounds. [Aww, I can totally see that actually!]

-

Sachi receives a hatchet from an unknown sponsor.

Kimiko cooks her food before putting her fire out.

Noboru tends to his wounds.

Manami cooks her food before putting her fire out. [So many true chefs uwu]

Hiraku, Hibiki, Kiyoko, and Riku sleep in shifts.

Soren, Tamaki, Kaori, and Toshio tell each other ghost stories to lighten the mood.

Tsubaki, Hideyoshi, Takashi, Daisuke, and Daiki sleep in shifts.

Kazuo K. starts a fire.

Shigeo begs for Mona to kill him. She refuses, keeping Shigeo alive. [Let‘s hope we don‘t regret this]

Takayuki begs for Lola to kill him. She refuses, keeping Takayuki alive. [The Nakiri Twins are generous together...but wow Takayuki is like not okay]

Rutna, Koji, Ran, and Takara tell each other ghost stories to lighten the mood. [I‘m glad to know three strong ladies are around Koji, the poor bby]

Hikaru fends Kei, Akio, and Ayano away from his fire.

Nana goes to sleep.

Suzume and Yoko talk about the tributes still alive. [Aww Suzume and Yoko bonding sounds like a cute thought actually!]

-

Manami sets an explosive off, killing Suzume, Noboru, and Kei. [MANAMI NO...though I guess Karma got to Kei....but STILL Manami you killed your technical sibling and a friend of yours!]

Toshio discovers a river.

Ayano receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

Hikaru collects fruit from a tree. [STAY AWAY]

Nana injures herself.

Ran scares Takayuki off. [Omg, Ran stop being so mean]

Hibiki tends to Akio's wounds. [//cries// yes. This is accurate and pure.]

Riku stalks Daiki.

Hideyoshi begs for Kiyoko to kill him. She refuses, keeping Hideyoshi alive.

Shigeo scares Tamaki off. [Well, you did kill his brother Tamaki]

Lola and Tsubaki work together for the day.

Kimiko defeats Sachi in a fight, but spares her life. [Good, Kimiko]

Koji receives fresh food from an unknown sponsor.

Rutna sees smoke rising in the distance, but decides not to investigate.

Kazuo K. hunts for other tributes.

Hiraku tries to spear fish with a trident.

Mona begs for Takashi to kill her. He refuses, keeping Mona alive. [Takashi still being the best and continuing to collect good Karma]

Soren is pricked by thorns while picking berries.

Daisuke tries to spear fish with a trident.

Yoko explores the arena.

Takara discovers a river.

Kaori dies from hunger. [omg...you‘re a chef tho]

-

Kazuo K. tries to treat his infection.

Daiki questions his sanity. [Big Mood]

Hiraku, Kiyoko, Hikaru, Mona, and Tsubaki sleep in shifts.

Yoko and Nana huddle for warmth. [Aww, I guess :D]

Akio and Tamaki tell stories about themselves to each other. [Also cute]

Ran, Soren, Sachi, and Hideyoshi sleep in shifts.

Toshio and Riku tell stories about themselves to each other.

Lola passes out from exhaustion.

Shigeo, Koji, Ayano, and Hibiki sleep in shifts. [Omg get that evil man away from Koji]

Manami, Takayuki, and Takashi get into a fight. Takayuki triumphantly kills them both. [TAKAYUKI WTF?! The entire time you‘re Emo-ing around and then you just go and kill your technical siblings! I‘M SO DISAPPOINTED]

Rutna stays awake all night.

Daisuke thinks about home. [Wow...Daisuke is actually finally being pure for once]

Takara quietly hums.

Kimiko questions her sanity. [Feel ya]

-

Hideyoshi runs away from Daisuke.

Rutna scares Toshio off.

Hikaru hunts for other tributes.

Tamaki sprains his ankle while running away from Lola.

Takara is pricked by thorns while picking berries.

Soren searches for firewood.

Tsubaki makes a slingshot.

Kimiko repeatedly stabs Ran to death with sais. [KIMI!]

Mona, Shigeo, Hiraku, Takayuki, and Daiki hunt for other tributes. [Omg...stop taking this dude into your team for heaven‘s sake]

Koji chases Yoko. [uh okay]

Hibiki chases Akio. [OKAY??]

Kiyoko bashes Nana's head against a rock several times. [KIYOKO, wHY?]

Sachi chases Ayano. [Okay what‘s with all these radom chases]

Riku tries to spear fish with a trident.

Kazuo K. hunts for other tributes.

-

Kazuo K. and Ayano tell stories about themselves to each other. [Aww these two who lost all their siblings already ):]

Toshio, Takara, and Lola sleep in shifts.

Tamaki sets up camp for the night.

Kimiko and Hiraku talk about the tributes still alive. [Oh some Yukihira Siblings Bonding Time]

Akio fends Tsubaki, Yoko, and Riku away from his fire.

Hikaru lets Soren into his shelter. [Hikaru remains the MVP]

Koji receives a hatchet from an unknown sponsor.

Rutna looks at the night sky.

Mona receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

Kiyoko destroys Daiki's supplies while he is asleep. [Omg, Kiyoko can you not?]

Sachi and Shigeo hold hands. [what?]

Daisuke and Hibiki huddle for warmth. [Daisuke is truly pure now...]

Takayuki tends to Hideyoshi's wounds.

-

Kimiko hunts for other tributes.

Koji steals from Daiki while he isn't looking. [Wooaah, I know you like to argue but really? Also I thought you were pure Koji!]

Tsubaki scares Kazuo K. off.

Shigeo collects fruit from a tree. [Of fucking course he does! OMG YOU IDIOT!]

Daisuke scares Lola off. [Pls don‘t tell me Demon Child takes over again??]

Kiyoko steals from Hibiki while he isn't looking. [Kiyoko is truly a criminal now huh?]

Riku camouflauges himself in the bushes.

Takayuki makes a slingshot.

Hiraku, Hikaru, Tamaki, Akio, and Takara hunt for other tributes. [What a team]

Sachi thinks about home.

Ayano, Mona, Hideyoshi, and Toshio hunt for other tributes.

Soren goes hunting.

Rutna dies from an infection. [Aw no Rutna]

Yoko makes a wooden spear.

-

Tamaki receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor.

Akio questions his sanity.

Riku, Kazuo K. , and Toshio cheerfully sing songs together.

Daiki questions his sanity.

Sachi is awoken by nightmares.

Takara and Shigeo hold hands. [Okay can y‘all stop holding hands with this dude?]

Koji receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

Mona and Lola tell stories about themselves to each other. [Shouldn‘t you two know each other quite well though?? But yay sibling bonding time!]

Ayano stays awake all night.

Hibiki looks at the night sky.

Kiyoko receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor. [omg.]

Tsubaki, Soren, and Yoko discuss the games and what might happen in the morning.

Hiraku begs for Kimiko to kill him. She reluctantly obliges, killing Hiraku. [OMG! You are siblings!! Stop killing each other pls!!]

Hikaru and Hideyoshi talk about the tributes still alive.

Daisuke goes to sleep.

Takayuki starts a fire.

-

Sachi, Soren, Shigeo, and Tamaki raid Koji's camp while he is hunting. [Omg! HOW DARE Y‘ALL? Poor Koji!!]

Kazuo K. spears Hikaru in the abdomen. [NO NOT THE MVP!]

Hideyoshi and Takara work together to drown Toshio. [OMG WHAT?!]

Daisuke overhears Tsubaki and Akio talking in the distance.

Kimiko attacks Ayano, but she manages to escape. [Kimiko please]

Takayuki tracks down and kills Riku. [DUDE]

Lola picks flowers. [I love how I just had four murders on one day and then there‘s Lola picking flowers]

Daiki and Yoko hunt for other tributes.  [Daiki probably asking questions what Takara thinks about him]

Mona stalks Hibiki. [Why?]

Kiyoko hunts for other tributes. [Kiyoko I am starting to think Ichiro possessed you]

-

Acidic rain pours down on the arena. [ARGH]

Takayuki is unable to find shelter and dies. [Aw]

Takara survives.

Lola survives.

Daiki shoves Akio into a pond of acidic rain, but is pulled in by Akio, killing them both. [OMG DAIKI]

Hideyoshi injures Soren and leaves him in the rain to die. [OMG HIDEYOSHI]

Shigeo refuses Kazuo K. shelter, killing him. [I‘m not surprised <.< Poor Kazuo tho DD:]

Kiyoko survives.

Yoko injures Koji and leaves him in the rain to die. [YOKO NO NOT THE PURE ONE]

Ayano survives.

Daisuke survives.

Tsubaki trips face first into a puddle of acidic rain. [I hate Arena Events]

Hibiki trips face first into a puddle of acidic rain. [I hate them sm]

Tamaki survives.

Mona is unable to find shelter and dies. [No Mona D:]

Kimiko injures Sachi and leaves her in the rain to die. [DUDE KIMIKO PLS!]

-

Hideyoshi kills Kimiko with her own weapon. [Omg.....The Demon Child Syndrom went onto Hideyoshi I think D:]

Shigeo forces Takara to kill Yoko or Daisuke. She decides to kill Daisuke. [Of course Takara would protect her cousin but SHIGEO YOU MONSTER]

Ayano, Kiyoko, and Lola start fighting, but Kiyoko runs away as Ayano kills Lola. [...What is even happening]

Tamaki falls into a pit and dies. [This is just a day full of death, I‘m crying]

-

Shigeo, Hideyoshi, and Yoko hunt for other tributes. [Stop trusting Shigeo...]

Ayano makes a slingshot.

Takara is pricked by thorns while picking berries.

Kiyoko dies of dysentery. [Seriously? What a way to go Kiyoko.]

- Shigeo convinces Hideyoshi to snuggle with him. [Okay what? Just now you forced someone to kill his childhood friend]

Takara tries to sing herself to sleep.

Yoko tries to sing herself to sleep.

Ayano tries to sing herself to sleep. [It‘s a musical now!]

-

Yoko attacks Takara, but she manages to escape. [YOKO NO! She‘s your cousin who protected you!!]

Shigeo and Hideyoshi work together for the day. [Okay what‘s going on between you two?]

Ayano receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

-

Takara cooks her food before putting her fire out. [A chef]

Yoko shoots a poisonous blow dart into Ayano's neck, slowly killing her. [Yoko! NO WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! Poor child D:]

Shigeo decapitates Hideyoshi with a sword. [OMG, you really are the ultimate backstabber! But hey! I kept warning y‘all but you wouldn‘t listen! Now here‘s what you got! DON‘T TRUST THE EIZANS]

-

Shigeo explores the arena.

Yoko kills Takara with her own weapon. [o m g....Not only Mika but now also Takara. Yoko....why?? This is so awful]

-

Shigeo strangles Yoko after engaging in a fist fight. [AS IF! NO! YOU CAN‘T BE SERIOUS!]

-

The winner is Shigeo from District 8! [omg.....Mona could‘ve stopped this. But she didn‘t and now y‘all really let Shigeo be the first one to have a double win...I‘m SCREAMING WHAT WAS THIS??]

[azure-et-aurum-blog]

The Final Days of Shintaro Tenryuu IV: Freesia

((Continues from Coils of Darkness )) ((The soundtrack for this one is Hyrule Castle - BotW edition )) (( This is the final chapter of Shintaro’s story, asides some small tales and epilogues that I will write from now on. If you read some or all of them, you have my eternal gratitude. If you only read this last one, you can find my whole story here and my side stories here )) ((It is a huge amount of text, but it was impossible to just break down into another chapter, so it is under the cut. Please reblog and like if you enjoy it. It will mean a lot to me.))

“Welcome back home, Shintaro of the Tenryuu Family. Len of T’ien-mu family. It is somewhat eschatological, don’t you think? Both of you were born in this place. It is only missing my dearest Musume... let’s never forget her.” The monster laughs. An abomination. He had a face on the head, similar to the one he was using before.But now, he reveals another... head... sprouting from his chest, the nose twisted, eyes where the nipples should be, a mouth where the stomach would be. “I take this form makes you feel ill? Good. I decided to reveal my true nature for you, Shintaro.”

“Musume is freed from your control, monster” Len angrily discourses.

“I beg to differ. She would never be out of my control... you merely... contained it.” His steps are heavy, slow. He is coming to our direction. both me and Len get ready to battle. Her stance puts both shoto in front of her, legs half flexed, ready for a jump attack.

“All this won’t matter when I finish you, Inunaki.” I speak boldly to the evil being. My sword is still sheathed, my style is a contained one, I will focus my Iai and unleash a decisive attack. If I can figure out where is his weak point. But I have guess of where might be it. I look to Len. I merely know this girl. I have little to no memories of her in my past. However there she was, fighting alongside me. For honor. “Are you ready?” I ask her.

“I am. To die, to win, whatever it comes.” Len speaks seriously.

“There will be no more deaths today, Len. This is a battle I won’t lose. We won’t lose.” I answer, nodding with my head to the small raen.

The beast laughs again and leaps over Len opening its leather wings and trying to grab her with his feet. Len manages to dodge, barely. Even being big and apparently clumsy, Inunaki is really fast. Probably his legs give him strength to leap towards great distances with a good speed. This is an opening that I was waiting for.

I deliver a slashing strike on the ankles of the monster, ripping through the wind and creating a sparkle from my blade. The blade of my katana is different from the regular ones now, it evokes an ancient stream of lightning. Even a foul body made of pure void and darkness like Inunaki’s would be wounded by this blade. He felt. He backed to the front of the house.

“What is this? This... energy I feel coming of your blade!” He seems startled. I smile. “Answer me, little man.”

“Raijin-no-Tsurugi” I give him the answer.

“What?”

“You recognize it, don’t you?” I direct my eyes to the center of the beast, his speeches are coming from the mouth in place of his belly. I focus my aether once more in my blade, making the sparkles flying in more quantity and speed. “The legendary spirit blade, used by the bushi Raiden, to face a cursed sword by the name of Zantetsuken.”

While I am talking to Inunaki I was also trying to distract him from the fact that Len found a higher ground. Making my aether explode, I deliver a Flash of light, blinding the creature for a few seconds. More than enough to Len jumps like a bird floating in the sky... I know that move...

“Waterfall drop!” She yells and I feel a burst of aether coming from inside her. “HEEEEEYAAAAAAAAH!”

Her double strike ripped flesh and ear from the upper head of Inunaki’s monstrous body. The monster screams in pain, his wounds are not regenerating like before, this is the real thing, the real demon. No more illusions or deception.

“GRRAH! This... is impossible. I am not going to be defeated now. You are nothing compared to the great power the void allows me to harness!” He growls, revealing a immense maw from his belly. I feel a dark energy gathering, he is preparing to deliver a huge blast of attack!

The monster is sucking everything around us, generating some sort of gravitational field. The air is getting heavier and heavier, harder to breathe. I rush to take Len out of the way, but it was too late, the monster had completed his cast and a pilar of Dark Energy emerges.

“GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” He screams while emanating a disruptive energy breaking bricks and floor alike, shaking the structures of the whole old manor. We take it full force and it explodes where we are. The pain is the same I felt before. We made a mistake thinking that we had the upper hand, and now this could cost Len’s life. Or both of us... unless..

“Shintaro!!!” I hear Len screaming in the middle of the explosion. I try to gather my aether to create a defensive barrier, but I can barely manage to hold together. I see Len trying to move and there are some burns and bruises over her skin.

“Keep away, Len, don’t... don’t come too...” I falter, the barrier is fading more and more. “Don’t come too close!”

“No... I will help you!” She touches my chest and start concentrating her own aether into mine. She is making the barrier becomes whole again. I am underestimating her. I should trust her, trust in what she can do. I... I barely know her! Of course! What do I know about her?

“Len... when this is over, do you want to have some tea?” I speak, smiling to her. “Do you like... peach tarts?”

“Oh... what...?” she seems surprised. Of course, that wasn’t the best time to ask such things. But she looks at me and smiles back “H-hai... I love tarts...”

“Good.” I turn my body to face Inunaki, close my arms still feeling Len’s hands on my back. I manage to clench my both hands in my Katana. I am feeling that I am making a comeback against that awful energy. The same that defeated me before.

“Yoooooooooooooouuuuuu.... whyyy do you fightttt...?”“ The voice echoes through the energy blast. “I broke your... armor... your blade... your mother’s naginata... your body should have been obliterated... but still, you fight! Your soul should not have held that long!” He is faltering now.

“My soul...?” I ask. “MY SOUL?! You will never be able to destroy my soul, Inunaki. I learned from the best of how to be a person whose will should be like a diamond! The person that stands behind that door! Even if she is not able to see me, or hear me. Or even be alive to witness me destroying you, I know that I would never fail to her, not again, never again.”

“Shintaro! It’s working!” Len takes her hand out of my back and tries to move forward. She intents to deliver a blow to the monster!

I only hear the wind blows and the sound of metal. She is lightning fast, perhaps more than myself! I could barely see her delivering a attack. The back of the monster is slashed and hurt, making him lose his concentration. The energy dissipates in a pillar of light and darkness and I almost fall to my knees. But I hold myself up. I gather my energies once again and deliver a flurry of attacks against Inunaki. Against his arms, shoulders, legs, chest. Each attack he screams, he weakens, he falters. And I continue more and more, feeling nothing but will to finish this off. To deliver the final blow.

“No... no... what is this pain...?” The monster complains.

“This is all my rage, my need for freedom. Freedom for this people, from your evil presence... you will not win here. I promised that.” I continue the fight while the monster only blocks. Len strikes through the flanks, making the monster confused. It was a rain of metal and lightning, unrelenting assaults. I nod to Len with my head so she can continue the attacks while I focus one last time my aether on my blade. I think about my friends.

Khutula, the Azalea.

Kakero, the Orchid.

Len, the small daisy.

I think about the friends in Eorzea, the companions I met through my journey, Laurana, Barlfargyr, Kiriya, Erulisse, Jaliqai, the Warrior of Light. And I think about you... you that are reading this diary right now...

Misaki of the Kyuusei family, my snow flower.

You once asked me why I called you snow flower and I answered saying that it was a... weird trait of mine, giving flower names to the most important people of my life. And I dubbed you “Snow Flower, “Edelweiss”, because you are the rarest and the strongest of all flowers. Because your skin was like snow and you delicacy was incomparable.

Then you asked me, if I was to give one flower name to myself what would that be? I didn’t answer by that time... but now I know. I can give you my answer.

“I am Freesia.” I focus the aether on the tip of the blade and Len opens the way for me. The air cracks and sparkles in thousands of small balls of energy. Inunaki murmured something, almost as if he asked for mercy. I see my mother in front of the gate, he is trying to use her again, but I won’t fall for that. I drop a tear with the thought that she will finally be free, all of them. “Midare.... RAIJIN SETSUGEKKA!!!!”

Reaching the fastest speed that I ever got, and delivering the most powerful strike I’ve dealt in my life, I created a huge bolt of Lightning, hitting whole on Inunaki. He tries to escape but it was already too late. His essence is disappearing, his void and dark energy too. The energy of my blade and my aether makes the air to compress in an unbelievable force, obliterating his body and his soul.

Inunaki was no more. It was finally over.

I am tagging here @celestial-opposition and @lady-of-crowns for both being mentioned. The other two mentions are kinda away from Tumblr but they will see this too later as I will send them.

The ending theme is Daisuke Ishiwatari - Freesia

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Bad Food:  Chapter 4

Daisuke’s stomach churned harder as he started to rub the washcloth over the Kaiser’s legs. He wasn’t sure if it was still the effects of that poison fruit he’d eaten or if it was because he was in a bathtub naked with the Kaiser.

He closed his eyes for a few moments while he kept on washing, trying to get his stomach to calm down. It hadn’t been so bad earlier, but it came and went in waves.

Seriously, next time V-mon tells me not to eat something, I’m going to listen to him. Even if I’m starving.

His head jerked up, eye flashing open, when Kaiser’s fingers brushed through his hair again. How good it felt startled him; he’d very seldom had anyone touch his head like that before.

“You need to wash that,” was all Kaiser said. He kept his hand in Daisuke’s hair, though, moving his fingers against Daisuke’s scalp.

Daisuke hadn’t thought about how sensitive a scalp could he. Let alone his scalp. This was not right at all.

He bent back over to wash his unwanted caretaker, determined to get this done as soon as possible. Then the Kaiser would stop touching him.

He’d still be kept here where he didn’t want to be, but if he had to be here, then he’d rather not get touched.

“You’re lucky I don’t intend to keep you very long. I like how you’re following orders.”

Daisuke snarled under his breath. “Don’t make me try to drown you.” He wasn’t sure of how far he’d get, but he was absolutely willing to find out.

Kaiser’s grip tightened in his hair. “I wouldn’t risk it, if I were you. Remember what I told you about being data here. Or perhaps you’d like a little demonstration?”

Daisuke could see the Spiral in Kaiser’s hands. He swallowed. He wasn’t afraid. At least, he told himself that he wasn’t afraid. He didn’t want a Spiral wrapped around him. He couldn’t even imagine what Kaiser would do with him if he did have one on him.

The first thought that rose up in his mind was V-mon. As far as they could tell, Taichi hadn’t really noticed anything when Kaiser had Agumon under his control. But what would it be like if it were the other way around? The human being controlled, not their partner?

His mouth dried up as much from how bad he felt as it did from the thought of V-mon suffering because of him.

No. He wouldn’t let that happen. Not to V-mon and not to any of his other friends.

So he shook his head, tight and tense and unhappy, and kept on scrubbing the Kaiser almost all over.

Kaiser’s hand in Daisuke’s hair loosened some, turning more into a soft, gentle pat or stroke than a harsh grip.

“That’s what I thought you’d say. I’m doing you a favor, Daisuke. Would you really have wanted to just lay there for hours without any help at all?”

Daisuke shook his head again but couldn’t help what came out of his mouth.

“I wouldn’t have been there that long. V-mon was bringing the others.”

He expected some sort of comment on that. He wasn’t disappointed. But what he heard wasn’t at all what he expected.

“Are you sure about that? Don’t you think that it’s a little strange that I was right there to find you and they weren’t?”

Daisuke’s stomach started to dance again, this time in the other direction. The change didn’t feel any better. He swallowed and started to move the washcloth over Kaiser’s chest. He had to stay calm. He didn’t want to be calm. If he wasn’t calm, then Kaiser could find a way to hurt V-mon.

That didn’t stop his hands from shaking or his breath from drawing in and out, faster with each moment.

“They’re still alive, if you’re wondering,” Kaiser said casually, stretching. “My slaves just kept V-mon from getting to them before I got to you. They might have reached you first, and I didn’t want that.”

Daisuke’s fist knuckled in the washcloth. “What did you want?” He knew he shouldn’t try to strangle the Kaiser. He knew it in every level.

He wanted to do it anyway. How could he not want to hurt this monster?

Kaiser reached up and gripped Daisuke’s wrist firmly, dragging Daisuke’s attention toward him.

“I want what I have right now. You, doing anything that I tell you to do, because you know that I’m the only one who can help you.” He smiled and Daisuke couldn’t figure out at all why his stomach wouldn’t stop swaying. It had to be that fruit. He wished over and over that he hadn’t touched it. Then he wouldn’t be here right now.

“You’re still letting me go,” Daisuke insisted. He refused to think otherwise for so much as a moment.;

Kaiser didn’t release Daisuke’s wrist. “I didn’t say I wasn’t. I’ll keep you for as long as you need to be taken care of.”

Daisuke’s heart thudded even more. He could imagine being here for weeks because Kaiser insisted that he ‘wasn’t well yet’ and what could come of that… well, he didn’t really want to know.

Kaiser’s other hand fit around Daisuke’s chin and turned him so they looked at one another. “It will be better for you, and all of your friends, if you behave yourself and do as I tell you. Have I told you to do anything wrong? Anything you wouldn’t want to do?”

“You’re making me wash you,” Daisuke pointed out. He stared directly into the Kaiser’s eyes, or as much as he could with those glasses in the way. “I wouldn’t want to do that.”

“Only because you hadn’t tried it before. And I must admit that you’re very good at it.” He dropped Daisuke’s hand. “Get back to it. Dinner will be ready soon. Remember, you need to eat to make up for that foulness you put in yourself. And then you’re going to sleep.”

Daisuke quickly put himself to work finishing up washing his captor, his teeth clenched over every word that he wanted to say. He wanted to scream; he wanted to insist that he be let go right now. He wasn’t even certain if he could stand up on his feet without his head spinning.

“That’s good enough,” Kaiser said, and Daisuke started to get up. Kaiser stopped him with a single look. “And now, it’s my turn to wash you.”

To Be Continued

Notes: Hm, I think I just promised no sex and no violence. So, anything else should be fair game. I mean, (maybe) putting an Evil Ring or Spiral on someone isn’t violent? Is it? (I honestly haven’t decided if that will happen yet or not. I could keep it purely fluff and Kaiser keeps his word… or I might not.)

[crest-of-courage]

Digimon OTP Week Day 2: Sci-Fi AU

Day 2 of the Digimon OTP Week! I gotta say that I absolutely love all the beautiful posts I see everywhere and that I am incredibly grateful for the sweet comments I received! Thank you so much! <3 Please point out mistakes if you find any!

So, this is Part 1 of the prompt I chose - tomorrow I’ll post the second one.

Pairing: Taito/Taiyama/Taichi x Yamato with a side of DaiKen/Daisuke x Ken

Word Count: 1034

Summary: Stealing a space ship and flying it into enemy territory might not be the best idea Taichi Yagami has ever had, but it’s the only way to rescue his boyfriend from the evil hands of the Dark Masters that captured him six months ago.

„Commander Yagami, the ship has entered enemy territory!“

„Understood. Prepare for landing.“

Taichi couldn't help but grit his teeth as soon as he ended communication.

As if he didn't know where they were. He was leading this mission – and had been preparing for it for the past six months.

His hands gripped the controls a little tighter, which made him feel the strain in his fingers, knuckles growing white with effort.

He couldn't afford to make any mistake in this.

Steering the ship closer to the much larger one that their enemies owned, he prepared for an onslaught of attacks at any second.

All things considered, their mission was more than just suicidal.

It hadn't been approved by their authorities, which was why they had to steal their own ship in the middle of the night to pull through with it anyway.

“I know you want to save him, Taichi, but-.”

“I'm not forcing anyone to come with me.”

“Well, we won't leave you alone with this.”

“I have someone to save too! Don't act like this is just about you!”

“Good. We will leave tonight at 0100 sharp.”

His stomach lurched when he doubled their speed, knowing that if they didn't get close enough to capture the enemy ship now, they would close off every access before they got a chance.

It was a miracle that the enemy still hadn't spotted and thus spared them from blaster-fire and rockets so far.

“Get ready to leave the ship”, he commanded his crew members, which was followed by agreements over the intercom and the sounds of hollow footsteps from deeper inside the ship.

Minutes later, Taichi brought them to a halt close to the pitch-black roof of the enemy's ship. He could feel his heart racing inside his rib cage, pulse throbbing beneath the skin of his neck.

He was so close.

Taking his bright orange blaster from its place in his thigh holster and equipping himself with it, Taichi got out of the cockpit, meeting the expecting eyes of the others.

“They're gonna expect us inside”, Sora told him, her own red weapon clutched tightly to her side, matching her bright, fiery suit.

Determination was ablaze in her eyes and Taichi felt hope sparking inside of him at the reminder that his friends wanted to save him from the clutches of their enemies just as much as he did.

“I just don't understand why they haven't attacked us yet”, Koushiro mused, gaze fixed on the exit of their ship as if he was dying to finally get out and find the answer himself.

“I don't care! They can shoot at us all they want, we're gonna take them down anyway!”

With these words, Daisuke ignored the fact that he actually had to wait for Taichi's permission first and opened the door of their ship.

With quick, strategically placed aims, Koushiro and Daisuke shot holes into the roof of the enemy's ship, metal molting beneath the drastic temperatures and giving way surprisingly quickly.

They each jumped through the opening, careful to avoid getting burned – their specifically designed suits could only do so much to protect them – and landed with identical thumps.

Inside, they were met by complete stillness.

Jou shifted uneasily, gaze jumping around with growing unease.

“Why isn't anyone trying to shoot us?”

Taichi grit his teeth again, blaster ready, his finger on the trigger.

But no one came.

Slowly, they were making their way forwards and he could feel the tension growing, each of his friends ready to attack at any given moment and completely taken aback by the lack of any kind of onslaught.

Adding to this was the fact that, after they had carefully checked, every single room of the ship seemed to be empty.

Taichi felt sweat gathering on his forehead, a terrible thought entering his mind that made despair pool in his stomach.

What if he wasn't here? What if they had seen them coming and deserted the ship without them noticing?

He couldn't voice it.

But the thought lingered in his mind, just as they stopped outside the last remaining door.

His friends looked at him nervously and he could feel their desperation, felt the waves of anger radiating from Daisuke and the nervousness of Jou.

“Taichi”, Sora started softly, reaching out to grab his shoulder, but he only shook his head.

He was grateful for her comfort, but he was unable to take it in right now.

Instead, he stepped forward, taking a last look at his friends, before finally opening the door.

His heart stopped for a full beat when he saw who was inside the brightly lit, spacious room. Slouched in the center, between beeping controls and weird machinery, was-

“Yama”, he breathed, all the air escaping his lungs, as if someone had hit him square in the chest.

There he was.

Skin even paler than usual, blond hair a tad longer and messy, but the same, unmistakable tone that Taichi had always marveled over.

The blond's eyes widened.

“Taichi!”

His voice was rough, desperation and longing so evident, mixing with disbelief and anger.

He looked like he wanted to move towards him, but was held back by thick chains that were dangerously cracking with static.

A second later, his captor finally revealed himself.

Alone.

Unguarded.

It wasn't like back then, when they had tried to free their home planet of the group that called itself the Dark Masters.

No hundreds and hundreds of servants that crowded them in and captured two of their own by the end of the brutal, merciless battle.

“Yamato! Where's Ken?”, he heard Daisuke yell, while Taichi broke out into a run, desperate to finally reach his boyfriend after months without him, months that were filled with worrying whether he was hurt or... or dead.

But before he got too close, there was a sudden wave of pure energy pushing him backwards, making him lose his balance and fall, his head hitting the ground.

“My, my, my. Finally you are here, Taichi Yagami.”

Piedmon's smile was nothing short of pure satisfaction.

The realization hit them all at once.

They had stepped right into his trap.

[lightchildofthespring]

I like your ideas for the original Chosen Children. What kinds of storylines would you have liked to see for the 02 kids (Takeru and Hikari included), since their character development was kind of nonexistent?

I liked the hint in the beginning of 02 that Takeru’s traumatic experiences would be more explored. It would have been interesting to see him coming to terms with the bad things that happened to him and his friends. I would have liked to see him, at first, adhering to a black/white morality of believing that all darkness was evil, but then have that notion defied and coming to understand that reality was more complex than that. It was a let down when that promising plot-line didn’t go further in 02.

As for Hikari, I would have liked to see her having more agency and breaking free of the role of “fragile girl” that 02 imprinted to her. I wish we had seen more of her bravery as well and her character struggles. I imagine that Hikari was raised to be feminine, in a way to be a contraposition to Taichi. Which means that she received positive reinforcement whenever she acted sweetly or put the needs of others above herself. The show could have explored the tension between what she really wanted to do versus what she thought she had to do, perhaps questioning how much of her behavior was derivative of the way she was raised. Hikari had already stated that it wasn’t easy for her to be honest about her feelings. I wish we had been showed more of the why. I would’ve dropped the dark ocean story-line because the whole “pure girl is kidnapped and is nearly forced to marry creature of darkness that torments her” is a trope that I seriously don’t like.

For Miyako, we could have been showed more of how having many siblings could be overwhelming sometimes. She was someone that had to be always assertive, otherwise she wouldn’t be heard in her own home. And that assertiveness transcended to other aspects of her life to a point that, sometimes, she couldn’t tone it down and be more considerate of others. Miyako and Hikari could have had a more developed arc with each of them helping the other to overcome their shortcomings.

Iori lost his father in a young age and seemingly couldn’t move on. He’s too attached to the image he built of the man, from the things his mother and grandfather told him. Iori adopts and exacerbates the moral values that he attributes to his father. 02 developed him in an interesting way, but we could’ve seen more. Perhaps having Iori realizing that his father was different from the idealized version of him he had created and that clinging to that version too much was harmful to him. I mean, we kind of saw that, but not enough of it, I think.

Daisuke could have had so many interesting aspects developed. For starters, he was the new leader and had to constantly compare himself to Taichi, someone he greatly admired. Besides that, he had to deal with his jealousy towards Takeru. I would’ve preferred if, instead of a crush on Hikari played for laughs, Daisuke was jealous mainly because Takeru seemed more fit to be a leader than he was and that Takeru had a good relationship with his brother. We must remember that Daisuke had his intelligence and other attributes openly criticized by his family, many times. A child that grows up like that could easily develop a poor vision of himself and try to overcompensate his alleged flaws. Daisuke clearly was kinder to his friends than to his family and had more facility at forgiving Ken than anyone else did. I believe that shows how Daisuke could empathize with people because of their flaws and mistakes. Daisuke was the most realistic and accepting child among the 02 gang and I wish he had helped more the others (not just Ken) in accepting that nobody could be perfect and flaws don’t make people necessarily bad. Imagine how much Hikari and Iori could’ve taken from talking to Daisuke about such things. I would have also liked to see Daisuke bonding with Sora over demanding parents and not feeling understood.

Ken’s arc in 02 was very interesting. If anything, I would have liked it better if his bad behavior wasn’t justified by the dark seed, but by him making mistakes. I feel like that was where the arc was originally meant to go but the later dark seed plot cheapened Ken’s development.

[postgamecontent]

Studio Pixel Spotlight: Cave Story

Original Release Date: December 20, 2004

Original Hardware: Windows PC

Chances are good that if you've only played one game in this spotlight, it's Cave Story. It's Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya's most famous and successful work, and it's been released on far more platforms than any of his other games. It has sold millions of copies, a fact made all the more impressive when you consider that the game in its most basic form has been available for free since the day it was released. It's also an important game, serving as a herald for the indie game boom that would follow in its wake. Its success not only won Pixel his financial independence, it also helped establish indie publisher Nicalis. Oh, and it's also a really terrific game. Any game that makes it this far on word of mouth would have to be, wouldn't it?

Of course, Pixel wouldn't have had any way of knowing just how big his little game would become as he toiled away on it for five long years. His previous games, Ikachan and Azarashi, hadn't garnered a lot of attention, after all. Still, he had a dream and refused to give up on it. As long as he could make something that would bring joy to someone else, that was good enough for him. So for a half-decade, Pixel went to his day job working on software for printers and came home to his personal project. There were false starts, ideas that never made it in, and items originally were meant to have purpose that ended up being vestigial. By the end of the process, Pixel was sure he would never make another game again. The game was finally completed as the year 2004 came to a close, and on December 20th, it was uploaded to Pixel's site. He didn't charge anything for his game, partly because he just wanted people to play it, and partly because he couldn't be bothered with the process of trying to collect money.

Before too long, the game caught the eye of a fan localization group called Aeon Genesis. They're one of the more respected romhacking groups around, with games like Shin Megami Tensei, Clock Tower, and Treasure of the Rudras under their collective belts. The group picked up Cave Story and did their thing with it, releasing the first English version of the game only a month after its Japanese release. By August of 2005 they had finished their final version, and the game had already begun to catch on in a surprisingly big way. With no AAA budget, marketing, or store presence, Cave Story had to rely purely on people enjoying it and spreading word of it around to their friends. That it became as big as it did at a time where social media consisted of MySpace and AOL Instant Messenger is a minor miracle.

Fans were soon porting the game around to just about anything that could handle it. A 2007 port to Sony's PlayStation Portable was one of the more popular non-emulator pieces of homebrew software for the system. For his part, Pixel had already moved on to making other games. He wasn't unaware of the popularity of his game, but if there's one word to describe Pixel, it's 'humble'. While there had been talk about bringing Cave Story to platforms like the Game Boy Advance, talk was all it was until he was approached by a man named Tyrone Rodriguez, a former editor at American gaming website IGN. In 2007, Rodriguez founded Nicalis, a small developer/publisher that targeted the burgeoning digital marketplaces on consoles. He convinced Pixel that the game would be a good fit for Nintendo's upcoming Wiiware service, and a partnership was formed that persists to this day.

The Wiiware version from Nicalis wasn't just a straight port, however. Pixel and Nicalis felt that they should put their best foot forward with Cave Story and decided to touch up the game's presentation. They also wanted to add in some bonus content. After all, the game had been free up until this point. It might take some sweetening of the pot to convince players to pay. All of this work took time, and the Wiiware version of the game met with a few delays before it finally released in North America in March of 2010. A European release would follow several months later. Interestingly, this version of the game was never released in Japan. Pixel's home country would have to wait for the Nintendo DSiware version. That game launched in November of 2010 in North America, and came out almost exactly a year later in Japan. November 2011 also saw the PC release of Cave Story+, which was basically an enhanced version of the upgraded Wiiware port. This time, PC players would have to pay for the game if they wanted it. There were some gripes about that, but the game did just fine anyway.

That wasn't the only Cave Story action in November of 2011. That month also saw the release of Cave Story 3D on the Nintendo 3DS. As opposed to the enhanced but ultimately faithful ports of the game that had been released thus far, Cave Story 3D was a ground-up remake. All of the gorgeous pixel art was replaced with polygonal models, a change that didn't exactly go over well with a lot of players. This version of the game was also missing a lot of the extra content from the other versions of Cave Story, without much to make up for it. Truthfully, the most noteworthy thing about Cave Story 3D is that until the recent release of Cave Story+ for the Nintendo Switch, it was the only physical version of the game produced. It also features an appearance from Prinny, owing to the game being published by Disgaea creators NIS.

I played through Cave Story 3D earlier this year, and while it's certainly misguided in a lot of its changes, it's not terrible. You can tell it's coming from people who aren't accustomed to working with 3D graphics, however. Certain elements don't stand out as well from the backgrounds as they should, and everything just looks low-budget in a way that the original game ironically does not. The timing of the controls feels slightly off in places, too. I don't know if that's coming from any actual lag or is just a consequence of the dramatically different visual feedback, but it makes for a worse experience overall. If it's your only choice, the original game's quality still shines through well enough to give you a good time. I can't see how it could be your only choice, though, as the 3DS received its own native port of Cave Story for the Nintendo eShop less than a year later. I suppose it also has merit for die-hard fans just to see what a different version of Cave Story looks like, if nothing else.

As already mentioned, the latest release of the game is for the Nintendo Switch. I haven't played this version yet, so I can't speak to its quality. Since it's based on the Cave Story+ version of the game, I can't imagine that there's anything particularly wrong with it. Nicalis has quite a bit of experience with this title at this point, after all. The presentation seems to have been buffed up a little more, and a co-op mode will apparently be added to the game via a free update later this summer. The main draw here is that it comes in a lovely physical edition, complete with a NES-style manual, a mini soundtrack CD, a keychain, and other assorted goodies. For Cave Story fans, it's the first chance to own a real copy of the original game since it launched more than 12 years ago.

That's probably enough talking around the game, though. Let's talk about the game itself, because it really is a special one. Cave Story is a non-linear action-platformer in the vein of Metroid. You play as an amnesiac boy who wakes up in a cave. Once you've made your way out, you find yourself in a village of rabbit-like creatures called Mimiga. After a little looking around, you'll meet some of the antagonists of the game. Balrog and his sister Misery will be thorns in your side for most of the rest of the game, and you'll likely have your first fight with the former here. You don't have to, mind you. He'll ask if you really want to fight him, and you can say no. He'll just go away if you do. Either way, they'll take off with one of the villagers, setting the stage for you to finally leave the village.

While Cave Story plays out a lot like Metroid, it doesn't have a large, contiguous world. Instead, it's broken up into separate areas that you need to use transporters to travel between. Generally speaking, it's impossible to get to certain areas until the game wants you to reach them, so you can't sequence-break to the extent that you can in some games of this style. Nevertheless, there's plenty of exploration to be done. Items that increase your maximum life points and missile ammo are tucked away in various hiding spots, and there are plenty of secrets that have little point to them apart from being amusing. Outside of a couple of important areas, you usually don't need to backtrack to previous sections unless you missed something the first time. Most areas are also capped off with a boss battle, giving Cave Story more of an action-game feel than you might initially expect.

Taken in that context, the levels in Cave Story are really well-designed. Long enough to feel like an effort, but they never overstay their welcome. Even when the game presents you with a tedious fetch quest, you rarely have to track your feet over much of a distance. The worst instance of this is when Balrog's aunt asks you to find her five dogs. There's a particularly annoying stretch filled with enemies that you'll have to cross back and forth a few times. You'll also have to do a little backtracking if you want to get the game's best ending. Not that you're likely to stumble across that particular chain of feats without being told precisely what to do, mind you. Pixel set it up so that you would have to fight your gamer instincts four or five times without fail. Are you really going to let someone fall without checking on them? Search a boss room before talking to your friend? Not leave an injured but stable person to rest in a bed? It's kind of brilliant, in a slightly evil way.

It's part of what makes Cave Story so special, if you think about it. Pixel knows you. He sees you. He understands what you're going to try, for the most part, and makes sure something happens if you try it. One of the most frustrating things for me when I'm playing a game like Uncharted or Tomb Raider is when I climb, jump, or get myself to an out of the way location where it feels like there should be a treasure, only to find nothing. There should be a treasure here! That never happens in Cave Story. There's always something where you expect to find something. It might not have any point, but Pixel knew you would try it, and he left a little note of some kind for you.

I suppose one thing I could criticize is the difficulty curve. Cave Story is surprisingly easy on its default difficulty setting until the very end. Upon entering the Final Cave, the game takes a big step up and doesn't let up until it's over. It's not impossible or anything. If you can beat the average Mega Man X game, you can get through this. But it's a very noticeable incline for a game that is otherwise pretty gentle and smooth. The game does try hard to coach you, at least. You can power up your weapons by collecting experience dropped by enemies after they're killed. Taking hits will cost you some of your current weapon's experience in addition to taking away some life. Losing your maximum level on a weapon dramatically decreases its usefulness, so you'll really want to avoid getting hit. I'm not sure if this was deliberate or not, but this essentially teaches you to strive for perfection when everything else in the game allows for quite a few errors. Theoretically, you should be ready for the last sequence of events by the time they come. Theoretically.

Considering the fact that the game was made entirely by Pixel on his own, it's incredible that there aren't any serious weak points, though. The graphics have a retro look to them, sure, but they feel authentic rather than opportunistic. The music is absolutely incredible. That's the one thing you can always count on with Pixel's games. Even the mini-games will have at least one or two outstanding chiptune tracks. Cave Story is packed with them. Most versions of the game beyond the initial release also have a lot of extra modes and unlockable goodies to check out.

For example, you could always find Curly Brace's panties by going through a secret area in her house, but they never did anything in the original version. In later versions, that item unlocks Curly Story, which lets you play through the game with the main character and Curly's roles reversed. That's a really weird way to open up a new mode, but it is what it is, I suppose. The point is that even though the main game offers a respectable 5-6 hour playthrough, there are lots of reasons to revisit Cave Story. This game goes above and beyond what you would expect given, well, just about everything about its origins and circumstances.

Ultimately, Cave Story is a genuine work of heart, the kind that wears that on its sleeve proudly. This game exists for no other reason than the fact that its creator wanted it to exist. It wasn't made to make money, or even to be popular. It wasn't made to make Pixel famous, and he even kind of fought his fame for a while. That alone doesn't make it entirely unique. I know many independent developers who are essentially doing the same thing. With the utmost respect to their work, however, not many of them turn out games of this size, scope, and level of polish. Even Pixel himself has had a lot of trouble doing it again. Cave Story is one of those lightning-strike moments in gaming history. I'm not sure if I'd put it on exactly the same level as Super Metroid, its chief source of inspiration, but it's not far below. And just like that game, it's utterly timeless. You would think a game like this would mainly appeal to people who grew up in the 8-bit/16-bit era, but the game is apparently quite popular with kids, too. That bodes well for the game's long-term status in the gaming canon, I'd say.

The dark side of that kind of success is that a lot of people keep looking to Pixel to do it all again. I'd argue that his most recent game Kero Blaster finally fulfilled that request in the broad sense, but not everyone would agree with me on that. Perhaps we all just need to accept that if someone can turn out a game like Cave Story even once in their life, that's a real miracle. Pixel has made many other fun games, and I'm quite sure he'll make many more. But Cave Story is Cave Story, and like any true piece of personal expression, it's doubtful that its creator could replicate the feelings it evokes even if he wanted to. I'd much rather that Pixel do the thing he was doing to begin with when he created Cave Story: whatever he feels like making. I'm sure he's got a lot of great ideas in him that don't involve going back to the well.

In the meantime, I have little doubt that we will continue to see re-releases and enhanced versions of Cave Story for a long time to come. A game that began its life as freeware has seemingly only gained value over the years, and people seem to be quite content paying to have the game available on whatever their newest piece of hardware is. For a game whose story is essentially about trying to get home, it's funny that so many people, including myself, find themselves coming home to Cave Story again and again.

Previous: Ikachan & Azarashi

Next: Megane & Guxt

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[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Pure Confusion

Miyako knew of Hikari even before they properly officially met. She didn’t often notice Firestarters, but something about the younger girl’s Flames called to her from the first moment they brushed near each other. She wasn’t sure if Hikari even remembered that first meeting. If one could call it a meeting. Did it count when she’d been stocking shelves at Ai Mart and Hikari came in once over a weekend to get some snacks

Probably not. Miyako hadn’t even known the strange Firestarter’s name at that point. But feeling those Flames so close to her – it made her want to find whoever it was and talk to them, get to know them better. Her parents had always said when she met her proper Firestarter, then she’d know about it.

And I didn’t believe them. She still wasn’t absolutely certain. What sort of Healer could she make someone, anyway? Sure, she had a way with plants. But that was standard Healer issue. Every Healer could do that, and Heal as well. Nothing out of the ordinary at all.

Her fingers tingled the first time that they brushed against Hikari’s, when she handed over the message from the elder Yagami. That was just the beginning. Feeling Hikari press up against her made her tingle all over, and she’d done her best to separate, even though every instinct told her to cuddle under those Fires and stay there forever.

At least she’d kept something of a leash on her tongue, when the first question she wanted to ask then was “What is the Digital World?”, followed quickly by “Would you like to court, please?”

That night she slammed her fists repeatedly into a pillow before throwing herself down on her futon and staring at the ceiling.

I met a Firestarter. I met someone who I might like for my Firestarter.

There was that whole Digital World thing too. But they would definitely find out more about that tomorrow. The weight of that device in her pocket told her that. She tugged it out to look at it. She’d seen strange creatures on the other side of that screen – she’d heard Daisuke babbling about someone called “V-mon” and she wondered if she would meet a friend like that too.

Did Hikari have one? She had to. What would her partner be like? Perhaps she’d meet them tomorrow.

Her thoughts flicked back to Hikari, the Firestarter. Was Hikari even looking for a Healer? Most Healers and Firestarters did look for a partner at some point in their lives. Miyako had even attended one mixer that was supposed to help unbonded ones finding their partners. She’d been so bored she’d almost fallen asleep on her feet there.

Noise came from outside the room – Momoe’s voice, raised in glee as she bounced into the apartment. Miyako could only hear bits and pieces, but since she heard “Jun” very clearly, she could guess that Momoe's courting was going very well.

Motomiya Jun? Miyako frowned. She’d heard mentions of Jun’s brother during some of the times when Jun visited, but she’d never paid much attention. But now she wondered -

She poked her head out of the door. Momoe lounged on the couch, grinning in satisfaction. She glanced over as soon as Miyako looked at her.

“Hey! How was the first day of school?”

Miyako waved one hand. “Ok. I have a question, though.

Momoe blinked, extending one hand to one of her indoor plants, caressing the side of it. “What? Got a problem with your homework already?”

“That’s not it. I met someone – not like that!” Miyako waved her hands quickly to make sure that Momoe didn’t get any ideas. “I met two someones, really. But the one I wanted to ask about – Jun has a brother, right?”

Momoe tilted her head. “Daisuke. She asked if you wanted to meet him, remember?”

Miyako scrunched her nose. “I remember.” She’d turned down the prospect. She wasn’t interested then in bonding to him, not even meeting him. “But I think I’ve met him now.” Well, that answered her first question, at least. Daisuke was Jun’s brother. Which did mean he was going to be a pretty powerful Firestarter. She thought Hikari might be a fraction stronger. But stronger or weaker, Hikari’s Flames were far more to her tastes than Daisuke’s were.

Her sister started to look a little more interested, but Miyako didn’t want her getting any ideas like that. “I also met Yagami Hikari.” She hoped she didn’t sound half as dreamy as she did to her own ears. “She’s a Firestarter.”

But now Momoe leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with interest. “Is she an interesting Firestarter?”

Red scorched up Miyako’s cheeks and she ducked her head. “Yeah. Kind of.” She fidgeted. “What should I do?”

For a few seconds Momoe just regarded her, then nodded. “Get to know her. It’s almost like trying to go out with someone. Find out if you like some of the same things and what those things are. Spend time together. You could take her to the Flaming Ivy.” Her lips quirked. “I promise if we see you there, we won’t talk to you.”

That eased just a trifle of her tension. Not that she was entirely sure she believed Momoe. But it was nice to at least have that promise.

“Are you sure you wouldn't like a test visit first? Say, with Daisuke?” Momoe teased. Miyako glared at her, one of her own plants uncurling a long limb to lightly smacks Momoe on the back of the head. “I’ll take that as a no.”

Momoe snickered as Miyako stalked back to= her room. All of her plants in here curled close to her, and she stroked the violets that were closest to her gently. Being here soothed her temper. Surrounded by all the life that she’d brought into the world – maybe she should work up a bouquet or something for Hikari? She remembered seeing Momoe doing the same thing for Jun, taking her a lovely bouquet of blossoms that she’d grown herself.

Only would it be too soon? They didn’t even have a proper first courting date set up. They were too young to properly bond – they wouldn’t be able to until their powers settled somewhere around eighteen or nineteen, and that was the earliest. Some people didn’t bond until much later.

Should I ask her? I guess I should. She didn’t know if Hikari even knew about the Flaming Ivy. It was one of the most popular places for Firestarters and Healers to visit for a good drink and good company.

She tried to settle herself and wasn’t having a great deal of luck. Tomorrow she would see Hikari again. Tomorrow she would maybe get the chance to ask Hikari if she wanted to go to the Flaming Ivy. Tomorrow she would go to the Digital World for the first time. She knew they would have something to do – Daisuke went to a lot of trouble to play up how horrible the battle had been for him and his partner and the evil of that “Digimon Kaiser”.

Frankly, Miyako wondered if he wasn’t playing it up a little to make himself look better. No one could be that evil.

The asking didn’t go quite the way that Miyako expected. But that wasn’t much of a surprise. Daisuke being kidnapped – the sensation that the Digimon Kaiser was a Dark Healer - meeting Hawkmon – all of those blew the thought of asking Hikari to the Flaming Ivy out of her mind.

But things didn’t say too bad. They rescued Daisuke within hours and no real harm seemed to have come to him. It wasn’t that difficult to ignore the fact the Kaiser was a Healer. She was tempted more than once to challenge him to a Healer’s Battle, but he never stayed around long enough for her to issue the challenge. Sometimes he didn’t even show up at all.

On the first Friday after school had begun, once they returned from the Digital World and were heading out, Miyako made up her mind. Daisuke had gone off somewhere. He did that a lot these days. Takeru and Iori were also off somewhere – she wasn’t sure if they were pre-courting or not. That left her and Hikari.

Hikari turned to her, a brilliant, bright, and warm smile lighting her face up. “Hey, would you like to go out for a cup of tea or something? Just us?”

Miyako blinked briefly, tilted her head, and returned the smile. “I’d love to! My sister has a lot of good things to say about the Flaming Ivy. Want to go there?”

“I was just going to suggest that,” Hikari declared, eyes bright as stars. “Taichi goes there with Yamato a lot.”

They settled on going the next day. Miyako knew this wasn’t exactly what she’d planned, but it didn’t matter. Now she had the chance to get to know her even better, and the future shone bright.

The End

Notes: I might write their actual visit to the Flaming Ivy at some point. But I’m debating next writing a Digimon NEXT fic. I have Plans for Kahara Shou. Yes, I am cackling evilly.

[higuchimon]

[fanfic]  Bad Food:  4/9

Characters:  Ken, Daisuke||Pairing:  Ken x Daisuke Chapter Word Count:  1,086||Story Word Count:  4,257||Chapter Count:  4/9 Summary:  The Digital World doesn't always react the way it should with humans. Or perhaps humans don't react the way they should to it. Either way, Daisuke ate something he shouldn't have and it's the Kaiser who will be taking care of him. Whether he wants to be taken care of or not.

Daisuke’s stomach churned harder as he started to rub the washcloth over the Kaiser’s legs.  He wasn’t sure if it was still the effects of that poison fruit he’d eaten or if it was because he was in a bathtub naked with the Kaiser.

He closed his eyes for a few moments while he kept on washing, trying to get his stomach to calm down.  It hadn’t been so bad earlier, but it came and went in waves.

*Seriously, next time V-mon tells me not to eat something, I’m going to listen to him.  Even if I’m starving.*

His head jerked up, eye flashing open, when Kaiser’s fingers brushed through his hair again.  How good it felt startled him; he’d very seldom had anyone touch his head like that before.  

“You need to wash that,”  was all Kaiser said.  He kept his hand in Daisuke’s hair, though, moving his fingers against Daisuke’s scalp.  

Daisuke hadn’t thought about how sensitive a scalp could he.  Let alone *his* scalp.  This was not right at all.  

He bent back over to wash his unwanted caretaker, determined to get this done as soon as possible.  Then the Kaiser would stop touching him.

He’d still be kept here where he didn’t want to be, but if he *had* to be here, then he’d rather not get touched.

“You’re lucky I don’t intend to keep you very long.  I like how you’re following orders.”

Daisuke snarled under his breath.  “Don’t make me try to drown you.”  He wasn’t sure of how far he’d get, but he was absolutely willing to find out.

Kaiser’s grip tightened in his hair.  “I wouldn’t risk it, if I were you.  Remember what I told you about being data here.  Or perhaps you’d like a little demonstration?”

Daisuke could see the Spiral in Kaiser’s hands.  He swallowed.  He wasn’t afraid.  At least, he told himself that he wasn’t afraid.  He didn’t want a Spiral wrapped around him.  He couldn’t even imagine what Kaiser would do with him if he *did* have one on him.  

The first thought that rose up in his mind was V-mon.  As far as they could tell, Taichi hadn’t really noticed anything when Kaiser had Agumon under his control.  But what would it be like if it were the other way around?  The human being controlled, not their partner?

His mouth dried up as much from how bad he felt as it did from the thought of V-mon suffering because of him.

No.  He wouldn’t let that happen.  Not to V-mon and not to any of his other friends.

So he shook his head, tight and tense and unhappy, and kept on scrubbing the Kaiser almost all over.  

Kaiser’s hand in Daisuke’s hair loosened some, turning more into a soft, gentle pat or stroke than a harsh grip.

“That’s what I thought you’d say.  I’m doing you a favor, Daisuke.  Would you really have wanted to just lay there for hours without any help at all?”

Daisuke shook his head again but couldn’t help what came out of his mouth.

“I wouldn’t have been there that long.  V-mon was bringing the others.”

He expected some sort of comment on that.  He wasn’t disappointed.  But what he heard wasn’t at all what he expected.

“Are you sure about that?  Don’t you think that it’s a little strange that I was right there to find you and they weren’t?”

Daisuke’s stomach started to dance again, this time in the other direction.  The change didn’t feel any better.  He swallowed and started to move the washcloth over Kaiser’s chest.  He had to stay calm.  He didn’t *want* to be calm.  If he wasn’t calm, then Kaiser could find a way to hurt V-mon.  

That didn’t stop his hands from shaking or his breath from drawing in and out, faster with each moment.

“They’re still alive, if you’re wondering,”  Kaiser said casually, stretching.  “My slaves just kept V-mon from getting to them before I got to you.  They *might* have reached you first, and I didn’t want that.”

Daisuke’s fist knuckled in the washcloth.  “What did you want?”  He knew he shouldn’t try to strangle the Kaiser.  He knew it in every level.

He wanted to do it anyway.  How could he not want to hurt this monster?

Kaiser reached up and gripped Daisuke’s wrist firmly, dragging Daisuke’s attention toward him.

“I want what I have right now.  You, doing anything that I tell you to do, because you know that I’m the only one who can help you.”  He smiled and Daisuke couldn’t figure out at all why his stomach wouldn’t stop swaying.  It had to be that fruit.  He wished over and over that he hadn’t touched it.  Then he wouldn’t be here right now.

“You’re still letting me go,”  Daisuke insisted.  He refused to think otherwise for so much as a moment.;

Kaiser didn’t release Daisuke’s wrist.  “I didn’t say I wasn’t.  I’ll keep you for as long as you need to be taken care of.”

Daisuke’s heart thudded even more.  He could imagine being here for weeks because Kaiser insisted that he ‘wasn’t well yet’ and what could come of that… well, he didn’t really want to know.  

Kaiser’s other hand fit around Daisuke’s chin and turned him so they looked at one another.  “It will be better for you, and all of your friends, if you behave yourself and do as I tell you.  Have I told you to do anything *wrong*?  Anything you wouldn’t want to do?”

“You’re making me wash you,”  Daisuke pointed out.  He stared directly into the Kaiser’s eyes, or as much as he could with those glasses in the way.  “I wouldn’t want to do that.”

“Only because you hadn’t tried it before.  And I must admit that you’re very good at it.”  He dropped Daisuke’s hand.  “Get back to it.  Dinner will be ready soon.  Remember, you need to eat to make up for that foulness you put in yourself.  And then you’re going to sleep.”

Daisuke quickly put himself to work finishing up washing his captor, his teeth clenched over every word that he wanted to say.  He wanted to scream; he wanted to insist that he be let go right now.  He wasn’t even certain if he could stand up on his feet without his head spinning.  

“That’s good enough,”  Kaiser said, and Daisuke started to get up.  Kaiser stopped him with a single look.  “And now, it’s my turn to wash you.”

To Be Continued

Notes:  Hm, I think I just promised no sex and no violence.  So, anything else should be fair game.  I mean, (maybe) putting an Evil Ring or Spiral on someone isn’t violent?  Is it?  (I honestly haven’t decided if that will happen yet or not.  I could keep it purely fluff and Kaiser keeps his word… or I might not.)