#him and sora are silly little guys

[mythicalartistx]

Riku dreaming about Sora...

Another Soriku piece,

I just really like how I've been making their expressions, I can't wait for all the Halloween art I could possibly do of them...

All my Halloween art will probably start after this one since I drew it in September

[helpmyinterestsareverywhere]

A recent development

[rainofthetwilight]

arin is the silliest, kindest, and literally the most polite kid you'd see in a lifetime

BUT he will not hesistate to immediately demolish his enemies. see: beatrix and rapton

remember that mother garden scene where they were gonna sacrifice rapton and lloyd told arin how all life has value or some shit? my guy literally replied with 'but that's rapton', he 100% agreed to sacrifice him 😭

and when beatrix was throwing the mergequakes everywhere in the last episode of s1, arin did not even hesitate to kick her ass into that mergequake bro

he's literally the definition of 'looks like a cinnamon roll, could actually kill you' with 'is actually a cinnamon roll' thrown in the mix

[macaroniv]

"Trafalgar law is a very serious character'

Why Law is just a silly little guy:

Despite him being introduced as slightly menacing and mysterious, he slowly falls victim to the Strawhat's shenanigans and eventually reveals his immense hatred of bread.

2. He constantly Bepo as a pillow, even when's trying to be menacing.

3. He has a weakness for cute things. Chopper, Sugar, especially Bepo.

4. He's a big ol nerd. He can pretend all he wants that everyone in the North Blue knows Sora warrior of the sea by heart but the look in his eyes proves otherwise. And he too fell victim to how cool the ninja was.

5. Literally half his screentime is him getting beat up in the most babygirl way ever

6. His crew basically acts like a cheerleading squad while he sulks in the corner like an emo teen as if he isnt a grown man

7. The entirety of his screentime in one piece party

8. The scene in the light novel where he literally compares himself to being a stray kitten being adopted

9. His best idea for a disguise is wearing a mustache, sunglasses and his hood up. With his tattoos very visible. And his hat. And the jacket with "Corazon" on the back, something Doflamingo and the Donquixote family would instantly recognize.

10. in dressrosa when he's being basically carried around like a potato sack and at one point cavendish is just hanging him over his horse.

[toadslug]

I FINISHED IT!! Here are my silly opinions for the silly dragon series 🥰 Character names, explanations, and template below the cut:

★ Favorite character: Clay

Clay has been my favorite character since I read his book!! I think his character goes a lot deeper than how some of the fandom treats him (his character arc is amazing), and he's also just a really nice guy.

★ Liked by everyone but me: Queen Ruby

I have no idea why I don't like her 😭 I think the way she treated Peril just kind of pissed me off when I was a kid, and I've never been able to shake the grudge. It's not her, it's me. I almost put Bumblebee here instead (I can't fault her for acting her age, but her screaming can get tiresome).

★ Didn't like at first: Fatespeaker

I considered putting Glory here, but I only started to hate her when that was the popular thing to do (I'm back to liking her now). I immediately didn't like Fatespeaker... Probably because I was rooting for Sunny x Starflight at the time 😬 I PROMISE I'm not like that anymore omg, I was, like, nine. I've come to value Fatespeaker a lot more; her character is surprisingly interesting to pick apart.

★ Would like to know more about: Hailstorm

There's so many characters I want to know more about!! Gill!! Tau!! Riptide!! Moray!! Osprey!! Sora!! Literally any MudWing character!!! But I went with Hailstorm. I adore the cool, supportive big brother energy he radiates, and seeing him trying to fit back into IceWing society (and maybe go through a teensy identity crisis) would be interesting.

★ Least favorite character: Sky

Honestly, I don't really have a least favorite character...? There's Whirlpool, of course, but that's too easy. I ended up choosing Sky 🤷‍♀️ I liked him enough in Dragonslayer, but he annoyed me in The Flames of Hope. I feel like he became a lot louder and more brash.

★ Like the design, dislike the character: Vulture

His dragon skull tattoos and the gimmick for them is so sick?? Why is this grandpa more stylish than me and everyone I know??? His design is great, but everything to do with him and his crime ring felt a little out of nowhere to me. It's been a while since I've read Darkness of Dragons, so maybe I'm just not remembering everything? But yeah. I wish he was introduced better.

★ Like the character, dislike the design: Luna

I like Luna!! And I like how she looks on her book cover, too (the rendering on her is drop-dead GORGEOUS). But the rest of her appearances in canon art... ehh.

These shades of green are making me feel things. And the spots on her wings look kind of awkward to me.

★ Favorite ship: Jambu x Pineapple

I was really close to putting Clay x Peril here because of how OBSESSED I was with them as a kid (shout-out to the Demons Peril PMV by Echosplash Animations that saved my life); however, Jambu x Pineapple is the only ship in the series that got me kicking my feet. The flashback to them cuddling in the hammock melted my heart 💖 Luna x Swordtail, Tamarin x Anemone, and Mangrove x Orchid are also my beloved. Honestly, though, I'm not that involved with shipping anymore.

★ Would never befriend IRL: Sundew

I like Sundew as a fictional character, but I would be slightly scared of her if she was real. She probably wouldn't like me.

★ Would befriend IRL: Umber

He just seems chill. I don't think he'd prod me to do stuff or talk, and I like people like that... People who can just let you exist. I feel like he'd tolerate my cringey humor, too.

★ Similar personality: Clearsight

I am NOWHERE near as girlboss as her, but I can relate to constantly worrying about future situations that may or may not happen 😁😁

★ Least favorite ship: Burn x Scarlet

Sorry toxic yuri ☹️ I just don't ship Burn with anyone.

*This template wasn't my idea; I took the original template and modified it to my liking.

[syrupfog]

If there’s one thing Law hates, it’s unexpected visitors. 

His doorbell rings for the sixth time and he stares at the door in hatred. 

But then after the seventh ring, there’s a jiggling of the handle and the door swings inward. 

“Traffy!” shouts Luffy. 

“What the fuck.”

“You weren’t answering your door!” 

Law gives Luffy a glare. “How did you get in here?” 

“Oh, Bepo gave me the ward code.” 

Law is going to kill Bepo. 

“He said he was worried about you!” “He should be worried about himself, now.” 

Luffy frowns. “Be nice to him, he’s a bear.”

“He gave you the ability to break into my house. I’m going to be mean to him.” 

Luffy pushes the door closed and wanders in, hands touching ALL of Law’s figurines on display. “You’ve got a lot of Sora,” he says. 

Law tamps down his retort, that only like TWO of them are Sora.

“Do you have a REASON for visiting, Luffy-ya?” 

“Oh yeah!” Luffy stops and digs into his pocket, withdrawing a small pouch. “This is for you!” 

He holds it out to Law, who does not take it. “What’s in it?” he asks, untrusting. He knows better than to trust a witch.

“Catch!” Luffy says, and throws it. 

He’s standing MAYBE two feet away from Law when he throws it. 

He nails Law directly in the face. 

“GUAK—“ Law says. 

“Oops,” Luffy says. 

The pouch drops into his lap. Law stares at it skeptically. Luffy is grinning at him.

If Law were ANY good at silent magic he would make it disappear. But he’s a potions-only sort of guy. 

He picks up the pouch and pulls the strings, peering inside. 

“You got me a… ceramic gnome.” 

Luffy’s grin grows. “Two!” He says. 

Law upends the pouch.

Two ceramic gnomes tumble into his palm. 

“You haven’t been to a coven meeting in a month,” Luffy says. 

“I’ve been tired, Luffy-ya.” 

“Robin says you have a graph phobia,” Luffy says. 

“Agoraphobia, and I don’t.” 

He does. 

“So I got you friends! For when I’m at work!”

The two gnomes in his hand are turning from a glazed purple color to more natural tones. Their gnome hats are melting into little creatures; a penguin and an orca. “For when you’re at work…?” 

“Oh yeah,” Luffy says, like he’s truly forgotten. “And I’m moving in.”

“You fucking are NOT.” 

Luffy nods, pulling his arms behind his head. “Zoro and Sanji are packing up my stuff right now! They said something about wanting to fuck on every surface of the apartment in peace.” 

Law wants to put his head in his hands, but he can’t.

Two small gnomes are starting to stretch and explore his palm. One of them is a redhead. 

“Do I get a choice in this?” Law asks. 

Luffy laughs. “You did!” He says. “You saved my life in that motorcycle crash. That was your choice.” He tilts his head. “Now you’re stuck with me.”

Law sighs. Some days are better. And working as a healer for expat patients on zoom has its benefits, but it’s true he doesn’t have to… leave, often. 

“You’re not touching my figures,” he says. “And if you mess with my potions you’re drinking them.” 

Luffy tilts his head.

“That would be silly,” he says. “All your potions smell like flowers they’d be gross to drink.” 

The gnomes on Law’s palm are looking up at him in awe. The redhead has sunglasses. The other has a hat pulled low over his eyes. They jump, just like Law, when there’s banging on the door. 

“Oh, that’ll be Zoro and Sanji!” Luffy says. 

Law groans, throwing himself back onto his couch. “Tell them to wipe their feet,” he says. He knows it’s hopeless, though.

If there’s one thing Law hates, it’s unexpected visitors. 

If there’s another thing Law hates, it’s friends who care too much. 

Tonight he’s adding to the list; gnomes who just want to add seafood to all his potions.

If there’s one thing that Law DOESN’T hate— 

And he would never admit this— 

You’d have to pull it out of him with a crowbar— 

But deep deep down— 

If there’s one thing Law doesn’t hate it’s a boy who cares too much and who touches all of Law’s figurines —

And who doesn’t judge him when he has bad days. Just breaks down his wards (literally) and… moves in.

[arolegos]

inside me there are two wolves named arcane and ninjago

more doodles + character assortments (and a bit of explanation)

i hate both these shows

okok so .

kai - vi; pretty self-explanatory i think.

lloyd - jinx; initially was unsure on whether to make him jinx or ekko but i thought nya fit better as ekko. which yeah. he and kai are not related here though. he still goes by jinx after.. you know

nya - ekko; ^ . ofc since ekko isnt related to vi in the series, it's different in this au; both nya and kai live with ronin (benzo) but they hang out with lloyd a lot

garmadon - vander; ykw. i feel like this is pretty self-explanatory too.

sora (& arin possibly) - isha; although i do still have thoughts of making isha two characters (arin + sora) in this version since. idk. it makes sense

overlord & pythor - silco; ok this one might be a little confusing but overlord is technically the actual silco in this au, but pythor does a lot of the stuff in silco did in s1. pythor is more like another member of the chem-barons but he's the one the overlord trusts most, so he takes on a more silco-like role rather than just one of the other barons. but in the overall structure of the chem-barons, the overlord would be silco. iygwim

harumi - singed; THIS ONE SOUNDS A LITTLE SILLY I KNOW. but i felt it sorta made sense considering the other pairings. also. reviving garmmy and all... instead of a daughter i feel maybe she'd want to revive her parents? smth like that..

jay - jayce; guy whos trying his best but he lowkey sucks at it. yeah that. i feel whatever happened to jayce in the arcane might reflect well into his DR arc? yeaghh

cole - mel; this ones a LITTLE undecided but my idea is that he was taken in by vangelis or smth. her brother would be vania. or it could be the other way around. idk yet..

zane - viktor; uhhh. he would Not be a robot in this au but Yeagh i felt like this fit a bit.

pixal - sky; ^

skylor - cait; this ones also undecided!!! i can maybe see cole and skylor being switched around. im honestly not very sure yet.

wu - heimerdinger; wu and garm are still related here! theyre both long-aging creatures, except they went to separate places. wu went to topside and garm went to the undercity, and they have not spoken in a very VERY long time. :3

I.think thats everyone important. i think. Help. morro as sevika maybe

[luxmoogle]

ugh. sora my boy. i love him sm he is my son. my silly little guy that is a little bit traumatised

Sora stans unite

[tacobellabeanburrito]

Alright guys Ace Attorney Characters and who they’d main in Smash Ultimate.

Phoenix: Sonic. MAYBE Mr. Game & Watch if he’s feeling silly. He gets people sooo angry when he plays Mr. Game & Watch.

Miles: …S….S-Sephiroth.

Larry: Girl Wii-Fit Trainer (Ya’ll know why)

Mia: She’s a Samus girly all the way. Or Piranha Plant sometimes if she’s feeling it (Because of Charley).

Maya: Kirby. Duh, both gluttonous powerhouses.

Pearl: Isabelle. No question. (Sometimes Villager).

Franziska: Shiek, obviously.

Klavier: He would sooo main King Dedede. Him and that smug penguin are made for each other. Both kings. (But he also chooses Daisy and Zelda sometimes cause he’s a princess too) (FEEL LIKE A FEM QUEEN).

Apollo: Fox, don’t even ask why I don’t know. He’s just such a nerdy little guy that of course he would main Fox.

Trucy: Banjo & Kazooie. Kinda like a Trucy and Mr. Hat duo. Sometimes Duck Hunt.

Kristoph: Princess Peach.

Gumshoe: Little Mac holy shit.

Lang: WOLF.

Kay: Joker. You’d think it’d be Falco but nah. Joker.

Simon: Snake. Oh for sure.

Sebastian: He’s a Megaman type of guy. Sometimes Lucas or Ness.

Dahlia: Jigglypuff. Oh, oh she gets people angry.

Iris: She sooo mains Rosalina.

Ray: My boy rotates between Sora, Steve and Incinaroar. Don’t ask why he just does. He’s silly like that.

Godot: Meta Knight (Because they’re both Spanish and mysterious? Noooo…. Maybe…) (Jk, it’d probably be Bayonetta)

Lana: Palutena girl all the way.

Ema: Loves R.O.B to death. Swear to god. Sometimes mains Ridley.

Justine: Byleth. Because you can’t not have someone who mains a Fire Emblem character.

[eustasskiddsprosthetic]

So, I'm thinking of a Sabolaw actor AU!

For the longest time, Sabo's an amateur actor who does this as a hobby. He loves making short films and he loves writing, so this was an avenue of self-expression for him throughout his twenties.

One day in his late thirties, a casting director finds one short film of his and immediately hired him to be the lead of a chirpy adaptation of a YA thing.

Instant hit! People adored his good looks, his giggly laugh and bug eyes. His popularity skyrocketed and the hype sustained his career ten years later. He's just that smart when it comes to marketing!

So now, as a forty-something, he's the star of a quirky, eccentric adult film written by the enigmatic Corázon. He's interested in the script because a lot of people fancast him as the male lead and figured this would be a good project to appeal to public opinion.

This is where he meets Law, who has taken an instant dislike to him. Whatever, that happens.

Law's apparently Corázon's personal assistant but he acts more like a baby sitter. Law would light his cigarettes up for him, get coffee and even writes corrections for Corázon. They were apparently father and son and Sabo kind of envies their good relationship.

More than that, though, Sabo adores how sweet Law was towards the mute Corázon. He saw a lot of shy, reserved people—especially if they were minorities—get yelled at, berated and insulted regardless of rank. It could be straight up harassment or backhanded compliments to their achievements.

Law, in contrast, was doting, polite and even talks for Corázon, even if what he said was either "Thank you, Cora-san will think about it" or "Piss off." Sabo thought vulgarities sounded cute from his mouth.

Their first full conversation happens in a dressing room where Law was filling in for a makeup artist. Law was doing his makeup and Sabo leaned in so Law did not have to strain himself.

"You come here around, lovely?" Right, Sabo flirts with him a lot. He's kind of insane about it.

"No."

"Your words are cold but your hands are warm, darling."

Law sighed deeply. "Have you memorised your lines? You forgot them the last time."

"Oh..." Sabo did not like talking about work so casually. "Yes, yes, I have. Would you like me to recite one?"

"Sure."

Sabo did not mind that Law was ignoring him and that he was pretending to tidy up the makeup supplies. He recited a monologue, admittedly cringing slightly. He planned to negotiate a slight rewrite.

"What am I thinking of? What a silly question. I think of you when I don't think of anything in particular. I think about what you're doing now, how you're feeling, what you want to do when you come home to me. Even right now, I think of how I can love you better. I think of you all the time, even in my daydreams. You inspire me, my love."

Sabo noticed Law's ears go a little red but he kept a neutral face.

"Don't take this the wrong way but," Law paused to glance at the floor. "I'm glad you have the role. You're not the guy my dad had in mind but you fit it perfectly. Thank you for agreeing to do this."

Sabo laughed. Law was oddly sweet today.

They got a bit friendlier from that day onwards. They would talk occasionally about things that's not just work, even if Law seemed reluctant to. From the few bits of information Law gave, Sabo found himself falling for him more and more.

Law had a puppy. He liked black coffee, just like Sabo. He liked hardcore rock music, indie stuff with a splash of poppy-addictive Red Velvet music. He liked the colour yellow. He liked reading. Law wore the fluffiest, softest cardigan to work sometimes.

Law's stoic demeanor finally broke when Sabo let him infodump all about Sora the Warrior. Law speaks so enthusiastically even to someone he supposedly 'hates' and Sabo just melts. He could listen to Law talk all day. He would think of his sparkly eyes even in his daydreams. He could count the stars in them...

Today, Sabo was going to film the sex scene with his co-star and he made sure they would do it in at most five takes. She seemed willing enough and wanted to get it done in one. Admittedly, they did not get along in real life despite having chemistry on camera.

When they started filming, Sabo tried his best to be 'in love' as the script says. This was a moment where their relationship would deepen and it was admittedly the hottest moment in the film. It was fine if she hesitated, since she played a timid character. The director reminded him of this. Sabo got annoyed but he agreed to try again.

It got worse because they were both irritated. Gah! Just before Sabo wanted to take a break, he had a reckoning. He realised that her lips were pale... Sabo glanced up and saw Law pretending to look busy by tapping away at his laptop. They were pale, just like Law's. He closed his eyes and finally felt the passion he needed to make this work.

Even the director blushed at what he saw.

After the scene, Corázon taps Sabo on the shoulder without Law next to him. Sabo follows Corázon into a small, under-utilised office. He opened the window and smoked a cigarette. Here, he took his sunglasses off and Sabo sees that he's actually quite handsome with a large face, pale skin and dull blonde hair.

"Be careful, boy."

Where did that deep voice come from? Sabo was surprised to hear it come from Corázon himself.

"His heart is in pain," Corázon continued. He blew a puff of smoke out the window. "Treat him well."

"You can't cut me out of this project," Sabo reminded him lightly. Threats like this were unprofessional. "We have a contract."

Corázon smiled. He was cunning like Sabo and Sabo oscillated between liking and distrusting him.

"It's not about that. I know your type, and... Well... I'm a protective father, do you see?"

Oh, it's that kind of consequence. For the first time in his career, he stood some distance away and bowed deeply. Corázon did not expect that but he seemed to appreciate that.

Sabo knew cynicism when he saw it, however. Why won't these people just believe in him! He needed a fucking drink.

He went to the bar some distance away from the studio and wow! Holy fucking shit!

Law looked at him first. He changed out of his hoodie and now wore a black button shirt and jeans. Sabo knew he had game but damn, Law's so slim and fit and so damn sexy. Sabo ordered a drink and sat there. He stared at the wall, thinking of his work, what he had to do tomorrow, he quickly remembered his lines...

"Hey, handsome. You look like you have a lot on your mind." A slightly tipsy giggle.

Sabo looked up. Now, he thought of Law. Law had such a cute smile when he wasn't so irritable. Law sat on his lap without asking and of course Sabo let him. Law gave him fuck-me eyes and Sabo knew that was only because he was sort of drunk but Sabo just felt his heart squeeze and his dick harden.

If only Law were sober! Damn it! This would be so much better if Law wanted to seduce him. He wanted Law to look at him with those lustful eyes and mean it. Sabo laughed bitterly.

Law's legs were long and warm against his. Law held his face and tried to kiss Sabo but Sabo put his hands over Law's mouth. Law pouted and he was so fucking cute, Sabo would gladly kiss him just not like this. He tried to get Law off his lap.

"You're still the same dork I fell in love with twenty years ago." Sabo finally had enough. Law tilted his head to the side in confusion. Sabo remembered Law hated loud noises and would wear white noise-cancelling ear-plugs. Upon closer inspection, Sabo saw that it was the same pair too. Law kissed his ear and Sabo let him come closer.

"Fine, you win. I'm hopelessly smitten. I wonder, Law, I wonder where we'd be if you believed in my feelings towards you? If you listened to me that day..."

Also, did I mention that they were (very bitter) exes? Yeah, that's a thing that happened a long ago...

[angeliqueiguess]

Crushing Hard, Lifting Heavy (Pt. 2)

w.count: 2.6k

pairing: gymtrainer! jeno x afab!reader

genre: little fic (based on this requested moodboard)

tags: swearing, suggestive, Mark being a douche and Haechan being annoying (srry), Jeno & reader falling for each other before the date lol, Reader's bff being funny, snarky comments, sarcasm, fem reader but it doesnt specify how she looks like.

As Y/n left the gym and slid into her car, she mentally kicked herself for making a fool of herself.

"How do you just leave without giving him your number?" she said, turning the key to start the engine. She sat there for a moment, staring at the gym entrance, replaying everything that had just happened.

"Well… at least I gave it to him, right?" she muttered softly, glancing at her phone resting on the passenger seat beside her gym bag. But as the scene replayed in her mind, embarrassment crept up her neck, setting her cheeks on fire.

The drive home didn’t offer much relief—her thoughts were racing. If she was this anxious now, how on earth was she going to survive Friday at six? Wait, it was at six, right? Yeah… six. She shook her head, trying to stop the spiral.

When she finally got home, her pet greeted her with an explosion of excitement.

"Hey, baby! Did you miss me?" she cooed, her voice soft and playful as she closed the door behind her. "Are you hungry? Hmm? Wanna eat?" she continued in that silly voice reserved only for her pet—no one else could ever hear her talk like this.

After feeding him, she sighed and stretched. Her muscles ached from the day’s workout, which had been way more intense than she’d expected. A shower first, then food. That was the plan.

"I swear, Sora, he just came up to me and asked," Y/n said shyly, setting her phone on the counter as she stirred the food she was cooking. She was on a video call with her friend, who was far too curious to let the conversation slide.

"Oh. My. God!" Sora exclaimed dramatically. "This is the kind of story you tell your grandkids!" Y/n chuckled, shaking her head as she reached for some seasoning.

"Ugh, shut up!" she said with a grin. "For a second, I seriously thought he was messing with me." Sora scoffed.

"Mess with you? Girl, have you seen yourself?" Y/n rolled her eyes, and Sora was quick to pounce. "Don’t even try it—I saw that eye roll!" Sora teased, making Y/n laugh as she leaned on the counter, resting her face in her hands.

"It’s not that big of a deal," Y/n sighed. "I mean, he asked me out, but he’s way too good-looking for this to go smoothly. There’s gotta be a catch." Every few moments, she stirred the food to keep it from burning.

"Maybe," Sora said, "but the point is—he asked. Don’t overthink it." Y/n opened her mouth to respond, but Sora cut her off. "Come on, Y/n! You showed me pictures of this guy. He’s delicious." Y/n burst out laughing, quickly clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound.

"Stop it, Sora!" she scolded, half-embarrassed, shaking her head.

"I’m just saying!" Sora said, pausing for effect. "If I were in your shoes, I’d already have his babies—and you know it." Y/n gave her a look, one that said everything without words.

"I’m not doing that. I mean, I thought about it, but I’ll never actually do it. I promise," Sora said holding up her hands in deffense. "Look, if it all goes south, just stop going to that gym. Not like you need it, queen." Y/n sighed, her thoughts circling back.

"I don’t know. He’s just so nice—always smiling when he helps me with stuff... I feel so dumb sometimes, like my brain goes haywire whenever he’s around. And I start stuttering, too." Sora gave her a knowing look, as if to say, Girl, you’ve already fallen.

"Y/n L/n, listen to me," Sora said, clutching her chest theatrically. "You’re caught. Hook, line, and sinker, my friend."

"Maybe…" Y/n admitted with a soft sigh. "But seriously, there’s got to be something off about him. He’s just too perfect."

Without missing a beat, Sora asked, "What if he’s got a small dick?" Y/n choked on the food she was taste-testing, coughing violently.

"You—!" she wheezed, clutching her chest as she struggled to breathe.

"Are you okay?! Should I call an ambulance?" Sora asked, holding her phone closer in concern. Y/n kept coughing, waving her hand to signal she was fine.

"You’re… an idiot, Sora," she managed between gasps, finally catching her breath.

"Well, excuse me! I was ready to drive over there and save your life!"

"Trust me, if I’d actually choked, I’d already be dead," Y/n said dryly, seeing the amused yet scandalized expression on her friend’s face.

"Don’t even joke about that! You’re not dying—not without getting a good look at your trainer’s package first," Sora teased.

Y/n shook her head, biting back a grin. "You’re impossible. Now, if you don’t mind, my food is ready, and I’d really like to eat it while it’s still hot."

"Alright, enjoy your meal, girl!" Sora said cheerfully before ending the call. Y/n placed her phone on the counter, smiling to herself.

And then, the last thing she expected happened. Well, it wasn’t that she feared it exactly, but she definitely wasn’t prepared for it to occur at that moment. ''Damn, I cook too well'' She murmured to herself with a satisfied smile as she unlocked the screen.

“Jeno Gym” — 2 messages.

Her heart skipped a beat. She swallowed quickly and accidentally tapped the notification, opening the chat instantly. "Great… now he’s going to think I’m desperate," she thought, a mix of frustration and nerves washing over her.

There were two voice messages. She adjusted the volume, took a deep breath, and with a slight tremble in her finger, pressed the first one.

“Hey, hi... sorry for the late hour, it’s Jeno, your trainer,” he said, ending with a light laugh. Y/n felt a rush of heat flood her cheeks. She abruptly paused the audio and let out a nervous sigh, glancing at her dog, Junni, who was watching her with curiosity, his tail wagging excitedly.

''Don’t look at me like that, Junni… This is not the best time for judgment'' she muttered under her breath, lowering her head for a moment. Gathering her courage, she pressed play on the audio again, ready to face whatever came next.

“I wanted to know where you’d like to go on Friday... I know it’s still a few days away, and maybe I’m moving too fast, sorry.”

The first message ended, and without giving her time to process it, the next one started.

“But no pressure, okay?” Jeno added in a relaxed tone. “I hope you have a lovely night. Text me whenever you want, no rush, you decide.”

When Jeno’s voice faded, Y/n dropped the phone onto the counter as if it were burning hot. The sigh that escaped her this time was deeper, almost resigned. She looked at Junni, who was still there, wagging his tail with enthusiasm, as if everything were perfectly under control.

''Your auntie was right, Junni... I’m completely lost ''She admitted, surrendering to the chaos that Jeno had stirred in her mind. She buried her face in her hands, as if that could somehow slow the racing of her heart.

This is it; there’s no turning back now, she thought to herself.

On the other side of the city, Jeno was in his apartment, nervously drumming his fingers against his knee. He felt an urge to punch the wall every time he thought about the voice messages he had sent.

''God... did I sound too stupid?'' He said, slumped in a corner of the couch. His phone sat on the table across the room like a ticking bomb. He couldn't even bring himself to look at it. The embarrassment coursed through him.

“What if she doesn’t reply? What if she says yes and then regrets it? What if she just stands me up?” The thoughts spiraled endlessly. He wanted to get up, but each time he tried to walk toward the phone, he froze in place.

“What if she thinks I’m just some desperate guy who’s never been out with a woman?” he asked himself quietly, feeling anxiety tighten around his chest. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

Finally, he sprang to his feet.

''Fuck it... It’s now or never.'' He crossed the room with determination, even though his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of his chest. When he reached the phone, he picked it up, seeing her name on the screen: Y/n. He exhaled slowly, a nervous smile creeping onto his face. It wasn’t just one message... it was three voice notes.

He mentally prepared himself and, refusing to be intimidated any longer, opened the chat.

''Come on, Jeno, grow a fucking pair...'' He whispered to himself, trying to boost his courage. He tapped the first audio, and Y/n's voice filled the room.

“Hey, Jeno...”

Immediately, he paused the message. The phone trembled in his hands, as if he needed it to breathe. ''Breathe, damn it...'' He muttered under his breath, and hit play again.

“Um, honestly, I’d prefer if you chose the place... You seem like someone with good taste, haha.” Hearing her laughter felt like a celestial choir erupted in his head. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the sound. But the moment was short-lived; in the background, he heard a bark that jolted him back to reality. He frowned, confused, but soon understood.

In the next audio, Y/n continued with a soothing tone.

“And don’t worry, you didn’t sound rushed at all.” Jeno felt his chest lighten, a smile breaking across his face involuntarily. He could hear her gently scolding something.

“Junni, stop it.”

That little detail made him smile even more. Not only did he like her, but he also found her pet adorable. As the last audio began to play, Jeno felt like he could listen to her voice on repeat for the rest of his life.

“So Friday is your turn... Next time, it’s my turn, okay?” The air caught in his throat.

''Wait... what the fuck?'' —he whispered, incredulous.

He rewound the message to make sure he hadn’t imagined it.

“Next time, it’s my turn, okay?”

Jeno froze for a few seconds, trying to process it. Another date? Was she really saying she wanted there to be a next time? His stomach flipped with excitement. Euphoric, he scrambled for the right words to reply. He had to respond quickly... but without sounding too eager.

''Come on, Jeno, think!'' —he told himself quietly, rubbing his hands together. Finally, he pressed the button to record a voice message.

''Okay, perfect! See you tomorrow at the gym... Good morning!'' With a huge smile, he sent the message. But that smile faded in an instant. As soon as he heard the audio he had just sent, he brought a hand to his face in horror.

''God... I fucked it up!!'' He tried to delete the message, but it was too late: Y/n had already heard it. Now all he could do was wait.

Ping! A text.

´´Hahahaha, that was funny! Anyways, see you tomorrow <3''

''A heart, she sent me a heart'' He said out loud plopping down in the sofa with an ear-to-ear smile.

The following days passed by normally… well, normal for everyone else except them. For Y/n and Jeno, those days were anything but easy. They weren’t torturous in a bad way, but the anxiety was overwhelming. Both of them were bundles of nerves leading up to the date. They barely managed to talk to each other, and when they did, the words seemed to get stuck in their throats. Y/n kept losing count during her sets, and Jeno got constant scoldings from Mark for zoning out.

“Hey! Focus!” Mark snapped at him, irritated. “Stop drooling over your girlfriend and go help Haechan with the leg press. He won’t shut up about it.” Jeno rolled his eyes and sighed as he walked past Mark.

“I wish she was,” he muttered under his breath. Mark let out a mocking laugh.

“You? Not even in your next life.” His gaze stayed locked on Y/n as he spoke. Jeno turned, fists clenched, ready to fire back, but Haechan’s loud whining interrupted him.

“Jeno! Help me, please!” Haechan called out dramatically, clutching his back like he was in real pain.

“You’re so annoying,” Jeno grumbled, shaking his head as he walked over to him. “This isn’t even that heavy. You work here, idiot—aren’t you supposed to be strong enough for this?” Jeno grunted as he practically moved the press on his own, doing most of the heavy lifting.

“Thanks, man,” Haechan said, grinning. Jeno barely nodded, but as he glanced up, his heart sank—Y/n was talking to Mark. His legs moved on instinct, but just as he was about to head over, Haechan’s arm blocked his way. “Bro, chill… There are people here,” Haechan warned in a low voice.

“Fuck the gym,” Jeno muttered, pushing Haechan’s arm aside. He wasn’t planning to cause a scene; he just wanted to eavesdrop on whatever conversation was happening.

Feigning that he was adjusting a machine, Jeno leaned closer, ears straining to catch their words.

“So, got any plans for tomorrow night?” Mark asked casually, though the tone grated on Jeno’s nerves. His jaw tightened.

“Yes, I do,” Y/n answered confidently, her tone calm and collected—so different from the knot twisting in Jeno’s stomach.

“Care to share who the lucky guy is?” Mark teased, that smug grin plastered on his face. “Or girl… Anyone would be lucky to have you.” Jeno’s grip on the dumbbell tightened. Was Mark seriously treating her like some kind of prize? He couldn’t take it anymore. With a subtle shift, Jeno moved a weight just enough to make a loud clink, enough to grab their attention without looking obvious.

Both Y/n and Mark glanced toward the sound.

“Yes,” Y/n said, still facing Mark, before turning her gaze toward Jeno. “I’m going out with Jeno.”

She smiled at him, and Jeno, caught off guard, managed to smile back—though it felt more like his brain had short-circuited. For a moment, he swore he saw Mark’s jaw drop. And savored every second of it.

The day had finally arrived. Y/n didn’t show up at the gym, but Jeno wasn’t too worried—she’d already texted him:

"Jeno, I’m skipping the gym today. Don’t miss me, lol."

It had been three hours since the message, and Jeno was still in a good mood, practically walking on air. The excitement for what the night had in store kept his nerves at bay.

''So, she ditched you, huh?'' Haechan teased, draping a heavy arm over Jeno’s shoulder. Without missing a beat, Jeno shrugged off his friend’s arm with a casual roll of his shoulder, pretending it didn’t faze him.

''Nah'' He replied coolly, shrugging. ''She said she’s getting ready for tonight. You know… girl stuff. You wouldn’t understand.'' He threw in a nonchalant wave and made his way toward one of the machines, though his heart was pounding beneath the surface. Of course, Haechan trailed behind, sticking to him like a shadow.

''Mark told me she’s going out with you tonight. Thought he was joking, to be honest.'' Haechan smirked, that signature teasing grin on full display.

Jeno snorted softly, shaking his head with a smug grin of his own. ''Oh really? '' He said, raising an eyebrow without giving much away.

He didn’t bother saying anything else, knowing full well that feeding Haechan’s curiosity would only make things worse. Instead, he shot him a quick look that said, "You can keep wondering," and walked off, leaving Haechan behind this time.

His thoughts were already far ahead—on tonight, and only on her.

Jeno clocked out of work at exactly 4:00 PM, which meant he'd be home by 4:20. A quick shower, a little time to get ready, and by 6:00, he’d be at Y/n’s door—right on time. He had chosen a restaurant that hit the sweet spot: not too expensive, but not too casual either. It was a place he knew well, with a reservation already secured. Everything was set. There was nothing left to stress about. As he started the car, he fired off a message to Y/n, telling her a bit about his day and letting her know he’d text when he was outside. With the message sent, he tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and focused on getting home in one piece.

Meanwhile, Y/n was on the verge of a meltdown. She had absolutely no clue what to wear. In a moment of desperation, she’d even tried to get Junni, to help her decide—holding up two different outfits and waiting for some kind of sign. But Junni just stayed curled up in his bed, completely uninterested in the existential crisis of someone with rent to pay.

“Thanks for nothing, Junni,” she muttered, half-frustrated, half-defeated, giving him a light scratch behind the ears. He barely flicked his tail in response.

With a heavy sigh, she slumped down on the couch, still wrapped in towels—one twisted around her damp hair and another around her body. She’d only just stepped out of the shower when Jeno’s text popped up on her phone.

And that’s when it hit her—she didn’t have an outfit planned. How did I forget this?! Panic started bubbling to the surface, making her chest feel tight.

prev//next

Angelique's note: Heeeey, it's me! And with an update! Sorry for making it so long (the next chapters will be filled with a lot of things, iykyk) Anyhow, here is the part two of this Jeno fic! I hope everyone enjoyed it and let me know what you think in the ask box (i truly love answering your yapping <3) As always, every type of interaction will be welcome and don't forget to eat and to stay hydrated. Love yaaaaa.

Taglist: @thegracerammy (let me know if you would like to be tagged in the next chapter <3)

[mythicalartistx]

Vanitas in the novels is not what I expected....

I saw someone BBS sections online and it was just the Vanitas sections and it was worse than I thought.

I knew everytime you hurt or kill Unversed, Vanitas feels pain. That I knew and was sad. I knew the novels had more added extra details about that, BUT I DIDN'T EXPECT HIM TO BE SO SAD AND JUST WANTED TO STOP FEELING PAIN

That's why he looked so sad when Ventus defeated him. He only wanted to feel whole again so he wouldn't feel hurt or pain.

He was so miserable. He questioned his existence. He felt pain because he was separated. He hated looking at Ven, but when MX brought him to Eraqus he then started to missed him.

All the pain, sadness, nervous, and basically any emotions would create unversed. And he hated the sight of the Unversed as they also made him feel weak. When he destroyed them and it caused him to feel intense and physical pain. But it also made Vanitas feel slightly better because the Unversed being alive made him miserable. However the pain was so intense and it often made him create more Unversed because of it in an endless cycle.

He hated Ventus cause he got to live happily without feeling anything. He also reminded him of how weak he was because when they were one person he used to be weak and timid, but when separated Ven grew stronger due to Eraqus, Aqua, and Terra's influence. When Vanitas saw his other half, after Sora's heart touched both of theirs, he despised him and wanted to hurt him.

Vanitas actually didn't really want anything to do with MX but only helped him so it makes the pain go away. MX often told him the pain and hurting will make him stronger and to use those feelings. Vanitas only really went with him and wanted to forge the χ-blade and connect so he will stop hurting.

He just wanted to feel better and it's like really sad.

And MX often laughed at his pain or just watched , not doing a single thing.

Also sometimes MX would hurt and fight Vanitas to make him stronger and then disappear. And Vanitas would just be in the keyblade graveyard alone and hurt. Because of how alone he was and how much pain and all the sad feelings he got, he turned cold and a bit twisted. He didn't know nice things for himself, he only saw other people having this and it was never him.

It's just all so sad.

The parts that were just about his creation is just so 😔😔🥹💔

Like he still did all those things but it's understandable where he's coming from now. You feel bad for him now and NOW MORE THAN EVER he should get redeemed.

I already thought he should be redeemed because of how he was in his KH3 battle and he can stay as darkness if he wants but still be friends with them and maybe feel better.

GIVE HIM A HUG PLEASE he deserves it even if he bites

He's a silly little chaotic guy that deserves to be loved

[1starqi]

Call On Silent

(Part 1: Chicken Scratch) (Part 3: Easy Talking) (Part 4: Over The Moon) (Part 5: No Messing Up) (Part 6: Can We Talk?) (Part 7: Goldilocks)

genre: fluff, college!au

pairing: student!mark x student!o/c (this one can still be treated as xreader)

summary: the cute guy calls you!

wc: ~600

note: upwards of 500 words again! this one's just cute and only a little stressful for m/c

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As you sit in your lecture, your phone is buzzing incessantly in your pocket as you frantically try to silence it. A call?? Why isn’t it on silent?! Drawing a few stares from the people in your immediate surroundings, you finally silence it—that, or it goes off by itself. What the hell? You try to refocus on the lecture but your interest is piqued, who was calling you? Your mom knows not to call you now because you're busy, and your friends are all in lectures. Prof. Im’s usually entertaining words go in one ear and out the other because curiosity swallows you whole. You don’t even know why you’re so curious. You could just pull your phone out, but you risk getting in trouble—even if your professor is a sweetheart. 

Soon after, you find yourself walking out of the lecture hall, brightly lit by the midmorning sun, on the way to the ‘bathroom’. Your back hits the hard white brick wall as you lean into it and whip out your phone in it’s cherry red case. It’s an unknown number. You realize it’s probably spam, and feel a let down that it’s not the boy from the café. That is, until you see the 26 second voicemail and the transcript that the number left and your heart almost stops. He actually called? Mark Lee actually called? You’re shocked, to say the least. He did give you a nod, but you expected that it was just for politeness’ sake. Should I listen now? Your mind is racing with anticipation. You press the play button and hold your phone up to your ear, eager to hear what he said. Is he going to let me down easy?

“Hey, um, I realized I didn’t even get your name… I just called you to say that I thought you were really cute at the café, and I’d love to take you out somewhere sometime. It doesn’t matter to me where we go, I want you to have fun. I know you gave me your number but if you changed your mind that’s totally okay too, but I really hope you’ll take me up on the offer.” 

He sounds really nervous. You guess he doesn’t have class now? Besides that, you’re floored. He called you and wants to take you out on a date. This is so crazy. You didn’t even realize he didn’t know your name. It makes sense, you’re mutual friends but you’ve never really had a conversation. You’ve heard a Mark referenced in passing, but you never knew who he was or what he looked like. You guess that it goes the same for him—he’s never put your name to your face. He can’t see that I’ve listened, right? You’re faced with two options: A) text him that you’re in class and say yes, or B) text him later and say you were in class and say yes. To hell with it, you’ve already listened, you might as well text him now. The pads of your fingers beat rhythmically against the digital keys: hey! i got your voicemail, but i’m in class so i can’t call you, so sorry! i’d love to go out sometime. we can figure out the details later lol. You rephrase it like three times, what would make you sound eager but not crazy? You don’t know—you’ve never done this before. You remember to add something else: my name is moon sora, by the way. You think your name is silly; moon in English and sky in Japanese. You pad your way back into the classroom—you were only gone for 5 minutes.

[blond-jerk-tourney]

Blond Sweetheart Tourney: Round 2, Poll 11

Propaganda from submitters Under Cut

Kaveh

His roomate tells us he got scammed into buying keychains because the seller claimed the profits would go towards children in need. He's an idealist, sometimes at great cost to his own wellbeing. When he won a contest with a large cash prize, he immediately donated it all because he didn't agree with the guy that was offering it, and felt like he shouldn't keep money if he wasn't going to do what the gifter would want, despite being in debt. He does something similar again when someone offers him a teaching position that would pay better than freelance commissions, but it turns out he would have to scam families and teach children improperly and lie about the 'ease' of architecture. He does actually end up taking the kids on, but after sending the guy that offered him the job to jail. He gives all his food to foxes in the desert. He does have a bit of a temper, and is a bit iffy about receiving direct kindness at times - related to him believing he was responsible for his father dying. He's so silly and his greatest embarrassment is that he lives with his roomate as if they don't fight in public so often npcs are literally sick of them. He'll still fret about the roomate being in danger. Naturally.

He has a little robot briefcase called "Mehrak" which is such a sweet name

Sora Harukawa

a cheerful and sensitive character who others find easy to talk to!

SORA SWEEP VOTE SORA!! LOOK AT THIS SWEET FACE [with image]

[cyberdragoninfinity]

thoughts on yuya?

YUYA!!!! MY SOPPING WET PAPER TOWEL OF A LITTLE GUY....

Why I like them/why I don’t: god i like yuya So Much. him and jaden my fav protags as of rn. I love his deck to bits I love the dueltaining thing i love that he's kind of absolutely pathetic and not even good at dueling 🥴 his emotional projection is off the charts he's an unstable little funnyman he's like if a clown was also an atomic bomb. he's SO expressive and shit just keeps HAPPENING to him and i want to observe him under my big magnifying glass. he's such a fucked up kid and didnt DESERVE LIKE. ANY OF IT???? IT'S NOT HIS FAULT HE'S 1/4 THE DEVIL

What I like about their appearance: it's just such a good character design to me...the red/green color palette is delightful and his tomato hair is so cute. arc-v character design is my favorite serieswise i think

Do I prefer their dub names or original names? SAME IN BOTH! i like 'yuya sakaki' it's very nice. rolls off the tongue real good

OTP: fucked around and got really attached to yuya/declan i fear.... type of relationship that isnt going anywhere until theyre in their twenties and yuya's blown up several past relationships :,) (also of course YUYAGONG!!!! NOBODY CARES ABOUT THEIR BOND BUT I DO!!!!!!!!)

NOTP: eh, not as into really any of the inter-yuboy ships 🤷‍♀️ platonic/familial read truthism for meeeee

OT3: i have pals who like yuya/zuzu/sora and i think thats a really fun one. they are pals ;___;

Favourite card they use: ANOTHER GUY WHERE IT'S SO HARD TO PICK ONE i love performapals!!! theyre all so silly. i think my favorite is Performapal Radish Horse. absolutely insane monster who ended up being really important in the duel he used it in for some reason.

Favourite moment they were in: any time he's just making such a silly little expression, but in terms of 'Moment' moment i think i need to go with the end of his duel with Yuri. up to and including when Zarc took the reigns : )

Least favourite moment: 🥴🥴🥴🥴 i feel like theres a lot of things i could choose here. erm. honestly i kind of want to go with the end of season 2 duel against Jack where all the fucking COPS??!? START RALLYING TO YUYA'S DEFENSE??!??! WHAT ARE WE DOINGGGGG YUGIOH ARC V!!!!!

Something I associate with them: i should post my yuya playlist sometime. anyway i said this on my post about yugo but yuya is just so bigly an AJR Discography Character. Humpty Dumpty especially. Good Lord.

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x41 - The Raging Sea King! MetalSeadramon / Sea-Sick and Tired

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Piemon invited the Chosen Children to see the show he's been rehearsing. But when they weren't very impressed, he started stabbing people instead. Fucking auteurs, man. Some people can't handle a little criticism.

I would love to tell you where that leaves us, but before we can begin, the dub needs to finish the previous episode first.

We open on Piximon giving the kids' barrier bubble a hard bop again.

Piximon: You're as ready as you'll ever be! Go get 'em! (Piximon bops the bubble and sends them away) Izzy: I think that was meant to be encouraging. Kari: (flatly) He has an awful lot of confidence in us. (Piximon turns and faces the Dark Masters) Piedmon: You may have fooled those silly children with this brave act, but we know better, don't we? Piximon: What makes you think it's just an act!? (Slow pan out from the coliseum) Kari: Oh, it doesn't seem right just leaving him there-- OHH!? (bright flash) Tai: (matter of factly) Remember, he wanted it this way.

Izzy shits on Piximon's last words. Kari's like "Maybe we should go back OH GOD HE DIED." It's hilarious the way the explosion signifying his death suddenly spooks her like that during her line, and I genuinely don't know if it was meant to be. Then Tai's like "Eh, it was his call. Moving on." XD Wow, guys.

Today's episode begins with the Children at their destination. Lost in a thick fog, they can't make heads or tails of where Piccolomon's final barrier brought them to.

Taichi: Where are we? Sora: There's sand under our feet. Yamato: We could be in a desert. Koushiro: Uh, I smell salt.... Mimi: Are those waves? Jou: It's the ocean!

There's something funny about Yamato speculating that we might be in a desert while we clearly see the ocean in front of them. Dramatic irony isn't just for drama.

The fog gradually lifts, giving the kids a better view of their surroundings.

Takeru: I'm starting to see things more clearly. Hikari: The fog is disappearing.

Once the kids can see more clearly, Taichi and Yamato check on the others.

Taichi: Are you all okay? Sora: No, we aren't okay. Everyone's exhausted. Yamato: In any case, do we know where we are?

Being bounced like ping-pong balls between the Dark Masters hasn't left the children in the best of states. Poor Mimi had to watch an old friend sacrifice his life for her, and also Chuumon. This was not the victory lap that the kids, high on success and new Ultimate evolutions, were anticipating.

The dub uses the clearing of the fog as a bit of an awkward transition line. Tai speaks up to announce that it's clearing while we're still fading from Piximon's death explosion to the foggy beach in the first place.

Tai: Look, the fog is finally clearing! Joe: Great. Now we can clearly see that we're lost! Izzy: It's more productive to think of ourselves as on our way, Joe. Matt: (sarcastically) Tch, yeah. I feel better already. T.K.: All I know is that I'm getting pretty hungry! Kari: And I'm getting cold! Tai: But everybody's okay, right? Besides being hungry and cold and lost.... Sora: Don't forget frightened, tired, and upset about PIximon. Matt: Otherwise, we're fine.

They start by taking out the geographic guessing game banter and exchange it for bickering. Honestly, though, I do like the bickering here and the subsequent conversation about the group's feelings. It conveys the impression that these kids are high-strung and are psychologically hanging on by a thread right now. What happened has utterly shattered their confidence plus, as Sora points out, they're all grieving on top of it.

The kids look around to try and get their bearings. They quickly find an incredibly helpful landmark.

Koushiro: I feel like I've been here before... Ah!

As soon as Koushiro gasps, everyone whips around to see what he's looking at. Probably a good reflex for them to have developed in this place.

There, on the beach, are the destroyed remains of a series of phone booths.

Koushiro: Broken telephone booths....

Taichi, Yamato, and their Digimon all stare in wide-eyed shock, gasping. Flashback to the phone booths before they were destroyed.

Yamato: Ah! It's those telephone booths! Taichi: You're right. This is the beach on File Island where we met our Digimon for the first time and set off on our journey.

Taichi's remark is a little dry, but it's been thirty-nine episodes since we saw these phone booths. It's probably a good idea to explain the context for kids who hopped in somewhere in the middle.

In the dub:

Izzy: I have a feeling we've been here before. Wait a minute, look! (Everyone looks at the phone booths) Izzy: Those smashed-up phone booths! Sora: You don't think that they could be the same ones, do you? Tai: Of course! I can't believe it. This whole time, we thought we were making all this progress but now it looks like we've just been traveling in one big circle!

Tai, what the fuck are you talking about?

We did not "travel in one big circle" and end up here. That's not.

We did not get here by traveling. Our goal wasn't traveling in the first place. There was... A lot of plot has....

What?

I am genuinely baffled by the words that the dub team chose to put in Tai's mouth. It still captures the idea that we have returned to a place we were once at but his outrage over "traveling in a circle" and unmaking our progress is contextually bizarre.

Meanwhile, the Dark Masters have retreated to the top of Spiral Mountain, where Piemon has scouted the children's location with his giant-ass telescope.

Piemon: I've spotted the Chosen Children and their Digimon. MetalSeadramon: As the king of the seas, the coast belongs to me. The lives of the Chosen Children and their Digimon are mine to take. Now, who should I use from my Deep Savers Ankoku Gundan?

MetalSeadramon's army is called "Deep Savers Ankoku Gundan", mixing English and Japanese while directly referencing the name of the V-Pet release that he's from. Fans of mech anime might recognize that last word; gundan is the Japanese word for military armed forces.

Ankoku, meanwhile, means "darkness" - not quite "evil" as the subtitle up there suggests. Though darkness and evil are often related ideas, it's best here to not be poetic with it and leave it at darkness due to the association with MetalSeadramon's faction. Fitting that a Dark Master would have an ankoku gundan.

(From an American perspective, calling them an army also seems weird because. Like. They aren't ground troops. They'd be more like Marines over here. But different cultures have different standards for armed forces terminology.)

If you were to try to localize this for Americans, something like the "Deep Savers Dark Forces" would make sense to me. The dub has its own solution: Not mentioning that MetalSeadramon has an army at his disposal at all.

Piedmon: How small they look from here. Like ants! Strange that such little creatures could cause SO MUCH TROUBLE!!! MetalSeadramon: They won't for long! They're standing on the edge of my territory now: The sea! I'll be the one to finish these DigiDestined once and for all! Piedmon: Hmm, bold words! But you're not the first to make such a boast, MetalSeadramon! MetalSeadramon: But I will be the last! They'll be shark bait before the day is through!

...okay, now it's Piedmon's turn in the "What the fuck are you on about?" chair. He's so mad and. Like. The kids haven't fucking done anything yet. XD

Piedmon is coming at this from the angle of Rita Repulsa plotting her 87th scheme to destroy the Power Rangers but. Like. At this point, the Dark Masters have had one altercation with the Chosen Children that they handily won. Why is he so mad?

Piedmon is so mad that MetalSeadramon doesn't even get to bring up his Deep Savers Ankoku Gundan.

Why is everybody so mad? XD

While MetalSeadramon is picking out his forces, the Children try and figure out next steps.

Koushiro: Since we're back on File Island.... Yamato: Is there a meaning to it? Sora: We must have been sent to File Island for a reason, right? Taichi: But what are we supposed to do here-- Voice: HELP ME!!!

The kids look and see some poor 'mon flailing and screaming out in the ocean.

Takeru: Someone's drowning! Hikari: We have to help them! Takeru: But our Digimon are tired.... Hikari: Then we help them ourselves! Takeru: Oh!

Hikari sprints for the shoreline, ready to dive into the water and swim out there herself - with Takeru trailing behind her. Fortunately, Taichi and Yamato's Big Brother Alarms start blaring in their brains and they jump in, physically stopping their younger siblings.

Yamato: TAKERU!!! Taichi: Hikari, wait! Let's all go help them. Yamato: We can use that canoe over there.

Leaving their Digimon Partners on the shore, the eight children pile into the convenient nearby canoe. This definitely is not a trap.

In the dub, the kids are still inexplicably whining that returning to File Island again somehow means they've accomplished nothing.

Matt: So we've just gone in one big circle, huh? Makes the whole thing seem kinda pointless, doesn't it? Sora: Hold on, maybe that's it! Maybe the pointlessness of it is the whole point! Agumon: Say what? Tai: (sarcastic) Thanks for the philosophy; That's a big help. Voice: HEEEELP SAVE ME!!! Mimi: Look! Out there! Someone's drowning! Kari: Somebody's gotta do something! T.K.: They're too tired; They'll be drowned themselves. Kari: Okay, then in that case, we'll have to go! (Tai and Matt intervene) Tai: Kari! Matt: Yo, wait up, T.K. Tai: Maybe someone bigger should go. Matt: We can use that outrigger. T.K.: I'm coming too! Kari: ME TOO!!! Tai: Okay, okay. Sora: Wait up! I'm coming too! Mimi: I can help!

I want to make a "The real xyz was the friends we made along the way" joke but I genuinely do not know what the kids think they have failed to achieve by returning here.

Matt's totally casual, "Yo, wait up" made me laugh. What a weird vibe. XD

I do like that Sora and Mimi volunteer themselves to help, rather than Taichi speaking for the group that they'll all go do this.

Making the worst decision imaginable, the children set out by themselves to go help the drowning 'mon.

Voice: HELP ME!!! HELP ME!!!

As the children approach, their target starts to come into view. A single horn sticking up from the water, with an inflatable tube around it.

Mimi: ...huh? How can they be drowning when they have an inflatable tube?

Suddenly, Shellmon explodes up from the water, with the rinky-dink tube dangling from one of their shell spikes.

Shellmon: SHELLLLLLLLLMOOOOOOOOON!!! Taichi: HUH!?!? Hikari: Do you know them, Onii-chan? Taichi: We fought them once before! We can't win this! RUN FOR IT!

Gotta appreciate Shellmon screaming their name like a Pokemon in case there's any confusion about which Digimon this is. XD Togemon does this too sometimes and I am just. I'm a sucker for any time a fighter shouts their own name as a battle cry and lunges into combat.

In the dub:

Voice: HELP ME!!! HEEEELP!!! Tai & Matt: Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Voice: (deep voice) Hohoho hahahaha! Mimi: Did his voice get lower or what? (Shellmon ambush) Shellmon: RAAARGH!!!

The dub puts a commercial break here, as Shellmon reveals himself. Good spot to use for that commercial cliffhanger. Then we come back to Shellmon revealing himself again.

Shellmon: RAAARGH!!! Tai: Whoa! Kari: Guys! A sea monster! Tai: You can say that again! That's Shellmon, and he's not here to play water polo! PADDLE LIKE CRAZY!!!

So, the bad is that we lose Mimi pointing out the WTF of Shellmon's inflatable tube. The dub goes out of its way to give her something else to comment on instead, leaving the tube as an unremarked upon weird visual. Sometimes it feels like they make different choices just for the sake of being different.

The good is that "Paddle like crazy!" is a fantastically flavorful way to translate "Nigero!" pronounced nee-geh-roh, the Japanese verb for fleeing from something. A+

The children paddle for shore as fast as they can, but Shellmon gives chase.

Shellmon: (chasing) LET ME DROWN YOU ALL!!! Agumon: FASTER, HUMANS!!!

The humans do not acquiesce to Shellmon's request, forcing them to swim after them.

Mimi: AHHH!!! THEY'RE CLOSING IN!!!

Shellmon gets close enough to try and bite down on the canoe, but the kids manage to paddle away too quickly for their jaw to hit its mark. Sinking under the water, Shellmon instead picks up speed and smashes through the 'iako connecting the main body of the canoe to its ama.

Shellmon: (exploding up from the water again) THERE'S NO ESCAPE!!! Agumon: We have to push down our fatigue and go save them! Pyokomon: WAIT!!! Mochimon: Let us take care of this.

Mochimon, Pyokomon, Tanemon, and Pukamon volunteer to step in so that Agumon, Gabumon, Tailmon, and Patamon can rest.

The dub, of course, cuts Shellmon directly saying he wants to drown the children.

Shellmon: There's no escaping! You're in my element now! Agumon: Come on, guys! Move it! Tai: (panicked) Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! (Shellmon closes in) Mimi: He's right on top of us! Izzy: Watch out! (Shellmon misses his bite) Mimi: Eugh, that breath. EVER HEAR OF FLOSSING!?!? Tai: (panicked) Stroke! Stroke! Hey, are you guys paddling or am I just talking to myself!? (Shellmon breaks the 'iako and re-emerges) Shellmon: RAAARGH!!! Agumon: We may be exhausted, but we can't just sit here! We've gotta help! Motimon: No! Leave it to us; You save your Digi-strength!

A lot more dialogue in the dub version of this chase, including two separate laugh lines: a Mimi Quip violently stabbed into Shellmon's face and Tai pissing himself while trying to be leaderly. Both of these are great. XD

The four Babies evolve into Tentomon, Piyomon, Palmon, and Gomamon, then throw themselves into the fight. Gomamon swims out towards Shellmon with Piyomon and Tentomon flanking him in the air. Palmon remains on the shore.

Palmon snags Shellmon with her Poison Ivy, jerking his attention away from the humans. Once he stops and focuses on the attackers, she lets go. Piyomon and Tentomon move in, strafing Shellmon from above with alternating shots of Petit Thunder and Magical Fire.

For his part, Gomamon's Marching Fishes surround the canoe. Gomamon takes the back of the canoe, swimming with his fishes and ushering the humans safely away from the battleground.

Peppered by enemy fire, Shellmon withdraws into his shell screaming for help.

Shellmon: For real, HELP ME!!!

Shellmon flees beneath the ocean waves, retreating from the fight and leaving behind the inflatable tube. A bit too overenthusiastic, Piyomon and Tentomon try to chase after him, plunging into the ocean and ending up having to use Shellmon's tube to save themselves.

The dub adds a silence-breaker to the kids' Marching Fishes escape.

Tai: Whoa! That's more like it! This is the way to travel!

Then when Shellmon has to retreat, his line is:

Shellmon: Oh, forget this!

Which isn't nearly as funny as his original line.

With Shellmon defeated, the children and their Digimon partners regroup at the beach.

Taichi: I know everyone's tired, but I do think our Digimon are definitely getting stronger! Hikari: Onii-chan, how do you know that? Taichi: When we fought Shellmon before, we could only win after Agumon evolved into Greymon.

Taichi flashes back on Agumon's first evolution.

I'd be remiss not to point out that this isn't a fair comparison. Agumon was the only one capable of fighting back then because the rest of the team was starving. If Agumon had to solo Shellmon now, he'd probably still have a hard time.

But, to Taichi's point, the Digimon were all recently pummeled by the Dark Masters so it's not like they're in pristine condition now. They still managed to pull it together and chase off Shellmon as a team despite it all.

Taichi: This time, we didn't need Agumon to evolve. Agumon: That's because we worked together as a team! Taichi: But Greymon's power alone should still be greater than everyone's powers put together! Hikari: Maybe Shellmon got weaker? Taichi: No. I'm certain that this means each of our Digimon are getting stronger. Honestly, I've been wondering up to this point what Piccolomon meant earlier....

Flashback to their escape from the Dark Masters.

Taichi: Piccolomon, we made it this way believing that as long as the eight of us were together, we could save both worlds. But-- Piccolomon: It's true that the eight of you are together pi but that alone isn't enough to win pi.

Back in the present, Taichi presents his conclusion.

Taichi: I think he was trying to say that we have to get stronger.

In the dub:

Tai: I know they're all dead tired and they may not feel like it at the moment, but I think today proved that our Digimon are getting stronger and stronger. Kari: That would be great, but what makes you think so? Tai: I remember the last time we took on Shellmon. Agumon had to Digivolve into Greymon before we could finally beat him. And even then, it was close! (Flashback to Greymon absolutely working over Shellmon) Tai: But this time, they beat him easily without Greymon! Agumon: Yeah, but don't forget, Tai: They ganged up on him. It was four of them against one. Tai: But they didn't have to Digivolve as far to do it. I still say it means you're stronger than you were. Kari: Or maybe Shellmon's just weaker than he was. Tai: How come everyone's being such a downer all of a sudden!? I'm trying to be positive here! Besides, I still can't get out of my mind something that Piximon said to me back there. (Flashback to Piximon) Tai: But you said it was possible to save the planet if the eight of us were all together! How come it's not happening, huh? What's up, Piximon!? Piximon: The truth is, being together is not enough. There's something else that you need to do to beat 'em. (Back to present) Tai: I think he meant we had to get stronger! And that's just what's happening!

In light of Taichi's suggestion, the rest of the group discuss with their Partners.

Sora: I think so too! Piyomon: You do? Yamato: You've grown up well. Gabumon: When you put it like that, I feel it too. Tentomon: Koushiro-han, do you think that way about me? Koushiro: Well, bit by bit, maybe. Tentomon: (faceplant) Yaghyagh.... Patamon: Have I matured too? Takeru: Yeah! Of course you have! Tailmon: What about me? Hikari: We only joined the Chosen Children recently, so I think it's too early to tell. Tailmon: (droops) Oh. That's disappointing. Agumon: Don't worry! All of us will get stronger! Tailmon: Yeah, you're right!

Poor Tailmon. But, I mean, to be fair... This is like her third day with Hikari. The others have been with their partners for months.

Don't worry, Tailmon. If it helps, remember that you're a stage above them all so you're technically the strongest one here.

In the dub:

Sora: Yeah, maybe Tai's right. Biyomon: I feel stronger! Matt: Come to think of it, you are looking kind of buff. Gabumon: Thanks very much. That's a compliment, right? Tentomon: Do I look stronger to you, Izzy? Izzy: I don't know, make a muscle. Tentomon: (faceplant) I WAS!!! Patamon: Do I look different, T.K.? T.K.: Yeah, you look buffed out to the max! Gatomon: Kari? Kari: Well, to be honest, you don't look any different to me. But give it time, Gatomon; You'll catch up with the rest. Gatomon: (droops) If you say so.... Agumon: Come to think of it, your coat's looking glossier. Gatomon: Really? You think?

Dub passed up a prime opportunity to have Izzy be a dick in a way that's 100% consistent to the original, but the replacement gag is pretty good too.

I don't like Kari's line. Hikari made the salient point that they're both newcomers so they haven't had time for Tailmon to grow from where she was when Hikari met her. She makes no comparison to the others, but points out that she can't congratulate Tailmon for "growth" when they've barely known each other for long.

Kari, on the other hand, directly compares Gatomon to the rest of the team and calls her abilities inferior. Rather than saying that Gatomon hasn't improved much since they met, she says that Gatomon's fallen behind her peers; That is a completely different sentiment, and one not really supported by what we know of her.

Suddenly, the kids notice the sun shining a little brighter, as the heat begins to distort distant things around them.

Taichi: Huh!? Is that a mirage!?

In the distance, the kids notice a strange hut on the beach, distorted by the heat.

Yamato: There's a beach house! Takeru: Did there used to be a beach house on the coast of File Island? Koushiro: That's not a beach house on the coast of File Island. That's a mirage of a beach house on the coast of File Island. Tentomon: No! That's a real beach house on the coast of File Island!

This is a bit repetitive but it flows better in Japanese. Basically, they're all having fun saying the words "File-tou no kaigan ni" at the start of each sentence, which comes through with a nice rhythmic flow.

Metal Gear Solid alert noise but as a flash mob.

An interesting cultural note about this obvious second trap: In Japanese folklore, mirages are created by the breath of clams. I'm not 100% but to my understanding, mirages bubble up from the sea as images of the great city beneath the ocean, from which the dragon god who rules the sea presides. No one who chases these images ever returns.

We've heard a little about the mythical sea dragon god before. Back at the "Pagumon village", Mimi misremembered a folktale about her favorite character Otohime, daughter of said dragon god. Obviously, here in the Digital World, the sea dragon god is MetalSeadramon.

So. Y'know. Don't trust fucking mirages when you're at war with Otohime's papa. Where this building came from doesn't get explained, but there's a cultural implication that MetalSeadramon manifested it via the mirage.

The dub kicks us off with a silence-breaking quip.

Matt: (sarcastic) Did it get brighter all of a sudden, or is it just Tai's sunny disposition? Tai: ...maybe it's like a mirage.... Matt: Huh!? Was that shack there before? T.K.: Maybe somebody moved in while we were gone? Mimi: Mmm, something smells suspiciously like food! Izzy: Let's take it easy, everyone. Remember, we're in the Digi-World where not everything is what it appears to be. Tentomon: Looks may be deceiving, but smells? That's something else, and I definitely smell grilling hambugers! See? It's a snack bar! Burgers, sodas, ice cream, pizza!

Genuinely surprised that Tai didn't use his line to clap back at Matt.

The File-tou no kaigan ni bit isn't going to translate, so they replace it with discussion of a delicious smell flowing out of the mirage.

Ravenous with hunger and gullible as ever, the children fantasize about all the delicious food that might be in the beach house.

I love the little American flag poking out of the cheeseburger. XD

The mob swarms towards the building.

Taichi: Ramen! Agumon: Curried rice! Takeru: Ice cream! Tentomon: Yakisoba noodles!

They're all in such a hurry that Jou accidentally clips the back of of Mimi's foot, pinning down her boot and forcing her to trip and fall out of it. Mimi faceplants into the beach sand.

Jou picks up Mimi's boot, handing it back to her.

Jou: Ah, I'm sorry! Mimi: Mrrgh.... Gomamon: Oh, come on.... What the heck are you guys doing!? Mimi: They others are going to get all the food if we don't catch up! Jou & Mimi: EHHHH!?!?

Absolutely nobody has stopped for them. The other kids eagerly rush inside the hut.

In the dub:

Tai: Mirage or not, I'll take my chances! GANGWAY!!! Group: (Miscellaneous cheering and hooting) (Joe trips Mimi. He stops to return her boot.) Joe: Sorry, Mimi. Mimi: Oh, thanks. Gomamon: Come on, what are you two waiting for!? Palmon: Yeah, they're going to eat everything without us! Joe: Huh? Mimi: UGH!!!

They cut out the kids yelling out specific food items they want to eat, probably because they already had Tentomon run down the list of American Food Things a moment ago. Otherwise, pretty faithful.

Once (six out of eight) Chosen Children are inside, the trap is sprung. The shack is completely empty, and a sudden sandstorm kicks up and seals the door in sand. Then their assailant reveals himself.

Anomalocarimon: (rising from the sands) ANOMALOCARIMON!!!

Anomalocarimon is a Perfect-stage Data-type Ancient Crustacean Digimon. Their name and design both stem from the ancient anomalocaris. They're the other Data Perfect for the Deep Savers line; Cousin to MegaSeadramon and capable of evolving into MetalSeadramon. Clearly a member of the Deep Savers Ankoku Gundan.

Narrator: Anomalocarimon. An Ancient Crustacean Digimon. By crossing their forelimbs together, they unleash their special attack Stinger Surprise! Anomalocarimon: This isn't your average beach house! This is a death house that will drain away all your energy! Yamato: What!? Anomalocarimon: SUNA SHOWER!!!

Anomalocarimon's Stinger Surprise is entirely in English, but Suna (Sand) Shower mixes English and Japanese.

I'm a little sad that Anomalocarimon didn't say "This isn't some beach house on the coast of File Island! This is a death house on the coast of File Island!"

The death house glows with a bright light that begins draining the kids and their Digimon. Anomalocarimon's Sand shower sprays sand from his mouth, forcing the kids to the ground. Taichi takes Takeru and Hikari in his arms, trying to protect them both as the sand shower forces everyone down.

In the dub, Sora speaks up when they notice the door sealing behind them. Also, the dub refers to this Digimon as Scorpiomon, attempting to pass them off as a scorpion.

Sora: What's that!? It's a trap! (Scorpiomon reveals themselves) Scorpiomon: Whuh-hahaha! Snack time! Patamon: (rundown) It's Scorpiomon! One of MetalSeadramon's flunkies. Between his pinches and his tail, it's hard to know which end of him is worse! Scorpiomon: Sorry, but the only munchies around here are you! Now, say goodnight! It's bedtime! Matt: (challenging) Yeah!? Scorpiomon: Yeah! SCORPION STORM!!! (Scorpiomon sprays down everyone with sand) Sora: ...can't...breathe...can't...eugh....

How would Patamon know who MetalSeadramon's flunkies are? We met him like an hour ago.

The dub misses the exposition that the mirage house drains energy, sort of like what Etemon's Love Serenade would do to them. So they just sort of give up without a fight in that version.

Fortunately, thanks to an overeager mistake, only six of the eight children were caught in this trap. The other two remain outside.

Mimi: Those voices! Jou: Did something happen to the others? Gomamon: Let's go see! Palmon: Yeah!

Mimi and Jou hurry to the beach house with their Partners, where they find the doorway blocked up with sand.

Jou: (gasp) This is-- Gomamon: Shh!

Realizing they're standing on the outer fringe of a trap, the group falls quiet. They sneak around to the side of the house and peek in through the blinds, where they see the rest of their nakama unconscious and covered in sand within.

Comically, all four shriek in horror, then clap hands over each other's mouths and shush each other. Great job, team. Way to flex that one shared brain cell. XD

In the dub:

Mimi: (gasp) Joe: Those sounds never mean anything good! Gomamon: Let's go! (The quartet sprints to the beach house) Mimi: (disappointed) Oh, no! Something tells me this means no chili dogs. (Everyone gasps, then creeps up and spies through the window) Mimi: Oh, wow! What's happened to them? Are they... Could they be.... (Everyone gasps in shock then shushes each other)

Mimi gets two silence-breaker lines added. The first one is an inappropriately-timed Mimi Quip but a pretty fair one, I think. Mimi once got so hangry that it thwarted Devimon's schemes. I can believe that being her kneejerk reaction.

The second one is... Is Mimi implying that she thinks the rest of the team is dead? It feels like that's the implication she left hanging there. Which is super dark yet tonally appropriate. They're alive, but not for lack of trying!

I like these extra lines. ^_^

While Mimi and Jou remain hidden around the side of the house, MetalSeadramon's laughter suddenly cuts through the air. He congratulates his soldier on a job well done.

Jou and Mimi eavesdrop on MetalSeadramon's meeting with Anomalocarimon.

MetalSeadramon: Ahahaha! Great work, Anomalocarimon! I expect no less from a member of my Deep Savers Ankoku Gundan. Here is your payment.

MetalSeadramon rewards Anomalocarimon with a shower of tasty clams to eat.

Are these the same clams whose breath created the beach house mirage? Or different ones? No idea. But it's a boon that Anomalocarimon is thrilled to receive.

Anomalocarimon: YIPPEE!!! ANOMALOCARIMOOOOON!!!

Anomalocarimon digs into the clams, eating one after another and tossing the shells. One shell bops Gomamon on the head.

Gomamon: Augh! Palmon: Shhh! MetalSeadramon: Huh?

The towering sea dragon turns his head to the tree line, following that unexpected sound. Palmon grabs Gomamon and presses herself against a tree, while Jou and Mimi lay flat against the ground. After a moment MetalSeadramon stops caring and leaves for the beach house.

MetalSeadramon: Mm. Time for annihilation.

In the dub:

MetalSeadramon: Hehehe haha.... Well done, Scorpiomon. These DigiDestined are not so difficult to handle after all! Here's your reward. (Clam shower) Scorpiomon: OOOOH, CLAMS!!! Thank you! Thank you, boss! I just love clams! I just can't get enough of them! (A discarded clamshell bops Gomamon) Gomamon: Ow... Palmon: Shhh! MetalSeadramon: WHAT WAS THAT!?!? Scorpiomon: What is it, boss? You want some? MetalSeadramon: QUIET!!! I thought I heard something. (The DigiDestined pass their stealth check) Scorpiomon: I didn't hear anything. MetalSeadramon: Hmph. (heads out) Well, now to finish them off.

More silence-breakers added to break up the tense moment where MetalSeadramon nearly catches them. This one's a mixed bag; We lose that tension and suspense, but gain a fun little exchange between dipshit minion and his superior.

As MetalSeadramon approaches the beach house, he finds the door blocked off and realizes he'll need a clever way of getting inside-- No, I'm kidding, he moves through it like butter.

MetalSeadramon looks over the captured children for a moment, then withdraws his head from the shack.

MetalSeadramon: ...there are eight Chosen Children. Two of them aren't here.

Another carelessly discarded clamshell strikes MetalSeadramon on the snout, bouncing harmlessly off his invulnerable plating.

MetalSeadramon: And you're just stuffing your face!? Anomalocarimon: (nervous) Ehh...? MetalSeadramon: Hurry up and go find the remaining Chosen Children! Anomalocarimon: A-a-a-a-ANOMALOCARIMOOOON!!! (scurries off)

Realizing he's after them, Jou and Mimi shriek one last time, this time giving their positions away. Abandoning stealth, they flee across the beach.

Anomalocarimon: (aggressive) ANOMALOCARIMON!!!

The dub has some more extra dialogue for MetalSeadramon.

MetalSeadramon: (breaking through the house) Hehehehe! Eight little gnats and their Digimon accomplices. ...hmm.... (MetalSeadramon withdraws his head) MetalSeadramon: What's this!? There's supposed to be eight of them! Two of them are missing! (Clamshell bop) MetalSeadramon: YOU CHUCKLE-HEADED COCKLESHELL!!! Stop eating and find the other two NOW!!! Scorpiomon: Oh, you got it! Right away! I'm on it! (scurries off) (Scorpiomon chases down Jou and Mimi) Scorpiomon: Come back here! (wheeze wheeze) Oh, I hate it when they do this. Hey! Slow down! (gets closer) Aha! I gotcha now!

MetalSeadramon calls Scorpiomon a "cockleshell" with all the energy of telling someone in elementary school to "Kiss my ass-phalt". XD

Neither Jou nor Mimi being especially athletic, Anomalocarimon gains ground quickly. We go to commercial break and come back to Jou and Mimi's legs giving out. They fall into the sand, gasping for breath.

This would be opportune for Anomalocarimon, but they too run out of strength and collapse into the sand, gasping for breath.

Anomalocarimon: ...they're so fast....

Something about this situation motives the kids to get their second wind more quickly than their pursuer, and they get back up and bolt. Anomalocarimon forces themself to resume the chase, ultimately thwarted when the kids take cover behind a rock.

Look, anomalocaris was an aquatic predator. Their biology is not suited to running. You might as well ask a dolphin to chase down a chimpanzee in a land race.

The dub makes this even more pathetic for Scorpiomon.

Scorpiomon: (collapses) ...too many clams for lunch.... (Joe and Mimi get up and run) Scorpiomon: Oh no! Not again! Come on! COME ON!!! ...I'm not built for this. Gomamon: This way! THIS WAY!!!

XD Oh man, I am loving the dub's take on Scorpiomon. He's such a weenie. I adore the line "I'm not built for this" because in addition a weenie whine, it's factually correct. He's actually not!

What the hell is MetalSeadramon doing? Is he kicking back and watching Anomalocarimon flail? Taking notes for Anomalocarimon's next performance review? Dark Master MetalSeadramon coiled up in the sand watching both groups faint into the sand and sit there for however long, going, "...really?"

Meanwhile, six vulnerable Chosen Children are going unannihilated because MetalSeadramon is letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. If he can't kill all eight then he's not going to touch a single one!

Finally giving up on the foot chase, Anomalocarimon decides on a new approach. While the children take cover behind the rock, Anomalocarimon burrows into the ground.

Mimi, Jou, and their Partners catch their breath behind the safety of the rock.

Palmon: No more.... Jou: We have to fight.... Gomamon: You're right....

While Mimi and Palmon remain behind the rock, Jou and Gomamon emerge to confront Anomalocarimon. All they find is the hole left in the ground where they burrowed.

Mimi: What's wrong? Jou: Anomalocarimon is... gone.... Gomamon: They ran away! Mimi: (emerges) They could be hiding.... Palmon: If only we could evolve.... Gomamon: Yeah, but we're tired and starving so-- Oh! We can just scrounge for something!

The Digimon have gotten used to the human world, where food comes out of the refrigerator. That's only occasionally true on File Island.

Gomamon quickly digs up a pair of clams, while Palmon pulls some seaweed out of the ocean.

Gomamon: Looks tasty! Palmon: Found this!

Gomamon and Palmon eagerly fill their stomachs and restore their stamina.

In the dub, Scorpiomon remains hilariously pitiful.

Scorpiomon: Oh, forget it! (burrows) Joe: I can't... run anymore... we'll just have to... stand and fight.... Gomamon: Right! (Joe and Gomamon emerge) Gomamon: Huh? We may not have to.... Mimi: What happened? Joe: I don't know, but he's gone! Gomamon: Haha! What a lucky break! Mimi: Lucky for us, he doesn't work out. Palmon: Ugh, I'm getting my exercise right now. My roots are exhausted. Gomamon: And I am so hungry I could just about eat seaweed. Hey, wait! Lookit! (Gomamon and Palmon scrounge up food)

The lines at Scorpiomon's expense are great. Good casual dialogue.

The dub's take on the food search doesn't click, though. This is kind of an important moment, as we see the Digimon reacquaint themselves with scavenging the Digital World for food after being in the human world for a while.

The problem is posed: We can't evolve because we're hungry. Then the Digimon remember how to solve that problem their way, rather than being led astray by easy answers like the illusory beach house, which have so often been too good to be true.

This doesn't come across in the dub, where the vibe is simply, "Oh I'm hungry; Let's eat." We don't get to see the transformation of their way of thinking from human world comfort back to Digital World survivalism.

Down beneath the waves, Anomalocarimon notices one of Gomamon's carelessly discarded clamshells sinking beneath the water. Surprised, they poke their head back up to see what's up.

The other clamshell bops Anomalocarimon right in the joystick antennae thing that is not their eye but can easily be mistaken for it.

Anomalocarimon: Ow! ANOMALOCARIMON!!!

Anomalocarimon surges out of the ocean to attack Jou and Mimi. Evolving to protect them, Togemon and Ikkakumon counterattack, but to little effect. Anomalocarimon's stingers block Togemon's Chiku-Chiku Bang-Bang. Ikkakumon lands three direct hits of Harpoon Vulcan, but Anomalocarimon tanks all three missiles and remains unscathed.

In the dub, Scorpiomon mistakes Gomamon's meal for the clams he was paid earlier.

Gomamon: Not bad! Scorpiomon: Huh? GET YOUR MITTS OFF MY CLAMS!!!

While Togemon and Ikkakumon fight Anomalocarimon, Jou and Mimi put Taichi's earlier theory to the test.

It does not go well.

Jou: Since Togemon and Ikkakumon have grown, they shouldn't lose this.... Mimi: And since it's two against one, we should have up the upper hand!

Anomalocarimon proceeds to beat their Digimon like a drum. They swipe Ikkakumon away with their tail, then pick up Togemon and squeeze her between their two stingers, crushing her.

Togemon: IT HURTS!!! HELP ME!!!

Then they slam Togemon down on top of Ikkakumon for good measure.

Jou: (disappointed) ...they're losing. Mimi: It's too dangerous to keep this up! We'll be killed! Jou: Maybe they'd win if they evolve again!

Probably, yes. But it nonetheless makes for a solid counterargument against Taichi's theory.

In the dub:

Joe: If the Digimon really are getting stronger, they should be able to handle Scorpiomon, no problem! Mimi: I hope so, but it doesn't really look like they're doing too well! (Scorpiomon swats Ikakkumon, then picks up Togemon) Togemon: HEY, PUT ME DOWN YOU OVERGROWN CRAWDADDY BEFORE I GET REALLY ANGRY!!! (Scorpiomon smacks Ikkakumon with Togemon) Joe: Oh, boy. Mimi: WHY DON'T YOU COME OUT FROM BEHIND YOUR SHELL AND FIGHT LIKE A CLAM!?!? Joe: Uh, Mimi? Cool it! I don't think he thought that was very funny!

Mimi challenges Scorpiomon to a fistfight.

Bad. Ass.

And also tremendously inconsistent to both versions of her character. Mimi knows better. Her father doesn't know better, but Mimi knows better.

But badass.

Anomalocarimon tries to spray Mimi and Jou down with their Suna Shower, but the kids take cover behind the rocks again.

Anomalocarimon moves to follow. Ikkakumon and Togemon sprint up behind them.

Ikkakumon: HANG ON!!! We're the ones you're fighting!

Anomalocarimon responds with their signature Stinger Surprise. Ikkakumon and Togemon clear out before the shot hits. The explosion tears open the sand, revealing a treasure trove of tasty clams.

The dub gives Ikkakumon's line over to Togemon.

Togemon: Hey, squid breath! We're the ones you want!

They also change Scorpiomon's attack to Tail Blade, despite not involving his tail in any way.

Anomalocarimon is immediately distracted by all those tasty, tasty clams.

Anomalocarimon: Hey, this looks delicious! Jou: NOW, IKKAKUMON!!! Mimi: SUPER-EVOLVE, TOGEMON!!!

Their Digimon super-evolve into Zudomon and Lilimon. Followed by a hilariously dopey shot where a still image of Lilimon slowly flies in front of Jou and Mimi for no apparent reason.

In the dub:

Scorpiomon: Ooh! I just love clams! Joe: Hurry up! Now's your chance! Mimi: Get moving! Digivolve, Togemon!

Once they've Digivolved again, the dub gives Dopey Shot Lillymon a silence-breaker to at least lend some purpose to that moment.

Lillymon: Okay, Zudomon, let's GOOOOOOO!!!

And go, they do.

Zudomon pulls aggro, drawing Anomalocarimon's fire. Tucking down into a defensive position, Zudomon's hard shell tanks Anomalocarimon's Stinger Surprise.

While the enemy is distracted, Lilimon blindsides them with Flower Cannon. The shot seems to do little damage but pulls Anomalocarimon's attention away from Zudomon; A fatal mistake. Zudomon closes distance, calling Hammer Spark and slamming his Thor Hammer down directly between Anomalocarimon's antennae.

With a pitiful whimper, Anomalocarimon falls over on their back, defeated.

Inside the beach house, the children and their Digimon are starting to stir. MetalSeadramon's window of opportunity is closing.

Taichi: Hikari....

Outside, MetalSeadramon looms over the beach house, complaining about his tardy soldier.

MetalSeadramon: They're late. Anomalocarimon is late! What could they possibly be doing?

Meanwhile, Mimi and Jou ride Zudomon back towards the beach house. Lilimon flies nearby, while Zudomon drags Anomalocarimon's unconscious body along with them.

Jou: Faster, Zudomon! We have to hurry and save everyone!

In the dub:

Tai: Ugh... Kari.... (Outside) MetalSeadramon: Where is that fool with those other children!? I'm tired of waiting! (Zudomon on his way) Joe: Hurry! Faster! We gotta move, now! Did you really have to bring along a souvenir!?

Joe eases the tension by throwing down one of the funniest laugh lines in the dub thus far. Holy shit, that got me. XD

It hasn't been established what Zudomon intends to do with the unconscious Anomalocarimon, so Joe calling him out for that ambiguity lands hard. But it's also a joke that meshes and integrates with the tone, rather than disrupting it. A+

At the beach house, MetalSeadramon's decided that he's done waiting.

MetalSeadramon: I don't care about the other two Chosen Children anymore.

MetalSeadramon breathes fire into the air, intending to set the whole beach house ablaze. Jou, Mimi, and their Partners take cover behind the tree line.

Mimi: MetalSeadramon is planning to burn down the beach house with everyone inside! Lilimon: Come on! Hurry!

Lilimon, Mimi, and Jou race inside the beach house through a... somewhat unexplained hole in the beach house wall. Is that supposed to be the hole MetalSeadramon smashed earlier? Did he nervously pace around to the other side of the beach house afterwards? It sure looks a lot bigger than his head.

Lilimon goes for Taichi, while Mimi makes a beeline for Sora.

Lilimon: Taichi, pull yourself together. Taichi: Lilimon? Mimi: SORA-SAN!!! Jou: Yamato! Koushiro! Lilimon: (flies over the Digimon) Quickly, everyone! Tentomon: Huh, what's going on?

Out front, MetalSeadramon's finished testing his firebreath. He turns his gaze down on the house.

MetalSeadramon: FIRE!!!

He lets it rip, his flames engulfing the house in seconds.

In the dub:

MetalSeadramon: That does it! I'll worry about the other two children later. Mimi: Yikes! And I thought Shellmon's breath was gnarly! He'll toast them like marshmallows! Lillymon: This way! Hurry! Joe: HEY GUYS!!! NAPTIME'S OVER!!!

Joe yells at the top of his lungs while they're passing directly under MetalSeadramon's nose. Somehow, this doesn't give the game away.

Mimi's quip here is a little tonally inappropriate, but I do like the callback to her earlier barb at Shellmon. Mimi's getting a lot of fun lines in this episode.

Lillymon: Tai, you've gotta get out of here! Tai: Huh...? Mimi: Sora, get up! Joe: Matt! Izzy! Move or you're gonna be toast! I mean literally! Lillymon: (flies over the Digimon) Everybody on your feet! Hurry! Tentomon: W-What's going on!? (Outside, MetalSeadramon takes aim) MetalSeadramon: RRRRYAAAAAGH!!! (fires)

MetalSeadramon does not shout "Fire" when he shoots his fire. 0/10 Go to pun jail. For, uh, insufficient punning. For once.

As the beach house goes up in flames, the kids vacate through the big maybe-unexplained hole.

Taichi again takes responsibility for Takeru and Hikari, ushering them out of the building.

Taichi: Hikari! Takeru! Are you okay!? Hikari: Yeah....

Zudomon replaces the children with the unconscious Anomalocarimon. While the kids evacuate, he stands nearby. His shoulders vibrate to indicate that he is silently laughing hysterically to himself. Epic prank, bro.

MetalSeadramon: SIX OF THE CHOSEN CHILDREN AND THEIR DIGIMON ARE DEAD!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Anomalocarimon: (inside, wakes up on fire) EEEYAAAGH ATATAT!!! MetalSeadramon: ...uh?

Anomalocarimon explodes through the sand blocking the door, scurrying across the stand in flames. MetalSeadramon watches them go by in confused silence.

Anomalocarimon: HOT HOT HOT ANOMALOCARIMOOOOON!!!

Finally, when they reach the coastline, Anomalocarimon throws themself into the ocean to douse the flames.

In the dub:

Tai: Whoa! Hang on and keep moving; We're almost there! Mimi: Hurry up and let's get out of here! (Outside) MetalSeadramon: Ha! Farewell, DigiDestined! It was a rare pleasure knowing you! MEDIUM RARE!!! GYAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Scorpiomon: (inside, wakes up on fire) WHAAAAUGH HOT HOT HOT!!! MetalSeadramon: ...huh? (Scorpiomon explodes through the sand barrier and scurries for dear life) Scorpiomon: OW!!! Who's the hot-tempered foul-mouth who--Oh, it was you, boss. Okay. No problem.

MetalSeadramon's "medium rare" quip is great. XD This episode is bringing all the best laugh lines.

I do prefer the original version of Scorpiomon's fiery exit. The dub's sycophantic joke is pretty good too. Both versions put comedic focus in different places, with Scorpiomon's bit emphasizing what a tool he is.

The original, meanwhile, emphasizes MetalSeadramon. He's positioned in center frame so we can watch his head turn and follow Anomalocarimon. The emphasis is on his stunned WTF reaction. Reality is gaslighting him and he is at a loss for words.

Both work on their own, but I like the original better.

Once Anomalocarimon is doused in the ocean, MetalSeadramon finally finds the presence of mind to make sense of what's happened.

MetalSeadramon: The six Chosen Children and their Digimon are gone! Anomalocarimon, what is the meaning of this!? Anomalocarimon: MetalSeadramon-sama, uh... You see....

Unfortunately for him, Anomalocarimon has no better idea of what happened than MetalSeadramon does. They were unconscious the whole time.

MetalSeadramon furiously wraps his tail around Anomalocarimon, hoisting them high up into the air.

MetalSeadramon: SILENCE!!!

MetalSeadramon drops them from a great height, finishing them off. We don't see Anomalocarimon disintegrate into pixels, but they crash into the earth and kick up a huge sandstorm on impact, then are gone afterward - Leaving behind only a large imprint in the sand where they fell. The implication is fairly clear.

RIP Anomalocarimon. Recipient of a prank so epic it got them killed.

In the dub:

MetalSeadramon: Huh? No! NO!!! THEY'RE GONE!!! ALL OF THEM GONE!!! SCORPIOMOOOOOON!!! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!?!? Scorpiomon: Uh, w-well, you see... That's a fair question... You see, it happens-- MetalSeadramon: SILENCE!!! (grapples Scorpiomon into the sky) You failed me and I will not forgive FAILURE!!! Scorpiomon: No, I didn't think that you w-OOOOULD!!! (dropped)

Scorpiomon remains a weenie to the end. XD

You know, I kind of expected them to add a line or two indicating that Scorpiomon survived that drop but I guess we're over that. A guy got stabbed in the chest last episode; This is going to be a hard arc to try and hand-wring about character death.

Once MetalSeadramon's gone, the kids emerge and discuss what Jou and Mimi learned.

Lilimon: MetalSeadramon seems to have left. Taichi: Everything's alright now. Mimi: Everything's not alright, actually. Taichi: Huh!? Jou: She's right. Taichi: What do you mean? What happened? Jou: Ikkakumon and Togemon weren't strong enough to defeat Anomalocarimon. They could only win after evolving into Zudomon and Lilimon. Our chances against MetalSeadramon still aren't very good right now. Taichi: So it's just like Piccolomon said. Even with the eight of us together, it's not enough to win. Could it be that the Digimon's evolutions still need improvement?

It was pretty foolish to assume we'd already done whatever Piccolomon thought we still needed to do. There's a long road ahead.

In the dub:

Sora: They're gone! Whew! That was a close one. Tai: But we came out of it okay. That's what counts. Mimi: I hate to tell you this: Everything's not okay! Tai: Huh!? Joe: Mimi's right. Tai: What are you guys talking about!? Did I miss something!? Joe: The Digimon still might not be strong enough. Both of ours had to Digivolve again before they could beat Scorpiomon and he was just a flunkie. Frankly, it's hard to see how they stand a chance against a fully Digivolved monster like MetalSeadramon. Tai: You could be right. Maybe Piximon meant something else when he said we were missing something. Whatever the secret is, we've got to find it if we ever hope to save the world.

Pretty faithful. We also see the return of the phrase "fully Digivolved" now in its new, more correct context. There are still technically Digimon beyond the Ultimate stage but those are basically one-off super-exceptions, not a whole category. When pressed, they often wind up classifying as... like... Ultimate but even more Ultimate-er.

It's pretty safe to call this stage "fully Digivolved".

Suddenly, Tentomon takes off into the air to get a better vantage.

Tentomon: What's that!?

Unfortunately, we will not get the moment to breathe that we thought we were getting. MetalSeadramon only fucked off to stage yet another ambush. Utterly relentless.

Taichi: METALSEADRAMON!!! Lilimon: I'll hold him here! The rest of you, escape on Zudomon's back! Mimi: LILIMON!?!?

Initially, MetalSeadramon takes the bait. Without another word, Lilimon flies out to meet him head-on, then flitters around him and takes off. MetalSeadramon gives chase while Zudomon ferries the children away.

It doesn't take him long to realize the ruse, however. MetalSeadramon abandons Lilimon when he notices Zudomon escaping.

MetalSeadramon: You're all idiots! You think you can escape from me BY SEA!?!?

MetalSeadramon pursues Zudomon, quickly closing distance.

Tentomon: WAUGH!!! METALSEADRAMON IS GAINING ON US!!! Taichi: Faster! Get us out of here, Zudomon! MetalSeadramon: NO CHANCE!!!

Lilimon follows behind MetalSeadramon. In one last desperate bid to pull his attention, she fires off her Flower Cannon. MetalSeadramon's Chrome Digizoid neck plating deflects her shot harmlessly.

MetalSeadramon turns, offering Lilimon only one more moment of his time. Lifting his tail out of the water behind her, he swats her out of the air for an instant KO.

Mimi: LILIMON!!!

Lilimon powers down into Palmon as she falls, tumbling into Mimi's arms.

Mimi: (catch) Palmon!

In the dub, Tentomon doesn't see anything; He reacts to Tai wanting to find the thing they're missing.

Tentomon: Yeah, so the sooner, the better! (MetalSeadramon emerges from the waves) Tai: It's MetalSeadramon again!

The dub puts a commercial break here. Good place for it. Solid cliffhanger. Then they add some extra dialogue to the chase sequence.

Lillymon: Alright, I'll draw him off! Zudomon, you get the others out of here. (Lillymon flies out to confront MetalSeadramon) Lillymon: Yoo-hoo, you big ugly--WHOA! (Lillymon swerves and changes course) Lillymon: Just my luck! He's fast too! (Zudomon tries to escape) Joe: Come on, Zudomon! Move it! Move it! (MetalSeadramon chases Lillymon, but then stops and notices Zudomon escaping) Mimi: Has he seen us? Tai: I don't know, and I don't want to find out! MetalSeadramon: Pathetic little fools! You think you can escape me BY SEA!?!? Tai: I think it's safe to say he's seen us! Tentomon: WAUGH!!! FASTER, ZUDOMON!!! WE NEED SPEED!!! Tai: Yeah, stop dog-paddling! MetalSeadramon: TONIGHT YOU SLEEP WITH THE FISHES!!!

Taichi's quip didn't land for me, but MetalSeadramon's did. Goddammit. XD

Glad they kept the "You think you can escape me by sea!?" bit.

Once Lilimon's out of the fight, MetalSeadramon turns his full attention to Zudomon. He sinks down beneath the waves, vanishing into the murky water.

The children are left in silent anticipation, watching the ocean waves to try and find where MetalSeadramon will emerge. Then, suddenly, his horn breaches the water.

Taichi: Here he comes! Jou: Zudomon!

MetalSeadramon charges at full speed, ramming Zudomon's side and sending the kids on his back tumbling into the ocean. While the kids flounder in the water, Zudomon turns and headbutts MetalSeadramon's serpentine body, knocking him back a bit.

MetalSeadramon follows up with Ultimate Stream, firing straight into the hard shell on Zudomon's back. Zudomon's shell offers no protection from MetalSeadramon's signature move. The shot obliterates what strength Zudomon had left, knocking him back and degenerating him into Gomamon.

Gomamon comically lands on Jou's face, pushing them both underwater.

Jou: AUGH GOMAMON Ablrblurbb.... MetalSeadramon: WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Even MetalSeadramon thought it was funny.

The dub, of course, gives the kids some dialogue while they wait for MetalSeadramon.

Tai: Uh-oh. Joe: Is he gone? Mimi: I don't think so! Sora: I can't stand this waiting! Matt: I bet he's right below us! Tai: Shh! Knock it off! (MetalSeadramon emerges on a collision course) Tai: WHOA!!! HE'S RAMMING US!!! Agumon: Hang on! (MetalSeadramon rams Zudomon. They fight; MetalSeadramon obliterates Zudomon.) MetalSeadramon: Never send a Rookie to do a Mega's work! Narrator: Stuck in the middle of the ocean, the DigiDestined are at MetalSeadramon's mercy. What will happen on the next Digimon: Digital Monsters?

Uh, you sent an Ultimate to do a Mega's work earlier, but I get the sentiment.

The dub ends the episode here, presumably to make up screentime they had to spend on the end of last episode. But there's one more scene to go. A great shadow passes beneath the Chosen Children.

MetalSeadramon: Huh? Taichi: WHAMON!!!

Whamon explodes from the water, throwing themself full-speed into MetalSeadramon and body slamming them into the ocean. Then, before MetalSeadramon, Whamon scoops the children up in their mouth.

Taichi: WE'RE SAVED!!! WHAMON WILL PROTECT US WITH HIS BODY!!!

MetalSeadramon recovers in time to catch Whamon's departure. Whamon swims deep into the ocean, escaping from the Dark Master.

MetalSeadramon: Chosen Children and your Digimon.... YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!!!

The Japanese version leaves off there, on a promise of pursuit by a furious and relentless sea dragon.

Assessment: MetalSeadramon is my favorite of the Dark Masters. There's something about a sinister sea dragon that's so unlike everything else they've fought before. The same can be said of Mugendramon and Pinochimon too, but MetalSeadramon also has that unique aquatic aesthetic going for him.

This episode serves as our proper introduction for the kind of villain MetalSeadramon is: A relentless pursuer hammering the children with an unyielding onslaught of attacks. He's basically doing what Etemon was trying to do, and it's working. He's had them on the backfoot for the entire episode, despite some setbacks.

When he screams "You won't escape" at them at the end, I believe it.

The dub made some questionable choices at the start of this one. Cohesive storytelling is, as usual, their weak point. But their quipping game was superb. Once the action started, the dub was nailing zingers left and right

And since a large chunk of this episode was action, the dub came home with a lot more W's than L's this time around despite its bizarre narrative choices.