#so base-building should be easy \o/

[afkintheark]

I love baby snow owls, they're so scraggly-looking. XD

Babies are raised, I have our two breeding already and my new improved Druid is in a ball to stockpile levels overnight. Took him on a little test flight first and the extra speed is very nice. \o/

I tamed an argy on Volcano couple days ago so tonight I decided to find a base spot, and I think I've made my choice! It's right above the water there so I can have a water pen whenever I need it. Only problem really is it's on the opposite side of the map from the volcano/wyvern trench.

Still exploring too, I've found several spots that I remember from ASE. I am enjoying the nostalgia. XD

[icewindandboringhorror]

Apparently I can meet my goal of roughly 400,000 words in 6 months if I just somehow write at least 2,200 words a day ghbjh... Almost 2,500 today... huzzah...

[solar4seekstron]

Chapter Five: I’m Done Saving You

Transformers One x Reader: Awakening Chapter Five

Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Six

Transformers One x Cybertronian!GN!reader

Introduction Movie Masterlist

TW/Tags: non? Based on the title you already know what’s coming. Good luck nerds.

(Chapter 5 is finally here and I’m pretty excited for this one. Sadly there is much to add for Elita and reader so most likely in the next chapter. Sorry guys the movie isn’t making it any easier for me or just can’t think of any that doesn’t ruin the movie too much. I was dreading to type in the scene where D. Shoots Orion and it didn’t feel right to add in the expressions of Y/N, Elita and B because that moment is for D-16 and Orion in my opinion. Oh boy the next chapter is gonna hurt but I want to make y’all happy so here we go.)

(The next chapter will be the last one and then 5 bonus endings after)

*At Iacon City-

Y/N was about to sneak into the city the same way the gaurds were able to. Paying o mind if others see them as they fly in their alt mode. Landing in an alley between buildings. The view clear of sentinels tower. They would then look around and say. The bots they once saw to be taller then them was now around the Sam seize as them having a cog now. They would let out a sigh and then walk out making their eye to the tower. Knowing if they were in their alt mode. They would be questioned. But as they walked passing the road and walking on the side walk as they walked around. Seeing that there’s an alleyway that seems to lead to the tower sooner. They. Go down that path. As they walk someone then grabs their hand. Causing them to quickly turn around pin the person against the wall.

”Woah easy there friend I just wanted to tell- Y/N” It was Deadlock

”Lo- uh sorry you got me confused with someone else.”

They would then try to leave but deadlock would grab their wrist and pull them back and turns them around putting his had on their shoulder.

“Y/N it is you! But. But you have a cog!” Y/N was just 5 inches shorter then him now.

”Uh yeah I should really get going.” Deadlock would rests his hand on their hip as he looked at them. They would place their hands on his shoulders to try to create some distance

”Y/N where have you been and how do you have a cog. Come on lets catch up.”

”Deadlock I would love to but I must go. My friend is possibly in danger and I should go make sure they’re safe.” Deadlock looks almost disappointed. Then over the comm its heard his boss is calling for him. He then sighs

”Fine but seeing that you have a cog now. Come by the club and we can catch up.”

”Will do Deadlock now I must go. Good to see you friend.” They pat his shoulders as he finally out his hands off them. Watching as they leave before turning around to head to work

Y/N continues to walk to the tower then once seeing the security they come up with an idea remembering what sentinel said the day of the race. They would then go up to the two guards

”Heeeey guys name’s Y/N sentinel said he was expecting me?” The two gaurds look at eachother then at them. Nodding then letting them in after giving them directions to the personal quarter sentinel told them to tell you to go to

Y/N would then walk in able to go through a door to the others sneaking around trying to find the room while also being quiet. Soon they would peak through a door and see D-16, B-127, and the other guards on their knees and their hands tied behind their back as sentinel walks past them in a line speaking an d having his average smirk on his face

“I don’t understand. Why are we still alive?”

“Look at this rowdy bunch. The High Guard. You know you guys have been tough to find. Every trip to the surface I have been searching for you.”

“Tracking the bots in the cave led me right to them.”

“You captured Starscream.”

“It was too easy.”

“I’m going to rip you apart piece by piece and that your death is painful and you’ll regret the day you”

“You sound ridiculous. It’s weird. Oh D-16 what a tragic story you’ll be. Atop the leaderboard in your sector. Secretly a traitor.”

“I’m not the traitor. You’re the traitor.’

“Nuh-uh. You. All of you are traitors. You’ve been working with the Quintessons to sabotage atoge my expeditions You’re the reason I haven’t found the matrix of leadership yet.”

“None of that is true!”

“Oh trust me all of that will be very true when I am executing you in front of all of Iacon because down here the truth is what I make it.”

Sentinel would get into Bs face before D would take a step.

“Well well. What’s this about?”

“I’m not kneeling in front of you.”

“Feeling confident are we?”

“You dont scare me. You wanna know why?”

“Please.”

“Because I don't anything else left to lose. You took it all.”

“I sure did.”

Sentinel would then punch D.

“Ah megatronus prime. Of course you are a fan. Megatronus was the coolest prime! The biggest. The Baddest. The Toughest! That's why after I killed him. I took his cog for myself.”

“He was greater than you’ll ever be!”

“I don’t know I’m pretty great but I can understand why you would wanna wear his face over mine. Here, lets make sure it doesn’t come off.”

Sentinel would put the sticker back then starts engraving the deception insignia into his chest. The others only able to watch. Y/N knows that they have seen enough and without a second thought they open the door and as the others were about to notice in a moment Y/N was running pulled out their blade. Putting the blade against his neck catching him by surprise. The gaurds and airachnid pointing her guns at them

“Shoot me and he dies!”

“Ahh Y/N I see you have a cog as well-“

“Shut up! Sentinel prime is it true you did it all for power…Is it?!” Sentinel then scoffs

”Well of course. Any Prim-“

”You are no prime! And I swear in the memory and honor of my friends…to B and D I’ll-“ Then Y/N is shot on their side by one of the guard causing them to fall onto their knees as sentinel stands before them.

”Well isn’t this just a shame. You know I was pretty excited to work with you. Of course it not including the two miners you so cared for. Maybe there is use for you seeing that you’re all about honor. And you’re not labeled dead yet by the public.” Y/N still on the ground. The bullet almost through their waist almost to the center

”We’ll be sure the best doctor of Iacon will take care of that wound” He would then grab their chin making their face look up fullly facing him after he took a knee. he then snaps his fingers. Two guards walking and grabbing them by the arms picking them up.

”Make sure they’re well taken care of” Y/N was then dragged and taken towards the door they cam from.

*Orion-

“Ooookaaay. I-I can do this.”

*At the mines-

“You can’t be serious. We just worked 22 shifts without a break. These miners need rest and time to repair.”

“Sentinel Prime wants more energon. So get back into the mines! Before I make you go back in-“

“Is that-“

“Orion?”

“Jazz.”

“Is that really you?”

“Yeah I know I uh- look a little different.”

“Little? There’s nothing little about you.”

“How is this possible?”

“Sentinel told us you died from your race injuries.”

“Sentinel is a lair. Look, I know sounds coming from me. I was never the most focused. Miner but as you can see everything’s different now.”

“I went to the surface. And I learned the truth. My friends. We were all born with transformation cogs. And then sentinel. He stole them from us! He took away our ability to make our own decisions. He stole our freedom. But now I’m offering you your first real choice. You can work a twenty-third shift and mine yourself to death. Or fight back against sentinel with me. Right now.”

“How are we supposed to do that?”

“We can’t fight. We don’t have cogs.”

“What defines a transformer is not the cog in its chest but the spark that resides in their core. A spark that gives you the will to make your world better and that spark sentinel can never take from us.”

“There’s not enough of us. We need an army.”

“And we have one. Elita is bringing troops. We are not alone in this. If we want to be in control of our own destiny we will have to fight for it. Now is the time for us to stand up. For ourselves! Stand up for this injustice. I promise you this fight will be worth it. Follow me! Nothing can stop us when we stand together. Together as one.”

“Elita it’s time.”

“You got it. Buckle up blinky. We’re going in.”

Back to the others D heard everything sentinel and Y/N said. Hearing the guards take Y/N away as they groan in pain. He the tried to stand up again.

“Not a good idea.”

“D stay down.”

D would stand up once more

“Well that’s a shame. You really were a great miner.”

”D! Run!….”

Sentinel points his blaster at D as D watches. Waiting.

“We’ve got a breach! Protect Sentinel!” A guard would hit D to fall back again as another would join them to protecting sentinel. Y/N was still carried away. Now further from where the direction the train was heading as the guards noticed

“Ok they spotted us. It’s about to get bumpy.”

“High Guard. Eject.”

“There’s too many! We have to abort.”

“We’re not going to make it.”

From there many miners with jet packs fly up and start fighting sentinels guards. Helping the others

“Lets break some protocol.”

“That’s what I’m talking about Pax!”

Pax was then attacked against the front of the train by Airachnid

“Ooooh that’s intense.”

“You can’t win miner! I see everything!”

“That’s right you do! Except the tower we’re about to crash into.”

Orion would then kick Airachnid off him. Hitting the window with his elbow breaking it to get in and the train soon hits the tower. Hitting Sentinel

(HE DID THE POSE FHGFGJFGVUDKKYKUCFKUVU)

“Hey!”

“What has he done to you?!”

“This is nothing! Compared to what I’m going to do to sentinel.”

”Y/N!!” The guards have left leaving them on the floor. They would then stand up and put a sort fo tissue over their bullet hole. Something ratchet gave them before. They would make their way to the two limping a bit. Orion going up to them

”I’m fine. We need to stop sentinel.” They say as they look at Orion and D. D unable to take his eyes off the energon coming of them as Orion does the same

“Soundwave, free the prisoners.”

“I know how to stop him. Airachnid is the answer-“

“I’m doing this my way!”

“D!”

“Yes! Woah! I got a battle mask. Elita! Battle mask! It appeared when this guy tried to- Knife hands? I have knife hands! Haha! Baddassatron!”

“Where’s sentinel?!”

There was then an explosion causing D, Y/N and Orion to fall forward. They would then hide behind some rocks as they then hear sentinel

“You pathetic little twits. Did you really think you can knock down everything that I have built?!”

“It’s over sentinel! You can’t escape the truth!”

“What truth? That I pluck the cogs from your newborn chests. Forced you to mine so that I can pay off the Quintessons and live like a king. None of that matters! Because the truth is what I make it!”

“In coming!”

D and sentinel will then have their own fight as the three try to think of a plan

“He’s too strong!”

“I have a plan. We need Airachnid.”

“Airachnid?!”

”Are you crazy?!

“We need her memory.”

“Where is she?!”

Elita was tackled by Airachnid

“Found her!”

“Elita. Do not break her. Bring her to the broadcast station. We'll meet you there.”

“Easier said than done!”

“I said don't break her!”

“Relax I’m being. Very. Gentle!”

“Orion! Orion look! Knife hands!”

“I can see that!”

”Yeah Bee!!” They then show their sword blades they picked up earlier showing they glow as well. B then cheers excited

“I’m gonna cut these guys watch! Come here!”

“You can jab them later!”

“GO! I’ll stay here and help D!”

”All right b careful!”

“Yeah!”

The three make thier way to the other tower. D and sentinel continueing to fight eachother. Y/N staying behind and joining the fight with D

“Um. E-excuse me, you can’t be in here.”

B then starts destroying the place

“B. These are not the ad guys.”

“Why did you cut the door?��

“What? No I didn’t cu- I didn’t- uh that wasn’t- I didn’t- it was ready like that. Right?!”

“Yes that’s right It- it was already like- yeah-was already like that.”

Orion then got to work and Elita made sure Airachnid was on the table her hologram memory showing.

“Attention. Iacon city. Stand by for a live transmission from Sentinel Prime.”

During thre fight D and sentinel keep fighting all ove the room causing more damag. Y/N waits for the right moment and once sentinel was believing he has D. Y/N jumps and transformers their alt mode on its side and spins fast pushing him off D (Think like that scene Megatron does in TF Earthspark to skyward during that big battle scene.) Scratching his paint job as they land right next to D pulling out their blades protective over D.

”D are you alright?!” D stands up and shakes his head a bit trying to stay awake

”This is my fight. Go to-“

”Will you quiet that! You can finish him off after I get a good hi-“

Y/N was then tackled by sentinel being pinned to the ground as they were far enough from D. Y/N would fight him getting a couple good hits and sentinel getting a few more hits on them. After kicking him of them D then side body slams sentinel. Y/N struggling to stand up as D then starts fighting sentinel again. Y/N is badly injured and struggles to stand. When they look up at the two. D is back on the ground and sentinel on top pointing his blaster as him again

“What’s wrong D-16? Rise up!”

“That’s why after I killed him. That’s why after I killed him. I took his cog for myself. Cog for myself. What truth? That I pluck the cogs from your newborn chests. Forced you to mine so that I can pay off Quintessons and live like a king! What truth? That I pluck the cogs from your newborn chests. Forced you to mine so that I can pay off Quintessons and live like a king! I’m working my miners as hard as I can. I swear I’ll get you the rest! I’m working my miners as hard as I can. I swear I’ll get you the rest!”

“Lier!”

“We trusted you!”

“Traiter!”

“Pax, we did it!”

After sentinel was distracted Y/N was able to make their way to D. Helping them up while holding their waist where they bleed a bit at. D would stand back up with their help.

”Stay back you helped enough!” He yells at them. Knowing they helped make sentinel get weaker after hitting him with their blades.

“D NO!”

D then charges at him. Causing them both to fall off the tower.

“D!”

The two would fly across the city hitting towers until they eventually land. Y/N would transform as they gain more strength while swirling a bit they’re able to make it but pretty far from the two transforming and is still weak staying on the knees as they watch the two fight. Slowly standing up.

“D-16. We can lead Cybertron together! Don’t have to do this.”

D would walk up to sentinel pointing his canon until Orion runs and jumps D. Stopping him.

“What are you doing?!”

“It’s over D. Everyone in Iacon knows the truth”

“So do I! He took everything from us! I have to do this!”

“No you don’t! Rebuilding Iacon cannot begin with an execution.”

“He deserves to die! Can’t you see that?!”

“We’re better than this. Don’t be like sentinel.”

“Pax. You need to get out of my way before I move you myself.”

“D listen-“

D would punch Orion and kick him further for Orion to stay on the ground. Then walking back to sentinel as sentinel was still on the floor. But Orion soon gets in the way. Orion wa shot shocking D and the others. As Orion was about to fall off the cliff D was able to catch him in time by the wrist

“No. No no no no no. Why..Why did you do that! Why!?”

D would be breathing heavy as so many emotions went through his head.

“D….no”

“I’m done saving you!”

[star-girl69]

Guilty Pleasure

Caroline (KK) Harvey x Fem!Reader

—-

synopsis: after weeks full of stress and homework, all you want to do is have a nice evening with your girlfriend. but it’s hard to let yourself do that when she’s working herself to death to prepare for hockey championships.

a/n: wow i’m a genius… based off of this ask!! i hope you all enjoy!! STREAM TOUGH BY LANA AND QUAVO‼️‼️‼️

a few notes:

shoutout to my wonderful sister wife @lovinpelova read her kk fic it’s amazing ILY AND OUR WIFE 🫶

and rip to laila’s ability to go live 💔💔

Guilty Pleasure - Chappell Roan

warnings: NOT PROOFREAD, i don’t know anything about college please spare me, college scares me, i’m scared, anyways, texting if that triggers y’all, the tiniest bit of angst, y/n is kinda like insecure and all self deprecating LOL, umm a little bit of kissing, hurt/comfort!!!!!!!! kinda!!!!, swearing, ending sucks so bad, this sucks, whatever, i think that’s all let me know if i missed anything!!

—-

“Y/N,” your roommate groans into the stillness of your room. Besides for the natural humming of the building, it’s midnight, a school night, and the dorms are mostly silent. “Y/N, please. Turn off the lights and go to bed. You can’t keep studying, babe.”

“I’m sorry,” you mutter, standing up from your desk and flicking the light switch on the wall. You hear your roommate, Jackie, let out a sigh of relief.

Immediately, you sit back down, flipping the desk lamp on.

“Ugh, no, babe. That’s not what I meant- you need to sleep.”

“I have to study.”

Jackie had it so easy- you’ve never seen her study for any test, ever, yet she always comes back with 90’s on whatever assignment it is. Not you. No, you work your ass off and get an 80- if you’re lucky.

“You’ve been studying all weekend,” she groans. “You can’t do anything about it now, trust me. Whatever happens, happens. All you can do now is sleep.”

You’re silent, trying to cram just a few more vocab words into your head.

“Y/N, please!”

A pillow hits your head.

“Bitch!” You yell, glaring at her. Maybe you did really think she would be smiling at you, but she’s not. She’s looking at you with real concern in her eyes.

“Babe. I can see the dark circles under your eyes from here.”

And if you’re honest, the words on the pages are starting to blur, you can’t process anything- you know she’s right. You’re not helping yourself at this point, but you’re too scared to just give up and go to bed. What if you stay up for one more minute and it completely saves your ass tomorrow?

“Maybe you should call KK?” Jackie says, tentatively, but you’re not even looking at her anymore. “I won’t even complain that you’re whispering.”

“She’s probably asleep,” you mutter. “She texted me today, they had a really hard practice.”

“Yeah, but she’ll answer if you call. We both know she will.”

“No, I’m not bothering her. I’ll go to bed, okay?”

You meet Jackie’s eyes, and she looks you up and down.

“Okay.”

But she doesn’t settle, not when you’ve flicked the light off. You can see her when your eyes adjust, she doesn’t lay down until she sees you in bed, covers pulled up to your chin.

It’s only when you finally firmly squeeze your eyes shut that you hear the rustling of her settling into bed.

“Goodnight,” she murmurs, concern in her voice.

“Goodnight,” you say back.

She’s right. She’s completely right about everything.

She’s close with KK and the rest of the team you’ve come to known like family just like you. KK would answer you. She always has notifications turned on for you and you for her.

And there’s nothing else you can do about this test tomorrow, you’re confident you’ll at least pass it, but since you’re not doing any sports like almost everyone else at this school, you feel like you should at least have better grades. But you just… don’t.

As you wrap your arms around yourself in the darkness, hoping Jackie’s eyes are closed and she can’t see you, all you can do is think about Caroline.

—-

hockey queen: r u still coming over??

you: yes ofc do u hate me and want me to die????

hockey queen: no ily ❤️

you: ilyt i’m getting food tn btw

hockey queen: ok babe wtvr u want 😍

After days of turning down every invitation to go out, after forcing yourself to stay home and feeling Jackie’s disapproving eyes on you every time you stayed up late- your last class of the week had finished.

It was Friday afternoon, the sky starting to turn a pretty grey that let you know rain was coming. This entire week had felt like a battle in the long war that was college, and you desperately needed a night in with a movie and some takeout to replenish yourself for the next week-long battle.

And you needed that night to be with Caroline. Desperately. Even though you knew she was working herself just as hard, with your workload and her busy hockey schedule these Friday nights were sacred, and weekly.

No one ever skipped a Friday night.

Even when you were under the weather with the most horrible headache you’ve ever been plagued with, Caroline still came over and rubbed you temples, talked to you to distract you in a soft voice and let you drool on her when you finally did fall asleep.

Even when Caroline was so exhausted from a hard practice, and all she had the strength to do was brush her teeth and change into sweats, you let her pass out on top of you and stayed put the rest of the night, rubbing her back, just to make sure she got her rest.

With championships coming up, you’re sure tonight will be another night in which KK is barely functioning, but as long as she’s just there, tangible, you’ll be fine.

That’s what you tell yourself, even as you walk across campus, letting your mind guiltily wander to you just finally stopping for one second, slowing down and confiding in her how fucking exhausted you were.

The rational part of you knew she would understand. But the insecure, childish part of you that was scared you’ll be seen as too needy, too much, overpowered everything else.

You needed whatever bit of Caroline she would give you.

You sighed, kicking a stick on the concrete path away at a particularly vivid fantasy of you absolutely sobbing in her arms. And it’s not like you haven’t cried in front of her before- what scared you about this guilty fantasy was how good it felt, even in this daydream, to let her in.

She works so hard. You can’t dump yourself onto her either.

—-

jacked 💪: do i have the dorm to myself tn??

you: yes 🤗

jacked 💪: inviting sexy boy from econ over

you: use protection ily

jacked 💪: BITCH ilyt

KK and Laila had the cutest apartment that wasn’t too far away, with a really pretty view out onto a street with lots of lights that almost made it feel like new york city.

Unfortunately, the rest of the apartment really did feel like the apartment of two college girls. There was perpetually dishes in the sink, the weirdest posters and inside jokes plastered onto the walls- you didn’t even try to understand them.

Laila likes to joke that she knows when it’s time to clean based on how bad your reaction is when you walk in. She decides they can go a few more days without cleaning. You roll your eyes, eating your takeout at the counter while you wait for your girlfriend to get out of the shower.

When she finally does emerge from her room, her slightly curly hair in its prettiest slightly wet form, dressed in comfy clothes- something immediately squeezes inside of your chest.

Maybe it’s your heart. Or maybe it’s a physical manifesting of nerves and guilt in that’s made its home in your chest. Whatever.

You can see the tiredness on her face when she walks over to where you sit, wrapping her arms around you and kissing your cheek.

You ignore Lalia’s exaggerated gag.

“Come with me,” KK murmurs into your ear, and you don’t need to be told twice, stuffing your keys into your pocket and following her.

“Don’t be too loud!” Laila shouts after you, looking into the fridge to find a snack- you all know that fridge is in desperate need of a restock and a deep clean- “There are other people in this apartment, okay?”

“Shut up!” KK responds, holding onto your arm tightly and shutting the door behind you.

—-

After putting on some random movie from Netflix in the background, you were all too happy to throw yourself onto KK’s comfy bed, smiling when she let out an exaggerated groan, collapsing face down next to you.

“Aw, hard practice?” You fake cooed, and she nodded into her pillows. You played with a damp curl, twisting it between your fingers.

“So many bag skates,” she moaned. “I lost count. I swear I almost died. I saw the gates of Heaven.”

“Poor baby.”

“Yes,” she muttered in agreement, grabbing your hand playing with her hair and pressing it up against her face so she could trap you between her face and the pillow. “Everything hurts.”

The only light came from the flickering movie, and you could barely even hear it as you stared at her face. You press a kiss to her cheek and she smiles, and you sit up even as your own exhausted body screams at you.

She frowns when you take your hand away from her face, but doesn’t seem as bothered anymore when you straddle her legs and softly start to massage her shoulders.

“I love you,” she whispers, eyes falling shut. “Oh, my God, you could become a masseuse.”

You laugh, relishing in how intimate this moment feels, holding onto the feeling in your chest that erupted when she said “I love you” it’s not possible to feel guilt in this moment, shrouded in a haze that might be because of your droopy eyes but you tell yourself it’s because you love this girl so much.

“I haven’t seen you all week,” Caroline says after a second.

“I know,” you say after a long moment. Thinking of those long nights when you wanted to be selfish so bad. When you wanted her all to yourself. “Sorry. I’ve had, like, a lot of homework lately and stuff.”

“But the worst is over now?”

You heart squeezes at the hopeful edge to her tone.

It’s hard to find times when your schedules match. It hurts you, you know it hurts her, and sometimes these Fridays are the only thing that can keep you sane. You might actually end up in a mental hospital.

“Oh, um… I dunno. Hopefully, sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” she says, biting back a yawn. “I jus’ miss you.”

“I miss you too,” you say, so quietly it’s almost like a confession. “Okay, I’m sorry, I’m about to fall asleep,” you groan, slipping off of her and back onto the bed.

Laying on your side so you’re facing her, you watch as she opens her eyes and smiles at you in that sweet, slightly goofy way you fell in love with.

She reaches out and softly touches your under eyes, where you know there’s noticeable dark circles. She frowns, ever-so-slightly, and the unspoken question is thick in the air.

“Jackie keeps getting all pissed off at me,” you say, breaking the silence, making sure she doesn’t ask that question: “have you been sleeping?” You’re fine. You’re fine. “She thinks I’m studying too much but no matter how many times I tell her I’m studying a pretty normal amount- she won’t let it go.”

“Are you studying a normal amount?”

There’s a slight teasing smile on her face, so you roll your eyes.

“Yes. I stay up a little late, like, once and it’s like it’s the end of the world.”

It’s not just once, and it’s not just a little late, but KK is so tired, you can see it on her face.

She laughs. “Jackie jus’ loves you,” she says after a yawn.

“Too much, maybe.”

She puts her arm around you, tugging you closer to her. “You deserve all the love in the world, baby.”

You smile like a cheesy schoolgirl. “Okay,” you say, pressing a short kiss to her lips. “Go to bed, please. You can barely keep your eyes open and it’s actually kinda scary.”

“Come here,” she groans, pulling you even closer until you’re pressed up right against her.

And before you can even think about what you’re doing, you let out a sigh and press your face into her neck. This might be your favorite place- where you can feel her heartbeat and the way her arm is wrapped around you.

Your chest squeezes when everything fades out for a second, tiredness you didn’t feel until you were in her arms suddenly coming out in the form of a yawn.

“Damn, you’re tired,” she whispers, and you can hear the smile in her voice. You try to mumble “so are you” but it comes out as an incoherent mumble that she chuckles at.

Just as you faintly realize that comforting sensation is her hand in your hair, scratching your head, guilt consumes you. She’s been working so hard at practice- and here she is comforting you? You’re not going to national championships like her. You’re not doing anything important- you’re just tired from getting mediocre grades.

Sluggish, you moan and try to move out of her comfort, something inside of you screaming that you don’t deserve it, but she only mistakes it as you shifting in your sleep and softly shushes you.

And just as you push off sleep enough to try and get out, her breathing evens out. So, you fall asleep press tightly into her arms, feeling so guilty you think it might actually destroy you.

—-

hockey queen: hi baby practice finished early can i come over?

…

hockey queen: are u studying

hockey queen: babe pls i’m bored

hockey queen: ok i’m coming over deal w it

You set your pen down, staring at the scribbles in the margins of your assignment- the actual questions still blank. You sigh, feeling pressure behind your eyes that you try not to let spill.

“Fuck,” you whisper, putting your head into your hands and allowing yourself one guilty moment to wallow in self-pity before you finish this fucking assignment.

It’s still early, but you know you should have done this simple one page of work before tackling the endless pages of review for another test you have tomorrow- now you’re so tired you can barely see, and your hand is cramping.

You softly scrunch your dominant hand into a fist before spreading it out flat, almost wincing at how sore it is. Is it even possible for your hand to be this sore? Covered in smudged ink, you debate going to the bathroom and washing your hands. Maybe you need to walk around, then you can get this one page done.

But all you can think about is that stupid test tomorrow, and maybe you should stay up late again, screw Jackie’s concern, study more-

The first tear that drops onto your paper shocks you a bit. And you feel so stupid for crying in the first place that you start crying more.

Pressing your face into your hands, you’re too tired to try and stop the tears, just letting them fall. Your mind races with thoughts of that stupid test, this stupid assignment- and some rational part of you knows that this is unhealthy- but it’s college, and it kinda feels like everything you do is a precursor for your adult life.

If you can’t juggle tests and homework- how are you going to juggle bills and work? Simple housework?

Someone knocks on the door.

You freeze for a moment, feeling your makeup run streaky down your face, eyes still full of tears and mascara messy-

“Y/N?”

Oh, fuck. Fuck. You know that voice, you know KK’s voice, you can hear her perfectly through the door.

And you’re just stupidly, completely frozen.

Maybe because part of you wants to just run into her arms.

And before you can make up some lie or do anything to get her to go away, she just opens the door, and you quickly turn away.

“Oh. Y/N,” she says, obviously very confused. “I figured you weren’t in here. Did you see my texts?”

“Uh,” you start, and you know immediately that she can hear the sadness in your voice. “No, sorry. I’ve been studying.”

“What happened?” She asks, and you would laugh at the way she looks around the room, almost as if someone is going to jump out. “You’re crying.”

“No,” you fake laugh, standing up. “Give me a second, there’s something in my eye-”

She grabs your wrist.

“Please don’t lie to me.”

The sincerity and love in her voice makes you cry more.

“It’s nothing, I’m fine. I’m just a little overwhelmed with school, I’ve had some late nights, it’s stupid that I’m crying over this. Seriously, babe, thank you- but it’s not that big of a deal.”

She’s got this kinda heartbroken look on her face, and you love her so much- you feel even more guilty for making her feel like this, for being the cause of the frown on her face, and you just want to go back in time and stop all of this from happening.

“…It is a big deal if it’s making you cry.”

You can’t say anything.

She wipes a few tears from your face. “You look exhausted, baby. I didn’t want to say anything because I know you’ve had a lot going on with school, but I know you, I know you’re tired and I think maybe-”

“I’ve had a few late nights, okay?” You finally meet her eyes, trying to convince her that you’re okay, because you feel so stupid and vulnerable and you can’t stand it when she has that concerned look in her eyes for you. “Like, not even that late. 2 A.M. isn’t even that bad. I mean, it’s not like it pays off, because my grades are still shit- but, whatever. It’s fine. I’m fine, okay? I’m sorry, I’m just not thinking straight, and- it’s fine. It’s fine.”

“You’re not fuckin’ fine, Y/N. Stop saying that, why are you pushing me away? You can tell me anything, I love you.”

She’s dropped her bag by now, her entire attention focused on you, one arm wrapped around your waist as if you might run away from her and the other softly brushing away the tears that continue to fall.

“I try so hard,” you say after a second. “I study so much. And I… I just can’t get good grades. And I just… I feel so guilty all the time, because I just want to spend time with you and I love you so much but you work so hard and I just don’t want to be another thing for you to deal with.”

And once it’s finally out, not curled up in your chest like a second heart leeching on the very essence of your being, the tears dry up.

Caroline softly smiles.

“What?” You ask, sniffling a bit, one step away from crying again.

“It’s just- how could you ever think that you would be something for me to “deal” with?”

“I dunno,” you say, slightly pouty as she helps you sit down next to her.

“You’re my favorite person in the entire world. I love you more than anything- even hockey, which is saying a lot. You’re never something for me to deal with, and I don’t do anything but smile anytime someone says your name, or you text me, or I get to see you- I’m sorry that it really sucks right now, with my schedule, and that you were feeling like this and I had no idea- but I really fucking love you.”

You smile softly. “You’re sweet,” you murmur, legs intertwining with hers. “I fucking love you too.”

She places her hand on the side of her face and kisses your nose.

“Don’t ever feel guilty for wanting to spend time with me. I’m never too tired for you. Besides, do you know what I think about during practice?”

“What’s right in front of you face?” You quip.

“Well, that, but also you. And, also, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about with your grades. Don’t you have like an 89 in each class?”

“It’s not a 90,” you groan.

“Still better than me, I’m like all 85’s. And, you’re literally the only reason I’m passing that one class that I hate who’s name I don’t speak.”

You smile, angling yourself to face her, finding that you can’t think of anything poetic to say to tell her how much she means to you, so you just kiss her. Long and slow, trying to pour as much appreciation and emotion into it as possible.

“Okay, game plan, I help you finish whatever work you have, then have you eaten? I’ll get us food. Then, you’re going to go to sleep early, okay?”

“It’s a plan,” you say, standing up and crossing the room to that one piece of paper, tear stain dried on it.

Her face spurs adorably just at the sight of the homework from her least favorite class. “Oh, you’re gonna love me. Don’t worry, I got the answers from the really smart girl I sit next to.” She takes out her own sheet of homework from her bag on the floor, smoothing out the wrinkles on her thigh before proudly handing it to you.

“Hm, I do love you. Just a bit.”

“I’m pretending I didn’t hear that.”

And later that night, with your homework finally done, takeout boxes in the trash bin, and your head on Caroline’s chest- heartbeat in your ears, her lips on the top of you head- it feels impossible to feel guilty about loving her.

—-

Jackie walks in late, groaning to herself about the stupid kid in her study group who asks the most common sense questions- she quickly shuts up when she realizes you’re asleep in your bed.

“Thank God,” she breaths, grateful that she didn’t find you hunched over at the desk again.

She squints into the darkness, quickly realizing there’s two figures on her bed, and the other one is very familiar-

“What did I say?” Jackie mutters to herself. “Insufferably in love with each other.”

Then, she quickly snaps a picture before getting ready for bed herself.

—-

[buf309]

Pose Reference Resources

I promised Dia (aka aerequets) that I will make a collection of pose references in the reply of one of her art posts, and then I completely forgot about it. Until now. I'm sorry for my bad memory.

So, yeah, better late than never I guess?

The pose collection I use the most is no longer free. They used to let you download a whole album (more than 8GB worth of data) to use offline, but now you have to pay $40/package or $200 for full sets. I still have the zip file for a very old version of theirs, but I can't legally share it. So, let's skip to the other options.

1/ First, you heard of those 3D dolls program that let you model your own reference pose? This one is an online one and for free, the whole ordeal. Of course since it's online and free, you can't save your model for next time, and it costs quite a lot of time to set the model up. So, you should take as much screenshots in as many tricky angles as you need once you done with the setting. Best using for complicated scenes where those below don't have what you need already available.

2/ This one is free and in 3D, you can rotate the model to any angle that you need. The only set back is the numbers of poses are quite limited. This one is best for using as a basic blocks then build up what you want to draw, or just as a practice to improve your understanding of human anatomy.

3/ This one is free for personal uses and the pose collection is massive. The setbacks are the language barrier (it's in Japanese, English is sometimes tag-a-long) and you have to search through their pages for what you need. The pics for each pose is static but they are in different angle in almost 360 degrees. There are many 2-person and 3-person poses too. Great for illustration inspiration.

4/ This one will only show reference photos of human head, at whatever angle you rotate the model. The web interface is easy to use. There are options like searching based on gender, ages, emotions, glasses, facial hair or not, etc. Good for practicing face drawing.

5/ This one will show reference photos for human body parts, at whatever angle you rotate the model, read the instructions for how to do it. The web interface is quite hard to use at first, just tinkering around for a bit, and you will be fine. There are options like searching based on gender and which particular parts that you need refs for. Good for that moment when you go "huh? how is this <body part> will look in this <situation>????"

6/ This one will only show reference photos of animal heads, and only the head, at whatever angle you rotate the model. The accurate skull refencence list is their best point. There are enough common species in the drop down list. Tbh, I don't use this much because I often need refs for the whole animal most of the time. But it's best for furry artists, I guess?

7/ Real model photos. They sell pose reference in themed packs, but there are enough free packs to use as drawing practice too.

8/ This is the best for general background reference. Lots of options. Not really good for very specific location results, but good for random background in drawings.

9/ Lastly, for specific objects or background references at strange angles, I often search for 3D models on this site then take screenshots of whatever I need.

That's all, folks. Hope this list can help ease some of the struggles that we will encounter on our quest of learning the art of drawing things 😂

[piratefishmama]

Nest | Part 2

A Steddie A/B/O ficlet

The welcome packet was a scripted welcome delivered so robotically that Eddie couldn’t help but laugh, it eased the tension, it did its job. It was also an informative tour of the room. The room wasn’t large by any means, the facility was underfunded, it wasn’t a five star hotel, it wasn’t even a three star hotel.

The room was around the size of a single-sized bedroom, with an ensuite bathroom attached with a bath/shower combo, and a toilet and sink. It had closet space, cupboards, a fold away bed, a few lamps, and a fridge to keep food fresh during the week.

Basic didn’t even begin to cover it. It was what was in the cupboards that made all the difference.

“Holy shit… that’s… that's a lot of blankets.”

“Hah, yeah, this is the soft furnishings cupboard, this is where you’ll find the basics for building the structure of a nest, pillows, blankets, there’s a fluffy rug in there for the base, have you… built a nest before?”

“I’m an omega dude, of course I’ve built a nest. But uh… it’s… it probably wouldn’t really… count I guess… it’s not—I’m not the best at it? The structure never really… stays.” It was a mess. It was an organised mess, that’s what Eddies nests tended to be. Just a big pile of stuff arranged in a sort of circle in his bedroom that just looked like he was adding to the mess that was already there.

Intentionally throwing his and his packs clothes on the floor in a sort of shape basically.

“There’s no ‘counting’ when building a nest, Eddie. A nest is unique to the omega, if yours is of the funhouse variety then it’s the funhouse variety, we can work with that.” He’d never been one for a perfectly perfect nest either, the magazines that boasted the perfect circular nest with perfectly tucked in walls and blankets artfully strewn and folded to create some kind of haven of comfort, it was all too artificial.

There was no personality in them. It was obvious at least several omegas at a time had built each of those nests and not one of those omegas would be fully comfortable in any of the end results.

“…We?”

“Yeah, we… if you want, I can help build it with you. Sometimes it helps to strengthen the trust between us and our patients to build the nests together” trust was important. “Sort of… mind-fucks the omega part of that brain of yours into thinking we’re mates, to be perfectly honest.”

“…Mates build nests together?” Hesitance, curiosity but seeped in hesitance, like he wasn’t sure if he should be asking, common for inexperienced Omegas.

“Mhm, sometimes. Sometimes the Omega can want to do it all themselves though, would you pref-”

“Help me.” Eddie had never had anyone to help him with a nest. His uncle stayed out of his way, didn’t want to even attempt to throw his hat into that chaotic ring, and while Eddie had always claimed that he was fine on his own… there was always just a lingering part of himself that wanted someone there to help him.

Someone to help him tuck in blankets properly, someone to help him find the perfect spot for the pillow he’d stolen from Jeff, or the flannel Gareth had given him, someone to help him find the perfect spot for that one oversized sweater he’d pilfered from Frank, or find a safe spot for the stupid graphic tee he’d snagged from his youngest pup, Henderson where it wouldn’t get soiled by activities.

He wanted someone there.

“Okay” it was that easy. Steve Harrington, of all the Alphas in Hawkins, was going to help him build a nest. Holy shit, thanks Gareth. Best wingman ever. “But first, the rest of the tour. That door there leads to an ensuite bathroom, it’s not big but it’ll do, the bed is fold away for space saving purposes, aaaaand—” He led Eddie over to another cupboard, lower to the ground and easily within reach of the open space on the floor where a nest could be built. “The contents of this cupboard will only be useful to you during the final stages of your heat, but it’s good to familiarize yourself with it and make your choices early so as to not overestimate what you can take in the moment while out of your mind.”

He crouched down and opened one of the doors, expecting the choked little sound Eddie made as he revealed what was inside. Heat aids. Ranging from small, to extra extra-large. All with knots. The small one's knot being about the size of his own fist.

“I don’t need to know what you pick, it’s none of my business, I wont be in the room when you use them. But it’s good to know which ones you want while coherent and lock away the others because a heat-broke mind will go for the biggest thing there to fill the ache and it’ll hurt you if you’re unprepared.” If he had no experience he meant.

An Omega, unlike what porn may suggest. Was not built to take something massive on the first go right out of the gate. Yes, they had ample amounts of slick, they self-lubricated enough to not need artificial lubricant, but stretch was still a thing that’d happen, and tearing was also a thing that could happen.

“…What would you suggest with what you know?” With what was on the clipboard.

“Have you used a heat aid before?”

“W-well, yeah I mean-pfft who hasn’t—of course I’ve use—”

“Eddie.”

“Shit’s expensive okay? I live in a trailer park for fucks sake, the only reason I can be here is cause my heat brain has become a danger to my own and others health. Not everyone can afford some fancy schman—” it was no longer optional for him, he had to have help. Steve was up, he was up on his feet and oh, oh now he understood the need for an alpha.

He got it.

The second that scent filled his senses, he got it.

Cinnamon, hot chocolate spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, a warm log burning fire, and that voice, that soft crooning voice “easy… easy, it’s okay, Eddie, it’s okay, can I touch you?” He nodded, half expecting hands on his face or something but no, Steve kept it to his arms, his touch gentle, but grounding, those soft hazel eyes of his damn near hypnotic when mixed with that scent, all that building anxiety and stress just drifting away with each exhale “it’s okay to not have used one before, they’re not accessible for everyone, I know” his heats must have sucked.

“I’m older than you, Steve… it’s pathetic, I can’t even get laid by a fake dick…”

Steve couldn’t stop the little laugh even if he tried, just a soft little burst of laughter, thankfully… Eddie smiled over it. Just a little smile, a curve at the corner of his lips but it counted. His scent was levelling out, it counted. “Well, we’ll fix that this week, wont we?” Oh god they would, he’d fix it that week.

After that heat, he’d no longer feel the ache of a first stretch. Would he even remember it? Heat brains were so out of it he probably wouldn’t. Didn’t know if that was for the best or not. “…Should I have tried… y’know… to get laid before it came to this?”

“That’s not my place to say, Eddie, people go at their own pace. Think of it this way—” Eddie was honestly bracing himself for a sports metaphor or some shit, something he wouldn’t understand, and yet— “would you rather have a long, lengthy, slow paced campaign with intriguing twists, fun NPC’s, and unexpected turns, or a one shot that lasts ten minutes cause everyone rushed past all your cool little traps and NPC’s to reach the climax?”

“…Did you just D&D analogy me?” With accurate terminology?

“I did do that yes. Well?” He’d soaked up a lot while keeping Gareth company, the guy talked! Steve found it interesting. Eddie found that deeply attractive. Dammit Steve.

“���Lengthy campaign.”

“That’s what I thought. Now pick a heat aid and we’ll lock up the rest, professionally speaking, I suggest the small to medium. Small to start with to ease the stretch, but it won’t be enough to keep you satisfied, medium will do the trick for the long haul.” It was actually kind of impressive how nonchalant he was about it all. But Eddie supposed he did work there. That was his job.

Eddie would have probably spontaneously combusted by now if not for Steve pumping that calming cinnamon scent into the air.

“The long haul” Eddie parroted with a little grin

“Hey, that shit usually lasts the longest, you don’t wanna be stuck with a tiny heat aid for the entirety of it, I won’t be coming in to help you.” He was entirely on his own for that.

“Will that be okay though…?” Eddie picked out the two Steve suggested, the small being about the size of a coke can, while the medium held a little more length and girth to it. “If I’m—if we’re tricking the omega brain into thinking you’re my mate, wouldn’t I be freaking out if you’re not there for that bit?” Steve clicked the cupboard shut and latched it.

“You’ll have a weighted blanket that sort of matches my weight, it’ll have my scent all over it. That’s the best we can do. We’re not allowed in the room during that stage, hell even the cameras get turned off for your privacy.” Cameras off, of course nobody would be allowed in, anyone could take advantage with the cameras off “A female Beta will check on you regularly to make sure you’re eating and getting enough liquids, but for both your safety, and ours, Alphas can’t be in the room. I dont even get access to your door key when that stage hits, only a Beta can have access. But I will be there for the come down, I promise.”

“…The come down?”

“Ehh… kind of like aftercare, all the soft stuff you’ll be craving after all that intensity.” That made sense.

“W-What if I hurt the Beta that checks on me? I almost hurt Wayne, I’d definitely hurt a stranger.” A very valid point, he’d ask Robin what the protocol for that was, she’d know the specifics.

“We’ll make it work, Eddie… that’s what we do here, we’ll make it okay for you” that touch was back, gentle, he held Eddie’s biceps, thumbs pressing gentle circles into the fabric of his sleeves, Gareth was right. Steve was perfect, reassuring, and his calming scent? A dream. “You’ll be okay, you’re gonna get through this week, and everything will be okay.” It’d be okay, everything would be okay. “Now… how about we get started on your nest?”

Steve had no idea how much he needed dimples in his life, before a huge beaming grin introduced them to him. Good lord that was a smile.

He knew Eddie was all kinds of loud and theatrical from school, knew he laughed, he smiled, he lived his life in a way that he enjoyed regardless of what others thought of him, but… god that was a smile.

“You get the rug, I’ll get the pillows!” And he was off. Excitement replacing anxiety, a bundle of wild energy begging to be chased, and Alphas were nothing if not excellent at chasing Omegas, especially ones as cute as Eddie.

Part 4

[wukong-s-only-wife5000]

LMK!Wukong: First Meeting.

Pair: Wukong x Human F!Reader.

Authors Notes: As requested. :3 Also, liked how this turned out so the following shots will be based off it.

The spiders in this shot aren't the same as Spider Queen's henchmen. This shot takes place in the modern era, long before the Macaque episode.

Enjoy!

Your task was simple; go to town, get the food, go straight back home. Sweet as honey and easy as blinking, so why did the obstacles in your way have to be so… life-threatening? It was supposed to be an easy trip, so why did you end up having to run from a bunch of spider demons?! You'd just lost the group that chased you and you were so out of breath that your heart felt like it was going to jump out of your chest.

Inside your house, you couldn't see the disaster since you lived so far away from the village. Now, you had to hide behind a building that smelled like alcohol, secure behind two large barrels you assumed also had alcohol in them. You tried so hard to get your heart rate down, but you were pretty sure you were having a panic attack. 

Your body froze and then tensed before you covered your mouth to stop the sob when a shadow walked past you. You relaxed a bit when the demon cluelessly walked right past you, probably too tall to even notice your smaller form.

“What do we have here~?” a voice from above made you tense so much you pulled a neck muscle. You craned your head back to see one of the spider demons with spider legs above on the side of the building. “C'mere!” 

“AH!” You yelled out and as you were about to bolt, the demon spider was kicked through a few trees about 20 feet away before it could pounce on you. You looked to see who your saviour was and, let's just say it wasn't who or what you'd expect.

“Fear not, mortal! I am here!” the monkey grinned and took an overly confident champion pose. You looked at the monkey demon like he was crazy. 

“Thanks?” you asked more than said. Were you supposed to know who he was?

“Seriously?” he looked at you as his shoulders slumped. “You don't know who I am?”

“Should I?” you shrugged before you noticed a group of spider demons as they rushed to the ‘Monkey King’ as they had called him. You clung onto him out of pure instinct. 

“Whoa, easy there, girly,” he chuckled before he noticed why you reacted as you did. He detached you from him and set you aside before he attacked the approaching arachnid demons. You were honestly amazed by what you saw the overly dressed monkey do. 

Monkey King? You'd never heard of such a person, but maybe it was high time you got up to date on some things. You didn't have wifi where you lived and since your place was so secluded, you never heard anything close to gossip. You continued to watch in amazement as he quickly had those spider freaks running with their tails between their legs.

“You okay there, kid?” you were snapped out of your thoughts and looked up at the monkey who didn't even seem to break a sweat. 

“Um… yeah,” you nodded before your previous actions made your cheeks flush. “O-oh, I’m sorry about… ya know.”

“Hm? Oh, you mean you clinging to me for dear life?” he asked with a grin, a clear sign he was messing with you, but his words made you too embarrassed to notice. “Eh, don't worry about it, I'm just messing with you, kid,” he laughed a bit.

“Yeah… I'm not a child,” you folded your arms. 

“With your strength? I hope not,” he teased, which made you clear your throat.

“A-anyway, thank you for… ya know, saving me and taking care of those spiders,”

“No problem,” he grinned, his fists on his hips as he slightly looked down at you. “So, what's your name, cutie?”

Cutie? You weren't sure how red your face was at that point, but it felt hot from the blush. 

“Oh, it's (Y/n),”

“Well, it's nice to meet you, (Y/n). I am Sun Wukong, the Great Sage equal to Heaven! Otherwise known as the Monkey King,” he introduced himself with such a bright smile you had to squint a bit.  

“Uh huh…”

“You seriously never heard of me?”

“Sorry,” you looked at him apologetically. He sighed in defeat but quickly shook it off. 

“I should probably go,” he said and glanced off to the side. 

“R-right,” you nodded when you remembered you still had some things you needed to get before you could head home.

“Do you live around here?”

“Close, but not here,” you said sheepishly as you rubbed the back of your head.

“Lone wolf, huh?” he let out an amused breath before he glanced around with a slight frown.

“Something wrong?”

“Do you live in the forest area?” He looked at you kind of seriously. 

“Yeah, why?” you answered before you thought the worst. “Are there more of those spider things around?”

“It’s okay!” Wukong said as he tried to settle your nerves. “It's not that, those guys are long gone now. I just think that it’s not smart to go off on your own,”

“I've done it every day,” you pointed out with folded arms, but the thought of running into those demons didn't sit well with you. “But if you want to walk me home I won't stop you,” you said as you tried your hardest to seem confident, which made Wukong laugh.

“I like you, (Y/n). you're funny,” he snickered before he whistled and summoned a cloud; he hopped onto the cloud and then turned to you. “May I?” he asked as he offered his hand to help you. 

Against your will, not only did your heart skip a beat, but you also took his hand. The shopping was long forgotten when you saw the cloud, unexpectedly, it was so soft and fluffy! You let out a yelp and clung to Wukong as he’d taken off without any type of warning whatsoever.

“Warn me next time!” you yelled at him over the wind that blew past your ears.

“Oh ho, next time, huh?” he glanced at you when you two were high enough to see the layout of the land.

“You know what I mean,” you hadn't realized your blush had subsided till that second when the blood rushed back to your cheeks. 

“That your place?” he asked. You looked around his body to see what he was referring to and when you saw it… you couldn't help but notice exactly how far away the village was.

“Yeah, it is,” you responded. 

“Wow, how do you get Wi-Fi or anything else from way over there?” Wukong mused before he took off again, luckily you'd prepared yourself that time.

“I don't,” you rubbed the back of your head then let out an ‘oof’ when your body slammed into his as he suddenly stopped.

“You don't have Wi-Fi or cable or any type of service?!” he asked as if you offended both his ancestors and insulted his bloodline.

“Yeah?” you raised a brow.

“Do you have electricity or are you going to tell me you live in the light of the sun and candlelight,”

“Why do you sound so offended?” you mused a bit. He looked like a feisty little monkey and you had to admit it was really cute. “I have electricity… and ac,”

“Oh, thank the gods,” he said and placed his hand on his heart, but still looked at you like you were a new breed of creature. 

“What?” you questioned the monkey king.

“What do you do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, you have no wifi or cable. Do you even have a TV or video games?”

“No?” you looked at him as he reacted like you stabbed him in the heart.

“Damn… I need to teach you about the best things you mortals have ever made!”

“Uh, no thanks,” you said nervously. “I'd just like to go home, please,”

“Fine, fine,” he sighed in exasperation as he moved towards your humble abode. “If you don't have a TV or any of that stuff, what do you do?”

“Well, I read,”  you looked at him in amusement. “You do know what reading is, don't you.”

You didn't notice this, but that statement felt like an attack to him… ya know, since he can't read.

“Of course I know what reading is, I read all the time!” he said a bit too defensively. 

“Can't read, huh, tough guy?” you saw through his bullshit, he slouched.

“Not a word,” he confessed and helped you off his cloud before he hopped off himself. 

“That's okay,” you smiled at him. “Maybe to repay you for saving me, I can give you a few lessons.”

“Huh?” he looked at you in slight shock.

“It's the least I can do,” you smiled at him before you walked to your front door. You didn't see it because your back was to him, but it was his turn to blush. 

Sure, he'd been treated well by few humans in his lifetime, but you… you had this way about you that made the immortal’s stone heart beat.

“Sure, if I have time,” he tried to brush it off like it wasn't a big deal. 

“Well, you know where to find me,” you smiled at him as you unlocked your door. “Can I offer you a drink or something before you go, oh Great Sage?” your teasing made him grin.

“Got any peach chips?”

[gotinterest]

I Want To Watch Kamen Rider, Which Season Do I Pick?

I'm going to focus on Heisei Era shows because those are the easiest to access and the ones most fans have watched so it's easy to find people to talk to about them. Every season of Kamen Rider is a different story with a different cast and vibe, so determining which season you should start on is largely dependent upon your personal taste. This list is based mostly on the shows I have watched or know a lot about, so it's not exhaustive. Some shows will be listed under more than one category, just depending upon what might be most important to you. Guide is located under the read more!

DO NOT START HERE: Kamen Rider Decade, Kamen Rider Zi-O, Kamen Rider Gaim. Decade and Zi-O are anniversary shows that lean HEAVILY upon Rider lore and referencing past seasons. You don't need to watch those seasons to understand the story, BUT you may get spoiled on key plot points from past seasons by watching them. Gaim is on here because it is almost universally hated and thought of as a terrible show.

WARNINGS FOR THE SHOWS RECOMMENDED HERE: Kamen Rider Blade is heavy in the flashing lights department and the opening in particular is known to bother photosensitive folks! All the seasons have flashing lights, but Blade is the one that people have straight up said they couldn't watch through because of how many flashing lights there are.

Kamen Rider Kuuga has a pretty gross transmisogynistic caricature in two of the episodes.

Kamen Rider OOO has a cafe that is nicknamed the "cultural appropriation cafe" by fans because the servers are frequently made to dress up in outfits from other cultures and it can be a bit offensive from time to time. It's not the worst I've seen in terms of "people dressing up as other cultures" and there isn't any black face or brown face but I still felt it worth mentioning since the cafe is a major part of the show.

Kamen Rider Faiz has a black character in it for a few episodes who is written in a way that gives "big dangerous strong black guy" stereotype. It's uncomfortable to watch.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I don't really like kid's shows and I'd prefer something a little more mature: Kamen Rider Kuuga, Kamen Rider Ryuki, Kamen Rider Hibiki (eps. 1-29 only). If you are looking for a show that feels more mature, these are where you should start. The pacing of these shows is a bit slower and more thoughtful. Kuuga and Ryuki are both HIGHLY beloved. Kuuga is good if you really like monster of the week shows, Ryuki is more for you "overarching story driven" types. Ryuki is a bit more silly in places than Kuuga, but largely maintains a serious tone. Hibiki is very creative and experimental, but it doesn't really give you an accurate picture of what most Kamen Rider seasons are like because it is very different. BUT if you can't stand musicals do not watch Hibiki. ALSO stop watching Hibiki on ep. 29. After that there was a show runner change and the end of the show sucks. Ep.29 is largely considered a satisfying enough end to the show.

I like mature themes and concepts, but I'm fine with kids show silliness: Kamen Rider OOO, Kamen Rider Build, Kamen Rider W. If you constantly feel guilty for wanting things and taking up space, watch OOO. If you had a rough childhood and complicated feelings about your family watch W. If you want to watch a show about war, watch Build.

I love kid's shows give me silliness and fun!: Everything recommended in the second category + Kamen Rider Den-O, Kamen Rider Fourze. Den-O is a time travel story that is heavy on slapstick humor and has a lot of heart. You may have seen a a red horned guy named Momotaros dramatically swing his leg up to rest it on the bench of a booth- that's from this show. Fourze is a high school story about friendship and space!

I like to watch things that are bad but also good: Kamen Rider Blade. You can basically ignore almost the entire lore built up in the first half of the show. The writers certainly do. If you've seen people memeing on a guy named Tachibana... this is that show. This show is very easy to post about. Deeply funny but not on purpose in many places.

I want to watch one of the ones that are especially known for homoeroticism: Kamen Rider Kuuga, Kamen Rider Ryuki, Kamen Rider Blade, Kamen Rider OOO, Kamen Rider Build, Kamen Rider Faiz. Blade isn't initially very homoerotic until it very much is. Kuuga is for you if you want a more sweet and sincere vibe. OOO, Ryuki, and Build are more for if you like watching men bicker with each other homoerotically. Ryuki also contains a couple of side characters who read very much as a domestic couple (if you are big into the "loyal dog" type dynamic you will enjoy these two). Faiz is for you star-crossed lovers enjoyers that can also tolerate a stunning amount of heterosexual love drama (Blade is also a bit star-crossed). Watch Blade if you want to have a very personal grudge against a bench for the rest of your life. Kuuga and OOO are the most homoerotic.

I like weird shows where I don't know what the fuck is going on: Kamen Rider Kabuto, Kamen Rider Blade. If you watched Hannibal and were really into the way they talked and made a bunch of food, watch Kabuto.

I want something that leans more into horror: Kamen Rider Kuuga, Kamen Rider Agito. Kuuga can lean pretty hard into horror in places. Agito is a bit lighter, but still has more of a horror vibe to it.

I like mystery stories: Kamen Rider Kuuga, Kamen Rider Ryuki, Kamen Rider Agito, Kamen Rider Build, Kamen Rider W. There are other seasons with elements of mystery, but these are the ones where the mystery really takes more of a front seat. W in particular is actually a noir-inspired.

I want to watch the one with that blond curly haired Ankh guy that I keep seeing on my dash: Kamen Rider OOO

I want something that's a bit artsy and I also like or don't mind musical numbers: Kamen Rider Hibiki (eps. 1-29 only). The only Kamen Rider season where characters regularly break out into song. The sound track, editing style, and aesthetic of the show are so unique. Really strongly written. Do not watch past ep. 29 because of studio mandated changes ruining everything that made it worth watching.

I want to get a good intro to Kamen Rider: Kamen Rider W, Kamen Rider OOO, Kamen Rider Build, Kamen Rider Agito. Kamen Rider W and Kamen Rider OOO are considered great starter seasons. They give you a pretty good feel for Kamen Rider's formula while overall being pretty solid shows. Build gives you a good vibe for how Kamen Rider seasons with bigger casts feel while giving a good balance of serious and silly. It also gives you a bit of a better feel for what some more recent Kamen Rider seasons are like stylistically. Kamen Rider Agito is just a solid early Heisei show that gives you a feel for the tone of a lot of early Heisei shows WHILE also being a good starter show for you to dip your toes into the works of the infamous Toshiki Inoue. Inoue is a prolific writer of tokusatsu shows that most fans have a love/hate relationship with. He is the main writer for several Kamen Rider seasons, specials, and movies and has written several episodes even in shows that he wasn't the main writer for.

WHERE TO WATCH:

Legally: Ryuki and Kuuga (along with the original Kamen Rider from the 70's which is good cheesy fun) can be streamed on Tubi (at least in the US). If you understand Japanese and have a VPN (or are in Japan) I believe most of the seasons are on Hulu.

*I actually wouldn't recommend watching Kuuga FOR THE FIRST TIME on Tubi because the Grongi subtitles are baked in and you can't turn them off. I strongly believe that a key part of the first watch experience is not being able to understand the Grongi, as was the original intention of the show's creators. You can buy the blu-rays for Kuuga and toggle the Grongi subtitles if you really think its worth it to spend the money*

Alternative: You can watch them on most illegal streaming sites, lol. The only season I've seen where that has been an issue so far is Den-O, with the uploads being kinda wonky and partially missing.

There is... another source but I shan't link to it directly here (loose lips sink ships!) Please reach out to your nearest Kamen Rider blogger for the goods.

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure: Our War Game, Part 1 of 2

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Eight children were kidnapped by an isekai and made to fight the embodiment of sore losers. Well, seven, but they swung by Earth to kidnap a spare while they were at it. After stopping a supernova from obliterating the universe through the power of self-esteem, they all said tearful goodbyes to their Digimon and returned home.

Now the gate between worlds is closed. But the thing about gates is that once shut, they can always open again....

Or you can just hop the fence. Y'know. It's a gate, not a door. The critical weakness gates have is that there's a sky above them.

Incidentally, the dub of this film is... complicated. Dub team cut the original OVA meant to start the series, Our War Game, and the first 02 movie together into "Digimon: The Movie". So for the dub portion, we're going to be looking at the middle chunk of a larger movie that actually isn't a movie because they just hot-glued three unrelated specials together back-to-back.

We open on Odaiba, late at night. Specifically, Taichi's apartment building. A giant swirling sphere made of smoke appears in the sky, with black tendrils writhing in and out of it. Y'know, the sort of thing you generally want to see in the sky. That seems fine.

Then it cracks open like a fucking egg and we move right along to next day.

While Sora passes by the building and stops to look at it, Taichi kicks us off with some of the most stilted letter-by-letter dialogue I've ever heard.

Taichi: To So Ra. Sob Ry For The O Ther Day. Cheer Up. Ya Ga Mi Ta I Chi--huh?

Moving into a sort of office room we haven't seen before, we see that he's trying to type at his computer and doing a poor job of it. In his defense, Japanese keyboards are hard.

But in his offense, he's visibly hunt-and-peck finger-typing, where you just stare at the keyboard and poke buttons with your index finger when you find them. Taichi is clearly not used to using a computer.

Also his spelling is bad. To be fair, this is an easy mistake. He tries to write わるかった warukatta, which is one of many words you can use to apologize. However, based on his narration of his finger-typing, he types わるかつた warukatsuta. Which. Is. Not a word.

This is because of the agonizingly small difference between the letter つ tsu and the letter っ which extends the consonant of the following letter. Whoever came up with these two letters should be punched.

Once he's finished, Taichi notices another error. Squinting at the computer, he sees that his name came out 鯛血 tai chi, which means "porgy blood". That's wrong, computer.

He tries again and gets 対置 taichi, which means to contrast a thing against another.

His third try gives him 大知 Taichi which is actually the name Taichi but it's not his name Taichi. It's like having autocorrect give you "Jerry" when your name is "Jeri". Yes, but no.

Then, on the fourth try, he finally lands on his name 太一 Taichi.

I told y'all Japanese keyboards are hard. Kanji makes trying to write Japanese by typing letters insanely frustrating.

But the important thing is that it's done. Taichi's finished with his email and can--

Hikari: Writing an email? Taichi: WAUGH!!!

Taichi spins around in a panic, smacking his hand on the keyboard and inadvertently adding a little heart to the end of his name. Taichi notices the heart, then panics and throws his hands over the screen to hide it from Hikari.

Taichi: D-Don't read it without permission!

Then he realizes Hikari is nicely dressed.

Taichi: Huh? Where are you going? Hikari: A friend's birthday party. And here is a gift!

Hikari holds out a small gift-wrapped box she'll be taking with her. Taichi suddenly grabs playfully for the box, doing grabby fingers, while Hikari jerks it out of his grasp each time.

Taichi: (grabs) Gimme! Hikari: Stop it. Taichi: (grabs) Gimme! Hikari: Stop it. Taichi: (grabs) Gimme! Hikari: Stop it. Taichi: Geh....

Taichi gives up, overdramatically sighing and reclining into his chair. This leaves him vulnerable to counterattack!

Hikari: To send an email, CLICK!!!

Hikari grabs the mouse and hits the Send button, delivering Taichi's bad email - with heart icon still attached - to Sora. Then she scampers off to the next room before he can realize what she's done.

Taichi: H-Hey! Don't send it yourself! Hikari: (peeks out through doorway) Who did we send it to? Taichi: None of your business! Hikari: (pouts) That's mean... And after all that trouble teaching you how to send it, too.

Siblings, amirite? XD

The dub rearranges this scene and Koushiro's first scene, so we'll talk about their take on all this in a moment. From here, Hikari prepares to go out.

Yuuko comes home to find Hikari putting on her shoes.

Yuuko: You're going out? Hikari: Mhm. Yuuko: Be careful out there. Hikari: Yes, mom.

Hikari responds with exactly the bored tone of a child being told by their parent exactly what her parent told her. Then Hikari goes out and Yuuko comes in.

Meanwhile, Taichi's email returns undeliverable.

Taichi: Huh? Email rejected?

Taichi blames Sora for this as if she, personally, prohibited him from contacting her. Which makes sense today where blocking people online is commonplace, but was kind of a wild assumption for him to make back in the day before social media.

Taichi grabs onto his desk and angrily shakes his chair while ranting.

Taichi: What is with that jerk Sora!? Oh, you don't want to receive my emails, huh!?

He furiously shakes his chair so much it falls over and topples him to the ground in a bit of instant karma.

I have no idea what he said or did the other day but I'm with Sora.

From here, we cut to what the dub uses as the first scene of this portion of their spliced together movie.

Koushiro's tooling around on his desktop when he suddenly notices a code string appearing on his screen and going haywire.

Koushiro: What the....

It's not just him, either, as we see various other people kids around the globe at their computers seeing the same bizarre code pattern happening on their screens too.

Koushiro: D... Digimon...?

Slowly, like apicture being pulled up slowly back in the day, the resolution on the image at the center of the pattern increases line by line until what is clearly a Digitama becomes visible.

Oh shit? No. We're not at "Oh shit" yet. Oh shit is when the shell suddenly cracks, revealing a single yellow eye, and popping up a text box reading "HELLO" in English.

For the dub, Kari has the unfortunate job of trying to string this together with the original OVA and Hurricane Touchdown by providing voice-over narration. Once the OVA wraps up, Kari picks this scene to start us out on.

Kari (V.O.): It was another DigiDestined, Izzy, who first noticed there was trouble. Izzy: Huh!? (Izzy notices the borked code) Izzy: Prodigious! A computer virus on the internet! Wait a minute... Wow, it's attacking something! Huh, let me see if I can get an image of its target.... (Izzy pulls up the weird grid effect and we see other kids seeing the same thing) Kari (V.O.): Izzy wasn't the only one tracking the virus. The whole world was watching! But no one was prepared for what was about to happen. Izzy: Looks like... A Digi-Egg! Where'd that come from!? Wow! The virus is causing the egg to develop abnormally fast! I think it's gonna hatch! (The egg hatches and pops up its email screen) Digitized Voice: Hello!

A lot of extra dialogue here. Barely anything is spoken in the original version of this scene, but Izzy introduces a separate, unrelated virus occurring simultaneously alongside the generation of the Digi-Egg. This virus then... fuses with the Egg or something to make it hatch into what it's about to become.

This seems like a random detail they suddenly invented, but it... kind of fits in with what's really happening here? It's not correct. The Digitama is not being attacked by a virus. But I see where they were coming from, and we'll get into that in a bit when Koushiro gives us more detail on what he found.

From there, we go to the first scene with Tai.

Kari (V.O.): Across town, Tai and another DigiDestined, Sora, were facing their own problem. Tai: (narrating his typing) Dear Sora. I'm sorry about what happened. I haven't felt this bad since the time I accidentally threw up in your hat and didn't tell you about it before you put it on. I know our relationship has been a little stormy lately. You say you love thunder showers so what's a few raindrops between friends? Love, Tai. Tai: Love!? I mean 'From'! I mean... ugh.... Kari: Who are you writing to, Tai?

Tai's email is way more verbose and competently written than Taichi's. While also having him confess to something a lot worse than yelling rudely about her.

The dub cuts the bit with Taichi repeatedly having to correct the spelling of his name. Makes sense; That moment requires the audience to be able to read Kanji, which is a tall order for American 10-year-olds.

When he suddenly whips around, they add an edited shot of an English email where his finger accidentally changes the "From" back to "Love". I guess he accidentally hit Ctrl-Z.

Tai: (frantically covers his screen) I-It's just an email joke! What are you doing in here anyway, Kari? Kari: I wanted to show you my new dress! I'm going to a birthday party! (shows Tai the present) I got my friend a pink Power Ranger! Tai: Gimme! Kari (V.O.): My brother and I had a give and take relationship. I would give and he would take. Tai: (gives up after three tries) Eh, who cares? Kari: If you want to send an email, you have to click this! CLICK! (Kari clicks the Send button and runs for it) Tai: AUGH!!! I WASN'T GONNA SEND THAT LETTER!!! Kari: (teasing) Then what did you write it for? Tai: Oh, go to your party! Kari: (pout) Okay.

Not sure why Tai was writing an email he had no intention of sending, but this bit is pretty close to the original.

From here, the dub cuts out the scene if Hikari saying goodbye to Yuuko and we go straight to Tai angrily vibrating himself to the floor.

Tai: (Message being sent) I can't believe Sora's gonna read my letter! (Message returns undeliverable) Tai: Wait a minute. Unable to deliver? (furious) I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE'S NOT GONNA READ MY LETTER!!! YOU TRY AND TELL A GIRL YOU'RE SORRY AND YOUR COMPUTER SHUTS YOU DOWN--WAUGH!!!

Here, the dub changes the angle of Tai's frustration. Taichi inexplicably blames Sora and yells at her for the message bouncing back, while Tai more accurately blames the computer for his troubles.

This would make Tai come off looking a lot better than Taichi but... he did throw up in her hat without telling her. So.

I can't do a "Sora will remember this" bit about Taichi yelling at her because she is not present for it. But she most definitely will remember the puke hat incident.

Now the two versions are synched up and it's time for ONE LAST "BUTTERFLY" before 02 changes out the opening credits!

This movie inexplicably has two titles on its title card. The Japanese text here is ぼくらのウォーゲーム Bokura no Uou Geemu!" Those last two words are "War Game"; That's, uh, that's just what happens when an English word gets localized into Katakana and then literally translated back into English.

The first word, in Hirogana, is ぼくら Bokura which is a pluralization of ぼく Boku, a first-person pronoun. So the title is literally "Our War Game". But for some reason the title card also contains the English title "Children's War Game". No idea why.

While the credits play, we get our first hint of what all the Chosen Children are up to these days. Sora's still out for her walk. She passes a row of TV screens showing a flowery meadow and stops to check her hair in the mirror next to them. Then she continues on her way, oblivious to the newly hatched Digimon which has now taken over the screens.

Jou's waiting on a train platform for his ride. It pulls into the station and he gets ready to board, but the doors never open. He exchanges a momentary look of WTF with an adult man onboard, as eager to get off as Jou is to get on, before the train takes off once more.

Mimi's apartment is abandoned, and has been for quite some time. The mail slot is overstuffed with mail and the family's heart-shaped nameplate falls off the wall.

Someone on the dub team takes this opportunity to insert their ship into the movie. The big heart-shaped pink thing on the wall is the family nameplate. It has the name Tachikawa in big bold print, then each of the family member's individual names in smaller print underneath.

The dub drew their own version of the nameplate, but theirs reads: To: Mimi From: Joe

The sound you hear is the sound of me throwing things. IT'S THE FAMILY FUCKING NAMEPLATE. IT IS NOT A LOVE LETTER.

Koushiro puts those soccer legs to work and sprints full-tilt to Taichi's apartment, laptop under his arm.

Yamato and Takeru are away together, presumably at their grandmother's. Takeru's traded out his green helmet cap thing for the white hat that will form part of his new look next series.

Lastly, Hikari shows up to her friend's party with present in hand.

The dub's in kind of a sticky spot here because this is an opening credits sequence and very much shot like one but we are 20 minutes into a "feature-length movie" so it would be weird for an opening credit sequence to suddenly happen now.

Their solution? FLASH MOB MOTHERFUCKERS. The plot is being put on hold so that we can spontaneously throw a music video. Specifically, One Week by the Barenaked Ladies, presumably as a reflection of Tai's emotional state..

That's fun. At the end of the day, OPs are just precisely contextual music videos anyway. The song is very 90's and, far more importantly, is not Hey Digimon. I'll take it.

Once the OP's over, we rejoin Taichi in the kitchen. He opens the fridge to see various containers and then, like the child he literally is, complains to his mother who is actively unpacking groceries that it's empty.

Taichi: Hey... There's nothing to eat.... Yuuko: Hm? Taichi: (sighs, whines) Hikari~ is going to a birthday party where she gets to eat cake.... Yuuko: I can bake you a cake. Taichi: Yeah? Yuuko: Yes, really. Take out some eggs.

Both "That jerk Sora" earlier and this "Hikari~" are translations of adding の奴 no yatsu to the end of someone's name. Yatsu is a third-person pronoun that basically means they/them but in a condescending or disrespectful tone.

"That guy", but not like "Who is that guy?" but rather "What's with that guy?"

So, like, a literal translation would be "What is with that Sora person!?" and "That Hikari person gets to have cake". Calling Sora a jerk and adding a jealous little sneer to Hikari's name is the best translation equivalent I can come up with.

Taichi takes a single egg out of the fridge, but then the doorbell rings. Distracted, he leaves the kitchen, taking the single egg with him.

Yuuko: Let's see, I bought some wheat flour....

Taichi reaches the door just before Koushiro loses patience and yanks the door open himself. Which really goes to show how freaked out he is because this is Izumi "Infinite Decorum" Koushiro just ripping someone else's door open.

Taichi: Hey, Koushiro. Come on in. Koushiro: T-The egg! Taichi: Huh? Koushiro: THE EGG HATCHED!!!

Confusion printed on his face, Taichi's eyes ever so slowly wander down to the egg in his hand.

Koushiro: NO!!! THE DIGITAMA!!!

Finally, one more credit slide saves them from having to animate Koushiro entering the apartment, and we merely get to hear Yuuko notice him.

Yuuko: Oh, welcome, Koushiro-kun. Koushiro: Thank you.

It's left unclear whether Taichi ever finished taking the eggs out of the fridge like his mother told him to, but we'll give him the benefit of doubt. He wanted that cake.

In the dub:

Tai: Ugh... Mom? Yuuko: Hmm? Tai: Can I make a complaint? Yuuko: Hm? Tai: Well, Kari's eating birthday cake right now and all we have is leftover tofu. Yuuko: I can make you a cake, Tai. Hand me an egg, please. Tai: (distraught) NO!!! Yuuko: I needed to use up the rest of the wheat germ anyway. Tai: (disturbed) Ngggh.... (dingdong; Tai retrieves an egg) Yuuko: You get the door and I'll start on that cake! (Tai goes to the door; Izzy yanks it open) Tai: Izzy, you're all sweaty. What's wrong? Izzy: (breathing heavily) Well it's... about the egg.... Tai: Huh? Izzy: The egg has already hatched! (Tai slowly looks at the egg in his hand) Izzy: NO, NOT THAT EGG!!! A DIGI-EGG!!!

Because it happens over a credits slide, Yuuko's greeting to Koushiro gets cut.

Izzy does a good job with the egg gag. I admit, I was kinda hoping the much more rude Izzy would call Tai an idiot here. But I still like what we got.

Tai's reaction to Yuuko baking a cake is part of a running gag in the dub film, where Yuuko's culinary practices... leave something to be desired, let's say. Yuuko is planning to bake a cake using only one egg and "the rest of the wheat germ", however much that is.

Which is funny because in the original series, it's the Tachikawa family that has a running gag of culinary horror. Mimi's mother Satoe routinely inflicts whatever random kitchen experiments strike her brain on Keisuke and Mimi, both of whom adore her concoctions and devour them regardless of what comes out. The result is that Mimi herself has let's say esoteric opinions about how to properly prepare tasty food.

Taichi and Koushiro move into Taichi and Hikari's bedroom to check out the newborn Digimon.

Koushiro uses Netscape as his web browser. Oh my god, do you remember Netscape!? God, I'm old. In any case, Taichi and Koushiro discuss the new Digimon while munching on popsicles.

Taichi: Ha! What's that thing? It looks like a jellyfish. Koushiro: It's a new kind of Digimon that we've never seen before. Taichi: It's pretty cute! So, what about it? Koushiro: It looks like computer bugs from everywhere have gathered together in one place and formed the Digitama.

This, I think, is where the dub got "A virus is attacking the Digitama and it's causing it to develop abnormally fast." A shitton of computer bugs (bugs, not viruses) happened at once all across the internet and merged together to form this... eerie computer bug Digitama, which has now hatched into our jellyfish 'mon.

Taichi: How do you know that? Koushiro: One of my email nakama who lives in Russia analyzed the data structure from the eggshell. They're still in elementary school, but they already have a seat reserved for them at university. Taichi: (grumpy) I'm in elementary school too, but I only go to elementary school.

Yeah, and that's probably not changing any time soon, my guy.

We're not getting any rundowns on this creature, so now would be a good time to talk shop. Officially, this creature is called Kuramon. The name comes from the word 海月 kurage which means jellyfish. Taichi basically named it a moment ago.

Like Apocalymon, it's not really a Digimon in the typical sense. It has no attribute or classification. It's not a vaccine, a virus, or data, but a secret fourth thing. As Koushiro said, it's made of bugs.

In Pokemon terms, this is MissingNo. And yes, you should be very concerned about that.

In what was most certainly a promotional decision, this creature's debut is split between the card game and the film. Some of its forms were released in a booster from February 2000, then the film came out in March 2000, and then the rest of its forms were released in another booster in April 2000.

The dub explains it like this:

Izzy: My Digimon Analyzer doesn't even recognize it. Tai: It looks like a cross between a jellyfish and a contact lens. Izzy: I think it's part-Digimon, part-virus. Tai: A Digimon with a virus. So? Izzy: Are you kidding!? If it stays on the internet, it could wipe out all technology as we know it! Tai: If it just hatched, how do you know about all this stuff? Izzy: This kid I met on the internet emailed me. His name is Willis and he lives in Colorado. I don't know where he gets his information. He's smart, though. He's only in elementary school but he's already taking classes at Colorado State! Tai: (bitterly) ...so what? I'm in junior high school and I take classes at junior high school!

Koushiro's email colleague in Russia's been rewritten to be an American named Willis. This is to better fit it into the feature-length film mold that they glued these three OVAs into. "Willis" is a character from Hurricane Touchdown, and so they're name-dropping him here in order to set up his appearance further in the "film".

As for Kuramon? In the dub's continuity it is... (heavy sigh) ...half-Digimon, half-virus.

VIRUSES ARE A TYPE OF DIGIMON OH MY GOD (sound of throwing things) This is like introducing a new evolution for Dratini and calling it "half-Pokemon and half-dragon". What are we doing here.

I do, however, appreciate Izzy calling out that the Digimon Analyzer has no idea what this is. All Koushiro says is "we haven't seen this before". But. Like. That's hardly conclusive. It's not like they saw every Digimon in the entire Digital World during their Chosen Children drafting, right?

Izzy cuts the ambiguity and says "I checked the Wiki and it just had a shrug emoji, so there's that."

Suddenly, Kuramon's screen beeps and it changes form.

Taichi: It evolved!

Now in its Baby II form, the creature is Tsumemon. Named for the word 爪 tsume, which means claw or talon.

Tsumemon sends Koushiro an email. The subject line reads オナカスイタ onakasuita which means absolutely nothing because it's in Katakana, and Katakana letters are just context-free sounds. However, in Hirogana and Kanji, お腹すいた Onaka suita means "I'm hungry."

(Hahahaha it's become Koushiro's involuntary Virtual Pet! Hahahahahahaha! Have fun with your new Tamagotchi, my guy!)

Koushiro: This... It's an email from the jellyfish! (reading) Onaka suita.... Taichi: Huh!? It's hungry!? Koushiro: It grows by eating data! And it has a huge appetite... It's only at Baby stage, but if it keeps evolving like this, it could devour all the data on the network! Taichi: ...what happens after the data gets corrupted? Koushiro: All of the computers will go haywire!

While the boys talk, Tsumemon chews its way through a visual representation of the internet. We cut to the convenience store FactoryMark to show a young woman ringing up a purchase.

Checker: (bored tone) Welcome. That will be 125 yen--Ah!

She does a double take at the register screen, then reads off the "correct" amount.

Checker: (counting zeroes) One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand. (to customer) That will be 1,000,125 yen.

The man, very reasonably, freezes in place and drops his money out of shock. For conversion's sake, an $0.80 purchase just jacked up to about $6,400. So either Martin Shkreli just hit Japan or something is way the fuck wrong.

It's okay. You don't have to get it. Sometimes you write jokes for you.

Other supermarkets encounter similar errors, with all their products suddenly being priced at a million yen. We see checkout lines held up by furious customers.

Customer: Why should I have to pay so much!?

Back in the Yagami home, the unbelievably fast news reports on the event.

News: Systems are malfunctioning in supermarkets and convenience stores all across the country.

In the dub:

Izzy: Look! The jellyfish Digivolved! Tai: He's sending an email! It says "I'm hungry!" What, am I supposed to call for a pizza?

The dub rewrites the email to read "I'm Hungry!" in English.

Izzy: Oh, no! He's eating computer data! And when he's done in this buffet line, he's gonna look for a database with more food! Tai: More food!? What does he expect to find, a grocery store!? (Cut to FactoryMark convenience store) Checker: Okay, that's one box of chocolate. Your total comes to one million, one hundred--HUH!? Yeah, that's what it says. That must be really good chocolate. Paper or plastic? Customer: What, it was supposed to, whuh... (drops money in shock)

They snip out the shots of other stores from here and go straight home to the Kamiya residence.

News: In supermarkets all over the city, computer systems are failing causing congestion at the registers. And now for the weather.

As usual, Izzy's not great with the exposition. "Tsumemon will go looking for a larger database" is cut from the same cloth, but doesn't quite capture the same sense of urgency as "Tsumemon will evolve and grow and devour more and more until it's eaten the entire network."

Though I do love the checker shrugging off the upcharge like, "Hm, seems legit." XD

Yuuko, carrying a tray with two glasses of indeterminate brown liquid on it, pays the report a little bit of mind before returning her attention to the door in front of her.

Yuuko: Taichi, I'm coming in.

She steps inside just in time for Taichi to nearly bowl her over on his way out the door.

Yuuko: AH!!! Taichi: Excuse me! Yuuko: What's this all of a sudden? Taichi: We're using Dad's PC!

Koushiro bolts past her next.

Yuuko: (holding out the tray) Well, at least take these with you.

Koushiro stops, doubles back, and snatches a glass from the tray. He chugs it right there on the spot, then returns the empty glass to the tray.

(That's not what she asked you to do, Koushiro.)

Yuuko: Oh my, you were thirsty! Koushiro: Thank you!

When Koushiro enters the office, he finds Taichi inspecting the computer's monitor and trying to figure out how to turn it on.

Taichi: Let's see... How does.... Koushiro: I'll handle it. Taichi: Please. I have no idea....

Koushiro lifts the monitor off Susumu's desk and sets it on the floor, then does the same with the tower.

Koushiro: This is connected to the phone line, right? Taichi: Oh, yeah. With ISDN or something like that.

That's all Koushiro needs to hear. He switches on the tower, and both it and the modem come to life.

In the dub, we start with more of Yuuko's culinary experiments.

Yuuko: Tai! I made beef jerky shakes! (Yuuko enters; Tai exits) Tai: No thanks, mom! Yuuko: Where are you going? Tai: We need to use Dad's computer! (Izzy goes past her) Yuuko: Don't you want your shake!? Izzy: Ooh! (Izzy doubles back and chugs a glass) Yuuko: I'm glad someone appreciates my recipes. Izzy: Thanks, Mrs. Kamiya! (Izzy enters the office to find Tai trying to turn the computer on) Tai: We gotta be careful with my dad's stuff. Izzy: (bluntly) Get out of my way! (Izzy lifts the computer stuff off the desk) Izzy: A Digimon is eating the internet and you're worried about a few books!? Tai: But my dad likes his mess where it is. Izzy: (ignoring him) We'll have more capabilities if we network our computers together.

But at least Izzy appreciates her jerky shakes. And then immediately gets to show off how rude and thoughtless he is in this version when him tearing the computer stuff off the desk gets recontextualized.

Once Koushiro's done setting up the desktop, he takes out his laptop. Taichi has questions.

Taichi: Could we just delete that jellyfish thing off the internet? Koushiro: Delete it? How? Taichi: We tell the phone company or some computer experts about the jellyfish and-- Koushiro: That's pointless. My email colleague in Russia told a lot of people about it, but they wouldn't listen.

I dunno, Koushiro. I feel like people might be more inclined to listen in goddamn Odaiba, which was laid to waste by a colossal Dracula kaiju last summer. Might just be me, though.

As the boys reconnect to the internet, they find their jellyfish has evolved once again. This next stage is called Keramon, named for the onomatopoeia for wicked cackling, kerakera. This is fine.

They also, side note, find Keramon at what appears to be the official website for FactoryMark, having devoured everything and left the page blank but for Keramon's own rotating visage. This poor company.

Taichi: It's already evolved again! Koushiro: This must be its Child-stage. Taichi: That's bad... This is bad, Koushiro! Koushiro: Unless we defeat it now.... Taichi: How!? Koushiro: Well... Uh.... Taichi: Are we just going to sit here and watch while this thing keeps evolving!?

Koushiro has no answer. The boys sit in silence, thinking.

In the dub:

Tai: Hey, Izzy! Why don't we just call up the Digimon on the screen and then hit delete? Izzy: Don't you think I tried that!? Tai: If this thing is so dangerous, maybe we should call someone important like the principal or Bill Gates or someone-- Izzy: They won't listen! That kid Willis warned his internet carrier about the new Digimon. They said, "Great! Let's sign him up and give him fifty free hours!" (Izzy connects and brings up Keramon) Izzy: Alright! We're online! Tai: He's Digivolved again! Keramon: My name is Keramon. Izzy: I think he's at the Rookie level. Tai: This soon!? He's Digivolving too quickly! Izzy: He's probably at a fast food website.

Convenience store but I'm sure he's still finding great consumable products all the same. Oh shit, I bet that's why the cheddarwurst is always gone already whenever I walk down there. Fucking Keramon.

Tai: Now what!? Izzy: Nothing now. Tai: You mean we have to sit here and watch that thing eat the world out of house and home page!?

They say a lot of the same things in this bit, but jokier. I desperately want to know what Tai expects the school principal to do about Keramon.

Also they gave Keramon a line for some reason.

There is one odd translation choice. In the original, Koushiro stammers and stutters when Taichi asks what they can actually do about this. He doesn't know, and he struggles to find an answer.

Izzy confidently asserts that they should do nothing. Uh. That. Seems like a bad idea, Izzy. Why are we even scoping Keramon out if the plan is inaction? Academic interest?

While the boys sit in silence, an air raid siren blares in the background. They don't seem to notice. Eventually, Taichi speaks up.

Taichi: If only Agumon were here right now.... Agumon: Taichi. Taichi: (whine) Aaaaaagumoooooon! Agumon: Taichi! Taichi: If only you were here! Agumon: TAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICHI!!!

Taichi finally hears him on the third try. He jumps to his feet, frantically looking around the office.

Taichi: Agumon!? Is that you!? Hey! Where are you!? Koushiro: Taichi-san, here!

Koushiro calls Taichi's attention to the laptop.

Taichi: AGUMON!!!

A window pops up with the cute title "デジモンさんのかくれが Digimon-san no kakure ka" or Digimon-san's Hideout. We see Gennai's bonsai garden from his secret estate beneath the lake, where a cute little chibi Agumon is standing with Gennai.

Agumon: (jumps for joy) TAICHIIIIIIIIIIII!!! (Taichi and Koushiro breathe sighs of relief) Taichi: Agumon! Koushiro: Gennai-san.... Gennai: It's been a long time, hasn't it? Tentomon: (appears in a puff of pink smoke) Koushiro-han, have you been well? Koushiro: Tentomon!

The door opens and the remaining six Partner Digimon all spill out into the bonsai garden. Taichi tries to count them off as they enter but gives up partway.

Taichi: Piyomon! Gabumon! Palmon! ...everyone's here!

In a cute little visual reference, five of the remaining six Partners enter the garden in single file. However, there's about a second's delay before Tailmon, separate from the others, finally enters as well.

In the dub, there's no long silence or air raid siren. Tai cuts straight from his previous rambling to:

Tai: I wish Agumon was here to help us! Agumon: Tai! Tai: I can almost hear him now. Agumon: You can hear me now! Tai: It's like he was here. Agumon: I am here. Tai: Huh!? (Tai jumps up and looks around) Agumon! I can barely hear you! Take me off speaker phone! Izzy: It's a transmission! Tai: Huh!? Izzy: From the Digital World. (Izzy pulls up the Digimon's Hideout screen) Agumon: (jumping for joy) Tai! Tai! (Taichi and Izzy breathe sighs of relief) Tai: Agumon! Izzy: And he's with Gennai! Gennai: It's been a long time! Tentomon: (appears in a puff of pink smoke) Don't forget me! Izzy: Tentomon! Tai: Who else is there? (The other Digimon enter) Biyomon: Biyomon! Gabumon: Gabumon! Palmon: Palmon! Patamon: Patamon! Gomamon: Gomamon! Gatomon: Gatomon!

Solid. No notes.

Now that the Digi-gang's all here, let's talk shop.

Gennai: So, do you know about this guy? Koushiro: Yes. It's a new kind of Digimon on the net, right? Gennai: Ohohohoho! Just as I expected. Agumon: Listen, Taichi. That is a tremendously evil Digimon. Tentomon: We can't just leave it alone! Koushiro: Yeah, but how do we defeat this thing? Agumon: Taichi. We'll fight. Taichi: Agumon? But.... Gabumon: We'll go inside the internet.... Patamon: ...just like how you guys saved the Digital World.... Tentomon: ...now it's our turn to help you! Koushiro: Tentomon....

Taichi and Koushiro are both silent for a moment while they mull over the Digimon's suggestion. Then Taichi snaps into leadership mode.

Taichi: Got it. We're counting on you guys. You're the only ones who can do this! Koushiro, your Digivice? Koushiro: (holds up Digivice) I brought it, of course.

Ready to go to work, Taichi dramatically pulls up his Goggles of Leadership from around his neck and snaps them onto his forehead.

Taichi: Great! We'll evolve you with our Digivices! Digimon: Okay! Gennai: Great! I'll start sending our friends into the network now, so hold off for a moment.

Gennai conjures up columns of light that the Digimon can enter, transporting them into the internet.

Taichi: Yes! This is great. I'll go let everyone else know.

While the Digimon get into position, Taichi heads off to the phone to start making some calls.

In the dub:

Gennai: We need to talk! Something's threatening the internet! Izzy: We know! The Digimon's already caused some major problems in our world. Gennai: I'm not sure it is a Digimon. Agumon: But it is dangerous. The evil Dark Masters were cupcakes compared to this guy! Tai: That's it, then! Let's do it! Gabumon: We found a way to enter the internet. Patamon: We'll help you guys because you were the best friends we ever had! Tentomon: What better way to express friendship than to save your world? Izzy: Tentomon.... Tentomon: (tearing up) Please don't get so emotional! Tai: Thanks a lot, guys. You won't be alone! We'll be right here on the computer. Izzy, Digivice! Izzy: (holds up his Digivice) I'm one step ahead of you, Tai! Tai: (dramatically puts on goggles) Our Digivices will help you Digivolve and together we'll squash that bug! Digimon: (miscellaneous cheering) Gennai: It will take a minute for Agumon and Tentomon to get on the net. My modem's older than I am! Tai: I'll call the other DigiDestined so their Digimon can help too!

A subtle switch, but in the original, the Digimon were going to help to repay the favor from the children saving their world. In the dub, it's to repay their friendship.

Also, Dub Agumon brings up the Dark Masters in order to use them as a yardstick for how much more ultra-mega-terrible Keramon is than they were. In the original, there is no escalatory threat-measuring contest here. Agumon simply calls Keramon 巨悪 kyoaku, a great evil.

Lastly, Gennai suggests that Keramon may not even be a Digimon. This is probably because Dub Keramon is "half-virus, half-Digimon" so its nature is weird. Its nature is weird in the original too, but that's because it's made of bugs instead of vaccine, virus, or data.

Time for Taichi to start making calls, beginning with Jou-senpai.

Taichi: (on the phone) Ah, moshi moshi! This is Yagami. Is Jou there? ...eh? Entrance exams? Entrance exams for... middle school...? Yes, I understand. (hangs up)

Moshi moshi is a Japanese phone greeting. We've talked about it before, but it's just a thing you say when talking to someone on the phone, specifically. It start out basically meaning something like "Sound check, 1, 2, 3," to make sure you were clearly audible and then evolved into a context-free social tradition.

Yeah. All that studying for entrance exams that was so important to Jou? Today is the fucking day. This is where Jou was going when Tsumemon made him miss his train. These tests will play a pivotal role in deciding the entire course of his future.

We see Jou sprinting for dear life, barely making it into the school when all other students are already seated and taking their tests. He races for dear life to his seat, frantically whipping out his pencil case so he can try his best.

In the dub:

Tai: Hi, this is Tai Kamiya! Can I speak to Joe, please? Other Person: (unintelligible gibberish) Tai: A test!? He's the only kid I know who volunteers for summer school! (hangs up)

The shots of Jou frantically sprinting into the school and trying to get to his seat are cut out, but the part where he opens his pencil case and accidentally sprays pencils everywhere is kept. They also add an anguished wail from Joe.

So, in this version, Joe's out-of-reach because he likes to do extra schooling for funsies. He's not panicking because the train made him late for a life-changing event he cannot afford to miss; He just spilled his pencils 'cause he's a clumsy goober.

This meshes with how the original anime portrayed his studying for the entrance exams, but drastically undercuts how important these tests are for him.

With Jou out of reach, Taichi tries Yamato next.

Taichi: Eh? Yamato is out? He's with Takeru? Where? ...eh!? SHIMANE!?!?

Yeah, they're way the fuck across Japan. Shimane is out on the west side of the island nation. It would take them about ten hours to get back to Odaiba by train.

Koushiro: Shimane.... Taichi: I'm sorry, do you have a phone number I can reach them at? Yuuko: Koushiro-kun, would you like some Oolong tea? Koushiro: Ah, yes, please.

Taichi gets the number and punches it in.

Taichi: (muttering) Pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up Yuuko: (background) Here you go. Koushiro: (background) Thank you. (The line picks up) Taichi: AH!!! MOSHI MOSHI!!!

Unfortunately for Taichi, it's the old woman - presumably the boys' grandma - who picked up.

Grandma: (slowly) Who is calling? Taichi: It's Yagami from Tokyo! Sorry to bother you-- Grandma: (slowly) Could you please repeat that? Taichi: Um, could you please put Yamato and Takeru on? Grandma: Ah! Those are my grandsons. They're such good boys. Yamato: (noticing) Who is it? Taichi: Excuse me, but there's something very important I need to tell them! Grandma: I see.

Finally getting the message, Grandma hangs the phone back up on the receiver and turns to the boys.

Grandma: Yamato!

Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Taichi is frozen in appalled silence for five straight seconds.

Taichi: (hissing furiously) ...she hung up....

This is not going well. XD

In the dub:

Tai: Hi! Is Matt or T.K. there? Other Person: (unintelligible gibberish) Tai: They're visiting their grandmother in the country? Other Person: (unintelligible gibberish) Izzy: HEY TAI!!! Any luck yet? Yuuko: Would you like a glass of potato juice, Izzy? Izzy: Great! I'd love some!

I don't know which home Tai thought he was calling where he could ask for "Matt or T.K.".

Also, Izzy suddenly yelling "HEY TAI" while Tai's on a phone call. Rude. I love how Tai just ignores him and then Yuuko makes him drink potatoes. The Yuuko gag is quickly turning into well-deserved karma for Izzy's rudeness.

Tai: (muttering) Be there be there be there be there be there be there be there be there be there be there (gasp) Ooh! Hello there! This is Tai! Grandmother: You're selling ties? Tai: No, my name is Tai. I'm looking for Matt or T.K. Grandmother: That's a coincidence! Those are my grandkids' names. Tai: That's great! Are they there? Grandmother: Mhm. Tai: Right now!? Grandmother: Mhm. Tai: Can I talk to them!? Grandmother: Oh, I'd love to talk to them too. They're here visiting me. Tai: Please, I need to speak to them right away! Grandmother: Okay, I'll tell them. (Grandma hangs up) Grandmother: KIIIIIDS!!! ... Tai: (hissing furiously) ...I can't take this....

Dub Grandma has an even harder time grasping this conversation than the original.

Moving on down the list.

Yuuko: Koushiro-kun, aren't you going anywhere for spring break? Koushiro: No, nowhere in particular. Yuuko: There isn't anywhere you want to go?

A familiar conversation for anyone who's ever been an introverted kid.

This brief exchange sets our timeframe, in case Jou's entrance exams didn't already give it away; In Japan, the ending of one school year and beginning of the next is framed around spring break, rather than summer vacation as it is in the U.S.

We've moved forward about eight or nine months from the original series.

Taichi places his next call. However, as we've already seen, nobody's at the Tachikawa residence to collect the mail or pick up the phone, nor have they been in days.

Taichi: Alright, next up! (dials) Ah, moshi moshi! Mimi: (recording) This is Mimi! I can't take your call right now! (beep) Taichi: Mimi-chan! It's Taichi! Call me back as soon as you can! (hangs up) Man, every one of them....

An interesting note is that Mimi's iconic pink cowboy hat is hanging up in her bedroom. Not only did she not take it with her, but... Like... She has it. Last we saw that hat, the wind whipped it off her head and sent it tumbling across File Island. It never left the Digital World.

So I guess she must have got a new one.

In the dub:

Yuuko: You know, Izzy, I can never get Tai to try any of my recipes. Izzy: I think they taste great. Yuuko: (excited) Wanna try my spinach cookies? Tai: (excited) I GOT MIMI'S MACHINE!!! Mimi: (recording) Hi, it's Mimi! I'm so glad you called. Let's get together for lunch! Leave a very short message after the beep! (beep) Tai: MIMI I-- (beep) (Tai hangs up) Tai: (growl) Rrrrrgh. That girl loves to talk!

"Leave a very short message after the beep" might be the funniest joke in dub history thus far. XD What the fuck, Mimi. Why. Who does that. Why. Hahahahahahahahahahaha

Little confused by Tai's punchline, though. The intent is clearly "Teen girls be yappin' on their phones" boomer-humor, which was all over the place in the 80's and 90's. But I don't see how that connects to the setup of Mimi's absurdly short answering machine window.

Taichi's running out of options at this point. With one obvious and glaring omission he hasn't yet tried, and still won't. Time to keep going down the list. Meanwhile, over in the kitchen, Koushiro's sifting flour while Yuuko works on whipping her cake batter.

Yuuko: (cheerfully) Sorry you had to pitch in! Taichi: Hey! Do you know the phone number to the house Hikari went to for the birthday party? Koushiro: (sifting) Like this? Yuuko: That's right. Don't let it get lumpy. Taichi: COME ON, MOM!!! Yuuko: Right, yes... There should be a note over there. Uri-san's house. Taichi: (rifles through phone desk, grumbling) What is wrong with everyone....

At the birthday girl's house, everyone's gathered around a giant cake, clapping and celebrating.

Girls: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The birthday girl takes a deep breath, then stops when she realizes one of them is missing. Hikari is over on the phone.

One of the Girls: (hissing) Hikari-chan! Hikari: (to phone) I can't come home yet. We haven't even blown out the candles on the birthday cake yet. Taichi: I see. Then come home right after the candles are blown out!

But her social life!

How about you learn how to do the white glowy trick where you can evolve everyone's Digimon and not just your own?

In the dub:

Yuuko: (to Izzy) You're a real natural in the kitchen. Just like me. Ha! Tai: Mom, I need to get a hold of Kari right away! Did she take your cellphone with her? Izzy: So, do I have enough of this stuff? Yuuko: Beats me. It's the first time I've used flour to bake a cake! Tai: MOM!!! Yuuko: Of course she's got it in case of emergency. Tai: (rifles through phone desk, grumbling) Emergency...? What does she think this is!? (Tai makes the call) Girls: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! (clapclapclap) Make a wish! Blow 'em out!

The dub adds the sound of a phone interrupting the candle-blowing. In the original, it's the birthday girl's landline so there's an implication that someone came and told her that there was a call for her. She probably didn't answer the phone herself.

But since they rewrote the phone Kari's on to be Yuuko's personal cell phone, they can have Kari rudely answer it during the candle-blowing for comedic effect.

Girl: (hissing) Call them back! Kari: I can't come home! You don't understand. The magician's coming over later and I've already volunteered to be sawed in half. Tai: Whatever! Just tell the half with feet to run home soon!

This flows pretty well. The shot of Kari on the phone only shows the receiver, so the animation doesn't contradict the rewritten context. And the "half with feet" bit is another pretty good joke.

Dub team is also having a lot of fun with the "Izzy and Yuuko in the kitchen" shots.

Well, that's it. There's only one last call to make. The one Taichi can't make. This is the big one.

Taichi: KOUSHIRO!!! Koushiro: Eh? Taichi: Uh, you see... Could you please call Sora's home? Koushiro: Sora-san? Shouldn't you do that? Taichi: Just do it! Here!

Taichi flings the phone directly at Koushiro's face. Koushiro yelps, catches it, and slowly exhales. Then, very confused, he starts punching in the number.

Taichi lumbers over and grumpily takes a seat at the table.

Yuuko: Oh? Are you inviting any more friends? Taichi: I want an Oolong tea too! Yuuko: You won't even answer me?

Oh boy, I do not like the way this boy talks to his mother in this special. So far, we've seen him push past her in the doorway, ignore her questions, and yell at her for not answering him. Now he slumps down in his chair, doesn't even look at her, blows off her question, and demands tea.

All while she's trying to bake a cake because Taichi was complaining that Hikari got to go have one today.

Taichi is a child, so I won't fault him too much for behaving childishly. But this all raises uncomfortable questions about what he's learning from Susumu, since children emulate their role models and all that.

Koushiro makes the call, which Sora's mother Toshiko answers.

Toshiko: Okay, I just have to let her know to call the Yagami residence, right? (Sora comes in the front door) Toshiko: Oh, one moment. She just got back.

Cutting back to Koushiro, he can clearly hear Sora on the other end of the line.

Sora: Who is it? Toshiko: It's from the Yagami residence. Sora: Hm.... (beat) Sora: Tell them I'm not home. Toshiko: But-- Sora: Just do it!

Sora storms into her room and slams the door.

Toshiko: (returning to phone) Uh... She asked me to tell you that she isn't home.

Back in the Yagami apartment, Koushiro ends the call and tries to get Taichi to explain what's going on, while Yuuko continues mixing her cake batter in the kitchen.

Koushiro: Did something happen? Taichi: Not really.... Koushiro: Something must have happened. Taichi: Nothing happened. Koushiro: At a time like this, could you please stop bickering.

Taichi blushes hard and snaps at Koushiro for that remark.

Taichi: WE'RE NOT BICKERING!!! Koushiro: (to himself) Definitely bickering. (Taichi stands up suddenly, nervously shaking) Taichi: A-Anyways, uh... Hey, isn't it about time?

The implication Koushiro's making is that Taichi and Sora are having a lovers' spat. An implication that Taichi catches, which causes him to react the way he does.

Meanwhile, in her room, Sora pops open her own little tablet computer. She fidgets nervously, twirling a hairclip in her hand, until her computer tells her that no emails have been received.

Sora: (angrily) Stupid Taichi!

Sora slams the tablet shut, clenching her fist around the hairpin.

Whatever happened between them, Sora's pretty upset about it too. I'm not sure if Taichi's misspelled and extremely brief email ending in "Cheer up" would actually help, but Kuramon eating it certainly didn't.

Deliberate sabotage. Kuramon ships Taichi/Yamato, clearly.

In the dub:

Tai: Hey! Izzy! Izzy: Huh? Tai: I can't get anybody on the phone! I want you to call Sora for me! Izzy: But you and she are really good friends. It makes more sense for you to call. Tai: JUST DO IT!!! (throws the phone) (Tai marches over and slumps into his chair) Yuuko: (excited) Are more friends coming over? I'll make three-bean salad! Tai: Nobody's coming over, Mom! Yuuko: Oh. That's alright, I only have two beans anyway.

Honestly, I was kinda WTF about this Bad Cook Yuuko bit but it keeps making me laugh. It helps that Yuuko gets to be the one delivering the punchlines most of the time. They let the absurdity of her bit stand by itself and get the laugh, rather than trying to have an over-the-top reaction be the laugh line.

(Izzy makes the call) Toshiko: I'm sorry Sora's not home, but I'll tell her to call Tai's house as soon as she gets back. (Sora returns) Toshiko: Oh, hold on! She just walked in! I'll put her right on. (Cut to Izzy listening) Toshiko: Sora, I think Tai wants to speak to you. Sora: I'M NOT HOME!!! Toshiko: But I already told him you're here. Sora: THEN MAKE SOMETHING UP!!! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU TELL HIM!!! Toshiko: But Sora, I-- (Sora goes in her room and slams the door) Toshiko: ...I'm sorry, but you have the wrong number. Goodbye! (hangs up quickly)

XD That is the worst possible way you could have ended that conversation. Dub Toshiko, you absolute madwoman. Hahahahaha.

Izzy: ...Sora said she's not home. Tai: Hmph. Izzy: Did you two have an argument? Tai: None of your business. Izzy: You must have been a real jerk if she doesn't even want to talk to ya. Tai: HUH!?!? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!! Izzy: Uh, I meant that in a good way.... Tai: I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE'S STILL MAD AT ME!!! THIS WHOLE THING STARTED OVER A LOUSY HAIRCLIP!!! Sora: (thinking) He'd better have written me! Tablet: Greetings! You have no new mail. Okay? Sora: No, it's not okay! (affectionately) Stupid Tai....

Specifically, that hairclip she's twirling while checking her computer. The clip is subtle foreshadowing for the true nature of their argument, but the dub goes ahead and spells it out for the audience.

I like how they got over the hurdle of Japanese text by installing text-to-speech accessibility software on Sora's computer.

A note about Yuuko: Both versions are playing the disconnect between Yuuko's jovial attitude and Taichi's panic for comedy. Yuuko has no idea what's going on. So far as she knows, Koushiro came over to play with Taichi and now they're trying to get some other friends together.

This isn't intentional; They aren't deliberately misleading her. There's no reason to. She already knows about the Digimon stuff. It's just that nobody's bothered to tell her, "Hey mom, some serious Digimon shit is going down."

While all this has been happening, Keramon has been a hungry little bugbear.

We cut to Odaiba landmark the Daikanransha, one of the world's largest Ferris Wheels until it was closed down in 2022. Its name means "Big Ferris Wheel". See, this is the downside of learning languages. Everything sounds so cool until you know what they're saying.

We see from the perspective of two boys and a girl. The girl, visibly the youngest, is having the time of her life but the boys look bored as shit.

Girl: So scary! Older Boy: This is lame. Younger Boy: No kidding. Older Boy: Huh? Wait, is it going faster?

Going haywire, the ferris wheel accelerates to dangerous speeds, whipping its passengers around.

Younger Boy: THIS IS SCARY!!! Girl: ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )

Hahahaha they are going to die.

On the landing in front of the apartment, Yuuko watches the giant Ferris Wheel whip around like that.

Yuuko: Taichi? Is it spinning faster than usual today?

Taichi and Koushiro sprint into the office, with Koushiro carrying their drinks on a tray. There, Hikari's cat Meeko has been watching Keramon on the screen. She scampers off as soon as the boys enter.

Agumon and Tentomon appear on the screen, ready to roll.

Koushiro: Transfer complete. Taichi: Agumon!

Inside the internet, Agumon and Tentomon soar through the dataspace on their way to Keramon. Taichi and Koushiro appear like billboards in their path.

Agumon: Taichi! Koushiro! We're here! Taichi: We're counting on you, Agumon! Koushiro: Tentomon, this is a pre-emptive strike. It hasn't noticed us yet.

No idea where the other six got off to. Tailmon's an Adult. She could probably wreck Keramon's shit even without Hikari on-hand.

The dub cuts the ferris wheel bits and jumps straight to Meeko at the computer. She seems to be surfing the kitty web.

Computer Voice: Thank you for visiting Cat Voice: MEOW Computer Voice: .com. Tai: Meeko, get down from there! (Tai and Izzy sprint to the computer) Tai: Agumon and Tentomon should be on the internet by now! (Cut to internet interior) Tentomon: Does this information superhighway have a rest stop!? I've gotta go potty! Agumon: You should have gone before we left! Just hold it! Tai: You're gonna need a password! Izzy: You can use mine to get on the internet: Prodigious! Agumon & Tentomon: PRODIGIOUS!!! Tai: THEY'RE IN!!! Agumon: So this is what the internet looks like. They need new wallpaper. Tentomon: I hope this doesn't take too long. It's my bath night!

The bit about the password is referencing another set of screens they pass, which shows a password being entered and then suddenly reads "ENTER". The original never references or explains what that's about, so the dub filled the gap.

So, so many quips.

Izzy's password would be incredibly easy to crack if you knew him personally. Which basically means that only his friends can access his stuff without his knowledge. That feels like a personal choice more than a mistake.

Arriving in the internet, it doesn't take long to find Keramon hungrily devouring a stream of data.

Oh wow. Look at it go.

Tentomon: Shall we go!? Agumon: Huh!?

Before Agumon realizes this has started, Tentomon takes the first shot. His Petit Thunder hits Keramon dead-on, electrocing it and announcing their presence. Agumon follows up with multiple shots of Baby Flame, which all seem to hit home.

Taichi: YES!!!

Keramon, recovering, sends another enigmatic email to Koushiro. This one reads simply アソブ asobu. Again, because it's in Katakana, these are just sounds. But 遊ぶ asobu is a verb that means "to play". Keramon thinks Koushiro's playing with it.

(We know that well. It was one of Pinocchimon's favorite words. Also I'm kinda starting to feel bad for Keramon. I'm not sure that it actually knows better. I think it might just... be a kid.)

Taichi: What do you mean, 'play'!? Let's just defeat it quickly. Koushiro: Tentomon, evolve! Tentomon: Right!

While Agumon and Tentomon undergo their Magical Girl transformation sequences, we once again cut to various children around the world at computers. The other kids who witnessed the Digitama's creation, who are now watching this happen in real-time.

In the dub:

Izzy: There he is! Go get him! Tentomon: (whispering) He doesn't know we're here yet. Agumon: (whispering) Let's sneak up on him quietly. Tentomon: SUPER SHOCKER!!! Agumon: That's quietly!? PEPPER BREATH!!! (Their shots land) Tai: Huh!? That should have worked but it didn't! (Keramon recovers) Tai: Hey! Keramon's sending us an email! It says "So you like to play games, huh?" I've got a bad feeling about this, Agumon. Agumon: Mhm! Izzy: Better Digivolve, both of you, now.

Like the "I'm hungry" email, the dub rewrote this one in English too.

There's a tonal shift here. Taichi and Koushiro are going super-aggro and picking this fight. They are unambiguously the aggressors here. As Koushiro said, this is a pre-emptive strike. This isn't a thing yet; We're going hard and trying to kill Keramon before this can become a thing.

Strangling a potential future problem in its crib. It's pretty morally dubious the more you think about it. Are we the baddies?

The dub makes Keramon's response email more threatening and ominous. That way, when Tai and Izzy escalate to Adult forms, it's because they're on the backfoot and freaked out by the message.

In any case, the fight is on.

The area of the internet they're in seems to be, like, the programming for an amusement park based on all the amusement park imagery. Probably Pallet Town, the entertainment center where the Daikanransha can be found.

Since the dub skipped the ferris wheel, this just looks like random psychedelic imagery in that version. But there's ferris wheels and carousels and stuff floating in the void because Keramon's eating an amusement park.

In a goofy moment, Greymon and Kabuterimon both land on the ring of horses and carriages spinning around the exterior of the void and use it as a springboard. When they land on the ring, the flat images of horses whinny in protest.

Greymon and Kabuterimon chase down Keramon. Keramon fires off energy shots from its mouth. Kabuterimon returns fire with three shots of his Mega Blaster, which Keramon swerves around - Only to take Greymon's Mega Flame dead-on. Exploding in fire, Keramon lets out a pitiful shriek.

Kabuterimon: Nice! Taichi: It's so weak! Koushiro: Hang on.

On the computer screen, a data stream of 66666666666666 flows into Keramon. The image of Keramon suddenly evolves once more into a new form.

The dub keeps the bits where Greymon and Kabuterimon spring off the carousel ring. However, as usual, the sound effects get lost. No comical whinny protests. With the gag removed, it just seems like an unusually slow bit of action choreography.

They also take out Keramon's pathetic wail when hit by Nova Blast.

Keramon calls his attack Bug Blaster in the dub. It has no name in the original. In fact, nobody's calling attacks in the original; Not even the Partner Digimon. Additionally, Keramon only communicates by email in the original. It has no voiced lines.

Tai: You guys make this stuff look easy! Izzy: Um, hold that thought! Tai: Huh? Keramon: Keramon, Digivolve to: Infermon!

As the dub notes, its new form is called Infermon, named for the Inferno. Y'know. Hell. It's Hellmon.

If you've played one of the games that came out after this film and realized what's wrong here, shhhhhhh, spoilers. The boys haven't noticed yet. :P

Visibly, Infermon leaves its jellyfish shape behind and more resembles an insect, like an ant or cockroach. Y'know. Because bug.

Taichi: It evolved! Koushiro: That's okay. It's in the Adult stage now, same as ours.

Infermon's little feetsies work as suction cups to adhere it to a surface. We know that because it makes little suction cup sounds every time it steps or jumps.

Taking the offensive, it lunges and uses its bulk to try and crush Greymon and Kabuterimon. The pair dodge, floating in the internet's antigravity, and return fire with their own shots.

Though Greymon and Kabuterimon's shots hit home, there's no telltale shriek this time.

Greymon: Did we get it?

Greymon's question is answered when Infermon, unimpeded by their attacks, lunges through the smoke cloud their shots made. Pulling its limbs and head into itself, Infermon becomes a single aerodynamic bullet hurtling their direction.

Greymon and Kabuterimon fire off shot after shot into Infermon, but their attacks glance harmlessly off its impenetrable exoskeleton. They're forced to dodge aside just before its colossal size rips past them.

Kabuterimon: We can't even scratch it! What is going on here!?

Before anyone can answer, Infermon opens its mouth and fires multiple shots form a cannon inside. Greymon dodges the first volley but Kabuterimon takes a hit.

Kabuterimon: AUGH!!! Greymon: KABUTERIMON--HUAGH!!!

While Greymon's distracted, the second volley hits him, starting with a direct hit to the side of his face.

Taichi: GREYMON!!!

This is going bad.

In the dub:

Infermon: Nyegh! Tai: No way! He Digivolved again! Izzy: I've never seen this before. Now he's at the Champion level like Greymon and Kabuterimon! Infemon: Hmhmhmhmhm....

Yeah, Infermon's a chuckler now.

(Greymon and Kabuterimon take shots) Greymon: Yeah! Kabuterimon: Alright! (Infermon lunges) Greymon: What!? Infermon: Hehehehehehe.... (Infermon coasts right through their attacks) Greymon: He's stronger than a Champion! Infermon: SPIDER SHOOTER!!! (Infermon shoots Kabuterimon) Greymon: KABUTERIMO-- WHOA!!! (Infermon shoots Greymon) Tai: Greymon, no!

There's not a lot of actual words in this sequence and yet it still feels so different due to the decision to give Infermon a voice.

It's at that moment that Koushiro realizes the truth.

Koushiro: Taichi-san, I figured it out. Taichi: Huh? Koushiro: It's at Perfect-stage! Taichi: Then, a moment ago.... Koushiro: It evolved two stages. Taichi: Why...?

Yeah, that's what fans of the games that came later probably noticed. Keramon evolves into the Adult-stage Chrysalimon before going to Infermon as its Perfect form. Because of this sudden jump, Chrysalimon will not be appearing in this film.

Taichi: Then we'll evolve to Ultimate-stage too!

Good plan, but no. As Greymon and Kabuterimon begin Super-Evolving, Infermon lunges suddenly.

Taichi: (gasp) Koushiro: It's attacking while we're evolving!

Taking potshots from its mouth cannon, Infermon obliterates MetalGreymon and AtlurKabuterimon before they can even emerge from their Super-Evolutions.

After erasing its Perfect competition before they could even power up, Infermon lands. It begins vibrating and letting out this high-pitched cackle that sounds as much like a siren as a laugh.

Infermon: Yahahahahahaha! Yahahahahahaha! Yahahahahahaha!

THAT'S RIGHT THE DUB WAS CORRECT. Infermon is a chuckler.

A little button marked EXIT appears next to Infermon. It presses the button to open a passage back into the open internet. Then, blip-blopping on its suction cups, it spider-crawls its goofy ass away into the passage.

(Good thing we were just playing. I'd hate to see what would have happened if it knew we were trying to kill it! :P)

In the dub:

Izzy: I think I've got it figured out now! Tai: Huh? Izzy: He's bypassed the Champion level and Digivolved straight into the Ultimate level! He's too strong for our Digimon now! Tai: Then they're just gonna have to Digivolve again! (Digivolutions begin) Infermon: Not. So. Fast. Rrrrargh! (lunge) (as the Digimon Digivolve, Infermon comes in swiftly) Izzy: He's gotta Digivolve faster! (Infermon takes them both out) Infermon: Hehehahahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!

Pretty much the same. Though the dub doesn't have Infermon's goofy blip-blop suction cup sounds. Instead, it goes for this writhing insect sound, like a million bugs crawling over something at once.

With Infermon gone, Taichi and Koushiro are left to lick their wounds.

Pay no attention to the fact that all Taichi can see from this angle is a whole lotta butthole.

Taichi: Are you okay, Agumon? Agumon: Sorry, Taichi.... Koushiro: Tentomon! Tentomon: That thing is monstrous....

Relieved that their Partners survived, Taichi and Koushiro take a moment to sit in silence and breathe. Then, quietly, Koushiro speaks up.

Koushiro: We'll need to let them rest for a while. Taichi: (punches floor) Fuck! Isn't it cheating to mess with someone's evolution!?

(Somewhere in the Digital World, the reincarnated Etemon sneezes.)

Koushiro: Taichi-san, we got an email from someone in Australia.

The message reads, "Earlier. Was that what's called a Digital Monster? This is my first time seeing one. ~Toma"

Koushiro: He said it's his first time seeing a Digital Monster. Taichi: He was watching the fight just now? Koushiro: Ah, this one is from Singapore.

Koushiro opens up another email. This one reads, "There were two bodies against one body so how did they lose? Are they just weak? -Jane"

If that sounds like it was run through Google Translate, it's because it was. The email actually comes through in English first, then Koushiro's email software converts it line-by-line into Japanese. The actual message Jane wrote was, in all-caps, "THEY ARE NOTHING, KOZ THEY LOST IN SPITE OF DOUBLE FIGURES. -JANE"

That's much more rude.

Koushiro: "How were you weak enough to lose despite it being 2-on-1?" Taichi: Shut up! Koushiro: (scrolling through a long list of emails) What else do we--Oh! It's an email from the jellyfish.

Koushiro clicks on Infermon's email, revealing a profile pic of the creature's new face and the message moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi moshi just... repeating over and over and over again, line by line.

I don't think it knows how to use that phrase. To be fair, its age can be measured in hours.

Taichi: Moshi moshi moshi moshi... What the heck? Koushiro: This is really bad! Taichi: Huh?

Koushiro points at the email's From line. Infermon sent it from "@@@@@@djm.ntt.co.jp/sys/switchboard". That's gibberish to Taichi but it's making Koushiro piss himself.

Koushiro: Look at the email address! That thing is now inside the NTT system! Taichi: NTT? Koushiro: We need to contact everyone quickly!

Koushiro doesn't explain the urgency, but NTT or Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Company is one of the largest telecommunications companies on Earth. A closeup on the phone jack shows that NTT is, in fact, providing the Yagami home's service.

So. Uh. Yeah. That's bad.

In the dub:

Tai: Agumon, say something! Agumon: (woozy) Don't take me out, coach.... Izzy: Tentomon! Tentomon: I'm fine! Just one question... Who's Tentomon? Izzy: They'll be okay, Tai. They just need to rest for a while. Tai: (sigh) I can't believe that two Digimon at the champion level weren't enough. (punches floor) We're NEVER gonna be able to defeat this thing! Izzy: Check this out, Tai! We're getting emails from all over the world. Here's one from that kid Willis in America. It says "Izzy, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. Find a way to slow him down."

The dub once again draws new art to create Willis's email, slotting it in over Toma's. It says exactly what Izzy read off, but contains no signature.

Then they cut the footage from Jane's email and go straight to Infermon.

Izzy: Hey, Infermon is emailing us too!

Don't know why Izzy knows that name. Keramon was excused because he said "My name is Keramon" right after Digivolving, but this is the first mention of the name Infermon out-loud.

Infermon's email is also rewritten to read "Hello!Hello!Hello!Hello!Hello!Hello!" for many lines.

Tai: Why's he saying "Hello" over and over again? Izzy: Look at the address! Tai: Huh? Izzy: He's at the telephone company taking over all the phone lines! If we lose our phone connection, we're finished! That's the only way we have access to the internet!

Izzy spells out the implication since American children can't be expected to recognize the NTT by brand.

Taichi's first call is Hikari, which makes sense since she's the only one he actually reached the first time.

At the party, the girls are playing Old Maid. Birthday girl does not seem to be doing well but she's got a big smile on her face nonetheless. The girl on the far right, the one who hissed at Hikari for being on the phone, draws the Joker from the girl next to her. All the girls have a good laugh about it.

Girl 2: Did you get the Old Maid? Girl 1: Be honest, Noriko-chan!

Noriko-chan shakes her lying head like a liar, and they all giggle.

Suddenly, Birthday Girl stops laughing and glares at Hikari, who is once again on the phone. Given her vacant spot across from birthday girl and next to Noriko, it's probably Hikari's turn.

Noriko-chan: (hisses) Hikari-chan.... Hikari: (on phone, holding only one card) No, I can't just leave when I'm about to win first place. Taichi: It's fine! Just get out of the game and come home! (hangs up)

In Hikari's defense, she does have a solid shot at winning. It's her and the girl to her left that have one card left apiece. If she can match this card, she wins.

But also, Old Maid isn't exactly a game you can just drop out of easily. If she can't match the card, then she'll have two cards and be in for at least two more rounds. This is basically a more complicated version of Go Fish. If she has cards in hand and leaves... what happens with her cards? It might just ruin the game. And at a birthday party!

Devastating consequences for her social life.

(This is, of course, nowhere near as important as stopping Infermon from eating the global internet. But Taichi hasn't exactly been forthcoming with context to... basically anyone in this special. All she knows is that her domineering brother keeps calling and yelling at her to stop having fun.)

The dub cuts this whole scene. There is no second call to Kari at the birthday party.

Taichi moves along down the list.

Taichi: Next. (dials) Phone: Beep. Beep. Beep. Taichi: Busy signal!? Damn. (hangs up, dials) Phone: Beep. Beep. Beep. Taichi: Another busy signal! (hangs up, dials) Phone: Beep. Beep. Beep. Taichi: Jou's place too!? (hangs up, dials) Phone: Beep. Beep. Beep. Taichi: (distraught) Even Yamato's house!? Taichi: It's busy everywhere. Koushiro: What about Sora's place? Taichi: But we already tried there!

A subtle note: After Hikari, Taichi makes four calls. He identifies the third as Jou and the fourth as Yamato. It's unclear if he tried Sora in the first two, then tried Yamato and Takeru's grandma for the last, or if he didn't call Sora and instead called Yamato and Takeru separately despite knowing they're at their grandma's.

"We already tried Sora" could mean that she was one of the busy signals, or it could mean "We called her earlier and she told me to go fuck myself off a cliff."

But either way, one of those calls he made was to Mimi's explicitly vacant house. Where he got a busy signal. That shouldn't happen.

A subtle but early warning of what's really happening.

Suddenly, Taichi's phone rings. He answers to the most flagrantly computer-generated text-to-speech voice ever.

Taichi: Moshi moshi! Text-to-Speech: Moshi moshi/Moshi moshi/Moshi moshi/Moshi moshi Taichi: (gasps, freaked out) ...not good....

Really selling Infermon's text-to-speech, each set of moshi moshi has an audible jump, like a static break that inorganically bleeds the end of the second moshi into the beginning of the first as the audio sample loops.

In the dub:

Tai: I've gotta warn everyone! (dials) Operator: All circuits are busy. Try again later. Tai: Oh, great! It's busy! ...Mimi! (dials) Operator: All circuits are busy. Try again later. Tai: Come on! How could that be busy too!? (dials) Operator: All circuits are still busy. Tai: Don't tell me.... (dials) Operator: Did you hear me!? Tai: What? Operator: IT'S BUSY!!! Tai: I'm sorry, lady.... (hangs up) All the phones are dead! Izzy: That Digimon did it! Tai: Not a single call can get through! (phone rings, Tai answers) Tai: Hello, this is Tai. Infermon: Hello! Did you program me? Hehehahahahahaha! Tai: It's Infermon!

In the original, as we're about to see, this call isn't unique to Tai. People all across Japan are about to receive these text-to-speech calls. So the dub changing it to Infermon directly taunting Tai is a bit more of a change than it appears at first glance and continues the trend of this Digimon being a lot more verbose in the dub.

Across Japan, phones begin ringing off the hook. Landlines, cell phones, every kind of phone.

Taichi: What is going on!? Koushiro: It's inside the phone switch server and making calls everywhere. It's trying to crash the lines. Taichi: Oh, that's bad. Without the phone lines, we can't contact the others, not to mention the internet-- Koushiro: AH!!! Taichi: Huh? Koushiro: (horrified) ...it disconnected.

Well. That's that. After winning the fistfight, Infermon has nuked our ability to even try that shit again. Its hunger will not be denied.

Out front, Yuuko's cake is baking in the microwave while she watches the news, blissfully unaware of what's happening on the internet.

News: Breaking news, the phones in the Tokyo metropolitan area are temporarily out of service. Yuuko: A lot of things happening today.... News: According to NTT, this is due to heavy phone traffic and some areas have stopped working due to the call volume.

Koushiro explodes out of Susumu's office and sprints for the front door.

Yuuko: Oh, leaving already, Koushiro-kun? Koushiro: I'll be right back!

As Koushiro hurries out the door, Taichi drags his feet to the couch and flops headfirst over it.

Taichi: (wailing) Mooooom.... Yuuko: What's wrong, Taichi? Taichi: It's hopeless! Yuuko: What are you talking about?

No idea what Koushiro's planning, but clearly he's more convinced there's still a chance than Taichi is.

In the dub, this is completely changed.

Kari (V.O.): Talk about speed-dialing! Infermon was looking for someone. He was calling every phone number in the world. Tai: His long-distance bill will be enormous! Izzy: (gasp) Tai: What? Izzy: (horrified) Connection... terminated.... Tai: (horrified) What... next.... (Cut to the cake) Yuuko: KIDS!!! Cake's almost ready!

It is not. Yuuko is lying. The cake still has 30 minutes left to go.

News: Phones have gone dead worldwide. If your telephone is dead, please call your phone company. Yuuko: Well, at least my sister can't call me three times a day. (Izzy explodes from the office and races for the door) Izzy: See ya! Yuuko: Are you leaving so soon? Izzy: Don't worry! I'll be back! Save me a piece of cake! Tai: (emerges, groaning) Yuuko: What's the matter with you? Tai: (groans louder) Yuuko: Hey, have you heard? The phones are out!

Original Infermon crashes the Tokyo metro area's phone network so the children can no longer mess with it. Dub Infermon crashes the entire globe's phone network because he's looking for someone; Presumably Willis, given his dub-exclusive email.

A lot of the dialogue here is just quipping, but Yuuko's salt-in-the-wound final line is solid gold. XD

From here, we go to Yamato and Takeru's grandma's home. Takeru is giving Grandma a back massage.

News: Currently, technicians are working to restore the downed switches and are urging consumers to refrain from using the phone or cell phone services. Grandma: Ahhh... A little more....

Takeru glances over to Yamato, who's receiving a busy signal from the phone.

Yamato: That Taichi... What could he want?

It's Taichi's turn to be 太一の奴 Taichi no yatsu. Yamato clearly isn't happy about having his vacation at grandma's interrupted for unspecified reasons.

We move back to the Yagami residence as the news continues.

News: However, if it is necessary to get in touch with someone, you may use the emergency voice mail system by dialing 171. Taichi: Huh? News: With the emergency mail system, your message will be stored even when the system is down or busy. Created in 1995.... Taichi: That's... That's it!

Taichi has a new plan! Stop that, Infermon!

...nobody tell Infermon or it might eat the emergency voice mail system.

In the dub:

News: The stock market is in chaos and people are rioting in the streets. Grandma: Ahhhh, that's nice. (Matt's getting a busy signal) Matt: Huh!? Tai says call, then he won't get off the phone! News: We interrupt this programming for a special bulletin. T.K.: Huh? Grandma: Goody! I bet it's one of those high-speed chases! (Cut back to Kamiya household) News: The phone company has set up an emergency voicemail system. Simply dial 171 for easy instructions. Tai: Huh!? Kari (V.O.): Believe me, it wasn't so easy. First you had to leave a message, then call back to pick up a message. Basically, it was just playing phone tag. Tai: Perfect! Voice mail!

The U.S. doesn't have any sort of equivalent to Japan's Disaster Emergency Message system, so the dub has to invent it as a brand new thing the phone companies are doing in this extreme global phone blackout.

With Narrator Kari stepping in to explain how such a thing even works.

I love that Matt gets snippy with Tai here, assuming the reason he can't get through is because Tai won't get off the phone. After Tai attacked Mimi for that same thing earlier, it's well-deserved. :P

Now armed with this new tool, Taichi once again tries to make calls.

Recording: This is the emergency voice mail system. To record a message, press one. Phone: (beep) Taichi: Moshimoshi, Yamato! As soon as you get this call, send a reply! It's important! Phone: (beep) Taichi: Jou! As soon as you get this call, send a reply! Phone: (beep) Taichi: Hikari! I told you to come home! Phone: (beep) Taichi: Sora! I'll apologize for the other day. So if you get this call, please respond right away!

Meanwhile, directly outside Taichi's front door, Sora hesitates with her finger over the doorbell button. After a moment's hesitation, she withdraws her finger and walks away.

Sora: Stupid Taichi.

...I don't think she's going to get this call any time soon, Taichi. Sorry.

In the dub:

Recording: To leave a message, press one. To retrieve a message, press two. (beep) Please leave your message at the tone. (beep) Tai: Matt! T.K.! This is an emergency! Call me right away! Oh, by the way, this is Tai! (beep) Tai: (angrily) Kari, if you want to see any of your toys again, get home right away! (beep) Tai: Sora! Sora, listen, I'm sorry about the hairpin but I need to talk to you right away! Call me! Or just come over! (Meanwhile, outside) Sora: ...ugh... Stupid Tai. (turns around and leaves) Hmph!

The call to Jou gets cut from the dub. Probably for time, since they're trying to trim three different OVAs down for this movie. I like that Tai remembers T.K. is with Matt, though.

With that, Taichi has one more call to make.

Taichi: Mimi-chan! As soon as you get this call, send a reply! Yuuko: Oh, I forgot! Taichi: Huh? What is it?

Leaving the kitchen, Yuuko pulls a card out of her pocket and gives it to Taichi.

Yuuko: Mimi-chan sent us this postcard. Taichi: Eh!? Mimi-chan!? W... Where is she?

Taichi snatches the postcard out of Yuuko's hand.

Taichi: HAWAIII!?!?

Cut to Mimi on a sunny beach, stretching and yawning.

Mimi: HAWAII IS SO NICE!!!

Somehow, she seems even less likely to answer Taichi's message than Sora.

In the dub:

Tai: Hi, Mimi! It's Tai. Please come over to my house as soon as you get this message! Goodbye! Yuuko: Oh, that reminds me. Tai: Huh? Yuuko: You got this postcard in the mail from Mimi. Tai: WHAT!?!? (Tai snatches the postcard) Tai: She's on vacation!? In Hawaii!? Ugh... Mimi.... (Cut to Mimi in Hawaii) Mimi: Hawaii is paradise! I don't have a care in the world! And I'm wishing you were HERE!!! Hahahahahahahahaha!

What a lovely place to leave off part 1, on this moment of pure jubilation and bliss. No, don't look at image 3, this is a happy moment. Everything is wonderful here.

[cartmankisser]

you should do alphabet with howdy (romantic) if you want

HOWDY my baby i love him so much he’s adorable 😌

plz ignore if there’s any typos it’s currently 4:38 am as i’m typing this out so don’t be too harsh 😭

Activities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

howdy enjoys spending his free time with you, whether it's exploring the town or trying out new recipes together at home. since he spends most of his time running his bodega, he doesn't get out often, but he loves it when you can convince him to do something new and different. sometimes, his awkwardness can show through, but he always tries his best to make you happy!

Beauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

howdy finds you to be the most beautiful person in the world, inside and out. he admires the way you light up a room with your smile and how you make him feel comfortable around you. despite his extra limbs, he is always careful not to hurt you and loves to hold you close.

Comfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc?

when it comes to comforting you, howdy can be a bit shy and unsure, but he always tries his best to be there for you. he wants you to feel safe and secure, and he will go out of his way to make sure that you’re okay. if you're ever feeling down, he'll offer a listening ear and a bigggg warm hug! extra arms means extra comfort!

Dreams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

he dreams of a future with you where you are both happy and comfortable, whether that means running the bodega together or pursuing other passions. he wants to build a life with you where you both feel supported and loved, and he'll do whatever it takes to make that dream a reality!

Equal - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

he definitely sees you as his equal partner in the relationship, and he always wants to make sure that your needs and desires are being considered. despite his giant height and extra limbs, he is always careful not to dominate the relationship, and he values open communication and mutual respect.

Fight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

howdy absolutely believes in forgiveness and he always looks for compromises when there’s a disagreement. he can be a bit shy when it comes to confrontation, but he'll always do his best to talk things out and find a way to move forward together.

Gratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

he’s incredibly grateful for everything that you do for him, and he makes sure to express his gratitude all the time!! despite his shyness towards affection, he always finds ways to show you how much he appreciates you, whether that's through small gestures or big romantic gestures.

Honesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

he definitely believes in being open and honest with you, although he can be a bit bashful when it comes to intimacy. he values transparency in the relationship and wants you to feel comfortable sharing everything with him. he trusts you completely and wants to build a relationship based on mutual respect and honesty.

Inspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

your presence in his life has been a source of inspiration for him!! you've encouraged him to try a lot of new things and he's grateful for the way you push him out of his comfort zone and help him grow. at the same time, he wants to inspire you to pursue your own passions and achieve your dreams, and he supports you in any way he can!

Jealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

i don’t think he would get jealous easily, but he would sometimes get a bit insecure. he knows that sometimes he can be a bit awkward, and he worries that you might find someone more outgoing or confident. however, he trusts you completely and knows that you chose to be with him for a reason. when he does feel jealous, he tries to talk to you about it and work through his feelings together with you without getting too possesive

Kiss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

howdy can be a bit bashful and awkward when it comes to intimacy and affection, but i’d say he’s an average kisser? his kisses are gentle and sweet, and he always tries to make sure that you feel loved and cherished with them. the first kiss was a bit awkward, as he was nervous about himself being so inexperienced. however, as soon as your lips met, he knew that he had nothing to worry about, and he melted into the moment.

Love Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

he can be a bit shy about expressing his feelings, but when he's ready to confess his love to you, he would do it in a very heartfelt way. he might write you a love letter or take you to a special spot where you both have shared memories, and pour his heart out to you. he would want to make sure that you know just how much he cares about you, and that he's committed to making you happy!!!

Marriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

howdy definitely wants to get married someday, but he would want to make sure that it's the right time and that you're both ready for that step. when he proposes, he would want it to be a special moment that you'll always remember. he might take you to a beautiful spot in nature, or surprise you with a thoughtful gesture that shows how much he cares. the marriage would be a loving and supportive partnership, where you both work together to build a life that makes you both happy!! :)

Nicknames - What do they call their s/o?

i feel like he would call you his sweetheart or darling. or maybe he would also give you a nickname that's unique to your relationship, like sunflower if you love gardening together or muffin if you both love baking!!!

On Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

ooo okay so!! when is in love, it's superrrrr obvious to everyone around him. he would seem a bit more confident and outgoing, and he'd definitely be more affectionate towards you. he might surprise you with thoughtful gestures or little gifts, just to show you how much he cares. basically he would express his crush through his actions, even if he's a too shy to say it out loud.

PDA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

howdy is a bit shy when it comes to pda, but he's not afraid to show that he's proud to be with you! he might hold your hand or put his arm around you when you're out in public, but he won't go overboard with it. he's a lot more comfortable expressing his affection in private, where he can be more himself and let his guard down!

Quirk - Some random ability they have that's beneficial in a relationship.

okay hear me out just because i cant stop thinking about them... his extra limbs are actually helpful in a relationship. for example, he could help you carry heavy things or give you a hug and hold your hand at the same time. he's also able to multitask better than most, so he can be there for you in multiple ways at once!

Romance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

i think he would be a little shy at first, but he's actually quite romantic! he likes to surprise you with thoughtful gestures or unique experiences. he might plan a picnic in a beautiful spot, or take you to a concert for a band you both love. he's not afraid to be a bit creative with his romance, but he also knows how to do the classic things like bringing you flowers or writing you a love letter.

Support - Are they helping their s/o achieve there? Do they believe in them?

howdy is a very supportive partner!! he believes in you and wants to help you achieve your dreams. he's there to listen and offer advice when needed, but he also knows when to step back and let you figure things out on your own. he's always there to encourage and cheer you on, no matter what your goals are!

Thrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

he likes to keep things interesting in his relationship! he enjoys trying out new things and going on adventures with his significant other. he's always open to suggestions for new activities or experiences, but he also knows when to slow things down and enjoy a quiet evening at home. he's flexible and adaptable, and he's always looking for ways to keep the relationship fresh and exciting for you!!

Understanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

howdy is a good listener and he's super empathetic towards you. he tries to understand your perspective and feelings, and he's always there to offer support and comfort when needed. he values communication and honesty in his relationship, and he's always working to build a stronger emotional connection with you!!! :) <3

Value - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

howdy places a high value on his relationship. it's one of the most important things in his life, and he's willing to make sacrifices to keep it strong and healthy! he sees his partner as his equal and he's always striving to make sure they feel loved and appreciated. while he has other responsibilities and interests in his life, his relationship is a top priority for him and he's committed to making it work for the long haul!

Wild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

he loves to surprise you with little gifts and treats, even if they are sometimes a bit unconventional. he might bring home a bag of exotic fruits he found at the market or a strange trinket he found at a thrift store that he thinks you would appreciate. he just likes to see your face light up with happiness!!!

XOXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

i feel like howdy would be pretty affectionate with you, although sometimes he can be a bit shy or awkward about it. he loves to cuddle and hold hands, and he's not afraid to steal a kiss whenever he gets the opportunity. he's always looking for ways to show you how much he cares, whether it's through physical affection or through little gestures!

Yearning - How will they cope when they're missing their partner?

whenever you’re far away, he likes to stay busy with work and other activities to distract himself. he also enjoys writing letters or sending little gifts to let you know he's thinking of you! however, sometimes he just needs to take a break and give himself time to feel his emotions. he might take a day off to relax and process his feelings, or he might call you just to hear your voice and feel a little closer.

Zeal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

howdy is willing to go to great lengths for your relationship. he's committed to making it work and he's willing to make sacrifices and put in the effort required to keep it strong! if you’re going through a difficult time, he'll be there to offer support and encouragement. if there's a problem in the relationship, he'll help work to find a solution and make things right! he's not afraid to put his all into his relationship, because he knows how much it means to him!!!

[likablemuffin]

Bad future is bad. What else is new? (Whumptober)

(From: Random ROTTMNT oneshots)

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

Day 14: Left for dead

The supply run went horribly.

It wasn't supposed to be hard. Just in and out sort of thing. But this is the Kraang apocalypse; of course it couldn't be easy.

"THE BUILDINGS GOING TO COME DOWN!" Everyone is under the building. They're all going to die.

Leo quickly pushes everyone out as fast as he can. Rubble starts falling all around them, and people start screaming and running even faster. However, there's one kid who seems to be looking for someone.

It's Casey Jr. 

"CASEY!" Leo screams as more rubble falls. Casey turns around to stare at him with scared eyes. "SENSEI!" Leo runs over to Casey and takes him by the hand, trying to lead him out. But before they make it out, a giant piece of rubble starts falling directly on top of them. "CASEY!" Leo yells before he covers Casey with his body.

And all Leo can think about as rocks start to fall on him and pain enters his body is that he hopes to everything that Casey will be okay.

___________________________________________________________

Dust is the first thing he smells, which is not exactly the greatest. Something that's also not the greatest is that when he tries to breathe, it hurts.

So, two bad things. Which, again, not the greatest.

When he tries the sit-up, he seems to be stuck. He cant move even a little bit. 

Three bad things. Great.

So he's pinned down with rocks on top of him, probably has at least bruised ribs, and...wait, wheres Casey? Is Casey okay? "Sensei!!"

Leo very slowly opens his eyes, which he didn't even realize were closed. He looks around a bit before dust gets in his eyes, which causes him to hiss and close them again. "Sensei- Sensei, are you okay?!" Leo somehow manages to shake his head. "St...stuck..." "Stuck? Like, u-under rocks?" "Y-Yes."

Leo tries to push himself up again, but he cant even move a little bit. "Um...s-should I go get help? Sensei?" Leo's vision slowly becomes more blurry, and his head starts filling with static. "C-Casey, listen to...me." Casey instantly turns to him. "Yes sensei?" "I need you to..." Leo inhales. "Get out of here and go back to the...base." 

Casey's eyes widen as he scoots closer to Leo. "B-But I cant just leave you!" Leo somehow manages to grab Casey's hand, and he holds it gently. "Please...just g-go." Casey thinks for a bit before he stands up. "I'll go sensei." Leo feels horrible as he sees tears start to stream down Casey's face, so Leo manages to force a smile. "I'll b-be right...behind you, o-okay?" 

Casey nods and starts running away. Leo watches him leave, and his vision starts to go blurry. But it's okay, because Casey will be alright now.

________________________________________________________

"Those stupid little bitches-!" Donnie yells as he inspects the fallen building where Leo's tracker was last on the map. "Donnie, can you calm down?" Mikey asks gently from where he was also inspecting the building. "No! I will not! Everyone else at the base didn't want to come and help us get Leo! He's their fucking leader! And they just left him for dead!" Mikey sighs. He should just expect Donnie to act like this. After all, the apocalypse doesn't exactly calm people's nerves.

Donnie starts lifting rocks out of the way, and Mikey helps him. As Donnie continues to work, he keeps mumbling about how everyone at the resistance were all traitors for leaving Leo. 

Eventually, they get to the exact place where Leo's tracker was last. And low and behold, they found Leo....stuck under some rocks. "Shit- Mikey! Help me!" Mikey and Donnie instantly start getting to work, picking up the stones to get Leo unstuck. After quite a concerning amount of time, they can finally pull Leo out of the rubble. 

"How long was he stuck here, do you think?" Mikey asks Donnie. "Best guess six hours? I obviously can't know for sure... come on, we gotta get him back to the base quickly." Mikey nods and starts following Donnie as Donnie picks Leo up. As Donnie picks Leo up, Leo groans, which is actually quite relieving to Donnie. It shows that Leo's alive.

Donnie's already lost one brother; he can't lose another.

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

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Cater Diamond - Playful Dress Vignette

"The biggest viral hit is waiting"

[Playful Land – Bazaar]

Cater: Hmmm, I can't find any… All the posts on Magicam said I'd be able to see 'em on the bricks or tiles.

Cater: Maybe they'd be easier to find near the show venues or rides… But I feel like there's something off around here.

Jack: ......? What's he doing?

Cater: AHHH!! I FOUND ONE!!

[snap, snap!!]

Jack: Ack!? Wh-what's going on!?

Cater: Oh hey, Jack-kun. What's up?

Jack: That should be my line. Looked like you were just crouching there for some reason, and then suddenly you yelled out.

Cater: Ah～ Sorry, sorry ☆ I guess I got a little carried away.

Cater: So, actually, your boy Cay-kun here's in the middle of searching for "Hidden Foxes." See, look at this!

Jack: You mean at the keyhole in the door? Lookin' a little closer, it kind of looks like a shape I've seen somewhere else…

Cater: That's right, that keyhole is shaped like the silhouette of Playful Land's mascot, the "Friendly Fox."

Cater: These are super rare photo ops that only the people who've come to Playful Land'll have been able to find and post online!

Cater: These are hidden in various places throughout the park… Searching for them is just another fun thing to do here.

Cater: Fellow-kun was also telling me that there's a rumor that finding one can bring you some joy, too.

Cater: I've been looking around ever since we entered the park, and I finally found this one.

Jack: Sounds interesting. Playful Land itself is already supposed to be a pretty mysterious place, so I'm surprised there's even more hidden stuff inside of it.

Cater: Right!? I got a feeling that the biggest viral hit is waiting for Cay-kun!

Cater: Since you're here with me, you wanna search with me, Jack-kun? If you find one, maybe something good will happen ♪

Jack: No, I'm… I'm good. I don't believe in wishes or superstitions, so.

Cater: Ehh～? But c'mon, think about it. This is something hiding in that already mysterious Playful Land, right?

Cater: Doesn't it kinda… Get your heart pumping?

Jack: My… heart pumping?

Cater: Yeah. Think of it like a challenge that Playful Land is giving us.

Cater: I bet the higher-ups of this amusement park are thinking, "There's no way any of them will be able to enjoy everything Playful Land has to offer in one day."

Cater: BUT WOULDN'T IT SUCK TO JUST PLAY RIGHT INTO THAT!?

Cater: That's why I want to do everything and come out victorious over all the little hidden secrets, so that I can say, "I saw everything Playful Land had to offer!"

Jack: Oh, that totally makes sense! …Not.

Cater: Maaan, so you don't feel the same～ Tch.

Jack: Heh. But I guess… I'm not completely against the idea of coming out victorious over all the little hidden secrets.

Cater: Right, right? So whaddya think? Wanna stick with your pal Cay-kun for a bit?

Jack: …Guess so. You might be from a different dorm, but you're still an upperclassman, so I can't ignore your offer. I'll join you for about 10 minutes, then.

Cater: Yay ♪ Okay, let's look around this Bazaar, then!

Cater: There's usually a ton of people that pass through these kinds of places, so I feel like there should be a bunch around here.

Jack: That makes sense. I mean, even if it's supposed to be hidden, it'd be meaningless if no one could find it at all.

Cater: Yup, yup. Mmkay, we'll split up to look for the Hidden Foxes, and meet back up here in 10 minutes!

Cater: Jack-kun, hey-o～☆ …Oooh, based on the look on your face, did you find one of the Hidden Foxes?

Jack: Yes, I found one. I'll show you where.

Jack: The Hidden Fox I found is here on the trash can at the foot of the street lamp. See, right here.

Cater: You're right, this part of the trash can lid is dented in the shape of a fox! Great find, Jack-kun!

[snap, snap!]

Cater: As for me, I found one on the window pane of this building. A part of it was frosted in the shape of a fox.

Cater: But I think this one was an easy find. It's right at eye level, and it's super easy to see even from inside the building.

Cater: I want the next one to be just as difficult to find as the one you got, Jack-kun～

Cater: Don't you think you felt a little jolt of excitement when you found it?

Jack: …Honestly, I was all, "All right!"

Cater: Ahaha! Seein' you happy makes me happy ♪

Cater: I'm gonna head towards the rides and search there next… How about you, Jack?

Jack: I guess at this point, I'm already along for the ride. I'll come with.

Cater: Awesomeee. Then, we're gonna find as many Hidden Foxes as we can before our free time is up!

[Playful Land – Catch The Star]

Cater: Hmmm, I'm not finding any Hidden Foxes around the Catch the Star ride.

Cater: It was pretty easy finding the ones at the Brawl Bungalow and the roller coaster, though.

Cater: Jack-kun, how's it looking for you?

Jack: I went and looked around the queues, but didn't see any Hidden Foxes, either.

Jack: …I'm assuming the large image of the "Friendly Fox" smack dab in the middle of the Catch the Star wheel doesn't count. 'Specially 'cause it's not hidden.

Cater: Ahaha, yeah. But anyway, let's keep searching for a bit longer. I don't want to give up like this… Oh?

???: Ah, hello! What an opportune meeting, you two!

Cater: Hi, hi, Fellow-kun and Gidel-kun～☆

Fellow: It seems to me like you are enjoying a stroll around the park without even getting on any rides… Oh, are you perhaps in search of those Hidden Foxes?

Cater: Yup. We've found 6 already.

Fellow: Oh my! How astounding! You've found 6 already. I should have expected no less from such accomplished scholars of your prestigious academy. Splendid!

Jack: If I recall, we found one in Gentle Square, 3 in the Bazaar, and one each in the Brawl Bungalow and roller coaster areas.

Jack: They're actually pretty hard to spot… I definitely feel like there's one hidden around here, too.

Fellow: Quite right, the one hidden in this area is very difficult to search for, and there are many who are unable to find it.

Fellow: However… You both found all the Hidden Foxes in every other area. This is the last one!

Cater: REALLY!? THEN WE'RE SO CLOSE TO COMPLETE VICTORY!

Fellow: Exactly! I'm sure you brilliant students will be able to find it in no time. Fahahah!

Fellow: Well, anyway, I'm sure you're exhausted from walking around. Why not take a short break and put your feet up for a little while?

Fellow: Perhaps if you relax a moment, and take in the scenery… You may see something that you couldn't see before.

Cater: …?

Jack: Didn't it seem like Fellow-san was trying to tell us something very specific? Something about seeing something we couldn't see before.

Cater: Yeah, he was. Maybe it was a hint for finding a Hidden Fox.

Cater: …Oh, hey! Jack-kun, let's go ride the Catch the Star wheel.

Jack: Huh?

Cater: He said to relax a moment and take in the scenery… Doesn't that sound like a hint to ride that?

Jack: Maybe… I guess our perspective would change if we got on it. Let's join the line right away, then.

Jack: …No success in the end, huh.

Jack: There wasn't one in the gondola we were in, at the very least.

Cater: Hrrrm～ I was looking for something that might have looked like the shape of a fox from high up, but… Guess that was a bust.

Cater: I guess Fellow-kun wouldn't have given us a hint that easy, huh. That sucks.

Jack: Yeah…  But there's no way I'd be happy with giving up and heading to another attraction.

Jack: Cater-senpai. We're definitely going to find the Hidden Foxes in this area, no matter what.

Cater: Yeeah! You're on fire, Jack-kun! Cay-kun'll have to work harder to keep up～

Cater: But man, we're really not having any luck finding it at all. What if it's actually in an easier place to find?

Cater: Since he said to take a short break, maybe it's on a bench… But there's no way it'd be that easy.

Cater: …Hm? Hm? Hm? Hm??

Cater: AAAAAHH!? JACK-KUN, LOOK! LOOK AT THAT BENCH SEAT!

Jack: Cater-senpai, what is it?

Jack: …AH! If I look more closely, it's carved in the shop of a fox. This has to be a Hidden Fox!

Cater: I-It was here the whole time and we didn't notice at all. Right in front of us…

Cater: When Fellow said to take a short break and put our feet up, that hint was basically the whole answer, huh.

Jack: Looks like we just overthought it.

Cater: Ahaha! But man, I feel like we totally accomplished something amazing! Doesn't that really make you feel like we really did see everything they had to offer!?

Jack: Yup. It's a pretty good feeling.

Cater: Hey, Jack-kun. Let's take a pic with this Hidden Fox in the background! I promise I won't upload it onto Magicam.

Jack: Eh? I thought you'd want to post it on Magicam to prove that you were "victorious" over Playful Land.

Cater: Mmm, but after I thought about it a bit, if I uploaded it all to Magicam, then it wouldn't be a secret spot anymore, would it?

Cater: But I do want to snag a pic to remember this moment by. That's 'cause…

Cater: Being able to take a selfie with one of my underclassmen alongside a Hidden Fox that we worked so hard to find…

Cater: Chances to take an awesome pic like this doesn't come often.

Jack: …Makes sense. Then, make it quick.

Cater: Yay ♪ Alright then, pose like the wooden puppet in Wish Upon a Star, and…

Cater: …SAY CHEESE!

Requested by @farfalla049.

[tanglepelt]

Im... um.. the ambassador? 3

AO3 Prev Next Story

The last bit for this storyline. 

After taking evasive action to ensure he lost the GIW it was a smooth flight. The sun had been shining. The weather was nice and clear. Not even a wind current fighting them.

  Traveling by interstate to ensure they were going in the right direction. The signage was very helpful. With the detours, they had been flying longer than planned. Danny had to take no chances. Even invisible they had thermal cameras. They could track them with that. Ellie had a solution to that hiccup, changing his internal temperature. Which is a very smart use of the core type. He’d figure out how to do that later.

 They had to have lost anyone by now. The sun had long since set. Flying farther ahead a sign became visible. The one that had been waiting for.  Welcome to New Jersey. But they had no idea where to go from here. Danny knows she’s in Gotham. He knows how to get the New Jersey. Not so much Gotham.

 If Danny recalled, it was towards the water. He could be off. Danny couldn’t even read a map let alone remember where a town was.

 Ellie traveled a lot.

 “Don’t look at me. I explore countries not New Jersey”

 “Point made”

 Danny had failed to reach Sam's house. Meaning no phone. Couldn’t look up directions. They only had the $20 he found in his pocket.

 A pit stop was required. Get some food and a map. The guys in white had to be long gone. Even if they had tracked via thermal, he would have lost them by now. It would be as safe a time as any. Up ahead was a TruckStop. That should have everything they need.

 Upon arriving in a stroke of luck it wasn’t that busy. Not many semis in the back. Very few cars are parked outside the shop. Not many people see them. Finding a place to hide he transformed back to human becoming visible again. With Ellie now visible, Danny grabbed her hood and shoved it over her head, and pulled the strings tight. Only to receive a huff and a comment of, rude.

 She loosened up the strings but didn’t pull down the hood. She did look up at him to stick her tongue out at him. Danny just responded by wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

 Together they went in and got what they needed. A map that she knew how to read, and Ellie got herself a snack. Thankfully Gotham was close, it would only take a 10-minute flight to get there. They would leave soon.

 It seemed the two had an audience. He wasn’t happy with the attention. A guy with black hair and blue eyes had been subtly looking at them. His eyes went back and forth between them and his phone. Typing away.

 Danny wouldn’t have noticed, Ellie didn’t, the guy felt like death. Not like Ellie and him. No core. But one was touched by death and brought back. It drew Danny’s attention to him. He was always aware of those who were liminal, or death-touched. Benefit of the job.

 Whoever the black-haired dude was he’d make a good stalker.

 Heading out as urgently yet carefully as he could he stopped before the door to exit. Right in front of the glass. Danny heard it. Hushed voices. People overlapping. He could only catch bits and pieces from inside the building.  The walls unfortunately cushioned the sound.

 They weren’t by the doors. Likely in an attempt to show themselves. He recognizes agent O's voice anywhere. It stood out amongst the others. His words were the concerning ones.

 “She’s here… ecto signature” “surround... building” “posses... Fenton boy.”

 Were they tracking the ecto signature? She and he both had the same one. His core was still the base of her powers. Not enough time had settled to form her own. Did they track them through his use of powers?

 That could be solved. A duplicate could lure the agents away. They’d have to walk the rest of the way to Gotham. Which could take up to four hours at a slower pace. It would be too easy for them to be found out. Stealing a vehicle would be risky. Who knows how many trackers they had on those?

 Add in the fact Ellie looked exhausted. He didn’t know if she’d last a walk. Being held prisoner would have that effect on anyone.

 Well… Danny could probably hold two clones until right before Gotham. It wouldn’t be too taxing. The trails would extend two opposite ways. Forcing the GIW to split. That could get them closer to Gotham.

 The duplicates would have to stay invisible to keep up the act. Phantom's signature had been erased from all their devices long ago. They didn’t know Phantom and Ellie shared the same signature.

 Looking around the truck stop he hatched a plan. There were three exits out of her. The car side, the fuel line, and one from the fast-food joint. Going out of the fuel side would be their plan. Fewer agents could swarm from that side.

 The way Ellie grabbed his arm, he knew she heard the agents as well.

 “Ready for some chaos”

 Her face shifted into a grin that said everything.

 They positioned themselves just out of view of the door. In the aisles hidden from the glass doors. The large rotating display rack in front of them. Full of knickknacks plastered with New Jersey all over them. A very tippable display case.

 The guy with stalker vibes seemed to tense and became more focused on the main entrance. Danny couldn’t focus on him to see what he was going to do. He didn’t think he was at threat.

 Suddenly the glass doors shattered. The GIW yelling about capturing them. They just had to play up their theatrics, didn’t they? And something about a kidnapping? What was that about? With a push of the display, it smacked Agent O to the ground. The other agents tripping along the way. They weren’t the most agile. The two rushed to the fuel line exit. The other side. One agent did manage to get through the Knickknacks Ellie grabbed a cane on the way and smacked him down.  

 The two left with a plan. Get closer to Gotham then send clones in opposite directions then walk the last mile or two. They never stopped and thought about the escape.

 Why didn’t more of the GIW follow? They had only knocked out two agents after all. The rest should have gotten up and followed in pursuit.  

 Walking on foot was never fun. It was necessary to hide their presence. Ellie was too depleted, and Danny could hide his. It just meant longer for his sister to recover from the draining of her ectoplasm reserves. He wouldn’t be able to feed her reserves.

 After an hour of walking. Their pace much slower than expected. At one point Ellie was getting a piggyback ride. They had no interruptions. No GIW, nothing. they saw a sign. A rundown sign in need of maintenance.

 Entering Gotham.

 Gotham was creepy. Abandoned buildings, boarded up windows. The death lingering here. Once here it was here it didn’t want to leave.

 Did Jazz really have to come here of all places? There had to have been better choices. Ones that wouldn’t add to her liminal problem. Staying in an area such as this. High death does cause more ectoplasm to settle in the air. Danny’s surprised this place isn’t swarming with ecto entities.

 Jazz did not need a Vlad situation going on. No early core forming for her. Danny would need to have Frostbite check Jazz over as well. Make sure nothing is forming and if it is to be ready. Then monitor and make sure no powers form without a core to manage them.

 Hopefully, she wasn’t in this area of Gotham. This would be an awful place to be at. Everything here had to be a safety violation. Trust him he knows he died in one. Gotham seemed large. The map only showed cities, rivers, lakes, and a warning about Gotham. Another check as to why they need to find Jazz. Danny didn’t want Ellie out in a place that comes with a warning.

 Those are often true. Take Amity for example. Most haunted town in America.

 There was no plan on how to get to Gotham U. They hadn’t anticipated getting there at night. Not an ideal situation. He only has about 90 cents left after the map and food. With the potential of being tracked by the GIW, he didn’t want to risk any powers.

 Learning to hide your presence is not fun. It's concealing a whole portion of yourself. Danny wasn’t Pariah, he wasn’t going to use his presence as a scare tactic. That’s the whole reason the ghosts were always so terrified of him. He was constantly pushing his energy out. Most ghosts do this as a default. The more power you have the more that gets released. The king’s core was meant to be a terrifying force, one to keep the ghost in line. Danny just keeps it in as much as he can. No need to scare them into complying. He’d much rather avoid a whole tyrant situation. No naps for him.

 So, no powers and it was the middle of the night.

 They could deal with this... somehow. He didn’t know how.

While Danny was busy thinking of a solution, Ellie seemed to know what to do. She grabbed Danny by the wrist and began to drag him. Leading him to an even sketchier area. There were several buildings boarded up on the bottom and top floors. Others in the area had been pried open once or twice. Tipped over dumpsters. The whole place was a disaster. Ellie had a destination in mind.

 Danny didn’t know where.

 Ellie was the one who went traveling. Always denying money or help, until the incident. She didn’t get much of a choice after destabilizing. Still, she only took the phone, refusing anything else. Insisting she would be fine without it. They still had put a cash app on her phone, she only used it once or twice. If anyone was going to know how to find a place to crash, she would.

 While he was being dragged into an alley. He could feel an entity. Another dead yet alive. Very similar to the guy at the truck stop. Nearly identical. Maybe identical. It wasn’t close enough to tell. He couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from.

 It didn’t feel negative. It wasn’t threatening him in a challenge. For now, he’d leave it be.

 The deeper he got dragged in the more concerned he got. It was one of those back alleys that only had one way in.

 Both Ellie and Danny froze. Hearing the steps approaching.

 He pushed Ellie behind him ready to fight or flee.

 It happened too quickly.

 GIW agents suddenly blocked the entrance. Men in white face them. They had been found yet again. He didn’t leave a trail behind. How they kept finding them.

 Jazz had cut ties to the Fenton's when she left for college. New phone numbers, new emails, and everything in between. The only exception was Danny and Ellie. There should be no reason to expect them in New Jersey. Let alone, Gotham. How were they finding them?

 Danny was not against using his powers to get them out. So what if he revealed himself? He may have already. He didn’t exactly cover his face when he turned them invisible. They already knew who he was. When he saw what they had he knew it wouldn’t help.

 Agent K wasn’t armed with just guns and weapons. Not the typical anti ecto rays. No. Something far worse. Something that couldn’t be ignored.

 Blood Blossoms.

 One of the hardest flowers to find. Thought to be extinct. The natural weakness of ghosts.

 Natural Halfas had a distinct advantage in this field. Their human half was immune. The flowers only impacted those of ectoplasm. Not those who have ectoplasm. Danny learned his lesson in Salem. Transforming would cause him to fall to the ground unable to move.

 Using his powers would let out enough ectoplasm to affect him. Making his attacks weak and worthless. They wouldn’t get through. The attacks would likely be stopped before getting anywhere. It wasn’t the time to figure it out. He’d be more of a use as a human. Danny’s not the strongest or quickest while human. But enough that they should be able to get out.

 Then he saw it.

 One glaring problem.

 The blossoms affected Ellie.

 It must be due to how she was a clone. Never having a true form without ectoplasm. Both her halves relied on ectoplasm.

 This was bad.

 “Give it up Fenton. You don’t stand a chance” K stated. He said more but Danny was busy trying to figure out a plan. Only tuning in when he started thanking him “... should be thanking you. Thanks to you, one of the ghosts conducting a kidnapping and blowing up a lab. Was just what we needed to get the acts pushed through.”

 “You blamed a child for crimes she didn’t do.”

 “Don’t cover for it” Danny’s vision went green.

 Not letting Agent K continue, he lunged at him. No care that there were other agents around. No one called his sister an It.

 Only to be grabbed from behind.

 Being held his back pressed into another. Dark tight around him holding him in place. In front unable to see Ellie.  Before he could get a word out. There was a jab and a hand covering his mouth. Orange sleeves and black gloves hands.

 Jack

 One of his donors.

 “I just knew it, our Dann-o would never work with a ghost.”

 Maddie appearing from behind him walked towards the GIW a device in hand. “He has an ecto signature, not a unique one but that ghost. She must be controlling him. We’ve had enough of them to know all signatures are unique.”

 “You get your specimen; we can decontaminate our son. It works out perfectly” Maddie spoke walking back behind him and bringing Ellie out from behind him towards the agents.

 She was being handed off.

 Blood blossoms are ever-present. Caged tight in his donor’s arms.

 The farther she got from the blossoms the better off she was, then he saw a collar. One glowing green, the same green as the cuffs.

 That would not happen.

 Danny bit down on the hand. Biting through the glove, the taste of iron entered his mouth. The hold around his waist tightened yet the hand was removed. Neither party present in front of him had ever listened before. He’d have to try another means.

 In the end, it wasn’t just the two parties he’d be addressing. Death was lingering. He could feel it.

 The next words he said had to be impactful and had to draw attention to the situation at hand. The hand would be back over his mouth. He knew it.

 “She’s their princess” stressing the word princess “It won’t be a war or a massacre. It is far worse. You’re messing with the afterlife, not just some ghost. They’ll just cut off access. A world without death. It’s the Infinite R” he was cut off before he could finish. Hopefully, it was enough.

 It was Agent K who spoke up. “Enough of the lies. They are unfeeling non-sentient beings. They have no hierarchy.” It was only the beginning of some long-winded rant. He would much rather be at Ellie's side. For now, Danny just had to focus his glare on Agent K not on his surroundings. There had been movements on a roof ahead of them.

 “You’re very lucky we are willing to let your parents handle your de-contamination. By all accounts, you are in violation of the acts. We have every right to hold you as an ecto-entity yourself. Be”

 Danny took extreme pleasure in seeing some red cosplayer on a grappling hook knock him down. Then a shed of hope when a female in a black outfit with a yellow bat knocked the agent who had Ellie down and grabbed her. Hardly a care of why Jack released him.

 He didn’t care about the fighting. It was easy enough to get past the remaining agents. He only cared about getting Ellie back. There wasn’t even a struggle against the girl in black. All but having Ellie shoved back in his hands as she joined the other two. The second one must have been the one to deal with Jack and Maddie.

 Older than the other two. A black suit with a bat hood... Probably some form of vigilante. Masks and all. If he was one back in Amity, he was sure others existed.

 Regardless of who they were, he had business to attend to.  Putting his hands on Ellie the temperature in the alley started, just a tad. Just enough for him to infuse more of his ectoplasm with her. The blood blossoms didn’t act as a leech. Just a painful suppressant.  Their effects have already gone away. The blossoms away from the siblings.

 Looking around, all the agents were down. No white suits standing, just the two black and red figures. The three may have gotten rid of the GIW, but that doesn’t mean they were immediately friendly. It could be some plow. Just because they handed Ellie to him doesn’t mean squat. The three could have immediately assumed the two wouldn’t be a threat. Especially with the fact Ellie still wasn’t at full strength. Danny does not look like a threat to most.  He couldn’t help the glare when the girl came around to the front.

 Pointing at each of them and herself as she spoke “Batman, Red Robin, Black Bat.”

 The voice Batman had was not what he expected. It wasn’t some deep burly voice, much softer than that. “The members of the justice league all oppose those acts; we were releasing opinions in opposition to the acts. They were rushed through before we had the chance.”

 Red Robin seemed to notice his confusion on the whole justice league thing. Explaining there is a group of heroes who serve to protect others.

 “I don’t really care. All I know is my sister. The princess of the infinite realms was strapped down in a basement. Having had blood taken from her then sold off like an animal” spitting out “to the US government. Why shouldn’t I summon Lady Pandora or the master of time himself?  Even summoning Frostbite to my side.” Anger was more prevalent the longer he spoke.

 They didn’t know he really couldn’t. He was only able to summon frostbite. He needed something to draw the circle.

 They were for sure tracking his movements. He didn’t care he needed a summoning circle. He needed frostbite to check her over. Danny had none of his medical supplies, abandoned when they fled the speedster. He didn’t know what she needed. Even if it meant freezing the three. Maybe if he kept talking, they’d focus on that more so than him trying to rub the ground into a visible circle. Any size would do.  

 “I’ve seen what the realm does. Souls of doomed universe serving under the previous tyrant. Turned to skeletons as death was cut off from them. Death is mercy. One they can easily strip away without calling anyone to arms. Every universe in existence is connected to the realms. It’s the passage for all afterlives. If a person in any universe messes with the realm they have every right to cut it off. What’s one universe in the name of all the other infinite ones.”

 That was the original purpose of the king. One meant to maintain balance. Ghosts have their own territories that are ruled induvial. They never needed a king for that. The title was to ensure their safety. To scare them into listening, to prevent them from destroying the universe as they please. Pariah only lusted for power. Rather than just let the universe peacefully end he’d let them suffer until they were begging to be released.

 That’s how he got the Skelton army during the siege of Amity.

 Danny wouldn’t make that call. Not like Pariah. He also couldn’t keep ignoring what was happening here. The constant attacks on the realm.

 “I’ve done what I could. Convincing them against acting. After Pariah was dethroned and a new king took the throne” he’s not telling them it's him. Who knows what they would do with that knowledge. “I can’t just keep the peace any longer. I’ve been playing peacekeeper for the last year. It’s gone too far. This was a direct attack. With those acts now passed there isn’t much I can do”

 He’d make a call if he had to. Not everyone can be saved.

 That was when Maddie decided to speak up, apparently not unconscious.  “Don’t listen to him, that thing is controlling him. He’s a Fenton we don’t associate with ghosts, we hunt them” Of course her confidence and how proud she was of that were visible.

 Danny couldn’t help the scoff that came out. “You’re delusional. I’ve been the one actively sabotaging your weapons for over a year, not to mention the so-called specimen that has escaped, your data disappearing, and I can guarantee you Ellie did now know what would happen if the ecto-filter was removed”. The only reason he wasn’t in her face screaming was the fact Ellie was still in his arms. Unconscious.

 The shock and anger started to form in Maddie. Before anything else could be said the girl was behind her and the nutjob was unconscious. She had a piece of chalk in her hand. Where she got it from, he didn’t know. Not getting too close to him she rolled it towards him. “Summon your friend, we mean no harm.”

 “The flowers have been contained. They shouldn’t be a problem for them.”

 He was going to shoot his shot.

 Drawing the sigil, putting one hand on it. Starting as a green glow shifting to a bright blue. The air temperature dropped even farther a portal opened and frostbite appeared from within. Upon his appearance, frostbite looked around. Seemingly taking in the scene around him.

 Only then focusing on Danny and Ellie with a flick of his wrist an ice wall separated the groups.

 No words necessary he began to look her over.

 “Jack and Maddie, I presume”

 “You guys were right; action should have been taken sooner. Just wanted to last another year” It was a whole plan. He was going to nope off to Jazz. Tucker was going to forge enough documents that he could apply to be emancipated.

 Frostbite had grabbed Ellie to fully look her over. A flash of anger in his eyes as he felt the back of her neck. Hand coming forward with a little black tracker Frostbite just crushed it before speaking. “Some form of consequences for this.”

 “They don’t have to be drastic, use it to your advantage” Frostbite handed him the infimap “Break the circle to return me to the realm. I trust you’ll return as soon as it’s safe for Ellie. Don’t stray from the path you’re being led on.”

 He lowered the wall of ice surrounding them.

 “Your sister will be fine. The constant change in her ectoplasm reserves has just exhausted her. Time will heal the core. It’s far too risky for her in the realm. While she may have been forged through ectoplasm, she is still human even if only half. Recovery would be best suited for this realm.” Frostbite reassured Danny then looked at the other three in the alley “Should the problems for them continue, expect it tenfold on this realm. The sun does not shine brightly on those against us. Listen to the boy”

 Frostbite gave him a nod and Danny broke the circle with an additional mark.

 “Is there any way to remedy the situation with the infinite realm? I have the resources available to start to improve relations.”

 “Three things”

 “Which are”

 “GIw punished for these attacks of the citizens of the infinite realm. They started even before today. The anti-ecto acts are to be abolished   Then Jack and Maddie Fenton are to be handed over to the realm. Those two are the ones who held the princess. They are to be tried for all the laws broken in the infinite realm” Frostbite did say to make it work in his favor.

 “Four things. The fourth given my donors are to be tried, for my sister Jazz to get custody of Ellie and me. That or a year early emancipation. I’m legally too young.”

 “That’s it”

 “At least enough to not get cut off from the afterlife. The council would have to meet. Should be good enough.”

 Black bat seemed to nod at Batman. As if she was confirming something.

 “Can I ask how you know what the conditions would be?” Red Robin asked. Curiously evident behind the mask.

 One thought went through Danny’s head.

 Don’t say, king. They didn’t need to know.

 Here’s hoping they believed him.

 “Umm… I’m.. an Ambassador?”

 “Yea I’m an ambassador”

Note:

This is all I have planned for this story line. When I have time and re-read a few comics I plan to do the justice leagues reaction to the whole shibang. There is also a plan for Danny and Ellie being a problem in Gotham. Chaos siblings for a win. Probably nothing for a while tho.

Tagging

@serasvictoria02 @ivymala07

@perfectwastelandcreation @imgonnaeatthatglitter

[neontoad]

“Chuuya.”

As always, Chuuya was working hard to earn the Employee Of The Month award. Paying no mind to Dazai, he didn't take his eyes off the door of the office building they were assigned to watch. 

“Chibi.”

No answer came and Dazai sighed. 

It was all P-O-I-N-T-L-E-S-S. 

No one was going to get in or come out of the building on a fucking Sunday. Even criminals take weekends off once in a while. Except for them, it seems. 

“Chuuya, I’m bored.”

Chuuya clicked his tongue and shot Dazai a look of steel. 

“Do your fucking job, Dazai,” Chuuya spat. “And shut up.”

Dazai chose to ignore Chuuya’s thoughtful advice. “Such a workaholic! You are going to get a heart attack before you’re 20.” 

For a moment Dazai pondered if he should mention that Chuuya will probably be no taller than a barstool when he’s 20, but decided against it. Chuuya probably expects this jab, anyway. This just takes all the fun out of making a joke.

Dazai sighed again and fell into the pile of leaves.

The criminal organisation based in the building was so minor, so insignificant, that Dazai wondered if there was another reason they, out of all people, were assigned to this torturous, mundane mission. 

Double Black’s forte was offensive action, not surveillance. Beat somebody up? Sure. Destroy an enemy’s headquarters? Easy. Get the information out of particularly uncooperative people? Say no more. 

This shit? Give it to some low-ranking goon. 

At least the location was somewhat pleasant. The building was situated across from a small park, and that was where he and Chuuya had been waiting for hours, the bright early morning turning into a sunny afternoon. 

Late October had been showering Yokohama with sporadic rains attacking its citizens at the least convenient moment, its lead sky hanging low as an omen of the upcoming winter, piercing winds getting colder with each passing day.

Today was the complete opposite. 

As if trying to make up for the weeks of gloom and greyness, the clouds decided to open like a curtain and let the sun grace the city with its presence one more time. 

Dazai slid his bandage off his eye and looked at the blue sky through the intricate weaving of the maple trees. The sun on his face, the flicker of sunlight through the leaves, the faint humming of people talking in the background…  

He had to admit - it felt really good.

No one had to know, though. 

With another tragic sigh, loud enough for Chuuya to hear (of course chibi pretended not to), he sat down and started rummaging through the fallen leaves. Chuuya gave him a side-eye. Of course, Dazai pretended not to see. 

Collecting leaves and arranging them by colour felt way more useful and exciting than watching an empty office building for hours on end. The shades of yellow, red and orange danced in front of Dazai like fireworks in his hands as he was getting lost in painting a picture of autumn in front of him, the last farewell to the colourful season before the cloud curtains closed again and drowned the city in gloomy chill. 

Chuuya sighed and sat on the grass. He was still looking at the door, but his eyes kept darting to the vivid gradient patchwork blanket Dazai was creating in front of him.

“Grow the fuck up,” Chuuya mumbled and took a leaf from the ground. “The fuck are you doing?” His eyes quickly scanned the gradient carpet, and after a moment of consideration, he put the leaf between two others. 

It fit perfectly. 

The dance of colourful foliage got even more energetic now that two pairs of hands started arranging the leaves in a perfect pattern, the tribute to the most colourful season growing by the minute.

“It’s mine!” Dazai shouted when he saw Chuuya reaching for a large orange maple leaf, its bright colour calling to be added to the collection.

It was beautiful. It was perfect. It was his.

He slapped Chuuya’s hand and grabbed the leaf, giggling triumphantly. 

His eyes met Chuuya’s. 

The azure blue matched the bright sky, the shine in Chuuya’s irises sparkling brighter than the sun, this dazzling view momentarily making Dazai forget what he was doing in the first place. 

Dazai had always known Chuuya’s personality was bright like fire, but he had never realised how vivid and spellbinding Chuuya was on the outside, too. 

He looked at the leaf shaking slightly in his hand. 

As if carefully picked from a palette of a million colours with an eyedropper tool, the colour of the leaf perfectly matched Chuuya’s fiery hair, the whole world suddenly tinted with a bright shade of red, the colour making the sunny day even warmer. 

“What are you waiting for?” The feigned annoyance in Chuuya’s voice was debunked by the faint lines in the corners of his eyes, and Dazai’s eyes lingered on them, slowly travelling to the strand of hair tucked behind Chuuya’s ear and the ponytail he used to make fun of.

What was so funny about it?

“Oi, shitty Dazai. You awake?”

“Gorgeous,” Dazai whispered out. “Simply gorgeous.”

Was the mission useless? Sure. 

But… Was it a complete waste of time?

No. Definitely not a waste of time at all, Dazai thought and put the leaf behind Chuuya’s ear, his heart squeezing at the sight of the rosy blush blossoming on Chuuya’s cheeks, another stunning colour making the autumn day just a little bit brighter. 

Thank you for reading! Make sure to check out this wonderful artwork by Nezu on twt <3

[whatavery]

Match Maid in Heaven (Art Trade)

From the second floor window, Lenora could overlook the grounds outside the Weiss family’s large house. She could see the driveway where guests would arrive. In fact, even now she could see a black car pulling up. It was a new model – at least she thought so, based on how shiny it was. In truth, Lenora didn’t know much about cars, but she could tell it looked expensive.

Her fingers closed themselves around the shiny, smooth rock in her palm, the pad on her thumb gently tracing circles along it. But she also knew now was not the time to sit around. In fact, she really shouldn’t be taking this many breaks. The manor wasn't going to keep itself orderly, after all.

Brushing her blonde locks out of her face, Lenora pocketed the stone and set about continuing where she left off, dusting off the windowsills and various edges. Though she knew her employer got up to all manner of business, she wasn't at all privy to it. And why should she be? She was just a maid.

Not that she minded, of course. Though many might see the job as a maid as demeaning, Lenora didn’t mind it. It was a quiet, dependable job, and as a live-in maid it also meant she had a nice place to stay, even if it wasn't her own. Granted, it was not an easy job by any means, and Lenora knew many certainly wouldn't think of it as particularly challenging. But those people also hadn't ever had to do housekeeping in a place as big as the Weiss manor. She knew the only people who owned a place like this weren't the ones doing the maintenance on it.

No, that was all down to her and other people they hired.

Lenora eventually did find herself downstairs soon enough where she continued her work. As she continued dusting off shelves, windowsills, and her employer’s belongings, Lenora heard approaching footsteps from down the hall along with voices. The hallway floor had been newly cleaned and shined up, the wooden floor practically sparkling as sunlight from the windows hit it.

As Mr. Weiss and his company passed behind her, Lenora kept her eyes on her work. No one greeted her, as was to be expected. She was just a maid after all. Her ears perked up slightly. From the sounds of it, it was a small party, she could count at least four pairs of footsteps. Not many voices were speaking, though Lenora did recognize Mr. Weiss’ voice. He was conversing with a deep, gruff voice. The owner of the voice broke into a loud, barking laugh that made Lenora jump, the fur on her entire body standing on end for a moment.

Luckily no one seemed to have noticed. As she continued working the windowsill, Lenora sighed to herself. She shouldn’t be so jumpy, but she couldn’t help herself. She’d never liked loud voices.

However, as the sun disappeared behind a bank of clouds, the lack of sun rays made it easier to see the reflections in the big window. She could see her own eyes staring back at her. But when Lenora raised her gaze slightly, she saw another pair of eyes, which gave her a start. Whirling around, she came face to face with a stranger – and what a stranger he was.

The stranger before her was considerably taller than her with a strong build. He was certainly dressed quite uniquely, not at all like Mr. Weiss’ usual guests. Lenora was so used to seeing men show up in fancy, expensive clothes., but he was dressed in attire that was far more casual than what she usually saw here. The taller man had a handsome face, his fur a light gray color with darker accents on top of his head, the tip of his tail, his hands and… Why was he barefoot?

“Yes? Can I help you, sir?” Lenora asked in her most courteous tone. It was standard, even for guests. A maid’s behavior would reflect on their employer, after all.

“Oh, no, I was just ‘avin’ a look around.” The stranger had an accent unlike any Lenora had ever heard. She had to think for a moment, trying to decipher in her head what she’d heard him say. His accent was quite thick. “Just seein’ what’s in this place. It’s full o’ nice things.”

Was… was that meant to be flirty? Lenora honestly couldn’t tell, but she chose to assume it wasn't. She offered him a smile as she looked up into those bright, yellow eyes of his. “Ah, well, you should try to catch up with Mr. Weiss and the others – wouldn’t want you getting lost here.”

“Ah, imagine that, I got lost here with no one to talk to but you.” The bigger cat chuckled in that deep voice of his as he smirked at Lenora. “I just might need help getting’ back to ‘em.”

“Right…” Lenora wasn't entirely sure what to make of this strange man. “I’ll show you the way, Mr.…?”

“Nico Savoy, cher. And what’s your name?” the taller cat asked as he followed her. His footsteps were like heavy thuds on the floor, even despite the fact that he was barefooted. Lenora wasn't sure what to make of that, it was quite strange. Her employer sure had started to keep some strange company.

“My name?” Lenora asked after a few seconds of silence. She wasn't used to being asked that by Mr. Weiss’ guests, it had taken her a moment to realize that he had asked her for her name. “Lenora Novak, Mr. Savoy. I'm just a maid, though.”

“Ah, but it’s a pleasure to meet ya’,” Mr. Savoy responded with a chuckle. “Maids are important. They’re just like me.”

“In what way?” Lenora found herself somewhere between amusement and skepticism as she gazed over at the taller man by her side. He looked to be as close to a maid as Mr. Weiss was to poverty. She hadn't the faintest clue what he meant.

“Well, you ‘n I we both go do the big boss mans’ dirty work,” he told her, sticking his hands into his pants pockets as he walked by her side, meandering along. His strides were longer than Lenora's, so she had to walk faster to keep up. “We both clean up I s’pose, cher.”

There he went, calling her that word again – ‘cher’. Lenora hadn't the faintest clue what it meant, but it sounded somewhat nice. Especially with his very distinguished accent. She couldn’t recall ever hearing any accent like it and Lenora knew she’d be hard-pressed to even pinpoint where it was from.

Lenora and Mr. Savoy found the party in one of the sitting rooms on the second floor. Mr. Weiss, a tall white cat with light cream highlights encircling his face was dressed formally. As he always was. Lenora couldn’t recall ever seeing him dressed anywhere near as casually as Mr. Savoy was, even when he didn’t have guests.

Apparently, Mr. Weiss had been in the middle of an anecdote when Lenora and Mr. Savoy found him and his small party. The white cat paused as all eyes turned towards them, though Lenora tried not to pay too much attention to how many people were looking her way for once.

“Please do excuse me, Mr. Weiss. I was simply helping Mr. Savoy find his way here,” she hastily explained. She even did a courteous little bow for him, before she turned to leave.

“Ah, Lenora, before you go. Would you be so kind as to fetch us some tea?” Mr. Weiss’ tone was as proper as ever, though the older male had a way of always speaking with a bit of edge in his voice. He had an authoritative aura about him that had always been rather intimidating to Lenora. She cast a brief glance around the party as she did a headcount. In her boss’ company was a heavyset, bright-furred cat around his age; there was a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Mr. Savoy, clad in similarly casual attire, a dress, the likes of which Lenora had never seen; and lastly, a strange tuxedo cat who stood with his hands crossed over his lap, back stiff as a board. He was dressed just as sharply and formally as Mr. Weiss.

“Of course, sir. I will be back shortly.” Lenora cast one last, long glance at Mr. Savoy who smiled at her – he was the only one who did. Barely anyone ever paid much attention to maids. And unsurprisingly, everyone else had turned back towards Mr. Weiss as the owner of the manor continued speaking of whatever it was they had been discussing. Lenora was privy to a few of her employer’s secrets, but she knew far from everything the white cat got up to, or who he did business with.

As Lenora left, she couldn’t help but get a bad feeling about these strangers… whoever they were…

[sweeter-innocence-fics]

Captured (Pietro Maximoff First Kiss Drabble)

Word Count: 855

Your knuckles were crusted with blood, dried rivulets running all the way down to your wrist, and beyond. They were surely bruised, but you felt nothing. You were on a mission.

No.

You were on a warpath.

Hydra had taken Pietro. Pietro, your sweet, sarcastic, wise-cracking best friend who had spent half his life being manipulated, controlled, and tortured by them, and now he was back in their clutches. Not on your watch.

You maintained that this would never had happened if they had let you go and retrieve the Vibranium with Pietro, Steve and Nat. Instead they’d had you doing stupid PR and press for the Avengers.

You would never have let Pietro out of your sight. Not that you blamed Steve and Nat. Not much, anyway. They had been ambushed, and barely escaped with their lives. Pietro had been knocked unconscious before he’d even seen the tranquiliser dart heading in his direction.

So now Hydra had him.

You had barely slept since. Fury had looked apprehensive at the idea of sending you on this mission, but there was no way in hell you weren’t going. If he had tried to keep you from it, you would’ve walked right out of the Avengers Tower and gone to find Pietro yourself.

Besides, with the ability to become intangible and invisible, you were the best person for the job. While you infiltrated the base, the rest of your team was stationed in the woods outside, ready to provide back-up.

It hadn’t exactly gone according to plan. Three unconscious Hydra agents, whose blood you were now splattered with, would attest to that.

Nat’s voice buzzed in your ear. “You wanna head towards the Southwest corner. There should be a bulkhead door that blocks of that part of the base, but it won’t be any trouble for you.

There are only a couple of places in this building that would hold an enhanced like Pietro. That was what your intel said, anyway. You’d already checked the basement and a block of cells towards the centre of the base. Both had been empty.

As the seconds ticked away, anxiety gnawed at you. You’d been trying to keep it at bay, but you couldn’t help but wonder what you’d do if Pietro wasn’t here at all.

You swallowed that thought. It wouldn’t help you to cry right now.

Just as Nat had said, there was a bulkhead door in the Southwest corner. It was guarded by two agents. Normally, you would’ve scooted right past them, undetectable, but right now, you were angry, and they were easy targets.

The left guard’s grip on his gun was loose. In one smooth movement, you pulled his wrist back, hyperextending it, and watched his face contort in pain as his fingers slackened.

“What?” said the other guard, but you were already holding the gun.

“Enhanced!” shouted the first guard as you materialised. The other pointed his gun at you and fired. You phased out, letting the bullet pass right through you, hitting the other guard in the chest.

He was wearing a bulletproof vest, but the force of the impact slammed him backwards. You took your opportunity in the chaos and slammed the butt of the pistol down onto the head of the still-armed guard. His body went limp.

“What? What?” The remaining guard looked from side to side, but you were invisible. When he realised he had no chance of finding you, he dove for his partner’s gun. You didn’t let him get that far.

You brought your knee up into his face, feeling the crunch as his nose gave way. Before he could do anything else, you slammed his head into the wall.

Both guards unconscious, you phased right through the bulkhead door.

Behind it was a corridor. It was dark, but you could see a cell door down at the very end. Praying with every part of you, you made for it. Your heart was in your throat as you passed through it.

Sprawled out on the floor of the cell, using his arm as a pillow, was Pietro.

“Piet,” you gasped, materialising again. He jolted into a sitting position, and then winced. His face was badly bruised. You felt the desire to beat the shit out of a Hydra agent returning.

Pietro murmured your name, half-question, half-prayer. “Is that you?”

“It’s me,” you said, falling to your knees. “I’m getting you out of here.”

He was unsteady, but with your help, he got to his feet. Your powers allowed him to be intangible too, so getting out was really the easy part. You were about to pull him through the door, but he stopped you, blocking the way.

“What-”

His hand, scraped and bloody, came up to cup your cheek. He leant in, pressing his lips to yours. You blinked, feeling a rush of blood to your head. His lips were warm, and that was all you had time to register before he pulled back.

“Thank you for rescuing me,” he said, stroking a thumb over your cheekbone. Your skin tingled under his touch. “Let’s get out of here, yes?”

Masterlists.

Taglist: @mrs-kai-anderson @ang3l1te @missryerye @mcximffs @noz4a2 @rottenstyx @starmansirius @xlucyintheskywithdiamondsx @lanemarvels @marrigold-2002 @kathrinchek @alternativeprincess @annocaprosmaloka @thrutheburnout

Taglist info.