#the goofy transformers road trip

[welcometomybraincomics]

Drawing a round and cute Bumblbee with the express purpose of making him "innocent" in an extremely abnoxious way

Atm his hobbies include getting on people's nerves and pretending he doesn't catch social cues* to make people have awkward social interactions

*he genuinely doesn't catch some social cues, but sometimes he does and just pretends he doesn't bc it's funny

[welcometomybraincomics]

ngoskncns this has me thinking about Specter being fae again and the wack ass dynamics of their friend group

Fae: Haha I killed your human friend (Frostbite), but you can't get angry 'cause its just a prank, bro

Specter: *Furiously equips the rest of her friend group with Anti-Fae techniques*

Slammer, who has a bad temper: *immediately starts plotting the fae's demise*

Molotov, who loves exploding shit and otherwise causing mass destruction (also Sam's bff): *collaborates with him*

Frostbite, who was weird from the start and breaks the rules of reality whenever I want bc it's funny: *Rises from the dead*

--

Fae: *wakes up for a reason they can't immediately pinpoint*

Frostbite: *standing over the fae's bed in the dead of night, back-lit by a moonlit window (or possibly the flames of Slammer and Molotov's revenge), silver dagger in hand* Hello~

iahgioerj I was thinking about how I could make the entire situation funny, so what we have now is...

When Frostbite dies, it's the Family Guy death pose

Frostbite is literally snoring in their grave before they rise from the dead

Frostbite basically Koolaid Man's out of their grave when they sit up

Steeljaw and Texico are dramatically mourning at Frosty's grave and instantly stop when he sits up in his grave

Frostbite's first words upon waking up are "Really? You couldn't even dig it (the grave) two feet?"

Texico, who had been sobbing like a widow while Steeljaw played the comforting friend, instantly retorts "Excuse you, digging a grave is hard!"

A fae forms a genuine bond of friendship with a human. As a prank another fae decides to kill their friend. Their ruler decides the murder did not violate any fae laws and issues no punishment, so the first fae dedicates their life to getting revenge by teaching humans all the rules of the fae.

[acceleracers-baby]

Acceleracers HC’s! Road Trip Roles! Teku Edition!

Teku

(Nolo Pasaro, Vert Wheeler, Shirako Takamoto, Kurt Wylde, Karma Eiss)

+Bonus Round

(Brian Kadeem & Banjee Castillo)

Teku

Nolo Pasaro - Nolo is in charge of picking the movies- assuming whatever big ass van they renovated comes with one of those little movie player things. Who am I kidding- these guys probably would have just installed one if it didn’t come stock. Unfortunately, Nolo’s movie choices are always pretty predictable. It’s either going to be one of the now TEN Fast and Furious movies, Pacific Rim, Transformers, or The Losers. That being said, Nolo DOES take bribes. Vert once washed his car for a week just so they could watch Surfs Up.

Vert Wheeler - Speaking of Vert, he’s the snack guy! At first, he gathered up everyone’s requests a few days before they got on the road, but now he practically has everyone’s snack preferences memorized. Let it be known that he takes this job very seriously. He genuinely goes out of his way to ensure everyone’s got at least one or two things to munch on. That’s also why he starts shopping a few days out from the actual trip, so that way if he has to run by different stores, or cut up fruit and divide them up into little ziplock bags he’s got enough time to do it. I also like to imagine at some point Jack comes home early from one of his missions and sees his son just surrounded by a shit ton of food like “are we doomsday prepers now??? What the hell is going on???”

Shirako Takamoto - I feel like I don’t even have to say it, but I’m going to anyway. Shirako is the DJ. Like Vert, he is very serious about this role. He starts curating a playlist as soon as he knows a road trip is going to happen. It doesn’t matter if he’s learning about it months in advance, he starts on it immediately. Despite always having headphones on and seemingly vibing in his own little world most of the time, Shirako is an astounding listener. He never fails to add the perfect mix of everyone’s favorite songs to the playlist. Not only that, but he has it sectioned out by hour. He wants to make sure whatever music they have playing, whether it be background noise for group conversations, or loud sing along sessions, it’s perfect!

Kurt Wylde - Spoilers for Karma, but they’re the two drivers. They work in shifts, switching off every few hours to (1) make sure they’re making the best time and (2) prevent any unnecessary road fatigue. Kurt is also practically the group big brother, so before any trip he’s sending everyone checklists to make sure they don’t forget anything. It’s ridiculous how in-depth they are. Obviously, he trusts them to fulfill their individual road trip roles but he’s on their asses for literally anything else. They’ll be ready to go at like 4am- everyone’s tired asf and he’s going around like “wallets? phones? chargers? toothbrushes???” making sure they didn’t forget any last minute items.

Karma Eiss - Like you read for Kurt, she is one of the designated drivers. On top of that though she is also the group navigator. She has like Waze levels of finding the best routes. With her at the helm, they’re able to make a 12 hour drive in a fraction of the time. Karma also has his uncanny ability to pick the best rest stops. Want to use the restroom but also take a quick breather in a nice scenic area? Good thing Karma was able to find the most beautiful truck stop you’ve ever seen with the cleanest bathroom ever. It’s honestly a little scary.

Bonus Round

Brian Kadeem - With Kadeem, it’s all about the journey, not the destination. When this guy road trips, he ROAD TRIPS. What I mean by that is you will be stopping at just about every cite to stop and smell the roses. It doesn’t matter if it’s some tacky tourist trap or one of the seven wonders of the world, he wants to see it, learn about it, and appreciate it. And if anyone one deserves to be able to relax a little, it’s Kadeem. Let this man enjoy his goofy little side quests. Especially, cause he ends up finding the greatest hole in the wall places to stop at too.

Banjee Castillo - Banjee quite literally never runs out of energy, so you HAVE to give this guy something to do or he will be miserable the entire ride. Thankfully, he is absurdly versatile. Obviously, his preferred role is to be in the drivers seat, but when he is not doing that he is the king of road trip games. 21 questions, I spy, and trivia are child’s play compared to the shit that Banjee brings to the table. Don’t get him wrong, he loves the classics, but they get old pretty fast on long road trips so he’s had to get creative in the past. It’s not uncommon for there to be three games going on at once half way through the drive. Usually two “spot em” games like Punch Buggies & Cows on my Side, and one actual game like Mafia or Song Quizzes.

——— Thanks for Reading ———

[tracichee]

Happy paperback day to A THOUSAND STEPS INTO NIGHT! I am so proud of this spooky/goofy/beautiful little folktale; this road trip through a magical Ghibli-esque world; this critique of American patriarchy in the guise of a rollicking adventure involving spirits, demons, and gods; this zero-romance fantasy about friendship and allies and embracing the parts of yourself that everyone told you were unworthy of love. 👹🌙 To celebrate, I'm finally releasing the playlist I used while writing the book! It's got a wide variety of eerie/lovely/fantastical soundscapes, and most often I'd just hit shuffle and let the music take me away to the world of 1000 Steps! Listen now on Spotify.

Here's the official book description:

A Bank Street Children’s Best Books of the Year

Longlisted for the National Book Award

From bestselling and award-winning author Traci Chee comes a fantasy perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli. When a girl who’s never longed for adventure is hit with a curse that begins to transform her into a demon, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life, but along the way is forced to confront her true power within.

In the realm of Awara, where gods, monsters, and humans exist side by side, Miuko is an ordinary girl resigned to a safe, if uneventful, existence as an innkeeper’s daughter.

But when Miuko is cursed and begins to transform into a demon with a deadly touch, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life. Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continuously thwarted by a demon prince, Miuko must outfox tricksters, escape demon hunters, and negotiate with feral gods if she wants to make it home again.

With her transformation comes power and freedom she never even dreamed of, and she’ll have to decide if saving her soul is worth trying to cram herself back into an ordinary life that no longer fits her… and perhaps never did.

Find it on Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indigo, or at your favorite local retailer!

[devil-doll13]

I made a new Oc! I hope you all like him. He’s been sitting in my drafts for a while so I wanted to get his profile out. It’s still pretty rough and subject to change though. Anyway I present:

Maxwell “Max” Holt 🐺

Name: Maxwell Holt

Meaning: ‘Mack’s Stream’

Alias(es): Max, The Wolfman

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: 24

D.O.B: December 13th

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Current Residence: A small but cozy bungalow. He lives in Downings, a small (fictional) town in Montana.

Occupation: Mechanic, maybe future Author?

Appearance Description: He is a young man who has fair skin, sky blue eyes, shaggy blonde hair down to his shoulders, with usually a bit of fuzz on his chin. he looks like a young James Hetfield

Style: Band/Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shirts, Tank Tops, Jeans, Denim/Leather Jackets, High Top Sneakers/Boots, The Occasional Flannel, basically like if he time travelled from the 80s lol

Height: 6,0ft

Eye Colour: Blue

Hair Colour: Blonde

Notable Features: Wears glasses for reading. Quite a bit of body hair on his arms/legs/chest etc. He has a few ear piercings: mostly thin metal rings hanging from his earlobe. Jiggles his leg constantly. The cologne he wears unfortunately can’t really hide the smell of dog…

Personality: Friendly and enthusiastic, (although maybe not as much as he was when he was younger, before everything happened.) Kind and very loyal, manages to be quite intelligent with certain things and a himbo at the same time. Like he is sort of oblivious at times yknwim? Also a nerdy guy, likes to read a lot which surprises a lot of people, even more when they find out he’s a pretty good writer too! He’s passionate about stuff he likes. Sorta goofy too, likes to joke around and have fun! Stands somewhere between introvert and extrovert. He secretly has a darker side to him, though he speaks about it to no one, even those he trusts with knowledge of his lycanthropy. He’d rather ignore its existence altogether. His worst habit is definitely ignoring all his problems until they hopefully ‘go away.’

Likes: Dogs/Wolves, Bears, Motorcycles, Plaid, Denim, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, D&D, The Stars, The Sunset, Vinyls, Crowdsurfing, Rivers, Bacon, 80s/Retro Vibes

Dislikes: Animal Print (he thinks it looks a bit tacky), Broccoli, Silver, Formal Clothes, Littering, Spiders, The Full Moon/His Forced Transformations

Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Playing Videogames, Playing Drums, Tinkering/Fixing Cars & Motorcycles

Rough Backstory

Tw: Death, Angst, sorta toxic friends/betrayal?

Max was born on a chilly December morning in Detroit, Michigan. He was the youngest of 3 brothers, and their working class status meant he tended to receive hand-me-downs a lot and depended a lot on his brother’s interests. His mother was a nurse and his father was a construction worker.

When Max was very young, his father got into a car accident and passed away from his injuries in the hospital. He was too young to remember much about his father at the time, but he did know his mother worked to the bone to provide for him and his brothers.

While he was an excitable kid, he was always the quietest of his brothers. He loved reading, generally fantasy and sci-fi books and always had the idea of writing his own stuff even from a young age. It didn’t take long for him to get involved in fandom in his teenage years, and he wrote for some time in online spaces. He also befriended some kids who he played d&d campaigns with for a good bit.

The brothers inherited their father’s music taste; classic rock and metal was the soundtrack to Max’s childhood and teenage years. He quickly became passionate about music and enjoyed playing drums the most. He ended up joining a metal band as well as a drummer.

He also got pretty good at taking apart cars and bikes, although he would nurture this talent more later on in life.

Max was 19 years old on the night when his life changed forever. He was travelling on a road-trip to go to a metal show with his friends and then girlfriend, having the time of his life. That night it was a full moon. He ended up separated from his friends, but he didn’t mind. He liked to stargaze. But then alone in the wilderness, he was attacked. All he remembered was it was huge and covered in fur, but he managed to escape with only a bite on his shoulder. He was rushed to a local hospital who assumed it was maybe a coyote or wolf, be he swore it was more than just a normal animal. Despite this, he tried his best to continue on as normal, both for himself and to not worry his friends and girlfriend. They insisted it was nothing, so he felt pressured to do so.

However Max started to experience changes he couldn’t explain. No matter how he tried to ignore it, it kept creeping up on him. Particularly the physical changes he was getting, he felt his sense of smell and hearing especially become very heightened.

The first transformation Max had he thought he just had a hangover. His memories were so fuzzy, he wasn’t sure why he was (he assumed he was) getting blackout drunk but it was the only explanation he could think of. The disappearances from last night on the news didn’t connect to him, surely they couldn’t be related anyway? He kept on ignoring the strange feelings he was getting as well.

Eventually this caught up to him and his friends and girlfriend discovered he was a werewolf who had been behind the killings. They struggled to fight him in his lycanthrope transformation and eventually defeated him, leaving him for dead. They believed they killed and buried him, but he was actually still alive. He woke up confused and very disoriented, only remembering some time afterwards what had actually happened to him. But by then it was too late.

For maybe a year and a half he spent in a limbo, terrified of himself and of his transformations. Every full moon he would have to find a place to chain himself up to prevent himself from getting out of control again. His previous skills in fixing up cars and motorcycles became useful and he got a lot better at it, using them to get himself around. He had a hard time holding down a job or really sustaining any sort of stable lifestyle.

This was until he met Jack Silver, an older lycanthrope. The older man sort of took Max under his wing and taught him not to be so afraid anymore. It was the fear that made it worse, instead he had to accept it. Once he learned to do that, Max began to heal again. At some point he started working as a mechanic in Montana and has kept it up for a few years. He’s pretty good at it, and the income allowed him to settle down in a small trailer and support himself.

It’s been difficult for Max to drag himself out of the dark place he’d been in, but he’s been working toward essentially restarting his life. Of course, despite this he is still a lycanthrope at the end of the day. He’s still got blood on his hands. And Max and found himself becoming far more comfortable with that fact. Accepting it. So now and again there are times when certain people still go missing on the news…

Fun Facts

His favourite book (series) is Lord Of The Rings

His favourite film is a difficult choice between Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope and Terminator 1

His favourite bands are Metallica, Dio, KISS, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Ozzy Osbourne

His favourite colours are blue, red and yellow

His favourite food is pizza (bacon and pepperoni)

His favourite drink is beer

Due to his Lycanthropy he’s gained a few… quirks even in human form. For one thing the very heightened sense of smell, and to a lesser extent hearing. Next is the extra body hair, which only grows back if he tries to get rid of it. His nails get long/sharp quickly if he doesn’t stay on top of them. He has sharp little canines too.

Max always loved dogs, but now he sort of has an innate connection with them. It’s the same with wolves too, although there aren’t many about in the wild anymore. He’s found himself becoming quite passionate about wildlife conservation now as he’s learned this. It helps that he lives closer to nature now.

He absolutely was/is a part of fandom and writes fanfics of his own. Mostly Star Wars because Luke Skywalker is like a self-insert for him lmao (blonde hair, blue eyes?)

Max now has his own book on the go, although it’s more of a collection of manuscripts so far. He has a lot of other things to occupy his mind, but he definitely still has his times where he’s obsessed with his writing and can be seen at his laptop focusing hard.

He’s lived in the city for most of his life as a child and teenager, but he actually prefers being close to nature now. He likes being able to see the stars better with less light pollution, and it’s just a lot safer for everyone with his werewolf transformations and all that.

Speaking of, he can control his werewolf form and transformations more now, and doesn’t suffer from memory issues anymore. Now he can actually transform and go back to being human at will, but the full moon still forces him to do so regardless. It can still be difficult to control his wild impulses at times though. That’s when he goes into the forest and just lets loose. It is always a pain the next day of course.

Max’s ‘victims’ are typically not good people, and generally men. It’s sort of been hard to admit to himself that there’s a certain hunger he has as a Werewolf that only killing can satisfy, so he chooses those that would probably be better off dead in his eyes.

He still hasn’t dared to contact his family or friends from his ‘past life’ so it’s an uncomfortable subject.

Max can play a bit of guitar too but he’s better at the drums by far.

His current vehicle is a motorcycle he picked up and fixed himself. He’s pretty proud of it! It’s definitely his baby lmao.

I literally heard Bark At The Moon and based his whole character concept off of that LMAO

He deserves the best this is a FACT

(Taglist: @rottent33th, @slaasherslut, @the-pinstriped-hood)

[thescrapbookingscientist]

Bimonthly Media Roundup

- Goosebumps (TV) - Game night with my friends turned into watching goofy childrens media once we got tired. In this case we watched the 2 part werewolf episodes from the 90s goosebumps show, which sure was nostalgic. I would not call them good, but they sure were fun. The acting was over the top, the effects were lovingly corny as was the music, the fashion was so early 90s that it gave us ptsd, the story line had a child transform into a fully adult hilarious werewolf costume and 'scientists' with unexplained green boiling liquid. Also it was set in a Florida swamp, what more could you want. 10/10 would recommend for game night again.

- Blue Eye Samurai (TV) - I talked about this before back when I first watched it, and recently finished a rewatch with my friends. Akemi's is overall my favorite storyline and overall I adore the character designs and presentation. I do have my issues with it, standard opening, odd sound choices, kind of meh humor mixing oddly with the tone, but overall I still think it's a really good first season with some really interesting developments, great fight choreography, and some killer dialogue. Season 2 will be interesting, it could go a lot of different directions.

- Barbie Epic Road Trip (TV) - Also a game night watch, we clearly were not the target audience for this choose your own Barbie adventure mini movie, but it was fun nonetheless. The idea of making your own choices was pretty fun, though my friends and I kept trying to go the career/friendship route rather than the romance route and it really felt like the show didn't want us to do that which is kind of a messed up message for kids if it was intentional. Since we were just messing around we found it funny how pathetic Ken was whenever we cockblocked his date attempts with Barbie, but from a story perspective man Ken, chill out a little, Barbie doesn't hate you just because she won't drop her plans with her friends to do whatever impromptu date you decided to spring on her. Maybe the Barbie Movie had a more accurate Ken than I thought.

- Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime) -I think I may have read more fan-fiction for this series than any other fandom I've been in, at least within such a short time frame. I honestly could not tell you why, as my issues with the series proper are still numerous, but the hyperfixation has made me an unwilling hostage forced to endlessly look through fan edits, art, and stories in all my free time. Geto Suguru is my blorbo now. Free me.

- Steins;Gate (Anime) - This one has been an odd experience. Given it's consistently been in the Top 3 All Time best anime listed on MAL, is about one of my favorite sci-fi tropes of time loops, and has frequently been sighted as a favorite anime by the media analysis community, I've had Steins;Gate on my to watch list for quite a bit with some high expectations. My sister and I finally decided to start watching it and uh. wow. those first few episodes sure were something. Not something good but. Something alright. The awful yellow overly, annoying characters, pointless otaku/conspiracy babble, and stock standard anime women archetypes were honestly painful to sit through, though pure curiosity did win in the end. While not offensively bad it was definitely boring enough for my sister to prod her bf on when it was supposed to get good, to which he replied episode 12, which is an insane thing to say about a 24 episode series. We are past that hurdle now and I will say it definitely is more interesting once the meat on the sci fi plot kicks in, as the memory/message time traveler combined with the changing world lines is a pretty neat plot setup, but given the still mostly bland characters and presentation I wouldn't say it even makes it out of the decent tier, let alone int 'greatest of all time'. I suppose I'll wait to see if the ending blows me away but for now the difference between the hype of a show and the actual quality is one of the biggest I've seen.

- Malevolent (Podcast) - Well this has just been a grand time so far. I'm really liking the continuing trainwreck that is Arthur's life, they really do keep putting this guy into Resident Evil situations, give the man a break. His dynamic with John is obviously the best part of the show, it's great to see how it shifts between enemies to alarmingly co-dependent to sweet and back again, truly what I wanted out of the original Venom movie. It's also pretty funny how more and more John, the eldritch entity, is the more reasonable one who has to continually remind his human partner to maybe chill out and show a little empathy maybe. Season 3 seems to be a favorite of a lot of people so I'm pretty hyped going into it. For now I'll say that Kayne is fun, John is adorable, and honestly I think it's fine that Arthur ate that guy actually, he's earned going a little feral.

- Tiger Tiger (Webcomic) -I don't have anything new to say about this lovely webcomic with it's endlessly charming characters, amazing art, and intriguing setting, but the updates have been fun recently.

- House (TV) - Still in season one, the case writing is still solid, the misogyny makes me wish Cuddy would drop kick House thrice an episode at least.

- Genshin Impact (Video Game) - 5.0 update coming soon, I really need to get a move on on catching up.

Listening To: Good Luck Babe, Red Wine Supernova, My Kink is Karma, Casual, and HOT TO GO! by Chappell Roan, Harpy Hare by Yaelokre, The Mind Electric by Miracle Musical, Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan, Save a Horse, Ride a Cowgirl by Chloe Breez and Annapantsu, Too Sweet, Lunch, Bitter, and Stick Season covers by Reinaeiry, Tounges and Teeth and Metaphor by The Crane Wives, Espresso and Please Please Please by Sabrina Carpenter, Like a Prayer by Madonna.

[welcometomybraincomics]

New lore for the Road Trip! Starscream is completely unaffected by the cartoon bullshit (he claims this makes him superior. It does not. It just means he was already wack), Shockwave is afflicted with random maniacal laughter (he is otherwise a completely normal Shockwave), and nobody can cuss normally except Starscream, who has Megatron's name bleeped out every time he (Starscream) says it instead (clearly, this leads to many a Starscream defenestration)

[welcometomybraincomics]

Oh my fucking god, wait- wait

THIS IS BASICALLY SAM AND WHIPLASH (but they're more hostile???)

except it's the other way around, Sam found Whiplash and went "Yeah, nothing could go wrong with bringing home a car off the side of the road"

and Whiplash haughtily goes "Ahaha! This creature fixes me up and feeds me all without me needing to do a thing!" and then screams when Sam brings out the water

cybertronian that wakes up on earth to realize they've been left behind by their team and had their language translator module irreparably damaged so they can't understand earth languages nor speak them, but ends up bonding with a random human person they found walking on the street one day and followed home

[arguablysomaya]

i know you gave recs literally just yesterday but if you have any more batfam fic recs i’d certainly love to see ‘em (you’ve got good taste, what can i say)

aww thank you!! just for that yall get some more underrated batfam fics <3

by @ema--vee

No, no, no. Dick doesn’t want him to see this. Not Damian. Anyone but Damian.

Whumptober Day 3: manhandled, forced to their knees, held at gunpoint

hurt comfort fic thats deeply underrated but that made my heart squeeze

by @wearealltalesintheend

"An entire week away from Bat-related stuff, it's all Jason wants.

Just one week. That’s not asking too much.

It’s pretty reasonable, if you ask him.

And yet.

And yet."

or, alternatively, one does not simply walk into Spain, peer pressure is a real danger, and catching a plane to Yemen might have been preferable to this.

WHAT?? you're telling me not everyone has read this fic???? HIGHLY reccommend this fic as well as through different colored glasses, in the same series

by @keeptogethernow

Jason's not sure which is more annoying--working with his "brothers" or the fact that they can't seem to keep from blowing things up.

rough night, huh

by @crowlows

Tim struggles with Bruce's decision to send him back to high school. Really, they were all lucky that he only had the one suspension.

in which tim drake is a teenager and that really, really shows

by @NightOwl1600

Normal AU. Bruce is still a billionaire and single, but he also has six kids he’s taking care of: Dick-16, Jason-13, Cassandra-12, Tim-10, Duke-8, and Damian-6. While taking Alfred to the doctor, Bruce leaves Dick in charge of his siblings for a few hours, but when a group of home invaders seize the opportunity, its up to Dick to keep his siblings safe—whatever it takes.

in which my bias for kid fics shines through <3

by @prettylittlebrownskingyal

“When do you want to do it?”

“I was kidding,” she says, shaking her head, goofy smirk fading fast. “We’d kill each other.”

“Maybe,” Dick hums. “But maybe it would be good for us. We deserve to get out of the city for once.”

road trip fic pog? and nobody even dies

[catmiint]

Talk is Cheap ch 1 & 2 of ???

Prompt from @danphanwritingprompts [post] with additional inspiration from the tags of @coffeecakecafe [post].

currently only planning on posting further chapters on ao3 because I don't show up in tags here. if there's enough interest to read on tumblr specifically, I can put together a mentions list for new chapters posted on tumblr. (also I updated my tumblr theme to be better for reading fics)

Summary: When Vlad Masters claims to all of Amity Park that Danny Phantom is his late son, Danny plays the game and confirms it as the truth–adding the small detail that his father Vlad killed him. The two halfas tangle themselves in their own web of lies, and the consequences are more far-reaching than Danny could have ever expected.

Gen, Read [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] on ao3

Chapter 1

Danny Fenton was on top of the world in the months following restabilizing his clone Dani. His powers had been steadily growing to a point where he didn’t break a sweat during fights with his standard rotation of ghostly enemies. Some had even stopped attacking Amity Park as frequently due to a begrudging respect that began to form between him and the ghosts. The most he had to deal with was patrolling for a few hours at night to round up some of the more mindless ghosts that drifted through. Most of the time it was for their own safety to protect them from the Guys and White and his parents rather than because the ghosts had done anything wrong.

With all that extra time on his hands not spent fighting ghosts, he was able to focus on getting his grades up at school. He still had to deal with Dash from time to time, but he found that the bullying really didn’t bother him anymore. The verbal abuse the jock tried to throw at him didn’t land the same way it used to, and any physical blows healed up by the end of next period.

Danny was even able to go on a road trip with Sam and Tucker for spring break without spending the whole time stressing about Amity Park’s wellbeing. There was no warning that everything would come crashing down around him after his return to Amity.

It was early in the afternoon on Sunday when Sam dropped him off at Fenton Works. There was no response when he entered and called out that he was home to an empty living room, but Danny shrugged and made his way upstairs to throw his duffel bag in his room. He had an itching to go flying and see if there were any ghosts to deal with after his weeklong absence. Jazz also didn’t seem to be home judging by her empty room, but she usually spent her weekend afternoons tutoring kids.

Danny placed his duffel bag on his bed and transformed into Phantom with a flash of light. He made sure he had his phone and a Fenton thermos, then intangibly flew through the window and into the warm spring outside. A quick flight around Amity Park only turned up a few blob ghosts that he sucked up with the thermos to return to the zone before any ghost hunters nabbed them to experiment on. Satisfied that things had been quiet while he was gone, he leisurely floated above the city streets to watch people and enjoy the weather. When citizens noticed him and excitedly pointed or waved, Danny would wave back with a smile or give them a goofy salute.

What caught Danny’s attention was a familiar figure waving him down from where she had pulled her car over to the side of the street. It was Harriet Chin–one of his parent’s old classmates and the only Amity reporter that he bothered talking to. She was the only one of the bunch that was respectful of both his time and his non-living status. Curious, he flew over to her. Harriet was getting out of her car to greet him, pulling some sort of voice recorder from nowhere.

“Hey Harriet, did you need something?” Danny asked.

She nodded eagerly. “I can’t believe my good luck that I finally spotted you. I wanted to follow up on the mayor’s press release and get your statement.”

“Vlad had a press release?”

“Were you not around? I suppose we take for granted that you always seem to be on hand at a moment’s notice.”

“No, I was in my lair–ya know, in the Ghost Zone.”

“Mayor Masters announced–wait, can I record this?” She paused and, after Danny nodded, turned on the recorder she had and continued, “Mayor Masters announced that he has uncovered that you are the ghost of his late son and publicly pleaded that Amity Park help bring you home to him.”

Danny froze.

Vlad said that he was Phantom’s father?

The idea was ridiculous, but terribly clever and in line with one of the twisted games Vlad would play. The older halfa was trying to back Danny into a corner where the public good-will he had finally garnered would become a weapon against him. Vlad played the part of a mourning father who just wanted his son back, revealing to Amity Park that Phantom was not just their savior but a child. The love that Amity had for Phantom would oblige them to ‘help’ the child hero reunite with his so-called father. That kind of play from Vlad in their constant game of chess turned the entire board into a minefield for Danny. He just had to make the situation as fraught with danger for Vlad.

Danny had only seconds to formulate a plan in his head. It was impulsive and dangerous, but would land Vlad in hot water he’d struggle to find his way out of without admitting to the public he was a liar and charlatan.

Harriet Chin was about to break the silence when he finally spoke up. “Yes, Vlad Masters is my father–who do you think killed me?

“You’re saying that Mayor Masters–your father–is responsible for your death?” She clarified, eyes wide with shock.

He mournfully nodded and continued speaking in a somber tone, “I thought in the afterlife I’d finally be safe from his lies and abuse, but not even death is a refuge for me anymore.” He pretended to be examining his gloves with great interest before turning his gaze back to Harriet with a wide, owlish expression. “Surely they can’t be thinking of handing me over to that monster?”

Harriet’s grip on the recorder tightened, her expression drawn. “Can we schedule a more formal interview–perhaps one on air? I know you’ve said the idea of being on camera makes you nervous, but the people of Amity Park deserve to know the kind of man their mayor is.”

He fought the urge to smirk in victory. “I think that would be the right thing to do. He must have hoped that death would wipe my memory clean of his sins. My father should be brought to justice.”

Harriet told him that they’d get him on primetime news tomorrow night and, after confirming he knew where the news station was, thanked him for his time. Danny watched her get back in her car and take off, making sure her car turned the corner before he let his expression morph into one of pure, mischievous glee. This was going to land Vlad in so much trouble. The man’s life would crumble around him, all while Danny got to watch on the sidelines. Plus, there was the added bonus that with Phantom having an established backstory, people would be less likely to associate Phantom with Danny Fenton.

Danny launched himself back into the sky to float high above the streets of Amity Park. Lying on his back as if floating over a pool of water, he pulled his phone out and opened up the group chat with Sam and Tucker.

Danny: u will NOT believe what just happened!!!

Tucker: shit did you hear about Vlad saying he’s your dad? I was just about to call you

Sam: Vlad said what?

Danny: vl*d (derogatory) told the news he was phantoms dad so i told harriet that he killed me its the PERFECT revenge

Sam Manson is calling.

He hesitated before answering the phone call, making sure to hold it a few inches away from his ear in case Sam was mad and about to yell at him for being stupid.

“Are you nuts?!” Sam shouted.

Danny cringed at the volume but pulled the phone closer to his face to respond. “C’mon, I think it’s a great idea.”

“This is going to bite us in the ass. It’s going to bite YOU in the ass!”

“No, listen, it’s great! Vlad either has to admit he’s a filthy liar or get thrown in jail for murder,” he explained.

There was a moment of silence before Sam spoke again. Her voice lowered, concern creeping in, “I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into Danny. I’m getting the feeling that we’re in a world of trouble.”

- - - - -

Chapter 2

Danny really should have expected that the next day at school would be hectic. The entire student body was buzzing with gossip and speculation. It seemed everyone had heard about Phantom’s supposed heritage and the followup Harriet Chin released of Phantom’s supposed death. Even though the talk wasn’t about Danny Fenton, he still froze after stepping foot into the school hallways. His sensitive hearing could pick up all of the frantic conversations between his peers, but they blurred together in a jumbled of words.

“The mayor is Phantom’s dad–”

“–years of abuse, I heard–”

“–never liked Masters–”

“–only died 2 years ago, he’s our age–”

“–called him a monster–”

“–wonder how Phantom died–”

The fragments of conversations flooded his head as Danny stood, petrified. Everyone was talking about him and this web of lies Vlad and he had made. Most students walked around where Danny was at a standstill, muttering angrily at him and telling him to get out of the way. There was one student, lost in thought, that didn’t notice him and crashed into his back with a startled yelp. That was enough to pull him from his minor panic.

Glancing back, he saw Valerie cursing and collecting the textbooks she had dropped. Danny knelt down next to her to help her collect them. She glanced at him, a bit of surprise crossing her face, before she quietly thanked him. It seemed like she hadn’t gotten much sleep if the weary expression and bags under her eyes were anything to go by.

“You know Masters right?” She murmured under her breath, as if not wanting to be overheard. Her voice almost blended into the unpleasant buzz of gossip Danny was trying to tune out.

“Yeah, he’s a family friend,” he cautiously answered, watching her face for a reaction. Curiosity had him answering truthfully in hopes of wiggling out any indication as to Valerie’s thoughts on ghosts and ghost hunting after the experience with Dani months ago.

“Can we talk?” Valerie asked, then continued, “During lunch. Meet me in the library.”

Danny agreed and handed her the last textbook that had been dropped. They both stood up from their kneeling position and shuffled awkwardly. Valerie and Fenton were by no means enemies, but things had remained strained after she dumped him. He didn’t hold it against her, but he still had the emotional maturity of a teenage boy that died because a cute girl goaded him into something dumb. After a few tense moments of silence, Valerie nodded at him and pushed past to walk down the hallway.

He was grateful for the interruption that Valerie had provided. It was enough to break the tension of entering into the war zone of Casper High, so he made his way to his locker to drop off his backpack and gather what he needed for first period. Sam and Tucker had their first period together, plus their lockers were on another floor, and so the trio didn’t meet up during the school day until they had third period English with Lancer together. He wasn’t sure if he’d make it to third period without someone to commiserate.

Get it together, Fenton, he scolded himself. He’d fought not only the damn Ghost King before but also his evil self from the future–he could handle some gossip.

- - - - -

When Danny was looking forward to his third period with Sam and Tucker, he had forgotten to consider that most of the A-Listers were in that class as well. They also seemed like they had been desperately waiting for their third period so they could talk to each other. When he walked in, none of them paid him any mind unlike how they’d usually glare or sneer. Gathered around Paulina’s desk, they were deep in whispered conversation.

Danny sidestepped the cluster of A-Listers to slide into his seat in between Tucker and Sam.

Tucker immediately leaned forward towards him. “Things are crazy, dude. Everyone is talking about Phantom and his ‘death’.”

“Some of the speculation is really getting out of hand, Danny,” Sam added, that same concern and worry edging into her voice.

“I-I have it handled. Phantom has an interview on the news tonight,” he muttered.

“Phantom what?” Came Paulina’s shrill, surprised voice.

There had been a lull in the A-Lister’s conversation the moment before Danny spoke, and apparently that had been enough for Paulina to overhear his comment.

Tucker and Sam shared a look with him that was somewhere between annoyance and horror.

Danny cleared his throat to speak. “Er, nothing, Paulina. Go back to whatever it is you all were talking about.”

“No, it sounds like you were saying Phantom has an interview tonight. How do you know that?”

There was no way he could see out of this unless he canceled the interview with Harriet and played it off as Fenton spreading baseless rumors. He glanced to Sam, who was trying to communicate something with him through her expression alone. It was undecipherable though–a mix of too many things at once to convey a clear message. Danny looked back to Paulina and the A-Listers, who were all watching him impatiently.

“Because he told me?” It came out more like a question than an answer.

“There’s no way Phantom would talk to a loser like you,” Dash sneered.

Kwan spoke up, “No, wait, Fenton has some weird family thing with Masters. Remember the election?”

“You know Phantom’s murderer!” Paulina accused.

Star, on the other hand, failed to stifle an exaggerated gasp as she seemingly put pieces together. “You knew Phantom when he was alive!”

Now the entire class’s attention was on him. Danny prayed to whatever gods there might be for Lancer to walk through the door and start the lesson already to free him from this conversation. His mouth was dry and his tongue like lead in his mouth. He knew that anything he would say would just be another lie to dig him deeper.

Danny wasn’t sure what whim possessed him in the moment as he dug his heels in and lied like his life depended on it. “Yeah, I did. Vlad–Mayor Masters–he’s my godfather, so Phantom and I were treated like cousins.”

“Danny!” Sam hissed under her breath.

“That’s so cool, how come you never said anything?” Kwan asked.

To Danny’s credit, he was able to keep up with the lie without much hesitation beyond a bit of stuttering that could be passed off as nerves. “Phantom, uh, didn’t want Vlad to find out he was a ghost, and I could tie Phantom back to the identity he had when alive.”

Dash looked like he bit into something sour. “Are you–are you friends?”

Danny glanced back at Tucker and Sam. Sam was shaking her head and Tucker was nodding his.

“How do you think he gets Fenton tech?”

That “revelation” caused the A-Listers and the rest of their classmates to break out into scandalized whispering. The overlapping voices were starting to give him a headache. The universe took mercy on Danny, however, as Lancer picked that moment to walk into the classroom. He placed his messenger bag down on the desk at the front of the room and looked sharply at the chattering students.

“Hello, class. I know there’s been some exciting news going around, but we are here to learn. Now, turn your books to page 147.”

The talking amongst students died down as, grumbling, they turned their attention towards A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Danny let his head fall to hit his desk and groaned. He was starting to realize that maybe, just maybe, he was going a little too far.

[crawlthesky]

Digimon Survive Profiles

So there’s a “profile” option in the menu where you can view more info about Takuma and the gang. Thought it was a cute little idea, so I went ahead and typed it up for referencing down the line. More for my own convenience than anything, but maybe other people will like having it...? idk

I’ve personally only played through 2 routes so far, so there might be some minor updates in the future when I get through the other ones. That being said: spoilers for the game itself and all of its routes are behind the cut, so click at your own risk.

Name: Takuma Momozuka Age: 14 Height: 166 cm Weight: 52.3kg Blood Type: A

Reason for Joining: "The mountain air will do you good," claimed Takuma's mom, leading him to join the camping trip. The boy knew well that he'd be doing something significant by studying history in a place far from the city, but in all honestly he lacked any real motivation to do so. This was his attitude, for better or worse. He lacked any strong feelings about the task—not caring enough to even consider it a pain. "Just get through a few days of the program, and I'll be back to my old life." With this mentality, Takuma headed for the camp.

Episode 1: This was supposed to be just another camping trip, but the events that've unfolded go against everything I've ever considered normal. Then there's weird talking animal... It even transformed to protect me! Don't tell me—these are "Kemonogami"?!

Episode 2: Somehow I was able to find my friends, but these Kenonogami aren't the only weirdness we're dealing with. The camp building's fallen apart, and monsters made off with Aoi! I admit the whole thing terrifies me, but we have to fight... We have no choice.

Episode 3: Shuuji's heartrending scream made my heart skip a beat. I wanted to save him, for my voice to reach him! I needed more power for that! As soon as I said it aloud, Agumon responded—with a new form that seemed to reflect what was in my heart...

Episode 4: If this outlandish other world has convinced me of anything, it's that my and Agumon's hearts are connected. Two as one... that's why he evolved into his ultimate form when I resolved not to lose, no matter what. We'll use this strength to protect everyone to the end!

Episode 5: Don't lose heart, don't give up, and never abandon your friends... Thanks to these three tenets, we've made it all the way to the final battle. We have a tough road ahead of us, but I'm not scared. After all, my dear friends and precious partner are by my side.

Partner: Agumon A monster called a "Kemonogami" that joined me after I came to this other world. He speaks human language, and is just about as smart as us. Oddly enough, he only wants to hang out with me. Plus, Agumon can transform sometimes. Our hearts are connected, and he's always by my side supporting me...kind of like a partner, I guess.

Evolution Line: (Moral) Agumon→Greymon→MetalGreymon→WarGreymon→Omegamon (Wrathful) Agumon→Tuskmon→Megadramon→Mugendramon→Omegamon (Harmonius) Agumon→Tyrannomon→Triceramon→Dinorexmon→Omegamon (True Route, Post-Game) Agumon→(any)→(any)→(any)→Omegamon / Huanglongmon

Name: Kaito Shinonome Age: 14 Height: 170 cm Weight: 57.1 kg Blood Type: B

Reason for camping: Kaito was already at a loss over his sister Miu, and her frequent goofy behavior. At the same time, he was constantly worried for her safety. Just today, Miu vanished when his back was turned for the briefest of moments. Could she be caught up in some trouble, and hurt somewhere? Is some bad guy doing something terrible to her? He was searching high and low, clinging to these worries, when he met Takuma's group for the first time.

Episode 1: We met up with Kaito in the other world. He's clearly wary of anyone he runs into, possibly out of concern for his sister. Even now, he looks ready to bite our heads off. His wisecracking partner Dracmon seems cool as a cucumber, though.

Episode 2: He may be rough around the edges, but Kaito is a reliable part of the team. I don't approve of violence, but we'll need to fight if we want to make it in this world. In that sense, Kaito seems to fit right in here.

Episode 3: Even I can tell how attached Kaito is to his sister. If you asked her, she'd probably call him more clingy than anything else. Still, her presence may be the secret behind Kaito's strength...

Episode 4: Miu's not the only thing Kaito's been trying to protect. He wants to protect everything she holds dear... So his sister doesn't have to have any terrible, painful feelings ever again. That powerful wish transformed into power itself, evolving Dracmon into Beelzemon. Maybe his feelings for Miu got through to her a little now?

Episode 5: I don't know if he realizes it, but this almost endless journey of ours has changed him. Now he wields his strength not just for Miu, but for all of us... Gotta say, it's kinda cool.

Partner: Dracmon Dracmon is a Kemonogami that's been with Kaito ever since he showed up in the other world. He's as belligerent and hard-nosed as Kaito, making him a reliable and powerful ally in battle. Dracmon always prioritizes victory, and is willing to use his allies towards that end. Still, he's more pragmatic than cruel, always taking the most appropriate action.

Evolution Line: Dracmon→Sangloupmon→Vamdemon→Beelzebumon / BoltBoutamon (Harmonius Route)

Name: Aoi Shibuya Age: 15 Height: 158 cm Weight: 44.8 kg Blood Type: A

Reason for Joining: Aoi never had much interest in the camp in the first place... At the time, an interview with a certain author had caught her attention. "My time camping as a student was a valuable experience that led to me becoming an author." Inspired by that article, she became gung-ho about camp, seeing it as an opportunity to change herself.

Episode 1: After we reunited with Aoi in this other world, the sight of these strange creatures didn't seem to bother her much. Scolding Minoru, looking after Labramon—she was the same girl we always knew. I thought she was a kind, if not uptight upperclassman. Turns out she had nerves of steel to boot.

Episode 2: Fangmon's words—"you're just playing the hero"—were like a dagger in Aoi's heart. But her desire to save everyone was the real deal. The valiance of Labramon's evolution, Dobermon, was proof of that.

Episode 3: At first, Aoi sought the "power to defeat" in order to become someone who could protect everyone. In response to that desire, Labramon evolved into Cerberusmon. That power was stronger, sharper than she could even imagine. Aoi was unsure if she could master such incredible power. Still, I'm sure she can find the right way to use it.

Episode 4: The moment Aoi pictured exactly the type of power she sought, Labramon evolved into Anubismon. A strong power to stand for justice, without losing herself to her own strength. I'm sure Aoi will keep using that strength to protect everyone.

Episode 5: Aoi's gotten so strong, I barely recognize the girl I first met at camp. Her strength helped bring us to the final confrontation. With her, I believe we can overcome anything that comes our way.

Partner: Labramon Aoi's Kemonogami partner, who looks like a dog. She has a lively attitude and works well with the gentle and reserved girl. Labramon adores Aoi, and never leaves her side. She feels the same for Labramon, and the two of them act almost like sisters.

Evolution Line: Labramon→Dobermon→Cerberumon→Plutomon (Wrathful Route) / Anubismon / Baihumon (True Route)

Name: Minoru Hinata Age: 14 Height: 159 cm Weight: 49 kg Blood Type: B

Reason for Joining: Ever since news came of the camp, Minoru waited with bated breath. Out in nature, away from our daily lives, facing untold dangers... and Minoru would take care of the problems in a flash, one after another. He saw a chance to become one of the superheroes he's adored since he was a kid.

Episode 1: My best friend Minoru also got sucked into this strange new world. I thought he'd freak out, but he's calmer than I figured he'd be—or at least cracking jokes about it. Having him around keeps me calm, but he's acting a bit reckless...

Episode 2: When Minoru first met Falcomon, he ran off with his tail between his legs. Now he cares about the little guy so much that he'll jump between him and the enemy to protect him. That "my body moved on its own" behavior on Minoru's part makes him pretty darn heroic.

Episode 3: Minoru's loose lips and endless array of jokes keeps everyone at ease. Still, his desire to be a hero was no joke—he's a dyed-in-the-wool aspiring hero. Lip service aside, he truly wants to be strong. His pure feelings caused Falcomon to evolve into Crowmon!

Episode 4: Strength to rally and fight, no matter how desperate the situation. No matter how his legs shake. That's the true strength Minoru wanted. The guy's a cool hero, warts and all. Seeing Varodurumon spread his wings made that clear as day to me.

Episode 5: Wisecracker, class clown, a bit of a wimp. Even if he doesn't live up to the ideals he had a kid, Minoru's come to accept who he is now wholeheartedly. I'm proud to call a guy like that my friend.

Partner: Falcomon Minoru's Kemonogami partner. Falcomon's arms are shaped like wings, and are useful for moving around. Calm and well-spoken, he acts as a clear contrast to Minoru's childishness. They complement each other; when Minoru's about to lose it, Falcomon's there to support him through any crisis. He's as cool as those heroes you'd see on TV.

Evolution Line: Falcomon→Diatrymon→Yatagaramon→Varodurumon / Zhuqiaomon (True Route)

Name: Shuuji Kayama Age: 16 Height: 176 cm Weight: 56.5 kg Blood Type: A

Reason for Joining: Wanting more real-world experience before applying to college—and to get serious about studying—Shuuji decided to apply to the camp. He was hoping to earn some brownie points towards a recommendation letter on the sly. If this camp could help him achieve that, his dad would see him in a better light... Sounds like a complicated relationship.

Episode 1: Our leader Shuuji wandered into this other world. I thought I could rely on him at first, but he's just as worried as the rest of us. Still, I wish he'd stop treating his partner so badly...

Episode 2: The sight of Lopmon wrapped in that ominous black smoke was burnt into our minds, and we just can't shake it. Shuuji... You've really pushed him to his limits, haven't you?

Episode 3: Shuuji couldn't acknowledge himself. Even so, he took a step forward, wanting to be someone Lopmon could be proud of. That powerful feeling, combined with his sense of responsiblity, evolved Lopmon into Antylamon. He told Shuuji to quit that "someone like me" talk. Even if Shuuji won't acknowledge himself, Antylamon has nothing but pride and affection for him.

Episode 4: All of the experiences in this world taught Shuuji to believe in his own righteousness. It seems that Cherubimon, Lopmon's new form, reflects his true strength.

Episode 5: I'm heading into the final battle with Shuuji at my side. I thought he'd be the most nervous of all of us, but I can't see a hint of it in his dogged appearance. I wonder if I can be as confident as him...

Partner: Lopmon The Kemonogami that accompanies Shuuji in the other world. Shuuji can't seem to stand his introverted and timid personality. Lopmon looks pitiful when scolded, almost like he's being bullied. I think Shuuji should be nicer, but for some reason Lopmon doesn't leave his side. I wonder why he doesn't run away...

Evolution Line: Lopmon→Turuiemon (True Route) / Wendimon→Antylamon (True Route)→Cherubimon (True Route)

Name: Ryo Tominaga Age: 15 Height: 162 cm Weight: 51.2 kg Blood Type: AB

Reason for Joining: Ryo didn't tell any classmates he'd applied for the camp. No one figured a lone wolf like him would join something like that, where group activities are unavoidable. The reason was an entry in an old journal of his mom's he'd found: "I hope one day Ryo gets to go to summer camp, and make lifelong friends like I did..."

Episode 1: My first impression of Ryo when I met him at camp was that he's a really intimidating, lone wolf type. But seeing him freak out at the little monsters we've met in this other world makes me think he's not all that scary...

Episode 2: Slowly but surely, this adventure in the other world has changed my opinion of Ryo. I just can't bring myself to dislike the guy. I can tell he's warming up to Kunemon little by little, and is trying to accept him. And the first time he called him his partner, Kunemon finally evolved!

Episode 3: The most surprising thing about Ryo is the way he interacts with his partner, Kunemon. He went out of his way to make handmade tools so they could train together. I would never tell the guy, but there's something almost maternal about it.

Episode 4: Ryo's bond with his partner's only gotten deeper. He wouldn't say that himself, but it's obvious just by looking at him. A part of me is almost envious of him.

Episode 5: From here on out I'm heading to the final confrontation, together with Ryo. Surprisingly, he doesn't seem nervous at all, despite the important battle ahead of us. The way he is now, I'd trust him with my life.

Partner: Kunemon A monster who never leaves Ryo's side, no matter how much he repulses him. Kunemon may look like a large caterpillar incapable of speech, but he seems capable of communication. While he gets worked up over said communication being one-way, the pair somewhat comprehend each other through body language. Ryo acts creeped out when Kunemon frets over him, but that may not be the whole truth of the matter.

Evolution Line: Kunemon→Flymon (True Route)→JewelBeemon (True Route)→BanchoStingmon (True Route)

Name: Saki Kimishima Age: 12 Height: 152 cm Weight: 40.3 kg Blood Type: AB

Reason for Joining: As soon as she heard about the camp, Saki quickly decided to join in; a so-called "spur-of-the-moment" decision. But an ulterior motive hid behind the girl's smile: making a "lifetime's worth" of memories. In truth, this might be her last chance, as far as she knew. Toward that end, she'd be as bright, bubbly and unbounded as always...hiding the doubt swirling around inside of her.

Episode 1: I'm not good with people like Saki. Says what's on her mind, gets along with everyone, and really gives you the business if you cross her. Still, she got caught up in this crazy adventure just like I did. To be honest, I'm not sure how this is gonna turn out...

Episode 2: The more I get to know Saki, the less I feel that apprehension I had about her at first. I thought she was a bit sharp-tongued, but over time I've come to see what a sweetheart she is. I wonder if she's dealing with more stuff than I can see on the surface...

Episode 3: Seeing how many friends she had back at school, I'm surprised to see how much Saki cares about her friendships. I didn't expect her to be so worried about getting along with someone so different from her like Aoi... Is there anything I can do to help, I wonder?

Episode 4: Right around the time I truly started seeing Saki as a friend, I came to learn a startling truth: the illness eating away at her. Still, she never uses her body as an excuse to run away... I have to admit, I find myself overwhelmed by her sheer guts.

Episode 5: Even if we win this fight and make it back to the human world, Saki has surgery waiting for her. We'll all be there to support her when the time comes. There's more "memories to last a lifetime" where these came from, and that's a fact!

Partner: Floramon The Kemonogami's been with Saki since she came to this other world. She looks like something part animal and part plant, and her bright and cheery attitude matches Saki's. They're always in sync, helping them overcome any crisis. Floramon gets Saki, and gives her gentle pushes when she needs it. Thanks to that, Saki's learning how to survive here.

Evolution Line: Floramon→Vegiemon→Blossomon→Ceresmon Medium / Xuanwumon (True Route)

Name: Miu Shinonome Age: 11 Height: 134 cm Weight: 29 kg Blood Type: B

Reason for camping: From the bottom of her heart, Miu was fed up with her brother Kaito. Her brother, admonishing her every action; her brother, the annoying, overbearing pain. She fled the house again today to escape his gaze, and that would be the catalyst that led her to Saki's group. "Today's going to be a fun one, I can tell," Miu thought.

Episode 1: I remember being confused when I met Miu. What an odd, free-spirited character... Not that my impression has changed that much. Still, according to Kaito she's been through her fair share of problems. Maybe that's why she's so harsh with her brother?

Episode 2: Kaito's in a bad way after trying to save Miu! Still, this seems to have provoked some sort of change in her. I'm not in Kaito's position, but... I can't help but be worried.

Episode 3: Up to now, the only one who'd protect Miu was her brother, Kaito. But it turns out she couldn't stand the idea of relying on him this whole time. The moment those feelings reached their apex—wanting to change, to become more determined—Mermaimon was released. With Syakomon by her side, it seems like Miu's grown up a bit. Still...apparently I can't tell her brother as much.

Episode 4: Always the protected one up until now, Miu wanted to defend her little friends for a change. Her unwavering heart caused Syakomon to evolve even further! MarineAngemon may be cute, but she's a powerhouse. Having Kaito recognize her growth made her pretty pleased with herself.

Episode 5: Our adventure is almost over...and I think it's safe to say Miu helped us get this far. She's grown so much, into a strong girl that thinks of her friends and fights for them. That's why I believe we can win the final battle.

Partner: Syakomon A Kemonogami, and Miu's partner here in the other world. The hard shell covering her body boosts her defense, I guess. Syakomon is a straight shooter, saying exactly what she means. She's the perfect partner for Miu, and would never abandon her in a crisis. Their connection gives Miu some innate understanding of the Kemonogami.

Evolution Line: Syakomon→Shellmon→Mermaimon→MarineAngemon / Qinglongmon (True Route)

Name: Professor Age: -- Height: 182 cm Weight: 64.9kg Blood Type: AB

Reason for camping: Several years had passed since his last investigation of this land. The professor had dedicated his entire career to researching this topic, traveling the country in pursuit of it. Everything had started here. He had arrived back at his starting point by a circuitous path, indeed. He believed that surely a new discovery would present itself if he investigated this place once again. In the end, this conviction would prove to be right on the money.

Episode 1: I met a man who is supposedly a professor in the area where the camp's being held. It sounds like he's doing research on local legends. Still, I wonder what good it'd do to look into such silly tales...?

Episode 2: While searching the apartment complex, I overheard the professor talking about something complicated with Haru. I'm guessing that the man's hiding something from us... Now what could it be?

Episode 3: Several decades ago, a young professor—the real Haru—wandered into this other world with his sister Miyuki. Then Miyuki used her power to let her brother escape by himself to the human world. But after that, the trauma of the experience caused young Haru to repress his memories of the other world...Renamon blames the professor abandoning Miyuki. But that's not true, Renamon! For decades, the professor has continued his research on the Kemonogami. Even if he couldn't remember, deep down he wanted to save his sister!

Episode 4: The professor said he has things he needs to do in this world: saving Miyuki, and mending fences with Garurumon. For him, Garurumon was his "fated Kemonogami". Garurumon, on the other hand, treats the professor's extended absence as abandonment. There's got to be some way to get these two on the same page!

Episode 5: Garurumon—no, Gabumon, I should say—used to be a cheerful and good-natured creature. Even after separating five decades ago, the two of them were still able to reestablish their bond. To say it moved me doesn't even begin to cover how that made me feel.

Partner: Garurumon The Professor's Kemonogami partner from fifty years ago. He forgot about Garurumon at first, but I'm not surprised: he was so young when they met, I doubt his memories of that time are intact. In order to save her brother, Miyuki separated the Professor from his partner. Garurumon still bears a grudge over this, making him hostile towards us.

Evolution Line: Gabumon→Garurumon→WereGarurumon→MetalGarurumon

Name: Miyuki Minase Age: -- Height: 140 cm Weight: 33.8 kg Blood Type: O

Reason for camping Miyuki continued a life on the run with her brother Haru. Saying nothing, showing no intent, moving in the shadows. They ventured from place to place until finally arriving at this school. Now what would they do? What should they do? The girl spoke nothing of these matters to her brother, staring off constantly into space. She remained silent, holding no hope for the future, simply following her brother's guidance.

Episode 1: I found Miyuki and her brother Haru lurking in the ruins of the wooden schoolhouse. She barely speaks, so I have no idea what she's thinking. The fact that she's survived here at all is probably thanks to Haru.

Episode 2: Miyuki and I returned to our world with Agumon. She was like a different person, talking normally and explaining lots of things to me: about the other world's Master, who controls the fog, and about the song handed down in the Minase family, with the power to connect the two worlds. Miyuki is a special maiden capable of using that song, so the Master's been gunning for her this whole time. Still, decades passed here while Miyuki was stuck in the other world... Doesn't that make her way, way older than the rest of us?!

Episode 3: I can't believe it... Miyuki fell into the enemy's grasp, and now she's turned on us! There's no way we can get back home without her, much less save both of our worlds. We have to rescue her somehow...but how?!

Episode 4: That gentle Miyuki just had her heart sealed away. When we called out to her, she came back to us for the briefest of moments. We still have a chance to turn her back to normal... That’s why I can’t give up.

Episode 5: For hundreds of years, the Master has waited for a maiden to inherit the power of the Minase clan. That's where Miyuki comes in. Still, I never thought of Miyuki as anyone so special. She's a simple girl who cares for her brother and her friends. She wouldn't be happy letting the Master possess her and hurt the people she cares about! Just hold on a bit longer, Miyuki! We'll save you, I swear it!

Partner: Renamon The Kemonogami Miyuki met when she came to the other world fifty years ago. Half of the girl's soul was stolen by the Master, making her lose her sense of self and forget her partner. Renamon took on Haru's appearance to support Miyuki. The girl can't even remember Renamon, but wouldn't have survived without the Kemonogami... How awful!

Evolution Line: Renamon→Kyuubimon→Taomon→Sakuyamon

Name: Haru Age: -- Height: 132 cm Weight: 31.2kg Blood Type: AB

Reason for camping Haru fled from threat after threat with his sister Miyuki. In order to protect her—a taciturn girl whose emotions had all but vanished—the boy led her by the hand, making every decision for the pair. Where is the safest place for them? Are any enemies lurking nearby? And if so, would the next spot be any better? Finally, his trials brought them to this run-down school. Even then, the boy thought that this, too, would offer only a temporary respite. Soon enough, they'd have to abandon it as well.

Episode 1: We ran into Haru in the ruined school building. He doesn't speak much, but I felt there was something off about him. Like he's more mature than he should be... I wonder why?

Episode 2: Sometimes I feel like Haru speaks in a way that doesn't match his age. It's like he's more calm than just silent, and he never fails to look after his sister Miyuki. His behavior doesn't seem normal for a kid our age, but maybe it's just my imagination?

Episode 3: Haru—no, Renamon—couldn't care less about us. As long as Miyuki is safe, nothing else matters. Renamon's even willing to trade all of us to get her back... We have to convince Renamon to come back to our side, somehow!

Episode 4: Renamon is determined to rescue Miyuki, and has decided to join forces with us. Having someone as powerful as Renamon on our side is really encouraging. We're heading into the final battle with a truly stellar lineup.

Episode 5: Thanks to Renamon, we've figured out our final destination. I want to help Renamon meet up with Miyuki as soon as we can. Meet, and never have to be apart ever again...

[welcometomybraincomics]

Lmao

[in space]

Whiplash: *has, up until this point, never been involved in the food procurement process* What do you mean you need the flesh of other creatures????

Sam: I said what I said! Crunchity muncity! *dramatically pointing in accusation* Do you need another anatomy lesson!?

----

and then on the other hand there's the Stationers who modded themselves into being predators because their section of space is ✨dangerous✨ and it's either adapt or die

not everyone is modded that way, but a lot of them are ('cause I like sharp teeth and absurd amounts of danger LOL)

While listening to the kids complete an assignment for life sciences class at school, the Autobots learn that many creatures on Earth are more like predacons or scraplets than they are like civilised cybertronian beings: they consume other creatures for sustenance.

Oblivious to their robot friends' mounting discomfort, the children clarify that this does, in fact, include humans.

Some Autobots manage this revelation about their small, harmless-looking human friends better than others.

[klunkcat]

Stepping over the line

💫steddie

💫 rated M

💫 meet-cute, flirting, getting together

💫 14827 words

Road trip story based on my goofy au idea here

Read here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43091853#work_endnotes

[souperbulous]

Heyyo!! I would like an Encanto Matchup!I'm Castiel, A He/They fella, and a trans bisexual! I'm a minor and I love playing chess, theories, opera, theatre, music, and art! I am very ambitious and dedicated to learning things, idealistic and clever. Though I can be a bit immature, short-tempered and I have a fear of being alone and beingworthless or useless. I also don't really know where I belong so yeah..I'm 5'0 and I have short, black hair and I'm a mixed race!

WHO'S THAT POKEMON?!

IT’S CAMILO MADRIGAL! ✨👑

A/N: Sorry it's a bit short, this is my first time doing a matchup. Hope you like it!

WHAT CAMILO LIKES ABOUT YOU:

Camilo would seriously appreciate your love for theatre and opera. It would honestly give him a huge ego boost knowing you were interested in something he did, even if your interest in theatre wasn’t related to him whatsoever.

He loves that you’re shorter than him. He’ll rest his elbow on your head while he talks and pretends he doesn’t know he’s doing anything wrong. He loves the face you make when you’re annoyed.

He likes how curious and ambitious you are! He’ll often ask you to tell him all about the newest subject you’ve decided to study up on… even if he isn’t taking in a word you say. He just loves the sound of your voice.

Last but not least, he likes that you’re clever. Camilo may or may not use your brains to his advantage to help him pull a prank on Dolores.

HOW YOU MET

“(Y/N)! If we’re going to get moved in by the end of the night you’ll need to hurry up!”

You sighed, picking up a large box. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

You began walking towards your new home with the heavy box, trying to see past it to no avail. While you were blindly wobbling towards the direction you assumed the house was in, you didn’t even notice the rock in the middle of the road. You tripped over it, yelping as you nearly fell right on your face.

Before you hit the ground, though, someone grabbed you by the back of your shirt, holding you up. You looked up surprisedly, seeing an unfamiliar older man standing over you.

“Hey there,” he greeted with a smirk. He pulled you to your feet, spinning you around and now transforming into a completely different person. This time, it was a young boy, around your age, with curly, brown hair and green eyes. Wait, how had he just done that?

Oh, now you remembered! Your father had told you about this before you moved here. He must have been one of the- what were they called? - Magicals? Mardigras? You couldn’t quite remember what they were called, but you knew they were known for their magical abilities.

The boy began circling you, examining you, breaking you out of your thoughts. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. You new or something?”

You nodded, showing him the box you held in your hand.

“Yep. Just got here, actually- I’m unpacking right now,” you explained.

He shook your hand, smiling widely. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Camilo Madrigal.”

“(Y/N) (L/N).”

ROMANTIC HEADCANONS

When you aren’t looking, he’s always staring at you. He’ll hold his head in his hands and look at you with a goofy smile on his face. If any of his family members try to point it out, though, he’ll deny it.

When you are feeling worthless or useless, he’ll do whatever it takes to cheer you up. He cares about you so much, it pains him to see you hurting. He’ll hold you so close to him you two might as well be in the same body, and he’ll quietly reassure you that you are enough and that you are anything but worthless.

Camilo loves cuddling. He likes laying beside you in his bed with his record player playing in the background ( he may or may not have gotten it just to impress you ), and he’s especially happy when you play with his hair.

Anytime you need a muse for your art and you aren’t quite sure how to draw a person in a certain position, he’ll shapeshift and stand in the position for you.

He had never been interested in learning chess before he met you. Now, he’s constantly playing against everyone he comes across to get better so that someday he’ll beat you.

Camilo is usually the more flirty one out of the two of you, so anytime you flirt back, he’ll shapeshift uncontrollably. You give him so many butterflies it’s absolutely insane.

He’s always stealing flowers from Isabela’s room to give to you.

If anything ever happened to you he’d go into full panic mode and he wouldn’t leave your side, not even to sleep.

[welcometomybraincomics]

Omg, new thing for Sam to do to Whiplash on their space adventure while they're all bored on the ship

Sam 100% has those letter magnets and spells random shit all over the ship and Carlo and Rita help draw new magnets. Carlo gets a marker taped to his frame and he rolls around happily on the surface of the magnet and Rita puts a cover on one of her legs and drags paint across the surface

Other time wasting fun things Sam include paint bombs, annyoing Whiplash and running away so he chases them around the ship, and convincing Whiplash to play pretend with them

They also play hide and seek with the kids, help them with upgrades

…..Guys..

Guys I cant cope with this, its too adorable.

I.. dude like.. for real.. like..

Transformers.. are made of metal.. and magnets.. stick to metallll…

…duuuude… I have so many cute headcannons now that I feel like my head is going to explode..

Imagine Miko.. She saves up her money and buys this sheet magnet one day right? She draws these cute little pictures, cuts them out, glues them to the magnet and cuts the magnet sheet to make her own personalized magnets.

She started with Bulkhead. She would discretely place the magnets on the back of his legs as high up as she could reach. He’s a bit clueless, cant actually see them unless he deliberately looks for them and cant feel them. So he has like 15 magnets stuck to his legs but he doesn’t know at all.

Miko manages to stick about 3 on Bumblebee before he started getting suspicious.

She gave some to Raf and Jack and they joined in.

The kids ended up turning it onto a game. They tried to see who could get the most magnets on different bots. Ratchet being worth the most points.

All three kids got about two magnets each on Optimus which was really hard to do because they had to somewhat climb on him and hope he didn’t move. Optimus knew from the very beginning exactly what they were doing and when they were doing it to him, but he thought it was adorable so pretended to be oblivious and stand extra still whenever he felt one of them climbing up on his pedes. Plus, Optimus was worth a lot of points in the game so he didn’t to make one of them lose because he caught them in the act.

Miko made one with a giant cute Bumblebee on it and put it on, well, duh, Bumblebee’s leg. He was later seen with a face full of pride and the magnet on his chest plate. 

Miko and Raf spent the night at Jacks house and Miko brought all her magnet gear. They took a sick day and spent all their time making magnets. They went to the base that weekend with these big heavy backpacks that were obviously filled with magnets. Every member of team Prime that knew about the magnet stuff pretended to be very busy and distracted that day.

Miko made a giant magnet that had a blushing Shrek on it and stuck it to Ratchet’s foot. He hasn’t noticed yet and she got over 1000 points for it.

Raf was placed on Ratchets shoulder at one point or another, and this absolute mad lad manages to stick a bright pink one with a flower on it right on the side of Ratchet’s head where he cant see or feel it. But of course all the other bots could see it clear as day and never said anything. Raf got 5000 points for getting a girly magnet on Ratchet’s head.

Arcee was the hardest to sneak up on, absolutely nobody could get a magnet on her. She was worth 6000 points because of the difficulty. At first she didn’t want one.. but then Bulkhead, and Bumblebee were gushing about how cute and creative the magnets were and how much they loved them. Arcee got a bit jealous, now she wants a pretty Miko magnet too..

But she cant just like, ask for one. So one day she pretended to be exhausted all day and constantly distracted and working on stuff. But as soon as a magnet mysteriously appeared on her ankle she suddenly had all the energy in the world and had a particular prep in her step. She now pretends to be tired when ever she wants another magnet.

Jack somehow managed to sneak a laugh/crying emoji magnet on the back of Smokescreens head. He still hasn’t noticed this particular magnet and keeps wondering why everyone keeps laughing literally behind his back.

When Wheeljack was around, Miko tried to sneak a magnet on him while he was sitting down with Bulkhead. But there’s no sneaking up on Jackie, so he instantly noticed her and was like, “The frag you doin??” And Bulkhead just whispered, “Duuuude you’re not supposed to notice.” Wheeljack kept the magnet because it said “foxy grandpa” on it, he doesn’t know what it means but he thought it sounded funny.

When Ratchet finally noticed the like, almost 10 magnets on his legs he was annoyed at first……

..But they’re so cute, and Miko worked so hard on them and they have little faces on them.. And it just.. It makes Miko so darn happy and giggly when she sees he still hasn’t noticed them yet. So he pretends to be the most oblivious of them all, letting the kids stick tons of magnets to him.

He gets to about 40 magnets before Optimus kind’a nudges him and goes, “I can no longer tell if you are actually oblivious to all the magnets, my friend.” And Ratchet just goes, “Don’t tell the kids I know, I don’t want to spoil their fun.” Optimus just nods and says, “Of course, would you do the same for me? I do not wish to spoil their game, I am still worth very many points.”

It genuinely took Ratchet forever to notice the pink flower magnet though. He didn’t remember putting Raf on his shoulder that one time and never thought that Raf would actually do something like that. He eventually noticed it when he saw that whenever anyone looked at him their faces would just light up.

…………………..He left that one there and pretended to not notice it because it made Optimus genuinely smile every, single, time, he looked at it.

One time Ratchet was called out to a mission with about 40 magnets stuck to his legs, he returned with only about 16 and had a crushed expression on his face. He was in a horrible mood after that mission, despite how well it went. Later the remaining 16 magnets disappeared too, Miko thought Ratchet had finally discovered them and just threw them out. She sheepishly went up to him and asked him if that was true.

Ratchet looked appalled and said, “Absolutely not! Why would I throw them out??” He brought his left arm down and flipped up his armored plating to reveal the 16 remaining magnets all neatly organized and stuck to the underside of the plate. “I didn’t want to lose any more of them, they wont get lost or damaged here.” Safe to say Miko didn’t think Ratchet cared and teared up a little.

At one point Miko made special jumbo magnets for each member of team prime. Optimus got a bright red one that was covered in blue glitter, it said “BOOS MAN” in big gold letters. She misspelled boss.. Arcee’s was baby blue with the word “QUEEN” poorly spelled in cursive with hot pink marker. Bumblebees was a bright yellow one with black stripes that had the word “STINGER” written on it, but you cant really tell because the words were also black. Ratchet had a white one that had an orange cross on it and had the words “Best Medic” written very carefully and neatly with black sharpie. Bulkhead’s was the biggest one, it was a bright green one that said “My Best Friend” on it. It had a tiny doodle of Miko and Bulk’s faces on it too.

Optimus smiled at his, said it was lovely and hid it some where to keep it safe, but occasionally he could be seen wearing it around the base. Same thing with Arcee, she said she loved it and wore it occasionally. Bumblebee wore his with pride on his chest plate around the base but took it off before he went on missions. Ratchet cried in private over his and hid it somewhere, occasionally on a good day the magnet could be spotted on his left chest plate. Bulkhead also cried a bit but not in private. He put it on his chest plate and said he’d treasure it forever.

Miko eventually ran out of magnets and money, so Agent Fowler came in clutch and got her like a 15 foot heavy duty magnet sheet and these mega big scissors so she could keep making them.

Ultra Magnus told Wheeljack to take the “foxy grandpa” magnet off his shoulder pad because it was “distracting”. Wheeljack looked at Ultra Magnus, then at Miko, then at Ultra Magnus. He said okay and took the magnet off his shoulder and slapped it right on his forehead.

Miko laughed so hard she nearly passed out. Ultra Magus said to take it off and Wheeljack was like “make me you coward”.

Wheeljack asked specifically for biggest, most ugly and obnoxious Magnet she had. Miko returned with a diner plate sized baked Berry Benson magnet that she didn’t have the chance to use. Wheeljack put it on his shoulder pad where it could best be seen and refused to take it off JUST to make the kids laugh and annoy Ultra Magnus.

I would keep going but honestly this post is getting too long and if I try to keep going my brain is going to melt from the cuteness.

♡(ಥ﹏ಥ)♡

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 206

Episode: Yes! Precure 5 Go Go! 08 - “Syrup and the Mysterious Letter" Date watched: 7 April 2021 Original air date: 23 March 2008 Screenshots Transformation Gallery Project info and master list of posts

this is not important

How do you follow up that epic trip to the Palmier Kingdom? With some shenanigans and a mystery. Let's take a look.

The Plot

Syrup has a nightmare that he's trapped in a dark room, with only one doorway to the outside that's closing and a hand is keeping him from getting out. He screams that he doesn't want to be alone. He screams aloud in his sleep as well, and then the bell of the clock tower strikes six o'clock and then Syrup and Mailpo both dart awake. A startled Mailpo then spouts out a letter for the Precures. Meanwhile, Scorp surveys the city from on high and notes that the clock tower is a part of the collection. He decides to capture it to keep some clout within Eternal after his failures in retrieving the Rose Pact.

Later that day, at school, the girls are hanging out at Otaka's restaurant. Nozomi, Urara, and even Rin are wolfing down hotcakes (etymology note: depending on the region, hotcakes may be different from pancakes) when Syrup walks up to deliver the letter. They open it and discover, rather than a written note, it contains a piece of a flier, a flower shoot, and a piece of hotcake.

They are all perplexed by the contents. Rin identifies the shoot as coming from a tokeiso (lit. clock grass, known as a blue passion flower in English), and Nozomi takes this to mean that someone wants them to go to Rin's flower shop and eat hotcakes. Instead, they all gather at Natts House after school and continue to pore over their clues. Komachi notices the items each have a V-shaped imprint on them and thinks it might be a code, but none of the v-words they come up with make sense. Suddenly Nozomi, in her own Nozomi way, identifies that the piece of paper smells like crepes and she leads them to the new crepe shop that just opened up, called Clock Tower Crepes. They grab a flier and wouldn't you know, it matches their piece. At this point Karen notices a theme, between the clock tower restaurant and clock grass flower, so they suspect the mysterious messenger is telling them about the clock tower. A bird flies by as Syrup comments that he hasn't seen anyone here, and then Scorp shows up and informs the sextet that the clock tower's bell is in the collection, so he's taking the whole thing for Eternal and he turns a nearby fire hydrant into a giant Hoshiina.

and I do mean giant

The girls transform but this time, the Hoshiina isn't really interested in them. It's mostly focused on tackling the clock tower and it only swats the Precures away as they try to attack it. At the same time, a bird attacks Scorp, who similarly flicks it away, and the girls notice a bird's nest high in the tower, threatened by falling rubble and just outright falling. Mint surmises that the bird sent the letter as a request to protect their nest. Scorp mocks the girls for protecting the tower for some birds and they retort that his idea of what's valuable doesn't matter. Then Scorp turns his attention to Syrup, telling him to come back and work for Eternal again, marking the first time this is mentioned. However, Dream butts in and says that he can come to the Cure Rose Garden with the Precures and be much happier than going with Scorp, and he obviously sides with them. After rescuing the bird nest, she hands it to Syrup and then performs Shooting Star on the Hoshiina, destroying it.

Afterwards, in a beautifully lit twilight scene, the girls place a protective cage around the nest, and comment on how unexpected it was that the bird sent the letter. Komachi, Karen, Rin, and Urara are still unsure how the piece of hotcake fit in, though, and Nozomi thinks for a minute before concluding that "hotcake" has "tokei" (clock) in it, the same as the other two clues. Rin is spectacularly unamused.

As the girls admire their work and note how happy the birds seem, Syrup decides to open up to them a little bit. While leaning over the railing, looking out into the sunset, he admits that he sometimes has nightmares about being alone in the darkness, trapped and unable to escape. Nozomi tells him to send her a letter whenever that happens and no matter where, when, or what, she'll come into his dream to rescue him. Despite his protests she insists she'll respond earnestly to his feelings. At that moment, Mailpo unleashes a torrent of letters from Milk, some of which come open to reveal their contents, and the girls notice a picture of Milk watering a glowing blue sprout. They decide to all deliver the letters to Coco and Nuts together and the episode closes on a still frame of everyone rushing along with arms full of letters.

The Analysis

Stuff like this is why I love Nozomi as a character. She's goofy and isn't quite on the same page as the other girls, but she's trying her hardest to solve the mystery, and her unique experiences and knowledge help them find the answer. She wants to help the birds and protect the clock tower from Eternal, but she also doesn't miss a beat emotionally supporting Syrup when he opens up about his troubles. It's not her strongest showing, it's not quite the Nozomi we get during major plot episodes, but she's earnest and heartfelt and I like that. And that's a good description of this episode overall: it's not as strong as a major plot episode but it's earnest and heartfelt. It is on the upper end of middle-of-the-road, and that's fine. The only thread of character development here is Syrup opening up to the Nozomi a bit, which is a plot largely ignored until after the fight. The rest is mostly filler and doesn't contribute to the ongoing plots and mysteries surrounding Syrup's past, his connection to Eternal, the hunt for the Four Monarchs, Coco and Nuts developing as kings, the Blue Rose, or the Cure Rose Garden.

Looking at the here and now though, this episode is satisfying, well-paced, and has lots of gags. Nozomi repeatedly acts the fool, causing the other girls to react a lot.

She's very gung-ho about finding the sender and addressing their problem, and the other girls have to struggle to keep up with her. Coco and Nuts talk to Syrup about this as well, admitting that Nozomi is the type to act first and think later, but that aspect of her has saved them in the past and they're indebted to her enthusiasm. I talk about Nozomi being central to this and in hindsight she is, but when watching the episode it feels more balanced. I guess it's the illusion of words vs actions. Everyone talks a lot but Nozomi is the one that figures out two of the three clues, and the one who takes the lead in defending the birds once they recognize them. She's the one that suggests Syrup should stay at Natts House and the one that encourages Syrup at the end. Rin contributes information about the flower, Komachi and Karen speculate about the imprinted symbol, and Urara...... doesn't really have anything meaningful to add now that I think about it, other than some exasperated faces (see above).

As I said though, there's some good gags along the way. My favorite is them mistaking the impression left by the bird's beak as a "V" and trying to figure out words that start with "V" that it might represent.

(if you’re not familiar, b and v are phonetically similar to begin with and basically blend together in Japanese, hence this mistake)

There was also a funny gag at the start with Rin acting so shocked that Nozomi and Urara were eating hotcakes after lunch..... only for the camera to show her eating them as well. Komachi and Karen’s reactions were priceless. And the first half of the episode has much of this jollity, it’s pretty upbeat. The second half is more serious, as they deal with the threat against the clock tower and the birds’ nest, but it doesn’t get weighty until the end.

Syrup is still kind of an enigma up to this point. All we really know is that he's a delivery boy who wants to visit the Cure Rose Garden, and he's got a strained relationship with most of the other fairies. He mostly keeps to himself, considering Mailpo as his only friend, and just floats between spaces delivering letters and putting up kind of a stand-offish front to keep people away. However, his nightmare sheds a lot of insight on his situation. This time we learn that he's haunted by dreams of being trapped alone in the darkness. He's younger in his dreams, which is a visualization of vulnerability. The force restraining him is a claw, and based on what we learn later about his time working for Eternal, this dream could be a representation of that period, compounded with his ongoing sense of loneliness and his lack of belonging. Even the fact that he sleeps in the clock tower is because he doesn't have a proper home and he doesn't trust other people enough to provide him one. However, he's been getting to know the girls over the last several episodes, seeing what drives them and what kind of people they are, and he's beginning to feel like he can trust them, so he opens up about some of his fears to Nozomi at the end. She understands that he's afraid and alone, and promises she'll rescue him in his dreams if he asks her to, because she cares. The practicality of this doesn't matter, Syrup is her friend and she'll protect him, that's all there is to it in her mind.

Minor note, the significance of two out of three of the clues actually gets lost in translation. The common thread is that they all have “tokei” in the name, which means “clock”. The clock tower is pretty self-explanatory. The plant called “tokeiso” in Japanese is called a blue luster in English, losing the descriptivism of its Japanese name that describes its clock hand-shaped sprouts (Google it, it’s very pretty). Lastly, although the Japanese word for the pastry they’re eating is “hottoke-ki”, derived from hotcakes, and there is technically a difference between pancakes and hotcakes (and flatcakes and flapjacks) English speakers are most familiar with the term “pancakes” and that’s what the subtitles translate it as.

Lastly I want to remark on the art. This is a good art episode... mostly. Scenes of the Hoshiina notwithstanding, because for some reason they really dropped the ball on that. The art isn’t amazing or anything, but they play with proportions for comedy in a way that makes it fun, cute, and endearing.

look at this goof

I’ve commented before on reused music I think, well in this episode I picked up on a villain cue from way back in FWPC. It’s by no means a bad thing, but I primarily associate reused music with the period from Fresh through Smile, and now I’ve noticed some in the Star Twinkle-Tropical-Rouge period. It’s nice to demonstrate to myself that this has been happening all along and isn’t a phenomenon exclusive to on part of the series.

Full disclosure: when I first watched GoGo back in 2013 or 2014, I skipped this episode (and the next one) by accident, due to a naming bug.

disclaimer: those are not the files I’m using now, these are. Only the best.

Due to the way people came and went from this project, the filenames changed a lot, so by a quirk episodes 8-9 happened to be alphabetized between episode 40 and 41. I had my player set to auto-play the next episode and I was working on a project at the time and not giving the binge my full attention, so after episode 7, the next file in the folder was 10. I bring this up to theorize that skipping these two episodes initially may have influenced my opinion on their relevance. I jumped straight from the Palmier Kingdom to Milky Rose's introduction and didn't wind up watching the episodes that bridged this gap until well after the fact. I may never know what impact this had on my overall response, and maybe I’m overthinking it, but as I view these two episodes as kind of filler or padding to get to Milky Rose, it’s a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I only dismiss them because I experienced it without them first.

I know this review is all over the place, so to summarize my thoughts, it’s a solid episode with some genuine moments, but overall it feels like padding or filler, since I know what’s coming in a few episodes. That isn’t a bad thing but it doesn’t do much for the characters or their relationships with each other, except for Syrup as he’s new around here. Coco and Nuts, surprisingly, are barely in this episode. It is not bad, but it’s not one of the better episodes the show has to offer. And that’s fine.

Next time on Precure Daily, there’s another mystery to solve, and this time Komachi goes full detective to find the cake caper. Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 2 Kettei!