#Human cloak of levitation

[space-mermaid-writing]

The Path I Strayed From [Human!Cloak, IronStrange]

Summary: The Cloak of Levitation gets hurt in a fight and remains motionless. Desperate for a cure, Stephen tries every healing spell he can find. But nothing works. Until one morning he wakes up and looks straight into the face of a strange human in familiar red robes.

Tags: Human!Cloak, the cloak has no concept of personal space, IronStrange as a side dish with mutual pining, platonic Stephen/Cloak, it starts with angst, then it’s all fun and fluff

Ko-fi | Masterlist | Read it on AO3 | Word count: 7.3k

Chapter’s Note: I just really wanted to write a human cloak that loves Stephen. They are a great duo. 10/10 want more content with them as besties

The Path I Strayed From

Stephen stumbled through a portal into the Sanctum Sanctorum. Blood dripped from his forehead and from several wounds under his slashed clothes. But that was not the reason for the despair that was written on his face. It was the red fabric he clutched in his arms.

It was enough to make Wong, who was nearby, instantly concerned. "What happened?" he asked, but Strange merely shook his head, hugging the cloak tighter. Wong noticed it didn't move, which was weird enough. With a hand on his shoulder, he guided Strange to a couch and sat him down.

Stephen had been in another dimension. It should have been just an easy enough mission. Just a check in. But the way Stephen looked, something definitely went totally wrong.

When Wong tried to take the cloak, stubbornly holding onto it. "I'll find a way, my friend," he murmured into the fabric.

~~

The cloak remained motionless. Stephen tried every spell he knew but nothing worked. He was currently searching in the library. Wong went to Kamar-Taj to look for a solution there. The problem was that there wasn‘t a lot of information about the cloak‘s origin, nor its magic. Stephen tried in the past to figure it out, but it was tedious work, because the Cloak of Levitation never held still long enough – and so he had finally given up on it. Now when he scanned the fabric, there were no traces of magic at all. And that was what worried him most.

Stephen felt a shift in the Sanctum as someone entered through the front door. A quick check told him it was a welcomed guest – usually. Usually he would send the cloak to bring Stark to the library.

Stephen sighed silently.

Tony knocked his knuckles on the door frame before he walked into the room. "I brought food," he announced, a bag with take out food in his hand. He looked at the sorcerer, who avoided his gaze, noting the deep circles under his eyes.

Stephen mumbled just a small greeting, not in the mood for company. „Do you want anything?“ he asked curtly. It was the grief talking. Normally he was happy to see Stark. Way more happy than he should be.

Today he didn‘t even try to banter, the gleam in his eyes missing.

Tony wasn’t put off by this. He had his own bad days and knew where they came from. And he was willing to be at least as stubborn as Strange, if he had to. He put the bag on the table next to Strange‘s books.

„I heard of your cloak.“

„Just a temporary inconvenience. I‘m currently working on a solution.“

„Of course,“ Tony offered way too casual. He sat down at the table and grabbed a book from the pile. „What are we looking for?“

Finally, Stephen looked at him, regarding Stark, who seemed serious about helping him. „Can you read Tamil?“ Tony opened his mouth, but before he could answer, Stephen scoffed with something that could be amusement. „Let me guess: Friday can?“

Tony smirked. „Correct. Ten points to Ravenclaw.“

Stephen rolled his eyes, then looked at the bag on the table. „That‘s from the Indian place on the eighth street?“

„Number five for you, number sixteen for Wong and extra naan bread.“

There was a shadow of a smile on Stephen‘s lips, as his heart took a leap. Food first, he decided, because he was starving – even though he wouldn‘t admit it – and then they would continue the research. Stark knew nothing about magic, but he was wicked smart and four eyes read faster than two.

„How did it happen anyway?“

„Witches,“ Stephen said with a frown.

He had been surprised by them. They must have settled recently and were not pleased about his visit. They attacked him with a lot of raw power. Normally they would just stand a minor problem for the Sorcerer Supreme, but he was also greatly outnumbered. So it turned out to be rather challenging.

There had been one specific nasty spell whirled at him. The cloak of levitation had caught the magic - as it often did. After that he had stopped moving. Stephen had used his anger to push down the shock and didn’t waste any more time with the witches.

"Nothing good ever came from witches," Tony agreed lowly, for he had had his own bad experiences with them.

~~

Stephen tried every healing and magic storing spell he could find.

Nothing.

Angrily he threw the last book against the wall – just to catch it midair with magic. Wong would have his head, if he damaged a book from the library. With a flick of his hand it floated onto a nearby table.

He needed to sleep. No astral projecting but actual sleep.

Stephen took the cloak with him. He tried to wear it anyway, but it felt too much like a dead body hanging on his shoulder; creepy and wrong.

He put the red fabric neatly folded on a chair in his room, hit the shower and then his bed. He was out almost instantly.

~~

Stephen was stirring awake, feeling surprisingly well rested. And there were hands on him. First he thought he was dreaming, maybe of Stark. They moved, brushing his hair out of his face. Stephen blinked sleepily and noticed a flash of red fabric. It looked awfully similar to… Stephen wrenched his eyes open and tried to sit up, but a weight on his chest prevented that second action. He was eye to eye with a foreign face.

„Stephen!~“

Instantly alarmed, the sorcerer tried to access the situation: dark eyes and longish hair fell into a round face. It was hard to guess a gender, they looked kinda androgynous. The red robes were in the typical style of Kamar-Taj. Stephen had never seen them before but something about them felt familiar.

The cloak stared at him with a wide grin. It was trying to hold back, and was successful for about eight seconds, before it didn't want to wait any longer. „Stephen, look! I‘ve got hands.“ It shoved them right into his face. „And I can talk. My voice sounds kinda weird, but isn‘t it great? Listen to it. Actual words coming from my mouth.“ It was chatting happily, while Stephen just stared at it.

His brain tried to understand what was going on here. The pattern of the robe, the hue of red, the gestures.…

“Cloak?“

The cloak beamed at him. “Hi.“

“Why are you… human?“ Stephen pushed it off his chest and finally sat up.

“I don‘t know. The last thing I remember is the fight with the witches. They were mean. You‘re fine, though? You look fine.“ It examined his face, poked and probed his cheeks and then down the shoulders of his naked upper body. Stephen pushed its hands away. “And then I woke up like this.“

“Must be one of the spells I tried on you,“ Stephen thought out loud. At the look of the cloak, he added, “You didn’t move. I thought I lost you…”

And because the cloak had always been great in reading Stephen’s feelings and what he needed, it hugged him tightly. Stephen took a deep breath and all the stress of the last week fell off him. The not-cloak was warm and still even smelled the same, despite its different appearance. It moved. Stephen had been successful.

“I’m always coming back to you,” the cloak said softly. It felt like a promise. “You’re my friend.”

Stephen just nodded, not being able to form actual words. Until the cloak shifted and climbed behind Stephen, putting its arms around his neck.

“What are you doing?” the sorcerer asked, irritated.

“It’s morning. Time for breakfast, silly. Let’s get you out of bed.” With these words, it suddenly lifted Stephen out of bed and set him to his feet. Apparently it still had the ability to levitate and also still had the same strength to move him with it. Even though he was used to it from the cloak of levitation, it felt strange with the human version.

Although Stephen was glad to see the return of the cloak, he refused to give it a piggyback ride to the kitchen.

The human cloak pouted - it had always been good at it, but its human face took it to a whole new level. It followed him anyway, floating beside him.

On their way to the kitchen, they saw Wong, who first glanced at Stephen and then at the not-cloak. It waved at him. "Hey Wong."

"Good to have you back, Cloak." The hint of a smile played around Wong's lips.

"Well, technically I'm not a cloak right now. More like a human of levitation." Thinking about this, it put a hand to its chin, swaying slightly left and right as it hovered. It was iconic how much its movements resembled that of its cloak form. Even if one did not know who it was, it would be recognizable by its behavioral quirks. “Oh, I know!” The not-cloak beamed. “You can call me Levi for now. Like Tony always does.”

“Sure, Levi.”

~~

It was weird to see Levi in this form, but it was no longer still. So it was not an actual problem. Stephen nevertheless rummaged through all the books of spells he had used, to find out what caused this.

Levi was happy and didn't complain about its new body, so Stephen was in no hurry to reverse it – and perhaps risk turning it back into a lifeless and very much not moving piece of cloth.

Even as a cloak, Levi had always had a curious nature. Now it was fascinated by being able to touch things with hands, to see things with eyes. And it seems to have made it a challenge to try every single food existing. It quickly found out that it didn't actually need to eat. A quick magic scan by Stephen had shown that it was run by magic.

That didn’t stop it from stealing food off Stephen’s plate. Once it even tried to take a slice of Wong’s pizza, while Stephen was visiting one of the other Sanctum. When he came back, he found Levi trapped in a prison mirror and Wong lectured Stephen about teaching it some manners.

The not-cloak disappeared somewhere in the Sanctum after Stephen got him out, sulking and not talking a word to anyone.

Of course it was back a few hours later, cuddling with Stephen.

Due to its former form of a piece of clothing, it had no concept of personal space. It was also very handsy and liked to drape itself around Stephen no matter where he was. It also still followed him around, even if it was no longer allowed to hang on his shoulder while he walked. Stephen made it clear that he wasn’t part of a conga line. Levi only pouted only for five minutes after that.

~~

Stephen sat in the library, watched by the pile of red fabric and dark hair next to him. “You should go to sleep. It’s late,” it stated.

The sorcerer didn’t even look up. “I need to find something to prevent those riffs that appear all over New Jersey. Remember them? They started even before we met the witches.”

“I remember the beasts that jumped through the first riff.” Levi tilted its head. “It would have eaten your face, if it wasn’t for me.”

“And my face is really thankful for that.”

“It’s a good face,” Levi nodded. “A face that needs sleep.”

Stephen huffed amused. He conjured a pen and paper and used magic to write something down. “How about this: you find me these books and I’ll take them with me to read them in my astral form, while my face sleeps.”

Levi nodded again and grabbed the paper out of the air. It looked at it and then at Stephen, not moving an inch.

Stephen raised an eyebrow. “What? Can’t read anymore?”

“I can, but not whatever this is.” It held up the paper with the illegible text. Some clichés about doctors were actually true.

Stephen rolled his eyes and told him the titles, whereupon Levi went to the shelves. It still preferred to float instead of walking, finding it unnecessarily and boring to use legs.

Stephen flipped through the book in front of him, when he noticed a shift in the air and a second later Wong appeared in the library. “Strange! We have hellhounds downtown.” As he spoke he already created a portal.

Stephen jumped to his feet. It looked like sleep would have to wait a little longer. Levi came rushing back, looking grim and ready to fight.

“You stay here,” Stephen told it sternly.

“What? No! Why? I always come with you.”

“Yes, as a cloak. We don’t know how vulnerable you’re in this form. And you can’t stay on my shoulders like this during a fight.”

Levi looked like it wanted to protest some more, but was interrupted by Wong, who had already jumped through the portal. "Strange!" he shouted impatiently.

“Just do as I say. I can’t lose you again.” Stephen was adamant about it. Before Levi could even think about following him anyway, the sorcerer had stepped through the portal and closed it from the other side.

A sting went through its heart as it stood in the empty library. Stephen had never left it behind. They were a duo from the first day the sorcerer fell through its glass case.

Levi slumped its shoulders and lowered itself onto the armchair where Stephen had just been sitting minutes ago. Hearing nothing but silence, it felt awful. Sure, Stephen was a capable sorcerer, but he always relied on the cloak. And the cloak always had his back. The thought that he was now fighting alone…

A restlessness came over Levi. So many emotions swirled inside it that it was difficult to separate them all. Levi was hurt, offended, worried. Humans felt much more strongly than cloaks, and experiencing it overwhelmed Levi a little.

It seemed like an eternity to Levi - though not much more than an hour could have passed - when noises came from the entrance hall. Stephen and Wong were back. They were seemingly unharmed, only their robes were slightly burned in some spots.

Levi approached slowly, not fully over its sulking, but the urge to make sure Stephen was okay was stronger.

Wong disappeared toward the kitchen, presumably making himself some well-deserved tea. Before Stephen could decide to follow him, Levi's fingers were in his face, prodding, turning it to the left and right in inspection.

“I’m fine, Levi.” Stephen pushed its fingers away. He was so, so tired. The adrenaline of the fight was already out of his system, leaving a deep exhaustion. “I’m going to bed.” He passed Levi, who stayed where it was.

“Alone?”

It was spoken so softly that Stephen almost missed it. "That's never stopped you from tagging along before." And it should be weird, because Levi was a human being, but it was also still his cloak. Someone familiar. A strange friend – pun fully intended.

“You never faced a fight alone before so I don’t know.”

That made Stephen turn around, facing Levi fully, and he looked at it. Like really looked.

The cloak, who had never been afraid to slap him with the corner of its hem if it didn’t agree with Stephen’s action, now looked like a cat in the rain. Insecure, rejected. Shoulder slumped. It was that moment that it hit Stephen: the situation of this cloak-turned-human might be feeling weird for him, suddenly having this person as a companion instead of a piece of fabric. But under this whole sunshine and babbling demeanor it had to be much more difficult for Levi. All its… life? consciousness?… awareness, it had always been a cloak. Yes, sure, it was able to change into whatever piece of clothes its wearer needed it to be, but there had been limits.

It was hard enough to be a human by birth. Being suddenly turned into one was beyond Stephen’s comprehension.

Its whole life, existence, destiny had changed together with its form. It tried to find a place in this world, at Stephen's side. And he had just rejected it. His friend.

Stephen's voice softened, “I’m just trying to keep you safe for now. Just like you did before. It doesn’t change anything else between us.” He nodded to the door. “C’mon.”

Levi followed him with a forced smile.

~~

Levi didn’t need to sleep. Usually it spent the nights either hanging over the back of a chair – rather uncomfortable in its current form - or as an additional blanket on top of Stephen. It didn’t restrain from the second option just because it was human.

These days Stephen woke up with Levi sprawled all over him, sometimes even entangled in the blanket. He was fine with that and didn’t complain.

In the past the cloak had often enough done its own thing in the Sanctum, only appearing at Stephen’s side when he needed it. But ever since it shape changed, it followed him almost like a lost puppy. Stephen didn’t mind most of the time. Even if Levi didn’t know where to draw the line.

Stephen brushed his teeth in the bathroom, rinsed out and turned around, just to find himself face to face with Levi.

“Do you need to shave?” it asked. It had often helped him with that in the past when his own hands were shaking too badly.

“No. I’m just going to shower.” It nodded but didn’t leave. Stephen sighted. “Levi, we talked about this. Personal space.”

It was still a strange concept for Levi, but it backed off without complaining. Not without making funny faces, though, just because it could. Some things it would never understand. But it didn’t dwell on it, because someone was entering the Sanctum.

Stephen was the master of the Sanctum Sanctorum and some of that specific magic also applied to Levi. He instantly knew who was visiting, and was excited to greet another friend.

For Tony, it was not unusual to find the entrance hall empty. If no one was home, the doors would not open for him. The magic of the sanctum was a bit like Friday, just without a voice output and less predictable. He would just walk to the library, where either Stephen or Wong usually hung out. He was by now used to the peculiarities of the sorcerers.

What he was not used to, was to be pounced on by someone on his way upstairs.

“Tony!” Levi chirped happily, greeting the Avenger by wrapping its arms around him.

Tony was startled and pushed it away from him. "Jesus fucking Christ! Way to give me a heart attack." He drew his brows together. "Do I know you?" Usually Tony was good with faces, but he couldn't remember ever seeing this one.

Levi hovered in front of him. "It's me, your buddy."

Tony adjusted his sunglasses – Levi knew Friday was connected to them – but then took them off and tucked them into his breast pocket. “Yeah, I don’t think so. Also, for the protocol, I don’t like being jumped on. Is Strange available?”

Levi pouted and crossed its arms. “You’re no fun. Stephen is taking a shower. He threw me out, but I don’t like getting wet anyway. Makes the fabric smell funny.”

Tony stared at Levi, trying to figure out who the hell this person was and why they were so close to Strange. They seemed familiar but Friday didn’t find a match in the data bank. No facial recognition whatsoever. “You know what, I’ll come back later.” He was about to turn away when a voice from down the hall called his name.

“Stark.”

It was Stephen, who had realized they had a guest and came to greet him. He was back in his blue robes and nothing indicated that he was in the shower like 45 seconds ago. Levi knew that he had used magic for a spotless appearance; he would never face Tony with anything less.

Tony's eyes brightened. “Strange.”

Levi flew to Stephen's side. It would have preferred to be behind him, its hands on his shoulders, looking over them. Old habits died hard.

"What are you doing here? We didn't have an appointment, did we?" Stephen asked. He was oblivious to Tony's mixed feelings as he regarded the two sorcerers thoughtfully.

After what happened to the Cloak of Levitation Strange had been in a mood. Understandably. Tony never fully understood the bond between the sorcerer and his loyal companion, but he knew what it was like losing a close friend. Someone as close as family. Strange hadn’t looked good the last time Tony saw him. And he hadn’t heard from him for a while.

Tony didn’t know if he was just busy doing wizard stuff or if he wasn’t coping well. But looking at him now, he seemed more than fine with that other sorcerer nudging his side. Strange wasn’t known for being an open and affectionate person. So seeing someone occupying his personal space without getting so much as a scowl in return was at least unusual.

Tony buried his hands in his pants pockets as he suppressed some feelings he didn't want to think about. He opted for a tactical retreat instead.

“No, I was just checking in to see how you are doing, after… you know, never mind. Seems like you’re doing just fine and you are obviously busy.” He turned around before he embarrassed himself even more with his rambling.

Levi whispered something in Stephen's ear and the sorcerer nodded. “Have you had breakfast yet?”

Tony turned around, opening his mouth to decline, but Levi was faster.

“We can order from that french bakery you love.”

Tony’s mouth became a thin line. He stepped towards Levi, raising his finger to point at it. “Okay, for real, who the fuck are you?”

Stephen looked from Tony to the smirking Levi, who waited for the shoe to drop. “Wait, you haven’t told him?”, Stephen asked.

“Told me what?” Tony asked exasperated.

“That’s the Cloak of Levitation.”

There was a sequence of various emotions on Tony’s face: Disbelief, surprise and... relief? It was gone as fast. “Really? I thought you kinda died?” Was the first thing that came out of his mouth. Then, “You don’t look like a cloak. But that levitation part you got down.”

“Magic,” Stephen simply stated and of course that was the explanation. It was Tony’s fault for not counting that factor in before.

“That’s definitely a story I want to hear. So, breakfast?” Tony no longer had the urge to run away.

“Sure.”

They walked to the kitchen and Levi floated next to Tony, leaning in as if he was about to share a secret. “You know, Stephen always says he doesn’t like that French place because their stuff is too sweet, but he secretly loves their chocolate croissants.”

Stephen scoffed, but the facts were already spilled. And if his ear tips became the faintest of red, that was nobody’s but his business. Especially when Tony chuckled.

“You know all the good stuff, don’t you?” The Avenger grinned. “This just became great. You have to tell me more like this.”

“Only if I can visit DUM-E and U later.”

“You drive a hard bargain, but sure. If Dumbledore doesn’t need you here, you can leave with me for your playdate.” He turned his head to Strange, who rolled his eyes affectionately. His voice was fond when he answered, “Can’t separate the kids, can I?” And shit, he shouldn’t say things like that, because now he had this image in his head. If the robots and the cloak were kids, who else could be their parents but Tony and Stephen. Warmth rose in his heart that had no business being there. It was dangerous.

~~

Like promised Levi left with Tony. Stephen opened a portal for the both of them right into Tony’s lab. Levi rushes to its friends, showing off his new form. Tony lingered briefly next to the orange sparks. “I’m glad Levi’s back.”

Stephen's smile reflected in his eyes. “Yeah, me too.

“Will you turn it back into a piece of fabric?”

“Eventually. It seems to enjoy its body for now. Especially its mouth and ability to speak.”

“I noticed,” Tony chuckled. Levi was some serious competition for his own chattiness. “I’ll text you later to collect it. See you, don’t be a stranger.” He winked at the sorcerer, before finally walking through the portal.

Stephen was glad Tony had turned his back on him, because there was a slight blush in his face. He quickly closed the portal.

Back in his lab, Tony heard the beeping of DUM-E and U. Levi hovered in front of them, using its hands in flourishing gestures. He smiled, its antics were really unmistakable. He got himself a cup of coffee and then sat down at his latest project.

It wasn't long before Levi approached him. Tony looked up and their eyes met. "What? Done playing already?"

“You like Stephen.“

Tony looked at it sharply. “Do I now?“, he deflected but didn‘t deny it. He was way past this point.

Levi nodded. “It is kinda obvious.“

“So, you‘re an expert in human relationships now?

Levi crossed its arms, his face serious. “I have been with humans for centuries, sharing their lives. Don’t assume I’m simple minded just because of my former appearance.”

Tony raised his hands in defense. “Alright, sorry. You’re right.”

“I usually am.” Levi smirked. “And just so you know: Stephen likes you too.”

Tony glared at it, but Levi had already turned around and floated back to his friends as if it hadn't just dropped the most important piece of information of the decade.

~~

A talking cloak had many advantages. Above all, it made communication easier. At least on Stephen's end.

"Why did you choose to stay with me?" His voice was quiet, even in the silence in which they had sat before. He hadn't dared ask the question for a long time, not knowing if he wanted to hear the answer. It could change things.

Stephen wasn't afraid of change. But the question was very personal and Stephen handled personal matters with uttermost care.

Levi, sitting next to him as so often, tugged thoughtfully at Stephen's robe. It had its hands often on Stephen these days. As cloak of levitation, it was used to resting on the sorcerer’s shoulders, and even now it seldom kept his fingers to himself, especially when they were alone. When others were around - others besides Wong and Tony - it tried to keep it to a minimum.

“You piqued my interest,” it finally said. “I saw what you could be. And let’s be honest, you really needed my help with Dormammu’s zealots that first time around.” It grinned grimly at the memory. Stephen had not even been a Master of the Mystic Arts back then. But he had fought viciously, determined and headstrong, not fully understanding what he did. He had come a long way to become Sorcerer Supreme and the cloak had always had his back since then – quite literally.

Levi smiled at Stephen. “I still see it.”

They were such simple words, the plain truth. Stephen looked at it in awe, his heart clenching, tearing up. Because he remembered it too. The cloak hadn’t left him when they faced Dormammu, dying again and again. It had saved his life several times since Stephen became Master of the Sanctum Sanctorum and later Sorcerer Supreme. He wouldn’t be here without Levi.

He pulled it on his lap and hugged it tightly. Levi was his emotional support cloak, whether in a fight or just on a bad day of his hands – Levi was there.

I was said that the cloak of levitation was a fickle thing, but loyal as hell once… Stephen didn’t know what once. He didn’t know what he did to deserve its affection. What Levi saw in him.

Freedom of will was something fascinating.

Levi hugged him back, draping its limbs around Stephen’s body as if it was still a cloak. Hugging in this form felt different, but still familiar. They had formed a bond – dying side by side over and over again for the sake of the world does that – and this whole shape changing matter would only strengthen it.

“Thank you,” Stephen muttered in the crook of its shoulder. If there were tears in his eyes, they were dried by red fabric. He didn’t need to hide them, because Levi had seen it all, his highs and lows.

Levi understood why he hid them anyway.

“You too. For keeping me.”

And aren’t there always two sides of a coin? After being alone for so long, on full display, Levi had finally found someone again he could companion. With all its antics, ticks and otherness – being so different from any other relic; not a thing but also not fully a being. With Stephen it had found a place where it could just be the cloak of levitation. And be loved for it.

~~

Levi really tried to give Stephen and Tony a nudge in the right direction. And Tony really tried to hint his intentions at Stephen. After his conversation with Levi in the lab the other day, he had obviously taken its words to heart. Levi increasingly caught Tony looking at Stephen, really just watching him, and he made innuendos that weren't actually that hard to understand.

But Stephen's IQ lowered as soon as Tony entered the room, It was maddening. Levi was a good wing-cloak: it mentioned places where the two men could go on a date, activities it knew Stephen liked. Tony jumped on it every time, sort of served it up to the sorcerer on a silver platter. But it bounced off Stephen like water off a raincoat.

One time it went so far that Levi slapped Stephen right across the face after Tony left – unsuccessful in wooing Stephen once again.

Stephen looked at it, puzzled. "What was that for?"

"You are so stupid it's exhausting!" Annoyed, it floated out of the room.

"I have a PhD," he called after it, before looking longingly to where Tony left.

~~

“Can we invite Peter?” Levi asked. “He hasn’t seen me yet.”

“Sure,” Stephen replied.

A few days later, he regretted it after Levi stole his phone and flooded it with selfies of it and Peter. They were ridiculous.

~~

Stephen, Tony and Levi were walking the streets of New York. Tony offered to buy coffee for all and Levi tagged along for funsies.

Stephen had been tempted to open a portal to the coffee shop just because he could and maybe to show off, but after a hint from Levi he dropped that thought. He liked spending time with Tony anyway and now he was walking beside him, engrossed in his usual banter with the inventor.

Levi was on his other side and for once it was mostly silence, as if it wanted to give the two men some space. It was busy using Stephen’s phone – how in the fifth dimension did it get its hands on that? - for what seemed to be Candy Crush.

The coffee shop was two blocks east, but before they reached it, they all suddenly heard a loud crash nearby. Then the shrill alarm of a building sounded. Tony and Stephen exchanged a look. The sorcerer changed his shirt and jeans into his robes and the inventor tapped the house unit on his chest. Nanobots bled all over his body.

They followed the sound, Levi hot on their heels.

The alarm came from a skyscraper in the financial district. People on the street were stopping and watching, while even more people spilled from the front entrance of the building, following the emergency protocol.

“Doom Bots!”

They were hovering in the air near a broken window somewhere around the tenth floor.

Ever since the cloak's transformation Stephen had played with fly spells. They weren’t as good but did the job. Now he used such a spell to go straight after the bots – because under his stoic and sarcastic behavior the sorcerer had no drive for self-preservation and often went head first into a fight. But it was fine, because Tony and Levi were at his side – even if he told Levi to stay at the sidelines.

More bots came out of the window and one of them had a whole safe in his hands that looked like it had been ripped right out of a wall. Whatever Victor’s plan was, it couldn’t be anything good.

His bots combined technology and magic, and Tony and Stephen were clearly outnumbered. Nevertheless, they did well in battle. Stephen was a bit wobbly on his feet. It was far more difficult to concentrate on the fly spell while fighting. But Tony was home in the air. He blasted and kicked one bot after another.

Stephen used his Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to get a hold on the safe and pulled it out of the bot's hands. Suddenly, something hit his unprotected back with full force. He couldn't even let out a noise of pain before his body went limp and he fell from the sky.

Tony was busy fighting and only noticed it when he heard a cry from Levi. He watched in horror as Levi dove for the crashing sorcerer.

Levi went as fast as it could, but ten stories was not high for a chase and Stephen had quite a head start. Physics was against them. Levi used all the magic it could possibly muster. Just seconds before impact, it managed to grab the sorcerer by the waist, wrapping itself around him and breaking the fall. Levi couldn't quite prevent them both from hitting the asphalt and rolling over the ground. Their robes tore and skin scraped.

It hurt.

As a cloak, Levi was immune to pain and now it hit all the harder. It took a moment to remember how to breathe. Human bodies were so complex and fragile. But its main concern was not for himself, but for Stephen.

Levi sat up and examined the sorcerer. He breathed, thank the Vishanti. But he didn’t move. There was no reaction from him altogether, even when Levi called his name, crying it over and over again.

Stephen's eyes stayed closed.

A Doom Bot had followed them to the ground, either because its protocol tried to ensure that the threat was neutralized, or maybe because Victor was connected to them and still insisted on his personal feud with the Sorcerer Supreme. Either way, it stepped close, right into their personal space, and Levi saw red. It jumped to its feet and then right onto the foe, who dared to harm his sorcerer.

Levi was strong – strong enough to carry Stephen, a full grown man, without breaking a sweat. The bot was no challenge for it. It brought it down and knelt on its back

Levi grabbed his head and hit it on the ground, again and again. Until it no longer looked like a head and more like a mash of circuits, wires and crumple metal. It didn’t even notice when the bot stopped resisting and went offline. Levi stopped no sooner as it was sure the bot could no longer hurt Stephen.

It rushed back to the sorcerer, cradling him in its arms, his head and shoulders pulled onto its lap.

Stephen needed a hospital.

Christine!

She could help. Stephen trusted her. Even if she lectured him every time he stumbled injured into her ER.

It would be much easier if Levi was still a cloak. It could wrap itself around him, stabilize him. Stephen always told, not to move an injured person for it could do more harm than good. Especially when they had hit their heads. But Stephen can’t keep lying here.

Suddenly it noticed a movement nearby and tensed, ready to attack.

“It’s just me, buddy.” Tony held hands up in a non-threatening way, approaching slowly. He was still in his suit, but his face was revealed and his eyes flickered worried between Levi and Stephen.

Levi relaxed. It trusted Tony. Tony was safe. So it made no objections as the inventor approached. It also noticed that the fight seemed to be over. There were no more Doom Bots in the air. Only the alarm was still ringing in its ears.

Levi whimpered as Tony knelt and gently touched Strange’s cheek, not sure how badly the sorcerer’s injuries really were - he had never seen Levi this feral – and he was glad to see that he was still alive.

“Everything’s gonna be alright. Help is on the way,” he tried to calm Levi down, just when the first paramedics arrived on the scene.

It was that moment when Stephen stirred. Levi was instantly all over him. “Stephen!”

The sorcerer groaned. “…’s loud.”

Levi didn’t seem to care. “Stephen, you have to turn me back. You can’t go into fights without me. Do you hear me?” Its eyes were wet with tears.

Tony put his hand on its shoulder. “Easy there, buddy. He hit his head pretty hard.”

More and more people appeared around them and in Levi's field of vision. It was on guard, trying to shield Stephen from everyone. Tony had to talk it down after it actually growled at one of the paramedics.

“They are here to help him.”

Only reluctantly Levi let them get to the sorcerer and refused to move away from Stephen. It watched over him, and closely observed every movement of the humans.

~~

Stephen was lucky he didn’t have to be brought into the hospital.

He wasn’t sure how he got back home, but when he woke up he was in his bed at the Sanctum. Groaning, he closed his eyes again immediately. The light was way too bright. His back and his head ached and the past hours seemed to be a blur. He remembered being in and out of consciousness.

Something on top of his blanket moved away. Instinctively, Stephen reached out and grabbed Levi’s wrist. He tried to open his eyes again.

“How long have I been out?”

“A day. They gave you something to sleep.” Levi kept its voice low.

Stephen hummed in acknowledgement and let it go. He didn't notice Levi leave the room without another word, too busy examining his head and making his own diagnosis about his well-being.

Shortly after, Wong entered and brought him a glass of water. He also gave Stephen a rundown of what had happened. Stephen had been more than lucky that he didn’t break his neck. Levi had saved his life; without it, the impact would have been much more devastating.

The paramedics had ordered him on bed rest for at least a few days. Stephen took the professional liberty of extending that bed rest to the couch of the library.

He was sitting there reading, when Levi came floating in. The sorcerer had not seen it all day. It said nothing, just sprawled its body over him to be near him.

It wasn't long before Stephen put his book aside and noticed Levi's gaze was on him. He raised his eyebrow in question.

Levi nervously kneaded its fingers, which would have been a nervous tic in a normal human. But Levi did not possess such tics. Levi did not get nervous.

“I need you to change me back.”

It had been fun being a human, but it was time to resume his responsibilities. Too long Levi had neglected them. The reason for its existence as a cloak was to accompany a sorcerer. It had strayed from this path and caused pain to its owner, the one he swore to protect. It was his duty.

The incident with the Doom Bots had woken Levi up, like a bubble that burst.

Stephen nodded slowly. With a flick of his hand, a book came flying to them. He had found a promising spell in his research before. He would triple check it anyway, just to be safe.

Stephen let the book float in the air next to him, hesitating to open it.

“You know I love you no matter which form you chose.”

Levi tilted its head and grinned sheepishly. “Of course. There’s nothing not to love about me.”

“The jury is still out on that thing you do when you don’t want to get washed.” Offended, Levi pulled a pout, but it couldn't hide a smirk from Stephen. “Also, whenever you use your collar to wipe my face? I don’t like that.”

“Yeah, because keeping dried blood on your face is so much better.”

“I definitely liked you better without your mouth.” Stephen smiled affectionately.

“Thank the Vishanti, you don’t have to suffer much longer.”

“You sure you want to do this?” Stephen asked again, because while it would turn Levi back to its original shape, it was nevertheless a big change to its current life.

“Yes.” There wasn’t the shadow of a doubt left in its voice. “I’m glad I had this opportunity, but it is time.” Levi cupped Stephen's face and pressed a kiss on his forehead with all the love and devotion it felt for the sorcerer. This was the only time left he could do it.

Stephen closed his eyes for a moment. He knew it wasn’t a goodbye. He wouldn’t lose a friend. The cloak would stay at his side for as long as it deemed him worthy and the bond between them felt stronger than ever.

He took a deep breath in and out before opening his eyes again. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

~~

With a stack of pizza boxes in his hands, Tony was on his way to the Sanctum, to see how Strange was doing. The sorcerer actually texted him and invited him over, so he seemed to be back on his feet. Still, Tony was happy to stop by and see for himself.

After a short knock on the door, it opened. Behind it, a portal brizzled, taking him directly into the library. Tony had to admit that this was kinda handy.

Stephen had his legs crossed, hovering several feet in the air over a couch. Several books were around him and a very familiar cloak on his shoulders.

“Hey Levi. Looking good.” Tony grinned broadly, when a corner of its hem waved at him, but the cloak didn’t leave the sorcerer’s side.

Stephen descended and ended sitting on the couch – you know, like a normal human being. The books flew on a nearby shelf, sorting themselves alphabetically.

“Thanks for stopping by, Stark.”

“Of course! Gotta feed my favorite wizard.” He placed the boxes on the table. “I guess that means we split Levi’s pizza between us?”

“We can leave it for the fridge.

“For Wong?”

“For the fridge.”

Tony tilted his head but knew better than to question Strange’s phrasing. “Scoop over,” he said instead, sliding next to him.

He was just about to sit down when the cloak reached out and pulled his arm. Tony yelped, losing his balance and fell right into Stephen’s lap.

“Ugh, sorry. Are you alright?” Stephen helped Tony to sit up.

“Yeah, yeah… no harm done.” Tony waved it off. “Good to see that Levi is still a menace.” He sat next right next to the sorcerer, their legs brushing. Glancing up they shared a look and noticed that both of them were slightly blushing.

Tony felt the fabric of the cloak in his back and suspected it would not let him go so quickly. He cleared his throat. “So… pizza?”

“Yeah, pizza.”

If the cloak of levitation still had a mouth, it would smirk. It really was the best wing-cloak ever.

[thesummerestsolstice]

Things that Absolutely Happened while M&M were Raising E&E:

Maglor keeps an ever-growing list of all the weird things they do and tries to figure out whether they're because the twins are part human or part maia. He is frequently wrong.

"Wait, how much do half-elves need to eat?" "I, uh... hmm."

All of the Feanorian followers get really attached to the kids. They regularly argue about who gets to babysit. This is the origin of Elrond's Feanorian Murder-Elf Posse™️.

"Maedhros you cannot give them real swords!" "Why not?" "They're eight!"

The entirety of Amon Ereb freaks out every time the twins get sick. Even if it's just a cold. Yes, they've had human healers tell them it's nothing serious. No, that does not reassure them.

"Just do what I did!" *the twins stare up at him* "Actually no that's terrible advice don't do that."

M&M waking up late at night to see one of the twins, eldritch, glowing, levitating a few inches off the ground and freaking out, only for the kid to be like "dads I threw up :("

E&E shapeshift and all the Feanorians panic because "Oh Eru we lost them!!" Only for them to emerge a few hours later, very confused about why all the adults look so worried

Maedhros makes dad jokes you cannot tell me otherwise

"Well on the other hand... oh wait!"

E&E also hide in Maedhros's cloak all the time

And of course

"NO OATHS!"

[mudpuddless]

Knight Feemor and Padawan Kenobi in the shadow court

AU where qui-gon gives up on/is banned from training Obi-wan after melida-daan and Feemor becomes Obi-wans master.

[picture ID: it's a digital drawing of jedi knight feemor stahl, aged 37, a long haired blonde near-human with tan skin and forest green robes, sitting on the floor with his legs tucked in under him. He is levitating a bright yellow kyber crystal between his hands as a disassembled white-gold lightsaber is floating to his right. padawan obi-wan kenobi, aged 13, a ginger child with grown out hair and a padawan braid wearing white tunics is napping next to him on the floor using a sage green cloak as a blanket and knight stahl's knees as a pillow with his hands tucked under his cheeks. the wall behind them is tiled with diamond shaped star patterned tiles and to their right a large white blue and gold porcelain planter is holding a small gnarly tree with droopy green leaves. above them three identical complex lancet windows which let white gold sunlight into the room. the drawing is done largely in turquoise and yellow tones and the atmosphere is peaceful and serene. end ID]

[airas-story]

Just fluff ft. Cloack.

The Cloak of Levitation watched its two humans bicker on the couch. Stephen was its primary human, but Stephen had made it clear that Tony was his human. The law of transitive properties—yes Tony, Cloak knew what that was—meant Tony belonged to Cloak, too.

A yawn interrupted Stephen’s argument. Cloak watched as Tony immediately yawned after, covering his mouth with his hand to try to hide it. Too late.

That was clearly Cloak’s signal. It drifted over from where it’d been reorganizing the bookshelf to get back at Wong—he knew what he’d done—and draped itself over its humans.

Nap time.

“Not bed time, Cloak,” Tony muttered, trying to shrug Cloak off. Cloak patted Tony’s check with as much condescension as it could manage. Its humans might need less sleep than normal humans—not that Cloak had much experience with ‘normal’, but it’d heard Wong say as much—but they still needed sleep.

“Don’t fight with the cloak,” Stephen said.

Cloak fluttered smugly. It’d taught Stephen well, arguing never went well. Cloak always won. Tony was still learning, though.

Tony sighed. “Fine. Nap time. But don’t expect this to always work.”

Whatever Tony had to tell himself.

[starkkawajiri]

darling guess who's back from jail

humanized Genshin!Cloak of Levitation (Astirfae) no way!!

(idea from @nekojetto!!!!!!)

(still dont know which color palette to stick to)

strange and astirfae mean best friends that convince each other to make very bad decisions

and pspsp,,,, let me know if i should write some lore for her

small doodle of tonio and sufian with matching lil star face tattoos before you go

theyre so stupid i like them a normal amount

theyre lucky theyre in genshin where main characters dont die, it means i cant kill either of them

[casteliacityramen]

Impossible.

Rio stared, dumbfounded, to the heavens as she lay on her back. She charged at the intruder with a steel wing, but he caught her attack between his palms and threw her onto the ground like a rag doll. She thought the first time was a fluke, but if he was able to do it a second time…

The dust cleared from her vision to reveal the cloudless sky. The sun suddenly felt all too bright and all too revealing.

"How?" Rio asked, lying still on the ground with her wings spread flat on the dry dirt, "How did you catch that?"

"You might be the strongest wyvern on Twist Mountain," The Hero King of Ideals beamed, "but I'm the baddest living thing on the West side of this continent!"

The Hero placed his hands on his hips, took a deep inhale through his nose, and laughed out his exhale.

"Hah! I miss how simple this is," the Hero brushed a lock of light green hair away from his face, "'Might makes right' is the easiest governing system of all. Just be the strongest and you get to make all the rules!"

Rio craned her neck upwards off the ground to glare at this… naked mankey. This sack of meat and bone who dared to trespass into her territory and challenge her authority. The same one who dared to claim that he was the strongest person here, in front of her.

She's beaten everything from a raging Hydreigon to an entire Durant colony. Ever since she was born, she fought wing, fang, and talon to establish herself on this mountain. Her mountain.

This is beyond insulting!

"Your Majesty, your hands-"

"Ah, what of them? This is nothing!" The King turned towards his group of bodyguards and raised both his clenched fists into the air. Small trickles of blood dripped from under his tattered gloves and down onto his forearms.

"I haven't had this much excitement in years!" The Hero King exclaimed. His face fell a little when his company provided concerned glances instead of the roars and cheers that he was typically used to.

He turned to Rio and extended a hand for her to help herself, but Rio frowned deeply at the sight of the dirtied, bloodied gesture. With a beat of her wings against the ground, she flew up, rolled to level herself, and levitated at eye level with him.

The human and pokemon guards raised their respective weapons, fangs, horns, and claws at her, but an obsidian colored dragon raised a clawed hand to lower them. The one whose name she heard whispered throughout the valleys surrounding Twist Mountain. The one she actually wanted to fight. Zekrom.

"You're going to give your wife so much grief when she finds out you've been wrestling with dragons again," Zekrom laughed.

The Hero shrugged and wiped his hands on his clothes the same way a child would brush their palms after eating something sticky.

"What do you want?" Rio glowered.

"I'm sorry, my friend. May I borrow your cloak? I will get you a new one," The King completely ignored her, speaking to a young guard. He ignored the guard, too, since the question was asked after the cloak was already torn and wrapped around his hands.

"I asked you a question!" Rio shouted, her mouth spewing technicolor flames as she readied a dragons breath. Her outburst included a pulse of psychic energy which blew the dust and sand away, leaving everyone in the vicinity clearly in view.

This time, Zekrom didn't stop the guards from taking up their arms to protect their king and crown. Any sign of playfulness dropped from his face as he tensed his own body. However, the Hero King made a gesture as if he were patting unleavened dough with both hands, telling everyone to stand down and relax.

"I've heard stories about you," The Hero King finally turned to address Rio after calming down his posse:

"I've heard stories about a dragon who felled everyone who dared challenge her. The possessed Demon of Twist Mountain… terrifying my subjects," The King loosened and clenched his fists to get a feel of his makeshift bandages. Satisfied, he lowered his hands and looked her straight in the eyes:

"But I also heard stories about a benevolent dragon who offered shelter in her territory as long as you brought her a gift. It didn't even have to be that grandiose. Even a single oran berry would suffice as an offering, as long as you were genuine. Which of these stories were true?"

The King continued to smile, despite the imminent danger. He raised his hands towards her, as if he were marveling at a grand statue of himself.

"I had to see for myself! No matter what you hear about someone, you never truly know them unless you fight them. And now I understand more than what these stories told me. Now, I want you to work for me."

The Hero King looked behind him for a reaction. The royal guards looked at each other in confusion and worry, but Zekrom rolled his eyes and laughed as if to say, "Of course you would." That was all the validation he needed.

"Perish the thought," Rio spat back.

"Oh? But what if I were to defeat you once more in this bout? What say you?" The King lowered his stance, his arms in front of him in a braced position like some sort of feral beast, "What's the saying? The third time is the charm?"

Rio felt her face get hot. Her pride and image was on the line. She couldn't let this go. She clenched her teeth, dispelling the dragon fire as she readied another physical attack.

"I'll make this deal of yours. If this is what it takes for you to get excited at your own death, so be it," Rio sharply laughed.

"Give me another story I can tell my kids!" The Hero grinned excitedly as he twisted his feet further into the dirt.

"Come!" The Hero King shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice loud enough to rattle a lesser man's bones, "Let's see if the Demon of Twist Mountain has what it takes to kill this king!"

If Rio was less enraged, she would have noticed the pebbles near the King's feet levitating off the ground. She would've seen the hand wraps whip around with more force than what the wind could provide. She would've reconsidered the moment she saw everyone, even Zekrom, take a worried step back.

But Rio was all too happy to oblige. With all of her strength, she darted forward like an arrow released from a bow, aiming to shatter the human's ribs with a Zen Headbutt. The air felt like it caught on fire and exploded from the sheer speed and sudden acceleration...

... And then she tasted dirt, stone, and dust. Again.

Impossible.

|| Ray's First Interaction with the King of Truth | Pinned Post ||

[little-diable]

The Ghost of Christmas Future – Loki

Part 3 of my Christmas series! A big thank you to @writingliv for writing this with me, I love working with you! Please like and reblog if you enjoyed reading this, your comments keep us writers motivated. Enjoy my loves. xxx

Summary: Loki is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Future and he shows the god something that forces him to find his way back to his past lover.

Warnings: 18+, smut, oral (f), some angst, mentions death

Pairing: Loki x fem!reader (2.2k words)

header by @deathofpeaceofmind

Series Masterlist

An almost grim expression tugged on the god’s features, fuelled by the annoyance he felt, by the uneasiness radiating off him. Loki paced his quarters, eyes trying to focus on his book, desperate to distract himself from his mother’s Yule preparations. If there was one thing he detested, it was these celebrations, festive days reminding him of people and stories he needed to forget.

The mere thought of being dragged down memory lane by his heavy heart and his aching mind left the god of mischief groaning, he was better than that, he was better than all these pathetic humans that gave into their emotions. With an angry growl rumbling through him, the book Loki had been holding was tossed to his bed, slender fingers combing through his black hair.

This is why he had let her go. This is why he had pushed her away. This is why he needed to get away from her and the pitiful excuse of a life she lived.

Her. The one his heart had been rather fond of, the woman who had managed to lure the god into her trap. It had been easy, too easy, but who was he to deny a challenge. Loki would always win, no matter the game, no matter the rules – at least that’s what he had always believed, till (y/n) had stumbled into his life.

She had managed to bewitch him within seconds, pulling the man into her grasp before either one of them could understand what was happening. It had happened years ago, years where he had snuck away from Asgard with one of his many tricks, finding joy in the simplicity of Midgard. It had been his own fault, he should have stayed away from there, should have listened to the warnings, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him, and then suddenly it had been too late.

Loki could still feel her pressed against his body, he could still hear her soft voice murmuring his name, calling him back to bed. Memories he needed to get rid of, fast. He was better than that. He was stronger than that. He was smarter than that. He hadn’t been born to live a simple life, he was a god, made for more. 

But sometimes, just sometimes, he found himself giving into these memories, lingering on the thoughts that painted her features, allowing him to pick up on the sound of her loud laughter, allowing him to feel her soft skin beneath his cold fingertips. It was torture, pure torture, and yet the feeling had a bittersweet touch to it. An almost addictive pain.

He plopped down on his bed, eyes focused on the expensive looking ceiling, squeezing his eyes shut in hopes of getting rid of his memories, a useless try that only pulled him further down the rabbit hole. His teeth grazed his lower lip, about to draw blood, about to sink into the flesh she had kissed many moons ago. 

Before he could try to sleep away his memories, wanting to dream of a better life, of an exciting future, he heard his name being called, eyes snapping open. His heart was pounding, beating against his ribcage as he looked at the unfamiliar being standing near his bed. 

Loki had seen many ominous creatures in his life, but none looked like this. The spirit seemed to levitate above the ground, only its cloak gracing the marble floor. No face was visible as a grey hood loomed a shadow over any possible features, emanating a freezing chill that ran down the god’s back.

Loki shot up, his hand immediately searching the knife he kept by his bed. “Who are you? How did you get in here?” He asked, ignoring the way his breath had suddenly condensed in front of his lips. 

“Silly prince, who am I, you ask?” The voice spoke, letting neither its gender nor species be revealed. 

“How dare y-” Loki sneered at the creature until it approached him, forcing him to hold his breath. 

“I do not have the time for your scandals, prince. I am here to show you something. Follow me,” the creature turned, hitting Loki with its cloak that felt just like a thicker blow of air. It didn’t turn around to check if the god was following; instead, it walked out of the room and sped its pace. Loki had barely the time to react, following the creature as quickly as it could. 

“Where are we going?” The god asked, short of breath as they made their way out of the castle. The halls were empty, it seemed like everyone had disappeared from existence. The ghost did not answer. Instead, it switched directions, almost causing Loki to trip. 

“Where are we going? I demand to know,” Loki doubled down as he regained his balance, jogging to catch up the lost distance. 

The ghost suddenly stopped, turning back to the god for a glance before looking forward again, nothing more than the deep dark forest standing in front of them. “We are late. A funeral.”

“Wh-” Loki tried to ask, confused. Funeral? Whose funeral? He didn’t know anyone that had died recently. His question, however, died in his throat as fog covered the previously dark forest, acting as a canvas where an image started to form. 

Flowers, dozens upon dozens of vases and bouquets filled to the brim with tulips. Midgardian flowers. Loki frowned. His stomach turned. What? He continued to watch the image develop right before his eyes as rows of people filled a snowy cemetery. Cries and moans filled the empty winter air suddenly, far too familiar yet strange for him to point out. 

“Why are you showing me this?” He finally broke the silence, his voice cracking under the pressure in his chest. 

“How long do midgardians tend to live, prince?” The voice replied, still staring at the image upon them.

“A century? I-” Loki’s head felt as if it was spinning, every Midgardian he had ever met running through his mind. A thought tried to form, but he suppressed it. No. She was maybe thirty by now. She couldn’t-

“If they are healthy. If nothing happens,” The voice doubled down in a dreamy tone. His thoughts were seemingly elsewhere. “Weren’t you the one that loved to underscore their fragility?”

“I-” Loki tried to speak, but his lungs burned, his eyes trying their best to focus on the details of the image upon him, ignoring the sobbing cries. 

“Wasn’t she particularly careless?” The ghost finally spoke, and Loki felt his knees buckle. no. 

It couldn’t be. He would have found out. He would have known. They would have told him… but how? How? If he had left without telling anyone, simply kissing her on the forehead like he had done every other morning and walking out, never to be seen again? Why would they tell him even if they could? He had done nothing but hurt her. 

No. 

Loki shook his head. 

„You’re lying to me, why are you doing this? Who are you?” One question after another rolled off Loki’s tongue, filling the silence he found himself engulfed by. But the ghost didn’t reply, he kept watching the scene in front of them play out. 

Loki had to stop himself from vomiting, unable to stop the bile from rising up in his throat. This had been his wrong doing, his selfishness that had lured him away from her, her, the one his head had grown fond of.

There wasn’t a day where he didn’t think of her, of (y/n), the love he hadn’t got to feel in many moons. The dark voice inside his head had promised him that he was destined for more, made for something by far bigger than what she could offer. 

How wrong he had been. How foolish he had been.

“I understand, I do. But please, take me away from here.” The ghost turned back towards Loki, staring him down for a few seconds, watching the tears roll down his cheeks, before the scene finally vanished. Loki’s head was spinning, eyes struggling to focus on something as the ghost kept speaking.

“It’s on you to decide, but remember, the time she has is limited, don’t let any more of it go to waste.” And with one last exhale, the ghost was gone, leaving Loki trapped in nothing but an uncomfortable darkness flooding through his room. 

……

„Loki? What am I doing here? Where am I?“ A relieved sigh left Loki as he stared down at her, taking in the features he had last seen in one of his nightmares. His heart was still aching, racing in his chest at the mere thought of ever losing her to Death’s cold grasp.

“You’re in Asgard, I had to see you.” She had been forcefully awoken from her dream, unable to pierce together what was happening as she was dragged away from her home. And yet she hadn’t protested, not speaking up as a wave of familiar comfortableness had flushed through her.

“You kidnap me, because you have to see me? Is that all?” (Y/n) had always been good at seeing through his lies, eyes not letting go of his as she slowly reached out to cup his cheek. Sparks shot down Loki’s back at the familiar touch, oh how he had secretly longed to feel her close once again. 

“You were dead, I saw it, saw your dead body.” Confusion tugged on her features, not understanding what the god was speaking. He shook his head to try and get rid of the pictures flushing through his mind once again. “It was in the future, far from now, and yet I couldn’t stand myself for letting you go. I needed to see you, prove myself that you’re still alive.”

“Oh, Loki.” He dipped his head down, lips ghosting over hers. No longer did he want to share any meaningless words, no, he wanted to feel her close, wanted to touch the body he had once known like the back of his hand. The kiss was fuelled by their still burning love, tying the two closer together as he pushed her against his best, crawling on top of (y/n). 

He could hear her heart racing, could feel her gasps leaving her. Sounds that left him grinning in mischief. His hands started wandering, long fingers that knew their way down to her heat, the place where she ached for him. The moment had something almost unreal to it, like a dream, a faded memory, Loki couldn’t help but wonder if yet another ghost was playing a trick on him, but her sounds were too strong, too honest. 

“I damned you for a long time, cursed your name. But yet my body has never not been yours, forever connected with you.” Another kiss was pressed against her lips as his fingers disappeared inside her sweats, teasing the thin fabric of her panties. She has soaked through the fabric, dripping for him, him only. 

Within seconds he had her undressed, fabrics finding their way to the ground as he let go of her. Their eyes held contact, allowing her to watch him settle between her thighs, lips kissing their way to her cunt. Soft moans left her, one hand finding his locks as the other tightened its grip on the blanket she was laying on. 

“My pretty flower, I missed your taste, I missed your sweet sounds, oh how I missed you.” His tongue brushed through her folds, moaning at her taste as (y/n) arched her back off the mattress. Loki ate her out like a starving man, feasting from her with groans clawing through the two in unison. 

For months they had dreamt of moments like this, never willingly admitting to it, even though they were caught by them, unable to escape. His arms found their way around her thighs, keeping her close as he dipped his tongue into her tightness, thumb circling her pulsing bundle. 

She was a shuddering mess, made for the God’s eyes, for his hands, and his tongue. She was his, in all her glory. And deep down Loki couldn’t help but promise to her, and to himself, that she’d never leave his side again.

His name rolled off her tongue, like a dark secret spoken in the depth of the night, like a prayer made to save her damned soul. A sound that left Loki groaning in satisfaction, adding more speed to the movements of his tongue and fingers. She was close, he could tell, and all he was focused on was making her cum on his tongue.

(Y/n) tightened her grip on his locks, eyes squeezed shut to give into the quiet call of her name. She came with a loud gasp, head thrown back, teeth buried in her lower lip. Loki watched her unfold, kept fucking her with his tongue through her high, before he slowly let go of her.

The god crawled up her body, lips meeting hers to allow (y/n) to taste herself before he plopped down next to her, pulling her into his chest. And with another kiss pressed to her forehead he tightened his grip on her, promising to hold her close till the end of her time.

[alexyskinnerstories]

He’ll Always Love Her More... This My Parting Gift For Him

Y/n Pov

I should’ve known that he would never love me as much as he loved her his heart belonged to her from the beginning I was just a temporary replacement for her. It’s been a long time since I came to find a solution I was a fool how I even could compare to her in his eyes I can’t be one for him I just need to move on and find happiness I’ve been in my bedroom and for last five days only coming out for dinner or taking a shower Klaus and I had a huge augment lead to us having a physical fight and me ending up brutal injured.

I’ve since then I healed with the blood or people that Rebekah or Elijah would bring me since I couldn’t, Anyways I was looking in my grimior for a resurrection Camille for the dead I’ve decided to give back his true love as a goodbye gift. My older brother was at his place working on an immortal potion for her we figured out we could make her an immortal human with certain abilities I found the spell of resurrection just as I got a text from my brother saying that he needed the blood of an immortal being to finish the potion I text him back saying am on the way I grab my grimior put it in my backpack along some candles and other herbs that I know my brother doesn't have I walked downstairs to the kitchen and grab myself a water bottle I walked to the front door I open the door when it’s was thrown open It was Klaus and Elijah I was about to fall back but Elijah caught my arm I sighed as Klaus just continue to walk away without even apologizing or even greeting me I walked out the door thank Elijah before I completely left I got in my car and drove to my brothers place after I made it I immediately got my stuff and headed inside

He was standing by the cauldron putting something into it he stop when saw me I started to break down crying he walked over to me and brought me into a hug and comfort me and tells me that he isn’t worthy of my tears I started calming down we sat down for a bit and just embrace each other when I got myself together I pulled away from my brothers that started helping him we walked over to the over to the boiling potion he said that my blood was the last thing need, I grab the athame I slit my hand and drip my blood drip into the potion it gave off a puff of smoke after the smoke cleared Vincent bottle it and we set are way the Camille gravy when we got there I could feel a protection spell around it I shifted into my heretic hybrid form my eyes glowing yellow with slits like cat eyes I broke through the protection barrier

I wave my hand over her grave and layers of dirt and grass disappear until it gets to her coffin I levitated her coffin up until we can get to it I held it in air until Vincent grab her out of the coffin suddenly we heard some running coming towards us Vincent ran over to me I snapped my fingers and everything went back in place I grab Vincent shoulder and made us invisible soon the Mikaelson’s appear with a unknown woman I haven’t seen they Klaus was glaring at the witch I assume because nothing seems to be out of place The witch kept saying she felt the barrier break she convinced them to dig out the grave I Motion my brother to stop walking at silent our sounds so we wouldn’t be followed we made it to the car and drove off we got cut off by Klaus car I mentally cloak Camllie body before Klaus and Rebekah yanks my brother and I She let be go when she recognize me I nodded as she look apologetic and she looked over to Klaus I looked at him as well see him still having his hand around my brothers neck I separated them with telekinesis, then I let my brother down and held on to Klaus my brother move behind me I dropped Niklaus he falls to the ground hard he ran towards us Elijah tried to get him but he was moving to fast I stop him right before he got in front of us I held my hand telekinetic push him back as I walked forward Vincent had already got back in the car and was waiting for me, “ Klaus I be damn if you hurt my brother I let you get away with hitting me but I will not let you hurt my brother.” By now my eyes are changed again I never felt so much rage I moved him towards his car I opened the door telekinetic and throw him inside I locked it keeping him inside I walked over to Rebekah and Elijah and told them I’ll be staying with my brother for a bit while they were sad but understood why they got into their car and drove off I stayed out until I couldn’t hear or see the car anymore Vincent drove the car next to me I got in we immediately drove back to his place as soon we got the we went into a spare bedroom and we both immediately started the resurrection spell it took a lot of magic out of the both of us we finished and went downstairs it was gonna take her a while to wake up I know we are gonna need our energy back so I ordered some delivery for the both of us I thought of bro to go that a shower since was some dry and his own fresh blood on him I started researching the the soulmate location spell and potion it’s fine pretty steady there your soul may even be in another universe or multi-verse I know it was risky but I had to find my soulmate I need to be happy I didn’t realize how long I was reading over the spell until my brother was looking over my shoulder “ Are you really thinking about doing this spell.” He asked me, “Yes I am, I need to find my happiness brother even if that means I need to travel to another universe then I’m going to have my happiness no matter the consequences.

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x32 - Tokyo Tower is Hot! DeathMeramon / Gatomon Comes Calling

Previously on Digimon Adventure: FUCKING. CATS. Why are you like this?

The Eighth Digivice is still out in the wild, last seen in possession of a crow. But now that it's been spotted, Vamdemon has left Hikarigaoka and is zeroing in on Odaiba Shibaura. The home of the Eighth Child has been found!?

Ooh, I've been waiting for this. Vamdemon's first night in Tokyo, getting his Dracula on. I vaguely remember this scene and have been looking forward to revisiting it.

We open on a slow build-up of a young woman walking alone at night. Vamdemon's carriage pulls up and he steps out to meet her. The woman, in a dreamlike state, leans up to kiss him.

Vamdemon sinks his fangs into her neck instead, drinking her blood. When he's finished, she falls limp to the ground. Vamdemon gets back in his carriage and departs, leaving his victim lying in the road with two visible fang marks in her neck.

This entire scene plays out with no dialogue and only a quiet, haunting melody for background music. The dub, as usual, adds dialogue. Myotismon greets us with a monologue.

Myotismon: Ahh, darkness. The perfect cloak for my evil. Ideal conditions for producing fear. Human blood always tastes better with a dash of fear in it. Woman: (stops walking and gasps) What is that? A carriage?

Once Myotismon arrives, they stop talking in words though there's still vocalized utterances, including a lot of ominous mouth-breathing from Myotismon. They do learn in hard on the "Woman and Myotismon are about to kiss PSYCHE HE'S A VAMPIRE" bit, playing this cute little romantic ditty over their initial embrace before the fangs come out.

Then they have the woman making muffled screams while he's drinking her blood. Oddly, they censor out the shot of the woman crumpling to the ground when he's finished, but they leave in the closeup of her lying on the road with fang marks in her neck.

They do, however, add in some audible groaning from the woman so you know she's okay. Don't worry, American kiddos; Myotismon did not kill a woman. She's gonna be fine.

We're going to hear about this again later on. Place your bets now if you think they censored out a corpse.

From here, we join PicoDevimon, waiting on a boat for Vamdemon's arrival and wondering aloud what could be keeping him.

I have some guesses.

PicoDevimon: He's late. What could be keeping him? Eh? (Vamdemon's carriage rolls up) PicoDevimon: Vamdemon-sama! Hurry!

The carriage door opens, and another woman flops out the door so abruptly that it's practically comical.

PicoDevimon does not enter the carriage but instead flies up to the window to speak with Vamdemon.

PicoDevimon: The dawn will be here soon! Vamdemon: No need to rush. Now that I know the Chosen Children are here, I must store up enough energy to fight them in this world. PicoDevimon: But if you're too reckless-- Vamdemon: No matter. This world will belong to me in the end.

Once that's settled, Vamdemon's carriage levitates into the air, settling down onto the waiting boat.

The woman from inside the carriage has mysteriously vanished due to a continuity error in the animation. So either she crawled away to safety or she disintegrated into pixel dust.

In the dub, DemiDevimon's getting frustrated.

DemiDevimon: I hate this fog! Master, where are you!? I'm getting mildew on my wings! ...Aha! (Myotismon's carriage rolls up) DemiDevimon: Finally! Sheesh, you couldn't take a cab like everyone else!?

They censor out the woman flopping out of the carriage. This censoring ironically makes the animation flow more smoothly, at the cost of the near-comical realization that Myotismon's been binge-drinking all night.

DemiDevimon: At last! I was starting to worry! Myotismon: Calm down. I went out to have a bite to eat and to get familiar with the city. It is always so difficult to get a good meal when one is away from home. DemiDevimon: You're right! So what do we do next, boss? Myotismon: We are continuing the search for the Eighth Child. The details are of no concern to you! DemiDevimon: Well, as I always say, uh, whatever you say!

The dub drops the context both that we're near dawn and that's why PicoDevimon's worried and also that Vamdemon's hunting has a purpose. Drinking those women is how he's accumulating power for his next confrontation with the Chosen Children. The dub plays it like Myotismon's just hungry, and also he only drank one.

However, I do like how wickedly he describes attacking that woman. Solid vampire-ing right there.

The dub inserts their first commercial break here, separating out Vamdemon's cold open from the start of the episode proper. Good spot for it.

The following morning, Taichi attempts to rifle through his and Hikari's belongings.

It does not go well. The crashing sound from everything in their room exploding at the speed of mistakes brings Hikari in. Also the sound of Taichi screaming in pain and surprise.

Hikari: What are you doing? Taichi: I'm looking for my phone book. The one from first grade. Agumon: Yeah, his phone book. Hikari: Phone book?

Agumon seems to have recovered enough to regain Child-stage last night.

Realizing their mother is out in the kitchen, Hikari steps into the room and shuts the door behind her.

Out in the kitchen, Yuuko's washing dishes while listening to the news for background noise. Staticky amateur footage of Raremon emerging from the bay plays on the TV.

Anchor: Viewers are advised to take caution against the possibility that more of these mysterious creatures could emerge in the future. In other news, two young women from the Nerima and Itabashi districts were found collapsed in the streets last night. They were taken to the hospital to be treated for anemia.

Yeah, the dub got that one right! The women aren't dead. If you wagered that they were then you owe the Americans a cookie.

Incidentally, identifying that second woman as being in Itabashi tells us exactly what route Vamdemon's taking to Shibaura. The floppy woman is a map marker. Here, I've drawn a red circle around Odaiba and a green circle around Shibaura.

Nerima, which is where Hikarigaoka was situated, is in the top left corner of the map here. Itabashi is east-northeast of it. On the other side of Itabashi is the Sumida River, which will take him all the way down to Tokyo Bay. Not the big river but that smaller squiggly one next to it that exits out right in front of Shibaura.

But, in any case, with the boat trucking along while Vamdemon takes shelter from the sun, he'll be in Shibaura well before the next sunset.

More maps to come as we follow the kids' and Digimon's trek through the city today.

While the news is talking about current events, the doorbell rings. Yuuko answers it, then comes back.

Yuuko: Taichi! It's Koushiro-kun! Taichi: Got it!

The dub gives Tai some extra dialogue while he's searching for the phone book.

Tai: Aw, c'mon! Where did I put that thing? (opens drawer) Junk. (opens another) Stuff. More junk. More stuff. Man, I was a messy kid. Can't believe how unorganized I was--AUGH!!! (catastrophe) Kari: (opens door) Whatcha doin'? Tai: Looking for my old phone book. It'll have exactly what I need. Agumon: And I'm helping! Kari: (comes in and closes the door) How come?

I like Tai's "Junk, stuff," exchange. Feels his age, right along with the "I was a messy kid!" from someone who is still a kid. He's getting to be that age where kids become impatient to be considered grown up.

Also, Agumon shouting "I'm helping!" while lying helpless under a pile of stuff got me. XD

Anchor: And now, today's top story: The monsters that are plaguing the city! Still no official comment on where the creatures are from or what they might be after. We will keep you updated throughout the day. Meanwhile, in other news, health officials report young women all over the city are being hospitalized for anemia. No word on whether the cases are connected but doctors are voicing concern that so many seemingly healthy young women are being struck down so suddenly. Yuuko: (checks the door) Tai, it's your friend Izzy! Tai: Coming!

Oh, so that's why Myotismon was late.

Vamdemon attacked two women on his way to Sumida River. Myotismon, I guess, went on a bender. This is even funnier when you remember that they cut the plot point of Vamdemon storing power to fight the Chosen Children. After declaring at the end of last episode that he's going to go deal with the DigiDestined himself, Myotismon then spent all of last night roaming the city randomly drinking women left and right for funsies.

DemiDevimon frantically pacing on the boat wondering where he is. And then Myotismon rolls up like, "Chill out, little bat dude. I had to get my thing on with the ladies, bruh."

Taichi very unsuspiciously smuggles Agumon past Yuuko's peripheral vision, and they head outside to see Koushiro.

Taichi: Yo. Koushiro: Good morning. Ah, Agumon! Agumon: I ate so much, I evolved. Tentomon: (approaches) Mornin'. Taichi: Tentomon! I almost didn't recognize you. Tentomon: Thank you, thank you.

Even the simple way everyone greets each other is dripping with personality.

Tentomon is still wearing his disguise from last episode. Fortunately, wearing a hat and cloak makes it impossible to tell that you're a ladybug monster. In fact, the hat is new, so that's even more disguise power.

This is the same energy as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles wearing trench coats to keep anyone from ID'ing them as turtle monsters. Some things are universal.

Taichi: It looks pretty good on you. Agumon: Eh... Taichi? Taichi: You want one too? Agumon: (nod) Mm...

This promises to be a disaster.

In the dub, that subtle parallel of greetings is gone.

Tai: Hey. Izzy: Hey, ready to go? Agumon, you Digivolved! Agumon: You bet I did! All I needed was a good meal. Tentomon: Psst! It's me! Tai: Tentomon! Nice disguise, dude! Tentomon: Thanks, Tai. I put it together myself. Tai: Wait 'til Mimi sees you. Agumon: I need one too. Tai: Yeah. Any ideas? Agumon: (nod) Mhm....

Tai is using Mimi as a cudgel to bash Tentomon's disguise passive-aggressively.

The Chosen Children all head to a nearby park to meet up, with varying degrees of disguise for their Partner Digimon. The award for best disguise goes to Mimi and Palmon.

Haha. Hahaha. Hahahahahahahahahaha.

It's kind of perfect because she looks like a young girl pushing her doll around in a baby stroller. That is a form of play that girls are encouraged to do under the rigid gender binary. Mimi Purity/Sincerity Tachikawa: Disguise sensei!?

On their way to the meetup, Koushiro and Taichi briefly discuss Taichi's failures.

Koushiro: Were you able to find the student phone book you had back in Hikarigaoka? Taichi: Uh... Well, y'know... Sora and I were in the same class, so.... Koushiro: (disappointed) You didn't find it, did you?

The children meet up in the park, and the narrator briefly explains the intent of this meeting.

Narrator: All of the Chosen Children were notified that the Eighth Child was spotted last night in Shibaura. Sora & Piyomon: (running to join the others) Good morning! Narrator: In order to discuss what to do about this turn of events, they decided to meet up.

No word as of yet about what happened when Taichi went bird-chasing. I guess by the time he made it out of the complex, the crow he was unknowingly chasing was long gone.

Note: Sora's "Good Morning" is distinct from Koushiro's earlier "Good Morning" in a key way. As Sora and Piyomon are running up, they call out, "Ohayou!" This is a casual way of saying "Good morning" to close friends and family.

What Koushiro said was "Ohayou gozaimasu." The addition of gozaimasu makes the phrase formal and respectful. He greets Taichi as if he were greeting a colleague in the workplace. Which is not a measure of their relationship but of Koushiro, as we spent last episode learning that he's talking like this to his parents too. This is how he is, and has been for as long as we've known him.

(But not as long as they have.)

Both of these greetings, meanwhile, are still more respectful than Taichi's "Yo."

Mimi arrives after Sora, pushing Palmon in her stroller.

Mimi: Palmon, you're heavy. Come out. Palmon: No! You said I have to stay in here, Mimi! Mimi: It's fine now!

Palmon was the one who told Patamon to say nothing when their train pulled into their stop too. Palmon takes this whole disguise thing very seriously.

The dub uses Tai again to snark at Agumon and Tentomon's bad disguises.

Tai: (sarcastic) Yeah, real inconspicuous!

I mean. It works. Nobody stops them to ask about the monsters. So don't knock it.

Izzy: So, Tai, did you find your address book from school? Tai: Oh! Uh... Well, Sora was in my class so I thought we'd just use hers. Izzy: (skeptical) Uh-huh. Couldn't find it, huh?

Izzy and Tai's brief discussion is a straight adaptation with no changes, and then we move on to the meeting. Tai has to fill in for the narrator.

Tai: Alright, listen up, everybody! I called you all here today because... Well... There was nothing good on TV! Matt: Ha ha. Very funny, Tai. Now where are the others? Sora: (runs up) Hey, wait! Don't start without me! (gasps for breath as she reaches the group) Good morning. Tentomon: Okay, so where's Mimi? Izzy: (dismissive) She's probably out buying clothes. Mimi: (pushing Palmon's stroller) Oh, get out and walk! You're too heavy to push! Palmon: Mimi, how's that going to look? I'm supposed to be a widdle baby. Mimi: You just grew up! Now get out!

Bit more context missing here. We lose the explanation that we're meeting up to take next steps now that we know the Eighth Child is in the area. Tai's remark is clearly not meant to be taken seriously; He's goofing off while they wait for the others. But it replaces the actual reason why they're meeting.

Also, (ugh), another sharp comment directed at Mimi for no reason. It's not even a laugh line like Tai's earlier Mimi barb at Tentomon was. Izzy's being pointlessly mean to fill silence. She shows up immediately after he says that.

The gang's all here, save for one conspicuous absence. Mimi, too, has brought her school phone book. You can't see it in this shot but even Takeru has one with him.

While they wait for Jou, the kids chat about what's happening.

Sora: This is turning into a mess, isn't it? Yamato: Ever since I woke up, it's all they've been reporting on TV. Taichi: It's weird, though. Agumon: What is? Taichi: When Agumon and I came back to this world earlier, the Digimon appeared. But back then, only Hikari and I could see them. Now everyone can see them and it's getting media attention. Izzy: It may be because they used Vamdemon's Gate to get here. Yamato: That must be it. If more Digimon use that Gate to enter our world.... Takeru: That would be terrible.

The group collectively imagines Seadramon, Shellmon, Vademon, Devimon, Kuwagamon, Ogremon, and Etemon all attacking the human world.

(In fairness to Seadramon, we started that shit. They were minding their own business when we set them on fire. They do not deserve to be lumped in with the rest of these assholes.)

Mimi: Oh no. Koushiro: That's a likely outcome. Taichi: Then we should hurry up and find the Eighth Child, so we can make sure that doesn't happen! And to save the Digimon World too! Sora: (momentarily taken aback by Taichi's enthusiasm) ...right! Koushiro: Let's do it. Yamato: Yeah. Jou: HEEEEEEEEEY!!!

We should probably also gank Vamdemon while we're at it. He's the lynchpin in the "Digimon coming through the Gate" threat. If he isn't there to unlock it then it can't open.

In the dub, Matt demonstrates that Izzy did not recap them about Raremon.

Sora: Hey, did you guys see it? It was all over the news on TV this morning. Matt: More and more of Myotismon's Digi-bozos are popping up in the city! Tai: And they're very real. Agumon: What do you mean? Tai: The last time we came back, there were Digimon all over the place like now. But only Kari and I could see them. Everyone else walked right by 'em as if they weren't even there. Now even normal people see them and they're on the news and everything. It's like they're really here this time. Izzy: Maybe it's because this time they came through the Gate that Myotismon made. Matt: I don't like it. If they can be seen then they're physically here, and if they're here physically, they can do a whole lot of damage. T.K.: Yeah, like what? (Imagine Spot of attacking evil Digimon and one unfairly maligned sea serpent) Matt: Do I really need to remind you what those evil Digimon are capable of!? Mimi: Creepy! Izzy: Complete systems failure. Tai: Agh, so what are we sitting around here for? We'd better get out there and find that eighth kid if we want to stop these guys. Save the Digi-World and we'll save our own! T.K.: Go Tai! Sora: Uh-huh. Matt: What's the plan? Izzy: Well I've got a theory-- Joe: STOOOOOOOP!!!

Man, Matt woke up on the Captain Obvious side of the bed today. Yes, Matt, we know that they can do damage if they're physically here. They've done a lot of fucking damage thus far. This replaced a salient point that more and more Digimon forces could be moved into the human world through the Gate, meaning the humans could be facing full-scale invasion if Vamdemon wins here.

Sora's momentary shocked Pikachu before hesitantly agreeing with Taichi gets drowned out by T.K. talking over it. It's easy to miss her quiet startlement.

That said, I do like how Tai gives his "It's like they're really here" explanation.

For reference again, the green circle is Shibaura, where Koushiro encountered Raremon last night. The red circle is Odaiba. Shibaura is directly across the bay from Odaiba, connected by the Rainbow Bridge - A huge double-decker suspension bridge allowing both vehicle traffic on one layer and rail transit on the other.

Jou sprints up, finally joining the group.

Jou: HEEEEEEEEEY!!! I had a hard time finding my old phone book! Taichi: Talk about killing the tension.

Now that Jou's here, we can talk about where we go from here.

Koushiro: The Eighth Child should have seen the Digimon with us during the incident in Hikarigaoka four years ago. Also important is the events in Shibaura last night. Mimi: Does that mean the child is living in Shibaura now? Yamato: They might have moved like we did. Koushiro: That's why I think we should split into groups and thoroughly search Shibaura. Yamato: Agreed. Mimi: It's a little hot, but that's fine by me. So what do we do with these phone books? Koushiro: There's a strong chance the Eighth Child is listed in one of them. We should call around and ask if anyone was in Shibaura last night. Jou: ...I start my summer classes tomorrow. I can make my phone calls, but I won't be able to go all the way out to Shibaura. Group: Eh!?!? Taichi: That's low! Jou: I can't help it! I'm studying for my entrance exams!

Education in Japan is a big fucking deal. Jou is about to graduate from elementary school into junior high. The exam he's talking about is to get him into a selective private junior high school, which will put him on track to a higher-paying career in the future.

This is what was so important to Chi-Chi in Dragon Ball that she had Gohan studying for it since he was four years old.

The tests he's studying for may shape the course of his entire life. It's something the other kids won't have to even think about for another year or two, but for Jou it's coming up fast.

In the dub:

Joe: STOOOOOOOP!!! I want to hear Izzy's theory! Don't start until I get there! I love Izzy's theories! Hold on! Tai: Alright! We won't start without you!

Aww, that's sweet.

Izzy goes on to explain his theory - while also getting confused on... basically everything about what we're trying to do here.

Izzy: We've already concluded that when the Digimon attacked four years ago, all of us including the Eighth Child were there. It is also safe to assume that each of us were given Digivices for a reason. Last night, I picked up an unidentified Digivice reading. I think it was the Eighth Child. Obviously, I lost the signal, but it's clear that the Eighth Child was in this vicinity. That's why the monsters are here too. Mimi: Monsters? Worse than snakes! (holding phone book) And this is supposed to help us? I'm lost. Izzy: My conclusion is that the Eighth Child is somewhere in one of these address books. Somehow we have to make a lot of calls and patrol the city for monster attacks at the same time. Joe: Well, I guess I could do some calling, as long as my folks don't find out. But I really gotta do some serious studying, so I won't be able to go on the search with you. Tai: What!? Joe, it's summer! Joe: I'm getting an early start! This year I'm really going to be prepared.

Yeah, this plot point for Joe was turbo-fucked from the get-go. It was going to be difficult to explain why Joe needs to spend all summer cramming for junior high without spending this whole scene explaining the Japanese education system to the American kids at home.

It was gonna be either this or sending Joe to summer school because he failed out of 6th grade. That he ends up looking like a useless flake is the price you pay for culture shock.

The bigger problem is Izzy, who is once again using smart words to be incredibly wrong about the plot. First off, the monsters aren't here. They haven't come to Odaiba at all. The Eighth Child is here because he's so wrong that he wrapped around to being right again. But the monster he encountered was in Shibaura, across the Rainbow Bridge.

Which, second off, is where we're going back to so we can find the Eighth Child. Patrolling the city for monster attacks, Izzy? The monsters aren't attacking random--

...

The monsters except Mammothmon aren't attacking randomly. They're trying to find what we're trying to find, and that's why we keep getting in punch-ups with them.

We do not have the manpower to be running all around Tokyo like Spider-Man looking for rogue Digimon. Nor would that help us find the Eighth Child. There was a plan here. A bad plan, because the Eighth Child is in Odaiba, but a sensible one.

In the wake of Jou bowing out of this mission, Mimi has an idea.

She deposits her phone book in his hands before he even knows what's going on.

Mimi: Then make my phone calls for me, okay? There's my address book from Wakaba Preschool. Jou: Huh!? Yamato: That's a good idea. (places his book on top of Mimi's) Here's mine from Dai-yon Elementary School. I'm counting on you. Koushiro: (places his book on top of Yamato's) It might be good if one of us focuses on making the calls. Sora: He has a point. (places her book on top off Koushiro's) Thank you, Senpai! (Taichi approaches Jou) Jou: N-No, not you too, Taichi! Taichi: Relax. I'm not gonna push my workload on you. Jou: T_T Aww, you're the best guy ever! Taichi: Ehehe.... You don't need to go that far. Sora: (to Koushiro) He couldn't find his phone book, could he? Koushiro: How did you ever guess?

To be fair, it would have been the same as Sora's anyway. So if you think about it, Jou's already doing Taichi's.

There's only one change in the dub: Matt is super aggressive about his line.

Matt: Joe, we're talking about the fate of the world here! If you're going to chicken out then you can call all the names in my book too! Seeya!

I want to say Matt's being his usual English Jerkass Matt but given that Jou's entrance exams have changed to Joe wanting to study for no particular reason, Matt's got the right of it. I'd be pissed too.

The kids take the train across the Rainbow Bridge, giving them a good look at the wreckage in Shibaura.

Taichi: So that mess is from your fight last night.... Yamato: It looks like a disaster zone. Takeru: The Eighth Child is somewhere around there.

However, they're not the only ones closing in on Shibaura. Vamdemon's boat has reached Tokyo Bay. Inside, PicoDevimon is steering it.

PicoDevimon: If I remember right, this is where the Eighth Child was last night.

Both factions race to Shibaura, on a collision course as they seek something that isn't there to find.

The dub lightens up the kids' exchange, taking out the somber tones of the original.

Tai: Whoa, look at all that damage from last night's battle! Matt: And there'll be a lot more too if this goes on. T.K.: We've gotta hurry up and find that Eighth Child! Matt: We will! We're not called the DigiDestined for nothing!

For the dub, this is a hoorah moment of rallying the team for action, rather than a somber moment of reflection on the carnage Kabuterimon and Raremon unleashed upon Shibaura.

Meanwhile, DemiDevimon makes me want to throw things.

DemiDevimon: Master, are we almost there yet!? 'Cause all this water's making me queasy!

Who the fuck are you talking to? He's in the carriage right now. Also, YOU are the one who knows where we're going! He's trusting you to get us there! Oh my god, DemiDevimon.

As the boat passes under the Rainbow Bridge and moves northeast, the fog follows it, blanketing the area in its wake.

See that building with the big spherical structure? That's the Fuji Broadcasting Center in Odaiba. We're going to see quite a bit of it.

Inside, two men gaze out the window at the mysterious weather phenomenon.

Man 1: Look outside. It's foggy. Man 2: I've never seen fog this thick before. I heard there was even snow falling in Tama. What is causing these strange phenomena?

Holy shit, Tama! There was snow in Tama! That must be where their camp was!

...is what you might be thinking, but no. The real-life route they took to return from camp doesn't go anywhere near Tama. It's in the wrong direction from Tokyo entirely.

In the dub, DemiDevimon delivers a silence-breaker as the boat passes under the Rainbow Bridge.

DemiDevimon: Those DigiDestined brats are probably miles away by now!

This is a continuation of his whining, but there's no reason for him to say this. It's a joke, with the irony being that the kids' train is passing over the Rainbow Bridge at the same time his boat is passing under it. But it falls flat because. Like. Why is he saying this joke?

Man 1: Hey look, that fog's coming in again. I've never seen anything like it! Man 2: At the same time, we're having the hottest weather on record! Man 1: And I heard that somebody saw snow falling last night. The ozone layer must be messed up worse than we thought.

The dub also misunderstands where the fog is coming from. Vamdemon and/or his carriage is producing it. It followed him from Nerima through Itabashi and now it's arrived with him at Shibaura.

All of the weather phenomena are being created by those weird Digimon that seem halfway in and out of reality. There's Meramon creating the droughts and Yukidarumon creating the snowfalls. Vamdemon and/or his carriage is producing this fog.

So. No. The fog is not coming in "again". This is the first time it's visited Shibaura.

Good catch on it being hot, though. They changed Mimi's line earlier where she sets up that it's a blazing hot day, so adding that in here lets them compensate for that and still foreshadow the plot-important heat wave.

Vamdemon's carriage departs the boat and moves into Daiba Park. A void in the shape of a grave appears beneath it, and the carriage descends into a dark abyss. There, waiting in silhouette, are Tailmon and her forces.

Let's take a moment to appreciate his choice of venue. Daiba Park is a man-made island named for the daiba for which Odaiba takes its name.

The daiba were gun batteries created in the 19th century to repel invasions by sea. It's a beautiful park now, but Vamdemon's squatting in what is effectively a historic military fort.

Tailmon: We've awaited your arrival! Crowd: Vamdemon-sama!

Tailmon sounds very enthusiastic when she shouts "Vamdemon-sama" but the rest of the crowd is murmuring it with zero energy. That's fair. They're here for the paycheck, not to join a cult.

Vamdemon: (stepping out of the carriage) This is a good place. We will make this our new headquarters.

From there, Tailmon ascends back up to the grassy field. She starts walking, but PicoDevimon calls after her.

PicoDevimon: Where are you off to, Tailmon? Tailmon: Our mission is to search for the Eighth Child. PicoDevimon: Trying to take the credit, huh? That's just like you! Tailmon: (feigning innocence) What? PicoDevimon: It's true, isn't it? I'm the one who found the Eighth Child first. Tailmon: Hmph! Do you really expect the Eighth Child to stick around in one spot? PicoDevimon: If that's what you think, then I'm sure you won't have a problem searching over there instead! Good luck finding them, if you can!

PicoDevimon flies off to get started on his search. As he departs, Tailmon's face contorts into a furious snarl. She was, in fact, trying to steal the credit from him.

Since he caught her red-handed, she gets stuck with the shit work. The "over there" he's referring to is this side of the bridge. He's sending Tailmon to go wander uselessly around Odaiba while he gets to go find the Eighth Child in Shibaura.

There is an irony at play here.

In the dub, there is no lukewarm team cheering of "Vamdemon-sama".

Gatomon: Welcome, oh great one! All is ready. Myotismon: (stepping out of the carriage) Perfect, Gatomon. As always, you have done excellent work. (Gatomon heads up topside) DemiDevimon: Hey whiskers, what do you think you're doing? Gatomon: I don't think. I know why I'm here; I'm finding the Eighth Child. DemiDevimon: That's my job, Furball! I'm in charge here. Gatomon: Yeah, right! DemiDevimon: Listen up, Puss in Boots! Quit sucking up to the Master! "I'm the Master's cute little pet!" GAG ME WITH A FURBALL!!! Gatomon: It's really hard to feel threatened by a bowling ball with feathers. DemiDevimon: Blah blah blah blah. Just keep out of my way! I'm finding that kid, not you, got it! Take a cat nap, kitty litter! HAHA!!! Gatomon: (scowl; thinking) That flappy-winged joker couldn't find water if he fell out of a boat.

Once again, the plot is just... not here in this version of the scene. The plot-specific rivalry of Tailmon trying to steal PicoDevimon's thunder and then accidentally talking herself out of it is gone, replaced by Gatomon and DemiDevimon generically bickering for six lines over who sucks more.

While PicoDevimon and Tailmon split up to scour Shibaura, the Chosen Children do the same.

Koushiro: Does everyone know which areas they'll be covering? Yamato: Yeah. Taichi: Don't worry! Sora: Let's get started!

Going their separate ways, they set out to do the same thing Tailmon's mercenaries are doing: Finding places where kids would be and holding up their Digivice to see if they get any readings.

Taichi and Koushiro buddy up for one team. Exploring the district, they momentarily pass a restaurant.

Agumon: Taichi-- Taichi: No!

They find some kids to scan, but get nothing.

Yamato and Takeru partner up because of course they do. They head down to the harbor.

Takeru: (checking Digivice) They can't be around here. Yamato: Yeah....

Jou starts making phone calls, as agreed.

Jou: Hello? This is Kido. I used to be in your class in second grade....

While Mimi and Sora explore the residential areas, pushing Palmon and Piyomon together in Mimi's baby carriage. It's only big enough for one of them, unfortunately, and the space is causing some hostility.

Palmon: You're smothering me! Why don't you go fly instead, Piyomon? Piyomon: Palmon, you've gotten fatter! Palmon: That's rude! Sora: Don't fight, you two. Babies don't act like this. Mimi: Could the Eighth Child really be around here? Also, it's really hot....

This isn't going well for anybody.

In the dub, it's Tai making the plan as usual rather than Izzy.

Tai: Okay, so we'll split up into pairs so we can cover more of the city, got it? Matt: Got it. Izzy: Let's go! Sora: Good luck everybody!

Fittingly, Koushiro's plan designated each team to a particular place but Tai's plan is just "Split up and go looking."

Agumon: I see food! Tai: Agumon, keep your mind on our mission, okay? (Tai and Izzy scan some kids and get nothing. Meanwhile, down at the harbor) T.K.: Aww, doesn't look like he's down here. That would have been too easy anyway. Matt: Yeah right. (Joe makes some calls) Joe: Hi, I know this is kind of strange but I was in second grade with you.... (Mimi and Sora deal with pushy Digimon Partners) Palmon: Hey! Stop pushing! Biyomon: I am not pushing you! You're kicking me! Palmon: You pushed the line onto my side, you big cheater! Biyomon: I am not a cheater, you're a liar! Palmon: I'm telling! Sora: Knock it off! If you two keep fooling around, someone's going to get hurt. Mimi: I know how they feel. Just walking around in this heat's enough to make anybody cranky. You know what this is, Sora? A big fat drag!

It's pretty much all the same, but longer. Palmon and Biyomon's fight once again demonstrates that Americans are the masters of writing characters behaving like assholes.

Also, we have immediately abandoned the dub's plot. Remember, according to Izzy, we're not looking for the Eighth Child; We're patrolling for monster attacks. That stopped being a thing almost immediately after it was spoken and now we're back on script with the Eighth Child search.

While the kids are out searching, Tailmon is doing the same.

Alright, let's break out the map again. Green circle is Shibaura, where PicoDevimon and the Chosen Children are all hunting the Eighth Child. The black circle is Daiba Park, Vamdemon's base of operations. Tailmon begins her search at Odaiba Beach, which stretches from Daiba Park around to Odaiba Seaside Park; That's the blue circle.

The red map marker below the blue circle is the Fuji Broadcasting Center, in case you're curious where that was.

Fun fact: If you look close enough next to it, you might also see a blue marker labeled "Statue of Liberty". That's exactly what it sounds like. There's like four copies of the Statue of Liberty in Tokyo. That other marker on the other side of the Fuji building is a life-size Gundam statue. Tokyo is just. Like that.

So, we find Tailmon on Odaiba Beach watching the humans have summertime fun.

Tailmon: How peaceful. There's not a chance the Eighth Child is among them.

She departs the beach and moves deeper into the district, entering Odaiba Seaside Park.

At that moment, Hikari too is in Odaiba Seaside Park, searching for her cat. We briefly see Meeko run past before Hikari enters the frame.

Hikari: Meeko! Where are you? Meeko! Where could she be....

Hikari and Tailmon briefly pass one another. Then Hikari stops, looking Tailmon over and studying her more carefully. Tailmon, too, stops to look back at Hikari.

Hikari: Are you one of Agumon's friends? Tailmon: !!! Hikari: You are, aren't you? Tailmon: ...meow! Mrooowr! Hikari: What's your name? Tailmon: Mrowrowr! (runs away) Hikari: Huh? Wait!

Tailmon's rejection leaves Hikari sad, but she doesn't give chase. She's here to look for Meeko, after all. She turns and walks away.

Tailmon V.O.: That girl! How does she know about Agumon!? Could she be the Eighth Child!?

Yeah, that's probably bad. PicoDevimon should have let Tailmon search Shibaura with him.

Over in the dub, Gatomon takes offense at all the fun being had on Odaiba Beach.

Gatomon: What silly creatures! Pea-brained dolts! Laugh it up! When Myotismon is through, you won't be laughing!

Okay? They're windsurfing, Gatomon. Chill out. Unlike the Gatomon and DemiDevimon argument, this doesn't replace much in terms of plot cohesion, but it is another bit of dialogue erased in favor of having the bad guys just spout Bad Guy Speak.

Kari: Meeko! Come back here! Where'd you go? Meeko! (Kari passes Gatomon) Kari: What a funny looking kitty. (stares, slowly realizing) ...hi there. Are you a friend of Agumon? Gatomon: !!! Kari: (cheerfully) Are you one of them? Gatomon: Meow! Meow! Kari: What's your name? Gatomon: Meow! Meow! (runs away) Kari: Wait, don't go! Mm... (isadly walks away) Gatomon (V.O.): So, she knows about Agumon. Hmm... Is it possible this little squirt is the Eighth Child?

It's mostly the same, with one key tonal difference in Gatomon's last line. Tailmon was freaking the fuck out when she realized she might have found the Eighth Child, while Gatomon is calm and contemplative.

Her Cosplay Crest doesn't react, but that's because it reacts to her Digivice as established last episode. She doesn't have that on her.

Once Hikari leaves, Tailmon chases after her in secret. Stalking Hikari all the way home.

Once Hikari gets to the front door, she turns towards Tailmon who's creeping around the corner. Tailmon panics and hides, but she's obviously been seen.

Hikari: Come here! Tailmon: MROOOOOWR!!! (bounds around the corner) Hikari: My mom's out. I'll leave the door open.

Nat 1 on her Stranger Danger check right there.

True to her word, she leaves the door wide open for Tailmon and goes to watch TV. The news is now talking about the mysterious fog that's rolled in over Tokyo Bay.

Reporter: The extreme humidity in the Tokyo Bay area of Odaiba is rare, even for summer. The cause behind it is unknown.

While she's watching, Tailmon creeps into the Yagami home. Studying Hikari carefully, like an actual cat.

No change to Kari's line in the dub, though the news report is a little different.

Reporter: Weather experts can't explain the unseasonable fog. In fact, they have no explanation for any of the bizarre weather conditions we've been having, including this heat wave.

They add in a reminder about the steadily rising temperatures going on in the background of this episode. Though they also seem to think fog can't form in the summer, which isn't so. Summertime fog isn't uncommon in a humid climate like Japan.

You'd think "weather experts" would know how advection fog forms on the Pacific coast. This isn't even a culture thing; The coastal U.S. gets it too, particularly California.

We return to Sora and Mimi, still searching Shibaura while pushing their Partner Digimon in a stroller. Mimi has questions.

Mimi: Why do we still have to do this even though we just got home? Let's take a little break, Sora-san. Sora: Again? Okay, but make it quick.

The girls all sit down at a bench in the shade. Sora, however, still has her eye on the ball, checking a map of the surrounding area and marking it with a red pen.

Mimi: Ahhh. I slept in a soft bed last night with the A/C on. That's when it really sank in: Home is the best. Palmon: The food was great too! Mimi: Yeah! My mom's cooking has never tasted so good. Piyomon: The food at Sora's house was amazing. Sora's mom seems really kind, too. Right, Sora? Sora: (looking up from her map with a smile) You think so? Thank you. Now, back to work.

Sora marks up the map with X's.

Sora: Let's see... hm.... Mimi: She's working so hard (ganbaru). Isn't she hot? Palmon: You two have different levels of endurance. Mimi: ...I'd rather be a delicate girl. Oh! Sora-san! Let's try a place with huge crowds of people! Sora: Huge crowds of people? Mimi: Yes! Over there!

Mimi points to the Tokyo Tower, circled in blue on the map. We're about two miles out from Shibaura right now, albeit two miles of whatever city-combing manhunt pattern we've been making. We're resting in that park right by the tower.

Tokyo Tower is a major landmark for the city. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower - Again, Tokyo is just like that - Tokyo Tower serves two purposes. Its lofty height makes for a fun recreational place to visit, giving people a gorgeous view of the city from its two observation decks. Additionally, the tower has transmitters for broadcasting various network signals, such as those from Fuji TV back in Odaiba.

Even in this brutal heat, Sora remains mission-focused on finding the Eighth Child. Ganbaru wa ne. She's persevering and working hard to push through these conditions. Mimi has trouble relating to that.

In the dub, Mimi's upset because pushing the stroller is hard, which takes the nuance out of her position.

Mimi: I'm not meant for this kind of work! If I ever have a baby, I'm gonna hire somebody to push her around, that's for sure. Hold on, how about a break, okay? Sora: Again? Well, make it quick. (They sit on the bench) Mimi: Ahhhh! Last night, I got to sleep in a soft bed with the A/C cranked up watching my own TV; Wasn't that the best, Palmon? Palmon: Dinner was really something too! Mimi: Wasn't it great? My mom knows all the best takeout places in the city; She never has to cook! Biyomon: Sora's mom made our dinner and it was terrific! Well, all of it except for this kinda green mushy stuff. What's it called? Sora: (looking up from her map with a smile) What? Spinach. Now let's see, where was I...? (Sora resumes marking the map) Sora: Hmm.... Mimi: Would you look at that. She's not even tired. Palmon: You're different. You like to take things easy. Mimi: Finding this kid's harder than finding a good sale. (gasp) Hey Sora, if we really want to find this kid, we should go where lots of people gather. Sora: You thinking of any place in particular? Mimi: Yep! Right there! (points out Tokyo Tower) Besides, we can see the whole city from up there. Really get the lay of the land, you know?

Besides Mimi complaining about pushing the stroller, there are a few other differences. Mimi's mom no longer has fine cooking but instead fine takeout skills; This is presumably to mesh with the dub's characterization of Mimi as coming from extravagant wealth. Though if she's rich enough to shit-talk Cockatrimon's cruise ship, you'd think their family would have a private chef or something instead of ordering takeout.

A subtle difference, but the original exchange with Palmon was about Mimi having low physical stamina; By her admission, she wants to remain that way. She likes being soft and delicate, and doesn't aspire to be a hard, rugged tomboy like Soccer Striker Sora.

This goes along with that other comment the dub didn't bring over, about "Why do we still have to do this?" It's unfair that they finally got to go home but still have to be Digimon World child soldiers.

The dub's version of this has Palmon call Mimi a slacker. Mimi then quips instead of responding to the accusation.

The girls head to Tokyo Tower. Unfortunately, someone else has his eye on this same spot.

One of Tailmon's mercenaries approaches the tower, looking up at it. Then he notices Sora and Mimi entering the building.

The girls take the elevator up to the observation deck, stepping into the refreshing coolness of an indoor environment.

Mimi: Ahhhh, it feels so good! It's great to be in a place with air conditioning! Palmon: I'm coming back to life! Sora: Yeah, I thought as much.

Sora saw right through Mimi's plan, but went along with it anyway. You know, as someone who had to spend weeks without functioning A/C in the midst of a heat wave, I sympathize with Mimi. This is an ironic episode to do right after getting the A/C fixed.

The girls approach the observation window to gaze out at the city.

Piyomon: Sora, that's where your house is, right? Sora: That's right. This is the world we live in.

In the dub, Sora's a bit slower on the uptake.

Mimi: Ahhhh, there! Isn't that better? Nice and cool. I knew this place would have A/C. Palmon: Feels great! Sora: Should have guessed you had an ulterior motive. (The girls go to the window) Mimi: Isn't your house over there? Sora: Yeah. It sure is strange being back in our own world again.

I'm not sure why Mimi knows where Sora lives and can point it out. I do, however, like Sora pointing out that it's as much an adjustment coming home as it was going to the other world. They spent months adapting to life in the Digimon World and now they have to re-adapt to what was once normal.

Or, at least, she does. Everybody handles things differently. By her admission earlier, Mimi has no adapting to do at all. To her, this was a bad disruption to normality that finally ended. I love this implied commentary on their character dichotomy, that Sora got used to the Digimon wilds but Mimi never stopped longing for home.

Then someone else arrives on the observation deck.

Tailmon's mercenary steps out of the elevator, and instantly the room stops being so relieving.

Palmon: Mimi, does it feel a little hotter in here to you? Mimi: Yeah, I guess the air conditioning isn't very strong over here.

The girls move over to directly beneath the A/C vent to escape the sudden pervasive heat.

Palmon: Ahh, a cool breeze. Piyomon: Feels great!

But then the A/C shuts off.

Mimi: (pout) It's getting warmer.... Sora: Maybe the air conditioner broke-- Mimi: (turns her head and notices Tailmon's mercenary) EUGH!? HOW IS HE ABLE TO WEAR A FULL-LENGTH COAT IN THIS SUMMER HEAT!?!? I'm getting hotter just looking at him! Sora: Mimi-chan, he'll hear you! Mimi: It's true though.

Ironically, Mimi is absolutely correct to blame that trench coat man for making her feel hotter, but not for the reason she thinks.

In the dub:

Palmon: Does it feel like it's getting warmer? Mimi: Yeah, it does. Let's move over closer to the blowers, ahaha!

For some reason, they play the A/C shutting down noise on the first shot of the vent, while it's still blowing, instead of the second shot where it shuts down.

(A/C blows fine but makes shutdown noise) Palmon: There, that's more like it. Biyomon: Wonderful! (A/C shuts down silently) Mimi: (pout) What happened to the air? Sora: Hm, maybe this heat wave finally got to be too much for it. Mimi: (turns her head and notices Gatomon's mercenary) EUGH!! Look at that weirdo wearing a coat in this heat! And such an ugly one too! Sora: Hey, Mimi, be quiet! He'll hear you! Mimi: Oh, and what's he gonna do?

Mimi is dripping with personality in this scene. Both versions go hard on their particular Mimi takes.

The man in the trench coat turns around suddenly, facing the girls.

Sora: See, he heard you!

To everybody's surprise, he flames up. Blue flames cover his body, burning away his trench coat and revealing his true identity. Blast! It was another Ninja Turtle trench coat disguise all along! With an actual trench coat!

Sora and Mimi scream when they realize he's here for a fight.

Sora & Mimi: AHHHHHHHH!!! Palmon & Piyomon: A DIGIMON!!!

In full view of the rest of the crowd on the observation deck, Palmon and Piyomon leap from the stroller to face down Tailmon's mercenary.

No change in the dub. But after the mercenary burns off his coat, Mimi helpfully comments:

Mimi: Well, I guess that explains the coat!

XD It sure does, Mimi. It sure does.

Now that the mercenary is raring to fight, the heat turns up so high that Taichi and Koushiro can see it from a distance.

Agumon: I think it just got hotter all of a sudden. Tentomon: I can't believe it.... Koushiro: Tokyo Tower looks like it's bending. Taichi: That's impossible.

The heat around Tokyo Tower is now so thick it's distorting the air.

Taichi: It's true!

He takes out his mini telescope to get a closer look at the tower. Giving him a chance to see Birdramon explode out of the window with Tailmon's mercenary leaping out to pursue her.

Taichi: IT'S A DIGIMON!!!

No change in the dub.

Birdramon kicks off the fighting with an inadvisable Meteor Wing. Her flames strike the mercenary, swirling harmlessly around him. Togemon steps up with Chiku-Chiku Bang-Bang. The mercenary counters, slapping her needles out of the air with his flaming chain and cracking her across the face and knocking her on her ass.

Kabuterimon flies in overheard, ferrying Taichi, Koushiro, and Agumon to the fight. Koushiro pulls up their opponent's information on the Digimon Analyzer.

Koushiro: That's DeathMeramon! He's Perfect-stage!

DeathMeramon is a Perfect-stage Data-type Flame Digimon. Hailing from, you guessed it, the Nightmare Soldiers release, DeathMeramon is the evolved form of Meramon.

Narrator: DeathMeramon. A Perfect-stage Digimon whose body is enveloped in blue flames. His special attack is Heavy Metal Fire.

Not the most informative of rundowns, to be sure.

In the dub, despite having the Digimon Analyzer open, Izzy asks Agumon of all people to deliver the rundown.

Izzy: Explain this to us, Agumon. Just who is this guy? Agumon: He's SkullMeramon. His element is Fire. He's tough and he can sure dish it out!

His element is Fire? What, do we have to keep track of a Pokemon Type Chart now?

Note: I'm just poking fun. Some Digimon video games do in fact have a Pokemon Type Chart, in addition to the Vaccine/Virus/Data triangle. But that hasn't been a thing in the anime up to this point.

DeathMeramon's name was apparently too intense for the censors, despite the fact that we have had usages of "kill" and "die" in the show before. So they swapped it out for SkullMeramon, which is still pretty edgy. But. Like. He has a Jason Voorhees mask; Where does the skull come in?

In any case, I don't know why we're turning to Agumon for this. The Analyzer was added to the show so we could stop leaning on the Digimon for explanations, since they aren't supposed to know much about Digimon from outside of File Island.

As soon as the narrator finishes explaining Heavy Metal Fire, DeathMeramon shows us exactly what that is.

Of note: That's not fire he's breathing. He's spewing liquid metal. It's heavy, it's metal, and it's fire. Kabuterimon evades, but his shot of Heavy Metal Fire lands on a support beam for Tokyo Tower. The glob of burning blue liquid comes to rest on the beam, melting straight through it.

The tower above containing the second observation deck begins to fall. There are probably people in there.

Koushiro: It's falling! Kabuterimon, hold it up!

Kabuterimon's forced to withdraw from the fight so he can hold up the tower and prevent it from falling on the city below. Which he manages successfully. Holy hell, the force of those gossamer wings.

DeathMeramon: I'll burn you all to the ground! Taichi: We won't-- Agumon: --let that happen!

Agumon leaps from Kabuterimon's back, evolving to Greymon to join the fight.

The dub calls SkullMeramon's attack "Metal Fireball".

Tai: The tower's gonna fall on the city! Izzy: Grab it, Kabuterimon! Hurry! (Kabuterimon holds back the tower) SkullMeramon: Don't you know not to play with fire!? Tai: Are you ready!? Agumon: Yeah!

They add a line so that Tai can be involved in the tower support.

The combat banter is all different, but in a way that isn't better or worse than the original. Lateral change.

Taichi and Greymon barrel into the fray and immediately make everything worse.

Greymon lands on DeathMeramon, divekicking him in the chest. When DeathMeramon shrugs that off, Greymon follows up with a Mega Flame. DeathMeramon absorbs the attack and grows twice as large as before, much like Meramon did way back when.

Taichi: He got bigger after absorbing the Mega Flame! Koushiro: He's Perfect-stage. An Adult-stage like Greymon is no match for him.

In the dub:

Tai: Now we've really made him mad! He swallowed that Nova Blast like a hot fudge sundae! Izzy: All it did was make him stronger! Unless Greymon Digivolves again, he's toast!

Is Izzy implying that we need to Super-Evolve because of the buff? Because we don't. We needed to Super-Evolve from the beginning, and the buff only made things worse.

The dub hilariously picks here for Hey Digimon. A point in the fight in which Greymon achieves nothing and gets dunked on. They make the weirdest choices in how they use that ditty.

Errors have been made. Avoidable errors if Taichi wasn't so reckless and had paid attention when Koushiro talked. Greymon Super-Evolves to MetalGreymon and continues to struggle against the now buffed up DeathMeramon.

MetalGreymon and DeathMeramon throw themselves into a grapple. But in his buffed up state, DeathMeramon's strength wins out, forcing MetalGreymon to his knees.

Birdramon and Togemon return to the fight. Birdramon strafes by DeathMeramon, pulling his attention while Togemon rushes him from behind. Unfortunately, he's on fire, so this backfires in hideous and predictable ways.

Togemon: (charging in) TOGEMOOOOOOOOOON!!! (DeathMeramon moves slightly backwards and strikes her with his back, engulfing her in his flames; Togemon runs screaming) Mimi: Togemon! Get a hold of yourself!

Even Mimi's yelling at them for how bad that plan was. Maybe we should have a Pokemon Type Chart to drill into everyone's' skulls. Everybody is fucking up today.

Sadly, Dub Togemon does not scream her own name as a battle cry moments before being hilariously shitstomped.

Togemon: Lightspeed Jabbing! (SkullMeramon moves slightly backwards and strikes her with his back, engulfing her in his flames; Togemon runs screaming) Mimi: Watch out! This guy is scary!

It's not nearly as funny.

While Togemon KO's her own goddamn self, DeathMeramon lands a direct hit of Heavy Metal Fire on Birdramon's center mass, knocking her from the sky.

The distraction, however, buys MetalGreymon the time he needs to get up into the air and out of close combat. By. Uh. Flying? I guess he can fly with those tattered wings of his.

MetalGreymon fires his Trident Arm at DeathMeramon. DeathMeramon jerks aside and wraps his chain around it as it passes, so that when it retracts, he now has a grapple around MetalGreymon.

DeathMeramon: I've caught you! HEAVY METAL FIRE!!!

MetalGreymon twists sideways in the air to dodge the attack.

MetalGreymon: Who caught who now? DeathMeramon: What?

MetalGreymon spins in the air, using the leverage from the chain to yank DeathMeramon off the roof of the observation deck and hurl him up into the air. There, he lets off his Giga Blaster, obliterating DeathMeramon with two direct hits.

The dub adds a taunt to MetalGreymon's attack.

MetalGreymon: Hey! Up here, bucket of bolts! MEGA CLAW!!!

Uh. Pot, meet kettle? DeathMeramon isn't even a cyborg. He just has a spooky face.

No other change in the dub.

While all this fighting is happening at Tokyo Tower, something else is going down in the Yagami home.

Hikari is still watching the news, with Tailmon lurking around the corner of the couch.

Reporter: According to eyewitness reports, kaiju have been spotted fighting with each other. Tailmon: (thinking, kinda freaking out) She is definitely not an ordinary child! I should kill her now! Reporter: Speculation has arisen that this may be connected to the kaiju uproar that occurred yesterday.

Tailmon hops up onto the back of the couch and creeps up on Hikari. She raises her sharp, gloved claw to strike.

Hikari: (turns around and holds out her hands) Come here.

Tailmon is so startled that she loses her balance and falls off the back of the couch.

Losing all of her nerve, she turns around and heads for the door.

Hikari: You're leaving? But you'll come back, right?

Tailmon breaks into a four-legged sprint to get out of there as fast as possible.

Tailmon: I can't act when I have no proof that she's the Eighth Child! Narrator: At this time, Tailmon had yet to realize that this girl, Yagami Hikari, would soon hold special meaning for her.

Spoilers, narrator. Fuck. Why are you like this?

In the dub:

Reporter: While the clash of the monsters caused extensive damage to the tower, no casualties were reported. Gatomon: (thinking) She isn't so bad, for a human. Better company than some Digimon, that's for sure. Reporter: But fear is in the air and there's a general feeling of public unrest. (Gatomon climbs up on the couch and stealthily approaches Kari, holding out her claw to strike) Gatomon: (thinking) Still, orders are orders and I'm not gonna be the one who lets the Eighth Child get away. Kari: (turns around) Hi! Gatomon: HUH!?!? Uhhhhhhhhhhh.... Kari: (holds out hands) C'mere! (Gatomon falls off the back of the couch, then gets up and starts to leave) Kari: Are you going already? But you'll come back again, right? (Gatomon flees at the speed of panic) Gatomon: Her sweetness makes me lose my edge. But I'll be back and next time, I'll be ready for her! Reporter (V.O.): While no one knows where these monsters are from or why they're here, it's clear the Earth is at some sort of crossroads. The question is, down which road does our destiny await?

Credit where it's due, the use of the reporter to stand in for the narrator and deliver some genuinely ominous parting comments? Inspired. I love it.

Gatomon remains cool and composed compared to Tailmon's panic attack, but it remains clear that Kari is a chink in her malevolent armor. I like Tailmon's more emotional performance better, but as I said about Mimi in the observation deck, both of these scenes make great use of their respective interpretations of the character.

The episode ends here and I have absolutely no idea how we're going to repair Tokyo Tower. I bet it stops being a problem between episodes. That seems likely.

Assessment: Taichi again shows up to steal Mimi's thunder because we're holding off on letting Palmon hit Perfect. I thought this was the episode. Tragic.

It felt like they were going somewhere when Mimi and Palmon were comparing her relationship with her femininity to Sora's. Like this was going to be Sora and Mimi's episode to explore their differences. But then they fucked off once the fighting started so Taichi could be the rockstar.

That's disappointing. Nothing happening from a plot perspective is the point; Everyone's searching the wrong area. Given that, it's good to have an episode where nothing can happen. The funniest thing in the episode is when PicoDevimon punishes Tailmon for trying to get a head start on him by banishing her to where the Eighth Child actually is.

But it also feels like nothing happened from a character perspective, which is more damning. Sora and Mimi had a chance to have an interesting side adventure and learn about each other. But they didn't. They got hot and then went up Tokyo Tower. That is all they got to do.

So this one kinda sucks? It's pretty good while the story is moving all the characters into Shibaura, but the back half of the episode comes off like filler to give Hikari and Tailmon's plot time to transpire.

And the dub isn't any better. It screws up multiple times at explaining the plot as we're getting the characters into Shibaura.

I understand that they weren't going to be able to explain the geographic elements of this episode but they could at least have compensated. Yeah, kids won't know which side of the Rainbow Bridge is which, but they've said the kids are in Odaiba in the past. DemiDevimon could say something like, "Shibaura is mine! You can go search Odaiba."

But they didn't bother. This one isn't great in either version.

[datauthorress]

the love never ends [chapter 1]

Pairing: Wade Wilson / Original Female Character, Logan / Original Female Character, Cable / Original Female Character, Wade Wilson / Logan, Wade Wilson / Cable

Summary: On his search to find Wolverine, Deadpool comes across a variant of Shelby O’viere, the only one left in her universe after a complete extinction of everyone else. With his own reality’s version of her dead, Deadpool decides to have her tag along so he has a buddy.

Cue to them saving the universe and Shelby has to live in a completely different world where not only is a variant of Logan here, but as well as the man that her own variant loved, Cable.

Love is seriously all kinds of fucked up.

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence, Deadpool and Wolverine Movie (2024), Variants from Other Universes, Talk of Death and Deceased Characters, Survivor Guilt, Depression, Romance/Adventure/Drama/Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, Loss of Virginity, Vaginal Sex, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Friends to Lovers, Foursome - F/M/M/M

Rating: Explicit

“Oh, damn…..there’s like nobody here. What, did everyone just fucking die off?”

A gunshot shot off the ground in front of him, causing Wade to shriek in surprise and take a step back. He glanced up towards one of the highest roofs of the X-Mansion, seeing a hooded figure sitting there with a sniper rifle poised at him.

“Next shot is your head,” the figure said, a feminine voice coming from their lips.

Wade gasped loudly, putting his hands on his face. “I know that voice! Shelby!”

“What?” the woman asked, confused. “How do you know my….?”

“I had one of you in my reality! Of course, she’s dead now, fuckin’ lung cancer, but still, I had one of you!” Wade exclaimed.

The woman levitated off of the roof and landed on the ground about ten feet in front of Wade. She took off her hood, revealing a young-looking woman with dark brown hair that cascaded over her shoulder in thick streams, her bangs long and nearly covering the right side of her face. Her eyes, cerulean blue, sparkled in the warm sunlight. She was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged her legs quite nicely, Wade added, a t-shirt underneath and some kind of cloak or cloth that mostly went over her shoulders and back with a hood on the back. She was wearing black boots and fingerless black gloves.

“My name is Shelby,” she admitted.

“Well, of course it is. I’d recognize your voice anywhere. You’ve got a very distinct voice, coming from Bex Taylor-Klaus that the author had decided to base your appearance off of.” Wade said.

“What?” she asked, confused.

“Eh, nevermind.” He said, waving a dismissive hand. “So, you live here at the X-Mansion?”

“Yeah, I’ve been here for the last few years.” She replied.

“Neato. Where are the others? Surely you’re not living here by yourself.”

“They’re dead.”

“I’m sorry?”

“They’re dead. All of them. Including every human being and mutant on the planet. I’m the only one alive here.” Shelby explained.

“What happened?”

“I killed them,”

After Shelby’s statement, she further explained that when she was 20 years old, she had been learning to control her mental abilities when she had a complete nervous breakdown and sent out a pulse that destroyed the neural networks of every human being and mutant on the planet. They had all just dropped dead. When Shelby had realized what she had done, she tried to reverse what she had done, but it had been too late. The damage was done, and she had been living on her own the past ten years, having no guts to end her own life.

“But you didn’t mean to,” Wade pointed out, chewing on a piece of smoked beef jerky.

“Yeah well, I keep telling myself that.” Shelby said, sipping from a water bottle. “Why are you here, Wade?”

“Well, I’m looking for a Wolverine.”

“Logan? Yeah, I killed him too.”

“Yeah, well….the Logan in my reality got chest-fucked by a tree and died, and the TVA has decided that since Logan is dead because he was some anchor-being for my reality, that my reality deserves to be destroyed. So, I figure, I’ll find me a Wolverine and replace him. Can’t be that hard.” Wade replied.

“Well, there’s no Logan here.” Shelby scoffed.

“Yeah, guess I gotta head to another reality.” Wade replied, before he went quiet for a second and then had an ‘aha’ look on his face. “Hey! Why don’t you come with me?”

“Why would I do that?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

“It’s gotta be lonely here,” he said. “You come with me and you can live in my reality with me! Hell, we can be roommates!”

“Jesus Christ, you’re annoying.” Shelby huffed.

“Come on……when’s the last time you had human contact?”

Shelby glanced at him for a long moment, the wheels turning in her head before she sighed. “Alright, fine….there’s nothing left for me here. Just let me grab some things and we’ll go.”

“That’s the spirit!” Wade laughed.

A backpack and a duffle bag later, Shelby and Wade were walking through a portal to a different reality.

~

“Shelby?”

The Logan variant’s voice is nothing but a mere whisper when his dark eyes landed on the young woman. Her eyes softened slightly.

“I’m not her, Logan.” She said softly.

Logan stared at her in disbelief before he looked away, holding onto Wade’s gun that was aimed directly at his forehead. He lifted the bottle of alcohol to his lips and downed the entire bottle, causing Wade to whistle.

Logan pulled the bottle away from his lips, mumbling something before he fell backwards, landing on the wooden floor with a heavy thud, passing out.

“Jesus Christ,” Shelby muttered.

“He’s perfect!” Wade exclaimed, before he stood over Logan’s prone form and started to lift him up by his shirt, only to glance underneath his shirt. “Heyyyyy, nice pajamas.”

Shelby came over and glanced underneath the shirt as well, seeing yellow and blue.

“It’s his comics accurate suit! Oh, it looks so good on him!” Wade chuckled. “Help me get him up.”

Between the two of them, they were able to lift Logan off of the ground, putting his arms over their shoulders.

Shelby had forgotten how heavy Logan was.

~

They arrive to the TVA, only to be informed of why the Logan they picked was the worst one. Shelby jumped as Wade was hit by some kind of taser, causing his entire frame to disappear in sparks. Logan was next and Shelby glanced at Paradox with wide eyes.

Before she’s too struck by the taser and she’s flying through darkness.

~

Shelby wakes up to Wade and Logan fighting, stabbing each other with their weapons and claws so much they’re both bleeding out.

“Guys, seriously?” Shelby groaned, standing up with a soft wince.

Within moments, they’re surrounded by bad guys and one annoying Sabertooth. Shelby sighed softly, crossing her arms as Logan and Sabertooth charged towards each other, but Logan won with a single swipe to Sabertooth’s neck.

They’re knocked out soon afterwards.

~

Shelby wakes and realizes that she, Logan and Wade are pressed up tightly against one another. Shelby is in between them and she can feel Wade’s head on her shoulder as he’s still passed out.

Shelby’s gaze filtered up towards Logan, who looked annoyed. “Well, this is awkward.” She muttered.

“You’re telling me,” he snorted.

Wade woke with a start, shaking his head slightly. “How long was I out?”

“Not all of you was asleep, Wade.” Shelby said.

“Oops,”

~

They manage to get a vehicle from Nicepool and drive across the vast expanse of the Void until Wade says “if they can fix your universe”. It caused Logan to slam down on the breaks and put the car in park, stabbing Wade a few times before going on a rant about how pathic Wade was.

“I’m gonna fight you now,” Wade said quietly.

“Nope,” Shelby said, opening the door and stepping out. She wanted nothing to do with their bloodshed.

They fight for hours. Shelby manages to get a few hours of sleep before jolting awake once its quiet. She got up, brushing herself off before she walked over to the car and peeked inside, seeing that both men were passed out on the seats. Wade was tied up with the seatbelts of the car and Logan was passed out next to him, both of them covered in blood.

“Men,” she sighed, before she opened the passenger side door in front and brushed the glass off of the seat. She sat down in it and leaned back against the seat, before dozing off.

~

They meet the resistance group and come up with a plan to get into Catherine’s base. Logan is reluctant, refusing to join them. When night falls, Shelby goes out to the fire with Laura, where Logan is drinking. He explains to them what happened to his world and after Laura shares some heartfelt words, she leaves, leaving Shelby and Logan by the fire.

“She’s right, y’know,” Shelby said. “You may be the wrong guy, but you were the one she needed.”

Logan grunted, taking another swig from the bottle.

“What was I like….in your world?” she asked cautiously.

Logan is quiet for a moment before he speaks. “You were young, learning to control your powers, but you had potential. You were strong, stronger than I ever could be. No matter how much I pushed you away, you wouldn’t leave me behind. Scott would always tell me ‘Shelby’s looking for you’, ‘Shelby wants to show you her powers’, ‘Shelby misses you’.” he said softly. “You were the only person I let in, and then you were killed.”

Shelby was quiet, listening to him as he spoke about the Shelby of his reality. It reminded her too much of the Logan of her own reality, the Wolverine, the man she had been drawn to ever since she had arrived at the X-Manson. “You were pretty much the same in my reality. A stubborn bastard who tried to push me away, until you stopped and you started letting me in. Then, well…..I killed everyone on the planet.”

“Guess we have things in common,” he said.

“Seems so.” She said.

Logan sighed after a moment and tossed the bottle away from him, before standing up. “C’mon, let’s get some sleep. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

She grinned softly, taking the hand that was offered to her. She knew he would change his mind.

~

They manage to break into Cassandra’s base and fight their way through, only for Cassandra to knock Wade out and force Logan and Shelby to their knees.

“I may not be able to penetrate your mind,” Cassandra said, lightly stroking a finger along the curve of Shelby’s jaw. “But I can penetrate his,”

Hearing Logan in pain caused her heart to break. She struggled to break the grip of where she was, but it was too strong. “Leave him alone!” she shouted.

Shelby heard a thud and glanced behind her as Wade grabbed the backpack that had been thrown up to them. He unzipped it, pulling out Juggernaut’s helmet. Shelby nodded and Wade maneuvered behind Cassandra and put the helmet over her head, causing her grip on Logan and Shelby to break.

Of course, Pyro shot her. Of course, they agreed to take the helmet off so she could heal. As soon as they did, she revealed the Sling Ring that she had this entire time and told them they had four seconds to get through the portal.

“Come on!” Shelby shouted, grabbing both Logan and Wade by their hands and the three of them ran towards the portal. Everything seemed to go by in slow motion, as they jumped off the base and headed right for the portal. The monster that roamed the Void reached them, but they managed to get through the portal.

They were falling through the sky and Shelby saw the ground, covered by cars, quickly coming up. Logan grabbed her, turning his body so his back would meet the car instead of her. He held her tight against his chest as they collided with the car, causing the reverberation to shake Shelby’s entire frame.

“Fucking Christ, oh my god, ow….” Shelby grimaced.

“You okay, bub?” he asked, a bit breathlessly.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Thanks for that, Logan.” She replied.

Logan nodded and helped her onto the ground. They had to get to the TVA.

~

Cassandra arrives on Earth, forcing Paradox to tell her about the Time Ripper and she has decided to destroy all realities, forcing Paradox to go with her to the base in order to complete her mission.

When the trio tries to go after her, they are intercepted by 100 variants of Deadpool, who then shoot at them. Shelby is hit in the thigh and she shouts out in pain, before diving behind the car with Logan and Wade.

“Put pressure on it,” Logan told her, ripping off a piece of the cloak she wore over her shoulders and pressed it against the wound. “We’ll get the bullet out later, but keep pressure on it for now.”

Wade drags the paralyzed Nicepool out into the crossfire, who is killed when his head explodes. Wade dives down behind a large sign and Logan holds up Dogpool, causing the other variants to stop firing. Shelby is helped over to Wade, who takes the gold pistols.

“You’re such a goddamned moron,” Shelby announced.

~

They make it through the Deadpool variants, who all regenerated and were planning on fighting once more until Peter arrived and told them that they were with him. The other Deadpool’s cheer, allowing Shelby, Logan and Wade to head down into the subway and to the TVA.

“Oh, now you’re here!” Paradox scoffed as they rushed into the room. “Oh well, you’re too late, it’s all over.”

         “Not yet, it’s not.” Logan said.

         “No, no, no, no, but we’re very close.” Wade spoke. “Homestretch, folks, promise. Quick! Let’s have the stakes.”

         “If she steals the Time-Ripper’s energy, she has the power to shred the fabric of all realities until there is nothing left but the void.” Paradox explained.

         “So how do we shut it down?” Shelby demanded.

         “I don’t know,”

         Logan let loose a snarl and shoved Paradox against the control board, his metallic claws unsheathing to press threateningly close at Paradox’s face. “How about now?” he growled.

         “The mask is really intimidating,” Wade laughed. “It’s like Batman except he can move his neck.”

         “Okay, look, look, look.” Paradox said quickly, pressing a few buttons on the control board and pulling up the video of a machine, that held two feeds into a single chamber, with glowing blue in one feed and glowing orange into another feed. “The Ripper is fed from a secure chamber below ground. It is powered by twin matter and anti-matter feeds converging inside the device. Now Cassandra Nova is redirecting the Ripper’s power to eliminate all timelines, starting with this one. Theoretically, you could stop her by short-circuiting the feeds in the chamber below. One of you would create a circuit between the two feeds, then the released power would destroy the machine. But well-,”

         “Come on, man!” Wade exclaimed. “If you’re not gonna swallow, spit it out!”

         “Whoever formed the bridge would be annihilated.” Paradox finished with a thick swallow.

         “I could live with that,” Logan said with a shrug.

         “I could live with that too, actually.” Wade said. “….we survive anything. We’re like cockroaches.”

         “Not this time,” Paradox said, shaking his head. “This is matter and anti-matter. They do not play nicely with each other. When they mix in your body, you will be atomized. Trust the laws of physics if you don’t trust me. Even if you lived long enough to make the circuit, you will die down there.”

          Shelby exchanged a glance with Logan and Wade, nervousness in her features.

         ~

         “Hold up, hold up.” Logan said as they reached the door that led to the chamber of the Time Ripper. “You guys heard that asshole upstairs. Even if we pull this off, we’re dead, permanently.”

         “That’s why it’s gotta be me.” Wade said.

         “What?” Shelby and Logan asked at the same time. “Fuck that, no! It’s gotta be me!”

         Wade groaned and took his mask off, now able to look at both of them in the eyes. “Look, guys, neither of you asked for any of this. Logan was right. I lied right to his face, just to get him to help me.”

         “You didn’t lie,” Logan sighed. “You made an educated wish. Come on,” he said and pulled out the family photo that Wade had dropped in the Honda Odyssey. “You got a whole world to go back to. I got nothing.”

         Logan patted Wade on the chest with his fist and approached the door. He unlocked it, giving it a push open.

         “Logan!” Shelby said, before she bounded over to him.

         Right as Logan turned to face her, she cupped his cheeks with both hands and leaned up, pressing her lips to his in a deep kiss. A choked off sort of noise left Logan’s lungs, utterly surprised by the sudden kiss. He didn’t get a chance to return it, as Shelby pulled away with a soft smile on her features.

         “I’m sorry, both of you.” she said with an apologetic expression on her features.

         Without warning, she used telekinesis to grab Logan by his arm and toss him away from the door. Shelby quickly went into the chamber, shutting the door and locked it.

         “Hey!” Wade and Logan both shouted, before slamming their fists on the windows. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

         “Wade, you have a family to get back to. Logan, Wade is your family now.” Shelby replied somberly, putting her hand on the window. “I destroyed everyone in my world, remember? I have nothing. I don’t deserve to live.”

         “That’s not true!” Wade shouted, banging his fist on the door.

         “I’m sorry,” Shelby said softly, cerulean eyes lowering before a soft smile spread across her features. “Say hi to your friends for me,”

         As she walked away from the door and headed to the middle of the chamber between the two feeds, she could feel the energy radiating off of them. It was powerful, making her skin prickle and her hair raise. This was going to kill her, she knew it. But she was okay with that, because after everything she did, if she could do something to save Wade’s universe and give Logan another chance at life, she would do it for them in a heartbeat.

         She heard them shouting at her as she approached the matter feed, taking a deep breath. With telekinesis enhancing her strength, she slammed her fist into the feed and pulled out tubes of pure, raw matter. The sheer energy of the matter made powerful sensations course up the length of her arm, causing her to grimace. She let out a pained shout as she pulled with all of her might, trying to pull enough out so she could grab onto the tubes of the anti-matter.

         Forcing herself through the pain, Shelby outstretched her hand towards the anti-matter feed. “Come on!” she shouted, struggling to use her powers to force the feed to break so the tubes could come out. “Come on you fucking fuck!”

         The matter coursing through her body was nearly overwhelming, her veins beginning to glow blue from underneath her skin as she struggled towards the anti-matter feed.

         “Please!” Shelby begged.

         She turned her attention back to the matter feed, before she suddenly felt a gloved hand grab ahold of her arm, instinctively her hand grabbed onto their arm. Her head whipped around to see Wade, who’s own other arm was outstretched and holding onto Logan’s. Without hesitation, Logan sunk his claws into the anti-matter feed and all three of them shouted as the matter began coursing through their bodies, with Logan’s shirt literally being ripped to shreds.

         Shelby could feel the energy beginning to stabilize within her, as they created a circuit that began to overload both of the feeds.

         It all became slow in motion.

         Shelby closed her eyes and saw the faces of her friends, the ones she had killed, let down. But then she sees the faces of her new friends, Logan and Wade and Laura and tears stung the corners of her eyes as she realized she did have something to live for.

         She had them.

         Shelby’s eyes fluttered open and she turned her attention to Wade and Logan, who were both looking at her. She nodded and they nodded back and Shelby focused her powers on the energy coursing through all three of them.

         Tears streamed down her cheeks as the sensation increased ten-fold, pain radiating through her entire form.

         And then…

         And then it all went white.

         ~

         She was dying.

         Her lungs felt full, it was hard to breathe. She could feel something….

         “Come on!”

         A harsh push on her chest caused water to gargle up her throat and she erupted into a coughing fit, rolling onto her side. A rough hand patted her on the back to get the water out of her lungs and she continued coughing for a moment until she was able to take a full breath.

         “Oh my god, drowning is the fucking worst…” Shelby coughed.

         “You fucking crazy moron,” Logan growled. “What the hell were you thinking? If we didn’t get into the chamber in time, you would have been killed!”

         “I made a choice, Logan,” Shelby said, glancing up at him.

         “You stupid….” He bared his teeth in a snarl, before he grabbed her jaw with a rough hand and yanked her close, his lips roughly converging with hers in an angry, deep kiss.

         Shelby squeaked, but melted into the kiss and couldn’t help but moan softly into it. Logan pulled away after a few seconds, his chest still heaving.

         “Wow,” Wade said dreamily.

         “You’re a fucking moron too!” Logan snapped at Wade, before he yanked Wade’s mask up to his nose and was kissing him next, his facial hair scrapping against Wade’s scarred skin.

         Wade downright moaned into the kiss, grabbing at Logan’s shoulder before they parted. Wade sighed dreamily, before he was pulling Shelby into a kiss next. It felt different kissing Wade than Logan due to his scarring, but she returned it all the same.

         Once the three of them parted from the kisses, Shelby stood up with help and they walked out of the chamber, hearing Paradox’s voice.

         “He has risen, baby girl!” Wade announced, his voice echoing as he pulled down his mask.

         “FUCK!” Paradox shouted in frustration.

         ~

         Shelby watched tiredly as a partially destroyed bus was taken away on a tow truck, while taking a bite of the Shawarma that Wade had gotten them.

         “You know,” Wade said between bites. “The Avengers discovered Shawarma.”

         “They’d be lucky to have you,” Logan said, swallowing down his food.

         Wade smiled and took another bite of his food, before all three of them heard a bark. They watched as Mary Puppins came bounding around the corner towards them. “Fuck off!” Wade exclaimed, literally throwing his food onto the cement. “Come here my little cuntchkin! Yes, that’s you, you’re a survivor!”

         Wade picked the dog up, hugging her against his chest. “All is right in the world!” he smiled.

         “So what now?” Shelby asked, finishing up with her food.

         “Well,” Wade began. “I do share an apartment with Blind Al.”

         “I don’t think all four of us and a dog are gonna fit in a one bedroom apartment, bub.” Logan said, matter-of-factly.

         “But we can make it work,” Wade said with a grin. “There’s a pullout bed and I think all three of us can fit.”

         “I’m game,” Shelby nodded. God, she desperately needed a shower.

         “Well, I didn’t kiss you two for the hell of it.” Logan said, a smirk on his rugged features.

         ~

         “Al, I’m back!” Wade called as he led Logan and Shelby into the apartment, with Shelby shutting the door behind her.

         “About damn time!” the elderly, black, blind woman said, walking towards them. “I’m all out of devil’s dandruff and I’m shaking like an angry vibrator!”

         Shelby snickered.

         “Thank you, Al. We have company.” Wade said, before he looked at Shelby and Logan with hesitation, before Logan nodded. “Althea, this is Logan, my….my boyfriend. And this is Shelby, my girlfriend.”

         “Nice to meet you, Shelby, Logan.” Al said with a smile, shaking both of their hands.

         “Nice to meet you too.” Logan said with a smile as well.

         “And this little ancient ass shit-knot is Mary Puppins, or as I like to call her, Dogpool.” Wade said, leaning forwards a bit towards Al. “You wanna treat yourself to a little stroke? Get the tongue.”

         Al reached forward and felt the tongue that hung out of Mary Puppins’ mouth. “Oh my god, motherfucker!” she exclaimed in disgust.

         “Right, it’s like an armadillo fucked a gremlin, angrily, in a bed of gonorrhea and didn’t stop till the sun came up.” Wade chuckled.

         ~

         A celebration was something that Shelby, nor Logan were used to. With new friends around, and those friends to call family. Shelby hadn’t even celebrated her own birthday in ten years and now she finally felt that she could move on and forgive herself for what had happened back in her home world.

         She’s sitting between Wade and Logan, with Logan’s hand on her thigh in a comforting way. She was around people she didn’t know very well, so her anxiety about meeting new people was a bit high, but with Logan’s touch on her knee and Wade’s presence beside her, she could feel herself calming down.

         It had been a few days since they had saved the universe and while the three of them hadn’t had sex yet, they had fallen into a complex, but shared relationship with each other. They balanced themselves out with each other. Shelby knows that Vanessa, Wade’s ex-girlfriend was staring at both Shelby and Logan. While Shelby didn’t know why Vanessa was staring at her, she could understand why she was staring at Logan. Logan was gorgeous, a shit brickhouse of a man that was all muscle and testosterone and towered over Shelby by nearly a foot.

         Shelby moved her hands on either side of her, one curling around Logan’s and the other around Wade’s. Both men glanced at her and the three of them smiled.

         Sometimes your family was a gruff wolf of a man, a wheelbarrow full of cancer, a powerful psychic, said gruff man’s daughter and the world’s ugliest dog.

         It felt good.

[morrisxn02]

✍︎ open starter

Beneath the light grey sky of the early Sunday morning, three dark figures emerge. They soar downward in circles until they disappear behind the mist that fluctuates above the river. The desolate campus beach was the perfect place for an encounter between a man and the witches that haunt him. Outside of his field of vision, the vultures morph into human form – three elderly women clad in dark, thick cloaks –and levitate just above the water eerily, vigilant of Edward's every move, almost as if expecting a prompt to act. His attention divided between the Weird sisters, the sketchbook on his lap, and his iPad, lying unlocked in the sand. "Tell me, thou unknown power-" He recites from memory in a whisper. Still, the words are heavy with the unique energy that only someone who has once portrayed the cursed king himself can conjure. And then he recites the new, updated version which he intends to have in the final script of the game, "Show me the source of your power–" It lacks authenticity, energy... Spirit. "No, that's– That's not it. Um," His tone returns to his regular standard American now, a bit of frustration as he concludes that the scene is not playing out to its fullest potential. He reaches for the notebook and starts sketching the immense demonic figure that now lures over him in an attempt to unclog his brain as if seeing the whole scene play out without dialogue would help him find a voice for his protagonist. "This just feels so... bland." Talking to himself helps sometimes. Almost as if an invisible interlocutor follows him around to pose questions and to find holes in his logic. "Maybe if the–" His heart skips a beat as he notices a real, human shadow stretching over him. Not a malignant creature invoked by his childlike imagination, but an actual person. "Holy shit." A hand reaches for his chest instinctively as though he was about to have a heart attack. He turns to face his unexpected companion, already preparing an apology for the awkwardness of their encounter, "Sorry you caught me talking to myself. I just wanted to hear this dialogue out loud to see if makes sense." And then he chuckles charmingly as if running into someone reciting Macbeth and sketching 20 feet tall demons on a Sunday morning at the beach was the most common thing to ever occur. 

[zponds]

(Credit goes to JWBtheUncanny on Deviantart)

Ash Ketchum as Cure Master

Ohh yeah, Your eyes are not deceiving you, Ash Ketchum has changed.... for the next Pokemon Anime vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/po… when Sun & Moon finally ends and the Clone's Storyline finally ends, This is the Real Ash Ketchum, And he has been altered to a Degree, And it's sort of a Mix between XY ash and the Sun and Moon version, And.... to be honest.... I do like this new look for him, In-Universe Its possible how Ash altered it this loo may have been the Result of all 55 of the Pretty Cure All Stars inner light changing him.... At first I was afraid Ash was never gonna return in the Anime, But his Japanese Voice Actress put a rest to that claiming his Adventures is not over, It's amazing how much he's changed i.imgur.com/e9cnXq9.jpg

Also... with This new change of the Character and he's' still the same Age as he was in 1997, It's given me the opportunity to proceed with the Cure Master concept with Ideas from the Blueprints fav.me/ddcv5f6 But in the Blueprints as I would call the original Concept, the costume looked too familiar with his Kanto Costume which was the Idea with the Gold symbols of each of the Precure teams from the All Stars Pantheon, So I took some big libraries with the concept and came up with a Costume that's fits in line, His Cure Master Costume is a Set of Precure Armour that takes some inspiration from the Male PreCures from Hugtto PreCure, Even Jonathan Klondike AKA Joe Okada's suit of Armour, I did keep the Symbols of the Respected PreCure teams, They are Engraved in the Armour, In an edition, Ash now has a Sword called Blade of a True Pokemon Master and a Shield titled PreCure's loving Protection... if you look closely to it, You'll see the Angle figures on it are modelled in the forms of Nagisa Misumi AKA Cure Black and Honoka Yukishiro AKA Cure White, He's Research book is now complete with info linking the PreCures with there Respected Zodiacs, And he also has that Shard of the Miracle Star still giving off ever as you can see, Pikachu now possesses a Cloak of Levitation... Which Heartcatch PreCure use... When I was coming up with the Dialogue for Ash I was listening to this www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp-6BS…, So guys What do you thing, Do you like the way I came up with the Design, Please let me know of what you think?

(Messages from Ash Ketchum to the Precure All Stars Pantheon: Hello, It’s me... Ash, The real Ash Ketchum, Hope you get this message, There’s Something I wanna Tell that I keep Neglecting to tell you all at the Trial of my brother and the Ultra-Guardians... I received word from the Headmaster of Magic world, There’s Something about my Contingency Plan I had the Headmaster Of Magic World cast on to keep you and your Respects Home-Towns safe from invaders..... The Cloaking Spell was way more powerful then we originally thought... With some... Side effects.... Picture Miyuki and Akane becoming invisible when Candy was messing with the Camera.... But the First Generation Pretty Cures From Max Heart to Happiness Charge... Some how the Cloaking Enchantment Left Some Energy That has been absorbed into the Your DNA.... so from what Riko and Mirai told me... It’s likely that your Human hosts now have the Ability to become... Translucent willingly, So in the Day or night They could become Invisible and Visible at any time by command... I just thought that all 55 of you should know, Me and the Headmaster are not sure if there's a way to reverse it, but it may prove useful to all of you.... Sincerely Ash Ketchum of Pallot Town.)

[ao3feed-irondadspiderson]

You Shoot My Guy

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53923105 by Another_Introvert Basically what was going on in Tony's head during that scene in Infinity War when Peter was being used as a human shield by Quill, because that man was PISSED.   First Irondad fic in a while, so please feel free to leave feedback! Words: 2987, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, Peter Quill, Mantis (Marvel), Drax the Destroyer, The Cloak of Levitation (Marvel) Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Stephen Strange Additional Tags: Protective Tony Stark, Missing Scene, BAMF Peter Quill, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, BAMF Stephen Strange, That scene where the Avengers meet the Guardians, Spoilers for Movie: Avengers: Infinity War (2018) read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/53923105

[doctorstrangeaskblog]

Could Doctor Strange be Agamotto's reincarnation? (I would love that, Marvel PLEASE DO THIS!!!)

Avengers #62 came out and the similarities between Stephen and Agamotto are HUGE. There are so many superficial and deep things they have in common, plus the red clothing Agamotto uses to fly that resembles a different form of the Cloak of Levitation.

If you read the Avengers #62 that came out recently, you can notice some details like:

-Agamotto doesn't know how he came to be, so were his memories erased? Or did he die as a human and ascended as a god (but that made him lose his memories?) -He's constantly called Wizard, so he WAS sorcerer, like Stephen. -The Eye of Agamotto, specially in the MCU, only works properly when Doctor Strange uses it. Others can just open it apparently, and Mordo and Wong were shocked when Stephen used the book to open the Eye, since most sorcerers had tried for years and failed, while the Eye simply opened and worked for Stephen the first time he tried. -Agamotto has some issues/existential crisis things very similar to what Stephen does- apparently he's unable to be happy, always thinking and wondering about the future (like Stephen in DS2, who even after saving the would couldn't be happy while wondering about what if this what if that and future issues) -Agamotto seems to understand medicine. In the chapter, he teachers villagers how to use herbs and natural medicines- Stephen Strange is a doctor. -Agamotto seems unable to recognize all the love and appreciation he receives from people he saves and villagers (Stephen seems to have the same issue in the MCU and in the comics) -His magic is pink, and in the comics, Doctor Strange's magic was pink for MANY issues/sagas. Of course it depends of the spell, but what I mean is his MAIN magic (in the comic book covers and such) also is pink. -There are some "puns" in this comic, lines Agamotto says like "this was strange" "it were strange times" AND THE WORD STRANGE IS ALWAYS BOLD. On purpose. In the comic. Read the chapter and you will see, I mean it.

-Agamotto looks like Stephen Strange SO much. Face, cheeks, facial hair, hair, white hair streaks. -He is SO kind. And he has SO MUCH hope. So many Stephen vibes, who in the MCU went against Dormammu despite the chances of winning being so low, and he also keeps fighting until the end. -Agamotto has the third eye (that Stephen does in the comics AND in the MCU) -Agamotto has Memory Spell skills and suggests in the comics using it to erase suffering, so he could have used it on himself- in the MCU Stephen knows memory spells and has already used it a few times. Also, memory spells was one of the first and most important Doctor Strange powers in the comics. (Since 1963). -Agamotto flies in the same position Stephen flies, which is "levitating while standing" and not "flying Superman style" or "Captain Marvel Style" (he levitates). -The poses he uses to conjure his spells are very similar to Stephen's, and other sorcerers have used different poses, it's not something every sorcerer does in the comics, it IS very similar to Doctor Strange's poses.

-Mephisto and him have been fighting for EONS, again and again, and in the comics, Mephisto is one of the most recurring enemies of Doctor Strange- and in the ages Doctor Strange fights Mephisto, there is no Agamotto to fight Mephisto. -Agamotto has been illustrated in the "future timeline" of the Marvel Comics (since this comic happens in the past) as a soul tiger/beast, and in some flashbacks of Thor's comics, very similar to what he is shown in this comic, but older. So could it be that he was a sorcerer who ascended to a god (a Vishanti), but his "human" part (soul, spirit, essence) died in the process- but since he never quit defending the Earth, he reincarnated as Stephen to continue doing the same things he did when he was alive?? Like, it would justify that there is the entity Agamotto and Doctor Strange at the same timeline, because Stephen would be the human part of Agamotto, while the tiger soul we see is the part of his soul that ascended and became a Vishanti?? -In older comics, there's an issue Agamotto tries to take over Stephen's body- however, according to a great ton of Marvel comics lore, a god would need a specific human vessel to be able to possess it fully or share his/her powers in a relevant amount without DESTROYING the body they are possessing- so why would Agamotto think he could use Stephen's body without problems? Maybe he's compatible because he's a reincarnation or some sort of avatar? -The Marvel lore is not specific to any religion per se, so we could even be talking about something like Avatar The Legend of Aang, where there are different past Avatars that can interact with Aang, even though they are the reincarnation of the same soul/spirit, so Stephen interacting with Agamotto wouldn't be a contradiction at all to take down the theory.

There are MORE similarities between them but this is getting very long, so please, tell me what you think.

[space-mermaid-writing]

Oh no, he's hot - Part 2 [IronStrange]

Summary: The second time Tony met Stephen, the sorcerer was intrigued

Ko-fi | Masterlist | Read it on AO3 | Word count: 1.2k | Part 1

Chapter's Note: Here’s the second part nobody asked for.

Oh no, he’s hot

Tony eyed the building in front of him critically. It didn't quite fit into the aesthetic of New York. So much so that one might think it would stand out because of it. Yet, Tony was sure he had never noticed it before. The other pedestrians walked past it without even giving it a glance. Like they didn't see it at all.

Tony climbed up the steps and knocked. (There was no doorbell. Who didn’t have a doorbell?) Nothing happened for a moment, then the door opened, but there was no one to be seen.

Tony waited exactly twelve long seconds – he for once wanted to be polite – before he went to unravel this mystery on his own.

The interior design was an interesting choice. Not Tony's style, but fitting to magic ninja monks, he guessed. He walked up the wide staircase, clearly the centerpiece of this ridiculous big entrance hall, and was about to turn left when a voice stopped him.

“Mr. Stark.”

Tony turned around, his signature PR smile plastered on his face. He recognized the man from the other day. The one he had been talking to before. If just briefly. “Wong, right?” The man gave no reaction. Tough crowd. “I have questions regarding…” he made a vague gesture to the room, "everything."

Including that hot guy – Doctor Stephen Strange as the facial recognition software he had run the footage from the fight through had revealed – but that, of course, was incidental.

"We were expecting that. Follow me."

He led Tony down a hallway to a room and motioned him to enter.

So Tony did.

The furniture was minimalist and very zen. In the center sat Strange cross-legged and hovering four feet in the air. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be meditating.

Curious, Tony stepped closer to take a look at him up close. He was wearing casual clothes today, his red cape nowhere in sight. He was paler than Tony remembered, with dark shadows under his eyes. After all, just another human being, despite the impressive performance the other day. His bandaged hands lay relaxed in his lap, in what Tony recognized as a yoga pose.

When he thought he had waited long enough, Tony cleared his throat. And when that had no effect, he tapped the man’s shoulder.

Stephen jolted awake, as if Tony had turned him on by pressing a button. He startled and lost his balance as his levitation spell vanished and he fell on his butt.

"Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry." Tony raised his hands defensively. “I didn’t mean to jump start you.”

Strange scowled at him, if only for a moment. Then he had put on a neutral expression that Tony knew was just a mask. That was fine, he had just marched in here unannounced. Apropos. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to track you down? On a scale from one to ten at least an eight.” Normally Tony loved a good challenge.

Strange raised an eyebrow and he seemed almost offended. “Just eight?”

The wards and cloaking spells around the Sanctum were centuries old. Only people in need or those who were desperate were able to find the doors. They had to be at the right place at the right time. And Stark did not give the impression that he was this kind of person.

Tony grinned. “Yeah. The Pentagon was a six point five, but I was in college back then and the technology wasn’t as advanced. So eight is pretty good. Not impossible though.”

Obviously, Stephen had to ask. “What’s a ten?”

Tony’s lips moved into a smug smirk. “My tower, of course.”

Stephen scoffed, amused. Of course. “What do you want, Stark?”

It may have sounded a little rude, but not much ruder than being forced back into his body by surprise. So, naturally, Tony let it slide, because he remembered why he came here in the first place. Not to get this guy’s number but the other reason. His questions.

“What is this?” he asked, looking around. “Your secret school of wizardry? How many wizards are there? Where did the gnomes come from? And that other thing? Had you been a wizard when you were a neurosurgeon?”

Strange tilted his head in a mix of being amused and annoyed. But Stark had managed to find the Sanctum, so he had to give him some credit.

“Do you want tea?” he asked, since this whole encounter seemed to take some time and he hadn't had breakfast yet.

“I’m more of a coffee kind of guy.”

A cup appeared out of nowhere and he was able to grab it just before the hot liquid spilled over.

Stephen's cup remained hovering next to him and followed him as he turned toward the door. Using the conjured lightning in the fight had done nothing good for his hands. He could barely move his fingers, which was why he opened the door even with a pinch of magic.

He motioned Tony to follow him. The meditation room was not the place to deal with Stark's pending questions.

"This isn't Harry Potter. We aren't wizards," he informed him curtly. Stark opened his mouth to object. Although he was a man of science, he knew what he had seen. But Stephen was quicker. “We are clearly sorcerers.”

There was the smallest hint of a smile on his lips.

He answered some of Tony's questions. With each answer came more questions, but they were surprisingly genuine. Stark was an attentive listener and Stephen found himself telling more than first intended. No secrets of the order, Vishanti no, but Stark's visit lasted longer than he had expected.

They ended up on the roof of the Sanctum.

One, Stephen didn’t trust Stark anywhere near the relics yet. Two, it was a warm day and the roof had a nice view. And the sun did good to his hands.

He found himself invested in the conversation with Stark, especially when they started discussing pros and cons of advanced technology versus magical healing.

Until they got interrupted by a voice coming from Stark’s pocket.

“Boss.”

Stephen paused, confused for a moment while Tony pulled his Starkphone out of his pocket.

“What’s the stitch, Fri?”

“There has been an emergency situation rising in the north. Captain Rogers is assembling the Avengers.”

The voice was clearly artificial, but not generic robotic, Stephen noticed.

“Tell them, I’m on my way,” Stark told his AI. Looking back to Strange he added, “Sorry, doc, seems like we have to cut our date short.”

The sorcerer raised an eyebrow at this comment, but let it slide. “Do you need backup?” he asked instead.

“No, we got this. But you’re welcome to tag along and watch, if you want.” He winked at him as he walked to the edge of the roof and jumped onto the coping. He was surprisingly agile.

Tony tapped on his chest and the nanobots bled over his body, also integrating the phone he was still holding in his hand.

“Don’t be a stranger.”

Those were Tony's last words before the nanobots closed off his face. He dropped backwards and two seconds later he flew through the sky of New York.

Stephen's eyes followed him until he disappeared between the skyscrapers. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t intrigued and maybe a little bit turned on. Stark knew how to make an exit.

And Stephen had a feeling that this wasn't the last time he’d seen Tony.

[themculibrary]

Cloak of Levitation Masterlist

5 Times the Cloak Saved Dr Strange - And One Time It Could Not (ao3) - queenofroses12 T, 19k

Summary: The Cloak of Levitation may be picky when it comes to choosing a sorcerer - but once the choice is made, it is fickle no longer. Incidents in the life of our favorite Master of the Mystic Arts and, to quote Tony Stark, a very loyal piece of outerwear.

Some fluff, some angst, plenty of hurt/comfort.

Carry Me With You (ao3) - Webtrinsic G, 1k

Summary: On Stephen's back there is a blue patch of fabric belonging to the Cloak of Levitation now sitting around his daughter's shoulders.

Cloakie! (ao3) - BlueKappa peter/mj G, 1k

Summary: In which Doctor Strange attempts to parent the Cloak of Levitation and Cloakie just wants to be with its friend, Peter.

Closest Friend (ao3)- JustRandomStories G, 6k

Summary: After getting an invite to Avengers Tower by Tony Stark himself to discuss whether or not he would consider a role in the Avengers, Doctor Strange finds himself curious and decides to go. This would be a very serious matter for all of them, and it was. Now if only The Cloak of Levitation would stop acting like a child.

From the Outside (ao3) - Live tony/stephen G, 3k

Summary: Being a sentient life-form surrounded by humanity can be hard. Especially when said humans just can't admit their feelings for each other.

getting to know you (ao3) - merrywil G, 5k

Summary: Sometime between the end of DS and IW, Wong and Stephen went from colleagues to friends (and, I kinda like to imagine, roommates). Colleagues say hello at work. Friends say “our favorite flavor” when they talk about sharing ice cream with you, or buy you a sandwich at the corner deli when you run out of cash. A year in the life of two people becoming friends.

Hold Me Still (ao3) - lantia4ever tony/stephen T, 10k

Summary: Just days away from Christmas Eve, duty calls for the newly allied Sorcerers and Avengers. As Stephen departs with Tony to tackle the threat, one wrong step later he realizes the alliance might be quite short-lived.

But one should never underestimate the force that is Tony Stark.

In Lieu of a Kiss (ao3) - amethyst-noir (Arbonne) tony/stephen G, 1k

Summary: Stephen (and the Cloak) stumble home, hurt and exhausted - right into Tony's arms.

In Times of Crisis (ao3) - airas_story tony/stephen T, 36k

Summary: Tony had seen some weird things in his time. The flying, potentially sentient cape that was accosting him on his way home was just the latest in the list. What else is Tony supposed to do but help?

5 Times that Tony Stark Carbonell Helps Stephen Strange, +1 Time that Stephen Strange Helps Tony Carbonell Stark

It's Not a Cape (ao3) - dragonnan G, 1k

Summary: A peek into a possible history for the Cloak.

Loki, the Sorcerer Supreme (ao3) - aphrsditea loki/stephen G, 1k

Summary: Tony has learnt to expect anything. Anything at all. What he doesn't expect, though, in a million years, is entering the Sanctum and seeing Loki wearing the cloak of levitation — what he doesn't expect is Stephen Strange being alright with it!

One in 14 Million (ao3) - tisfan tony/stephen T, 1k

Summary: Keeping secrets is lonely work. Two men, with the worst, most desperate secret between them, find comfort in each other.

Or: The one where the Cloak of Levitation ships it.

Strange Circumstances (ao3) - RoseAmaranth tony/stephen G, 2k

Summary: Tony and Stephen argue. The cloak is fed up with them.

The Cloak of Laughter (ao3) - nhasablog G, 2k

Summary: Lots of laughter, a near drowning and an entirely wet bathroom floor later, the cloak was clean, and Strange had a plan.

(Or, Strange tries to wash the cloak and discovers something interesting that he of course has to share with Tony immediately.)

The Cloak of Levitation Plays Matchmaker (ao3) - orphan_account tony/stephen G, 3k

Summary: The Cloak of Levitation shows up in Tony's kitchen.

Therapeutic B.A.R.F. (ao3) - Howlingdawn T, 4k

Summary: In the battle against Thanos, Loki was nearly killed. As he saved him from death's clutches, Strange heard him say something about apologizing to Frigga. So, with some help from Tony's B.A.R.F. glasses and a certain Cloak of Levitation, Strange offers Loki a less fatal way to have that much-needed moment with his mother.

When Fate is at Stake (ao3) - onedeadfellow tony/stephen T, 3k

Summary: Basically this is just that deleted scene from Disney+

Tony is wearing the Cloak of Levitation and Stephen is wearing the Iron Man suit. The boys are gonna kick ass.