#and how the honorifics and such evolve

[feuqueerfire]

Linguistic Choices in Daily Life

My mom just told me a story where 2 people were on a business-related call, realized they both speak Bangla and started speaking Bangla. 

There are 3 levels of formalities/registers in Bangla, used for 2nd or 3rd person pronouns and the corresponding particle endings on verbs. 

Since this was a business call, the expectation is “apni” (the highest formality which is expected of formal situations, for younger people to older people, to those of higher status, for similar age/status adults before they become close, etc). 

However, A started calling B with “tumi” (the middle formality which is expected of people you’re familiar with, are the same age or younger, kids/children of the same age before they become close or to be polite), which confused and slightly offended B (understandable I think). So, B asked people whether this was normal, whether A used ‘tumi’ because they somehow realized out B is younger than them, or if A thinks highly of themselves and thinks of B as someone of lower status lol Then there was somebody who commented that maybe A is from a certain region which doesn’t use the ‘apni’ formality register and calls everybody ‘tumi’

This isn’t really fun I guess if you don’t know Bangla but this choice by A has so many interpretations and each would say something different about A. Also, I wish I knew the genders of A and B. 

[miguelhugger2099]

Power of the Sun

Summary: You're Doc O'Hara's assistant A/N: tentacle pron? Art: vencipality on twt

Miguel x Reader, No warnings, a little violent/screaming, Angst?, Word Count: 3,004

Miguel was a man of science. He took pride in his work but was always humble about it. He was a kind mentor, encouraging young brilliant minds to pursue their passion in science and math, connecting with his peers and exchanging ideas to enrich and evolve humankind for the greater good. Knowledge is not a privilege, it’s a gift, he would say. Like any other one of his colleagues and apprentices, you admired him and his work. You followed him around as his assistant and confidant. Miguel trusted you after many years and you had fallen in love with him after many years. For a while, it had remained one-sided. A love you kept to yourself and didn’t believe that a man so brilliant as him would ever fall for someone like his subordinate. He deserved someone equally as knowledgeable–capable of keeping up with him. “Dr. O’Hara, I’ve printed all the documents of the latest experimentation process as well as sending a copy to Osborn.” You walked in his vast lab, heels clicking with each step against the marbled floor. Miguel was all the way in the back, only a dim fluorescent light highlighting him and whatever he was working on. His face was scrunched together as he focused on the task at hand. However when he heard your voice, he looked over his shoulder and his scowl melted. He called out your name gently, now a small smile on his face. He joined you in the middle, hands out as he collected the papers from your hands. He briefly flipped through the pages, scanning with his eyes before looking back up at you. He patted the front pages with the back of his hand and nudged his glasses up further his nose. “What would I do without you?” You flush, scoffing and looking to the side before reverting back to him. “You’d be fine, Dr.O’Hara.” You shake your head and swerve around him to take a look at whatever he was working on.

Miguel turns. “I beg to differ. For years, you’ve been a great asset at my side.” You hum. “And for years, you keep telling me that. But really, Doctor, it’s you who does the actual revolutionary actions.” He meets you at your side once he’s placed the papers securely somewhere. “Miguel.” He corrects you. “We’ve been together all this time. You know what else I keep telling you? That honorifics is unnecessary. Call me Miguel.” You clear your throat. “Okay, Miguel.” No matter how many times he reminded you, you would always say his name before reverting back to calling him Doctor. Perhaps habits are hard to break. “How’s it coming along?” You turn your head to see what he had been working on for a long time now. Miguel brightened up, standing straight and walking around the device. Four long green mechanical tentacles held up on their own all attached to a long spinal machine. He grazed his hands over the tentacles, admiring his own work. “We’re close, darling. It just needs some testing.” “Well if you’d like I could set up a volunteering headline for–” “No, no, no!” He stopped you by shaking his head and hands. “No, I–we can’t let this get out to the public yet. This is for the expo next month where Osborn will be. Perhaps he can finally understand why I’m doing this…” He mumbles to himself. You’re taken aback by his outburst but you rationalize it by thinking how exhausted he might be. Ever since Norman Osborn had disregarded Miguel’s research, Miguel had been working on crunch time to prove the CEO wrong. “Then how will you test it?” Your hand comes up to hold a claw from one of the tentacles. You examine the carbon fiber skeleton that Miguel used, trying to find the details of the prosthetic. Miguel admires you from the side, his eyes longing and far as he watches.

“I’ll–” He sighs. “I’ll think of…someone.” He murmurs. He feels an ache in his chest and looks back at his invention. The green of the arms glow softly against his brown skin, reflecting off his glasses. He looks over at you and sees the same for you. The curve of your cheeks and the light in your eyes tinged with green. “You know, um. It’s been a while since we’ve-eh- hung out?” Miguel stammers, taking off his glasses and cleans the right lens with his lab coat. “Maybe later tonight we could–if you like, of course– to join me for dinner?” He coughs and quickly places his glasses back on to hide his blush. He fails. You turn your head to face him, surprise evident on your face. “O-oh. As…colleagues?” Your voice pitches higher with nerves. Miguel gulps, Adam's apple bobbing with the action. “Well, no–it’s–what I’m trying to say is I’d like to have dinner with you as…more than colleagues.” Miguel burns brighter. He could solve the hardest equation, understand quantum physics and talk to scholars and billionaires with no sweat but when it came to you, you turned him into a babbling idiot. He glances at you from his peripheral vision, hoping you would not reject him. “Oh..! Then,” You give him a small smile. “I’d love to.”

What started as one date, began another and another until a series of dates had been planned and enjoyed before it blossomed into a relationship with your boss. You never thought it possible. You always thought of Miguel as someone out of your reach, someone who would rather focus on winning awards and gaining money–helping humankind–before ever thinking of settling down with anyone. For months, you had been going out with him, and establishing your relationship and for months you were helping him with his invention. Miguel screamed as he threw everything he had on his desk aside in anger. Pens, papers and other tools flew to the floor and he gripped his hair in frustration. He tugged on his long curls hoping that the pain in his strands would outweigh the pounding in his head. You ran to his side and placed a hand on his back while he curled into himself, heaving heavily. “You need to rest.” You urged. “These damn billionaires,” He growls, ignoring you. “Can’t they see we’re just trying to help people? Can’t they see beyond something as worthless as the money they want?” He stomps away from you, heading to the pinboard that held all his drawings and calculations. He ripped them off their pins and clips, tearing them to shreds as they fluttered to the floor. “This is the next step to human evolution! And they want to dump my shit, my life’s WORK, just because of what?” He laughs hysterically. “Because that malparido Osborn doesn’t believe in it? Are they so far up that elitists ass?” You watch terrified behind him. You feel your heart pumping, your eyes trained on him in case he hurts himself. “Miguel…” He slams his fists on the now bare pinboard, papers strewn across the floor around him. He heaves out another sigh, his anger simmering. “I just want to help people.” He whispers, resting his forehead on the rough surface. While he takes in shaky breaths, you decide to approach him. Placing your hand on his shoulder, you turn his head towards you. Your heart breaks when you see the defeated look on his face. Eyebags had grown deeper, his eyes bloodshot and half lidded from sleep deprivation. “It’s okay.” You whisper.

“It’s not.” “It is. You’re a smart man, Miguel. You’ve done unimaginable things on your own. Your mind is what they need, but you? You don’t need their money. You have that brain of yours.” You tap his forehead and give him an encouraging grin. Miguel’s face falls into a relaxed smile, chuckling when you tap his forehead. “And you.” He whispers. “I have you.” He takes your hand off his shoulder and brings your knuckles up to his lips to kiss them. He keeps your hand against him until he breathes in and out slowly, looking up at you. “Thank you.” He mumbles, kissing your hand again before standing straight and moving his arms around your waist. “What would I do without you?” He grins tiredly. Your arms snake around his neck. “Probably die without me.” You giggled and he giggled with you. “Probably.” He hums while you look at each other, basking in the calm after the storm of emotions. “How about I bring us some tea?” You offer.

“No coffee?” “I think caffeine should be the least of your worries right now.” You roll your eyes playfully when you see his smirk. “English Breakfast?” You pat his chest before sliding away from his embrace, looking over your shoulder as you walk towards the exit. Miguel smiles and nods. “You know me so well.” He sighs and stuffs his hands in his pockets after watching you leave. His smile drops from his face and he looks over at the giant green robotic tentacles. With a gentle hand, he caresses the silicon with care. Then, he moves onto the spinal cord of the device, wondering if Osborn just saw what he could do–then it would all be worth it. With a glance at the door, he makes sure the coast is clear before taking off his lab coat and shirt–and attaches the tentacles to his body.

You loved Miguel, honestly. The man you met was the sweetest. He was kind and caring, always patient and encouraging for new minds that wanted to learn. He was gentle. Was. You wondered where it all went wrong. Maybe you should’ve seen the signs. It seemed like everyday he would get slowly more agitated. Not at you. Never at you. More like, at the situation–at least you’d tell yourself that. You remember waking up one day in Miguel’s apartment. With your growing relationship, you decided to move in with him but it seemed like you were alone again. Miguel was sleeping at the lab more often than not. Other times you would have had to drag him out of his burrow, him snapping with red eyes that he needed to continue working. With a sigh, you shuffled out of bed, the other side being freezing cold, and got ready for work.

After clocking in, you found Miguel exactly where he was last night—hunched over and murmuring to himself. You place the tea you brought down onto the table along with a sleeping pill right next to him.

“Mi amor, you need to get some actual rest. It’s been days. You’ll wear yourself out.” You speak as quietly as possible to not scare him. Miguel doesn’t flinch, only shrugging you off.

“I’m almost done.” He grumbles.

“You’ve been saying that for weeks now.” You frown deeply and nudge the tea closer to him. “At this rate everything will be in vain. It won’t work if—“

“IT WILL WORK!” Miguel screams, slamming his fist onto the table enough to shake the cup of tea's contents, spilling the sleeping pill. “It has to!”

You jump back, heart racing at his outburst.

Miguel huffs and collects himself, anxiously running his hands through his hair. He drags his hands down his face and rubs his eyes.

“Sorry, shock, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to yell at you. You're right—it’s the, uh, lack of sleep.” He sounds exhausted. Every word slurring and when he relaxed even for a moment, his body drooped forward.

“You know better than to do that…” You whisper and he looks up at you with heartbreak in his eyes.

“I…I know, mi cielo—pero—“ Miguel gives you a weak smile, some light coming back to his eyes. “Look. Look! The—the arms! They’re almost complete!” He rushes towards you, ignorant to the way you step back and flinch when he takes your hand in his.

Miguel leads you to where the tentacles stand and presents it to you with a wide smile.  “You see here?” He points to the spinal cord of the contraption. “All these ridges really gave me a run for my money. When trying to attach it to the body, they would stick and often fall. If these are to be used for prosthetics then it needs to not just be connected to the body but a part of it. As if the limb never left—or-or better—made better.” He laughs to himself, placing a hand over his mouth as he stares adoringly at the machine.

Meanwhile your eyes squint. “How…how would you know that? How would you know how they react to connecting to the human body? I thought…this was unstable for human testing.”

Miguel scoffs, waving his hand at you. “No one gets far in their inventions by worrying about the dangers, mija! THINK!” He shouts.

You’re horrified, darting your eyes between his bloodshot eyes and the tentacles. “You didn’t…”

Miguel is already on his way to the device and stands in front of it. The spine digs into Miguel’s back and he grunts, the vest he added secures around his waist, lighting up a soft green. The chip snaps into his neck and Miguel stumbles but regains balance. He slowly stands back up and the tentacles come to life, swirling and curling around him. In the midst of the tentacles wiggling around, it slammed against tables and chairs—knocking the tea you had gotten him to the floor.

“Think about how many lives we could save. Mi amor, mi vida, mi corazón, we’re at the brink of the next stage of human evolution!” His tentacles whip wildly around him as if cheering along with him.

“What…are you talking about?!” You yell, exasperated. “‘Human evolution’? Are you insane?!”

The bottom two green arms slam into the ground, breaking the floor as it’s crushed under the weight of Miguel. They lift him higher so he’s well above you—more than he already is. You take a step back, his height and strength becoming much more prominent.

“Do you think I’m insane, corazón?” Miguel asks softly. There’s a hint of green in his eyes.

“We’re—“ You gasp. “We’re meant to make prosthetics. Legs, arms—I thought this was a test to the future but this…” You run your eyes down the arms of the green silicon. Its claws are digging firm into the ground, holding up a six foot nine man’s weight with ease. Miguel’s face is contorted in a scowl, a burning rage underneath his beautiful brown eyes—a light green glowing in the highlights.

“This…is not you…” “What would you know about me?! You’re just some assistant that doesn’t know jackshit other than printing a few papers! All while I worked on this myself!” One of his upper tentacles slam next to you which makes you jump and lose your balance so you could fall to the ground.

“Day and night, all you did was be some aching headache, forcing me tea and pills when I should be wringing Osborn’s neck with my bare hands to show him what exactly he missed out on!” Miguel cackles, his tentacles lifting him higher like a God.

You’re afraid. Very afraid. It all happened so fast. Who was this man?

The tears well up in your eyes and for a minute—if you said another word it would trigger Miguel to kill you.

Miguel must’ve seen the terror on your face, tears bubbling at your water line and falling down your cheeks while you shivered. He must’ve because his sinister smile dropped slowly, his arms lowering him down. 

“No, no, no—bella—no. That’s—it wasn’t me—“ Miguel’s feet finally touch the ground and when he does, he hisses, gripping his head as an agonizing headache surges through his mind. He groaned and moaned and took several steps back away from you.

“No! Don’t make her look at me like that! She’s afraid! Don’t scare her! Don’t make her fear me!” He screams, hyperventilating as his legs shake beneath him. 

“What? No! I want Osborn! Not her! She didn’t do anything! Leave her alone! Please!” Miguel’s releases tears, giant globs flowing down his face as he faces an internal battle and the tentacles go haywire.

Finding your chance, you shakily get up from the floor, scrambling to your feet to the exit. You scream and fall after just a few steps, Miguel’s tentacles zipping past your head to break through the wall by the door. Another worker outside screams, peering through the hole and witnessing Miguel looking down at you with fury. They run off and it creates a domino effect for an evacuation.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Miguel growls and hovers closer to your shaking body. You turn over your shoulder, heart hammering in your ears and chest. You feel like you can’t breathe.

“Miggy…” You whimper. Miguel’s eye twitches and he looks like he’s struggling between himself and whatever it is that’s in his head.

He stutters your name out before his face is webbed and he groans. Four separate webs wrap around Miguel’s tentacles to attach to his body. Miguel glares up and sees a familiar red and blue suit with big white eyes.

“Don’tcha know it’s rude to be mean to a pretty lady?” The hero quips, standing front of you to protect you.

“Spider-Man…” You gasp—relief filling your chest.

“Spider-Man.” Miguel growls and rips himself free from the webs only to be hindered again once more—this time with stronger webs and with a force strong enough to stick him to a wall.

“Nope! Not yet! I’m still trying to figure out what exactly you are, so give me like five minutes to save some civilians. Thanks, you’re a swell guy!” Spider-Man winks and picks you up in his arms and quickly swings you away to safety.

You look over Spider-Man's shoulder while he swings away and you could barely hear Miguel scream in frustration, his body fighting against the webs. Inside, your heart breaks as you wonder if maybe there was a chance to save him.

A/N: i dont see doc ock miggys. i would like to see more.

[room-surprise]

Asivia: The Marriage Hunter, Former Party Member

(This is an excerpt from my essay, Real World Cultural and Linguistic References in Delicious in Dungeon)

ASIVIA

(Japanese Pronunciation: Ashibia)

Asivia (アシビア) is a female magic user that was in the Touden party before Marcille. She’s a pretty woman who tries to take advantage of Laios’ trusting nature, and is referred to at one point as a “marriage-seeker”, implying that she is a gold-digger, looking to find a man who has recently struck it rich in the dungeon and marry them now that they have money. Laios seems oblivious to the fact that she’s using him. When Laios, under pressure from the rest of the party, tells Asivia that he can no longer give her special treatment, she immediately leaves.

Asivia is a name that comes from the precursor to Ancient Greek, Linear B. Linear B is a syllabic script that was used for writing in Mycenaean Greek, the earliest known form of the Greek language.

Asivia (𐀀𐀯𐀹𐀊/Ασίfια/a-si-wi-ja) is identified as an “ethnic name” on a chart I found online about names and words in Linear B, but it doesn’t specify what ethnicity. It most likely comes from the Hittite word Assuwa (𒀸𒋗𒉿, aš-šu-wa).

I found that asivia/asiwija was a word used to refer to a portion of northwestern Anatolia called Lydia. Later this word came to mean the world east of Greece in general, and eventually evolved into the English word Asia, so Asivia means a person from Lydia/east of Greece/Asia.

Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom located in modern day Turkey, and the name comes from Ancient Greek Λυδία (Ludía, “the region of Lydia”), from λυδία (ludía, “beautiful one, noble one”). The given name Lydia originally indicated ancestry or residence in the region of Lydia.

So Asivia’s name may be telling us where she’s from. In Dungeon Meshi’s case, it could mean she is from “Asia” meaning the Eastern Archipelago, or it could mean she is from the “East”, as in the Eastern Continent, where the story takes place. Since she looks like she has brown or red hair, I think she’s probably from the Eastern Continent. Her name could also be a joke about how she’s a pretty girl and Asivia means someone from Lydia, since Lydia/Ludia means “beautiful one” in Greek.

MISTRESS OF THE DUNGEON

Asivia/Asiwija also has a connection to the Ancient Greek word potina (𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊/πότνια/po-ti-ni-ja), which means "Mistress, Lady", and is an honorific title used both for mortal women and goddesses. In the case of goddesses, it’s a euphemism used in place of their actual names, and Asivia/Asiwija is one of the descriptive words that has been found frequently accompanying potina. “Potina Asivia” means “Mistress/Goddess from the East.”

Despoina, another euphemistic title used the same way, means mistress of the house, and a famous use is a mysterious, nameless, "Mistress of the labyrinth", who was worshiped in Minoan Crete, the place where the Minotaur was supposedly imprisoned. The tale of the Minotaur and the labyrinth has deep connections to the world and plot of Dungeon Meshi, which I go into more in Chapter 12 (Elven Culture).

Asivia was not Laios’ mistress, obviously, but she wanted to be! And if she hadn’t left, and had become Laios’ lover, then maybe she would have been called the Mistress of the Dungeon (labyrinth) at the end of the story…

[yuurei20]

(This was originally an ask received through Twitter)

"Back in GloMas (on JP), I think I remember there being a lot of madness surrounding Idia being close to Yuu. I think it’s because he referred to them as ‘Yuu’ rather than ‘Yuu-shi’, but I still don’t quite get it??"

Yes! Honorifics as a whole have already discussed more in-depth here, but Idia does drop his honorific for the prefect once in Glorious Masquerade.

Quick overview for those who may not know: when you don’t use an honorific with someone (-chan / -kun / -sama / etc), this is called yobisute (呼び捨て), written with the kanji for “to call” and “to throw away,” and the word might just not exist in English. It means “to refer to someone without an honorific."

Twst uses honorifics (and yobisute) to track the evolving relationships between the characters.

Deuce, for example, has a line about how he used to yobisute his teachers (i.e. he refused to add “-sensei” to their names) in middle school. To compensate for his past rudeness, Deuce now refers to every single upperclassman by “lastname-senpai.”

There is even a cute scene during New Year’s where Deuce greets Jamil by calling him Viper-senpai, but after Jamil feeds him an egg salad sandwich he changes—just once—to Jamil-senpai.

Epel is another character whose use of honorifics is significant: Epel is under order from Vil to always use honorifics with everyone. During Book 5 we see him using “-kun” with Deuce, up until Deuce refuses to let Epel fight the bullies trying to steal their blastcycle.

Deuce says that he is the one who took Epel out of the school and so he will be taking responsibility for his actions, and we get Epel’s first “Deuce” yobisute.

Cater might be the character who weaponizes honorifics the most.

He seems to be using honorifics as an over-familiarity-buffer-zone, as he is actively trying to avoid becoming too close to those around him (re: “Cay-Cay doesn’t really do long-term friends or found family").

There is one exception to Cater’s rule of honorifics: Trey.

During Book 1 Cater refers to him as “Trey-kun” for the majority of the story, until Riddle’s overblot makes things serious enough for him to drop it and call him “Trey” (even during these scenes, however, he keeps his honorifics for others).

The novel even comments on this directly, saying, "Usually, Cater does not ever yobisute anyone. When he calls to Trey, he always adds ‘kun’ to his name. This is probably one of his skills as a good-natured person. When Cater uses Trey’s name like this, it is only when he is really serious. Only when it is important."

This is all to say that, depending upon the character, yobisute can be a huge deal. It isn’t a black-and-white rule, of course—it varies by each character and their personality.

Kalim, for example, refers to everyone with yobisute, possibly because his status back home meant that he was simply never taught to defer to anyone, and/or because he legitimately considers himself to be close, personal friends with everyone he meets.

Idia is one of those characters like Cater and Deuce for whom yobisute is a big deal. There is exactly one person he refers to without any form of honorific, and that person is Ortho. Much like how he uses his tablet to avoid talking to people face-to-face, he is possibly, intentionally keeping up an over-familiarity-wall like Cater. 

The English-language adaptation has translated his honorific of “-shi” as “Mr.,” but it’s actually gender-neutral, which may be why the English-language game’s continuity is so inconsistent, and why the moment of Idia referring to the prefect without an honorific did not make it to EN: while the honorific disappears and reappears in English, he actually uses it to refer to the prefect in Book 6, and it is otherwise in 100% of all of Idia’s dialogue in the original game.

With one exception: Glorious Masquerade.

This is why JP lost its collective mind when it happened (the fan-art is delightful, like this short comic of the characters pointing at Idia and chanting "yobisute"), because it was something Idia had never done before and has never done again, and it was with the prefect!

(This was revealed to be a proof-reading error that was corrected in the 2023 re-release, with "-shi" added to the prefect's name in Idia's dialogue.)

Yobisute is usually very significant in the game, like during Book 6 where Azul, who uses the “-san” honorific with literally everyone except Jade and Floyd, uses yobisute with Riddle when he is in danger, and when Riddle uses it with Leona just before his overblot in Book 2.

But for Idia and the prefect, it was just a proofreading error! :>

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x46 - MetalEtemon's Counterattack / Etemon's Comeback Tour

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Yamato and Taichi punched each other so much that Homeostasis came down from Digimon Heaven to give all of the children study detention, even though six of them did nothing wrong! Except Hikari, who needed her rest and was allowed to sleep through it.

(Japanese episode titles for anime get a lot of shit for being full of spoilers. I like how the dub team apparently wanted to get in on that action this time around. SPOILERS, FUCKING BOTH OF YOU!!!)

Now the team has fractured. Yamato has gone one way, Mimi and Jou another, with what remains of the nakama following Taichi to war.

We open on carnage already in progress. An explosion of dark energy in the woods calls our attention to Ogremon, being chased through the forest by waddling treelike Digimon. He stops running, turning to face them.

These are Woodmon. An Adult-stage Virus-type Plant Digimon from the Wind Guardians. Woodmon is what can, with sufficient effort, evolve into Jureimon and Garbamon.

Narrator: Woodmon. A plant Digimon. Usually disguised as an ordinary tree, it sustains itself by capturing passing Digimon and draining their energy.

They're vampiric ambush predators that impersonate ordinary flora to snare their prey. Hahaha that's fun....

Three Woodmon advance on Ogremon; He knocks two of them back with a left hook, then bashes the third with his club.

Ogremon: My great self is not some girlish maid!

This line is difficult to translate. He seems to be saying "Ore-sama onna meido nai yo!" The subs translate this as "Don't underestimate my power" probably to avoid the obvious sexism in the line, but he is most certainly being sexist.

Ore-sama is easy. The -sama honorific is a highly respectful honorific applied to a venerable elder or superior. Applying it to a first-person pronoun like ore is one of the most Cocky Little Shit things you can say in Japanese. This is a popular choice for anime braggarts like Dragon Ball's Vegeta.

"Meido" is a maid. A female housekeeper. But just to make sure you know he's negatively comparing femininity to himself, he also says onna, which straightforwardly means "woman".

Punch, thwack, boast: I-sama am not a maid woman!

I'm not 100% but I'm fairly certain that's what he's saying.

One thing's for sure: Ogremon shit-talking women to brag about his strength isn't making it into the dub.

Ogremon: (rundown) Get away from me, you pile of Woodmon! I know your tricks! You pretend to be trees and then absorb the energy from unsuspecting Digimon as they pass by! (punch, thwack, boast) Ogremon: This is your last warning!

Punching them in the face is not a warning, Ogremon, but at least you aren't randomly denigrating women. Your Japanese counterpart somehow manages to be a Manosphere bro despite only having aesthetic gender.

I mean, he comes from the internet so that's fair. He learned it from watching us.

Also want to shout out the "I know your tricks!" bit. They somehow managed to make the diegetic rundown work despite Ogremon having no one to explain Woodmon to except Woodmon. Props for that.

Despite his bluster, though, Ogremon knows he's cooked. He can't win this fight.

Ogremon: (thinking) However, a swarm like this is too many for me to handle at once. I'll have to fend them off and keep running.

He throws his signature Haouken at the ones in front, knocking back three; The one in the center takes the hit so hard that chunks of wood break off of their face. Then he turns and starts running again, with the horde of Woodmon giving chase.

Dub Ogremon continues bragging.

Ogremon: How many Woodmon could an Ogremon chuck if an Ogremon could chuck Woodmon? PUMMEL WHACK!!! (Ogremon blasts them, then turns and runs) Ogremon: They sure run fast for tree stumps!

Bet you can't say that first line three times fast.

Cut to Mimi and Jou taking lunch in the woods. The Digimon are enjoying their food, but Mimi remains despondent.

Gomamon: (bites an apple) Mm, tasty tasty! Mimi: (quietly) Um, Jou-senpai? Jou: What? Mimi: I'm sorry for imposing my selfishness on you. Jou: What do you mean, selfishness? I don't think you're being selfish at all! I agree with what you said, Mimi-kun. Conflict is only good for creating further conflict. It does nothing to actually solve anything. But....

Jou looks up at the sky, seeing the Earth hanging above. A reminder of the instability threatening both worlds. The image of his brother Shin appears reflected in his glasses.

Jou: No, never mind. Gomamon: Jou? Jou: What? Gomamon: You should share with us if you have something to say. Jou: That's not always true, Gomamon. Even if you have something to say, sometimes it's best that you don't say it! Gomamon: Yeah, that's true. I suppose you might be right. No, you've gotta be! Jou: (pleased) You think so too, Gomamon?

Jou agrees with Mimi on principle but he's clearly worried about how those principles apply to their present situation in practice. However, he bites his tongue on the matter, feeling that there is nothing he can say at this time that would help.

In the dub:

Gomamon: (bite) This... good.... Mimi: Joe, can I tell you something? Joe: What? Mimi: I hope I wasn't too selfish for saying I didn't want to fight anymore. Joe: I don't think you were selfish. In fact, I think you were pretty brave. What you said was true; Fighting just leads to more fighting and then nothing ever gets resolved. My brother Jim used to say the same thing after he'd get beat up! (Joe looks up at the sky, thinking about Jim) Mimi: Joe? What is it, Joe? Joe: It's nothing. Never mind. Gomamon: Joe? Joe: What? Gomamon: Don't keep things bottled up inside. It's not healthy. Joe: Don't tell me about not being healthy! I've been not healthy my whole life so I'm an expert, and if I want to keep things bottled up, I will! Gomamon: Whoa! It looks like somebody needs a time out in the corner. I was just trying to lend a friendly ear! Joe: I know you were, Gomamon. Sorry, bud.

Everything through Joe's agreement with Mimi is played straight, but then things start to drift. The moment with Jim's reflection is recontextualized to be Joe nostalgically remembering him.

The follow-up with Gomamon still indicates that Joe's biting his tongue about something, but it's made more vague by giving Joe an unrelated reason to be thinking about Jim. Though I think what they're going for is that thinking about Jim made him worry for the Earth, rather than him looking at the Earth and thinking about Jim.

We lose Jou expressing his philosophy of social propriety; How small lies and omissions can maintain peace in social situations. Instead, the more high-strung Joe comically snaps at Gomamon in defense of unhealthy habits. Both of these do make sense for their separate takes on the character while still maintaining the core point that Jou/Joe has something he wants to say but won't.

Suddenly, a shadow falls over them. Something appears in the sky overhead.

Palmon: What is that!?

The darkness coalesces into a spherical object burning with the heat of atmospheric re-entry, plunging towards the Digital World.

Jou: That's a meteorite.... (Jou watches it fall) Jou: (alarmed) IT'S HEADING FOR US!!!

Meanwhile, the Woodmon horde chases Ogremon to the edge of a cliff.

Ogremon: This is bad.... I can't afford to die here! I can't die until I've defeated Leomon-- Huh!? (Ogremon spots the meteorite) Ogremon: W-WHAT IS THAT!?!?

The Woodmon scatter, but some are too late; The unpleasantly familiar looking ball of pipes and black scrap crashes down on top of the horde, killing many Woodmon and throwing Ogremon off the cliff from force of impact.

In the dub:

Palmon: What is that thing? Joe: It looks like a meteorite! (Joe watches it fall) Joe: LOOK OUT!!! IT'S COMING THIS WAY!!! (Meanwhile, on the cliff) Ogremon: I can't get rid of you guys! You're not trees, you're weeds! It can't all end like this; Not before I beat Leomon-- HUH!?!? (Ogremon spots the meteorite) Ogremon: What in the world!?

Faithful translation with a weed insult thrown at the Woodmon. The dub puts a commercial break here as we watch Ogremon plunge into the canyon. But then, so there's no confusion about what's happening in the next scene, it cuts together shots of Joe and Ogremon's reactions with the meteor landing again.

Joe: That thing is monstrous! Ogremon: It's heading right for us! (Meteor crashes and throws Ogremon into the chasm again)

Basically a Cliff's Notes version of the preceding scene.

Elsewhere in the woods, the meteor impact causes the ground to shake, which does not go unnoticed by Taichi's crew.

Taichi, Koushiro, Hikari, and Sora all grab onto trees to ride out the earthquake. Koromon, Tailmon, and Piyomon are all left to fend for themselves, but Takeru curls around Patamon and shields him on the ground.

Sora: An explosion!? (The shaking subsides) Taichi: W-What happened!? Koushiro: Was it an earthquake?

Tentomon flies down from the sky, having apparently gone to scout it out.

Tentomon: A meteorite! And a huge meteorite at that! It came crashing down nearby! Taichi: A meteorite? Sora: Let's not talk about the meteorite. We should get back on-topic.

Sora is aggressively disinterested in whatever that was. XD The remaining child soldiers in our nakama have important shit to discuss. We have, here in these woods, a fucker to assassinate.

Takeru: Right. I think we should go to Pinocchimon's mansion. Patamon: We can lead the way. Koushiro: Rather than waiting for him, we should make the first move and challenge him to fight. Tailmon: I agree. Besides, we don't have time to waste. If we don't hurry, it will be too late for both our world and yours. Hikari: Onii-chan, let's go! Taichi: Hm....

Taichi was gung-ho about charging straight into the lion's den a couple episodes ago, but recent experiences have made him reconsider the nature of valor. He hesitates, thinking things over.

Sora: H-Hold on a second, everyone! Pinocchimon is at Ultimate level, remember? He won't be an easy opponent for us to win against. Takeru: But we have to fight him eventually, don't we? Patamon: That's right!

While Taichi remains silent, Sora is badly outnumbered.

In the dub:

Sora: WHAT'S HAPPENING!?!? (The earthquake subsides) Tai: Was that some sort of explosion!? Izzy: An earthquake? Tentomon: (returning) A METEOR!!! And I mean a whopper! It just crashed in the forest! Tai: TOTALLY COOL!!! Let's go check it out! Sora: I don't know, Tai. It could be dangerous. T.K.: Yeah! Let's head over to Puppetmon's mansion instead!

Yeah, that sounds way less dangerous than the meteor. Sora funnily nipping this conversation in the bud gets replaced by Tai getting eagerly sidetracked before Sora killjoys his idea. T.K.'s response is ironic but I'm not sure if it's meant to be a deliberate joke as the irony goes unremarked upon.

On a pedantic note, Tentomon reports this incorrectly. The original correctly labels it inseki for "meteorite" rather than ryuusei for "meteor".

A meteor burns up in atmosphere; A meteorite is the chunk of a meteor that survives entering atmosphere and makes it all the way down. That shaking was the meteorite impacting the ground.

Patamon: We'll show you guys exactly where it is. Izzy: I suppose it's inevitable. He's one of the Dark Masters and we'll have to fight him sooner or later. Gatomon: Yeah, it's time somebody cut his strings instead of waiting around here! Let's take the fight to him for a change. If we don't hurry up, I'm afraid that both of our worlds will be destroyed! Kari: Let's do it, Tai! Tai: Hm.... (Tai considers) Sora: Wait a second, you guys! Let's think this over. Puppetmon is a Mega Digimon and we won't be able to defeat him that easily! T.K.: (sarcastic) Oh, in that case, let's give up and go watch cartoons! Patamon: Let's fight!

This part is a near-perfect translation. The one thing that sticks out to me is T.K.'s much more snippy response to Sora, which fits the general tone of the dub kids being meaner than their Japanese counterparts.

Now that we're at an impasse, Koushiro presents an idea.

Koushiro: Why don't we take a vote? Everyone who thinks we should go to Pinocchimon's mansion!

Koushiro, Hikari, and Takeru all raise their hands, while Sora and Taichi do not. Tentomon, Tailmon, Patamon, and Koromon all vote for going too; Koromon lacks hands, but his bunny ears go from folded down to straight up in the air, doing his best to make the voting gesture.

Though the vote clearly settles the matter numerically, Taichi's vote surprises everyone. He merely stands, arms folded, lost in thought.

Koushiro: (confused) Taichi-san? Sora: Taichi.... Taichi: (thinking) If Yamato were here, what would he do? What would he say? Takeru: Taichi-san? (Taichi opens his eyes and sees Takeru) Taichi: (thinking) If something were to happen to Takeru, how could I ever face Yamato? Hikari: Onii-chan? Tentomon: Are we going or not? Sora: (thinking) You won't go, Taichi? Taichi: Okay, I've got it! Let's scout the place out, then figure things out from there. Younger Kids: Yes! Takeru: This way, everyone!

Sora's hopes are dashed as Taichi does ultimately relent and go along with the group; Albeit not as gung-ho as he once was. Everyone leaves, following Takeru, except Sora who hesitates.

Taichi, realizing Sora's not with them, stops and turns back.

Taichi: Sora? Sora: There's no other choice. You've made your decision. Taichi: It's not what you think. If we walk into danger, Koromon and I will hold off the enemy. I want you to lead the rest to safety while we're distracting them. Sora: (surprised) Taichi! Taichi: I'm counting on you. Sora: Understood.

Now that he doesn't have Yamato to balance him out and has undergone tremendous character growth in the last couple episodes, Taichi is being uncharacteristically cautious. His plan is as he said. They'll go to Pinocchimon's mansion but they won't go in guns blazing; He wants to case the place and find out what the situation is before committing their forces to a battle they may not win.'

And he has a withdrawal plan already mapped out in his head. He's being careful about how he approaches this, in a way we've never seen from Taichi before.

In the dub:

Izzy: The only fair thing to do is to take a vote. All those in favor of going to Puppetmon's mansion, raise your hand and say 'aye'. (The kids and Digimon vote) Izzy: The 'ayes' have it! Sora: Tai, you didn't vote! Tai: (thinking) I wonder how Matt would vote? Knowing him, he'd probably go the safe route. T.K.: So Tai, what do you think? Tai: (thinking) And what about T.K.? With Matt not here, it's my job to make sure nothing happens to him. Hikari: What should we do, Tai? Tai: Well, uh.... Tentomon: We're waiting for an answer! Sora: (thinking) After all we've been through, he can't really be thinking about going.... Tai: Alright, we're going. Just to take a look around, but we don't necessarily have to start any trouble. Younger Kids: ALRIGHT!!! T.K.: It's this way, guys! (Everyone runs off except Sora) Tai: Sora? Sora: I'll go along with your decision but I'm still not sure it's safe. Tai: I know it's dangerous, Sora. And we're not looking for trouble. But if anything happens, Koromon and I will hold off Puppetmon while you take the others and escape. I won't let anything happen to you. Sora: You mean it? Tai: Of course I do! Sora: Okay, then.

I'd say this is about 95% correct. Sora's line "Tai, you didn't vote," is a little off. We held a single binary vote; Raise your arm to go, don't raise your arm to not go. By not raising his arm, Tai implicitly voted against going. You can't abstain when the options are Yes or Not Yes.

That last bit in Tai and Sora's exchange, where "I'm counting on you" is replaced by "I won't let anything happen to you," also bothers me.

The plan is the same in both versions. If things go south, Taichi and Koromon will offer themselves up to hold the line while Sora takes the rest of the team and retreats. But these lines alter the tone of how Tai presents it.

Taichi assuages her concerns by treating her as an equal and valuable contributor to this plan, while Tai assuages her concerns by promising to be her knight in shining armor - in the process implying that Sora was only concerned about her personal safety, as her worries relent as soon as he promises to protect her.

This, combined with the earlier "The meteor could be dangerous" altered dialogue makes Sora come off weaker and more cowardly than her original counterpart.

Though Taichi's group was disinterested in it, we turn our attention back to the crater as something begins to emerge. It can't be. It can't possibly....

WHO'S THE STRONGEST IN THE WOOOOOOOOOORLD!?

KING OF DIGIMON!!!

This would be a fantastic twist if both titles didn't spoil the shit out of it.

The emergence of the new and improved Etemon goes without dialogue in the original. The dub, eager to hear their most famous vocal performance again, has him narrate to nobody in particular.

MetalEtemon: Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Get ready for the comeback tour of the year! Baby, I'm BACK!!! Uh-huh-huh, YEAH!!!

Jou and Mimi make for the cliffside, interested in the meteorite.

Jou: Over there! The meteorite fell on top of that cliff! Mimi: But where did it come from? Palmon: Maybe from Earth? Jou: Eh!?

That's a good question, honestly. The conditions that would produce a meteorite aren't exactly applicable with the two worlds in dimensional flux above one another like this. Mimi points out a good reason to find this sudden meteorite suspicious as hell, though she doesn't take that to its logical conclusion.

Suddenly, Gomamon starts sniffing the ground.

Gomamon: Huh? Palmon: What's wrong? Gomamon: I smell something. Over there!

Gomamon and Palmon run into the woods, with a startled Jou and Mimi chasing after.

Jou: W-Wait! Mimi: That's dangerous! It might be a trap!

They come upon a large green figure unconscious on the ground, buried under broken tree branches. The group collectively gasps at the sight.

Gomamon: There's someone on the ground! Palmon: How did this happen!? (Palmon runs towards the figure) Palmon: Are you okay!? Hang in there!

Palmon sweeps the debris aside, revealing Ogremon badly hurt. His body is covered in scrapes and scuffs, and a trickle of blood is running down his forehead. Palmon jumps back when she realizes who she's uncovered.

Palmon: AH!!! It's Ogremon! He's not moving! He might be dead!

Obviously not because he would have turned to pixel dust, but as if on cue, Ogremon starts to move. He tries to get up, holding his shoulder in pain and causing everyone to shriek and step back from him. But he can't do more than that before he collapses back down.

In the dub, they're still calling it the wrong thing.

Joe: Look! There it is! The meteor landed up on that cliff! Mimi: I wonder where on Earth it could have come from? Palmon: Probably L.A.!

Joe makes no sound in response to Palmon's quip. He's still staring at her slack-jawed when we cut back to the wide shot of the group, but nothing draws your attention to it so it's easy to miss.

I think Palmon's quip is meant to be a joke about Elvis having homes in L.A. I disagree, though; That meteor clearly came from Memphis, Tennessee.

Gomamon: Huh? Palmon: What? Gomamon: I smell something... from over there! (The Digimon run off, as their human partners give chase) Joe: WAIT!!! Mimi: HEY!!! Not so fast; I might sweat! Palmon: And I keep tripping on my roots!

Mimi's concern is changed from fear for the Digimon's safety to disdain for physical exercise. Palmon's given a line to join Mimi in whining despite the fact that she and Gomamon are neck-and-neck, sprinting side by side with no evidence of any such tripping.

Palmon: I think someone's hurt. Gomamon: Hang in there, we're coming! Palmon: We've gotta get these branches off of him. (Palmon removes the debris from Ogremon) Palmon: Ogremon! Yikes! We'd better get out of here before he wakes up!

For more mismatched choreography to dub dialogue, they have Gomamon shout "We're coming!" before a scene where only Palmon rushes over to help.

Now, you may be wondering how the censors will approach removing the blood from Ogremon's face. I was wondering that too. And the answer is that they don't.

Yeah. Ogremon's clear, visible blood trail running down his face is allowed in. That made it past the censors. They do, however, cut the part of Palmon's line where she wonders if Ogremon's dead.

Though the sight of Ogremon in front of them is startling for everyone, Mimi only has one thing on her mind.

Mimi: He looks hurt.... Gomamon: Hey, what should we do? Jou: We'll be in big trouble if he attacks us again like on File Island. It's best if we ignore him.

No sooner are those words out of Jou's mouth than Mimi shoves past Jou to get to Ogremon.

Jou: Ah! Mimi-kun! What are you doing!?

Mimi kneels down beside Ogremon with a cloth in hand, reaching out to wipe the blood from his face.

Mimi: That's a terrible wound....

Ogremon groans and stirs, forcing Mimi to stand back up and take a step back for safety. He rouses, opening his eyes and seeing Mimi there.

Ogremon: Y-You... Chosen Child! Mimi: Stop it! Don't move or you'll open your wounds!

She kneels back down, resuming her work.

Mimi: Palmon, find medicinal herbs! Gomamon, go find water! Digimon: Right! (exit) Mimi: Jou-senpai-- Jou: I got it. I can treat his wounds. I am the son of a doctor, after all. Ogremon: Y-You.... (tries to move, then collapses) Mimi: Stay still! Ogremon: ...yes, ma'am.

Also try not to make sexist comments while you're at it. Your continued existence is in Mimi's hands right now. I hope you're grateful.

In the dub:

Mimi: It looks like he's hurt.... Palmon: Good! Then he won't be able to chase us! Joe: Remember him from File Island? He was meaner than a cat giving a bath! Let's pretend like we never found him. (Mimi shoves past Joe) Joe: Hey! Mimi! What are you doing!?

The language is snippier, but fair given the circumstances. I like this interpretation.

(Mimi kneels down to tend to Ogremon's wounds) Mimi: This cut looks bad-- Ogremon: Grrrghh.... Mimi: Oh! (Mimi jerks back) Ogremon: ...you're the DigiDestined. Mimi: Well, I guess you don't have amnesia but try not to move anyway, okay? (Mimi kneels back down to wipe away the blood) Mimi: Palmon, go look for some healing herbs, and Gomamon, see if you can find some water. Digimon: Right! (exit) Mimi: Now, Joe, I want you to-- Joe: I know. My father's a doctor and he taught me a lot; I used to practice on my toys. Ogremon: TOYS!?!? (tries to move, then collapses) Mimi: I told you not to move! Ogremon: ...okay....

The toys bit got me. XD Not just Ogremon's hilarious reaction, but the mental image it conjures of Chibi Jou/Joe doing play-surgery on little plastic Gundams and Astro Boys is perfect characterization.

The dub handles this scene beautifully, covering every detail while putting it in their own voice. No notes.

Working together, Mimi and Jou render medical aid to Ogremon.

Ogremon: Agh! THAT HURTS!!! Mimi: These herbs must sting a lot. Jou: Your arm might be broken, so I'm putting it in a sling.

Jou reaches into his duffel bag and pulls out a roll of toilet paper from his supplies.

Jou: Um... I guess this will work. Mimi: Why toilet paper? Jou: (wrapping the sling) I'm substituting it for bandages. Before we returned to this world, I thought I should bring stuff that would be useful to us. This was all I could think of, though. But when you use it like this....

Jou manages to make a functioning sling out of it.

Jou: There! That's a big help, isn't it? (pats Ogremon's arm) Ogremon: OW!!! Mimi: Ehehe! Jou-senpai is so smart! Ogremon: Why? Why are you helping me? I tried to kill you all on File Island. No one would be surprised if you decided to kill me right here and now. Mimi: Again? Killing this and killing that.... Don't you have any more tasteful words? Ogremon: More tasteful...? U-U-Um-I-- (stands up) Mimi: If you push yourself too hard, you might start crying. Well, take care of yourself.

Ogremon doesn't mince words here, using the vulgar term korosu which means, unambiguously, to kill. As a reminder, during the arc itself, the show favored the milder taosu verb for "defeating" them. Like Pinocchimon, he's using harsher language now that the show shied away from in earlier arcs.

Mimi's response here connects back to her emotional state she's been in since the graves. She is so done with all of this violence. Ogremon asks why they didn't kill him and Mimi's response is basically "OH MY GAWD Why does everything have to be about killing!?"

Her reaction is pretty similar to her "Fighting and fighting, and what do we get out of it!?" meltdown over Taichi and Yamato's pointless fistfight. Everyone around her seems to default to violence, and she's done with it.

It's a scolding that leaves Ogremon, a mon who prides himself on being the Vegeta to Leomon's Goku, at a loss for words.

In the dub:

Ogremon: Ow! That stuff hurts! Be careful! Mimi: Big baby! Don't you want to get better? Joe: It looks like his arm might be broken. We're going to have to put it in a sling. (Joe rifles through his duffle) Joe: Oooh, toilet paper! Mimi: Do you have to do that now? Joe: Really, Mimi? I'm using it as bandages! Before we came back to the Digital World, I thought of things we might need and toilet paper was the first thing that came to my mind! (Joe wraps Ogremon's arm) Joe: There! Just about finished here. Well? Ogremon: Feels soft! It must be two-ply. Joe: Lay off the Digivolving for a few days and you'll be as good as new! (pats Ogremon's arm) Ogremon: OW!!! Mimi: Joe, I never knew you were so resourceful!

This bit goes strong. It's faithfully translated, but they make room for a silly gag where Mimi, quite reasonably, misunderstands the purpose of the toilet paper.

"Lay off the Digivolving for a few days" is an odd instruction to give a non-Partnered Digimon, however. Ogremon evolving into an Andromon would be a great benefit. Though, let's be real, he's probably lost too many fights with Leomon to ever be eligible for Ultimate Digivolution.

Ogremon: Why are you DigiDestined being so nice to me? Especially after the way I tried to destroy you on File Island? You could have left me here to rot but instead you saved me; Why? Mimi: Well, we were taught that if someone's in trouble, you always help them out. That means, even if they were trying to pummel you into oblivion. Ogremon: Gee, I never thought of it that way. Mimi: Don't mention it. Besides, that's what friends do; They help each other out. Joe: Bye!

Here, the dub falters. They shy away from Mimi's scolding over Ogremon's violent language. This costs both Mimi and Ogremon a great moment for their individual characterizations; Instead we get drama-free generic moral thoughtfulness.

All we get from this is that Mimi is a kind person who was raised well, and Ogremon doesn't understand kindness.

As Mimi and Jou turn to walk away, Ogremon continues tripping over his words until he finally finds something tasteful enough to say to Mimi.

Ogremon: W-WAIT!!! Th... Th... Thank you!

Mimi's face brightens considerably when she hears those words. She turns back around.

Mimi: You're welcome.

Ogremon's eyes fill with tears.

Gomamon: Ogremon is crying! Jou: These must be tears from a demon's eyes! Ogremon: (wipes his eyes) I just have dirt in my eyes!

Jou here references a Japanese expression: 鬼の目にも涙 Oni no me ni mo namida, or "Tears from a demon's eyes". It means that even the hardest and cruelest hearts can be brought to tears.

This sub translates it as "crocodile tears" which is a terrible translation; Crocodile tears means he's faking it, only pretending to cry in order to elicit undeserved sympathy. Wildly different meaning, and an accusation that utterly shatters the tone of this scene. That's a rolled-up newspaper thwack.

The dub builds on the "what friends do" bit for their version of this scene.

Ogremon: Wait, don't leave now! I... never had any friends.... Mimi: Ah! Well, you have them now. (Ogremon cries) Gomamon: I've never seen Ogremon cry before! Joe: Don't tell me you need more toilet paper to blow your nose. Ogremon: (wipes his eyes) It's alright; I'll just use my sleeve.

Suddenly, an ominous voice calls down from the trees.

Pinocchimon sings the same haunting tune he sang when he was creeping up on Takeru earlier.

Pinocchimon: (singsong) Let's pla~ay! Let's pla~ay! Let's pla~ay Riddles! Jou: PINOCCHIMON!!! Gomamon: What do you mean, "Riddles"? Pinocchimon: What is the thing that I'm missing? Gomamon: What are you missing? Pinocchimon: Hurry up and tell me!

Pinocchimon's had time to consider what Jureimon was trying to tell him, before he lost his temper and killed him. But the only person who knows what Jureimon meant is now dead.

When Gomamon can't answer in time, Pinocchimon lets off a volley from his Bullet Hammer. Gomamon scrambles out of the bullets' path.

Pinocchimon: If you can't answer my riddle, I'll kill you. Palmon: Mimi, I have to evolve! Mimi: But....

Visions of Togemon being brutally killed by Pinocchimon's Bullet Hammer run through Mimi's head.

(Probably accurate. Pinocchimon is above even Lilimon's weight class.)

Mimi: (thinking) I can't... If Togemon were killed....

Mimi is paralyzed by her trauma.

In the dub, Puppetmon doesn't sing his haunting song; He simply calls down from the tree about Ogremon wiping his eyes.

Puppetmon: That's gotta hurt with all those spikes! Mimi: Huh!? Puppetmon: Here's a riddle: What has four strings and is made of wood? Mimi & Joe: PUPPETMON!?!? Puppetmon: No! A violin! But that's a good guess; I guess you guys aren't music-lovers. Gomamon: No, it's YOU we don't like! Puppetmon: Yeah? Do you like this? (Puppetmon sprays Bullet Hammer projectiles at Gomamon) Puppetmon: I can also play a really mean saxophone. Palmon: I've gotta Digivolve! Mimi: But... (Mimi pictures Togemon dying) Mimi: (thinking) Oh no... What if Togemon gets hurt during the fight...?

The decision made two episodes ago to swap out "Those children have something that you lack" for "Those children might be stronger than you" means the foundation for this scene hasn't been laid in the dub. Instead, this scene gets played as a straightforward Combat Encounter. Puppetmon shows up, is menacing, and then starts shooting.

Though Mimi is paralyzed by her fear for Palmon's safety, Jou has no such reservation.

Jou: Gomamon, evolve! Gomamon: On it!

In the dub:

Joe: Gomamon, Digivolve! Gomamon: Right!

Ikakkumon makes one overly optimistic attempt to fire on Pinocchimon, launching a Harpoon Vulcan at the tree branch he's standing on. It destroys the branch, but Pinocchimon hops over the blast with no difficulty whatsoever because of course he does.

The blast destroys the tree. Pinocchimon lands on the stump, giggling at Jou. Time to kick things up a notch with Super-Evolution!

It does not go well. Pinocchimon and Zudomon clap their Bullet Hammer and Hammer Spark together in a contest of pure, raw strength. A contest that Zudomon loses, sending the Thor Hammer flying from his hand.

Flames erupt from the force of Pinocchimon's Bullet Hammer, engulfing Zudomon and one-shotting him. He falls on his back, then degenerates into an unconscious Gomamon.

All of this action passes by without a single added line of dialogue by the dug.

With Gomamon defeated, Pinocchimon raises his Bullet Hammer menacingly.

Pinocchimon: I'm not hearing an answer! Guess I'll have to kill ya-- Out of Nowhere: (Tarzan roar)

In an ironic twist, it's now an ominous menacing voice in the distance haunting Pinocchimon.

Swinging from a vine, MetalEtemon arrives on the swinging, leaping to a tree branch and flexing his muscles for the crowd.

Pinocchimon: Who are you!? MetalEtemon: Don't you know a superstar when you see one? (MetalEtemon starts clapping feverishly) MetalEtemon: Now, applaud! Applaud! (He stops suddenly, getting serious) MetalEtemon: Long time no see, Chosen Children. Jou: YOU'RE ETEMON!!!

Maybe Dub Sora was right; That meteor(ite) was pretty dangerous after all. Following this revelation, the original takes its commercial break.

In the dub, as before, this remains an ordinary combat encounter with no greater meaning for Puppetmon's character journey.

Puppetmon: Don't tell me playtime's over! Out of Nowhere: (Tarzan yell) (Puppetmon looks around for the swinging MetalEtemon) Puppetmon: Alright already! (MetalEtemon lands) MetalEtemon: Get Digi with it; MetalEtemon's in da house!

The dub puts its commercial break here, at MetalEtemon's reveal and tone-setting Will Smith reference. The King of Digimon is back, in more ways than one, and appropriately enough he is stealing from black artists.

Then we pick up right where we left off after the commercials.

Pinocchimon: Who's that guy!? (MetalEtemon starts clapping feverishly) MetalEtemon: A superstar like me deserves a little applause, bay-beh! (He stops suddenly, getting serious) MetalEtemon: After all, it's been so long since we've seen each other! Joe: Oh no, it's Etemon!

As we return from the original's commercial break, the new and improved Etemon makes his official debut.

MetalEtemon: Etemon is old news. I've been reborn as the new and improved MetalEtemon!

MetalEtemon is an Ultimate-stage Virus-type Cyborg Digimon. Despite clearly being meant to be evolved from Etemon, he debuted as a Nature Spirit - the first V-Pet to allow Ultimate evolutions, and one that did not include standard Etemon in its roster. Instead, he was an evolution for Okuwamon, the Perfect form of Kuwagamon, and TonosamaGekomon. Weird.

But subsequent appearances in video games and the like have shored him up as Etemon's Ultimate evolution.

Fun note: The kanji on his chest are 最強. The 最 kanji is sai, meaning the highest, most supreme, most ultimate of whatever the other word is. This is being used to modify 強 kyou, which means strength.

Yes, as part of his Ultimate evolution, Mr. Konoyo de Saikyou/Strongest in the Living World fucking got the word Saikyou tattooed on his chest. He certainly does not lack for confidence.

(He also swapped out his Monzaemon doll for a WaruMonzaemon doll, which is the same level as Monzaemon but from a different evolution tree.)

Narrator: MetalEtemon. The Ultimate-stage Digimon that evolves from the Perfect-stage Etemon. His special attack is Banana Slip!

The rundown tells us absolutely nothing interesting about MetalEtemon whatsoever. 0/10 on the rundown scale.

In the dub:

MetalEtemon: I used to be Etemon, kid, but that was a long time ago! Now, I'm MetalEtemon! Thank you; Thank you very much! Gomamon: We thought Etemon was tough! MetalEtemon's a Mega Digimon! After his Banana Slip attack, you'll have to peel us off the floor!

The dub's rundown is as useless as the original's. I award them both no points.

The Digimon, of course, have so many questions about this turn of events.

Palmon: I thought you died! How did you come back!? MetalEtemon: I'm glad you asked!

Conjuring a presumably metaphorical Etemon band to back him up, MetalEtemon starts singing his tale.

MetalEtemon: (singing) It's a tale that makes both its listeners and storyteller weep with emotion~! MetalEtemon: After my battle with MetalGreymon, you all know I was pulled into a Black Hole, yes? Within the Hell of that dark world, my body was destroyed and regenerated over and over again. But I refused to die, and I survived! Do you know why? Because the only thing on my mind was getting revenge against the Chosen Children for making me suffer like this!

The singularity that sent Taichi and Agumon home was apparently a horrific experience for MetalEtemon. He calls it Jigoku no ankoku sekai, using "Hell" as a modifier for "the dark world". He didn't literally go to Hell but is equating the dark world inside the singularity to being like Hell.

MetalEtemon: Then I was reborn into MetalEtemon! Today, I have returned to this world! MetalEtemon: (singing) All so I can get my revenge on you~! Understand? It's the Pent-up Resentment and Revenge BLUUUUUES!!!

In the dub, nobody asks about MetalEtemon's survival; He volunteers this story of his own volition. That's fair; I'm sure he's been chomping at the bit to tell it and would have explained himself either way.

Palmon: Just what we need; New and unimproved! MetalEtemon: Well, let me tell you how I became 'me'! MetalEtemon: (singing) So here's what transpired / When Etemon expired / Listen up, bay-beh! MetalEtemon: I'm sure you all remember the battle I had with MetalGreymon! I tell ya, he's one tough dinosaur, honey! After that, I was swallowed up by a black hole; I think I gave it indigestion! My digital information was scattered throughout the universe! I pulled myself together and chilled out for a while in Digimon Limbo. My information was chopped, mixed, whipped, and pureed! I felt like a four-speed blender, honey! But I refused to return to the Digital World until I was bigger, badder, and had a full head of beautiful metal hair!

MetalEtemon's origin is wildly different in the dub. The black hole scattered his data around the universe, which... is the opposite of what a black hole does, but okay. Then he reassembled himself by sheer force of will and, on purpose, entered Digimon Limbo. Which. Is apparently a thing that exists; He drops that with zero explanation.

Digimon Limbo is a nightmare place that ripped him apart bit by bit, but he went in there voluntarily as a sort of extreme shonen training to turn himself into MetalEtemon. Now his super-training is complete, and he's popped out to get his vengeance.

So, basically, Japanese MetalEtemon is Jason Voorhees clawing back from the edge of death for another go, while American MetalEtemon is Golden Frieza. That's. Kind of amazing.

Also, "Here's what transpired / When Etemon expired" is beautiful lyricism.

MetalEtemon: Now I'm back to get my revenge on YOU, DigiDestined! MetalEtemon: (singing) I got the low-down, dirty, revengeful / YOWWW / I'm talking... / Big-time DigiDestined bluuuuuuues!

One way or another, Etemon is going to be like Vamdemon; This isn't over until we see the dust of his pixels.

...

._. Mimi-chan, I apologize for my tasteless words.

As MetalEtemon concludes his lyrical recap, we come back to see that the children have plugged their ears and listened to none of his backstory crooning.

Pinocchimon: (relieved) It's over.... MetalEtemon: There's more where that came from, little boy. Pinocchimon: DID YOU SAY 'LITTLE BOY'!?!? MetalEtemon: BANANA SLIP!!!

A furious Pinocchimon charges MetalEtemon, walking right into his trap. MetalEtemon hits him with Banana Slip. It's. Um. It's literally throwing a banana peel under his foot so that he slips and falls on his ass.

MetalEtemon: What's wrong, little boy? Pinocchimon: STOP SAYING 'LITTLE BOY'!!!

Sitting up, Pinocchimon swipes with his Bullet Hammer, striking MetalEtemon in his metal shin and leaving a surprisingly painful-looking red bruise. MetalEtemon yelps in pain, grabbing his leg and hopping on one foot.

The dub plays this as Puppetmon interrupting the concert. Consequently, he's the aggressor here rather than MetalEtemon being the one antagonizing him.

Puppetmon: Enough! MetalEtemon: I just got started, you oversized footstool! Puppetmon: WHO YOU CALLIN' OVERSIZED!?!? MetalEtemon: Watch your step! BANANA SLIP!!! (Puppetmon charges in and trips on the banana peel) MetalEtemon: Too much of a waxy build-up? Uh-huh-huh! Puppetmon: (sits up) PUPPET PUMMEL!!! (swipe)

The dub cuts the shot of Puppetmon's hammer impacting MetalEtemon's shin. We get a white flash and cut straight to him bouncing on one leg, nursing the wound.

Once again, we lose characterization details on Pinocchimon here. In the original, MetalEtemon goads him into a fight by infantilizing him. Pinocchimon falls for his provocations hook, line, and sinker because he's sensitive about his genuine childishness.

For Puppetmon, this remains a standard combat encounter with no particular character nuances. What we get instead are jokes, which fit in well to a combat encounter involving slipping on a banana peel. This is already a comical fight, so the quips fit in nicely with the tone.

Puppetmon does the classic "Objecting to the wrong part of your insult" bit, which I admit got me. XD

Not sure what the "waxy build-up" crack is supposed to mean, however.

Still, I do prefer the original because I'll always take character nuance over quipping.

And on that note, this goofball fight continues.

MetalEtemon: HOW DARE YOU!?

MetalEtemon bounces on one foot, nursing his injured leg, then suddenly lunges for Pinocchimon. Pinocchimon sidesteps the lunge; Then, while MetalEtemon's on the ground, Pinocchimon calls Drill Nose.

Pinocchimon's nose spins like a drill and he stabs it into MetalEtemon's ass cheek. This proves to be a mistake, as it sets him up for MetalEtemon's counter-move Hekoki Attack. Which. Um.

Hekoki means "fart". MetalEtemon farts in Pinocchimon's face. Brief cut to Mimi, Jou, and Ogremon all plugging their noses to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

What a dignified clash of Ultimate powers, the most ultra-rare and supreme Digimon in all existence, we have had here today. It goes to show that no matter how high the Power Levels may become, there's a limit to how serious a fistfight between a small child and a bag of poop wearing sunglasses can be.

Pinocchimon recovers, unloading his Bullet Hammer's rapid-fire bullets. MetalEtemon blocks them all with his hand, then calls a left hook to the face as Number One Punch.

Pinocchimon: (pained) You've done it now! MetalEtemon: Children should behave like children.

That remark provokes a point-blank Bullet Hammer, as Pinocchimon slams his hammer into the ground and showers MetalEtemon in gunspray. MetalEtemon pulls back and blocks when he sees Pinocchimon telegraph the swing.

While this is going on, Jou snaps into Senpai mode. He grabs Mimi and starts pushing her away from the fight.

Mimi: NYAAAGH!!! Jou: Run while they're distracted! Ogremon: Good idea!

The children and their new pal quickly exit the fight. Meanwhile, Pinocchimon makes funny faces to bait MetalEtemon into punching a tree, which breaks and falls on him. He's crushed under the tree with a comical yelp.

(The best hit Pinocchimon scored all fight was by tricking MetalEtemon into hitting himself.)

In the dub:

MetalEtemon: Ow! I'll use you as a toothpick!

The dub cuts the Drill Nose/Hekoki Attack exchange. We go straight from Puppetmon dodging MetalEtemon's tackle to MetalEtemon firing a spray of bullets from his Bullet Hammer, which MetalEtemon blocks with his palm.

They keep Number One Punch, even showing the moment his fist slams into Pinocchimon's face. Surprising, given that they cut the impact from Pinocchimon hitting MetalEtemon's shin earlier. However, they rename it Metal Punch.

Puppetmon: Ow! You fight dirty! MetalEtemon: I'm not dirty; I just got detailed at the car wash yesterday! (Puppetmon blasts MetalEtemon; Joe starts pushing Mimi) Mimi: AUGH!!! Joe: Now's our chance to escape!

Ogremon has no line in this version; He silently follows the escaping kids.

Again, they took out the part where MetalEtemon goads and provokes Pinocchimon by infantilizing him and replaced it with a genuinely funny quip.

While all this is going on, Taichi's team have reached Pinocchimon's mansion. Taichi scouts the front with his mini telescope.

Taichi: So that's Pinocchimon's mansion. He has two guards.

Though Taichi can't see the two guards in any detail, he - in a clever moment of Understanding The Rules - recognizes that this is good enough to register them in his Pokedex. He snatches his Digivice out of his pocket and passes it off to Koushiro.

Taichi: Look them up. Koushiro: Okay.

The two guards are the pair of Digimon that watched Takeru escape the mansion a couple episodes ago: Floramon and Delumon.

Floramon is a Child-stage Data-type Plant Digimon from the Wind Guardians lineup. They're what evolves into Woodmon and Kiwimon.

Delumon is a Perfect-stage Data-type Bird Digimon, also from Wind Guardians. Their name is derived from the english word "Deluxe" due to their fancy appearance as a distinguished bird. However, due to common anime translation confusion relating to the letters 'l' and 'r', this gets mistranslated in the dub as "Deramon".

Delumon can evolve from any Wind Guardian adult but most fits as the evolved form of Kiwimon.

Narrator: Floramon. A plant-type Digimon that evolved in a reptilian shape. Their special attack is Allergy Shower. Koushiro: The other one is.... Narrator: Delumon. At first glance, they may look like a bird, but they're actually a strange Digimon with vegetation growing out of their back. Their special attack is Royal Nuts!

I'm going to need us all to try and be as mature as we possibly can about Delumon's Royal Nuts.

(Hahaha XD I told y'all they fit best as Kiwimon's evo.)

That one unsettles Taichi.

Taichi: That one's Perfect-stage? Koushiro: (returns Taichi's Digivice) Yes. Tentomon: They shouldn't be a problem, though. Let's go in, everyone!

Tentomon flies over to where Hikari, Takeru, and the Digimon are waiting, but Taichi calls after them before they can set out.

Taichi: Hang on! There might be more of them inside. I'm going to go in and scout ahead; The rest of you hang back here. Takeru: Then I should come with you. Patamon and I are the only ones who know the layout. Patamon: Mhm! Taichi: (reluctant) That might help.... Takeru: Are you going to treat me like a little kid? Taichi: No.... Hikari: Let's go together, Onii-chan. Koushiro: I agree with Hikari-san! It won't be scary if we all go together! Koromon: What do you say, Taichi? Taichi: Very well. Let's go, everyone!

Taichi still trying to figure out how to be responsible for these younger kids without Yamato or Jou here, without giving into the bad kind of courage. But they twist his arm and get him to go along with the majority vote.

In the dub:

Tai: So that's Puppetmon's mansion, huh? There are two guards! (Tai hands over his Digivice) Tai: See who they are. Izzy: Analyzing. Izzy: (rundown) One of them is Floramon. She's a Plant type Digimon who Digivolves like a reptile. Her attack is Rain of Pollen. Izzy: And the other guard is.... Izzy: (rundown) Deramon. At first glance, it looks like Bird-type Digimon but it's actually got a plant growing out of its back! Prodigious!

Izzy does his best to translate the rundowns faithfully but makes one easy mistake: He says that Floramon Digivolves like a reptile, future tense, implying that her future evolutions are going to be reptilian in nature.

There's only one reptilian evolution line in the Wind Guardians and it is, ironically, one of only two Floramon can't evolve into. Plants and birds make up most of this evolution tree.

She evolved like a reptile, past tense. Floramon is a lizard made of plant matter.

Tai: So they're not Ultimate Digimon, right? Izzy: Right. Tentomon: Nonetheless, we should be careful! They could be quite dangerous! Shall we go?

Izzy then concludes the rundown by reminding us of how constantly wrong he is. Tai asks for confirmation that they are not "Ultimate", which in the dub is Perfect, and Izzy lies to his face about it. Deramon is, in fact, an Ultimate Digimon.

Tentomon promptly flips the script from being gung-ho about fighting despite the enemy having a Perfect to being cautious and nervous about fighting despite the enemy allegedly having nothing of such high level.

Once Izzy's done being pseudointellectually wrong about facts he is actively looking up as he says them, this next part is basically perfect.

Tai: Wait! There might be more guards inside! I'll go inside and make sure the coast is clear; You guys wait here until I get back. T.K.: Tai, I think Patamon and I should go with you. After all, we're the only ones who know where everything is inside there. Patamon: Right! Tai: Sorry, it might be dangerous... T.K.: Come on, Tai! Don't treat me like a little kid! Tai: That's not it. Kari: What if we go together? As a team? Izzy: I vote with Kari! There's nothing to be afraid of if we all go together! Koromon: What do we do, Tai? You decide? Tai: Alright, everyone! We're going! Follow me!

Cutting back to the Ultimate Clash of Ultimate Powers, we find MetalEtemon slapping himself in the face over and over.

MetalEtemon: (smack) What! (smack) Is this! (smack) Ouch! OW OW OW OW OWWWWW!!!

Zooming out, we see MetalEtemon wriggling on strings, puppeteered by Pinocchimon above him.

Pinocchimon: Ahahahaha! Again! MetalEtemon: Augh! Stop it!

Pinocchimon uses the strings to flop MetalEtemon over onto his back, and then forces him to tickle himself.

MetalEtemon: That tickles! Ahahahaha AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Pinocchimon: Now to deal with the children--HUH!?!? THEY'RE GONE!!!

Huge success for Jou's plan of, uh, turning around and walking away.

I've noticed this before but it's especially noticeable here: The dub, as usual, makes dissimilar sound effect choices to the original. In the original, every time MetalEtemon hits himself, such as his earlier clapping or slapping his own face here, the impacts make a metallic clanging sound. This reinforces that he's, y'know, coated in metal from head to toe.

The dub opts for ordinary flesh slapping sounds, which makes it sound like he's just painted silver rather than made of metal.

MetalEtemon: (slap) Ow! (slap) Ow! (slap) OW! Hey! Cut it out! Puppetmon: Nahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHA!!! (Puppetmon makes MetalEtemon tickle himself) MetalEtemon: Hey, quit it! I hate tickling! Come on! Puppetmon: Now I can finally take care of those kids! HMM!?!? THEY'RE GONE!!!

Faithful translation.

While Pinocchimon's distracted, MetalEtemon rips himself free of the marionette strings. Once he hears Pinocchimon's words, however, he whips around in fury.

MetalEtemon: NGGGH!!! WHAT WAS THAT!?!? Pinocchimon: This is your fault! MetalEtemon: No, it's yours!

This is MetalEtemon's fault. Pinocchimon had dibs on the basis of First Come First Served and was about to start killing when MetalEtemon interrupted.

Jury finds in favor of the sad little puppet boy and orders Titanium Elvis to surrender two children in compensation plus another half of a child in emotional damages.

MetalEtemon lunges furiously for the tree branch Pinocchimon's standing on. Pinocchimon hops over his lunge, then kicks him in the back and uses him as a springboard to get moving into the forest. MetalEtemon slams facefirst into the tree while Pinocchimon heads off into the woods.

Pinocchimon: I quit! MetalEtemon: (grumbling) What's with you? Pinocchimon: Got bored. Going home. MetalEtemon: Crude little brat. But at least he's not around to get in my way anymore. Just you wait, Chosen Children! You'll regret making light of me!

In an ironic twist, Pinocchimon is the one who shows maturity and realizes how pointless this is. And MetalEtemon didn't even need a higher being to come make him do backstory homework before agreeing to let him go! Such maturity.

In the dub, MetalEtemon is the one who starts the blame game.

MetalEtemon: It's your fault, you piece of rotted driftwood! Puppetmon: You recycled tin can! MetalEtemon: Big, dumb knothole! (MetalEtemon lunges; Puppetmon kicks off his back and starts to walk away) MetalEtemon: Hey! Where ya goin'!? Puppetmon: Home! You're lousy at name-calling! MetalEtemon: Oh yeah!? Well, I'm metal and you're wood! Whatever you say bounces off me and splits you in half! ...Who needs him anyway? I can find those DigiDestined myself; After all, I am the ultimate metal detector.

Lots of material composition jokes in this exchange. The "I'm metal and you're wood" bit got me. XD

The dub version seems to be implying that MetalEtemon had been trying to team up with Puppetmon this whole time? Weird way to go about it.

Back at the mansion, Koromon evolves to Agumon and the children ambush Pinocchimon's guards.

Suddenly rushing them without warning, Tentomon nails Floramon with his Petit Thunder while Agumon lobs a Baby Flame at Delumon.

(Weird choice to come at them at Child stage after Koushiro specifically analyzed and confirmed that Delumon is Perfect. Weirder is that Delumon looks more ruffled by their attacks than Floramon does.)

Delumon: What do you think you are doing!?!? Agumon: Isn't that obvious!? You're with Pinocchimon, aren't you!? Delumon: ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Floramon: It's not like that at all. Takeru: Then what is it like? Delumon: Well... He sees us as playmates de aru, but we don't feel the same de aru.

Delumon ends his sentences with "de aru" instead of the standard "desu"; This signifies that he's speaking in a posh and formal manner, as is to be expected from the Deluxe Monster. It's not something I would normally write out in the transcript, but it forms the basis of an upcoming gag.

Delumon leans in conspiratorially.

Delumon: Don't tell him I said this de aru but the truth is that WE DESPISE PINOCCHIMON DE ARU!!! Takeru: That's right! I just remembered de aru. Pinocchimon doesn't have any friends de aru. Patamon: Yeah yeah! Hikari: Really? That makes Pinocchimon a really sad person de aru. Tailmon: ...you don't have to copy him. Hikari: Ehehehe!

Inspired by Delumon, Takeru and Hikari decide that seems like fun and start playing around with de aru as their "to be" verb too. This is how language evolves, especially in the minds of impressionable children.

Oh fuck me, we rolled up and started shooting at Pinocchimon's victims. Holy shit, I am glad we got this sorted out before somebody died; We're kind of in Shoot to Kill mode at this point so that was a real possibility!

A valuable lesson has been learned today about wildly spraying bullets into a populated location where one identified bad guy can be found. I'm sure this has no real-world application whatsoever. Nope nope.

The de aru bit won't translate to English, so obviously the dub has to drop that.

(Tentomon and Agumon jump Floramon and Deramon) Deramon: If you wanted fried chicken, you could have asked! Agumon: Sorry, we thought you guys were out here protecting Puppetmon's mansion. Deramon: Oh, so you barbecue me!? Floramon: We're not here protecting anything! T.K.: Then what are you guys doing? Deramon: Well, we're supposed to be Puppetmon's playmates. You know, someone to chase around and attack when he gets bored. (Deramon leans in conspiratorially) Deramon: But let me fill you in on a little secret: Puppetmon is an obnoxious jerk and none of us around this place can stand him! T.K.: Oh, yeah. Now I remember. Puppetmon doesn't have any friends even though he thinks he does. Patamon: Yeah, that's right! Kari: Wow, what could be worse than having a life without a single friend? Gatomon: A litter box lined with fly paper? Kari: AHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Despite having to lose the de aru, this is a solid adaptation. In particular, Deramon's line "Oh, so you barbecue me!?" is perfect. You can feel his outrage at getting shot for being in the vicinity of a bad guy.

Taichi, his eye on the ball, questions Delumon.

Taichi: Well? Is Pinocchimon inside? Delumon: No de aru. He's out de aru. Agumon: What should we do, Taichi? Taichi: We should sneak into Pinocchimon's mansion. Takeru: Delumon, take us in de aru. Delumon: Will do de aru. Follow me de aru.

Hikari got scolded by her Partner but Takeru's still doing it.

Delumon and Floramon turn to lead the kids in, but then Delumon stops and turns back to them.

Delumon: AH!!! Let me ask you one favor first de aru. You have to keep this a secret from PInocchimon de aru. Everyone: WE WILL DE ARU!!!

XD Goddammit every single one of you. Even Tailmon gets in on this one.

In the dub:

Tai: So, is Puppetmon inside the house right now? Deramon: I think he's out being fumigated for termites. Agumon: So what should we do, Tai? Tai: Well, now's a good chance to take a look inside the mansion. T.K.: Deramon, will you show us around? Deramon: Sure; I used to be a tour guide at Digimon Studios! (They start to go, but then Deramon stops) Deramon: Oh! No video cameras, flash photography, food, or drink are allowed during the tour. Everyone: GREAT!!! LET'S GO!!! Deramon: The main structure was built before the Digital Revolution....

Unable to utilize the de aru gag, the dub compensates with a lot of quipping. They also add a line for Deramon at the end, as the children silently approach the mansion, which is a strong choice.

Since we can't leave on the punchline of everyone saying de aru together, they wrote a different punchline playing off their "tour guide" angle. That way, we still get to end this scene on a silly note.

Elsewhere in the woods, MetalEtemon's search for Mimi and Jou continues, but they've found safety under the roots of a tree.

MetalEtemon swings briefly into a tree branch, looking around the woods. He mutters to himself.

MetalEtemon: Damn it! Where did you run off to, children?

Then he grabs another vine and swings away, and we pan down to Jou, Mimi, and Ogremon hiding under a tree.

Mimi: Do your wounds still hurt? Ogremon: I'm doing well, Miss. I promise, I will return the favor some day. Mimi: You don't have to do that. Ogremon: NO, I MUST!!! That is the code of honor that every lone wolf upholds! Jou: (gasp) By "code of honor", do you mean like "O hikae nasu," "O hikae nasu,"!? Mimi: (laugh) That's so old-fashioned! Ogremon: (pout) ...so I'm an old-fashioned Digimon. Gomamon: Look! Ogremon is sulking! Kids: Ahahaha!

This one's complicated.

Ogremon's "code of honor" here is jingi, a particular sense of duty and ethics commonly associated with unsavory types such as yakuza. The phrase Jou breaks out for confirmation is an archaic way for yakuza and other criminal types to greet one another. He's confirming that Ogremon is talking about an "honor among thieves" sort of deal.

In the dub:

MetalEtemon: How hard could it be to find a bunch of kids!? (swings away) (Pan down to Mimi, Joe, and Ogremon) Mimi: So, does it still hurt? Ogremon: Actually, no. Not really. I need to know how I can ever thank you all. Mimi: Oh, forget about it. You don't need to thank us. Ogremon: No, I have to! It's an ancient tradition to repay all acts of kindness. It's part of my sacred moral code as an Ogremon! Joe: Sacred moral code; What are you, a member of King Arthur's Court or something!? Mimi: Oh, that's so romantic! Ogremon: (pout) I'm sorry, I'll try to be meaner next time! Gomamon: Yeah, you'll ruin your reputation! Kids: Ahahahahaha!

This flows pretty well but the nuance is lost. There's a context shift, as we lose the reference between Ogremon's behavior and old-school gang conduct. Without that connection, what is now all Ogremon having a "sacred moral code" lands a little weird given what we know about this guy.

End result, Ogremon gets ridiculed for having inexplicably high moral standards for a guy who tried to murder children that then go unexplained. In the original, he was being called out for being the Japanese equivalent of a Pinstripe Mafioso with a Tommy Gun.

Back at the mansion, Taichi and his group enter Pinocchimon's mansion.

Right as they walk in, they find a gift box waiting on the stairs in the foyer. It springs open on its own, revealing a jack-in-the-box puppet of a soldier in camo fatigues. With an SMG in hand, the puppet sprays gunfire at the intruders.

The team scatters. Taichi, Sora, and Hikari go one way with Delumon, Piyomon, and Tailmon. Koushiro and Takeru go the other way with Floramon, Tentomon, Patamon, and Agumon. Most of the kids have their partners, though Taichi and Agumon are separated in the panic.

Taichi: W-What the hell!? Delumon: I think that was a jack-in-the-box! Taichi: Are you trying to lead us into a trap!? Delumon: Absolutely not! We aren't as mean and underhanded as Pincochimon! Please believe me. Hikari: We should believe him, Onii-chan.

Meanwhile, Koushiro's group finds a toy fire truck in their hallway.

Takeru: Huh? It's a fire truck? Floramon: Don't! If you touch it--

Too late. Patamon touches it, causing the siren to turn on.

Agumon: A siren? Floramon: This! (Floramon picks it up) Floramon: Needs to go! (Floramon hurls it out the window) Floramon: EVERYONE DOWN!!!

Everyone drops to the floor, covering their heads. Outside, the explosion from the detonating fire truck blasts open the wall beside them.

Koushiro: It was a time bomb.... Floramon: That's why I told you not to touch anything! Agumon & Patamon: Sorry....

Despite the censoring of other guns, the dub keeps the G.I. Jack-in-the-box sentry. I guess that gun's fine because it's disguised as a toy.

Tai: What was that!? Deramon: It's a Jack-in-the-Box with a serious attitude! Tai: You wouldn't happen to be leading us into some sort of trap, would you, Deramon!? Deramon: Why, of course not! I would never try anything as deceitful as Puppetmon! Cross my wings and hope to fly, honest! Kari: I believe him, Tai! How about you? Tai: (noncommital) Mm.... (Cut to the other wing) T.K.: OH BOY!!! Patamon: It's a toy! Floramon: Oh no! Make sure you don't touch it! Patamon: (touch) Uh-oh.... (Siren starts to blare) Agumon: What's happening? Floramon: WATCH OUT!!! (Floramon picks it up) Floramon: GET DOWN!!! (Floramon hurls it out the window) (Explosion) Izzy: It was a heat-activated bomb! Floramon: That's why I said don't touch anything! Agumon & Patamon: Sorry....

...it was a time bomb, Izzy.

When I was younger, I might have questioned the logic of putting a timer on a trap like this. But no, that's sound booby trap design. The bomb would have got them either way; The only reason it failed is because they had an infiltrator already familiar with the security system.

Putting a timer on your booby trap isn't a bad idea because it allows for what Floramon did. It is, in fact, a good idea because it allows for what Floramon did. The worst-case scenario with a trap like this is not that it fails to kill an intruder. It's that it successfully turns you into wall paste because you woke up groggy and forgot it was armed.

Good security design accounts for the possibility that your dumb ass might accidentally set it off one day. After all, an intruder only rolls those dice once; You're going to roll them every single day of your life going forward. A +19 circumstantial bonus won't save you from a Nat 1.

In any case, apart from Izzy misidentifying the bomb, this is a pretty solid adaptation.

From here, we return to Mimi and Jou, who are still conversing with Ogremon.

Ogremon: You want to know why I fight with Leomon? Mimi: Yes. I want to understand the meaning behind your fights. Ogremon: Having a 'meaning' would make it too complicated. I guess you could say that Leomon and I are eternal rivals. Mimi: So what will happen when one of you wins? Ogremon: When one of us wins? I guess we'll cheer "HOORAY!!!" and know that we're stronger. Mimi: And after that? Ogremon: What do you mean, after that? Mimi: Then your rival would be gone. Ogremon: Leomon would be gone...? NEGH!!! Don't say things like that! I don't want to think about it!

Ogremon has no answer to Mimi's question and it freaks him the fuck out.

Ogremon: Defeating Leomon is the only thing that brings meaning to my life. (voice breaks) If he were gone, I'd... I'd.... Mimi: That's a logical contradiction. Think carefully about this. Ogremon: SHUT UP!!! I'm still going to defeat Leomon! What comes next... It doesn't matter! I'll think about that after I've beaten him! Jou: So, in the end, we just came full circle.

Jou finds this to have been an uneventful exchange, but it's clear that Ogremon's flailing. Mimi's question cut him deep, nearly bringing him to tears, and now he's frantically backpedaling. She's planted a seed of doubt in his mind, even if it didn't bear fruit today.

Before this can go any further, an explosion is heard outside.

Jou: Huh? (Jou goes out to look around) Jou: What the...?

In stepping outside, Jou walks right into the trap. MetalEtemon lowers himself from a vine, singing.

MetalEtemon: Fo~ound yooooooou! Jou: RUN FOR IT!!!

The group flees their temporary shelter, running for their lives once again.

The dub opens this exchange with a gag.

Mimi: Ogremon, can I ask you a personal question? Ogremon: Yes, it's true; I don't floss. Mimi: That's not what I was going to ask! Why do you fight with Leomon? Do you have him? Ogremon: No, no. It's not a question of hate. It's our destiny to fight each other. He and I will be rivals for all eternity. Mimi: Well, if that's your only purpose in life, what would happen if you actually won? Ogremon: I never really thought about it before. Maybe I'll take a vacation; A cruise is always nice. Mimi: And after that? Ogremon: What do you mean, after that? Mimi: Well if the fight's over, you wouldn't have a rival anymore! Ogremon: Of course I would. He and I are like two old warriors; Fighting a war that has no beginning and has no end. Why, the only reason I exist at all is to defeat Leomon and if he were gone, well... I'm so confused. Mimi: You've got to have more of a purpose in life than to just defeat Leomon. Ogremon: Leave me alone! You can't possibly understand! This rivalry is as old as time itself! I don't care what happens; I'll think about it after I've defeated Leomon! Joe: You're getting way too excited! I'd better take your blood pressure.

XD Goddammit, Joe. That was funny, and a good reminder that he's technically Ogremon's physician right now.

This conversation goes off-track right around "If the fight's over, you won't have a rival anymore." The point of this scene is that Mimi is trying to get Ogremon to think about death; The logical conclusion of his and Leomon's violent rivalry. And succeeding!

In the dub, Ogremon blows right through the question, presuming that even after one of them wins, their rivalry will continue on forever anyways. The only concession he offers is that he briefly gets "confused".

Mimi then derails her own topic by questioning Ogremon's purpose in life instead of keeping the conversation centered on "What happens to the other one when one of you dies?"

MetalEtemon: (Tarzan yell) Joe: What's that? (Joe goes out to look around) Joe: It came from out here.... MetalEtemon: I FOUND YOU!!! Joe: RUN!!!

This part is another victim of the dub clearly not knowing which sound effects are supposed to go with the footage. Once again they mess up a plot point delivered only through sound.

The thing that draws Joe's attention is a mysterious explosion. That's what he's investigating. The dub uses MetalEtemon's Tarzan yell, which... Like... Why would Joe walk towards MetalEtemon's Tarzan yell when they're hiding from MetalEtemon?

He knows what that sound means. He was there the first time MetalEtemon did it.

Bad sound choice.

Back at the mansion, Pinocchimon finally returns home after a long day of monkey business.

It does not go well.

Pinocchimon: Who should I play with next...? Taichi: (watching through mini telescope) Pinocchimon's on his way back.

Taichi's crew have reunited offscreen and found a cannon upstairs in the mansion. Agumon and Koushiro are inspecting it while he scouts.

Taichi: Is it ready? Koushiro: None of us know how to fire this thing. Agumon: (turns to the others) You guys! Delumon: You want me to fire it de aru!? Very well, but you DEFINITELY have to keep this a secret from Pinocchimon de aru! Taichi: We know! Agumon: De aruuu~!

Delumon and Floramon roll the cannon up to the window.

Delumon: Here we go de aru! Floramon: Alignment set. Delumon: FIIIIIIRE DE ARU!!!

To his complete shock, cannonballs explode around Pinocchimon.

Pinocchimon: W-WHAT!?!? WHAT THE!?

He turns around and swiftly retreats, taking cover behind a giant tree root.

Pinocchimon: Great, a hiding spot! I get it... This must be the Chosen Children! Just you wait... I'll get rid of you once and for all!

Once he's gotten his bearings, he raises his Bullet Hammer, dives back over the root, and charges for the mansion. He screams a full-throated battle roar as he charges, cannonballs exploding and ripping up the cobblestone walkway all around him.

In the dub:

Puppetmon: Who should I play with next? Tai: Puppetmon's coming back! Are you ready? Izzy: It would help if I had some idea of how this worked. Agumon: You do it. Deramon: What!? That's against every principle I stand for! Alright, what the heck, I'll do it but don't tell Puppetmon! It'll be our secret! Tai: Yeah, yeah. Agumon: We know! (Deramon and Floramon prepare the cannon) Deramon: Okay, I've got him in my sights. Ready! Aim! FIIIIIRE!!!

The dub puts its final commercial break here, right before the cannon fires. We return a couple seconds earlier to Deramon and Floramon wheeling the cannon to the window.

Deramon: I can see him coming! TAKE THIS, PUPPETMON!!! (Cannonfire begins) Puppetmon: Wha--!? WHOA!!! WHO'S SHOOTING AT ME!? (Puppetmon flees and takes cover behind a vine) Puppetmon: I know who it is! It's the DigiDestined! Hey, that's not fair! You're using my toys! (Puppetmon charges the mansion)

Not sure why Deramon would scream "Take this Puppetmon" when he doesn't want Puppetmon to know it's him, but that's a nitpick. This is pretty good, and the "That goes against my principles; Okay I'll do it" bit makes for a solid replacement for this round of the de aru gag.

Elsewhere in the woods, MetalEtemon continues his search for his prey.

MetalEtemon: (calling) Where did you go, Chosen Children!?

MetalEtemon swings from a vine, searching for the kids and Ogremon; All of whom are taking cover under the nearby bushes to escape his sight.

Once he's gone, they get up to move. However, a bestial snarl from nearby catches their attention. The silhouette of a large creatre appears nearby.

Mimi: H-Huh!? Jou: Enemy or ally!?

The creature reveals themselves, emerging from the brush. It's a huge, vaguely familiar sabertoothed lion. Ogremon gasps at the sight of it, raising his club threateningly.

Three guesses who that is and the first two don't count.

In the dub:

MetalEtemon: You can't hide from me, I'm the king of swing!

Dub MetalEtemon harmonizes his Tarzan yell into a genuinely pleasant melody. I love this stupid monkey man so much. XD

(New creature appears) Mimi: What is that!? Joe: Friend or foe!? Ogremon: (eager) AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Narrator: Who is this new creature? Could he be Ogremon's archrival? And will Puppetmon escape Deramon's cannon blast to take his revenge on the DigiDestined? Tune in for the next episode of Digimon: Digital Monsters!

I want to make a "SPOILERS FUCK" comment here but I'm not entirely convinced that the Dub Team ever watched episodes in advance so he might actually be speculating.

Assessment: Mimi gets a lot of focus in this one and Etemon returns so that automatically makes it the best episode in the series FIGHT ME

In seriousness, the Mimi arc is up and running with Ogremon challenged on the precise nature of his rivalry and what he wants out of it. Meanwhile, the battle with Pinocchimon has officially kicked off.

The dub handles this episode pretty well. There's a few missteps with characterization here and there as usual but overall a pretty good one, with plenty of jokes that land and their typical highly entertaining take on Etemon - though at a cost to much of Pinocchimon's personality.

[cynfulworld]

How can one become the next guy you call Daddy?

I am currently in a D/s dynamic and have been for almost two years and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. He’s my Daddy. “Daddy” is much more than just sexual play, for me. “Daddy” is a caregiving role. I understand that for some it’s just hot bedroom talk, but for me it is more. I’m a needy sub too, lol, most wouldn’t be able to but my Daddy handles me very well. Honestly, I’m not sure another could as well as he does (aside from my husband of course) He sets my rules and tasks to help me meet goals, stay on track with certain things and punishes when necessary. It involves a lot of open, honest and always evolving communication about our desires, our boundaries, our needs, our limitations. He encourages communication on all levels, not just sexy ones. There are consensually agreed upon roles within the relationship but it is first and foremost a relationship.

I understand that your question may have just been referring to sexy play, but with the use of an honorific I am not sure. So, while that might not be the sexy, flirty answer you were looking for, when it comes to “Daddy”…. That role is pretty solidly filled. But thank you for inquiring. ♥️ Now, that being said, I am a non-monogamous girlie and my D/s dynamic is one part of my hotwife journey, as for making other friends ☺️ That’s another story. 😉

[nixnephili]

For the Fyodor raised Atsushi AU I feel like Fyodor would call Atsushi брат (brat) which means brother in Russian but would sound like Fyodor is insulting Atsushi to others. I believe Atsushi is would know at least a little Russian. This would also cater towards Fyodor making sure he’s that one pillar of comfort for Atsushi in being an older brother figure.

Now for what Atsushi would call Fyodor… I have a few thoughts. Since Atsushi was taken in at a pretty young age I think he would call Fyodor “Fyo” (pronounced Fee) because he gave up calling him by his last name. I also think that Fyodor let Atsushi drop honorifics just to gain his trust. Fyodor wouldn’t care what Atsushi calls him just as long as he’s with him not against him. Or just call Fyodor せんせい (Sensei) because he’s his teacher…idk

(I also was kinda thinking that when they first encountered each other that Atsushi as a kid would call Fyodor うさぎ (Usagi) because of Fyodor’s ушанка (Ushanka) hat. They kind of remind me of rabbit or bunny ears when the ear flaps are down. So as a younger kid he might associate it with a fluffy and sweet animal…after all the trauma he went through…haha 😞)

Anyways, thank you for reading my rant! Hope it’s legible!! Have a great day/night if you see this! :D

From the "Fyo!Atsushi" A.U.:

-by Nix, apparently

What would Fyodor and Atsushi call each other?

-Starting off with Fyodor. I think he'd call Atsushi a number of things- and these things will change based on how their relationship evolves over time. In the beggining when Atsushi had just arrived to his base in Russia- I believe he would adopt just Atsushi's name at first, as it would be a cold unfamiliarity between them. Fyodor would want little to do with Atsushi when it came to anything but his plans, however the issue regarding Beast's outbursts needed to be addressed. That he couldn't avoid.

From there on out he would keep a close eye on Atsushi- and such the name derived itself into a dismissive "Boy". Further into Fyodor's accidental attachment to Atsushi he would begin using Russian to cook up nicknames and diminutives: something along the lines of- тигренок(tigrenok=tiger-cub) / луна (Luna= moon) / крыса (krysa= rat)

Stuff like that maybe- he would expect Atsushi to figure them out and maybe he'd make a game out of it. Calling the boy something new every once in a while and expecting him to figure it out and return back with an answer.

At first Fyodor would do this to give Atsushi something to occupy his time with- but the more exited the boy got- the more he got under Fyodor's icy defenses..

Ultimately maybe he'd settle on "Atsu" as a proper name?

What do you think guys

-Now, Atsushi:

-Here it's fairly more simple- Atsushi would approach with formal titles such as : Fyodor-sama, Dos-sama- perhaps after some development going easier on the honorary titles : "Dos-san" being commonly used imo.

-I think there perhaps will be a time- a time of great weakness and vulnerability between Fyodor and Atsushi, perhaps after a mission gone bad where Nikolai had to portal the weretiger out of death's hands- I think in confidence, alone, while the boy recovers, Fyodor would open up the existence of the diminutive term "Fedya" to his own name in a subtle, encrypted way. And would instruct Atsushi that it is to be used only in confidence and not amongst anyone else. Of course, Atsushi still slaps a "-sama" at the end of it- "Fedya-sama/ Fedya-san." But I think this is made a possibility only after some heavy character development-

Anyway these are all possibilities- what do you think?

-Nix🌙

[weloveakechi]

WIP Wednesday

I totally forgot to post a WIP of my upcoming chapter of As Dreamers Do yesterday, but I still wanted to share a little something.

Goro can’t help but shoot Sae Niijima’s little sister, Makoto, a wicked grin as she steps into the office.  “Hello, Niijima-san.” He gives her a little wave, deeply amused by this turn of events.  He won’t call what he has with Makoto Niijima a rivalry. It’s not that. But it isn't nothing either. They pick at each other, prodding for weak spots, and viciously tug when they find one. It started as him teasing her a bit when she got jealous of how much time he spent with her sister, and over the years it has evolved. If he were feeling gracious he might label it almost akin to being siblings vying for a parents favor, with Sae-san as the parent.  “Akechi?” In her surprise she drops her normal insistence on honorifics.  Kobayakawa looks from one to the other before he nods, “Good, good. You both are already acquainted. I’d appreciate it if you’d continue Akechi-san’s tour of the school for me.”  “Tour, sir?”  Goro gives her a blinding grin, “I’m considering transferring here. My current school is being difficult regarding my schedule and workload as a detective. As I’d like to graduate, and continue working I’m looking for options more amenable to my lifestyle.”

[minggukieology]

Hello :)!

I have something I would like to know. I understand since they all are pretty much in front of the camera all the time so abiding the honourifics rule is pretty much expected in the industry, and if you don’t mind, can you please describe how often Jungkook drop honourifics with his hyungs other than Jimin?

Hi, thanks a lot for your message ^^

Right, the basic setting is them 'at work' filming content with a lot of staff members around, therefore age hierarchy and honorifics is expected to be followed as it is typically a formal situation. Though that can change depending on the context. Typically in official edited content (RUN BTS, interviews, promo content) they stick with formal language as it upholds the 'officiality' of it but when they engage in friendly banter among themselves, they occassionally slip into informal style (less frequently tho).

Vlives, weverse lives (whatever you want to call it) or other type of communication outside of official content is when they use informal language the most. For Korean viewers, it feels more casual, as if hanging out together with them as friends when that happens. So it definitely helps remove the formal barrier between them and the audience and sets a more easy going tone.

((One of the most prominent examples for all members that comes to mind is actually the latest festa dinner where they wanted to show us just them hanging out in private (almost as if without cameras) and their language stays informal most of the time among them.))

When it comes to Jungkook (not) using honorifics with Jimin, to me it always comes as a surprise how easily he slips into informal language nowadays even in their most typical "formal" work situations such as RUN BTS or promo content. I would argue it happens so frequently now people don't even pay attention that much. Sure, there is no denying that he does speak informally from time to time to Tae as well (I can immediately recall a few instances during their latest lives-BUT important point I consider those the less 'formal' setting) and I am sure he does use informal language with him outside of work nowadays, with Jimin it happens way more often and without much thought to it. As if their default setting has been completely changed to informal style now and formal language comes unnaturally to them. To compare, I may remember a few more instances when he has slipped into informal language with his hyungs, but most of them were in a playful context and/or during their less 'formal' setting - live broadcasts.

What is even more striking to me though is how much pushback there would be from Jimin when Jungkook did it in the old days, but nowadays he doesn't even bat an eye 🤭 It just shows how much closer they have grown over the years and how their relationship has evolved and evened out. Now Jimin isn't insisting on always being in the role of the older hyung and regarded as such, plus Jungkook is also able and allowed to assume an equal role and communicate from the same level. To me, this is significant.

[frogblast-the-ventcore]

The Ciprians

The Royal Republic of Ciprine is the nationstate inhabited by the majority of the Ciprian species. While vaguely resembling avians and largely covered in a metallic carapace, Ciprians are in fact mammalian, giving live birth and nursing their young. Being descended from an arboreal flight capable predator species has given Ciprians traits such as forward-facing eyes, clawed hands, and a prominent array of teeth. They are omnivores, but their dietary needs skew towards requiring a high amount of meat. Their carapace evolved as a form of natural armor, as their primordial ancestors were not at the top of the food chain - while it offers some protection against blunt force trauma and low velocity impacts, the carapace does not protect against small arms fire, either projectile or directed energy based. Ciprians value the ecosystem of their planet, and have become leading galactic experts at preservation and maintenance of planetary climate and terra/xenoformation. Indeed, it was Ciprian technology, after first contact with humanity in 2153, that enabled the reversal of many of the worst effects of climate change on the human homeworld.

Ciprian society is strictly regimented by educational level, with citizenship tiers beginning at 0 (children who have yet to enter schooling), and ending at 27. Ciprian society retains a monarch (styled as Emperor/Empress; seat currently held by Empress Caela VII), who is largely a figurehead, but who retains a small amount of personal power in executive matters. Citizens may gain promotion to higher tiers via exams held by the government every two years. This process is automatic as part of initial public education, but becomes voluntary and semi-competitive once a citizen has exited public education.

In order to display rank and status, Ciprians wear facial markings in a variety of patterns and colors, with different components to denote different aspects of their highest attained educational level.

For a typical Ciprian, markings concentrated on the forehead denote the Ciprian's home city/town/province (thus these are the first marks ever received, even before entering schooling), while the pattern of marks on the cheeks denote the field of study; mandible markings indicate how long one has studied for, and bands on the crest denote scores achieved in each year of education. Jewelry of varying type and expensive is pierced through the mandibles to denote degrees and honors earned. The color and pattern of all but the crest markings denotes a specific educational institution, which each having a specific pattern and color scheme. Ciprians who attend educational institutions outside the boundaries of Ciprian space are not required to have such markings, but over the centuries, an official register of marking colors/patterns has been developed for such educational institutions. Ciprian language also has an extensive list of honorifics used to refer to others by educational level. These terms do not always fully translate into Astral Confederation Standard with their nuance intact, so the Ciprian government takes pains to educate those non-Ciprians whom frequently interact with their people in their proper use and pronunciation (to the degree afforded by their biological structures).

This system of publically marking education levels has led to three specific cultural anecdotes of note - the phenomenon of "bareface", the expression "goldcrest", and the depiction of the Ciprians primary deity.

While there is no legal requirement to wear educational markings past age of maturity, the practice has become so widespread and ingrained in Ciprian lifestyle that someone choosing not to wear markings into adulthood is regarded as an outlier, usually by someone who wishes to hide their educational past, or else have decided that they do not wish to be associated with it any longer. These "barefaced" Ciprians are commonly stereotyped as uneducated or ashamed of their education, nefarious or wishing to hide their education for deceptive purpose, or arrogant and willingfully ignorant of fact (a state of mind somewhat tantamount to blasphemy for most Ciprians).

The expression "goldcrest" relates to the practice of marking out an individual's attained grades on their crests, with bands composed of copper, silver, gold, or platinum colored paint based on what specific grade was achieved on the relevant exams - copper for a passing grade without distinction, silver for an above average grade, and gold for exemplary marks. The rare platinum crest marks are reserved for the single highest scoring individual taking the exam on a regional level. In this context, "Goldcrest" would, literally speaking, refer to a Ciprian with all, or nearly all, gold exam markings, this indicating a high level of knowledge and ability. Figuratively, to be called a "goldcrest" is an extremely positive complement, implying the speaker sees the addressee as someone who is wise and competent to a great degree.

The Emperor/Empress and their immediate family are traditionally the only Ciprians who wear gold face markings. These marks represent education at the Royal Academy of Darvan, which is traditionally and nearly-exclusively open solely to members of the royal family; an intensely competitive lottery process allows a handful of non-royals to attend every year, but graduating is quite difficult and time-consuming. However, no living Ciprian may be allowed to wear platinum marks (save for on the crest in very specific circumstances, as previously mentioned). Full platinum facial markings are considered the sole province of the Ciprian god of creation and knowledge, Sæar'kalan. Often depicted as being entirely covered in a platinum carapace and covered in markings across their body, Sæar'kalan represents the omnipotence of a being who has attained all the knowledge of the universe. Worshipped by the vast majority of the Ciprian people, Sæar'kalan was, according to legend, once a mortal like any other, but attained access to a mythical realm or state of being which granted them all knowledge, past, present, and future, similar to human concepts such as the Akashic records.

To the Ciprians, scientific disiplines, the arts, recordkeeping, and engineering are the most respected professions, as they enable the discovery, expression, safeguarding, and practical use of the knowledge attained by society as a whole. These professions often interweave with each other, leading Ciprians to build devices that are often just as much art pieces as they are practical items. Drawing from their species' arboreal past and use of natural materials, many Ciprian luxury starships are both built and grown, with aerospace-grade wooden hulls grown around metallic structural skeletons, inlaid with natural material accents like marble, gold, leather, and copper.

The Royal Republic became a full Confederation member in 2164, the first species to join after the original seven.

[soleired]

An amber stranger (Zhongli x Reader one shot)

Content: Zhongli x y/n (gender neutral)

Warnings: none, SFW

The sun brought with it unmatched tranquillity as it set on the Liyue harbour horizon. Men, women, young, and old, all taking their leisurely stroll after a long day of work. That’s when you saw him. An awe-striking man that put an abrupt stop to your stroll, much to the dismay of the cargo carriers behind you. After a swift relay of apologies, your gaze returned to the stranger, only to be met with a gaze of his own. A tall, upright stature illuminated by an amber light. An intimidating presence to say the least. But the amused glint on his face did not go unnoticed by you. That was the first time you met the stranger, but it certainly wasn’t the last.

The second time you ran into the stranger was in the Bubu Pharmacy a few weeks later. You came with the intention of restocking your medical supplies when a deep voice swayed your concentration.

“The qingxin flower, an excellent choice to overcome sore throats and headaches, not to mention its nutritional value. A fine choice indeed.” The stranger commented, bemusing you into silence. “Ah, my apologies, it was rude of me to intrude on your affairs. Please, don’t let my musing get in the way of your browsing.”

“It’s..It's quite alright, no harm done.” You answered with regained confidence. “I was merely surprised. Thank you for your kind recommendation Mr…?” 

“Zhongli”

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr Zhongli”.

And just like that a new acquaintanceship was born. A connection that only continued to grow with each reencounter. As time raced by, that acquaintanceship evolved into companionship, a friendship, and then, an unfamiliar warmth.

A gentle breeze swept through the harbour on a fine spring morning, carrying with it the scents from every corner of the market. You were merely purchasing ingredients when you ran into a familiar figure. “Mr Zhongli! Good morning, are you here for groceries? The veggies have an excellent deal at the moment” You cheerfully greeted him.

“Good morning to you too Y/N, I was merely browsing. But if the deal is as good as you suggest, I'd be a fool to miss it.” He smiled warmly. “Also… Y/N.” He started after a brief pause.

“Yes?” You answered.

“Surely, you and I have grown past the point of using honorifics. Just Zhongli is fine, wouldn’t you say?”. He said warmly, before chuckling at your surprised expression. “After all, we aren’t strangers anymore.” 

“I suppose so, yeh” You affirmed. “Then, Zhongli, will you do me the honour of joining me this evening for an evening stroll?” You asked, quicking losing your prior confidence. “I’m planning to stop by Xinyue Kiosk, and thought...I was thinking maybe-”

“I would love to join you Y/N. Perhaps we could get some dinner as well?” He asked.

“That would be lovely.”

Three months have passed since that evening, and that prior unfamiliar warmth has made your heart its permanent home. Those familiar eyes, the warm smile, and the smooth voice never fail to make you yearn for more. And tonight, you decided to take the definitive stance. You will either fulfil your desire or lose everything. Thus, on a regular evening stroll by the docks, the very same place you first met the man, you took Zhongli’s hand and looked meaningfully at him. He was receptive. His upright stature illuminated by an amber light, as he gave you a questioning look. 

“Zhongli,” you started “there is something I must confess, please allow me to finish first.” He gave you a knowing look, a knowing look with a hint of sadness in them. 

“While I know we haven’t known each other for very long, I can’t deny this feeling anymore. Whenever I see you, I feel this warmth, this ache in my chest that won’t go away no matter how much I distract myself. My heart and thoughts race with your touch. So while you don’t have to return my feelings, would you please accept them and remain my companion?” You breathed your final sentence. Hating how the fear made your voice quiver. 

Zhongli was quiet for a long while. Replaying and rethinking each word you uttered. Before finally, returning his gaze to yours and answering:

“My dear Y/N, this must have been bothering you for a while now, thank you for confiding in me. I have lived a long life, met many people, and experienced many unforeseen losses. A part of my history I have yet to share with you. But in all that time, I’ve learned that it’s the chances you miss that you regret the most.” He smiled at you. “I would love nothing more than to remain your companion and to accept all the feelings you may feel. So please, share them with me in the future as well?”

[legendheroes]

So, some things about the blog's and AU ✨ Lore ✨:

Tagiru might be too used to call Daisuke by "Lance-san" and even separate him from Mysterious Hunter. Except all of them are the same person.

Daisuke doesn't mind Tagiru calling him by "Lance-san", but the others like Taichi and Takato don't understand it first but a quick explanation made them just go like "ah"

That said, Taiki (and Yuu) might be also used to call him by "Lance-san" before the reveal, so those two actually call Daisuke by his real name plus -san honorific.

The only Legend Hero Tagiru did not face, besides Daisuke, is Masaru. Who faced him was actually Kiriha. However, Tagiru has a big fear of Masaru, he's very intimidated by Masaru. Masaru himself doesn't get it though. Tagiru might have a huge respect for him despite this btw.

If Daisuke is the "responsible mentor", the anti-Daisuke in this whole AU and blog is Takuya -- who just enjoys chaos and messing things up for fun. But he won't go that far either, there's a limit for what Takuya do and doesn't do. But he likes to tease Daisuke by teaching "wrong things" to Tagiru.

Despite everything, Takato is chill and only drops the nice façade if you REALLY piss him off. Which means Takuya has some interesting ways to convince him to blackmail Daisuke for fun. But they all are friends, especially Takato and Daisuke, and Daisuke and Takuya.

Masaru doesn't talk much here, but he's quite seen as someone wise, with tons of philosophy to teach them. But even the wise man can be clueless and be stupid. It's just it doesn't come all the time like happens to OG!Taichi, who is glorified by both Daisuke and Takato.

reboot Taichi is way more pragmatic and chill than the original Taichi, so they kinda break Daisuke and Takato's minds.

Fortunately, Takuya cannot spirit evolve anymore once the main story of the AU ended. Trust me, this is a good thing.

Daisuke and Takuya are "friend-rivals" but the rivalry part only shows when they're doing stupid competitions. Luckily they never tried something too dangerous that could end up this badly because Takato intervenes.

Taiki might be all smart and all, but he's quite clueless and has random toku trivia -- especially Rider. He tends to borrow Shoutmon King's scarf just for the looks too.

Haru likes them all, but feels overwhelmed with most of them. Hiro just shrugs and goes with the flow. r!Taichi is nice with everyone, but sometimes he can say some... stupid cheesy things that could make everyone else lost their sheet.

Not AU related, but i'm still not sure how to introduce the post-XW characters into the Lore/plot.

[bluelockednyx]

hey i was wondering if you would be able to explain some nick name meaning in blue lock? for example i don't understand bachira calling nagi nagicchi? like i understand him calling rin, rin chan? but was this meaning of nagicchi? also do you think you could explain why hiori is called hiorin sometimes? sorry i've been trying to figure out why and i feel like i'm being driven insane because i just unable to figure it out! love the rinssagi analyze stuff i'm not a shipper but it was great analysis to read through!

All of them are nicknames given affectionately, the same way one would call Benjamin as 'Ben' or 'Benny' for short. Japan has fairly strict social boundaries when it comes to name use, and even close friends and romantic partners won't necessarily call each other by their given names but their surnames instead. Switching from using surnames to given names with each other is a big deal there, and in stories is most often proof of an evolving relationship, a very common trope in stories, especially those with romantic arcs between characters. Bachira calls Rin as 'Rin-chan', for storytelling purposes, as Kaneshiro-sensei needs to differentiate between the Itoshi brothers and does so by name, plus it serves Rin's character arc, and it's also a way to show that Bachira is friendly and has a good relationship with Rin.

For a more 'middle' road to show affection, people may choose to attach honorifics to surnames.

'Nagicchi' is actually Nagi + 'c' + 'chi'. The middle 'c' acts like a small pause and to join Nagi's name with the honorific 'chi'.

The '-chi, -n', when used in conjunction with names are honorifics used based on personal preference to show closeness. You could, for example, call Hiori as 'Hioricchi', but it doesn't roll off the tongue as easily as 'Hiorin', and is a bit of a mouthful due to how it may be pronounced in JP. There's also some differences in the nuances and feel of them, and generally speaking '-chi' is closer to '-chan', and is more cutesy and playful.

[pinkdolphin12]

Kinda fucked up how as a non-binary amab obsessed with knights that modern English has ruined words for me that would in their original context be very affirming.

Mann was the gender neutral term for a person

Sir was the honorific of Knights.

Being called a Man or Sir would have been gender affirming as fuck if the language didn’t evolve.

[my-wayward-son]

Trans truths #6

What’s up with social passing, anyway?

Passing is largely defined as the condition or point has come when a passerby would see you, and, based on features, will assume you are male.

Yes, it’s all social and institutional mysoginy, which is bullshit and needs to be noticed and worked on, whether through bills or laws or pride or protests… But, in the same way,I’ve addressed concepts such as “the silhouette,”most public spaces and those who occupy them. In a single glance, people tend to read one’s gender presentations and and they automatically allocate you to the basic (if outdated) categories of XX or XY. It’s just the sad truth.

Again, this is all highly opinionated, I know, but I’ve lived in 2 different cities over the past 10 years, and I’ve met my fair share of oblivious/unkind/unwanted attention. Let’s just say that a lot of people still living under rocks, and a good handful of professionals (usually nurses) who have received inclusivity training and wear a badge or pin identifying themselves as LGBT friendly have not received updated information or training beyond the basics. Much of the presented literature not current. People may insist on calling you a previous. Often it is unintentional, but it hits the point home: training is basic, doesn’t not ebb and flow with evolving lingo, name or using your preferred pronouns. Many folks (especially medical professionals) is from backlogged DVM, late -90s era pamphlets and news articles (such as those disseminated from PFLAG,) and legal specifications that read “do not do/say xxx, or you will be immediately fired for breaking that the pesky laws drawn up with Title IV”. That pertains to things like providing service (like in restaurants, barber shops, caregivers in the hospital, etc. ) and abolishing police and personal related to whom is allowed to be in public space.(park, theater, median in the freeway…whatevs.) And, jsyk, you can report mistreatment and advocate for yourself—usually by first stating your problem to the lead nurse/boss /manager/etc). Bring up possible Title IV infraction a little longer down the road. Most of the time the business, hospital, etc, will find someone somewhere to translate respectful speech for the …backward, I guess?

When you’re in a situation where you are speaking to someone such as a receptionist in a medical office, be prepared for hiccups. One of the best ways to get started and easily establish the who, how, and when is by using honorifics. Yes, it’s a bit (ok, a lot) scary to initiate conversations with strangers, but here’s the logic: in clinical, business, and academic situations, greeting the person with an honorific (like “Good morning, sir,”), allows them to feel good about themselves and want to be equally kind, which leads to a higher opportunity of the interaction going well. In my experience, the receptionist will usually use a non-gendered name for me, like “Sweetie.” In this case, the other person is perceiving you as young, and their mind has glammed on to that, rather placing you as XX or XY’) I’ve also had several instances where I”ve been called “bud,” which I find entertaining ok, since this indicates the person (usually a male person, for some reason) is reading you as both young and male. Past honorifics and greetings, depending highly on the situation, you’ll become a name and a pronoun (as the receptionist speaks to the MA, etc.). Try not to interrupt, but when it’s your talking term, here are the phrases that can keep you from feeling quashed under a past identity. Saying “My name is (masc name), although in the record it might be under (femme name).” is a great place to start. Usually your conversation partner will get with it. If they either don’t respond or continue to misgender you, jump back into the conversation at any pause point and say something like “My pronouns are he/him/his.” Or “I use they/them pronouns.” or whatever the case may be. Almost 100% of the time, the other speaking partners are misinformed, and they don’t have a problem with switching to correct terms. There’s usually no need to state that you’re trans (that’s really not anyone’s business—you don’t need to be blatant in the waiting room, even if you’re there to see the doctor who prescribes you T.) If you still feel comfortable talking to the receptionist or whoever, consider asking for your preferred name and pronouns to be added to your chart. Most of them have forms with space given for that info. If they don’t seem to be able to do it right away, I can 100% assure you that the program they use to keep personal information and/or the physical printed forms can be edited by an administrator of the system. ( Years of SharePoint training not yet gone to seed.)

[argyrocratie]

“In what we may call the pre-scientific view (and the word is not necessarily pejorative) a person’s behaviour is at least to some extent his own achievement. He is free to deliberate, decide, and act, possibly in original ways, and he is to be given credit for his successes and blamed for his failures. In the scientific view (and the word is not necessarily honorific) a person’s behaviour is determined by a genetic endowment traceable to the evolutionary history of the species and by the environmental circumstances to which as an individual he has been exposed. Neither view can be proved, but it is in the nature of scientific inquiry that the evidence should shift in favour of the second. As we learn more about the effects of the environment, we have less reason to attribute any part of human behaviour to an autonomous controlling agent. And the second view shows a marked advantage when we begin to do something about behaviour. Autonomous man is not easily changed: in fact, to the extent that he is autonomous, he is by definition not changeable at all. But the environment can be changed, and we are learning how to change it. The measures we use are those of physical and biological technology, but we use them in special ways to affect behaviour. Something is missing in this shift from internal to external control. Internal control is presumably exerted not only by but for autonomous man. But for whom is a powerful technology of behaviour to be used? Who is to use it? And to what end? We have been implying that the effects of one practice are better than those of another, but on what grounds? What is the good against which something else is called better? Can we define the good life? Or progress towards a good life? Indeed, what is progress? What, in a word, is the meaning of life, for the individual or the species? (...) We may begin with some simple examples. There are things which almost everyone calls good. Some things taste good, feel good, or look good. We say this as readily as we say that they taste sweet, feel rough, or look red. Is there then some physical property possessed by all good things? Almost certainly not. There is not even any common property possessed by all sweet, rough, or red things. A grey surface looks red if we have been looking at a blue-green one; plain paper feels smooth if we have been feeling sandpaper or rough if we have been feeling plate glass; and tap water tastes sweet if we have been eating artichokes. Some part of what we call red or smooth or sweet must therefore be in the eyes or fingertips or tongue of the beholder, feeler, or taster. What we attribute to an object when we call it red, rough, or sweet is in part a condition of our own body, resulting (in these examples) from recent stimulation. Conditions of the body are much more important, and for a different reason, when we call something good. Good things are positive reinforcers. The food that tastes good reinforces us when we taste it. Things that feel good reinforce us when we feel them. Things that look good reinforce us when we look at them. When we say colloquially that we ‘go for’ such things, we identify a kind of behaviour which is frequently reinforced by them. (The things we call bad also have no common property. They are all negative reinforcers, and we are reinforced when we escape from or avoid them.) When we say that a value judgement is a matter not of fact but of how someone feels about a fact, we are simply distinguishing between a thing and its reinforcing effect. Things themselves are studied by physics and biology, usually without reference to their value, but the reinforcing effects of things are the province of behavioural science, which, to the extent that it is concerned with operant reinforcement, is a science of values. Things are good (positively reinforcing) or bad (negatively reinforcing) presumably because of the contingencies of survival under which the species evolved. There is obvious survival value in the fact that certain foods are reinforcing; it has meant that men have more quickly learned to find, grow, or catch them. A susceptibility to negative reinforcement is equally important; those who have been most highly reinforced when they have escaped from or avoided potentially dangerous conditions have enjoyed obvious advantages. As a result it is part of the genetic endowment called ‘human nature’ to be reinforced in particular ways by particular things. (It is also part of that endowment that new stimuli become reinforcing through ‘respondent’ conditioning - that the sight of fruit, for example, becomes reinforcing if, after looking at the fruit, we bite into it and find it good. The possibility of respondent conditioning does not change the fact that all reinforcers eventually derive their power from evolutionary selection.)”

-BF Skinner, "Beyond Freedom & Dignity" (1971)