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helloescapist · 10 months

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To See His Smile

Word Count: 5,598

Setting: slow burn oneshot, Amajki x GN!reader; SFW

Content Warning(s): none

Summary: From your first encounter with the seemingly stoic hero, Suneater to the aloof senpai of The Big 3, and all of the pieces in between, you adored the many sides of Amajiki Tamaki, but what you loved most of all was the smile he rarely shared.

[Not my art, credit goes to the artist!]

There were so many sides to him, more than just the stoic emerging hero the public knew and adored. More the embodiment of anxiety and social recluse U.A. students were familiar with. There were so many sides to him, layers wrapped delicately and protectively like a rosebud who dared not yet blossom. The first glimpse beneath the surface was enough to have you hooked, not that you had ever intended to meet that fated day.

The train set for the Kansai region bustled with energy having departed on a school excursion. The optimistic chatter amongst classmates. Assigned groups knitted closely together. Some compared brochure notes, dedicated themselves to sight-seeing, the thrill of exploring neighboring temples and aging castles claiming their attention; others simply swapped treats amongst themselves pocky for senbei, health snacks packed by doting parents lost amongst the bargaining, all too willing to subject themselves to a wayward tour. Although based off of the composed members, it was likely their bellies would be their guide. While one group discussed desired activities, hearts poured into escaping to the shopping districts and local fashions, another could be heard just as eagerly plotting buoyant romantic rendezvous, daring to sneak into co-ed hotel rooms. The distant views of sakura trees passing them by, Mount Yoshino’s beauty left astray. Gentle waves of white and pink blossoms framed against a sky outline before the inevitable drawing of the destined station. Your own group partners adored in their perspective uniform, having chattered away as you watched the flowers disappear from view. Of all the things you had considered would happen that day, hanging off the side of a building was not in mind.

The arrival was swift and full of excitement to the prospect of independence. Quick to disburse luggage at the school-selected onsen, not having bothered to change out of uniforms, and barely having the time to snug a scarf around your neck to protect from the chill the region offered before your group ushered you forward. Your heart practically humming in your eardrums, beyond excited at the prospect of visiting the sky gardens in person. From the shopping opportunities, restaurants, cafes, adorable mascots, and so much more, you were thrilled at the opportunity to immerse yourself in the botanical gardens, and be swept away of the composition of traditional Japanese flora, the even more tempting opportunities to interact with rare species accumulated from other countries, alluring for someone of your particular quirk. And the very reason you had crossed your fingers, prayed to every shrine and every God you could surmise, hinted at your group peers in the hope that they would consider it a stopping place for your voyage—your opportunity mostly provided by Yuki’s enthusiasm for pudding peeked at the mention of a famous café that was hosted by the botanical garden. The hearts were practically shined in her eyes as her hands clasped your own tightly, yanking you forward impatiently and excitedly. Her sunshine yellow hair printed with orange pats, her grin brighter than the sun, and the red plaid of her skirt ruffled as she urged you to run, tossing all decorum to the side. Behind you, the opposite to her energy were your companions, Aoi being pushed forward. Uneasy, murmuring about heights, and Mizuki’s hands pressed firmly across his shoulders as he urged him forward, half bothered to share words of reassurance but not dedicated enough to hide their exhaustion from the train. Your group parting upon the entry of the premise. Yuki pudding bound, her gusto radiating causing her tail to tap eagerly against the ground. Aoi tucked closely behind her, doing his best to remind her of her manners much like a motherly hen. Mizuki having found a fondness for the building’s mascot, and you slipped off to the gardens.

And it was worth it. So very worth it. The gardens were nothing short of breathtaking. Tiers of gardens coordinated and widespread amongst the indoor radius. Its extensive variety flora captivating viewers. Waves of colors, symphony of scents. The occasional delicate floral notes orchestrated from roses, a tropical hint from palms, spicy white dianthus caryophyllus, and citrus notes from lemon balm. The calming effects of nature at your beck and call, and the colors that graced the sites. Reds derived from ginger plants and celosia. Oranges tinted from fruit bearing trees, kalanchoe thrysiflora, and yellows painted with devil’s tongues, and marigolds. Greens gifted from various ivy types, and dusty hues from barberry, agave, and even Chinese Jujube. Blues of many varieties ranging from lavenders to hydrangeas, and then there were the purples. Mystical wisteria, magical foxglove, and masquerading nightshade. Peaceful, and opportunities you could ever dream of, as you breathed in the warmth. Acknowledged the passing by of viewers. Groups of students that frocked pass you, whispers of romantic proposals, lovers that dared to sneak kisses from prying eyes, and even families on an outing. The only real question was, were to start. Hours poured over studying the brochure and information pamphlets, there were so many wonderful beginnings, opportunities to dive into study. But where? Where? There. Perfuming the air as you inspected petal after petal, delicate to the plant as you leaned over on bent knees, tucking your heart intentionally behind your ear as your lashes grazed your cheeks. The current specimen at your fingertips, dracaena. Careful to avoid any pricks as you inspected its pores, examined soil textures, and took notes on its surrounding, and potential uses. How difficult it would be to manifest this particular plant, and how tasking it might be on your stamina, body, and potential side-affects it may have on the environment, targets, or even yourself. Biting your lips, you were too absorbed in the specimen to notice your surroundings. The rush of students and onlookers peering from windows. Distant noise of explosions that lightly vibrated the spikes upon the Dracaena causing you to glance up, but for later than you would like to admit. Intrigue had turned to terror, people fled from the windows, the shattering of glass, and crumbling of walkways beneath your feet. Stationed at the edge of the sky botanical, visitors flooded the exits, and your heart thrummed in your ears. Eyes locked on the busied exit. A familiar pump of adrenaline in your muscles, but the distant ebb of a wail tore your gaze from escape.

A little girl dressed in overalls that hung loosely on her shoulders, hung desperately to the ground. Her fingers giving out beneath her as the building swayed with some unseen collision. Her eyes wide as tears rolled from her cheeks. Trembling as she screamed for her guardian, but amongst the growing tragedy, her voice was lost amongst the crumbling rubble. A bite of your lip, and quick calculations in your thoughts as you scanned every flora in your immediate knowledge before devising a half hazard plan drawn from necessity. Drawing yourself forward, you stretched your hands out, manifesting the strength of Chocolate Vines, its scent carried on the smoke as you wound it around a steel beam, the end coiled snug against your wrist as you dived for the child.

Nope. Of all the possibilities the day offered, it had never occurred to you that you would be hanging from the side of a building, snagged against the side of the building with scratches marring your flesh. Shattered glass and crumbling concrete, and a child secured tightly at your side. Her sobs echoing your ear drums as she buried her nose into the flesh of your ribs. Given the circumstances, what with the life-threatening consequences one wrong move could provide, you hadn’t suspected that of all the whispers of romantic endeavors your classmates had dreamed of would star you. You.

His mask, adorned in gold trim across his brow pass the bridge of his nose. Indigo tinted, his temple drawn, eyes squinted, and tentacles??? While the information is relatively unsurprising looking back on that fateful day, at the time, it was the quite the shock as he hoisted the combined weight of the child and you towards him before snagging onto your torso. Your vines beginning to wilt and snag, growing weak stressed from the demands. Around you, the building was unstable, the child anxious and trembling, and the boy who held you snug against his gaze followed a distant fight tumble about as he navigated his way to the ground. He seemed sure-footed, his bare feet delicate and adept at mobilizing his body in the quivering structure. It was in that time you etched his figure into your memory. The tips of his ears flushed against the changing winds. Hair the color of fresh blueberries, bangs that hung over baptisia australis eyes that threatened the shade of blue wild indigo blossoms as they refused to meet your own. Focused on the security and the safety of his passengers. What a cute misconception that was—the poor boy was horrified. His stomach had been in the pits, trembling at the close proximity to you, didn’t dare face the humiliation, and even worse, the situation and maneuvering had left him with little choice in positions to support your weight. He didn’t dare meet your eye, too stuck on calculating whether he should adjust his hold and risk dropping the child and you, or risk you believing that he, Suneater was a degenerate that had grasp on your chest, and the inevitable, deserved slap that would accompany it. What would Fat Gum do?

That had been the first of many encounters, and your first glimpse at the man behind the mask, adorned by the alias Suneater. Your initial introduction has been surprising; it wasn’t every day you get flung from a building, and are rescued by a cute elven boy. Let alone one so stoic. You hadn’t missed the gentle glimpse he had given you at the time, as you drew forth a small flower crown for the little one as you awaited the return of her guardians. The sight of its petals giving her a smile as you did your best to manifest other floral distractions. The gentle peek before tugging on his hood, shielding his face, and capturing your heart, but the second layer, the one that you tucked dearly to your heart was as much of a chanced opportunity as your introduction, and a rarity that you suspected only Togata Mirio.

The entrance exam for U.A. was… a lot. It was exhausting. Rounds of machinery hell bent on crushing you and your competitors. If the grueling exam wasn’t one thing, the practical was another. The point system had drawn out the fierce drive in everyone, not to mention the freak situation with that one kid with green hair—what on earth was that? The mere thought of it bore out a sigh from you as you drew yourself outside, searching out a water source and sunshine. Anything to recharge your battery. After all, the number of vines and ivies you had utilized to catapult yourself into the air, and how many rows of thorns you had weaponized itself—you honestly couldn’t count, but were well aware of the drain your body had endured. Your bones ached, and you felt fatigued as you stretched under the shade of a nearby tree, giving yourself a moment before preparing to drag yourself home. Sweat clung to your brow as you breathed in the soft day’s air, languidly wiping it away. You could feel the way your seat suit had clung to your form, not having considered how cutesy they appeared with the cat figure, and the other applicants hadn’t considered you a competent candidate, and admittedly, you felt a little embarrassed by the cat ears that adorned the hoodie, your cheeks burning at the thought. But how could you refuse to wear it? It had purchased with love, a symbol of good luck from your family, and sort of all the more reason why you had chosen a secluded area to cool off before the trek home.

“Ahhh, that was GREAT!” A booming voice cheered. Deep and enthusiastic, stretched out over taunt muscles, and a wide smile far bigger than the sky above, and bright hair that dared to reach the clouds. Round eyes that squinted and heavily patted the back of his comrade as he heaved marked boxes for the U.A. faculty, “reminds me of our entrance exam! And that one kid! Man, the new first year class is going to be amazing. Don’t you think?”

“There-there’s so many of them,” a weak voice mumbled. Struggling unlike his counterpart, standing shorter as well, the delicate boy had been roped into assisting the staff amongst the U.A. entrance. A doing of his friend’s own enthusiasm, who had often enjoyed watching the entrance exam, but this time, he had insisted, or rather dragged the timid boy. Volunteered him as well, and in doing so, exposed him to the upcoming class, and another reason to fret over his own capabilities. His soft complexion complicated as he gazed down at the contents of his luggage.

A girl playfully responding to the blonde’s statement as she pushed forward, the smile on her face evident and humming. Her periwinkle blue hair long and buoyant. What she said, you hadn’t heard, and became increasingly realized that they were not aware of your existence. Their comradery drawing your attention as you watched both the bright boy, and beautiful girl speak to one another, heaving supplies towards the distance, and the boy strayed, dragging behind languidly. His movements stiff, full of worry. His face revealing his unease as his brow wrinkled. His thoughts claiming his attention, causing a thrum of chill down his spine and gloom over head. The stark difference from the hero who had rescued you. A complicated look etched across his features, his bangs looming over his face and high cheek bones. “I-I just want to go home,” he whispered.

Adorned in the shade of the tree, you could make out the tense way he carried himself. Aware that his companions had led the way, perhaps unintentionally leaving him behind, or perhaps giving him a moment to breathe. You weren’t entirely sure, but having witnessed to his distress. You found yourself standing, considering whether or not to check in on him, you mean… was he okay? His eyes drawing swiftly up, wide. You could feel your heart slam into your throat, your stomach occupied in the place in which it used to rest as it threatened back flips. Shuffling you backwards, seeking further shade to hide as though you had done something so indecent as spying. Y-you could explain. It wasn’t that you were intentionally spying! You were here first! You were? Right? Yeah, of course, it was a simple explanation, and then when the group had passed you by, you didn’t want to be rude--- oh no, you were spying. Practically snooping, and preparing to apologize, and bend yourself down so far as to touch your knees with your own forehead. Forgiveness. You needed forgiveness, but would he give it? Oh no, no, no one wants to be seen at such a low, but it was the soft hum that caught you off guard. Encouraged you to stay tucked against the tree that offered a shield from sight. “ah, but Mirio asked this of me…. I should- I should do it.” His smile was as soft as his voice. Tender as the look in his eyes that traced the fluttering of wings. Its delicate hues danced playfully near him as if greeting his grace, and enjoying his equally pleasant aura. A pailo demetrius butterflied that dared to skim the ends of his hair, testing its landing spot. Undoubtedly having confused him for a wild flower, his hair having deceived the butterfly, or rather welcomed its attention. Not that the butterfly seemed to mind, greeted with a smile, nor did your rescuer. The most delicate smile creased his lips, met his soft eyes as he resolved himself to the task. “Thank you,” he whispered warmly to the butterfly before following after his companions. The setting of the sun basking in his soft glow.

Spying wasn’t right, and in part, maybe you had blossomed a questionable pass time hobby, but for all the luck in the world, you had witnessed something rare, unfathomably valuable, and equally breakable, and you would do everything in your power to witness it, if only for one more time.

The third time your paths had crossed was more conventional, orchestrated by Aizawa-sensei, and the first time you had officially heard his name, his true name rather than the one he had dubbed as a hero. It had been the demonstration provided by The Big 3, although it wasn’t intended to be so. It was simply supposed to be an explanation of the Hero Work-Studies that had escalated further than intended.

The class had been a murmur of excitement, curiousity, and drive. There were those who were star struck, like Midoriya, who was drawn into his own world, composed of strategy break down, quirk application, and overall… fanboyism. Others such as Bakugo and Kirishima were eager to hear about the opportunities the program offered, the prior setting himself bars above and eagerness, and confidence. Then, there were the skeptical, the ones with questions and considerations such as Asui and Tokoyami. The range of the classroom was wide, and diverse, each hero-to-be hanging on every word, and every action of The Big 3, and then there was you. Your eyes landed on him, the one dubbed the alias, Suneater, and introduced as Amajiki Tamaki. Just like that fated day, his eyes strayed. Shook underneath the gaze of others, quivered uneasily. His frown growing, and the quiet mumblings that from your seat, seemed incomprehensible. The soft of his skin revealing his anxiety, and trembles as he inevitably turned his back to the class once more. Miserable, and out of place, it was a side of him that U.A. as a whole had grown accustomed to, and perhaps familiarized themselves with, but the transition of anxiety to the sheer acknowledgement of his companion, Togata-senpai. The amount of pride in someone else’s accomplishments, and joy of the memories he shared to the class. Perhaps, it was the real him, a complex mixture of anxiety and pride in friends, and yet, it was that gentle smile of that fateful day that would not leave your heart, and whispered the reality to you. You were determined to see every side of Amajiki-senpai that you could.

And there it was, the mission. The determination and the drive to capture that smile once more, just to witness it again. You had left the Hero-Work program explanation with admittedly two goals in mind: the first to be accepted by a Hero, and the second… to see Amajiki-senpai’s smile once more! Lucky for you, this goal was thankfully intertwined in execution in skills.

The hours you subjected yourself to studying, poured yourself over tomes. Thumbed your fingers across spirals, exhausted your eyes into the late nights. Accidentally falling asleep at your desk. Worrying your family in more ways than you dared to admit, and missed out on a number of opportunities to engage in extra-curricular activities. The days felt almost like a blur of coursework, class hours and week days spent pouring yourself amongst the pages of botany pages. U.A.’s library offered so much valuable information, but your quirk required work. Knowledge, practice, and practical application… To be honest, going about blindly and testing out plant after flora, after specimen, and cacti would wreak havoc across Japan, and give rise to invasive species, that you suspected would endanger your potential hero licensure. Something you longed to avoid at all costs, after goal all, the first goal was to achieve a Hero-Work study, but that didn’t mean that you would be thorough in your investigation. After all, that’s what the practice fields were for, right? Principal Nezu, please forgive you for any future transposing’s your practice may inflict on the U.A. gardens. Thus, the library hadn’t been enough, drawing information from various internet sources, and on the weekends, daring yourself to outings dedicated to your research. Garden visit after garden visit, touring nursery after nursery, you were dedicated, and in time, your first goal had been achieved, but it wasn’t what you had hoped for. It wasn’t what any of you had hoped for.

It should have brought you joy, a sense of pride and recognition in your skills, and to some extent, it did. At least, initially. To have been selected for the Hero-Work program and to have been placed under Kesagiri Man’s care was one that desired praise, and an extra serving of tonkatsu at dinner. How you had beamed in your hero uniform, specially tailored to your form. Leaves that gathered and crawled up right your right leg, blossoming to cover your form naturally before trailing around your left shoulder until coiling at your wrist. Admittedly, to the few, it bordered risky, but remained modest. The intricately delicate head mask that had curved to the shape of your brow, slipping behind your ears into your hair as though fitted for royalty gave you the impression of having slipped from the pages of a fairytale, and how you had painstakingly thumbed through names, landing on the trial run of Danu. In addition to the praise, well, you really had felt excited for the weeks to come. After all, to have garnered a Pro-Hero’s attention wasn’t something to be easily dismissed, it was quite the accomplishment as well as noteworthy key point on any resume, and when it had been decided you would play a role in the Shie Hassaikai Raid, you were beaming at the opportunity to work alongside pro-heroes, and even better… the opportunity to see Amajiki-senpai adorn the alias Suneater. You were practically beam like a sunflower in summer, so much so you had even accidentally blossomed Indigoletta rose buds, rich in lavender petals and devoid of thorns, but now, all of that joy was nullified. The creeping sensation that crept up your neck, raised the hair on your forearms as fumes filled the air. The sound of rubble, and stone clashed in a chaos of elements. Gunfire that radiated amongst the surrounding area, breaths of wind and smoke. The stray attacks that grazed pass you. The numbing realization of how serious, and out of hand the situation had become. What had been a strategic plan, with intention and a clear route: those infiltrating had faced far dangerous circumstances than expected while you were left on the side lines. Charged with defending the injured, and supply those in need of immediate medical assistance—how you had stayed up hours expanding your knowledge into medical herbs. Rosemary, lavender, cloves, ginger, dandelion, eucalyptus—you named It, you had mentally filed it away, practiced manifesting it in your home (your home would smell of herbs and spices for months to come, not that your family had hinted any frustration, even going so far as to add leftovers in recent dishes). All the anticipation, and all captivated feelings of accomplishment had been diminished like a flame left in the rain as your fingers hesitantly traced his cheek, far paler than normal. How had this happened? The heroes…. You had pro-heroes. How had it become the Hassaikai Incident? Strained features, taunt lips that pursed and winced. The faintest of groan carried on dwindled sharp breaths, and eyelashes clasped between squeezed eye lids. A feeble warmth beginning to blossom across his features, as the color drained from his blanched complexion. Evidence littered across his cloak, carved into his features. His quirk beginning to mollify, octopus tentacles withdrawing, chicken feet and wings extracted, and the oddest traces of gemstones. Blood that stained, and rubble that threatened open wounds. The trembling in your fingertips undeniable as anxiety thrummed through your body, panicked heart beats that claimed your ear drums, and dulled your senses and response time. All you had wanted was to see him smile.

The recovery had been better than expected, although truth be told, it was perhaps the anxiety that had convinced you it was worse than it truly was. You couldn’t bring yourself to admit how many trips you had made to the local hospital, peaking in on his progress. This is where you had witnessed, yet another side of the elven hero. The soft humility was commendable. The way he expressed concern for others involved in the incident from the loss of a mentor, inquired about Togata-senpa’s condition, and even yours—how that had sent your heart into fits. The sweet care for others, shifting attention to those who he deemed worthy even if it was at the cost of his own care—the way the tips of his ears would blush upon being fretted over by his attendant. The tender gazes out of the window when he achieved a moment, free of further probing. It was enough to elicit a soft sigh from you, and a bubbling of melancholy. Spying, when had you become such a snoop? You promise your parents hadn’t raised you this way, and imagined your siblings would chastise you if they had known, but for all the stolen glimpses between the hospital door, the shuffle of the occasional nurse, and even Recovery Girl’s reassurance that he was certainly recuperating just fine, and even awkwardly dodged your elder’s insistence that while he was a cumbersome boy, he wouldn’t reject a visit from a companion. Yet, you could never bring yourself to knock, merely leaving random visitation flowers with the nurse in the charge of him for the day, sputtering out some clumsy excuse to leave without greeting him. The last visit having been total humiliation that had you buried in your pillow. You really hadn’t mean to escalate from mere snoop to pervert. The adrenaline of the nurse having rejected your delivery request under Recovery Girl’s insistence you were amped up! You could do it! You could! Until the door popped open, the distinct giggle of Hado-senpai emitting from the room, and thin muscles that impacted your face. Your rush having dragged you straight into his chest, to both of your horror. “She-she didn’t see me,” he had stammered, yanking his bandaged form against the door frame, resting his forehead against it, and shielding his features. Failure. Complete and total failure, and even worse. Contact. The flowers in your hands smooshed against you. Hado-senpai’s periwinkle curls caught in the air, practically thrumming with the electric current personality radiated. Her bags practically bouncing with her, as her delicate blue topaz eyes found the bouquet caught in your fingers, a presumptuous grin spreading as she attempted to draw Amajiki-senpai’s attention. You noped out of there as fast as your legs could carry you, pushing the floral arrangement into her hands before disbursing down the hall, eliciting knowing giggles from medical staff.

Upon hearing that Amajiki-senpai had decided that the laughter was directed at him specifically, you had determined to keep your distance for the time being. Well, at least until the shame had dissipated. In that absence, you struggled, and remained vigilant. You really, just wanted to see his smile again, and while Vermilion’s had survived the onslaught despite the odds, Suneater’s had practically been banished into the shadows. More late hours dedicated over books, anything to see that captivating smile resurface. The determination to have that very same smile directed your way having taken root at the school festival.

Class 1-A had found themselves determine to win over the student body while the beauty pageant fostered growing tensions amongst competitors. The ever-boiling tension between Hado-senpai and Kenranzaki-senpai had ushered in wave after wave of stomach aches on your behalf. Having been allocated a sewing position in the costume creation for 1-A’s performance, you had definitely developed a whole new appreciation for the hero uniform department, and received a few private requests as well. That’s how you saw it, the growing crushing realization that if you didn’t land every stitch on Kenranzaki-senpai’s gown with a dedicated level that reached her expectations, you suspected you would be receiving end of her tank, or much worse given her talent as a member of U.A.’s Department of Support. The terror sending you reeling as you sat to the side, panicked, rushed, and wary of every scuffle between the two upper classmen. In this time frame, you had bore witness to a gentle reassurance. The warmth Amajiki-senpai in attempting to consul his friend’s feelings, and on the day of the pageant, as you wearily mended a snag on Kenranzaki-senpai’s dress (seriously though, a tank? In a DRESS?), there he was, front and center. Braving the crowd. A fond smile that graced his lips, one so warm you suspected it could thaw even the coldest winter day, perhaps could even still the ever-driven Kenzranzaki-senpai. Imagine, all of the students who had gathered, pressed against the stage in anticipation to see beauty. Blissfully unaware that a true vision of enchantment was not Hado-senpai that twirled in the air, but her supporter, Amajiki-senpai squished amongst viewers, happy to see her achieve her goal.

The burning desire to have that smile, that mythical smile directed your way had led you here. Fingers covered in dirt; the soil wedged between your nails. Your hands delicately cupping the earth between your digits. All the hours of being Hatsume Mei’s test subject had come to bare fruits, and to the gods above, it had been trying. How Midoriya had endured her assertive personality, and well, risky decision-making skills were beyond you—you suspected it would be weeks before all of your bruises and scrapes healed, but here it was. The full soil report across the school grounds, targeted to more secluded areas. Each region mapped consistently. Hatsume may be a bit fanatical in her own unique way, but she was extremely thorough. Your smile expanding as you examined your surroundings. From Hatsume’s report, you were able to determine the soil type was a match, from the drainage needs, the pH balance, and even the sun exposure. “it’s perfect,” you whispered to yourself as you yanked out your water bottle, chugging it as quickly as you could before threading your hands deeper into the ground, making sure to clear the topsoil. “I can do this.” With closed, tight eyes, you dedicated your all to envisioning the roots strong and sturdy. Its shrub structure encompassing the area, healthy, dark green leaves, and felted form. Lance like stems that gave way to various shades of purple, deep violets, and light and delicate lilac. Grow. Grow. Grooooow. Spreading across the opening, tucked away on U.A. grounds were only students who wished to have a moment alone would wander, out of sight, and out of mind. The perfect escape. Murmuring praise to encourage its growth, after all, everything grows with kindness. Its blooms reaching towards the sky, enjoying the high sky, and stretching slowly, but surely before maturing at ten feet tall, wide spread and the heavenly sweet scent of honey beckoning the environment. Your grin spread, a soft shade of scarlet spread across cheeks.

You had done it. Buddleja japonica. A native variety of butterfly bush. The delicate flutter of wings, emerging colors drawn from all surrounding areas, enticed by the promise of nectar. Exhaustion weaved on your features, and admittedly, you knew that latter, you would need to provide another round of foliage to entice the butterflies to remain, but for now, you could only bask in the scenic view of your makeshift butterfly garden, and approaching figure. Thin, and taller than yourself, long fingers that grasped the note you had slid into his genkan cubby at school, the telling shade of the envelope and cute sticker you had attached. The surprise on his face, admittedly because he had steeled himself to facing a challenge head-on, some part of him believing someone hated him enough to call him out to a secluded area of the school—not that anything in the note had suggested as such, although you had to confess that the vague request to meet you here regardless of the daring heart addition may have sent the wrong impression, and had the poor boy reeling into a variety of panic attacks before he had worked up the nerve to appear.

His deep-set amethyst hair catching the glimmer of sunlight, his eyes deeper than the sweetest Murasaki tart now wide as the glow of a blush spread from the tips of his ears, danced across his cheeks, and landed on the tip of his nose. His mouth opening in wonder, and awe as the butterflies danced across flower petals. The occasional one straying to greet his arrival before his eyes found you, knelt on the ground. The exhaustion as evident as the dirt that marred your hands with the level of dedication your quirk and feelings had nurtured, your hair falling just right in the iridescent of the day creating the faintest of halo glows. The coy expression you bared, gazing ever so affectionately at… him? The realization causing his form to shake and him to advert his eyes, the blossoming of warmth in his heart and smile that threatened to break. His wrist drawn up to hide himself from view. Doing the best to conceal the growing blush that had claimed his delicate features, his almond eyes widened as they traced your silhouette. “B-beautiful,” whispered shyly across the flutter of a butterfly’s wings.

#bnha x reader #tamaki amajiki #tamaki amajiki x reader #boku no hero academia #bnha amajiki

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commentaryvorg · 2 years

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Digimon Savers Commentary Episode 40 - The Strongest Group of Knights! The Royal Knights Assemble!

In this episode, the team seeks out Yggdrasil, guided by a reborn Gotsumon who doesn’t remember them. They encounter the Royal Knights and struggle to fight them, but Masaru’s biggest shock is in store when he comes face-to-face with Yggdrasil.

So now that we’ve got through the mostly lacklustre half-clip-show introductory episode for it, it’s time to really properly get into my other favourite arc of this series! I am excite.

The recap’s fairly short – not that it even had that much from last episode to recap. Apparently they didn’t even want to remind us that we spent half of last episode watching a clip show, because Yggdrasil isn’t mentioned.

We continue pretty much exactly where the previous episode left off, with the group at the summit of Mount Fuji having just decided to head to the Digital World. Masaru’s DATS earpiece, which apparently he’d kept in his pocket this entire time (or maybe he picked up a spare one from the hideout?) beeps with an incoming call. It’s Chika and Sayuri, still in the hideout, with Miki and Megumi having helped them get in contact with Masaru. Masaru implicitly fills them in on what he and the others are about to head off and do.

Chika: “Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Aww, Chika. Someone’s always got to try and tell Masaru not to do that, because you know he’s going to anyway.

Sayuri: “Try to make it back by dinner time. I’ll be waiting with a heaping helping of fried eggs.”

Aww, Sayuri. Still coping with her worry by cooking all of the food! It’s also quite a thing that she’s saying “by dinner time”. What even is dinner time any more when there’s no day and night because there’s no sun in the sky, and they’re living in a hideout that isn’t their normal home? But Sayuri just wants to try and make everything sound normal and familiar and safe.

Masaru glances up at ShineGreymon as he responds to this, which is amusing. Hopefully our dinosaur friend is not planning on eating any fried eggs while in that form. He’d need a hell of a lot more of them to fill his stomach that way.

Masaru: “We’ll be sure to come back home.”

I love that Masaru makes a point of saying this. He’s still aware of how Sayuri feels about him disappearing off to the Digital World, given what happened to his dad.

Masaru gives this small smile as he hangs up the call. It’s the kind of expression he only ever makes when thinking about or talking to his family, and it’s adorable.

With the goodbyes said for the only person whose family is in any position to actually do so from here, the four of them and their partners fly up towards the Digital World. Yushima is still with the Norsteins, watching the four bright streaks of light shoot upwards into the sky.

Yushima: “They’re our only hope left. We’re counting on you, Masaru.”

You’d think he’d want to mention at least Tohma as well, given he’s currently with Tohma’s family, but.

The space between the two worlds is full of huge purple storm clouds, with plenty of lightning and turbulence, just as Tohma was worried about. Yoshino is the first one to get swept off her partner by the winds – which is actually pretty surprising to me, because Rosemon and Ravemon are small enough that their humans are physically holding onto them, whereas Tohma and Masaru are literally just standing on their giant partners’ shoulders without holding anything, so they should really be the first ones to lose their balance.

Not that it matters, because it’s not long before all four of them and their Digimon partners are sent spiralling helplessly down to the Digital World.

Everyone regains consciousness sprawled on a beach, the Digimon having been reverted to Child form from the impact.

Agumon: “Aniki, I can’t eat any more.”

Agumon mumbles this as he wakes up, because even when he’s knocked out rather than asleep, he still has the best and tastiest dreams.

Tohma confirms that they are indeed in the Digital World by looking at the Earth in the sky, though it’s pretty difficult to see it through all of the huge purple storm clouds.

Yoshino takes a moment to breathe in relief that they made it, and sits herself down on a nearby rock. The rock yelps and twitches. Figuring its probably a Digimon, the group helps to dig it out of the sand, and it’s… Gotsumon. The same Gotsumon from before; his voice is identical.

Everyone is extremely put-out to see him here all of a sudden. Ikuto and Falcomon in particular are very startled. Not surprising, given the number of times he tried to kill Ikuto back then.

Gotsumon: “Well, I am Gotsumon, but is there a problem?”

Gotsumon doesn’t have a clue why they’re all staring at him like this, though!

Towards my future in the sky!

Just as I felt it

And on that sorta-bombshell, the opening! We sure did just head towards something in the sky, at least.

This second opening has a whole bit with the Royal Knights, which seems appropriate to cover in this episode where they’re properly introduced. It puts some particular focus on Craniummon, whom we’ve already met and seen is important, and also Dukemon, who’ll have a bit more of a significant role than most of the others.

Masaru: “Damn it, you were alive?!”

Back to Gotsumon, Masaru as ever is getting right to the point, physically grabbing him to interrogate him about how the hell he’s here.

Tohma points out that it’s possible Gotsumon’s completely different now. Agumon and Lalamon are Unconvinced.

Gotsumon: “It seems… It seems as if you are all angry at me, but that must be my imagination, right? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Agumon: “He’s the same.”

Lalamon: “Definitely the same.”

Agumon and Lalamon seem to be getting at the idea that his supposed pretending he’s done nothing wrong when he knows full well that he has is classic Gotsumon. That’s not actually what’s happening – but what is very much the same as the Gotsumon we knew is his simperingly polite tone (harder to get across as well in the subs, but it’s there in Japanese and very familiar, trust me). He is still basically the same person he was before.

Tohma reminds everyone that Gotsumon was reverted to a Digiegg and reborn, meaning he shouldn’t remember everyone any more. Indeed, it doesn’t seem like he does! Just like BanchouLeomon said, Digimon who are reverted to eggs are supposed to lose all their memories of their previous life. Agumon was an exception, only because of the strength of his bond with a human partner, but what’s happened to Gotsumon is the norm.

Gotsumon: “I’m so grateful that you’ve helped me! You’ve saved my life! Thank you! Thank you very much!”

Gotsumon gives this heartfelt thanks while enthusiastically shaking Falcomon and then Ikuto’s hands. The two of them are extremely awkward at suddenly being treated this way by a person who in a previous life repeatedly tried to kill them.

If you remove his memories of a lifetime of bigotry and prejudice towards humans, suddenly Gotsumon’s actually not that bad.

Gaomon: “His personality does appear to have changed…”

It’s really not so much his personality; like I’ve said, that’s pretty similar to before. It’s just his attitude towards humans that’s been completely reset.

Yoshino: “But when he acts like that, it actually makes it harder to trust him…”

I don’t blame Yoshino for feeling weird and suspicious about this, though. Even if you know intellectually that he doesn’t remember anything at all from before, seeing someone who was previously so hostile towards you acting all nice and friendly must be weird and raise all kinds of instinctive suspicions.

Masaru asks Gotsumon why he was buried in the sand, and he’s happy to explain.

Gotsumon: “I felt strangely uneasy about something this morning, so I came here to check out the scenery.”

I don’t know, Gotsumon, could it possibly have been the fact that the human world is falling from the sky? Just maybe that. Or even if you couldn’t see that, the huge purple storm clouds that are covering the entire sky are also a pretty big sign that something’s up.

(I guess maybe what he’s getting at is that he usually lives in the forest and couldn’t actually see any of that going on in the sky through the tree canopies, hence why he came here to get a better look?)

It’s as Gotsumon was at the beach that something huge fell from the sky and landed on him, burying him in the sand.

Masaru: “I see… Well, that’s harsh.”

Agumon: “It’s a good thing you weren’t injured!”

Masaru: “You’ve got that right!”

[the two of them laugh awkwardly with Gotsumon]

Either these two are being oblivious dorks, or they know full well that the large thing that landed on Gotsumon was probably ShineGreymon and are awkwardly trying to play dumb about it.

Tohma: “That large Digimon who fell out of the sky was most likely…”

Lalamon: “ShineGreymon.”

Yoshino: “Yup.”

Gaomon: “Let’s just leave the ignorant to their laughing.”

I mean, there’s about a 50/50 chance it was actually MirageGaogamon, so don’t be so quick to poke fun at Masaru there, Tohma and Gaomon. (It was in fact ShineGreymon, we see him in Gotsumon’s flashback, but these guys don’t know that for sure.)

Agumon: “Anyway, Aniki! We need to find Ykkrajil, quick!”

Yes, Agumon, Ykkrajil. He’s such a kid. What are these weird complicated words.

Ikuto and Falcomon, the Digital World natives, have heard of Yggdrasil but have no idea where to find it. Luckily, though, it just so happens that Gotsumon does, so he offers to take them to it! That’s… rather convenient that a Digimon who must have been born only fairly recently happens to know this thing that it seems most Digital World residents don’t, but you know what? I’m not complaining, because it means that we can get on with the plot immediately instead of spending several episodes aimlessly wandering around.

(Or, the writers could have had our guide to finding Yggdrasil be someone where it makes more sense that they know where it is, but I also find it neat that we get to see Gotsumon again here and have an actual example of how Digimon losing their memories when they’re reborn works.)

At Gotsumon’s offer to help, the group retreats into a huddle to confer amongst themselves.

Yoshino: “It’s a trap. It has to be!”

Gaomon: “Master, this smells dangerous.”

Tohma: “He certainly isn’t the most trustworthy guy I know.”

The most rational members of the group definitely aren’t falling over themselves to trust him. (I love how Gaomon says it “smells” dangerous, again, did you know he is Dog.)

Ikuto: “I think it’s okay to trust him.”

Masaru: “Ikuto!”

Ikuto: “Gotsumon is reborn. He doesn’t even remember me. He’s different from before.”

It’s really neat that Ikuto of all people is the first one to decide to trust him. Not only is he used to the concept of Digimon being reborn and completely forgetting their old lives, he also interacted the most with Gotsumon’s barely-suppressed bigotry and hostility towards him in his past life, and he can clearly tell that that’s not there any more. Ikuto is good. Look at him not holding a grudge, not against the new Gotsumon who doesn’t deserve to be blamed for things he doesn’t even remember doing.

Masaru: “I’ll trust him, too.”

Yoshino: “Why?”

Masaru: “C’mon, remember that old saying? ‘If you don’t go in the butt, you won’t get the tiger cub.’”

[long, awkward pause]

Yoshino: “It’s not ‘the butt’.”

Tohma: “It’s ‘the tiger’s den’.”

(The subbers’ notes explain that this is a Japanese idiom that’s the equivalent of “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. The words “butt” and “den” are only one consonant apart in Japanese, so it’s reasonable for Masaru to get them muddled up.)

I love this. It’s so Masaru for him to have misheard that idiom once when he was younger and then just ran with it and assumed that was how it really went. Maybe he was young enough to figure it made a certain kind of sense, in that baby tigers come out of the mother’s butt, right, and then never re-evaluated this when he learned where babies actually come from? It’s the exact kind of thing this dork might do.

Also, idiom mangling aside, it’s very Masaru for him to decide to trust Gotsumon simply because they won’t get anywhere if they don’t. Always gotta move forward, even if there’s a risk.

It seems like Masaru and Ikuto’s votes are enough to sway the others to agree, so the next thing we see, they’re making their way along a narrow cliffside towards wherever Yggdrasil is.

Yoshino: “Don’t you think it’d be faster if we evolved?”

Oh my god, it’s a miracle, somebody is actually suggesting evolving for the sake of transport, the world must be ending. (Oh, wait.)

Unfortunately for their convenience, Tohma points out that the sky’s grown even more turbulent than it was before and flying wouldn’t be safe, hence why they have to make their way there on foot. But I do still really appreciate that the writers finally actually addressed this option and gave a reason for why they aren’t doing it! This time, at least. It does not excuse literally every other time.

Back in the human world, the roads and train stations are absolutely packed with people trying to evacuate and get to shelters, at the government’s urging. Sayuri and Chika, however, have returned to their home.

Chika: “Hey, Mom. Shouldn’t we evacuate?”

Sayuri: “Why?”

Chika: “Because we’re the only ones who are staying behind.”

Sayuri: “It’ll be the same no matter where we run.”

I like Sayuri’s approach to this. Unlike the general public, she knows enough about what the crisis is that she’s perfectly aware that if the worlds do collide, they won’t be any safer in a shelter. The government’s only telling everybody else that to try and make them feel safe. Knowing that, if the end does come, Sayuri would much rather face it in her own home.

Sayuri: “Besides… Masaru and the others will be sad if they don’t find us here when they come back.”

Aww. She did say he should be back by dinner time, and this way that can feel a little more normal! She’s trying so hard to keep her family together and happy in whatever small ways she can, even at a time like this.

Chika accepts this and happily starts munching on some of the rice balls her mom’s just made for her. As her daughter does so, Sayuri looks behind her at the family photo – of all four of them, back when Suguru was around.

Sayuri: (Dearest… If something dangerous ever happened to Masaru… you will come and save him, right?)

Aww, Sayuri. How many times must she have coped with her worry about Masaru heading off into danger in the Digital World by telling herself that surely Suguru will somehow swoop in and save him if it ever comes to that.

(And yet it’s definitely not a coincidence that the narrative is showing her doing this for the first time in this episode out of all of them. Foreshadowing. Hee.)

Back in the Digital World, we’ve skipped the rest of what may have been a very long and boring travel time (don’t you love how Savers always just gets right on with the plot), and the group has arrived near Yggdrasil’s giant tree.

Gotsumon: “That is the World Tree which supports the Digital World.”

That’s an interesting implication that the Digital World needs this tree, because, as we’ll learn in a later episode, it actually wasn’t always there. I guess this is some sort of legend that started up after the tree became a thing. Perhaps it’s considered to be that because Yggdrasil supports the Digital World, and it currently lives in that tree.

Gotsumon: “No-one has ever seen what Yggdrasil really looks like, but it’s quite likely that he’s predicted this unprecedented crisis.”

Oh, it sure did. Predicted it so hard that it sat back and let it happen, even.

Masaru: “My dad must’ve climbed that tree…”

Hee, I love how Masaru’s instantly thinking about that. For all he knows, his dad never actually found Yggdrasil at all! But no, obviously he would have managed to achieve his goal, and obviously Masaru’s following in his footsteps now.

Before they can approach the tree, Craniummon appears dramatically in front of the group in a huge whirlwind, refusing to let them pass.

Craniummon: “I, Craniummon, shall eliminate all who dare to approach Yggdrasil.”

Masaru: “What?” [he steps forward] “We just came here to see Yggdrasil. At least let us talk to him!”

Love how straightforward Masaru always is, refusing to be deterred by Craniummon’s lofty pompous attitude about this. Come on, just let them talk to the guy, it can’t be that unreasonable a thing to ask.

Something suddenly slams into Masaru, throwing him back across the ground. Craniummon didn’t appear to move an inch, but it was him, doing that moving-too-fast-to-see thing.

Craniummon: “I believe I told you not to come closer. The next time you do, I will slice out your heart.”

Yikes, Craniummon. Taking this guarding-Yggdrasil thing very seriously, I see.

As the rest of the group marvels at how invisibly fast Craniummon struck, Masaru gets up, one hand over his chest.

Masaru: “You’ll slice my heart out, eh? Bring it on! I’ll force you to let us pass!”

Oh, Masaru. He rushes forwards and is slammed backwards by something invisible again, but this time he manages to right himself mid-sprawl and land safely in a crouch. His heart doesn’t appear to have been sliced out at all. He looks up, grinning, and raises a fist glowing with Digisoul.

Tohma: “You were able to see Craniummon’s attack?”

Masaru: “No way. I just punched the air in front of where my heart was!”

I love Masaru’s approach to this! So straightforward and risky, and yet he knew he’d be able to block the attack if he did it this way! We get a brief flashback shot to the moment of the impact, just slightly slowed-down enough that we can see Masaru punch at the slicing energy that was shooting towards him, but we still don’t actually see Craniummon move.

This is how you show someone using this kind of tactic to hit an enemy that moves so fast they can’t be seen! Take notes, episode 23. This is the same tactic Masaru used there, but this time it’s actually depicted well.

With that, as everyone decides to fight to get past, it’s evolution time, for all four of them and not just Masaru, so time to stand up and get a drink or something.

As the four Ultimate-levels stand before Craniummon, Gotsumon has a good view of ShineGreymon’s back and suddenly realises that this is the Digimon who fell on him earlier. He is not happy about it.

Yoshino: “I-It was an accident! An accident!”

Tohma: “She’s right! We didn’t do it on purpose!”

Gotsumon: “No! That was unforgivable! I won’t forgive you for it!”

Also a very Gotsumon trait: being very petty and insisting on holding grudges about something like this, even after they helped him out of the sand afterwards and even when they’re telling him it was an accident.

Masaru: “Gotsumon! We came all this way trusting your word! That’s why you should believe us, too! That’s what a man does!”

The writers mostly make comedy out of this by having Masaru’s last sentence accompanied by an overly-dramatic close-up shot, but even so, this is some legit Masaru manliness here! They trusted him (despite some compelling reasons not to on their end), so he should trust them, obviously!

As Masaru keeps glaring dramatically at him, Gotsumon is cowed into deciding to believe them. It kind of comes across less like Gotsumon relented because he bought into Masaru’s manly argument, and more just that he was intimidated into it. But maybe that’s kind of necessary, for someone like Gotsumon. He may have lost the bigotry, but he still has that pettiness to him that makes him not very compatible with Masaru’s principles.

Yoshino: “It looks like we were able to convince him in a really confusing way!”

Tohma: “Even with my intelligence, I can’t tell how that happened!”

Yoshino and Tohma’s comments are continuing the comedic vibe, though they don’t quite land right for me. Tohma’s “even with my intelligence” is a particularly awkward phrasing, especially given that he already knows full well that Masaru’s approaches rarely make sense to him and yet often work.

Anyway, comedy over, mostly, Craniummon starts off the fight by firing a blast at Gotsumon. ShineGreymon has to dive in the way of it to protect him.

Masaru: “You bastard! Gotsumon just brought us here!”

I love how Not Happy Masaru is at Craniummon taking such an approach. The four of them and their partners have expressed their willingness to fight by evolving, so they’re fair targets, but Gotsumon is an innocent bystander who doesn’t want to fight. Nobody should attack somebody like that; that’s not what a man does!

Craniummon: “My duty… is to get rid of all who dare to approach Yggdrasil. Those who assist you must also be eliminated.”

Geez, Craniummon. That’s a bit much in and of itself, but it’s especially a bit much that you made a point of attacking Gotsumon first. Ravemon and MirageGaogamon agree that this is super uncalled for.

Masaru: “Damn it! ShineGreymon, go and…!”

[Gotsumon steps forward and points at ShineGreymon]

Gotsumon: “Go and beat him up! Now go! Do it!”

Seeing a little bit more of the old Gotsumon we knew here. He always did like bossing around bigger and stronger Digimon, didn’t he? Apparently he has an instinct to be the one to do that, even when it’s completely unnecessary, because Masaru was already going to ask ShineGreymon to attack and has a lot more right to be the one to tell him what to do.

Not that ShineGreymon really cares who’s telling him to do it; he’s quite happy to charge at Craniummon. Craniummon easily deflects his and MirageGaogamon’s attacks with his whirlwind, then catches Rosemon’s whip between his fingers and flings her into Ravemon.

Masaru: “Don’t give up! We defeated Belphemon, so we can’t lose to a guy like him!”

Oh, Masaru. I do like him reminding them of the incredible against-the-odds victory they’ve already managed to pull off.

Masaru activates the GeoGrey Sword, which is actually the first time we’ve seen it since its debut in episode 33. I suspect that most of the reason the writers decided to give ShineGreymon this fancy sword is because of the Royal Knights he’s going to be fighting in this arc, a lot of whom also have their own weapons.

Indeed, Craniummon responds to this by summoning his own double-ended spear, Claiomh Solais… man I’m probably never going to actually call it by that name again, that is hard to spell and also contains an accent on the first “I” that I can’t be bothered to figure out how to input on my English keyboard. It’s a thing from Irish mythology or something, I think. Big fancy weapon, is the point.

Craniummon: “We Royal Knights, who protect Yggdrasil, are the ones who are closest to God! Opposing the likes of us… is the same foolish act as challenging divine authority!”

That sure is some Royal Knight pompousness there. It seems Craniummon – and almost certainly the other Knights too, we will be seeing a lot of them acting similarly – tells himself that Yggdrasil is totally always right, because it’s a god, and therefore he is also totally always right if he does what Yggdrasil tells him to do. Sure makes things easy for you, Craniummon. Easier than thinking about whether you actually agree about billions of humans being wiped out.

He gives this line as his and ShineGreymon’s weapons clash, and ends it by flinging the GeoGrey Sword out of ShineGreymon’s grip. Which kinda goes to show how overhyped the GeoGrey Sword is by the narrative, really. It’s literally just a big sword – and funnily enough, against opponents who have much more experience using similar kinds of weapons, ShineGreymon doesn’t get any meaningful advantage from it at all!

Craniummon summons a huge whirlwind attack, flinging the Ultimate-levels helplessly into the air and back down to the ground (while, amusingly, the humans and Gotsumon have to avoid getting sucked in too by clinging to some nearby trees).

Craniummon: “Come, my next attack shall sever you from any lingering attachments you have to this world!”

Wow, Craniummon, that sure is one way to dance ridiculously around saying you’re going to kill them.

He raises his spear to thrust it towards ShineGreymon, who’s lying prone and helpless on his back. Something stops it before it can stab through him. ShineGreymon opens his eyes to see…

…Masaru punched the spear. In the pointy end. And it worked.

Which, to be fair, is almost certainly because his body is cloaked in Digisoul right now. We’ve seen a fair few times now that Digisoul is more than just a power that can pass onto Digimon to evolve them. It can make Masaru’s (or Suguru’s) attacks more powerful and have other very tangible, physical effects, such as what BanchouLeomon did to keep the two worlds apart. Why shouldn’t it also be able to act as some kind of shield?

Still, credit to Masaru for the fact that he didn’t necessarily know that when he decided to do this. He just wanted to protect his partner in the most straightforwardly gutsy way possible, and went for it, and it paid off. Masaru is so good.

Craniummon: “You…”

Craniummon’s eyes widen as he stares at this tiny human showing such ridiculous tenacity towards someone as important and godly as himself.

Masaru: “What’s this crap about the Royal Knights?! What’s this crap about God?! Two worlds are about to be destroyed, and just what the hell is your God doing?!”

You frickin’ tell him, Masaru! I love that he can call this out for the bullshit it is. Who cares about all this pompous posturing about gods when people are going to die?

Craniummon: “What?”

Masaru: “Someone who doesn’t even bother to save the world… shouldn’t… shouldn’t call himself a god!”

EXACTLY! I love this speech of Masaru’s so much. It draws from his strong sense of responsibility – if someone’s going to call themselves the god of a world, that means they have a responsibility to protect all the people in it to the best of their ability. Sure doesn’t seem like Yggdrasil gives a damn about doing any of that!

(Well, unbeknownst to Masaru for now, apparently, on the surface of things based on what we saw last episode, it seems like Yggdrasil is at least trying to protect its Digital World by destroying the human world. But, ha ha.)

Masaru gave this whole speech while still furiously blocking the spear with his fist and his Digisoul, and at the final words of it, he thrusts his fist upwards and pushes the spear away, sending Craniummon toppling onto his back. Everybody else gapes in amazement that he managed to do that. Do not underestimate the power of Masaru’s sheer determination and fierce sense of right and wrong.

ShineGreymon: “Aniki, that’s amazing!”

Masaru: “C’mon! Show ‘em what you’ve got!”

ShineGreymon is still always so in awe of his aniki and the awesome things he can pull off, I love it. Inspired by this, he gets to his feet, blazing with power, and Masaru, probably also coasting off the fierce emotion of the speech he just gave, activates his Burst Mode.

For the record, this is not evolution padding. Yes, Masaru didn’t evolve ShineGreymon to his absolute highest form right away at the beginning of the fight – but we are never going to see anybody go straight to Burst Mode from Child-level. So evidently that’s not how Burst Mode works, because it’s different from a regular evolution level. It seems like a Digimon and their partner need to fight for a while at Ultimate level before they can build up enough fighting spirit to be able to achieve that extra Burst Mode boost.

ShineGreymon Burst Mode flies at Craniummon, clashing against his spear, but the moment only lasts a short time before another glowing figure shoots out of the sky towards the battlefield, knocking ShineGreymon down. It’s another Royal Knight, Dukemon, who seems unimpressed by Craniummon having so much trouble dealing with these intruders.

(Dukemon has the same Japanese voice that the Dukemon in Digimon Tamers did. It’s an amusing reminder, for anyone who’s seen Tamers in Japanese, that this armoured humanoid dude actually used to be an adorable dinosaur friend once upon a time. Oh, Digimon and their obligatory humanoid evolutions. Tamers had a reason for it, but here Dukemon’s a humanoid knight because he just is, how else would he be able to be one of the Royal Knights, right?)

More glowing figures arrive on the battlefield, revealing (most of) the rest of the Royal Knights. Gotsumon stammers out their names as he sees each of them, but I’m not going to bother giving them here, because most of these guys won’t actually matter much to the narrative. Gotsumon seems particularly intimidated by one called Omegamon, who is in fact supposed to be the leader of the Royal Knights, but this also does not matter one bit for the purposes of Savers. I’m not sure Omegamon even gets any lines. (Edit from later: okay, he gets like a couple of lines in one episode, that’s it, but it’s very telling that I forgot that fact.)

Digimon Analyser: “Each of them fight for their own personal justice.”

Which is kind of a weird thing for them to do, when their whole thing is supposed to be mindlessly obeying Yggdrasil’s orders, as we’ve seen with Craniummon. They shouldn’t have much room to have their own individual feelings and principles about anything this way. This is probably a remnant of an idea that’s lot more relevant in other media featuring the Royal Knights.

Masaru: “Interesting. Let’s take them all on, ShineGreymon!”

Oh, Masaru. There’s like… nine of them? here, and he had enough trouble with just the one. But of course he’s just seeing this as a challenge.

(Okay, seven, apparently, I had to count. That’s how little most of them matter. I very much appreciate that this is not one of those Groups Of Villains in Digimon where we obligatorily have to defeat all of them in individual episodes before getting on with the main plot. Man that’d be tedious.)

Before ShineGreymon can actually start any attempt to take them on, though, Dukemon raises his lance and launches a huge blast of energy that turns the entire surroundings blinding white, knocking the whole DATS group and their Digimon out.

The next thing we see is a flashback to Masaru’s childhood! We haven’t seen one of those from him until now, have we? There might just be a very good reason why this is suddenly changing.

Little Masaru: “No! I want to take him with me!”

Tiny four-year-old Masaru is holding a frog that he found out in the wilderness somewhere, insisting to his dad that he wants to take it home as a pet. That’s adorable. Remember how Masaru seemed low-key upset at the school pets being killed in episode 2? Turns out he’s actually got a soft spot for animals!

And, of course, remember him calling Agumon a frog both times he first encountered him? (“Both” as in counting the memory wipe episode as a “first time”.) Masaru actually did end up bringing a big orange fire-breathing frog home with him, in the end! Perhaps that’s part of why he insisted on thinking of Agumon that way, despite all appearances to the contrary. What an adorable dork.

Suguru: “Masaru. That frog has a family, too.”

Little Masaru: “A family?”

Suguru: “Yeah. The mommy frog has dinner made and is waiting for him to come back.”

I love that this is the angle Suguru takes to explain to his son why taking a wild animal out of its habitat is wrong. It’s got a family! You should always respect other people’s families and how important they are to them, no matter what species.

Masaru doesn’t have that many distinct memories of the times when his dad was still around (he was four), so it’s very meaningful that this one – in which his dad taught him the importance of respecting people’s families – is one that managed to stick with him.

At these words from his dad, little Masaru understands that he needs to let the frog go, and he happily waves goodbye to it as it hops off.

Suguru: “You did great. That’s what a man should do!”

Of course Suguru finishes up with this. Respecting other people’s families is part of his concept of manliness! He was already teaching his son how to be a Man (which is not about gender but about being a decent and honourable person), even when Masaru was this little.

Look at him he’s so smol and so good and so happy to be making his dad proud, it’s adorable.

Masaru: “Dad…”

Masaru in the present regains consciousness mumbling his dad’s name, probably without having really meant to. How often do you want to bet he has dreams about some of the few memories he still has of his dad. Very often, no doubt.

He opens his eyes to see his comrades sprawled around him, hurt and barely conscious just like him after Dukemon’s attack, the Digimon devolved. Further around them, the scene’s suddenly taken on an atmosphere of ominous gravity; the Royal Knights are lined up in two rows, bowing deeply, as a human-seeming figure in a cloak walks between them towards the group.

Masaru: “Damn it… They’re planning to finish us off… I won’t… let that happen… This fight… isn’t over yet…”

Masaru doesn’t quite seem to register what this might mean. He struggles to focus on the approaching figure, seeing them as nothing but another enemy, here to finish off him and his friends. Of course he can’t let that happen. Of course he can’t just give up like this.

He forces himself painfully to his feet and rushes at the figure, throwing a punch at their face. His fist ends up sailing harmlessly past just inches to the side – at the last second, Masaru must have noticed whose face it was and frantically redirected his fist to miss on purpose.

The gust from the missed punch blows the figure’s hood back, revealing the face of Suguru Daimon. Masaru’s eyes widen in shock as he stumbles to a halt and turns around to stare at him.

This is the first time Masaru’s seen his father in anything but a photograph in ten whole years.

(At this moment, the BGM piece called I’M JUST FIGHTER starts up. This scene is the single biggest reason I really love that piece.)

“Suguru” turns back to look at him with a completely cold, impassive expression, no hint of recognition or happiness at seeing his son again.

Masaru: “Dad… Is that you, Dad…?”

Masaru is Staring, hardly able to believe this is really happening: his dad, here again right in front of him after all this time. He doesn’t even seem to be properly registering the lack of reaction he’s getting, not yet. He’s too stuck on his dad is actually here.

Masaru: “Don’t scare us like that. Why didn’t you contact us or something if you were safe?”

I love that this is something that immediately comes to mind, seeing his dad here and apparently… fine? He must have told himself for all this time (and especially since learning where his dad really disappeared to) that the only reason he didn’t contact them must’ve been because he couldn’t somehow. And yet it looks like… he probably could have, but he just… didn’t? Why on earth not?

Masaru: “C’mon, let’s go home. Mom and Chika are waiting.”

I adore how Masaru’s got so caught up in the moment of finding his dad at last that he’s completely forgotten what they’re supposed to be doing right now. They kind of have a god to talk to and an apocalypse to stop, but literally none of that matters to Masaru in this moment. His dad’s here; that means he needs to bring him home and they can finally have their family back together at last, like they’ve always dreamed of. Nothing else is even remotely as important as that.

He says this while raising his hands forwards and stepping towards his dad, perhaps vaguely hoping for some kind of hug or something. “Suguru” just keeps giving him that impassive look, and slaps one hand away.

Masaru stares some more, probably beginning to realise there’s something very wrong about this. He must have imagined a thousand different ways his reunion with his dad might go when he definitely eventually found him again in the Digital World, and this was not any of them.

Dukemon: “Insolent fellow! Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to?”

Masaru: “Who I’m speaking to…? This is my…”

Dukemon: “This person is our God, Yggdrasil!”

I love the sort of lost, automatic way Masaru mumbles an answer to Dukemon’s question without thinking. He never even stopped to consider the context of what’s going on and the fact that the Royal Knights were all bowing to this figure. It’s his dad, of course, why even ask, what other possible answer could there be…?

Except apparently, his dad’s also a god.

Masaru: “Dad is… the Digital World’s God…?”

This shot here, as Masaru tries to process this, is so good. It does a perfect job at getting across just how huge and momentous and all-encompassing Masaru’s father is and has always been to him. His dad is the biggest most important person in the whole wide world, so upon hearing that he’s literally a god, some part of Masaru’s mind just kinda goes, yeah, that makes sense? it’s his dad, after all.

(Remember that Masaru last saw his dad when he was four. Thanks to his absence, that way that a four-year-old kid would look up to their parent as the greatest most powerful person ever is still how Masaru unconsciously sees his dad today, even now that he’s fourteen. I love Masaru’s dad complex so much.)

Masaru: “I-I don’t get it, Dad. We came here because we were told to go see Yggdrasil. Explain to me what’s going on here…”

It’s so adorable how, despite how obviously weird and unresponsive “Suguru” is acting, Masaru still instinctively asks him for an explanation to clear up the confusion he’s feeling. It’s his dad, right? He knows the answer to everything; of course he’ll be able to explain things and make it all make sense.

Dukemon informs him that there’s nothing left to talk about; Yggdrasil has already made up its mind to save the Digital World by annihilating the human world. Everyone gapes at this revelation, Masaru especially. “Suguru” stands there impassively, saying nothing to contest it.

Masaru: “H-He’s lying, right? You can’t destroy the human world… My dad would never say that…”

I love the desperate smile on his face, and the stammer (Masaru hardly ever stammers!) as he tries to tell himself that surely all of that’s just lies, surely his dad would never want to destroy an entire world, that doesn’t make sense, as soon as his dad opens his mouth to say something it’ll all be put back to normal again (right?)

(and yet he’s got to already be afraid this is true, because that look on his dad’s face, and the fact that he hasn’t said anything to question it, and how can this be happening it’s his DAD)

“Suguru”: “The ones who destroyed the dimensional barrier and are leading the two worlds to their destruction are none other than the humans. There is no worth in keeping the humans alive.”

Masaru’s desperate smile falls away as his dad’s voice cuts him off with an emotionless, callous explanation of exactly why humans deserve to die. No; no explanation from the father he thought he knew is coming. This really is exactly what it looks like.

(Of course, this is Yggdrasil speaking, just the same as it was last episode. It’s only Suguru on a superficial, physical level. But I’m using “Suguru” as the tags for this in these scenes where Masaru is present, because it is vitally important that Masaru 100% believes it really is his dad.)

Masaru: “Da… Dad…”

Masaru backs away in horror, and there’s this delightful flash of his dad smiling at him from the flashback, like Masaru’s image of his father as the kind and honourable person he thought he was is being utterly shaken to its core right now. I love it.

“Suguru”: “The human world… will be destroyed.”

I utterly adore how “Suguru”’s decisively ruthless words in the present are immediately followed by the flashback snippet of Suguru smiling at his son, affectionately saying his name while patting him on the head – and then it just shatters, and there’s nothing but a dark swirling void of nothingness behind it.

This is a very deliberate metaphor. Literally everything about who Masaru is has been built off his image of and idolisation of his father as the best most wonderful person ever. Seeing his father like this, casually ordering the genocide of an entire species – his entire species – utterly shatters that image. And without that, Masaru has nothing left that makes him Masaru. It’s all just gone. Empty. The writers knew exactly what they were doing with this shot and I love it so much.

Back in the Daimons’ house on Earth, Sayuri and Chika turn around in surprise. The family photo’s been knocked off its shelf by an earthquake or something, the glass shattered exactly where Suguru’s face is. Sayuri stares at the broken photo in horror, perhaps sensing that this is an omen of something really bad.

(It may be a huge coincidence that this happened with this exact timing and the exact placement of the damaged glass, but I don’t care it’s symbolism I love it)

Masaru stares at his father in broken disbelief for a long moment… and then he just crumples to his knees, utterly defeated.

I love this so so much. This is Masaru Daimon, completely indomitable unstoppable spirit, who’s been unintimidated by literal Demon Lords and who just earlier this episode stopped a huge deadly spear twice, by punching it – but this one man says three sentences to him, and he shatters, simple as that. It’s so impactful. It says so much about how his father is everything to him. This is my single favourite scene in all of Savers.

Something else worth talking about regarding this is: remember the concept I brought up in episode 26 when Masaru nearly didn’t remember Agumon, and in episode 34 when he completely bought into Tohma’s betrayal, both times because he’s so straightforward that he doesn’t know how to look at something beyond surface level? That is extremely relevant here, as well.

Anybody else in this situation, even someone else with an equally powerful dad complex as Masaru’s, would have been able to look at the way their “father” is acting, see him callously declaring that he’ll destroy an entire species, and realise, something’s up with this. Surely the better explanation, rather than that their dad has become a genocidal god, is instead that this isn’t really their dad at all, despite what it looks like. But Masaru is so utterly used to taking everything at face value that this doesn’t even occur to him. He completely buys into the idea that his dad has turned into this monster, despite how much it hurts and how badly he must not want to believe it.

Masaru reacts the way he does to this, again, because he is Masaru and has such a straightforward approach to everything. Nobody else would in quite the same way. (I mentioned that this scene uses I’M JUST FIGHTER, and it’s perfect for it. The music comes to a crescendo and climax right as “Suguru” says those damning words that break Masaru, and it hits just right; I love it.)

And then, because his belief in his dad was nonetheless so strong, that’s why this breaks him so badly, just like when he thought Tohma had betrayed him. The difference between the two situations, of course, being that Masaru can’t even get angry at his dad betraying him, because how could he? It’s his dad! That and all of the mental mechanisms that enable Masaru to get fired up and passionate about things are rooted in his belief in his dad in the first place, so when that shatters, he simply loses the ability to even get angry at all. There’s nothing else he can do but just… shut down entirely.

With Masaru summarily dealt with – he’s very clearly not about to say anything else to question their god – the Royal Knights advance on the others, asking Yggdrasil what to do with them. It orders the Knights to kill them, as they’re useless to it.

The Royal Knights tower over the group, raising their weapons, while Tohma and the others watch in fear, knowing they have no hope of stopping this. Yoshino is hugging Lalamon and trembling – aaaa, Yoshino, she’s still always so scared of all of this!

Agumon: “Damn it! Aniki! Get a hold of yourself! Aniki!”

Agumon at least is clinging to some of his Aniki’s usual never-say-die spirit, not understanding why Aniki isn’t – but Masaru himself is still broken, utterly unable to function like his follower expects him to. Masaru.exe has encountered a problem and has stopped working. He probably doesn’t even hear Agumon’s words.

His dad is a genocidal god out to kill humanity; how is he supposed to care or even think about literally anything else?

(This is my single favourite shot in Savers. I love it so much. Please give this kid a hug and tell him it’s going to be okay. Also, a bonus detail about it that I enjoy: Masaru’s pendant is almost always angled so we can see the front, but right now all that’s visible is the back.)

Just before the Royal Knights can finish them off, another giant Digimon, Sleipmon, swoops towards them, scooping the humans and their partners up in his hand and flying away with them. People familiar with Royal Knight lore will know that Sleipmon is also a Royal Knight, though the rest of the Knights seem quite surprised to see him doing this.

(You can just about see Masaru there in Sleipmon’s hand, but while most of the others seem to be freaking out about this sudden development, Masaru looks like he’s barely even registering it.)

Dukemon shoots an attack at Sleipmon as he flies up into the sky, which hits him but isn’t enough to kill him or stop him escaping. Craniummon suggests they should pursue him, but Yggdrasil tells them not to bother. Everything will be wiped out anyway; these humans and one rogue Royal Knight don’t matter.

Overall thoughts

This would otherwise be a relatively unremarkable, solidly decent but not outstanding episode, if it weren’t for my single favourite scene in the entire series at the end of it. That inherently pulls my appreciation of the episode as a whole up by several notches, purely because it contains this scene.

The rest of it’s fun enough as episodes go. Having Gotsumon show up reborn is neat, giving us an example of how this normally works; he’s clearly the same person but without the previous lifetime of bigotry making him an asshole. There’s a lot of comedy in this one that’s kinda hit-or-miss for me, but I do like the tiger’s butt line for how dorkily Masaru it is. And I love Masaru’s determination while fighting Craniummon, having the guts and straightforwardness to block his spear twice with his own fist, as well as the delightful “shouldn’t get to call himself a god!” speech.

And then. The best scene.

I just adore how comprehensively it gets across that Masaru’s dad is everything to him. We’ve always known this the whole time, of course, based on the way he acts whenever his dad – or, heck, parents in general – get brought up, to say nothing of where he obviously gets his manliness and determination from. But it’s so, so delightful to finally actually see it in full force. All this stuff I’d been noticing about Masaru’s dad complex this whole time, even on just my first time through? Yes, I’d been reading it right, and it matters, and we’re about to start getting really deep into it all. I love it. Those metaphor shots in particular are just. *chefs kiss* So good. The writers get it. They knew exactly what they were writing when it comes to Masaru.

And, of course, deep analysis aside, it’s also the absolute biggest possible example of Masaru being Not Okay. This is the most Not Okay it is possible for a Masaru to be, literally the one single way it is possible for him to be this. Even his dad turning out to be dead wouldn’t be nearly as bad, because then at least he could still keep believing in the father he remembered. The single best way to break Masaru: show him that his dad’s a monster. Which, thanks to his ridiculously straightforward nature, he won’t even question and will accept at face value.

Also I do love the adorable Little Masaru flashback with the frog, and his dad teaching him about the importance of family. The first of a few Little Masaru flashbacks we’ll be getting in this arc!

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[Dub comparison]

#digimon #digimon savers #masaru daimon #sayuri daimon #suguru daimon #yggdrasil #gotsumon #craniummon #dukemon #masaru's dad complex

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