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seventeenlovesthree · 3 months

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Digi Dynamic Shipping Game

Send me two names among the following 12 and I’ll write a short analysis post about them:

Whether canon provides input on them or not.

Unfortunately I didn't make it before the end of Pride Month, but - while there are a lot of potentially queer ships in the subtext of the Digimon universe that fit the tone, there aren't as many of them that came this close to technically being confirmed as having a valid (canon) baseline as this one.

To ask if canon provides input on Daisuke and Ken - or Daiken, Kensuke, Daisuken, however you want to call them -, is, once again, like asking if water is wet; they're the most elaborated relationship in the entirety of Digimon Adventure 02, the majority of Ken's development is tied to his bond to Daisuke... If you want to read more about why I value their relationship so much, I definitely recommend this post here, because they're just... Endlessly fascinating to me.

The good-hearted goofball with self-esteem issues that lead him to play a role to impress others initially - meets a corrupted genius and literally slaps the darkness out of his system. They turn from fated rivals to fated partners, facing the powers of darkness together and eventually, they become better people in the process thanks to one another. Daisuke's entire priority system changes upon wanting to give Ken a chance, he not only becomes more honest and less defensive, but also lets his personal sense of courage and friendship shine through; Ken, who's initially reluctant to take the hand Daisuke is offering him due to all the guilt he feels, slowly but steadily becomes the kind and gentle soul that was always within him, because there is someone by his side who has his back. Always.

It's a beautiful story of two complementing souls, whose bond enables the first real Jogress evolution, despite the fact - or even because - they couldn't be any more different. It's a story of repentance, forgiveness, learning to befriend others despite your own trauma and differences - and the story of a romantic subtext that almost hits you in the face if you're not careful enough. There is a reason why the screenshot above exists - the most recent movie literally acknowledged that, even after all these years, the bond between Daiken has not vanished and has, instead, gained a somewhat (actively) flirtatious nuance. While it used to be Ken who blushed due to Daisuke's (oftentimes oblivious) bluntness, the same Ken is now forward enough to openly praise Daisuke in ways that make it impossible to overlook the potential implications here - well, for anybody who isn't Daisuke himself at least...

Whether I think why and how they’d work.

Given the circumstances that we're, unfortunately, not talking about a canonically confirmed ship, we just gotta pretend that there will be a day when Ken's attempts of asking Daisuke out will be answered in two potential ways: 1.) "Huh? YOU WERE FLIRTING WITH ME THE ENTIRE TIME????" or 2.) "Huh? I thought we were together this entire time anyway???" Because both of these would be somewhat plausible "Daisuk-esque" reactions in my opinion.

I thoroughly believe that these two would work out romantically in fantastic ways - even though it'd take a lot of work, but which relationship that intends to last doesn't? They both chose careers that require enormous amounts of time and energy - and very irregular working hours. Granted, the latter applies to the majority of the Chosen Children, but an aspiring chef of his own Ramen cart may only be able to see an aspiring police officer if the latter's break time allows him to grab a meal at a Ramen facility that is coincidentally very close by... Gate hopping may have made that a lot easier, but at this point, we don't even know if that is still a thing anymore.

I still maintain that, as much as they'd be married to their jobs, they both still have quite a romantic side to themselves once the curse is broken - so they would make time, just like they did throughout all these years. While their interests in general might also be quite different, they would always find a way to bond over their mutual love for sports, football in particular. Ken needs someone who pulls him out of his head - and Daisuke needs someone who grounds him, which, as The Beginning suggested, is (basically) exactly their dynamic. They always enjoy group gatherings with their friend groups, food tastings are always a reason for Daisuke to invite everybody over - especially to lure Ken away from work. And let's be real, I can also see them go on cheesy dates - that mostly consist of them doing sporting activities (any kind of ball sport, rollerskating, hiking) where Daisuke can (pretend to) be competitive and Ken knowingly plays along with the teasing, just so they have an excuse to be close. Because they'd be cheesy like that, oh Lord, they'd be so cheesy in the most wanna-be-bro way possible.

Whether I’d prefer them as platonic or romantic ship.

In a universe in which Miyaken doesn't become canon, there is literally no reason for Daiken not to be endgame - unless the writers actually had some guts and turned them into an official OT3 in The Beginning. Of course I can always enjoys them as just platonic life partners, bros 4 life, you don't even have to give it a label, as long as they remain as close as they are. Because they simply belong together, one way or another.

#daiken #kensuke #daisuken #my two cents #shipping game #meta #daisuke motomiya #ken ichijouji #davis motomiya #the beginning spoilers

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firstagent · 4 years

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Since it popped up on the Podcast, how would you rank the sibling dynamics from healthy to trainwreck?

This is an innocent-sounding question until you go over the franchise and realize just how many sibling relationships there are in Digimon and that all but like three of them have elements that might raise eyebrows. In the interest of being comprehensive, this includes all named characters in any anime, manga, and game I’m familiar with, treating the reboot separately and including Survive because... (looks at Kaito and Miu’s bios) ...holy crap.

Sibling Relationship Rankings! (Healthy is Higher)

Joe & Shin Kido (Adventure): Shin understands Joe’s hang-ups and offers support to make his own choices without steering him in any specific direction, for or against the family. And Shuu exists too (depending on the language you’re watching in)

Juri & Masahiko Kato (Tamers): For all of the awkwardness and potential points of fracture in the family, Juri and Masahiko are very close. Fun Fact: She started carrying around her iconic hand puppet to amuse and entertain him!

Keito & Nozomi Tamada (Re:Arise): Even with very different personalities, Keito and Nozomi have a lot of respect for each other. Unlike some big brothers, he comes to a mature conclusion when he realizes she’ll be just fine with Pumpmon at her side.

Yamato Ishida & Takeru Takaishi (Adventure 2020): Yamato’s worry over Takeru only affects his reluctance to take on time-consuming side quests when he might be in danger. Far more chill about trusting Takeru with the rest of the team, he’s a motivation rather than a mental handicap.

Masaru & Chika Daimon (Savers): Perhaps a more controversial pick for the healthier side, but Masaru and Chika have a playful relationship that proves that Chika dishes out as much as anyone in the family. Given how much harm DATS and Digimon have done to the family, Masaru risks her love to keep them away from her.

Joe & Shin Kido (Adventure 2020): Shin’s still supportive and still encourages Joe to make choices for himself, but having that bugout bag ready to go raises some serious questions about that family and which side Shin’s really on.

Ai & Makoto (Tamers): Toddlers fight. It’s okay. They come together for Impmon’s sake and the fact that they’re the only duo in the franchise with mutual custody over a digivice has to say something about the strength of their relationship.

Nene & Kotone Amano (Xros Wars Manga): Nene’s tactics are still desperate but not quite as extreme as the anime, and it counts for so much that Kotone fights so hard for Nene once the tables are turned. And good lord that backstory...

Takuya & Shinya Kanbara (Frontier): There’s definitely a sense of Takuya lapsing into thinking Shinya encapsulates everything frustrating about having an older brother, but he gets over it.

Miyako Inoue + Three (Zero Two): Perfectly normal large household. And while wondering what it would be like to be an only child is something every youngest does... top of mind fantasy, Miyako? Really?

Jianliang & Shaochung Lee (Tamers): Speaking of four-packs... there’s no doubting how much they care about each other, but Jian’s occasional short fuse with Shaochung betrays his usual calm demeanor, and we never get a picture of the full family dynamic once Rinchei and Jaarin are included.

Daisuke & Jun Motomiya (Zero Two): Everyone likes to paint Jun and Daisuke as something uglier than it really is. As much as they annoy each other, it’s still a pretty conventional sibling dynamic and they’d still fight hard for the other... even if the feeling’s closer to obligation.

Koji Minamoto & Koichi Kimura (Frontier): There’s no questioning the bond they develop, but there’s no way Koji and Koichi go from “don’t know the other exists” to “ZOMG Twinzies!” without a ton of awkwardness and feeling each other out. They’ll get better, but from our standpoint this is where we start to drift into trainwreck territory.

Tomoki & Yutaka Himi (Frontier): Tomoki can spin it all he wants but Yutaka comes off as a real jerk. Not that some resentment isn’t a little justified given how much Tomoki is coddled, but taking it upon himself to be the bearer of tough love is still not cool.

Taichi & Hikari Yagami (Adventure 2020): Hikari has a blind faith that Taichi can save the day in any circumstance, up to and including international shipping crisis. Meanwhile Taichi sees Hikari lapsing between typical friendly eight year old to brainwashed robot and doesn’t find any problem with it.

Yamato Ishida & Takeru Takaishi (Adventure): Lessons in how not to be an overprotective big brother. Yamato freaks out at the slightest notion that Takeru might be exposed to danger, including his very presence in the Digital World. When you have a complete nervous breakdown realizing that little bro’s actually pretty capable on his own, it’s not about your relationship with him anymore.

Touma & Relena Norstein (Savers): There’s caring about a little sister, making her plight a central cause in your life, and then involving her in a chess match with a madman. There’s a lot to forgive here (they are raised in a family where your kneejerk reaction to Grandma is “I bet she supported the Nazis in World War II”), but everything about their relationship just makes you uncomfortable.

Kaito & Miu Shinonome (Survive): Maybe it’s not fair since their game is the franchise’s unicorn, but their bios have warning flags all over it. He’s overprotective, ready to fight at the slightest hardship, and she repays this attitude by being rebellious and weird and eager to pursue trouble. May end up being worse once the game actually comes out.

Rei & Hajime Katsura (Appmon): Another one where their backstory makes you sympathize with the lengths they go to in order to stay together, but risking the security of actual guardians to go it alone? Jesus. Even with their ride or die attitude, you still sense a bit of friction in their relationship, and so many of their hardships are their own doing.

Nene & Yuu Amano (Xros Wars): There’s nothing seemingly wrong on the surface between Nene and Yuu, but that’s why their actions are so extreme. Yuu’s more than happy to treat her as an enemy general in his game, while Nene’s aligning herself with dark forces and causing real trouble to get him back. It’s all very loud and intense for a relationship that, without external influences, is just nice and cordial.

Yuuko & Yuugo Kamishiro (Cyber Sleuth): You can be anything you want on the internet! So why not take the identify of your big brother who was stricken with a mystery illness at a young age and lead a legion of hackers? And if you’re Yuugo, use your digital body to take control of that avatar! Nothing weird about any of this!

Ken & Osamu Ichijouji (Zero Two): Like Tomoki, Ken can come up with whatever rationale for Osamu’s abuse he wants, and Osamu at least had some kind moments, but there’s no denying that this family was a mess. And of course Ken’s reaction to Osamu’s death... could have been better.

Taichi & Hikari Yagami (Adventure): Hikari’s introduction to the series was intended to be a little creepy, and that just sets the tone. Her blind loyalty to Taichi is a primary point of emphasis through three series, and Taichi sometimes goes ballistic worrying about her... when not accidentally endangering her life. And that’s before she unleashes a world-destroying abomination at the mere suggestion that Taichi’s dead, and why telling him “what you’re doing is wrong and I kind of hate you for it” is a big moment for her, even though she’s wrong.

Neo & Rei Saiba (V-Tamer): There’s going a little overboard to keep your family together or save a sibling’s life, and then there’s aligning yourself with evil forces to avoid having to deal with your sister’s manageable disability. Call it being jaded or delusional, but when it drives your sister to attempt suicide there are definitely issues you two need to work through.

Erika & Ryuji Mishima (Cyber Sleuth Hackers Memory): Because aligning oneself with Arkadimon is always a fantastic idea. He’s overprotective, she manipulates him because of it, there’s resentment, there’s anger, and basically the entire game is spent watching these two outdo each other in terms of causing wanton destruction throughout the city and cyberspace.

Honorable Mention: Bagramon & DarkKnightmon (Xros Wars): The battle of who can stab the other in the back last.

Want to support my site and/or my work? Buy me a coffee!

#digimon #digiarticle

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sweetjaegerlove · 5 years

Link

by EveandJohnny

This is the collection of pieces made during Fanbruary and originally published on Tumblr. With them, I wanted to say thank you to the addressed people for making such fantastic art that I'll never get bored of.

Words: 6970, Chapters: 7/8, Language: English

Fandoms: Digimon Adventure tri., Pacific Rim (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dead Poets Society (1989), Other people's OCs - Fandom

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Multi

Characters: Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi, Ishida Yamato | Matt Ishida, Takenouchi Sora, Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya, Tachikawa Mimi, Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya, Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Clint Barton, Chuck Hansen, Raleigh Becket, Charlie Dalton

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Raleigh Becket/Chuck Hansen, Izumi Koushirou | Izzy Izumi/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya, Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi/Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya

pacific rim May 25, 2019 at 01:34AM via AO3 works tagged 'Pacific Rim (2013)'

#pacific rim fics #IFTTT #Feedly #pacific rim

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ao3feed-chaleigh · 5 years

Text

Fanbruary 2019

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2Eu757e

by EveandJohnny

Words: 6970, Chapters: 7/8, Language: English

Fandoms: Digimon Adventure tri., Pacific Rim (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dead Poets Society (1989), Other people's OCs - Fandom

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Multi

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Raleigh Becket/Chuck Hansen, Izumi Koushirou | Izzy Izumi/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya, Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi/Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2Eu757e

#ao3feed #fanfic #chaleigh #pacific rim #chuck/raleigh

0 notes

ao3feed-stevebucky · 5 years

Text

Fanbruary 2019

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2Eu757e

by EveandJohnny

Words: 2289, Chapters: 1/8, Language: English

Fandoms: Digimon Adventure tri., Pacific Rim (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dead Poets Society (1989), Other people's OCs - Fandom

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Multi

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Raleigh Becket/Chuck Hansen, Izumi Koushirou | Izzy Izumi/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya, Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi/Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2Eu757e

#ao3feed #steve rogers #bucky barnes #stevebucky #stucky #steve/bucky #stevexbucky #fanfic

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ao3feed-stucky · 5 years

Link

by EveandJohnny

Words: 2289, Chapters: 1/8, Language: English

Fandoms: Digimon Adventure tri., Pacific Rim (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dead Poets Society (1989), Other people's OCs - Fandom

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Multi

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Raleigh Becket/Chuck Hansen, Izumi Koushirou | Izzy Izumi/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya, Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi/Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya

#Bucky #AO3 works tagged 'James Barnes/Steve Rogers'#ao3feed #stucky #steve rogers #bucky barnes #c

0 notes

ao3feed-pacific-rim · 5 years

Text

Fanbruary 2019

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2Eu757e

by EveandJohnny

Words: 2289, Chapters: 1/8, Language: English

Fandoms: Digimon Adventure tri., Pacific Rim (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dead Poets Society (1989), Other people's OCs - Fandom

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Multi

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Raleigh Becket/Chuck Hansen, Izumi Koushirou | Izzy Izumi/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya, Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi/Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2Eu757e

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #pacific rim

0 notes

ao3feed-buckybarnes · 5 years

Text

Fanbruary 2019

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2Eu757e

by EveandJohnny

Words: 2289, Chapters: 1/8, Language: English

Fandoms: Digimon Adventure tri., Pacific Rim (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dead Poets Society (1989), Other people's OCs - Fandom

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Multi

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Raleigh Becket/Chuck Hansen, Izumi Koushirou | Izzy Izumi/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya, Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi/Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2Eu757e

#bucky #IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #bucky barnes #james barnes #the winter soldier #james barnes

0 notes

lightchildofthespring · 1 year

Link

Chapter 18: The storyteller

“Brother, have more respect for stories!” Takeru interrupted. “It's wrong to think of stories as silly fantasies that distract people from real life! Stories can be inspiring, challenging, they can teach you all sorts of things... even things about yourself... I used to think of stories as something that could bring me comfort and accomplishment. Heh, I even titled my book 'The fantastic adventures of Takeru Takaishi' on a whim, thinking only of the kind of story I wanted. But things didn't go as I envisioned. Honestly, this title isn't very fitting. The plot took unexpected turns and the narrative got scarier and darker. And, yes, I eventually realized that I'm not even the main character in this tale. But so what? I'll just have to find my own story later own. It won't have to be fantastical or have adventures or any grandeur at all. I just need to be open to life and unafraid to look into myself and face my fears. I'll never accept that life has to be bleak, and that the grown up thing to do is to accept it. Listen, brother! I'll live every day to make my life as good and beautiful as the lives I read about in stories. And I know that would be like chasing after the horizon, I know that I'll never reach that utopia, that happy ending, but I'll still work towards it! And then, in the end, even if my life isn't fantastic, it'll still be pretty good!”

#takeru takaishi #takaishi takeru #digimon adventure #fanfic #the fantastic adventures of takeru takaishi

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lightchildofthespring · 1 year

Text

The fantastic adventures of Takeru Takaishi

Chapter 18: The storyteller

Takeru went to Daisuke's apartment as if he had done that many times before. After all, he remembered doing that many times before in that new life. The memories of those happy moments with the man he loved made his heart ache.

He knocked on the door. Soon enough, Daisuke opened it. Takeru noticed that his boyfriend was wearing a plain white shirt and brown shorts, but still looked as charming as ever. Lost in his beautiful brown eyes, he forgot that he wasn't really in Paradise.

“I was about to call you! Call you... heh... it's so funny we have portable telephones that fit in our pockets in this world,” Daisuke bemused. “Do you want to come in? My parents went to the grocery store. Jun is in her bedroom, and probably wouldn't like to be disturbed. But we could disturb her anyway, because then she would make a really funny face-”

Takeru pulled Daisuke into a kiss, holding his boyfriend's face fiercely with both hands, as if afraid he would disappear. After half a minute, Takeru broke the kiss. Daisuke's astonished face was completely flustered.

“Wow... thanks!” Daisuke said, without thinking too much. “Wait, no! That's not what one is supposed to say after their first kiss! Give me a second, I'll think of something really romantic!”

“Typical Daisuke!” Jun said, peeking from the corridor. “Of course you would mess up your first kiss!”

“Were you spying on me?!” Daisuke asked, turning to her. “I didn't mess anything up! Mind your own business!”

“Okay, alright! Keep the romance alive, Don Juan!” Jun added, smirking.

“Let's get out of here, Takeru!” Daisuke said, quickly putting on his shoes and leaving the apartment. He was still flustered, not so much because of the kiss, but mostly because of his sister making fun of him. Takeru couldn't help but to find him adorable.

“Sorry for kissing you without warning,” Takeru had an apologetic tone. “Last time I saw you, we were in the boat and the darkness was coming towards us...”

“No need to apologize, I liked that kiss!” Daisuke comforted him. “If anything, I should apologize for my poor choice of words. 'Wow, thanks' sounds so self-centered! I'm sure you would've said something beautiful!”

Takeru remained quiet for a moment. Then, as he felt tears filling his eyes, he couldn't keep to himself the question that was tormenting him:

“Am I a bad person?”

“Huh?” Daisuke was confused. “Of course not! Where did you get such idea?”

“I like this new world, I like how everybody is happy here! But my brother said that our father had a daughter from a new relationship, and she was never born on this new world because he never met her mother here! So, they want to return to the old world, where my sister exists! And I know that I should be onboard with the idea, but I snapped at Yamato for not being mad at our father for abandoning him... we had a horrible argument! I called him an idiot, and he told me I was a spoiled brat!”

“Hey, it's alright!” Daisuke said, wrapping his arms around Takeru. “Siblings argue all the time, it's the most normal thing in the world! That doesn't make you a bad person!”

“I didn't think I was a bad person because of the argument,” Takeru clarified. “It was because I'm conflicted... I know the right thing to do should be to save this sister I didn't even know I had, but I don't want to give up on this world. Everybody is happy here, everything is perfect! Your parents are alive! Why should you have to lose your family again, just so my father gets his family back?”

Daisuke remained silent for a few seconds. It didn't take long for him to break the hug and look into Takeru's eyes with sad resignation.

“This place is perfect, and I'm happy that I could see my parents again, but it isn't real,” Daisuke said. “We can't endanger the existence of a real person for the sake of a fantasy. You know that.”

“What's so wrong with fantasies?” Takeru wondered aloud.

His brother's harsh words echoed in his mind. You lived in a mansion, had expensive clothes and a pile of books filled with stupid fantasies! Takeru had grown up reading fantasy books that brought him comfort when his broken family could only hurt his heart. His father didn't care about him, his mother worked all day, his grandfather was always busy with his appointments, and his brother chose their neglectful father over Takeru. Meanwhile, in books, people would have noble hearts and fight for love and justice. Had Takeru been a fictional character, happiness would be an assured conclusion to his adventures. Nevertheless, people kept reprehending him for wishing that life of fantasy, as if reality had something better to offer him.

Daisuke held his hands.

“Tell me, Takeru, if you were writing this story, how would you solve this situation?”

Takeru was tempted to see mockery in his boyfriend's question, but knew there couldn't be any of it. Daisuke looked at him with sweetness and patience, and Takeru knew that he was sincerely interested in what he had to say.

“I might not know Koushiro very well, but I don't believe he would create a world where some people would cease to exist,” Takeru said. “It's not in his archetype. My sister is probably alive somewhere, somehow, my father simply doesn't know where she is.”

“That could be true,” Daisuke commented. “Then, do you think this place is the end of the story? The happy ending, perhaps?”

Takeru closed his eyes. He knew stories and how they were structured. A good story would have an end that fits what the narrative had been building up, it would give satisfying conclusions to the character arcs. To have all the characters wake up in a perfect world where all their problems are erased would be very disappointing. It felt disrespectful to them.

“A good story could never end like this, it'd be anticlimactic,” Takeru stated. “Something has to happen... someone has to do something to disrupt this narrative.”

“Who could do something like that? Mimi? She's a witch, after all.” Daisuke suggested.

“This world was created by Koushiro, it has to be disrupted by someone who was important to him... someone extremely important...”

Takeru's eyes lit up. Who could be more important to Koushiro than the person for whom he had destroyed the world?

“I know what to do! Thank you, Daisuke!” Takeru said, kissing his boyfriend on the lips before rushing down the corridor. Daisuke didn't have time to ask anything, just observed as the other ran. Takeru's decisive look put his heart at peace.

On his way to Taichi's apartment, Takeru received a text from Mimi calling everybody to a meeting. Seeing the narrative convenience of having all key characters gathering in the same place, he came to the conclusion that Taichi would probably be there as well.

Yamato wandered around the city, unsure of where he should go. Eventually, he sat on a bench on a park and took out his cellphone. Automatically, he dialed Sora's number.

“Hello? Yamato?”

The sound of her voice brought a smile to his face.

“Just a moment, Dad, my boyfriend called me...”

Hearing her say those words made his heart sink.

“Yamato, is everything okay?” Sora asked on the phone.

“Y-Yes...” Yamato mumbled, nervously. “I just wanted to check on you... is your father home?”

“Yes, he came for a visit!” Sora replied, enthusiastic. “Would you like to come by? I want to introduce you to him!”

“I'm sorry, I can't today...” Yamato muttered, feeling as if cold water was filling his chest.

“Hey, Yamato...” Sora hesitated. “This is going to sound like a weird question, but... what were you dreaming about before waking up today?”

Yamato gulped.

“I... I don't remember, sorry...”

“It's alright,” she forced a laugh, “I just had a strange and sad dream... it doesn't matter anymore... I need to go now. Bye!”

“Bye...” Yamato said.

Once the call was over, he felt crushed by the weigh of what he had decided to do. Yamato had decided that the right thing to do was to find a way to return to the old world, where his father's daughter existed. But that would mean to take Sora's father away from her once again. Was he really going to break the heart of the woman he loved for a sister he didn't know? For a father who didn't need him and never bothered to let his own son know what had happened to him?

Yamato covered his face with both hands. He no longer knew what was the right thing to do. Maybe Takeru was in the right all along... Yamato had told his brother such cruel things. Remembering them made him hate himself.

He wished his father had never bothered to visit him that day.

After receiving Mimi's text, Sora headed to the Mall with apprehension. She was still forcing herself to believe that, somehow, she had only dreamed of a life as a revolutionary. Maybe her whole family had the same dream in a weird coincidence, but it didn't have to mean it wasn't a dream. It didn't have to mean that new life wasn't real.

At the Mall's food court, she found Miyako and Iori at a table, sitting across from Ken and Osamu. As she joined them, the illusion that she had woken up from a bad dream was shattered.

“I don't care that you're technically not henchmen here, I still don't like you,” Iori told the other two men.

“Come on, Iori, you must like Ken at this point,” Miyako said, “he never actually did anything bad to us.”

“I suppose I don't hate Ken, but I don't like him either,” Iori said back. “I think I've grown to be... indifferent to him?”

“That's still progress!” Miyako pointed out.

“I don't particularly mind how Iori feels about me,” Ken commented, turning to Miyako. “How you feel is much more important.”

“How I feel about you?” Miyako was puzzled.

“If you want my opinion-” Osamu began to say.

“Nobody wants your opinion! Ever!” Iori stated.

“Be quiet, brat! I'll say it anyway: incompetent revolutionaries like you lot don't have the moral ground to pass judgement on other people!”

“Why are we arguing about this? There are no revolutionaries or henchmen in this world!” Ken stated. “We should get along and be happy, don't you agree, Miyako? Let's be happy... together... you and me...”

Sora forced a cough to get their attention. At first, she didn't want to interrupt, but the conversation was getting too awkward.

“It's Sora-san!” Miyako exclaimed. “Hey! Honorifics! It's so weird to use them in this world... I don't think I like them!”

“I'm not about to start using honorifics now when I haven't used them during my entire real life,” Iori said.

“Real life...” Sora muttered, while taking a seat beside Miyako. “Then, this is really the dream... and that nightmare was real...”

She couldn't stop the tears from falling. None of that happiness was real. Her real father had been dead for most of her life. The man she had met earlier that day was nothing more than a ghost.

“Your father is alive here, right?” Ken asked. “My parents are alive too.”

“And my grandfather...” Iori muttered. “It was nice to meet him...”

“Your parents are here too, right?” Miyako asked. “It's been so long since they left, you probably didn't remember them anymore. Did you talk to them?”

“No... I sneaked out without seeing them.”

“Why would you do that? I thought you wanted to meet them!” Miyako interjected.

“I wanted to meet them in the real world, not this stupid dream like place!” Iori stated. “It didn't feel right...”

“Wow...” Osamu murmured, “you're so weird! Are you planning to avoid them for the rest of your life?”

“It's not going to be for the rest of my life because we're going to find a way back to our world!” Iori retorted.

“Are you stupid? Tha world ended!” Osamu shouted. “And even if there was a way back, why would any of us want to return?”

“Because some people don't exist here!” Yamato said, right after arriving.

“What are you talking about?” Sora asked, wiping her tears. The sight of her sorrow broke his heart.

“My father told me that, in our world, he had a daughter with another woman.” Yamato explained. “But since he never met said woman here, his daughter might not exist in this place.”

“Then, you want us to go back to that horrible place where our families are dead because of one person we didn't even know?” Osamu asked, furious.

“It's not just because of her, there could be more people...” Yamato said.

“We don't know for sure that she doesn't exist here,” Ken pointed out. “Maybe we could find her if we looked for her. Then, we wouldn't have to give up on this life...”

“This life isn't real!” Iori raised his voice. “None of this is real! This world doesn't even make sense when you really think about it! Things are too perfect!'

“Iori is right,” Miyako said. “I don't want to throw away the life I had before just to live a fantasy. If we did that, nothing we ever did would have mattered. All our fight, our beliefs, our dedication and sacrifice... it'd be all just gone...”

“But we are in peace now... we are happy... our families are alive...” Ken murmured as tears shone in his eyes. “I'm educated here... I live in a good place and go to a good college... my hands aren't even scarred from the farm work...”

“These dumb revolutionaries can't understand our feelings, Ken!” Osamu affirmed. “They don't care if people are happy unless they're the ones who brought them happiness!”

“That's not true!” Miyako protested.

“Don't waste your time arguing with him,” Iori said. “He's just a selfish guy who only cares about himself!”

They remained in silence for a couple of minutes.

Yamato sat next to Sora.

“Back when we talked, you already remembered our real lives, didn't you?” Sora asked in a murmur.

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away,” he said.

“It's alright. Deep down, I knew this world wasn't real. I just didn't want to accept it.”

“So, your father...”

Sora smiled as more tears fell from her eyes.

“He's a wonderful man... I'm glad I got to see him one more time.”

“I'm sorry...”

“Don't be! Going back home is the right thing to do... he would understand that. Everything he did in life was because he believed it was the right thing to do.”

“I wish I could say something like that about my father. He got himself a new family and never bothered to let me know... that man never even bothered to let me know that he was alive and well! He only looked for me to ask for help! And because of him I got into a fight with Takeru, and I'm about to take your father away... it all feels so wrong! I'm so sorry! I'm so very sorry!”

Yamato began to cry. Sora held his hand, without saying anything.

Soon enough, Daisuke arrived. Not finding Takeru there, he took a seat beside Iori.

After a few minutes, Mimi arrived with Jyou and Taichi. Flustered and sweaty, she grabbed a cup of juice Miyako had bought and drank it.

“Ready to admit that wearing that heavy coat in summer was a mistake?” Jyou asked.

“Never! I look fabulous!” Mimi retorted.

“Why are you here?” Yamato asked, glaring at Taichi. “Was it not enough to trigger the end of the world? You have to come here and mock us as well?”

“I was deceived by Justine! I never meant for any of this to happen!” Taichi defended himself.

“You were deceived? Is that all you have to say?” Sora asked, coldly. “After all the pain you put Koushiro through, after not believing him for centuries, are you really not going to take any responsibility?”

Taichi lowered his head, ashamed.

“I know I did horrible things. Nobody has to tell me that,” he said.

“My family also did horrible things!” Jyou suddenly shouted, startling everyone. “I am so sorry for their crimes!”

“Who the heck are you?” Miyako asked.

“I think we know him from this life, but not our real life...” Iori murmured.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” Jyou said, “In this world, I'm Kido Jyou, a regular person who goes to medical school. But in our world, I was Jyou Bourgeois, fourth in the line of succession of the imperial throne.”

“WHAT?!” Everyone exclaimed at once.

“WHAT?!” Takeru shouted, jumping from behind a huge decorative plant. “You're the... you can't just drop something like that now! It's too late into the story to introduce a new character! We can't afford a flashback chapter this late in the game! Who do you think you are?!”

“Takeru, why were you hiding behind that plant?” Daisuke asked. “For how long were you there?”

“I was the first one to arrive, but I patiently waited for everybody to arrive, so I could talk to everybody at once,” Takeru explained. “But I wasn't expecting for this Jyou imperial prince reveal! What the Hell? This came completely out of nowhere!”

“Sorry?” Jyou said, nervously.

“So... are you revolutionaries going to kill the prince or...?” Osamu asked.

“Of course not!” Miyako replied. “What would be the point of doing that here, where he's just a regular person?”

“And back in our world, he's just the fourth in the line of succession. He's too irrelevant to kill,” Iori added.

“And then you don't like when I call you incompetent revolutionaries,” Osamu said. “I bet you losers never even killed anyone.”

“Don't brag about killing people!” Ken scolded his brother.

“Okay... anyway!” Takeru began to say. “I have something really important to tell you all!”

“Before that, Takeru,” Yamato stood up. “I'm sorry about the way I talked to you earlier. I shouldn't have said those awful things nor treated you so poorly.”

“I'm sorry too,” Takeru apologized as well. “But anyway... I wanted to tell you all that Taichi is the key for us to return to our world.”

“Me?” Taichi was surprised.

“You're the person Koushiro loved the most, and the fear of losing you caused the destruction of that world. If you were the cause of the apocalypse, you must be the key to take us back!”

“Then...” Yamato murmured, sitting again. “You agree that going back is the right thing to do...”

Takeru didn't pay attention to his brother.

“How could I possibly undo the apocalypse?” Taichi asked.

“From what I know about old souls,” Mimi began to say, “we are in a temporary world in Koushiro's subconsciousness. Soon, he will create a new world with a rule of his choosing. Maybe, if Taichi finds a way to talk to Koushiro, the next world could be a recreation of our old one, and we can have our lives back.”

“Why would we choose to go back to that place!” Osamu shouted. “You want most of humanity to be miserable just so you can play Revolution again? If he's going to create a new world, let it be a better one, where everybody is happy and safe!”

“But if the new world is different, people like Yamato's sister might not exist!” Sora interjected.

“That's an acceptable sacrifice, don't you think so, Ken?” Osamu asked his brother.

Ken looked down and replied:

“It wouldn't be right to sacrifice innocents for our happiness, would it? If we go back, everybody gets a chance to fight for a better life. That's the right thing to do, isn't it?”

He looked up at Miyako, who smiled and nodded to him.

“Damn it!” Osamu cursed. “Fine! Do whatever you want! But this is a huge mistake!”

“How do I do this?” Taichi asked both Mimi and Takeru. “How can I talk to Koushiro?”

“I don't know,” Mimi replied.

“With the power of love, of course!” Takeru exclaimed. “In every good story, the power of love conquers anything!”

“This isn't a story, Takeru!” Yamato stated.

“How can you be so sure?” Takeru said back. “Think on the absurdity of what we're going through. Right now, we are all stories in the back of Koushiro's minds. As a writer, I can tell you that the characters are the ones who actually control the story. Therefore, it's up to us to make this a good story! And the way to do that is through the power of love!”

“You might be used to stories with happy endings, but it's not realistic to think that something vague such as the power of love-” Yamato continued.

“Takeru...” Yamato muttered as his eyes got brimmed with tears. Takeru smiled with confidence and turned to Taichi:

“I might not know the details, but I know that your story has been a non-stopping tragedy so far,” he told Taichi. “It's time for you to take control of it! Find the man you love, open your heart, make your story happier!”

“Yes!” Taichi said. A couple of tears fell from his eyes. “I'll make this story happier! I owe this to Koushiro! With all the love in my heart, I'll find my way to him!”

As Taichi said that, loud cracking sounds were heard around them. Small dark cracks began to appear on thin air, getting increasingly bigger. As the cracks formed a dark passage in front of Taichi, he crossed it without thinking twice.

“Looks like this reality began to collapse,” Mimi said. “It's the beginning of the end, right before the new world can start.”

Ken and Osamu stood up, as if thinking the same thing.

“If Paradise is coming to an end, I'll spend as much time with my parents as I can,” Osamu said.

“Me too,” Ken added.

“I want to be with my family as well,” Daisuke said, getting up. Before leaving, he turned to Takeru and told him: “I'm really proud of what you did today.”

“There's no guarantee of what the next world will be like,” Iori thought aloud. “We might not remember anything from our past lives, we might never see our families again...”

“Then, go see your parents while you have the time! Stop overcomplicating things!” Miyako advised.

“But I'm... afraid...” Iori confessed, shutting his eyes closed. “I've been insisting it was because this world wasn't real, but the truth is that I'm afraid! What if they're not like how I imagined them? Or I'm not like how they imagined me? What if I disappoint them?”

Miyako grabbed his hand, which made Iori look at her. She smiled at him with calm confidence.

“You're the most remarkable person I know, anyone would be proud to be your parent!” Miyako stated. “But if it makes you feel better, I can go with you and stay with you for how long as you want.”

“I would like that, thank you!” Iori said.

“I don't feel like going home,” Mimi sighed.

“Me neither,” Jyou said.

“How about we grab a couple of ice creams, and you tell me the story of your life?” Mimi proposed. “I bet it's very interesting.”

Jyou blushed and nodded enthusiastically.

Soon, there were only Sora, Yamato and Takeru left in the Mall's food court.

“Go to your parents,” Yamato told her, with a warm smile. “You should enjoy your remaining time together.”

“Will you be okay if I go?” Sora asked, worried.

“We're all going to be alright,” Yamato promised.

She kissed him on the cheek before standing up. After taking a few steps, Sora turned to him one last time and said:

“See you on the other side!”

Once alone with his brother, Takeru sat by Yamato's side.

“Maybe there's still time left for you to see Mom,” Takeru suggested.

“I've already seen her today,” Yamato replied. “There's someone else I'd like to spend my time with.”

“Our father?”

“No, of course not!” Yamato interjected. “Honestly, I have no desire of seeing him again.”

“Then, do you want to spend your time with Sora? You should've gone with her, in that case.”

“It's you, Takeru! I want to spend my time with you!”

“Oh...” Takeru murmured. “That's a first, for sure. You never seemed very enthusiastic about spending time with me since I came to the farm.”

“To be fair, a lot of things happened since you came to the farm,” Yamato said. “But you're right, I might have neglected you. Ever since Father left, I felt as if I had no purpose anymore. And then, when I met Sora, I thought she needed my help and my new purpose was to take care of her. But she never needed to be taken care of by other people... I hate to admit it, but her independence made me a bit insecure. If nobody needed me, then what was the point of me?”

“You said all that, but you still didn't explain why you neglected me,” Takeru pointed out.

“I had been away from you for so long that I felt like I didn't know you anymore,” Yamato confessed. “When I saw you again, all pompous and bubbling, I didn't recognize my little brother anymore, and that scared me. Maybe, at some level, I resented how happy you seemed to be. To be with you forced me to think about my choice to stay behind back then. It was hurtful to think that I could've been happy with you and Mom, but instead chose to be miserable with Dad. And then I resented you more and felt guilty for resenting you! I kept thinking about how horrible of a brother I was! It was easier to keep you at an arm's length and keep our conversations on surface level.”

“It was pretty intense when we had a real conversation,” Takeru admitted. “It felt horrible when it happened, but not so much now. Thanks to that argument, I came to understand you better. You're a complicated person, and you mess up a lot, but you have a good heart, and I love you for it.”

Yamato smiled, even though his lips were trembling.

“I was really surprised at your speech about stories. I think I never tried to see the world from your point of view. You're very wise and kind, Takeru. I'd like to know you better. In the next world, I'd like to spend more time getting to know you.”

“I would like that as well.”

For their remaining time in that world, the two brothers talked to each other. They were not afraid of the upcoming end, but hopeful for the new beginning.

#the fantastic adventures of Takeru Takaishi #I actually really liked this chapter #takeru takaishi #takaishi takeru #digimon adventure

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