#vapor snag

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Vapor Snag

"This creature is inadequate. Send it to the splicers for innovation." —Malcator, Executor of Synthesis

Artist: Raymond Swanland TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

[lich-of-the-golgari]

commander players learn what stax is challenge. Stax is different than control or tempo. Stax uses artifacts and effects which appear symmetrical but are not in order to slow the game down and accrue a grindy advantage. Stax isn't countering your spell, playing a propaganda, or removing a problematic permanent. You are just a whiny baby who doesn't want to have their board messed with because you confuse Magic the Gathering for Solitaire. Jesus FUCKING Christ.

[itsabouttimex2]

In Primal Moon,reader is stuck with Sun wukong,mk and magaque and they seem smart enough to know to leave doing this week if they live with them or are they not living with them,like I imagine the reader is a friend/ally of theirs ,and all I can imagine is their confusion when while there walking in the city they suddenly get confronted by Sun wukong who wants his cub,he’s all like you can’t be alone your a baby/cub,so basically Sun wukong tracking reader down and kidnapping them and treating them like a cub.I imagine reader puts up a fight,because I think they can fight at least a little.

Primal Moon: Four

(Part One) (Part Two) (Part Three) (Part Four)

(This fic has a paired bot!)

Twice a year; once in spring and once in autumn, a verdant moon rises to bring the bestial instincts of non-humans to light. Celestials and demons alike struggle to keep hold of themselves, something ancient welling up within them and shifting their thoughts and feelings to a more animalistic state.

Today, the first Primal Moon of the year has risen.

Now, with almost all your supplies ruined, the need arose to maneuver the newly viridescent Megapolis. And certainly, capitalism prevailed- in the name of making money, more than a few stores stayed open and pressured young workers into taking jobs during the most dangerous week of the year.

You had thanked the poor kid manning the counter as you left, two sacks held under your arms. Before they could even respond, you were beating a hasty retreat from the store and running back through the alleyways to return home.

But nothing is ever that simple, is it?

As a non-human yourself, you could be called one of the “lucky ones”. The haze of viridescence does not cloud your eyes, nor does it loess you astray.

The draconic horns upon your head tingle under every raindrop, newly sensitive. You’ve never been quite so on edge.

Rain can only dilute a scent so much- and the impact it has in doing so is almost null under the increased senses brought on by viridescence.

Especially if one is being tracked.

The constant rain and foggy streets only buy you a few further minutes than you would have had otherwise, a mystical beast tailing you with each step taken. The demons lurking around shady corners do not halt his search. Even the minimized scent trail does not deter him.

And all too soon, he’s just a breath away.

You barely have time to shiver before the demon is upon you, bounding footsteps that come down with enough force to shatter the paved streets under his feet.

A ginger simian; radiating power and boundless age, sharply turns the corner to greet you.

You only get a few seconds to register the sudden situation before he’s upon you, clutching your forearms with a manic smile.

Sun Wukong.

You had met him several times, engaging with the Mystic Monkey on amicable terms after being introduced to him by MK. He was always affectionate and kind, but now?

Hazy pits of verdant madness swirls within eyes that were once a mystic gold. His now-reddened teeth are stained with the scent of copper. Ginger fur that was once well-groomed and left in wild curls is now slick and flat from cold rain.

“My cub!! My precious, darling cub!! Bába was looking all over for you!! Come here! Come here, little one!”

Wukong snags both of your hands, pulling you into his chest for a freezing cold hug. As soon as he does, a heavenly white cloud phases into existence, fluffy vapors spilling from the white mounds.

“C’mon, cub! Bàba will take you home!”

Pulling away as much you can in shock, your fearful eyes fall upon the monkey’s manic eyes.

Wukong doesn’t notice the fearful look, only the fact that you’re trying fruitlessly to pull your hands away. “There, there, cub… come back to Flower Fruit Mountain with me! Bába will make sure his cub is nice and warm!” He cheers, jumping upon the cloud, holding onto your hand and tugging you onto the solid vapors with him.

The cloud kicks off from the ground, blazing across the sky with fervor. Miles of expanse whip by in seconds, the expanse of grey and neon that is Megapolis fading before you can even take a breath.

Only now does reason find you, leading to a prompt protest of:

“You- no, you can’t be serious! I’m-“

“Oh, I’m very serious, cub,” he interrupts with a coo, pressing a kiss to your scalp.” It’s dangerous out here- but Bàba is gonna keep you safe!” The simian responds, wrapping his arms around your back and pulling you tightly into his lap. He’s cold and soaking, but refuses to let you pull away. “What if some nasty demon hurt you with the Primal Moon? I don’t want my little cub to get hurt!”

Before you can truly respond or argue, Flower Fruit Mountain is in sight, and the cloud is touching down on lush grass. The Monkey King’s return is heralded with a massive troop of fluffy white Rhesus Macaques, clustering around the fading cloud at their king’s feet. The downwards lurch leaves your stomach queasy, shutting you up quickly.

Wukong laughs and grins with wild motions that are far too fluid, waving one hand and calling out to the troop surrounding the pair. “My little monsters! How have you been? Have you been taking good care of the mountain for me?”

The monkeys respond with loud chatter, screeching and waving their little white paws. They move closer, hopping on the Great Sage with glee and trying to reach over the his shoulders in a bid to touch your hair, already attuned to Wukong’s view of you.

If you’re one of his, then you’re one of theirs.

“Alright, alright!” He laughs, nudging the grabby furballs away with his tail. “We can have a grooming session later! I’ve gotta find something warm for my cub to wear!

The thought strikes you that he may well not be alone. Maybe there’s others here, people like him who are similarly affected by the Primal Moon.

“Does, um… does anyone else l-live here with you?”

(God, what is wrong with you? Why can’t you muster up anger? Or the will to fight?)

“Well, not usually! But I wrangled my sneaky little brother into staying the week, kiddo! He’s your uncle, remember? Macaque? With the black fur and the gold- well, they’re green now, but usually his eyes are gold. Ince I’ve got you something cozy, the three of us are gonna have a grooming session, pumpkin!”

“…Macaque?”

The destroyer of your home. The black-souled beast that dared to level your beloved palace.

The demon that crippled your father, Ao Guang.

“He’s here?”

The Great Sage slams his foot into the door, nearly breaking the hinges as he rushes you inside.

“He is! I can’t wait to introduce the two of you!”

Wukong ushers you into the bathroom and then the tub from there, running the hot water without even allowing you a chance to remove your clothes.

“I’ll be right back with something-“

“Wait!”

Here is your long-awaited chance. A silver lining in a heavy dark cloud.

Revenge, so clearly in sight, and for so little effort on your part.

“Just you and, um… “uncle” Macaque, then?”

The familial word tastes like bile on your lips, but you mange it all the same.

“You, “uncle” Macaque… but no MK?”

Wukong pauses, a sad little sigh sounding from his downturned lips. For a moment, his gaze darkens, eyes flicking away from your face. “He’s…” The Great Sage pauses, an unfamiliar expression crossing his features for a sparse moment. “…not doing well. It’s best for my little cub to stay away from him until this week passes.” In truth, the boy had grown… feral and violent, necessitating a temporary divide. “But don’t worry about him. Just get ready to go say ‘hi’ to your uncle, huh?”

“…can you bring me a big hoodie? With one of those combined front pockets,” you ask, widening and wetting your eyes like a sad puppy- a trick you had won your real father over with a few times. “They’re really cozy and make me feel really safe…”

And… they’re a great way to conceal a weapon. It seemed as though the Great Sage hadn’t taken note of the dragon-tooth dagger strapped inside the sleeve of your silk robe. You had forged it by hand, for the sole purpose of carving that damned black-hearted simian into pieces for all his misdeeds.

Who would’ve thought that the Primal Moon would accomplish so many steps of your plan for you? That it would bring you so close, so quickly?”

Wukong doesn’t bother with a response- he years off through the house with hurried feet, shredding through all of his clothes to find what you’ve asked for- anything for his cub, after all.

Leaving you to wash and warm your scales, plotting and planning and scheming.

Maybe, just maybe… this Primal Moon was going to be a good one.

[candiedspit]

when I was lucid

Tomas fucked like a girl. 

This was disappointing. I wanted him to wrap his muscles–pink, buoyant muscles–around me until I disappeared. I wanted to make use of my legs. But he mewled like a kitten and hardly touched me. 

Am I hurting you? He asked every few seconds. 

No, I said and said. 

A cigarette was still burning on the nightstand. The sunlight outside waned like a feeling. When he finished, he rolled off of me and I got up to get dressed. 

I’ve gotta go, I said, snagging my coat on. 

And left him with his vapors and dirty skin. 

There was a cab outside waiting for me. Life was like this, one magic act. I yawned and a man offered me champagne. Things appeared. I did my lipstick in the backseat, caught the driver looking at me in the rearview mirror. 

What? I asked, popping my lips. 

He didn’t say anything. I rolled my eyes. He left me at my family’s restaurant where I met the rest of the boogaloos. I entered through the back door, smelling of sex and strawberry perfume. I liked making scenes. Another reason Tomas disappointed me–no bruises to coat with foundation, no angered calls from my brothers. I’m the youngest in our family; the only girl, too. This allows me many advantages. Everyone treats me as though I’m made of glass. 

Where you been, dope? Nick asked. 

I had four older brothers and Nick was the closest to me in age. He had spent his recent twenty fifth birthday in the white gallows of Hawaii, dodging waterfalls. I was twenty years old. It was only the brothers there. Dad was working. I never knew what that meant, though there were hints. All that really mattered was his mood when he came home. Sometimes, he went to his office and drank. Nothing could stir him, his misery like a furnace heating the entire house. Other times, he came home bearing gifts, stories and quick cracks at everyone. He was a laser beam. I take after him in some respects. For example, my beautiful, long nose. And my green, slanted eyes. I’m also a natural depressive. Prone to fits, slamming doors, refusing to eat for days. Once, I told a shrink I feel like as empty as a clock. He told me everybody feels like that. 

Not like me, I told him. Not like me. 

I was with Tomas, I told Nick as I took a seat at the table. 

It was quiet. Robin, Frank and my oldest brother Jonathan fiddled with their fingers, sniffling. I made a face. 

What is this? I asked. A fucking funeral parlor? What’s going on?

Dad lost a bet, Jonathan said. A big one.

Shit, I said. What do we do?

Not you. Nick said. But we’ve got till this evening to get it sorted. 

I was never allowed out on any ventures. This upset me. I could handle anything the boys could. A little blood. A little guts. It didn’t bother me much. I had a strong stomach. 

There’s a cab coming for you, Robin said. Just stay at the house. 

Can’t we play a game first? I asked. I loved beating them at cards, the dimwits. 

No time, Jonathan said. 

I got up and grabbed a soda from the fridge before heading towards the door. 

Be safe, I said. 

Always. 

I never knew what time it was. It was probably around one in the morning when the boys came back with dad. I’d spent the afternoon watching TV with mom while she did my nails. Dad was furious, cursing anyone that came to mind; Mickey Mouse, God, Judy Dame. As Nick slinked upstairs, I caught his arm. His shirt was rimmed with what I knew was blood. 

Are you okay? I asked. 

He nodded. I kissed his cheek and let him go. 

I wasn’t in school. I filled my time with house parties, dungeons, anything that sparkled. That weekend, I was in the basement with Katie-Marie, a girl I’ve known since we were four. I didn’t have many friends. But I had good ones, the ones I had. Katie-Marie was wonderful to be around. I could tell her anything. Most of the time, I complained about Tomas. 

Let go of him, Katie-Marie said. He’s nothing but a pain. Not worth the time. 

I’m compelled, I said. There’s something about him I can’t get enough of. 

Katie-Marie did another line, I followed suit and laid back down on the couch, drank some soda. I often imagined burning my nose off; sulfur and love confessions. I listened to Katie-Marie sing along to some girl pop band until I felt as though someone had thrown me into the electric chair except I was innocent. All of my nerves were on high alert. I fluttered my eyes, seeing the faint image of a lamb on the ceiling. There was a cosmic rhinestone in the very center of my forehead. I could feel every one of my thoughts like arrows shot from the other side. I laughed and laughed, couldn’t tell when I wasn’t laughing. Katie-Marie kissed my cheek. I licked her palm. I began speaking. 

Are we not the damndest? Are we not the ones? I could drink my youth from a shot glass. It’s going to rain. I’m the first horse who realized he can run. And I’m running and I’m never stopping. I’m a cunt. I’m Daddy. He thinks he’s so big, I’m bigger. 

I looked over at Katie-Marie. 

He thinks he’s big but I’m bigger, I said over and over. 

I have this dream, I found myself telling Tomas. That dud, dull sparkler; magic amulet with no power within it. I didn’t like him. How many times could I rap at his door? A shift, I expected him to be someone else every time. The person I loved. And each time, it was only him in his boy shorts, grease king, cigarette burns in the blankets, ashtrays on the carpet, the scent of a life lived far too long. It had been four days since we’d seen each other; I’d spent the time crying, masturbating and crying, punching his number into the phone and then chickening out. He looked at me, rubbed my cheek with his bandaged thumb. 

What do you dream? He asked. 

I’m Christ at the table. And the skies are made of lace, there are gingerbread cookies, rugs made of skin, a thousand diamonds, an itch in my teeth. A cock between my hands. Psalms rising and falling beneath my eyelids. I am the son of God. I am going to be betrayed by the phony who loves me as the wind loves to tickle the trees. I am going to die for you. 

I pointed towards the ceiling. 

But for the moment, I am full of wine, singing drunk. And the colors explode. Someone is speaking. A beautiful woman with her breasts exposed. And I hear the sound of what comes next. I hear the crackle of electricity; lightning bolts, rashes of rain pissing from above. I hear a hundred languages, babbling over one another like threads in a wicker basket, streams of fish. I hear a thumping, a grinding, ecstatic horsepower. I see the black coughs of genocide. I see Americans on the street, hiding from a wall of ash. I see America. 

You’re insane, he said as though astonished. Absolutely insane. 

It was a Tuesday evening. I was at the restaurant with Nick, playing cards. The other boys were upstairs, running dishes, cleaning tables. Outside, I could hear the fantastic drip of rain. I beat Nick at cards for the third time in a row. 

You’re letting me win, I complained. 

He laughed. 

I’m really that bad, he said. That’s the truth. 

It got quiet as I got up to get another soda, one for me and one for him. I cracked open the can and sat back down. Nick was looking at me. 

Julia, he said. 

I looked at him. He never called me by my name. 

 Why don’t you get away from here? You could. Dad would pay for school, somewhere upstate. You could leave all this shit behind. It’s not good for you to be in the periphery of what we do. Why don’t you? 

I looked at his hands, a cross tattooed on his wrist. I loved him like a mother does, like a knife.

Why don't you go fuck yourself? I asked. And said nothing else.

I set up another card game. And let him win.

[jjwphotography1990]

The Pass vs The Shot!

Here is Rebel showing off the F-16s impressive minimum radius turning capability! So enjoy the video of the pass and check out the shot I snagged at the end of the video! And today's theme tag is #16son16

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The 2023 Stuart Air Show

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#vapor #vaportrail #f16 #f16viper #f16fightingfalcon #jet #fighterjet #aviationphotography #airforce #airshow #airshowphotography #aviation #aviationgeek #airplane #military #shotoncanon #canon #canoneosr #eosr #canonphotography #photography #aviationphoto #pictureoftheday #photooftheday #sigma #sigmalens #sigma60600mmsports

[aspiring-writer-hidden-voice]

🐰

(Just a little Sunday Drabble. Enjoy! SFW but is suggestive.)

“Why that of all things?”

Emerald green eyes rose to meet your own, blinking in confusion for a moment as they adjusted from reading words at a close distance to focus upon your face which was a bit farther away. The television audio was lowered with the push of a remote button so that he could hear you better. In his lap the book closed with a snap then placed off to the side where sunlight illuminated the bedroom with warm golden rays. Across your laps stretched a blanket that was both cooling and soft in material, a recent gift since he’d noticed your difficulty in sleeping under normal sheets. Today was Sunday, meaning that the two of you were home at the same time and could do as you pleased, being as it was his guaranteed (more like mandatory) day of since he works so hard. An apologetic smile raised his lips after brushing them against your temple briefly. “What was that? Sorry, bunny, can you run that by me again?”

The tip of your finger lightly tapped his freckled nose. “That.”

“You’re going to have to be a bit more specific than that,” he chuckled while slipped an arm around your shoulders, “I’m many things but a mind reader I’m definitely not.”

As if in explanation, your hands rose to form imaginary ears that reached higher than any canine or feline’s.

His sharp intelligence kicked into gear at your motions. “You’re wondering why I call you ‘bunny’?” Within his freckled cheeks rose a blush, hesitation filling those emeralds then they met your own. “Oh, uh, is it weird that I do?”

“It’s original so I’ll give points for creativity, but its not a nickname that most would pick.” The hands above your head fell to rest on the bed, taking a moment to comb through his tousled forest locks. It was still slightly damp from the shower you’d shared not too long ago. Scents of his body wash, reminding you of a cedar forest during a thunderstorm, permeated the room’s air lingering with wisps of vapor as you inhaled. “I’m curious as to why you picked it instead of ‘baby’ or ‘doll’.”

“S-sorry, I should’ve asked if you were okay with it!” The Pro Hero looked visibly shaken as he began mumbling about other little nicknames that he’s heard being used by his colleagues. Even the little wrinkle between his brows had depended as he stroked his chin in deep thought. There were a few which made you flinch or cringe until he crossed his arms with a huff and fell silent.

“It’s not that I don’t like it, Izuku, I was just wondering why.”

Bright red stained those freckled cheeks when he attempted to escape the bed only to fall victim to your sudden koala-like embrace that caused him to teeter before falling back onto the bed with you beneath him. Now the two of you were laughing as both of your fingers attempted to release or tighten the other’s hold. Sheets became tangled within limbs, nearly creating a cocoon around your twisting forms, until his stamina outlasted yours. His laughter was so beautiful to you but it was the smile that alternated between littering your face with kisses that made your world more colorful.

“Tell me already!”

“It’s too embarrassing!”

Your eyes rolled while dodging another peck of his lips. “C’mon, Izuku, no matter what the reason I’m not going tease you!”

Something devious entered his gaze as he snagged one of your wandering hands that had been attempting to find his ticklish side. “Who said it would be embarrassing for me?”

Confusion filled your being. “Me?” Suspicion tainted your curiosity. “Why would it?”

“Well,” his voice dipped into a lower octave, bending at the neck so yours came into contact with his lips, “let’s just say that it’s something that I don’t think you’re aware of doing.”

Like a horse on the track, your mind immediately began racing. Was it the way you eat or drink? Maybe how you styled your hair? What was so bunny-like that he felt it was befitting?

The sharp snag of teeth against your sensitive skin made the entirety of your mind screech to a halt, a blush rising within your cheeks as something warm and wet soothed the slightly aching area. “I could have been telling you this entire time but you weren’t listening.” Vibrato within his voice made the fine hairs across your being rise in anticipation when the tip of his nose trailed from your shoulder up to meet yours. His lips teased yours with near feather touches until they were compelled to part. “My little bunny…say it…”

Tingles and electricity shot through your veins at the stern tone he used. The compulsion to do as he suggested whenever using that voice and tone combined always left you quivering with the desire to please him. “I…I am…”

“I had no idea my little bunny was so quiet.” Deep within your core coiled familiar pressure as his emeralds hovering over you blazed with authority. The calloused pads of his fingers bit into your skin as they took hold off your chin. “Louder.”

Your lips quivering did not help your case but somehow you managed a shaky, “I am…your…little bunny…”

And like the flip of a switch, his demeanor took a complete shift from dominating desirable Deku to blushing stammering Izuku who collected you within his lean arms. “T-there it was, the reason why I call you my bunny.”

Nearing frustration level, you attempting to push him away. “I still don’t—”

“When you get excited like that, your nostrils flare like that of a bunny’s!” Silence fell as you slowly processed his words, earning a laugh as he prevented you from hiding within the bed.

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x36 - Break Through the Barrier! Zudomon Spark! / City Under Siege

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Vamdemon's invasion of Odaiba met an unexpected snag when he underestimated the fury of freaked-out parents afraid for their children's lives. A furious parent revolution unfolded in his midst, and also Keisuke was nearby.

Now Phantomon, Vamdemon, and their Bakemon forces are struggling to bring things back under control so their plan can get underway.

We open on Lilimon's fight with Vamdemon. She hits him dead-on with her Flower Cannon. Vamdemon tanks her shot, not even flinching. Guess all that gorging on Shibuya women paid off.

Vamdemon: You'd be cute if you were quieter. Heto Scream!

Vamdemon unveils a third attack like a fucking cheater. Everyone else has had two moves max up to this point.

Okay, this is one I'm kinda shaky on. All sources I can find on Vamdemon's moves say this attack is called Dead Scream, which is also what the subtitles say as well. But that's not what he says when he's calling the attack. The two syllables I can make out are "Eh Toe" followed by the english word Scream. Which is not how you would pronounce shinda.

I think Dead Scream is a pragmatic translation because I think the word he's using is heto. It's the onomatopoeia for the sound of total exhaustion: hetoheto.

But I may be wrong. Vamdemon is difficult to translate because he uses a lot of archaic language. So the experience of translating him is roughly akin to only knowing English as a second language and trying to make sense of Shakespeare.

It could also just be "Dedo Scream" and he's not pronouncing the first 'd' for some reason. But the hard 't' sound in the second syllable is unmistakable. I think it's Heto Scream.

Whatever it's called, the attack seizes up Lilimon's body. Her colors darken and she screams, fitting the name. Then she falls from the air, seemingly paralyzed.

Over in the dub, Myotismon avoids creepily flirting with Lillymon in the midst of his taunt so good on him.

Myotismon: Do you expect to beat me with geraniums!? NIGHTMARE CLAW!!!

I don't know why his attack is called Nightmare Claw. At no point are claws ever involved in it. A shadowy face emerges from his cloak and then the target darkens and goes limp. There are no claws.

We cut briefly to Sora and Toshiko up on the ledge. With Bakemon bedsheet in hand, Toshiko's preparing to sacrifice herself for Sora.

Toshiko: Run away, Sora! Sora: But... But Mom.... Toshiko: HURRY!!!

Cut to Vamdemon following up his Heto Scream. Now that Lilimon's defenseless, he releases Night Raid to finish her off. Mimi sprints upstairs to the second floor where Lilimon fell.

Mimi: Lilimon! Hold on!

Mimi doesn't know what to do, but reinforcements are already here. Birdramon blows past her, obliterating the Night Raid bats with a shot of Meteor Wing before snatching Lilimon up from the ground.

Mimi: SORA-SAN!!! TAKE LILIMON AND GET OUT OF HERE!!!

Cut back to Toshiko, who is violently swinging her Bakemon blanket at the Bakemon to keep them at bay. This is working because, as last episode demonstrated, Bakemon are kinda pathetic when they aren't Bakemon-sama.

Toshiko: What are you doing!? Hurry!

Finally, with tears in her eyes, Sora moves. She leaps over the railing, grabbing onto Birdramon's talon.

Sora: MOM!!! MIMI-CHAN!!! I'LL COME BACK AND SAVE YOU!!!

With Sora hanging on to one talon and Lilimon clutched in the other, Birdramon flies off over Odaiba, away from Big Sight convention center. Leaving behind Toshiko and Mimi, who are quickly taken into custody by the Bakemon.

In the dub:

Toshiko: Get out of here, Sora! Now! Sora: But what about you, Mom!? Toshiko: Just GO!!! (Myotismon fires Grisly Wing at Lilimon) Mimi: Oh no! They're gonna get her! (Birdramon vaporizes the bats and grabs Lilimon) Mimi: Sora, get out! He's way too strong! Toshiko: Christ, what are you waiting for!? Sora: ... Toshiko: (to the Bakemon) Get away, you things! (exertion noises) SORA, GO!!! (Sora jumps, grabbing Birdramon's talon) Sora: I'LL COME BACK JUST AS SOON AS I FIND THE OTHERS!!! DON'T WORRY, MOM!!!

I guess Mimi's allowed to worry. Only Toshiko gets a call-out in Sora's English departure.

I had to go back and re-listen to that like a dozen times and I swear she says "Christ, what are you waiting for!?" They try to drown out the "Christ" in Bakemon squawking because they don't do second takes of anything, but I swear it's there.

Using "Jesus" or "Christ" or my favorite "Jesus Fucking Christ" as an expletive is a thing in English. So the line parses as Toshiko getting frustrated that Sora isn't listening to her and running. But. Also. You're not allowed to do that on American children's television.

I feel confident that they did not script her to say "Christ". I think the actress may have accidentally ad-libbed that while getting too into the role, and then the editor tried to bury it under Bakemon squawks when stitching the scene together.

Or I could just be hearing things. But I swear it's there. It's even accurately timed to her lip flaps.

Cut to the building under construction where Yamato, Taichi, and Hikari are holed up. Hikari ties a bandage around Agumon's claw.

Hikari: Does it hurt, Agumon? Agumon: Nope, thanks Hikari. Hikari: Ehe!

Then Hikari notices the much more tense conversation going on between Taichi and Yamato.

Taichi: What did you say!? The whole Odaiba area's been isolated!? Yamato: Yeah. Vamdemon must be behind this. Taichi: It has to be him. He's blocked off all of Odaiba so he can get to the Eighth Child. Yamato: He's even taken all of the adults and children hostage. Taichi: DAMN IT!!!

Taichi furiously kicks a soda can that's lying on the ground.

The dub opens this scene with a silence-breaker from Kari.

Kari: Poor Agumon. You're always getting beat up. (Kari ties the bandage on Agumon's hand.) Kari: There! How does that feel? Agumon: You're getting good at this. Kari: Haha-- Tai: NO WAY!!!

When Hikari turns her head to start listening in on Taichi and Yamato's conversation, she isn't provoked by anything. She suddenly looks concerned and decides to listen in. The dub adds Tai's "NO WAY!!!" exclamation to give her something to react to, which I think helps pull the scene together more.

Matt: WAY!!! It's true! I saw the whole thing. Tai: That creepazoid! He's cut off the whole entire district! Matt: Mhmm! It's that crazy fog bank of his! Tai: This is insane! Holding thousands of people prisoner just so he can find the Eighth Child! Matt: And there's no telling what he'll do if he doesn't find her! Tai: UGH!!! (kicks the soda can)

There's a tonal difference here. The Japanese Taichi and Yamato have more of a "Holy shit he did what?" freak-out vibe while the American Tai and Matt are on a "THAT SON OF A BITCH DID WHAT!?" fury meltdown. The American kids are, as usual, more aggressive than their Japanese counterparts. But they still hit the important points.

Though Matt inexplicably claims to have watched Myotismon do it. Uh. No, Matt. You were at home trying to get the TV to work and then you went to bed. You missed everything.

I guess he's just embarrassed to admit to Tai that he needed his dad to explain the plot for him.

Unfortunately, the growing atmosphere of despair in this construction site has not gone unnoticed. Hikari approaches, stopping just short of where Taichi's kicked soda can landed.

Hikari: Is this my fault? Is this happening to everyone... because of me? Even Mom? Taichi: (gently) No, it's not, Hikari. This is not your fault. It's Vamdemon's.

Taichi kneels down to get on Hikari's level.

Taichi: Listen to me, Hikari. Your Onii-chan is going to take care of everything. All you have to do is wait here. (Taichi stands up) Taichi: Yamato! Yamato: Huh? Taichi: Can you look after Hikari for a while? Yamato: Sure, I can do that.... Taichi: Hikari, I'm going to go save Mom and everyone else, okay? Hikari: Onii-chan, save Tailmon too. Taichi: (thumbs up) Yeah, I've got this!

Taichi checks the time on his Digivice. It's 7:30 A.M.

Taichi: 7:30. If I'm not back in two hours, take Hikari and get out of here. Let's go, Agumon!

Taichi starts running without another word to the others.

Yamato: Whuh-- Taichi! Taichi: TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIKARI!!! (gone) Hikari: Onii-chan....

Honestly, if we have to split up, this is a good separation of duties on paper. Throwing Taichi at the enemy like a ballistic missile while Yamato babysits plays to both of their strengths.

However, Agumon hasn't had a lot of time to rest. Remember, he degenerated from MetalGreymon mid-fight due to fatigue just last night, and he got that claw injury while trying to have a Greymon fight this morning.

Gabumon's not in that much better shape. WereGarurumon was throwing hands with Vamdemon last night too. But he got a full night's rest after that and didn't have to evolve again this morning, so I'd feel more confident sending Yamato into the field right now than Taichi. Agumon's been pushed hard lately.

I have logistical concerns with Taichi's plan and feel like he could use some backup.

In the dub:

Kari: This is all my fault, isn't it? Tai: Huh!? Kari: It's all happening because he's looking for me, right? That's why Mom and Dad and everybody are-- Tai: (gently) No, don't say that. It's not your fault. It's just the way things are. It's called destiny. (Tai kneels down) Tai: Don't you worry. I'm gonna bring Mom and Dad back home safe and sound! Hehe, and your little buddy Gatomon too! (Tai stands back up) Tai: Hey Matt! Do me a favor and look after her 'til I get back! Matt: Uh, sure... No problem. Tai: Kari, I need you to be a big, strong girl for me while I'm away. Kari: Okay. Please be careful. Tai: (thumbs up) Hey! Aren't I always? (Tai checks the time on his Digivice) Tai: Okay. It's 7:30. Give me two hours. If we don't make it back by then, you guys get out of here. Let's go, Agumon! (runs) Agumon: Okay! Matt: Be careful, man! Tai: SEE YA SOON!!! EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT!!! (gone) Agumon: WHOA!!! Kari: ...I hope so.

When Taichi and Agumon depart, they drop off the edge of the screen, jumping down a level from this construction site we're at. As a joke, the dub adds a zany wibble-wobble sound effect to their drop and has Agumon shout "WHOA" seemingly to imply that they tripped and fell.

Hence Kari's concerned punchline of, "...I hope so."

In this version of the exchange, Kari doesn't have to tell Tai to get Gatomon too. He volunteers that himself while trying to raise her spirits. This leaves her with nothing to say in her later line beyond wishing Tai well.

I can see merits to both versions. In the English version, Tai recognizes how important Gatomon is to Kari and frontloads his investment in her wellbeing into his speech. He wants Kari to know up front that everyone she loves will be protected.

In the Japanese version, Hikari recognizes Tailmon's otherness to Taichi and the others and wants to make sure he doesn't forget about her. She knows there's hostility there and wants to be sure Tailmon will be saved too.

They're different takes but they both work for the characters and situation.

What doesn't work for me is Tai's reassurance that this is not Kari's fault. He waxes poetic about predestination and the immutable nature of things for some fucking reason. Like, he seems to be implying that nobody is at fault and life just sucks sometimes.

Taichi's reassurance is to the point: It is not Hikari's fault that Vamdemon is doing this. It's Vamdemon's fault that Vamdemon is doing this. He is the fucker here, and nobody else. The perpetrator of this crime is the only person who holds blame.

Cut to Koushiro in his room. He pops open his computer and sees Chibi Gennai strolling around on his desktop.

Koushiro: I have an email from Gennai-san. Gennai: Hello! Oh, there's no time for small talk. Tentomon: Right! Gennai: Because this is an emergency, I'll start with the important news. First, put up a Digital Barrier at once. Koushiro: A Digital Barrier? Gennai: Download the program I sent you into another machine.

Koushiro slides over to his desktop computer, which has been slightly offscreen to the right every time we've seen his room before now. XD

Gennai: As long as the Digital Barrier is up. you should be safe.

Outside the window, Tentomon can see the Bakemon gathering people.

Tentomon: Koushiro-han! You have to hurry! They're almost here! Koushiro: I know!

Of note: "Digital Barrier" is in English, like most Digimon attack names.

Also note that, as with the Radar notification from a few episodes ago, there's no indication that Chibi Gennai is actually conversing with Koushiro. Koushiro calls this message an email and at no point does Gennai respond to anything he's saying. It's just a cutesy animation to go along with the correspondence.

In the dub:

Izzy: Look! Email from Gennai! Gennai: Greetings! Salutations from Cyberspace! Tentomon: Oh, get to the point! Gennai: But this is no time for pleasantries. You're in a tight spot, eh? The first thing to do is put up a Digital Barrier. Izzy: A Digital what!? Gennai: You're probably wondering what that is. Well, download the program and I'll explain. (Izzy slides over to his desktop) Gennai: If you can put it up in time, the Digital Barrier will protect you. (Tentomon sees people being gathered outside) Tentomon: (wails) Ohhh! The Bakemon are getting closer every second! Can't you go any faster, Izzy!? Izzy: I'm trying! I told Dad I need a quicker modem!

Dub Gennai doesn't mention that the Digital Barrier has to be installed in a different computer, so it's not clear why Izzy doesn't just pop it open on his laptop.

They did, however, nail the fact that it's a prerecorded message this time around though. As with the original, Chibi Gennai never responds to Izzy, though there is the comical "A WHAT" "You're probably wondering what that is" bit. That's fun. ^_^

While Koushiro works on that, we move outside Odaiba to Hinode Pier. Takaishi Natsuko seems to have had the same idea Jou had for circumventing the trains.

A man with a megaphone tries to explain things to the upset crowd.

Announcer: Though we don't know what's causing it, none of the water buses will be able to depart at this time. Angry Person: When will they be working again!? Announcer: We apologize for the inconvenience! Natsuko: This isn't good. What do we do? Not even the ships are working.... Salaryman: I have to be in Odaiba by this afternoon!

Do yourself a favor and look up a Tokyo water bus. They're fucking cool. Man, mass public transit is amazing. I sure wish Americans were allowed to have some.

In the dub:

Announcer: Uh, we're sorry but because of fog conditions, no ferries will be running in the district until further notice. Angry Person: What do we do in the meantime!? Announcer: Please bear with us. We're doing everything we can. We just have to wait for the fog to lift. Nancy: I'm getting a bad feeling from this crowd. I think maybe we should be going, T.K.... Salaryman: Hey, what do you suggest I do!? My family's in there! Other Person: Mine too!

I don't think Nancy's as committed to getting into Odaiba as Natsuko is. Though she's not wrong to feel like this could turn into a dangerous mob at any moment. Because. Uh. It does.

Suddenly people start shoving and crowding and mobbing.

Furious Person: Yurikamome Station and the Rainbow Bridge are closed too! DO SOMETHING!!! Announcer: Please calm down! Don't push! Takeru: (separated from Natsuko) Mama!? Natsuko: TAKERU!!! (more shoving disorients everyone) Takeru: MAMA!!! MAMA!!!

In the dub, the announcer has some advice for the crowd.

Announcer: Please stay calm! Furious Person: YOU stay calm! Other Person: YEAH!!! Announcer: In cases of emergency, you might try renting a private boat down at the harbor. That's all I can suggest for now! I'm sorry! T.K.: (separated from Nancy) Mommy? Nancy: T.K., where are you!? (more shoving disorients everyone) T.K.: MOMMY!!!

I... honestly don't know if there would be private boats to rent along the Tokyo Bay coastline. Huh. That might be an option. Though you'd still need to find someone willing to let their boat be taken into weather conditions so hazardous that all forms of public transit have been shut down.

If I was a boat owner, I wouldn't rent out my boat for use in a fog bank so thick you will not see the shoreline until you've already crashed into it. But maybe that's just me.

Back in Odaiba, the Bakemon have begun pulling people from Koushiro's complex. They have, at this point, abandoned the pretense of last episode's bakemono guises. Phantomon is slicing doors off apartments, and then the Bakemon enter and grab the occupants.

Koushiro has the Digital Barrier at about 50% install. But time is running out. Quite understandably, the Izumi parents want to get the fuck out of here.

Koushiro: Hurry... Hurry.... (Koushiro's parents burst into his room) Kae: There's trouble, Koushiro! Masami: We have to leave! Koushiro: No! We'll be safer if we stay here! Kae: What are you saying!? The bakemono are almost here! Koushiro: Just a little longer! Please just give me a few more seconds!

Of course, lacking context on what he's doing, what Koushiro is asking for sounds absolutely deranged and no reasonable parent would go along with it. Kae bolts across the room and grabs Koushiro by the shoulders, trying to physically extract him from his computer desk.

Good mom. Wrong, but good.

Kae: Koushiro! Come! Come! Koushiro: Mom!

Outside, the Bakemon continue their sweep of the complex.

Koushiro: Wait, Mom! Kae: You have to leave the computer behind! We have to leave quickly! Quickly, Koushiro!

Kae's statement here is revealing. She thinks this is about the family drama. About Koushiro shutting them out and hiding himself away in his room with his computer. She thinks that's what he's doing, and it's going to get him hurt or killed.

She has tears in her eyes when she begs him to leave the computer and come with her. She doesn't know how to fix their problem and she doesn't want her inability to understand how to connect with her son to get him hurt.

But there's something about this situation that clicks with Masami. He realizes that whatever is happening here, it's not about the family drama. He puts a hand on Kae's shoulder.

Masami: Let's have faith in Koushiro. In our son. Like we always have. Kae: ...honey....

Kae stands aside and allows Koushiro to finish whatever is so important. Trusting that he understands the danger that they're in, and that he knows what he's doing.

In the dub, Phantomon opens us up with a silence-breaker.

Phantomon: Come out, come out wherever you are! (Cut to Izzy's room interior) Izzy: Come on... Come on.... (Izzy's parents burst into his room) Kae: It is time to go, Izzy!

Kae's delivery here sounds frustrated, as if Izzy's been telling her "One more minute!" for a while now.

Masami: We've got to get out of here! Izzy: No! Believe it or not, we'll be safer here! Kae: What are you talking about, Izzy!? Those creatures will be at our door any minute! Izzy: Trust me, I know what I'm doing! Just give me another couple of minutes here! (Kae runs up and grabs Izzy) Kae: No! You are coming now! Izzy: Wait, Mom! Let me go! (The Bakemon get closer) Izzy: Mom, you don't understand! Kae: No, you don't understand! This isn't the time! Now will you please leave that computer alone and come on? (Masami puts a hand on Kae's shoulder) Masami: Dear, maybe he knows what he's doing. Let's trust the boy, alright? The kids seem to know more about it than we do. Kae: You're right. Masami: Go for it, son!

Kae mentions the computer but the problem is her tone of voice. When Original Kae asks Koushiro to leave the computer, her voice is cracking from desperation and terror. She's panicking. Dub Kae delivers it as more of a scolding; She's telling him off for his failure to adequately prioritize in a crisis.

The meaning behind the computer doesn't really come through in the dub's version.

Then the rest of the scene is a tactical discussion? The original Masami takes a leap of faith and chooses to believe in Koushiro because he acknowledges and respects his son's intelligence and decision-making skills.

Dub Masami makes a calculated tactical choice to let Izzy handle this because he was watching the last episode and saw how cool Mimi and Sora were. "The kids seem to know more about it than we do." Yes, but how do you know that? You have met zero DigiDestined outside of Izzy. This scene, this scene happening right now, is your first encounter with any of this.

Finally, Phantomon and two Bakemon approach the Izumi residence.

Koushiro: Digital Barrier: ON!!!

A bright blue light erupts from the monitor, filling the room. Just then, Phantomon slices down the Izumi family's front door. The two Bakemon comb the apartment, with one looking in on Koushiro's room.

From their perspective, we see no humans inside the room. Only a mysterious floating golf club. Fucking weird, but not what we came here for.

Bakemon: Nothing here. Phantomon: Alright!

The bakemono leave, moving on to the next apartment down. Koushiro's parents breathe a sigh of relief, collapsing to the floor together. Tentomon is also relieved.

Tentomon: KOUSHIRO-HAN!!! IT WORKED PERFECTLY!!!

No longer relieved, the Izumi parents about have a heart attack from the startling reveal that the ladybug toy by the desk is, in fact, another monster. Koushiro facepalms while Tentomon scrambles to introduce himself.

Tentomon: I-I'm called Tentomon... Nice to meet you? Kae: (faints) Masami: Honey!?

That's a whoopsy-doodle.

The dub again gives Phantomon a silence-breaker as he approaches the Izumi door.

Phantomon: Trick or treat.... (Cut to Izzy's room interior) Izzy: Done. Digital Barrier coming on... NOW!!! (Bright blue light, followed by ghosty invasion) Bakemon: (confused by the levitating golf club) That's funny... I could have sworn.... Phantomon: There's no one here. Let's get moving! (The ghosties leave) Tentomon: IT WORKED!!! The Digital Barrier is in place! (Parents freak out) Tentomon: Oops. Well, now that you know I can talk, my name's Tentomon. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Kae: (faints) Masami: Dear!

Bakemon's line feels a little off. Nothing wrong with this scene, but I'd tweak it to have him comment on the golf club rather than indicate that he somehow previously knew people were home. Still, it works great as is.

From here, we move back to Big Sight convention center. The captive adults are miserable and frustrated except for Mimi's parents; In an easily missed visual gag as the camera's panning over, Satoe and Keisuke remain cutie-patooties who love each other dearly.

Those two are winning at life. Not even Vamdemon can stop them from enjoying every second they have in one another's presence.

Taichi's father Susumu stands up suddenly, yelling at their captors.

Susumu: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO US!?!? Random Woman: GIVE US BACK OUR CHILDREN!!! PicoDevimon: Hehehehe... You'll all become a meal for Vamdemon-sama. Go to sleep until then.

PicoDevimon knocks out the entire crowd by radiating hypnotic waves from his eyes.

...uh. Hey, PicoDevimon? What the fuck? How long have you been able to do that? Seems like it would have been a lot easier to fight the Chosen Children with that ability than your fucking Pico Darts, my dude.

Man, everybody on Team Vamdemon went down to the Tokyo Skill Shop to buy some new attacks, I see.

In the dub:

Susumu: Well, what are you going to do with us!? Random Woman: NOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN!?!? PicoDevimon: Hehehehe... Well, if I told you now, it would simply ruin the surprise that's coming up! In the meantime, why doesn't everybody take a little nap?

I guess the prospect of Myotismon ravenously devouring all of the adults was a little too much for the dub.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the convention center, the filtering of Odaiba's children is officially underway.

Tailmon: No. (Next child) Tailmon: No. Bakemon: Alright, next.

Vamdemon suddenly appears behind Tailmon, causing the children to start screaming and crying even harder than they were already.

Vamdemon: You understand, of course: If you lie to me, all of these children will die!

That doesn't help, either. Honestly, they're kinda fucked no matter what Tailmon does right now. He can't validate whether or not she's lying. He doesn't know the answer so how is he supposed to fact-check Tailmon?

He's going to kill them all when he reaches the end of the list without finding the Eighth Child, regardless of whether or not Hikari is here.

In the dub:

Gatomon: It's not him. Bakemon: Next. (Next child) Gatomon: It's not her. Bakemon: Okay, next. (Myotismon appears) Myotismon: Beware, Gatomon.... Gatomon: Huh!? Myotismon: If you lie to me, I will simply destroy them all!

Slightly more consistent on the dub's part to have Bakemon say "Next" for the first kid too, not just the second.

Then we return to Hinode Pier, where someone else is caught in the same angry mob as Takeru and Natsuko.

Jou: Excuse me! Everyone calm down!

Jou escapes from the station, taking cover outside the door and catching his breath.

Jou: (to his duffel bag) I thought I was going to die in there-- Takeru: Jou-san! Jou: Takeru-kun! Takeru: Jou-san, why aren't you in Odaiba? Jou: I was in cram school when this all began. Takeru: Hey, that fog must be.... Jou: Yeah. It's probably Vamdemon doing it. Odaiba must be in a lot of trouble right now. Takeru: Onii-chan.... Jou: I'm going to do whatever it takes to reach Odaiba. Takeru: I'll come with! But how...? Jou: (holds out his duffel bag) With this!

Jou puts his duffel bag on the ground and unzips it, letting out Gomamon. Gomamon pops out making a loud noise, as if trying to startle Takeru and Patamon for funsies. The little shit.

Gomamon: (pops out suddenly) WHAAA!!! Takeru: GOMAMON!!! Gomamon: Ahhh, I was dying in there. Patamon: Yay! Jou: I'm counting on you, Gomamon. Gomamon: Okay! I'm on it!

Jou has now fully given up on any man-made method of entering Odaiba. It's time to do what worked for us the first time we were stranded outside the district and forge our own path.

In the dub:

Joe: HEY!!! SLOW DOWN!!! (Joe escapes the building) Joe: (to his duffel bag) I thought we were gonna be goners! T.K.: Joe!? Joe: HUAGH!!! (realizes) Hey, T.K. T.K.: I thought you'd be in town with the others. Joe: No, I was across the harbor when the power went out. T.K.: So we're both stuck out here... While everyone else is in there.... Joe: Yeah. Who knows what Myotismon is planning to do inside that evil blanket of fog. T.K.: Not so good. Joe: Alright, enough talk. It's time for action. We've gotta get there. T.K.: I know. What'll we use to get across? Joe: (holds out his duffel bag) This is what! The answer's right here. (Joe opens the duffel bag) Gomamon: (pops out) TA-DA!!! T.K.: GOMAMON!!! Gomamon: Ah, fresh air. Joe: Are you ready to give it a try? Gomamon: Sure, if you are.

Joe has no explanation to offer T.K. for why he was outside Odaiba. Which is probably because the dub has no explanation. Remember that Joe isn't going to cram school to prepare him for entrance exams. He's just studying for fun, to get a jump-start on next year's academics.

So it's a real question. What the fuck was he doing out there?

The funny thing is that he says he was "across the harbor", which is a bald-faced lie. He spent all night trying to get a train before walking down to the harbor as a last resort. He was much deeper into the city than he wants T.K. to think.

What are you hiding, Joe?

Once Gomamon's out, Jou puts his plan into action. Um. Without consulting one person in particular who should probably have a say in this.

Still inside the station, the crowd has calmed down and Natsuko frantically searches for her son.

Natsuko: TAKERU!!! TAKERU!!!

Outside, Gomamon evolves into Ikkakumon and hits the bay in plain sight of everyone.

Ikkakumon: Now, hop on! Takeru: Right! Bystander: WHAT IS THAT!?!? Other Bystander: ARE THOSE CHILDREN!?!?

In the commotion, Natsuko notices the passengers riding the bizarre sea monster and sprints out along the dock to catch up.

Natsuko: TAKERU!!! Takeru: Mama! Jou: Huh!? Natsuko: IT'S DANGEROUS!!! COME DOWN FROM THERE!!! Takeru: I'm okay, Mama! This is Ikkakumon! He's a friend! Jou: Uh, it's nice to meet you! I'm Kido Jou from sixth grade! I'll take good care of Takeru-kun, so don't worry! Natsuko: TAKERU!!! Takeru: Don't worry, Mama! I'm going to be fine! Natsuko: TAKERU!!!

Nothing the boys say does anything to dissuade Natsuko's abject parental terror, nor should it. But eventually she runs out of pier, while Ikkakumon has plenty more bay ahead of him. Natsuko's left behind, unable to do anything but watch in horror as this sea beast takes her son away.

Takeru: I'll tell Onii-chan and Papa that you said hi! Natsuko: Honey... Please protect these precious children....

Then Ikkakumon disappears into the fog. And the sound of a roaring sea monster can be heard.

Hey, remember when Jou was flipping out about stealing eggs from a fridge? Uh. Nobody tell Jou but. Um. Uh. Legally? This is a kidnapping. Legally, he just kidnapped Takeru.

Guess he doesn't need to worry about his bad test score keeping him out of a prestigious school anymore; He is officially a delinquent now and that seems worse for his academic career.

In the dub:

Nancy: T.K.!!! T.K.!!! (Gomamon evolves) Ikkakumon: All aboard! Bystander: Look! It's another one!

The crowd murmurings from there are unintelligible. However, when Joe and T.K. climb up onto Ikkakumon, one person can clearly be heard saying:

Other Bystander: What are they doing? Nancy: T.K.!!! (runs out onto the pier) T.K.: Uh-oh.... Joe: Huh? Nancy: T.K., what is that thing!? Get down from there! T.K.: Oh, it's okay, Mom! By the way, this is a friend of mine; His name's Joe. Joe: It's very nice to meet you, ma'am! I was in T.K.'s woodworking class at summer camp! He nearly cut off one of my fingers but that's a whole different story; I won't go into it right now. Nancy: PLEASE STOP!!! I DON'T UNDERSTAND!?!? T.K.: Don't worry! The saw slipped but I missed him by a mile. He wasn't hurt. Nancy: THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!! (Nancy reaches the end of the pier) T.K.: So long, Mom! I'll be back with Matt and Dad by dinner time! Nancy: Oh no... I've lost all of them now....

There is no ominous sea monster roar when they disappear into the fog. As usual, the dub overlooks pieces of the story-craft that are baked into the sound effects rather than the dialogue or animation.

They fucking.

They fucking gaslight Nancy to buy time for Ikkakumon to outrun her. XD I honestly don't know if I love or hate this version of the scene. What the actual fuck, boys!?

Back at the Izumi residence, Kae wakes up in Koushiro's bed. Koushiro is at his laptop, receiving another message from Chibi Gennai.

Gennai: It looks like the Digital Barrier is safely in place. Koushiro: Yes. Gennai: Now, listen. The mysterious fog surrounding Odaiba is really a magical barrier created by Vamdemon. Koushiro: I knew it. Tentomon: We're trapped like bugs in a basket. Gennai: The source of the barrier is located here. (A map marker for the FCG Building appears, followed by a picture) Gennai: If you destroy the source, you will destroy the barrier. Koushiro: It's the Fuji Television building! Let's go! Tentomon: Right!

I just want to take a moment at marvel at the fact that this cartoon, which aired on Fuji TV, has now given Koushiro instructions to go fuck up Fuji TV.

In the dub:

Gennai: So Izzy, if you're still listening to me, that means the Digital Barrier must have worked. Izzy: Like a charm! Gennai: The cloud barrier surrounding the entire district is not a natural phenomenon. It's Myotismon's doing. Izzy: Well, duh. Tentomon: Yeah, but what do we do about it? Gennai: You're probably wondering when I'm going to tell you what you can do about it. The source of the fog is here. (FCG Building) Gennai: Attack its source and you should bring down the barrier. Izzy: That's a TV station! Let's get moving! Tentomon: Aye-aye!

Dub team did not have the nerve to localize Fuji TV into the FOX network. Pity. I would love to see Japanese Sean Hannity terrorized by MegaKabuterimon.

Now that he knows what to do, Koushiro packs up his laptop.

Koushiro: Dad, Mom, I don't know when they'll come back. Please stay here in the house for now. You'll be safe as long as you're in here.

Koushiro runs for the door, but Kae calls out to him.

Kae: Koushiro.... Koushiro: (stops) Kae: Be careful... Come home safe, okay? To us....

With tears in his eyes, Koushiro chokes on his own words. Shaking. Struggling. But then he forces a smile and looks back at his mom.

Koushiro: Of course. I'll be back! (Koushiro bolts from the apartment as fast as he can) Tentomon: Wait for me!

Tentomon scrambles to catch up to Koushiro, who is now fleeing from this conversation as much as he's going out on mission. While Kae leans into Masami and starts crying out of fear for him.

In the dub:

Izzy: They might come back. The safest thing you guys can do is to stay right where you are. In here, the Digital Barrier will protect you. I'll be back as soon as I can! So long! (Izzy runs for the door but stops when Kae calls out to him) Kae: Wait! You've grown so much, Izzy, and it's obvious you can take care of yourself but you will always be my little boy. So please son, be careful. (With tears in his eyes, Izzy shakes and scowls, then fakes a smile when he turns back around) Izzy: I will. Don't worry about me, Mom. (Izzy bolts from the apartment as fast as he can) Tentomon: I'll make sure he's safe! (Kae leans into Masami and starts crying)

The subtext in this version isn't quite as evident, but you can still read it in if you know it's there. It's easy to mistake Izzy as simply getting emotional because of how much his mom loves him. But you can make that mistake with Koushiro as well.

Sneaking around town, Taichi and Agumon spot opportunity. A lone Bakemon is relaxing on a bench and complaining about his job.

Bakemon: I'm so tired. The Bakemon have it rough....

Sensing opportunity, Taichi fucking jumps the Bakemon from behind, pinning him to the ground by surprise and wailing on him. Agumon joins the fray shortly after.

Taichi: Where is everyone being kept!?

Suddenly, Sora flies in overhead. I can't imagine she can make him out very well from as high as she is, but how many people would be jumping a Bakemon like this? Taichi is his father's son.

Sora: TAICHI!!! Taichi: Sora! You're safe!

The Bakemon takes this opportunity to run for it, costing Taichi his chance to interrogate. Fortunately, Sora has the information he needs.

Taichi: (to Bakemon) WAIT!!! Sora: Big Sight! That's where Vamdemon is keeping everyone! (Birdramon sets Sora down on the ground) Taichi: Big Sight? Sora: Yeah. Mimi-chan is there. And your parents. Taichi: Damn that Vamdemon... Sora, I need you to go find Yamato. He's with Hikari in Aqua City. Sora: Right. Can do. Taichi: Let's go!

Sora and Taichi head off their separate ways while I marvel at how poorly Taichi planned this.

We now know exactly where Yamato's hiding out. The building under construction is Aqua City, a huge shopping mall right by the FCG Building.

Sora and Birdramon take off, but Phantomon briefly reveals themselves to the audience. They've been tailing her.

...I'm not sure how Phantomon can be tailing Sora and leading the abductions at the same time. That doesn't make a lot of sense. Were Koushiro's scenes supposed to be taking place prior to the adult revolt last episode? The chronology here is confusing.

In the dub:

Bakemon: Never a moment's rest. It's always "Seize her" or "Grab him" or "Go terrorize that old lady". Ugh, I am one pooped spook.... (Tai jumps Bakemon) Tai: Ya! Okay, start talking! Where are you keeping everyone, you little creep!? (Sora flies in overhead) Sora: HEY!!! TAI!!! Tai: SORA!?!? SO YOU'RE ALRIGHT!?!? (Bakemon escapes) Tai: Hey, come back! Sora: The Convention Center! Myotismon's holding them prisoner there! (Sora lands) Tai: Everyone in the whole district!? Sora: Yeah. Including Mimi. He's got your parents as well. Tai: Huh!? I've about had it with this guy.... Okay, Sora, you go hook up with Matt. He's in the warehouse by Aqua City. Sora: I'm on my way! Tai: Let's go! Sora: Aqua City, Birdramon! Step on it! (Phantomon appears as Sora and Birdramon fly off) Phantomon: Huhuhuhuhuhuuuu... The plot thickens....

I love Bakemon's angry rambling. "Go terrorize that old lady", huh? That one had to have come from DemiDevimon. It has nothing to do with the actual mission, unlike "Seize her" or "Grab him". This poor pooped spook. And then he got punched in the face a bunch.

I like how we're doing the proper noun dance, where we danced around saying Big Sight and we danced around saying Odaiba. Nothing wrong with that; Tai keeps the information that's relevant to understanding the story, even as he's dropping the geographical references.

But then Tai suddenly drops "the warehouse by Aqua City". That one made it in.

Inside the FCG Building, Hiroaki's trying to get the satellite communications going. But he's thwarted there as well.

Hiroaki: The satellites won't work either! (pounds the console) FUCK!!! There has to be a way. Some way to contact the outside world!

Meanwhile, down in the streets below, Mission: Vaporize Fuji TV is underway and Tentomon's animators are eager to get started on the demolitions.

Tentomon: This is too much for me to destroy in this form. Should I evolve? Koushiro: Please wait! There could still be people in the building. Let's take a look inside first.

Koushiro leads Tentomon into the building to make sure they aren't killing anyone when they level this structure. I'm sure Hiroaki will appreciate his courtesy.

In the dub, Hiroaki makes sure to keep his language PG when he angrily slams the console, of course.

Hiroaki: The satellite dish won't respond! (pounds the console) RATS!!! Come on, there's gotta be some way of communicating with the outside world.... (Outside, Izzy and Tentomon approach) Tentomon: Whoa, I had no idea TV stations were so big! If I'm going to destroy it, I should Digivolve. Izzy: Hold on for a minute. For all we know, there might still be people inside. We better check it out.

Back at their hidey-hole in Aqua City, Yamato's watching out for Hikari. Not an easy task, because she's quite reasonably spiraling from everything that's going on.

Yamato: Wizarmon? Is that your Partner Digimon, Hikari-chan? Hikari: No, that's Tailmon. Wizarmon is Tailmon's friend. But... Vamdemon killed him.... Mom was taken away.... (gasp) What about Dad!? Do you think they got my Dad too!? Yamato: Eh? Hikari: He's okay, right!? ONII-CHAN'S GOING TO SAVE EVERYONE, RIGHT!?!? Yamato: Uh... I don't know... With Taichi by himself....

Wrong move, Yamato. Hikari was looking for reassurance, not blunt honesty. Yamato's words send Hikari into a total breakdown and she weeps openly in sheer terror.

Hikari: Tell me it'll be okay! Gabumon: Yamato! Don't make her cry! Yamato: (sigh) ...Takeru....

The dub does some more rearranging of scenes here. We're gonna come back to the scene they put next when we hit it, but know that they moved a scene between Izzy at the FCG Building and Matt making Kari cry.

Kari's a lot calmer in the dub when we start this conversation. She calmly and matter-of-factly explains things for Matt.

Matt: Wizardmon, huh? Is that your Digimon's name? Kari: No no! Mine is Gatomon. Wizardmon is like her best friend. But he's gone now. He got captured by the bad Digimon. It must be awful losing your best friend. My Mommy got captured by them too. (gasp) But not my Daddy! Do you think maybe my Daddy got away!? He's alright, don't you think? And Mommy will be too 'cause Tai's gonna rescue her, right? Matt: Uhhh, sure, he will, Kari... But let's remember, Tai's just one kid and he's fighting hundreds! Kari: T_T AHHHH I WANT MOMMY TO COME BACK!!!! Matt: Huh!? Gabumon: Nice work! Have some compassion! Can't you see she's worried about her family!? You're worried about yours, aren't you!?

Kari's eeriness returns here. She's so calm and matter-of-fact in her description of Wizardmon's execution and Yuuko's abduction. She's also more hopeful than Hikari; Convincing herself that Susumu escaped capture based on nothing.

She honestly seems like she's fine. Or would be if Matt didn't suddenly decide to Um Actually at her. In the original, he's thinking through the question out loud. He doesn't have a chance to properly answer because he's still trying to figure out what to say. But the things that escape his mouth are enough to strip Hikari's hope away from her.

Here, he goes full on "EXCUSE YOU, Tai's going to get his ass whupped!" Like, he's not being mean; He's trying to ground her expectations so she doesn't get her hopes up too much. Which, in this situation, proves to be the wrong move. It's a different mistake, but still a mistake.

We do lose Hikari yelling at Yamato to reassure her better. Which isn't a big deal but it's a funny line and I'm sad it didn't make the jump.

Finally, it's Gabumon who provokes our scene transition to Takeru, rather than Yamato's thoughts wandering.

We hop over to the Tokyo Bay, where Jou and Takeru are making their way in to Odaiba.

Jou: When we pass under the Rainbow Bridge, the fog will be at its thickest. Takeru: Okay!

Ikkakumon turns, taking them into the part of the bridge that's shrouded in fog. Suddenly, they hear the sound of metal creaking.

Jou: Huh? Did something just move? Takeru: Where? Jou: Look, somewhere over there....

The colossal sea dragon now wrapped around Rainbow Bridge moves again, letting out a high-pitched roar. Well, now we know how they're keeping private boats out.

MegaSeadramon is a Perfect-stage Data-type Aquatic Digimon. From the Deep Savers line, MegaSeadramon is the evolved form of Seadramon, obviously enough.

Yet another kaiju-sized sea monster. Tailmon, what exactly did you think the mission was? This is the first glimpse we've even had of MegaSeadramon in her ranks. I don't imagine their search for the Eighth Child at the bottom of the bay went very well.

Patamon is the first to see through the fog well enough to recognize the peril they're in.

Patamon: MEGASEADRAMON!!! Narrator: MegaSeadramon. An Aquatic Digimon who evolves from Seadramon. He uses lightning-shaped blade to fire his special attack, Thunder Javelin.

He's a sea monster that shoots lightning into the sea. That's way worse than Seadramon's frost breath. What a dick! I'm glad Takeru's mom isn't around to see the part where her 8-year-old suddenly got attacked by a lightning dragon. It's okay, though; He has a sixth grader with him.

In the dub:

Joe: There! Once we get past the bridge, we'll be through the barrier! T.K.: Right!

As usual, the dub has trouble with plot points delivered through sound effects. The ominous metal creaking from a colossal kaiju serpent gripping the bridge in its coils that warns Jou they're about to be attacked? That doesn't make it over. But they did realize something is supposed to be here, so we do get... a noise.

It's MegaSeadramon. They go "Gyarrgh" as the kids approach.

MegaSeadramon: Gyarrgh. Joe: Is your tummy rumbling or did I hear something? T.K.: Huh? Like what? Joe: Wait! What's up there by the bridge!? MegaSeadramon: Gyah! Patamon: I knew this was too easy! Patamon: (rundown) That's MegaSeadramon! The regular ol' Seadramon was bad enough but compared to this fully Digivolved version, it was just an angry guppy!

The regular ol' Seadramon was just defending themself. No I will not let that go, they were the victim in all of that! I am getting a lawyer and we will be defending Seadramon against the libel and slander of--

Oh, right, MegaSeadramon. MegaSeadramon is not the victim in anything. MegaSeadramon is doing terrorism.

Tightening their coils, MegaSeadramon breaks the Rainbow Bridge. The bridge twists, suspension wires snap, massive chunks of debris plummet into the bay around Ikkakumon and his passengers. The bridge itself snaps in half, with the chunk connecting to Shibaura sinking into the water.

Jou: WHAAA!!! THE RAINBOW BRIDGE!!!

R.I.P., you majestic structure of public transit.

Joe has other concerns on his mind as he watches the bridge collapse into the bay.

Joe: Oh great. We'll probably get blamed for this!

...you know what, that's fair. A lot of witnesses saw Ikkakumon take off towards the bridge shortly before its destruction.

Shame we can't see what's going on at the train station and pier right about now. I'd love to see the look on the faces of the "TURN THE TRAINS BACK ON!!!" crowd as they watch the Rainbow Bridge collapse into Tokyo Bay.

After MegaSeadramon drops half the Rainbow Bridge on their heads, Ikkakumon returns fire with a Harpoon Vulcan. MegaSeadramon pushes through it and hits Ikkakumon with their Thunder Javelin. A direct hit upends Ikkakumon, sending Jou and Takeru plunging into the bay.

Patamon: TAKERU!!! JOU!!! TAKERU!!! Takeru: (surfaces, flailing) HELP ME!!! I CAN'T SWIM!!!

Patamon grabs onto Takeru's fingers, desperately trying to keep him above the water. But he loses his grip and Takeru sinks.

Takeru: (thinking) Help me... Onii-chan....

An image of Yamato flashes in front of Takeru's eyes. But then Jou scoops him up, giving him a small plank of wood that he can hold to keep himself above the water.

Patamon: Takeru! Jou: Hold onto that! Takeru: Jou-san! Jou: I promised your mother... that I'd keep you safe.... I have to keep my prommmbmlmm.... Takeru: Jou-san! JOU-SAN!!!

Jou loses his strength and sinks into the water, cutting off his last line. Even though he doesn't have the strength to keep afloat, he uses what little strength he has left to get Takeru to relative safety. Even giving up the little board, sacrificing his own ability to survive this situation for Takeru's sake.

This is all mostly the same in the dub, except Joe never promised Nancy that he would take care of T.K. They gaslit her with the woodworking story instead. So for his big line, he says:

Joe: I wouldn't want your mom to worry about you! You're just a kid! I-I'm responsible for you.... (sinks)

Joe, she's going to worry either way. You don't want her to grieve for him, is what you don't want.

As Jou sinks beneath the waves, this ultimate gesture of his seijitsu, his faithfulness, his moral honesty, activates his Crest. Ikkakumon CHOU-SHINKAAAAAA!!!

Zudomon is a Perfect-stage Vaccine-type Ocean Beast Digimon. Like MegaSeadramon, he comes from the Deep Savers line. His name comes from zudon, the onomatopoeia for a loud banging sound, like a gunshot or a hammer strike.

Narrator: Zudomon. A Power-type Digimon who evolves from Ikkakumon. His special attack, Hammer Spark, releases sparks from his strongest weapon, the Thor Hammer.

Yes, his hammer is not Mjolnir, it's not Thor's Hammer, it's the Thor Hammer. XD I don't know why that's funny but it is.

Zudomon lifts Jou and Takeru out of the bay; Jou's Crest still glowing with holy energy.

Takeru: Jou-san! (gasp) Look!

A ray from the Crest is shining into Vamdemon's fog bank; The holy energy clearing it away.

Jou: The fog... It's clearing up!

Over in the dub, Patamon handles Zudomon's rundown.

T.K.: WHOA!!! Who's that, Patamon!? Patamon: (rundown) Don't worry! He's one of ours! That's Zudomon; He's the fully Digivolved version of Ikakkumon! I was wondering when he'd finally show up.

"About time he got here," says a Digimon who only hit Adult-stage three episodes ago. Where's your Perfect, Patamon? I don't think you get to talk shit about late bloomers.

T.K.: Joe! Huh? (T.K. notices the light) Joe: He's cutting an opening in the fog bank!

The dub continues their trend of trying to nix as many references to the holy energy of the holy devices as possible. Despite the fact that a ray of light coming off of Joe's Crest is clearly what's peeling away the barrier, Joe credits the effect to something Zudomon is doing.

Of course, MegaSeadramon isn't going to stand by and let us break through like this.

MegaSeadramon fires off another Thunder Javelin, but Zudomon's horn acts as a lightning rod to absorb it. Zudomon counters with Hammer Spark. Or. Says he's using Hammer Spark and then whollops MegaSeadramon really hard on the top of their fucking head with the Thor Hammer.

(You can see MegaSeadramon's hair in that hit. It could only have struck the back of their head. Zudomon's reach is incredible.)

One hard bop with the Thor Hammer is all it takes to end this fight.

Fun fact: That wasn't a fatal hit. MegaSeadramon falls unconscious into the bay, uncoiling from the bridge, but does not disintegrate into pixels. This is, however, the last we'll ever see of them, so I guess they're still out there somewhere in the Pacific living their best life.

There is a MegaSeadramon in 02 as well, but I'm not sure if it's the same one. I guess we'll see when we get there.

Takeru: We should go before the fog closes back up! Jou: You're right! Let's go!

Capitalizing on the opportunity, Zudomon slips through the barrier right before it seals back up. At last, Jou and Takeru have made it Odaiba. While Natsuko is probably watching the Rainbow Bridge crash into the bay and screaming panicked obscenities about her son.

The dub, of note, has MegaSeadramon call their attacks. This is another case of a Digimon who just makes beast noises in the original, but gets to speak in the dub strictly within the context of attack calling.

MegaSeadramon: THUNDER JAVELIN!!! Zudomon: I don't think so!

Dub Zudomon refers to his own attack as Vulcan's Hammer, a reference to the Roman fire god Vulcan. I don't know why they swapped Thor out for Vulcan when the attack is electricity-based.

T.K.: Hey, we'd better get going before the fog bank closes again! Joe: You've got a point! Engines ahead full, Zudomon!

Does he? Couldn't Zudomon just open it back up if it does?

Cut to the FCG Building. For the sake of his continued employment, Koushiro's workshopping a better plan than vaporizing Fuji TV.

Koushiro: The main source of the barrier should be around here somewhere. If we strike that--

Rounding a corner, he suddenly sees a patrolling Bakemon and ducks back around.

Koushiro: This is bad. Let's head back the other way.

Koushiro turns and sees another patrolling Bakemon over that way. They're surrounded.

Koushiro: Oh no! They have us cornered! MMPH!!!

The closet door behind Koushiro opens and Hiroaki grabs him, pulling him inside. Tentomon grabs onto Koushiro's leg to try and save him from the sudden attack, instead getting pulled in with him.

Hiroaki: (whispers) Stay quiet.

Outside, the two Bakemon pass the door, neither suspecting a thing, and continues on their way.

Koushiro: ...who are you?

In the dub:

Izzy: Okay, keep your eyes peeled. Now, if I were a fog barrier generator, where would I be? (Izzy sees the first Bakemon and hides) Izzy: Get back! Back up. We'll go the other way. (Izzy runs into the second Bakemon) Izzy: Not that way either! They've got us surrounded--GOHH!!! (Hiroaki pulls Izzy into the closet) Hiroaki: Keep quiet. (The Bakemon pass) Bakemon 1: Pretty boring, huh? Bakemon 2: You said it! Izzy: (gasp) Who... Who are you!?

Pretty faithful, with the addition of a cute couple of lines between the Bakemon as they pass in the hall.

Meanwhile, in the fog, Jou and Takeru come upon an unexpected discovery.

Takeru: It's all white! Jou: I can't even see where we're going.... Wizarmon: Take me to Tailmon.... Patamon: Who's that!?

Wizarmon surfaces, clinging to a log and proving Vamdemon stupid for his terrible execution method.

Wizarmon: My name... is Wizarmon.... Take me to Tailmon.... Jou: Aren't you one of Vamdemon's minions!? Takeru: He looks hurt!

Wizarmon reveals Hikari's Crest.

Wizarmon: P-Please... This is for Tailmon.... Takeru: LOOK!!! IT'S A CREST AND TAG!!! Wizarmon: This... is the Eighth Child's... original.... (passes out) Jou & Takeru: WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!?

Well, shit. We have to save him now, don't we?

In the dub:

T.K.: I can't see anything in here! Joe: I just hope we don't end up going in a totally wrong direction. Wizardmon: Take me... to Gatomon...! Please...! Patamon: Huh!? Who's there!? (Wizardmon surfaces) Wizardmon: I'm Wizardmon... Must find Gatomon... Important.... Joe: Not so fast, there! Aren't you one of Myotismon's henchmen!? T.K.: He looks beat up pretty bad! Wizardmon: Gotta give... Gatomon... This.... (Wizardmon reveals Kari's Crest) T.K.: Look, he's got somebody's Crest! Wizardmon: Yes! It belongs to... the Eighth Child.... (passes out) Joe & T.K.: AHHH THE EIGHTH CHILD!!!

Wizardmon doesn't mention that it's the original, but that's fine. The kids don't know about the copies anyway. Only Taichi and Hikari learned that plot point, when Tailmon and Wizarmon explained it to them.

Back at Aqua City, Yamato checks the time on his Digivice. It's 9:30 A.M. Taichi's two hours have run out.

Yamato: Two hours are just about up. Where is Taichi? Sora: (distant) YAMATOOOOO!!! HIKARI-CHAAAAAAN!!!

Birdramon lands outside Aqua City, letting Sora down and also dropping the paralyzed body of Lilimon. Yamato and Hikari come out to meet her.

Yamato: SORA!!! Sora: YAMATO!!! Taichi told me you'd be here! Everyone's being held captive at Big Sight! Yamato: Big Sight!? Phantomon: Hehehehehe!

Phantomon reveals themselves on an overpass overlooking the entrance to Aqua City.

Phantomon: It doesn't matter if I find the Eighth Child or defeat you!! This ends here! Attack!

A beastly green Digimon with two huge horns erupts from the ground in front of them. Apparently this one's been Bugs Bunny tunneling beneath Tokyo this whole time? Tailmon's mercs are getting weirder and weirder.

In the dub:

Matt: Your brother should have been back by now. Where is he? Sora: (distant) HEY, IS ANYBODY THERE!?!? (Matt and Kari run out to meet Sora) Matt: Sora! What's up? Sora: Matt! Thank goodness! Myotismon's rounded up the whole district! He's holding everybody at the convention center! Matt: So what do we do now!? Phantomon: I have a suggestion. (Phantomon reveals themself) Phantomon: You see, I've never understood why the master is wasting all this time searching for the Eighth Child when it would be so much easier just to... DESTROY YOU ALL!!!

Dub Phantomon asks valid questions. It's pretty clear at this point that Vamdemon/Myotismon's obsession with the Eighth Child has driven him to questionable decision-making. He's so terrified of Hikari that he's even passed up opportunities to press the attack against the other kids for the sake of pursuing her.

He crossed realities to reach her. He gloated that the kids can't win without her, but then went to such great lengths to involve her when he could have let her stay in Odaiba where a cosmic mistake left her. He is single-mindedly obsessed with the Eighth Child and it's tactically costing him.

Hey Vamdemon? Why haven't you killed Mimi? She's in your custody right this fucking second, and has no Partner to protect her. Why is she allowed to chill at Big Sight?

It's because she isn't the Eight Child. She's one of the seven. He doesn't care about the seven. He delegated PicoDevimon, of all Digimon, to go deal with them. They do not matter to him. Only the Eighth does. Only Hikari matters to Vamdemon. He has tunnel vision for her.

So. Yeah. Phantomon's over here like, "I mean I'm basically the Death to his Dracula at this point, and I'm making an executive decision that maybe we should just fucking kill the other kids. I don't know why that isn't a priority for us."

I really like the dub's line here.

In addition to Tuskmon, Phantomon conjures up a second Digimon to attack as well. Summoning this one out of a portal in the air.

Tuskmon is an Adult-stage Virus-type Dinosaur Digimon. They're from the Pagumon tree. A poorly cared for Gazimon or Gizamon will become Tuskmon if they're well trained. Their name, Tuskmon, is something if a misnomer given that their distinguishing feature is a pair of giant horns.

Snimon is an Adult-stage Vaccine-type Insect Digimon. Their name comes from the English word "sniper". Snimon would not debut in the V-Pet until Digimon Accel, years after their appearance here.

Narrator: Tuskmon. A Power Digimon who breaks through any obstacle. Their special attack is Panzer Knuckle. Phantomon: NYIIIIIGH!!! (summons Snimon) Narrator: Snimon. Resembling a praying mantis, this Insect Digimon is cruel and vicious. Their special attack is Shadow Sickle. Sora: AHHHHH!!! Yamato: GABUMON!!!

I have no idea why a Vaccine Digimon is "cruel and vicious". Attributes are weird sometimes.

In the dub, Phantomon handles the rundowns.

Phantomon: (rundown) Say hello to Tuskmon and watch out: Avoiding his razor-sharp horns is no easy tusk. Ahaha, sorry.... Phantomon: And here's the second member of our tag-team! (summons Snimon) Phantomon: (rundown) Snimon! A deadly praying mantis Digimon, which is so appropriate because you're all about to become his prey! Sora: WATCH OUT!!! Matt: GABUMON!!!

The fucking puns. Goddammit. XD I love Dub Phantomon. Dad Joke Death over here is gonna kill 'em with comedy. And violence. Mostly violence.

It takes no time at all for Garurumon and Birdramon to leap into the fight. Tuskmon lands a good hit, sending Garurumon over the building behind him, but Garurumon will be back. This is nothing they can't--

OH WAIT THIS IS NOT A POKEMON DUEL

That's not a diss at Pokemon, that's on me. As the kids and Phantomon queued up their fighters, for a moment I legit forgot they could do this. XD I was feeling pretty good about our chances and then this was a total "OH SHIT" moment for me.

While Garurumon and Birdramon are busy with Tuskmon and Snimon, there are absolutely zero eyes on Phantomon. He goes straight for the jugular, revealing his scythe to be a fucking kusarigama.

For those unaware, a kusarigama is the coolest Japanese weapon ever created. It consists of a sickle or knife attached by a chain to a metal weight. The weight allows the chain to be used for swinging and throwing; The intent being to tie up or incapaciate your opponent from a distance, then close in with the blade for a killshot. The chain can also be used to disarm their weapon.

It's a very versatile piece of equipment and is, frankly, the coolest "medieval" type weapon ever designed.

Even if you aren't familiar with it by name, you've probably seen kusarigama in anime. And if the person in the anime threw the knife instead of the weight, you saw it in bad anime. :P Sorry, I've seen that and it's a personal peeve.

Left completely unblocked by their Partner Digimon, Phantomon goes on the attack. Swinging his chain, he wraps Yamato's neck in it before Yamato even knows what's happening. Then he moves in quickly for the kill, closing distance and bringing his scythe down in a downward arc.

The dub cuts the moment the chain wraps around Matt's neck. I guess that part was a little too violent. We still see the chain around Matt's neck throughout the rest of the scene; Just not the moment it happens.

Yamato manages to roll out of the way, escaping his fate temporarily. Sora comes in with what appears to be a broom or hoe, or other wooden pole tool she picked up nearby. Phantomon slashes upwards, splitting the tool in her hands and knocking Sora backwards with the force of the attack.

All the while, Hikari watches this violence unfold in silent horror.

Phantomon is going to kill them.

Birdramon super-evolves to try and even the odds, but the fight is still going badly. Phantomon has Yamato by the throat and is choking the life out of him. Tuskmon's standing by, waiting for Garurumon who hasn't returned yet. Sora's laid out with Lilimon, helpless.

Dub Phantomon's still making Dad Jokes.

Phantomon: Kinda chokes you up, doesn't it? Ahaha!

Imagine being murdered by this guy. XD The shame.

And Hikari watches. Helpless. Terrified.

Hikari: Please... STOP IT!!!

Out in the fog, Hikari's outburst causes her Crest to shine in Wizarmon's hand.

Jou: Oh! Takeru: The Crest!

Hikari walks out to face Phantomon.

Hikari: I'm the Eighth Child. I'll come with you quietly. So please, stop hurting everyone. Phantomon: The heart of a child. So be it!

Hikari's offer is accepted. Tuskmon and Snimon withdraw. Phantomon unwraps his kusarigama from Yamato's neck. An editing error causes Phantomon to be visible with kusarigama already withdrawn as Tuskmon departs, before he unwraps it from Yamato's neck in the next shot.

In the dub, Kari starts speaking before her lip flaps begin to move because she needs more time.

Kari: STOP IT NOW!!! THAT'S ENOUGH!!! (Kari's Crest starts shining in Wizardmon's hand) Joe: Oh! T.K.: What's it doing!? (Kari walks out to face Phantomon) Kari: It's me you want. I'm the Eighth Child. If you'll just stop hurting my friends, I'll come with you quietly wherever you want! Phantomon: What a refreshingly helpful attitude. It's a deal.

Phantomon wraps Hikari in an energy bubble and takes her into custody. At long last, the Eighth Child is within Vamdemon's grasp.

Phantomon begins to take Hikari away.

Hikari: Thank you. (Phantomon levitates Hikari) Sora: DON'T, HIKARI-CHAN!!! Yamato: Ugh... YOU CAN'T GO!!! Sora: HIKARI-CHAAAAAAAN!!! Narrator: She could no longer stand to see other people hurt for her sake. Revealing that she was the Eighth Child, Hikari fell into enemy hands.

We cut to Koushiro and Hiroaki up in the FCG Building behind Phantomon, watching Hikari's sacrifice helplessly. With zero context for what's happening here, but Koushiro can probably guess.

Then to Jou and Takeru, still riding Zudomon with Wizarmon and Hikari's Crest.

And then Mimi in Big Sight, held prisoner with all the other children.

Before finally cutting to Taichi. He's arrived at Big Sight, infiltrating carefully to avoid being seen by the Bakemon.

Narrator: But Taichi and the others had no way of knowing what just happened. Taichi: Wait for me, Hikari. I'll save everyone!

Taichi has an admirable if foolish optimism. He is his father's son.

In the dub:

Kari: I'm ready. (Phantomon levitates Kari) Sora: HURRY, MATT!!! STOP HER!!! Matt: NO, KARI!!! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!! KARI!!! Sora: Oh no, Matt! What are we going to do? Matt: I don't know! Tai is gonna be so mad at me! Narrator: Will the DigiDestined find Kari before it's too late? Find out on the next Digimon: Digital Monsters.

The dub cuts it here, as Kari rises into the air. The shot of Koushiro and Hiroaki watching from the FCG Building gets cut, along with that final shot of Jou and Takeru with Wizarmon on Zudmon.

As for the last bits with Mimi and Taichi? Well. Do you remember when I said the dub moved a scene? You probably don't. It was before the MegaSeadramon fight, when Yamato made Hikari cry in Aqua City.

This ironic final shot of Taichi still thinking he can save everyone before Vamdemon reaches Hikari was put all the way back there, between Izzy and Tentomon entering FCG and Matt making Kari cry. Mimi's shot made it there too, though the only line delivered is:

Tai: Hang in there, Mimi! I'll get all of you out! I promised Kari!

Tai made it to Big Sight much faster than Taichi did and has, I guess, been faffing about ever since. My favorite part is his call-out to Mimi because for some reason they snagged her shot too and they need some reason to justify why we're seeing her onscreen.

This scene hits way different when Tai still has a chance of success.

Assessment: The dub title is right, this city is under siege. Things are moving so fast now that Vamdemon's done fucking around. Digimon are popping out of the woodwork that I'd forgotten were even in this show. We are moving quickly towards the final confrontation with Vamdemon.

This is another episode where there's a few nagging bits in the dub that bother me but for the most part it's pretty solid, and even injects some fun personality and the mix. One of the better episodes for the dub, easily.

[gimmie-a-sammich]

Absolution | Chapter 5 | A Place on the Team

Pairings: Resistance!Ateez x Fem!Original Character, Resistance!??? x Fem!Original Character, feat other idols

Genre: (18+ Minors DNI) Dystopian au, smut, angst, fluff

Summary: Absolution: act of absolving; a freeing from blame or guilt; release from consequences, obligations, or penalties. Haunted by the guilt of her choices, Serafina desperately searches for a way to atone for her sins. In a world ruled by power and corruption, will she find the forgiveness she seeks? Is she worthy of absolution? Maybe stumbling upon the resistance is the answer she's been looking for.

Chapter Warnings: mission planning, grumpy Seonghwa, sparring San, overthinking

Word Count: 6.7k

read here on AO3

Absolution Masterlist

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**

Wooyoung stayed true to his promise of saving Sera a seat in the very chair she vaporized and put back together earlier in the day. Set between Wooyoung and San,  they both offered her warm smiles when she walked in behind Jongho before returning their attention to Hongjoong. 

“Just in time for the good stuff,” Wooyoung whispered directly into her ear. He leaned his body close to hers, craving even the smallest amount of touch from her. Going as far as resting his elbow on the armrest of Sera’s chair, he was happy when their shoulders met and rubbed together. 

Choosing to only respond with a smile, Sera too turned her focus onto her new captain. The concept of Hongjoong being her leader was still foreign and fresh. Subconsciously, she couldn’t help comparing him to Changkyun and wondering how his style would be similar or different from the former. All she’s ever known was to follow Changkyun. His lead. His decisions. While she had little respect for the newfound possessive and obsessive version of him, part of her admired the way Changkyun effortlessly led her former team.

But Changkyun was always under the thumb of the Crown, bound to abide by the sick wishes of her father. Wishes that he followed willingly, his loyalty never in doubt. Beyond that, Changkyun was ruthless and unforgiving, relishing in the pain and destruction he administered. In hindsight, Sera realized she turned a blind eye to his true nature. Whether that was due to growing up together, to Changkyun being by her side through every step of the academy, or simply because Changkyun was always there to pick up the pieces when she crumbled apart. 

She wondered where along the continuum Hongjoong would lie. Already, Hongjoong seemed kind, for lack of better words. He was democratic with decisions, although Sera only had the vote for her to join the team to use as backing for this assumption. Then again, Changkyun also held these qualities.

A nudge from Wooyoung slipped Sera from her trance. Again, she could only offer him a smile, ignoring the worry in his furrowed brows. Had Hongjoong not been speaking, he certainly would have called her out for being spacey once again. Actually focusing, Sera honed in on exactly what Hongjoong was saying. 

“Mingi and Yeosang will move first before Yunho, Seonghwa, and San enter,” Hongjoong stated. “Mission is simple, at least on paper. The missiles and drones need to be deactivated and destroyed. Wooyoung, is your linking device ready? Or do we need to change plans and send you as well?” 

Wooyoung shook his head. “I did three test runs on the drones we snagged. It worked perfectly. The blueprints made it easier to calibrate the system, and I know what I’m going into. Should be easy enough remotely. Now the harddrive is a different story.” Attention shifted to him, waiting for further explanation. “I don’t know if I’ll have enough time to go through the linking system. They’re learning, and while I’m good, I don’t know exactly what I’m walking into. I have a different device that I can use to bypass their security systems and copy everything over so I can work through the encryptions and files here.” 

“We’ll split further once we’re in the base,” Yunho added. “Seonghwa and Mingi will go into the control rooms to copy over the harddrive. San, Yeosang, and I will handle the drones and missiles. We’ll get out of there, fast. Hopefully with the uniforms and fake badges we can sneak in and back out relatively undetected. That way we we can-”

“Make it go boom,” Mingi snickered.

Leaning forward, Sera looked at the blueprints and schematics on the table. She recognized the base instantly. “You’re hitting Hollow Point?” 

Nodding in affirmation, Hongjoong addressed her directly. “The intel we received said that it’s housing new nuclear missiles and dossiers regarding previous Crown missions… what we’re looking for is in regards to deaths of two higher ups in the resistance and the destruction of one of our primary bases.”

Sera’s stomach churned, but kept her face neutral, her military training coming into play. Hongjoong had to be referring to Gideon and Kahanna. However, she couldn’t divulge anything regarding their deaths without outing herself further. They were already aware she was on a tactical team. It wasn’t hard to deduce exactly the horrors she’d helped commit, but Sera was certain her new team would not take kindly to her hand in the murders. 

She could, however, offer information regarding the base. “There’s a deadzone at the southern edge because of the cliffs,” she pulled one of the maps closer to point out the area. “Coms won’t work through here, but neither does the Crown’s systems. It’s a perfect entry point, especially if you’re going after the control rooms, hangers, and silos. It’s a much more direct route… Typically there are a few more patrols there, though.”

Situated deep within a valley, the cliffs surrounding Hollow point offered additional security but also interfered with internal and external com systems. The Crown’s engineers created a solution for the majority of the base, but something with the intensity of the electromagnetic fields in that specific area inhibited even that fix. Or at least that’s what she gathered upon sitting in meetings with her father, Ender, and Changkyun. 

Hongjoong smirked. “Extra patrols won’t matter. Mingi, can you handle a few extra people if we switch entry points? Woo-”

“I can reverse our systems to work with the electromagnetics, not against. It’ll take a little bit of time, but I could have it done tomorrow easily. It won’t be too hard.” 

“And, I don’t know if this helps or if you already know this-” Sera glanced over at Yunho for some reassurance, not wanting to overstep her role, especially with Seonghwa staring at her. Yunho gave her a small smile and nod, prompting her to continue. “There’s a master control in the underground tunnel system that connects the silos, drones, and missiles. I don’t know how exactly Woo was planning to disengage everything-“

“That would be convenient,” San said suddenly. “That would mean we wouldn't have to directly go into one of the silos then… Wooyoung would that cause an issue?” The latter shook his head, mumbling how that would be easier than hacking through one of the drones.

“That area is heavily secured,” Sera rushed to add, not wanting to omit anything that could cause an issue. “It has multiple security passes and requires the highest clearance.” She only visited that base a few times for quick briefings, always under Amelia Lee.

Yeosang sat up straighter. “I can still phase in and open the door from the inside if we need it. Seems easy enough. Woo, you can update our clearance, right?” 

“Obviously,” Wooyoung agreed. 

Sera raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She knew nothing about the other’s abilities, but knew not to ask now. She made a mental note to ask Yuhno or Wooyoung after this meeting.

Yunho beamed at her, feeling quite proud that Sera felt confident enough to speak up. He wondered if she had more recent knowledge of the base. While Yunho had some background knowledge regarding the bases and the military as a whole, much had changed in the five years since he deserted. Sera would have all the inside information this team could dream of and be a huge asset to the resistance as a whole. Sera just had to share her knowledge. Just this small tidbit helped build trust within the team, a step Yunho would highlight to Seonghwa later. 

“Would you rather show us on here, or have Woo pull up the holographic version?” Hongjoong asked, shoving the blueprints towards Sera.

“Are they interactive?” 

“Are they interactive,” Wooyoung sassed, tapping her lightly on the nose despite the others in the room. He stood up still cheesing widely, moving towards the screens and control panels to grab a small device. Once placed on the table to his liking, he pulled up the schematics on a tablet. The device mirrored the tablet, projecting the building in the center. “Take it away, Sera.” 

With the reins fully handed to her, Sera explained in detail everything she knew regarding Hollow Point, down to the necessary clearances required for each level. Thanks to the holographic map, she plotted everyone’s routes easily. Despite her limited time in the building, Sera knew the ins and outs of every Crown Base. Her intensive studies during and post academy paid off, as well as her mandatory attendance in her father’s confidential meetings. Still, Sera chose to keep some cards to her chest. She’d reveal more when necessary, but still needed to prioritize her safety.

Everyone listened intently. Yunho interjected with some well thought out points occasionally, while Yeosang, San, and Mingi asked numerous questions during Sera’s impromptu presentation. Hongjoong, Jongho, and Seonghwa stayed completely silent, taking in all the information. Wooyoung helped Sera by taking notes on a separate tablet, saving the information for future use. 

“With all of this, don’t you think it would be easier for Sera to come with us?” San spoke softly, looking more so at Yunho and Hongjoong than Seonghwa. “She knows the base, she could-”

“No.” Seonghwa said flatly, finally breaking his silence. “Just because Sera is readily giving this information does not mean she should be allowed on this mission.” 

“Seonghwa-” Yunho began, tone stern, but Seonghwa cut him off immediately. .

“No,” he reiterated, glaring across the table at Yunho. “She’s on the team, that’s enough for now. Unless you’re trying to pull rank, Yunho, which I would highly discourage.” 

Sera chewed the inside of her cheek. She didn’t intend on starting a fight and only wanted to help. She wanted to be involved, but understood why that couldn’t be the case. They didn’t know her, nor she them. Who knows how being thrown into a mission without training or working with any of them would go. She completely understood and respected this decision, even with Seonghwa’s disgruntled attitude towards her. Avoiding looking at either of them, she slumped back into her seat in silence. Debating on whether to agree with Seonghwa, Sera instead chose to remain silent, having said enough already. Next to her, Wooyoung sensed her newfound tension and lightly grazed his knuckle along the edge of her thigh. 

An intense staredown ensued between Yunho and Seonghwa until Seonghwa cut it short. “Sera going is not on the table, Seonghwa, and nobody is pulling rank. Although, I can’t help but agree with San that her knowledge would be beneficial on the ground. However, she will be just as helpful here.” He pressed his palms against the table. “We will reconvene tomorrow morning after Wooyoung recalibrates the coms to finalize the plan. Yunho, Seonghwa, stay for a moment. Everyone else is free to go.” 

At Hongjoong’s command, the rest of the team shuffled out of the control room. Sera was ready to hide away for a moment and make a dash for her room, but was unable to escape San’s grasp. 

“Don’t worry,” San placed his arm around her shoulder, pulling Sera into his side. “Those two usually argue about something. You just so happen to be the shiny new thing for them to fight about.” 

“I’d rather not be the thing they fight about,” Sera murmured, allowing San to lead her into the kitchen. She leaned on the back of one of the stools once San released her shoulder.

“Why don’t you come with me?” Wooyoung asked. He had followed the pair into the kitchen, the others close behind. Sauntering over to Sera, he softly stuck his hip into her, smiling. “I could use the company since someone gave me more work to do.” Sera instantly knew he was teasing, but still felt slightly guilty for increasing his workload. 

“Sera’s coming with me,” San stated matter-of-factly from inside the refrigerator. Closing the door with his foot, he turned around with two bottles of water in his hands. “She needs to start training with us. What better time than now. We were all heading there anyway.” San tossed one of the bottles over to Sera. “Sound good, darling?” 

The pet name made Wooyoung scowl slightly. First Yunho with his never ending ‘my girls,’ now this? At least with San he knew there was nothing beyond friendly endearment. With Yunho, he was entirely unsure of where his mind stood with Sera. Not that it should affect him as much as it had been. But there was something undeniable about Sera, something that made him drawn to her like a magnet. 

“Oh, is it time to get me on a mat?” Sera teased without missing a beat. 

San playfully glared at Wooyoung, pointing at him before his eyes turned to half moons. “What did you tell her?”

Sighing, Wooyoung turned to leave the kitchen, but not before letting his fingers brush along Sera’s back. She couldn’t help but smile and inhale suddenly at the touch, her eyes turning to follow him as he meandered towards his little shop. 

“I told her only what was said, Sannie. I’ll come down in a little bit, make sure they aren’t being too hard on you.” 

San snickered. “Or take your own turn with her.”

Ignoring San’s comment, Wooyoung left the room with a wave of his hand. San beckoned Sera to follow him towards the basement with a dimpled grin and jerk of his head. Yeosang, Mingi, and Jongho had already made their way out of the kitchen, also towards the training room. Finally she could show them what she was capable of, at least in some regards. A little concern snuck into her thoughts about her lack of training for the past month, but quickly went away when she stepped downstairs. 

“So Jongho ran his tests… now you’ll get mine,” San stated. “Warm up, do whatever you need to do. But then it’s time to see if Yunho was right about your alleged ability to beat my ass.” 

With a roll of her eyes and a smile, Sera plopped herself down on a mat and began stretching. Thanks to her morning runs with San, she didn’t feel completely out of shape but was concerned about her overall strength. San was big, much bigger than her. Normally his wouldn’t phase her, but Sera was still unaware of what lied beneath San’s bubbly exterior. Early on she pinpointed this underlying sense of danger with him.  There was something in the way he moved, almost as if each and every motion was perfectly calculated. 

After a little time, San sat down next to her. Bending over to touch his toes, he huffed loudly before turning to look at Sera. “Alright, darling. Ground rules for sparring. Nothing to the face. Can’t mess these pretty things up. No use of powers. It wouldn’t be fair of you to fling some gold at me or use your telekinesis now would it?” 

“What I think is unfair is that I know nothing of your ability,” Sera quipped. “How do I know if you’re not secretly using yours?”

Mingi’s deep laughter rumbled. “She’s got a point, Sannie. Not like you can turn off all of your abilities, anyway.” 

Sera turned knowingly back to San, eyebrows raised and mouth quirked. He quickly raised his hands in defeat, dimples on full display. “But I manage them during spars, Min, don’t make it sound like I cheat. Now… my abilities. I have advanced strength, agility, and durability, plus adaptive reflexes. While I can’t turn those off, I tone it down as best as I can when training.” He glared over at Mingi before continuing. “Now, the other part of my ability-” 

From each wrist came a singular sleek metal blade, a small ring of blood surrounding where it protruded, but not once did San wince as they lengthened. He had grown well accustomed to the feeling of the blades piercing his skin. They vaguely reminded Sera of Jiwoo and the diamond spikes she preferred, although San’s blades lacked the prismatic beauty of Jiwoo’s. Just as suddenly as the blades appeared San tucked them back in, the slits in his skin healing just as quickly. 

“I can snap them off and make them different lengths, too. But unless I break them, they are pretty much, well, unbreakable. My aim in throwing them has gotten a lot better, but nowhere near as good as Hwa’s,” he smirked. “Like you, I also have advanced healing… kind of have to with this.” 

This match would be more difficult than she thought, especially with San also having adaptive reflexes. But Sera was not one to back down from a challenge. Once her muscles felt loose enough, she stood and thrust out her hand to San. “Any other rules before we get started?” 

Grinning like the cheshire cat, San grasped her hand. “Not that I can think of, darling. Sure you’re ready for this?” he made his way to the center of the ringed mat. 

Mingi, Yeosang, and Jongho all paused their own workouts, antsy for the show. Sera paid no mind to the attention, stepping into the ring with confidence. This was second nature to her, the anticipation of a fight familiar despite her unknown opponent.

The smile on San’s face didn’t diminish as he began pacing side to side. He was just about to lunge when Yunho’s voice echoed down the staircase. 

“We didn’t miss any of the fun, did we?” His eyes sparkled when they met Sera’s. Wooyoung, Seonghwa, and Hongjoong sauntered down the stairs behind him. 

Sera crossed her arms. “I didn’t realize that this was going to be the event of the day.” 

“Ah, Just Sera, we’re all just excited to see what you can do. Now, don’t take it easy on our dear Sannie over her. He can take whatever ass beating you give him.” 

San scoffed at the remark, making Sera return her attention to him. From the corner of her eyes she saw Hongjoong lean against the wall for a front row view. He was more than ready to see what she was capable of after hearing how easily Sera fended off the four men however many nights ago. San was a formidable opponent, arguably the strongest of the eight in the house, making him the perfect partner for this little test. 

Without any warning, San lunged. He came at her quicker than she anticipated, but Sera easily sidestepped out of the way. He continued these lunges without attempting a punch or a kick. Understanding that San was toying with her, she continued the quick shuffles left and right, not wanting to play into whatever trap he was laying. 

“Quit teasing, San,” Hwa said from his perch on the steps. 

A glint entered San’s eyes and a slew of fists and elbows flung towards Sera. The rush and force of the impacts surprised her. One connected directly to her ribs, but she quickly composed herself, blocking and countering once her body learned the pattern of San’s attacks. Unfortunately for her, San learned Sera’s patterns just the same. He blocked her easily, but not before she landed a few well aimed hits to his torso. 

“Not bad at all,” San said softly when he dodged back, creating some much needed space.

Hongjoong continued smirking, while Yunho made direct eye contact with both him and Seonghwa- a subtle ‘I told you so’ to both. San wasn’t one to hold back, even with new opponents. His ego wouldn’t allow it. Yunho knew with how smoothly Sera was parrying his attacks that San’s frustration level would quickly rise, meaning his attacks would become more intense as this went on. 

“Looks like you might’ve lost your touch, Sannie boy,” Yunho teased. He wanted to see just how much Sera could handle and the easiest way to accomplish that was by riling up San. “Here I was worried my girl would be out of practice… but it looks like that might be you.” 

This time, Sera was prepared for the fevered strikes, but woefully unprepared for the increased power behind them. Unable to retaliate with as much force, she snuck in well placed punches and kicks of her own. They had enough of an effect to have San staggering backwards. Their chests heaved from exertion, but neither made any indication of backing down. 

The dance continued for a few more rounds, each one ending without a clear winner. Yunho incessantly threw out comments in the form  teasing insults directed at San and raises towards Sera. Both had an effect on the man, frazzling him while Yunho continued to smirk. All the while Sera felt the gazes of Hongjoong and Seonghwa as they studied her each and every move. Mingi, Yeosang, and Jongho occasionally added their own commentary, all impressed at how well Sera held her own. Only Wooyoung remained silent, surprisingly. Normally jumped into the banter, always ready to tease and taunt. But he was too engrossed in Sera, watching how effortlessly she moved, how her face tensed when San landed a punch, yet somehow staying calm and fluid with her attacks. Concern crept into his mind as San became more erratic, instantly worried that he would somehow go too far and actually injure Sera. But still Sera stayed steady, although her face reddened and sweat glistened across her body. A body he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander over. 

Continuing to bide her time, Sera chose to simply play defense. San was transfixed on being offensive, throwing as much at her as he could thanks to Yunho’s latest comment about looking slow. Although she was beginning to feel the aches of the never ending onslaught, she knew an opening would appear. After a particular punch and kick combination, San would be off balance for a half second. This is what Sera was waiting for, what her mind and body were actively anticipating. The adrenaline was dampening the pain of his recurring hits to her thighs and ribs, but there was no hiding the bruises that began to form there and along her forearms. 

When the combination came, Sera made her move, swiping at San’s knees with her left foot. Once it buckled slightly she lunged. That in conjunction with a perfectly timed high kick to his chest had San tumbling to the ground with Sera’s foot still pressed against his chest. 

“Holy shit,” San mumbled. His pink hair stuck to his sweaty forehead, shirt clinging to his muscular body. Despite Sera having bested him, a huge smile was on his face. Not many had taken him down. Usually only Yunho or Seonghwa had that privilege, although even that was infrequent. 

“Holy shit is right,” Sera half laughed as she tried to catch her breath. “I haven’t had a spar like that in a long while.” 

Sitting up, San ran a hand through his sweaty hair. “Well, glad I could give you a hell of a time. You sure gave me one, darling. Next time, though, you won’t get so lucky.”

“Oh are we saying I can only beat you with luck?”

“Not used to that view, are ya Sannie?” Wooyoung sassed, breaking his silence.

Much like the beginning of their spar, Sera offered San a hand to help him back up. “I think you wish you were in my position, Woo,” San shot back, pulling himself up simultaneously. 

Laughter rolled through the training room. Even Seonghwa gave a small chuckle, finally showing a crack in his steely armor.  Wooyoung’s face flushed, lips pursed, but he had no witty comment in return. Even though the comment wasn’t directed at her, Sera also felt her own face grow warm, but thankfully her red and sweaty face covered up the blush. 

“I told you my girl could beat your ass, San,” Yunho said smugly, pushing San’s shoulders in jest as he chugged his bottle of water. “Thanks for proving me right, Sera,” he added with a wink in her direction.

San lightly shoved Yunho back after capping his water. “You realize that if she beat me that also means she’d take you? Or did that thought slip your tiny little mind?” For effect, he flicked Yunho’s forehead. 

Thus ensued further bickering between the two, a common occurrence in the house. Everyone playfully interjected with their own remarks, each bouncing seamlessly off the other into the next joke to further agitated San and Yunho. It seemed nobody was safe with everyone’s fighting abilities now being criticized. 

Their ease with one another made Sera feel extremely out of place, especially once more inside jokes and sparring stories were tossed about. She couldn’t help but feel like a stranger in a place she would now call her home. Hopefully, with time that feeling would fade and she would feel more welcome. Now she only longed to be included in the scene before her.

Deep down she knew the exclusion was not intentional. Far from it, in fact. Throughout her short week in the homestead this team had been nothing short of welcoming and caring. Even Seonghwa, despite his outward reservations towards her, had been relatively friendly and took the time to converse with her, albeit at a more superficial level. But it did nothing to stop the growing pain in her chest. 

She missed Jay and Jiwoo more than ever. Sera though Jay especially would fit in perfectly with the group in front of her with his loving and playful nature. Jiwoo would be much like Sera, picking when necessary, but always observing. 

Feeling a wave of conflicting emotions and sudden overwhelming exhaustion, Sera excused herself to shower. In her haste to leave, she didn’t feel Yunho’s gaze follow her when she squeezed past Seonghwa on the steps, nor did she see Wooyoung shifting side to side fighting the urge to follow her. 

*

The shower cooled both Sera’s emotions and her body. Even after standing beneath the water for what felt like hours, she still had no desire to make her way downstairs to the living room or kitchen despite it being past lunch time. Sparring with San wore her out more than she anticipated and her entire body ached. Just further evidence she needed to train consistently again. Although, she couldn’t help but smile replaying the match in her head. The surprise on everyone’s faces when San crumpled to the ground beneath her feet would be a memory she would hold on to for a long time to come. The result even surprised her, not that she would let that slip to anyone in the house. 

Listening to her body, Sera sat down on her bed to comb out her long, damp hair while she lost herself in a book Yeosang recommended to her. Yunho had been kind enough to let her keep a couple of his large tshirts and the hoodie she wore the first night at the homestead. It was that she had chosen to slip on after the shower, pairing it with a pair of spandex shorts she packed. 

“Sera?” Her name came paired with a small knock on her door, pulling her from the pages in front of her. Yunho poked his head through the now cracked door. “Can I come in?” 

Following her nod, Yunho entered and closed the door behind him. Marking her page reluctantly, she sat down the brook beside her. Yunho had no issue with making himself comfortable and stretched his long legs across the mattress on either side of Sera.

“Nice hoodie.”

“What brings you to my room, Yun?” Sera ignored his statement regarding her attire. 

He stretched his arms upwards and looked around the room. “It’s been an eventful morning for you. Can’t blame me for wanting to check in on my favorite girl in the house.” 

“I’m the only girl in the house.” 

He turned to meet her gaze. While Sera’s eyes were tired, Yunho’s were filled with slight worry. “You’d be my favorite even if you weren’t, Just Sera. But I did want to tell you I’m glad you spoke up today about Hollow Point. Your openness didn’t go unnoticed. It went a long way in building trust, even if it doesn’t seem that way. You’ve been a part of this team for less than a day and you’re already making a positive impact.” 

Sera smiled softly at the small praise. “I just hope that me being here doesn’t cause issues. I already spoke with Jongho, but Seonghwa-”

“Seonghwa will come around, Sera. Give it time,” he assured her. He didn’t want to go into detail about his conversation with Hongjoong and Seonghwa, speculating that it would upset Sera further. She didn’t need to know that once again he fought on her behalf, although this time Hongjoong backed him up. Seonghwa was simply being stubborn, but he was set on Sera hiding something. He even brought up the princess theory again, which both Hongjoong and Yunho attempted to quash for lack of evidence. Eventually Yunho did get him to acknowledge the benefit of Sera’s inside information, a small win and step in the right direction. “There will be a transition period for all of us, including you.” 

Sera sighed and looked down at her clasped hands. Unsure of what to say, she stayed quiet. She wanted to share her thoughts with Yunho, but didn’t quite know how. So instead they sat in silence for a moment until Yunho couldn’t bear it any longer.

“You do know that you can talk to me,” Yunho said softly. “While I did share details of our earlier conversations with Hongjoong for obvious reasons, anything we discuss further will stay between us, Sera. Especially if they involve your feelings. Please don’t forget that at one point I was exactly where you are now.” 

“I think the way I’m feeling is extremely silly and unnecessary, therefore it doesn’t need to be addressed,” she immediately shot back, not wanting to get into something so trivial as her feelings.

“What, like you’ll never really be a part of the team?” Sera looked up with wide eyes. How did he have her figured out so easily? Yunho bent a leg and moved closer, keeping the other outstretched. We’ve been together for years, and you’ve just stepped in. How you’re feeling isn’t silly, it’s entirely normal. Before Hongjoong and I formed this team, he ran another that I joined shortly after I left the military. I won’t lie, it was hard to find my place. But eventually I did. When we put together this team it was much the same, all eight of us figuring out each other. Learning likes, dislikes, all the little things that seem insignificant but ended up being what strengthened our bonds. That will come with you, too. I told you this would be a transition for all of us. Maybe we should have eased you instead of just throwing you in the ring with San and mission planning. But we were all excited about you and seeing how you would handle everything. Which, holy fuck. You are incredible. Seonghwa and I both spar with San regularly, and it’s always a toss up on who wins. The fact you got him down on your first go is something spectacular, Sera.”

Every time she spoke with Yunho she found more commonality between them, even if it meant calling her out. The honesty about his own experiences only made her more comfortable with him and the added compliments only soothed her more. Maybe she could trust him completely. For years she had been forced to keep everything inside her, only comfortable with sharing small worries with Jiwoo over concerns for her friend’s safety. But things could be different with Yunho if she opened herself up to it. The notion went against everything Sera has ever known, but she desperately wanted things to be different here. What better way to start than being vulnerable with someone else. It may come back to bite her, but Sera had nothing to lose. 

“I do feel like an outsider,” Sera confessed. “I know it's not intentional and I understand it’s early. I don’t understand why I’m even feeling this way. Hell, I just joined your team what… five hours ago? What I think is worse is that seeing all of you together made me miss my old team in a twisted way.”

His hand tentatively reached for her leg. When he found no opposition towards the touch, Yunho laid it carefully across her calf. “Sera that team is all you’ve ever known. I missed mine too, despite the unspeakable things I did with them. But they were my friends, in some ways. If you let us, we can become that to you, too. Well, once we get that stick completely out of Seonghwa’s ass.” 

The lighthearted joke made Sera laugh. “Yeah I think that will be a feat itself. The man hates me, or at least thinks I’m some untrustworthy spy for the Crown. Can’t say I blame him entirely.” She began toying with the hoodie strings, doing her best to avoid the lingering eyes of Yunho. “Why do I feel like you know me better than I do right now?” 

Yunho traced his thumb along her skin now. “I don’t think I’d go that far, on either account. Seonghwa definitely doesn’t hate you, he’s said as much at least. But I do feel like we have this… deeper understanding of one another. One that I don’t think anyone else here could comprehend. Kindred spirits, so to speak.” 

Silence grew between them once more, although this time Yunho didn’t feel the urge to end it. The lull allowed Sera to gather her thoughts. Her intuition told her that Yunho was correct. Their shared background immediately brought them together. The military instilled certain beliefs, willingly or unwillingly, along with a specific way of viewing the world. Distrust was a common feeling even between teammates, a feeling that the Crown constantly amplified. Yunho would know that feeling better than anyone. 

The revelation only made Sera want to trust him more. 

Yunho desperately wanted to rid her of that constant feeling of doubt and the need to keep all emotions hidden. Unlearning the habits of the military was a difficult task. Hongjoong had been the one to aid him, and now he wanted to repay his debt by helping Sera work through the same difficulties. The intention behind his help was nothing but genuine. He saw himself in her, and knew that Sera felt the same in regards to him. But he couldn’t say there weren't ulterior motives in wanting Sera to open up with him. 

Sera was dangerous. Yunho knew it. The entire team knew it. Her intellect in conjunction with her abilities and physicality only solidified this notion. Yunho knew exactly what her training consisted of having experienced it firsthand. He knew what her time on a Crown’s team looked like, what form of missions she would have participated in. Her skills made her an incredible asset to the team. They also made her a great threat. By delving deeper into her psyche and learning more of her twisted past, Yunho would know exactly what he could be dealing with. He didn’t lie about keeping conversations between them. He needed Sera to trust him, and telling her secrets would do him no good. 

However, he would not hesitate to express any concerns to Hongjoong if the safety of his team came into question.

“I guess,” Sera began softly. “I didn’t realize this would be so different.” 

Pressure increased on Sera’s legs as Yunho laid his other palm against her. “Well, Just Sera, we can figure it out together. I promise that I will be the last person to judge you for your past since mine is just as dark and tainted as yours. Be honest with me, and I’ll be the same with you. That’s what friends do.” 

Friends. The word had been floating in Sera’s mind, but she never felt ready to label whatever was between them. Hearing it come from Yunho’s lips with nothing but the sincerity in his big eyes quelled the last of the doubts hiding in the corners of her mind. 

Sera smiled. “Can we start by filling me in on what exactly everyone’s abilities and roles are? All I know is what San, Jongho, Wooyoung can do ability wise, but nothing more.” 

Silently, Yunho scolded himself. That should have been the first thing they did. He should have been the one to show Sera around this morning and taken the time to share with her the bare minimum of the team’s dynamics. Wooyoung should have known better, but Yunho assumed he was too busy ogling Sera to realize how major of an omission he made. The man was obviously enthralled by her, something every person of the house but Sera seemed to notice. 

“Of course.” 

Logically, he started with Hongjoong. Obviously, the leader of the team. Sera’s assumption of him being high in the resistance as a whole was also correct. Yunho informed her that he was a member of the Board, the resistance’s more democratic version of the High Table. His ability was eerily similar to Changkyun’s, down to the way they formed their telekinetic energy into weapons and projectiles along with the more typical traits of moving things with their mind. Hongjoong’s, though, was apparently white in color. 

He detailed himself next so he could continue in rank order. Yunho was second in command, always in charge in the event of Hongjoong’s absence and just as involved in planning and the resistance as whole. His ability was not quite as flashy as Hongjoong’s, but arguably just as dangerous. Sera immediately understood his placement on a tactical team. In his hands, anything and everything was a weapon. Able to use any gun perfectly, he never missed. Somehow he was able to manipulate the mechanics of all weapons, know the perfect angles to always get the shot he wanted or handle any other form of weaponry easily. That paired with his advanced senses, heightened strength and agility, adaptive reflexes, and advanced reasoning and deduction would have made him a formidable asset to the Crown. Now, those skills were a key part of the resistance.

Seonghwa was next, third in rank after Yunho, Seonghwa was involved nearly as heavily as Yunho. The three of them often made decisions collectively with Hongjoong getting the final say when necessary. His ability was a form of molecular acceleration. Tending to use this on a smaller scale, he could also tamper with the molecular structure of any given object to make it explode on contact or have more velocity at impact. He preferred to use throwing stars or knives, but also frequently used the blades San produced. While capable of using this acceleration on a larger scale, it drained him physically and only did so in dire need. Seonghwa was yet another member of the team to have adaptive reflexes and advanced strength and agility. 

However, neither Seonghwa nor Yunho could touch San in terms of strength and speed. Since San had already shown his ability to Sera, Yunho did not spend much time explaining his. San though, was responsible for nearly all of their training regimes with support from Yunho. 

Yeosang’s ability aligned more with stealth, often making him responsible for scouting and reconnaissance. Able to seamlessly blend into the environment, he could also phase through doors, walls, even people if the need arose. Of course, Yeosang was also skilled in combat, something Yunho made clear was the case for each member of the team. 

Mingi’s ability fell right in line with Yeosang’s. Together they were a perfect team, often paired together for undercover missions. Mingi could manipulate visual and auditory fields around him, making those in range see and hear whatever he wanted. Yunho also let slip that Jongho was  unable to read Mingi. Often assisting Jongho as a medic, he took lead in the field since Jongho typically stayed behind.

Yunho also didn’t go into much detail regarding Jongho nor Wooyoung since Sera was already aware of their abilities and what their roles were within the team. Throughout the entirety of Yunho’s thorough explanations, Sera stayed quiet to embed everything to memory. After he finished, he did offer to answer any pressing questions, but Sera did not feel the need to ask anything. They seemed like a well oiled machine, which only highlighted her main concern.

How could she possibly integrate herself into a place that didn’t need her?

[oneforthemunny]

mordern!steddie, fluff, and target run! please!

"I have to have this." You declared, grabbing the small box off the shelf.

Eddie looked up from his phone, brow raised as he looked over your shoulder. "What is that?"

"It holds your phone up but it's like a little retro TV stand. It's so cute." You grinned, plopping it into the red basket, snagging your Starbucks cup out of the holder.

"And that's a necessity because..?" Steve hummed, crouching to look at the storage bins below.

"Because," You huffed, rolling your eyes. "It's three dollars and I need it for my baths. I always have to prop my phone up on the towels and it slides."

"That's actually a really good point." Eddie nodded in agreement, arms snaking around your waist, squeezing the cotton of your shorts before stealing a sip out of your straw. "Definitely a necessity."

Steve rolled his eyes, standing with the small drawer organizer. "Fine, but for everything else, we're sticking to the list."

"Got it." Eddie nodded, winking at you playfully, sending you into a fit of giggles.

"So no looking at the clothes?" You asked, following behind Steve, Eddie behind you.

"No."

"Not even the pajamas?"

"C'mon, Steve, don't deprive her of the pajamas." Eddie sighed dramatically. "That's cruel."

"You have a million pajamas, baby." Steve looked at you, one hand on his hip, the other on the cart.

"Yeah, but these are so soft, Stevie. You know they are." You pouted, arms crossing over your chest. "And you and Eddie ruined the last ones."

Steve blushed, eyes cutting around him. No one heard, and even if they did, they couldn't possibly know that by "ruined" you meant they'd tore them off of you, spilt the seam right down the middle for a make shift restraint to tie you to the headboard one morning. Still, he couldn't help the flush on his cheeks.

"Fine." Steve rolled his eyes. "I owe you one pair. Go pick them out. I'm going to the food aisles if you need me."

"I'm gonna go look at some sheets." Eddie said casually, pulling out his vape, bringing it to his lips to take a hit. You and Steve both stopped, looking at him skeptically. "What?" Eddie asked, exhaling around the vapor.

Steve scoffed, mortified when Eddie would vape in public especially in settings like Target- true Walmart activities, he told him. The vape was banned entirely from coming into Trader Joe's with Steve.

"Why do we need sheets?" Steve asked.

"Are you serious?" Eddie mimicked, his own brows raising in dramatics. "Did you see what she did to the sheets the other day? Surprised we don't need a new goddam mattress." Eddie snorted.

"Hey." You huffed, cheeks heating. "That wasn't my fault."

"I never said it was, baby." Eddie cooed, pulling you sweetly into his side. "I just said we need new sheets. Dark ones this time. Those stains are not coming out."

"Alright," Steve lifted his hands, shaking his head. "Go get you sheets, go get your pajamas, then we are done."

Forty-five minutes later everything on the list had been added. Plus your pajamas. Plus Eddie's sheet choice. Plus a matching blanket. And a new throw pillow. And a candle, of course. Then Eddie insisted on an agenda saying that would really help him (he and Steve bickered back and forth for five minutes until they settled on a calendar for the fridge instead). And one last body spray later, you were checking out, packing the plastic bags out to the car.

[aryanightshade]

Eddie doesn’t vanish quietly.

His name lingers on the mouths of the Hawkins High student body as they whisper about his possible involvement the murders. That he was a freak and a queer, a murderer isn’t too far of a stretch, is it? 

To Steve, he doesn’t disappear at all. The ghost of him ensnares Steve’s every waking thought, and most of his sleeping ones too. Every time he catches sight of his own wounds in the mirror, finally starting to heal, his heart snags. Every time he thinks about Eddie rocking back and forth on the ugly yellow couch in the lake house, or the way the sun lit up the wild tangle of his hair like the filaments of a lightbulb as he laughed in the passenger seat of Steve’s car, something inside of him shudders and cracks. Steve Harrington is not what anyone would have described as sentimental, before this. Not with the distant, disinterested way his parents and friends floated in and out of his life for the last eighteen years. Sure, he latches on quickly and maybe he feels things a little deeper than he should. But he’s used to the ephemeral nature of these emotions, here and gone, a flash of bright, blinding sensation that fades like a falling star.

Or at least, he’s used to pretending that’s all they are. He’s old enough now to recognize the survival instinct for what it is. To see where it failed him, left him woefully unprepared to weather the wound of Nancy’s love that’s still ragged and pulpy around the edges.

At least he can look at her now without wanting to claw his own heart out of his chest.

But Eddie…

Steve left a part of himself in that graveyard, kneeling in the dirt. Fingers laced into the earth like he can reach into the darkness to grab Eddie’s hand and pull him free. Like he can still save him, if he just keeps trying.

What a joke.

Steve lays in a fish tank of artificial light, safe from the night at the bottom of his parent’s bathtub, and cradles Eddie’s vest in between his hands. The one they left in the bathroom the night Patrick died and Eddie witnessed the brutal way Vecna likes to kill when he’s done playing with his food.

Eddie Munson is dead.

And there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

His fingers wander delicately across the terrain of the patchwork denim draped over his lap like he’s trying to commit it to memory. If Steve breathes deep enough, he can still catch a whiff of Eddie’s scent embedded in the fabric of it. Leather and smoke and a hint of something earthy, like wet granite.

Outside, it’s dark and cold, but in here, curled up at the bottom of the empty bathtub like a pill bug, Steve is safe. Or as safe as he can get, clutching a bottle of his father’s whiskey like a shield. Its scorches a burning a path down Steve’s center, even as the rest of him feels so, so cold. Still circling loosely overhead, unanchored from his body like scissors snipping a thread as he watched Eddie disappear forever into the void. Untethered and vaporous and hollowed out by his absence.

Read on Ao3

[muppeteyes1001]

Seeds of Doubt (pt. 4)

Kitt simply just couldn't believe it! ... This whole time, the dungeon she had been kept in ... for who knows how long ... was near the very bottom of the floating island that held Alexander's castle. Her ears still rung due to that very unexpected .. And Loud ... explosion upon the dungeon wall due the strange jewel shard that she found and used to free herself. Now that light from the outside was coming into the cell, she could see her dreary confines quite clearly for the first time. Among the copious amount of rock debris and dust, Kitt caught sight of a familiar red jewel glittering in the light right next to her. Picking it up, she realized it felt just like the stone that she had used. They were common in Xandora .. in fact, they were everywhere .. A few attached to Alex's body even. Did these .. normally explode? .. She wasn't sure. That will have to be pondered over later.

But right now, all she could think of was how absolutely insane and nonsensical Jareth was with all his game talk and word plays. Despite how much hatred she held for that man for everything he had said and done, she couldn't help but feel the small inklings of truth that pierced the cat woman's heart like a knife. Things that she had always felt but never wanted to face nor admit to.

The felinoid looks over her shoulder at the cell bars. Protected by a magic that mimics that of electricity, there was no possible safe way around that without breaking it's spell or charm. With that in mind, there was truly only one way to get out of here. She will have to climb the enormous rocky foundation that suspended precariously over a huge lake of lava .. And somehow make it to the castle grounds at the very top. This was going to be a hell of a task ... especially with all of her gear gone ... But, she has to try ... She needs to try.

Taking a careful step out the hole, Kitt manages to find some decent footholds along the rock. Taking a deep breath, she grips onto the rough surface, grabbing what she can .. and starts to climb steadily upwards .. All the while steering clear of the hot plumes of vapor that wafted from the lava pool below.

Unknowingly, a bit of fabric from her blouse tears off and snags onto the edge of the hole she left from.

[edgelordfinalboss]

🌊OF SHARP STONES🌊

SECTION ONE: OCEAN 

POV: Kimora

Chapter: Chapter One

Fandom: The Lost Boys (1987)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Blood, Violence, Witch hunting, Witch burning, Witchcraft, Trauma and Character death.

Summary: A coven of witches living on the beach of Santa Carla have to deal with the death of their leader after a lethal witch burning that leads to the bounty hunting of both them and their romantic partners, the notorious lost boys of Santa Carla. Yet, something more terrifying lives in Santa Carla and it's the spirits of those killed by the hunting, begging for revenge.

Note: Please Like and Repost! It would be much appreciated. Thank you so much!!!

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"Yes!"

I swing my hands in the air, stealing the water vapor from the atmosphere with little more than a thought and the pain of overexertion. A flare of white forms in the air, creating a cloud that aims itself toward the well-toned girl only a few footsteps away. Her hair, long and the deep shade of coconut is mixed with pure white highlights that shimmer and shine like the works of a very bad glamour magic attempt.

Her familiar, a chow chow lays in the sand, watching as the event unfolds between us.

A clap and a whistle from one of my biggest fans forces me to bite back a smile as I barely get away from the witch's hand. She's fast but I'm stronger and bigger and the only way that I'll win this battle is to use that to my advantage.

Eyes the color of a rare blood moon gleam at me as the cloud slices through her weapon, a wand made of pine wood and tarnishing copper. I arch back as she darts at me, her fist outstretched for my jaw but only finding my shoulder. I wobble backwards but stay afoot, moving away from her next blow.

Reaching for her wrist, I bury my nails into her skin and drag her onto the sand with a snag. The girl's eyes widen, the red glamor leaving them for her natural hazel with a blink and a yep for help.

"Conclude!" The referee, a young girl about seven years old runs to stop us, her raven black braids flying behind her. Her eyes, two large brown balls of light look between us with worry.

"Heard, Zefra." I say, offering my arm to Hannah, the sun-kissed girl who drags herself up from the earth.

"You owe me another wand." Hannah grins, dusting herself off. "You might have won the fight, but I won a new stick."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I snort as she reaches for my arm.

Before I can jerk away, my knees give away and the scorching ground burns my arms with unrelenting viciousness. Hannah says something under her breath as I lay in the sun with Zefra asking me a hundred times if I'm alright.

"I'm fine, Zefra." I huff as my skin starts to sting. "Just disappointed in myself."

"But you won." The dark-skinned girl looks at me with a soft sadness.

"I know."

"Then why are you disappointed?"

"Because I'm not perfect. One day I will be but right now, I'm gonna give myself hell until my form is undefeated."

"I thought you were great! And that cloud! You aren't even a storm witch and you did that with ease! Maybe you could teach me, Kim!" Her hand finds mine and I pull myself up to give her the illusion that her strength has grown.

"Maybe I'll be your mentor when the time comes."

Her smile grows so big that it makes my heart leap in my chest.

"Maybe you'll find your familiar too." I stand up as she says the very thing that I've been trying to forget.

Even after the horrible event of the destruction of the bluff's coven and the death of Ruth, my coven's leader, my familiar hadn't come to me. Things had gotten worse for us witches, as we had been forced to reduce our training and day-to-day lifestyle.

Even the waters had become agitated, forcing the human dominations to ban the surfers and the fishermen from taking to the waters. The spirits of the bluff's witches ran to the sea, finding comfort in the waves but even within the cobalt, their anger bubbled and raged.

Rightfully so.

"Yeah, maybe." I dust myself off with one hand and keep her hand in the other as we cross the beach towards the gathered witches.

"What do you think they'll look like?"

I shrug. I always imagined the creature would be bigger than the common snake, fox, or rabbit.

"A bloodhound."

"Why?"

"So I can hunt down those men who killed our friends. I want to hunt them like them like the animals that they are."

I don't tell her about the plans that Paul and I had conjured only a few nights after the tragic event. About the ideas that the rest of his lair mates and my coven had thrown in. It shocked me that even the vampires had felt the rage that we had, but alas, Max knew that an attack on us would mean an attack on them.

"Oh. Aren't you scared?" Her bright eyes warm my soul.

"Yeah, but we all are. We have to be to survive." I say, wishing that I could be as strong as the words coming out of my mouth, to be as sure as my steps.

The water hisses from behind me, smacking into the stone wall of earth rising above the waters. Jutting rock shelves hang like swords on a shelf, protecting the upper world from the crashing waves. The saltiness of the ocean fills my every sense, stinging my nose but reminding me of the magic that lives within it.

Zefra looks up in fear as the waves retreat without a body in tow, their hunger for revenge left unquenched.

"How can we please the spirits?" Her small voice asking such a big question catches me off guard.

I don't know.

"No one knows."

She holds my hand tighter as we walk closer to the gathered covens.

"Maybe they're hungry." She whispers.

"You think so?"

The small girl shakes her head. "I know so."

I freeze at her words but before I can clarify just what she meant, she breaks away from me and runs to her coven leader, a pale woman with a heavy amount of black eyeliner and lipstick, her eyes hard on me with something that ranges between distrust and curiosity. Then again, who could blame her?

Any good coven leader would question my motives. It was I who had found the charred remains of the witches with a vampire companion. It was also me who had been too wrecked to help place the bodies to rest before the humans could stump on our sacred lands and destroy what was left of not only our but their dignity.

I wave and dip my head low in respect.

The coven of the twilight hour.

The symbol of a half moon on the leader's arm in the form of a black tattoo clarifies that.

A pigeon pecks at her head, digging its beak in her huge bat's nest of a hairstyle but she seems not to mind it, her gaze locked on mine as she reluctantly returns the gesture.

Her cold expression fades as Zefra embraces her, replaced with a rather soft laugh. I take it as my cue to break the stare, moving off to where my coven of two stands huddled like they've seen a ghost. Even the outgoing Angel, a beam of sunshine seems to be bothered by something.

"Somebody died?" I joke.

"That's not funny." Darla steps forward, her Led Zeppelin shirt stained with its fair share of grit and sand from defeating challenge after challenge except for the last she lost to a girl as fast as lightning.

"Not that it was serious, Darla." I hold my ground as her frown grows deeper.

"Or something I want to bring up." She remains hard.

"Well, I assume that you two are gonna let me know why you're both looking like somebody kicked a puppy." I cross my arm, trying to look tough despite the sun using my head as a target practice.

Angel speaks first, her downward expression forming into one a little better but still quite worrying for her.

"They've been talking about us." Angel keeps her statement short.

"You in particular, as they have for the last weeks-." Darla raises her voice as she keeps going.

"And I should care, why."

"More like why you shouldn't care." Darla snaps. "Let's see, you were seen with a vampire."

"We all date one, keep going." Her pale eyes outlined in dark liner she took from my vanity could rip me apart.

"But you were seen with him in broad moonlight"

"-discovering bodies. If it wasn't for me following my intuition into the woods where their coven is located, who knows what those coven hunters could have done? They should remember the broadness of our situation."

"But they don't see that, Kimora." Angel's voice sounds like a plea. The wild colors of her maxi dress make it hard to focus on her dark brown eyes only a few shades darker than her complexion. "They see what they want to see."

I fight back the shutter in my stomach.

"I don't need to care what they see because I know my intentions. I know what led me there that night and if any of those twilight hour witches try to claw at my name, I'll ask the real question. Why didn't they hear anything, why did our leader have to die when they should have been the first combatants."

"Why are you so adamant?" Darla grabs my arm, the rosary around her neck worn as both a travesty and an attempt to fit in with the humans as a protection cold against my skin.

"Why are you so afraid?" I spit. "We are of the coven of sharp stones, we were never the biggest and now we're the smallest. We can't let them kill off what's left of us."

Darla is never afraid to fight but in front of the other covens would be pure stupid. I hope with the stillness and quiet anger burning in her gaze, something inside of her head is thinking about how right I am.

"Stop it." Angel forces her way between us.

Angel's name is more than fitting if you're relying on the image that comes to a human's head. She is indeed the stereotypical image of the humanoid figure of perfection and love, her beauty and kindness unmatched.

Her heavyset features only add to her goddess appearance, not a blemish on her skin as her stringent self-care routine and perfected glamour magic had paid off.

"Kiki is hungry and if I don't get home, she'll destroy the house." Angel starts, worry edging in her voice for the bobcat.

"You didn't feed her?" I ask.

"No, because if I feed her, she'll still destroy the house trying to find some more food." She lifts her finger. "And today is Laddie's birthday so I have to find him something, we all have to find him something."

Angel narrows her eyes with solemnity. She has come to love the kid almost as much as Dwayne does, if not more. I'm not quite sure who loves him more, Dwayne, Angel, Star, or Paul. Marko is much like David and Darla, silent around the boy with not much to say to him besides a simple, "Hey Kiddo."

"Of course." I nod. "How could I forget."

Only half vampire, like Star, I wonder just how long David or Max would allow Star and Laddie to stay that way.

"You never forget." She pats my hand. "But you-."

She pivots her eyes to the sulking Darla who's already leaving, her copperhead climbing out from the inside of her vest colorful with patches and iron-ons.

"Never mind her." I close my eyes against the sunlight. "Sorry about everything."

"It isn't your fault." I flick my eyes to the now empty beach, the humans only specks farther out towards the mainland closer to the boardwalk.

"There are so many eyes beating down on me, you know what I mean. I want to be perfect, I want to be that girl who holds her punches and laughs it off. The girl who participates in everything and makes everyone feel at home."

"But you aren't that girl. You're the girl who's better at defense magic than memorizing incantations and makes a mean sigil when she needs to. You're the girl who we'd send to walk through danger because your brain completely rotted in the fear department."

"I know and they fear that."

"That's what we love about you. That's what this coven needs." Her lips twitch as she tried to fight back a smile. "That's what Ruth loved, why she let you join with nothing but a stupid Crowley book, a welcome to California notebook, and some herbs which you still have in a box."

My throat trembles as I try to hold back tears and cover it up with more laughable memories.

"She set the Crowley book aflame."

Angel chuckles. "A good choice to be honest. She always knew best."

I try to keep myself as composed as Angel does.

"I miss her."

"Me too." She looks out at the ocean which rears up yet again and strikes, but this time at the humans, dragging some form too close to the warning line of red tap away.

Angel quickly points but I remain tranquil as the people scream and cry out curses to the waters, some running away while a few of the brave dart out to the water to retrieve a man long gone.

When the spirits strike, nothing is left.

Ruth's deep voice rattles through me. I feel it with every fiber of my being.

"We should go." Angel takes my hand. "We need to go."

I shake my head, happy that she said just what I was thinking. "For sure."

Tags: @foggyreadingromancepsychic @babyloutattoo89 @kurt-nightcrawler @fluffycows-enthusaist @master-of-metal99 @piratesangel @local-vampire-s1ut @twentysomethingwereyote

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT!

[markrosewater]

Hi Mark, in the color pie can blue still cause damage to players at instant speed like in Vapor Snag?

It’s not. It’s a bend.

[doomedandstoned]

UK’s FROGLORD Delivers Visual Spectacle for Kaleidoscopic New EP

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Artwork by Shane Horror

All Hail the Mighty FROGLORD! We've covered previous releases by the band and featured them in our Doomed & Stoned in England Vol. II compilation. Suffice it to say, we're believers!

Now the mysterious UK project is back with a new EP, and today Doomed & Stoned is giving you a first look 'n' listen with the music video premiere. LBTF((((or))))DBTS (2024), e.g. Live By The Fuzz or Die By The Slime is a three-track work where ominous tones mesh with tongue-in-cheek humor.

So, the gods decree, spoken unto thee Play it low and slow don't rush, live by the fuzz!

Our trip to the swamp begins with psychedelic blues rising like vapors in the warming sunlight. Welcome to "Live By The Fuzz," where guitars pulse like ripples on the water and we hear the sound of the hurdy-gurdy with mysterious Near-Eastern groans. You might be reminded of OM or Zaum in the first two minutes (and that's a good thing), but no worries if you're seeking a headbaning moment because it's coming with the all crash of an alligator jumping out of the bog to snag a heedless crane (at 2:38). Later, a blast beat and ferocious throaty voices take us to the edge of sanity -- or, if you're ready for it, enlightenment.

Cleanse yourself from pain, numb away the fear Hiding from impermanent endings growing near

Middle track "((((or))))" ushers us into the haze of the sun as the day dawns, and this time we're in ancient desert places and there's the addition of enchanting female vocalizations, pedal effects, and what sounds like the didgeridoo. Acolytes of the Froglord recite their purpose in hushed, drugged tones. Then the power of this mysterious force bursts forth with wild drums and intimidating roars (at 10:35). The song at last returns to those chill opening moments, taking us all the way to sundown.

In the swamp where darkness dwells A figure emerges, casting spells Creature arise, a presence so grand Deity of doom of this cursed land

Closing doomer "Die By The Slime" begins by asking Why do the living disturb the sleep of the dead? Indeed, why would one awaken such a fearsome creature of Old? It's a slow 'n' low ride, with boisterous outbursts of percussion, guttural singing, stinging guitar licks, damning riffage, and a cultish chorus. Strange rituals are afoot, and one imagines this gathering turning into a very messy bacchanal before long.

Meanwhile, the visual accompaniment is at various junctures meditative and disturbing, with trippy mirror effects and a veritable collage of hypnotic imagery. Hints of frogs (or tadpoles) lie around every corner. Maybe don't watch it on LSD!.

Froglord's 'Live By The Fuzz or Die By The Slime' (2024) to release this weekend, March 9th, on CD and cassette (get it here), as well as digital format (here).

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

Since the dawn of time, mystics have long prophesied the coming of an ancient amphibian bestowed with death ray vision and ectoplasmic slime. Emerging from deep within The Mystic Swamp, Froglord arise bringing their unique blend of stoner groove and psychedelic doom. With face melting fuzz and foot stomping grooves, Froglord’s reign of amphibious terror shall begin.

Having released four full length albums in the last three years, Froglord returns once more. This time with a shorter three track EP, 'Live By The Fuzz or Die By The Slime.' Adopting a distinctly more blackened-psychedelic-doom sound for this release, Froglord once again showcase their ability to blend genres across their already vast discography.

Previously, Froglord records have been entirely recorded and produced as a one-person operation, however this EP sees collaboration with other artists, to bring in haunting cello and vocal acapella arrangements. 'Live By The Fuzz or Die By The Slime' is the perfect record for fans of Om, Conan, and Batushka.

Formed during the pandemic as a one-man project, Froglord released their first EP in 2020, followed soon after by their debut album. To date Froglord has built up an extensive library of releases, including, 4 albums, 3 Eps, 1 split, 1 live album, and 2 singles. In 2021 just after the release of The Mystic Toad, Froglord developed into a 4-piece band as live venues began to reopen. Since then, Froglord has quickly gained a reputation for their commanding and theatrical stage performances.

Whilst Froglord's sound leans primarily toward stoner doom, they have been characterised for their genre-bending sound, with each album taking on its own distinct style, taking strong influences from psychedelia, prog, sludge, grunge, groove and blues; to deliver the tale of The Froglord through a concept-based discography.

Currently, Froglord are set to release a single in the spring of 2024, written for the upcoming found footage horror film Frogman (dir. Anthony Cousins). As well as this original, the film also contains several older Froglord tracks.

Rooted also in environmentalism, Froglord has worked closely with Save The Frogs, the world’s largest amphibian-based conservation charity, raising over £2500 through "Save The Frogs" EP sales and campaigning, as well as £300 for the Human Dignity Trust.

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[govindhtech]

The Predator BiFrost Radeon RX7600 graphics card Specs

Acer Predator BiFrost RX7600 Graphics Card Features

The reasons we adore this AMD Radeon RX7600 Acer Predator BiFrost graphics card

High-Capacity GPU Engine: The default Graphics Clock of this GPU is 2.32GHz; an integrated Overclock Boost can raise that to 2.725GHz.

Rely on a rapid 8GB of state-of-the-art GDDR6 video memory to stay ahead of any game-related snags. Quickly incoming details allow you to adjust the graphics settings. Even faster is the ample 18Gbps memory bandwidth. 

180W TDP: This card’s construction was done with a reasonable 180-watt Total Design Power consumption in mind. This allows it to extend its legs and, if necessary, provide more performance. It is also simple to connect, requiring only one 8-pin PCIe port for power. 

Resolution: Up to 8K: When it comes to resolution, the BiFrost doesn’t skimp. It has enough pixels to power 8K displays, so you can connect TVs and monitors with high definition. It also has the newest display outputs, supporting up to four screens simultaneously with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4.

DirectX 12 Ultimate Support: The BiFrost offers complete support for Microsoft’s most recent DirectX 12 graphics API because of its RDNA 3 architecture. This makes it possible to incorporate cutting-edge visual effects, such as ray tracing, into your games.

Hybrid Cooling Array: In addition to two fans, Acer included a unique vapor cooling chamber to efficiently dissipate heat under load. By quickly removing heat from the GPU die, this configuration maintains boost clock speeds during extended gaming sessions. 

Predator Utility Software: You can access precise controls and monitoring with ease thanks to the Predator BiFrost software utility that comes with it. Increase the card’s capabilities by modifying the RGB lighting or clock speeds.

Is it worthwhile to purchase this Acer Predator BiFrost AMD Radeon RX7600 graphics card?

The Acer Predator BiFrost Radeon RX7600 offers fairly good performance overall for a mid-range card. It punches above its weight class thanks to the premium features it manages to stuff in, like fast GDDR6 memory, a high-bandwidth bus, and capable cooling.

Although it clearly lacks the outrageous horsepower of the most expensive flagships, this GPU still packs a lot of power. In the newest games, you can enjoy fluid frame rates and increase the graphics settings to their maximum. Its improved specifications offer a significant improvement over an entry-level card.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[dirtyoldmanhole]

before we hit ch25, the last few lines of this one are pretty nutty in an emotional implications way.

corrin's fam is a bit fucked up, y'all.

(that's a roundabout way of saying mikoto's growing on me in a big way this playthrough.)

if you successfully run through this stealth level, possessed!mikoto tries to trick you with the last door. I'm pointing this out to show the increasingly more blurry line of possession as these last few levels go on. corrin's starting to get the idea, thankfully.

don't always take them at their word, basically. watch the actions.

(ignore the different corrin/player character, i had to snag a screengrab off of a let's play.)

... geez. that's chilling.

when you add in all of the more autonomous(ish) possessed characters together (mikoto, takumi, gunter), you start to see common patterns with how anankos presses on their psychic wounds.

mikotos, as you could take a gander with the last post, craves more time with corrin. her mother's instinct gets warped in a way that anankos can bend in a way that (nearly) guarantees corrin's destruction.

i find it interesting that her psychic wound here mirrors her magical barrier with how she drains nohrian troops of their will to fight. 'surrender/stop resisting/in the name of (twisted) love'

(I can't talk much to takumi's possession/his psychic wounds as much other than a 'yeap looks like anankos really whacked hard on that competitive/insecurity nerve there. but it does look quite consistent with the other two.)

mikoto's boss fight is up.

.... the massive spoiler that (one of) mikoto's lovers was human!anankos (aka corrin's bio!dad) just hit me, actually.

this whole exchange is exceptionally twisted with that in mind.

corrin defeats her. before we hit her actual death scene, you get the items, if you had completed the stealth level successfully.

(gunter's line here is a throw-away in the great scheme of things, I'm pretty sure it's nintendo throwing one last hail mary of sorts to the denser players of 'hey remember this guy, he's about to be very important wink wonk')

(also, imo, it's not a coincidence he keeps randomly showing up whenever corrin's parents are involved.)

corrin's starting to get it.

mikoto's hoshidan children get a chance to huddle around and say their good-byes before she dissolves into the water bubbles that signifies complete "body is dead" anankos' possession. (water being the element he and the other vallites are heavily linked to).

speaking of, we get a revelation ba dum tishh here....

in terms of plot twists, this one's actually not that surprising. nintendo's kind of wearing a little thin of 'oops actually royal of x country' twists but this one makes more sense with how mysterious corrin's past is.

no shit sher-

........ uh

w-w-what are you doing here sir

i am pretty sure i did not see you in the screenshot .02 seconds before when mikoto got vaporized

(why are you all alone there too that's kinda really ominous)

uh

uhhhh

you're standing kind of close man

(seriously though, analyze all the other screenshots and he's always a respectful body-length distance away from everyone, especially corrin. the difference is an immediate big fat "!!!" subconciously even if it doesn't read as well in the screnshots)

..........

..........NOT OMINOUS AT ALL NOPE

whyisthiskindofhot

corrin babe

you might want to talk things out with your hubby there justsayin'...

BECAUSE

this is the brilliant bit about the complete and fucking total shift into 'camera's weirdly all the sudden treating your psuedo daddy gunter like a villain what the fuck' (the visual equivalent to 'why do i hear boss music all the sudden')

we find out in about two chapters that gunter has a burning decades long nursed hatred of royalty (for not unjustified reasons) (but)

combine that with the 'gunter lowkey always holding some kind of romantic/??? unresolved pining for corrin' (especially if you're coming from conquest headcanons)

with

the knowledge of anankos hating corrin's guts and willing to twist anyone dear to her in some pretty depraved ways

.....

if your reaction is 'oh geez. that suddenly got some real fucky undertones real quick'

YUP

OHO YUP IT SURE DID

gunterfuckers know what's coming up next >:)