MPC 56B + 56X [MPC 28] We Remember With a Time Traveler
Nov 17, 2018 6:50:33 GMT
Post by Alan Pantell on Nov 17, 2018 6:50:33 GMT
THIS SUBMISSION IS A DOUBLE MPC FOR DOUBLE REWARDS!
MPC Names: "We Remember," A Meeting With a Time Traveler
MPC Numbers: 56B and 56X
Wild Card Number: 28
Requested Reward: Bits for both
Alan the human and his partner, Levi the Veemon, strolled through the streets of Terminus City. As the location of the most notable connection between the digital and human worlds, it had naturally been the first part of the digital world Alan had seen. Of course, when that first happened, it had been under jarring circumstances. Now, the two of them enjoyed coming back to the Trailmon terminal and taking a calmer, closer look around, now that they didn't have anywhere in particular to be that day. That terminal in particular was one of the best places to go people-watching, sitting down on a nearby bench and watching the throngs of digimon - and the occasional human - walk in and out of the Trailmon cars. Neither of them commented much at all. They simply watched, and enjoyed the beauty and diversity. After a while, Alan felt a light tap on his leg, then a quiet throat-clearing, followed by a slightly high-pitched, slightly nasally voice.
"Excuse me... do you mind if I sit with you?"
"Hm?"
Alan turned to find a Gumdramon, clearly not one Alan had met before, standing up straight, yet still having a shy, unsure demeanor.
"Oh, of course!"
Alan slid over slightly on the bench to ensure that the Gumdramon had ample room. The small, purple dragon got up and sat in the newly-widened space. The tamer and partner pair continued to watch the crowds in silence, though they noticed Gumdramon was fidgeting and staring at the ground. Alan leaned over to him, yet another in a line of friendly strangers who could very well end up as new friends.
He asked him, "Did you need someone to talk to?"
Gumdramon thought for a second and responded, "Yes... well, actually, I saw you sitting here and wanted to talk to you in particular."
"Heh, curious about humans?"
"Ha, always, though, for a digimon, I do know a lot about humans already!"
"Really? Have you spent time in the human world?"
"I have! Lived there for a few years, as a matter of fact."
"Wow... what'd you think?"
"Oh, it was... it was nice and all, but after a while, it just seemed like, there wasn't really a good place for someone like me."
"Oof. I feel ya there."
"I decided I was much happier here. I still drop by the human world every now and again, of course. I mean, I can go back and forth whenever I want; it's not like I really had to decide on anywhere in the first place."
"Yeah. You've got all the time in the universe to explore, after all."
Gumdramon looked back at Alan with a look of mild surprise. He thought about his next response, and eventually gave the human a gentle smile back, along with the words, "you're right," and something that sounded like "why do." It was some sort of attempt at saying both "I do" and "we do" at the same, leaving which one he meant to the imagination. It seemed he could understand how the boy was feeling, but for whatever reason, was conflicted about saying so.
"You know..." started Alan, "it's nice to hear I'm not the only one who feels that way. Not that I ever thought I was, but still." He extended a hand to his new acquaintance. "My name's Alan, by the way." Levi leaned forward to give a similar greeting. "And I'm Levi!"
Gumdramon shook both of their hands with a grin. "Nice to meet you two! Just call me Gumdramon,"
"Nice to meet you, too! So what brings you here today?"
"Ah, nothing important. I just wanted to see this place again."
"It's not the nicest station, but it's the first I ever saw of the digital world, so it at least means something to me."
"Do you like being taken back to that moment?"
"The moment I first saw the digital world? Haha, nope."
"That moment kinda sucked," chimed in Levi.
"I see..." said Gumdramon. "Would you mind talking about it anyway?"
"Levi and I will joke about it occasionally," said Alan, "but neither of us really like talking about it seriously in-depth."
Levi nodded to this. "But we were planning on going on a sort of remembrance tour after we were done sitting here. If you wanted to tag along for that, we'd be happy to have you!"
"I think I'd like that very much," said Gumdramon. He knew this would be his answer immediately, but he held off anyway, so as not to seem too suspiciously eager. "Will you be departing for that soon?"
"Well, now that you've got us all pumped up to show you around our own personal memory lanes, I don't think there's a reason to delay it any longer! You ready, Alan?"
"Sure! How about you, Gumdramon?"
"Whenever you are, so, let's get going, I suppose!"
With that, the three got up from their vantage bench, stretched out their bodies, and began to discuss the first destination.
"You weren't here for this part, Levi, but the first stop was that... old-looking... music shop... You know what? I wasn't paying attention to the route my first time here. We just had Raidramon carry us there."
"Ah, that place," said Gumdramon. "I think I know what you're talking about. I've gotten... somewhat good at navigating this city. It takes a while. I'll try to get you there."
Alan and Levi followed as the purple dragon semi-confidently guided the way through various turns and intersections. Alan recognized a few of the buildings he had made note of the first time through, which he was now able to see much closer. However, he didn't stop in at any of those buildings. The memory tour came first, and he didn't want to confuse their acquaintance. After only a few mistakes, the cheery Gumdramon arrived at the old music store Alan had visited on that first harrowing afternoon. It was exactly as he had remembered it in terms of architecture; he bet the displays had at least changed somewhat.
"The tamer I was with when I first came to this world had an errand to run here. I think he was picking up a guitar, or a bass, or something like that. Excuse me if I don't necessarily feel like stepping inside. I know it's fine, but I have a tendency to feel rude about being the only customer in a shop, then not buying anything."
"Mmm... I've made a few purchases here myself. Nice place."
"I'd at least like to see it some time later," suggested Levi.
"Sure, any other time you want!" responded Alan. "But for now, I'd like to head on over to the mall. This may be a 'memory tour,' but I don't really like nostalgia. It is, by definition, a negative feeling, after all. Gumdramon?"
"Alright then. The mall's a big thing. Much easier to find without a map."
None of them had ever felt too strongly about the music shop in the first place. It was a wonderful store, of course, but all that had happened was Leith almost inviting Alan to join his band. Alan remembered mounting Raidramon once more, thinking for a moment that the four-legged armored dragon seemed a bit dejected. There wasn't much to say about the walk to the mall. Similarly to how one would walk through any major city, as impressive as the architecture is, to stop and appreciate it was to invite a pedestrian to collide with you. That doesn't mean none of them tried to sneak a few peeks above when the surrounding crown momentarily grew thinner. Alan often thought to himself, in places like these, with countless back doors, stairways, and employee entrances, that he wished he could stop time, if only for the purpose of exploring every feature of the complex buildings at his own leisure. The shier part of him would have used such a power to check a store before entering, the inquisitive part would wish to explore the inner workings of each of the establishments, such as catwalks in theaters. Then there were the... curious establishments. They were flashy, yet tucked away, marked with a few interesting neon signs. Alan knew as well as anyone else what type of businesses these usually were in the human world, but in the digital world? Perhaps it was best he never found out. Oh, who was he kidding? He'd love to know. For now it would remain a mystery.
The trio cantered their way into Terminus Mall, heading straight for the shop that sold gadgets and equipment. Alan hoped that the Flamemon wasn't still put off by him.
Come to think of it...
The young man checked his current bit counter to see that it was barely any at all. Clearly, he wouldn't be making any purchases at this time. Uncomfortable, he spoke up.
"No... guys, I... I don't think I want to do any remembering here. I'm sorry, Gumdramon, I... I told you it was a harrowing first day, right?"
The Gumdramon simply provided the same patient smile he had been giving this whole time, not bothered in the slightest.
"I understand, I understand. You're all right, Alan."
"Thank you. There's only one more stop on this little tour thing, but don't worry, it's one I'm actually fond of, despite its location."
"Can I assume we're heading to Old Terminus?"
"Bingo. Ever heard of the Cornered Bat?"
"Surprisingly, I have."
"Perfect, because I don't remember the way there at all."
Both tamer and partner were rather nervous on this part of the journey. Alan's first time through these streets, he had been accompanied by two digimon who were capable of digivolving to the ultimate level, even if it had only happened in an excessively dire situation. Now, he was accompanied by two rookie-level digimon. The weather consisted of a calm drizzle, as it had been that first day. Perfect. Levi's first experience with this section of the city was far less pleasant. He had entered alone, confused, and with a splitting headache, and nearly suffered the full consequences for it. As they stepped through another one of the many alleyways, a tall, armored figure sporting a lupine mask blocked their path: it was a Lobomon.
"Greetings, gentleman! I'm afraid this particular alley is a toll road!"
"What's the toll for?"
"It's for safety reasons, really~ the districts beyond here can be mighty dangerous! You're almost guaranteed to get mugged, and if you don't have enough money, you're almost guaranteed to get dead! That's why I, honorable 'mon as I am, have taken it upon myself to ensure each and every unsuspecting civilian that passes through is affluent enough, or otherwise, tell them kindly to come back when they're a little, mmm~ richer!"
"Interesting. Is this a two-way toll road?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"Seems unreasonable to not let the poor people inside escape from those 'guaranteed' muggers."
"Says wh- that hat..." The Lobomon's over-friendly smile suddenly twisted into an expression of rage upon seeing Levi. His cheerful, salesman-like voice melted into some kind of rough vulgar dialect. "You was the runt's we was about ta stomp 'fore that human lady an' 'er two cronies showed up!"
"Okay, first: how are you still bent out of shape over that, second: if you're who I think you are, your linguistics have become a lot worse."
"Shaddap! My speakin' gets sloppy when I get excited!" Lobomon became fanning himself with his own hands until he was considerably more calm. "Much better! I recommend you refrain from betting on yourself with so much at stake, whelp! My strength transcends that of Strabimon trifold! For naught but my own vengeance, I shall strike you down once more!" Lobomon drew one of his lightsabers (that's what they are!) and reeled back to strike at Levi as hard as he could. In an instant, a blinding white light surrounding blue flame flared from Gumdramon, and before anyone could react, Arresterdramon stood in his place. But it wasn't just any Arresterdramon. It shone with the blue and white they had seen not moments before. Without a word, he swung his tail, knocking the assaulting Lobomon into the wall opposite from the alley where they stood. Immediately, Gumdramon was back again.
"I have eternity to work with, and somehow I still can't manage to find the time for being mugged. Crazy, huh?"
The seemingly-irritable dragon turned around to face the astonished Alan and Levi. Suddenly, Gumdramon seemed to be upset.
"I'm... I'm sorry, guys, I'm just... tired for now. I... I need to go, but... Alan..."
"Wait, wait, wait, are you alright?"
"I've been trying to hold this in the whole time, but I can't- I can't not tell you before going!"
"Just... talk to me, okay?"
"Okay... Alan... when I mentioned having 'eternity' just now, you felt a tinge of sadness and fear, right? And envy, right?"
"Y... yeah, how did you..."
"I was given this opportunity... to tell you... that everything's all right. Everything turns out all right!"
"W-what is this about?"
"I have a name, Alan. Besides Gumdramon. I have a name."
The one they had called Gumdramon ran up to Alan to stare him eye-to-eye.
"It's Alan, Alan. Alan Pantell."
The human Alan couldn't begin to speak. Was this Gumdramon that showed up claiming to be him?
"Alan..." the digimon Alan began to tear up. "We were always right. What kind of sick, cruel world would this be if every 'unbreakable' bond between human and digimon was destined to disappear, half in tears, and half in nothingness? Alan... you can find a way. Everything turns out all right."
If what he says is true, then...
"Wait. If you're me, where's Levi?"
"Back in the future. Bringing him along would have been a giveaway. He won't be waiting for very long. I'll return right after when I left. Of course I wouldn't leave my partner in eternal life behind!" Future Alan found himself much cheerier now. He delighted in telling Alan all about these things. He loved nothing more than making others feel better, even when that other person was himself. "I don't want to drag this out emotionally, so I'll just leave you with this: yes, you can turn into that thing, yes, it's freaking awesome, and no, this is not a dream, so don't go thinking it is, okay? And if you absolutely require proof? Uh..." he then leaned forward and whispered something into the young man's ear. Alan blushed and nodded slowly. Apparently, it was adequate proof. "Oh, also, I completely forgot I had a holo-suit made to look exactly like I did as a human, so I could have just shown that to you, but, oh, well, I'm gonna leave while you're still distracted! Stay classy, or something! Bye!" The Gumdramon then dashed off around a corner, from which a flash of blue light could be seen. Levi hadn't said anything the whole time. He merely listened.
Alan the human and his digimon partner, Levi the Veemon, found their way to the bar where they had reunited that one fateful day, and ordered dinner together, another one of what would be, in short, a lot.
It was funny: everything seemed to taste a bit better that day.
Words: 2554
MPC Names: "We Remember," A Meeting With a Time Traveler
MPC Numbers: 56B and 56X
Wild Card Number: 28
Requested Reward: Bits for both
Alan the human and his partner, Levi the Veemon, strolled through the streets of Terminus City. As the location of the most notable connection between the digital and human worlds, it had naturally been the first part of the digital world Alan had seen. Of course, when that first happened, it had been under jarring circumstances. Now, the two of them enjoyed coming back to the Trailmon terminal and taking a calmer, closer look around, now that they didn't have anywhere in particular to be that day. That terminal in particular was one of the best places to go people-watching, sitting down on a nearby bench and watching the throngs of digimon - and the occasional human - walk in and out of the Trailmon cars. Neither of them commented much at all. They simply watched, and enjoyed the beauty and diversity. After a while, Alan felt a light tap on his leg, then a quiet throat-clearing, followed by a slightly high-pitched, slightly nasally voice.
"Excuse me... do you mind if I sit with you?"
"Hm?"
Alan turned to find a Gumdramon, clearly not one Alan had met before, standing up straight, yet still having a shy, unsure demeanor.
"Oh, of course!"
Alan slid over slightly on the bench to ensure that the Gumdramon had ample room. The small, purple dragon got up and sat in the newly-widened space. The tamer and partner pair continued to watch the crowds in silence, though they noticed Gumdramon was fidgeting and staring at the ground. Alan leaned over to him, yet another in a line of friendly strangers who could very well end up as new friends.
He asked him, "Did you need someone to talk to?"
Gumdramon thought for a second and responded, "Yes... well, actually, I saw you sitting here and wanted to talk to you in particular."
"Heh, curious about humans?"
"Ha, always, though, for a digimon, I do know a lot about humans already!"
"Really? Have you spent time in the human world?"
"I have! Lived there for a few years, as a matter of fact."
"Wow... what'd you think?"
"Oh, it was... it was nice and all, but after a while, it just seemed like, there wasn't really a good place for someone like me."
"Oof. I feel ya there."
"I decided I was much happier here. I still drop by the human world every now and again, of course. I mean, I can go back and forth whenever I want; it's not like I really had to decide on anywhere in the first place."
"Yeah. You've got all the time in the universe to explore, after all."
Gumdramon looked back at Alan with a look of mild surprise. He thought about his next response, and eventually gave the human a gentle smile back, along with the words, "you're right," and something that sounded like "why do." It was some sort of attempt at saying both "I do" and "we do" at the same, leaving which one he meant to the imagination. It seemed he could understand how the boy was feeling, but for whatever reason, was conflicted about saying so.
"You know..." started Alan, "it's nice to hear I'm not the only one who feels that way. Not that I ever thought I was, but still." He extended a hand to his new acquaintance. "My name's Alan, by the way." Levi leaned forward to give a similar greeting. "And I'm Levi!"
Gumdramon shook both of their hands with a grin. "Nice to meet you two! Just call me Gumdramon,"
"Nice to meet you, too! So what brings you here today?"
"Ah, nothing important. I just wanted to see this place again."
"It's not the nicest station, but it's the first I ever saw of the digital world, so it at least means something to me."
"Do you like being taken back to that moment?"
"The moment I first saw the digital world? Haha, nope."
"That moment kinda sucked," chimed in Levi.
"I see..." said Gumdramon. "Would you mind talking about it anyway?"
"Levi and I will joke about it occasionally," said Alan, "but neither of us really like talking about it seriously in-depth."
Levi nodded to this. "But we were planning on going on a sort of remembrance tour after we were done sitting here. If you wanted to tag along for that, we'd be happy to have you!"
"I think I'd like that very much," said Gumdramon. He knew this would be his answer immediately, but he held off anyway, so as not to seem too suspiciously eager. "Will you be departing for that soon?"
"Well, now that you've got us all pumped up to show you around our own personal memory lanes, I don't think there's a reason to delay it any longer! You ready, Alan?"
"Sure! How about you, Gumdramon?"
"Whenever you are, so, let's get going, I suppose!"
With that, the three got up from their vantage bench, stretched out their bodies, and began to discuss the first destination.
"You weren't here for this part, Levi, but the first stop was that... old-looking... music shop... You know what? I wasn't paying attention to the route my first time here. We just had Raidramon carry us there."
"Ah, that place," said Gumdramon. "I think I know what you're talking about. I've gotten... somewhat good at navigating this city. It takes a while. I'll try to get you there."
Alan and Levi followed as the purple dragon semi-confidently guided the way through various turns and intersections. Alan recognized a few of the buildings he had made note of the first time through, which he was now able to see much closer. However, he didn't stop in at any of those buildings. The memory tour came first, and he didn't want to confuse their acquaintance. After only a few mistakes, the cheery Gumdramon arrived at the old music store Alan had visited on that first harrowing afternoon. It was exactly as he had remembered it in terms of architecture; he bet the displays had at least changed somewhat.
"The tamer I was with when I first came to this world had an errand to run here. I think he was picking up a guitar, or a bass, or something like that. Excuse me if I don't necessarily feel like stepping inside. I know it's fine, but I have a tendency to feel rude about being the only customer in a shop, then not buying anything."
"Mmm... I've made a few purchases here myself. Nice place."
"I'd at least like to see it some time later," suggested Levi.
"Sure, any other time you want!" responded Alan. "But for now, I'd like to head on over to the mall. This may be a 'memory tour,' but I don't really like nostalgia. It is, by definition, a negative feeling, after all. Gumdramon?"
"Alright then. The mall's a big thing. Much easier to find without a map."
None of them had ever felt too strongly about the music shop in the first place. It was a wonderful store, of course, but all that had happened was Leith almost inviting Alan to join his band. Alan remembered mounting Raidramon once more, thinking for a moment that the four-legged armored dragon seemed a bit dejected. There wasn't much to say about the walk to the mall. Similarly to how one would walk through any major city, as impressive as the architecture is, to stop and appreciate it was to invite a pedestrian to collide with you. That doesn't mean none of them tried to sneak a few peeks above when the surrounding crown momentarily grew thinner. Alan often thought to himself, in places like these, with countless back doors, stairways, and employee entrances, that he wished he could stop time, if only for the purpose of exploring every feature of the complex buildings at his own leisure. The shier part of him would have used such a power to check a store before entering, the inquisitive part would wish to explore the inner workings of each of the establishments, such as catwalks in theaters. Then there were the... curious establishments. They were flashy, yet tucked away, marked with a few interesting neon signs. Alan knew as well as anyone else what type of businesses these usually were in the human world, but in the digital world? Perhaps it was best he never found out. Oh, who was he kidding? He'd love to know. For now it would remain a mystery.
The trio cantered their way into Terminus Mall, heading straight for the shop that sold gadgets and equipment. Alan hoped that the Flamemon wasn't still put off by him.
Come to think of it...
The young man checked his current bit counter to see that it was barely any at all. Clearly, he wouldn't be making any purchases at this time. Uncomfortable, he spoke up.
"No... guys, I... I don't think I want to do any remembering here. I'm sorry, Gumdramon, I... I told you it was a harrowing first day, right?"
The Gumdramon simply provided the same patient smile he had been giving this whole time, not bothered in the slightest.
"I understand, I understand. You're all right, Alan."
"Thank you. There's only one more stop on this little tour thing, but don't worry, it's one I'm actually fond of, despite its location."
"Can I assume we're heading to Old Terminus?"
"Bingo. Ever heard of the Cornered Bat?"
"Surprisingly, I have."
"Perfect, because I don't remember the way there at all."
Both tamer and partner were rather nervous on this part of the journey. Alan's first time through these streets, he had been accompanied by two digimon who were capable of digivolving to the ultimate level, even if it had only happened in an excessively dire situation. Now, he was accompanied by two rookie-level digimon. The weather consisted of a calm drizzle, as it had been that first day. Perfect. Levi's first experience with this section of the city was far less pleasant. He had entered alone, confused, and with a splitting headache, and nearly suffered the full consequences for it. As they stepped through another one of the many alleyways, a tall, armored figure sporting a lupine mask blocked their path: it was a Lobomon.
"Greetings, gentleman! I'm afraid this particular alley is a toll road!"
"What's the toll for?"
"It's for safety reasons, really~ the districts beyond here can be mighty dangerous! You're almost guaranteed to get mugged, and if you don't have enough money, you're almost guaranteed to get dead! That's why I, honorable 'mon as I am, have taken it upon myself to ensure each and every unsuspecting civilian that passes through is affluent enough, or otherwise, tell them kindly to come back when they're a little, mmm~ richer!"
"Interesting. Is this a two-way toll road?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"Seems unreasonable to not let the poor people inside escape from those 'guaranteed' muggers."
"Says wh- that hat..." The Lobomon's over-friendly smile suddenly twisted into an expression of rage upon seeing Levi. His cheerful, salesman-like voice melted into some kind of rough vulgar dialect. "You was the runt's we was about ta stomp 'fore that human lady an' 'er two cronies showed up!"
"Okay, first: how are you still bent out of shape over that, second: if you're who I think you are, your linguistics have become a lot worse."
"Shaddap! My speakin' gets sloppy when I get excited!" Lobomon became fanning himself with his own hands until he was considerably more calm. "Much better! I recommend you refrain from betting on yourself with so much at stake, whelp! My strength transcends that of Strabimon trifold! For naught but my own vengeance, I shall strike you down once more!" Lobomon drew one of his lightsabers (that's what they are!) and reeled back to strike at Levi as hard as he could. In an instant, a blinding white light surrounding blue flame flared from Gumdramon, and before anyone could react, Arresterdramon stood in his place. But it wasn't just any Arresterdramon. It shone with the blue and white they had seen not moments before. Without a word, he swung his tail, knocking the assaulting Lobomon into the wall opposite from the alley where they stood. Immediately, Gumdramon was back again.
"I have eternity to work with, and somehow I still can't manage to find the time for being mugged. Crazy, huh?"
The seemingly-irritable dragon turned around to face the astonished Alan and Levi. Suddenly, Gumdramon seemed to be upset.
"I'm... I'm sorry, guys, I'm just... tired for now. I... I need to go, but... Alan..."
"Wait, wait, wait, are you alright?"
"I've been trying to hold this in the whole time, but I can't- I can't not tell you before going!"
"Just... talk to me, okay?"
"Okay... Alan... when I mentioned having 'eternity' just now, you felt a tinge of sadness and fear, right? And envy, right?"
"Y... yeah, how did you..."
"I was given this opportunity... to tell you... that everything's all right. Everything turns out all right!"
"W-what is this about?"
"I have a name, Alan. Besides Gumdramon. I have a name."
The one they had called Gumdramon ran up to Alan to stare him eye-to-eye.
"It's Alan, Alan. Alan Pantell."
The human Alan couldn't begin to speak. Was this Gumdramon that showed up claiming to be him?
"Alan..." the digimon Alan began to tear up. "We were always right. What kind of sick, cruel world would this be if every 'unbreakable' bond between human and digimon was destined to disappear, half in tears, and half in nothingness? Alan... you can find a way. Everything turns out all right."
If what he says is true, then...
"Wait. If you're me, where's Levi?"
"Back in the future. Bringing him along would have been a giveaway. He won't be waiting for very long. I'll return right after when I left. Of course I wouldn't leave my partner in eternal life behind!" Future Alan found himself much cheerier now. He delighted in telling Alan all about these things. He loved nothing more than making others feel better, even when that other person was himself. "I don't want to drag this out emotionally, so I'll just leave you with this: yes, you can turn into that thing, yes, it's freaking awesome, and no, this is not a dream, so don't go thinking it is, okay? And if you absolutely require proof? Uh..." he then leaned forward and whispered something into the young man's ear. Alan blushed and nodded slowly. Apparently, it was adequate proof. "Oh, also, I completely forgot I had a holo-suit made to look exactly like I did as a human, so I could have just shown that to you, but, oh, well, I'm gonna leave while you're still distracted! Stay classy, or something! Bye!" The Gumdramon then dashed off around a corner, from which a flash of blue light could be seen. Levi hadn't said anything the whole time. He merely listened.
Alan the human and his digimon partner, Levi the Veemon, found their way to the bar where they had reunited that one fateful day, and ordered dinner together, another one of what would be, in short, a lot.
It was funny: everything seemed to taste a bit better that day.
Words: 2554
