A First Time For Everything [DFRP V-Day Event]

Pandora was glad to hear that her date had already arrived. She herself was only mere minutes early from the appointed time of their date, and she appreciated Kamina’s foresight to be here even before that. Patiently she followed the host to her table, idly eyeing other diners and noting the generally pleasant atmosphere. It was a promising sign in a promising setting.

‘Maybe things will go well for us too,’ she thought to herself.

When she reached her table she glanced to the Mamemon X greeting her. So this was Kamina. She had never met a mon of his type before, but he looked strong, even though he was holding out a generously big bouquet. The Witchmon removed her hat and smiled, bowing her head graciously in return. Her hat disappeared as she reached out to take the bouquet.

“The pleasure is all mine! It’s good to finally meet you, Kamina. As you might have guessed by now I’m Pandora. Thank you for the lovely gift!” The Witchmon paused a moment to breathe in the mixed aromas from the flower arrangement. For a brief moment she paused. Recognition of something marked her expression, and she glanced down again to the bouquet. There were some shapes she recognized from long ago, but she flashed a smile back to Kamina.

“Some of these flowers.. I remember them from a previous visit to the Southern Tropics. It seemed like a lifetime ago if you can believe that. They’re tied to some sad memories, but I’m glad that I can give them new, happier memories now. Thank you for that, Kamina.”

Her palms glowed softly with a maroon colored energy, and the light wrapped itself around the collective stems of the bouquet. Binding a tiny amount of her antigravity power to the item she then set the bouquet down next to their table where it floated in place. The light then faded from her palms as she sat down at their table.

“Did you get a chance to look at the menu yet? I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

The thought that Kamina had just taken all the flowers he could when unsure of which ones she might like resonated with the Witchmon, earning him another smile. In his position, she would have done the same thing without a second thought. Although, that habit of no restraint extended itself to more than simply picking gifts.

“That’s generous of you,” answered the Withmon with a grateful nod of acknowledgement when Kamina offered his help for the night. She relaxed back in her seat as she listened to the Mamemon X talk. In a similar fashion to her date, she hadn’t met any kind of Mamemon yet. She knew of them vaguely, though. The species in general were known as ‘Smiley Bombers’ for good reason. They packed a lot of punch for mons of their size, and she was sure Kamina was no different.

“Here for the company, hm? You’re a charmer I see,” teased Pandora with a chuckle as picked up one of the menus from the table to browse through. At the mention of her job she glanced back up at Kamina. He was right, partly anyways. People were always happy to hear about good things happening to them in the future, but not so much when her tarot cards foretold misfortune. Again the Witchmon chuckled, but dryly this time.

“I do get to see a lot of reactions with my line of work, that’s true. And, I do mean a lot. Even if people love or hate me for what I tell them, it is nice to offer some kind of guidance to people who have lost their way.” For a few moments she casually looked the Mamemon X over. There seemed to be some kind of interested spark in her eyes as she did so.

“I don’t really get that feeling from you, though? I feel a sense of purpose when I look at you, Kamina. Our mutual friend did mention you’re a brave mon, and you certainly look the part. Ah! I’m loving the tattoo, by the way. Flames are always a strong symbol.” Pandora grinned as she eyed the markings on Kamina’s head.

“Our friend didn’t mention what you do yourself, but now I have the pleasure of asking you in person. So what does my brave date do?” After she asked her question she spared a quick glance to the Fanbeemon still hovering beside their table. The Witchmon pointed out something on the menu to them. “We’ll have the grilled fish and shrimp, please. As for a drink.. I believe a red wine would pair off well with that! And anything else Kamina would like to add to that~”

He claimed to be a loner, but Pandora wasn’t sure if she believed that. A loner by circumstances maybe, but Kamina seemed far too friendly to want something like solitude. At least not in the way Pandora appreciated seclusion. Nonetheless she listened to him attentively as he spoke about what he did. They were opposites in how they handled problems. Force versus finesse. The Witchmon wasn’t put off by Kamina’s words, though. She may have thought that wanting to be a great hero was naive, but there was one aspect of his speech that even she could rally behind.

“Passion is important,” she agreed, attempting to ease his worries about rambling with a disarming smile. “A person without conviction isn’t really a person at all if you ask me. They’re going through the motions more than really living, and that’s no way to live at all. So to live like fire is commendable, Kamina. It’s an element that I feel in tune with as well.”

The Witchmon glanced down to the candle on the table as her voice trailed off. Her gloved hand reached out to the tiny flame, fingers hovering over it carefully as if to shield it from the soft coastal breeze. Pandora’s gaze remained on the small flame as she continued to speak solemnly.

“Just like this candlelight, passion can be subtle. Warm and inviting, so long as it’s fueled by what it wants. Take that away from it, and it will attempt to burn everything in reach. Not just to stay alive, but because it can.” She retracted her hand as she looked back to the Mamemon X, her expression calm and relaxed.

“We may burn differently, but we still burn to stay alive. Yourself for your dreams, and myself for, well.. Myself, if that makes sense. I’m not as exciting as to lead the life of a hero or a villain. I am just Pandora, burning and living for only myself.”

As their host returned with a bottle of wine and poured them their drinks Pandora stopped to nod gratefully to the insectoid digimon. She picked up her glass and lightly swirled the liquid inside of it with smooth motions of her wrist.

“Kamina.. If you had the strength to conquer the world and change it as you saw fit… Would you? What would you shape it into, I wonder?”

An approving smile appeared on her lips at Kamina’s agreement and flattery. As vain as she was however, it was the Mamemon X’s input into their chat that held her attention the most.

‘As long as our flame is tamed it doesn’t matter how we burn, or what we use to fuel it.’

It was an unexpected answer. At the same time the idea held its own intriguing charms as well. It was unusual for Pandora to find someone who didn’t respond negatively to her opinions on passion. Like fire it could be completely destructive, but Kamina seemed to understand that. And so long as that heat remained tamed as he called it, what it consumed or projected was of little consequence.

“I see,” replied the Witchmon in a thoughtful tone as she considered his perspective. “Definitely some food for thought, Kamina.”

Initially she appeared surprised by his admittance of not wanting to conquer the world. It wasn’t the refusal to do so that caught her off guard, however; it was his reasoning behind it. Even as she sipped at her wine she stared at Kamina from above the rim of her glass, absorbed in his train of thought and voice. Pandora set her glass back down and listened patiently until he finished. When he did, she smiled and chuckled softly.

“A self proclaimed hero who fights evil.. but someone who wouldn’t wipe it away from the world completely if given the chance. I wouldn’t say that’s naive, or even silly. You see the bigger picture, which is more than what many other ‘heroes’ can say, and I’ve met plenty. If you ask me, you’re well on your way to becoming the greatest hero ever because of that, Kamina.”

She gave an affirming nod of approval with the last of her words. Her gaze dropped back down to her wine glass as she pondered the question that had been turned back on her. Idly tapping a fingertip on the rim of her cup she hummed thoughtfully for a few seconds.

“The world and I have a strange relationship. It cares nothing for me, so I care nothing for it. Consequently, I have no desire to rule or even shape it if I could. Not for my own sake, anyways.” As her voice trailed off she glanced back up to Kamina. There was a sincere look in her maroon colored eyes, emphasizing the honesty of her following words.

“Not for my sake, no. But.. for something that I burned for? Someone that I lived for? I would give them the world on a silver platter with whatever changes they wanted done to it, no questions asked. For someone that is my world, I would let my passion and fire consume anything and everything to burn brightly, just for them.”

Pandora paused to take a few sips of wine and study Kamina’s reactions. She supposed in the end it didn’t matter what he would think of how she lived her life. Just as he walked his own path with his head held high, so would she.

“Of course.. if you were the person I oh so adored, Kamina… I would not touch the world, because you wouldn’t want that. Again, I’m not a hero nor a villain. I’m just Pandora. My passion and fire might not be tame, but they'll keep a mon warm at night.” The Witchmon would wink playfully at the Mamemon X as she finished.