Valuable Lessons [Alice and Dorothy]

After her weekly teaching session in Rosewood, Alice sighs in relief, the experience always stressful, but worth it either way. As she leaves the building after the numerous Rookie Digimon have left, a sole Champion, her partner, heads to her side to help her or just be there, the human carrying a stack of books in English, Japanese or even Digimoji out with her. "Find anything interesting to do? And no, I don't need help carrying any of this."

"Nah. Place is peaceful as always, 'n people ain't really that interestin' to bother... Not that I mind, but..." The Witchmon makes a muffled grumble, a slightly grumpy frown on her face as she shoos off the last Rookie Digimon to leave the school. The lack of excitement makes her feel restless, an urge to move around and cause trouble deep in her nature, subdued around Alice, of course, but still present. "How 'bout we head somewhere a lil' more quiet?"

Alice's only response is a nod, and the two get moving, deciding to head under some of the large wooden decks, a gentle stream flowing underneath the walkway alongside a bench not too far from it. And considering there's a person, a human, on the bench, one of them is going to try and start a conversation.

A very different, perhaps slightly familiar voice soon greets Toki without warning, having somehow swiped one of the snacks and already opened it. "Gyahaha, if it ain't that one guy, the, uhh... Yeah, the Spirit Warrior! From that thing Alice doesn't really seem to remember much!" As if to announce her presence, the individual floating on a broom not too far off the deck with the bag in her hand, a pointed hat on her head, and a confident, cocky grin on her face. "Been a while, though it looks like things've been good for the both of us!" With a small laugh, the Witchmon floats back over, only to glance off to the right to see her Tamer's expression.

"Please, be more polite next time, Dorothy. I get that you're excited, but..." Alice can only shoot Dorothy a slight glare while she stuffs the books into her bag one by one. her steps somewhat hasty as she approaches the two, but taking care not to bump into any passing Digimon. "Ah. Toki, was it?" She tilts her head slightly, uncertain if it is him. After all, it has been a while, and for a moment the green haired woman just listens to the sounds of life she can hear in Rosewood as she tries to recall when she met the young man. "It's been ages since I've last seen you. I don't remember the specifics, but you're definitely familiar to me. How has it been? The locals seem to really... Enjoy your presence."

"That's correct. In fact, I'm glad to see a familiar face as well. The Digital World is such a large place that it seems seeing friendly faces is becoming less and less likely." The green haired woman states as she slowly sits down next to Toki, not only to get some rest but also to take out her notebook, ever-present and always having something added to it. "Or at least familiar ones. Having Dorothy with me helps, though..." Letting out a somewhat peaceful sigh, she seems to be genuinely happy for a moment... Until the mention of a Soverign. "Wait, what did you just say? You got the favor of one of the..." She sets her notebook on her lap and closes it to take a different book out of her bag, a fairly worn out book in Digimoji that she's probably been studying for a fair bit.

"...Gyahaha, he's right there if ya wanna ask him 'bout it, Alice." Dorothy decides to get off her broom and squeeze into what little space is left on the bench, perhaps aware that it isn't exactly the most practical option. "I think me 'n her were fightin' some dumb Gigasmon 'round that time... Wonder if it's related. Alice got her leg injured durin' that, but she's fine now. Least, she says she's fine..." This comment causes the green haired woman to briefly look up at her Digimon, though she quickly goes back to mulling over the book.

When Toki's own injury is mentioned, she can't help but wince at the memories of her own fight, and how close she was to danger. The chance of death in that situation was more than probable, something only apparent in retrospect. "Are you all right? It probably still hurts, doesn't it?" She then falls silent upon hearing that someone died during that encounter, her mind briefly racing with questions as to who and how... And if things could have went much worse. "...Ah. I'm being insensitive by being curious about what happened, aren't I? You're right, let's change the subject. I've been serving as a teacher here on occasion, with Dorothy as my occasional assistant and helper. Most of the students accept her, but others..." Alice shakes her head slowly, her eyes closed.

"Yeah, yeah... Some people ain't so keen on acceptin' me, so what?" The Witchmon shrugs, leaning back and propping her broom up in a manner akin to a walking stick. Despite this, she seems quiet about it, tense and with a slight frown, a pair of teeth showing like fangs. "As long as I got you, things'll be just fine..."

The pair are silent when the Patamon greets Toki and flies off, an awkward silence only made more so with the detectable angst coming from Dorothy until Alice speaks up once again, knowing she must break it one way or another. "That one was a regular at my classes. And yes, I feel like that's exactly what this place is. Somewhere for new Digimon and Tamers, less impersonal than Terminus and perhaps even a little more... Human, in its' own way. After all, we Humans helped build it. I'm still curious about what happened to you, though... But only if you're okay with me asking."

The green haired woman listens intently, her response slow, the sounds of Rosewood serving to make the awkward silence a little less so as she carefully and slowly reads a passage from the book she pulled out. "Somehow, the enemy controlling innocent lives to manipulate others isn't surprising. It's the only way I could anyone would willingly try to destroy their own world. And to gain the favor of a Sovereign is something almost unheard of, from what little I can even translate..." The green haired woman can't help but sigh, defeated at the fact she doesn't have and probably will not ever have all the answers. "And to think that your foe was unthinkably powerful as well..."

"And to believe that the Sovereigns are even more powerful than that... It's a lot to think about." Closing the old book and putting it away, she stands up and runs a hand through her hair with a thoughtful expression on her face, though a slight frown is evident as well. "It's hard to imagine even being in the presence of such a battle... Searching for answers isn't easy when they're so elusive." With her eyes opening, she then looks to Toki, her tone back to the relatively friendly one once the whole teaching thing is mentioned again. "That said, yes. I focus on the more... Intellectual half of things. Mathematics, the geography of the Digital World and its' places, occasionally language... You'd be surprised how intelligent some already are."

All the while, Dorothy is silent until she mumbles something, interrupting Alice. "It ain't 'bout my type, it's... It's a lil' more complicated than that. Some of 'em say I copy humans too much. What's wrong with bein' so interested in a buncha fleshy dorks anyways?" She shrugs, not really saying much besides that, but it's clear that it isn't new, and has been something on her mind for quite some time. "I am bein' pushed to do so a lil' bit, but..."

"...Given the events that transpired in the Human World, I think it's for the best we don't end up catching unwanted attention." Alice sighs, not looking at her partner while she responds, turning around afterwards with a slightly tired look in her eyes. "If those agents are really going to look for us at some point, we need to not let them do... Whatever it is they want to do to you when things get bad. Take you away, kill you..." She looks away again, simply staring into the small stream. "I don't know what will happen, but knowing how people act sometimes... The best outcome isn't likely."

The two remain in silence, the topic hanging in the air with an faint, unpleasant tension between them.

Hearing any good news about the DATS situation is enough for Alice to drop the rest of the subjects at hand for a moment, almost seeming relieved that they seem reasonable despite the undeniably cold and tough as nails exterior she saw on New Years. "...I'm glad to hear that. Perhaps people are more reasonable than I thought, and don't fear the unknown nearly as much as I expected them to. Or maybe it just takes an open mind to even have a Digimon. It makes sense that people are still on the fence, though." She slowly turns around, the faintest of smiles on her face as she gazes at the Spirit Warrior with a slightly more optimistic glint in her eyes. "And that's almost exactly what I'd say. The Digital World and its' people are the single most important discovery we've ever made. It's understandable to hide their existence to some extent... For the time being, at least. It's like if people actually knew aliens existed... Some people out there still won't take it well, so it has to be a gradual process."

Dorothy, on the other hand, simply shrugs, standing up with her partner, the witch frowning slightly but silent on her feelings. "Yeah... Guess we'll hafta see if things are ready for me or not... Or something. They might like me, but others might think I'm some kinda freak anyways. She sighs, slumping down slightly. "Appreciate the positive outlook, though, makes me feel a lil' better." Despite her less energetic posture, she smiles slightly, soon turning to face Alice and giving her a little wave as if to say she's all right.

"...I'm sure you're on your own journey, so I'm curious as to where you'll head next, Toki. What with Rosewood being relaxing but... Not exactly the most exciting of places. Who knows, maybe we'll meet each other?" The green haired woman gently pushes her partner's chin up, and puts all the books away. "Or are you not one for plans?"

"I can only hope things go well. For now, though, it's probably best to focus on putting our best foot forwards rather than making adjustments." The green haired woman's response is slow, but carries the same optimism as her previous statements. She steps towards Toki with that faint smile on her face, and holds out her hand as if she wants a handshake. "It's a promise that I... Hopefully won't make things worse."

It won't be easy, though, she thinks to herself. Given recent events and all the fears and inevitable threats that try and seep around and out of the Digital World, it might only be a matter of time before something... Truly unpleasant happens. How long would it be until the secret could no longer be contained due to some sort of disaster? Being there at New Years, it almost would have happened if not for intervention from both DATS and other Tamers.

Toki's words are finally responded to by Dorothy when she takes a deep breath, and tries her best to smile, looking more determined than happy. Still an improvement over her previous mood and the swarm of unpleasant thoughts that came with it, but not perfect. "You're right, that's what I'll do. Actions speak louder than words, after all. If someone spits in my face for what I am, let 'em. They're just a jerk. Whenever me 'n Alice go off 'n help people, it means more than the words of some pompous dumb..." She freezes up. "...Uhh, I can't say that word, but they've never been through anythin', is what I'm trying to say."

"Hah, well, you said it yourself that things will be fine as long as we're together." The green haired woman chimes in, tilting her head slightly when she hears about the Blossom Isles and drawing a blank when it is mentioned. Having been to so many places in the digital World, she can't help but be curious of somewhere unknown. "I've... Never even heard of it before. The Digital World is full of strange , lesser known places, so I'll probably need to head there for research sometime when I'm not busy. Have any idea what it's like? Hopefully less dangerous than Old Terminus, the last place I went to for research..." She seems a bit uneasy mentioning that strange place.

"Our bond has had its' ups and downs." Alice awkwardly lets go of Toki's hand and takes a slight step back, glancing to Dorothy and nodding as if the two are in agreement. "It would be a lie to say it was perfect, though. We've argued quite a bit, and Dorothy's even threatened me a few times, but I feel that if things weren't rough sometimes, we wouldn't be so close." There seems to be something on Alice's mind now, the green haired woman thinking to herself as she moves out of the way of a small group of Tanemon playing about. "In a way, it's similar to Rosewood itself."

"You mean big, green and secretly nerdier than everyone else 'round 'em?" Dorothy jokes, hopping onto her broom and floating upwards a bit, perhaps seeming a little bored with things, her nature getting the better of her.

Alice can't help but chuckle to herself at that, and she urges Dorothy down so she can sit on the broom as well. "I meant to say that it's taken a lot of effort from both Digimon and Humans alike. As for the Blossom Isles, I'll definitely have to check it out if it's relatively untouched compared to the rest of the Digital World. As good as it is to see human influence, I guess I need a place that has much less for some of my theories... While the Digital World's origin seem mysterious, there are moments where it evolved on its' own, completely separate form any human influence. Remnants of conflicts and situations nothing like what happened in the Human World... That said, you're a Spirit Warrior, and I haven't got many opportunities to study them or even ask one a few questions." She suddenly looks down a bit, seeming... More than a little bit awkward. "...S-Sorry for the sudden change of subject. I just want to know a few things."

"Ain't askin' 'bout his Spirit 'n stuff a lil', uhh... Personal?" Dorothy's glance at the emerald haired woman turns just a tiny bit uncomfortable, a hand on her hat. "I mean, he's a good person 'n all, but ya sure he'd be comfortable with that?"

"Well, that's why I'm asking!" Alice shrugs, and she and Dorothy begin moving, gently floating a small distance away, the Tamer on her Digimon's floating broom. "I think I left something at the school, is it all right if you come with us?"

With both Tamer and Digimon on the flying broom, Alice and Dorothy begin to slowly backtrack to where they were, taking in the sights and sounds after urging Toki to follow. The two seem more or less used to this, with Alice having no fear of falling off, gently drifting off the ground with a faint melody being quietly hummed by Alice for a good few minutes until she finally speaks up. "All right, first question... How did you first discover your Spirit? A pretty basic question, I know, but it's the easiest place to start."

"Gyahaha, ya always ask that kinda thing to every single Human you meet out here." Dorothy, being the one focused on actually flying the broom around, only chimes in for now, seeming a bit puzzled that Alice seems to be in a genuinely good mood again, something supposedly a bit uncommon.

"Well, of course. Second question... What's it like having a spirit? Like, having a Digimon's... Essence or soul or... Something inside you like that. It's hard to explain, and I'm not sure it'll be easy for you to explain, either." The green haired woman remains silent a bit, thinking about it herself, this question probably being the one that she thought might have been a little too personal. "If Digimon are data, and completely alien in terms of structure, what exactly makes them able to interface with us? Spirits aren't exactly common, but they aren't the only case of this happening..."

Lost in thought for a few minutes, she ponders the nature of what she just said, and the nature of the very world around her. "I don't think you've seen it, but I get the feeling there's a relation between Spirits and... How me and Dorothy interact when she Digivolves past Champion." A grumble from Dorothy cuts the subject short, a clear sign that someone doesn't find it comfortable. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that there might be less of a difference between us than we think. You're right, I want to see things more connected, more... Whole."

The place that Alice teaches is basically untouched from the days when Rosewood was a little bit smaller, a schoolhouse with one classroom and a few, more recent side rooms. It's picturesque, a small, pleasant space hidden by trees. Hopping off of Dorothy's broom, Alice takes a key out of her bag and unlocks the front door before heading in, vanishing from Toki's sight. "I'll only be in here for a minute!"

"...Ya know, she gets sick whenever we do that... Thing." Dorothy states as she looks to Toki, then to the light peeking through the trees, mumbling to herself after the seemingly random statement. The witch shakes her head, pulling her hat down, and finally remains silent.