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Life Is But A Dream - Demon Lords 2E
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Post by Kenny O'Hara and Skadi on Sept 15, 2019 11:08:14 GMT
There was something that felt oddly... taboo from a possible human/Digimon relationship. But truth be told, Kenny didn't really harbour any romantic feelings for anyone, much less Amaranthus of all people. Still, the Coordemon's reaction to Skadi mentioning marriage was forcing the Valaismon to stifle her giggles by covering her mouth, while Kenny's face was practically burning at being called a 'snuggle-bun' and ShimaUnimon's reaction.
If anything at least, the plan had worked, and the group were being allowed in... but not before enduring the loud screeching noises coming from both the ShimaUnimon and Gargoylemon, forcing the tamer and his Digimon to cover their ears to block it out. If anything, it was hard to tell what was more painful for him, the screeching or Amaranthus and Skadi's embarrassing comments.
Anyways, after the screeching died and they passed through the gates, Kenny raised his hand, ready to thank the ShimaUnimon, but that chance would never come. Instead, it just vanished into nothing. Not dissolve into data or revert back to a DigiTama, but flat out vanished into thin air. In turn, the cart would too. Skadi had landed feet first into the thick snow, but Kenny wasn't so lucky, having falling bum first into snow. The only reprieve for him out of all the embarrassing chain of events so far was that the snow at least broke his fall.
Pulling himself up and wiping the snow off his bum, he turned to the Coordemon, a bit of blush still on his face, "Sorry about that, Ammy," He said sheepishly, "Skadi can be a little cheeky at times. I swear, I'm never going to understand my partner." Skadi was still fighting the giggles, if anything, it did help to keep their spirits up during this dark time.
He and Skadi would then look around the city. Amaranthus was right, this place did look pretty bad. How anybody was surviving here perfectly fine was anybody's guess. The Mojyamon would then explain about where Alan would be able to find the manager, in which he mused about memories concerning the land, while Amaranthus gave her own two cents on the matter. Skadi quickly raised her hand, like a child wanting to talk to their teacher.
"I'm starting to think this is Belphmon's, or rather, the manager's, way of luring his victims into a false sense of security." Skadi pointed out, "Some Digimon do have the ability to manipulate dreams after all, and Belphmon's a flat-out demon lord. He may be big and ugly, but he's not dumb; that sort of power is dangerous in the wrong hands."
"Yeah, I think Skadi's onto something," Kenny added, "If I was a supervillain, I'd at least try to get on the good side of the civilians. They'd be complacent, and I'd have little to oppose me. I'd be able to conquer the world with ease." He quipped. It was a good thing Kenny was aware of general supervillain cliches to come to that possible conclusion.
The smell of good food had also wafted through the noses of Kenny and Skadi, the latter hungrily licking her lips. But it was quickly trampled by the Mojyamon's comment about 'private time', making Kenny blush once more and Skadi stifle her giggles. But Amaranthus had just waved them off, sending him and Alan on their way. But if anything, Kenny and Skadi knew some of them would need to stick together.
"Yeah, uh, we're fine." Kenny replied, "I think we should look around the city for a bit, if that's OK with you."
"Thanks for helping us, Mojyamon!" Skadi added, waving goodbye to the yeti as he departed. Only a few moments later, she would find Kenny scooping her up in his arms and approaching the Coordemon, shuffling Skadi to one arm, and throwing an arm around her in the other, bundling up close to her to keep everyone warm. Skadi in turn would lean in, hugging both Kenny and Amaranthus in turn.
"Sorry if this seems a little awkward, but I noticed you were getting a little cold, Ammy," Kenny smiled at her, "If anything, at least let us stick together, so we can look after each other, and share the warmth at least, so we at least don't freeze to death."
Skadi beamed eagerly at Amaranthus as well, as she nuzzled her, "Yep! We're a team, and a good team sticks with each other, thick and thin. We're gonna get through this together, no matter what!" Kenny could only respond with a slight chuckle and a snuggle for his partner. That Valaismon had a lot of optimism inside of her, almost like if she was like the key to counteracting the darkness and nihilism persisting inside.
With that, they would walk around, investigating the city for any potential red flags that may have emerged. And if any danger stuck out, Amaranthus would at least have the benefit of someone fighting alongside her to keep herself safe. A general rule of thumb of KIZNA was that teammates did have to stick together, and to them, it was the only way they could survive.
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Post by Bonetrousled? on Sept 17, 2019 1:46:33 GMT
Mojyamon stopped at Amaranthus and Alan's questions. As hungry as he was, he couldn't leave while these newcomers were still so lost and confused. "I can't say I'm sure what the beasts are," he said. "I've never seen one for myself. Only the signs of their presence. The trails of their great, dragging footprints, as they trudge through the snow. The data of the Digimon they menace, so cold it's left frozen in midair. The glimmer of their eyes through the treelines, a piercing icy blue. Then come the arrows, raining down from the sky to chase them away. I can't say I've met this "manager" yet. But so far, I can't say I've seen him miss, either. Now, please, if you'll excuse me. It feels like I haven't eaten in years." And with that, Mojyamon was all too quick to disappear along the horizon.
That left the trio to their own devices, the entire city their oyster. With a bit more time to get acquainted with things, a few more details would stand out about each of the huts. The first was that there was a symbol in front of each, etched into the snow at their doorstep. The one Mojyamon was heading towards looked like a hamburger. Interestingly enough, despite his footprints leading up to the symbol, it did not deform under his feet. Instead, the outline of a hamburger remained pristine and untouched. Other symbols by the nearby buildings included a cross, a pair of glasses, a photograph, a sewer, and a house shape.
Worryingly enough, the spire Alan had been directed to had Belphemon's icon carved right in front of it.
Another noteworthy feature of the town were the paths winding through it. Rather than densely packed snow, the pathways actually seemed to be made of solid ice. A few Gotsumon with permafrost caked on their bodies, not wanting to walk to their destination, were instead content to step on the ice and slide their way to their destination. While it looked like quite the slow process, the Gotsumon clearly weren't perturbed by it.
The final thing of note was an irresistible smell snaking out from behind the trio. Every member of the group would find a different scent teasing their nose, as if the smell itself knew what they had each been longing for at this very moment. Surely enough, if they turned around, the town gate would be gone. Instead, there would be another hovel behind them. This one, instead of a door, had a velvet curtain in pristine condition. It fluttered in the breeze, making motions that seemed almost like beckoning. The ice that made up its walls was somewhat transparent, yet nothing, and nobody, seemed to be inside. Just looking at the building would leave a warm feeling that contrasted deeply with the bitter cold outside.
This building, too, had a symbol in front of it: a simple smiley face etched in the snow.
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Post by Alan Pantell on Sept 17, 2019 3:03:12 GMT
Alan watching Mojyamon part with a piercing gaze until he entered the building, and finally turned around to find something that wasn't the gate to the city. He yelped and jumped back:
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK YOUUUU!"
And fired a few fake, harmless fireball blasts from his hands at the building that had appeared behind them, a nice little trick he had bought himself from the Terminus Mall a while back. As he stormed away, paying no mind to the "strangers" with him, he was grumbling about how this was "typical" and "you can't even ask for so much as a door."
"Fine," he decided. "We can check how far out the walls are from up there. Levi?" He turned to his dragon friend, who seemed a bit dazed for some reason.
"Oooh~" sighed the Veemon. "Archon's up and at 'em, isn't he? I can smell him itchin' for it from here~!"
Alan took Levi's hat and lightly batted the dragon's face a few times with it before holding it on his little horned snout. "You all right?"
Levi would freak out for a moment before responding hastily. "I think so! Unless I missed something! I wasn't paying attention! Anyone stab me while I was out?" He saluted Alan as he said all this, for some reason. The tamer wasn't sure what was going through his partner's head, but as he continued off towards the big spire alongside him, one thing was for certain: he really didn't want to be smelling anything right now.
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Post by Amaranthus on Sept 18, 2019 4:18:02 GMT
Amaranthus while was certainly embarrassed by the incident with playing off herself and Kenny as a couple, she couldn't help but find humor in it once it was all over. Hard to believe that it came from Skadi honestly… she kinda took her for being the soft, innocent type! Naughty thing must have been taking a bit off? "Must be learning from me…? Man, I'm not so sure me being an influence is a good thing. Well played though, Skadi! Well played." she briefly mused, but soon couldn't help but give the Valaismon a playful noogie on the head.
As Amaranthus noted the rotund yeti stomping his way to what appeared to be a burger joint, she nodded in response to Kenny and Skadi's own observations. She was glad to least see Skadi was catching on to how things might have been arranged here. "Now you're thinking like a demon! A smart one knows that power isn't everything… Its easier to have people seal their own fates by their own fault. Someone without the will to struggle against their sins is the perfect peon for a demon." she end up adding, impressed by the pair's sound logic. It seemed that this possibility became more and more likely with the imprint of the crest of Sloth… an even more clear sign that this city was in Belphemon's control.
Her being in an analytical mode of thinking made the contrast of Alan's little freakout all the more shocking to the Coordemon, she briefly adjusting her headgear as turned to see just what the commotion was about. "You uhhh… really like bringing attention to ourselves, huh?" she ended up jabbing at him, though instantly took notice of the new building as the scent of firewood burning gently in a fireplace assaulted her senses.
… Why was she getting a bad vibe from all these buildings with symbols? She couldn't quite put her finger why though.
Well, it was best to stay in a group. Getting separated was a bad idea just yet… though a look of confusion popped on her face as Kenny and Skadi suddenly got very close to her, she finding herself hugged alongside Kenny. The sheep Digimon's wool while certainly was nice for insulating them from the cold, it was more just the act itself that perplexed her. Perhaps just since she had always been the type to go at things solo, that or her teammates just tolerating her… this was the first time that she felt like one cared about her. "I… Thank you." the tanuki softly mumbled, honestly at a loss for words.
It just felt… wrong to her... Especially with what she was prepared to do for the sake of the mission. The spire was thsir current destination at the least.
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Post by Kenny O'Hara and Skadi on Sept 19, 2019 10:21:38 GMT
Clearly, after Skadi's lighthearted and harmless, but immensely embarrassing prank on both her own tamer Kenny, and their teammate Amaranthus, had somehow managed to impress the latter, earning her a friendly noogie from the Coordemon. Having been used to headpats and hair ruffles, Skadi briefly yelped in surprise, before giggling once again. Once it was finished, Skadi would return the favour by giving Amaranthus a friendly, harmless slug in response with a big grin. All the while, Kenny could only stand by and chuckle at their little banter. Man, I can't believe Skadi of all people managed to impress my friend and ally, literally the devil in the form of a tanooki girl, with her little prank back there. What kind of topsy-turby bizarro timeline am I living in right now? He could only think to himself.
Likewise, the two's observation on the perpetrator's power, as Mojyamon took his leave, was also well received by the demon lady. Amaranthus, being a devil herself, clearly knew the tricks of the trade, and it showed; the ice sliding Gotsumon didn't look like they cared about anything, not even their permafrost, in the slightest, and the general feeling of the town felt like one of resignation and acceptance on their situation. Not to mention all the symbols everywhere, and the generally quiet nature of the town. However, whatever response they had for it was interrupted by a sweet smell of cinnamon and chocolate meshed together (at least for the duo) coming from the mysterious hovel having replaced the gate... almost immediately followed by Alan flipping out and shooting fireballs from his own palms in anger before storming off, shocking and catching the duo off guard, with them backing off in turn.
"Geeze, Alan. Way to scare the everloving shit out of us." He muttered. While they knew now those fireworks were fake, nothing could prepare them for Alan then storming off with the Veemon in tow, muttering in anger. Things were starting to fall apart pretty quickly; for being part of Cherubimon's team, he certainly wasn't playing the part.
Briefly, Skadi tried to catch up, yelling "Wait! Alan! Levi! Come back-" but her running slowed down to a crawl, watching them walk off towards the spire, only being forced to watch them go off, lest she fragment the group further. Kenny, on the other hand, could only stand and watch for a moment, before something clicked inside his brain. This team hadn't been working out so well. Luckily for him and Skadi, their training mission with Bezil taught them quite a bit about leadership, and now, as KIZNA, he had to take the wheel now.
That's why he and Skadi opted to snuggle up to Amaranthus to keep her warm together. And it was apparent that the Coordemon felt very awkward, but no less grateful for it. Kenny just let out a small friendly chuckle, "Don't mention it, Ammy. We're always happy to help anyone in need, even if our methods of doing so can be, shall we say, a little unconventional, if we're being honest with you. But like Skadi said, we're a team, and I want us all, you, I, Skadi, Alan and Levi, to make it to the very end." Skadi nodded eagerly in turn. They really did care for her as a person, after what she did for them that day. If only Odin could be there to join them.
With that, they would walk off, Kenny still holding and keeping very close to Skadi and Ammy all the while, and eventually, trudging through the snow, they would catch up with Alan and Levi on the journey to the spire. And Kenny didn't look too happy with him. In fact, he looked a little cross. As soon as he got next to him, he spoke up. He had to reign control of the situation. After all, he needed to put those leadership skills to use.
His tone was calm but firm as he spoke to the blonde boy, while Skadi looked at him with concern, "Alan, that was very irresponsible what you did there." He scolded him, "We need to stick together at all times to increase our chances of survival. Next time, at least warn us first before you and Levi break away from the group and potentially get yourself killed out there?"
"We just don't want you guys to die out there, that's all." Skadi added, raising a paw. Alan's outburst had most likely left him vulnerable to whatever was potentially out there. If there was anything he learnt from the KIZNA training mission with Bezil, it was that the team should not be voluntary be working alone. They were a team, and they were friends. And friends did not leave the others in the dust.
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Post by Bonetrousled? on Sept 19, 2019 23:54:33 GMT
The frozen spire bearing the symbol of Greed didn't look like it was too far away. Sure, it was in the center of the city, but the "city" was little more than scattered huts and oversized icicles. Even a brisk walk from the entrance gate shouldn't have taken longer than ten minutes or so.
Yet even after ten minutes of walking, the spire looked no closer than it seemed in the first place. If they continued walking for another ten minutes, they'd have the same result. Hell, they could've walked for an hour to no avail! The spire would just continue hanging in the distance, looming over Alan, Kenny, and Amaranthus as if taunting them. How long had they walked for, anyway? Frankly, it wouldn't be very easy to tell. If they checked their Digivices or other timekeeping devices, they would notice they were completely busted. Analog clocks had frozen at 7:06, and digital clocks would have nothing but static on their faces. Nature wouldn't be much more helpful than technology here. The sun and moon crept across the sky at an exaggerated rate. At first it was just fast enough for their movement to be noticeable, but with each passing second their speed increased. Soon they were practically flying across the sky, as if days were passing with each second.
At the same time, it wasn't like the trio was staying still. They were walking fast enough to leave the sliding Gotsumon behind, earning the occasional frustrated harrumph from the rocks. They also passed by the marked huts, which served as tangible indications of the progress they were making. They passed the burger, then the cross, then the glasses, the photograph, the sewer, the house, the burger . . .
Oh no.
Every hut that the trio passed had the same icons in the same order. Burger, cross, glasses, photograph, sewer, house. Rinse, wash, repeat. It would be easy to assume that they were walking in circles, but that wasn't the case either. The city gates, once looming right behind them, were now a distant blur on the horizon. In addition, each time they passed these buildings, they were slightly different. The tarps serving as doorways and roofs for each hut grew more tattered, snow piled up higher against the walls, and the markings identifying each building started getting distorted and worn down. These changes were all subtle at first, but the more the cycle repeated, the more dramatic and noticeable they became.
Only one hut remained untouched by these changes. It was also the only hut that Alan, Kenny, and Amaranthus seemed to never pass while walking; the appealing-smelling hut with the smiley face drawn in front of it. It always lingered right behind the trio, as if it was walking alongside them, and a strange warmth seemed to radiate from it. Even as the rest of the city wore down around it, it looked downright pristine. Yet the one change made to the building may have been the most surprising yet.
Instead of a smiley face sitting in front of it, now there was a frowning face.
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Post by Alan Pantell on Sept 20, 2019 11:14:16 GMT
Alan was rather surprised to see that the others had caught up to them, and at first, stared straight ahead, as if paying them no mind. But as Kenny went on, his lip started trembling. and he turned sharply to the side to speak his mind, as he found himself having to do more and more often in the digital world.
"I was trying to help keep you safe! When we were on that cart... I... I hate everything about this place and everything it stands for. So I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it all in. I just wanted to pretend I had nothing to do with you so when they came, they'd only come after me! I don't even know if there is a 'they,' but if there is, I wanted to be the one to protect... well, to save everyone, I suppose. But I wasn't planning on doing any dying! I swear! But anyway, if there was a jig, it's up, so I'm sorry... come on, Levi. And uh, if you wouldn't mind armor digivolving…?"
"Right away, Alan!" said the small dragon before becoming Flamedramon in a flash of light. He would drape his arms around Alan, lighting little flames that would warm but be harmless to Alan as they walked together. Alan had already had a feeling it would be a long walk, thanks to that vision earlier, but...
"Eurgh, this skybox is gonna give me a seizure. Levi?"
"Yeah?"
"I appreciate the effort, but this is getting pretty embarrassing in front of the others."
"Huh?" As it turned out, Levi was being a LOT more affectionate with Alan than he usually was in public. He was nuzzled into the side of his neck, his arms not being used for firey warmth traced gently over Alan's chest a few times, while his tail was coiled tightly around one of the human's legs. "Aah! I'm sorry!" He called out, not entirely eager to stop regardless of whether it was embarrassing or not. "I just can't help myself when I smell that smell~..."
"Wait, what you do mean you...?" It would be then that Alan turned around to find that another companion had followed them in their trek: that building that was making Levi go a bit crazy earlier. The tamer gave the building a few glances, eyes eventually resting on the frowning emote on the ground, at which he squinted. "Yeah, you and me both, buddy."
"So... if this building is following us, do you think four of us could stand in the building while the other person drags it along? That'd be pretty funny." Alan tapped his foot in impatience for a few more seconds while thinking.
"Well... if the dream's trying to lure us there, we can be sure it at least won't just straight-up kill us," said Levi. "Maybe try to tempt us. Or maybe slide back to town while we're in there, but not kill us. Oh, and here's a thought: MAYBE it's legitimately trying to help us, and that's why it's upset now that we keep ignoring it?"
"You've got yourself an adorable point there, Levi... tell ya what." He would ever-so-slowly creep up towards the house alongside Levi, leeeeeeeaning into the drapes in the doorway, parting them...
and shouting, "GOOOOOOD DAYNIGHTDAYNIGHTDAYNIGHTDAYNIGHT WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT!? IF YOUR FEELINGS ARE REFLECTED BY THE ICON OUTSIDE WE CAN COME BY AGAIN IN A FEW MORE DAYNIGHTDAYNIGHTDAYNIGHTDAYNIGHTS!" He would shout this whether there was no one in here, or whether there was someone right in his face when he peeked in. Try as he might, the one thing he truly couldn't resist was screwing with this world.
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Post by Amaranthus on Sept 21, 2019 16:57:44 GMT
In ways, Amaranthus was starting to question if SHE was the odd one out in this group... It seems even Kenny was somewhat apprehensive of the blonde's bombastic nature. Still, she couldn't help but at least chuckle lightly at it. And she thought tamers were supposed to be the ones to reign in their partners... it almost seemed like Levi was the straightman of the two! "Well, you gotta give him credit... he's got some style to him." she mildly mused... even if it WAS boneheaded.
... Its been a while since the last time she worked with someone she felt like she could trust.
By the time she, Kenny and Skadi managed to catch up, even she had to admit she was mildly ticked off. Kenny had the right point with scolding their ally for running off like that, though their own points were quite fair. They might have looked like they had a few screws loose, but she could tell they had a good heart. "We have a job to do, kid. I didn't sign up for this expecting it to be an easy job... so place more faith in us. None of us can do this alone." the tanuki added on... though couldn't help but crack a teasing giggle at Levi in his Flamedramon's form interactions with Alan.
She would have said something exceedingly lewd, but she couldn't help but hold her tongue around Skadi... Even SHE had her limitations on what she was willing to say.
There was definitely something very concerning though... specifically the fact they weren't getting anywhere. She almost didn't quite believe what they were saying until she looked behind herself... and lo and behold, that one odd building with the icon of a smiley now looking peeved. "... Huh. Thats uhh... a bit of a problem." the Coordemon mused, though she was definitely not exaggerating that this was going to be an issue.
Oh good, Alan going apeshit again. He had good spirit, but god if that wasn't going to get on her nerves... didn't help her hearing was considerably better due to her animalistic qualities. "Do you NEED to be so loud?" she complained, folding her ears with her hands while staring at the increasingly-suspicious hut. As it stood, their group was at an impasse... something that ultimately Amaranthus opted to break. "I'm going in. If I don't come back, then I likely am either being tortured or dead. Maybe both. Either or." the raccoon girl ended up speaking, shooing the group on. "We'll see if that will placate it... you four carry on."
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Post by Kenny O'Hara and Skadi on Sept 22, 2019 8:13:56 GMT
It wasn't exactly normal for the normally tranquil and passive Kenny to up and call out anyone on a whim, but to him, this team was quickly falling apart, forcing him to do what he did to try and fix it. But much to his surprise, he felt his face soften up as Alan quickly retorted, pointing out the only reason he did what he did because he wanted to keep the others safe. Well, Kenny did know where Alan was coming from, but Amaranthus would add that the blonde boy needed to put more faith in them.
A momentary pause, before Kenny sighed and put a hand on Alan's shoulder, "...I'm sorry, man, I know you don't want to be here right now. Nobody here does. Especially me. But Ammy is right; we have a job to do. But if you want us all to survive, and yes, that includes you, Alan, we have to work together to do so." Alan's intentions were good, mind you, but his actions weren't exactly painting him in the best light.
However, it didn't stop Kenny from chuckling, and Skadi from giggling, at Levi turning into his Flamedramon form. "But you guys look so cute together!" Skadi exclaimed as she giggled further at him and Alan, potentially adding onto the embarassment
"She's right, you know." Kenny added on, as he put Skadi on the ground, "Speaking of which, it's best I digivolve you too, Skadi. You know, to help with the long trek ahead?" The young Valaismon gave a keen nod, before Kenny lifted up his D-Nexus, coating her in the light of digivolution and transforming into her Canandemon form. The giant ram lowered her body and gestured Kenny to climb on, and as soon as he seated himself, he, Skadi, Alan, Levi, and Amaranthus would begin their long trek to the spire.
Unfortunately for them, things were starting to get a little... weird. Around a few minutes, Kenny checked on his D-Nexus; it's clock was completely scrambled. The sun and moon were going at breakneck speed, and they swore they passed that place with the hamburger last time. And most importantly, they were getting nowhere near close to the spire at all. In fact, the only thing that had changed was the buildings, getting more tattered by the minute.
Kenny started to slump onto the Canandenmon, who herself was starting to feel the exhaustion from all this walking, "Sweet Jesus Christ, we're going nowhere." He moaned a little tiredly, wrapping his arms onto the giant ram's neck.
"You're telling me!" Skadi bemoaned in turn, "I just want to rest up for a bit, and-" Her nose once again sniffed that really good smell wafting through her nose, before turning around, noticing something quite odd. Much to her confusion. "Hey, Kenny?" She nudged her tired tamer, making him sit up and take notice, "I think that hut's following us."
"What? Don't be silly, huts can't mov-" Kenny was quickly silenced by the appearance of the hut close by towards them, except with the smiley face replaced with a more grumpy frowning face. "Ooooohhhh yeah, I see what you mean..." That had to be the work of the dream world. Skadi was right; controlling dream worlds were quite a deadly power in the wrong hands. "I guess we gotta go investigate it then?"
"You read my mind, Kenny." Skadi grinned, as she turned around and walked towards the building. As soon as they reached there, The young tamer would climb off Skadi's back, and Skadi would de-digivolve back into her Valaismon form. Levi had a fair few good point about the building. Was it really trying to help them or something? Or was it just trying to kill them. "Well, whatever it is, Levi, we need to be careful. Don't fall into the temptation by going into the beds, or eating any of the food there. We did pack some food earlier, just in case." She grinned, glad she and Kenny thought ahead of time for the journey.
As they went in, Alan would suddenly go crazy, quickly startling Kenny and Skadi, the former holding his hands up into the air, as if to tell him to calm down this instant. He had to quickly salvage the situation once again, "Uh, sorry about that. My friend here's kinda gone crazy from the stress from being caught in the cold. But it's really nice to meet you. We're just explorers trapped in the cold, and need a place to stay." He explained to whoever was there.
Skadi added, "We've been wandering around, getting nowhere for a while. If possible, can you get us a room, please?" She asked politely. They knew that acting crazy would get them nowhere, so the best way to survive was to just feign naivety.
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Post by Bonetrousled? on Sept 25, 2019 3:03:38 GMT
]As soon as the frowning face was trod upon, it flashed right back to a smiling one. Clearly, the stalking house approved of being entered. Why else would it have come all this way? Amaranthus tried to shoo the others onwards, but was rebuked by Kenny's loyalty and Alan's rather stressed outlook. Alan himself was quick to charge into the house, shouting at the top of his lungs in frustration, while Kenny followed on his heels to try and smooth things over. Everyone seemed so preoccupied with their respective roles that they didn't even think to check inside the building first.
Surprisingly enough, it actually seemed smaller on the inside than it did on the outside. Beneath the velvet curtain was a single, small room, resembling some sort of fortune teller's office. The most eye-catching part of the room was a large, stone table with an amethyst crystal ball on top of it, behind which sat a black-haired woman wearing a purple dress and veil. The rest of the room seemed fairly ordinary. Many picture frames hung down from the walls, showing the most important people in the observers' lives smiling back at them. The lighting was low yet warm, and soft harp and piano music trailed in the background.
The building's occupant smiled warmly, opening her mouth to speak, only for Alan's outburst to cause her face to fall. Slowly but surely, she raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking to Kenny as if expecting him to help. He at least provided an alibi for the group; namely, that they were lost explorers going crazy from the cold. "If you seek room and board, then I'm surprised you've come to me. Surely you've passed at least four or five hotels on the way here, have you not?" she asked. There was a slight playfulness to her voice, but it was clear her question was genuine also.
She looked them all up and down, a hand set on her crystal ball all the while. "In fact, you've come quite the far way for the denizens of this city. You're awake, aren't you?" A triumphant grin spread across her face as she came to the conclusion, but it quickly took a turn for the reassuring. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell. That wouldn't be any fun, now would it? Besides, you're not the only one paying a harmless little visit.
Now, come on, be honest. What are you really here for?"
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Post by Alan Pantell on Sept 25, 2019 5:18:27 GMT
Levi quickly caught up with Alan and embraced him once more, patting his head, and whispering, "Shhhhhhhhhh… shhhhhhhhhhhh…. you're fine... there's nothing dangerous in here... or so not dangerous as to be highly suspicious..."
Alan would swallow hard and take a deep breath, breathing back to Levi, as quietly as he possibly could... "I'm sorry, Levi... I feel like I've been taking you for granted lately..."
The Flamedramon would only respond by booping Alan's nose with his own nose, then backing off to let Alan re-establish his place in this reasonably shoddy facsimile of reality. The human gathered his thoughts, rubbing his nose with one hand as he did. "Ahem. If you would be willing, please allow me another chance to show I can regain my composure."
"Forgive me, madam. I fear I'm quite the coward to be screaming into a fortune teller's hut as though the worst thing that could await wasn't an mildly-insidious bed and breakfast. Regardless, as you say, we're as awake as we could possibly be right now, and we seek passage to the spire over yonder."
Levi shot his tamer a sideward look. "Over yonder?"
"Er…. that is to say, we seek safe and waking passage to the spire where the town's leader supposedly resides. Given that you assured us you wouldn't 'tell,' may we assume that you are in a position where you could, if you wish, reach said leader should you decide to 'tell,' and would you be willing to relay the information of how we might reach them to us?"
"He gets formal when he's nervous," Levi chuckled.
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Post by Kenny O'Hara and Skadi on Sept 28, 2019 7:05:20 GMT
Welp, things had just gotten weirder now. First there was all the repeating buildings when they were trying to walk to the spire, then the stalking hut with the smiley face turned frowny face drawn in the snow, and now the building, which turned out to be what seemed to be a fortune teller's hut, had the fortune teller themselves not be a Digimon, but a human woman.
But that wasn't the truly weirdest part; as Kenny and Skadi looked around the innards of the hut, they could see all the photos of people both familiar and unfamiliar. Each could easily deduce who was who, including Ryouta and Valt, Yuuki and Hikaru, Persephone and Baldur, Bezil the fuzzy Gumdramon, and Kenny's own parents, Michael and Eleanor O'Hara, the latter still possessing the same looks she had shortly before she died in that car crash that faithful night. How in the everloving hell did somebody like her know that, much less about his own comrades at KIZNA? That was starting to raise a red flag too many in his mind.
No time to comprehend that bit of questionable insanity; they had to answer to the human fortuneteller, who easily called out Kenny and Skadi's alleged search for room and board with a reasonable response. "Yeah, we're sorry. Granted, I think we really up and passed the one same hotel quite a few times along our little journey. Or maybe this cold weather is driving us all insane; either or." Kenny admitted to the fortune teller.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter." Skadi muttered, putting a palm to her forehead, "All that trotting through the heavy snow with no end in sight really can hurt your head."
The mysterious human fortuneteller would then ask about the real reason they ended up here, in which Alan would explain their purpose to them: to reach the town leader as safely as possible, and if she had any actual connections to the mysterious leader. But what was Kenny to say? Clearly, he really did not want to shoot the team in the proverbial foot, and neither did Skadi.
He quickly breathed in and out to stay calm, before he started to explain the team's point further to the mysterious fortuneteller, "The reason we're asking you this is because we want to help all the people inside this safe haven. We've seen the conditions outside. Like, there was this lethargic ShimaUnimon who brought us here who looked miserable as all hell, and just vanished into thin air without warning, all these Gotsumon outside not bothering to clean the frost off their bodies, and this general sense of antipathy looming over everyone here.
We at least want to help them in any way we can. Even if we can make a little difference in their lives for the better, that would mean the whole world to us. We didn't come all this way for nothing. I just hope you understand."
Skadi just raised one hand in the air to speak to the fortune teller, "I don't want to see these people miserable any more. I want to help instil hope inside of them during these trying times. If we can get your help to get to the leader and get him to help us improve these people's lives, we'd be forever grateful." They had to word themselves very carefully here; it was too early for them to immediately just put their eggs in one basket and put all their trust in the mysterious fortuneteller. Mentally, they were praying to every deity they could, hoping that the fortuneteller was on their side.
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Post by Amaranthus on Sept 28, 2019 21:18:08 GMT
If there was one thing Amaranthus was noticing, it was that humans were stubborn creatures. You try to tell them to focus on the objectives, yet they end up choosing to stick together. Was it just her...? Well, it was oddly heartwarming to see nonetheless... in a weird sorta way.
The tent's innards were... comparatively normal to the rest of the town. More cozy too.While perhaps Kenny and Alan might spot some loved ones among the portraits around the room... one portrait was notably empty, with little more but a black void. However, its occupant? That was a very different story, especially with just how out-of-place they seemed.
While the others likely had their minds occupied by suspicion for the woman, Amaranthus's gaze at the woman was... glazed, a strange feeling of nostalgia at them. She couldn't quite put her tongue on just why they gave her this feeling, but it didn't take a genius to know that something was very off about the seemingly human woman. They let on knowing more than their appearance seemed to give... the Coordemon on-guard.
Alan while was mostly playing it cool, Kenny and Skadi were a tad more honest with their benevolent intentions to save those trapped in this ironic hell zone they all were trapped in. Not surprising coming from them... Amaranthus herself however merely just sighed, shrugging at the gesture. "I'm just here for the kicks." the Coordemon muttered, but began to soon grasp her forehead as a headache began to come on.
What was the big deal...? It was as if just looking at this chick caused her stress, but why? It wasn't like she was concerned heavily about her own safety, it was more as if a repressed memory was pressing at her core. The racooon Digimon's ears twitched slightly as she for a moment seemed to stagger, gritting her teeth as she tried to regain focus. "... Who... Just WHO are you?" she managed to for a moment mutter past the strain.
And why did they feel so... familiar?
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Post by Bonetrousled? on Oct 1, 2019 23:31:05 GMT
While the newest occupants of the tent had come in unison, their reasons for doing so differed heavily. The neurotic boy wanted direction, his quest to storm the spire clearly ending in failure thus far. The more cautious boy had loftier expectations, seeking to free the lethargic, hopeless Digimon that took up residence in this city. The fortune teller rolled her eyes in response, but there was a certain fondness her smile as she did so. Finally, the Coordemon's goal was focused far more inwardly. She simply wanted answers, especially about the fortune teller sitting before her.
A teasing smile spread across the fortune teller's face as she looked the Coordemon up and down."And here I was told it was an experience you'd never forget," she said, almost wistfully. She turned to her amethyst orb, looking into it as if hoping it'd contain the answers to her question. "Will I forget, too, in my next cycle? Well, perhaps I'll be finding out sooner rather than later." She shrugged putting her crystal ball aside to properly evaluate the other two. She gave them the same head-to-toe look, although she didn't seem quite as intrigued as she was by Coordemon.
"It is fortunate for you both. The answers you seek lie in the same direction," the fortune teller said. "You're in Sloth's domain now. While the North may be his dwelling, it is the world within where he consolidates his true power. And the spire is where his warden, Pajiramon, presides over the dream. He keeps watch over the Prominence's lost, keeping them sheltered and comfortable until they're finally able to accept their rest.
And then, they rest."
Her words were cryptic, but there was an underlying menace beneath the peaceful tone they took. However, judging by the sorrowful look in the fortune teller's eyes, that might have been intentional. "It's a pity, if you ask me," she added. "Life is such an interesting thing. So much to seek, to experience, to strive for. To allow it to simply fade into dreaming . . . " Her amethyst crystal clouded over, its facets as uncertain as the futures of those trapped within this world.
"I cannot say I am an expert of this domain. I, too, am a mere visitor," she added. "Yet I can tell you that trying to fight against its rules will do nothing for you. In fact, it may well be just what the dream wants from you. Every bit of fight and struggle uses energy. And the more energy you lose, the more tempting it becomes to slow down, lie down for a bit, and give in to the dream's comforts. If you pushed on like you kept going? Why, I think you'd be dead where you stand.
Yet, giving up is exactly how you'd lose this little journey, isn't it? Such a conundrum indeed. It's almost as if Belphemon designed it that way." The dream seemed increasingly like a catch-22. The only ones who survived seemed to be those who accepted their fates, and even they seemed to fade over time. Perhaps that was how the city even got to be so big in the first place. "If you would like my advice, why not try coloring inside the lines, but not letting them confine you? Breaking the rules may be oh so satisfying, but working within them to overturn them? Exquisite.
But such is my advice. Do you have any other questions for me?" Despite the rather sudden interruption, the fortune teller didn't seem to mind her new company. In fact, there might've been a touch of hopefulness to that last question of hers.
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Post by Alan Pantell on Oct 2, 2019 13:27:31 GMT
The "neurotic" boy, as Alan would have chuckled to know that was his title now, was turning back and forth between the Coordemon and the fortune teller, and admitting to himself he couldn't hazard a guess as to what the two were having an exchange about. Their words would be something to remember, but he had his own other questions to be answered as well.
What was even more surprising to the human boy was that so far, it would seem the "reality" of the dream was incredibly similar to what his impression had been so far. It was no secret that "rest" was mostly, if not completely, a euphemism for death. "Heh heh… funny. All my rage was making me the first in line to eventually fall victim, huh?" It was a terrifying thought, but... had he been alone, Alan would have failed the mission terribly by now. He looked at the others: Levi, Kenny, Skadi, and Amaranthus, (throwing another sideways glance at their very possible temporary ally in this fortune teller.) Levi smiled. "That's why there are five of us here, and not one, yeah?"
That fortune teller's musings on the value of life gained a lot of his trust in one fell swoop. That reasoning was why he was so angry - why he had decided it was against his own values to allow this dream to continue existing. "It's an ingenious design, I have to give Belphemon that. They do always say lazy people will find the fastest way to get things done... but how to overcome it? The only thing that comes to mind to start is heading back to iteration one and sliding over to the tower like those Gotsumon were doing. Whatever we do, we have to at least look like we're not doing it with a purpose in mind. We have to end up at our destination, rather than go there. It sounds to be too simple to be all there is to it, but that's what my first impression is. As for other questions... hmm..."
Levi decided it was time to pitch in for this. "Well, I wanna know more about the other parts of the dream. Maybe we can use some of it to our advantage without having to deal with potentially dangerous trial and error. Madame, first... is there a name by which we may call you? Second, you said you're not an expert in this place, but do you know what is in the other buildings? Are they of any use to us, or are they all nothing more than further temptations?"
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