Skip Navigation
|
Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 5, 2023 22:55:42 GMT
Thankfully Lothar was able to extricate Ollie from the Mummymon's grip without the need to digivolve to ultimate. However it appeared as if Ollie's backpack was ripped free from the teen and Mummymon was behaving like a wild animal. Mandrake and Lothar quickly realized that diplomacy was not going to work on this digimon that may be feral.
Both Ollie and Procopius called out to try to get Mummymon to give the backpack back. Mandrake watched as loose items came out of the bag and used his telekinesis to round the items neatly up for easy recovery. As for Mummymon it was going to be a trickier problem as the digimon flailed around like some mummy or zombie in a movie. Lothar than digivolved into GrapLeomon and leapt forward grabbing ahold of the flailing digimon taking hold of one shoulder with one hand and Mummymon's upper arm with the other. Then Lothar gave the Mummymon a vicious shake. Then Procopius digivolved as well ramming his head and neck into Mummymon's body. Sending Mummymon sprawling with Lothar adjusting his grip to only be holding the arm clutching the backpack and with Lothar's raw strength it would make it hard for Mummymon to easily swing the backpack around.
Ollie's cries were heart wrenching to Mandrake so the Wizardmon said "Don't worry, Ollie. We're working on getting your bag back." Then when Ollie ran towards the Mummymon, Mandrake shouted "Ollie! Stop! Don't go near that digimon!" Mandrake began to glow as he ran towards the teen as he said "Wizardmon digivolve to...Mistymon!" As Procopius bit down on Mummymon Mandrake protectively moved in front of Ollie drawing his sword it lighting on fire.
|
|
|
Post by ollieandprocopius on Jan 6, 2023 15:56:54 GMT
Ollie shoved against Mandrake's hold like he was still trying to scramble past him. The young man wasn't thinking, wasn't hearing anything, his eyes were simply locked upon that backpack swaying in the open air. He had been abandoned, left to rot in an orphanage that didn't care if he lived or died. The one thing, the ONE THING that he had been allowed to hold onto had been that backpack. Every cent of money he'd ever collected was spent on supplies, every moment of happiness was spent with its content. His whole world was wrapped up in that leather carrier.
The Mummy's grip was interrupted by both Ollie and Lothar grabbing it and holding it tight. Before the zombie knew what was happening it was wrapped up in the grip of the two massive digimon as Procopius began planting his feet and holding himself there, using that skill to make sure that the Mummy wouldn't be moving an inch from the spot on the floor where they had it pinned.
Then it's hand opened, twitched for just a moment, and Ollie watched his whole life drop to the floor from high in the air. The shriek he let out was a pain and an anguish that stabbed deep into Procopius heart. One of the Raptordramon's wings shot out to one side and the backpack caught like it was hitting a branch on the way down, slowing its momentum as it rolled and thumped to a thankfully less than cataclysmic stop on the floor to one side.
Procopius finally pulled with all of his might and like pulling off a dead tree branch the mummy's arm was shredded from its socket, the groaning undead left fully at Lothar's mercy.
|
|
|
Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 6, 2023 20:43:04 GMT
Mandrake watched with wide eyes as the young man was not listening to him and was shoving against the Mistymon. Then the teen also grabbed the bag. It was like that was the only thing that mattered to Ollie at that moment. Yet Mandrake figured that made sense given the fact that Ollie had mentioned he was an orphan and based on the teen's previous behavior he had poor relations with authority figures despite being a sweet and intelligent young man. Since he had still not been adopted at his age it was likely that the bag itself was one of the most valued things to him. This made Mandrake think of his and Lothar's adopted son Kshin who had a sentimental item of his own in the form of his mother's locket.
Then as the bag was released from the Mummymon's grip Ollie shrieked with anguish which not only stabbed deep into Procopius' heart but Mandrake and Lothar's as well. Lothar had no idea how he was able to keep focused on keeping Mummymon from hurting the teen but somehow he was able. Mandrake watched as Procopius slowed the momentum of the falling bag which Mandrake decided to help locking onto the bag with his telekinesis as it was falling slower than before. Mandrake than moved the formerly falling bag over to the rest of Ollie's stuff. Despite it being damaged it looked as if it could be repaired. Hopefully Ollie would calm down now that the bag was safely out of Mummymon's clutches.
When Procopius pulled the mummy's arm off shredding it from its socket Mandrake looked visibly uncomfortable almost freezing at the sight. Meanwhile Lothar was beginning to get weird vibes from this digimon wondering if it was even alive. Digimon usually became data when they died which was why this mummy's behavior was baffling to him. Not only that a champion level digimon was able to cause such serious damage to an ultimate which was more suspicious. Deciding to think more on it later the GrapLeomon threw the Mummymon with all his strength aiming to send the undead digimon across the room.
|
|
|
Post by ollieandprocopius on Jan 7, 2023 15:21:52 GMT
Procopius' eyes were filled with a mindless, animalistic rage, his pupils shrunk down to pinprick size like a predator on the hunt. The most important person in the world to him had come under attack and even now as the undead menace was launched across the room and landed against the wall with the sound of dry bone cracking and shattering Procopius charged the creature and stamped on it. And again. and again. Like a tyrannosaurus trying to dig a trench with it feet his heavy limb came down on the monstrous undead again and again without warning or mercy, burying the quickly shattering remains of the mummy into a crater up against the wall, sending cracks and rattles up through the walls and the ceilings that made long undisturbed dust fall in a rain like consistency around the group.
He was only stopped when he felt a hand on his leg. It was Ollie, sniffing quietly as he looked up. Clutching his bag to his chest with one arm. There was a large stress tear up one side of the old leather sack, papers half spilled out but kept in place by the pressure of Ollie's hold. All of the papers and pieces that Mandrake had collected placed gingerly inside and kept there with all of Ollie's utmost attention.
Procopius paused and he shrunk down, placing himself up against Ollie's body. The young man wrapped his arms around Procopius and started to just sob, melting into his brother's arms like the entire world had just collapsed underneath him. His sobs wracked with screaming, pounding on Procopius' head, shouting in half formed sentences about the unfairness of the world. How he had just wanted to learn, to discover and to share, and how it had taken something precious from him and ruined it just to be cruel. A whole life of getting spat out, pushed to the corner, barely hanging on to the few things he could still consider important in his life. When he finally quieted, his back and shoulders rising and falling heavy with breath he managed to peel himself away from Procopius' arms, leaning on his partner just to be able to stand.
"Thank you, Mandrake." Ollie said, his eyes a deep and puffy crimson from crying. His voice run hoarse and ragged after only a few moments. This boy only a second ago so full of eager life and curiosity now seemed so heartbreakingly fragile
|
|
|
Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 7, 2023 21:09:15 GMT
After Lothar flung the Mummymon across the room he heard Mandrake's still on fire sword clatter to the floor. As Procopius charged the undead digimon Lothar went to his fiancé's side as Mandrake sank to the floor on his knees clearly not doing to hot after Procopius ripped off Mummymon's arm. By the time Lothar got to Mandrake's side the Mistymon was rubbing his artificial left arm. Kneeling down Lothar said "Mandrake. Mandrake! Are you okay?" At the magician's lack of response Lothar worriedly scooped the unresponsive Mistymon into a hug which caused Mandrake to tear up and melt into Lothar's embrace.
As for Ollie, it seemed the teen was faring no better but Procopius seemed to know what the young man needed as Ollie's heart wrenching sobs wrang out as he hugged the digimon he called his brother. Hearing about the teen's life just hurt as this young man just wanted to learn things and how the world had a habit of being cruel to him. Eventually Ollie's sobs quieted and was using Procopius to stand. When he thanked Mandrake the magician wiped his own tear filled eyes gently pulling away from Lothar and said "You're welcome, Ollie."
Meanwhile Circe had made her way down to the others since it appeared to be safe and somehow was standing next to Ollie and seemed to be looking at the damaged bag appearing to be in deep thought before she focused her magic on the damaged bag summoning webs using them as temporary patch jobs to Ollie's bag and said "T-There. That should hold for now. At l-least until it is properly fixed."
|
|
|
Post by ollieandprocopius on Jan 8, 2023 13:21:51 GMT
Ollie looked down at the bag, cradled in his arms with Circe's fixes so lovingly and gently applied. He turned it over in his hands, running his fingers along the webbing patterns and trusting them enough to string his arms through the straps and let it all rest along his back. He nodded and looked back over to Circe. He squatted down to be closer to the spider's level, looking her in the eye.
"Thank you Circe, you're very kind." Ollie said, taking a deep breath before shoved himself back to his feet and recovering a large chunk of his enthusiasm. "And with that terrible...booby trap? Actually it's hard to say what the purpose of this room is." His analytical mind was working like a machine already, his almost instant recovery was amazing as he marched up to the dusty, sandy stone throne where the Mummymon had been sitting. "I don't see any writing here. Could have been worn away by him sitting on it for god knows how long or it could be that there's nothing here to read, just another trap in case you tried to get at the burial room from this side..." Ollie said, looking back up the ramp of sand to where they had come from, the actual treasure of this find far and away.
"Why would they put a booby trap on the far side of the thing it was meant to be protecting. No one would be coming from this direction...unless...there was a way INTO the tombs from here! We may have found our way out! Now the only question is where?" Procopius said, clicking into Ollie's train of thought with a remarkable swiftness and ease. The two really were made for each other despite Procopius' worries about his intellectual lacking.
|
|
|
Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 8, 2023 21:52:25 GMT
Circe quietly watched as Ollie appeared to be overlooking her temporary fixes. The teen ran his fingers along the webbing patterns before putting the bag back on. Then Ollie squatted down to be on eye level with little Circe before he thanked her. Circe was quite for a moment before she said "You're w-welcome. Just remember t-that though my webbing is strong it doesn't last forever so w-when you get a chance you should fix the bag or find someone who can as soon as possible. My w-webbing only lasts for a few days."
By now Mandrake had dedigivolved to Wizardmon and had gotten up using his Thunder Ball to light the room as his flaming sword as Mistymon had vanished. As for Lothar he was no longer GrapLeomon as he had returned to Leomon himself. Both of them noticed that Olle had seemed to recover a large chunk of his enthusiasm. "Seeing how Mummymon didn't scatter into data I also have reason to believe that he wasn't even a real Mummymon to begin with. Likely the zombie like presence was artificially generated somehow to serve as a guardian for the tombs."
"I think the creators of these now ruins never thought that a potential intruder would enter the tomb from a lower floor and if there is a way out nearby we should look around for it." Mandrake said as he walked around the room with Circe taking his free hand seeming to be helping as the Wizardmon occasionally used his telekinesis to move the sand aside possibly looking for a clue to a way out. As for Lothar he began sniffing around as for looking for a clue to something that would lead their way outside.
|
|
|
Post by ollieandprocopius on Jan 9, 2023 13:27:05 GMT
It would be Mandrake's moving of the sand that would discover their clue to a way out. A casual motion to sweep away a pile of sand revealed more sand behind it. And another swipe, and another. Every motion he made to sweep away that singular pile of grains was met with a rolling in of another pile and the feeling of fresh air against his skin.
"Sand and air are getting in through this way!" Ollie said, dropping to his knee beside the wall where Mandrake was aiming and pressing his arm into the sand, blindly groping around for... "AH HA!" He felt his arm reaching up through the tightly packed sand and bursting through to open air. "There's a hatch! Mandrake, clear away a few more feet of sand!" Ollie said, stepping back as the magic digimon did the rest of the sweeping up. Slowly uncovering a square shaped hatch was hidden just behind that pile of sand just like any other in the room. It must have been where all the sand piles in the room came from, slowly trickling in and blown about by stale winds barely leaking from the outside for lord knows how long.
"Ladies first." Procopius motioned to Circe. Ignoring the fact that she was the smallest and most nimble of the assembled explorers so having her test the entrance was logical either way. It was going to be a tight squeeze no matter what. But it everyone present sucked in their shoulders and had some help from the outside pulling them up they could probably get through it. "Turns out the ancients didn't exactly design their tombs with accessibility in mind." Procopius said, grumbling at the awkward nature of the hole.
|
|
|
Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 9, 2023 21:28:33 GMT
Mandrake's efforts of telekinetically moving the sand around revealed the feeling of fresh air which was confirmed by Ollie when the teen dropped to his knee near a wall Mandrake had been aiming and began groping around until he found what seemed to be a hatch before asking Mandrake to clear away a few more feet of sand. Mandrake nodded and little by little Mandrake used his telepathy to move the few feet of sand until a square shaped hatch was revealed. It was clear sand and air leaked in and filled the room after who knew how long. Granted it was stale air but it was obvious the passage would lead to fresh air.
Procopius motioned that Circe should go first but the spider child seemed hesitant seeing as she wasn't comfortable with letting Mandrake out of her sight. Mandrake felt Circe's grip on him tighten before the magician looked at the little one and gently said "It's okay, Circe. We'll all be right behind you. Just go through and stay put to wait for us." Circe nodded before she approached the hole before hesitating and glancing back at Mandrake before he nodded in an effort to encourage her. Taking a deep breath the little one entered the hole and it was a tight squeeze for any of them.
While Circe was making her way out Procopius grumbled about the ancients not designing their tombs with accessibility in mind and Mandrake said "I think the reason was this was meant to be a place of eternal rest and such a thing would make it difficult for potential tomb robbers to steal the potential treasure also often buried with the kings. Shame this makes leaving this place trickier too." Mandrake approached the hole and made his way in scrunching his shoulders as he was much bigger than Circe. Admittedly, he was used to be shorter than most and had no clue how tall Circe would be at the champion level. Meanwhile Lothar was analyzing the passage not enjoying the prospect of the tight fit as it would be the roughest for him due to him being the largest, unless... As if in a fit of brillance the cleaver Leomon began to dedigivolve to his rookie form revealing a rather muscular Elecmon to Ollie and Procopius before making his way into the hole knowing the teen and his brother would follow. Meanwhile Circe had made her way to the surface and was standing outside waiting for Mandrake and the others standing there nervously.
|
|
|
Post by ollieandprocopius on Jan 10, 2023 12:51:54 GMT
Both Ollie and Procopius would raise their eyebrows at the Elecmon that had shrunk down out of Lothar. Even when he was small he had some method of remaining huge with just how much digital muscle was packed onto that electric form. On all fours he was able to approach with the flexing of his shoulders like a prowling panther. It was an odd sight but at least he was consistent in how massive all of his forms were one way or another.
Still getting out of the hatch would be a struggle, partially buried under a dune the way it was the best method would be to reach up and get half way pulled, half way pushed out from both sides. Ollie and Procopius lent their shoving shoulders on their side of the bargain while Circe would have to do her best to pull her adoptive father figure up from the other side until the powerful Elecmon popped out of the sand. The spires of the original ruin complex they had been inspecting were still visible with the blowing sand only a small distance away, accounting for how much of their journey had been vertical rather than horizontal motion.
Two pasty human hands popped out of the sand behind him as Ollie was the next one out. His legs kicked and flailed as he was dragged out of the sand and he popped free to roll down the dune a ways leaving impressions of his body in the grains before coming to a stop. He perked up and crawled over to the hatch, lending his hands to help pull the rest of the expedition out of the sand below.
Procopius picked up Ollie's bag which had to be left behind momentarily to get the teen through the square hatch.
"Go on through, then the bag, then me." Procopius said to Mandrake. Looking over his shoulder to make sure that some dramatically ironic trap wasn't seeing fit to snap shut behind him the second everyone else was out of sight. When he was confident that he wasn't going to be stuck down there alone with a giant snake of some description he waved Mandrake on. Ollie wriggled his hand down through the sand and groped blindly until Mandrake offered him something to pull on. Procopius came up behind the mystic digimon in "line" and held out the freshly repaired leather bag for the next pair of hands to reach through and grab, gently he hoped, not that he mistrusted Circe's momentary repairs or anything.
|
|
|
Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 10, 2023 21:19:53 GMT
One by one the group made their way out of the hatch with the only major hiccup was the dune being partially buried under the sand which Mandrake focused his telekinesis on to move it just enough to allow the four of them to get out. Circe reached in helping guide Mandrake out before Lothar made his way out next with the Elecmon digivolving back into Leomon upon his exit. Now they had to wait for Ollie and Procopius to make their out as well.
Next Ollie's hands made their way out before Lothar reached in gently manuevering the teen out of the hatch. Next, with Ollie's bag which was temporarily left with Procopius, the BlackToyAgumon picked up the temporarily repaired bag and also made his way out. Circe looked much more comfortable as she was now snuggling up to Mandrake not enjoying having to wait outside on her own. Mandrake looked at Ollie seeming to be in deep thought as the Wizardmon glanced at Lothar causing the Leomon to nod as if the two were reading each other's minds. Ollie would likely notice this and Mandrake and Lothar knew he was an inquisitive person by nature so would the teen mention anything was the trick.
|
|
|
Post by ollieandprocopius on Jan 11, 2023 12:37:40 GMT
Ollie slumped down backwards onto his rear end, falling over onto his back with his arms stretched out. After a long moment, he started to laugh. Sucking in deep breaths of air and just cackling toward the sky as all the stress of their little run in with danger melted off of him in waves. It was a thrill, a shock running down his spine to the tips of his fingers and toes. At the very least it wasn't another night at the orphanage staring up at the ceiling and worrying. It made him feel...alive.
"I'm glad someone had fun." Procopius said, patting Ollie's head and messing the sand out of his hair as he finally sat up and shook his head to free it of the rest of the sand.
"Ok, someone wanna tell me the joke? Unless it's at my expense of course." Ollie said as he turned to catch sight of the two adult digimon discussing something. He groaned a little, pushing himself to stand. It was going to be one of those adventurous days he would feel in his knees for the rest of of the day, probably also tomorrow morning as a few snap, crackles and pops as he rolled himself out of bed.
|
|
|
Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 11, 2023 23:37:31 GMT
Now that Ollie and Procopius were back out in open air he began to cackle into the sky which caught Mandrake and Lothar by surprise as that was not the reaction to danger they were expecting. Both Mandrake and Lothar had to admit that there was a certain thrill to that adventure of roaming around in the ruins. As for Circe, not so much as she didn't particularly enjoy being potentially attacked.
"I get that all that danger has a certain appeal, Ollie. As for what Lothar and I were thinking about, it wasn't a joke at your expense. In fact it's just the opposite." Mandrake said as he looked the teen in the eye before he then said "What Lothar and I were thinking about is adopting you."
"That is if you would be okay with it since you have yet to be adopted." Lothar said as he scratched the back of his head. They watched as Ollie pushed himself up onto his feet.
|
|
|
Post by ollieandprocopius on Jan 12, 2023 13:21:48 GMT
Ollie stopped, frozen in his tracks by the pair's offer. A smile spread across his face as his eyes started to mist over and he considered the pair of them.
"That's umm. That's very kind." He said, wiping the back of his sleeve along his face to wipe away the tears that almost escaped while he wasn't paying attention. "And that's just about the most kind thing you could possibly say. But." He said sheepishly, looking to both of them and then to Circe. "We're waiting for Procopius to be able to adopt me. He's my brother after all and that's the life that I want. You know, that's my forever life." Ollie said, reaching out and placing his hand on top of Procopius' head as the plastic dinosaur digimon leaned in and cuddled his head protectively against Ollie's side.
"And now, after all of this. The close calls, and meeting you three." Procopius said as he considered the family of Digimon in front of him. "If think it's about high time I did just that." Procopius said, the wheels obviously turning over in his mind as the pieces finally clicked together.
|
|
|
Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 13, 2023 23:32:04 GMT
"I understand, Ollie. Since Procopius can reach the adult stage through digivolution it will be a matter of time before he can adopt you." Mandrake said with a smile. Mandrake, Lothar, and Circe all took notice of the fact that Ollie's eyes were misting over but said nothing about it.
"I guess when Procopius does eventually adopt you the two of you can let us know." Lothar said taking notice of how the plastic dinosaur was snuggling the tamer.
"At least we got out of that creepy place in one p-piece." Circe said still shaking nervously while snuggling up to Mandrake. Mandrake smiled and began rubbing the young ones' back and Circe slowly shook less. Yes in many ways she was just as curious as Mandrake was but her anxiety and timidness often got in the way.
"Don't worry, Circe. You did fine back in those ruins and you even helped Ollie." Mandrake said.
|
|
|