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Separated and Scared (COMPLETE)
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Feb 6, 2024 1:23:45 GMT
Mandrake and Lothar were making their way through the streets of Terminus looking for Circe who had somehow gotten separated from them. While both of them looked rather harried Mandrake appeared to look in rougher shape. The Wizardmon's blonde hair a mess. Lothar stayed at his side as Mandrake placed a hand on his head in an attempt to open up a telepathic link with Circe. As much of a mess as he was, he had to keep his focus because if he and Lothar were a wreck it was obvious that Circe would be in a worse state seeing as the child had been practically glued to them since he and Lothar found her abandoned by her Arukenimon mother. Lothar looked back silently on how they were in this mess in the first place.
Earlier.....
Mandrake had parked the car near a cafe where he brought the family to eat. It all spun to chaos as soon as Mandrake, Lothar, and Circe climbed out of the car. Seconds later little Circe sensed danger with her Hyper Awareness but before she could so much as let out a peep an explosive fireball went off near the family causing Circe to yelp and bolt away from the area tears streaming down her face.
Before Mandrake and Lothar could stop their child a GeoGreymon and his three BlackAgumon minions came bolting in their direction with their claws full of loot. Behind the crooks were some police and after taking cover behind a trash can both Mandrake and Lothar waited until the group dashed past.
Now that the chaos had passed both champion level digimon were now aware that Circe was nowhere in sight nor was she anywhere nearby judging by Mandrake being able to telepathically sense others. No, the little one not only got blocks away but was still moving.
"Oh dear." was all Mandrake was able to get out before glancing at his husband Lothar who nodded almost as if reading Mandrake's thoughts. With that the Wizardmon and Leomon couple began looking for Circe.
Present....
Meanwhile somehow Circe had gotten many blocks away in her terrified state. Now the little one was somewhere in the middle of the city, and she began to tear up again not knowing how to get back to her parents. Seeing all the passerby going about their business caused the timid and traumatized human looking spider child to bolt taking cover behind some dumpster in a nearby alley where she sat down on the ground and began sobbing. Poor thing was now lost not knowing what to do not knowing that Mandrake was trying to reach out to her telepathically but apparently was not yet in range.
OOC:
Circe's Hyper Awareness alerts her to danger.
Hyper Awareness: Her senses are super sharp alerting her to immediate danger mere moments before it happens allowing her to ready herself. (Combat Passive)
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Post by supesman on Feb 13, 2024 4:42:34 GMT
The motion was subtle at first, a soft buzz through the air off to one side of Circe's head. Something very gently landing on the ground to that same side. A scuttling of something insectoid yet without the sharp dashing movements that that usually implied. Just a soft, simple...'step-step....step-step' that brought the sound closer to Circe in a very gentle and calm fashion like they were trying not to spook a rabbit in the brush or a small bird resting on the branch of a tree.
"Hello?" Came a voice, the source of the noise hidden by the shape of the dumpster but a soft pair of shadows was cast on the wall. Marigold was in her Fanbeemon for, the only part of her that was moving with any speed or energy was the soft rolling and uncoiling of her scarf as it was caught by the breeze. The motions of her actual body were gentle, slowly craning to peek one bright and intelligent eye around the corner. Doing everything she could to make no sudden movements at all. "Circe? Is that you dear?" Marigold asked, veeery slowly reaching one of her arms around the corner of the dumpster to pull her head forward and show more of her features.
Behind her Circe would be able to make out Zack's very distinctive shadow, especially because he was in his "work clothes" holding his shoulders high with his arms crossed over his chest and the smooth shape of his helmeted head. His head was tilted, having to hold himself back very hard to not fall to his instincts of simply going to the girl to try and soothe him. As his daughter had reminded him during their approach, he was a very large, very authoritative adult (from Circe's limited perspective) and approaching her in her current state might do her more harm that good.
"Do you remember us, sweetheart?" Zack said, speaking very gently, as much to announce his presence as to actually get an answer, the last thing he would want to do is scare the child by making her thing there was someone there with them who didn't want to be heard. "It's Marigold and Zack, we're friends of your fathers'." Zack said, stepping out to be visible against the far wall of the alley, giving Circe as much space as she could need. Her each up slowly, unclasping his helmet so gently that not even the unhitching plastic clasps made a click of impact and removed it to show his mussed blonde hair and his sparkling blue eyes to her. A human visage rather than whatever imposing monster her mind might conjure about the mask in an emotionally strung out state
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Feb 13, 2024 5:10:08 GMT
Circe sat there sobbing for a while until the soft sound of footsteps approaching her slowly but carefully made the spiderling cease her sobs causing her to jerk her head up catching the sight of a shadow. Rising to her feet the youngster was about to begin climbing the building in a way that would have made any Spiderman proud but the sight of Marigold and Zack coming into sight made the young digimon that looked like a five-year-old child freeze in her tracks.
"Y-Yes it's me." Circe managed to barely shyly squeak out. This was relatively normal for the little one as she was usually a quiet and timid child by nature. "I-I remember you guys..." Circe then said as she wiped the tears from her sapphire blue eyes. She was still frightened but maybe since Zack and Marigold were family friends, they could help her find her fathers.
Meanwhile across town Mandrake and Lothar had begun their search for Circe. Unfortunately, the stampeding criminals' scents overpowered young Circe's making it near impossible for Lothar to track much to the Leomon's frustration. As for Mandrake he was still trying with little success in reaching out to the lost child telepathically.
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Post by supesman on Feb 14, 2024 4:42:51 GMT
"Are you alright darling, are you hurt?" Marigold said, very softly approaching the girl and reaching out a clawed leg to start to dry some of the tears that were resting of Circe's cheeks if she'd let her. She figured that having a younger and perhaps more feminine presence closer to her might not stress the girl out quite as much though she was still take it slow and even. Just because Circe knew them doesn't mean she fully trusted them but hoped that their previous experienced together gave them some credit in the girl's mind at least.
"You hold right there, sweetheart. I'm gonna call your fathers and have them come to pick you up." Zack said, tossing his Digivice up slightly and humming some Kamen Rider theme or another to himself as he flicked through the options on the tiny monochrome display, mumbling something about the digital world's insistence on the obsolete technology before he found the number and pressed to dial, holding the device to his ear. He hoped they weren't too panicked to pick up his call, that would be awfully ironic if they were too busy looking for their daughter to take the call that would tell them right where she was. Even if he went to voicemail he would deliver the message. "Hey boys, this is Zack. Marigold and I were on patrol this afternoon and you'll never guess what wonderful little bundle of joy we happened to run into. She's fine, I promise, just a little shaken up all things considered and Marigold is with her now. She's downtown due south of the city center, in the alleyway across the street for the orange high rise that has the giant turtle on top. Trust me, it's the Digital World you can't miss it."
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Feb 14, 2024 5:02:25 GMT
At Marigold's question Circe shyly pulled back while looking at the ground. To Circe she wasn't used to those other than her fathers' touching her, but she didn't want to come off as rude at the same time. This made the young one wonder if being borderline silent as a ghost was rude given the timid spiderling didn't openly communicate with even her siblings normally.
Meanwhile Zack opened up communication with the Wizardmon and Leomon known as Mandrake and Lothar. After a few rings Mandrake answered "Hello. Lothar and I are unfortunately across town but are making our way. I am relieved little Circe is alright. She got separated from us when she ran from some robbers that were dashing down the street. Don't be surprised if the little one doesn't talk much because this is something Lothar and I have gotten used to from Circe."
"Her being timid was never an issue to me. If she opens up to us, I don't mind her doing it on her own terms." Lothar said as he and Mandrake made their way to where Zack said he and Marigold were.
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Post by supesman on Feb 15, 2024 4:51:07 GMT
Marigold frowned. As much as being with no lips was able to frown but she didn't push the young girl, just gently checking her over for injuries without getting too invasive. She knew that trying to force a response out of the girl wouldn't end well and she didn't really need one anyway. Just so long as she knew that the girl wasn't secretly bleeding out or nursing a broken bone of some kind then she would accept that and not press the issue any further.
"Don't worry about it, folks. You know I wouldn't let anything happen to anyone, let alone your little girl. Trust me at least that much alright?" Zack said with a heroic little wink to the phone and hung up so the two could focus on making their way into the city to where they were. He turned over his shoulder to speak to Marigold. "I'm going to go stand at the mouth of alley, I don't think they'll miss me in broad daylight. Make sure she's alright, sweetheart." He said before walking further down the alleyway and mostly out of the little spider's sight, further making sure he wouldn't be a stress on the little arachnid girl
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Feb 15, 2024 5:20:22 GMT
Circe looked at the frowning Marigold and the young girl deep down wondered why she was frowning. Yet still Circe said nothing hearing that Zack would be at the mouth of the alley so Mandrake and Lothar could hopefully spot him. With a costume like that the tamer shouldn't be that hard to eventually locate in theory.
Sitting back down Circe brought her arms around her legs pulling her knees against her chest as she rested her chin upon her knees. Out of the corner of her sapphire-colored eyes she kept an eye out for both Zack and Marigold. This was a behavior she picked up shortly after Mandrake and Lothar found her. She just didn't want to feel alone and somehow this seemed to help at least a tiny bit. Outside of her control eight grey hairy spider legs with blonde highlights the same shade of blonde as the hair on Mandrake's head came into view. The very human like rookie level spider then began using those eight legs in some sort of grooming behavior and it seemed to be gradually calming her.
Meanwhile making their way to the place Zack indicated was Mandrake and Lothar. There was a mess as it seemed the crooks that frightened Circe had also left a dreadful mess of various forms of garbage as they went. No problem as Mandrake used his telekinesis to lift the trash as he and Lothar walked past depositing it in nearby trash cans and dumpsters so that was one less thing the city workers had to deal with.
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Post by supesman on Feb 16, 2024 2:44:36 GMT
Marigold took a moment to consider Circe. She took in a breath as if to speak a couple of times but always let it die with a short exhale. Eventually though she couldn't keep it inside any longer. She walked beside the spider, slowly leaning back on the haunches of her insectoid legs and sitting down beside the spider girl. She finally found the right words to express what she was thinking.
"I was a lot like you. Not so long ago." Marigold said, looking forward. She didn't want the girl to think she was being pushed into a response by earnest eye contact. "This is actually my second body. My second life, in that way Digimon have it. My first one was short, and cold, and starving. And that's all I remember. Abandoned somewhere in the wild to hatch and die." Marigold said, rolling a pebble in front of her back and forth with the point of one claw, taking another long moment to measure her words before she spoke them. "When my father was given my egg, when we first met. I cried. It was all I knew how to do. I was so scared. Of him. Of the world. Of that fear and suffering finding me again." Marigold said, only now turning her head to look at Circe and giving a light and sparkle to her eyes that could only be described as a smile even without lips. "Listen to me. Really, listen and hear me past your anxiety for just a moment. That fear will NEVER find us again, not either of us, not ever." She said, running her leg parts over the crimson fabric of the scarf. "My father gave me this to tell me that I would never be alone again. You won't either, not with parents like yours."
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Feb 16, 2024 3:04:05 GMT
Out of the corner of Circe's eye while grooming her spider legs she watched Marigold make her way over to where she was before sitting right next to the magical spider girl. Circe slightly flinched out of habit but didn't bolt for it staying right where she was so that was a good start.
When Marigold spoke, Circe stopped grooming her gray and blonde spider legs shrinking and vanishing behind her cape once again. Marigold mentioned being much like Circe was not long ago and the little one after being quiet for a moment said "W-well this isn't exactly my second body but my first. I doubt you were birthed by a female digimon who kidnapped your equivalent of a bio dad. After getting enough of his data to create only one c-child, which was me, she only raised me to this stage before noticing I was as gentle as my daddy M-Mandrake. In other words, n-nothing like her so she abandoned me to die." At the word die Circe's sapphire-colored eyes welled up with tears as the child began to cry once again.
"S-Sorry just thinking of that Arukenimon that once called herself my mother just makes me can't h-help but cry. I know my dads aren't the type to abandon t-their children seeing as they even adopted Kshin." Circe sniffled before wiping her eyes again.
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Post by supesman on Feb 17, 2024 4:26:18 GMT
"Yea the creature that called itself my mother was exactly that kind of piece of word. A Flymon running a great big hive that she used like slaves, workers and fighters and scavengers that she could order around a toss out as she pleased." Marigold said and let her head hand, shaking it with a sigh. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the villainous insect who had caused her so much trouble. It seemed so...petty now, after the deed was done. "When she decided she had too many eggs for the amount of food she was willing to share, an entire generation was cast off to die. I don't know how many, or what happened to most of them but I know what happened to me." Marigold said, hearing and seeing the spider start to cry before slowly, cautiously scooting closer. She kept her hands to herself but maybe some physical proximity would bring the spider some comfort.
"Like I said though. That part of our lives, that part of US? It's over now." She said, giving Circe a look that sparkles with confidence and light. "Those people don't have any hold over us anymore. We have our people, our REAL families. The people who hurt us can pick up whatever pieces of the lives they made themselves to lie in. Honestly I don't think its worth dwelling on the kind of sad, pitiful loneliness that must come from being so cruel. It seems like it would be a terrible way to live." Marigold said, trying not to grin or take too much satisfaction in the thought as it rolled around in her mind and she found the right way to put it into words, one of those pithy saying from a comic book. "The best revenge is living well."
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Feb 17, 2024 5:02:43 GMT
Circe looked at Marigold as the Fanbeemon spoke of the Flymon that birthed not just her but apparently not one but many siblings. Marigold just happened to be one of the poor unfortunate souls that were abandoned by Flymon. To think Arukenimon was intending something similar, but she was the only child that was spawned from Mandrake's pilfered data.
"S-So you were one of many siblings. Do you ever w-wonder if you will ever meet up with any of your siblings in a positive way? I know it may sound w-weird seeing as the only siblings I have don't share data with Arukenimon at all." Circe began asking because it was as if a trace of curiosity erupted from the spider child. Another trait she had inherited from Mandrake, but it was one she didn't mind at all. Circe watched as Marigold scooted closer to her and somehow, though she didn't understand why, she felt a little better. Maybe it was because the little bee was more like her than any of her siblings.
Then the most curious thing happened now that she was a bit calmer. She felt a rush of thoughts from others flood her mind causing her to clutch her head. This was something that never happened to her before leaving her lost and confused.
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Post by supesman on Feb 20, 2024 4:24:30 GMT
Marigold opened her mouth to speak, taking in a breath and then pausing for a long moment. It seemed she had instinctively wanted to answer that question one way and then thought better of it.
"I...already have a sibling." Marigold said, nodding and her eyes taking on that smiling sparkle again as she said it becoming more sure of the thought as she spoke it. "Boneheaded little Gizmon named Violet. They're a freak and a half and we can't leave them anywhere near the toaster. But they're mine." Marigold said, letting her mind focus on what was really a little jumble of positive memories and associations before she let it move along. "If you mean Flymon's other kids, honestly I sent them on their way. Once she was gone the had the chance to make a better, more sustainable life for themselves. By the time we'd met for real I was no longer one of them. You see..." She craned her head around the corner of the dumpster again and pointed at Zack who was still standing, arms crossed over his chest and looking back and forth waiting for Mandrake to show himself in the crowd. "My family? Is right there. and it's the one that CHOSE me, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Better to not spend a lot of time chasing ghosts of what ifs." Marigold said and nodded, secure in the wisdom of her own advice if only to herself. She raised a brow when she saw the spider's stance change in the corner of her eyes, turning to her.
"You ok, little lady? You look like your head is killing you. Do you want some water?" Marigold said with genuine concern in her tone, thinking of any ways to help ease the digimon child's distress.
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Feb 20, 2024 5:01:32 GMT
When Marigold mentioned her Gizmon sister named Violet not being trusted around a toaster it made Circe's imagination fire off as the young one giggled little. "Violet sounds f-funnier than my three siblings." Circe said with another giggle. Then when Marigold mentioned her family being right there and that Zack had chosen her without any doubts. "I g-guess we both are lucky to have families who care about us." Circe muttered while looking at her knees.
"I d-don't know what's wrong. I am s-sensing faint hints of thoughts that aren't mine and, yes, it is hurting my head." Circe said rubbing her brow in circles.
Meanwhile now only mere blocks away was Mandrake and Lothar. The Wizardmon Mandrake blinked as he started to sense the thoughts of not only little Circe but other thoughts that weren't hers in her mind. Breaking the brief link Mandrake turned to Lothar and said, "Lothar it would seem our little spiderling Circe has telepathic powers that have just blossomed."
"Really?" Lothar asked before he continued "I don't know why I am surprised seeing as one of our children were bound to have telepathic abilities sooner or later."
"At least we should be there soon so I can help Circe learn to control her telepathy."
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Post by supesman on Feb 21, 2024 4:45:38 GMT
"Oh sure, they're funny in the abstract until the blender starts flying and it's coming directly at you first thing in the morning. It tends to lose its charm after the first or hundredth time." Marigold said, though she said it with a grin that made it clear she was saying it all in good fun. She really did adore her younger sibling even if they did get on her nerves. It was a family thing and she never felt very pressed to explain it. "Family ARE the people who care about you. If they're related to you, but they don't care about you, if they don't stand by you when it matters then they're not really family no matter how much blood you share. Or...data in our case, I guess." She said although she didn't move much closer to the little spider, not wanting to crowd especially when she was trying to sort out her head. Giving her more stress at that moment might just end up making everything worse.
"See, what did I tell you? You're your father's daughter already." Marigold said with a joyful tone, speaking earnestly. "Figuring out what you can do and how to control it is freaky though, trust me I know. As a Digimon we all have to get used to living in a human world that's basically made of cardboard." Marigold said, pushing on the corner of the metal dumpster and, with a moment of effort, she noticeably tensed the tough metal inwards. Even at rookie level they were stronger than most humans and had to be aware of it. "Great power, great responsibility, all that superhero jazz. Just another way to do some good in the world, right?" Marigold said, trying to talk consistently but with a simple and calming tone so the spider could work through things at her own pace.
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Feb 21, 2024 5:26:57 GMT
"Oh dear." Circe said before thinking for a moment and then said "At l-least living with Violet doesn't sound boring. Maybe t-they will mellow out as they age hopefully?" When Marigold continued talking about family Circe looked at the Fanbeemon taking in what she said before she herself said "I g-guess it's a good thing family is more than just data, or in the case of humans, DNA. G-Good thing we have family members who care about us."
"I d-don't know about being my daddy's daughter." Circe said while still rubbing her forehead in pain. "H-How does daddy do this?" she then muttered.
"Great power equals great responsibility are wise words indeed young Marigold." Mandrake said as he and Lothar came into sight and hearing range of Zack and Marigold. This caused Circe to jolt to her feet with a look of relief in the little spider's sapphire eyes as she with tear filled eyes bolted out of the alley and grasped Mandrake in a hug.
"Daddy I was so scared." Circe sniffled before pulling away from the Wizardmon clutching her head again and cried "How do you control this? Make it stop. My head...."
Mandrake smiled before he said, "Easy my little one." He then lifted his hand placing it on Circe's head before opening a telepathic link with her. A short time later Circe's head pain stopped, and Mandrake said "That should do the trick for now. Don't worry, Circe. I will help you learn later how to control your mental abilities, so no more headaches occur."
As for Lothar he stood nearby with his arms crossed like a peaceful protective shadow. Good thing Lothar was normally a gentle giant.
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