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MPC 29 / Future - Bringing The Band Back Together (Maia)
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 19, 2016 22:54:35 GMT
(Bits please!)
The misty trees seemed to envelop around the group as they continued walk through the forest, closing in like the jaws of a great beast. When first entering the forest, Isaac could see clearly. Now, however, there was only brown bark, blackish-green foliage, and grey haze filling his vision. He kept a tight hold on his brother's arm, the two not wanting to get separated as they stumbled through the woods. They had figured, compared to the great deserts, towering volcanoes, and frozen wastelands that littered the Digital World, a little forest couldn't possibly give them much trouble. Only now that they found themselves completely lost within the forest's grasp did the two brothers start to regret that decision.
"Isaac?" Elliot's voice was tiny and distant, as if the mist itself was swallowing it up. "Isaac, I can't see a thing. Where are we? Are we lost?" Occasionally he checked his Digivice, but the thing only made haywire beeps. It's screen had given way to a field of static, every bit as hazy and unreadable as the air around them. Occasionally he looked over his shoulder to try and see where Maia was, unless she was right on top of him she was basically a blurry silhouette. At some point the boy just stopped trying to search, instead just clinging tightly to his brother. "I don't like this. I just wanna go home."
"I'm working on it, okay?" Isaac sounded somewhat haggard and desperate. He had taken every twist and turn possible trying to find a landmark, but he couldn't recognize a thing no matter how hard he looked. At first he tried to be smart, carving markings on the trees with the edge of his spirit fragment. Irresponsible use of the priceless artifact? Probably. Who cared, though? It was broken anyway! Unfortunately, his plan backfired. Every tree he passed seemed to spontaneously acquire the same notch in it. Some were fresher than others, while others had become pale white scars, but that telltale X was always there and it was starting to drive Isaac nuts. "The fog'll let up any second now. Then we'll be okay. I'm sure of it," he said, trying not to let his anger at the situation turn into lashing out at others.
Surely enough, he was right. Isaac stepped past one last tree, the cursed X shape now just a near-invisible white line, and the fog miraculously seemed to roll away. As the fog thinned so did the treeline, the thick carpet of wood slowly reducing to a few thin patches. Something about the air felt different. Heavier, maybe, or possibly just hotter and more humid. Isaac didn't mind, though. He was just finally happy to be out of those accursed woods. "See? Told you we'd find the exit!" he said, a laugh of disbelief hopping out of his throat as he ran out of the woods. "Now we just need to find how to get back to the road, and from there we'll hit the Trailmon terminal in no time.
Wait, you guys hear that?"
The "that" Isaac mentioned was the purring of a motor, starting gentle but letting out a heavy screech as it suddenly intensified. By the time Isaac could even turn his attention to the sound a hovercycle burst through the woods, scorching the grass beneath it. With one powerful arm the cycle's rider, a Beelzemon, shoved Isaac out of the way. With the other he scooped up Elliot, slinging the boy over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before speeding into the distance. Naturally, once Isaac regained his bearings, he began chasing after the cycle. To say it was a fruitless endeavor was an understatement. Within seconds, Elliot was a speck on the horizon, and Isaac was heavily panting from fatigue as he pushed himself to his limits.
What the hell was he supposed to even do? Some huge Digimon just stiff-armed him and ran off with his brother, and he was powerless to stop it. He punched the ground in anger, biting his tongue to stop himself from wasting his breath on furious rambles. They wouldn't help get Elliot back. Instead he sat there, exhausted and incredibly dejected by his screw-up.
How would he be able to fix this one?
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Maia
Better Mod
Might Actually Be A Cat.
Posts: 627
OOC Name: Cheshire/Mai™
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Post by Maia on Mar 20, 2016 6:30:21 GMT
(Bits, please~)
The haze that filled the air had made, what everyone thought would be a decent exploration, pretty awful. Why hadn't Maia chosen to be the voice of reason during this trip? Oh, yeah, there wasn't one. Now, she was kicking herself for not suggesting against the trip into the seemingly small forest. After all, she was usually the one that was worried about this kind of thing. Why did she have to change that? At this point, the girl had essentially given up on trying to find her friends in the mist, and was completely blind to anything that may be relevant.
On her shoulder, a Kudamon's ears twitched rapidly, nose sniffing upward. With every few sniffs, he would either let out a hum or nudge her face, trying to help direct her. It seemed that, despite his tamer being unable to see or hear the brothers, his senses were a little better. Still, it took his full attention! Kuu was afraid that if he even spoke a word, he'd lose the concentration that he had on the two of them. But, the fact that the little fox was shivering was enough to tell Maia that he was worried. This was unsettling for the girl, considering she needed the monster to be a sort of comedy relief. It was probably best that he wasn't being obnoxious, though. Otherwise, she'd have ended up just sitting down and giving up on finding her way out of the haze.
It didn't help that all of these trees were covered in 'X's for some reason. She had seen Isaac mark one of them earlier, but now it seemed like every tree was marked. If this was some sort of stupid prank on her, it wasn't funny! In fact, it was stressing her out, horribly! Arms were crossed, tightly hugging herself. Feeling a nudge from her partner, the girl turned a little, hoping that he wasn't just leading her in circles. Everything looked the same! Where were they even going? Maybe, she should have held onto one of the boys, instead of trying to feel independent. Even if she had just touched one of their shoulders, it would have solved some of her problems. The big problem was how lost they were, though! What if there wasn't really a way out of this place?
Finally, the trees began to thin out, and the fog was clearing. As luck would have it, the silhouette of the boys became more and more clear, and Kudamon became more excited about the fact that his senses hadn't failed him in a pinch! He'd have to have a celebratory cake made for him, later. After all, what better way to say 'I didn't die!' than by eating cake? Everyone would be invited! Or, at least the three humans involved in all of this getting-lost business. The Digimon let out a sigh of relief, debating on if he wanted to run, too, but wasn't willing to leave his tamer's side quite yet. After all, even he had become a bit stressed at the situation!
As the two were listening to Isaac's plan, the sound of a motor was becoming more obvious. "It's a," Kuu paused, sniffing toward the sound, only for the answer to be made for him. It still seemed strange. Especially when the Digimon on top of the hovercycle pushed Isaac aside, only to swipe Elliot! Wait! What was happening? Somehow, even the Rookie was at a loss for words, here. Sure, the boy was great, but nobody needed to steal him! How was Kuu supposed to climb on people if they weren't there? This was working out to be a horrible day so far!
Maia, on the other hand, just stood with her hands covering her mouth. Why would someone take Elliot? One hand reached to pat the Digimon on her shoulder, causing him to tighten his grip on her shirt, before she ran after the older of the brothers. Of course, she would slow before Isaac did, running out of breath much faster. Still, she kept at an alright stride until she could catch up with the teen, trying to catch her breath. "Wh-why?" Maia huffed, trying to control her breathing. What was happening here? Why would someone take Elliot when he couldn't have done anything wrong?
Still, Isaac was on the ground, and Maia had no idea what to do. Reaching out with one hand, she delicately rested it on his shoulder, "we... we'll find him, Isaac," she tried to assure. The problem was, the girl had no idea where to start. Heartbeat was finally returning to it's regular pace, and it seemed like the only choice was to press forward. She had to be strong here, didn't she? Now, she moved in front of the boy, removing her hand from his shoulder, only to offer it to help him up. Could they really find the boy? What if they were running on a time limit? "We just need to hurry."
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 20, 2016 18:38:19 GMT
Isaac jumped a little at the touch, but when he saw it was just Maia he didn't react further. He simply let out a deep, sorrowful sigh, remaining perfectly still in his sorrow. It wasn't fair, damnit! All of the work he put in just to keep his brother safe, only for him to just be shoved aside, told he wasn't good enough, and forced to watch as Elliot was snatched away. Knowing that there was literally nothing he could do only made him feel worse about it, and as Maia held out her hand to help him up he simply sat in the grass and dirt instead of taking it for the longest time. When he eventually did take it his rise was slow and shaky, as if he was forcing himself back to his feet.
He didn't want to let go. Instead he hugged the girl tightly, trying his hardest not to cry. It wasn't exactly working, but his sobs were silent and shuddering, standing in defiance of the sorrow he was feeling right now. "Damnit, why?" he asked, his voice somewhat breathless. "Why couldn't I do anything?" Eventually he forced himself to let go, turning a baleful eye toward the scorch marks left in the ground. If the Beelzemon's hovercycle was anything, it wasn't subtle. Maybe by following these, he'd be able to find the beast and give it a peace of his mind. Sure, he was little more than a Rookie, and the other Digimon looked really strong, but that didn't mean a thing to Isaac. The only thing with any meaning to the boy as of current was vengeance. Elliot's walking stick, clattered to the ground by the side of the tracks, only symbolized that. Isaac grabbed it tightly in his hands, staring at it for a bit before shoving it in his pocket.
"Okay. You're right," he choked out, regaining his composure as if by force. "He left behind tracks. Unless he ditches that motorcycle, we just gotta follow these and we'll find Elliot. He has to have been going somewhere at least, right?" The idea of chasing a Digimon who was driving in circles just to annoy them was frankly causing Isaac's blood pressure to spike. The only conclusion he could reasonably accept was that the Beelzemon had some sort of lair he was dragging Elliot off to. Probably to eat him or use his skull as a hood ornament or something like that. Barbarian. He began staggering off in the direction of the tracks, moving quickly but not too fast. After all, he didn't want to leave the tired Maia in the dust. Right now, she was the only person he could rely on.
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"I-Isaac?"
Elliot's voice was tiny as he tried to process what was going on. Seconds ago he was with his brother, and Maia had just come into view again, and everything was going to be okay. Now he was in the middle of nowhere, atop a large hill that seemed to swell out of the forest. His captor, a Beelzemon, had roughly tossed him off of his bike as he moved to the other side of the hill. There weren't any words exchanged between the two, only a stern glare as he expectantly waited for Elliot to rise to his feet. However, after a few awkward seconds, recognition flashed in the Beelzemon's eyes. He reached into the trunk of his motorbike and pulled out a small, makeshift walking stick. He set it down and kicked it over to Elliot, grunting and nodding his head upwards.
The implication was clear. Rise. But how did the Digimon know?
Elliot grabbed the stick gratefully, slowly getting back up to his feet. "Where am I?" he asked, but the Beelzemon said nothing. "Why am I here? Who are you?" That last one earned a slight scoff, and the Beelzemon finally began paying meaningful attention to the boy.
"I'm the one training you for the day," was his only response, a slight smirk across his face. "Now get up and Digivolve so we can begin. Unless, of course, you'd like to try fighting as a human?" Elliot still wasn't sure who this guy was, or why he was doing this, so he simply stared with a distinct lack of comprehension in his eyes. Apparently that was the wrong answer, because the Beelzemon whipped two guns out of his holsters and flung them skyward. "Time's up!" he shouted, catching the guns and raining a hail of bullets onto Elliot. He let out a panicked squeal and dove away from them, pulling out his Digivice and clutching it tightly to his chest. In his fear he didn't even realize that they were all diverting course way too widely to even hit him.
A white light enveloped him, and soon a Veemon stood in his stead. The Beelzemon grinned, now ready for the real fun to begin.
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Maia
Better Mod
Might Actually Be A Cat.
Posts: 627
OOC Name: Cheshire/Mai™
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Post by Maia on Mar 20, 2016 21:56:35 GMT
At this point, Maia couldn't tell which she was feeling more. Sorrow at the clear pain that Isaac was feeling, or panic about Elliot being kidnapped. Kuu had crawled off of her shoulder during his tamer's attempt to convince Isaac to stand up, and was sniffing at the ground. Why would a Digimon want to take Elliot? There had to be some sort of clue! But, there really wasn't. Just weird smells.
Sad became the overwhelming emotion, when she found herself pulled into a hug. This was clearly a devastating moment for the spirit user. With a small hesitation, Maia put her arms around him, trying to find some way to comfort the boy. What were they even going to do? The fact that she could tell Isaac was trying not to obviously cry was even starting to break her. Instead, while listening to his question, she took a shaky breath. She had to keep her composure. "There," the girl paused, trying to keep herself calm, "there wasn't anything you could do." This, of course, wouldn't make anyone feel better. But, how do you stop a random Digimon from stealing someone's brother when nobody was expecting it? This was madness! Reasons like this made Maia really hate trips to the Digital World.
Maia quickly followed after Isaac, with Kuu wrapping himself around her until he was on her shoulders again. This pace was likely short-lived, though, as the fox lifted his nose to the air, ears flattening. "You.. you guys have to smell this," he warned, looking around. Sure enough, something pink became visible to one side of the group, growing larger as it was clearly coming closer to investigate. Oh, no, what if it was friends with the Beelzemon?
Well, one could sort of say that was the case. But, not in the way that Maia may have feared. Instead, it was a Kyukimon, moving rapidly toward the two humans, only to begin sliding to a stop far before one would think it was necessary. Except for the person clinging to it's blue mane, who had instructed it to do so, just to make sure it didn't squish anyone on accident. The digimon remained strangely quiet, a weird scythe gripped in its mouth. Did the monster even have hands? That looked problematic. What was more concerning, however, was before Maia could make any comments on the pink beast, who seemed to be busy staring at her fox, she made eye contact with the rider.
Almost instantly, Maia took several steps toward Isaac, reaching for his sleeve to try to pull him in front of her. No words could describe the complete confusion at the situation, as it was clear that there was also a Maia sitting on the Ultimate's shoulder. "I-Isaac," the girl murmured in some attempt to say something, clearly in a daze about this situation. Sure, she'd heard some quote about 'coming face-to-face with yourself,' but this was way too literal!
"Hi, me!" Was the best ice-breaker anyone could have ever wished for. Kuu's ears twitched at this, looking up at the pink beast. Was this really him? Is that actually how he smelled? He couldn't tell if this was exciting or not! But, his tamer was clearly at a loss for any proper response. As long as nobody pawned a second Kuu off on her, it should be okay, though, right?
During some ridiculous flail of one of the Ultimate's bladed arms, which appeared to be his attempt at a wave, the slightly older girl on his shoulder slid off, lightly landing on her partner's big, pink feet. Well, on the bright side, if this was Maia, she was finally the one that didn't have to walk everywhere! This didn't help bring the younger of the two versions any comfort, though. "Kuu," the girl mumbled, reaching out and grabbing the flailing forearm to make him stop. "Waving scythes doesn't make anyone feel better about themselves," she warned, trying to settle the Ultimate, who only made an "awwww," at the comment, before letting his arm drop. He just wanted to say hi!
Still, this situation was not getting any better than moments before. Sure, this Maia seemed a lot less concerned than the actual one, but why were there two of them? There were only a few seconds of silence, as the girl in front of the Kyukimon fixed a hair tie in her hair, in some attempt to keep it from tangling when her Digimon was running around. "So," there wasn't even a hello that came from the older tamer, as she examined Isaac and Maia, "Kuu said Elliot was here, too," she started, throwing a glance to her Digimon, rather than the fox on her younger self's shoulder. Did she sound disappointed?
To this, the Nightmare Soldier nodded, "I smelled him here. But, I told you that--"
Future-Maia shot a look at her Digimon that made him instantly grow silent. Still, she was upset at how late she must have been. The bike tracks were enough to give her hints to what had happened, but her Digimon hadn't noticed the strange smells of familiar people early enough to stop any kidnapping. Eyes fell to Isaac, as the older girl bit her lip in contemplation. "I'll find him. You should figure out how to go home." Somehow, this had to be her fault. She... just needed to figure out how. If the tracks were anything to go on, a certain Digimon had likely come through the area that she felt was plenty her fault, alone. Did he have something to do with her finding a younger Isaac and Maia left in the dust?
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 21, 2016 2:38:42 GMT
Of course there was nothing he could do. He wanted badly to snap that fact out, to lash the hurt that Beelzemon had made him feel onto the world around him. He couldn't do it to Maia, though. In the short time he had known her she had been a frankly irreplaceable friend. She'd helped him through bad days and made good ones all the brighter. She'd protected him, and he'd protected her. It wouldn't be worth it to do something stupid and irresponsible, and end up hurting her. He'd already lost Elliot. What would he do without the only other person he could trust around these parts? Instead he simply sighed, keeping his tongue firmly bitten down. Maia was trying her best to reassure him. He'd wait until he was feeling good enough to give her the thanks she deserved.
Then Kuu noticed something. The boy remained on guard, keeping his Digivice clutched close. If worst came to worst it'd be a fight, and judging by the flashes of pink worst was about to make it's way over. The fox-like features of the Digimon were vaguely familiar, but its wild eyes and bladed arms were somewhat unnerving. From his adventures in the Digital World, some Digimon were practically built for combat. This, who was built for killing even at the level of hands, seemed like one of them. However, atop the large beast's back, too high to be seen at eye level, was a human. Maia, focusing on the human instead of the Digimon, seemed incredibly shocked. It took her getting Isaac's attention to make the boy finally pay attention.
No. No, that couldn't be true. The look in the girl's eye was very different, but everything else was so familiar. Clone? Robot duplicate? Persona, maybe? He slid into a fighting stance, as if prepared to fight some kind of invading body snatcher. Then Kuu spoke, and his familiar goofiness shone even through his dangerous, menacing-looking form. Then Maia spoke, and the fact that it was her became indisputable. Isaac would know that voice anywhere, and like a hammer crashing through a shield his guard dropped. Now relatively off-guard, the boy simply stood at attention and tried to figure out what to make of the situation. Even when he was confused about the situation, it almost seemed to hurt how the other Maia just completely failed to acknowledge him. It made him feel like in her eyes he was guilty of something.
Nevertheless, he knew he needed to say something. "He can't be here," he eventually said. "Some Beelzemon just burst out of the woods and snatched him up. I don't know what the hell he's planning, but I know it can't be anything good." Then the other Maia focused her eyes on him, telling him to go home while she did the work. Between that and the lack of even acknowledging his existence earlier, a bit of anger sparked up in the boy's stomach. She just swoops in, and doesn't say a word except to tell him to get out? He stared her dead in the eye, trying to figure out how to word it before eventually just saying "No!" Once the original outburst came out, the rest of it was easier. "I'm not leaving and getting lost in this forest again, just so I can shut my eyes and hope my brother's okay. Elliot and I have had each other's backs since we came to the Digital World, and I'm not just going to turn my back on him and let him get hurt. Especially when I don't even know where I am, let alone where he is.
Look, I need answers. Who are you? Some kind of body-snatcher?" He knew this wasn't Maia. It couldn't be. Maia was warm, and kind. And way less focused than this.
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"Beelzebomb!"
Elliot panicked as the smoking gun clattered to his feet, and immediately ran away from it. However, the Beelzemon wasn't having any of it. He picked it up and hurled it at Elliot's feet again, only for the Veemon to continue fleeing. The third time, he simply hunched over and braced himself for an explosion that never came. Frankly, it was pathetic. The demonic Digimon let out a low growl as he picked the gun up, priming it to explode for real this time. "Your reaction time is awful. Are you trying to get yourself blown to bits?" he demanded, priming the Berenjena for another throw. "Throw the damn thing back! Or at least get it out of your face." The gun went flying again, and this time a panicked ducked and let it sail over his head. The Beelzemon grunted, not in approval yet not in disapproval. Better than last time, but the boy still needed work.
Unfortunately, he wasn't fully out of the range of the gun's explosion. Elliot was sent flying by the shockwave, skidding to the Beelzemon's feet. As he reached up the Beelzemon took to the skies, expressly refusing to let the Veemon grab onto his legs for help standing. "Why are you doing this?" the smaller Digimon asked, coughing slightly from all of the dust and smoke kicked up by the Berenjena's explosion.
"Because it's the only way you're going to learn." The Beelzemon landed, walking to his hovercycle and reaching into the trunk. Inside was a bar of chocolate, likely stale but still incredibly appetizing to Elliot. He then flew to a tree on top of the hill, carefully nestling the chocolate bar at the branch on the top. Once that was settled, the antagonistic Digimon turned to Elliot and folded his arms expectantly. "Well? I saw the way you were looking at that thing. What are you waiting for?"
"And how am I supposed to get that?" Elliot asked. He walked to the base of the tree, staring up expectantly as if waiting for gravity to do it's job.
Beelzemon sighed. There was a lot of work to be done.
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Maia
Better Mod
Might Actually Be A Cat.
Posts: 627
OOC Name: Cheshire/Mai™
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Post by Maia on Mar 21, 2016 4:53:05 GMT
Future-Maia took plenty of time to get shocked reactions out of the way. The moment that her Digimon had commented on the strange scents, she knew that there was going to be a problem. Moreso when they were established to, in fact, be her and Isaac. Still, she didn't look at the boy too much. She couldn't tell if she was mad at him... or herself. Either way, it wouldn't be right to take it out on a version of him that still had her younger self tagging along, right? And, assuming by the fact that the Elliot that she knew wasn't present, his brother was...
"You're... discomforting," the younger Maia mumbled, still trying to keep herself safe behind Isaac. Not that she really expected anything bad to happen, but she was beyond alarmed at this entire event! It was going to take a few minutes to compose herself!
In the meantime, Kuu dragged himself off her shoulder, scooting past Isaac, and sitting upright on his cartridge to try to get a better look at the pink version of him. "I get really bright, guys," the digimon announced, pointing one paw at the Ultimate, while looking at the teens that were in the dark about the situation. The fact that her Digimon would take his eyes off another of his kind made Maia's heart sink. This was really happening, wasn't it? If this was some sort of threat, it had thoroughly deceived the little monster, who was now climbing on a giggling, pink, scythebeast. Within moments, the Ultimate dropped onto his back, rolling around with Kudamon climbing on his belly. This was too weird.
"I know," the older Maia shrugged, answering both to her younger self and to Isaac's first statement. Now, she focused on the boy, "the tracks are enough to know a Beelzemon was here," she nipped, sharply. Why was she being so rough on Isaac? The actual Maia wouldn't act like that, would she? The outburst, on the other hand, had her straighten her body, a frown curving on her lips. "I'm taking the blame, here," she responded with the same rigid air as her prior statement. But, as the boy continued his statement, the stone facade began to crumble. This took her back to a better time, and she was trying not to show how much all of this was distressing her. "So, it's my job to fix this."
The actual Maia, though, could see the breaking, and took a step forward. "I-Isaac. I... I think this really is me," she mumbled, trying to figure out how all of this was possible. But, there was no way that someone could replicate her this well, right? And Kuu wouldn't make a mistake about identities that was this huge!
"Mmm," the older tamer hummed, slowly shifting her gaze bewteen the two. She needed to stay collected. This wasn't working. Eyes seemed glazed over, trying not to falter, but it was too late. "I am Maia. Why would I want her body? Wait. How... how old are you two?" With the hesitation in her voice, she shook her head and it became clear that she was trying to block all of this out. She couldn't, though. Why did she even come over here when her Digimon had mentioned anything? The girl should have left them be! "Look, you don't have to answer that. I'm older than you. That's the point," she paused, debating on letting them work it out. No, this would take too long.
"Hint! You're in the wrong time! the Ultimate-Kuu in the background shouted, ruining any chance for the teens to use their brains. Ugh. Irritated eyes of his tamer flashed back at the Digimon, but he was still too busy playing. How did a monster with a bunch of knives end up looking so innocent?!
There was a small groan from the oldest of the tamers, as the Future Maia made a small gesture at her Digimon, "he gave it away, she mumbled, defeated. But, since her shell had begun crumbling, she took a couple steps closer to the two. She couldn't help it. And, in return, her younger self ended up taking a step back. "Are you telling me that you don't know who the Beelzemon was, either?" When the younger Maia shook her head, eyes dropped to Isaac. "Your brother..." she paused, refraining from using his name more than necessary, "he doesn't know him, then?"
This would be a perfect time for a meltdown.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 21, 2016 14:19:01 GMT
Discomforting indeed. As Maia moved behind Isaac, the boy found himself almost puffing up. He didn't care who this not-Maia was, or why she was here, or how she got her impersonation so perfect. All he knew was that when someone close to him felt distressed, his protective instincts kicked into gear. Even as the sharpness in the woman's voice cut like a knife, he grit his teeth and stayed resolve. It was rare that he listened to anyone who gave him such a sinking feeling in his gut, even when they wore a face he trusted.
Taking the blame? Why would she ever do that? There was a tinge of bitterness to Isaac's voice as he smirked in response. "Blaming yourself?" he asked, trying not to laugh and trying not to cry. "You're not the one who just stood there like a slack-jawed idiot as someone important was ripped away from you. Besides, I'm his brother. If this is anybody's job it's mine. It's always been." Everything was starting to hurt. His heart from the loss of his brother, his legs from all of the running, and now his brain from all of these half-truths and confusing statements. Just what the hell was going on here?
Then Kuu answered. Isaac turned as pale as a sheet as he realized he was in the goddamn future.
Of all the possibilities in the Digital World, of all the fantastic sites and horrifying beasts, of all the potential routes for stupidity, it had to be time travel? Great, absolutely wonderful. Now this made even less sense. "No, I don't. I have literally never seen that thing until it burst out of nowhere and took my brother. Maybe I will know it later on, but I'm so sorry we can't all be from the future like you," he said. He regretted the bitter tone in his voice as soon as he said it, but he found it hard to stop once he got started. When faced with hostility, Isaac tended to revert to hostility of his own.
Upon realizing who he was talking to, though, he tried to force himself to soften up. "Look, do you have a problem with me?" he asked, tones of hurt melding in with the bitterness. "Because you're my friend. Or were my friend. Will be my friend? I freaking hate time travel. Look, at some point in time we were really close, okay? So why are you being like this? Acting like I'm not even here?" He turned to the Maia of the present, the anger by now fully washed away into worry.
"I don't want to lose you."
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Maia
Better Mod
Might Actually Be A Cat.
Posts: 627
OOC Name: Cheshire/Mai™
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Post by Maia on Mar 21, 2016 19:28:46 GMT
Current Maia mostly listened, feeling a little nauseated at the second her. They were in the future. Was this really their future? Maia didn't see why she would be wandering around on the shoulder of a giant pink beast with limbs full of blades. On top of that, wandering alone. Where were her friends? After being so adamant about not traversing this world alone, it felt beyond odd that this Maia didn't seem to even like Isaac, and she didn't have a soul with her aside from her singular Digimon. How was this safe? Did her older self have that much confidence in her ability, or did she just not care?
But, the young woman in front of them only flashed a bitter smile at Isaac's response. This was really going to break her, wasn't it? "You... You don't even know the half of it," was all she could say to try to justify why she needed them to leave. This hurt! Seeing herself in a place where Isaac could still care was carving a lump in her throat and her lungs felt like they had been punctured.
"You could always fill us in?" the girl behind Isaac suggested, but was now the one to be ignored. What was wrong with this place? What could have possibly happened to make her turn out this way? This wasn't the future that she would want.
Hearing Isaac's bitter response, the older girl took a deep breath. "Good. You don't need to know him. Please, feel free to take more than enough time to ever figure it out," she bit back, "that's why you need to figure out how to go home and I will find your brother."
In the background, the much larger digimon lifted his head up to look at his tamer, "Maia," the Ultimate started, in an almost gentle tone. He had been alongside her for all of the events that led up to this. He knew how to settle his own friend, right? Still, his version of her wouldn't look back to him, knowing that he was going to try to make her be 'the good guy' again, or something stupid. He had caught the attention of the younger self, however. "You gotta let them see for themselves. Let Isaac be the hero again."
Again.
Tired eyes had become wide, as there was a hitch in her breath. This hurt. This was awful. She needed to go home. Why did she come here. A step back. She needed to take a step back. Why couldn't she just let the past go? Well... it was pretty hard to, when it was literally staring at her. Isaac's change in tone only worsened how the woman was feeling and made it harder for her to find the right words.
There was only silence, while the future-tamer mulled over a response. One hand moved to rub her arm, a clear sign of distress. Some things never changed. "We were really close, I-Isaac," was the slow response of the blonde. "I don't have a problem with you..."
"Just our version of you!" the Ultimate shouted, trying to keep in the conversation while still playing with the smaller Kuu. He wasn't helping. No matter what, no form of Kuu was a helpful form of him.
But, why would Maia ever have a problem with Isaac?
When the spirit user turned to her, the present-Maia nodded her head, slowly. "I-I agree," she murmured, concern clear in her tone. What would she do without him? They already had too good of memories to lose all of that, right?
This last part threw off the older self, though. How long had they known each other? Maybe age was relevant here. "So," there was a hint of confusion in her voice now, as if trying to piece together something. Sure, Isaac had always been pretty concerned about her well-being, in the past, but something about the wording had made her unsure. "Are you already dating, then?"
Wait. What?
Younger-Maia's reaction was relatively instant, hands flying up to cover her face, which was becoming ridiculously hot. On top of that, both Kuu's were in giggling fits over this! Ah! Why would her older self ask that?
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 21, 2016 20:45:58 GMT
Hero again. Problem with our you. In all the time Isaac had known Maia for, Kuu being the only voice of reason in a situation was unprecedented. And yet, here he was, the only person actually helping about the situation. It wasn't exactly stuff Isaac had wanted to hear, but it was better than the void of ignorance that was slowly pushing him to expect the worst. "Thank you! At least somebody's telling me stuff," he said, feeling like a weight had been taken off of his shoulders, then replaced by a smaller, yet still aggravating weight. He'd maneuver around this situation somehow, and then they could finally get on track to rescuing Elliot. Beelzemon had probably brought that kid all the way to the Dark Area by now.
It was a perfectly concise train of thought, only for older Maia to drop a 100-ton boulder on the track and completely derail it. As he figured out what was about to come out of Maia's mouth he began making frantic signs for her to stop talking. Of all the ways for Maia to find out how he felt, it'd be like this? It was far too late to stop Maia, however, and the truth came right out. Isaac turned that familiar shade of red, and immediately found him starting to sputter off rebuttals. "T-that's not true!" he said, hiding his face just like Maia was. "We're just good f-" Unfortunately, it seemed like Future Maia was already on the ball in this situation. Isaac found practically every point he made exactly repeated, eventually quitting in frustration. How can you rebut someone who had lived through the situation?
He sighed, turning to Maia. His Maia, not scary future Maia. "Can we just put all of that aside, not dwell on it for now?" he asked. This was great news and bad news. On one hand, he had a shot with the coolest person he knew! On the other hand, he screwed it up! Better than thinking about this, he decided to just shove it out of his mind. "I've still got a little brother to save, and being teased by two Kuus isn't gonna help that at all." For a second, he was inclined to dismiss future Maia's anger as just being a lover scorned, but he tossed the thought in the trash as soon as he showed up. Maia wasn't that petty, and deserved more respect and benefit of the doubt than just assuming that. Even if future Maia was different, there was no way she'd be like that. She's still Maia.
"Look, it's obvious I screwed up," he said, "But that just makes me more want to know what you're talking about even more. I-" He froze up, trying to figure out what to say. "I think you're really special, Maia. I like you a lot. And I don't want to hurt you, ever. So why can't you tell me what happened so we can prevent this?" He didn't even know which Maia he was talking to right now. All he knew was that he really, really hated time travel. "I know I'm a real idiot sometimes, but I don't want to just stand by and do nothing while you're getting hurt. I have to be able to fix this!" His voice was increasingly tinged with desperation, as if he knew someone he cared about a ton was slipping through his fingers before his very eyes.
~~~~
A cloud of bullets around Elliot's feet were the message Beelzemon needed to get across. After a bit Wild West style dancing, the Veemon had jumped into the sanctity of the tree for protection. That was the leap in logic he needed to properly put two and two together, and soon the Veemon was starting to scale up the tree. Even for someone slow like Elliot, it was fairly fast work. Veemon were light and had very strong upper bodies, making them surprisingly natural at the task for terrestrial Digimon. Soon Elliot was happily nestled in the branches of the tree, enjoying the beauty of the setting sun and munching on stale chocolate. It amazed the Beelzemon how quickly the boy was able to adjust after being put in a literal life or death situation. However, he allowed the boy his few seconds of tranquility as a reward for his good performance on his task.
Okay, time's up! The Beelzemon took to the air, claw crackling with electricity. "Cyber Claw!" he shouted, screaming through the air as Elliot's eyes widened in shock. It took a major pulled punch on Beelzemon's behalf to avoid just tasing Elliot outright, the Veemon quickly hopping down the tree branches. He was far more hesitant with going down than going up, unfortunately, and the Beelzemon found himself coming dangerously close to outright punting the boy off of the tree. "Faster, faster! Unless you'd like me to give you the express route?" Elliot shook his head and tried to speed up his descent, but it just wasn't happening. The Beelzemon settled for charging in, one hand gripping him by the throat and the older holding an electrified claw right in front of his face.
"If I cared enough, you'd be dead right now." There was venom in the Beelzemon's voice. "So turn this around!"
Elliot squirmed weakly in the Beelzemon's grip. Eventually he leaned back his head and smashed it into the bridge of the demon's nose with all of his might. It made a hollow THUNK sound, and Elliot found himself recoiling from the blow far more than the Beelzemon did. Often, it was hard for Rookies to even make a dent in Megas, no matter how hard they tried. However, the Beelzemon simply laughed and dropped the boy. Good, good! Desperation seemed to be a fitting motivator for him. He'd have to keep that in mind for future trials.
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Maia
Better Mod
Might Actually Be A Cat.
Posts: 627
OOC Name: Cheshire/Mai™
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Post by Maia on Mar 21, 2016 21:53:43 GMT
"Any time! I like helping!" the Ultimate cheered. He was helpful! Yay! Maybe he liked this Isaac! That... wasn't to say he didn't like their Isaac. But, he kind of didn't. After all, with all the problems the once-friend had created, even Kuu had a hard time finding a silver lining. All hope wasn't lost yet, though, right?
With a deadpan look, the future Maia made a point that she knew every one of the excuses that either of them could ever think of. Of course, she'd know them. She'd lived through them, after all. But, maybe, if they took this bit of information back with them, something could be fixed before it all went downhill. The young woman didn't really see it happening, but it was always a possibility.
When Isaac looked to the Maia of the present, the girl nodded, slowly dropping her hands from her face. She had to wonder how the two of them would get from the point they were now to the point where she would want to be mean to him. Sure, he had his own problems to deal with, but Isaac was a pretty good guy. There was no reason that anything bad had to happen between them. "Yeah," she finally murmured, trying to bring herself to smile at him. "But... I, uh," she paused, "I... do want to talk about this later." That had to be made clear. She couldn't just let a chance like that slip away, right? Hopefully, she could pawn Kuu off on Elliot someplace for the conversation, though. He was never going to let her live all of this down!
"Yeah, you did!" the pink monster shouted at the comment of screwing up, but clearly didn't care enough to stay part of the conversation beyond that. Oh, Kuu, why couldn't he just mind his own business?
The older tamer listened to the plea, still feeling torn. Would her own Isaac be livid if she let them know too much? Part of her wanted to call Elliot and pass them off to him, but she couldn't bring herself to lift the phone. She couldn't call him after all this time, just to drop some weight on him. "Do you know why I stopped here, instead of just finding him for you?" she posed, trying to buy time, "I assure you, he's not going to die." Beelzemon wouldn't do that to him, would he? There was no way she could see him actually going that far. "You really messed things up, though. For everyone."
Then, the older Kuu felt the need to add another piece of information, "hey, Isaac! Do you know what Impmon likes to turn into?"
Again, his tamer threw him a glare. "I... don't want to say too much on it," the blonde admitted. "You hurt more than just me," she sighed, glancing at her former self and a much more innocent seeming Isaac. Why couldn't she have just gone back in time, instead? She would have changed so much, but where could she have started? And, why was she still trying to shelter the young Isaac from how all of this came to be? "But, I don't think you'll... physically hurt Elliot." She could be wrong, though. After all, how long had it been since she last talked to her own Isaac? What if he had snapped?
Then, she seemed to adjust to a slightly more upbeat stance, placing a hand on her hip. "Anyway. The plan was going to be that I was going to go knock some sense into not-you for stealing your own brother," there was a pause, as she glanced over her Digimon. That sentence was probably the most direct she'd been! "I mean, hell, if you won't even text us now, why do any of this?" It seemed that even in the future, she didn't know the answer to everything.
This didn't seem sufficient, though. The current Maia looked at Isaac, then at her future self. Was she saying that Isaac was the crazy Elliot-napper? "How's any of this my.. uh, your? Fault?" She clearly didn't tell the Beelzemon to run off with Elliot!
"Oh," of course that would be brought up. "I didn't," she needed to find better wording for this. At this rate, it would just seem pointless. "I... kind of gave up on it." Was the blame just because she didn't do anything to stop it? "I didn't bring Isaac home. I failed. Now, he's just being obnoxious. I need to right things."
At this point, the Ultimate Kuu had finally meandered over, with his small counterpart on top of his head. "A better start is to call Elliot back," the pink beast suggested, pulling his feet out from under himself to thud into a sitting position. "I miss being heroes with him."
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 22, 2016 4:22:28 GMT
Frankly, Isaac couldn't tell a Beelzemon from a basketball. Kuu's hint had no meaning to him, especially when he didn't even Digivolve like a usual Digimon. As far as Isaac could tell, Digivolution happened when he found a conveniently placed statue, pressed his Digivice on it, and ended up turning into something vaguely related to what he looked like now. He certainly wasn't going to have anything as cool as Alicia's forms, that was for sure. Why'd he get stuck with goofy muppet demons instead badass robosauruses? Even if he wanted to pay attention to the Digimon's cryptic hints, though, he was far too busy listening to what the older Maia was saying.
She confirmed he'd done wrong. And she confirmed that somehow, he had become that motorcycle-riding menace. "What?" he asked, trying to hold in his composure at the news. He was going to become some feral Digimon that didn't even keep up with his own friends, and was so far gone he didn't even recognize his own brother as little more than a prospective kidnapping victim? The fate didn't sit well with Isaac at all, but at the same time he didn't even bother arguing that it wasn't true. Maia said it was, and she'd lived through those events. Unless she had become a horrible manipulator in the future, which Isaac could comprehend even less than his own monstrous regression, there was no way she could be right. However, what actual harm she had done was a considerably more tight-lipped subject. All he knew was that he became the rampaging beast, and for some reason Maia seemed to be shoving tons of the burden for it on her shoulders.
"Look, I mean, I have no clue what to think about that," Isaac started, flailing with his words as if trying to get his bearings back. "But you're still just telling me stuff went bad. I need to know more! How! Why! I-" He tensed up, trying his hardest to keep strong, even when he so desperately wanted to unravel in front of everybody. "I need to fix this. I need to fix everything. Please, I don't care how much it hurts to hear. It can't hurt more than knowing this all is going to happen and that there isn't a damn thing I can do to stop it. I'm sick of feeling helpless, and maybe this might be my big chance to change something in this messed-up future!" The words came tumbling out his mouth a little too fast, a little too slow, but just like the tears gathering in the back of his throat they just wouldn't stop flowing.
~~~~
Elliot panted in exhaustion, the boy a collapsed heap on the floor. He had just been chased around the hill by the cycle-riding Beelzemon, and it was the most he had run in his entire life. Between gasping breaths he tried to force himself back into a sitting position, only to end up collapsed over and over again. In desperation he turned to the Digimon, voice quivering. This wasn't fun anymore. Nothing about today had ever been fun. "Why do you keep doing this? Why to me?"
If he was going to keep pressing, the Beelzemon figured he at least owed him an explanation. He sighed, turning to the boy and finally holstering his many weapons. All was silent, besides the slight sound of the demon Digimon seething. "Because you need to learn, okay?" he said, the cadence in his voice vaguely familiar to Elliot. "Because you need to see that you've got to start living for your own damn self. Because you need to get used to being alone.
Because one of these days, your brother's going to fail you. He's going to fail and you're never going to recover from it, and neither will he. And things'll only get worse from there. You'll fight, and you'll fight, and one day none of you two are going to take it anymore. And then he'll be gone, like he was never there in the first place. And you're going to remember all the times he's failed you in the past, all of those little moments that led up to this, and it's gonna cut through you like a knife. And you're gonna be lost, and confused, and just plain gone. You'll never see him again, and you'll thank him for it." The Beelzemon couldn't even face Elliot. However, the boy swore he could see tears welling up in the corners of its eyes.
"You need to learn how to handle yourself. It's the only way to make it through life when you're all alone."
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Maia
Better Mod
Might Actually Be A Cat.
Posts: 627
OOC Name: Cheshire/Mai™
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Post by Maia on Mar 22, 2016 5:06:43 GMT
Both of the Maias could tell that Isaac was already heavily distressed at this, but the older one just stood there, watching him. The Maia that Isaac knew, however, stepped forward to put a hand on his shoulder again. "Isaac," she murmured, trying to find a way to calm him down. "It's... It's okay. This... We're not going to let this happen," she tried to insist. But, what if it was inevitable? What if this was really their future? Maia didn't want to be become bitter and she certainly didn't want Isaac to be some kidnapper Digimon.
The older Maia reached up to touch her Digimon's fur. "It's the little things. Or bigs things. They build up. Arguments happen. Life happens. You're feeling helpless now? Give it time," the young woman spoke quickly, sharply. She didn't want to talk about her past, even if it was their future. "Life sucks, and maybe you'll work through it. Or you'll just run off, like you did to me. To Elliot." Elliot was the more important emphasis here. The older tamer could have handled if everything had just crumbled on her, but on Elliot, too? It was hard to cope with that.
"Just call Elliot," the scythebeast whined, hearing the name being used. This was his usual response to anything that even sounded like the boy's name. Luckily, not a whole lot sounded similar. It got annoying fast.
The older tamer's hand dropped from her Digimon at the comment, regardless, seeming irritated. "Maybe tonight."
"You say that every time and never do."
There was a defeated sigh, before, "if we get home early enough, I will, alright?" To this, the monster gave up. The resigned tone implied that it was actually a possibility, so he'd leave it at that. Maybe after a day like today, she'd actually listen to him.
Was the future a static thing? Could this actually be changed? Maybe there was hope, but it was probably slim. "Okay, but you're not telling us how to fix this," the younger Maia piped up, sounding far more irritated than she normally would in front of her friends. How could she just so easily brush all of this off? "I'm not going to lose anyone. Tell us how to stop this all from happening."
The older girl blinked a few times, actually surprised to hear the other speak to her like that. An almost broken smile made it onto her face, and she looked down, brushing hair behind her ear. "If you think there's a way to stop him from being stupid, go for it," the tone was alarmingly bitter again and almost dismissive. "but, I couldn't say anything to bring him back. He walked away from Elliot. It's been two years since either of us have heard from him. You want to fix it?" Finally, eyes flashed back to Isaac, "If you want to fix anything, it will start with not abandoning your brother." Otherwise, this day would inevitably loop. In the future, Isaac would, again, steal his younger self's brother away from some inexplicable reason. If there was any hope, this entire event would eventually disappear or break away from what would be the actual timeline.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 22, 2016 5:37:53 GMT
"What?" This was the second time he asked, but this time the flavor of shock was far different. Before it was harsh and abrasive, as Isaac pushed harder for more answers instead of more questions. Now it was as thin and frail as the air being let out of a balloon, after said balloon had been stabbed enough times to put the assassination of Julius Caesar to shame. He couldn't think of anything else to say, as Maia's words dug into him like white-hot spikes. The bitterness of her words poisoned him like a raging infection, but it was the truth behind them that really hurt. There was no way to fight it. Instead he just stood there, chest heaving and shoulders trembling. This couldn't be true. None of it could. And yet now this living seer was letting him know that all of his worst fears were threatening to come true.
He remembered when he was only 9, and he distinctly heard that man's stern voice through the walls. There was a cold bitterness to it, not unlike Maia's own. It was the bitterness of somebody who knew the truth and was circling around it, as if looking where to go for the jugular. He refused to call Isaac a son. It was okay, though. Isaac never called that man his father, either. The man insisted that "that child" had let his poor, innocent son get hurt, and that he was lucky to even be allowed under his roof still. That he was lucky his real father hadn't been found, or else he would've been dumped there in a heartbeat. It was a conversation that re-contextualized everything for Isaac, made him put every cold glance and dismissive word into a new light. It was the moment that had turned his worry and slight distrust into a full-on grudge, one he would write on his heart and never forget.
He remembered how every time he looked at Elliot's face, he could see that man's looking right back at him. He remembered how when Elliot turned 13, and his voice occasionally dipped into cracking before seeming to change its mind, it turned into a disturbingly familiar sound.
He remembered how the conventional wisdom of "always look after your brother" always seemed underlined by that unstated "or else."
He remembered how some nights he went to bed hating him, even though it was never his fault.
These thoughts, soaked in acid and bile, were the thoughts he shoved deep into his mind by daylight. They were the thoughts that he was left assailed by when he closed his eyes to sleep, exaggerated memories, gut reactions, and subconscious resentments twisting together into a beast he never dared to face. Now that beast had a name, and it was Beelzemon.
The idea of these thoughts ever coming to fruition was, frankly, Isaac's greatest fear. Since that man had left, he had been able to tame them. He had stopped feeling jealousy and even revulsion for his brother, and instead tried to pack his heart with love. With the void of a father figure left behind, Isaac could only commit to being the best big brother in the world. Maybe it was out of a sense of obligation, but he liked to think he was also making strides toward generally getting over such old wounds. Why were they opening back up? Why the hell did this have to happen? He wanted to cry, to vomit, but nothing came out. The boy was only left heaving, desperately fighting to still himself and keep looking the traveler from the future in the eye.
And yet, he couldn't face her.
Balling his fists as he tried to regain his composure, he simply charged after the track marks. He wasn't going to let those fears win. He wasn't going to let his old scars reopen, and drown his conscience in blood only shared by half the family. And he sure as hell wasn't going to let himself become a monster like that. He tried not to think about the fact that he was weak, and that his fears both internal and external were very strong. Or the fact that he had no plan on how to possibly make the difference. Or the fact that these problems lied within him, and their presence was merely a ticking time bomb of inevitability. From these fears, from these doubts, and from both Maias he ran, focusing entirely on the trail. Before they were out of sight, however, he snapped his head back to demand one last question be answered. Not that he wanted to stick around and hear the answer. No matter what, the possibilities revolted him too much.
"Why isn't he with you?"
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Maia
Better Mod
Might Actually Be A Cat.
Posts: 627
OOC Name: Cheshire/Mai™
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Post by Maia on Mar 22, 2016 6:11:50 GMT
Both the present and future tamers were forced to watch the meltdown. It was hard to for the younger to believe. The older was busy trying not to replay her own memories of everything that had happened. But, despite fighting back her own horrible thoughts toward the boy, his reaction also provided the hope that she desperately wanted to have. He wasn't okay with whatever he would become. Although it was heart wrenching to watch, the young woman couldn't look away. She would make eye contact with the teen through the entire ordeal, if he desired to maintain it. It was some sort of awful satisfaction. It didn't feel particularly good, but necessary.
And then, Isaac ran. His friend wasn't sure how to react, only watching with wide eyes, while her older counterpart seemed to hesitate on if she was pleased with these results or not. Eyes turned to the younger blonde, gesturing toward her ultimate. "Do you want to borrow him? He'll catch you up with Isaac pretty fast." The pink Kuu nodded rapidly, as his smaller self leaped off of him and onto his own tamer's shoulder where he belonged.
"Ah.. No thanks," the younger girl shook her head. "That, uh, doesn't really look safe."
To that, her older self cracked a smile, "I remember thinking that, too." For once, her smile actually seemed fairly genuine. Maybe everything wasn't lost?
With a nod between the two, the present Maia hurried to try to catch up with Isaac. She wasn't going to get left behind that easily, even if he was having a hard time. Luckily, he had stopped to ask the future girl another question, giving his friend a moment to catch up.
"I guess," the young woman debated, "when you gave up on him, I tried too hard until I gave up, too." Still, the smile hadn't faded from her lips, as she was already pulling out her phone. It was still weird to her that there was cell phone service in a good chunk of the Digital World. "But, you know... I think I'm going to fix that." This Maia wasn't entirely sure that the future would actually change from all of this. At least not her's, but maybe it gave her a second wind. "Oh, and a favor," she added, as she used one hand to dig through the contacts on her phone. "If Isaac doesn't run away from you, tell him that I'm looking for him. It's about time to settle everything."
Sure, not following them was going to run a risk that she wouldn't be able to easily find the Beezlemon later, but this wasn't her place to join. She had already been a part of that team, and it had long disbanded. Plus, at the moment, this phone call was going to hold priority. She'd been putting it aside for far too long. Lifting her free hand to wave, the older girl took a deep breath before hitting another button and bringing the phone up to her ear. "Good luck!"
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 22, 2016 6:33:03 GMT
Normally, Isaac was far faster than Maia in these sorts of situations. However, he was exhausted both physically and emotionally. There was no possible way for him to be able to pass her, even with his head start, and about halfway to Beelzemon's lair he would find the girl gaining on him. Now that Future Maia wasn't with her, he was far more receptive to stopping and waiting up. This was somebody he trusted, not a stranger armed with near-prophetic knowledge of every action he would take. There was no reason to run from her, besides the ones that lurked deep within the pit of her stomach.
His voice was small as he finally worked up the strength to address her. "I'm scared," he admitted, shaking slightly. "You're right. Or she's right. God, I'm never going to get used to that. But either way, I'm trouble. I'm a coward. And as much as I hate to admit it, I know she's probably right." What could he possibly tell her? To take these burdens, some shoved upon him and some of his own creation, and shove them onto her back would be atrocious of him. He could never bear to do that to somebody he cared so much about. At the same time, he couldn't just let it fester. That was what gave those wounds their strength, and what was letting Beelzemon run free. No matter how torn he was, he had to do something. Taking in a deep, hollow sigh, he turned his dull eyes toward Maia.
"I've always seen a bit of my stepfather in Elliot," he choked out, his voice turning to pure bile as he managed to force the word "stepfather" out of his mouth. He could barely stomach it, but for Maia he knew he had to. "I hated him for it. I knew it was wrong, but that man never gave a shit about me. And no matter how hard I've tried to make it right, that's been lying deep beneath the surface. I thought I could handle it, but when the other you started talking, I knew something was going to have to give. And I don't want it to be Elliot who has to suffer for it.
There has to be something I can do to stop it, right? I don't want any of this to happen, but I don't know what to do. I'm sick and I'm terrified and I hate it and I just want this day to be over."
The constant switch between numbness and overwhelming emotion in his voice was unnerving, and the only thing quivering more than his voice was his legs. Isaac was starting to feel like he could barely stand, and if he had anything else to say it was masked by his complete inability to say it. For a second he found himself having to lean against a nearby tree, if only so he didn't end up falling to the ground and having a full breakdown. He had been forced down a crossroads he had hoped to never walk down, and only pure desperation to find any way possible to make things right was keeping him going.
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