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Post by Haru Toriya and Tawna on Jul 29, 2019 23:51:50 GMT
Tawna needed some time to herself... she needed time to think. It wasn't that she disliked being with Haru, but she needed some space. It just has been so long since she had a chance to stretch her arms and legs actually... nearly two weeks this time around, and even longer since she last visited the Digital World. Had she not been as domesticated as she was now these days, she'd have probably gone mad just from having to deal with the Hunter 24/7.
She didn't care if Haru was willing to forgive them... That devil cat will forever be on her shit list.
The Rasielmon was taking the slower route... gliding amid the skies of the Digital Core as she felt the wind blow at her masked face. Her destination? The Great Moving Library... still as majestic to gaze at even from a distance. Tawna sighed slightly as she slowed her descent and perched amid one of the Library's towers, briefly flexing her metallic wings as the angel dropped downward to a window... tapping at the glass.
This was the window to Mikemon's office... and it perhaps would be mildly surprising for him if he WERE there.
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Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jul 30, 2019 0:10:23 GMT
Perhaps it would be surprising - but Tawna was not the only one who needed a break from everything happening around her.
These last couple of months had been a mess, and it all started with that Demon Lord mess in the Dark Area. Everything else cascaded from there: K's last week, Holly's deteriorating mental state, Syre trying to bury herself in every little task and mission she could to distract herself. Honestly, a bit of normalcy was exactly what Mikemon needed, which was exactly why he found himself at his desk, pen scratching away at yet another patient record.
"Looks like this one's about wrapped up - glad that brace worked out for them. Alright, the next..." The cat gave a blink, ear twitching as he heard a dull tapping off to his left. He gave a glance, to see a Rasielmon floating outside the window. Strange, what was Mae doing? Surely she could have come through the front door - no, wait, he'd recognize this data signal anywhere. At least something was looking up!
"Heh." With a grin on his face, he'd step over to the windowsill, unlock the window, and set it open. Tawna, and... just Tawna? "Been a while! How's things been going with Haru on the other side?" Heck, what was Tawna doing here alone? Did Haru get caught up in some DATS business?
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Post by Haru Toriya and Tawna on Jul 30, 2019 0:38:48 GMT
To her relief, Tawna could see the doc himself idly at work on what appeared to be medical records... in a way, it was comforting to see something so mundane and not like the library being set on fire or something (again). Even the perpetual grump she was would be unable to keep herself from cracking a smile to see such a familiar face such as Mikemon. "Sup doc." she deadpanly spoke as she degenerated down a stage into Meicrackmon and grabbed the ledge, pulling herself through. "Yeah... It has been a while actually, hasn't it? Its been uh... let me think here. Whats 3 months in the human world translate to in Digital World time again?" the manticore dwelled... it really HAS been a while hasn't it?
She soon took a seat by one of the chairs, briefly wrapping herself with her tendrils like a makeshift poncho as one of her ears twitched gazing at Mikemon. "Haru's doing surprisingly well actually... Get this; she's been taking computer programming classes. Wants to get a degree in it so she can get a good job at a software company potentially in the future." she ended up stating. Then again, was it really that surprising now that she was a Digimon? Even if Haru originally didn't know a lick of code as a human, the way they'd see even complex strings would be far different.
Of course... she'd be lying if she didn't say she wasn't trying to ignore the elephant in the room. She just had a feeling though the doc had least an inkling what having to wrangle that dumbass analytical bitch was like at times. The way her face frowned pretty well signified what she was thinking about.
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Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jul 30, 2019 1:01:50 GMT
Sheesh, had it been that long? Letting the MeiCrackmon slip into the room, Mikemon would close the window, stretching out his back as he did the calculation in his head. "The time conversion's variable, but roughly multiply that by seven, so twenty-one months?" Oof, a little short of two years! He'd been around a couple of times just to check in early on, but really it was amazing how much that time just flew by!
Rather than go back behind his desk, Mikemon took a more comfortable chair across from the MeiCrackmon. Thankfully, it seemed that things were looking up for Haru. "Computers, huh?" Haru didn't seem like the type, initially, but it sounded cool - and there wasn't any indication that they had run into DATS or any of that sort of trouble.
But yes, there was an elephant in the room - well, actually, more than one. Tawna's wrinkled face spread into a bit of an awkward silence, the doctor not entirely sure how to proceed, the cat biting his own lip as he considered his words. Should he just rip that band-aid off? Well, with Tawna, there really was no better way.
"... You first." He gave a nod. "Its been three months for you. How's Hunter settling in?"
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Post by Haru Toriya and Tawna on Jul 30, 2019 7:53:20 GMT
Tawna's eyes visibly widened slightly from the revelation that from doc's perspective, she and Haru had been gone for nearly two years. They really HAD been gone for a while, haven't they? She actually felt a tinge of regret not popping in at least a bit more frequently. "Jesmon...Has it really been that long? Man, I must be the worst aunt to the kids." she ended up self-deprecating as she clutched her head, shaking it.
She bit her lip, sighing as she realized there really was no point trying to ignore that shit. It was pretty obvious that she had a bit of a biased opinion against the Hunter for well… very obvious reasons. "... Haru's not had an incident with her. As far as I know, every time Hunter takes control of her body… its Haru letting them. She actually kinda trusts them, which makes no fuckin' sense to me." she ended exclaiming, groaning as she lounged back in her seat. "Get this… she lets them play videogames. The hell man…" she exasperatedly added on.
Yeah… that's one good reason why she needed a break. She was the first to admit that she wasn't a saint, but come on! She knew Haru was forgiving, but you don't try to become buddy-buddy with your murderer!
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Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jul 30, 2019 22:30:44 GMT
Had it really been that long? As Tawna berated herself over the time period, Mikemon put a finger to his chin, trying to see if he could remember how long it was in his own head. "Well, the time shift isn't exactly consistent. Multiplying it by seven's generally just what we do to keep it 'safe' when tracking time - I'd say its been at least fifteen, eighteen months, something like that." Mikemon wasn't sure if that made Tawna feel any better or worse, but he still managed a smile to Tawna. "Don't worry about it. You were where you were needed."
As for Hunter, Mikemon mulled it over for a second. Considering everything? "Honestly, that's good news. It sounds like Haru's largely in control of the situation - and like she's giving Hunter breaks to ease the tension in her mind. Plus, I mean, its Haru." The prior tamer's paragon sense aside, perhaps Tawna would have felt it, just how much calmer it was in Haru's data when Hunter wasn't tense or having a moment of her own. Though at the mention of video games, he gave a blink. "Right, Haru had a Gamecube or something? Honestly I could never get a handle on that controller with these mitts, so I couldn't even stay on the road..."
Eh, he was getting off topic. Scratching the back of his head, Mikemon gave a slow nod. The room was about to slip back into awkward silence, but as if to save the day, a ring echoed out from the cat's desk. "Hm? Sorry, I have to take this - Hello, Dr. Mikemon speaking. Oh... oh, right, the flower arrangement... look, can this wait? Tomorrow, or something."
Sheesh, they were prompt in getting back with them, weren't they? The cat did his best to wrap up the call, though it would give Tawna a bit just to look around - and honestly, this office looked about the same as it ever did, save a small, black framed picture flat on top of Mikemon's desk. One that he hadn't hung up yet, a formal, professional picture of a familiar white furred Renamon. Nothing entirely out of the ordinary by itself.
... Save the gold caption at the bottom of the frame.
In Loving Memory.
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Post by Haru Toriya and Tawna on Jul 30, 2019 23:01:13 GMT
As much as Tawna wanted to just throw her hands up in the air and scream... she had to give the doc credit. There really WAS just no way she or anyone else could do to change their desire to want for everyone to be good. "Yeah. Guess she and Naoko used to play it when they were kids. God, I still don't get how they do some of those courses so well. I hate the rainbow one..." Tawna ended up adding onto the conversation regarding gaming. Much to her displeasure, she never was very good at it (she honestly thought Animal Crossing had a battle system until she finally pieced out the actual point of the game)... it pissed her off more though that the Hunter was actually good at that stuff. "Let me just say this. Never play Smash Brothers with that asshole cat. She cheats." she bitterly spoke, the Meicrackmon saltily crossing her arms.
She really had been gone too long.
Tawna didn't initially pay too much mind to Mikemon running off to take a call... he was a busy guy, made sense. Then again, there was that classic saying that "curiosity killed the cat". Her glancing over the doctor's desk was just her sating her easily bored mind, but what she DID saw caused her to actually double-take.
A frame of K's Rookie form. Harmless enough... but it was the words that cause her pause... its meaning clear to her.
"... Shit..." she cursed under her breath, carefully placing the frame back in its spot as she cautiously checked to see the doc wasn't looking as she attempted to calm herself down... and easier task than done frankly. That certainly was a bomb for her, primarily as it was so unexpected.
Just what the hell happened in their absence?
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Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jul 30, 2019 23:18:45 GMT
"Heh, it would probably be fun if I could commit the time to learn it. Looks like the kind of thing that Syre could spend hours doing." He gave a chuckle. Video games were just something that never clicked for him - nor did it really click for most Digimon. "And c'mon, me playing against Haru's already like playing against a cheater, I can't keep up with that."
The call would interrupt them soon after, and unfortunately, the salesman was quite insistent on getting this done right now. Something about the flowers 'dying on the table' or whatnot - and for the five minutes it took, Mikemon just hurried through the process, affirming the address and the assortment. As he took care of it, his ear gave a flick as he heard something behind him, the cat feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders as he shot a small glance back towards the front of his desk.
A minute later, the call was finished. He'd hang up, putting the D-Terminal away as he sat back across from Tawna. And a few moments later, he'd break the silence.
"... About a month ago." He answered that silent question in the air. Tawna wasn't too well versed in the current goings-on of the Digital World, so Mikemon kept it relatively simple. "K got into a fight with a wicked-as-hell Wisemon, and ended up having to load his data to even drag herself back to us. Things went fine for months after that - but it turned out that the Wisemon was trying to cannibalize her data from the inside-out, to use her deleted body to come back as himself."
He bit his lip.
"We caught it in time to expunge Wisemon from her data. But not in time to save her life."
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Post by Haru Toriya and Tawna on Jul 30, 2019 23:43:38 GMT
Tawna honestly was unsure if she wanted to be the one to bring up possible (and heartbreaking) recent events or not... but it seemed that she didn't have to as the doc had already caught wind of her discovery.
... It was definitely not a honorable death. Tawna was the first to say she admired strength, and K backed that strength with a resolute will. Royal Knight or not, she considered them a friend... maybe she didn't have the chance to know them as well as Mikemon, but they certainly were a part of her life. God... what are their kids going through?
"... I'm sorry doc." Tawna weakly spoke, gazing down... She wanted to say more, but what else COULD she say? She just more than anything wanted to know why this HAD to happen. "What of her data though? Wouldn't it return to the Village and well... be fine then?"
Tawna's experience with Digimon revival was well... limited. She before Haru never gave her prey the chance, and most of her enemies after Haru she either loaded, or just merely was told to ignore it... not giving much thought what they'd be like afterwards. However... this was someone she DID care about, but the possibility that perhaps K was not coming back worried her. "... What I'm trying to say is... is K... gone?" she spoke, the sentence feeling like a knife stabbed into her.
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Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jul 31, 2019 0:10:42 GMT
It wasn't easy to say, but Mikemon was remarkably calm with his words.
It was weird. After a month, his emotions managed to mellow out a bit, perhaps coming a bit more to terms with this new reality. Yes, it was hard, and sometimes it still got to him, but it wasn't as if the world stopped spinning. Was this something that just came with age, or was he just numb to it all?
"... T-thanks." He accepted Tawna's gesture, though that next question hit a bit of a sore spot. What of K's data? What of her reincarnated form? That one actually made his heart twist a bit in his chest.
"... As I understand it, she became an egg and was adopted to a family out in Rosewood. It hatched, and eventually became a Renamon named Silence - an outgoing, rough figure who went and immediately joined the town guard. She's... well."
The cat bit his lip.
"She's nothing like K."
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Post by Haru Toriya and Tawna on Jul 31, 2019 0:37:45 GMT
On one hand, Tawna was relieved that K's data WAS reborn... but at the same, Mikemon made it very clear to her that the reborn K was... well, not K. It sounded like Mikemon already had took some time to dwell on this, and well... she couldn't be anything but sympathetic to him. After all... she had already experienced the feeling of losing a loved one (albeit temporarily) as well.
Mikemon lost a friend and beloved wife. Despite all the suffering she had experienced... at least she got to keep Haru.
She balled her fists up, trying to resist the urge to want to just break something... rather, she opted to simply swallow her rage and cope the only way she somewhat knew how. The Meicrackmon bent down to her knees and hugged the good doctor gently.
"... Doc...? Are we still bad people...?" the Ultimate level weakly murmurred in a rare tone of weakness, her face getting a little moist. It wasn't fair. Was there really no justice to this world? No justice that good people like K have to die? It felt like the worst stuff always had to happen to good people... Haru, Cassandra, now K too. It just didn't make sense to Tawna still. "If we're not... why do we still have these awful things happen to us?"
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Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jul 31, 2019 1:07:48 GMT
Unlike Mikemon, Tawna was taking this grief from the ground up - and Mikemon knew full well that Tawna was perhaps not the best at it. She could be rough, she could be angry, and Tawna was definitely the type to wear emotions on her sleeve if she was around people she trusted.
It was this knowledge that made the cat blink as he was scooped up right in Tawna's arms. Mikemon gave a small blink, before returning that hug, resting his chin atop the MeiCrackmon's shoulder. Yes, Tawna was trying to support him, but she was also trying to cope for herself. The doctor felt that dreadful emotion start to rise up in his chest once more, gritting his teeth as he tried to level himself out.
Were they still bad people? The doctor mulled it over. Everything that Tawna had done to try and redeem herself, the years of medical practice Mikemon had put into this world - was it all for naught? That was the dread that was weighing on Tawna's heart right now. Despite everything that she had already been through, the world still thought it necessary to put them through the wringer.
Mikemon grit his teeth. "... K... K led a dangerous life. She put her best self forward to try and make the world a better place for everyone else, even if it meant sticking her neck out for us all. Its... its not fair, no. Nothing about it is fair. But its logical."
Is that what it was, though? The price of chivalry? In that vein, perhaps it was similar to what happened to Haru... but it definitely didn't make the weight of it any easier. Even as the cat called it 'logical', his hands tightened slightly around Tawna's shoulders.
"God... god, its been difficult, Tawna. I'm keeping myself together as best as I can, but..."
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Post by Haru Toriya and Tawna on Jul 31, 2019 2:08:29 GMT
Tawna was definitely not the most well-adjusted person in the world… she did a lot of things she was not proud of, but she didn't have the knowledge and experience Mikemon has gained over the years. Even though she often tried to portray herself as a strong, independent individual… she had weakpoints. She still even past her gruff personality had a sense of innocence that was still unsure about her place in this world.
It was honestly times like these she wished she never had been cursed with these damned emotions. As much as they could bring light into the world, they an ugly side… an ugly side that tended to prey on her own inner-doubts.
She gritted her teeth at the doctor's words. Yes, K was the type of person who risked everything for her loved ones… but that was what was admirable about them. They wore the coat of Jesmon well because of this. "All the best people do doc… least that's what it seems like." she quietly murmured as she placed her face on Mikemon's head in a comforting nuzzle. "Its okay doc… You're a strong man. You are handling it better than I would." she attempted to comfort him as she soon began to hold his hand. "... Just… if theres anything I can do for ya, please just tell me. You were there for me and Haru; I have to repay the favor."
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Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jul 31, 2019 23:25:36 GMT
If anything was fortunate here, it was that Mikemon was not in the budding stages of his grief.
He was sad, yes, and he missed K dearly, but it was no longer a sole thing dragging his heart into the ground. His tone was somber yet level, able to calmly feel Tawna's tone as she nuzzled back against him. The doctor could tell that he wasn't the only one suffering, that this MeiCrackmon was doing everything she could to hold herself together. He carefully rested his hand around Tawna's own, taking a breath as he let himself level out.
"... Thank you, Tawna."
Past that, he would stay like that for about a minute, just letting the two get that out of their systems. And after a few moments, Mikemon would slowly push himself away, almost stumbling back as he slipped back into his chair, a slight red tinge hidden under his cheeks.
One more deep breath.
"... Its been bad, but somehow, we've been able to manage. We've gotten a lot of help, and we're glad to have yours in it too." It was a bit hard to steer this back into other 'goings-on', but there were other things that happened on this side! "Let's see... oh, right, you came at a lucky time. We're actually moving out of the Library in a week or two - not leaving the club, but actually getting a place for ourselves so we aren't just squatting in Yukiko's backyard." He gave a small chuckle at that.
It was a bit of a hard shift in topic... but what wouldn't be, at this rate?
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Post by Haru Toriya and Tawna on Aug 1, 2019 0:07:50 GMT
Tawna was generally the type to fidget and get clammy when she had to sit still... but it was less of a problem when it was with the doc. If there was anyone she was almost as comfortable with as Haru, it was the doc. As emotionally distant as she came across to most people, she felt at ease with the doc; and it showed with how quiet and still she was with him. It was up to the doc to actually pull himself away from the humanoid feline as she looked down awkwardly.
As easy as it was to simply fall back to pessimism, this wasn't the worst they've been through. Up there, but both she and Mikemon had experienced things that would make many mons shrivel from fear... many things they've also done as well... but there were people who were able to look past that. As long as even one person had faith in them, they had a reason to press on.
It was the best approach for them to just move on from this depressing conversation... as sad as it was, they'd have time to grieve another time. Her ears perked up slightly hearing the idea of moving out of the library, but she supposed it was sensible. "Having your own home sounds... nice." she softly mused, her emerald eyes darting around a bit frantically. "Do... do you guys need help or anything? I can do the heavy lifting y'know. I mean, I got nothing else better to do other than help wrangle a mental asshole." she ended up asking, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
The truth of the matter was... honestly, she felt comfortable leaving Haru by herself for a bit. It was actually Haru that insisted on her visiting the Digital World (they were too busy studying for an exam however). Maybe getting the chance to be a Digimon again would help clear her mind...?
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