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Nature of the Beast [Hunt/Ask]
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Post by Honoka Nijimura on Apr 16, 2021 16:02:48 GMT
OOC Note: This thread'll contain combat, at around the Champion-Ultimate level. Please keep that in mind before asking to join. Honoka plummeted down to the ground, her eyes closed as she felt the wind rip around her Digital frame. A falling streak of colors followed her along, heading straight down for all to see. It might be a little more than distracting, but it wasn't like she could help it anymore. Honoka's spirits were all a little on the flashy side, so standing out was a given at this point.
Hey... A voice called out to her inside her head. But Honoka ignored it for the time being. She just had a little bit more time before- HEY!!!
Honoka's descent came to an abrupt stop as she felt her digital frame shiver in nervousness. A lingering sensation from her mental comrade, no doubt.
You're seriously a crazy bitch, you know that? Honoka opened her eyes and through her visor she could see the hot sand mere centimeters away from her. Honoka pursed her lips to cover up a smile. As crude as it was, it was Lulu's version of a compliment. But... I guess you've got better at diving, maybe just a bit...
"I'll take it..." Honoka said, a little drained from the practice, but still satisfied by her results. How long had she been at this? Probably an hour or so by now. "But I don't really see why you wanted me to learn it... We'd hit people harder in a dive more than stopping beforehand, right?"
Idiot... Was the voice's response. I don't know if you've caught our reflection recently, but this body of ours isn't exactly the most well-protected digital frame out there. And diving into an enemy is gonna hurt us just as badly is it hurts any enemy we kick. So between an armored dinosaur and, well... US, who do you think that benefits more?
"That makes sense now..." Honoka admitted, hovering her way back over to the oasis. "But Lulu, I never took you for the careful type..."
I don't care what kind of person you take me for. Was Lulu's rather snappy response. You can't protect anyone if you're... Her voice trailed off as she realized the irony of her statement.
"I'm sorry..." Was all Honoka could really say to her. How exactly do you console someone about their own death? "You, Lili, and Lala have never really brought it up, but if you guys need someone to talk to about... what happened... you know... you can..."
Yeah, whatever... There was a long pause before she added, I'm gonna sleep for a bit. Wake one of the others up if you need somethin'...
Honoka reverted to her human form once again as she arrived at the oasis proper.
Honoka had heard that you weren't supposed to drink the water in foreign countries, but... The Digital World would be an exception, right? Well, hopefully the handful of water she slid into her mouth would agree with her. Her EV suit managed to protect her from the worst of the harsh desert's sunlight and heat, but she made sure to apply some sunscreen just in case. Though... she wasn't sure the cheap, convenience store sunscreen she bought with the few yen she had was SPF Scorching Desert. Then again, maybe the Digital World's sun didn't give people skin cancer! Well... Digital World laws of nature aside, Honoka made sure to fill up her water bottles and take on more look at her Digital Map as she splashed some water from the spring onto her face. She was a good distance away from her destination, and she wondered what would be the best way to go about it. Honoka had an idea of what she was going to find there. The last time Floramon had guided her, Honoka had found three spirits, Lili, Lulu, and Lala. And chances are, she was going to find even more. Honoka wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of sharing more head space with whatever kind of eccentric personalities might show up then, but she didn't feel like she had a choice, either. If there were a time where Honoka needed a bit of extra power but decided against getting it for the sake of convenience... that was an unacceptable outcome. And Honoka was a spirit user, and having more spirits meant having more power. Simple as that. The more power she had, the more likely she would be able to defend someone in their time of need. And Honoka didn't want to go through the same experience she went through the last time she found her spirits. Honoka stopped sprinkling water onto herself. She was getting chills down her spine, and the water was making her shiver. At least that's what she told herself.
WC: 806/3000
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Magnus
Champion
Posts: 137
OOC Name: Yuu™
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Post by Magnus on Apr 16, 2021 23:19:05 GMT
"Magnus?"
"Yeah?"
"I hate this desert."
"Me too. There aren't many places where I'd rather not be."
"Do you think Katherine is fine?"
"She's inside the Xros Loader, so probably better than us."
"You know what I'm talking about. Not our Katherine."
"It was just a joking Sasha." A small shrug punctuated that sentence. "I'm sure she'll be fine. Jazz and her are very strong, so if anything, I'd be worried about the guy with four digimons that can barely function in this place. Speaking of which, you sure you wouldn't rather get inside the Loader?"
"No." The disguised Jazamon shook her head. "Given our current situation, I'm responsible for your and everyone else's safety. I can deal with the heat just fine, as annoying as it is."
"Suit yourself." What could be inferred from that dialogue? Well, that Magnus was walking through the desert with Sasha, and that while the two weren't exactly doing great, they were at least able to traverse the sandy expanse unlike... the assorted marine life that comprised the rest of his partners. They wouldn't have the greatest of times in a place like this one.
They also had emerged from a set of ruins, after a peculiar adventure with somebody who had the same name as one of Magnus' partners. Quite the coincidence, right? However, that was the past, and this was the present, and that meant that...
The group had to get back to civilization, or at least to someplace where aquatic digimon weren't at risk of just evaporating. Optimal if they did so in one piece, but not entirely necessary, right?
Luckily, it seemed that at least a temporary reprieve would be granted in the form of an Oasis become clearer in the distance. "I'm not hallucinating, right?"
"You are not. We should take a break over there." The place looked deserted, except for a humanoid figure that slowly turned into a girl as the duo reached her location.
"Hey. Hope we're not interrupting anything important." He greeted as Sasha almost robotically waved at the stranger; It was only then when her condition became a bit apparent. Shivering amid this heat was certainly strange. "You don't look super good. Anything I can do for you?"
Unless an answer that prompted immediate action was given, Magnus would refill his canteen while Sasha gave the stranger a curious glance. "Your hair is pretty. I like it."
Definitely a weird statement, but this was Sasha who we were talking about.
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Post by Honoka Nijimura on Apr 17, 2021 17:41:57 GMT
Honoka just needed to have a bit more time to reinforce her willpower and get a move on. She took a deep breath and shook the bad memories away. That was in the past. She was stronger now. Smarter. And while she may not have obtained some new level of power, she had been training as much as she could, thanks the the Digital World's time disparity. Even if she was out in the desert, completely by herself this time, she was going to be fine!
She stretched for no reason other than to psych herself up, and then she heard a voice call out to her. Honoka had been too far in her own head to notice her surroundings. It was a frequent issue ever since her spirits had taken up residence inside her own head. Whenever all three were dormant, Honoka took the time to hyper focus on whatever task she needed to get done, otherwise she wouldn't ever get anything accomplished. So she leaned forward as part of a stretch just as someone called out to her, waving. Honoka let out a surprised scream as she tried to stand up straight immediately, nearly falling over in an attempt to keep her balance.
It took her a second, but she managed to prevent herself from falling over and into the oasis spring. Drinking from it was one thing, but going for a dip probably wasn't the most clean thing to do. She let out a sigh of relief as she regained her balance and turned to face the newcomers. A young man, probably a foreigner, seeing as every foreign person she's met has been connected to the Digital World in some form or another. Well, actually being in the Digital World kind of helped with that theory as well. And... a girl besides her. Noticeably not a Digimon.
"Sorry, I was distracted, and you startled me a little!" She said, giving a polite chuckle and maintaining a smile on her face. "And I'm doing quite fine, but thank you for asking!" She took a few steps to the side. "Sorry, I don't mean to hog the place all to myself!" She watched as the young man refill his water supply while the girl looked at her and complemented her hair.
Strange... Honoka never thought her hair was all that different from other people's, but everyone always wanted to comment on it for some strange reason! "Thank you!" She said, brightening up her smile even more. "And I like your ribbons, too! They're very cute!"
And after that was the awkward silence of being alone with strangers in a public space. Clearly they weren't opposed to having a conversation, but... what were they supposed to talk about? Well, Honoka supposed she could just stop and chat for a little bit. After all, these travelers might have some handy information.
"So... where did you two come from?" She asked as casually as she could. "I don't normally go out to the desert like this... Do you guys come here often?" 1316/3000
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Magnus
Champion
Posts: 137
OOC Name: Yuu™
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Post by Magnus on Apr 20, 2021 3:26:17 GMT
It seemed like Magnus and Sasha had stumbled upon a very peculiar girl, startled cry and everything. Magnus couldn’t avoid smirking at that one, all while Sasha stared quizzically at the development. In the end, however, the male smiled gently at his startled acquaintance once she reconnected with ‘reality’.
“I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything important, then.” He responded. “You seemed pretty deep in thought.” And not precisely about good things, but asking as to why might’ve been a bit on the nosy side. Maybe later.
The male proceeded to wave dismissively at her apology. “Nonsense. If anything, the person’s who’s gonna hog this place is me. I should probably apologize in advance for that.” Once everyone was done filling their water supply, Magnus proceeded to slowly release the rest of his partners into the oasis. As of the writing of this piece, they’re a Shakomon, a Penmon, a Numemon X, and a Gomamon X. And they all seemed so relaxed in the presence of a suitable environment for their needs! However, for the time being, they seemed a little more focused on relaxing in the water than on acknowledging the ongoing exchange.
“Thank you. They were the first gift somebody ever gave to me.” Sasha, still expressionless, bowed slightly at the compliment; way too formal? Maybe! Magnus placed a hand on the disguised digimon’s shoulder, his smile still unfaltering. “She’s Sasha, and I’m Magnus, by the way. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
A hand was extended in the girl’s direction while Sasha just kept bowing for a while longer. “I’ll introduce everyone else in a bit. They seem to be a bit busy recovering their will to live right now.” It wasn’t hard to guess that the otherwise aquatic digimons weren’t a fan of this place, something that made the following question all the more fitting.
Still, the answer wasn’t complex; like many of the so-called ‘digidestined’, the reason behind the travels could be surmised as mostly due to one factor. The male brought out his Xros Loader. “This thing pointed towards some ruins that aren’t far away from here. It took some spelunking and risky encounters, but we got an egg for our trouble. Regarding whether we come here often or not…” He glanced at the group inside the oasis, and how they were pretty much almost letting out steam. “You can take a guess. Chances are it is correct.”
Of course, it’d be mighty arrogant if the conversation revolved around Magnus’ group. Yet, before he could spin the question back, Sasha decided to do so first. “How about you? Business or pleasure?”
It was weird for her to show any kind of initiative, but it certainly seemed like she had taken a liking to this human… despite her admittedly strange choice of words. Hopefully they wouldn’t come across as creepy!
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Post by Honoka Nijimura on Apr 27, 2021 2:28:12 GMT
"It's fine..." She assured the young man. "I was just in my head, so I didn't notice you all there..." She tried to laugh it off, but she seriously needed to get her act together! The Digital World wasn't exactly all sunshine and rainbows! She should know that better than anyone! She can't just space out when she's all alone in the desert like that!
The young man pulled out a type of Digivice that Honoka had never seen before. And much to her surprise, four Digimon appeared from within, transported into the waters of the oasis. Honoka... didn't realize that someone could have so many Digimon. She had met Rebecca, who had two Digimon, but having twice that... Honoka was a little jealous. As good company as her Spirits could occasionally be, having someone besides you was something Honoka could find comforting. Traveling in the Digital World could get... lonely.
The young man introduced the couple as Magnus and Sasha, promising to introduce the others later. "I'm Honoka. It's good to meet you..." Honoka took his hand and shook it quickly, but was still distracted by the fact that the dude just had a bunch of Digimon just sitting around in reserve like that. She heard that Digimon can have quite the appetite, so she wondered what how much this guy spent on food, not to mention the logistical properties of living with so many Digimon... But her mind was digressing at this point.
So Magnus, Sasha, and their gang were all traveling through the desert in order to get... an egg? Was that how Magnus had so many Digimon? Were these two just all of these Digimon's... parents? Honoka hadn't really heard of anything like that before, but... she supposed that if a tamer could be partners with a Digimon, why can't they be parents, too?
And when it was her turn to answer questions... "That's... Well... I guess the same kind of reasons, I guess..." She answered nervously, pulling out her own D-Tector, which despite Bass's insistence, was not actually a loaf of bread, but a green and pink D-Tector, with golden highlights. It had a very... flowery disposition to it. She pulled out her map and showed it to the pair. "There really isn't any landmarks or the like pointing to this area right here, yet one of my Spirits insists that there's something there. And the last time I followed her it led me to... well, more spirits, so she hasn't led me astray just yet..."
And more spirits meant more options. More options meant more power. Something the young Spirit user realized was something she really needed more of. Maybe it would all come at a price, such as having so many spirits that Honoka would never truly get some time to herself anymore, but if that's the only price she had to pay... It certainly seemed worth it, as inconvenient as it sounded! 1806/3000
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Magnus
Champion
Posts: 137
OOC Name: Yuu™
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Post by Magnus on Apr 29, 2021 0:28:38 GMT
A nod was given to Honoka dismissing her own thoughts. Prying would be kinda rude, so it wasn’t like they’d insist on it or anything. And, honestly? Even if it had the possibility of being a misjudgment, she looked like she had plenty on her plate at the moment.
With pleasantries temporarily out of the way, the duo listened to the girl’s reasoning behind her venture to this veritably inhospitable place; just like they had been, she was in a hunt to acquire something valuable to her progression as digidestined. The power to better handle oneself in this beautiful, yet indomitable and occasionally hostile world. Both gave Honoka’s map a look, and while there wasn’t anything pointing to any location in particular, what she said made sense.
While Sasha glanced at the D-Tector with curiosity, Magnus smiled with satisfaction. “Oh! This is actually the first time I meet one of your kind!” Maybe that could’ve been phrased better; the male realized that one a little too late. “I mean, the kind that evolves into digimons themselves! It was one of the few things that stuck when a girl decided to just dump a lot of information regarding this whole deal to me. Would you mind if I ask some questions about it?”
This had the chance to be a rather sensitive subject, and the male didn’t want to transform this into an awkward situation, so he’d leave that to Honoka’s judgment. Regardless of her answer, and probably after a bunch of questions if those were to be asked, he spoke again.
“I don’t know the details of what you gotta do, but if you would have us, we’d love to tag along. We’ve been helped this very day, and I’d just feel awful if I didn’t return the favor, even if it is to another person. Don’t you think the same, Sasha?”
The disguised digimon nodded relatively energetically. “Affirmative. If she let us, I would very much like to aid Honoka-chan in her quest.”
Having Sasha showing emotion was definitely not something you saw every day. “Attagirl. So, what do you say, Honoka?”
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Post by Honoka Nijimura on May 5, 2021 17:58:27 GMT
"Ah, well, I've never seen your kind of Digivice, either, so I guess that makes us even!" She answered politely. She didn't seem to notice Magnus's particular phrasing, or maybe she was just distracted by something else. "And it's fine if you ask me questions about it! It's not like it's some big secret or anything!" Though... from what she saw, how the whole being a Spirit-User worked differed from person to person. So... it wasn't like Honoka's answers would necessarily be incredibly helpful, either.
Plus being asked on how Spirit users worked seemed sort of... karmic, to say the least! Why, it didn't seem like very long ago when she pulled out a notebook to listen to a lecture on that particular subject, after all!
And regardless of how the question and answers segment went, the fact remained true that Magnus and Sasha offered to accompany Honoka on her little journey. "No thank y-" She began to speak without thinking. Sadly, it was her automatic response whenever someone offered just about anything to her. But... being alone in the Digital World... wasn't the most spectacular thing. Did she really want to go through something like the last thing she went through again?
She shook her head as she cut herself off, swallowing her pride, though it physically pained her to do so. So she began to fidget and twiddle her thumbs nervously while saying, "I don't know how dangerous it will be, but if you're willing to look after yourselves first and foremost, then I'll let you come along. But I don't want anyone getting hurt for my sake, okay? I'm... barely strong enough to look after myself, let alone protect other people..." Was she unintentionally dissing Magnus and his crew? It wasn't really her intention, but she supposed it could sort of be seen that way. Especially since you couldn't really tell how strong a Digivice-weilder could be!
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Magnus
Champion
Posts: 137
OOC Name: Yuu™
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Post by Magnus on May 6, 2021 23:29:10 GMT
“Never?” The brunette replied, a bit incredulous. “I swear that mine and the ones that people who get partnered to one or two digimons use are the most common I’ve seen thus far.” Then again, that was no more than anecdotal evidence. Maybe it was an outlier in a ridiculously small sample size and generals were actually quite rare! No way to know for the time being.
What to ask the person who had the ability to turn into digimons? Despite Magnus’ initial curiosity, when push came to shove, he didn’t have anything concrete he wanted to ask. That might’ve been a problem! “How does it feel when you turn into a digimon, Honoka-chan?” if it weren’t for Sasha being curious about the whole deal as well. “How would you compare it to being a human? Which one feels better?”
Those were fair questions, right? If somebody could become both human and digimon, chances were that they could compare how each feels, and determine which one was… better, for the lack of a more fitting term. Chances were that they just feel different, but confirming that theory from the source would be nice nonetheless.
“How does it feel?” Magnus echoed, and at first it seemed like he’d repeat Sasha’s question, but… “Interacting with the spirits’ inside your headspace, I mean. Are they loud? Or do they mostly keep to themselves? Is that different when you evolve?”
In all honesty, the man would probably go crazy if he had to share his mind with foreign entities, but he wasn’t gonna say that one out loud. It’d be pretty rude, wouldn’t it? In any case, it seemed like, after some initial reluctance from the girl, they would team up! Magnus smiled at the reply, while Sasha seemed visibly relieved. “Don’t worry about that. We might be newbies, but were not precisely inexperienced, you know? I might sound weird, but I’ve already played bait against unfavorable odds twice already, and succeeded both times! Don’t underestimate your resourcefulness.”
The disguised Jazamon, however, saw somewhat deeper into the statement. “Do you have any reason to say that, Honoka-chan?” She asked, a quizzical expression on her face. “Most people look after themselves first and foremost; it’s called self-preservation. There are exceptions, but they seldom apply to people you've just met.” A bit of a curt reply, but nonetheless a correct one.
It seemed like Sasha wanted to add something else to her reply, but was refraining from doing so. Instead, Magnus waved at the digimon who seemed like they were about to be done refreshing themselves. “We’re about to go, girls! Suit up and come meet Honoka!” Hopefully that’d lighten up the atmosphere at least a bit.
Slowly, everyone exited the oasis and began to activate their holosuits; at least that’d make them tolerate the heat a little better. “These are Akemi, Katherine, Mai, and Miyu. With Sasha, they’re my xros army.”
“Nice to meet you!”
“H-Hi.”
“Yo.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Honoka-san.”
There were tones and mannerisms attached to every greeting, but those would take unnecessary post space. Being brief was key! “We’re accompanying Honoka to find one of her spirits. Hope you’re all ready!”
Various nods and expressions of affirmation followed up. As far as it seemed, Magnus’ side was ready to go.
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Post by Honoka Nijimura on May 24, 2021 20:08:36 GMT
"I've met mostly people who have Spririts like myself, and most of the others were Digimon who didn't have any human partners at all. I've met a couple of humans with Digimon partners, though..." Honoka shrugged as Magnus made his comment. Well, it's not like she can go back to the past and meet the same people that Magnus met, or anything.
Then came the question and answer segment of this conversation. And they were tough ones, indeed! "It feels... natural in some aspects... while in others it's like learning how to walk..." Honoka tried her best to explain it. "For example... A couple of my spirits can fly, and for one of them, flying's not that much of an issue. But for the other one, because we fly so fast in that form, I really have to practice. It's kind of like... having muscle memory without having experienced something... I guess? My body can keep up but sometimes my mind and senses can get overwhelmed at times," She wasn't sure how much of that was relateable, honestly, or if it made sense at all.
"And I generally feel more comfortable as a human, but I won't lie that I like the way I feel when I'm in a Digimon's body. I feel... a lot more capable, after all. Though their forms tend to be a little too... flashy for my taste..." She chuckled as she imagined what it would be like walking into a convenience in one of her Digimon forms. Would definitely get a lot of stares!
Then came Magnus's inquiries. "It's certainly something that takes getting used to, though you might be able to relate, since you have so many Digimon partners!" She stated. "School can be a bit troublesome, as if any one of my spirits are feeling relatively vindictive, it can be almost impossible to pay attention in class. And I've just given up on having privacy altogether..." She let out a long, exasperated sigh, slouching a bit in defeat before standing up straight once more. "But it has it's advantages, too! They all experience the same sensations that I do, but they're able to notice things that I don't sometimes. Like, Lili can pick up scents better than I can, Lulu can see things that I might have overlooked, and Lala is able to distinguish sounds better than I can. And it doesn't really feel too much different when I'm in a Digimon form. Though spirit that I've evolved into tends to be more prevalent in my headspace." Hopefully that would take care of the questions for the time being, though they were certainly free to ask more!
Magnus made some assurances in their capabilities, and Sasha's question made Honoka a bit more reluctant to answer. "Well... Most people don't offer to travel into potentially dangerous areas in the middle of a desert, especially while their companions aren't particularly fond of the environment, either," She answered. "And I just don't want to see anyone kind enough to help someone..." Someone like her "I just want to be sure you guys won't take any unnecessary risks, especially since you're helping someone you've just met!"
But all that out of the way, Magnus introduced the rest of his partners, and "army" was certainly a more fitting term for it. Honoka greeted them appropriately and held out her Digivice before pausing.
"Wait... do you guys have your own transportation?" She asked, pressing a button on her Digivice, summoning up her motorcycle. "My ride's kind of a one-seater..." Well... she could probably have one person ride along with her. But the group as a whole? Not unless they were really fast runners.
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Magnus
Champion
Posts: 137
OOC Name: Yuu™
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Post by Magnus on May 30, 2021 3:24:33 GMT
It seemed like Honoka and Magnus had completely different experiences when it came to meeting their fellow digidestined. It was a pretty interesting tidbit, even if ultimately inconsequential. Especially when it gave way to something as interesting as Honoka explaining how it felt to be some kind of… digimon medium, for the lack of a better word? It seemed like a fascinating description, even if it ultimately sounded like something he’d rather not have to tolerate for extended periods of time. Having to share your literal headspace with one to three more inhabitants sounded like something he couldn’t possibly tolerate for extended periods of time.
In the end, however, their situations were indeed somewhat similar, at least to an extent. What Honoka lost in privacy, Magnus had to deal with in sheer number of partners he had to deal with; sure, they weren’t that many right now, but that could change at a moment’s notice. He could remember pretty clearly when it was only Akemi and Katherine. Now, he also had to deal with Sasha, Miyu, and Mai. And while all of them were good girls, when they got rowdy, well…
It wasn’t a good time. Anyway! “Honoka-chan sounds very knowledgeable.” Sasha reasoned, the corner of her lips pulling into a smile. “Thanks for sharing your insights with us!” It was admittedly strange for her to take the initiative, so Magnus wasn’t gonna stop the exchange until it was over.
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask them as well. It'd feel weird if we did all the asking and you did all the answering, after all.” Nevertheless, it seemed like their destination had more or less been set! The brunette gave a brief pat to his companion’s head, mostly to put her at ease.
“You’re quite compassionate, Honoka; I can sure appreciate that.” He gave the girl a nod accompanied with a small smile. “Don’t worry about us, really! But, just as you said, I’d also like for you to not take unnecessary risks when it comes to us. Forgive me for assuming, but you look just like the type that would do that if it were to happen.”
Was that an accurate guess? Or maybe an erroneous one? Truly, there was no way to know. In any case, they had to face yet another trouble, even one that could be somewhat easily fixed. “I’m afraid we don’t.” He responded to Honoka’s last query, a bit apologetically. “Think I’d be able to fit on your bike? I can recall all my partners if that’s the case.”
They had all finished getting hydrated, so might as well. Every member of Magnus’ army was recalled inside his Xros Loader. “I hope I’m not imposing too much!” Maybe he was being a bit happy-go-lucky? Oh well. “I’m ready when you are.”
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Post by Honoka Nijimura on Jun 2, 2021 23:08:51 GMT
Honoka wasn't sure what to say when she was regarded as "knowledgeable". She didn't think that in the slightest. And Magnus asked if she had any questions for them. Well... she had more than a couple, but that wasn't really appropriate, right? Plus she was sure that Magnus was just being polite! "I don't know anything about the kind of Digivice you have, so maybe I'll ask you later," She answered, smiling. She really didn't want to be much of a burden to the person who offered to help her perform a potentially dangerous task. Granted, if Magnus and Sasha wanted to volunteer some information, they would certainly be welcome to!
And as for being called compassionate? Well... she was only doing what anyone would do, right? Looking after others was the right thing to do, after all! Still, she nodded back to him when he tried to relieve her worries. Not that it actually did any of that. Sad to say, but Honoka's worries were never-ending when it came to other people getting involved with her business.
And while was certainly a tight fit, Honoka supposed she could get this arrangement to work. Except for... She pulled out a helmet from her bike's compartment space, and handed it to Magnus. "I've only got the one helmet, and you're going to have to wear it if we're going to be riding together. That part's non-negotiable." She didn't exactly like the idea of riding without a helmet for herself, but it couldn't be avoided. She would have remind herself to buy an extra helmet in the future. For passengers, and... in case the first one broke. Which with Honoka's "trial-and-error" form of driver's ed... was probably for the best.
But oases didn't sell driving equipment, not even in the strange, Digital World. So Honoka mounted her vehicle, waited for Magnus to get on, and said, "Umm... I guess you should... grab on or something..." This was gonna be one of those awkward rides, wasn't it? Even if neither of them tried to make it awkward!
And if there wasn't anything Magnus wanted to do, Honoka would take off, driving at a... less than fast pace. She wasn't sure if the desert had a speed limit, but... 40km/h was probably a little going well below whatever it was, if any. But there was no way Honoka was going to drive fast with a passenger in tow.
In fact, she was way too nervous to even speak. Her knuckles were white, it was hard to breath, and Magnus would likely feel her shivering despite the heat of the desert.
Driving herself was one thing. But having a passenger? Honoka hadn't realized this until now, but she still wasn't quite ready for that just yet. Stupid childhood trauma.
3200/3000, if I'm keeping track right. If not, something tells me I'm gonna hit that 3000 word mark eventually, so imma stop counting now.
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Magnus
Champion
Posts: 137
OOC Name: Yuu™
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Post by Magnus on Jun 7, 2021 6:41:36 GMT
Somehow, that answer wasn’t all that unexpected. It had been certainly a short timespan, but Magnus could make an educated guess on the kind of person Honoka was; after all, he had gotten some fairly strong words in the conversation thus far. The question, however, was if she meant them or not.
With a dismissive gesture and a smile, the brunette spoke. “Nonsense. If you’re curious, there’s no better time than now, right?” Unless there was direct opposition to such a notion, he’d bring out his digivice. “This one’s called a ‘Xros Loader’. Most of the knowledge I have about it was taught by somebody else, but the gist of it is that it has two basic functions.”
Making a couple of steps, Magnus positioned himself next to his peer and showed her the device’s screen. “The first one is the ability to store each of the digimons that belong to your ‘army’.” He smirked a bit at the term as his fingers moved through the dial. “I honestly don’t know if that’s the proper term for the group or if I just met some kind of military nut, but it has kinda grown on me over time. Anyway! over here you can select if you want to either release or fetch any of the digimons associated with the Xros Loader; it’s pretty when you have to move around with so many partners around! Even though I’d rather not confine them inside this thing for more than necessary.”
Of course, traversing through a smoldering desert with a mostly marine life based army was a pretty exceptional set of circumstances! He definitely wasn’t going to release them unless near a water body, or in case of something extremely urgent. In any case. “The second and probably most important function is the ability to combine the digimon in your army to help them become stronger! This is a process called ‘Digi-Xros’, and it’s a pretty weird thing that I haven’t delved into fully yet, considering that I don’t have access to many combinations at the moment. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I think!” As he explained, the device screen went through a variety of shadowy figures that displayed what was probably an error message written in digimoji; the only possible combination he had access to seemed to be one that resembled a mechanic seahorse.
With that out of the way, a satisfied expression came across his face. “See? Crash course done, and you didn’t even have to wait! Wasn’t very hard, was it?” With that out of the way, the issue at hand became fairly obvious. Honoka had only one helmet, and a person such as her would obviously not allow him to ride without one. Somehow, unsurprising!
Luckily, this wasn’t a problem whatsoever. “Aren’t you a nice girl?” He said, grinning widely while offering the helmet back as he retrieved his wallet from his shorts’ pocket. “I actually got this gadget after a kid stole my previous wallet; if you ever stumble upon a small blonde girl that’s accompanied by a digimon that looks like a nun with a funny hat, I’d be careful about them.” It took some rummaging on the uncannily big insides the contraption had, but he eventually got a helmet for himself out of it. “I have a motorcycle as well, except mine is probably ill-suited for terrain like this one. Got six helmets total too, if for some reason you ever need a spare.”
At least for this trip in particular! His partners probably wouldn’t appreciate parting with their helmets without their permission! In any case, and with both driver and passenger adequately protected, their trip to the unknown location could begin. Of course, this meant he had to hold onto her waist, and apparently this caused the girl some nervousness. “Don’t worry. I swear I’m not gonna do anything inappropriate!” While his tone was fairly serious, he seemed pretty entertained at the whole situation.
Of course, the less-entertaining aspect about the drive was that, despite what the appearance of the vehicle that Honoka rode implied, she wasn’t actually some kind of closeted speed demon; in fact, she seemed pretty nervous about the whole deal. The brunette just took a deep breath. “I think I know what I’m gonna get for an answer, but… penny for your thoughts? You seem fairly stressed, and the way you’ve talked about this whole deal makes it sound like you’re already carrying baggage from your Digital World adventures. You don’t really have to say anything, but if you want to, I’m willing to listen.”
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Post by Honoka Nijimura on Jun 7, 2021 20:16:09 GMT
Now, unlike the last time someone explained how a particular kind of Digivice-wielder operated, Honoka didn't stop and take notes. Not due to a lack of interest, though. It was simply because she didn't have a pen and paper on hand. Maybe she should bring one in the future, regardless of how much Lulu would mock her for it. Can't ever be sure when someone's gonna explain something important, right?
But Honoka figured that she got the gist of what Magnus was putting down. Loaders, armies, Digi-Xros. Surprisingly simple, really. It's a wonder why people get so confused on the concepts on a certain Discord server.
But then Magnus refused her ultimatum offer of a helmet, and provided his own in a strange storage device, also mentioning some blonde kid with a... a nun? This Magnus guy seems to know the strangest people. Not that Ms. Ghosts-in-the-head could throw stones. And he even assured that he'd keep his hands away from... certain parts of her.
"What? No... I didn't mean to... to imply that you would, you know... do that kind of stuff and..." It was probably best if Honoka shut her mouth. Things were already gonna be weird enough.
And awkward it was, as Honoka's nigh-panicked state was slightly deterred by Magnus's comforting words. Still... it wasn't something that Honoka couldn't explain easily. "I guess... I'm still new to driving," She reasoned, more to herself than to Magnus. "I've never had a passenger before so... I guess I'm just a little nervous. Sorry! But everything's fine now!" She tried to laugh it off, but it was pretty unconvincing. Not to mention she needed to keep her eyes on the... well, there wasn't a road, but you get the point!
Even so, Honoka did manage to calm down, just a bit. She had a passenger, and if she slipped up, then he could get hurt or worse. It was a pressure that dawned on her, but Honoka just had to categorize it with all the other pressures in her life. So it became just a little more manageable for the time being. Regardless, Honoka and Magnus had arrived at their destination. Where the desert turned into... grass? It was strange... Even though they had just come from an oasis, their destination was something similar.
A field of grass and flowers, apparently unperturbed by the harsh desert environment. In the center of this field, was a large fountain of water with a geyser in the center, its mist combining with the desert sun's rays to form arcs of rainbows that gave an aurora-like quality to the air around this field. And as if to mock all logic and reasoning, as the Digital World was want to do, when the droplets of water splashed back into the fountain, they emitted a faint, but high-pitched echo, similar to the sound when you trace your fingers of the edge of a glass full of water. The resulting symphony was a little haunting, and yet sublimely serene.
Thankfully, compared to the human-world and a certain gluttonous demon lord's bike, Honoka's's engine didn't let out a loud roar. Wasn't silent by any means, but it was low enough that they were able to hear... cheering? Which meant that the duo didn't distract the group that was already present at this strange spot in the desert.
A collection of four Digimon, their combined presence giving off quite the heat wave, even from this distance. All of them were cloaked in flames, but in different shapes. One was humanoid, a Meramon. Another had slightly reptilian qualities along with a helmet and claws, a FlareLizamon. And a third was a large flaming bird, a Birdramon, naturally.
And past them all, was another humanoid figure cloaked in chains and blue flames, a DeathMeramon. He stood atop the waters of the fountain, his feet resting firmly above the water's surface as he displayed his arms out almost in a holistic gesture. And where his feet touched the water, columns of steam sizzled and rose around him.
"He has come!" The shrill-voiced Meramon yelled out in adoration and excitement. "The one who fears not the combined powers of hydrogen and oxygen walks among us! We need not live in fear any longer, for our Steam Savior has arrived!"
"All Hail the Steam Savior! All Hail the Steam Savior!"
Now... Honoka had no idea what to expect when she got here, but... it certainly wasn't this! Honoka didn't know what emotions to process, but for some reason, she felt all kinds of emotions stirring up inside her. Anger, shock, confusion, betrayal. Emotions Honoka didn't think were actually her own. But what about Magnus?
"All Hail the Steam Savior!"
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Magnus
Champion
Posts: 137
OOC Name: Yuu™
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Post by Magnus on Jun 8, 2021 3:14:49 GMT
Things were going… well, as well as they could go. Honoka seemed to be a very interested girl, even though Magnus believed he had frankly pushed the envelope more than enough. Better to keep things as they were and roll with whatever would happen next. After all, words could only go so far; actions spoke way louder, didn’t they?
“Fair enough.” He said in assent. “You’re doing a good job; I’m sure you’ll get the handle of it in no time if you keep trying.” Some harmless encouragement couldn’t hurt, right? It wasn’t like he could do much more given the situation where he was in, or the nature of their travels.
Luckily, their trip wouldn’t last too long; eventually, they reached to what looked like another oasis, even though this seemed fairly more lush than when the two humans had met. It was definitely a strange sight. “Didn’t know there were places like this in the middle of the desert. They look pretty neat.” There was also the issue of the strange music that came from this place, which served to tell that this place might have not been all that natural, but that did make sense, considering the reason why they were here.
And, as they approached, the fact that they stumbled into some kind of cult began to become more and more obvious the more they advanced. That revolved around… anti-waterism of all things? Well, that was certainly weird. It was too early to judge any of their motives, but as far as he was concerned, as a being composed mostly of water, this could get dangerous really fast.
“I feel like we should observe from a safe distance first.” Admittedly, he was a bit surprised at Honoka’s lack of words regarding the situation. “They could either be a dangerous mass of brainwashed people, or just some harmless loonies, but I feel like we should observe for a bit more to be able to decide that one.”
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Post by Honoka Nijimura on Jun 8, 2021 20:32:10 GMT
Truth be told, it was hard for Honoka to focus. There seemed to be several wordless voices echoing in her head while this was all going on. She dismounted from her bike, collapsing it into her D-Tector. Magnus would likely have to guide her to a dune or something to hide and observe.
Meanwhile, the DeathMeramon finally spoke, cutting off the chanting of the lower-level followers. "My friends, comrades, followers... my... family..." Despite his intimidating presence, his voice was smooth, and despite its softness, it seemed to cut through the harmonic drops of water and the sizzling sound of the steam rising up from his feet. "It is said that water is the source of all life, and most would think that true. After all, look around you!" He gestured to the area around them. The field of flowers surrounding the harmonic fountain, abruptly cut off by the harsh desert sands on the outside. "Is this not a beautiful sight? A barren desert devoid of moisture, and yet a wonderful array of colors, a beautiful harmony of sound, and the sweet fragrance of the flowers around us. Would you not say that water brings such beauty to life?"
Then, the DeathMeramon emitted a wave of intensified heat as larger stacks of steam erupted around him, the flowers closest to the fountain beginning to dry up and wither.
Honoka felt a series of screams cry out from within her, as she suddenly clutched her head in pain. "What are... what's going on...!?" She cried out in a panicked whisper.
"But what does that mean for fire Digimon, such as ourselves?" DeathMeramon cried out, his voice gradually becoming more forceful.
"Are we going to continue to cower in the rain? Are we going to hide away from the oceans, seas, and rivers? Will we flee when the weather turns for the worse?" Each of his questions were answered by the lesser fire Digimon with a "No!", "Hell no!", or some other form of enthusiastic denial.
There was silence from the three Adult Digimon as the looked over towards the Perfect-stage expectantly. "I'll tell you what we're going to do! We're going to burn! Burn brighter and hotter that no weather, no sea, no cascading deluge will stop us! Follow me, and you, too, shall make the waves tremble in your wake!"
And all four fiery Digimon let out a roar as they let loose their flames around them, scorching the flowers around them, and as if in response, the voices in Honoka's head screamed out even louder, a cacophony of screams letting loose their pain and anger. And it was far too much for the young woman too handle.
Honoka let out a shriek of pain as she held her head in between in her hands and slammed her forehead into the hot sand over and over again. Her D-Tector fell to her side, its screen lighting up and revealing a series of strange, ancient symbols all the while.
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