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Exactly Where You'd Expect to Find Him. (Mandrake)
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Post by supesman on Oct 1, 2021 14:42:41 GMT
"I'm not accusing you of being small minded or anything, man. I would have to be a real piece of work to do that after you rolled in out of the dawn and saved my hide, just something I've noticed a lot of digi-folks do when thinking about Marigold and I." He said, still keeping one eye on his kid as he and Mandrake shot the breeze, it did really feel like just two parent friends talking in the way that adult friends often did. Zack laughed at the mention of pictures and he shook his head. "Be thankful my phone doesn't work out here or I'd show you, gotta be a few hundred by now. Her sleeping, her training, her being cute in the bath, eating dinner, reading, writing, sewing." He said, pulling out his wallet and opening up the compartment for a picture he kept hidden, folded over itself, but in a place of prominence right next to his money and immigration card.
It was a picture of Marigold, her head falling in the middle of a book, her eyes closed in a deep and gentle sleep, a blanket pulled up to her shoulders. It was a perfect single image example of what Marigold's life now represented. She was safe, she was challenged and engaged, she was loved beyond any shadow of a doubt. No more loneliness, no more struggling, where she could simply drift off to sleep without a care in the world and be totally secure in the knowledge that she'd have everything waiting for her when she awoke with the sunrise.
"My mother adores her, whether she's a digital bee monster or not. My siblings adore her, my dad and my grandparents adore her. I don't want her to ever worry about being alone or unloved. Ever..." He said, before shaking his head to let go of the heavy if positive feelings that were swelling in his chest, he wanted to keep himself light and peppy with Lilly being able to feel what he felt.
Speaking of, Marigold dropped off the tail too, grabbing and pawing at it with her little golden nub arms, more than a few times bouncing her head off of Lilly's as they reached for the same stretch of tail at the same time, falling down into the grass on her butt and giggling the way only children at play can.
"Man, have you ever thought about how lucky we are that our kids normally just bounce instead of breaking?" he said, letting out his own little laugh as they literally just frolicked about, doing the sorts of things that little girls were want to do.
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Oct 2, 2021 2:51:38 GMT
"Don't worry, Zack, I'm not accusing you of anything." Mandrake said in a gentle tone as if trying to keep Zack calm. When he mentioned how he and Lothar came out of nowhere for him, Mandrake said "I guess you and Marigold were fortunate that Lothar and I came along. Not all digimon, or humans for that matter, are benevolent. Some would of not hesitated to finish you off in the state you were in."
Then Zack brought out his wallet and Mandrake leaned over to show him the picture he had of Marigold passed out in a book and the Wizardmon couldn't help but chuckle. "Sounds like Marigold is lucky enough to have a loving father and extended family. If only everyone was as fortunate as your little bee." Mandrake said as he turned to watch the children as they bounced around in their play smacking into each other. Lilly's eyes teared up for mere seconds before her laughter joined Marigold's once again before she and Marigold continued to play.
"Yes baby digimon are more durable than human babies but seeing as how the Digital World can be more dangerous at times it does make sense." Mandrake said as he was often amazed by how tough digimon babies could be.
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Post by supesman on Oct 2, 2021 3:16:54 GMT
"Oh i wasn't even talking about the dangerous stuff, I'm just talking about the way that kids always seem able to bounce back no matter what kind of mess they end up getting themselves into. I mean I'm sure you can imagine the kind of trouble the I got myself in when I was smaller, let alone Marigold following me into the fray." He said, still flinching and looking over Marigold on instinct with each trip or slight smack, it was instinct, he wouldn't be able to keep himself from worrying about her no matter how tough she became. he spoke a tad quieter to Mandrake and Lothar though, hoping the two smaller Digi Kids couldn't hear. "Between you and me, I'm half worried, half relieved. Today has held at least two emotional breakdowns and at least one exhaustion physical conflagration for her today. Seeing her still on her feet makes me not worry as much." He said rubbing the back of his head before turning around, looking at the half wrecked manor that they had run the Flymon out of. Marigold turned to look at it, smiling up at him.
"Is this gonna be the place you were talking about dad?" She said, a feeling of pride and triumph swelling up in both of them and the feeling would be contagious even outside of the empathic digi-girl.
"Yea, bug...I think so..." He said, considering it for a long moment before looking back over his shoulder to fully lay out his plans to the parental pair. "Marigold and I have been talking about starting up a shelter for digimon and tamers in need. Fresh beds, warm clothes, hot food. This close to Rosewood and in travelling distance to the capital, we think it could do some real good."
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Oct 2, 2021 3:44:15 GMT
"Perhaps children bounce back so fast because they haven't yet learned how harsh life can be sometimes. I envy my children sometimes as I never had the chance to experience such innocence." Mandrake said with a sigh before he continued "I guess that's an unpleasant side effect of being bullied since I was a hatchling. Which is why you can understand that I want better for my current children and any Lothar and I may have in the future."
When Zack looked at the half wrecked manor he mentioned setting up a shelter for digimon and tamers in need. "A worthwhile endeavor, Zack, though that manor needs some major work it should be big enough for what you seem to have in mind. If only there were more humans and digimon with your generous heart both worlds would be better places."
Indeed the positive emotions were felt by Lilly as the Jyarimon hopped over toward Mandrake now but in her excitement couldn't slow down in time running into Mandrake's leg before letting out a surprised reptilian squeak. Mandrake looked down and Lilly as the youngster's face began crinkling before she sneezed releasing hot bubbles from her mouth on accident but since Mandrake was a champion level digimon he didn't feel any pain from the attack. One thing he did notice though was that Lilly's magic wasn't mostly dormant as proven by her magical attack despite it being weak unlike her oldest brother LJ whose magic was mostly dormant until he reached the champion level. That meant he could instruct her in control of her magical energies at a younger age.
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Post by supesman on Oct 2, 2021 14:20:26 GMT
"I'm not doing anything more than the best I can, right?" He said, looking down at Marigold. Another one of his folksy says, another thing that, for him and Marigold at least, got right to the heart of the issue without so much worrying. A few words that would make everything seem simple, at least for a little while.
"That's all that anyone CAN do." She said, finishing the entire saying for him, looking up and leaning her head into his hands. The emotions pouring off of them would be nothing less than pure and uncomplicated love and pride in one another.
"I hate to put this on you guys but if there's anything you can lend us, even if it's just time and some extra hands, we'd really be grateful." He says, the hive of FanBeemon that he had freed from the queen Flymon already beginning to get to work, gobbing honey onto boards and shingles to stick them back into place a little bit at a time. "It's gonna be an eternal work in progress, I'm sure you know the kind but I wouldn't really be being honest with myself if I went around knocking heads together without trying to do something constructive along with it. I can beat up as many bad guys as I please but it won't do as much good as actually lifting people out of bad lives. Crime isn't the same thing as evil, ninety nine out of a hundred cases." He said, showing a shocking nuance to his thinking, or at least it might be shocking to Mandrake and Lothar if they assumed that his thinking was more classically black and white.
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Oct 2, 2021 22:35:27 GMT
Mandrake nodded and chuckled before he said "Parenting is a learn as you go process and even though Lothar and I have three kids now, I think we still have a lot to learn."
Then Zack asked if there was anything they could lend them even if it was just time and extra hands. Lothar walked over to Mandrake and scooped up Lilly when as he heard that before Mandrake said "Judging by how the mansion is in rough shape I understand how you need any help you can get and I would be more than willing to lend my time."
"I am willing to help as well. My strength could definitely come in handy for helping with the mansion. All we need is something to function as an improvised play pen so Lilly can play and not be in danger due to construction but still be near enough if she needs something." Lothar said as Lilly playfully nibbled on Lothar's fingers as if unaware of what the adults were up to. All she knew is they were busy and that seemed good enough for her.
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Post by supesman on Oct 3, 2021 2:48:35 GMT
"Well, considering this place is falling apart at the seams as it is at the moment." he said, holding up a single finger and walking over to one of the walls, pulling off a few loose boards and making a makeshift diamond in the grass where Lilly would be able to see them and be heard by all of them in case she needed something. "I don't think scrap material for something like that is going to be hard to come by." he said, shrugging and turning again to consider the work that was ahead of them, tapping his foot in deep consideration of where to start. Marigold preempted his thinking.
"I think the most important thing would probably be to patch the massive cavern in the ceiling where long, sharp and scary made her decrees." She said, pointing up to the massive circular hole in the ceiling that had been carved out violently, as if it had formed from just the Flymon shoving herself out through the wall.
"Well folk, you heard the little lady. The Fanbeemon are bringing in lumber as fast as they can find it and we can use their stingers for nails. Let's see what we can do with out daylight." he clapped his hands as if to signal the beginning of the "real" work.
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Oct 3, 2021 3:32:00 GMT
Mandrake and Lothar watched as Zack pulled some of the scrap wood free setting it in the grass around Lilly in diamond shape. Deciding to help Mandrake used his telekinesis to pull some smooth planks free while Lothar grabbed some curiously strong vines from a nearby tree. Between the three of them an improvised playpen for Lilly was completed in no time and the youngster could still watch everything going on all while bouncing around inside it and being safe.
Hearing mentions of a large hole in the ceiling Mandrake entered the manor and looked up and sure enough there it was. Scratching his head as he thought, Mandrake knew this hole would be problematic if left alone as he looked around for something in the room to form a temporary patch and then he saw it. Not far from the hole was various planks of broken wood. While not perfect it would do until the other Fanbeemon arrived with lumber. Lifting the broken planks with his telekinesis he held them in place over the hole and waited patiently for the calvary to arrive.
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Post by supesman on Oct 3, 2021 23:51:37 GMT
The sound of buzzing was enough to almost be deafening, and it made what glass was left in the windows rattle audible as he heard a voice calling out about the horde, something that would be instantly recognizable even calling form outside.
"Alright guys, let's get that hole covered!" Marigold called, directing the hive of her brethren from the skies. He felt the weight of the lumber getting placed in a pattern on top of the hole where he was holding up the bottom layer. The sound of an uneven thunking began to ring out as thick, solid black stingers stabbed through the wood, he eventually felt all of the weight coming off of his lifting as the new patch in the roof took all of the weight.
Zack was forced to work on a bit of a smaller scale, taking any of the scrap or garbage he can find and simply dumping it in a circle he had scuffed in the ground in the yard out front with his boot, making sure that there was enough scrap metal, wood or anything else for people to use as he found it inside while also clearing the floor. He peeked under a broken table and stood up, finding a cute, if a little dusty doll of an Iguana.
"Hey Mandrake? you think Lilly would want this?"
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Oct 4, 2021 0:19:01 GMT
The excited buzz of multiple Fanbeemon became easily audible even by Mandrake from where he was inside the mansion telekinetically holding up lumber to block the hole in the ceiling. As he caught sight of them he lowered the broken lumber he was using to the floor watching as the rookies effeciently began working on the ceiling.
As Mandrake began heading out he came across Zack who was tending to the scrap and garbage. Using his telekinesis he lifted the scrap and garbage to help Zack out. Then Zack was peeking under a broken table before pulling out a cute iguana doll that looked salvageable if properly maintained. "She might. I don't know what kind of things she likes other than food and flowers since she has hatched only a short time ago." Mandrake said with a smile.
Meanwhile he spotted Lothar who had some of the brought lumber and was using a baseball sized rock as an improvised hammer hitting the nails firmly but carefully holding back his strength to avoid breaking the nails or even the boards since if he didn't he could easily punch holes in the walls.
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Post by supesman on Oct 4, 2021 0:24:15 GMT
Zack walked up to Mandrake, holding the doll and placing the doll in the hands of his friends, shrugging as he handed over the salvaged toy.
"Mazel Tov. Call it a late baby shower gift." He said, rolling his shoulders. he didn't seem to be in as much pain as he was only a little whole ago. Zack was the kind of man who floundered without anything to do and once he had a mission to focus on, it was easy for him to push through even if he had seemingly been down beforehand.
Marigold was darting from one side of the manor to the other, acting as a little overseer, barking orders and directions to her fellow insectoid digimon as they worked to fix the walls.
"I want...to have accomplished something...when I'm gone." Zack said to Mandrake as he placed his hands on his hips, looking out over the bee digimon at work, seemingly watching a real dream coming to life before his very eyes. "I'm not blind, I can imagine that us humans must pass like houseflies for you guys. I want to have done some real tangible good done when I'm done, and...give her something to remember me by."
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Oct 4, 2021 0:47:12 GMT
Zack set the doll in one of Mandrake's hands and it was almost as big as Lilly. Deciding to see how she would respond to the toy he gently set the debris down in an organized pile and walked over to the improvised playpen that was set up. Seeing Mandrake approach Lilly made an excited squeak at the sight of one of her parents before her gaze fell on the doll in Mandrake's hand. Looking at it curiously for a moment she began to bounce with excitement before Mandrake chuckled and leaned over dropping the doll on the ground in the playpen.
Lilly's focus was now on the new item as she turned to look at it gently nibbling on it but didn't like how it tasted since it was dusty but she continued to investigate it finding it soft and despite being dusty and not tasty it would be nice to lay on and she was feeling sleepy. Yawning the little one snuggled into the doll and was soon fast asleep using the doll as a pillow. Not wanting to disturb his daughter's nap he stepped back and walked back over to Zack as he had taken command and was giving instructions to the digimon helping. "Wanting to be remembered for something is another trait humans and digimon share despite the potential differences in our lifespan. Looking at myself and Lothar one wouldn't believe that even by digimon standards that we are quite young."
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Post by supesman on Oct 4, 2021 0:56:26 GMT
"I want...I want you guys to look after her, if something should happen." he said, opening a fear in his heart that he tried to tamp down more often then not. The idea that he would eventually, inevitably become unable to keep the promise he had made to always be there for her, to never leave her alone again. "Whether the life I've chosen kills me, or I just reach the end of the line because I'm flesh and blood and she's not. I can barely even imagine how much longer than me she's going to live and I want someone I trust to be there for her for a long haul if she needs help." he said, letting out a long sigh and shaking his head as if trying to banish the thought from his mind, stepping away and going back to his work.
Marigold had no idea what was being discussed down below her. Most of the largest holes in the walls and ceilings were closing inward one board at a time as more boards were stacked onto the walls from the outside of the holes toward the center of the gaps. She was inflexibly positive, even with the terror and anger that she was more prone toward than her father it was impossible for anyone other than the two of them to see just how similar they were. She talked like him, the light in her eyes was identical to him and she was so, infectiously, almost obnoxiously friendly.
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Oct 4, 2021 1:18:30 GMT
While Lilly scrunched her face in her sleep while making displeased squeaks from the emotions she felt from Zack the little digimon remained asleep snuggling more firmly into the doll she was using as a pillow. Looking at Lilly briefly and seeing she didn't wake Mandrake turned his attention back to Zack and gently rested one hand on Zack's shoulder when he said 'I want...I want you guys to look after her, if something should happen.' Mandrake didn't interrupt as Zack continued voicing his concerns regarding Marigold being alone when he died and they were valid concerns as no one should have to suffer a lonely existence. "Don't worry, Zack, if something were to happen Marigold won't be alone. Lothar and I will look after her. That and I don't think our children will mind helping either."
While Marigold was unaware of the discussion between Mandrake and Zack, Lothar was not. Though he was not intending to pry the advantages of feline hearing allowed him to hear everything. Yes Mandrake was right about one thing, if something happened to Zack, Lothar would indeed support Mandrake and help out.
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Post by supesman on Oct 8, 2021 14:46:17 GMT
"You know the best part of this "business" I've hoisted on my self, Mandrake old pal?" He said, stretching and leaning his head back, just basking in the sun for a long moment as it shimmered down on top of them all, a new day, a new road stretching out in front of him. The soft chill of the night being replaced by the hopeful glow of morning light. "When you go out there looking to help people, you make the best friends in the world." He said, patting him on the shoulder, looking over and down at Lilly, and then up at Marigold, a smile working it's way across the breadth of his face.
The young bee was hard at work, barking one order after another to her brethren. She was not going to let anything stand in the way of her father's dream, a dream that was her own by proxy, something inspired by him having seen exactly what kind of life digimon like her lead. With nowhere to go and no one to count one.
That all changed right here. Right now. One board at a time.
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