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Post by Dante on Feb 21, 2022 5:02:15 GMT
It was a quiet day in the Shining Sea. It seems there was nothing but sand and giant crystals in the sun for miles. What secrets lay buried in this former lake? Somewhere in the sand, there is a trail of footprints. A man wearing green and black robes marches on, shielded from the sun by his hood, only his scraggly dirty blonde beard visible. The man appears to have a hump on his shoulder, but upon closer inspection, one would notice two green antennae sticking out.
The man traveling across the sand is Dante, a long time Digimon Tamer accompanied by his partner Wormmon. The two had been living alone in the forest for many moons, living off the land and enjoying a quiet life. What brings this hermit here is unknown. Wormmon lets out a yawn and stretches, the hump underneath the robes wiggling around.
"How much longer until we get there, Dante? I'm bored."
"How can you possibly be bored right now, little buddy? Look at all these big crystals glowing in the sun. Truly a beautiful sight."
"Silence! Your brain's been fried by sitting in trees all day eating those funky mushrooms. I've been bored ever since we left Japan land. Why can't we go back?"
"Why would we go back? So many irritating people, bad traffic, and always some big shot Digimon roaming around threatening to destroy the city! Just like that one game, with the lizard, and the monkey. What was it called again? Besides, I'm certain Shibi-ya has been destroyed by now without us there to stop evil Digimon."
Dante continues marching onward. The journey was long, but he doesn't mind. There is no one else in sight for miles. At least, that's what Dante thinks. This desert might not be as empty as believed.
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Post by Kaya Matsui and Hawkeye on Feb 21, 2022 5:18:46 GMT
Oh, the desert was definitely not as empty as Dante thought it was. Not too far away from where Dante and Wormmon were, another Tamer pair was exploring this section of the Digital World: Kaya Matsui and her partner Hawkeye the Hawkmon. They were simply there to check out a section of the Digital World before school started for Kaya, which thanks to the time dilation gave them plenty of time to observe and do other things before she had to leave for school.
"These crystals are beautiful," Kaya remarked as she placed a hand on one of them. "I can't believe we haven't explored this part of the Digital World before today. There's still so much about this place that I haven't seen yet..."
"Indeed, the Digital World is a big place," Hawkeye said as he observed the same crystal that Kaya was touching. "You know, they say these crystals glow at night, radiating some mysterious power... it would be interesting to learn what sort of power they are referring to."
"We can always chip a piece off and bring it home?"
"I would advise against that, in case the power they're referring to is the exploding kind."
"Okay, yeah, good point," Kaya responded. She then noticed something off about the sand right next to them. Shifting her attention from the crystal, she knelt down closer to the ground and observed the white sand beneath. Her hunch was right; these were footprints. "Hawkeye, we weren't the only ones here recently."
"Hm?" The Hawkmon turned around before he too noticed the footprints. "Footprints... these are still fresh, I believe."
"They look like they belong to a human... but I think we better check, just to be sure."
With that, Kaya and Hawkeye then followed the trail of footprints across the desert, and it wouldn't take long before they saw someone. It was shaped like a human, wearing green and black robes, and Kaya could swear she saw a hump on this person. "Hey!" Kaya called out to this figure, waving her hand up high. "Are you lost? We could help you! We have a way to get around this desert!"
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Post by Dante on Feb 21, 2022 5:36:52 GMT
Everything was going fine, nice relaxing day out in the sun. Even though Dante had been to many places in the Digital World, this particular area was unknown to him. He knew nothing of these mysterious crystals. It seems there were still mysteries that remain covered here in the Digital World.
Suddenly the quiet breeze was interrupted when Dante heard a voice from behind him. His body locked in place as his head perked up, the voice still echoing in his ears. It has been months since he heard anyone besides Wormy's voice. Slowly the hermit rotates around, squinting his eyes to make out the figure. Fortunately, this individual sounded friendly, even offering help. Wormmon squirms over to Dante's ear to whisper advice.
"This could be a trap, Dante. Stay on guard."
It takes him a moment, but Dante manages to mumble out a response.
"Ha-wah, hello there. Ahem, mmm. What's going on here?"
Dante starts strolling towards the stranger. Though her voice sounded sort of familiar. It has been so long, maybe Dante's mind is playing tricks on him. He had forgotten much about his time before his self-imposed exile, forgoing modern luxuries to escape from society entirely. Wormmon pokes his head out from under the robes as Dante reaches a close distance and stops.
"Greetings, travelers. You mentioned help?"
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Post by Kaya Matsui and Hawkeye on Feb 22, 2022 3:57:54 GMT
Kaya and Hawkeye waited there momentarily as the figure took their time to respond to Kaya calling out to them. It almost looked as if they were hesitating about responding to her. Of course, they eventually muttered something and turned around, slowly walking towards the duo. Kaya smiled and waved to them as Hawkeye whispered a little bit of advice to her:
"I don't believe I have to remind you to be careful, do I?"
Kaya nodded to her partner, looking back at the stranger as they got closer and closer. Faded memories began to flood into their minds as the stranger got closer. Something about him was so familiar but neither one could quite put their finger on it. It wasn't until the Wormmon poked his head out from the human's cloak that it all came back to them.
"Wormmon?" Kaya asked the green bug, before she focused her attention more on the human. "...Dante? Is that really you? You... don't remember us, do you? I'm Kaya Matsui. You were there when I came to the Digital World for the first time... is this where you've been this whole time? The Shining Sea?"
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Post by Dante on Feb 22, 2022 9:04:11 GMT
The appearance of the Wormmon revealed that this wanderer was in fact Dante, a Tamer Kaya and Hawkeye first arrived in the Digital World. It was like a lightbulb went off in Dante's head as he recalls meeting the duo. Dante's eyes open wide in surprise as he brushes the hair out of his face and pushes the cloak up a bit to reveal his face.
"Oh, it's really You! Wow, Kaya and Hawkeye, how long has it been? It's so good to see you again."
Wormmon has a puzzled expression, thinking back to when they had met. He recalls meeting Hawkeye is the woods.
"Wait a minute, I remember you now. Hi Kaya. We meet again, Hawkeye."
"We only just arrived in the Shining Sea. The two of us have been residing in the forest since, well, it gets tough to keep track of time."
Dante's demeanor changes from tense to relaxed. It was good to see a familiar face. Wormmon crawls out from under the robes and sits up on Delight's shoulder, only his tail covered. The self-acclaimed Worm King didn't quite seem to be his obnoxious old self yet.
"So what have you been up to? Dante here thought it would be a great idea to live in the middle of nowhere, no TV, no internet, no Burger Hut. Do you have any happy meals by any chance?"
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Post by Kaya Matsui and Hawkeye on Mar 7, 2022 4:45:22 GMT
It had been so long since Kaya had seen Dante and Wormmon last. He was the only human around when she first arrived in the Digital World, and the two of them were surrounded by an entire village of digital monsters. If he wasn't there, it would've taken her much longer to calm down about being in another world entirely filled with creatures that weren't human. But still... why was he out here? And why did he look so... scruffy?
"I remember you too," Hawkeye said to Wormmon as he crossed his wings. "I remember how much of a pain in the butt you were." If Dante and Wormmon were to look closer, they would notice that Hawkeye was now lacking his quiver and archer's bow that he had with him the last time they saw him. Would they dare to ask what happened?
Dante revealed that not only had they just arrived at the Shining Sea, but that he and Wormmon had been living in the Digital World's forest area for who knows how long. Wormmon came out from underneath Dante's robe and elaborated further that Dante was the one who decided that the two of them live out in the middle of nowhere... and of course, Wormmon asked if the duo had any Burger Hut meals with them.
"Sorry, we don't have any food on us right now," Kaya said to Wormmon. "Wait, so you two have been living out in the wilds of the Digital World this whole time? When's the last time you been to one of the Digital World cities?"
"...when's the last time you've spoken to anyone that wasn't your partner?" Hawkeye asked, a mix of suspicious and surprised by this situation.
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Post by Dante on Mar 10, 2022 21:55:57 GMT
Dante and Wormmon had been alone in the wilderness for many months, and it had been even longer since they met Kaya when she first visited the Digital World. Hawkeye recalls their time before and mentions how much of a pain in the butt Wormmon was. This didn't sit well with the Worm King. Wormy's eyes scrunch up as he pouts and groans.
"Pain in the what? Hmph! Self righteous much. Hey, didn't you have an oh and barrel, I mean a bow and arrow before? You must have become quite the archer, to be able to shoot without a bow."
Unfortunately for their stomachs, Kaya reveals that they do not have food on them. To have a hot greasy meal would be such a treat for Wormmon after so long. Dante is asked how long it is been since he was in a major Digital World city, and how long since they had talked to anyone but each other.
"Well, let's see. Based on the length of my hair, I'd guess it's been about 6 months since we've been to any major city or talked to anyone besides the random Digimon encounter in the forest. It's been so relaxing. Though we could only stretch our supplies for so long."
The sun continues to beat down, and Dante's lips grow dry. Does he even remember the taste of a frosty cold beverage, having survived off of rain and river water once his stock of drinks ran out long ago. Dante's eyes scan the horizon, looking for buildings or any other sign of life.
"I still don't know what this area is like. If we are going to travel the Shining Sea together, we should figure out where to go. Do you two have any idea what is around here?"
"Maybe they can take us back to the city. Don't you miss modern luxuries, Dante?"
Dante crosses his arms and turns his nose up and away from Wormmon.
"And deal with rude ignorant people again? No thank you, little buddy. It's nice to see Kaya and Hawkeye again, but I still prefer the great outdoors to the cold cages of the city."
"Darn Dante. Well maybe we can at least return and restock our supplies after exploring this place. What should we do first, Kaya?"
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Post by Kaya Matsui and Hawkeye on Mar 15, 2022 3:46:44 GMT
"You heard me," Hawkeye reaffirmed to the Wormmon, "you were nothing but one giant pain in the keester. Who asks a scared human who arrived in the Digital World for treats and snacks, anyways? And if I remember correctly, you called yourself the 'Worm King' when we met... and I'm self-righteous?"
"Okay, Hawkeye, I think that's enough..." Kaya said to her partner, patting him on the head. She just didn't want this escalating into a full-scale argument between the bird and the bug...
Wormmon did have a point though, last time they met Hawkeye had a bow and arrow with him. When asked about it, Hawkeye took the chance to charge his feathers in his right wing with green energy, visible enough for anyone to see. "I've become quite the archer, indeed. I'm able to charge my own feathers with elemental effects and shoot them instead. Much more powerful than before."
Dante revealed that he and Wormmon had spent the last six months without visiting any major city in the Digital World or talked to anyone besides other Digimon in the forest in that time. "You haven't even been to a Digimon village to get some supplies?" Kaya asked. "Are you guys doing okay on that?"
Dante then surveyed the immediate surroundings, stating that he didn't know what the area was like. "We don't know the area either, but I'm thinking it's just mostly these crystals and a bunch of snow. Hawkeye and I just came here to see the crystals before school, honestly."
Wormmon asked if Kaya and Hawkeye could take them back to the city, which Dante completely disagreed with, considering cities to be nothing more than a cage compared to the great outdoors. "Have you two been to Rosewood lately? It as if that city is built all around nature itself."
"Besides, not all of the cities in the Digital World are like that," Kaya added. "You two honestly look like you haven't been eating well at all. Where do you guys get your supplies?"
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Post by Dante on Mar 17, 2022 8:38:00 GMT
Hawkeye calls out Wormmon on some things when they first met. Wormmon is fuming mad hearing this, even though the archer makes some good points. Kaya tells Hawkeye that's enough. Hawkeye mentions his skills as an archer have grown, and he can use his own feathers as arrows. Dante's eyebrows rise in intrigue at this useful ability. It appears Kaya and Hawkeye are unfamiliar with this area as well. Kaya asks Dante about their supplies. Hawkeye mentions a city by the name of Rosewood. Dante tils his head to the side and strokes his hair as he tries to recall.
"Rosewood? I don't remember that place. As for supplies, we stocked up before leaving, only rarely trading with the odd Digimon passing through. It has been so long since a greasy meal."
Wormmon pouts up his mouth and turns his nonexistent nose in the air.
"Hmph! After all this time the first Digimon we meet again is so mean! I am disgusted by your attitude, feather slinger! I don't know if we should be traveling anywhere with him."
"Wormmon, look, calm down." Dante does not like the way Hawkeye is talking to Wormmon, but seeing as how he has spent years dealing with Wormmon saying nasty things to almost everyone, he could not really throw stones.
"Think, Dante. This is the exact kind of thing we got away from. You chose to reject society and its meanness." Dante appears noticeably stressed. The hermit turns and takes a few paces to the side, holding his head in frustration. His social skills were beyond rusty and does not know how to handle conflict.
"Knock it off, Wormmon! I am so tired of your drama. Just chill out, everything is fine. It's all going to be okay, yeah." This act is in stark contrast to Dante's calm demeanor before. Wormmon stares at the side of Dante's face and tilts his head.
"You are acting more irrational than usual. Quite frankly you are disturbed. Alright, well I want to be nice and get along. If Hawkeye wants to run his beak, I'll show him why I am the Worm King." Dante didn't expect to wind up in a battle on this trip. Though it does look like a good place for a battle. Dante hopes the Digimon can figure out a way to get along. He'd much rather hang out and have a good time.
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Post by Kaya Matsui and Hawkeye on Apr 5, 2022 2:47:08 GMT
"Rosewood's been around as long as I've been a Tamer," Kaya said, looking confused as to why or how Dante hadn't even heard of Rosewood's existence before now. "It's a city close to the Village of Beginnings. It looks as if it's built in with nature itse- you seriously haven't heard of Rosewood?" She couldn't help it anymore... how out of touch with everything exactly was Dante?
Of course, Wormmon decided to continue being Wormmon, saying his usual stuff about how mean Hawkeye was and how disgusted he should be of his behavior, and yadda yadda yadda. Hawkeye honestly wasn't even paying attention to half of what the green bug said as he simply crossed his wings and rolled his eyes. "You act horrible, then you will be treated as such respectively. It is as simple as that."
Dante seemed to be having issues with how to react to this conflict, acting a bit irrational as he simply told Wormmon to knock it off. Wormmon, however, didn't seem so keen on doing anything of the sort as long as he sensed that Hawkeye was wanting to fight as well. "As surprising as it may sound to you, I'm not in the mood to fight either," Hawkeye said. "Kaya and I are only here to see the crystals, anyways."
"And maybe stop by the nearest town and get breakfast before school," Kaya said, looking over at Dante and Wormmon who look like they hadn't had a decent meal in ages. "Did you... want us to bring you something back from there, by any chance?"
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Post by Dante on Apr 6, 2022 1:33:21 GMT
It seems Dante's time in exile had done more to his memory than he thought. He was unable to recall a town he had been to before. The Tamer struggles to recall Rosewood, but it doesn't ring any bells. He does remember the Village of Beginnings. Maybe he was getting the two mixed up.
Wormmon is none too happy with Hawkeye running his beak. The archer proclaims that if he acts horribly, that is how he will be treated.
"I don't recall doing anything to provoke you today. You started this. Guess you are all talk."
Hawkeye mentions they are here to see the crystals. Kaya says they may stop by a nearby town for breakfast before school. She offers to bring something for Dante and Wormmon to eat, seeing as how they haven't had a decent meal in some time.
"We don't have anything else to do, so we can go with if you don't mind. Provided these two can get along."
Dante gives Wormmon a curious look. Wormmon looks at Dante with his big bus eyes and his antennae drooping down. It was if they were communicating telepathically just by the glance, giving how long they had spent together. Neither of them was particularly skilled at reading others, but they could certainly tell how the other was feeling.
"Well, I'm down for a relaxing day free of conflict. It would be nice to have something greasy and cheesy to eat. Let's go."
Dante and Wormmon are ready to travel with Kaya and Hawkeye. What mysteries do these strange stones hold, and who else resides in this mysterious place?
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Post by Kaya Matsui and Hawkeye on Jun 17, 2022 1:55:36 GMT
Oh wow, it was really dawning on Kaya by this point that these two hadn't heard of Rosewood. The teenage girl was at a loss for words. "Out of morbid curiosity... how long have you two been out of touch with the Digital World society? Or met a Digimon that could talk and wasn't just trying to kill you for fun?"
Now it came time to deal with the Mammothmon in the room. "Okay so this is where I'm gonna step in and tell the both of you to knock it off," Kaya said, interrupting Hawkeye's and Wormmon's little spat. "If you ask me, you both were the ones who started it. Hawkeye did sort of start it, but he wasn't wrong about you being a pain in the butt, Wormmon. Can't you both just get along for five minutes?"
"..." Hawkeye was silent, as if he were considering the pros and cons of getting along with Wormmon in his mind.
"I swear, it's like you have a problem with every bug Digimon we meet... although Archnemon was pretty messed up."
When asked if they wanted some food from Snowflake Village, Dante said that they could go with as long as Hawkeye and Wormmon get along. "We'll see how that goes... toothpaste and orange juice go better together than they do." It looked like they needed it though... during their non-verbal communication, Kaya could practically hear Wormmon's stomach growling. So after that was done, she turned her head to her partner. "You ready, Hawkeye?" "Whenever you are, Kaya." Kaya pulled out her Digivice, a silver Burst model with orange trim, and held it towards Hawkeye. "Digimental Up!" "Hawkmon, Armor Evolution! Halsemon!" Before the group's eyes, Hawkeye would morph and evolve into a new Digimon entirely, one colored like Hawkmon but now more in a quadrupedal griffon-like form with a silver mask. Kaya hopped up onto Hawkeye's back and motioned for Dante and Wormmon to hop on as well. "You two have some experience riding a flying Digimon, right?"
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Post by Dante on Jun 19, 2022 4:28:16 GMT
It seemed like nothing could stop the two Rookie Digimon from butting heads. Kaya stepped in and requested they both figure out a way to get along. Dante nods his head in agreement. The self-exiled Tamer chuckles when Kaya mentions toothpaste and orange juice go together better than they do. Wormmon cocks his head back and exhales slowly, hardly making a sound and not saying anything. This was the Worm's King's way of saying he gets it and doesn't want to argue further.
Dante and Wormmon had indeed been out of the loop for some time. When asked how long it has been, Dante struggles to calculate an exact time frame.
"Well, let's see. I know it's been a few months, but not sure how many. Maybe longer. I can hardly remember the day I left. Was it last fall? Or was it in the spring? Doesn't matter, I am longing for some modern luxuries."
Hawkmon armor Digivolves to Halsemon and Kaya invites Dante and Wormmon onto his back for a ride. Wormmon crawls onto Dante's chest and nuzzles up inside his robes, the Digimon's stomach rumbling slightly at the thought of food. Dante carefully walks over to Halsemon and climbs onto his back.
"I love flying, but I enjoy a good ride, too."
"I have more experience riding a flying Digimon than I would like, but it's not so bad when it's a joyride and not in a battle. I try not to use Wormmon's higher forms unless the situation calls for it to save energy. Lead the way."
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Post by Kaya Matsui and Hawkeye on Aug 12, 2022 2:39:59 GMT
"You've been out here for months?" Kaya asked, surprised by what she was hearing. Sure, she and Hawkeye explored the wilderness of the Digital World often, but they never even considered to stay out for months at a time. They always just headed straight home whenever it got dark. "What made you and Wormmon wanna live out somewhere like here for that long? Nothing bad happened, did it?"
"Most Digimon live in the wilderness with no problems, remember," Hawkeye informed Kaya. "And I've read up on human history, so I know how capable humans are of living without modern luxuries as well... although how well a human of today can do so has to be questioned." And with that, Kaya, Dante and Wormmon all hopped up onto the now Halsemon Hawkeye. "Are you all ready?" Hawkeye asked. When everyone was all set and secure, Hawkeye would take off to the sky, making his way towards Snowflake Village. While they were flying, Dante and Wormmon both gave their thoughts on flying on other Digimon. "Tell me about it," Kaya said to Dante in response to his claim about riding a Digimon for a joyride instead of a battle. "When there's no Digimon trying to kill us, flying like this is very relaxing, especially in a place as beautiful as the Digital World. But when we're flying, we're mostly trying to fight for our lives..." "Indeed. This Halsemon form of mine doesn't require too much of my energy, so this has been our preferred mode of air transportation." "What are Wormmon's other forms, may I ask? We haven't seen any Wormmons besides him on our travels, so I'm kinda curious, you know?"
Of course it would take a bit to actually get to Snowflake Village... hopefully Wormmon's hunger didn't get the better of him in that short time. Because even Hawkeye would start to get a little bit peckish by this point...
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Post by Dante on Aug 18, 2022 7:10:35 GMT
Kaya was surprised to hear Dante and Wormmon had been living off the land out in the wilderness for months. She asks if something bad happened that caused their self-imposed exile. Dante scratches his shaggy goatee, recalling his adventures.
"Well, it wasn't always easy running around playing wonder boy, facing off against dangerous foes. Yet, that's not the main reason."
"Dante got tired of dealing with society, and we just up and left."
"That is correct. It wasn't any one instance, More or less tired of stress. I knew I just had to be alone."
Hawkeye recalls he read about how ancient humans survived without modern luxuries, much like the Digimon survive in the Digital World.
"Well, it wasn't easy. No TV shows, video games, internet, arcades, cat maids. It has its pros and cons. After a few days, I could just relax. No worries. No dealing with college or those freaky students. No Sal stalking me. The worst thing I have to worry about is listening to Wormmon yammer, no offense, little buddy."
"Eh, I get it. I know people don't like it when I talk a lot. Hey, Dante? What ever happened to that one girl?"
Who? Razuya?" "No." "Misty?" "No." "You mean that goth Spirit User with the big butt who caws like a crow?" "No, the blonde one. You're thinking of, hang on, it starts with an r... Raymundo!" "That's a guy's name." "It can be a girl name." "Well then who the hell are you talking about?" "Your sister." "Ohh! Judith? Why didn't you say so? I don't know, she left to be a singer. That was before we left. I have been living in trees, how would I know?"
This miscommunication between Dante and Wormmon would continue for some time. It was clear that the two had gotten very familiar with the other, months of no one else to talk to besides the odd merchant or wild monster. As far as flying goes, Kaya agrees with Dante that it is much better taking a joyride than flying into or out of battle. Kaya asks what Wormmon's other forms are.
"I'll let Wormy do his own introductions."
"Thanks, stinky. Ahem. The wise and spectacular Worm King becomes much larger when I go champ. I make a Cocoon out of silk thread and hatch into the legendary Stingmon, with top speed aerial maneuvers like no aircraft can imitate. With a giant plasma cannon that decimates fools. Then I can become a giant spider and shoot bombs out of my butt, which I think is very neat. And then, my magical powers truly blossom when I-"
Dante covers Wormmon's mouth. The Worm King's antennae stick up and his brow bunches up in frustration.
"I think that's enough for now, Wormmon. We already know you are awesome."
Perhaps Dante had gotten tired of hearing Wormmon hype himself, or maybe he was trying to hide something from Kaya and Halsemon. Wormmon kicks Delight in the ribs and the wandering Tamer uncovers his mouth. The Rookie level's stomach begins to grow.
"Whatever, Dante. All that talking made me hungry. What about your digivolutions, Birdo?"
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