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Post by supesman on Jan 24, 2023 15:25:09 GMT
"Thank you very much, young lady." Zack accepted the empty box of candy with an exaggerated knightly bow. His eyes twinkling as he used his humor and his own persona filled personality to at least try to put her at ease. With a simple, quick motion that occupied both of his hands he deconstructed the cardboard packaging until ti was flat and could be slipped easily into his back pocket. "You know how it is. We've just got to get those rare buckles. If I tried to go after them on the after market I'd end up spending a month's allowance on them." He said with a chuckle. He really was open and beyond indulgent in his own love for Kamen Rider and related shows even beyond taking them as inspiration for his own vigilantism.
"Don't worry about us. We're used to leftovers. It's much better for my self esteem than having to walk around in a body that isn't mine all the time." Marigold said with Violet giving a small squeak and nod in agreement. The three of them had come down on a rather rare and extreme understanding of holosuits and what they represented but their decision not to need or use them still remained strong.
"Oh boy, Lothar. You inherited your strength from your mom? I bet introducing this one to her was an exercise in not getting him snapped in half with one hug. But I suppose that's what you get when you start adopting kids before you even put a ring on it." Zack said as he held the door open for everyone and they were shown to their seats. He made sure to get them a nice booth off to one side so that Marigold and Violet could talk.
"That's real high and mighty coming from someone who ALSO had children before getting married, and you're not even dating anyone." Marigold said from the digivice around his neck and he glared down at the device hanging from a string around his neck.
"Who taught you to have such a smart mouth?" Zack said and even with the limited pixels on his digivice screen it was clear to tell that Marigold was very pleased with herself the way she perked up and met her father's condemnation with smiling eyes. "Children, why oh why did I ever have children?" He said, placing his cheek in his hand and leaning against the table in an exaggerated sitcom style of exasperation with her antics that ended with a grin
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 24, 2023 21:20:45 GMT
"Y-Yeah I heard that while you can find almost anything on the internet but it can get expensive. I g-guess this way is a good way to save money." Circe said after giggling at Zack's exaggerated knightly bow and then looked at Mandrake and asked "Dad is h-he always this silly?"
"Silly is one way to put it little one. Don't worry one gets used to it and can some times mess with him in turn." Mandrake said with a mischievous smirk reminicent of one of Theron's grins. He was more like his father than he dared to admit.
When hearing that Marigold and Violet didn't use holosuits Circe then said "Y-You mean not even as a Halloween costume?"
"Some digimon prefer not to use holosuits, Circe. They have different reasons but Marigold and Violet have seemed to figure out how to make it work best for them." Mandrake said with a smile.
"W-Would be easier if all humans were comfortable with digimon since not all digimon look human like me, you, or Grandpa Theron." Circe said as her stomach was audibly growling..
"Actually we haven't introduced her in person to my parents due to Circe being uncomfortable with adult females. Even if that was not a problem Mom knows how to control her strength." Lothar said with a chuckle at Zack and Marigold's interactions before he then said "Mandrake and I may not be married yet but.." he then pointed to the half heart sapphire on a gold chain shimmering magically around his neck before he continued "We have the engagement presents that will probably also be used at our wedding as well. Mandrake is wearing his it's just not always in sight."
"Perhaps we should head in." Mandrake said as he lead the way with Circe clutching his hand and Lothar followed. Soon the group was seated with menus and were deciding on what to order.
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Post by supesman on Jan 25, 2023 12:34:16 GMT
"You know something that worries me? I'm getting more vegan all the time because of this one." Zack said, pointing at the pendant digivice where Marigold was stored. "Like, not on purpose or anything. It's just that she can only eat plant matter so I'm always ordering something where she can share the leftovers later." He said, cheek in his hand as he scanned the menu. It took his a few extra seconds, Japanese wasn't his native language so he had to let his brain kick into the right gear before he could start reading in earnest.
"Circe, Violet and I just don't see the point of hiding who and what we are. Wearing holosuits would just force us into bodies that aren't our own simply for the sake of making the people around us more comfortable. It's just not worth it to hide like that for us." Marigold said, speaking to Circe with her eyes pointed down to scan the same menu that her father was reading, further proving his point about her having control over what they both were eating because of her dietary restrictions.
"Yes, yes, you're both adorable now can you let me be lonely in peace?" Zack said, jokingly as Mandrake and Lothar revealed their engagement gifts to one another. He was happy for his friends and not really in a rush to end up where they were anytime soon.
"Our father has requested that I remember, "If you don't invite us to the wedding then I'll throw a brick through your window."" Violet said and Zack leaned down, pinching the bridge of his nose and unable to keep from smiling at his younger child's very...effective memory.
"Other parents worry that their kids will pick up curse words. MY kid straight up has a digitally photographic memory of everything I say." Zack said, grinning even through his slight exasperation with Violet's eccentricities
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 25, 2023 22:23:15 GMT
"Guess it's hard to be an omnivore when at least one of your children are the type of digimon that eat a vegan diet." Mandrake said with a light chuckle before he said "Lothar and I have the opposite dietary issue with Circe. At least for the most part since she eats a mostly carnivorous diet. There are a few exception like things like chocolate or sweet tasting fruits and veggies. I guess it makes sense given her nature as a spider digimon who in the Digital World mostly hunts by spinning webs when meat apples aren't in the immediate vicinity."
"I w-was just curious. S-Shame that digimon aren't known by all humans." Circe replied as she noticed that Zack was focusing on the menu. Figuring that Japanese just wasn't his first language she said nothing about it before focusing on the menu in earnest looking for something that met her dietary needs and the menu was pretty diverse even including a dessert menu. Smiling the little one was no focused exclusively on trying to make up her mind what to order.
"Knowing that Mandrake and I never stay in one place for long I know neither my parents nor Mandrake's father would appreciate a brick through a window." Lothar said chuckling at Zack's reaction to Violet's excellent memory.
"At least Violet's photographic memory has many benefits but it seems they prefer to use it to mess with you, Zack." Mandrake said before he continued "As for your invitations, don't worry we'll send them through Tamernet. Maybe Marigold wouldn't mind being a flower girl as well as our two daughters Lilly and Circe."
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Post by supesman on Jan 26, 2023 15:13:56 GMT
"Oh no..." Zack said the instant that the idea of Marigold being a flower girl came up. He leaned to one side, his cheek in his hand and a soft smile on his face, drawing attention to the image of Marigold hanging around his neck with eyes the size of dinner plates and with a girlish squealing coming from the device.
"Ooo! Yes yes yes yes yes YES! that would be amazing, oh I'd wear a little laurel of flowers and a skirt tied around my abdomen and I'd get to buzz around carrying a little basket of flowers tossing them on everyone. I'd be the cutest little bee cherub EVER.' Marigold said as she indulged the fantasy, playing it out to the smallest minute detail within her own head as she accepted on the spot.
"Now be warned. I always cry at weddings." Zack said with a laugh that made it clear he wasn't actually joking. "And seeing my girl doing that DURING the wedding is when I'm gonna start needing my own tissue supply." Zack said, loving how enthusiastic she was about taking part in the rituals of love.
"Correct. The wedding episode of Steven Universe reduces my father to tears for an average for 13 but no fewer than 10 minutes." Violet said and Zack pinched the bridge of his nose, grumbling something to himself about making sure to leave the kids at home if he should ever end up getting interrogated
"What can I say? Who doesn't love love? Especially the kind that you two have got. That's something that deserves a celebration." He said, leaning back and observing the two, his smile growing.
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 26, 2023 21:06:50 GMT
Circe jumped in a startled manner at Marigold's girlish squealing before realizing it was coming from Zack's digivice. Once the little one calmed down she giggled nervously before looking back at her menu. Mandrake smiled before he said "Don't worry. I'm sure we can find the right kind of flowers for all three of the girls."
When Zack mentioned he always cried at weddings and mentioned needing his own tissue supply Lothar chuckled "Sounds like you and my mother would have that in common. It seems like her you are a bit of a romantic at heart."
When hearing something about getting interrogated Lothar said "Don't worry. I'm sure they can keep the interrogations to when you guys get home." Then Lothar chuckled before he said "Makes me wonder if Mandrake and I will have children mess with us in such a manner. Then again so far they have shown some traces of mischief due to inheriting it from Mandrake's side of the family so who knows."
"You have a point, Lothar. For all we know a future kid of ours may make my father's mischief seem mild by comparison." Mandrake said before laughing.
"Oh dear what chaos have we potentially set ourselves up for?" Lothar asked but since he was chuckling it seemed the disguised Leomon was just kidding around.
About at that time a waiter came up to the table before asking "You all ready to order?"
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Post by supesman on Jan 27, 2023 12:31:58 GMT
"I mean you two keep rolling the dice on kids. You can't keep coming up double sixes EVERY time, just not realistic, is it?" Zack said, joking about how they probably shouldn't worry. All of their children had been some flavor of amazing up until this point already and Circe would probably be no exception. "And you're not kidding about me being a hopeless romantic. A good love story knocks me right in the chest in the most embarrassing way possible. I figure in this day and age it's better for me and my children to be a man that cries and says "I love you" than expecting to be masculine and strong, whatever the hell that was ever supposed to mean." Zack said, smiling and shrugging. He wasn't really all THAT embarrassed about wearing his heart on his sleeve considering it was much healthier for his children.
Zack ordered the veggie fried rice for himself, folding the menu neatly and collecting everyone else's after they'd ordered to hand off to the waiter.
"American style restaurants like this around here always weird me out at least a little. The last thing Japan needs is American "business sense" creeping its little mitts any further into the culture." Zack said, looking around at the place that was just a mite too close to an applebees for comfort. It was an odd bit of cultural uncanny valley, seeing the two worlds collide so close but never quite match up.
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 27, 2023 20:47:12 GMT
Mandrake and Lothar both chuckled at Zack's joke causing Circe to look back and forth at them in confusion. Smiling as if reading the young spider's mind Mandrake said "Don't worry too much, Circe. Zack is just joking around again. I get he comes off as odd sometimes." Circe then softly snickered at Mandrake's words.
"Nothing wrong with wearing your heart on your sleeve. Showing emotion is more healthy than hiding them. I never understood why some humans say boys should not cry or they would be weak. Doesn't sound healthy for their sons both emotionally or mentally. Also why wouldn't hearing "I love you" not be considered masculine or strong? Men and boys do say "I love you" to those they care about." Lothar said. Mandrake also didn't always understand some humans either especially from that spectrum seeing as both Mandrake and Lothar seemed to get their power from love itself.
Mandrake glanced at the menu again for a moment before being surprised to find ramen in a menu that seemingly had mostly American food. There were a few foods from other cultures too as well for the sake of variety but not much. Smiling Mandrake ordered the ramen and a coffee. Lothar ordered a cheese omelet with bacon with a coke. Sure something like that was normally what one would order for breakfast but it didn't seem to be restrained to only being a breakfast item. As for Circe, she took notice of what Lothar ordered but instead of an omelet she showed curiosity in a different item that was normally chosen for breakfast which was blueberry pancakes. Not only that she also ordered a strawberry milkshake. Her voice was soft so Mandrake repeated her order so the waiter could understand everything she said. Orders taken the waiter left heading towards the kitchen.
"I'm all for the diverse foods but I agree with hoping such a business sense doesn't creep too far in. I've heard that Americans have a rather strange business sense." Mandrake said in regards to Zack's concerns. "Also if this restaurant had more diversity with different cultural foods more people could try them."
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Post by supesman on Jan 28, 2023 13:04:28 GMT
"Oh BOY are you not wrong about that. It's legit creepy how employees are expected to act in America with their constantly pinned back smiles it looks like you painted a grin on a doll. It's like they're waiting to get tased the second they relax. Ugh." Zack said, a shiver running up his spine as he shook his head and shook it off. Japan had its own culture of politeness that sometime gave the free spirited young man a chill in a similar way but nowhere near the same intensity. He was glad that Japan mostly lacked the culture of towering big box stores, mostly due to a lack of physical space to put them on but even still sometimes just going shopping regularly he still had the instinct of feeling a Walmart employee staring holes in his back with that pasted on smile.
"Honestly human beings have a LOT of weird complexes about a lot of things. Most of the really harmful ones are built on nothing." Marigold said and Zack could only nod along at that. He knew he had plenty of biases to unlearn in life and that was the root of nearly all of them.
"Human beings have the bad habit of using traditionalism to compound their already bad habits. Rather than seeing where previous courses of action have steered them wrong they double down on them in an attempt to continue doing what they've always done rather than take the time to self reflect." Violet said and Zack's nodding only became more violently agreeing with his children's reading of the situation, silently glad that he'd educated them well enough to in turn educate themselves in the biases it was hard for him to see from standing inside the proverbial bubble.
"We're a deeply flawed bunch. But hey. We invented ramen noodles and kamen rider, so we can't be all bad." He said with a giggle as their drinks were brought out, sipping at his glass of water and leaning back, the only human in a booth full of digimon and yet feeling the "humanity" for lack of a better term oozing off of each and every one of them
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 28, 2023 21:48:42 GMT
"Y-Yeah that smile was a little too creepy. That one felt fake." Circe said with a shudder showing her discomfort.
"You and Circe aren't wrong seeing as that kind of politeness feels fake. I'm all for politeness being a tradition but it can be done without the creepy smiles." Mandrake said calming Circe by rubbing her back. Fortunately the food would arrive soon enough. "At least the people of Japan are raised not to act like feral animals unlike some tourists I've had the misfortune of seeing."
"And I thought the wild life of the Digital World was problematic but seeing how some humans behave it is baffling." Lothar said with a shake of his head.
"Digimon and humans are alike in many ways sometimes even down to the weird social complexes harmful or otherwise. Not to mention sometimes the traditionalism that compounds the bad habits. I agree Violet one would think the negative actions would discourage further bad behavior but sadly that is not always the case. I am relieved there are people that do honestly try their best to be good people though." Mandrake said and Lothar nodded in agreement,
"Mandrake. Zack. At least we have been lucky with kids since none of them seemed to throw monstrous tantrums. I've heard some decent parents get the tantrums to stop by throwing a tantrum of their own. Apparently it embarrasses the child. Others just take the little screamers out of the building. As for out tantruming a child I don't know if I'd be able to pull such a thing." Lothar said with a chuckle and Mandrake chuckled as well.
"I don't blame you, Old Friend. I don't think I could do it either." Mandrake said softly laughing and it seemed that Circe was lightly snickering so it seemed she had calmed down.
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Post by supesman on Jan 29, 2023 12:50:52 GMT
"Tantrums? Oh no, never. I think for all three kids at the table the idea of drawing that kind of attention to themselves in a public place would be way too much to bear for whatever "reward" they wanted to get out of a pitching a fit." Zack said as he considered the scenario. Violet had always been too mature to even consider it and Marigold was never going to make a scene out of herself where other people could stop and stare and wonder about her. Circe was probably just the same. "If anything, the unfortunate reality of our children's traumas means that we had to be more worried about them totally shutting down in public or social situations. Getting Marigold to even talk to people without me directly present was a struggle." Zack said as he recalled a time in Marigold's life that now seemed blessedly distant as she grew into a confident and brave young woman that could outstrip her father's abilities by the moment the thought of her still being that scared, abandoned little girl seemed all the more absurd.
Conversation stopped for just a moment as the waitress brought the food around, depositing steaming plates in front of each mouth to feed at the table. Zack snapped a pair of chop sticks into readiness and began to shovel the rice into his mouth. He was a tad clumsy with the utensils as only someone who didn't grow up with chopsticks could be but he'd gotten more than enough practice by that point to at least half manage to not look like a total fool while eating with them.
He had very visibly ordered too much food for even a wiry young man of his metabolism to eat all at once, showing that he had ordered a large chunk of the meal to bring home for hid children to enjoy.
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 29, 2023 21:28:49 GMT
"Fair point, Zack. Then again with Lothar and I's older kids the reason we didn't get many behavioral issues was the fact that we were firm with them when they did act up. I am glad that LJ, Kshin, and Lilly picked up quickly that when we said no we meant it." Mandrake said and then Zack brought up the traumas that their children went through.
To that Lothar said "Regarding what you said, before that woman today Circe had been getting a bit better. She has been helping find food or even stepping out of Mandrake's sight to take her bathroom breaks without freaking out. If only adult females didn't frighten her so. It makes me despise her mother for the trauma that was caused to such a sweet child." Lothar was clenching his hands tightly into fists but they were out of sight in his lap. Normally Lothar could be perceived as a gentle giant but child abuse was one of the few things that had the potential to enrange the disguised Leomon.
Before Lothar could think more on it the food arrived via a waitress and she placed the food and drinks down. Unlike the waiter from before her smile was actually genuine as if she enjoyed her job. The waitress was in her late teens and she noticed Circe and before she got ready to leave she said "What a cute little girl." She then looked at Mandrake before she said "I see she has the same eyes as you. Is she your daughter?"
Mandrake nodded and as the waitress left she said "Enjoy your meals."
Circe smiled as she cut up her pancakes with a knife before taking hold of chopsticks herself. Then she said "S-She seemed nice." Then she noticed Zack was a bit clumsy with chopsticks before she said "C-Chopsticks can be tricky but I think both of us will get better with more practice."
Of the meals Mandrake's ramen seemed the smallest but that was normal for his small appetite. He noticed Circe's appetite was much bigger so Mandrake figured other than being a spider digimon that was one thing that Circe inherited from her mother. Meanwhile Lothar had began calming down a bit as he began to eat as well.
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Post by supesman on Jan 30, 2023 12:50:27 GMT
"With people like that in the world some folks still wonder why I took to the streets. Sometimes you just gotta find the guys who are doing wrong and stop them in their tracks, even if no one else will." Zack said, that omnipresent backpack slung out to the seat beside him where his costume and his helmet were stored when he was in his "secret identity" not that he was very secretive about it with his fellow tamers, digimon or what have you. He felt a kinship with everyone who was in on this secret, the secret that brought him his children and this life that he had always wanted for himself.
He smiled pleasantly for the waitress and allowed her to dote on Circe, hoping that it would work to set the little spider at ease without igniting that fear that seemed to be stitched into her psyche. He could see so much of a young Marigold in Circe from the way they scuttled about, to their shyness around other figures of authority, to the way that they clutched at their fathers for dear life like the whole world would fall apart if they didn't hold tight to their new lives with all their might. Like they'd wake up and find out that it was all a wonderful dream if they didn't keep digging their hands into it.
"Don't worry about me. First time I handed Marigold chopsticks, she thought they were a side dish!" Zack said with a laugh as he spooned some rice into his mouth and relaxed with a pleasant grumble at the feeling of warm, fresh food filling his hunger.
"Hey! I can't help it! All that stuff looks like food to me!" Marigold said, shrugging. If it was made of plant matter than it looked like food and truly, it WAS food. A chopstick just looked like pocky to her if just handed to her without any other context. "At least we don't have to worry about just feeding anything I get handed into my incinerator." Marigold said to Violet who barely seemed to acknowledge that they were getting made fun of, simply pleasantly observing the social interaction with a little mechanical trill when they were being acknowledged to show that they were paying attention.
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Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jan 30, 2023 22:48:22 GMT
"There is great truth in what you say, Zack. You have done a lot of good even though you find yourself in a lot of trouble at times." Mandrake said with a giggle. Meanwhile Circe took a sip of her strawberry milkshake before Mandrake said "Finish your food before you drink all your milkshake, Circe. Those can be filling." Circe nodded before taking hold of her chopsticks and began eating her pancakes that she had cut up first.
When Zack mentioned the first time he handed Marigold chopsticks he said she thought they were a side dish and those words caused Circe to burst out laughing. How she didn't choke on her food neither she nor Mandrake and Lothar knew. "R-Really but wood isn't usually food even to the average vegans." Circe said when she managed to stop laughing.
"Some young digimon have unusual diets and Marigold was an example of one of those." Mandrake then explained to his young spiderling. He remembered when Zack had told him of Marigold's unique eating habits. The disguised Wizardmon then went back to eating his ramen. Many digimon that were regular visitors to Japan seemed as good with chopsticks as they were with the native language of the country. Mandrake placed the chopsticks in his food for a moment before grabbing his coffee and taking a sip. When he set the cup down he went back to eating his ramen. It was amazing that he could be filled with only a humble cup of ramen.
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Post by supesman on Jan 31, 2023 12:41:18 GMT
"Hey, I'd rather be funny than tragic. Making people laugh with me rather than making people cry about me." Marigold said with a small digital shrug. The fact that she ate an odd diet didn't seem to bother her at all.
"It honestly makes feeding her a whole HELL of a lot easier, or at the very least it makes her food supply less stressful. I don't jump on the idea but knowing in the back of my mind that should something horrible happen I can keep them both fed with a couple stacks of printer paper. It helps a father sleep at night." Zack said. No word on how he would keep HIMSELF fed should something terrible of that caliber happen to their family but the fact was the he put his children first in all things and knowing that he was able to keep them fed did wonders for his mental security.
"Dad, you don't work for a living wage here in Japan. You don't work for any wage, you live off the scholarship awards that allow you to attend university here in Tokyo and a weekly allowance from your mother. The only way that your current financial situation would take such a precipitous turn for the worse is if something happened to your mothe-" Violet was cut off by their father very specifically clearing his throat and speaking up for himself.
"On the list of top ten things I don't want to think about, that's basically all of them, sweetheart." Zack said, not shutting them down but making his emotional discomfort and rejection of the idea plain to see on his face and in his tone.
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