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Everybody Do Your Share (Levi)
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Post by supesman on Aug 14, 2023 12:18:10 GMT
Zack sat up on the edge of one of the standing building, whistling as he looked at the enormity of things to do. His helmet was pulled off and put down to one side of him. Chewing idly on a sandwich without actually tasting it and gulping down water like it was his job.
The Knightmon had long since hauled away the remains of the violent titan that was the cause of this god awful mess, doing...whatever it is they do,
"Note to self, look in on where the Knightmon take these people. Last thing I want is to be feeding into some king of Prison-Digital complex." Zack said, standing and lifting his arms high above his head, pushing out his chest until there was a crack in his back. "Oh well, back to work." He said, grabbing hold of a pipe on the side of the building and sliding down the plumbing like a fireman's pole with one hand, a little bounce at the bottom of the drop sparing his knees and ankles.
The facades of buildings were starting to come back together as the sounds of hammers and saws resounded up and down the street as he walked, fitting his helmet back on over his head, his distinctive jacket unzipped to let out some of the sweat from a hot day at work. He stood in line next to the pile of lumber that had been collected for the tasks that needed to get done, throwing a hold dozen boards or so over each shoulder and marching down the street to where they were needed.
Even in the days after the attack, people had gotten organized rather quickly to put their town back together. There were digimon visible from every angle, no matter where you were standing and no one was idle without a reason. Larger digimon operated pulleys and cranes, moving stones a half dozen stories into the air. Smaller digimon were up on the walls themselves, laying down mortar and bricks or repainting signs laid out on the sidewalk.
"That high enough?!" Marigold shouted to a group of workers up on the roof of a building, ropes tied around her shoulders so she could fly backwards and lift a pallet full of bricks up to the top on a simple pulley. The buzzing of her insectoid wings kicking up a slight whirl of dust near her feet. She got a handful of thumbs up from over the eve of the building and so, slowly, started to lower the pallet back down to the ground, unlooping the rope from her shoulders and finding the next heavy task for her to take on.
"These are the moments it's all about, sweetheart." Zack said with an infectious positivity in his voice. This was putting the work in, making people's lives materially better even after the bad guy was good and gone. The little people could never be forgotten in the aftermath. The villain might be pushing up daisies but that didn't mean the butchers, bakers and candlestick makers weren't going to have to pay rent at the end of the month.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2023 20:52:50 GMT
The battle for Rosewood had been a fierce battle of wills and strength. Ogremon who had been using a Digimental as an extra power source had been a difficult opponent, indeed, but after using that same power against him combined with the might of Levi’s two new friends and twins, Alpha and Beta. They were eventually able to scrape a victory, if only barely.
Although… the town had been quite decimated as a result. Many of the buildings had collapsed, or were in the process of collapsing. You couldn’t walk without seeing piles of rubble and broken glass. Injuries had piled up by the unfortunate Digimon who hadn’t been able to escape prior to the taking over of Rosewood or those who had fought with them. Smoke billowed and fire blazed from rooftops, or through gaping holes in buildings blackening the sky with an inky fog.
But on the brighter side, many of the monster creeps had been taken into custody, including the three Goblimon who called themselves the Goblisquad; one of whom wouldn’t stop laughing. An unconscious Dimogemon who had been dragged away, literally and a phoenix who was demanding her rights be met in a loud voice and screaming murder.
"I WANT A LAWYER! I WANT A GOOD ONE TOO! I'M A ARCH WIZARD!"
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The ring leader, Ogremon had vanished in the chaos. Heroes had begun to arrive to offer all they could to the town and the people who lived in it. This included, Levi’s pals from her first day on the surface. Although, she didn’t know it yet. The little shark had awoken on a strange bed with an unfamiliar face looking down at her. A pale blue face with a nurses hat. "Levi okay?" She leaned forward and shook her head from side to side.
“I’m almost done, patching you up. Just stay still and I ca--” A gentle voice said from what felt like far away. Levi jumped up, startled. She fell from the bed and rolled. Pain crossed through her but she ignored it and continue to move. Her little duck-footed feet patting against the mud-splattered floor. “Wait a second, I’m not finished with you.”
“HEALING BANDAGE!”
Long tendrils of white silk flew from the arms of the Aidmon who had been chasing the shark. They wrapped around her and were in the process of pulling her in. Levi, confused and dazed was pulling at them. Both unaware that they were standing in the middle of the courtyard with everyone watching them, fight and pull away from one another.
“Levi want go, Levi want go. Levi want go!”
Before she could do anything more, the tiny shark was now covered in bandages, hiding the injuries she had suffered at the hands of the Ogremon threat. “Levi...want…” Her words muffled by the thick silken threads.
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Post by supesman on Aug 15, 2023 12:07:48 GMT
The sound of shouting was bouncing off the walls and there was a very particular tone to it. It wasn't two people shouting at each other to be heard over the din of the work being done, it wasn't two people having a minor disagreement over where something would be placed. There was distress in it and it made Zack's back straighten up like a ramrod and spin on his heels like a machine reacting to the press of a remote control. He set down the wood in his hands and began to bolt over toward the sound, vaulting stacks of bricks and piles of lumber with an acrobatic grace and a physical urgency to every motion. As he got closer he recognized the voice as well and picked up the pace, lowering his head, his arms bobbing up and down at either side, his back leaning forward to give him as much momentum into his sprint as he could possibly need. His feet turned to one side, kicking up dust as he skidded into a turn toward the courtyard and saw...
"Levi!" He shouted and bounced over one last obstacle without grazing a hair on the heads of the digimon in his way, landing with a firm planting to both feet in front of the shark. He tilted his head up and took only a moment to drink in the situation. He squatted down on his haunches and help up a hand. "Hey, hey. Stop pulling, let me talk to her." He said to the nurse holding back his friend. Holding out his arms for when she inevitably toppled forward the moment the bandages weren't tugging her back anymore.
"Levi, stop squirming." Zack laughed a little as he held out his hands to catch her if she toppled forward at the sudden inertia change. "This person is trying to help you." He said, looking up at the nurse. They seemed trustworthy enough at a glance but then again Zack was the kind of person who trusted first and waited to see if he would get burned later.
"Levi?" Marigold landed with a firm THUMP to her feet hitting the floor, sending dust cascading away from the impact a few inches high in a ring around her before it settled back down. She reached down and placed a hand on Levi's back, not wanting her to fall either. "Let me guess. She got herself hurt doing something really stupid or really brave depending entirely on your perspective?" Marigold said, turning to look toward the nurse who hopefully had a little more context for what had been going on than the pair of heroes did. They had only showed up to help because a call had been put out so they were only vaguely aware of the actual battle that had gone on in the middle of the city.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2023 12:44:48 GMT
At Zack’s words, the nurse relented and the long strands of bandage fell limp. Falling away from Levi’s body and releasing the shark from their tight grip. She fell forward, falling softly into Zack’s outstretched arms. Her little head tilted to one side as she looked up, slightly bleary-eyed and with a look of confusion across her bruised little face.
The marks from her last battle were clearly visible across her body. Her left eye had blackened and swollen and there was a cut across her cheek and down her fins.
Joining the ones that where already visible across her scaled form. She tilted her head once more and looked from Zack to the nurse and then flinched. “No more bandage, scary bandage,” Levi said, trying to hide inside Zack’s coat.
Aidmon looked politely concerned about the shark, before turning to Zack. “The patient before you was brought to me after a battle that took place here. As you can see there was a very destructive battle.” She waved a bandaged arm in the direction of the nearest burned out building.
“Most sad, I wish there was more I could do, but, I will offer aid to all who require it.” The nurse took another look at Levi and sighed a little. “If your little friend or if you find anyone else needs any more assistance, please send them to the infirmary tent at any time.”
She bowed her head and made her way back to the tent which had been placed in the middle of town.
Levi let out a little snarl and then looked up to Zack again. “Hallow Hero-friend. Levi is a missed you, where the…” her words were cut off as she caught sight of Marigold. “Levi helped fight the baddies with friends, Alpha and Beta! Like the hero-friend would! Ogre guy was being a meanie but Levi got the egg and she could win!”
She pulled out her D-Terminal to show Zack. On the middle of the screen was a tiny black egg shape, gently bouncing up and down. “Levi got egg and did the woosh!” She jumped up and made a ninja-like pose.
“Then, uh, I forget…” After a second, she fell back to the ground, clumsily. “Ouchy…”
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Post by supesman on Aug 20, 2023 15:34:43 GMT
"Levi, this person is trying to help you." He said, letting her rest in his arms, Digimon were usually heavier than they looked but he ignored the ache it put in his shoulder and let her settle in as she pleased. "Look at you, you're hurt. If you don't let someone help you some of these injuries could get infected, or they could scar. Medicine is important for the work that we do, especially after a fight like this." He said, looking over his shoulder to the smoking ruins that had been left in the wake of whatever battle had gone on, retroactively worried for Levi's safety after she had been in the thick of this fight. He shook his head, she was fine, alive at any rate and the battle was already concluded in her favor. There was no sense in being overprotective now.
"I don't think there's been a day since we started where my father doesn't have some kind of bandage on him." Marigold said and Zack nodded the affirmative, reaching down and rolling up his left sleeve, showing a large square bandage over a nasty bruise on his upper forearm, showing it to Levi so she could see that even he needed the help sometimes.
"I'm proud of you Levi, you remembered what we talked about. You saw people in danger and you reached out no matter what to make sure that nobody was hurt. That's exactly what a hero would do." He said, the energy of his grin visible even underneath his helmet. He grunted with concern as Levi jumped up, bouncing around in celebration of her own success before falling backward on her butt. "Stay up, kiddo, I've got money on you." He said, using one of those folksy turns of phrase he always had on hand before offering her a hand to get back to her feet.
"You did the easy part. Well, at least the relatively QUICK part. Remember though what we said about the important part for a hero being AFTER that bad guy is down." Marigold said, turning slightly and helping a group of Digimon lift a heavy piece of furniture wreckage out of the street and into a pile of flammable garbage to be burned.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2023 17:50:48 GMT
With large yellow eyes, full of innocence and kindness. The little shark looked up at Zack with a confused look of terror on her face as she was shown. “Zack hurt… Levi hurt. But, we get better then we be better heroes?” She leaned back into Zack her head moving from side to side as manoeuvred her small body into a crouch.
Her head tilted once more, as it usually did when she was thinking hard. “Levi wanted to protect the peoples, like Zack told me. But is also like what Gramps told me…” Her voice trailed off for a second. “Levi’s Gramps told the Levi that if you help someone, you help everyone. So, Levi tried to do that. But, it was kinda scary. Then, Levi was brave and remembered your words too. The Digimentally thingy wooshed to Levi and she used to...uh, woosh!” She jumped up throwing her fins up into the air as if imitating a firework.
Levi listened closely to Zacks words with wrapped attention, nodding her head slowly. Her eyes focused and ready. “Yeah! Levi remembers! Levi help the people and then other peoples like want to help too. Co...co...community!” She said, pressing a fin against her sharp teeth and patting as she recalled the word to use. “We iz community! So we help eachothers. Levi is part of it. You and Marigold too.”
She jumped up again, with Zack helping her back to her feet. Her long tail wagged in excitement as she marched forward, reinvigorated once more. “What should be helps with?” Looking from burned shop to burned shop; the destruction that was ever so needless. The fact that she hadn’t actually caught the one who did it. Even though they had some of them.
At that moment, a Digimon walked over to Levi, Zack and Marigold. “Howdy there,” he said, tipping his hat. “Nice to meet’cha. Name is Deputymon, I be runnin’ the security force for all’a this town. Them varmits had me tied up in ma’ own cells. I wish I could’a protected ol’ Rosewood. Lived in this town all’of’ma life.”
Levi tilted her head a little to one side. Most of what he said was completely lost on the little shark. Her eyes looked blank and her head was tilted to one side. “Levi confuse…” She admitted, tugging on Zack’s leg to grab his attention.
“Ah, sorry. Lemme get to the point, here. I heard ya’ll are the heroic types and I have a problem maybe you can help ma with. I got some prisoners left in my cells and the transports are all full up. So, would ya be able to escort them down to the facility that had been set up over’ the ways.” He pointed a finger at the path which led up towards Server Woods. “Wouldn’t want any of them to escape now… and one of them really is trying her hardest...”
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Post by supesman on Aug 29, 2023 20:58:39 GMT
"We do what we can and, luck willing, we get the chance to get better at it. Heck I'm squishier than you are, human that I am. You're already tougher than I've ever been or ever will be. It seems like the Digimetal agreed." Zack said, speaking to the shark with nothing short of adoration and pride in his voice. He was like that way with everyone, especially kids but he was especially sugar sweet with Levi. If only because he could already see her blooming into something great. "Your grandfather sounds like a wise kind of man. Great power comes great responsibility and all that." Zack said, knowing the reference would most likely fly over the Digimon's head. Most references he made flew over digimons' heads. Then again, with how dorky a superhero fanatic he was, a lot of the references he made also flew over a good chunk of HUMAN heads.
"Well with your powers I would say soaking the ruins would be helpful. There's always the chance of embers or glow spots getting kicked up as people dig through everything. The last thing we need is the fire popping back up after everyone's already worn down and exhausted. Kind of like how you should always douse the remains of a campfire." Marigold said, sharing another little nugget of heroic wisdom that she and her father had had to learn the hard way the first time around. Now they could just pass it neatly onto Levi without her having to stumble in face first like they had. "But it seems like we're needed somewhere else." Marigold said as the little gunslinger digimon approached, crossing her arms and listening.
Zack reached up and undid the clips of his helmet, pulling it free and nuzzling it under his right arm. He liked to keep his "mask" on for bad guys obviously, and for most regular folk see him proudly flying his colors was a hopeful symbol, a useful persona for them to see. When he was speaking to someone on an even footing though, he liked to let them look him in the eye. It might have been the first time Levi was able to look on his face, tousled and blonde, a little ratty around the edges where dust had settled in but with blue eyes that sparkled like fresh ocean water.
"Officer the three of us would be happy to help you out, especially when my daughter and I evidently came late to the party." Zack said, keeping a conversational tone and a smile on his face, though his shoulders didn't relax. He reflexively didn't trust law enforcement or large institutions of most kind. If he had been the kind who trusted the police, he would have become one rather than seeking out justice for his own methods. For now though, his goals and the sheriff's aligned. Getting the criminals out of the community would keep people safe. In Zack's mind, that was all that would ever really count.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2023 17:40:52 GMT
“Well, that’s a most kind of ya’” The sheriff said, tipping his hat to Zack and then Marigold in turn. Levi tilted her head again as the shadowed body beneath was momentarily revealed. “Lemme show ya to the prisoners.”
He led the three heroes over to the entrance of the town, where a wooden arch had once stood. But now lay broken into pieces strewn across the path. Between the remaining towers sat a wooden carriage tied to a monster of a dinosaur. It’s skin was coarse and was more like stone than flesh. Large plates of thick armor lined its back right up to the head which ended with a large horn.
“Woah, himbs a big guy,” Levi said, staring up at the Monochromon’s stony face and the oversized bridle that tied it to the front of the carriage. “Can we be the friends?” It turned its head away from the tiny Levi and sniffed. The little shark looked a little dismayed at the lack of friendship on offer.
“Oh don’t worry bout him. He’s a softie, really, once ya’ get to know ‘im.” Levi moved to Zack’s side and leaned against him, instead.
“So, here be the prisoners ya’ll gotta take away,” Deputymon said, tipping his hat once more and then pointing his pistol-like body in the direction of the carriage. On closer look, Levi noted that there was large bars that made it more like an oversized cage on wheels. Crouched within it were several shadowed shapes. Levi tried to look into the cage but it was too high for her to get a good view.
“They don’t’ much like…” Deputymon muttered but was cut off by a cascade of voices talking over one another. Grunting and furious voices. Almost incoherent and hard to understand. “Just a bunch’a’ Goblimon. But ya’ll know all bout them, ey.” The sheriff took a long look at Levi and then turned back to Zack. “Oh but one otha’ too.”
“I’m not just a OTHER!"
A voice called from within the depths of the cage. Levi tilted her head, thinking the voice oddly familiar. Until with a crash, a feathered face slammed into the bars. Tears behind the eyes and clearly dirt-strewn and filthy. “I’m...I’m… I’m,” she stuttered between large cries. “I’m the Arch...Arch… Arch Wizard.”
“Birdymon!” Levi said, out of nowhere.
“No, no, no! Fenixmon! I am Fenixmon the Arch Wi--” But she was quickly silenced as one of the Goblimon threw a bone at her head. It missed, only struck the bars with a great clang.
“Birdymon made a big boom!” Levi said, looking up Zack and Marigold. “It was like, woah! Then, she did a sploot.” Lying flat on the floor to imitate what had happened to the phoenix, post explosion.
“Levi confuse… Birdy-friend!” She said, putting a fin to her mouth and tilting her head a little to the left.
Deputymon looked a little stunned for a second, unsure what to say. “Uh...well. We got word that’there bird is a dangerous member of that’there same gang of criminals”
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Post by supesman on Sept 7, 2023 3:17:48 GMT
"Don't bother the working folks, Levi. He's getting paid to uphold the law, we're suckers doing it for charity work." Zack said, tipping his head to the saddled up dinosaur digimon. "Your energy can come on a little strong, especially when someone's just trying to make it to five o'clock." Zack said, reaching down and patting his head against the sandy texture of the shark digimon's rough scales. They seemed to keep an aqua tinged shine to them no matter how dusty or dirty the little shark ended up. Zack silently mused to himself that the shine on her skin was the same shine that sparkled out of her wide and innocent eyes.
The roaring and howling from the Goblimon went on for about two seconds before Marigold's hand jolted out from her side, grabbing hold of the cage carriage and shoving it without actually shifting her weight. With the one handed push the cage was tilted hard to one side, far enough to pick up the cart on two wheels and let the towering insect look into the shadowed cage at the prisoners with deep, glittering crimson eyes that shot through the shade like a laser beam, narrowing her eyelids only slightly to give the Goblimon a nice, firm reminder that she would not be listening to them hoot and holler all the way through the job. Marigold let the cart back down softly as Fenixmon approached the bars. She sniffed and scoffed slightly before seeing the tears welling up in the mage's eyes. The moment the bone thunked against the bars by her head, Marigold's hand shot out a second time, moving from her waist to her target in a blur.
She grabbed the offending goblin out of the crowd and hauled him up against the bars by his shirt, a hard CLANG resounding as the Goblimon's head impacted the bars with a similar sound to the bone.
"You're already in trouble. Don't do something stupid that lands you in the hospital before the prison." Marigold said, hissing her words in a loud rasp making sure every single one of the green skinned punks would hear her loud and clear and the warning implicit in her tone.
"Officer. While I can attest that Fenixmon is..." Zack drummed his gloved fingertips on his waist and turned to look at the usually arrogant bird. "Trying on the patience. She's not a threat and I don't believe her to be actively malicious. Plus, as can be clearly seen the conditions of being in mixed population is having an adverse effect on her mental and physical health. With your permission, I'd like her to be able to ride with us, so to speak. I'll keep her close at hand if she tries anything funny and I'd like to get to the bottom of her involvement one way or the other." Zack said, staking his reputation on Fenixmon's good behavior in order to get her out of that coop before it did her some serious damage.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2023 14:37:28 GMT
With a great and ominous thunk, the goblin fell into a heap in the middle of the cage. Eyes rolling to the back of his head and tongue lulling to one side. The others were looking from the fallen goblin to Marigold. Then, as one, the remaining goblins backed up to the corner and pressed themselves against the back bars. Fenixmon let out a loud sniff and wiped her eyes with the end of the long cape which hung from her shoulders. The other Goblimon were still staring at her with cold, vicious and aggressive expressions on their faces.
At once, Levi tilted her head and looked up at Marigold. “Woah, you strong and scary! You got all the silly green guys to behave.” Her eyes sparkled again, ever more brightly, before turning back to Zack who was speaking to the Deputymon. “Well… if that’be what ya’ want. I guess it’s fine b’me too.”
Deputymon tipped his hat again at Zack and stepped forward, pulling a golden key from his belt. With a swift move, he pulled the bright orange bird from the cage and dropped her down to their level with little effort. “Here ‘ya go. I got some rope here if ya wanna keep her in turn too.” He handed it over to Zack, tied up into a lasso-like shape.
“Th-thank you,” Fenixmon muttered to Zack, her voice low and far different than the last two times that Levi had met her. She tilted her head from side to side and smiled brightly, her sharp teeth visible for a second. She was going to speak but was cut off by the Deputymon who had pulled a pocket watch and stared at it.
“Alright, time to go. I got’s ya’ll a map. But it shan’t be a difficult journey, I reckon,” Passing it over along with the rope, Deputymon tipped his hat in turn, once to Marigold, once to Zack and then finally to Levi with a slightly more confused look on his face. The Monochromon took large steps forward and the cage began to roll on its wheels, pulling it behind the great rock dinosaur.
The long path which led out of Rosewood spiralled down the way. Between tall and ancient-looking trees—several of them tipped over from the battle with Dimogemon, blocking parts of the path. Although, the great dinosaur was able to break through the fallen trunks with ease. The cage, however, jumped every time it did so.
Halfway down the path, Levi turned to Fenixmon and tilted her head. “Levi want friend! Levi be friends?” She held out her fin out to the bird who didn’t say anything but let out another loud sniff. Her eyes were firmly looking down at the ground, rather than the shark.
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Post by supesman on Sept 12, 2023 3:32:43 GMT
"Levi, if I can give you one lesson, let it be this." Marigold leaned forward and pressed her hand to the top of the cage, leaning against it enough to make it groan and show the goblins that there was not actually a thing holding her back from getting right inside the space with them, her crimson eyes PIERCING the shadow to almost look directly through them. "There is nothing that scares a bully more than having to pick on someone their own size. And me?" Her voice dropped into a frightfully low register as she leaned in close to the bars so that the goblins could just BARELY make out the shape of her face with a little extra detail. "I am much. MUCH bigger."
"I want to be nice." Zack crouched down until he was directly eye to eye with the sniffling phoenix. He didn't want to come off like he was talking down to her or like he was veiling a threat, just speaking to her on her level, nothing more, nothing less. "Don't make me regret this." Zack said, accepting the rope and looping it over his shoulder, though curiously he didn't make any moves to restrain the phoenix as they walked down the road, making sure that his walk kept pace with both the wagon and keeping the firebird in his line of sight without crowding her personal space.
The second they were out of the city limits, he unlooped the rope and tossed it, like he was casually chucking a frisbee until it landed with a rustling rattle somewhere in the bushes just off the trail. He held up his helmet, giving Fenixmon a very meaningful glance before pushing it back down on his head. He had thrown away any means by which to bind her and done it very intentionally. For now, he was content to let her walk at her own pace, under her own power.
Marigold brought up the front of the convoy, so to speak, crouched on the edge of the cage-cart, her knees bent and her hands folded around her lap in a pose that gave her leverage to spring forward or directly into the air at a moment's notice like a scowling gargoyle decorating the cart and making sure that the goblins could see her gleaming emerald green claws digging into the edge of the cage's frame in case they though being out of her direct sight line gave them purchase to do something stupid.
"Levi, it seems our friend has had a rather rough day. I think what she NEEDS right now more than anything is some food, some fresh water and a whole heaping helping of sleep." Zack said, digging in the pockets of his custom jacket and pulling out a hiking ration. Sausage, cheese, a few crunchy biscuits that he offered, still fully wrapped to the phoenix wizard. Whether or not she took it he tucked his hands back into his pockets, looking for all the world like he was totally unbothered.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2023 21:07:23 GMT
It almost looked like the phoenix was trying to restrain herself from taking the large amounts of snacks that Zack was offering her. Her arms were half-raised in front of her, but, her feathered hands remained closed and were clearly shaking. Levi tilted her head a little, quite confused. If anyone had offered her a snack, like that, she would be grateful and jump at the chance.
“Levi think they look tasty! Birdy-friend should’s try them!” The little shark said, nodding her head as if to agree with herself and then looked up at Zack with large wanting eyes as if she was a puppy begging for a treat. “Zack and Marigold iz much nice! One of Levi’s bestest best friends and hero.” Once again, she nodded her head to agree with herself.
Fenixmon opened her beak to respond but closed it again, before silently taking the food from Zack. She took very large steps forward, increasing the gap between herself and Zack and Levi but not far enough to be out of sight. Without out any further ado, she ripped opened the rations and shoved them down her beak as fast as she could without choking. Savoring each mouthful with noises of pleasure, due to clear starvation.
Once more, Levi tilted her head. “Levi is a confuse,” she said, looking from the bright orange phoenix ripping apart the biscuits with great excitement. Before, looking back up at Zack. Her face screwed up with a look of painful confusion. She pulled on his leg and then said in a lower, saddened voice. “Levi dun get why the Birdy-Friend was hanging around with the meanies.”
She thought hard, her head moving from side to side as she walked alongside the cage—her fins crossed. “Birdy-Friend is a nice but the Ogremon is a meanie who did a beating!” She said, recalling the result of their last encounter and how Levi had barely been able to escape in one piece, mainly due to the help of her friends and the Digimental.
“Why would they works together?”
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Post by supesman on Sept 19, 2023 3:12:14 GMT
"Pride." Zack said softly, letting the word hang in the air in front of them for a long, slow moment before he took in a deep breath and explained himself. He kept his voice low and soft so that Levi would listen but also so that it wouldn't drift along to the phoenix herself or their green skinned friends in the cage cart. "I have a feeling that most of the trouble in that young woman's life all come from a overabundance of pride. I'd bet on it. She's spent so long playing the part of the unstoppable center of attention that she's started to buy it and hasn't been in the habit of giving much thought to consequences. Sooner or later one of two things is going to happen." Zack said, hooking his thumbs into the pockets of his pants and walking with the gait for what for all the world looked like a classic cowboy hero on a stroll. "She's either going to run up against someone or something that isn't buying the act. In which case she ends up injured or dead. Seems to be what happened to her this time." Zack said, a shiver running up his back at the image of the little bird behind the bars of the cage. Shivering and starved and yet still unable to stop herself from opening with titles and bragging.
"OR. She's going to let her empathy slip that one step too far to a point she can't come back from. And her obnoxious pride is going to rot and settle into a pitiless, villainous arrogance." Zack said, letting that analysis hang in the air for a long moment before he let out another long sigh and shook his head. "Then again, there's always lesson three. She takes a lesson in humility, learns the lesson that she's not the center of the universe, and maybe grows some kindness. After that? Well after that she can be anything. The trick is learning her lesson before she runs headlong into options one or two."
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2023 20:35:07 GMT
Levi tilted her head a little to one side as Zack’s words washed over her. Her large yellows eyes moved to the phoenix at the side of the cage, head-down and silent. All that vim and vigor, her strange taste of showmanship, that exuberant aura. All vanished.
The little shark couldn’t help but feel a little worried about her. She felt no ill will against her, nor did she feel like it was deserved for her to be in that cage or this position. Mainly, because, all she wanted to to become a friend of the phoenix. Maybe that would be enough. "Levi think that is very sad..." She said to Zack, tilting her head far to one side. Her bright smile broken into a frown.
They continued walking down the long winding path, which slowly became more rugged as the stone cobbles vanished, leaving only a dirt path. Trees emerged from each side of them, growing thicker in volume as they walked deeper. Any trace of sunlight lost to the thickening thicket of leaves overhead, replaced by the claw-like branches reflected in shadows. Monochromon and the cart he pulled slowed as it became far more difficult to pass through the forest thicket, impeding their progress even further. Occasionally flinching as something in the darkness moved or dry branches cracked under their feet.
Unconsciously, Levi moved closer to Zack. So much so they were almost bumping into each other, her long tail swishing against his leg. Her snout-like nose twitching a little. It was almost like there was something out there… watching them? Or perhaps it was just the shadows playing tricks. Fenixmon was clearly still visible just ahead of Levi, a bright orange blur in the encroaching darkness.
Soon, they had reached a midway point which opened up into a wider clearing of flat land. Several rocks stuck from the ground with flattened rocks. Remains of burned wood in a circle between them. A strange and hairy creature was sat upon them, poking at the embers with a long stick.
“Ooo, look. A friend?” Levi said, moving closer. Instantly forgetting any fear she may have had. Her wagging tail jumping up and down once more and her eyes bright at the thought of a new friend in mind.
The creature turned to look at them, revealing a face that was almost entirely covered in thick, almost completely white hair. Wild and untamed, hiding every feature of their face. The body was cloaked by a thin, brown smock except for long, hairy feet which stuck out. The old man sighed and then turned back to the fire, continuing to poke at it.
“W-wait. I kn...know that Digimon!” Fenixmon said suddenly. Her voice oddly raspy as she too stepped forward.
Levi tiled her head and turned to look at the phoenix. “That’s the ol’Headmaster, isn’t it?”
“It is you… right?” Fenixmon moved even closer to the figure. His bearded head turning to face Fenixmon before nodding his head twice. Then his face turned to look at Levi, then to Zack and Marigold and finally to the cage of Goblins who were suddenly standing at the bars to get a closer look at what lay beyond. Their faces contorted into greedy expressions.
Fenixmon stepped forward. "Come on now. Let's do this properly!"
Immediately her old fire reigniting around her. You could almost feel the sparks in the air and stomped her foot down. Her staff appearing out of nowhere into her hands.
"I am Fenixmon! My calling is that of an arch wizard, one who controls explosion magic, the strongest of all offensive magic! Feel the crackle of my magic in the air."
Levi clapped her fins together, completely taken by this most amazing of introductions.
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Post by supesman on Sept 21, 2023 3:16:13 GMT
"It's very sad. It's always sad to see people wasting their potential in being unkind and arrogant. They can choose to be anything and what they choose is to be cruel and callous. The only hope we have is that they see the light before it's too late. The upside is that the better path is always open to them. No matter what." Zack said, observing the phoenix from afar for a moment. He meant it, every word. He wasn't impressed by the phoenix's proclamations of her own power or talent. Without the temperance of responsibility and empathy it was just words and gimmicks to him, hollow of anything to give it meaning through the lens of kindness and purpose.
They walked for a while after that and Zack didn't talk much, Marigold didn't talk at all. Her head occasionally cocking to one side, red eyes breaking through the gloom to track where the sounds of the forest around them were truly coming from. Hoping to use the intimidation factor of her powerful Ultimate level frame to keep anything with hostile intentions from stepping too close or at least forcing them to target her first and give the squishier people some kind to reposition and get out of the firing line.
Zack reached down, placing his hand on the back of Levi's shoulder opposite from him. He didn't mind her sticking close if it made her feel better and even under the helmet she could almost feel the warmth of a smile beneath. Even the grey gloom and swirling shadows of the ticket laden path sent a silver glitter through his visor.
When they came to the clearing Marigold finally moved from her gargoyle stance, not making any sudden movements just rising up in the air with a soft buzz of her wings. Holding her arms at her sides in a stance that was ready but not hostile. She didn't approach the little wild man, giving him a placid and calm expression. She could always attack if she felt the need. For now, observation was the best way to keep everyone safe.
Zack crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the phoenix and the old hermit exchange words, seeing some of the pep get put back into Fenixmon's step. Though he did make sure he was standing where the phoenix could see him, drumming his fingers on his sleeves and tilting his head in a way that implied the warning raised eyebrow beneath his visor. He didn't WANT to have to put his foot down and risk pushing the phoenix back into that floundering state of mind they had found her in, and she wasn't doing anything dangerous or immoral but he wanted her to see that she was still watching. Even if he did raise his hands and give a small round of polite applause to the firebird magician's entrance and titles. Encouragement was often worth more than a pound of more harsh correction, when used intelligently
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